“Hey, Mr. Hitoma. If the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?”

“Where’d that come from?”

“Just talking what-ifs.”

“Let me think… First off, I’d beat all the games I haven’t played yet!”

“Ah-ha-ha, you gotta be kidding!”

“You might not understand them, Haruna, but they’re important to me. I want to hear stories I’ve never heard, see horizons I’ve never seen! It’s the spirit of adventure, and that’s the sort of thing I find in video games!”

“Hmm.”

“…I guess you really don’t understand, huh?”

“Nope. I mean, we’re talking about the end of the world here, right? You’ve gotta have bigger priorities than video games. Aren’t you supposed to say you’d spend time with a partner or your family?”

“…Would you say that, Haruna?”

“Personally—”

I wonder…what did I say back then?

Prologue

“…Oh.”

The rattling of my controller as it fell to the floor brought me back to my senses.

This was the third time today. I uncrossed my legs from atop my gaming chair and picked up the controller. My floor mat still felt cool to the touch.

I thought about how much easier it’d be to pluck it up by the cord if it’d been a wired controller, as though that even remotely mattered.

I knew the reason why I couldn’t focus on my preferred pastime of video games: It was Mirai Haruna, my former student. She was apparently being hired as a teacher at the same school I was working at, Shiranui High School.

A week had already passed since Director Shiranui told me about it, but I still hadn’t gotten my thoughts in order. How was Haruna doing these days? Why did she choose a career in education, and why did she pick this school?

Not to speak ill of my employer, but Shiranui High puts out some shady job listings. It should’ve been the first thing that anyone as straitlaced as Haruna would rule out.

No, I couldn’t say that for sure. Haruna could have changed in the four years since I’d last seen her.

How did she feel about what happened back then? Did she still hate me?

Yeah, I bet she did. I was the one who butted in and ruined Haruna’s entire life. I wanted to apologize one more time, but I had to wonder if I’d just be reopening old wounds. Actually, did Haruna even know I was working at this school?

Fruitless worries like these were all I could think about ever since that day Director Shiranui told me about the newest hire. No amount of anxiety was going to change the fact that Haruna would become my coworker starting in April.

And what’s more…I had my employment contract.

This would mark my third year since signing those papers when I first applied. That is, the third year of a three-year contract. My contract would be fulfilled once this year was over, and then I could choose whether to continue or not. In the worst-case scenario, that could at least be my reason to push through.

Besides, being a newbie at the strict school where I used to work meant I’d had nobody to confide in, but now I had connections with fellow teachers like Mr. Hoshino and Ms. Saotome. Even the principal and the director were pretty approachable; I figure that’d be out of the question at any ordinary school, but this one was well out of the ordinary. So this time, before I wound up making the same mistake I did at my last school, I could ask for help from the people around me to set things straight…probably.

But thinking about silver linings couldn’t ease all of my anxieties over what had yet to even happen.

I sighed softly and returned to my game. The battlefield on my screen felt farther away than usual.

I was well aware that running my brain in circles wouldn’t amount to anything. There was nothing I wanted more than to get so engrossed in my games that I didn’t have room to think.

I resumed my game in an attempt to get just a bit further removed from reality, but I couldn’t focus, and my KDR was a mess. After dropping my controller for the fifth time, I gave up, turned off my computer, and lay down on my bed.

April 1. The beginning of the new school year. The cherry blossom petals danced in the splendorous spring sunshine, as though giving their blessings for the journey ahead.

It was already my third year seeing these cherry blossoms. Classes hadn’t started just yet, but we teachers were back to our regular work schedules.

It might have been clear blue skies up above, but my mood was down in the dumps as I approached the school building. It would probably be a bit later in the morning when Haruna would arrive. Even I could tell how sluggishly I was dragging my feet.

It was last autumn in the director’s office that we talked about me wanting to “confront my regrets.” But how was I supposed to expect that it’d happen so suddenly, and in such a literal sense?

But no matter how I worried, the day finally came. Today, I would finally meet Mirai Haruna as an adult.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Oh, Mr. Hitoma, good morning,” said Mr. Hoshino. “Whoa, you aren’t looking too swell.”

“Oof, yeah, you’re crazy pale,” Ms. Karasuma added.

I entered the teachers’ office to find Mr. Hoshino and Ms. Karasuma leisurely drinking coffee.

“Er, I’m fine.”

I guess I looked ill enough that people had to ask on sight. All the stressing I did last night kept me from getting much sleep.

I felt guilty for making people worry about me on the first day of the new term, but I still walked to my desk and set down my bag like usual.

“Huh? Where’s Ms. Saotome?” I asked.

“Yuki went to show the newbie around,” Ms. Karasuma told me.

“Oh, I see.”

No wonder I hadn’t seen her. We didn’t bump into each other on my way here, so she must’ve taken a different route to the entrance. Mr. Hoshino was the one who’d guided me around the school and showed me the ropes back when I was new, but it looked like Ms. Saotome was handling that this time.

“Mr. Hitoma, there’s still some time before the morning assembly. Do you want to rest a bit?”

Mr. Hoshino kindly offered a suggestion, but I was conflicted. Just then, my eyes met Ms. Karasuma’s next to me.

“Yo, Mr. Hitoma, I can let you use the infirmary if you want.” She tilted her head a little and shot me a smug grin.

“In that case…I’ll take you up on the offer and rest a little,” I said.

I went back and forth, but I figured it was best to catch up on my sleep while I had the chance. If people were getting this worried about me, then I should take their advice and relax.

“I hear ya. Guess we’re heading to the infirmary.”

“Sleep tight, now!”

Mr. Hoshino gave a gentle smile as I headed to the infirmary with Ms. Karasuma.

“You stay up late or something?” she asked as soon as we left the teachers’ office.

“Ah, sorry, I actually did.”

I ended up hiding the real reason I was feeling off. Granted, all that worrying led to me staying up late, so maybe my answer was close enough to the truth.

“Huh. Well, these things happen,” said Ms. Karasuma.

She seemed oddly distant, but she still showed concern despite her disinterest, which gave me a strange sense of comfort.

“The infirmary beds are all fresh and dry, so they oughtta be nice and fluffy. You got first dibs, too.”

“Is that something I should be happy about?”

“Huhhh? Isn’t it? I mean, I’d be happy about it. Like getting first dibs on a bath.” Ms. Karasuma softly chuckled.

Not first dibs on a bath, but a bed, huh?

“Ahh, then again, I flopped on those beds when I took them inside, so you might be second dibs. My bad.”

Ms. Karasuma casually went on about how she couldn’t help herself because the sunshine smelled so crazy. And then…

“Wow! What cute bottles!”

…I suddenly heard a cheery voice coming from the school entrance. That sound made my chest clench tight, and my breath felt just a bit shallow.

Ms. Karasuma and I were at the base of the staircase, so we couldn’t see who had spoken yet.

“Tee-hee, these bottles are unique to this school!”

That voice was Ms. Saotome’s. Which meant that the first voice had to be—

“…Mr. Hitoma? You good?”

Ms. Karasuma gazed at me with concern after noticing that I’d come to a stop.

“Yes, sorry about—”

“Oh? Why, if it isn’t Haruka and Mr. Hitoma!”

That voice from behind me sent a shock through my body. I swung around to find Ms. Saotome, as lovely as ever. Those long limbs, those eyes that shone like sapphires, and that long, white hair that glimmered in the light.

Behind her was a petite woman in a gray suit.

“…Mr. Hitoma?”

It was Mirai Haruna, now an adult.

She hadn’t changed much from her high school days. Granted, it’d only been four years since then, so maybe that was no surprise. Her big bright eyes, her smooth, shoulder-length hair, and her slightly petite frame were all just as I’d remembered, which made me recall the last time we’d met even more vividly. That classroom on a winter’s day, where Mirai Haruna blamed me through her tears.

“Yo, Yuki, this the new teacher?” Ms. Karasuma casually stepped between Ms. Saotome and me.

“Yes, she is! Mirai Haruna here will be teaching language arts. She’s a whiz kid who graduated from a women’s college just this year!”

“Been a while since the last time I heard someone say ‘whiz kid.’”

“Tee-hee-hee, it’s me, the whiz kid newbie! It’s a pleasure to meet you. As Ms. Saotome said, I’m Mirai Haruna. I just got out of college last month, so I have no real experience, and I’ll probably make plenty of mistakes as I get used to things, but I intend to give one hundred and ten percent for my students. I would be honored to have both your assistance and your criticism in the coming year.”

“’Sup. Name’s Haruka Karasuma, school nurse. It’s a pleasure… Oh, and this here’s the social studies teacher, uh…what’s your first name again, Mr. Hitoma?”

“Uh, um…”

Crap. I wasn’t listening to a word they said. What was the question? My name?

“It’s ‘Rei,’ isn’t it?”

Haruna was the one who answered. Everyone in the conversation turned to her. But Haruna didn’t panic; she flashed a gentle, if a bit sheepish, smile.

“Tee-hee-hee. It’s been quite some time, Mr. Hitoma. Good on me for remembering, right?”

That friendly smile. Haruna was a perfect student with only a few endearing faults, so everyone loved her.

“Oh, yeah… That’s true.”

What should I do? I wondered. What’s the right attitude to have? Should I try not to bring up that incident?

Either way, Haruna was acting as though nothing had happened between us.

“Huh? Excuse me, but are you two acquaintances?!” Ms. Saotome, her eyes wide open, popped in from beside Haruna to glance back and forth between us.

“Oh…”

“Yes! We actually are! Mr. Hitoma was my homeroom teacher back when I was in high school. He was a hit with the students. Everyone looked up to him like an older brother!”

“Wow, I had no idea! Tee-hee. I can certainly imagine students taking a liking to Mr. Hitoma. And now you’re both teaching at the same school… My, that sounds wonderful! It almost feels like destiny!”

“Destiny, eh…? You’d be the expert there, huh, Yuki?” said Ms. Karasuma.

“Huh? Oh, Haruka, you mean I’m the sort of teacher that students take a liking to?”

“Nah, not that. The part where you came to the same school as your homeroom teacher.”

“What’s this about? I just have to know!” said Haruna. “Ms. Saotome, you also applied to the same school your teacher worked at? And would that place happen to be here? Please, tell me more!”

“Ohhh…!”

“Ha-ha, that should be a fun story. Regardless, me and Mr. Hitoma got stuff to do. Good luck, Yuki.”

“Hey, now! Haruka, are you just going to enable her and then leave?!”

“My bad. Anyway…Mr. Hitoma, we gotta run.”

I’d been spacing out for a bit, but those words snapped me back to reality.

“Oh, right. Um…Ms. Haruna. Looking forward to working with you,” I said.

“Yes! I’m looking forward to the coming year as well!”

The infirmary welcomed my long-awaited return by embracing me in its warmth. The air felt cozier than it did the last time I’d come by, back when I had chased after Usami. Maybe the heavier feeling back then was because it was winter? I guess the infirmary wasn’t exempt from changing with the seasons.

“Mr. Hitoma, you want tea or coffee? I’m thinking about having a cup of tea myself,” said Ms. Karasuma.

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

“Gotcha.”

Soon enough, I heard the glug, glug of her pouring mineral water into a pot. She then set it aside, flipped a switch with a click, and sat down at her desk.

“So, Mr. Hitoma, how do you feel about someone you know working here? Never mind, I’m overthinking it. My bad. Forget I said anything.”

“No…it’s fine. I appreciate it.”

Our eyes met for a moment, but she quickly looked away. I guess the truth was showing on my face.

“Go ahead and hang your jacket. I’ll wake you up when the time’s good. I’ll just be chilling for a while.”

Ms. Karasuma led me to one of the infirmary’s beds. As I lay down under the sheets that smelled of sunlight, I heard a ding from far off—probably the signal that the water had boiled. The humble sounds of daily life gave me a sense of comfort.

“So, Mr. Hitoma, how do you feel about someone you know working here?”

I had things I wanted to ask Haruna. Stuff like what she was thinking that one time, or what she thought of that moment now. And was it even a coincidence that she came to this school in the first place? Or maybe…?

I had to wonder how much of a hand the director had in this, and how far along she’d thought everything out.

I might have told the director that I wanted to confront my regrets, but when finally faced with Haruna and given the chance to talk, I realized that I’d dedicated zero thought to the details. Would talking normally to each other eventually solve it? Heck, what did “solve” mean here? I didn’t know anything about who Haruna was now, so how did she want me to think about that one moment? What did I want to do going forward…?

The fragrance of freshly poured tea wafted over to me. I wasn’t an expert on tea, but I did know this one—it was chamomile.

Then I fell into a light sleep.

I ended up resting in the infirmary until the morning assembly started. Afterward, I returned to the teachers’ office, made small talk with Haruna, and ended the day without incident.

A week had passed since then, during which Haruna worked to understand her duties at this school, with her former tour guide Ms. Saotome offering help when needed.

It took a while for me to get used to the school back when I was new, so I wondered how Haruna would adapt. Was she taken into the principal’s office and told, “Oh, this is a school for demi-humans learning to become human” out of nowhere? The students’ appearances, along with the curriculum, were a bit unique, although none of that surprised me anymore. I would’ve understood if she’d thrown in the towel on day one, but Haruna showed no signs of hesitation and accepted it all head-on.

In fact, she was already fitting in with the staff.

“Wow, you like sake that much, Ms. Yuki?” Haruna asked Ms. Saotome.

“I do! I purchased all sorts just the other day… Thank goodness we have the internet in this day and age, because now I can order sake from across the country! Oh, do you have any hobbies of your own, Ms. Mirai?”

“The closest thing I have is cleaning the house, so I’ve got nothing fun going on. But enough about that, Ms. Yuki, I want to hear about you! I don’t drink much alcohol, but I wouldn’t call myself a lightweight, so it’s more that I haven’t had the opportunity… Ms. Yuki, do you have any sake you’d recommend to a beginner like me?”

Haruna had broken enough ice with her mentor that she was already asking about her personal life.

The other teachers had nothing but nice things to say about her, too; I’d heard her described as “easy to talk to,” “friendly,” “a good listener,” “a nice, honest girl,” and more throughout the teachers’ office. Haruna was just as well-liked back in her student days, too.

“Oh, looks like the students are going to be arriving soon,” Mr. Hoshino said to me.

He had left his seat to pour a cup of coffee and was now looking out the window.

“Already that time, huh?” I mused.

Today was the opening ceremony. It was a landmark day for Haruna, as she’d finally be standing in front of students.

She was going to be the assistant homeroom teacher for the advanced class that I taught, which was why I was included in the many meetings and primers that she’d had so far.

Everything was going smoothly, all without a single problem…except that I still hadn’t talked with her about our past.

Maybe it was just to satisfy my own ego, but I wanted to apologize again for what had happened back then. However, I spent so long trying to find the right timing to do so that the opening ceremony was already here. I knew these things were best settled sooner rather than later, but still… Even now, Haruna was cheerfully chatting with Ms. Saotome.

There was still a bit of time before the opening ceremony. I took a small breath and spread out the documents about the advanced class’s new students on top of my desk.

Maki Okonogi and Aoi Wakaba.

These two were joining the class. They were regular students; there were no conditional advancements like last year.

According to the paperwork, both girls were already pretty familiar with the human world. It sounded reassuring, but documents were still just documents.

I’d only seen these two in class during their intermediate years, and they seemed relatively well-mannered…I think. There were always going to be differences between how people appeared in class and their regular behavior, so I was excited to see what kind of students they’d be.

I cast a glance at Haruna.

Students had sides to them you’d never see in the classroom walls.

“Oh, Mr. Hitoma, is it about time for us to go to the gymnasium?” Haruna asked me.

“Y-yeah, it sure is.”

Our eyes met, so in the spur of the moment, I wound up saying it was time to leave. It wasn’t at all, really; a quick estimate put us at fifteen minutes or so of leeway.

Haruna swiftly got ready while I cleaned up the documents on my desk, and then we left for the gymnasium together. Ms. Saotome and a number of the other teachers apparently had matters to attend to, so Haruna and I were alone. There weren’t even any students or teachers in the hallway.

Was this my chance? Then again, being alone with her always brought my doubts back to mind.

“Um… Haruna, are you getting used to this school?”

Yet again, all I could manage was a safe question.

“Yes! I was a bit uncertain at first, but Ms. Yuki’s been such a kind and helpful mentor that I’ve had nothing to worry about!”

…Maybe I really was overthinking it. Haruna was putting her best foot forward, with that ancient history long forgotten. Maybe it was best not to make her remember the past.

My head was still in a daze by the time the opening ceremony ended. That wasn’t a problem in itself; the assembly was just listening to the principal talk, so there was nothing I had to do. However…

“The principal went with ‘ball four’ this year, huh?”

“Ms. Yuki, when you say ‘this year’…do you mean that the principal’s greetings are like that every year?” Haruna asked.

“They are. Can you believe it? This is your first time here, Ms. Mirai, so you probably don’t know yet.”

After the opening ceremony, Haruna, Ms. Saotome, Mr. Hoshino, and I met up on the way to each of our classrooms. As always, Haruna was nothing but well-mannered smiles as she chatted with the others.

“Last year was an infield fly reference, right?”

“In…field? What’s that?”

“Tee-hee, that might be one of the tougher baseball terms.”

“…Is it just me, or is the principal a bit eccentric?” Haruna glanced over at Ms. Saotome.

The two then had a lively discussion behind Mr. Hoshino and me, asking things like “How many people are on a baseball team, again?” and “Have you ever played a sport before?”

“All right, Ms. Yuki and I will be going this way,” said Mr. Hoshino.

“Ms. Mirai! The big day is finally here! Do your best!”

“I will! Thank you very much! I’ll be sure to learn a lot from Mr. Hitoma!”

I was the advanced class’s homeroom teacher, and Haruna was the assistant teacher.

Haruna flashed me a tongue-in-cheek grin, but I found that I still had a hard time smiling back.

“Omigooosh! Prince Waka, look over here!”

“Do a heart sign!”

“Aaaaah! She winked at me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

When I opened the door to the classroom, I found a number of intermediate students gathered around the podium, squealing. For a moment, I thought I had opened the wrong door, but this was definitely the advanced classroom.

“Oh my, Mr. Rei! I’m overjoyed to finally see you again! I still love you, even today!”

Atop the stand behind the podium was Ryuzaki, who was making some strange sort of teenage edgelord pose, as well as one other student who had glittering wings.

“…May I ask what you’re doing?” I said to the winged student.

“Mm? Why, we’re posing for the runway. Care to join, Hitoma?”

Her answer spoke for itself.

The student’s voice sounded somewhere between a boy’s and a girl’s, and her short hair was wavy, silky, and as green as verdant leaves. She turned her androgynous face to me, and I saw how fair and unblemished her skin was, like porcelain. The shining wings on her back glittered like gemstones. Her uniform eschewed the standard skirt for a pair of shorts, exposing her long legs for all to see.

“Prince Waka! You’re always number one!”

“Heck, she really might be. She already went on to the advanced class…”

“We all wanna get to the advanced class, toooo!”

“Worry not. I’m sure you can all make it soon enough,” Wakaba said, pulling an intermediate student in close and using her index finger to lift the girl’s chin.

Oh, I know this one. It’s that “chin grab” thing.

The girl let out a strained squeal before going beet red.

Is she gonna be okay…?

Wakaba smiled, seemingly satisfied with that reaction, before turning her beautiful face toward me.

“Well? Don’t you agree, Hitoma?”

“Yeah, yeah. Going back to your classes would probably help, though. The first homeroom of the year for the intermediate students should be starting right about now.”

Hopefully, these students weren’t causing Mr. Hoshino any trouble by being out of class. The first day of the school year, and I was already worried…

The intermediate students were vocal about their disappointment, saying things like “Fiiine,” and “It’s gonna be so lonely without Prince Waka,” but at least they left.

Prince Waka—that is, the elf student who joined the advanced class this year, Aoi Wakaba. This mysterious beauty was called “Prince Waka” by her admirers in the intermediate class. She even had a fan club; I figured the students who had just left were members.

Wakaba saw those students off with a smile and a cordial wave of her hand.

Haruna, who had been watching all this from behind me, walked right up to Wakaba.

“Wakaba, as your teacher, I’m afraid I don’t approve of this horseplay. You know that causing a scene disrupts class, don’t you? Also, you should treat your teachers with respect and call him ‘Mr. Hitoma’ instead.”

It was a gentle yet stern warning.

Wakaba stared at Haruna, her orange eyes glittering like amber. She then softly took Haruna’s hand, and a smile blossomed on her face.

“Mm, I believe you greeted me during the opening ceremony… Haruna, was it? I offer my apologies if my actions caused you any discomfort. But I’m afraid there is only one person I treat with that level of respect, so I’d appreciate your understanding.”

She kissed the back of Haruna’s hand and gave a flawless wink. Her actions amounted to nothing more than womanizing, but the grace she performed them with would have looked right at home in an art museum. I found myself dazzled as well.

“Uh, um, er…!” Haruna spluttered.

“Ah-ha-ha, Ms. Haruna, you’re gettin’ all bashful!” Haneda teased. “You oughtta see how red your face is. Are you a sucker for this sorta thing or what?”

“I-it’s nothing of the sort! Wakaba, don’t tease your teachers! That goes for you, too, Haneda! Goodness… N-now, let me go already!”

Haruna ripped her hand out from Wakaba’s grasp, causing Haneda to cackle.

Come to think of it, had Haruna already put the students’ names to their faces? I was impressed.

“Seems like our new teacher’s the gullible type, squeak!”

“She’s such a baby that she makes Hitoma look reliable.”

“Fwee-hee-hee. But isn’t it oh so cutesy-wootsy for a newbie to be like thaaat?”

I turned toward the latest wisecracks from the peanut gallery to see, from right to left, a pair of mouse ears, rabbit ears, and…horn hair?

The one chatting with Nezu and Usami—that was the oni girl, Maki Okonogi. The trademark horns of her species were wrapped up by her hair and hidden from view, so she looked like a human with a peculiar hairstyle at first glance. With her oversize jacket covered in flashy accessories hanging loosely from her shoulders, she had a distinct Harajuku sense of style to her.

“Maki, your standards for cuteness make no sense,” Usami griped.

“Mweh? If it touches your heart, it’s cutesy-wootsy. Like your hair piiin, or Macchie’s taaail, or Pwinse Waka’s wiiings, or Tobie’s baby haaairs, or Kawwin’s hooorns, or Mr. Hitoma’s tiiie.”

“Ugh, I understand her even less now…”

“My baby hairs? You mean these two tufts I’ve got on the sides?”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I said. “Everyone, take your seats. I’m going to kick off the first homeroom class of the year.”

The students headed to their desks at my warning.

This year’s advanced class had six pupils. So, just like last year, the desks were lined up in two rows of three.

“I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is Rei Hitoma. I teach social studies. There are two new students with us; I believe we’ve met in classes before. My favorite food is sushi, and my hobby is gaming. Nice to meet you all.”

After three years of doing this, I’d started to get my introductions down to a science. The stuff worth saying didn’t change much, and nobody liked to hear teachers drone on about everything else as soon as they met them.

“Also, starting this year, we’ll have an assistant homeroom teacher.”

I motioned for Haruna to introduce herself. She firmly straightened her posture before looking at her students with both a gentle smile and a strong-willed gaze.

“Hello! I greeted you all during the opening ceremony, but I’m Mirai Haruna. I teach language arts, and I like cleaning and making my home a cozier place. I just graduated college this year, so I’m still brand-new to teaching, and I’d like to learn along with you all and get to know everyone. Looking forward to the year ahead!”

Once finished, Haruna gave a short bow of her head.

She must have practiced. That was a textbook introduction right there.

“Hey, Ms. Haruna, I heard a rumor that you used to be Mr. Hitoma’s student. Is that true?”

She sure came out swinging…

Haneda was all smiles when she asked that question in a tone too innocent to be anything but intentional.

“Izzat true?! You mean, before you came to this school?” Nezu demanded.

“O-oh my, a side of Mr. Rei that I’ve never heard before…!” Ryuzaki marveled.

Haneda’s question got the classroom buzzing, and Haruna quickly became the center of attention. She was silent for a few seconds, as though flinching from all the eyes on her, but she quickly returned a well-mannered smile.

“Yes! The truth is, I was! Mr. Hitoma was a big help to me back when I was in high school. Isn’t that right, Mr. Hitoma?”

“…Y-yeah.”

Had Haneda intended to test Haruna with her question? I could have sworn that she’d been watching for my reaction…or wait, maybe both of ours?

The students right in front of us were squealing with excitement. Haruna responded by clapping her hands to grab everyone’s attention.

“Let’s talk about me some other time! Right now, I’d rather hear about all of you!” she said. “Mr. Hitoma, how should we go about this? Do we start from the front row?”

“Oh, right, yes. Thanks for settling that.”

Haruna smiled at me reassuringly.

She really was perfectly normal.

Mirai Haruna, a well-mannered teacher and a skilled leader. It was like that incident had never happened, making me figure that I couldn’t stay stuck in the past forever.

Maybe this was what it meant to move on.

I felt just a bit more optimistic than before. I’d been worried about how things would turn out, but Haruna was a talented employee above all else, and she’d clearly come to terms with what happened in the past, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

“Now then, we’ll do introductions starting from the front row on the hallway side. That’s you, Haneda,” I said.

“’Kayyy.”

Haneda stood up after hearing her name called. Scanning over the desks that the students had more or less settled on reminded me that we never did get around to changing the assigned seats last year.

“Tobari Haneda. Bull-headed shrike. I like music. I’ve been into making instruments lately, too. I want to become human so I can play music. Hey, Ms. Haruna, what music do ya normally listen to? Got any recommendations?”

“I mainly listen to popular playlists on streaming sites now and then, so I’m afraid I don’t have much in the way of suggestions.”

“Yeah, it’s nice how there’s a bunch of stuff available to stream, right? Really makes me feel like we live in a golden age. How ’bout you, Mr. Hitoma?”

“I grew up on video game soundtracks and rhythm game songs, so that’s what I’m into.”

“Ah-ha-ha, figures. Welp, that’s all from me!”

Haneda took her seat, meaning it was now her neighbor Usami’s turn.

“Sui Usami. Rabbit family. I want to become a human to work as a human doctor.”

Usami lightly huffed as she took her seat again. It was very much her style to keep her intro short and simple.

Usami seemed ready to graduate last year, but unfortunately, she turned out to be just a few points shy, so she was once again in my class. She’d only been a step away from her first-choice school, so I was really hoping she’d graduate this year.

“I’m next, yeah? Karin Ryuzaki here. I’m a member of the noble dragon family. I want to become human in order to know what love is like. And eventually, I’ll be Mr. Rei’s bride.”

“Huh? You mean…? Mr. Hitoma, did you and your own student…?” Haruna started to ask.

“Nothing happened, and I have no intention of changing that.”

I denied the allegations, but I could feel the contempt from Haruna’s stern gaze. She didn’t seem to believe me.

“…Seriously, nothing happened!” I insisted.

“Meester Hitoma, the harder you try to deny it, the more true it sounds…”

“Would that make us what they call ‘de facto’?” Ryuzaki asked me.

“I’m telling you, it’s not a fact.”

And don’t go tilting your head at me, either, I thought, for good measure.

“Squee-hee-hee! I feel bad for Meester Hitoma, so let’s cool it with the jokes. Next up is me, Machi!”

Nezu…! She’s got my back!

“The name’s Nezu, Machi Nezu, the lovable little mouse girl! I want to become human to eat lots and lots of yummy food! My latest fave is cream-filled doughnuts! Apparently, the dough is fluffier and chewier than normal, and every bite melts in your mouth! Also, it’s a staple food that you can enjoy anytime, from a li’l snack to your morning breakfast, so there’s all sorts of ways that restaurants can cook them up! I’m more about sweets than anything else, though! I want a doughnut that’s stuffed full of that smooth, fluffy cream! Ooh, I can just imagine taking one li’l nibble and getting so much cream that it spills outta my mouth! If I can only have one of ’em, I’m startin’ with the classics!”

Cream-filled doughnuts…? I didn’t think I’d ever seen one of those, but either way, Nezu sure was good at those food reviews. She had me so hooked that my stomach was on the verge of rumbling.

Anyway, I didn’t quite know what she was talking about, but at least it sounded tasty. Though I had to wonder if they were really a thing…

“Oh, I tried one of those about a month ago. It was pretty tasty,” said Haruna.

“Squeak?! For real?! I heard all the restaurants made you line up for a super-long time!”

“True, I was in line for a bit, but I went with my college friends, so it didn’t feel all that long. In fact, I think you could probably make them yourself if you put in the effort.”

“Squeeeak! It’s worth a try! Meess Mirai, thank you so much!”

So Haruna had friends in college, huh? I wasn’t sure why, but something about that put me at ease.

“Mm, I see I’m next. My name is Aoi Wakaba. I am an elf who once lived in the Treetop Metropolis, Leafgard. My hobbies include collecting all that is beautiful. I want to become human in order to make the world recognize my beauty. There are plenty of humans in this world, you see. It’d be wonderful to be the most beautiful of them all, don’t you agree?”

She’s got confidence in spades.

I had the same thought when I first read that she wanted “to make the world recognize her beauty”; that was a goal you didn’t hear too often. And also…a treetop metropolis? Was that a thing, too? Either way, it looked like we had another fantasy-themed student following Ryuzaki last year.

My first year at this school brought me a mermaid, Minazuki, and a werewolf, Ohgami, as students. I was surprised to learn that those worlds were even out there. But now that I was in my third year, I figured I’d gotten used to it.

I glanced at Haruna out of the corner of my eye to see how she was taking this, but she showed no signs of surprise. She just continued listening like it was perfectly natural.

“Hmmm? I guess I’m laaast? Sooo, I’m Maki Okonogi. I’m an oni descendant and aaall. I have my reeeasons, but I think I’m preeetty knowledgeable about humans. I want to become human sooo I can stop lying.”

For someone who spoke so lazily, Okonogi had a heavy motivation for becoming human. Also, I’m pretty sure humans lie fairly often themselves…so I had to wonder how not lying could tie into wanting to become human.

Although I was occupied with my own fleeting concerns, Okonogi simply stared off into space. Was this nagging suspicion going to get resolved anytime soon?

“All right, thank you for your introductions, everyone,” I said. “I’ll spend some time touching on what our plans are going forward, and then we’ll call it a day, so hang tight for just a bit longer.”

I then passed out papers that had our upcoming schedules.

Maybe it was just a sign that I was getting used to this school, but as far as first impressions went, this class seemed a bit better behaved than last year’s.

“Mr. Rei, it pains me that we must part ways, but I’ll see you tomorrow! I love you!”

“Yeah, yeah, see you tomorrow.”

I said good-bye to Ryuzaki, the last student to go, leaving me alone with Haruna once again. It still felt just a bit awkward.

“Is Ryuzaki always like that?” Haruna asked me.

“Like what?”

“I just felt she came on a bit strong.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t think much of it myself, since I’d acquiesced to the situation. But Haruna was right; seeing that sort of communication right off the bat would surprise anyone…

“Yeah, Ryuzaki’s a very focused student. But I figure that once she expands her horizons, she’ll change how she interacts with people,” I said.

Ryuzaki’s honesty was a virtue, but it made her a bit rough around the edges. For better or for worse, that sort of trait would smooth itself out as she interacted with more humans.

“So, Haruna, how was your first class? You think you can handle the students…?”

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and thought she looked a bit troubled, but it didn’t seem like a serious problem. After all, this was a unique environment. Maybe she was struggling with some parts in ways that I couldn’t see.

“Hmm, well… The students have a lot of personality, so I may not be able to utilize all of my studies, but everyone has clear goals and is eager to learn, so I’d like to focus on supporting their endeavors.”

Hearing such an optimistic response with her smile put me at ease.

“As such, I’d like to learn from you about how to best interact with the students, Mr. Hitoma! After all, I was your student to begin with!”

Haruna came right before my eyes and gave me that well-mannered smile yet again. That same smile she’d had as a student.

…Maybe now I could ask her.

I bowed my head to Haruna.

“Haruna, I’m really sorry about what happened back then. You were going through so much, but I overstepped my bounds and screwed it all up…”

That resulted in Haruna’s letter of recommendation being rescinded, and then her expulsion. I had to resign.

Haruna listened to me and for a moment seemed to freeze out of surprise.

Maybe I really shouldn’t have said that. Dredging up that bad memory was the last thing Haruna needed. Besides, my apology served no purpose beyond satisfying my own ego.

“…It’s all right, Mr. Hitoma.”

To my ears, her voice was like a ray of sunlight shining through the parting clouds. I slowly raised my head to find Haruna giving a comforting smile.

“I was young back then, too. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Haruna…”

A light, gentle breeze flowed past Haruna from the open classroom window, its faint fragrance of spring flowers seeming to give its blessings to our reunion. I felt wrapped in the warm embrace of relief, as though that gust had forgiven me of my sins, relieved me of my cross to bear.

“How about we just forget that whole thing already? We’re both adults now. Right?”

“…If you say so,” I replied.

Did this really wipe the slate clean? She accepted it so quickly; I felt like I was still bound to be a little paranoid.

But Haruna really was the same as back then. She laughed it off, saying that “the past is ancient history, water under the bridge, so let’s move forward as normal coworkers,” and then she closed the window that had blown in the fresh air.

Maybe I had been the only one dragging this around, the only one holding regrets.

Haruna then said that she’d be returning to the teachers’ office and left the classroom.

I’d been scared of confronting Haruna.

I had so many regrets with her, after all.

Even now, I didn’t know how I should take what happened back then, now that we’d reunited.

Haruna herself said it was all ancient history…but was reality quite that simple?

By sheer coincidence, Haruna’s job hunt led her to a position at this exact school…but what were the odds of that?

Shoot. I just don’t know anymore.

“…Guess I’ll go back to the teachers’ office, too.”

Today might have been the opening ceremony, but I had plenty of work I needed to do.

And as for Haruna—I didn’t know if things would work out smoothly for us, but for now, I’d do my best to treat her the same as normal.

The way I did back then, when we spoke in the social studies prep room.

“Pardon me! Is Mr. Hitoma here? I collected the world history notes.”

“Yes, thank you… Oh, Haruna?”

The one opening the door to the social studies prep room was Mirai Haruna, an honor roll student with a personality that made her beloved by all.

“Yes!”

“Come on, you were not the one on cleanup duty today.”

Who was it? Akazawa, right?

“Rio said she had plans and needed to leave early. So I swapped in for her.”

“Hmm, I feel like this has happened before, hasn’t it?”

“Uhh… You mean with the student council? Or the one with the group project?”

“She’sdefinitelydone this before.”

“Ah-ha-ha, I’m not mad about it, though. It’s nice to be relied on.”

Haruna brushed it off and flashed a friendly smile.

“Huh. Haruna, you’re…a bit of an enigma.”

