“Good morning!”
“Good morning...”
As soon as I entered the classroom while rubbing my eyes, Erina-san approached me. Her expression looked a little better than yesterday, but that smile was still plastered on her face.
“Oh my, Takuto-kun, you have dark circles under your eyes?”
“Yeah...”
As I said that, Erina-san brought her face calculatedly close to mine. Her eyelids were swollen, but since that was a difficult topic to bring up, I decided to ignore it.
When I looked away, Erina-san leaned her lips close to my ear.
“Forget about what happened yesterday, okay?”
Her sweet breath tickled my ear.
However, I didn’t answer her.
Even if she told me that, there was no way I could forget. At the very least, I wouldn’t be the one to forget.
“Erina-san, are you going to club activities today?”
Instead of answering, I asked her a question.
“...Yeah, it would be a bit strange if I didn't go today, wouldn't it?”
Erina-san gave a gentle smile.
“I see...”
Given what happened yesterday, I couldn't bring myself to say 'Good luck' or 'Don't push yourself,' so my reply ended up being vague.
“By the way, where is Amane-chan today?”
“Who knows...”
Looking at the seat by the window, Ichikawa wasn't there. It was indeed rare for an honor student like her, who usually arrived early, to not be there yet.
I had replied to her LINE message around the time I woke up this morning, but it was currently sitting on 'read' without a response.
Was the content of my reply bad... No, well, it might have been bad, I have a feeling it was...
“Didn't you keep her up all night, Takuto-kun?”
“That might be the case. I barely slept a wink myself...”
“Eeeh, after that happened yesterday...?”
While I was having a conversation with Erina-san where I wasn't sure if we were on the same page or not, the first bell rang.
At the same time, Ichikawa entered the classroom.
She glanced toward Erina-san and me talking near the entrance, immediately looked away, and muttered, “...Morning,” before heading to her seat.
“Good morning!”
Erina-san replied energetically, while Ichikawa-san just gave a small nod and continued to her desk.
“Hey, Takuto-kun, why is Amane-chan wearing a muffler?”
“I don’t know...”
It was a mystery to me too, but for some reason, Ichikawa had come to school wearing a red muffler. She had buried about half of her face in it. Although it had gotten a bit chilly, it was still October. It felt a bit early for a muffler...
“Takuto-kun, did you give her a hickey?”
“No, I didn't.”
“Uwhee, you should act a bit more flustered... Well then, maybe someone else gave her one? She wouldn't want Takuto-kun to see that, would she...”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Ooh, that’s a great reaction!”
Ignoring the excited Erina-san, I happened to look toward Ichikawa, and she glanced back at me. The moment our eyes met, she buried her face even deeper into the muffler, then quickly looked away toward the window.
“Was that a bingo? Mufufu, don't let it get you down, Takuto-kuun.”
“Don't go getting your energy back from this...”
Erina-san looked up at me with a spiteful smile. Is this person really just a devil after all...?
Ichikawa’s behavior remained strange during lunch break as well.
“Um, um, Konuma-senpai...!”
“Hm?”
Just as I was about to eat lunch, someone called out to me. I turned around to see my small-animal-like junior fidgeting near the entrance. It felt like it had been a while.
“Taira-chan, what’s up? Are you doing well?”
“I’m doing great-desu!”
After Taira-chan pumped her fists to show how energetic she was, she asked, “Um, um, I have some business with President Amane, so I came to see her...”
“She’s right over there.”
I pointed to Ichikawa, who was eating her lunch alone at the window seat.
“I see... No, no, that’s not it. Could you please go with me?”
“Ah... sure, but it feels like she’s avoiding me today...”
“Is that so?”
“That is so...”
During the morning breaks, whenever I tried to get close, she would hide her mouth with the muffler and give me reactions like Sako, saying things like “What” or “Not right now.”
Of course, since she was eating lunch now, she wasn't wearing the muffler.
“I see... But, but, don't you think the hurdle is a bit high for a junior like me to charge into a senior's classroom alone?”
“I guess so...”
Taira-chan wasn't exactly being selfish. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do it either. In fact, I couldn't even enter a different class in the same year.
I guess I have no choice.
I sighed, stood up, and headed to Ichikawa’s desk with Taira-chan.
“Um, President Ichikawa? Taira-chan says she has some business with you.”
“Hoe? Ah.”
Ichikawa looked up and immediately pressed her lips together as if she were holding something back.
“Hello, Tsubame-chan... what is it?”
“Eh? President Amane, are you an old man...? Um, um, there’s something I want you to buy with the club budget, and I wanted to consult you about it...”
“I understand. Please wait a moment.”
And then, even though she was in the middle of lunch, she tied her muffler back on.
“Um, um, why is President Amane equipped with a muffler? Isn't it hot...?”
“It's fine. Tsubame-chan, shall we go outside?”
“Y-Yes-desu. Um, what about Konuma-senpai?”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
I replied with a wry smile. I wasn't needed for the conversation anyway, and although I didn't quite get it, I felt bad for Ichikawa in a strange way.
“I see...”
While tilting her head in confusion, Taira-chan went outside with Ichikawa.
Finally, after school arrived.
While I was worrying about how to handle Ichikawa’s suspicious behavior, the 'muffler lady' came to my desk.
“Can we go home together today?”
“Ah, yeah, if it's okay with you, Ichikawa...”
“It's fine.”
“What are you, Sako...?”
Ichikawa-san, whose expression was hidden by the muffler, left the classroom, so I followed her and walked beside her.
“Hey, Ichikawa, that muffler...”
“...Don't worry about it.”
She cut me off. Even as people said things like "That looks hot" or "Amane-chan is cute even with half her face hidden" on the way, she headed toward the school gate. (Was that second one a compliment?)
A little after passing the school gate, Ichikawa glanced around restlessly.
“What’s wrong...?”
“Is it safe now, I wonder.”
After whispering that, she suddenly pulled the muffler off.
“Ichikawa, your face...”
She started fanning her sweaty neck with her hand, saying, “It’s hot, it’s so hot...”
And then, Ichikawa...
“Moo! Konuma-kun! It was so hard trying not to grin all day today!”
She said that with a completely loose, beaming smile.