Ever since the next day, that fluffy-headed woman (both physically and mentally) has been clinging to me.
“Hey, hey, Sakosh, do you like any music other than the Beatles?”
“Not really.”
“Hey, hey, Sakosh, Erina-ne, I’m doing a trial membership in the Dance Club. Why don’t you join too, Sakosh?”
“No.”
“Hey, hey, Sakosh, there’s this really cool guy doing a trial membership in the Dance Club...”
“Is that so.”
Despite my efforts to respond as curtly as possible, she didn't seem to care at all. Every single day, she’d start her sentences with 'Hey, hey, Sakosh,' like those 'Teacher, you know what' essays we did back in elementary school.
And at the end of every question or report, the same exchange would always happen.
“Hey, hey, Sakosh, let’s go home together today?”
“Impossible.”
I want to listen to music during my commute. The sugary voice this woman produces is nothing but noise to me.
Besides.
If we went home together, just the two of us, then we would truly no longer be 'unrelated.' It would become a relationship that should be called 'friends.'
I don’t want to cross that line.
I don’t want to get hurt, or hurt anyone else, ever again.
A few days passed.
“Hey, hey, Sakosh, have you ever written a love letter?”
That was today’s lunch break 'Hey, hey, Sakosh' question.
Her topics are always sudden, but today’s was especially extreme.
Well, it doesn't matter since the quality of my answers won't change anyway.
“Never.”
“I see... I get it—.”
“Right.”
When I brushed her off, the fluffy-head gave a small sigh.
“Haaah...”
She dropped her shoulders for some reason and trudged out of the classroom.
...Today, she didn't ask me to 'go home together.' Not that I care.
After school that day.
“Ah.”
While walking down the stairs, I realized I’d left my headphones in my desk drawer.
Music is an absolute necessity on the way home.
It takes an hour and a half from the high school to my house. There’s no way I can spend that much time in silence.
I ran back up the stairs I had just descended and reached for the classroom door.
“Isn’t that a bit too much on Erina-chan’s part?”
“No, well, maybe my timing was just too early...”
“That’s not true—. Nagasawa, your seats are right next to each other.”
“Well, I guess...”
I heard the voices of a girl and a boy talking.
Visible through the door window was the girl who had given me advice when I first spoke to that fluffy woman, and another boy I truly didn't know.
For a second, I hesitated to enter for some reason, but it has nothing to do with me, and there’s no point in worrying about it.
I’ll just grab my headphones and go home.
I gave myself a small, internal nod and slid the door open with a rattle.
“Ah, Hasu-san...!”
The girl noticed me, and her face contorted slightly with a look of awkwardness.
“Hey, Hasu...san.”
The boy I didn't know also greeted me, so I gave a light nod as I headed to my seat.
Naturally, my forgotten headphones were right there in the drawer, so I draped them around my neck.
“Um... you heard what we were just talking about, right?”
The girl asked, looking at me anxiously as if trying to read my expression.
“It has nothing to do with me.”
“Eh? But Hasu-san, you’re close with Erina-chan, right?”
“We aren't close.”
“I-is that so...?”
She had a face that said 'Then what was that other day about...' but I stated it firmly.
“Yeah, I don’t care.”
As I said that, I tried to leave the classroom.
...Or rather, I tried to.
“...What did that woman do?”
My mouth had turned back inside the door to ask that question.
“Ah, yeah...”
The girl looked awkward again at being questioned, then looked at the boy.
The boy gave some sort of permission, saying, “Ah, yeah, it’s fine.”
“You see, Nagasawa confessed to Erina-chan.”
“I see.”
Who the hell is Nagasawa?
As I frowned internally, the boy took over the story.
“And then, Erina said to me, 'Who are you?'...”
...So this guy is Nagasawa.
“...Hah.”
A sigh escaped me.
No, first of all, for you—what did you even learn about that woman in just a few weeks since meeting her, or what part of her did you even fall in love with? Those were the thoughts I had.
That said, that woman’s response was certainly bad. Quite bad.
I’m sure there’s no such thing as 'justified' backbiting, but there was enough reason—or rather, room for sympathy—for this girl to be comforting Nagasawa.
“So, we were talking about how that way of saying it was a bit cruel... right?”
The girl looked up at Nagasawa with a tilted head.
That gaze was strangely passionate.
...This one falls in love quickly too.
Perhaps she sensed sympathy from my gaze, or perhaps she took my silence as agreement.
Either way, the girl started encouraging the boy again.
“Hey, Nagasawa, so there’s no need to worry about it at all. It’s better to just forget her. I’m sure there’s someone you’re much more compatible with.”
“I wonder...”
Since they were talking amongst themselves, there was no point in me being here anymore. Or rather, was there ever any point to begin with?
...Lately, I’ve been out of sorts.
The moment I turned back toward the exit, intending to leave the classroom for good this time.
“Yeah, I mean, Erina-chan is cute, but there are weird rumors about her.”
“Eh, really?”
“Yeah, she’s dating several third-year guys, what a bi—”
“Hey.”
Before I knew it, I had turned back again, and I found myself grabbing the girl's shoulder firmly.
“...W-what?”
“Don’t say another word.”
I looked into her eyes, speaking as calmly as possible.
I don’t know about that woman’s conduct either.
But, whether it's true or not, if it’s just 'rumors' or 'speculation.'
“If you say things to hurt others out of jealousy, you’ll end up regretting it forever.”
There’s no need to throw away your high school life for a weird woman like that.
There’s no need to live a gray life like I do.
“...Y-yeah.”
The girl nodded, seemingly overwhelmed.
“...So, I think you should stop.”
I said it once more, as if to drive the point home.
'Who are you to say that?'
Somewhere in my heart, someone with a dark face spoke to me.
'When you haven't even apologized for it yourself.'
I gently bit my lower lip.
“Sorry, that’s all... See ya.”
I let go of her shoulder and headed for the exit.
“S-see you later...!”
Ignoring the voice squeezed out from behind me, I suppressed my self-loathing and stepped out into the hallway.
I turned right immediately to head toward the shoe lockers, and as I raised my head while putting on my headphones, there she was.
“What are you doing...”
Leaning her back against the classroom’s outer wall, looking somewhat happy.
“Shhh...!”
There was the woman, pressing her index finger to her lips.