“Hmm… I don’t think I am.”

She smiled again.

“Have you relied on anyone lately?” I asked.

“Um, well…I haven’t really needed to.”

This smile was a refutation. Honestly, Haruna’s smile had always struck me as the kind that was hiding something.

Was Haruna the type who preferred to keep others out? She was so outgoing, yet for some reason, I sensed something precarious when looking into her eyes.

“…All right. Homework for you!” I said.

“Huh?”

“Have someone help you by next week!”

“Aww, do I have to?”

“No, not really, but I’m a little concerned about you. I’m just being nosy; there’s no actual due date.”

I rambled a bit, and Haruna stared at me like she was watching something bizarre.

“…You’re such a strange teacher.”

“What am I, a sigma male?” I joked.

“Huh?” Haruna said blankly, shutting me down.

“I am so sorry for that.”

Seeming a bit exasperated, Haruna let out a small sigh. “If I’m ever in real trouble, then you probably won’t be the first person I’d ask for help.”

Knowing her, “ask for help” wouldn’t even pop up as an option no matter how bad things got for her.

“That’s fine. Teachers can’t be with you all the time anyway.”

Anyone other than me would be a better person for Haruna rely on. It wasn’t like I needed her to ask me in particular. As long as Haruna actually asked someone for help. Besides…

“Making it someone else’s problem, huh?” she said.

“Nothing I can do about that. It is what it is. That’s why…I want you to learn as many ways to navigate the road ahead as you can, Haruna.”

The Misanthrope and the Desktop Hollyhock

Treetop Metropolis Leafgard, a massive city built by elven hands. That was where I, with my unrivaled beauty, was born.

What was my first memory, I wonder? I don’t remember myself, but Sensei has always been by my side.

Sensei taught me many things. How to acquire food and shelter, how to fly in the sky, how to speak and sing, how to work and be polite, how to make friends.

And most importantly…that Sensei would love me unconditionally.

“Aww, but Ms. Yuki, your skin is so pretty,” said Haruna. “You could totally pull it off!”

“Really? Well, maybe I’ll give it a try…”

We were in the teachers’ office following the end of the fourth period. The teachers had all gathered to eat lunch, during which Haruna and Ms. Saotome were having yet another cheerful chat.

“Yuki, Ms. Haruna, whatcha talking about?” Ms. Karasuma asked.

“Oh, Haruka! We were just talking about this year’s summer clothes,” said Ms. Saotome.

“Huh, already the season for that, I guess. Time sure flies.”

“Well, not quite,” said Haruna. “But May is when all the stores put the summer clothes out for display, so you have to see which items catch your eye while you can. Otherwise, they’ll all be sold out.”

“Huhhh. You sure know your stuff, Ms. Haruna.”

With Ms. Karasuma joining in, their girls’ talk had three participants. It sounded like they were talking about their favorite types of clothes, but I didn’t understand a thing.

It seemed like Haruna and Ms. Saotome had a lot of opportunities to talk to each other, maybe because they were fellow homeroom teachers with similar interests, appearances, and ages. And with Ms. Karasuma being added, since she was friends with Ms. Saotome, you had the typical flow of their chats.

“Hey, Hitoma, how about having a cup with me in the math prep room after school?”

“Oh, Mr. Hoshino.”

After I got lost in my own thoughts for a bit, Mr. Hoshino dropped by with a spring in his step. He mimed taking a sip of a drink.

Seeing Mr. Hoshino like this somehow put me at ease. It’d been a while since he last invited me for after-school coffee; given his attitude, he must have gotten his hands on some quality beans.

“Thank you very much,” I told him. “I’d be happy to join you.”

My response put a cheerful smile on Mr. Hoshino’s face. “The pleasure’s all mine!” he said.

“…Um, Mr. Hoshino. Do you really drink alcohol on school grounds?”

Haruna had apparently overheard our conversation, and she looked at us in abject disbelief.

“Oh, uhh…”

I figured I had to say something, but the words just didn’t come out.

I’d still been agonizing over whether our conversation on the first day of school really did settle everything. I strived to act normal about it, but it just resulted in me freezing up. She did accept my apology, but I couldn’t quite put it behind me. I’d been so disgusted with myself lately over it.

“Of course not,” said Mr. Hoshino. “I’m a coffee guy. I always have Hitoma here give his impressions on my latest blends.”

“Oh, so that’s it! I’m sorry, I just got it in my head that you were going to get a little loose.”

Haruna covered her mouth to hide a sheepish smile. Ms. Saotome started smiling along with her.

“Tee-hee-hee, goodness, Ms. Mirai, Mr. Hoshino would never do that!”

“Yep, he’s not Yuki.”

“Haruka?! I’ll have you know that I’ve never had after-school drinks on school grounds!”

“Huh. That so?”

Unable to bear the awkwardness of such a lively scene, I picked up my hardly touched lunch and found myself leaving the room without a word.

Crap. After the conversation started centering around Haruna, I was out in the hallway before I knew it… I thought I might have made things worse. How creepy could I get?! Still, the fact of the matter was that I didn’t know how I should be interacting with her.

There were fifteen minutes left of lunch break. What now? Maybe do some work in the social studies prep room? None of it was pressing, but it was all stuff I’d have to handle sooner or later…

“Um! Mr. Hitoma, do you have a moment?”

Just as I began walking toward the staircase, a voice stopped me from behind.

“Haruna…”

“I borrowed the key to the conference room. Could I speak with you briefly? It won’t take long. There’s something I’d like to discuss while I’ve still got the time…”

Haruna showed me a small key that jingled in her hand.

The conference room was right over there, in front of us. Taking my silence as agreement, Haruna used the key to open the door.

The room was empty and a bit dusty. It had been pretty clean when we used it for the staff after-party following last year’s graduation ceremony, but now there was a large sofa of completely unknown purpose, a bunch of sports festival banners, and other ephemera crammed into the back. It looked like half of this room had effectively turned into a storage closet.

I wondered what Haruna wanted to talk about.

She motioned me forward, so I hesitantly entered the conference room. She followed and closed the door behind her. It felt like there was a strange tension floating between us.

“Um…Mr. Hitoma, are you perhaps avoiding me?”

“Oh, no, I would never…!”

I was visibly rattled from having that bull’s-eye so cleanly struck out of nowhere. This kind of reaction was practically an admission in itself. The realization only dug my grave further as I broke out into a sweat.

“Tee-hee, it’s okay, you know? I’d definitely feel awkward if I were in your position. Really, I don’t mind, so I wanted to say that you don’t have to worry, either…though that’s a bit hard to say in front of everyone else.”

Haruna spoke as softly as she could and with a smile, all so I didn’t take it the wrong way. Which one of us was the student again…? I started to feel ashamed of myself.

“…So you picked the conference room?”

“Yes!”

She could be considerate enough to not want others to notice… That was a far cry from me.

“I figure you wouldn’t want that getting out too much. You know, that we weren’t exactly just student and teacher.”

I didn’t know why Haruna, despite having moved on from the past, felt the need to put so much emphasis on that. Still, those words made me recognize our past once again.

Me and Haruna—a teacher who’d caused some problems, and a student who was punished for them.

“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Mr. Hitoma, you’ve got the beginner class next, right? That means the next class we’ll have together will be homeroom. I’ll give the key back to—wait, Mr. Hitoma, are you going to eat your lunch here? Or were you planning to eat somewhere else?”

Haruna looked at the convenience store lunch that I’d been holding as she made her proposal.

“Oh…yeah, good idea. I might as well eat here at this point.”

“Got it. In that case, I’ll leave the key right here.”

Haruna placed the key onto the table and left the room.

…Maybe I was overthinking it. Haruna said she didn’t mind, and she took time out of her day to tell me that. Maybe I was still confused about it all. That’s why I still couldn’t fully believe that Haruna was right before my eyes, and that we had already talked about the past.

Just act like usual. I needed to at least manage that before anything else. If I forced it for long enough, then eventually, we’d be able to talk perfectly naturally. Yeah.

I breathed a heavy sigh. I imagined how easy it would be if I could eject these feelings from my body just like that.

When I looked at my watch again, I noticed that there wasn’t much left of lunch break. With these complicated feelings on my mind, I spread out my convenience store lunch on the desk.

Just then, I heard a sudden clunk from the sofa in the back.

“Wh-who’s there?”

Crap, did they overhear my conversation with Haruna?!

I suddenly remembered all the stuff we discussed that I didn’t want people hearing, like how I’d been avoiding her and how we hadn’t just been student and teacher. What would I do if people started speculating or spreading rumors? It’d get even harder for both me and Haruna to stay at this school…

I slowly approached the direction I’d heard the sound come from. When I did, I saw something fluffy, with the color of verdant leaves. Something I had some recollection of. Could it be…?

“Mm, it seems you’ve found me.”

“Wakaba, what are you doing here…?”

I had found the beauty of the advanced class, Aoi Wakaba, curled up and hiding behind a cheap old sofa that didn’t suit her one bit.

“O Karin, look here. Am I not beautiful even after school?”

“Yes, I do believe you’re beautiful, Aoi!”

“Indeed. And why do you think that is?”

“It’s ’cause you’re always eating yummy food!”

“Right you are, Machi.”

“She’s right?!” Usami exclaimed.

“Mm, that was a joke.”

“You make jokes, Aoi? I must admit, I never thought of you as the type,” said Ryuzaki.

“Communication sometimes calls for a touch of jocosity, you see.”

“Joe Cossideee? What’s thaaat?” Okonogi asked.

“It’s the funny stuff,” said Nezu.

“Huuuh.”

Today’s homeroom had ended, so the classmates began to chat among themselves as usual.

According to Wakaba when I ran into her at lunchtime, she occasionally chose to spend time in that conference room. The students in her fan club apparently chased after her during lunch, so she used the room as a hiding spot. When I asked how she got a key, she said that she borrowed one from the principal when she joined the advanced class. “Use this key whenever you wish to be alone,” he’d said. “If any of the other teachers say anything of it, then you may tell them that the principal gave you express permission.”

It was just the sort of measure the principal would take.

I asked why she couldn’t use the infirmary, but she explained that it’d be a bother to other students. It could even bother Ms. Karasuma if she were found, and most of all, she’d feel bad for any students who actually did need the infirmary.

Wakaba didn’t ask me anything about my conversation with Haruna, but just in case, I urged her to keep it a secret. She’d responded with this:

“But of course. I swear on the skies above that I’ll respect your wishes, Hitoma.”

Aoi Wakaba. Elf. Enrolled for five years. Wants to become human to make the world recognize her beauty.

“Leaf, your defense of Leafgard was perfect.”

“Mm. They had me worried for a bit, but I had my friends to help save the day.”

“What should we do next?”

“Good question. I’m tired from that battle, so I’d like a short rest.”

“So, you’re in the mood to chill?”

“Mm. And I love Leafgard, so I’d like to know more of what this city has to offer.”

“Got it. Then let’s go see more of Leafgard. I’m sure some new shops and attractions have opened up. Oh, there was also that new girl who wanted to be your friend.”

“Thank you. You really know everything, Sensei.”

“Oh, I don’t know a thing. You’re the one who’s taught me everything, Leaf.

“You’re the one who’s shown me everything there is to see in this world.”

“Mooorning… Wait, what’s going on here? Is that…manga?”

“Mornin’, Mr. Hitoma,” said Haneda.

When I entered the classroom like usual to start the morning’s homeroom, I found the students reading volumes of manga in silence.

“Machi, lemme borrow that volume next.”

“You sure read fast, Uchami!”

“No, you’re just a slow reader.”

“Uh, hellooo? It’s about time to start morning homeroom,” I said. “I swear… I never thought I’d see the day when this stuff would be all the rage.”

“This happened back when I was a student, too,” Haruna explained. “Everyone in class passed around and read the same manga. It was mostly shoujo manga, though.”

“Oh my! Ms. Mirai, you’re familiar with shoujo manga, are you? I’m quite fond of it, so if you have any recommendations, I’d very much like to hear them!” said Ryuzaki.

“S-sure… Um, what types are you into? Like the bad boy kind, classmate stuff, upperclassmen…?”

“But of course, my favorite trope is where the student falls in love with the teacher!”

“Okay, in that case—”

Oh no… Haruna’s been trapped in Ryuzaki’s clutches…

I didn’t know about Haruna, but Ryuzaki knew a lot about shoujo manga. She’d told me that there were quite a few authors she followed. Shoujo manga wasn’t my field of expertise, so I couldn’t say for sure, but Ryuzaki loved it enough to read stories that ran in rather obscure magazines, so anyone she ensnared wasn’t getting out so easily.

“Well…there’s nothing urgent to go over at the moment, so I’ll allow this for now… So, what’s this manga that you’re all reading?”

“Hmm? Gee, Mr. Hitoma, sounds like you’re just as curious. Uhh, let’s see. One sec; should be around here…”

Haneda pulled out one book from the stack of manga volumes.

“Ah, found it. Here it is. Volume one. It’s pretty good, Mr. Hitoma. You oughtta give it a read, too.”

“I don’t even know what it’s about.”

I looked down at the cover to find a familiar phrase.

TREETOP METROPOLIS LEAFGARD

And printed below the title was…Wakaba.

I couldn’t take my eyes off that cover. Right there, smiling on the front of this manga, was a character who looked just like Aoi Wakaba. I’d first heard the title of this book when Wakaba referred to it as her home during her class introduction.

“Mm. In a word, you could call it ‘shilling.’”

“Whoa! Wakaba…”

It was sudden, as though the character on the cover called out to me herself. I nearly jumped out of my skin and wound up dropping the book.

“Mm? Hitoma, were you not aware?”

Wakaba chuckled at my response as she picked up the copy of Treetop Metropolis Leafgard that I’d dropped. Her brightly shining wings accentuated her beauty with every move she made.

“You see,” she added, “this is where I came from.”

Wakaba offered the manga back to me, and I cautiously took it.

“From Treetop Metropolis Leafgard?” I asked her.

“Yes, right you are. I was given life by Sensei. That’s why I wish to have the world recognize my beauty, and then…” Wakaba pointed to the sky and proclaimed with confidence, “…I’ll make Sensei the greatest manga author ever!”

“Leaf, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Sensei? What ever is the matter?”

“Leaf, do you like adventure?”

“But of course! That’s how I get to see so many places.”

“What about Leafgard?”

“It’s my precious homeland. What I fight to protect.”

“What about yourself, Leaf?”

“…Sensei?”

“I’m sorry, Leaf. I can’t be by your side anymore.”

“Did something happen, Sensei? Is there another scoundrel planning an assault on Leafgard? Or perhaps—?”

“It’s because I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Might there be something I could do?”

“I really wish I could have continued to see more of your world. I wish I could have proven that you’re the most beloved person in this world.”

Treetop Metropolis Leafgard was a story about the main character, Leaf, who sometimes fought to defend her homeland and sometimes explored the city with her friends.

Genre-wise, it’d probably be classified as a slice-of-life-leaning battle fantasy. There were dramatic twists, but it was fundamentally a gentle tale of Leaf living happily with her friends.

The author was named Yuugure Aoi. They debuted with Treetop Metropolis Leafgard, which showcased the author’s delicate yet highly technical artistry and impactful compositions. And it was apparently this person’s first serialization, to boot.

I did some digging and learned that Yuugure Aoi had apparently been working for other authors, practically earning a living as a professional assistant.

“…Whoa.”

After reading the manga that Wakaba had lent me while lying in bed, I started to research the author.

Wakaba’s “Sensei” was so accomplished that I felt ashamed of myself. Not that we had much in comparison to begin with…

When Treetop Metropolis Leafgard ceased serialization, Yuugure Aoi went right into publishing another series. That series was adapted into anime and film, becoming a super-famous smash hit that was a household name. I’d gone to see the movie once myself. The theater-exclusive merch was probably still at my family’s house.

Did Wakaba remember her time as Leaf…? What did a human who gave life to so many stories like this think about their early works? And while Wakaba said she’d “make Sensei the greatest manga author ever,” this person had already made quite the name for themself.

I bought a manga magazine that serialized one of Yuugure Aoi’s series, which adorned the issue’s entire cover, on top of being printed at the very front with a full-color opener. There was even an article interviewing the author to prepare for the anime’s third season, and they were even on judging panels for rookie award contests.

What more could Wakaba want for someone like that? People saw Yuugure Aoi as the real deal, someone who kept their nose to the grindstone polishing their craft for years before earning their big break, so they had a pretty good reputation the world over. And so did Treetop Metropolis Leafgard, for that matter; I couldn’t dig too deep for criticism since I was a video game nerd first, with only a layman’s knowledge of the manga world, but it seemed to be pretty well regarded as the debut series of a famous author.

Maybe Wakaba didn’t know about her creator’s ensuing hits… Actually, the school’s internet filter still allowed web browsing and even online shopping. Sure, the beginner class was heavily restricted from all kinds of electronic device usage to prevent any potential accidents, but the rules got a lot more lenient from the intermediate class onward. Basically, Wakaba had plenty of ways to get information about human society, so it was hard to imagine that she didn’t know what Yuugure Aoi had been up to.

Hmm. The more I thought about it, the less I understood what Wakaba’s goal was. Was her creator’s current reputation not enough? If not, then what would she aim for? And also, Wakaba said she wanted the world to recognize her beauty. What sort of situation did that look like?

The doubts wouldn’t stop pouring in. Racking my brain in my room wasn’t going to get me anywhere, either.

But this was important to Wakaba’s graduation. In the end, I decided to wait for the right time to ask Wakaba again.

“All right, that’ll do it for today’s lesson.”

The bell signaling the end of fourth period rang, so I placed the chalk down and prepared to leave the classroom.

The intermediate students were a bit rowdy—no match for those in the beginner class, but enough for me to feel like every bit of human instruction I gave made an impact.

“Hey, Mr. Hitoma, I’ve got a question.”

“Oh, Konno. What is it?”

I couldn’t help but notice how rare an occurrence this was, but I was genuinely happy to be asked a question. This student was a fox in the intermediate class—a fox spirit, to be specific, I believe.

“Um, what’s Prince Waka like in the advanced class?”

“Huh?”

I blurted that out like an idiot; it was such an unexpected question. But my surprise barely seemed to register to Konno and the other students, who squealed “Omigosh! I really asked!” and “But still, we all wanna know!”

Glad to see they were having fun.

Ah, right, this girl is part of Wakaba’s fan club.

“Even in the intermediate class, Prince Waka was so dashing, always everything we admired!” said Konno. “So, like, we get that she moved up to the advanced class this year, but everyone in that class is just so cool, so far above us, that it’s kinda hard to approach them, right? So I figured that if I asked anyone, it’d be you, Mr. Hitoma!”

The students closed in on me, and I found myself stepping back from the heat I felt from their words. The power of love was intense… The word stan had practically gone worldwide in recent years, so maybe this was that same sort of fervent support for an idol.

“Uh, I think she’s been pretty normal…,” I managed.

“Excuse me? I happen to think she’s magnificent every day!”

“What was the question, again?”

“Really, Mr. Hitoma, boys like you just wouldn’t get these things.”

“I know, right?”

“Ooh, Konno, are you asking Mr. Hitoma about Prince Waka? Lucky!”

“Heh-heh! Early bird gets the worm!”

The rest of the fan club seemed to be gathering as well. Why did this conversation make me feel like I was listening to someone gloat about their significant other?

“Okay, fine, but who’s Prince Waka getting along with?” Konno asked me. “Personally, I’m thinking that maybe her and Ryuzaki make a good pair.”

“Huh, do they, now?”

I hadn’t gotten the impression that the two spent much time together, so that was a bit surprising to me.

“Teacher, don’t dodge the question. Tell us!”

“First, what made you think that?” I said.

“I mean, come on! The two of them together… They’d look like art!”

“How does that work…?”

For how firmly she made her assumption, she sure didn’t have much to base it on… Heck, it was more of a wish.

“Mr. Hitoma, you just don’t get it! First, think about how refined Ryuzaki is!”

“S-sure…”

All I could do was nod before the overwhelming force I was up against.

“Plus, like, Ryuzaki’s on another level from us regular youkai and those vermin off the street!”

“Don’t call them ‘vermin.’”

“But c’mooon! Nobody’s got a clue what Machi or whoever’s doing up there! She’s a washout even compared to us!”

“Nezu has her own qualities.”

Nezu, despite her looks…well, it might be rude to put it that way, but she was very capable of keeping up with her studies, particularly science. Though I couldn’t deny that her lifestyle habits—that is, her chronic snacking—were pretty dire.

“I guess? But she’s still got that something, you know?”

“Yeah, like, class, I guess?”

“Ryuzaki’s just different from us, yeah.”

“Yeah, for real. I didn’t even know dragons were real before her.”

That one was a bit surprising to hear.

“…You all thought that, too?”

“Like, of course! I’ve been in this country this whole time, right? Dragons are the stuff of medieval legends, so I thought they were just a fable!”

From my point of view, fox spirits and dragons were the same tier of fantasy creatures, so hearing that these girls also thought of dragons that way was sort of a fresh perspective.

“That’s why I think she’d be perfect next to Prince Waka! The sight would give me so much life!” Konno told me.

“Uh… Look, Ryuzaki’s a regular student, so don’t go talking about her like that.”

“Aww.”

I can really feel the disappointment.

Still, no matter how fantastic dragons might be, anyone in front of me was my student. Nothing more, nothing less. That went for Ryuzaki and Wakaba.

Konno sighed. “How is Prince Waka so dashing…?”

“Can I go now?” I asked.

Konno’s question didn’t even turn out to be about class, so I wanted to go eat lunch and prepare for the next period.

“Ahh, wait, wait! One last thing!”

I started to leave the classroom, but Konno hurriedly held me up. She averted her gaze for a moment as though this was hard to come out with, but slowly, she asked me a question.

“…Does Prince Waka seem…bothered…by us liking her?”

I see. This was what she really wanted to ask.

“I think that’s something you ought to ask Wakaba herself, don’t you?”

Asking anyone else would just get things messy.

“But…even though Prince Waka lets us be her fans, she still feels so distant, y’know?”

“Totally, she goes missing sometimes.”

“And she wasn’t there when I went to see the advanced class, either.”

“Right? I wanted to have lunch together…”

“But that’s part of Prince Waka’s charms! She’s an enigma!”

“For real!”

These girls were just having a competition over who could worship Wakaba the most at this point, so I left the intermediate classroom and headed for the teachers’ office.

One of those girls said that Wakaba “goes missing sometimes,” and another one said that Wakaba wasn’t there when they tried to invite her to lunch.

The conference room that Wakaba had a key for was on the way to the teachers’ office. Was she taking cover there again today? I considered peeking in to check. But if Wakaba hid there because she wanted to be alone, then I’d clearly be disturbing her.

Then I’d be…just like back then…

“Why, Hitoma. Might something be on your mind?”

“There’s this student I’m concerned about, but I’m not sure how far I should stick my nose in… Wait, Wakaba!”

Before I knew it, Wakaba was right behind me. She tilted her head slightly with a beautiful smile. I noticed she held a lunch box in one hand.

“…Did you already eat lunch?” I asked her.

“Yes, I ate in the usual place.”

That probably meant the conference room.

Had Wakaba been eating lunch alone every single day, and I simply never noticed? Come to think of it, I hadn’t been eating lunch with the advanced class lately. Yeah, I had some reflecting to do on the downsides of getting too wrapped up in my own problems.

Actually, had Wakaba not been getting along with the rest of the class? I figured that the happy-go-lucky Nezu or the levelheaded Usami would smooth out any issues on the communication front, but that was just me abandoning my duty.

“Mm, it seems that you’re worried about something, Hitoma.”

Wakaba nodded observantly as she approached me, her bright, shining hair fluttering with each step.

I couldn’t exactly say that she was the person I was worried about, but I couldn’t deny it convincingly, either, so I found myself being backed into the wall for some reason.

“W-Wakaba…?”

“Hitoma.”

She gave me puppy-dog eyes with those orange pupils.

Wh-what’s going on? Pretty faces are uniquely intimidating.

“Come with me for a bit,” Wakaba said.

I was taken to the conference room. Except…

“This is…”

“The conference room, yes. You met me here yesterday, did you not?”

“I did, but…”

For whatever reason, the conference room seemed a bit different from how I remembered it the last time I’d been here, but the answer to that riddle came soon enough.

It was to hide the area inside.

The entrance was that large sofa that was surrounded by event props strewn about. Behind it was a curtain, and passing through it revealed what felt like a more refined secret base.

There was a lavishly decorated table, along with two chairs. Inside a small cabinet were antique trinkets and tableware, all lined up with proper etiquette—a bit of practical interior design, I guess. The windows were draped with exquisite lace curtains, allowing sunlight to pour in gently while keeping prying eyes out. It looked like a place ready to hold a tea party at any minute, one that suited Wakaba’s style.

“No reason to tire ourselves by standing this whole time, wouldn’t you say? We just so happen to have two chairs, so take a seat, Hitoma,” Wakaba urged.

I hesitantly sat down on the luxurious-looking chair. When I looked up again, I saw that Wakaba had begun elegantly reading a book as though I wasn’t even there.

…

I had figured something was going to happen, but nothing did.

“Uhh…”

“Mm, yes?”

The way Wakaba looked up from her book to meet my gaze was picture-perfect.

“Why did you bring me here? Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

For a moment, Wakaba seemed surprised, as though she found it curious I would even ask, but then—

“Heh, ah-ha-ha!”

“Did I say something funny?”

“Heh-heh, no, my apologies. I see I was a bit short on the explanation.” Wakaba placed her book on the table. “Mm, you looked troubled, Hitoma. That’s why I wanted to bring you here so that you could spend some time relaxing.”

“Huh.”

“Does that answer your question?”

“Yeah, it sure does.”

Wakaba gave a satisfied smile and said, “Mm, marvelous” before returning to her reading.

Hmm, it was Wakaba I was worried about, but I wound up making her comfort me. Still, was this lunchtime habit a sign of anything other than not getting along with her class? She was actively choosing to be on her own…or maybe it was less an issue of her not getting along, and more that she simply didn’t like being in groups.

Oh, right.

“I read Treetop Metropolis Leafgard,” I said.

That remark made Wakaba’s gaze shoot right up from her book again.

“Did you, now? Thank you! My homeland sure is beautiful, is it not? My favorite spot in particular would have to be the Soothing Springs. Every time I felt down, the spirits would always find a way to cheer me up. Also, the view of Leafgard from the top branches of the World Tree is simply spectacular. On sunny days, I would often eat lunch there. Do you have any favorites, Hitoma?”

“Oh, uh…”

I was caught so off guard by her ear-to-ear grin and rapid-fire travel report that I was at a loss for words. Guess I had to start saying something, though.

“…Right. I thought that World Tree scene with the open view was pretty, just like you said.”

“Yes, yes! It sure is!” Wakaba agreed, her eyes glittering.

I had thought Wakaba to be the type of student to commit to that dashing prince archetype and only flash smiles that she fully intended to be seen, but it appeared I was wrong. Wakaba was actually a lot more expressive than I realized, and she seemed to treasure her homeland from the bottom of her heart.

The Wakaba I saw continued to go on about the beauty of her homeland and boast of the enemies she battled. She mixed in both body language and the glimmer of her wings as she recreated the scenes I’d seen in the manga, and she even told some behind-the-scenes trivia.

Plus…

“…It’s amazing that a fictional character could exist in real life,” I said.

“Mm. I’m a part of Sensei, after all.”

A small gust of wind brushed the window curtain, as though echoing the sentiment.

“What…does that mean?”

“Ah yes, it’s a bit difficult to explain. It’s something I only know from the principal explaining it to me, so it might not be exact…”

Wakaba scratched her head and chuckled uncomfortably.

“You see, I’m apparently a sort of ‘living ghost’ known as an ikiryou.”

“An ikiryou?!”

“Mm. According to the principal, human emotions are rather strong. It happens now and then that inanimate objects gain free will, just like me.”

She called herself an inanimate object, huh…? Did fictional characters count as “objects”? Weren’t they more like concepts? Stuff about ghosts was kind of hard to believe, but Wakaba was clearly right in front of me.

“It happens that when humans pour a large amount of emotion into a being, that being can take on a life of its own. That’s why I’m a part of Sensei, an ikiryou.”

“I see…”

From the way she described it, it sounded similar to tsukumogami, spirits that possess inanimate objects.

“Wakaba, what exactly do you want to do after you graduate? You know, that thing about the world recognizing your beauty. Like, your sensei Aoi is a super-famous author, right? I figure their reputation is already high enough.”

“Mm? I see you call Sensei the same thing as I do, Hitoma.”

“Urgh, well… Once an otaku, always an otaku…”

We otaku tend to call all manga authors “sensei.”

Wakaba chuckled at my response, saying, “Mm, you’re right” as she put her hand to her chin and tilted her head. Actually, her movements could be rather comical, though still beautiful.

“Popularity, you see, is transient,” she remarked.

Wakaba dropped her gaze a bit as those words softly left her lips. Her mood seemed calm and mellow yet in some way lonely.

“I wish for Sensei to always be happy. So I did some thinking. What could I, someone stuck in the past and from a ceased publication, do for Sensei, right?”

“So, making the world recognize your beauty is for your sensei’s happiness…? Is that the idea?”

“Mm, once I become human, I plan to live as someone motivated by her adoration of the character known as Leaf. If I were to then become famous, then wouldn’t Sensei’s work become even more widely known? The story of Sensei and me isn’t over. I can still be of help. I am more beautiful than anyone else, and if I were to cosplay Leaf as a human, I’d be flawless. After all, I’m her!”

Wakaba was getting more excited, but I found myself growing concerned. I could understand her logic, I really could, but…

“Wakaba, what if—?”

“Mm?”

The bell signaling the end of lunch break rang. Which meant that in five minutes, the bell signaling the start of class would follow.

What now? Should I say one last thing? The content of my question made me hesitate to ask.

I stared intently at Wakaba. She continued to return my gaze.

“…Come to think of it, I’m the one who dragged you here. Have you eaten your lunch, Hitoma?”

“Ah! I forgot!”

I got so wrapped up in our conversation that eating my meal had completely slipped my mind. But I only had cup noodles on the menu, so it didn’t feel like much of a loss. More importantly…

“Crap! I’ve gotta get ready for my next class!”

“Mm, I have PE next, so I have preparations to begin as well.”

“How are you just elegantly sipping tea in this situation?! Are you gonna make it to class on time?!”

“Mm, I was thinking of getting changed here. I believe I’ll be on time. Be that as it may, Hitoma, could I ask you to give me some privacy?”

Wakaba set her cup down and started undoing the ribbon on her uniform right then and there.

“I-I’ll get out right away! Just wait a second!”

I would have preferred that she not undress in front of me, and us being alone together in this empty room didn’t help appearances. I scrambled away from our elegant tea party, past the storage junk that served as a barricade, and finally, out of the conference room.

“Phew… Wakaba can get way too bold, huh…?”

With that, I returned to the teachers’ office to prepare for my next class. I’d leave that last question I had for another time.

“What if your sensei rejects your wish?”

It wasn’t exactly something I could ask in the moment. But no matter how Wakaba might say her wish was for her sensei’s sake, there was a chance that her sensei didn’t want that at all.

I knew better now. I knew that acting out of your own emotions at the expense of another’s caused nothing but trouble.

Just like I’d done in the past.

“Mr. Hitoma, you seem to be spacing out a bit today, huh?”

“Oh, Ms.…Haruna.”

I was in the teachers’ office after school, still thinking about Wakaba. I wanted to dig a little deeper into that anxiety I felt about her goal.

“For crying out loud! I’ve been calling you this whole time, and you never noticed once! Goodness, I thought you were ignoring me!”

“Sorry, I was just doing some thinking…”

“Thinking about what?”

“About one of my advanced class students.”

“Oh? Is there something I could help with?”

Haruna pointed at herself with a smile and a tilt of her head; for just a moment, I saw the old Haruna in front of me.

Wanting to help someone when that someone doesn’t want it causes nothing but trouble. A nuisance nobody asked for. I was no fairy-tale hero; I was just an ordinary teacher.

“Mr. Hitoma?”

“Oh…sorry.”

“Is it that serious?”

“No, I’m only overthinking things. It’s just…about Wakaba.”

“Wakaba, huh?” Haruna gave a “Hrm” as she placed her hand to her chin and started thinking. “Ah, that reminds me, I read that manga that Wakaba shows up in.”

“Oh, how was it?”

“I don’t read much besides shoujo manga, so that, um…fantasy stuff? It’s a little hard to follow. But the art was very pretty, and it made me want to see more of Wakaba in action!”

The conversation then moved on from my thoughts about Wakaba, and we discussed other business matters before the day ended without incident.

I think I’d managed to keep things professional today. Just like normal.

The next morning, I headed to school in a muddled state of mind. I knew that racking my brain about Wakaba’s goals wasn’t going to solve anything, but still…

“Ugh…”

“Hee? Fwoo-heh-hoooh. Mister Hitomaaa, what’s the diiifference between a sigh and a deep breath?”

“Okonogi… For starters, good morning.”

Okonogi’s happy-go-lucky attitude loosened me up. She responded with an out-of-place “Fweh-heh-heh, good eeevening,” but I didn’t have the energy to correct her, so I let it slide.

“Hey,” said Usami. “You’re supposed to say ‘good morning’ in the morning, got it? Even the beginner classes can manage a basic greeting, Maki.”

“Ohhh, it’s Usammy, nice to mooorning you.”

“You tryin’ to pick a fight?! By the way, the difference between a sigh and a deep breath is how long you hold the breath for.”

“You know a looot, Usammy. Good for yooou.”

Okonogi hugged Usami close and rubbed her cheek against the rabbit girl’s.

“Why you—! Maki! Personal space!”

“Eh-heh-hehhh.”

Despite Usami getting angry at her, Okonogi seemed pretty delighted.

“Come on, no need to cause a scene first thing in the morning,” I said.

“Maki’s the one goofing off. She’s an idiot! An ignoramus! Is she doing this on purpose?! Also, she keeps getting touchy-feely without my consent!”

“Hey now, Usami. That’s going too far.”

“Guh…”

Usami might have said all that in the spur of the moment, but the way she hung her head and looked guilty showed that she had some self-awareness.

“…Calling you an idiot was going too far. I’m sorry, okay?”

“It’s fiiine. Cheekiiies!”

Okonogi smiled ear to ear and made okay gestures with both of her hands, which she then pressed into her cheeks.

I had no idea what this pose was supposed to be, but either way, Usami wasn’t the only person who deserved a talking-to.

“And you, too, Okonogi—”

I was about to give Okonogi a warning, when for just a moment, the world around me meshed with everything that had been keeping me up at night. Wakaba’s problems, as well as Haruna’s, raced across my mind.

“Hitoma?”

I snapped out of it to see Usami staring curiously at me.

“No, it’s nothing… Anyway, just because you’re fine with something doesn’t mean that other people are, so try not to get ahead of yourself, okay?”

