* * *
After school on Wednesday.
“Ooooy, Yuri!”
As I stayed behind in Class 4 to write the class log, I heard a voice calling me from the vicinity of the classroom door.
“Hm, Erina?”
“Yahoo! Are you on day duty?”
Waving her hand, Erina entered the classroom and walked over to my desk.
“Yup. Isn't it great? The class log.”
“What is...?”
When I pointed at the log with a smug face, she gave me a look of pure suspicion.
“Eh, isn't it good?”
“Haa...”
Seriously, I feel like she's a bit put off. I actually like the class log, though.
First of all, just having the word 'Class' in the name makes it quite powerful. That sense of limitation that you can only write it during your youth, the sense of specialty, and the slight hint of loneliness that lingers.
Personally, I like writing characters, so I like that it's called a 'Log'. The fact that it's 'Log' instead of 'Diary' somehow strikes a chord with me.
It's also great how everyone just scribbles random stuff when they can't think of anything to write.
The way the homeroom teacher adds meaningless retorts is also the best.
I want that red pen that only the teacher uses. No, but if I used it, it would no longer be something exclusive to the teacher, so I don't want it.
It's a paradox.
A Youth Paradox, huh... That sounds like it could be a title for something, so I'll make a note of it later.
“Anyway, isn't that something the two people on duty are supposed to write together? Erina wrote it with Amane-chan the other day, you know?”
“Ah, I like reading it too much that it takes me a long time, so I'm doing it by myself. ...It's not like I was forced to do it, okay?”
“I didn't say that. I thought it, though.”
“So you did think it!”
And you actually said it, too.
“Ahem... well, whatever. So, why did you come all the way to Class 4?”
“Ah, right! Want to go home together today?”
“Eh, me?”
I reflexively pointed at myself at the unexpected invitation.
“Yeah! Sakossy and Takuto-kun both went to the studio saying they had band practice!”
“I mean, I have practice for the same band too, though.”
Sako-hasu wasn't on duty, so she headed to the studio as soon as homeroom ended, but I planned to join them after I finished enjoying the class log.
“I see... In that case, how about we talk for a bit?”
Erina suddenly crouched down beside me and looked up at me with upturned eyes. This girl is calculatingly cute in every direction. What does she gain from doing that to someone like me?
“Well, if it's just that much...”
It seems Erina didn't just come here as an afterthought; she actually had business with me.
After all, there must have been many times before where she couldn't go home with Konuma or Sako-hasu because of practice.
This is the first time she's gone out of her way to invite me, and even though we can't actually walk home together in the end, the fact that she's asking for a 'talk' is quite rare.
It's certain that she has something specific she wants to discuss.
I'd already told them I'd be late today because of duty, and since I don't handle an instrument, it should be fine if I'm a little late.
“Will you talk with me...?”
I nodded twice at her persistent, pampered gesture.
“Yay, thank you!”
“It's nothing. Well then, I'll finish this up quickly.”
...I'll miss you, but goodbye until the next time I'm on duty, class log.
“Then, since the weather is nice today, let's buy some juice at the shop and go to the cafeteria terrace!”
“Buying a Calpis and sitting at the outdoor tables... sounds good.”
“Erina didn't say Calpis, you know...? Also, I said the cafeteria terrace, you know...?”
And so, I hurriedly finished writing the class log and left the classroom with Erina.
...Even you don't usually call it a 'cafeteria', Erina.
After dropping off the log at the staff room, we went to the shop, I bought a can of Calpis, and we sat at a table.
For some reason, Erina bought a plastic bottle of Fanta Orange. Why didn't she buy a Calpis?
As I watched her with a tilted head, Erina gulped it down and smiled happily.
“Fanta in Japan is so delicious, isn't it?”
“Eh? Does Fanta taste different depending on the country?”
“Yeah, Fanta in England isn't tasty at all...”
“How can Fanta not be tasty...?”
I really don't get it.
“I wonder why...”
Well, putting that aside.
“So, Erina, what's up? Is it some kind of consultation?”
“Umm, I wouldn't call it a consultation, or rather...”
She mumbled, looking troubled.
“I heard you made up with Sako-hasu... Wait, was that just Konuma's misunderstanding...?”
“Ah, no. That part is really okay!”
“I see, that's good...”
If Konuma had reported that things went well while crying like that and it turned out to be false, he'd be too pitiful.
“But, it's a bit related to that story, I guess...”
“Eh...?”
Did he mess up after all...? Just as I frowned in thought.
“Yuri, thank you.”
Erina bowed her head to me.
“Hoe? No, I didn't really do anything...”
“No, I was helped by Yuri too, a whooole lot.”
Erina stated firmly, with unusual strength. I really didn't do anything, though. I just waited at the bicycle parking lot for Konuma to arrive.
“Why me?”
“You see, yesterday, Sakossy let Erina listen to the song everyone's band made.”
“Ah, really? We haven't recorded it yet, so I wonder what audio source she let you hear?”
“Ah, it was probably a recording from practice. Sakossy said she'd give me the proper data later.”
“I see...”
So Sako-hasu shared that audio ahead of time.
But, indeed, that might have been the shortest path.
As I was nodding in understanding.
“And so, it might be strange to ask this again, but...”
Erina looked up at me again, peering into my face and my eyes.
With an unusually serious expression.
With an unusually meaningful look.
“...Those lyrics, Yuri was the one who wrote them, right?”