I had to wonder if I was in any position to say that. But of course, Okonogi had no way of knowing how I felt; she just made a sour face.

“Awww, I don’t wannaaa.”

“You gotta think about what you’ve done, Maki,” said Usami. “Do you even realize that people are mad at you?”

“I liiied. I gotchaaa. Oh, that’s Macchie over theeere. Okie-doooke, I’m gonna haaang with Macchie nooow.”

Okonogi said, “Seeyaaa” and made some sort of bowing pose to Usami and me. Then, with a gait that I wasn’t sure I’d call fast or slow, she sauntered over to the pair of girls with mouse-colored hair a little ways away.

I swear… Okonogi really lives in her own little world.

“This is the first year I’ve been in the same class as Maki. She’s a weirdo.” Usami sighed in exasperation right next to me.

“Usami, have you ever shared classes with the others before you joined the advanced class?”

This school was unlike human schools that had students advance to the next grade every year. Here, advancement from each class only happened to students with excellent grades.

“Tobari’s always been in the advanced class, so this is my first time with her. Karin and Maki didn’t move up to the advanced class until recently, so this is my first time with them, too. Machi and I were in the intermediate class together for a bit. She never changes. She’s constantly talking about food and her sister. And Aoi—”

Usami hadn’t hesitated to talk about the other students, but here, she suddenly stopped to think.

“Aoi wasn’t always like that,” she said.

“Like what?”

“She’s always been showy. And yeah, she always stood out. But I don’t think she used to be that committed to it deep down. I always got the feeling she was more the quiet type…the sort that’s not too assertive, kinda like Isaki.”

“For real?!”

That was pretty unexpected.

“Yeah, for real. She liked books, and she was constantly reading the ones she showed up in.”

“That’s totally different from how Wakaba is now…”

“Also, at the start, Aoi hardly told anyone what story she came from.”

“Even though she shills it so much now?!”

“Is ‘shilling’ the word you use for recommending something?”

…I suppose the only people who call it “shilling” to recommend something are the chronically online.

“Either way, I only knew the Aoi from three years ago. Something might’ve happened since then.”

“Right, it was two years ago that you joined the advanced class…”

“…I really wanna graduate this year, okay?”

“Yeah, got it.”

Usami hung her head and gripped her skirt tightly. She’d seen two of her advanced classmates graduate already. She had been pretty close to graduation herself at first, but her unauthorized departure from campus two years ago came at just that high a price.

However, that departure was absolutely essential to Usami. With that in mind, Usami’s original goal of repaying a debt resembled Wakaba’s goal in the sense of being for someone else’s sake.

Someone else’s sake… Did they actually resemble each other now?

“I feel like they’re not quite the same…,” I mumbled.

“Huh? What’s not?”

“Usami, can I ask a question?”

“If you’ve got somethin’ to say, say it.”

Seeing Usami so proudly puff out her chest gave me a strange sense of relief. Usami could seem cold sometimes, but deep down, she looked after others pretty well.

“Usami, you said your first goal was to repay a human who helped you, right?”

“Sure was. That hasn’t really changed, in essence.”

“In practice, did that goal boil down to living in the same house as Seiko Kizaki?”

Usami looked me right in the eyes. “It did, but there was more to it. I wanted us to be happy together. I wanted Seiko to know that I was thankful for the time we spent together…,” she said, then added quietly, her tone gentle and warm, “I still do.”

Usami’s current goal was to become a doctor. It was a new goal that Usami gained in those last moments she spent with Kizaki.

“Would that have been as the ‘Bunny’ she’d grown up with?” I asked.

“…I don’t know. It’d depend on Seiko. If I couldn’t get her to believe I was Bunny, then I’d settle for being an ordinary neighborhood girl.”

“Huh. That’s a bit surprising.”

I’d figured that Usami would’ve wanted to be much closer to Kizaki.

“If Seiko was happy, then that was fine by me. I didn’t wanna put her through any trouble. I started out by just wishing that she wouldn’t have to spend any more days crying by herself. I wanted Seiko to have a human by her side…since there’s so much a stuffed animal can’t do.”

Usami hung her head once more. That made me feel guilty.

“…Sorry,” I said. “I guess this isn’t something I should be asking first thing in the morning.”

“It’s not like that at all! I’m happy to have you know more about Seiko!” Usami whipped her head up and started approaching me. “Hitoma, I want to talk to you about Seiko again. I have so many memories with her that I don’t want to forget!”

“Yeah, got it. Thank you, Usami.”

When we reached the shoe lockers, I parted ways with Usami.

I could see plenty of bottles by the front entrance to the school, all of them filled with glittering stones inside. And after being nearly emptied two years ago, Usami’s had gotten pretty full as well.

After hearing from Usami on the way to school that Wakaba used to be different, I wondered what exactly happened there. The idea that she had some change of heart seemed the most plausible to me, but I decided to ask the other teachers.

“Ah, Wakaba, yeah,” Mr. Hoshino told me. “Just like you said, Hitoma, she used to be pretty quiet until three years ago.”

I started with Mr. Hoshino. He was reliable, experienced, and always kept an eye out for me.

Until three years ago—there it was again. Something happened with Wakaba just as Usami advanced from the intermediate class.

“Her grades were excellent, and yeah, she was quiet, she never really felt withdrawn. She seemed like she talked normally with her friends in class—you know, those three people that are part of Wakaba’s fan club now.”

“How long has that fan club been around?”

“About two years, maybe? Wakaba announced that she’d ‘make the world recognize her beauty,’ and those three decided to join her.”

It sounded like the fan club was created after Wakaba changed.

“Wakaba’s wonderful, isn’t she?” Ms. Saotome said to me. “I had the impression that she was rather reserved when I first came to this school…but I think it was around the year that you came when she suddenly turned into the energetic girl she is now…”

As usual, Ms. Saotome spoke with the radiant cuteness of a young girl.

“Ms. Saotome, how long have you been at this school again?” I asked.

“I started teaching here one year before you did.”

“Huh?! I thought you’d been here longer than that!”

One year before… I had no idea… But I could see it. If so, that would’ve been the year Wakaba changed.

“Wakaba would ask me about cosmetics all the time back then… It was cute how driven she was, saying that she’d never tried any of it before and wanted to start studying.”

I was on the verge of telling Ms. Saotome that her laughter was just as cute, but I visualized Mr. Hoshino’s face and managed to bite my tongue.

Ms. Saotome is a married woman. Ms. Saotome is a married woman…

“Huh, you mean Waka? I don’t see her around the infirmary too much.”

“Well, that figures. It’s the sort of place you need a reason to visit.”

I came to ask Ms. Karasuma just in case, but she had a point here. I had pretty much no memories of ever visiting the infirmary during my own time as a student. I don’t mean to brag, but back then, my health was in peak condi—

“Like, even if I did, I wouldn’t go saying it. Anyone coming by the infirmary for a reason other than getting hurt probably doesn’t want that getting out, I guess?”

That was fair. The infirmary also served as a refuge for the students.

“I’m sorry. My imagination was a bit lacking.”

“It’s cool either way. I’m not bothered at all. Actually, it’s something I’ve been thinking about lately, I guess? Oh, one thing, though—Mr. Hitoma.”

Ms. Karasuma’s gaze dropped a bit, and she looked closely at me as though testing my mettle. Those eyes of hers, yellow just like the principal’s, made me nervous, like a wild animal was staring me down.

“If you’re curious about someone, it might be a good idea to ask them to their face.”

“…Right.”

I felt like I was told to quit asking around and face my student.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought of asking her. I just…wasn’t sure. How much could I reasonably ask of her?

I could understand how Konno felt the other day. I’d wound up doing the exact same thing. I…had some reflecting to do.

“Oh.”

Ms. Karasuma seemed to catch sight of something, as her gaze shifted toward the spot above my shoulder.

“Ahhh… Also, Mr. Hitoma, your timing might’ve been kinda bad…”

Ms. Karasuma awkwardly scratched her head and averted her eyes, because right behind me—

“Mm, I take it you’d like to know more about me, Mr. Hitoma?”

—stood Aoi Wakaba.

“Wakaba.”

“C’mon, Waka. Don’t go surprising us. I figured you were gonna stay hiding in there, then you pop out all silent.”

“Mm, it seems I startled you.”

I hadn’t noticed at all, but Wakaba apparently came out from a bed hidden behind a curtain.

“Well, up till a second ago I was thinking this chat was mad awkward with you being right there, so I’m totally cool with it.”

She’d been there for that long, huh…?

“Mm…I assumed that coming out would make things awkward for Hitoma, but I am the subject of this conversation, so I think it should balance out.”

She was right about me feeling awkward, but at this point, I just had to bite the bullet and ask her everything.

“Wakaba, um—?”

“Three years ago, you see, was the year that the anime adaptation of Sensei’s latest publication began airing.”

Wakaba cut me off with her own explanation. Her tone was calm, and her pretty face even wore a slight smile.

“It was nothing like Sensei’s time with me. Sensei had so many more readers whose expectations were set so much higher, with the reach of Sensei’s work spreading so much farther…that I wondered if my creator had long forgotten about me.”

“…That’s what made you want to change?”

Wakaba softly shut her eyes. “Yes, I wanted Sensei to remember Leaf once I became human.”

“Yo, I got the feeling this was gonna take a while, so I went and made you some tea.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have, thank you very much.”

“Mm, thank you.”

“Should I give you guys some space?”

“There’s no problem with you being here, Haruka,” I said. “My apologies for effectively renting out your infirmary.”

“Nah, it’s totally cool. There’s not much to do as the school nurse anyway.”

Ms. Karasuma chuckled about everyone around here being too healthy.

A puff of steam rose from the cup. I wondered what tea this fragrance belonged to; I didn’t know its name, but it sure was a soothing fragrance.

Wakaba sat down next to me and brought the cup of tea to her lips.

“Mm, it’s delicious.”

“’Preciate it.”

“Now where were we—? Ah yes, I was talking about Sensei’s big break.” Wakaba placed her cup down. “If you’ll allow me to clear any misunderstandings, I had nothing against Sensei’s fame. I just…would have liked if it could have been with me, that’s all.”

She twirled her hair around her finger before letting it spring back into place.

“After all, Sensei gave birth to me. I was born for Sensei’s sake, and I wanted to become human for Sensei’s sake. There were times when I questioned why I was here when I didn’t even know if Sensei would have any need for me. I questioned whether Sensei would even notice me if I did become human.”

Wakaba paused her outpouring to sigh softly.

“…And I still feel that way now.”

She understood it all. Everything I had worried about and more. I’d been certain that Wakaba had blind faith in her creator and hadn’t considered the possibility of rejection. But the truth was much different.

Wakaba spoke with such conviction because she was filled with fear. She appeared so confident because she had no confidence to speak of.

“Mm,” she said after taking another sip of tea. “But you see, I’m a main character. So I thought about what I could still do for Sensei. It may not be anything my creator needs, but I’ve already been born as myself. I learned that I no longer have a sensei who will paint my path forward. I have to think for myself, choose for myself, and walk my path on my own! All to have as many humans as I can to learn of my and Sensei’s world!”

Wakaba declared her ambitions with arms spread wide and a flap of her bright, shining wings.

Wakaba—was a bit worrying. She seemed just a bit too driven.

“Wakaba.”

“What is it, Hitoma?”

Even those eyes, still so filled with radiance, struck me as somewhat unstable. A conviction that firm was all the more brittle.

“Is there anything you treasure besides your sensei and yourself?”

“Mm, of course I don’t. My entire world exists within Treetop Metropolis Leafgard.”

“Huh…”

I had a feeling, but I didn’t expect her to say it so bluntly.

Ms. Karasuma had been listening to my and Wakaba’s conversation without a word.

Oh, our eyes met.

And just then, Ms. Karasuma faced Wakaba.

“…Yo, Waka. Can I ask something?”

“Mm, what is it?”

“Is school fun?”

“……”

Wakaba said nothing, only managing a thin smile. She then blinked a few times, opened her mouth to respond, but closed it tight again after failing to find the words.

“Is it not fun?” Ms. Karasuma asked.

“That’s not it at all!” This time, Wakaba was quick to reply. “It’s not, but…”

Wakaba’s voice was weak, and she hung her head, a far cry from the self-assurance she’d shown a moment ago.

“…I don’t want to think of a place without Sensei as fun.”

She was so quiet that I could barely hear her even though I was sitting right next to her. Ms. Karasuma might not have heard her at all.

A heavy silence hung over the infirmary.

What did Wakaba think of her sensei? I had thought she respected this person at first, but after learning how intense her fixation was, I got the feeling that it was something different.

“Oh yeah, Waka. How’s your foot doing?”

“Her foot?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t know why Wakaba had been in the infirmary.

“Is something wrong with your foot?” I asked her.

“Mm, you see, that room has so much clutter inside, no? I tripped on some of it and appeared to sprain my ankle just a tad. But I’m fine now.”

Wakaba stood up and hopped around to demonstrate.

She must have been referring to the conference room. I wondered if Ms. Karasuma already knew that Wakaba had a key to it.

“Mm, that’s all settled now. I’m quite fine. My deepest apologies if I caused you any worry.”

With that, Wakaba got up from her seat and made for the infirmary’s exit.

I was conflicted. I felt like I still had something to say. I wanted Wakaba to get along with her class a bit better, too… So, uh, what could I do in a time like this? What could I do—?

“Wakaba! Do you like takoyaki?”

And what came out of my mouth was that absolutely bizarre question.

“………………Mm?”

Never before had I seen Wakaba look so confounded.

“Huuuuuh?!” Nezu cried. “Meester Hitoma, you’re really paying for all this?! The guilt is too much! But oh, squee-hee-heak…”

“Wooow, Macchie’s drooling like craaaazy,” said Okonogi.

“That is so gross…,” Usami griped.

Okonogi, between her comments about “filling a laaake with Macchie’s drooool” or something, was on the team chopping ingredients, while the other three were on frying duty.

Ah, this takes me back. Was it my first year at this school when Ohgami suggested this idea?

Talking with Wakaba brought to mind the time when Ohgami said, “Cooking and eating a meal together airs out all the heavy stuff in a cinch!” I didn’t know how true that theory was, but for now, the class seemed to be working well together.

As part of the frying team, I prepared the gas stove.

“Mr. Hitoma, we got actual octopus this time, right?” asked my fellow fryer Haneda.

We hadn’t lit the fires yet, so she probably didn’t have much to do.

“Sure did, since I figure everyone here can eat them,” I said. “Two years late, but we’ve finally got a real octobash.”

“Yeah, last time we just had a devil bash,” Haneda replied.

“D-devil bash?! Does that not sound positively scandalous?!” Ryuzaki cried.

“Meester Hitoma’s always up to no good, squeak!”

“No, not like that! It’s a misunderstanding! ‘Devil bash’ was short for devil tongue bash, you know, konnyaku, so— Hey, quiet in the peanut gallery!”

Ryuzaki and Nezu were whispering stuff among themselves. I figured that at least half of it was them running with a joke.

“Ah-ha-ha! You’re killin’ me! But for real, it legit was konnyaku,” said Haneda.

Thank goodness… It looked like Haneda was willing to relate the memories of that party to Ryuzaki and Nezu. Glad to see that misunderstanding nipped in the bud.

Now then, how was Wakaba doing? It seemed like she’d gotten to talking with Usami and Okonogi.

“How’s it going over there?” I asked Wakaba.

“Mm, Machi and I appear to have swapped duties.”

“Because Machi can’t even stand up straight,” Usami added.

“Buuut I feeeel like Macchie’s gooood at frying.”

“She does love her meals, I guess,” I said. “Oh, let me help over here.”

“Wooow, thank yooou.”

Not that there was much for me to help with, since they were just cutting the octopus and mixing everything else in. I decided I could at least clean up the trash scattered around, though.

“Come to think of it, Aoi, I think this is our first time eating with you,” said Ryuzaki.

“Mm, I suppose it is.”

“Don’t go ‘supposing’ it!” Nezu retorted. “You always run off as soon as you hear the bell!”

“Are you eating with the intermediate students?” Usami asked Wakaba.

“Huhhh? Buuut when the intermediate students caaame, Pwinse Waka was also long gooone.”

All the students besides Haneda slowly but surely closed in on Wakaba. Wakaba looked troubled for a moment, but she was back to normal with a wink and a raise of her index finger.

“Mm, I’m afraid that’s a secret. I prefer to shroud myself in a mystery or two.”

“That look on your face says this conversation is over…”

Wakaba laughed off Nezu’s jab.

I worried that this octobash wasn’t going to be the chance for the students to get closer like it was in my first year. I would have liked it if school could become a fun place for Wakaba, but…

“You sure? I kinda get the vibe that you don’t wanna hang around us, Wakaba.”

The air grew just a bit more tense.

The question came from Haneda while she poured the batter onto the takoyaki cooker. She dropped the bombshell with the gravity of someone noting that the weather was nice. As though it was nothing of concern.

“I—I didn’t mean it like…,” Wakaba stammered at the sudden accusation.

Haneda shot her a quick glance. “Aww, but you never tell us about yourself, either, and I don’t wanna go thinkin’ you’re avoiding us, y’know?”

“Oh? Has Aoi not spoken extensively about herself?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Yeah, but only the bits that are ancient history,” Usami replied.

Then it hit me. They were right; Wakaba talked about herself plenty, but she’d almost never talked about how she felt these days.

“So, like, I just wanna know how much distance you want us to keep,” Haneda added. “Doesn’t help anyone if I get too chummy and just creep you out.”

“That’s not what she’s like!” Nezu cut in.

“Nezu?” I said.

“Squeak!” She puffed her cheeks as far as they would go.

Nezu was making a funny face…but did that mean was she angry?

“Please, Machi, you are the exact opposite of threatening when you’re mad,” Usami scoffed.

“Oh, I thought that a little, too,” I said.

“Squeeeak!”

“Sorry, my bad.”

I apologized to Nezu after she aimed her intimidation my way, and she swiftly swiveled back to Haneda.

“Hmph! I wanna be friends with Preence Waka, okay?! Even if she doesn’t wanna be friends back, I still do!”

“Mm, thank you.” Wakaba flashed a beautiful, pasted-on smile. The kind that let nobody know what she truly felt.

“Squee-hee-heak!”

Nezu clung to Wakaba, who was still in her seat.

“Macchie, you suuure look cheerful.”

“Squea-hee-hee, ’cause I just love Preence Waka!”

Nezu rubbed her cheek against Wakaba’s. Wakaba hesitated, but then patted Nezu’s head.

“Oh, Machi…” Haneda heaved a sigh of endearment. “Look, it’s not like I don’t want to get along with you, Wakaba.”

“Ah, I’ll do the frying,” I said.

I’d just noticed that Haneda had been tending to the takoyaki cooker this whole time.

“Thanks, Mr. Hitoma.”

“I would much prefer the ones fried by Mr. Rei!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Squeak…”

Nezu glared at Haneda as though she was protecting Wakaba.

“C’mon, no need to get all feisty,” said Haneda. “But yeah, I was kinda worried.”

“Squeak? About what?”

“About Wakaba.”

Wakaba looked at Haneda with a dumbfounded expression.

“She’s so social, but she never hung out with us. I was startin’ to think she hated us.”

“I would never…!”

“Squea-yah!”

Wakaba bolted up, causing Nezu to back away in surprise. Once Wakaba noticed that, she hurriedly turned toward Nezu.

“Ah, Machi, my apologies.”

“I’m okay!”

Haneda watched the two girls without saying a word.

“Mm, Tobari, I don’t hate any of you in the slightest.”

“You sure? Good to hear, then. I was gettin’ all lonely.”

“Mm? Lonely?”

“Squeak! I kinda get that, too! Not getting to play with Preence Waka is lonely!”

“Lonely…”

“What, you gotta get lost in thought over it?”

“No, I mean…”

“Do you want meee to explaaain? ‘Looonely’ means wanting to be togeeether foreeever, isn’t that riiight?”

“Huh, you’re actually telling the truth for once.”

“Huhhh…?”

I’d never seen this look from Okonogi before. I didn’t know eyes could open that wide.

“How is that a surprise?” Usami quipped.

“Ohhh… That’s riiight…”

“Mm, it seems Maki intended to say something random.”

“It’s like she hit the jackpot!” Nezu said.

“Was that a matter of luck?” Ryuzaki wondered.

“Our lucky winner looks kinda down in the dumps, though,” Haneda remarked.

The poor girl was shriveled up. I noted that Okonogi might have a knack for silly faces.

“Well, anyway…” Haneda started piling takoyaki onto a plate. “We’re happy to finally have you as part of the class! Now, one takoyaki set, order up!”

Takoyaki were lined up tight on top of the plate in Haneda’s hand, each one fried to a gorgeous golden brown.

“Squeak! I’ll eat it! I’ll eat it!”

“Nezu, weren’t you supposed to be frying, too?”

“Gasp! That’s right! Squea-hee-hee, that just means I’ll get ’em fresh off the fryer!”

“You’d better leave enough for the rest of us, got it?” said Usami.

“I’ll do my absolute best.”

“Those eyes look too earnest, like she’s lying…”

“Mr. Rei, don’t forget about me…pretty please?”

“Yeah, yeah, just wait a sec.”

We all cheerfully chowed down on all the takoyaki. Nezu consumed around 130 in total.

“Squeeeakh… I think I ate a li’l too much…”

“Mm, I’d say that was quite a bit beyond ‘a little,’” said Wakaba.

“You just never know your limits,” added Usami.

“Buuut…Meester Hitoma was paying for all of it…”

“That’s the reason you pushed yourself…?” I said.

I was exasperated but also a little worried.

The party had ended. Haneda, Ryuzaki, and Okonogi apparently had cleaning duty at the dorm, so they departed early. That left me here with Nezu, Usami, and Wakaba.

“Machi, are you able to walk to the dorm?”

“…I can if you’re with me, Preence Waka.”

“You’ve been stuck to Aoi like glue all day. What gives?”

“Sorry, Uchami, I know you’ll be lonely without me.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“Now, now…”

I was worried about Nezu’s condition, but I could take some relief in the fact that she was well enough to joke around. But Usami was right. Nezu really was all over Wakaba today.

“Preence Waka, is school fun?”

“Huh…?”

Wakaba was stunned, and even I was a bit shaken. That was the same question Ms. Karasuma had asked Wakaba the other day.

“…Why do you ask?” Wakaba smiled at Nezu with the warmth of a saint.

“…Sometimes, I go to the beginner class to see Chiyu,” Nezu began slowly. “And you know, the beginner class is up next to the infirmary staircase, right? So—I really didn’t mean to, but I overheard Meess Haruka and Meester Hitoma talking.”

“Mm, so that’s it…”

It must have been hard to say, since Nezu knew that eavesdropping was wrong, but she probably couldn’t bear to leave Wakaba be. Wakaba listened to Nezu quietly.

“So then I thought it’d be nice if Preence Waka could enjoy school… Squeak… I think I got ahead of myself…”

“Nezu, are you all right?” I asked. “You can puke if you need to.”

“No, my pride won’t let me. I’ll die before I puke!”

I considered responding that she shouldn’t push herself to eat so much in the first place, but I decided to save that for later.

“Remember, I’m a mouse who’s got a mutual love affair with food so strong that it made me wanna become human. My determination’s on another level compared to your average glutton!”

“…I can see that.”

“No kidding, geez,” said Usami.

“You won’t find lotsa people like me around here, you know? Everyone’s got a nice, respectable reason for wantin’ to become human. They wanna repay a debt, or they wanna stop lying, they’ve all got somethin’. But not me! I’m here to eat some good squeakin’ food!!!”

“Pfft.”

At first, I didn’t know whose voice that was. After all, I’d never heard her laugh like that. Her smiles were always beautiful, refined, and designed to be loved by all.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha!”

It was Wakaba’s laughter. She laughed with an unreserved smile at a volume one might think of as crass.

“Ah-ha-ha! Machi, that’s just silly!”

She was cracking up. Wakaba laughed so hard that she had to hold her sides in. From the looks Usami and I accidentally gave each other, we were both surprised.

“Ah-ha-ha! Oh, Machi, your goal is no less wonderful, but I can’t help but have fun when you put it that way! Ah-ha-ha! Ahh, I’m in tears from all this laughter!”

“Squee-hee-hee!” Nezu joyfully danced circles around Wakaba. “Feedin’ ♪ on food ♪ so fluffy ♪ and warm! ♪ Fooood! ♪”

“Ha-ha! Oh, Machi!”

“Squea-ha-ha! Looks like you’ve gotta have fun at school, like it or not!”

Wakaba gave it some thought as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Heh-heh, we’ll see about that.”

“Squea-oof!”

The sight of Nezu’s shock, among everything else she did, was hitting Wakaba right in the funny bone. She was laughing like crazy.

“Ah-ha-ha! I’m afraid I still don’t know for certain if school is fun. However—”

Wakaba knelt down and offered a hand to Machi, just like a fairy-tale prince would.

“—if I’m with you, Machi, then… Heh-heh! I suppose it might be fun!”

Her offer came with glistening eyes and a somewhat unflattering smile. I got the feeling that it wasn’t just the tears from laughter that made Wakaba’s eyes shine so brightly.

“You’re darn right it will! I’m the one and only Machi, after all!”

“A little modesty wouldn’t kill ya,” said Usami.

“But hey, Nezu’s got that kind of power,” I said. “Also, are you feeling okay, Nezu? You were practically running around in circles…”

“Squeak…” Nezu’s face grew paler by the second. “I forgot…”

“Nezu—!”

And so we managed to return Nezu to the dorm while she was barely holding it inside. Chiyu chewed her out once we told her what happened, and she forbade her sister from eating anything that wasn’t easy on the stomach for the next day.

“Mm, pardon me,” said Wakaba.

“Yo, welcome,” said Ms. Karasuma.

“Wakaba, what did you need to call me over for?” I asked.

Several days after the takoyaki party, Wakaba told me to come to the infirmary. Ms. Karasuma was with her.

“Mm, I figured I had caused you some concern, so here’s my report on it.”

Wakaba was flashing her usual beautiful smile that showed her pearly white teeth.

“You remember what Haruka asked me before, no? About whether school was fun?”

“Ah, rings a bell.”

“To me, you see, Sensei being in my world was everything. That was why—well, not at first, I don’t think, but over time… Yes, over time, it appears I began to think of any world without Sensei as worthless.”

Wakaba twirled her hair with a tinge of guilt at explaining how anxious she’d become.

“However—I knew the truth deep down, that after I leaped out of Sensei’s world to come here, I found so many forms of fun waiting for me. I was simply trying not to notice.”

“That so, huh?” said Ms. Karasuma.

“Mm, I’m certain I would make Sensei laugh now. Sensei, you see, liked new things and would put anything into a story! Always looking to the future, that one.”

“Wow, talk about flexible.”

“Yes, and I’ll always take pride in Sensei. That’s why it embarrasses me so much that I put Sensei on so high a pedestal that I lost sight of myself. So this is my resolution. I wanted to answer that question one more time, for my own sake, which is why I had this time set aside for the two of you.”

“Are you sure I should be here?”

After all, it was Ms. Karasuma who asked that question, not me, so I felt a bit awkward.

“Yes, but of course. That event the other day was your doing, was it not? I heard you paid from your own pocket.”

“What event are we talking about?”

“Oh, an octobash.”

“Whew, nice.”

“Now then, Haruka. Would you mind asking me that question one more time?”

“You got it.”

While this was surely an important question for Wakaba, Ms. Karasuma was too laid-back for it to feel like it carried much weight. Then again, maybe that question could only come up because of her attitude.

Ms. Karasuma took a small breath. “Wakaba, do you like school?”

In an instant, Wakaba’s attitude changed. She donned a joyful, unrefined smile.

“Yes! I love it!” she said.

It was like watching a garden blossom anew in the spring.

Wakaba had finally taken her first step—her own, and nobody else’s—into the class for demi-humans.

Even back then, I already had a faint suspicion.

“School’s like a prison, don’t you think?”

“That’s one heck of a metaphor.”

Since then, Haruna started to come by the social studies prep room every now and then. She’d talk about class, or sometimes nothing at all. I naturally couldn’t let her in during exam season, but it was almost daily for the past few days.

“…It’s a place where a bunch of humans with nothing in common besides the time they happened to be born at have to all show up at some arbitrary hour of the morning and spend all day having stuff drilled into their brains. And sometimes, it forces them to herd into groups.”

“Not a fan of that?”

“You’d have a way harder time finding someone who is.”

“Ha-ha, fair enough.”

As we spoke, I felt that Haruna was becoming less and less reserved around me. I didn’t know how she felt for certain, but it certainly made her easier to talk with.

Just then, Haruna smiled gently.

“…Aren’t you gonna get mad at me?” she asked.

“Over what?”

“Well, class is going on right now.”

“Uh-oh, we’ve got a runner.”

“…You’re the only one who’d say that.”

The school building was quieter than normal, like it was a different world. I could hear the distant sound of a whistle from the field outside.

Haruna had been here in the social studies prep room since the break before third period, a pretty common occurrence by now. And like usual,the bell for class signaled that it was time to leave. But today, Haruna simply said, “I guess” and showed no signs of heading for the door.

Given my position, this situation was a bit difficult to commend. She was playing hooky, plain and simple. But Haruna was an honest girl—or at least, she strived to be—so I couldn’t imagine she’d cut class without a good reason.

“So? Not gonna chew me out?”

Perhaps she wanted me to. But I responded to her challenge with a sigh.

“The odd rough patch shouldn’t be the end of the world. I have a free period right now anyway.”

“Uh-oh, we’ve got an accomplice.”

“Nuh-uh, I’m using my free period to prepare for my next class.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s like a lesson summary and a cheat sheet.”

“Huh.”

Haruna gazed at my notes with an expression that I wasn’t sure expressed any interest or not.

There was a lot I wanted to ask her.

Like, why she was cutting class? Or what had happened to her in this prison of a school?

But that could come off as blaming her. So I didn’t ask her anything yet. For now, I wanted to maintain this room’s tranquility.

The Misanthrope and the Gleeful Glutton

There are three things you need to live. Food, sleep, and shelter. Anything beyond that is too rich for my blood.

As long as I have the bare minimum, I’m satisfied.

Or at least, I used to be.

“Yesterday’s crepe convention was so much fun!” said Nezu.

“Right? I liked that caramel one,” Haneda agreed.

“Fweh-heh-heh, I’m haaappy-wappy that you all enjoooyed it. Next tiiime, let’s do a suuuper spicy one.”

“Are you nuts?!” Usami cried.

“I liiied.”

“What a relief!” said Ryuzaki.

“Mm. Quite the shocking proposal,” Wakaba remarked.

Some time had passed since that last talk with Wakaba, and with the rainy season now well cleared up, we were in July.

That octobash seemed to put the students on a kick of throwing all sorts of food-themed parties. Just about every week, they were bashing it up in the dorm cafeteria with okonomiyaki, pancakes, and more.

“I thought we’d made too many crepes, but I was quite surprised to see Machi finish every last one of them,” said Ryuzaki.

“Heh, that’s a piece of cake!”

“No, Machi, I’m pretty sure they were crepes,” said Usami.

“Yeah, and they were more of a meal than cakes, too,” Haneda added. “Like, I skipped dinner after that.”

“Mm, as did I.”

“Same heeere.”

“Squeak? After I went back to my room, I ate dinner like normal.”

“Machi, what, may I ask, is your stomach made of?” said Wakaba.

“I mean, Chiyu cooked it for me…”

“Ah, yeah, can’t say no to that,” Haneda quipped.

“So? What’d you end up having for dinner?” Usami asked Nezu.

“Katsudon!”

“That sounds more than a bit heavy!” said Ryuzaki.

“Mm, we can’t go having a repeat of your octobash escapades.”

“Yeah, I pushed myself too hard on that one!”

The students were chatting happily.

Haruna was next to me, her gaze glued to a neatly wrapped paperback book as though there was no commotion in front of her at all.

“Hey, Meess Mirai, what’s your favorite crepe topping?”

“Wh-who, me?”

Haruna hesitated at having the conversation suddenly thrown her way. Nezu paid no heed to the fact that Haruna was in the middle of reading.

“Of course you, Meess Mirai! You know tons about tasty food, so I wanna hear your fave!”

“Crepes, right? In that case, I enjoy sugar butter.”

“Pwuuuh? Ms. Miraaai, what’s this ‘suuugar butter’ stuuuff?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. They butter the pastry and then sprinkle sugar on top of it to make a nice, simple crepe.”

“It’s the taste of the ingredients!” said Nezu.

I didn’t know that was a thing. I’d always pictured crepes as being slathered in cream. Maybe this kind of crepe tasted like a pancake.

“And Meester Hitoma?” Nezu asked me.

“I hardly ever eat crepes…but if I had to say, then chocolate banana…I guess?”

“Kinda soundin’ like a li’l tyke there, Mr. Hitoma,” Haneda teased. “You’re killin’ me!”

“Fweh-heh-heh, that’s so cuuute of you, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“You might be on to something!” said Haruna. “Even back in our old school, that side of Mr. Hitoma made him a hit with the students.”

“What side is that supposed to be, again…?”

I didn’t think they could get this excited over just crepes.

Yep, this was a girl conversation, all right. But hey, they were having fun.

“I understand the sentiment well! That’s because I love Mr. Rei!”

“Do you gotta slip that into everything? Saying you’re into old dudes with the palate of babies is way too laser targeted,” Usami griped.

“Don’t call me old,” I said. “I’m kinda sensitive about that. Also, the chocolate banana flavor’s popular because it tastes good. Right, Nezu?”

This was a matter of food, so I sought approval from none other than Nezu. I needed a second opinion from an expert here.

“Squea-hmm…” Nezu nodded. “I guess you got me there. Chocolate banana’s a staple, so it gets treated like kids’ stuff, but it’s actually a staple in diets, too.”

“Machi, would you mind elaborating?” Ryuzaki asked. Nezu’s expert knowledge had her hooked.

“Squea… Well, it’s still got calories, so I wouldn’t say to go scarf it down…but it’s got good nutritional balance on top of being a satisfying treat, so it’s more of a suggestion for when you’ve just gotta have something sweet. Also, it’s supposed to be better if you swap the chocolate with a sauce made from a cocoa powder base.”

“Hmm… This information could prove valuable…”

“Kawwin, are you on a diiiet?”

Okonogi came up from behind Ryuzaki and squeezed her upper arms. Unlike Usami yesterday, Ryuzaki was pretty accepting of Okonogi’s touchiness. I’d seen Okonogi playing around with the other students like this fairly often; I suppose she had a narrow sense of personal space.

“Why yes, I am! I’d like to be just a bit slimmer.”

“Huhhh. But I think you’re fine juuust the way you are.”

How long was Okonogi going to keep touching her? This was starting to look like a massage.

“…What do you think, Mr. Rei?”

“Huh?”

Ryuzaki’s words brought the eyes of every student as well as Haruna on me. Why did I suddenly feel so much pressure…?

“Look, the body types of my female students are the absolute last things I should be giving an opinion on. Anything’s fine as long as you’re taking care of your health, right?”

“Aha, the safe option.”

“Playin’ it safe, are ya?” said Usami.

“No, see, there’s nothing else I can say!”

This was an extremely delicate topic in this day and age, so of course I had to be prudent.

“Well…fair enough, I suppose,” Haruna said with a tinge of pity.

“Bwaaaaah!!! Meester Hitomaaa!!!”

“Whoa! Nezu?!”

On my way to the teachers’ office, Nezu came barreling down the stairs with a comical amount of tears streaming down her face. She was going to get my suit wet if she kept clinging to me…

“For starters, let’s get some distance here.”

I peeled Nezu off me; seeing the snot drooping buoyantly from her nostrils almost made me laugh, but at least I saved my suit from needing a wash after this.

Nezu continued to sob like a toddler.

“What brought this on? Did something happen?”

It didn’t seem serious from the looks of it, but I had to worry if she was crying this much. Though with how much spring she had in her step, it didn’t seem to be an illness or injury…

“It’s just… It’s just…! Something terrible’s happened…!”

And then Nezu shed even more gigantic teardrops.

Something terrible…? Don’t tell me… Is Chiyu in danger?!

“My secret snack stash is gooooone!”

A secret snack stash.

Today was looking to be another peaceful day.

According to Nezu, her secret snack stash was stored in a personal locker in the advanced class. These lockers were relatively small, and students typically used them to store gym clothes, shoes, and potentially textbooks if necessary.

Nezu would regularly snack on the contents of that locker, and when she’d checked this morning, her snacks were absolutely still there. When Nezu returned to the classroom after second period PE, she intended to take a breather over something to munch on, but she opened her locker to find that it was completely empty.

“Huh? Completely empty? You didn’t have anything else inside it?”

“Squeak… The truth is… Squeak…”

Nezu was stumbling over her words. It seemed like this was hard to say.

“Snacks take up a lotta space, you know? And I have my normal locker, but there were also these lockers nobody else was using, so…”

Hmm. She commandeered a locker that wasn’t hers…when students were typically assigned one locker each.

“Then do you think someone could have taken it by mistake?”

“It’s public knowledge that I use that locker, so I don’t think that’d happen.”

I’m not sure I would call that “public knowledge,” but… Oh well, I suppose it doesn’t matter at the moment.

“…Just checking, but you didn’t eat them all and forget, did you?”

“Do you take me for a fool? I’ll have you know that I take perfect stock of my inventory. I couldn’t replenish my reserves otherwise. Besides, they’ve got expiration dates.”

“Got your priorities in order, huh?”

This glimpse into just how seriously Nezu took her snacking exceeded my imagination, reminding me that she was pretty organized and methodical deep down. She might come off as scatterbrained, given her usual energy, but Nezu was caring and dedicated to what she loved.

“Also, I didn’t just stuff my snacks in there and call it a day. I put them in a big bag for safekeeping.”

“What kind of bag?”

“It’s the one Chiyu made for her final assignment last year. It’s got these li’l ears on it, and it’s so cute—here, like this.”

The smartphone Nezu pulled out to show me displayed a mouse-colored drawstring bag decorated with large ears of the same color. The size seemed to be around an A4 sheet of paper. It was large for that sort of bag, and its design made it clear who the owner was, so the odds of someone taking it by accident were low.

“Meester Hitoma, will you look for it with me?”

Nezu tightly gripped the smartphone screen while it continued to display her bag; I got the sense that it was the bag she wanted to find more than her snacks.

“Got it. Let’s check if the lost and found in the teachers’ office picked it up.”

“Okay!”

I was a little relieved at how energetic her response was. This was for the best; serious or not, there was no situation where I liked to see my students in tears.

Nezu and I went right to the teachers’ office, which had a lost and found shelf. In most cases, that was where any missing items would be.

“…Pardon us,” Nezu said politely as we entered.

The handful of teachers in the office glanced up at Nezu, but once they saw I was with her, they nonchalantly returned to their work.

The lost and found shelf was right next to the office entrance. We headed right for it.

“Squeak… It’s not here.”

The bag she’d shown me earlier was nowhere to be found. To be honest, I hadn’t gotten my hopes up that we’d find it so easily, but it was still a letdown. Kinda like when you play the lottery and don’t win.

“If it’s not here, then there’s a high probability that this was a premeditated crime…,” Nezu mused.

“That escalated quickly. There’s still the chance that the person who found it left it somewhere else, right? It happens all the time with lost and founds.”

“Squeak-mmm… So, where should we look next?”

“Good question.”

“Mr. Hitoma, Nezu, is something the matter?”

“Meess Mirai!”

While we were checking the lost and found shelf, Haruna called out to us from behind.

“Meess Mirai, have you seen my bag anywhere? This is what it looks like…”

Nezu showed Mirai the image she’d shown me earlier. It was the mouse-colored bag with the big ears on it that anyone could tell at a glance belonged to Nezu.

Haruna tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at the screen. “Ah, I know this bag. I confiscated it.”

“Huh?!” I yelped.

“You confiscated it?!” Nezu yelled.

Haruna’s unexpected response had both me and Nezu surprised. The office fell quiet for a moment, and things took a turn for the awkward.

After a few moments, the silence ended, and things returned to normal, but it still felt somewhat uncomfortable. Nezu seemed to feel the same way; she tugged on Haruna so that she could whisper in her teacher’s ear.

“…Why did you confiscate it?” Nezu asked quietly, although she was just loud enough that I could hear.

Haruna glanced at me before answering Nezu with the same personable energy as always.

“You see, Nezu, this bag was placed in an empty locker. That wasn’t your locker, now, was it?”

True enough.

“And since its contents didn’t seem necessary for class, I confiscated it.”

“D-don’t go looking inside without permission! What are ya, Meess Mirai, some kinda perv?!”

“N-not at all! I was checking just in case, for your information!”

Haruna spun around and turned her back to us before heading to her desk.

“The bag I found did appear to be yours by its shape, but having no name tag meant that it could have still been suspicious material, so confirmation was the natural course of action.”

With that, Haruna knelt down a bit and opened the bottom drawer of her desk. And right there was the mouse-colored bag I’d seen the picture of so many times.

“Ah! That’s my snack sack!”

It looked a bit larger in real life than it did in the photo. Haruna plopped the bag on her desk.

“I assumed it contained gym clothes at first, but when I heard it rustling after I picked it up, I was shocked to see it filled with snacks.”

“Do you wanna eat any, Meess Mirai?”

“No, I do not.”

Haruna was not mincing words.

“Ms. Haruna, how about we just return the bag to Nezu for now?” I asked.

Nezu was nodding vigorously in agreement with my proposal. However, Haruna’s grim expression showed no signs of letting up; she heaved a sigh.

“Mr. Hitoma, don’t you think you’re being a little too soft on Nezu? Ahem. I, for one, have my own opinion. Nezu frequently eats during class, no? I think now is as good a time as any for her to learn some restraint.”

“Anything but that! Didn’t anyone ever teach you to eat food when you can?!” said Nezu.

“Please try to eat food when you’re supposed to.”

“Well, ya got me there.”

That was fast.

Still, I got the feeling Nezu was going to keep eating during class. She’d always done so until now. A few words of warning weren’t going to break the habit.

“Hmm, in that case, how about for the next week, we deduct points whenever she eats outside of lunch?” I suggested.

“One week?! But that’s crazy long!” Nezu cried.

“It’s not ‘long’ when we’re asking you to do what every other student does already…”

“Exactly,” Haruna agreed. “In fact, I think it’s rather short. A month sounds much more appropriate. The expiration dates on these snacks should last until then.”

“One week, if you’d please!” Nezu begged.

“Very well, Nezu. Do your best!”

Thus began Nezu’s weeklong snackless sabbatical.

“Soooo huuungry…,” Nezu moaned.

“Poooor Macchie…”

“I wonder, can Machi really go without eating during class for an entire week…?” said Ryuzaki.

“How far in is she?” Usami asked.

“Squeak… Day six… Squeak…”

“Mm. You’d best go home and eat right away,” said Wakaba. “I’d much rather you experience the bliss you always have when eating.”

“Trust me, I’d love to…”

Nezu became more drained by the day, so much so that I was starting to pity her. But she had two days left, including today. And so far, she had managed to survive the school day. Just a little more; I really wanted to see her keep at it. Strange as it was that simply going a whole class without eating could damage someone this much, anyway.

“Hey, Machi,” said Haneda. “There’s curry for dinner tonight. Let’s get you a heaping helping.”

“Tobari, don’t talk about curry right now, or else… Mgh.”

Grrrrrwwllll…

The sound of Nezu’s rumbling stomach echoed through the classroom.

“Squeeeeeak…”

I couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or angry, but for whatever reason, Nezu shot me an irritated glare. Her face was red, and her eyes were welling up with tears. We’d heard her stomach rumble during class plenty of times before, so why did it suddenly warrant that reaction? And why was it aimed at me instead of at Haneda? You know, the person who actually started talking about curry in the first place.

“Hmph! Meester Hitoma, you jerk! I’m going home! Ah! Meess Mirai, I swear, I’m gonna keep trying just a little more, so make sure to be gentle with my snack sack for me, okay?”

“But of course.”

Nezu announced her resolve as though sending a challenge to Haruna. She then pumped her fist with a small “Squeak!”—probably a bravado-fueled bluff rather than real confidence—and shouted that she’d be heading back before she left the classroom.

She had the spirit, but I still couldn’t help worrying…

There was one day left until Nezu accomplished her challenge—the final day. It was lunch break, after the fourth period.

I was headed toward the social studies prep room to get some documents I needed for fifth period. Conveniently, fifth period was the advanced class; both the prep room and the advanced classroom were on the third floor, so I figured I might as well stop by to see how the class was doing.

When I took a peek inside, it was just about time to start eating lunch, so I saw Nezu whipping her lunch box open faster than anyone else; her eyes were sparkling as she crammed her cheeks full of rice. This was the moment she’d been waiting for, so Nezu looked like she was in pure bliss.

Just a little longer before her goal. Nezu had worked really hard for this.

“Macchiiie, good jooob. Just a liiittle bit more.”

“Machi, I’ll give you some of my sides!” Haneda said.

“Mm, I’ll offer mine, too.”

“Thanks, everyone!”

“You guys are being too soft on her,” said Usami. “All she’s doing is learning the common sense to not eat during class.”

“But habits are tough to break, you know.”

“Mm. Machi’s trying to better herself,” Wakaba agreed.

The rest of the advanced class was supporting Nezu in her goal.

Keep it up, Nezu…! I thought. I’m rooting for you in secret…!

“Um, is Machi here?”

“Chiyuuuuu!! What’s up?”

Fifth period had ended, and the students were chatting among themselves when Nezu’s little sister, Chiyu, came to the advanced classroom. It warmed my heart to see how well those sisters got along.

“Machi, um, so, I just had home ec class, and I made this! I thought you might like it…”

Chiyu pulled out a small paper bag. Even from this distance, I could smell the sweet fragrance wafting up from it.

“Ch-Chiyuuu… What didja make…?”

Nezu…!

I think she had an inkling of what this was.

Nezu’s pupils dilated, and the drool oozing from her mouth looked moments away from starting a waterfall. Her cheeks were flushed as she staggered toward Chiyu—no, toward the bag Chiyu was holding.

“It’s a muffin!” said Chiyu.

“Don’t mind if I dooo!!!”

“Nezuuu!!!”

Munch.

For just about a week, Nezu had put in every effort to refrain from eating during class. She swore off the snacks that had escaped Haruna’s confiscation, she endured an empty stomach during class, and she had only lunch break as her sole reprieve.

But Nezu had no way to fight the allure of a freshly baked muffin. One handmade by Chiyu, at that.

Given Chiyu’s reaction, she probably didn’t know that Nezu was banned from eating during class at all. She was surprised by my sudden shout, as well as by the panicking of every other student in the classroom.

Yeah, sorry to startle you, I thought. But she was so close.

It happened in the span of half a second.

“Machi! What’re you doing?!” Usami yelled.

“Squeagh!”

That brought Machi back to her senses. She broke out in a cold sweat and turned awkwardly to the rest of us. She had that “I screwed up…” look on her face.

“Machi…what happened…? Did I…do something wrong?” Chiyu asked, concerned by her sister’s bizarre behavior.

Nezu hurriedly faced Chiyu again and held the paper bag tightly. “Not at all! I’m stunned by how delicious your muffin was! Uchami’s just mad that I haven’t turned in my part of our group project yet, so she’s telling me to get it out, right, Uchami?!”

“Um, oh, y-yeah. Sure am. Yep.”

Realizing that Nezu was trying not to make Chiyu worry, Usami substantiated the lie Nezu had come up with on the spot. She was nodding vigorously to boot, but this was just a little out of character for the typical Usami we all knew.

“Machi…”

Chiyu stared sadly at Nezu. It looked like Nezu’s half-baked white lie wasn’t fooling anyone.

Chiyu continued to meet Nezu’s gaze for a bit.

“…Okay, that makes sense,” she told her big sister. “Good luck on your group project.”

Chiyu smiled weakly and headed back to her own class.

Oh, Chiyu… That reaction probably means…

“Macchie, you’re suuure sucky-wucky at lying.”

“Makiii…”

Nezu was at a loss, but Okonogi gave her a big hug. Okonogi’s loosely fitting jacket practically enveloped her.

“Nooothing good comes from lyiiing. That’s why I’ve neeever lied, not ooonce in my life.”

“You contradicted that way too quick…”

Okonogi comforted Nezu through her tears, looking almost like her big sister.

“Nezu, did you not tell Chiyu about what you’re going through?” I asked.

“…I didn’t, ’cause I thought it made me look dumb.”

If she had told her, Chiyu probably wouldn’t have chosen this exact moment to bring Nezu a muffin. She surely just had the purest intention of wanting her big sister to eat a treat she’d freshly baked.

“So, uh, think you might wanna hide that muffin?” said Haneda. “Language arts is next, right? That means—”

“I’ll be teaching the class.”

“Ms. Haruna…”

Speak of the devil; Haruna, the very taskmaster putting Nezu through all this, had just walked into the classroom.

Nezu’s hands held a half-eaten muffin, and her mouth had crumbs scattered around it. She was caught as red-handed as it gets for the crime of eating during class. There was no way out of this one.

“Nezu…,” said Haruna.

“I-it’s not what it looks like! Well, it sort of is, but still! Meess Mirai! This is just—”

“See me after class.”

The bell rang to signal the start of sixth period.

“I heard it all,” Haruna told me.

“By all of it…you mean from when?”

It was after school, and the only ones left in the classroom were me, Haruna, and Nezu, who was on the verge of sinking into a deep depression. Her eyes were completely dead.

“From the very start,” Haruna replied. “About when Nezu— Ah, I mean while Chiyu was on her way to the advanced class.”

The very, very start.

“I didn’t want to interrupt, so I watched from the hallway around the stairs. And there I saw…”

Haruna went silent, like it was too hard to say. Haruna had been watching Nezu’s efforts, too, so she surely didn’t know how to come out with it.

Nezu looked like she’d learned her lesson, so we could decide to let this one slide. But a promise was a promise, so we could also rule this as a failure and give her a different challenge.

“Mr. Hitoma…what should we do about Nezu?”

Haruna seemed unusually conflicted. Was this really a good time to provide my opinion? Then again, I couldn’t leave a direct question unanswered.

“Nezu,” I said.

Her dim, despair-tinged eyes came up to face me. Her depression was so deep that I couldn’t see a shred of her usual cheer.

She might act carefree, but she actually had a strong sense of responsibility; I got the feeling that Nezu thought about things much more deeply than the rest of us might expect.

“What happened before was like an act of nature, so I think we can say Nezu passed the challenge,” I explained. “That said, I don’t think it’s right that she didn’t tell Chiyu a thing and even lied to play it off.”

“Squeak…”

“It might be a little late for this, but go ahead and explain the situation to Chiyu and apologize.”

“…Yessir.”

Nezu slowly nodded, showing that she’d taken my words to heart.

“What do you think, Ms. Haruna?” I asked.

“What…do I think?”

Haruna’s answer was halted, as though she had yet to find her own answer on what to do about Nezu.

“I think…I think it’d be best to do this assignment over.”

Haruna raised her head and reached an executive decision about Nezu’s punishment.

“I think it’s unfortunate when she was so close…but that’s exactly why I’d like her to give it another chance. It might be difficult, but I think it’ll be far better for her in the long run than simply letting her off the hook… That’s my opinion anyway…”

I had no reason to object.

Nezu stayed silent. But she did give a small sigh, steeling herself for what was to come.

“I understand,” she said. “I’ll make it through one more week.”

I couldn’t feel an iota of Nezu’s usual energy as she made her declaration, like she was putting herself on edge to prepare for the test of a lifetime.

After that, Nezu committed to eating only when appropriate—not just during class, but even during breaks and when she was in her dorm. She completed Haruna’s assignment without incident and had her bag returned safe and sound. Last time had a bit of a hitch in the road, but seeing her pass with such flying colors impressed me; she could do anything when she put her mind to it.

And so this whole event ended peacefully. Except…

“I kinda feel like Machi hasn’t been herself lately, y’know?”

“You think so, too, Haneda?”

We were in the director’s office, and I was speaking with Haneda in her director form.

After completing her assignment, Nezu continued to not eat during class, and she didn’t even sneak in snacks. That was supposed to be a good thing, but something felt off about Nezu. It wasn’t that she seemed down. But she didn’t seem happy, either.

“Hmm, she’s, like, normal. Her jokes don’t have that snap to ’em. Just your everyday honor student.”

Haneda was taking a load off by lazing about on the sofa. While I could respect wanting some relaxation, I wished that she’d refrain from getting too comfortable around me.

“An everyday honor student…,” I said.

I knew that the more a student appeared to be that way, the more they tended to hide their pain. Last year’s graduate, Isaki Ohgami, used to be one of them.

So did Haruna.

I wanted to do something to help before those bottled-up feelings managed to burst, but…

“So? Got a plan, Mr. Hitoma?”

“Urk…”

She hit me where it hurt. But it was true; I didn’t know how to respond going forward.

Nezu wasn’t causing problems for anyone at the moment, and it wasn’t like she was asking for help herself. But nonetheless, I couldn’t help but worry about the girl.

“I mean, my personal opinion is that I’m fine with whatever lets everyone reach their dreams and graduate with smiles on their faces,” said Haneda.

Graduate…

Right, Nezu wanted to become human to eat lots and lots of yummy food.

I felt like I was starting to see a path leading to this problem’s solution.

“Nezu.”

“What’s up, Meester Hitoma?”

After school, I had Nezu stay in the classroom. Haruna seemed like she wanted to stay as well, but she had some urgent work to complete and returned to the teachers’ office.

“Here, my treat.”

I took out a pastry I’d bought at the convenience store over the weekend.

The snacks Nezu normally ate tended to be the stuff you could order in bulk online. Stuff only sold in convenience stores were actually the hardest things to get, which is why she occasionally asked me to pick some up for her.

Any other time, she would’ve jumped on this offer, but now…

“Thank you very much. I’ll eat this with Chiyu later.”

Nezu gently took the pastry and put it straight into her bag.

She was clearly acting strange.

“Is that all, Meester Hitoma?”

Something felt off about the way she curiously tilted her head, but I went back to the subject.

“Oh, no, I was just wondering if you could tell me more about why you wanted to become human.”

Nezu’s ears perked up.

“Nezu, you want to become human to eat lots and lots of yummy food, right?”

“You betcha.”

Nezu’s faint smile brought Haruna to mind yet again. I had only known Nezu for a year and change, but I could tell that this wasn’t the smile I knew from her.

“I’m curious, what’s your standard for ‘yummy food’?”

“Yummy food is yummy food. Like caviar, or foie gras, or high-class surf and turf.”

“Does that mean price is everything?”

Nezu fell silent; that question might have been a little mean-spirited. She looked down at the floor, seemingly uncomfortable.

Perhaps I should steer this conversation elsewhere…

“…The incident with Chiyu last year was around this time, wasn’t it?”

Nezu’s little sister, Chiyu—or to be specific, the girl who was like a little sister to her—had once gone off on her own to gather loquats for Nezu and couldn’t make it back home.

“Yep,” said Nezu. “What a headache that was.”

Nezu herself had scrambled into the forest beyond the school to eventually find Chiyu. For my part, it ended up being the first time I’d ever seen Nezu, who was always so soft on her sister, ever get angry at someone.

“…You know,” I told her, “the words you said back then have been in the back of my mind this whole time.”

Nezu looked at me with doubt. I had to wonder if the reassuring smile I was giving her was doing its job.

“Back then, you said that no food would taste delicious until you knew she was better.”

Nezu’s eyes snapped open as she apparently remembered the incident. It had been right after we saved Chiyu.

“Can you tell me what exactly makes a food ‘delicious’?”

A question asked a year apart from its context. It might have seemed similar to what I’d asked a moment ago on the surface, but deep down, it was surely quite different.

“Well…,” she began.

For a moment, I thought I saw a light flash in Nezu’s eyes. Her voice was shaking just a bit.

“The food I call ‘delicious’…is food you can eat with joy around the people you love.”

Her expression seemed somewhat sad, somewhat conflicted, but Nezu answered with the tinge of unshakable conviction in her tone.

“I’m gonna become a human, live with Chiyu in peace and quiet, and eat warm meals every day. I want a life where even if we fight now ’n then, we can still share a meal and laugh without a care in the world. For a long time to come…”

This was Nezu’s dream. To some, it might sound like a plain, humble living. But this—this was irreplaceable. It was that sort of dream.

“I see. Thank you for telling me. In that case…are you eating delicious food these days?”

There was a long silence. Nezu was small to begin with, but she somehow looked even smaller in this moment.

And then—

“…No, I haven’t.”

Her voice was so feeble, it could have been blown out by the wind.

“Got it.”

Nezu was visibly pained. I could hardly bear to look at her.

“But I get it,” she told me. “It’ll just cause more problems if I keep goin’ like this. So I wanna fix the parts of me that I oughtta fix.”

“Yeah, you must have given this a lot of thought.”

“Is it wrong to change myself by holding myself back…?”

“There’s nothing wrong with putting in effort. It’s just…holding yourself back to the point of pain might make us worried.”

“…Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. But how about we take your journey to the Machi you want to be one step at a time?”

Nezu answered with a faint “Okay.” Seeing her so deflated stung my heart just a bit.

“You know, Nezu, I’ve been thinking lately that you’re honestly pretty amazing. Wanna hear why?”

Nezu looked at me, puzzled.

“We had that octobash not long ago, right? You see, I planned that party to do something for Wakaba.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.” Nezu laughed weakly.

“But see, I couldn’t do anything. It was you who made Wakaba laugh after you happened to overhear the situation, right? That’s when I thought, ‘Wow, that Nezu, she’s something special.’”

“Squee-hee, glad I actually wound up being funny.”

“This is just my own impression here, but Nezu, I think one of your good qualities is how honest you are with what you want.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It’s the highest of compliments.”

Nezu shot me a look of suspicion, but I was truly being genuine.

“I respect your dedication from the bottom of my heart.”

“……”

Oh, she blushed a little.

Nezu tried to say something, but no words came out.

“Hey, Nezu. Does your list of ‘people you love’ have you on it?”

“Me…?”

“The people I’d put on my list would be you, Usami, Haneda, Okonogi, Wakaba, all of my students, all of the teachers I’ve worked with, and—well, I’m just realizing to add myself now, so I can’t lecture you much here—but I think I’d put myself there, too.”

“Well, I…”

Nezu’s eyes watered as she looked down at her palms.

“I honestly have valued myself this whole time. For real.” She clenched her hands. “But I wound up forgetting, and I don’t know why. I really do love myself, on account of being the center of the universe, the most adorable girl in the world, and a genius with encyclopedic knowledge on literally everything, and yet…”

“…Are you back to your old self a bit?”

She was really stretching it.

“Squee-hee-hee.”

Ah, now there’s a good smile.

“I just remembered that I’m the best, that’s all!”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!”

Nezu stood up firmly, so I decided to gas her up a bit.

“I’m the best to ever do it! I’ll make the entire world smile! My goal for becoming human is to eat lots and lots of yummy food! Actually, no, the true goal might be a little different. I’m amending my goal for becoming human to be so I can eat food with joy around the people I love!”

I got the feeling that some of this might have been desperate bravado on Nezu’s part. But even bravado counted as having the bravery to face tomorrow.

“Listen up! I, Machi, want to be a cool human who’s true to herself! I’ll be the best I can be while still…well, attempting to follow the rules!”

“I mean, your only thing was eating during class.”

“What was that, now? A flaw, you say? Squee-hee-hee, I’m afraid I can’t help being so perfect.”

I got the feeling that having a flaw meant that, by definition, something wasn’t perfect…

“All that aside…Nezu, when you get point deductions, it’s always from eating during class.”

“Sq-what?!”

It was the truth. Other students were typically given deductions based on school behavior or on how they acted toward classmates, but Nezu had perfect attendance without a single late arrival or absence, she turned in all of her homework, her grades were great, and she could communicate well with the rest of the class. She was a model student…if you overlooked her eating during class.

“Does that mean…that if I didn’t eat during class, I coulda been long graduated by now?”

“There’s a very good possibility, yes.”

“No squeakin’ way!!!”

I had to wonder if this knowledge was better left unsaid.

“…Meester Hitoma.”

“What is it, Nezu?”

“Can I be honest for a minute? I think…I might not want to graduate yet.”

“Does that mean…you don’t want to become human?”

I remembered the case with Kurosawa, the black cat who didn’t want to become human. The student who really just wanted to stay by the side of the witch she lived with.

Nezu looked conflicted.

“Squeak… Not like that. I wanna be human. It’s just…that’d leave Chiyu all alone.”

“Is that the reason why you’ve been eating during class?”

“It was at first…but then it started just being for me. But if I could fix my bad habit and graduate, right? Then Chiyu would be all alone.”

“I think Chiyu’s a bit stronger than you give her credit for. She has friends in her class, for one thing.”

“I know all that, but… Well, I’m sorry. I had it wrong. It was for Chiyu at first, but now it’s just for me. I don’t wanna let my little sister go.”

Nezu hung her head after that; I didn’t know what to say. Nezu seemed to understand herself pretty well on her own, so maybe there was nothing I could say.

“I guess the day’s gonna come when I’ve gotta let my sister go.”

“…I don’t think you have to force yourselves to part.”

“Squeak?”

“You see, I… Well, given my position, I do my best to let my students graduate, but more than that, I want to ensure they’re actually happy to go on their path.”

Saying it out loud made me realize what it was I wanted. Yes—I wanted my students to be happy.

“It doesn’t matter what that happiness looks like, I just want them to live happily.”

The words came out naturally, yet somehow, Haneda’s face came to mind.

Live happily. And yet, Haneda said that eternal life was the same as not living.

“…I wonder what living is.”

“Squeak? Well, Machi here’s got the answer to that!”

Nezu gave a hearty response to the question that happened to spill out.

“Ya wanna know what ‘living’ means? It means eating! Eating lots and sleeping lots! And smiling lots, too!”

She then looked to the skies with newfound conviction.

“I haven’t been living lately.”

This one tumbled out as a soft whisper.

“I finally get what you meant now, Meester Hitoma. I haven’t been living. No shocker that people are gonna worry.”

Nezu now looked straight at me.

“Sorry for worrying you. And also, thanks for giving me this talk. I’ll be fine now. That’s not bravado, either. I’m tellin’ ya as true as it gets, I’ll be just fine.”

I suppose even Nezu herself thought she was laying it on a bit too thick earlier. That, and she understood that I’d seen right through her. Nezu really was a smart girl.

“All right, good.”

“Tomorrow’s the day! I’ll be back to the same old Machi, really!”

“Within moderation, I hope.”

“Weeell, we’ll have to see about that. But first things first, I’m gonna go home and eat a buuuncha food with Chiyu!”

Mischievous smiles looked right at home on Nezu’s face.

We made small talk for a bit longer, during which Nezu said that she wanted to hold another food party in the classroom. I’d leave the planning to her. It looked like she was going to use her time left at this school to make some headway on her goal of eating food with joy around the people she loved.

“Ah, so that’s what was going on! Nezu…thank goodness!”

The next day, I gave Haruna a quick summary of what I’d talked about with Nezu. It looked like Haruna had been concerned about the girl, too.

“Yeah, I figure she should be fine now.”

She said she’d try to mend her mid-class eating habits as best she could, and she seemed pretty cheerful when I saw her that morning.

“I’d been feeling so guilty, wondering if I was the one who’d given Nezu the reason to feel so down, so I’m relieved to hear you were able to make up for what I’d done! Thank you very much!”

“No, it’s nothing, really…”

Thinking back, I suppose this all started because of the Misplaced Snack Sack incident. I had completely forgotten about it, but seeing it from Haruna’s point of view, I could imagine feeling not just concerned but personally responsible.

Yeah, that amount of responsibility definitely would’ve gotten me down.

“You’re fine there, too. She understands that you had your reasons.”

“Eh-heh-heh, thank you very much!”

Ah, that dazzlingly bright smile, I thought. I guess that’s a sign that she’s…fine, I think?

Either way, it didn’t look like Haruna was going to let the weight of responsibility drag her down too much, so that was another relief, in my book.

Yeah, I made a mistake.

The gears in my head weren’t turning too quick, but that was the thought that came to mind as I stared at the shredded textbook.

I knew I wasn’t normal. That was why I never rocked the boat, why I always acted like a bright, cute, kind, gentle human being. And yet…

…I must’ve let my guard down. Mr. Hitoma’s half-assed kindness must’ve clouded my judgment.

My friend, Rio—Rio Akazawa, the class queen bee—was the well-to-do daughter of a corporation big shot who happened to be a major donor to our school.

For whatever reason, she took a liking to me. Probably ’cause she saw something handy in what I had on the surface. She would be by my side anywhere I went, and she would talk to me about anything.

And yet this was what it all led to.

Apparently, “Being with you is kinda boring, Mirai.”

All because after a while, I stopped saying the words Rio expected and used my own instead.

Because I started saying “No” when she said “Please.”

Because I tried to be myself.

That was my mistake.

I slipped and let myself have hope. Hope that I could maybe make friends while still being myself.

I remembered the gentle atmosphere of the social studies prep room.

I wished that I could offer a place like that, too.

The Misanthrope and the Flurry of Barren Flowers

The beginning of this love was, perhaps, a mistaken impression.

There had hardly ever been a human who spared a thought for the likes of us, after all.

Even I was aware that my heart was seeing in Mr. Rei that princess who’d once lived with me.

But as I came to know Mr. Rei, my feelings for him grew that much more serious.

From his awkward chuckles after I make a move.

To his eyes that sometimes light up in boyish wonder during classroom chats.

To his exasperated sighs after falling victim to a prank.

To his dedicated work ethic even when he’s visibly sleep-deprived.

To his kindness that keeps him from accepting my feelings even though I love him so, so much.

I adore him with every fiber of my heart.

And that makes me…just a bit sad.

“It’s summer vacatiooon!” Nezu squealed.

Another long semester had ended, and tomorrow was summer break. The report cards had gone out to the students, and the mood in the classroom was already in vacation mode.

“Oh? I see you’re quite excited, Machi.”

“Too excited,” Usami griped. “Keep it down, will ya?”

“That’s right, Nezu. Don’t get on top of the desks; you could hurt yourself.”

“Squea-hmph! We’re talkin’ summer vacation here! How do ya not get excited?!”

“Look, just get off the desks already!”

Nezu was hopping merrily from desk to desk and looking incredibly unsafe while doing it.

She had completely let it go to her head. On the one hand, it was a relief to see that Nezu was so fully back to normal, but she was definitely taking it too far.

“C’mon now, Nezu—”

“Ahem. Miss Nezu, I take it you don’t mind if I count this as a deduction toward your second semester behavior, correct?” said Haruna.

“Squeak?!”

After very intentionally clearing her throat, Haruna gave a warning that made Nezu widen her eyes and jump straight up.

“Ah-ha-ha! I think it’s been a while since I heard someone get docked for something other than unhuman-like behavior,” said Haneda.

“This ain’t a laughing matter for me!”

“But if you settle down and get off that desk within the next three seconds, I’ll take back the deduction,” Haruna offered.

“I’ll settle down, promise!!!”

Not bad.

The students were gradually warming up to Haruna. And despite the snack sack confiscation once before, even her and Nezu were getting along pretty well.

“Phoooey, I’m so saaad to see the semester end. I wish I could play with everyone mooore.” Okonogi sighed as she propped up her cheek with her arm.

“You seem to get lonely quite fast, Maki,” Ryuzaki noted.

“Don’t yooou get lonely, Kawwin?”

“Well, having fewer chances to see Mr. Rei is certain to make me veeeeeeeeeery lonely. Isn’t that right, Mr. Rei?”

“Not sure how I’m supposed to answer that.”

Maybe it was just me, but I felt a sense of polish in how sly Ryuzaki’s moves had gotten… I was probably imagining it.

Please, don’t look at me with those puppy-dog eyes while holding your hands underneath your chin, I thought. Come to think of it, didn’t I see that pose in a new illustration from that one gacha game? Yeah, that was cute.

“Anyhoo, Maki, we’ve got the sports festival this year, right? Let’s get some practice in together over summer break.”

“For reeeals? Oooooh, I want iiin!”

Okonogi was delighted by Haneda’s invitation and gave her a leisurely smile. Haneda had popped up by Okonogi’s desk before I even noticed.

The sports festival.

We were actually supposed to hold it last year, but it was canceled, with all the commotion over Kurosawa’s escape, and postponed to this year.

The sports festival was only held once every three years at this school, making them pretty rare events. Even though the whole school participated, the student population was small enough that they just split everyone into a red team and a white team to compete against each other.

The competitions themselves were all similar to the stuff you’d see at any human school, so nothing too notable there. Still, it was my first sports festival since coming here, so I was a little excited.

“What are you going to practice?” I asked Haneda.

“Cheerleading. It’s a joint category for the intermediate and advanced classes.”

“If I remember correctly…it’s you, Okonogi, and Wakaba on the white team, right?” said Haruna.

“Yep, and I’m gonna be the leader. Usami, Machi, and Karin are on the red team.”

Haruna, apparently curious about the sports festival, asked Haneda about the particulars.

“So cheerleading? With uniforms?”

“Still thinkin’ about it. Hard to say no to the vibe.”

“No squeakin’ way that the red team’s gonna fall behind! Right, Karin?! Uchami?!”

“Eh…I’ll put in some effort,” said Usami.

“Uchamiii! This is our sports festival, and we only get one every three years! Show some motivation! Aaanyway, Karin! Karin, you’re excited to practice, aren’t you?!”

“…Mr. Rei, do you like cheerleader uniforms?”

“Huh, me?!”

Ryuzaki looked closely at me to gauge my reaction. Behind her, Nezu was winking as fervently as her eyelids could manage.

This is one of those signs that I’m supposed to say yes, right? I thought. That’s a tall order for a question that’s so hard to answer…

“I mean…it’s not like I hate them or anything, but…,” I began.

Oof, Nezu just made a face that said “This guy’s useless!” louder than any words could.

“…But! I think you’d look great in anything, Ryuzaki.”

“Mr. Rei…! I love you!”

“It’s like I’m watchin’ a bad sitcom…,” said Nezu.

“You be quiet.”

Don’t get grossed out when you’re the one who goaded me into it, I thought.

“Mm. I suppose the cheerleading competition will end in the white team’s victory as long as I’m here, however,” Wakaba added.

“Fweh-heh-heh, I’m gonna make the bestest, most ka-wooootiest costuuume.”

“We ain’t losing!” Nezu cried.

“Machi’s a tough cookie,” said Haneda. “She’s got me scared.”

“I’ll work hard so that Mr. Rei will think I’m even cuter!”

“Karin, get your mind outta the gutter,” Usami snapped.

And so the girls planned to spend their summer vacations on cheerleading practice.

The students might have had summer vacation, but it was another day of work for us teachers.

As I caught up on paperwork in the air-conditioned teachers’ office, I heard the voices of the students outside.

“Everyone’s certainly fired up,” Haruna mused as she gazed out the window.

The window behind me revealed a view of the front road and the field; the students could be seen choreographing their cheer dances on the latter.

I had to be impressed at their energy when the clock hadn’t even hit noon…and on a sunny day without a cloud in the sky, too. The sunlight effectively cranked up the contrast on every sight outside. The weather was so fine that I worried for a moment that someone might have a heatstroke, but I figured that nobody would be in danger with Haneda there.

The advanced class students might have been on different teams, but they all came together for practice. It was an experience that was sure to mark another rose-colored page in the story of one’s adolescence, with every page coming together to build the chapter we call school. The sight of the students coordinating their calls and following each other’s moves was blindingly bright.

“Oh.”

Apparently, they decided to take a break, as the students all stopped dancing and began to split up.

Usami and Wakaba seemed to be pretty exhausted, as they slumped down on the spot. Nezu was chugging from her water bottle with incredible vigor. Okonogi was probably fine, given that she was still leisurely dancing. Haneda and Ryuzaki, meanwhile, had energy to spare; they handed the other students towels and water, helping out in any way they could.

It looked like everyone at this school was given the healthy bodies of high schoolers, but I suppose everyone’s original physiques made a difference in how healthy.

I thought of the recently graduated Ohgami and Minazuki, belatedly recalling that they had a fair bit of energy.

Ah, I remember when I watched their PE class during my first year. Good times…

As my mind wandered, my eyes happened to meet Ryuzaki’s. She suddenly broke out into a smile and waved her hands back and forth at me. The other students noticed, got curious, and followed Ryuzaki’s gaze; when they found Haruna and me at the end of it, they looked like they figured as much and all had a friendly smile over it.

I waved back with a bit more restraint.

“There she goes again, that Ryuzaki,” Haruna said, slightly exasperated. She stood next to me and heaved a sigh.

Once the afternoon came, the advanced class students split into red and white teams.

Watching them all dance like this made me think of Minazuki. After that gift we received from her last year, she began sending us flyers every now and then for productions she’d be participating in. We hadn’t heard from the Ohgamis since last year; I hoped those two were doing all right.

I was certain that at least one of the students I was looking at would be graduating this year. Graduation wasn’t automatic after completing a set number of years at this school, so good-byes felt sudden, making them just a bit sadder than at normal schools. You never knew when you’d have to watch a student embark on the journey of life.

The students in the school courtyard were still practicing. Not once in my student days had I ever done an extra-long training session; while my classmates on the sports teams were putting their mornings and holidays on the line to serve their clubs, I was at home studying or maybe gaming a bit. When the sports festival came, I was the type who tried hard to not get noticed.

That was why watching these students work so hard left me honestly impressed. I respected that.

While my thoughts were on the subject, I figured I might as well bring them some sports drinks as a refresher. I pulled my wallet out from my bag and left my seat.

Right by the gymnasium was this school’s only vending machine.

The machine was apparently managed by one of our school’s clerks, who were tasked with cleaning the school, transporting packages from our off-site warehouse to our on-site warehouse, and carrying out a number of other primarily physical duties that connected this school to the outside world.

I was a bit reluctant to leave behind the air-conditioned teachers’ office. It was the dead of summer, when the heat and humidity clung to your skin. It felt like another country—or just the director’s room every time I’d been there, I suppose. The heat was like a swamp; I’d figured that the students would be fine with Haneda there, but now I was getting a little worried.

I went down the stairs, headed to the front entrance, and walked toward the gym while trying to avoid direct sunlight as best I could. The school was surrounded by a forest, so the breezes that fluttered between the trees felt nice and cool despite the summer season. This moment might have ranked number one on my list of times where I felt grateful to work in a school rife with the bounties of nature.

After a bit more walking, I saw the vending machine. I also saw—a person? Guess I’d be waiting in line.

This person was short. Maybe a student from the beginner class? Nobody in that class should have any reason to come to school right now, though… Actually, wait. Those cat ears… They seemed kind of familiar…

“…Mr. Hitoma?”

“Huh? Is that you, Kurosawa? Wait, did you always look like—? Mmf!”

I was still getting over my surprise at seeing Kurosawa’s current form when someone behind me covered my mouth.

“Hey! Keep it down, will ya?! I swear, you can’t trust humans with anything…”

Standing in the shade of the vending machine was Neneko Kurosawa, the student who was expelled last year and now lived in the shrine on the school grounds. And—

“Hi, Alice…,” I said.

The person who practically had a vise grip on my face was Alice, who looked pretty disgruntled. She was pressed against my back, which was just a bit uncomfortable.

“It’s supposed to be a secret that me and the cat are here, so don’t make a scene!”

“…Mr. Hitoma… I can…use more…magic…now,” said Kurosawa.

Magic—the thing within Kurosawa that she had to control, right?

“Huh? You can just barely control a smidgen more magic, so don’t let it go to your head. You’ve got some nerve for a mere cat.”

“Alice…wanted to show…that I can…turn human…on my own…and brag…to the director…so that’s…why we’re heremmph.”

“Don’t. Let. It. Go. To. Your. Head! Did you not hear me the first time?!”

Alice released my mouth from her grip and clamped the same hand over Kurosawa’s mouth.

She uses her bare hands to silence people even though she’s a witch. Talk about brute force…

“Now, now, Alice, let’s calm down…”

I figured they were just horsing around, but I decided to intervene, just in case. Sadly, Alice showed no signs of listening.

“That pip-squeak form is still the best you can do. Plus, you’re not even hiding your ears and tail. You’ll only hit the first step of being able to control your magic once you can manage an adult form like mine, so don’t get cocky until then!”

Right—the last time I’d seen Kurosawa not long ago, she was still a black cat who could only meow. That cat was now the Kurosawa before me; she still appeared young and was pretty short, but she was closer to the form she had when I first met her.

“So, about this magic… I apologize for being uninformed, but would being able to use more magic let someone take on a human form?”

Alice looked at me in exasperation as she released Kurosawa. “Excuse me? You work at this school and don’t know something that basic? The more magic you can use, the more you can influence the outside world. So, to be accurate, it doesn’t let someone take on a human form so much as it makes it easier to take one on.”

I…see? I kinda get the gist of it.

“It’s the same for your class, isn’t it?” Alice added.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Was this about the advanced class?

“The whelps with more magic look more mature, and the rest look like brats.”

“…Isaki, Tobari, Karin, big,” said Kurosawa. “Machi, Usami…small.”

“Sure, whatever their names are. But you remember, right? How Lady Shiranui said she mixes her own magic with the magic they had to begin with, and that’s how they have their half-human forms in this school. If they had no magic of their own, they’d be relying entirely on Lady Shiranui’s, so she couldn’t make too large of a body… Wait, do you actually not know anything?!”

“I knew that they’d go back to their original form if they left the barrier, but…”

I didn’t know all the detailed stuff about magic. Alice sighed with frustration at the sight of my sheepish smile.

“Okay, listen…it might sound weird coming from me, but ya gotta have a little skepticism here. Don’t go buying everything they tell you like a simpleton. Otherwise, you’re gonna regret it someday.”

Oof… That one stung.

“Anyway, that’s the gist. We’ve done what we came for, so I suppose the cat and I will be lounging in Lady Shiranui’s room for a bit.”

“Done what?”

“…………”

“Come on, cat. What’re you being quiet now for? You’re the one who said you wanted to report to this guy, right?”

“Report?”

“…This…form.”

Kurosawa then did a leisurely spin in place.

Ah, that explained it. She must have wanted to tell me that she finally reached a human form, small as it may be.

“You must’ve worked really hard, Kurosawa.”

Kurosawa remained emotionless, but given her meow in response, I took it to mean she was satisfied with my reaction.

“I’ll bring you some more snacks next time,” I said.

Alice grinned at that one. “Why, thank you. I’ll be waiting.”

With that, Alice and Kurosawa vanished into the wind, like a leisurely hanging puff of smoke. I didn’t know if they had actually disappeared or I just couldn’t see them, so I stood still for a bit afterward.

The wind blew again. But this time, nothing happened. It was then that I remembered what I had originally come for; right, I wanted to buy sports drinks for the girls.

I put some coins into the machine and pressed the button. It was a bit tedious to pick up each plastic bottle one by one, so I decided that the next time I wanted to give my students some refreshments, I’d buy in bulk online and store them in the refrigerator in the teachers’ office.

“Heeey, I got something for you all!” I called out to my class.

“Squeak! Is it food?!”

Nezu was the first to line up. I should have known, but…

“Nope, they’re sports drinks. Are you guys making sure to stay hydrated?”

“Yes,” said Wakaba. “I can’t promise we’re doing a great job of it, though.”

“That’s a convoluted answer…”

“Don’t go bragging about how you can’t do something. Hitoma went through the trouble of getting us drinks, too. Thanks, got it?” Usami gave a small bow of her head before taking a bottle.

“You’re welcome. Wait, where’s Haneda?”

After I finished handing out the bottles, I noticed I had one left. There were five students on the field; Haneda was the only one I couldn’t see.

“Bathroom, I guess?” said Nezu.

“Whatever, she’ll be back sooner or later,” Usami added.

I then remembered how I’d met Kurosawa and Alice earlier. Right—Haneda must have gone to visit those two as the director.

“Is this my very first present from Mr. Rei…?!”

“It’s hydration.”

Ryuzaki was gazing at the bottle with sparkles in her eyes, so I clarified the situation just in case.

“Thank you! I’ll treasure it all my life!”

“Please just drink it instead.”

Ryuzaki was now hugging the bottle tight, like it was her most prized possession, which would have defeated the purpose.

“Squeeeak, not this ol’ cliché again.”

“Fweh-heh-heh, it gives you the waaarm fuzzies. How niiice.”

“Oh? Maki, would you perhaps have an appreciation for this sort of thing?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Hmmm? It’s like you’re reeeally living liiife, so I’m kiiinda jealous, y’know?”

“…Mr. Rei is off-limits, to be clear!”

“I don’t caaare about Mr. Hitoma even a liiittle, so fiiine by meee.”

I got so leisurely dumped… Not that I had even the slightest inclination to have anything come of that, neither with Maki nor with Ryuzaki, but it was still a sad and somewhat painful thing to hear.

“Meester Hitoma! Cheer up! ★”

Nezu poured salt in the wound.

Okay, I couldn’t stay here; I had the feeling I was only going to be in for more pain. I distanced myself a bit and started talking to Wakaba instead.

“Wakaba, how’s practice going? Are you making progress?”

“Yes, a fair bit. Today’s goal is to drill in the cheerleading fundamentals that we learned from a prior PE lesson with Ms. Sudou.”

I see. That explains why they were training together despite being on different teams.

“Personally, I wouldn’t mind trying a few stunts… Does the rule that we can’t use our wings to fly not strike you as a thrill?”

“Hmm, I don’t think we’re planning to put any acrobatics in the choreography, though.”

“Ahhh, Tobie, welcome baaack.”

Haneda came back to the field with a wave of her arms and an “I’m back!” to Okonogi. She must have talked with Alice and Kurosawa already.

“Here, refreshments.”

Haneda might not have needed it, and nobody asked me to get these to begin with, but it felt strange to leave Haneda out… In any case, I presented Haneda with a plastic bottle.

“Thanks, Mr. Hitoma.”

Haneda took the bottle and immediately began gulping it down.

Nezu scurried over to Wakaba and asked, “Preence Waka, whatcha mean by ‘stunts’?”

I’d been curious as well, but I missed the chance to ask, so I appreciated the assist.

“Machi, you weren’t listenin’ in class, were ya?”

“Now, now, Usami. ’Sides, Mr. Hitoma looks like he wants to know, too.”

“I—I never said—!”

Was I really that obvious?

Wakaba watched Nezu and me and broke out into a gentle smile.

“Mm. Stunts are a common fixture of cheerleading, the part of the performance where people stand atop one another. The way they jump and climb, it’s like they’re flying without even having wings.”

Hearing Wakaba talk with so much passion made me want to see this for myself.

The summer air added to the excitement. The sky above was, like always, a cloudless spread of pure blue.

Going forward, I would sometimes see the students on days when I went into work, and sometimes I wouldn’t. Every day that I was able to see their progress was a day where I was impressed by the work they were putting in.

“Oh, Mr. Hitoma, good job today.”

“Mr. Hitoma! Came into the school today, huh?”

“Oh, Ms. Karasuma, Ms. Saotome, good to see you both.”

After finishing my lunch in the teachers’ office, I decided to head to the social studies prep room and found these two chatting in the hallway.

“Ms. Haruna’s not in today?”

“No, she went back home to visit her family for a bit last week.”

“Oh, is that so? I figure work must have been hectic for her very first semester, so I hope she gets the chance to relax.”

Ms. Saotome was mentoring Haruna, so she must have felt especially concerned.

“Also, I get the feeling that Ms. Mirai hasn’t quite opened up to us yet, so, all the more. She’s a hard worker, so maybe she doesn’t want that showing on the surface? But it has to be tiring to stay on your guard all the time like that… Hmm? Is something wrong, Mr. Hitoma? You’ve got an odd look on your face.”

I was surprised. So, that was how Haruna looked to Ms. Saotome, huh?

“Hmm, kinda wish I could sit down and chat with Ms. Haruna, too.”

“Oh, I see. Although…come to think of it, Haruka, I don’t think I’ve seen you alone with Ms. Mirai too much.”

“We’ve never talked one-on-one, yeah. Not yet.”

To be sure, I’d seen Haruna talk with Ms. Karasuma plenty of times before, but Ms. Saotome was always there with them.

“Speaking of the advanced class, they’ve got spirit, sticking to all their practice. They even put in the paperwork to use the field every time, which really made my life easy.”

“I know. We were all out of control back in the days we were students, right?”

“Nah, I wasn’t going as hard as you, Yuki…”

Stories about sports festivals from years past, huh…?

“What was the sports festival like back then?”

“When I was a student, I made a blizzard for some special effects, and people got really mad. Of course, it counted as unhuman-like behavior and got me a deduction, eh-heh-heh… But I was young, and I was having so much fun…”

“Just a li’l natural disaster.”

Going by Ms. Karasuma’s pained expression and blank gaze, I could imagine that Ms. Saotome was a bit of a problem child in her youth.

“H-how about you, Ms. Karasuma?”

“Mine was nothing special.”

“Haruka, you wore a gakuran uniform for the cheerleading competition and looked so cool!”

“Huh, really?”

Ms. Karasuma was a bit stoic, so she could probably nail the look.

“And after that, the lower classes made a fan club for you… Right, just like the one Wakaba has now!”

“It’s all embarrassing to me, though…”

“Are there any videos of that sports festival?” I asked.

“Not a one.”

“Wouldn’t the principal have saved some?”

“Not a one.”

“I’ve heard that he’s got stuff from before recording technology was even invented. I mean, the Karasuma family specializes in that sort of thing and all…”

“Wouldn’t know a thing about it.”

Why was Ms. Karasuma giving vague answers? Wasn’t she a member of the Karasuma family?

“Ah! Mr. Rei! I’ve finally found you!”

I heard Ryuzaki’s delighted voice from behind me, followed by the pitter-patter of footsteps coming our way.

“Wow! Ryuzaki, you look adorable!” said Ms. Saotome.

I turned around to see Ryuzaki with a full-faced smile beneath her fluffy blond hair. However, it wasn’t her typical uniform or gym clothes that she was wearing; instead, it was a cheer outfit.

“Tee-hee, thank you, Ms. Yuki! Yes, I do, don’t I? I simply couldn’t wait to show Mr. Rei!”

With that, she struck a number of poses in my direction. She was wearing the red team’s cheer outfit.

The top of her cheer outfit was red with white and blue stripes, and the word Shiranui was splashed across the chest. The skirt was white with red striped, and was folded into…pleats, I think those were called. It was like the standard cheer outfit, and it looked good on Ryuzaki; her blond hair tied in its typical ponytail made the cheer outfit fit the part even more, and despite the sporty energy, she still had an air of refinement to her.

“Mr. Rei, listen! Can you believe it?! Sui actually put together the design of my outfit!”

“Huh, never knew Usami had it in her.”

I’d heard from her teacher that Usami struggled with cooking in home ec classes, so I always imagined she wasn’t great with her hands. But given how this outfit came out, she must’ve had a knack for sewing.

“Sui told me that she picked it up a bit after hearing that ‘Western clothes were the future.’ She must have had quite the long life, no? Well, anyway, Mr. Rei, what do you think?”

Ryuzaki looked a little nervous. She tilted her head, and her hair brushed against her face. She gripped the hem of her short skirt, and the way it fluttered with her fidgeting made my heart skip a beat…

Cheer outfits have something underneath that make it okay if you see them from below, right? Then I guess that skirt should be fine. Still seems a little dicey, though…

“Uhh, it’s nice, I think? Can’t go wrong with the classics.”

“You mean it?! Oh, I’m delighted! Thank you, Mr. Rei!”

I gave a half-baked nonanswer, but seeing Ryuzaki happy to hear it nonetheless weighed on my conscience.

“Ryuzaki, you look very cute!”

“Hmm… It’s a nice design that ought to work for a bunch of different students. By the way, what are you gonna do about tails?”

Ms. Karasuma and Ms. Saotome were fascinated by Ryuzaki’s outfit. They asked permission to touch the material, had her lift her arms and flip her skirt—they sure observed in a little too much detail. I found myself instinctively averting my eyes.

The other two were alumni, so they probably just wanted to know how things had changed since their day. They were digging deep into the weeds, asking things like, “You can really buy this material for that cheap?” and “This design feels super hip; it gets points for nailing all the trends.”

I wondered if it was all right for me to leave by now… Ryuzaki might have come to show her outfit to me, but it was feeling a little, no, very uncomfortable to stay here…

“Gaaaaaah!!! Karin! I finally found you, yeesh!”

But all of a sudden, Usami appeared with a shout that left my ears ringing. She came from the exact hallway that Ryuzaki had appeared from and hurried over toward us.

“That outfit’s still being fitted! Don’t run off while I’m still trying to get the size right! What’re ya gonna do if it comes undone outta nowhere?!”

“…Give the fans a bit of service?”

“Are you an idiot?!”

Got that right. What was she thinking, coming over here when the outfit wasn’t done? I really didn’t need the kind of service she was talking about!

Ms. Saotome said, “Oh my” with a look of concern, and Ms. Karasuma just glared at me.

“…Ms. Karasuma, is something wrong?” I asked.

“What, wrong? Nah, nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking that hey, you really are a human, huh?”

What was that supposed to mean?

“Oh, mind coming with me for a sec, Mr. Hitoma?”

“Huh?”

Ms. Karasuma then grabbed the sleeve of my shirt all of a sudden, turned her back on Ms. Saotome and the students, and then briskly walked toward the infirmary.

“Wait…Ms. Karasuma…?!”

She could have just asked, so why was she pulling me along by the shirt, too?

“Mr. Hitoma, where are you—? Eek!”

After Ms. Karasuma and I had gotten a bit of distance, I heard Ryuzaki lightly shriek from behind us.

“Ryuza—!”

“No turning around.”

I had nearly swung back on instinct, but those words brought my gaze back to Ms. Karasuma.

“Gaaaaaah?!?!?! Karin!!! I tried to warn ya!!!”

The next voice I heard was Usami’s, shouting in fury.

“Sui, I’m so sorry!”

“Ah-wah-wah-wah! Oh dear! Is this that service for the fans?! Goodness! Ryuzaki, your chest sure is big!”

“Karin! We’re goin’ back to the classroom, pronto! Yuki, don’t get distracted, let her borrow your coat!”

The conversation I heard from behind me gave me a good idea of what happened.

“…Told ya, right?”

Ms. Karasuma had a smug grin on her face, and I couldn’t help feeling like I’d lost at something.

Come to think of it, the principal was capable of seeing the future. Could that mean…Ms. Karasuma dragged me out of the room because she’d predicted that Ryuzaki was about to have that accident?

Then couldn’t Ms. Karasuma have taken some sort of action to prevent—? No, maybe she wouldn’t have made it in time? That’s why she figured it was fastest to just get me out of the area.

“Aaall right, here we are.”

My head was spinning, considering the options, as I followed Ms. Karasuma, but soon enough, we arrived at the infirmary. I figured she didn’t have any business with me to begin with…but I went with the flow and sat on the infirmary’s sofa.

“You’re good with black tea, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

She’d normally ask if I wanted any tea to begin with, but today, it was black tea, take it or leave it. Not that it was much of a problem for me. Still, I’d been coming by the infirmary a lot this year, huh…?

“So, how’s it really been going?”

Ms. Karasuma threw a question my way as she boiled the water.

“How’s…what been going?”

What was this about? Ms. Karasuma had her back to me as she set everything up, so I couldn’t see her expression.

“Mr. Hitoma, you trying to be the Satoru type?”

Satoru—that is, Mr. Hoshino, who eventually married his former student, Ms. Saotome. Basically, Ms. Karasuma must have asked if I had any intention of doing anything with Ryuzaki.

“Ryuzaki and I aren’t like that.”

I wasn’t certain that I’d interpreted her correctly, but I chose to start off by shutting that down.

I heard the click of the electric kettle’s switch flipping.

“Hmm. So, how about Ms. Mirai?”

“Even less.”

“Ya don’t say.”

What in the…? I had to wonder what would prompt Ms. Karasuma to ask that. Could it be that Ms. Karasuma…might have a thing for me…?!

“Mr. Hitoma? What’s up? You got super fidgety.”

“N-not at all! Nothing’s up!”

It couldn’t be… There was just no way, but what if there was that one-in-a-million chance that there was?! Not that it would’ve meant I wanted to do anything anytime soon…

Besides, Ms. Karasuma just had so many mysteries to her. And she was the principal’s daughter and a graduate of this school… Wait, didn’t that mean—?

“Um, Ms. Karasuma, what was your reason for wanting to become human, again?”

This was a school for demi-humans who wanted to become humans. Graduating this school meant that Ms. Karasuma must have wanted to become human, just like the rest of the students.

“Huh, you really wanna know?”

Ms. Karasuma placed an elbow on the desk and slightly tilted her head.

“Mr. Hitoma, I think you might be getting the wrong idea, but I never actually became human.”

“Huh? But didn’t you graduate—?”

“I turned it down.”

“The graduation?”

“The part about becoming human.”

“So what exactly happened there?”

“My goals changed while I was here. There are plenty of students like that, y’know. You’re looking at one. So yeah, I graduated, but not being human fit what I wanted to do better, so I turned it down. Because what I want to do now is protect the students at this school.”

Another click rang out, signaling that the water in the electric kettle was fully boiled. Ms. Karasuma walked over to the kettle and poured its contents into a pot.

“It’s hot out, so it’d go good with some ice.”

Was she asking me again?

“Yes, thank you.”

Ms. Karasuma glanced over to me and then put some ice cubes in two glass cups while the pot steeped.

“What was your goal while you were a student?”

“…Here I was, thinking I got to dodge the question.”

Shoot, I had pried too deep.

“It’s just curiosity, so it’s totally all right if you don’t want to answer. Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Just sort of one of those embarrassing li’l follies of youth, so…”

She sounded pretty uncomfortable, so I had to wonder if she was actually okay with it. She said she was, at least, right? I felt a bit guilty, but I said nothing more and waited for Ms. Karasuma to continue.

“…See, there was this human I had a crush on.”

The infirmary was soon wrapped in the gentle embrace of the black tea’s fragrance as it steeped.

“And that’s all there was to it. I wanted to be closer to him, so I thought about becoming human. Looking back, I have to laugh at how simple I was. That’s why seeing Ryuzaki has me getting in my feelings a bit, maybe.”

Ms. Karasuma gave a carefree laugh and continued at her usual pace, like it was nothing special at all.

“And so while I was at school, I realized, ‘Oh, this really isn’t happening,’ and that’s the moment I gave up on becoming a real human.”

“A real human?”

What did that mean?

“Believe it or not, I’m a high-status youkai, totally top dog and all. So I can put on a fake…hmm, well, I can turn into something like a human. I mean, that’s what I’m doing right now, so maybe it’s easier to call it shape-shifting.”

Ms. Karasuma then shot me a downward peace sign, as though to say, “Yaaay, I’m good, aren’t I?”

Sure enough, Ms. Karasuma wouldn’t look out of place among civilization. If anything, she was a beauty by city standards, so she’d be placed on a pedestal in a small town. She was the daughter of that principal, all right; the techniques she could use were on another level. If she were in a video game, she’d be like a miniboss.

“Hmm? While you were at school?”

“What about it?”

There was one loose end nagging at me, but I wasn’t sure if I should ask.

“If you were a student when, well…you figured it wasn’t happening, would that mean the human in question was at this school?”

Ms. Karasuma covered her mouth, clearly feeling that she’d made a mistake. Maybe she didn’t intend to let that part slip?

“…That’s why I might have some feelings about Ryuzaki’s situation, maybe, all right?”

That could only mean—

“That’s the reaction of someone falling for a teacher!”

“Ahh, the cat’s out of the bag. Well, at least it wasn’t the case when we first met.”

Ms. Karasuma slumped her shoulders in resignation and spun around on her chair.

I see… Ms. Karasuma’s affections were for a teacher, but the situation forced her to give up—

“Do you think I should be more clear about it?”

Ms. Karasuma stopped her chair and let out a small sigh.

“Does Ryuzaki really have no chance?”

“…She’s a student.”

“After graduation, too?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, gotcha.”

Ms. Karasuma brought her black tea to her mouth.

I got the feeling that I’d hurt Ms. Karasuma there, but I wasn’t backing down on this. A student to me would always be my student.

“Hmm, if there’s for real no shot, then it might leave less of a mark the sooner you get it over with.”

“You think so, too, huh?”

“Well, Mr. Hitoma, you’ve got this vibe of turning her down, but it’s also kind of like you’re getting her hopes up. Just how I see it.”

“To be honest… Well, this is my fault for not being great with relationships, but I don’t know how much of what Ryuzaki says is serious, so it’s a little hard to give an honest answer…”

“Ahh, that sort of thing? Comes on so strong that it reads like the opposite?”

Ms. Karasuma seemed so carefree, and the atmosphere helped me talk without my nerves stopping me. It was like the comfort of knowing she’d be on your side?

“Well, I might not be the one to ask, since I never got a word out and just got crushed all on my own, but hey, giving your partner some closure like that might be a good idea.”

She got crushed all on her own…

“Looks to me like you’ve got something you wanna ask.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Shoot, it must have shown up on my face.

“Cracks me up how honest you are, Mr. Hitoma. But hey, these things happen. Looking for closure might be why I haven’t left this school…”

I wondered if the person Ms. Karasuma had feelings for was still at this school. Actually, when did Ms. Karasuma first get involved with this school to begin with?

There was a lot I wanted to ask, but even I had to admit that going any further would be prying too much, so I said nothing.

Giving your partner some closure like that might be a good idea, huh?

It just happened to be summer vacation, so I decided I’d talk things out with Ryuzaki before the second semester started—and make sure to tell her that I would absolutely never reciprocate her feelings.

“M-M-M-Mr. Rei! You said we needed to have a talk, b-b-b-but I wonder what it could be!!!”

It was halfway through summer vacation, and the students’ cheerleading routine was starting to shape up. That was when I called Ryuzaki to the advanced classroom.

We’d normally be holding lessons around this time, but with just Ryuzaki and me in this classroom, it felt a little strange.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time we seriously talk things out.”

“Wh-whatever about?!”

Still, Ryuzaki was super nervous. Hearing her put me on a pedestal wasn’t making this any easier. I figured we could lighten the mood by starting with some small talk, so I asked about her practice.

“…So your cheerleading practice. How’s that going?”

“Oh? Cheerleading?”

Ryuzaki seemed to think that came out more bluntly than intended, and so she hurriedly covered her mouth in embarrassment. She let her gaze wander awkwardly; the way she fidgeted and looked up at me as though hoping for something else was cute.

Yes, she was cute.

“…Things are going well for us on the red team. Our setup has Machi take the lead while Sui and I follow. Our cheer choreography is practically settled, so all that’s left would be to adjust to the intermediate class joining in, perhaps? The white team seems to be centered around Tobari, but I’m afraid I don’t know too many details. But our outfits are done, so I suppose I’d say it’s going well?”

I threw the subject her way without much thought, but I was happy that she gave me a clear, detailed rundown of the progress each team was making on their cheer dances.

“I’m impressed, everyone’s really putting in work.”

“We are. But I worry about Sui’s stamina… That girl’s hard on herself, so even when practice is over, she’ll go behind the dorms to practice even more on her own.”

“Can she handle that?”

Sure, I wanted Usami to put her best foot forward for the sports festival, but she also had college entrance exams. I wanted her to avoid biting off more than she could chew.

“I was curious as well and asked her myself, but she said she could manage her health and her time just fine. It seems she brushes up on her choreography when she needs a change of pace from her studies.”

Yeah…that sounded like something Usami would say.

Still, was she managing to pull it off? When people like Usami manage their own schedule, they tend to put too much pressure on themselves and take on more than they’re capable of… I guess I’d have something to ask Usami later.

And then something patted against my right arm.

“Hey, Mr. Rei…is that all?”

Before I knew it, Ryuzaki had come up to my right side and brought her face in close. Her cheeks were so faintly flushed, the angle of her gaze so pleading, her eyes welling up in hope. The hand she hesitantly pinched my shirt with didn’t seem comfortable doing so. The thing I felt a moment ago must have been this hand.

Still, between this distance and that pose…it was like she was trying to link arms.

“Well, you know, being called out by name like this, it’s like a shoujo manga romance, is it not? And the two of us…well, I know I said before I was taking full advantage of your kindness, but it’s been a year and change since then… Has your heart finally found room for me, Mr. Rei?” Ryuzaki asked. “For me, a wait of a hundred years or so would be no trouble at all. But that would be longer than the life span that you and other humans have, no? So perhaps now would be the perfect time for a reply…or would that be hoping for too much?”

Ryuzaki kept her eyes locked on me, and I could tell there was a fire within them. That was why I had to give an honest answer.

“Yeah, I’m going to make myself clear one more time.”

At the words one more time, I could feel Ryuzaki’s grip on my shirt tighten.

“It’s the same answer as last year. As long as you’re my student, I want to watch over you, to be there for you. But I just can’t reciprocate your feelings.”

Ryuzaki let go of my sleeve. She squinted with a pained expression.

“…Could it be, Mr. Rei, that you found someone else you liked?”

“That’s not it. It’s just—”

“It’s just that there’s some reason, no?”

“I just thought that it wasn’t right to leave you hoping for something that had no chance of ever happening.”

“No chance of ever happening…?”

Her voice was trembling. Ryuzaki hung her head and gripped her clothes.

“Is there not even room to take advantage of your kindness, then?”

“I’m sorry.”

I knew that I was hurting her, in the present and active tense, but I couldn’t get cold feet. No matter what. Doing so still wouldn’t give Ryuzaki a chance; it’d only be a show of pity.

“I see… I’ll be all alone once again, then.”

A tear streamed down Ryuzaki’s cheek.

Ryuzaki had once become separated from a princess she’d lived with. Someone who stayed by her side. It wasn’t a lover that Ryuzaki was after—it was someone who could be that for her. And I would not.

“Ryuzaki—! Whoa!”

A sudden wave of heat burst out from Ryuzaki and flooded the classroom; the summer heat had nothing on this.

I had no idea what was going on. Yeah, we were in the middle of summer, but it was bizarre for a room indoors to get this hot. I knew I’d turned on the classroom’s air-conditioning, but I was suddenly in a sauna.

“Why…why me…?”

In the center of it all was Ryuzaki, who clutched her chest in pain, tears streaming down her face.

“Mr. Rei, I’m sorry… Please…get away from me!”

“Huh? Whoa!”

Ryuzaki pushed me to the floor. The spot she’d touched was hot.

“Mr. Rei, I…I love you, but I just don’t know what to do! If only…everything could simply go up in flames. If only, Mr. Rei, I could bring myself to hate you…!”

In that instant, the scorching winds around Ryuzaki whirled into a cyclone. Desks were being knocked over as chalkboard erasers flew midair.

“I’ve had enough! Don’t leave me alone anymore…”

Ryuzaki managed to stand, but she was swaying back and forth.

She’ll get hurt if she falls, but the winds are too strong for me to get any closer. There’s nothing I can do to help…!

“I’m sorry… I should have known better than to try becoming human… To try becoming special to someone…”

Ryuzaki must have been losing control. And it was all my fault.

I wanted to do something, but I couldn’t move a muscle with how firmly the wind was keeping me pressed against the wall. I couldn’t get close to Ryuzaki like this…nor could I get away.

“If it had to end this way, then I may as well—”

I heard a bang, like something breaking, just nearby. It was the fluorescent lights, and a moment later, I felt a sharp pain around my forehead.

“Ouch!”

“Mr. Rei!”

I was probably cut by the flying glass. I could tell something was trickling down from where I was cut. However, it didn’t feel too deep; I wasn’t gushing with blood like a manga character, so I wanted to believe I’d be fine.

But Ryuzaki wouldn’t see it the same way…

“It’s all my fault… It’s all my fault that you… It’s because I think these awful things…”

“It’s fine! I’m totally okay, really!”

We were in trouble. I was only trying to calm Ryuzaki down, but it just drove her further into her spiral.

The wind was getting faster. I heard the bam of a desk making a crash-landing nearby. I dragged myself toward that desk to protect myself from any more flying objects.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Mr. Rei…!”

Ryuzaki cried the whole time. She sat down, right there in the middle of the cyclone.

“Ryuzaki, it’s all right…! I’m totally fine, so please…!”

But the wind didn’t stop.

“It’s all because I wanted to become human… It’s…it’s my fault…that everything dear to me…ends up destroyed…”

My voice wasn’t reaching Ryuzaki.

What should I do? Both Ryuzaki and I were bound to get hurt if this went on. But even then—

“Ryuzaki, it’s okay. Start with deep breaths! Give that a try!”

I kept calling out, hoping I could calm Ryuzaki down just a little, but I heard things slamming into the desk I was using as a shield, and the desk itself was liable to get flung up by the wind at any moment.

What could I do? If she didn’t stop, then—

“Hitoma, my boy!”

“Principal Karasuma?!”

I heard a voice from the classroom’s door. I couldn’t peek over the desk to check, out of concern for my own safety, but that was definitely the principal’s voice!

“Whew, it’s a bit toasty in this room, huh? Oh yeah, I’m here, too.”

“Ms. Karasuma…!”

I couldn’t so much as stand in the middle of this whirlwind, so I had to wonder if they were doing all right.

“It’s too late! I’m going to destroy it all! So please…stay away…!”

Right after Ryuzaki shouted in protest, the principal whispered something under his breath. I couldn’t hear, but it might have been some kind of spell.

The principal’s voice stopped. Once it did, the billowing gusts of wind softened just a bit.

“Don’t come any closer…,” Ryuzaki begged.

All right, it was getting light enough that I could assess the situation! I stuck my head out and looked around.

Ryuzaki was still slumped down in tears in the center of the wind. The principal and Ms. Karasuma were slowly making their way toward Ryuzaki. The glass shards and everything else in the air seemed to fly right by them—no, was that a wall of wind around them?

Ryuzaki cried the whole time.

“Ryuzaki.”

The first one to speak was the principal. Ryuzaki raised her head at his voice, but it didn’t seem to stop the tears streaming down her face.

“P-prin…cipal. Stay…back. You’ll get…hur—gh!”

“Ryuzaki, I’ll have you know I’ll be just fine. It takes a bit more than this to spook a centuries-old crow tengu such as myself.”

“Oh yeah, same here. I’m super good with wind and stuff. Kind of makes us besties? I guess.”

After Ryuzaki saw these two acting the same as usual, her breaths began gradually settling down; the wind surrounding us settled down with her.

“…Ohhh, I—I don’t want to be…human anymore. I really believed…that no matter how much I was brushed off…my feelings would one day be returned…”

Ryuzaki was doing her best to speak in between all of her sobbing. The tears rained down on her skirt, forming a haphazard polka-dot pattern.

It stung my heart to see Ryuzaki like this. I bore responsibility for her outburst, after all. If only I could have been gentler with the truth—

“And…I even let…Mr. Rei get harmed…”

Ryuzaki’s eyes met mine while my head was still peeking over the desk. No, she might have been looking at my forehead.

“Whoa, seriously? Dang, no kidding.”

The broken glass crunched beneath Ms. Karasuma’s feet as she approached me.

“Gimme juuust a sec, if you don’t mind.”

She lifted up my bangs and inspected my injury.

“Oh, I’m totally fine! Really! I think the bleeding already stopped, too!”

It doesn’t even matter if that’s true. I just don’t want to give Ryuzaki anything else to worry about!

I shot Ms. Karasuma a signal with my eyes in the desperate hopes that she’d take the hint. For an instant, she looked like she was stifling some kind of laugh, but she soon went back to her usual expression and turned toward Ryuzaki.

“Yep. Mr. Hitoma’s right. Looks pretty shallow to me. Might want to stop by the infirmary to get wrapped up just in case, though.”

“Uh…sure.”

Well, I got her to say that I was fine, so I could settle for that. I hoped it would get Ryuzaki to calm down a bit.

Ryuzaki looked at me with pain in her eyes.

“Ryuzaki, Hitoma here is just chipper. And everything will be even mooore fine now that we’re here. We’re stronger than you are in your current state, after all. The power you’re so worried about unleashing is nothing we can’t keep in check, so worry not,” the principal said with a spirited wink.

“Principal Karasuma… You’re…right… Thank goodness…”

The principal and Ms. Karasuma intervening seemed to have Ryuzaki pretty calmed down. Before I knew it, the wind had settled.

“I’m so sorry. I…”

Ryuzaki was absolutely despondent, and her face even looked pale. Not a surprise there; even if it wasn’t done of her own will, the classroom was still a disaster zone. Desks were blown over and scratched, and the chalk, erasers, glass, bulletin board—just about everything in the classroom was scattered wildly across the floor.

“I’m sorry, too. Are you all right? Can you stand?”

I offered a hand to Ryuzaki. She looked closely at it; just when I thought she was about to break out in tears all over again, she instead glared at it before turning up her nose and facing away.

“…I am not all right, I’ll have you know!”

“Yooo, Mr. Hitoma, you’re getting dumped. Oof.”

Ms. Karasuma seemed to be getting a kick out of this. As if having the hand I offered out of concern get refused wasn’t enough of a shock…

“But, Mr. Hitoma, I kind of feel like that ‘sorry’ of yours was a liiittle insensitive, y’know?”

“Cut that out, Haruka! This is no time to complicate matters! Now, Ryuzaki, I take it you’re feeling a bit more like your old self now?”

“Oh… Right… Yes.”

Ryuzaki looked at her own palms, closing and opening them a few times before answering.

“I apologize, Principal. Same to you, Ms. Haruka…I’m fine now.”

“Good to hear. Now, then…”

With that, Ms. Karasuma looked around the classroom. Ryuzaki clasped her hands over her mouth and hung her head in shame.

“Mr. Rei, I really am sorry! I didn’t mean…to do all this to the classroom…”

“It’s fine, we can just clean up together. Right?”

“But…”

Ryuzaki seemed deeply regretful of what had happened.

It was a heck of a disaster, too, to the point where helping Ryuzaki clean could end up making her feel even guiltier. That said, the mess in this classroom was way beyond what one person could clean up alone.

After Ms. Karasuma thought a bit, her face lit up as though she’d had an idea.

“Ryuzaki, how about we have a girls’ talk over it?”

“A girls’ talk…?”

“Yep, sharing our love stories and all that.”

Ms. Karasuma placed a hand on Ryuzaki’s shoulder with a grin.

Of all the times to ask that? I wondered if she had some kind of plan. Either way, Ms. Karasuma continued.

“The truth is, I went through something not too different. So, Ryuzaki, let’s take the opportunity to chat about the good times and the bad.”

This suggestion made the principal’s eyes widen.

“Haruka? What is this about? I’ve never heard a word about this. When did this occur? Was it during your time at school?”

Hmm? Did the principal not know why Ms. Karasuma wanted to become human? He seemed flustered, but he still had the fearsome fire of a helicopter parent in his eyes.

“Ugh, Dad, shut uuup.”

“Guh…?!”

Ms. Karasuma’s blow below the belt struck like lightning; the principal’s eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to the ground almost in slow motion.

“Principal Karasuma—!!”

“My…boy…”

With the tone of a dying message, too!

I made sure to catch the principal’s rigid body before he fell. It went to show that no matter how old a parent got, the blow from hearing your daughter tell you to “shut up” was brutal… Wait, what was even going on here?

“Mr. Hitoma, the principal’s locked up or something, so go leave him somewhere else, will you?”

“Wha—?”

That sure felt callous. Kids and parents just aren’t on the same wavelength, huh…?

I had my misgivings, but I reluctantly dragged the principal outside of the classroom.

“Um, Mr. Rei.”

Just as I was about to exit, Ryuzaki called to me, bringing my mind back to where we’d started. Things might have gotten a bit muddled in the confusion of Ryuzaki’s outburst and the intervention of the principal and Ms. Karasuma, but right, this was about my feelings toward Ryuzaki…

Ryuzaki looked down, her expression a complex combination of hesitation, regret, and sorrow, but when she raised her head to look me in the eyes, she showed me a smile that, while somewhat reserved, was positively beaming.

“…Mr. Rei, thank you for telling me how you feel. I…apologize for getting so upset. You were only trying to be honest with me…and you set aside time on a day like today because you were just that considerate of me, no? It shows that I was always on your mind, does it not? That’s enough for me…I’m grateful!”

Her barely dried eyes welled up slightly with a new wave of tears; Ryuzaki tried hard, so very, very hard, to show off a smile, and I was sad that I could do nothing for her. But still, there were limits to what I could protect.

Ryuzaki made a bit of an awkward grin.

“Heh-heh, I suppose I really am hopeless. Even after such horrible things I did…Mr. Rei, I still love you.”

Horrible things, huh?

I like you, too, Ryuzaki, I thought. As a student.

All I could say to Ryuzaki was “All right.” In a gentle tone, at least, as I could rack my brain for ages and never find a way to make it not hurt. Not even a “Thank you,” as I knew it’d be downright cruel in Ryuzaki’s current state.

A shimmer slowly spread across Ryuzaki’s eyes. She whipped her head downward, letting me see no part of her expression besides her tightly shut lips.

“Now then, Ms. Haruka, let’s have our girls’ chat! I’ll have you know that I’m quite interested in what you have to say!”

“Gotcha. Anyway, no boys allowed, so I need you and the principal to exit the premises, if you please. Oh, we’ll have the classroom cleaned up for you. Later.”

The principal and I were flung out of the classroom.

Ryuzaki’s voice had been shaking.

This is what came of me facing Ryuzaki.

Ryuzaki was a dragon of high prestige. A dragon of unrivaled strength. And a single student who would face every challenge in life head-on.

In a different sense from my time with Haruna, I would never forget the way I hurt Ryuzaki. I just wanted to protect her future, a future that didn’t have me in it.

I wanted a teacher to be someone who their students would eventually no longer need.

Anything else wouldn’t be right.

“Principal Karasuma, please, wake up.”

I lightly tapped the principal’s shoulder while he was lying on my lap.

“Oh! I was just having the longest dream, my boy.”

“What are you talking about?”

The way the principal blinked his eyes and bolted upright struck me as somewhat comical, helping to lighten the mood.

“Hmm? Where might Haruka be?”

“She’s having a girls’ talk with Ryuzaki in the classroom. I tried to help them clean up, but they said no boys allows, so—”

While the principal got his bearings, I explained to him why Ms. Karasuma sent us out into the hall.

“You don’t say, my boy.” The principal nodded, seeming to understand the situation. “If that’s the case, then I suppose we’ll move a bit. Not much for us to do around here.”

“Oh, sure.”

I glanced back at the advanced classroom. The door was closed, so I didn’t know what was going on inside.

“…I do understand if you’re worried, my boy.”

The principal began speaking to me as he descended the stairs, seeming to notice that I was still facing toward the classroom. I felt it hard to let go, but the principal was right; nothing would change by us being here, so I followed the principal out.

“I’m quite worried about Haruka, too… What’s this about going through something similar…? She never showed any signs of it while she was at school… Who in the world was it that hurt Haruka…?”

I had never seen the principal spiral like this. I guess he really did treasure Ms. Karasuma.

“Sigh… It’s a bit sad to say, but I suppose both children and students grow up in places we never see,” he said, eyes gazing far off into the distance.

“They sure do…”

It was the same with Wakaba not long ago. Even without me, Nezu saw Wakaba for who she was and leaped into action.

And the same went for this Ryuzaki incident—well, I was a little too central of a figure for me to count as not being there, so maybe that’s a special case.

I wondered what Ryuzaki was talking about with Ms. Karasuma. Ms. Karasuma’s good at creating a welcoming atmosphere, so I’m sure Ryuzaki would feel welcome to talk about anything.

The principal and I returned to the teachers’ office, empty due to summer vacation, and made casual small talk over subjects like how everyone’s sports festival practice was going.

According to Ms. Karasuma when she came to the teachers’ office a bit later, Ryuzaki had talked it all out with her before returning to the dorm. The contents of that talk were “their little secret.”

That sort of wording made me all the more curious, but it was probably all stuff I was better off not knowing.

“Mr. Hitoma.”

“Yes?”

What was it? There was a somewhat polite air to how Ms. Karasuma called my name.

“After listening to Ryuzaki talk, I sort of actually think better of you now.”

“Th-thank you very much…?”

“Ha-ha, getting all sus like that’s still kind of lame, though.”

Ms. Karasuma then started cackling.

“Oh…”

“Oh…yeah, Ryuzaki, good morning.”

This is awkward.

We met amid the invigorating morning air, and since we were headed to the same place, we wound up walking to school together.

“So yesterday, I had a chat with Ms. Haruka,” Ryuzaki told me. “Hey, Mr. Rei. I won’t hold out any hope for us to have a future together, so don’t worry.”

Her weak smile stung my heart. And yet, this was the situation I wanted; I could never reciprocate Ryuzaki’s desires.

“But, well, I’d like it if you could permit me to like you during my time at this school… Is that asking too much? Really, I only want to tell the person I love that I love him. I won’t hope for anything else anymore.”

I hesitated a bit at Ryuzaki’s question. Would this give her another set of unfortunate hopes? But still—

“There’s nobody, myself included, who has any right to say what you can or can’t feel.”

“So there’s no mistake if I take that to mean it’s all right, then?”

“There’s no right or wrong to your thoughts and feelings. Your feelings belong to you and you alone.”

Ryuzaki responded with an “I…see?” and gave it some thought as she walked off. Suddenly, she spun around toward me.

“Mr. Rei, no matter what you might think of me, I still like you! Oh, but that’s all! Nothing more than that, to be clear! I’m afraid I can’t hold these feelings down, so I’ll simply state them as I feel them! I understand what your answer will be, so there’s no need for that! I’m quite all right!”

And then, with a big, beaming smile—

“Mr. Rei, I love you!”

It was a moment that could make one fall in love on the spot. It caught me so off guard that I felt butterflies in my stomach, but I quickly regained my composure.

Right, there was no such thing as love with a student.

I took a quick deep breath and then gave my reply to Ryuzaki.

“Okay, thank you.”

I figured that maybe now, she was ready to hear that response. Ryuzaki already understood; this “thank you” didn’t contain the meaning she was hoping for.

Ryuzaki squinted in resignation, then slowly blinked it away.

“Mr. Rei, thank you for saying ‘thank you’!”

“Where’d that come from?”

“Tee-hee, I’m just that happy!”

In the end, nothing changed about my relationship with Ryuzaki; there was just a bit of bitterness, resignation, and maturing that happened between us.

Ryuzaki would no longer hold out hope for me.

And so summer vacation came to a close.

“Hey, Mr. Hitoma. If the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?”

Today was another day where Haruna came to the social studies prep room. She’d been absent from class more and more lately, and at this point, she was spending practically all of her time in this room.

“Where’d that come from?”

“Just talking what-ifs.”

I also noticed that Haruna’s tone of voice had been dropping by the day.

“Let me think… First off, I’d beat all the games I haven’t played yet!”

“Ah-ha-ha, you gotta be kidding!”

Today was another day of idle small talk. I had a feeling that the thing Haruna wanted to say the most was the absolute last thing she wanted to talk about.

She still hadn’t told me why she didn’t want to go to class. However, she would sometimes look calm and at peace when we talked like this; that was my lone solace.

“You might not understand them, Haruna, but they’re important to me. I want to hear stories I’ve never heard, see horizons I’ve never seen! It’s the spirit of adventure, and that’s the sort of thing I find in video games!”

“Hmm.”

Haruna rested a cheek on her palm and looked at me, as though she was watching a toddler.

“…I guess you really don’t understand, huh?”

“Nope. I mean, we’re talking about the end of the world here, right? You’ve gotta have bigger priorities than video games. Aren’t you supposed to say you’d spend time with a partner or your family?”

“…Wouldyousay that, Haruna?”

Her response was a calm, peaceful…smile. What was this smile for?

“Personally—I think I’d lie,” she said.

“Lie?”

That was an odd answer.

“Yeah. I’d lie and tell everyone that there’s no way the world was ending. Then I’d have a normal day with all the humans who believed me.”

“Hmm, that’s pretty kind of you.”

“Huh?”

Haruna furrowed her brow, but I continued.

“I mean, it’s a lie for people who wouldn’t be able to accept the end, right?”

“I’m just dragging them down with me. ’CauseIcan’t accept the end.”

With that, Haruna gave another sad smile, as though she was giving up on something.

“…I’d be better off if the worlddidend tomorrow, though.”

She spoke with the warm tranquility of self-affirmation. There was no sadness over the end, or longing for it to come, but there was no hope there, either.

I felt like I heard her say, “Save me.”

“You know,” I said, “if you told me that there’s no way the world was ending, I think I’d believe you.”

Haruna looked a bit surprised, but her tranquil smile returned.

“…Couldn’t play your video games, though,” she teased.

“Yeah, guess not. But I’d be all right.”

“Ha-ha, where’s that coming from? It’s not like I evenwannadrag you down with me.”

Those words came with a sneer. Was this kindness, or was it the bravado of taking on everything herself? Maybe it was—

“That’s why you don’t have to believe a word I say.”

—the cowardice of hesitating to get other people involved.

Haruna would surely distance herself if I pressed any further. She was speaking at least somewhat from the heart when she said I didn’t have to believe her. But it was clear that she didn’t want me to completely reject her, either.

“Feel free to fool me,” Haruna said.

She turned her gaze toward me.

I didn’t say I’d believe her. That probably would have been too heavy for Haruna to take at that moment.

“You can lie if you like. I just want to listen to what you want to say. I’m on your side, Haruna.”

I didn’t know if I was accepting Haruna or brushing her off. Saying she could lie if she liked? I had to wonder if Haruna might hear that as an accusation that she’s a liar.

In this social studies prep room, where the only sound came from the air-conditioning fan, Haruna hung her head in silence.

“…So, um.”

After the silence continued for a bit, Haruna finally spoke at a halted pace, as though hesitating.

“Is it okay…for me to…be here?”

And then Haruna opened up—about everything that was happening in her world.

The Misanthrope and the Midsummer Sports Festival

August 25. We were still in summer vacation, but today was a school day.

Homeroom consisted of a few simple announcements before wrapping up, and that was all for the day.

I saw Haruna again after a brief absence, and even she seemed out of it. Guess she wasn’t at her best right after the vacation.

“Mr. Rei! Good morning! You’re still wonderful today!”

“Good morning, Ryuzaki.”

Ryuzaki waved her arm and nailed a picture-perfect wink.

We’d run into each other a few times since then during their practice for the sports festival. Her advances had become a bit more subdued, but I got the feeling that she was staring at me more often.

“Hey, Karinnn.”

Haneda popped up from behind Ryuzaki. She wrapped her arms around Ryuzaki’s waist, rested her jaw atop her shoulder, and hugged the dragon girl close.

“How’s the red team’s practice going? The intermediate class is joining in today, so you think you’re good with choreo and stuff?”

“My, doing some reconnaissance, are we? Tobari, of the white team? Well, our practice is going perfectly, of course!”

She smiled with the confidence that came from the plenty of practice that both of them put in.

“Glad to see them getting along.”

It warmed my heart to see students have so much fun chatting like this.

“…Are you being serious? You can cut the tension with a knife.”

Haruna furrowed her brow, as though she didn’t understand a word I’d said. It really didn’t look that way to me…

“Looks like the teeeachers are spliiit.”

Okonogi placed her baggy sleeves up to her cheeks and stared blankly at us.

“Who cares what they think?” Usami scoffed. “We’ve gotta get to practicing on the courtyard already.”

“Your attitude’s the only thing tense around here, Uchamiii.”

“Shut it, Machi.”

She might have lightened up since I first met her, but Usami still had a sharp tongue.

“C’mon, Usami, be nicer—”

“That’s riiight. It’s the whiiite team that’s gonna wiiin, and nooothing you or Macchie say is gonna chaaange that. Aaall bark…or should I say, aaall squeak and nooo bite?”

“Okonogi, don’t egg them on.”

The fact that her taunts had some impact despite the soft, leisurely tone she said them with spoke to just how much confidence she had.

“Yes. The world of competition is fierce, and we’ll be sure to rise to the top.”

Even Wakaba was getting in on it. This was the sort of situation she’d usually observe from afar with a quizzical look on her face, too.

If things were getting this heated, I had no choice but to make a temporary retreat.

“Sqeeeak! Uchami! Preence Waka and Maki are gettin’ an ego just ’cause they’re a liiittle taller! They’re lookin’ down on us!”

“Pfft. Like I’ve got time to waste on these losers.”

“Got ’em! Ha-ha, ’cause you’re all gonna squeakin’ lose!”

It was almost refreshing to see Nezu so committed to acting like a lackey. She had a talent for taunts.

But despite being on the receiving end, Wakaba had a smile on her fashion-model face, as though she felt a spring breeze brush her cheek.

“Yes? My apologies. I’m afraid I haven’t used that sort of language once since the day I was born, so it’s a bit difficult to respond.”

“Squeak…!”

Nezu locked up.

“Whoooa, looks like Waka’s won thiiis round.”

Okonogi poked Nezu with a half smile on her face. Nezu seemed to be off in her own world with how she repeated, “Am I…am I…a loser…?” to herself.

“Airheads certainly are strong…”

“And the fact that she ain’t wrong is just…yeah.”

Ryuzaki and Haneda looked at each other, impressed at what they’d just seen.

“Oops, did I maybe do something again?”

“There really are people who can drop that line with a straight face, huh?”

I had only heard that sort of airheaded remark in manga, games, and when joking around with friends.

“I do know how Wakaba feels, though. Yes, it sure is hard to use that language if you don’t come into contact with it.”

“Hmm, I get the feeling Ms. Haruna’s a different brand of neat freak from Wakaba.”

Suddenly, the door to the advanced classroom flew open.

“Prince Wakaaa!”

“Eeek! I’m so happy we’re on the same team!”

“You’re as beautiful as ever!”

In came a flood of intermediate students, and their squeals had my eardrums ringing. Right, there was one student who had a voice that carried really far. Who was that, again?

“Y-you students! Knock before entering another classroom!”

I was taken aback by their voices and numbers, leaving Haruna to give the intermediate students some stern instruction and pick up my slack.

“Aww, come on!”

“It’s time to practice, but nobody came!”

“Yeah, so we all came to meet the advanced class!”

Oh, was that it? Homeroom for the other classes should have been long finished by now. The mood over here had shifted completely to idle chatter, so I didn’t pick it up as a problem.

“All right, good luck at practice, then.”

The advanced students took my words as their cue to leave the classroom and follow the intermediate students to the field.

When was the last time I’d woken up with the sunrise after a good night’s rest?

I had always cursed those rays of sunlight before, but just for today, I was thankful that they had nothing in the sky to stop them. I was a bit worried, since early September marked typhoon season, but these bright beams blew away those concerns as well.

There’s something different in the air on the morning of a big event, I feel. It was probably all in my head, but the fact that this morning had me thinking that way made me realize that I was looking forward to this sports festival a lot more than I’d imagined.

Sports festivals were events I’d hated back when I was in school, but now, it was a place for the students to display the fruits of their efforts.

All right, today was the day we’d all been waiting for. I washed my face and got ready to head to work.

The school’s field already had entrance and exit gates set up for the main event. Also, a number of tents had been pitched by the side of the running track; students would typically spend time between their own events cheering on their teammates from the tent of their assigned team.

The main event for the advanced class was the cheerleading competition, with everyone slated to enter only one other event each.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, got nothin’ to do?”

“Do you, Haneda? Also, don’t go wrapping your arm around me like we’re buddies.”

I was resting on a folding chair inside the faculty tent when Haneda came up beside me. I squirmed a bit and managed to escape Haneda’s grasp.

She wore her gym uniform with the sleeves rolled up such that it almost looked like a tank top, and she had a white bandanna tied around her head. Her two little tufts of hair that fluttered about had two streaks of white in them, giving her color scheme just enough of a push to seem suited to the white team.

“Ahhh! Tobari, that’s no fair! I wish to sit by Mr. Rei!”

Ryuzaki pointed at Haneda and me as she came over.

Ryuzaki used her red bandanna as a ribbon to tie her hair into a ponytail. It reminded me that there were plenty of students back at my old school who’d come up with their own bandanna fashion statements, too.

“You two are still hanging around here? The opening ceremony is about to start, so go return to your teams’ tents.”

Haruna stepped in to chastise the two girls. That was right, she’d been one of those fashionista students, too.

“Oh, Ryuzaki, just a moment.”

“What is it, Ms. Mirai?”

Haruna reached out toward Ryuzaki’s ribbon. And then she tugged the wings of the ribbon to spread them out wide.

“That should do. Your ribbon was coming undone, so I fixed it up for you.”

“Why, thank you, Ms. Mirai!”

“Don’t mention it.”

Haruna gave a lovely smile at Ryuzaki’s honest show of gratitude.

“Ms. Mirai, I think it’s wonderful how skilled you are with your hands. I’d love to be just like you!”

“Skill just comes with practice! You can probably start with some arts and crafts.”

“You’re right! Thank you, Ms. Mirai!”

Ryuzaki gave Haruna a slight bow of her head and went off for the red team tent.

“We will now commence the three hundred twelfth Shiranui High School Sports Festival. All students, please gather beneath the tents of your respective teams.”

This clear, lovely voice belonged to Ms. Saotome. Ms. Saotome always served as the announcer for these sorts of school events.

I wondered if it was because of how nice a voice she had…

Haneda had apparently always handled the teams’ introductory speeches.

The events of the sports festival were the typical stuff that I knew very well. You might think that a school like this would have matches decided by flying in the sky or other borderline unfair abilities, but we’d be seeing none of that today. If anything, unfair abilities would be grounds for point deductions; it was treated like any other unhuman-like behavior, which probably should have been obvious.

The rest of the advanced class made their mark: Nezu went undefeated at the bread-eating race, Ryuzaki displayed her commander prowess by coordinating her unit during the cavalry battle, Wakaba got everything she needed for the scavenger hunt in an instant by going right for the hearts of the other students, Usami and Okonogi bickered their whole way through the three-legged race but eventually came together…

I felt proud that the students could practice and excel even in ways that I didn’t expect.

Lunch break ended, so it was finally time for the intermediate and advanced classes’ joint cheerleading. The advanced class students were the main event; after watching them practice for so long, even I was getting kinda nervous.

The students used the lunch break to change into their outfits. The white team told me that theirs would be “a little surprise for the big day ★,” so this was going to be my first time seeing it. I had to wonder what sort of outfits they picked.

I watched the curtains rise on the cheerleading event with a bit of excitement in my heart…and, well, the white team’s outfits were, in a word, avant-garde.

First off, everyone had a different design. Okonogi’s had multiple stuffed animals attached to it, and Haneda’s was covered in feathers. Wakaba’s was nothing if not sparkly. What were those…? Sequins? Beads? There was definitely a particular Revue that the design brought to mind.

The outfits for the intermediate class students had a lot of personality, with some wearing masks and others being wrapped in bandages.

I think it was Okonogi who was in charge of the white team’s outfits, right? The impression I got from a glance was less of a cheerleading squad and more of a Halloween party. It was like watching a theme park parade.

And then the music started. It was a song I’d heard countless times back when they were practicing, a Western song whose catchy rhythm brought to mind the place modern cheerleading came from…not that I knew much about where modern cheerleading came from. Its contrast with their outfits had me overwhelmed with a bizarre feeling; was this what it was like for a brain to glitch out?

The white team split into three groups with the music. Haneda was on the left, Okonogi was on the right, and Wakaba handled the middle. Ah, so the white team’s routine would center around Wakaba’s group…

The real deal had an air to it that was nothing like the bits and pieces I’d seen of their practice.

Wakaba, already the center of attention, gave the audience all the fan service they asked for and more. I could hear the students around me saying stuff like, “Whoa…I think I’m her newest fan…” “Right?! Let’s stan her together!”

Yeah, Wakaba really had a way with captivating a crowd.

The team was a bit scattered overall, but with everyone so different to begin with, it created a bizarre sense of unity. The white team’s performance was a perfect match for this school’s uniqueness and the break from the routine that this sports festival gave us.

The white team’s borderline theatrical performance concluded, and the red team’s began next. The girls were all wrapped in matching cheer outfits, crouching down in silence as they waited for the music to start.

I had to wonder if it’d be hard to follow up an act like the white team’s with a traditional cheer routine…

A moment of silence. And then—the music began.

It was an arrangement of a famous jazz piece, one that even I knew of. This was a very pop rendition, probably for the sake of dancing. It had a bit of a video game music feel to it, which got me excited.

The routine progressed around Usami at the center; the choreography was cute, going through all the classic moves in time with the music.

As usual, Usami had few smiles and even fewer mistakes.

It made me remember that time two years ago when they let me watch their dance lesson. She was as much a perfectionist back then as she was now. But it managed to suit the swing and the lighthearted energy of jazz, making it all the more fitting for Usami.

The song eventually changed; this time, a chart-topper from ages ago was playing, the one where a comedian dressed up in a cheer outfit to dance along to a cover of a classic cheerleading song. Man, this took me back! I was amazed they dug this up!

After that, the routine’s center switched from Usami to Nezu.

If I had to say, this was more of a comedy song. Nezu goofed off as she pranced around all over, clearly having the time of her life. She moved in wide swings, making her stand out despite being so small. Her motions were very expressive, getting across just how much she wanted the audience to have fun with her. It was a cheer that lived up to its name of cheering people up.

After hitting a break, the song changed again. This time was J-pop, it seemed? It was a love song by a female artist meant to make sparks fly.

The students changed their formation, and this time, Ryuzaki was in the center. Ryuzaki faced downward and stayed perfectly still, waiting for the moment to begin her routine.

And there it is!

Ryuzaki lifted her head in time with the vocalist’s melody.

Her expression contained a smile that couldn’t have said any more clearly that there was nothing to worry about, one absolutely brimming with sheer adoration. One could see it in the corners of her lips that would so gently and so casually turn upward, or her somewhat reserved mannerisms, or the way she looked at whatever was the object of her gaze. Ryuzaki’s dance was filled with happiness, as though she was truly enjoying cheerleading.

For an instant, Ryuzaki’s eyes met mine. She gave a bit of an awkward smile.

“…That Ryuzaki’s a stand-up gal, isn’t she?”

Before I knew it, Ms. Karasuma was sitting down next to me. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her since that day when Ryuzaki went out of control, so it felt like it’d been a while.

“Y’know, I didn’t hate the way you handled it, Mr. Hitoma. Honest.”

I glanced toward Ms. Karasuma out of the corner of my eye at the unexpected compliment. I saw that she was happily watching the red team’s performance.

“Thank you very much.”

I didn’t know what the right answer was, but I had the strange urge to cry at being acknowledged like this.

The red team performed with a smile to the end.

After a long day that felt like it went by in a flash, the sports festival ended, and the teachers and students were all working together to clean up.

“Right, this is all that’s left, so I’ll go ahead and carry the rest.”

I’d been collecting all the equipment set up along the racetrack with the beginner class, but it was getting pretty late.

Everyone must have been exhausted after today, too. That went double for the beginner class students, who still weren’t entirely used to their human forms. Some of them weren’t totally comfortable walking on two legs.

The students were happy to go home and said things like, “Thanks, Mr. Hitoma,” “Let’s go home, everyone,” and “I wanna get snacks at the dorm” as they left.

The beginner class didn’t look much different from the advanced class students on the outside, but their attitudes and personalities seemed to still be in their infancy. I figured they’d be tired after so much had happened today, so I wanted them to rest up and have plenty of energy for school tomorrow.

Now then, I just had to put these colored cones away in the storage room. The beginner class students had already gathered them up for me, so I could probably have these stowed away in the gym’s storage room in two or three trips by cart.

All right, just a little more work.

“That should do it.”

This was my first time entering the gym’s storage room from the outside entrance. The PE teacher, Ms. Sudou, had already told me what part of the storage room to use, so leaving them here should be fine.

Still, this storage room sure had all sorts of equipment. There was, of course, the standard gym stuff—vaulting boxes, nets and balls for different sports—but deep inside, there were also supplies that definitely seemed to have a vintage.

Like, how long had this paper lantern been here? And next—what was this old screen door? There was a hole in it. There was even a book on the floor that was bound by thread, like they did centuries ago. Was this really a gym storage room?

Curious about all the unusual items around me, I headed deeper into the storage room.

Whoa, there was even a fishing rod here. What use were they getting out of this? Bug cages, too… Maybe for the river, or the mountainside… And this weirdly shaped cage…was it a trap to catch fish?

“Phew, would that do for all the balls?”

I heard a voice from the entrance. While I wasn’t really doing anything wrong, I still instinctively hid myself.

“There were more of ’em than I expected.”

“That much is true. Ryuzaki, Usami, thank you very much.”

Those voices were—Ryuzaki…Usami, and Haruna, I think? I was hiding behind that screen door from earlier, so all I could tell was the voices I heard. I was acting like some kind of intruder, but after going into hiding, I’d completely missed my timing to come out.

“Um, Ryuzaki, your thing with Mr. Hitoma…how serious were you about him?”

Wait, were they talking about me? It just got a lot harder to show myself…

“I’m serious from one to ten and every number in between! However— I was turned down, so it’s merely a one-sided love. I can’t cause Mr. Rei any more problems.”

“I swear, what league does Hitoma think he’s in?”

“Come now, Sui. Let’s not say things like that anymore, all right?”

“Yeah, Mr. Hitoma’s an honest guy, for better or for worse.”

It continued to get even harder to leave. I never really considered myself honest, but I suppose Haruna saw me that way? For better or for worse.

“Mirai, you were Hitoma’s student once. Is he the same now as he was back then?”

“Good question. It doesn’t seem like he’s changed a bit!”

I wondered if she meant that I hadn’t grown, either…

“So Mr. Rei was just as wonderful back then!”

“Well, uh… Hmm…”

“Ms. Mirai?!”

“Hmph. It’s just Hitoma either way. We’re done cleanin’ up, so let’s get back to the classroom. This place is all dusty.”

“Tee-hee, all right!”

And so the three left the gym storage room. Since Ms. Sudou was set to lock up the storage room at the end of the day, they left the door open.

That day, my grade’s head teacher took me out. We met at a restaurant too fancy for a teacher like me, who was so worn out. Of all places, why did it have to be here…?

I expected the worst, but given our positions, I had no choice but to go. We didn’t have much to do with each other, and there were still things I didn’t entirely understand, but the head teacher apparently had strong ties with powerful people in the area, making him an essential presence in managing the school.

He said he’d arrived first. I gave his name to the hostess who greeted me, and she led me to a private room deep within the restaurant.

“Oh, Mr. Hitoma! Really kept me waiting, ha!”

This man didn’t exactly rub me the right way.

“So you get it, right? Mr. Hitoma, let’s be grown-ups here. You’re aware of the sum that the Akazawa family has donated, I take it? Ya see, this whole ‘teaching’ stuff, it’s a business. In other words, there’s a profit motive here. If I recall, your alma mater wasn’t half bad, no? So you understand what exactly it means to be hired by a school, right? Likewise, you understand what exactly it is that you ought to do, yes?”

After a bit of small talk and a few dishes and drinks, the head teacher had gotten fairly inebriated and brought up what I assumed was the main subject.

I’d barely touched the food or alcohol. I had zero confidence that I could stomach a meal under these circumstances.

“…You want me to sweep Haruna’s allegations under the rug?”

My stomach hurts.

“Ha-ha! Goodness me, let’s not jump to hyperbole. But there isn’t any evidence, no? Some torn textbooks, a dirty gym uniform… There’s no proof that anyone did anything. There’s no point in fighting. So you gotta ask yourself, ‘Which side comes with the most benefits?’ Right? You care deeply about your own career, don’t you? You and I have long lives ahead, after all. I’m sure that one of our finest recruits such as yourself is capable of making the wise decision here, no?”

“I…”

The head teacher’s eyes shone like a hungry animal’s. He was judging whether I’d be a friend or a foe.

“It’s the winners who write history, mind you,” he told me. “…Ah, Mr. Hitoma, you teach social studies, is that right? Well then, you surely know that adage better than I do. Just like you know how utterly, incomprehensiblyfoolishit would be to fight a losing battle. Gah-ha-ha!”

The head teacher started laughing uproariously, as though something about that was funny.

The beautifully garnished cuisine in front of me somehow felt incredibly disgusting. What was I doing here?

“…I can’t,” I told him.

“Hmm?”

The head teacher’s laughter vanished. His smile no longer reached his eyes, and he stared at me intensely.

I didn’t want to give in that easily.

“I can’t sweep the allegations under the rug. I promised Haruna. I told her I’d be on her side to the end.”

I could feel the head teacher’s disappointment. However, his smile stayed strong.

“Mr. Hitoma, you know what being on someone’s side means? It means beingagainstsomeone else’s.”

“I’m aware.”

“…I feel bad for your parents, having to learn that their son wasthismuch of a fool.”

“My parents have nothing to do with this.”

The head teacher was still smiling, but I sensed some faint irritation. What was this, his attempt at dealing emotional damage?

After a bit of silence, he looked up, as though a realization had struck him.

“Don’t tell me—do you have aspecialsort of relationship with Haruna?”

“Excuse me?”

He said it so nonchalantly, but I instantly felt disgust well up from deep within my heart. And it probably showed on my face, as the head teacher joyfully clapped his hands together and nodded with an ear-to-ear grin.

“Ah yes, it all adds up now! You see, it always struck me asjusta bit strange! You know, why a bright teacher such as yourself would go to such lengths for Haruna! Well…yes, Haruna is a good-looking girl. And right, you’re quite young yourself, Mr. Hitoma. So—”

“Don’t evenjokeabout that nonsense!”

I felt so insulted that I found myself standing up and slamming the table. My throat hurt from how hard it was to breathe. So much blood had gone to my head that I was feeling dizzy. My stomach hurt like it was stuck in a vise grip. I wanted to throw up, even though my stomach was completely empty. But more than anything, I felt like I’d go insane if I tried putting a lid on the surging revulsion I felt toward this man.

No, that’s not right, I thought.Stay calm… I have to stay calm…

The head teacher watched with cold eyes as I took deep breaths.

“…I wonder,” he began. “Haruna is a frequent flyer at the social studies prep room. Who knows what happens there…?”

“I listen to her talk, and nothing more. You can belittle me, but I’d like you to stop insulting Haruna at once,” I said as firmly as I could manage.

The head teacher wasn’t smiling anymore. He was looking out thewindow and pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. It seemed he’d lost all interest in me.

“…Have it your way. I understand your position very well…along with how much of a fool you are.”

He lit his cigarette. Then he gave a heavy sigh that came with a big puff of smoke.

“What a shame, Mr. Hitoma…”

The Misanthrope and the Ceaseless Comet

My first impression: He was unreliable.

I cursed my misfortune at getting a human likethisguy for my homeroom teacher. I started worrying if I was gonna manage to graduate this class at all.

And yeah, Hitoma’s nosy, airheaded, occasionally anxious, and he’s got a bit of a stubborn streak. But he’s also the teacher who’s listened to me more than anyone else.

“Hitoma, can you wait up a sec?”

“Oh, Mr. Hoshino. What is it?”

I had just left my seat to head to my first homeroom class after the break, and Mr. Hoshino was now rummaging through his desk next to mine.

His desk was always, well, something to behold… Did Mr. Hoshino really remember where everything was…?

“Um, do you need any help?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine. Ah, here it is. Right, I stashed it in here because I didn’t want it getting wrinkled.”

Mr. Hoshino pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk’s drawer and handed it to me.

“Anyway, here. Usami’s mock exam results came back, so could you give this to her? I missed my chance to hand it over during our last study session.”

To prepare for her entrance exams, Usami had been taking study sessions after school with Mr. Hoshino from time to time.

This mock exam was a special one Usami was given to help bridge the gap between this school and the human education system. She was putting every effort into both graduating this school and getting accepted into her next one.

“Understood. Thank you very much.”

I accepted the mock exam results from Mr. Hoshino.

Oh, she was given a C on her exam this time last year, but now she’d risen to a B. Impressive. I was happy to see Usami’s efforts bear fruit in such a tangible way.

The advanced class students hadn’t changed their postgraduation plans since last year. We had two students join this year: Okonogi was aiming for fashion school, and Wakaba said she wanted to attend a college famous for its acting troupe. “Even someone as perfect as myself would do well to have connections,” as she put it. Sounded like her goal was vertical and horizontal networking, as they called it. I’d heard she was planning to take entertainment auditions while still enrolled here, too…

I wedged Usami’s exam results into my attendance sheets and headed to the advanced classroom.

“Here, Usami. It’s from Mr. Hoshino.”

“What’s this about?”

Homeroom ended, so I handed the mock exam results I got from Mr. Hoshino over to Usami. Usami spread the sheet out and looked at it with concern.

“It’s so-so, I guess.”

I would’ve taken a result like this at this time of year as reassurance that she was well within reach of making it, but Usami and Mr. Hoshino might have had their own goalposts, so I kept that to myself. I didn’t think Usami was the type to get complacent with a good result and slack off, but some students certainly were.

The other students had left already, so it was just Usami and me left in the classroom.

“You heard from Kyoka or Isaki lately?” Usami asked me as she opened her bag and prepared to leave.

“Letters from Minazuki come by every now and then. Well, it’s mostly just flyers for the latest play she’s scheduled to perform in at her school, though. She apparently has a graduation performance coming up. I probably won’t be able to see it, given the time frame, but yeah, she seems to be doing all right. We haven’t really gotten anything from the Ohgamis…but they probably have their hands full getting used to their new environment. I think no news is good news.”

“…Everyone’s getting further ahead, huh?”

Before she reached this class, Usami had advanced from the beginner and intermediate classes in just a single year each, so she probably felt a sense of urgency. Falling just short of graduating last year must have made it weigh on her even more.

Thwap! Usami slapped her cheeks.

“Hmph. Well, I’m just fine.”

She then picked up her bag and left the classroom.

I wanted to wipe away Usami’s anxieties until the main exam came. But how? She had Mr. Hoshino’s personal support for everything academic, and there was nothing in the sciences that I could possibly teach her. Same for language studies. Mr. Hoshino had attended Harvard, after all…

I wondered what it was that I could do for Usami.

“Usami seems to have a lot on her mind, doesn’t she?”

“Oh, Ms. Saotome.”

Before my eyes was an angel with a gentle smile.

“Is it about her studies? Mr. Hoshino has talked with me about it as well…”

“Ah, I take it he asked about lesson plans?”

“No, if anything, it was her mental health he was concerned with. She’s a hard worker, so he worried that she might be pushing herself more than she needs to.”

So Mr. Hoshino saw it the same way.

“Ms. Saotome, you’re a graduate of this school, right?”

“Yes, I am!”

“How many years did it take you to graduate?”

“It was four years for me. I was in the advanced class for two years at the end. Being a yuki-onna meant that my original form was almost the same as my current one, and I had a solid understanding of human culture to start with, so I believe I was one of the quicker graduates… Tee-hee, I suppose I could have graduated even sooner if I hadn’t been a bit of a troublemaker.”

Now that she mentioned it, Ms. Karasuma said as much back during the sports festival, didn’t she…?

“Did you ever feel any pressure, Ms. Saotome? You know, from being in the advanced class for two years?”

“I felt so much pressure! After all, I didn’t age while enrolled, so if I spent too long, er…I’d get worried about the gap between me and a certain someone growing larger, so I really took it out on myself for all the troublemaking!”

I figured she didn’t have to go out of her way to hide Mr. Hoshino’s name, but I could understand if it was a bit hard to say in the teachers’ office.

Ms. Saotome looked toward the sky with a tinge of nostalgia.

“But it taught me some valuable lessons. Like that humans don’t cause blizzards, or how they don’t always love the cold. And that they don’t have life spans of five hundred years, either. There was a time where I thought that must have been so boring. Really, I did.”

“If anything, a regular human might be jealous of getting to do all that.”

“Tee-hee, but I wanted to live in the same time span as humans.”

How would Usami feel? I wondered if she had any other reasons for wanting to become human.

“Ah, Ms. Mirai! Ms. Mirai, how were the entrance exams back when you took them?”

“Oh, me?”

Haruna had apparently returned to the teachers’ office at some point.

Haruna’s entrance exams… Haruna’s eyes met mine for a moment, but she immediately looked away.

“So uh, I actually got rejected from my first choice! I’m afraid a human who went to a women’s college as her second choice might be a bad example, what a shame. But the women’s college was fun, though! They had all kinds of freshly baked bread at the cafeteria! That’s an important part of the college experience, yep.”

Haruna being rejected from her first choice wasn’t due to lacking the grades. She was seen as a student who caused problems, and with her disciplinary record being demoted to the lowest possible grade, her recommendation was rescinded. That part I knew well.

Haruna was expelled after that, and she transferred to a new school. She took the general entrance exams and continued her education in college.

“Oh, so that’s it. Well, getting to eat good bread is quite lovely indeed!”

“What kinds of bread do you like, Ms. Yuki?”

“There’s this white, fluffy kind called snow bread that I adore!”

The two moved on completely to talking about their favorite breads.

“C’monnn, what are you getting mopey for?”

“Oh, Ms. Haruna.”

It was a gap in my schedule during which other students were busy with lessons. It was only me, Haruna, and a few other teachers in the teachers’ office.

“Are you still wondering about my entrance exams?”

Bull’s-eye. She really cut right to the chase.

“That was just how things turned out. So you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Easier said than done…”

“It’s about time for all the students to go into entrance exam season, right?”

Haruna cleanly changed the subject. Guess it’d be a bother to dig any further into the past.

“Yeah, just about. Out of the students we have going to college, Usami and Nezu will be taking entrance exams, while Wakaba and Ryuzaki have recommendations. Okonogi and Haneda are planning for vocational schools.”

“Taking entrance exams here must be hard. Graduation isn’t guaranteed after a set number of years and all.”

“Figures. Even if they’ve got some kind of postgraduation path planned out, they’re going nowhere if they can’t graduate. Those plans have to get sidelined, if the student even decides to stick with them—or, actually, I heard they pull some strings to make it like they never had anything planned.”

“Strings?”

“The director and the principal use their connections and powers to wipe the slate clean, they said. Otherwise, it’d be weird for the same student to keep taking the same test at the same age.”

“…That sounds kind of scary. Like an organization running things behind the curtains.”

Maybe I’d just gotten too absorbed by this school. I hadn’t thought about it that way until Haruna pointed it out. And now that she did, yeah, having that kind of influence over the outside world might’ve been a little creepy.

“Nezu’s also going to be taking the entrance exams, so is she doing all right?”

Haruna was pretty concerned about the students.

“Given the rank of the school Nezu’s applying to, she shouldn’t have any problems. The question is if she can graduate here with her disciplinary record…”

“Ah… Nezu had her issues with eating during class, right…? Still, it’s happened a lot less since then.”

Since then—the week that Nezu was forbidden from eating during class, that is—Nezu had been getting warnings a lot less frequently. That incident ended up giving Nezu the motivation to improve her discipline.

“It’d be nice if everyone could graduate this year.”

“It certainly would.”

First was Usami. She had her sights set high and her grades barely made the cut, so she probably felt a lot of pressure. I wished that there was something I could do to help, but her entrance exams pretty much wouldn’t need social studies at all…

I could support her efforts from the sidelines, but it bothered me that I couldn’t do more.

It looked like Usami was shifting into high gear. She had a fearsome amount of focus.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, is Usammy okay?”

The first student to show concern wasn’t who I expected.

“What do you mean by that, Okonogi?”

It was during a break between lessons. I happened to cross paths with Okonogi in the halls, who then hopped over to me.

“I mean what I saaaid. Usammy works too haaard. She’s bottling it aaall up. Going for the gooold in the Bottle-Up Olympics. Should I join, toooo?”

“No, it’s not a competition.”

Okonogi was, as usual, hard to understand.

“Alsooo, Usammy, riiight? She hasn’t been eeeating much. So theeen, Macchie told her to eeeat more, but she got maaad.”

“She’s that stressed out?”

She was clearly pushing herself too hard.

“You knooow, Usammy’s a gooood girl, so I want her to be haaappy.”

“Yeah, Usami sure is a hard worker.”

“She iiis. But you knooow, Usammy’s been kiiinda reddish lately, and that’s a biiit of a no-no.”

“Reddish?”

Did she mean Usami caught a cold? She definitely ought to rest right away in that case.

“But you knooow, Usammy’s aaalways wanting to do her bestest. She has her lights on aaall night. Oh, but I only saw thaaat ’cause I was going to the baaathroom at night. I’m not a baaad girl who stays up laaate.”

So to sum it up, Usami was skipping on eating and sleeping to study even more and potentially ruining her health. The day I handed those mock exam results to her had already given me a picture of just how stressed she was.

She did have an entrance exam plan put together by Mr. Hoshino, so was trying to stay silent about it. But even if this time of year called for shifting into high gear, I couldn’t imagine that Mr. Hoshino would write up a plan that took time away from eating and sleeping. If anything, he’d value those over anything academic. Saying stuff like, “The things you study won’t stick if you don’t get your sleep,” or “Your brain won’t get any nutrition if you don’t eat.”

“Okonogi, was Usami also…uh, reddish, today?”

“Hmm? Todaaay, she was pretty bluuue.”

Blue? Was that a sign of her cold getting worse?

“Got it. I’ll check up on her during class. Thanks for telling me.”

“Fweh-heh-heh, you knooow, I wubby-wubby dovey-dovey Usammy with a cherry on toppp, so good luuuck.”

Okonogi then hopped off to the other end of the hallway. I headed toward the advanced classroom.

Usami hadn’t looked unwell when I saw her this morning, but she could’ve just been straining herself to make her symptoms go unnoticed. She was the type who’d stop at nothing in pursuit of a goal, so she could’ve been forcing herself through sheer willpower. This was Usami, so it wasn’t off the table.

Still, if we were too late to act, then the hit to her entrance exams would be the least of our worries. I’d heard that the students were given bodies resistant to getting sick, but that didn’t mean they didn’t get sick at all.

“Usami, are you here?”

“…Whaddaya want?”

I opened the advanced classroom door to find Usami already hitting the books. She paused for a moment at the sound of my voice.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“The heck? I’m totally fine. Couldn’t be better.”

Her glare made it clear that she saw my question as total nonsense.

She didn’t look under the weather from my point of view, either, so maybe Maki’s “blue” meant someone was healthy?

“Where’d that even come from? Don’t interrupt me.”

“Usami, see me after class.”

“Wha?! I didn’t even do anything!”

“Either way, I mean what I said, so I just need to hold you up for a bit.”

I glanced up at the clock and saw that the next class was about to start. I believe I was teaching the intermediate class next.

With that said, I left the room. Behind me, I heard Ryuzaki say, “Goodness, Sui, being called out by Mr. Rei? I’m so jealous!”

Usami, Mr. Hoshino, Haruna, and I all gathered in the advanced classroom after school.

“You’re here, too, Mirai?”

“I am the advanced class’s assistant homeroom teacher, after all.”

“If I gotta waste time talking about this, I’d rather be catching up with my studies.”

“I know you would. You really do want to study.”

Mr. Hoshino tried to get on the good side of the clearly irritated Usami.

“But Mr. Hitoma told me something. I hear you’ve been taking time out from eating and sleeping to keep studying.”

“Hitoma! How do you know that?! Don’t tell me…y-you’re a stalker?!”

“Of course I’m not. I was told by another student who was worried about you.” Usami gritted her teeth and glared at me.

“Usami, is that true?” Mr. Hoshino asked gently, not even flinching at her attitude.

Usami shut her mouth tightly and looked away; she must have felt guilty.

“…It’s…true.”

She admitted it in a quiet, resigned voice. She probably expected us to get angry at her at any moment. It didn’t look like she’d learn her lesson if her guard was up like that.

“I see. Yeah, true, I understand how you feel. Dedicating yourself to your goal can give you tunnel vision sometimes. Personally, there’ve been times when I got so lost in my research that I woke up and realized that I’d just gone three days without eating or drinking.”

“Huuuh?! Mr. Hoshino, are you all right?” Haruna asked.

“Ah-ha-ha!”

“Trying to laugh it off, are we? Well, Mr. Hitoma, you’ve certainly never done that, right? …Where are you looking?”

“Uhhh…do video games count?”

“I swear! If you get sucked in, it’s exactly the same! Usami, help me out here, these adults are being bad examples!”

“I’ll say! You can’t lecture me when you’re actin’ like that!”

“You’re right, we’re setting bad examples. But hear me out, Usami. I understand that you want to push yourself right now, but saving that effort for the right moment is just as important.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s what we call overconfidence.”

Mr. Hoshino shut down Usami’s defense in an instant.

“If you sprint the whole way through a marathon, you’ll run out of steam when it counts.”

“I mean…I know that, too. But I’m nervous. I wanna spend this very moment practicing to have one less thing I can’t do. I can’t stand it if it’s not perfect!”

“Usami.”

She was pressuring herself too much. But even though it was true, saying so would only hurt her right now.

We didn’t want to say that Usami’s effort and motivation were wrong. By no means was Usami ignoring reality; she knew full well that she shouldn’t go on like this. But she’d get so filled with anxiety, and in the end, she could do nothing but throw herself at her studies.

Besides, Usami didn’t need some baseless consolation right now. I could tell her it’d all work out, but that’d be no help at all. Pure lip service.

We didn’t want to scold Usami or start a fight.

In that case…

“We’re on your side, Usami.”

I started off with what I wanted her to know most.

“I really do want to support whatever you choose to do. I respect how much work you can put in, and I could learn a thing or two from your commitment to self-improvement and perfectionism.”

Usami just stared back with a skeptical gaze as she listened.

“So…I figure that there’s nobody you trust more than yourself, but…I’d like it if you could trust us as well, just a bit.”

“It’s not like I don’t trust you all. It’s just—”

Usami’s expression contorted in frustration.

“—I was so anxious that I didn’t know what to do…!”

Those words came out as though she’d summoned all her willpower to say what she really didn’t want to. She was shooting for the stars; it was a given that even Usami would be anxious.

“I’m scared. I keep having these nightmares, ones where I fail at everything. I did fail last year, after all. I don’t want to break my promise to Seiko like this!”

“That must be frustrating, yeah.”

It was Haruna who spoke, her voice like a gentle embrace of Usami’s words.

“Mr. Hitoma already said so, but all of us are on your side. So please, let us work to help you work… Well, that said, I suppose there’s…ooh, not much a newbie like me can do…”

Hearing Haruna make frustrated harrumphs and say, “I don’t have Mr. Hoshino’s academic record or Mr. Hitoma’s experience points, so cheering is all I can do…” helped to lighten the mood.

“Mirai, it’s okay. It’s clear to me how you feel.”

Usami gave a gentle smile.

That was a good sign; the tension she’d had until a moment ago seemed to vanish. I wondered if it was all thanks to Haruna.

“You mean it? Thank goodness, I’m so glad! What a relief.”

And hey, maybe we’d been a little too concerned about Usami until now. Usami might’ve picked up on our anxieties and worked even harder because of it.

“Mr. Hoshino, Hitoma, sorry for making you worry. I want us to make a new study schedule together.”

“All right, got it. If you ever get anxious, tell us. I can rearrange things to fit whatever you need.”

“Oh, Hitoma, you can go cheer with Mirai.”

“That’s all I get?!”

“Hmph, I am still grateful. So thanks, got it?”

I wondered just a little bit if that was the attitude of someone grateful, but this was the usual Usami.

And so Usami went on to work with Mr. Hoshino in remaking her study plan leading up to the entrance exams. First off, it locked in the minimum amount of time for basic needs like sleeping and eating.

Mr. Hoshino’s direction served as a great reference. His style felt a bit cram school-y if I had to say, but hey, I might have a student aiming for a tough college who’d need me to teach them social studies one day.

Usami’s efforts weren’t a waste at all. Watching her from the side as she listened attentively to Mr. Hoshino, I hoped that her efforts could one day be rewarded.

My school life after that was a trainwreck.

Mr. Hitoma seemed like he sure did a lot for me. He’d frequent the classroom to check on me under the guise of chatting with the boys. He’dask the other teachers for advice, and he even helped me prepare for college.

This school was, technically, a college prep school. I really struggled back during my high school entrance exams. That was why I wanted to graduate.

But Rioreallywasn’t letting go of her grudge.

Ever since then, the harassment grew worse. Everyone in class saw it, but nobody could stand up to Rio. Not even the teachers.

Rio knew that Mr. Hitoma had helped me. So naturally, she moved on to him.

At some point, word had it that Mr. Hitoma had subjected me to corporal punishment.

“Mr. Hitoma hit me in the social studies prep room, so I vented by bullying Rio.”

Not a single person doubted this script Rio cooked up. Sure, I had bruises every so often, and even students from the other classes knew that Rio and I had a falling out. And Rio—she knew that the social studies prep room was like my home away from home.

There was nothing else I could say that’d get people to believe me.

Things happened pretty fast from there.

I was expelled for what they called inappropriate behavior.

Mr. Hitoma was forced to take responsibility and resign.

The worst possible outcome.

Still, after the expulsion, I managed to transfer to some other school and at least get my diploma. It was a school I’d never even heard the name of.

Same for college. My recommendation was rescinded, but I’d kept up pretty well with my studies, so I took the general entrance exams andenrolled in some women’s college. I didnothave the willpower to hit the books for another year to try for something better.

Just before the expulsion was finalized, the school administration forbade me from ever interacting with Mr. Hitoma.

But then came the day before I was expelled. That’s when I happened to run into Mr. Hitoma.

It was a cold winter’s day in that classroom.

The Misanthrope and the Falsehood Found Nigh

Everybody says that I’m a liar.

But I know the truth.

I know that they’re therealliars.

“Makiii! How’d ya do on your finals?” Nezu asked.

“I got perrrfect scores.”

“No squeakin’ way!”

“I liiied.”

“Hmph, talk about wastin’ our time,” Usami grumbled.

“It seems Okonogi never changes, no?” said Wakaba.

“Eh-heh-hehhh, you’re making me bluuush.”

“That wasn’t a compliment,” Usami retorted.

With the matter of Usami’s future settled for the moment, we all returned to business as usual. Everyone was showing steady improvement in the results for their second semester final exams.

“How amazing, Tobari…”

“Hm? What brought that on, Karin?”

“Ah, my apologies. I just caught a glimpse of your scores.”

“Tobari! Quit stalling! How’d you do?!” Usami demanded.

“Hmm, same old, I guess?”

“Guh… How’re you getting perfect scores in every subject? You’re makin’ that lie Maki told sound like it’s got weight.”

“Hey, I’m good at studying, what can I say?”

“Uchami, how’d yours go?”

“Language arts is looking rough.”

“Did you knooow that I got fiiive points on everything?”

“Mm?! Maki, were you that sort of student?!” Wakaba exclaimed.

“I liiied.”

“Mm, you had me a bit flustered.”

“Yeah, ’cause if you flunked that bad, you’d probably lose your entire winter vacation to remedial classes, I guess.”

It was almost winter vacation. A lot had happened this year, but I was happy to see it’d at least come to a peaceful close.

It was lunchtime, and despite being winter, the sunshine was still a bit warm. It was the sort of day that made me want to step outside for a bit.

Ah, the nostalgia; I used to eat lunch outside every now and then back in college. Well…alone, but still.

Out on the field, there were a few beginner class students playing circle-pass volleyball. They must’ve been pretty energetic to get active right after eating.

I mostly came outside on a whim, so with no intention in mind, I wandered around aimlessly. As I spaced out, I happened to spot a familiar figure far in the distance out of the corner of my eye.

It was Okonogi. She was sitting casually on a bench to the side of the field. She wasn’t doing anything in particular, just holding a drink in one hand and staring blankly at the field.

“Okonogi, rare to see you alone.”

“Mweh? Ohhh, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“Sunbathing? It is pretty warm out today.”

“Yep, suuure is.”

More students had joined the volleyball circle on the field, so they were now splitting into two groups.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, you don’t call me a liar or aaanything, huh?”

“I don’t?”

“Nope, you don’t get maaad, and you don’t even hit me.”

Hit?

There was a really off-putting word in what Okonogi had said, but I wasn’t sure about making a big deal of it, so I at least tried to not react.

“Well, hey, you’ve never lied in a way that gave me grief! So I don’t have any reason to get mad.”

“Hmmm. You’re weeeird.”

Okonogi said that while showing the same relaxed, lazy smile she always did. I had to wonder what kind of student she had been before coming to this school.

“Heeey, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“Hmm?”

“Y’knooow, I can tell when everyone liiies.”

The wind blew.

The students at this school weren’t human. The oni race that Okonogi belonged to could probably see through lies, then.

“…As iiif. I liiied.”

“So it was a lie?!”

I was surprised. If Okonogi really could see through lies, I would’ve started worrying about whether I slipped up somewhere. I didn’t think I’d done any diabolical lying so far, but…

“Mr. Hitoma, what are you doing out here? Oh, Okonogi, I see you’re here as well. I’m sorry, you were right behind him, so I didn’t notice.”

“Oh, Ms. Haruna.”

“Y’knooow, I was having a discuuussion with Mr. Hitomaaa.”

A discussion? Maybe Maki was trying to give me cover.

“Ah, I see. Well, Mr. Hitoma is a wonderful, reliable teacher!”

“You’re a gooood, haaardworking teacher, too, Ms. Miraaai.”

“I appreciate the compliment!”

“Hm!”

“Huh?”

Okonogi extended her hand toward Haruna. Was this some kind of pose?

Haruna didn’t seem to understand her intention, either. She looked at the two of us in confusion.

“Crouch dooown.”

“Like…this?”

Haruna followed what Okonogi said and bent down in front of her.

“Fweh-heh-heh, theeere there.”

Okonogi started happily patting Haruna’s head.

“Ms. Miraaai, you’re a good, gooood girl. Don’t puuush yourself.”

“Uh… Thank you very much…?”

Haruna was unsure of how to respond to having her head suddenly patted, so she went with the flow.

This was kind of a bizarre thing to watch. What if she said it was my turn next? I think I’d have to decline…

As I mapped out my strategy for this entirely imaginary scenario, the school bell rang.

“Wooow, time suuure flies. Thaaank you, teeeachers, I’m going back to claaass.”

The hand patting Haruna’s head suddenly stopped as Okonogi stood up from the bench.

“Guess I’ll go back, too.”

I had an empty period next, but I had to prep for my next lesson.

“Heeey, Ms. Miraaai.”

“What is it?”

“Why’d you becooome a teeeacher?”

I’d been on my way back to the school building, but I stopped in my tracks.

“The reason why I became an educator—is that right?”

I found myself turning around.

My eyes met Haruna’s.

“Why, that’s an easy question.”

Haruna kept her eyes locked with mine as she flashed the cheerful smile she was known for.

“It’s because I wanted to be like Mr. Hitoma.”

A gust of wind blew.

This was the cold wind of winter.

Mommy told me. She said that my power was a very, very special present from my ancestors. But she also said that I can’tevertell anyone about it.

She said to keep the truth a secret. Even if I knew it, I had to pretend that I didn’t.

So that’s why…I’m supposed to never tell the truth.

“Morning, everyone—wait, what’s with Nezu?”

“Squeak?”

I was in no position to talk about others here, and I tried to avoid bringing up appearances in general…but Nezu’s normally straight hair was garbled up in a way I couldn’t ignore.

How did hair even get that way? Was there a failed culinary or science experiment? Did I cross dimensions and end up in the comedy timeline?

“Nezu, there’s something quite severe going on with your head.”

“Machi, you’re getting roasted, if ya hadn’t noticed.”

“How squeakin’ rude!”

I had to stifle a laugh at how much Nezu’s face looked like an emoji.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I worded that poorly. I specifically meant your hair.”

“She’s riiight! Macchie, your hair’s all meeessy, like a baaall of friiizz.”

Heck, it was like one step away from being an Afro. Her normally straight hair was now poofy.

“Yes. It must be the static electricity.”

Nezu accepted the small comb that Wakaba handed to her and frumpily untangled her hair.

“Squeeeak, I’ve got long fur, so this always happens when I put on a scarf.”

“Oh, I understand completely! It always gets twisted in when you have long hair.”

Nezu responded to Ryuzaki’s show of sympathy with a skeptical glare.

“…I’m not gonna buy that when your hair’s always silky-smooth, Karin!”

“I have to agree. Your ringlets seem so dainty and easy to mess up, but they’re still so pretty. If there’s anything special you do, I’d love to know.”

“Oh, I do nothing special. Perhaps it’s because I have my bangs brushed back? My typical hair care routine is nothing more than a careful blow-dry, some hair oil, and I suppose wearing a silk cap.”

That sounded pretty dedicated to me… I just let my hair air-dry. Being a girl sure sounded hard…

Ryuzaki wore her hair in a ponytail, but it was still long enough that I could see it getting tangled in a scarf.

“Nezu, why don’t you try brushing your bangs up?”

“Aww, but it’s such a pain in the mornin’.”

“Yeah, I figure you all don’t have time in the mornings. I can relate.”

Personally, washing my face and shaving was all the grooming I could handle that early.

“Pfft, you’re just lazy.”

“She’s right! Mornings are about willing yourself awake!”

“Yes? A bit of a forceful method, I suppose.”

Wakaba seemed a little taken aback by these two suddenly arguing for guts and hard work. You’d have to be a dedicated sports club athlete to wake up early enough to have time in the morning.

Nevertheless, Nezu continued to fervently comb her hair back into place, but she didn’t seem to have much luck. Just then, Okonogi approached Nezu with a grin and hands that wriggled with anticipation.

“Fweh-heh-heh, heeey, Macchiiie, you mind if I touch you juuust a little?”

“Okonogi, your hands don’t look like they’re up to any good.”

“Mweeeh? Then maaaybe I’ll touch Ms. Mirai, toooo?”

“Indecent! That’s indecent behavior!”

“I liiied.”

Okonogi drifted over to Haruna, opened her palms, and showed her a beaming, airheaded smile.

“Maki’s good at working with hair, so I wanna see!”

“Oookay.”

She followed with swift, precise handiwork, far beyond anything you’d imagine from her normal, laid-back demeanor. Nezu’s hair developed into well-formed buns before our very eyes.

“Okaaay, I’m dooone.”

Before we knew it, two buns just like Okonogi’s had appeared in front of Nezu’s ears. Every one of us raised our voices in awe.

“Squeeeak! It’s squeakin’ amazing!”

“Guess you’ve got skills, Maki.”

“Huh, that’s really something. Did you learn how to do this from somewhere?”

Honestly, her work had enough polish to make me think she could put food on the table with it.

“Tee-heeee! My mooommy taught me. But stuff like this is praaactice over studying.”

“Yes. You’re a hard worker, after all.”

“Eh-heh-heeeh, Pwinse Waka praaaised me.”

Okonogi looked all the more self-satisfied now that Wakaba was patting her head.

“Ooh, y’know, I wanna see what you look like with your hair down, Maki.”

“Mweeeh?”

Okonogi tilted her head at Haneda’s words.

“Come to think of it, we’ve never seen ya with your hair down.”

“We never went to the hot springs together, either.”

“Ooh, whaaat should I dooo…?”

“Oh, Maki, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It must be hard to tie that hair up again, right?”

“Yes, that’s true. You’ve no need to trouble yourself.”

Or so they said, but the students couldn’t hide their curiosity. There was just a bit of tension in the air.

“Fweh… Hmmmm, okaaay.”

She showed a bit of doubt for a moment, but Okonogi brought her hands to her head and began untying her hair little by little.

I hadn’t noticed before, since she always had her hair tied up, but Okonogi’s hair was longer than I imagined. I think it went down to her waist? The parts that were tied up in buns and braids kept their twirled shape.

She stopped her hands for an instant upon reaching her horns, but she then continued to untie the hair wrapped around them.

This was the first time I’d ever seen Okonogi’s horns; they were a pale shade of her skin color.

“Fweh-heh-heh, I’m kinda embaaarrassed.”

Okonogi went back to smiling.

“That’s pretty long. Have you been growing it out?”

“I’m aiming for a huuundred meters.”

“Are you certain that’s not too long?!”

“I liiied.”

Okonogi tied her hair back up as she joked around.

“I’m impressed you can tie it up so well without a mirror.”

“It’s ’cause I’m uuused to it. My mommy aaalways used to do it for me.”

Haruna commended her, but Okonogi answered like it was nothing.

And in a flash, her hair was back to its normal style. I wasn’t too familiar with this stuff, so it may as well have been magic to me.

“Maki, what was your mom like?”

“Hmm, weeell, she was the niiicest person in the world.”

“Whoa! That sounds pretty dang nice! Nothin’ happier than a happy family!”

“And hey, Mr. Hitoma, how about taking attendance already?”

“Oh, you’re right. Sorry.”

Everyone was present anyway, so it wasn’t much of a problem, but I’d gotten so distracted by Nezu and Okonogi that I completely forgot.

What kind of life did Okonogi lead before coming here? I wondered.

Okonogi returned to staring blankly out the window.

Maki Okonogi. Oni. Enrolled for three years. Wants to become human because she doesn’t want to lie.

Mommy told me this story a lot when it was time for bed.

“Maki, you look just like your mommy’s great-granny.”

I’d never met Mommy’s great-granny, but apparently, she could tell when someone was lying, just like me.

“Since my great-granny could tell when someone was lying, important people took her around everywhere they went to see through lies that other people told them. So if anyone finds out that you can, too, Maki, then—”

I don’t have a daddy. I was told he went away right after I was born.

“Maki, don’t leave your mommy all on her lonesome.”

I can’t ever tell the truth. If I tell the truth, then important people will take me around everywhere—

—and that’ll leave Mommy all on her lonesome.

“Heeey, how about we all go on a fieeeld trip?”

One day, with about two weeks remaining until winter vacation, Okonogi made that proposal.

“A field trip, ya say? I’ve only heard it existed in hushed rumors, but it really is a thing! It wasn’t just a dream!” said Nezu.

“Ah, that,” said Tobari. “Guess we haven’t had one in a few years…”

“Tobari, when was the last time there was a field trip?” Usami asked. “’Cause I’ve heard about field trips that went outside the school grounds, too.”

“About five years ago, maybe?”

“Mm, quite a while ago,” Wakaba added.

“So it hasn’t happened once since I started working here…,” I remarked.

Field trips—that is, practical lessons that involved going off campus—could be held or not held at the teachers’ discretion, according to the principal and Mr. Hoshino. So I’d just kept putting it off, which brought us to where we were now.

“Well hey, can’t blame ya when you’re so unreliable, Mr. Hitoma,” said Haneda. “But I figure maybe we could go this year, what with Ms. Haruna being here and all.”

“Y-you mean me?!” Haruna asked.

“Cut that out,” I told Haneda. “Don’t act like it’s a done deal.”

…She had a point, though; I was a bit uncertain that I could look after all the students on my own, but it’d be a load off my shoulders if Haruna were there as well.

“Would that make this a romantic getaway with Mr. Rei?”

“Heck no,” said Usami.

“Oh, but I’m still so jealous! Our classes always provide us with firsthand knowledge of the human world, but that’s all restricted to the confines of the campus, no? That’s why I wish I could see today’s human society for myself!”

Oof, hearing it like that made my heart sting from my own laziness.

“It’s gotta be nice… I wanna plunder every one of the convenience store’s private brands!”

Nezu’s mind was already wandering. Her drool-drenched lips curled into a smile.

“The only one here who’s lived with humans before is Maki, right?” said Haneda.

“I aaam?”

“Yeah, ’cause I’m…an animal, so Machi and Tobari’ve got the same deal,” said Usami.

“Mm, I suppose the same would go for an elf like me.”

“I, however, am a far more noble being than any human!” Ryuzaki boasted, with her head held high.

“Wooow, I had nooo idea,” Okonogi said uninterestedly.

“Um, Okonogi, what were you like before coming here? If it’s all right for me to ask, I mean.”

Haruna showed a surprising amount of interest in Okonogi’s past, and even cautiously approached her.

“Suuure.”

Okonogi made okay signs with both hands and pressed them against her cheeks. I had a feeling I’d seen that pose before, though I couldn’t remember where.

With her cheeks still squished, Okonogi began, “Ummm, sooo I lived with my mommy.”

“Squeak? Well, it’s always good to have family around.” Nezu nodded with a peculiarly smug expression.

“Machi, what’s up with your too-cool-for-school attitude?” Usami asked, giving her the side-eye.

“But theeen, in elemeeentary school, something kinda biiig haaappened.”

“Elementary? Would that mean you’re going back pretty far?”

“And theeen, I came heeere.”

“Mm?” said Wakaba.

“You sure skipped some steps,” Usami quipped.

The rest of the advanced class was baffled, but Okonogi just spaced out with an expression that might as well have said, “I don’t understand what’s so hard to understand.”

“Okonogi, could you maybe go into some more detail?” I asked.

I didn’t really understand the flow of this conversation, either.

“Mweeeh? So, you knooow, at elemeeentary school, there was this kiiid in my class, right, who did something baaad, and then tried to tell a liiie that a diiifferent kid did it.”

“You actually are telling us the details, right?” said Haneda.

“How sweet,” said Nezu.

“So theeen, right, I said it was a liiie. And theeen, this…important person? He found ooout that I can tell when people liiie, and sooo Mommy told me the address heeere.”

“Y’knooow, I can tell when everyone liiies.”

I wondered if that was actually the truth. Were Okonogi’s lies more than your average fibs? Did they have crumbs of the truth mixed in?

“…Mm? What happened then?”

Had Wakaba taken notice of Okonogi’s powers, too?

“Hold it, Maki. Are you saying you’re a grade-schooler?” Usami asked.

“I’m five billion years old.”

“That’s a squeakin’ lie!”

“That’s the lie here?!” I said. “There’s nothing else that catches your attention?!”

“Squeak…?”

“I’m not sure how to respond with you staring at me like I’m the weird one.”

But wait, I thought, are all the other students looking at each other?

“Fweh-heh-heh, Mr. Hitomaaa, don’t tell meee, you actually belieeeve I can tell when people liiie?”

“What? Y-you can’t?”

I could have sworn that was what this was all leading to!

“She gets everyone to fall for that lie,” Nezu told me.

“It’s old news,” said Usami.

“I simply thought, My, there she goes again,” Ryuzaki added.

“Mm, we’re all well aware by now that it’s a lie,” Wakaba remarked.

“That’s right, Mr. Hitoma, which is why nobody else bothered to bring it up.”

All the students—and even Haruna—gathered around me to explain that this was another of Okonogi’s lies.

Figures as much, I thought. I guess a borderline superpower like that isn’t gonna be real even around here, huh…? I mean, of course, telling when someone’s lying just sounds like a fantasy…

Haneda didn’t even have any words for me, only smiling in silence…

“Anecdote aside, I think there’s one new discovery here: Maki’s a kiddo!”

“Huh? Machi, if you’re gonna make this about age, aren’t you, like, a newborn?”

Nezu was getting smug, but Haneda poked her cheek from behind.

“Squeak… S-sure, I might be like a newborn, but us mice have short lives! That’s why I’m more of an adult than any human around here!”

“In your dreams.”

“What, Usami, you any different?”

“I’m more of an adult than you, yeah.”

“I think I can say the same myself,” Haneda added.

“Squeak?! Karin, Preence Waka, what about you?! How many years have you been around for?! Especially you, Preence Waka!”

“Nezu, it’s rude to point at people!” Haruna warned.

Nezu clenched her fist. I got the feeling that Haruna was focusing on the wrong metric.

“I’ve never counted, so I’m afraid I don’t know. Humans get so particular about history,” said Ryuzaki. “I know that I lived near the Roman Empire when I was young, so before that.”

“Mm, I was sixteen years old back in Leafgard.”

“Everyone’s lived longer than me…,” Nezu whined, gritting her teeth in humiliation.

Haneda lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. “But Machi, you know what they say, right? Being older doesn’t mean you’re better and all.”

“Tobari! That’s so true! But I still wish I looked a bit more matuuure!”

“Hmm, you’re still a mouse, though.”

“’Cause mice have small bodies?”

I recalled what I’d heard over summer vacation.

“The age that students in this school look like is determined by how much magic the student has…,” I said.

“Mm? Indeed, that’s true,” Wakaba replied.

“Oh… That’s just something I heard recently, though!”

Specifically, from Alice. I hadn’t seen Kurosawa since then, so I wondered if she was doing well.

“Ah, right, yeah, I’ve heard that, too,” said Haneda. “All of us have the physiques of human eighteen-year-olds, but the higher level of species you go, the more magic you have, and the closer you look to the cap of eighteen.”

“So is that why I’m such a squeakin’ runt?!”

“So this, like, magic stuff—what happens if it goes over the cap?” Usami asked.

“Ah… Yeah, that…”

Haneda slowly looked over toward Ryuzaki—wait, why was she focusing there?!

“I can feel some rather strong gazes on my bosom!” Ryuzaki exclaimed.

“Aha, I see how it works…,” said Nezu.

“Mr. Rei, would this not qualify as sexual harassment?!”

“Look, this is really awkward, and I don’t know how to answer this as a guy!”

“If I may! Ryuzaki, if you dislike it, then I believe it would qualify as sexual harassment!” said Haruna.

“Yeah, that adds up… Hmm…”

I really appreciated the assist from Haruna. But for some reason, Ryuzaki closed her eyes and crossed her arms, as though deep in thought.

“Against these two, I actually feel just a bit superior!” she declared.

“Squeak-oof!”

“Eek! What is the meaning of this, Machi?!”

Nezu went and dived right into Ryuzaki’s chest. I couldn’t say for sure, since I felt kinda uncomfortable and looked away, but…I think Nezu had half her entire head buried in there.

“Mm, Karin, this would be your own fault for taunting her,” said Wakaba.

“D’aww, just hooorsin’ around all frieeendly-wendly.”

“That looks friendly to you?” I said.

Close enough to fight, or something like that.

“Sooooo? What about our fieeeld trip?”

“Oh yeah, that’s what we were talking about.”

“I’m impressed you all managed to go this far off topic.”

High school girls could change subjects at lightning speed. Well, that’s one thing this place had in common with your average human school.

“I wanna go on a field trip!” said Nezu.

“The real question is if we even can go.”

“Mr. Hitoma, when was the last time we went outside the school, again?”

“Uhh…last year… No, I guess it’d be the year before that. That summer we played in the river, right?”

It was close enough to practically be school grounds, but I had the feeling the girls would be setting their sights a little higher.

“That sounds niiice, so thaaat’s what the advanced class was doooing back then.”

“Mm, it has quite the allure.”

Ryuzaki’s eyes suddenly opened wide. “Would that perhaps mean swimsuits?!”

“Yep,” said Haneda.

“Including Mr. Rei?!”

“I didn’t wear one.”

Why was the thought of me in a swimsuit getting her all starry-eyed…?

“Hitoma just played video games the whole time,” Usami explained.

“Oh, that’s just like Mr. Rei. How marvelous!”

Was it…? Getting praised for this had me feeling conflicted.

“Mm, Karin here would compliment you over anything.”

“I’m so jealous! I’m so jealooous!!! I wanna go play outside, too!!!” Nezu squealed.

“Hmm, but it’s already cold out, right? It’d be dangerous to go too far… Are there any requests? Anything you want to do?” I asked.

“Shoppin’ at a convenience store!”

“Oh yeah, you did say that…”

Nezu sure liked those exclusive convenience store brands.

“You can count me out,” said Usami. “I’d rather focus on graduation and entrance exams than go on field trips.”

“Mm,” said Wakaba. “I think I may pass as well.”

“Life’s busy for a hard-core bookworm, huh?” Haneda quipped.

“That cool-as-a-cucumber attitude of yours really ticks me off, Tobari,” Usami spat.

After being on the receiving end of a death glare from Usami, Haneda apologized with a casual “Sorry, my bad.”

“Huuuh, Pwinse Waka, were you going to cooollege?”

“Mm, that’s right. I aim to attend a college famous for its beauty pageants and theater circles.”

“How very like you, Aoi!” said Ryuzaki. “I plan to further my education, but I have no preference so long as I can study literature, so I’d love nothing more than to join a field trip if given the chance!”

“Hey,” I cut in, “nobody said this field trip was happening yet.”

If I didn’t hit the brakes on this now, then the field trip was going to be taken as a given.

“In that case… All right, everyone going, raise your haaands!”

“Haneda! Don’t start polling for it!” I cried.

Ah, shoot, things are moving faster than I can keep up…

“Hmm, hmm… The yeses would be Machi, Karin, Maki, and…me, I guess? You oughtta be fine with four people, Mr. Hitoma. We had four people the year before last, too,” said Haneda.

“Me! I’d like to go along with you!” Haruna replied.

“Meess Mirai, you’re comin’ along, too? Aww, that’s swell!”

The energy was reaching a point where my opposition alone wasn’t going to stop it. I wasn’t exactly on board with the plan, but I had to throw in the towel.

“Sigh… I get it. I’ll ask the principal,” I told everyone. “But unlike the river excursion, going to a convenience store would be a practical lesson, which means interacting with humans, right? So don’t get your hopes up.”

“Thanks!” said Haneda. “Hey, while we’re at it, it’d be nice to have it during winter break, before the new year.”

“Why’s that?”

That request would make the time limit pretty short. A bit less than two weeks.

“Come on, there’s so many events this time of year, and the whole town’s bright like a lit match!”

“I’m lit?” Nezu repeated.

“Match, not Machi.”

That was a lame pun.

“If we’re already goin’ on a field trip, we might as well feel that, like, human power? You know, seeing their ability to build up events together.”

Haneda then flashed a mischievous smile. “If we’re going so we can feel the human world for ourselves, then we oughtta go when there’s more stuff to take in, don’t ya think?”

She was greedy. Enough to make me jealous.

“Which is why I said not to get your hopes up that we’ll get permission,” I reminded her.

That’s right, it all depended on the principal. Even if Haneda—the director herself—wanted to, it was no guarantee that the principal would approve.

“Fair enough, but we’ll at least put in the excursion application today.”

Even if we did get permission, there was no guarantee that the school would have everything prepared within two weeks, so I didn’t have much hope…

But just in case, I decided I’d ask Mr. Hoshino for what to be careful of during excursions that interacted with the outside world.

However, it was almost scary how smoothly the talks went.

Just as Haneda announced, the excursion application was submitted within the day. I went to see the principal expecting the worst, but he’d apparently foreseen this entire situation via precognition, so he’d already gotten everything prepared for the time frame in question.

“Students may receive special permission to borrow the director’s jeweled rings to leave the premises as long as your destination is within two kilometersof the border. You must apply two weeks in advance and be accompanied by a teacher.”

Ah, that rule brought me back. Haneda chose a date that was just two weeks after when she submitted the application, and today was that date.

Tragically, I had absolutely nothing going on for Christmas, and even more tragically, the principal found out, so the date for our excursion that we called a field trip was one day after the closing ceremony. Christmas.

No, I mean, it wasn’t like I had nothing to do for the day; my gacha games had their events and all…

The convenience store I visited now and then was about a twenty-minute walk, and it did happen to be within the two-kilometer range. Places where humans lived apparently weren’t exceptions.

However, there was a little caveat, that being “A strict punishment will be enforced should any demi-human reveal their identities to an outside human.” The worst-case scenario could result in expulsion, I heard.

“Hiding my horns and tail might perhaps be rather high in difficulty…”

“Yeah, fair enough… It was hard to say it, but Ryuzaki, you’re the most likely to get found out…”

“Karin, it’s a real shame…but don’cha worry, Machi here’s gonna bring ya tons of souvenirs!”

“Yeah, you can make it work with a hat and a long skirt, Nezu.”

“Bet I can pull it off with just a beanie.”

“I’ll be juuust fine the way I aaalways am.”

“Ooh… Mr. Rei, I’m afraid I’ll give up on this occasion, but once I graduate…”

Ryuzaki looked at me with tears in her eyes, but her energy soon left her as she looked like she gave up on something else.

“…No, never mind. It’s a shame, but you all can go have enough fun to make up for me.”

Ever since what happened, I’d seen Ryuzaki make that expression every now and then. It stung my heart, but I pretended not to notice.

“Yes, Karin, let us eat cake together.”

“Hitoma, you better get a department store cake reserved for us.”

“Oof… Just this once, okay?!”

And so I listened to Usami’s, Wakaba’s, and Ryuzaki’s requests. I then proceeded to reserve a Christmas cake of an extravagance beyond anything that I’d ever eaten in my life.

Christmas Day.

The students joining the field trip were scheduled to gather at the cherry blossom tree near the barrier.

I wound up arriving at the meetup spot pretty early, but with just a short enough wait that I wouldn’t accomplish much by going all the way back. I considered playing some smartphone games to pass the time until then and had just pulled it out of my pocket when I noticed a figure from within the forest.

It looked like someone was here. Pretty early, at that.

“Mr. Hitoma! We still have twenty minutes to go, so you’re pretty early. We agreed to meet at two PM, right?”

The figure was Haruna.

Haruna arrived wearing a beige coat, an apricot-colored cardigan, and a fluffy off-white skirt. This was my first time seeing Haruna outside of her work clothes…

“I had errands this morning, so I got left with an awkward gap in my schedule.”

Just the simple task of going all the way to the department store, picking up the cake, and handing it over to the students in the dorms.

“Ah, working hard, I see.”

The conversation cut off, leaving an awkward tension in the air that made it difficult to say any more.

Maybe I could ask how things have been? I wondered. No, I already know that from conversations in the teachers’ office. Favorite foods? No, that’s creepy, coming out of nowhere.

I was curious what Haruna had on her mind. She was just looking up, off in her own little world.

“Staaaaaaaaaaaaare.”

“Whoa! Okonogi?! When did you get there?!”

Okonogi was watching our every move from her hiding spot in some nearby shrubbery for who knew how long.

“A hundred yeeears ago.”

“I wasn’t even born a hundred years ago.”

“I liiied. You two suuure are earlyyy.”

Okonogi sluggishly stumbled out from the shrubbery. Her hairstyle was the usual, but she wore a purple sweatshirt emblazoned with a large logo, along with denim shorts, all under a white blouson that had quite a lot of strings and decorations attached. On her feet were a pair of gaudy loose socks stuffed into large, purple sneakers.

“Okonogi, do you like clothes and stuff?”

From a glance, she seemed like she could get very particular about her style.

“Mweh? Well, hrmmm, I kiiinda just gather up all the stuff I liiike.”

Okonogi’s response didn’t provide the clearest picture. Did she actually like clothes? Hmm, I guess that probably meant she liked them.

“I think your sneakers are quite cool, Okonogi!”

“Foo-hee-hee, they’re my faaavorite.”

The two seemed to enjoy talking fashion with each other. Watching them made me realize, “Wow, they sure are girls,” and I got a bit sheepish about intruding on them.

“Oh? Looks like everyone’s just about here. Fast, ain’t ya?”

It was Haneda. She came in a white beanie and black shorts. Hanging on her shoulder was a small black purse. Her coat was brown and checkered, making her look just a bit more adult than usual.

“You’re plenty early yourself, Haneda.”

“Squeak?! We’re still ten minutes early, why’s everyone here already?!”

Oh, that meant everyone was here.

Nezu kept her style simple; she wore a blue one-piece dress with a white turtleneck inner layer and threw a deep gray down jacket on top.

“Fweh-heh-heh, guess we were aaall just thaaat excited.”

“Might be? The kinda thing where you just get so excited that you come early?”

“I’m so ready to buy a ton of stuff that I made sure to bring my biggest bag!”

Nezu then opened up a large white tote bag for the rest of us to see.

“Oh, Machi. You left your hat in that bag. How ’bout putting it on while we’ve got the chance?”

“Ooh, good idea!”

The hat that Nezu pulled out…gave me the faintest recollection that I’d seen it before, but I couldn’t remember where. Where had I seen that newsboy cap of hers?

“All right, now it’s perfect.”

“Macchiiie, isn’t it greeeat that Usammy lent you that haaat?”

Oh yeah, now I remembered! It was the hat Usami wore that time when we left to see Seiko.

“Especially ’cause you were crying about how the hat you ordered didn’t come in on time, so you might’ve had to miss out on the trip.”

“Online shopping is a scam, I tell ya!”

“Yep, we’ve all been there.”

Package delivery had a bit of a unique process around here, so packages ended up heavily delayed every now and then. It wasn’t long ago that a gadget I’d ordered came to my door two weeks later than the original delivery date.

Haneda put her beanie on tight, making sure to hide her feathers.

Good, we were all set. I handed out the rings the principal had lent me to the students.

“So these are those rings I’ve heard about!”

“They’re so cooool.”

Nezu and Okonogi looked intently at their rings; this was a first for the two of them.

“Haneda, I think you’ve put one of these on before, right?”

“Sure have. Borrowed them when we went out to play at that river.”

These rings were Haneda’s own property, so there might not have been much of a point to that.

“All right, we’re ready. To the convenience store!”

And so we all left the barrier and embarked on a twenty-minute walk to the convenience store.

“Target spotted, straight ahead! All right! Everyone, follow my lead!”

“You’re suuure having fuuun, Macchie.”

“We’re still pretty far away from the convenience store, you know.”

Was she playing military commander?

“Nezu, don’t play around too much in a skirt. People are gonna have questions if you walk into the store and you’re all dirty.”

“Uh-oooh, Macchie’s queeestionable!”

“That’s got an awful ring to it!”

Despite objecting, Nezu at least quit goofing off and strode along right next to Haruna.

I was starting to get her; Nezu’s goofs were her way of easing tension for both herself and others.

“Machi, you’re going to buy snacks and stuff at the store, right?”

“Sure am! I’ll stock up on nonperishables, of course, but I also can’t miss out on the overseas snacks that I don’t get to eat too often!”

Nezu went on about this product, that product, and the many other items that she was aiming for. Just listening was getting me hungry.

“Are you buying anything, Okonogi?”

My stomach was going to growl if I listened to Nezu any longer, so I threw the conversation to Okonogi nearby. Okonogi was the one who’d proposed this field trip, so I figured she might have something she was after.

“Mweeeh?”

Okonogi gave an airheaded reply and squished a finger to her lips in thought. Maybe she didn’t have anything she wanted to buy, and instead proposed this just because she wanted a getaway?

“Ummm… A steamed bun, I gueeess?”

“Oh, the ones they’ve got by the register, huh? Nice, I think I might go for a pizza bun.”

It was starting to get cold out at this time of year, so it was definitely gonna hit the spot.

Dim sum dishes were great for breakfast, too. There was a time in my life when all I ate were frozen meat buns that I tossed in the microwave. And it sure was a lifesaver how you could eat them one-handed…Wait.

Something felt out of place.

I didn’t hear her usual “I liiied.”

Okonogi looked like her usual self, but was she so nervous about this trip outside that she couldn’t spare the energy to tell her white lies?

“What iiis it, Mr. Hitomaaa?”

“Oh, no… Just thinking that I don’t hear people go for steamed buns a lot. Since, you know, meat buns seem like they’d be more popular, right?”

I wondered if that was enough to play it off.

“Hmmm… Fweh-heh-heh, you knooow, my mommy loved steamed buns.”

A smile floated to Okonogi’s face. It was the type of smile I’d never seen from her until now.

I wondered if she had a good relationship with her mom.

“I see, so what was your mom like?”

“Weeell, hmm, Mommy was, y’knooow, good at cooooking, and she had pretty handwriting, and she was a reeeal hard worker, and—”

Okonogi talked lovingly about her mother, giving the impression that the two were close. Well…it was less about her mother and more about everything she loved about her mother.

“She could wake up eeearly, and she was taaall, and her hair was smooooth, and she could seeew, buuut…she was juuust a little cluuumsy.”

I thought the praise was going to go on forever, but it ended on a surprising punch line.

“Even though she could sew?”

“Hmmmm, well, it was a different kiiind from thaaat.”

“Was it at cooking?”

“She was gooood at that. ’Cause I looove Mommy’s omelet rice. Alsooo, her birthday cakes are yuuummy. Heeey, Tobiiie, I wanna have a biiirthday party.”

Okonogi clung tightly on to Haneda, who was walking in front of her. Haneda seemed used to it, as she gave Okonogi a gentle pat on the head.

“Hmm? Sure, who for?”

“I dunnooo. Who’s the clooosest around here?”

“You’re bein’ silly, Machi’s got a December birthday, right?”

“On the twelfth, too! What about it? Am I gettin’ something?!”

“No, you’re nooot.”

“Squeak, but hey, it already passed anyway.”

“I liiied.”

“So you are celebratin’ it! Lucky me!”

“Calm down, Nezu. Don’t jump around, your hat’s gonna fall off.”

The most traffic this area got was the occasional bus, with barely any humans walking around—if anything, it’d be safe to say there were absolutely none. But still, we were outside the school, so we never knew what could happen.

“…So are all of your birthdays…your birthdays?”

“Get out. What kinda question’s that?”

Haneda has half laughing, but she understood what Haruna meant by that question. It was something I’d been curious about, myself.

“Birthdays are the day you’re born, everyone knows that!”

“Ah, I think what Ms. Haruna wanted to ask was that while some students know when they were born, do students who don’t know get a birthday, too? Is it picked on a whim, or is not picked at all? Something like that.”

“Yes, exactly! You know, since some started out as animals, I feel like there’s a high chance they might not be…cognizant, I suppose, of it…?”

“I see ya.”

“Miiine’s just the day I was booorn.”

Okonogi then broke into song about her birthday. I guess she liked birthdays.

“Same here, yep. Mine should be the day I was born.”

“Should be?”

“I didn’t know the exact date back when I was a mouse, so I was told later. By the deerector.”

Deerector? Ah, the director.

“I got handed some paperwork when I entered the intermediate class from the beginner class. Had my whole profile in it and everythin’.”

“Huh.”

I had no idea. There was a lot I had to learn about the lower classes outside of lessons.

“Same goes for you, Tobari, right?”

“Yep, November here.”

“Tobiiie, you’re a biiird, but your birthday’s in faaall.”

“Yes, that’s true now that you mention it. Don’t wild birds have their mating season in the start of spring?”

I wondered how Haneda was going to answer this honest question from Haruna. But despite my concerns, Haneda had a relaxed smile on her face.

“You sure know your stuff, Ms. Haruna. You like that sorta thing?”

“A friend’s boyfriend was in the bird research club.”

“Sounds kinda far removed from you.”

“I tend to be easily influenced by my friends, so that’s why. That boyfriend shared his studies with my friend, who passed them on to me, so I know a thing or two.”

“Ya don’t say, huh?”

It looked like she shook her off.

Haneda’s birthday was November 3. It probably wasn’t the day she was born; there must have been something else special about that date.

“Heeey, how much looonger do we have to gooo?”

Okonogi must have been tired, as she was dragging her feet.

“The town’ll be right there when we turn that corner, so it’s just a little walk after that. We’re almost there, so hold out for just a little longer.”

“Oooooh, I’m gettin’ so nervous!”

“Now be careful, everyone.”

“Okaaay.”

Despite being a regular at this convenience store, I was getting a bit nervous, too. Still, the students were responsible enough that it’d probably go fine.

“So this is a convenience store! Squeee! It’s my first time seeing one myself!”

Once we entered the city, Nezu quieted down quite a bit, and she was sensitive enough to all the noise and bustle that I had to wonder if she was scared. But once we reached her promised land of the convenience store, her nerves seemed to relax. She was keeping her voice down, but her eyes were sparkling, practically bright with the excitement of coming to a theme park.

“Ooh, that’s something. They’ve even got a tree up.”

“You’re riiight. Don’t see thaaat every day.”

Different convenience store locations could vary wildly in how much effort they put into holidays, and I guess this was one of the high-effort stores.

“Meester Hitoma, don’t get separated from me, okay?”

Nezu stayed glued to my hip and made us walk a lap around the inside of the store.

This store was run mostly by a friendly middle-aged couple. The wife was behind the register today, and she looked at us with a bright smile. I’d been a bit anxious myself and came up with a number of excuses to make, but it was looking like I wouldn’t need them.

“All of these things are for sale, right? And I can buy ’em with my own money, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You can buy anything that has a price tag.”

“Can I touch ’em?”

“Yeah, but for food, try not to touch anything you’re not buying.”

“Gotcha!”

Nezu was still sticking to me, but how were the other students doing?

Haneda was with Haruna in the sandwich corner. They were putting brown-breaded sandwiches that seemed like they had a health focus into their basket. As I looked at them like this, the two seemed like a pair of friends on a shopping trip together.

Okonogi was—hmm? Where was she?

I quickly scanned over the rest of the store, but I didn’t spot her. She did say she was going to buy some steamed buns, so maybe she’d already taken care of that and was waiting outside? This store didn’t have any space for eating inside, so anyone planning to eat on the spot had to exit the building.

I checked outside—and didn’t find her.

Really, where was she? Probably in a blind spot within the store. Hopefully, she was just looking at a product on a low shelf. Because if she went missing because of this, or had potentially deserted…

…that would be very bad.

“Nezu, could I have you wait right here for just a minute?”

“Squeak?! You’re gonna leave me all alone?!”

She clung tightly on to my clothes.

I wanted to go search for Okonogi, but was saying that directly going to make her panic? In that case, maybe I could have Haruna and Haneda look after Nezu for the time being, and then—

“Mr. Hitomaaa, whaaat’s the maaatter?”

All of a sudden, Okonogi popped out from a shelf behind me. I hadn’t seen her when I was looking back before, so when did she…?

“Okonogi, where were you?”

“Mweh? I was aaalways here.”

That wasn’t specific enough to count as an answer to my question…but I guess that meant she was nearby. I was thinking she had to have left the store…

Oh well, giving her a stern warning on the spot didn’t seem like the right call, so if she said she was always here, then it probably wasn’t a problem.

“Ah, okay. I get worried, so try not to go anywhere I can’t see, okay?”

“I won’t not strive to take appropriate cooountermeasures.”

“Where do you learn phrases like that?”

For now, I could at least be relieved that Okonogi hadn’t gone missing.

“Meester Hitoma! I made up my mind, I’m gonna buy these!”

“Mweh? Macchie, whatcha buuuying?”

Okonogi went right into talking about purchases with Nezu. Nezu talked with Okonogi just like normal, too; it didn’t seem like she noticed Okonogi being gone. Her shopping basket was filled with snacks.

Meanwhile, Haruna and Haneda were already at the register.

“I think it’s about time we get in line.”

“Squeak! Gotcha!”

“You don’t have to get nervous. Okonogi, have you decided on what to get?”

“Anmaaan.”

“Sure that’s all you want? I’m going with a pizza bun.”

And so we all headed to the register. Nezu was nervous, but she paid for her goods just fine. Okonogi had lived in human society this whole time, so she was used to this. Finally, we left the convenience store.

Nezu and Haneda seemed to feel a bit of the Christmas spirit, as they’d both bought holiday-exclusive treats.

This field trip wasn’t over until we made it all the way back. Still, it was hard to imagine anything happening when all we had to do was walk a country road.

This reminds me, hot foods from the convenience store sure do taste better while you’re walking, I thought as I munched on my pizza bun.

“Hmm? Where’s Okonogi?”

“Huh?!”

We had entered the forest and realized that Okonogi had vanished.

This is right after she went missing earlier, I thought, so I should’ve been paying more attention…!

“I wonder where Maki went.”

“Ya mean she’s lost?! Makiiii! …I’m gettin’ worried…”

“I…don’t hear a response. Hmm, she’s not anywhere I can see, either.”

“This forest can get pretty convoluted, so maybe she got lost…”

The first time I went to that convenience store, I had a hard time figuring out the path home and wound up getting lost, too. The path out of the school was pretty straightforward, but the way back to it had plenty of forks that made it easy to get turned around.

I had to wonder if Okonogi was okay… If she’d gotten caught up in some kind of accident…!

No, Haneda was still calm, so maybe this wasn’t going to get out of hand…? It was a bit of a meta read on the situation, but it helped calm me down.

She surely wasn’t in any danger. She had to have just gotten lost.

“Okay, I’ll turn back to look for her, so Ms. Haruna, can you keep going and take the students to the school? And report it to the principal, too.”

“Understood!”

Okonogi had a tendency to space out, so there was the possibility that she was wandering around and took a wrong turn.

“Okonogiii! Are you theeere?!”

I tried calling out, but there was no response.

I walked quickly down the path we came, but I paid close attention to ensure nothing was left overlooked. After skimming over the area, I couldn’t find so much as a trace.

We couldn’t have been more than five hundred meters away from the store. Plus, Okonogi was with us up until we entered the forest. Even if she’d fallen off the beaten path, she couldn’t have gone very far.

Or so I made myself believe as I continued back on the path we came.

I’d intended to walk quickly, but it soon turned into a run.

Okonogi vanished in the convenience store, too, I wondered, but was that intentional? She said she was “always here,” but was that the truth? If so, then she might not be lost so much as—

Ah, I was losing my cool, so my mind was starting to have the strangest doubts. For now, I had to find Okonogi. Focus on that and nothing else.

“Okonogi!”

After retracing my steps for a bit, I found Okonogi sitting on the ground. It was a relief that I at least found her…but had she gotten herself hurt?

Okonogi turned around in response to my voice and leisurely stood up.

“Mr. Hitomaaa.”

Okonogi showed no sign of confusion of anxiety and just had her usual carefree vibe.

“Okonogi, what happened? I was so worried when you disappeared all of a sudden.”

“…My steamed bun. It fell on the grooound.”

At Okonogi’s feet were the tragic vestiges of her half-eaten bun.

“Oh, uh, I—I see…”

For now, I could be relieved that she hadn’t gotten hurt.

“So when my bun feeell, right, I chaaased it, right, and I got split uuup from everyone.”

I had a thing or two I wanted to say to that, but Okonogi did say before the field trip that she’d been looking forward to that steamed bun, so it must have been quite the shock.

If nothing else, I was glad that Okonogi was safe.

“I see… Still, we’re gonna have to say good-bye to your bun now. We’ll go buy a new one some other time.”

Okonogi looked closely at my face and then dropped her gaze to her feet. I suppose she wasn’t ready to let go.

I said “some other time,” but could we just pivot back and buy it right now? This situation was making Haruna and the other students worry, so I’d intended to return as soon as possible…but the trip from here to the store and back would take thirty minutes… Hmm, not the kind of time I’d like.

“Hey, Okonogi—”

“Heeey, Mr. Hitomaaa, is my mommy doing good?”

Okonogi continued to look at the bun at her feet as she asked this sudden question. She asked in her usual tone, like it was just small talk.

I was surprised, but should I really take this as nothing more than that?

“Sorry, they haven’t told me that much. Okonogi, you lived with your mom this whole time, right?”

“Suuure did.”

I answered with a question to feel out her intent, but I wasn’t seeing where this conversation was going.

“Was your mom…well, the same as you?”

I didn’t know the right way to phrase it, so I ended up muddying the question.

Okonogi leisurely lifted her gaze back to me from the food at her feet.

“The saaame…? Oooh, like, was she an oni, toooo? Nooope, not a biiit. My mommy’s a weak, normal huuuman. It was one of my aaancestors who was aaactually an oni.”

“Like a recessive gene…?”

Okonogi brought a hand to her lips and curiously tilted her head.

“Mmm? Is that what it iiis? Mommy said that in thiiis family, kids like meee are sometimes booorn. Mommy said her great-granny was juuust like me, too… A kid who can tell when someone liiies.”

“Okonogi—can you really tell if other people are lying?”

The last time I heard about this, everyone said she lied, but what if the truth was—?

Okonogi said nothing. Could I…take that as confirmation?

She told this same lie so often that the other students took it as a running joke, but maybe it was her way of saying she wanted them to understand her power? No, I guess I didn’t know that much yet.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, you don’t liiie too much.”

“Huh?”

I wasn’t so sure, but maybe I had avoided telling any blatant lies in front of Okonogi. Though if her power was real, then I’d have to seriously watch my mouth.

Not that it seemed like I was in any trouble from the way she worded that…I think?

“It’d be so niiice if eeeveryone were like you, Mr. Hitomaaa. Then I could’ve staaayed with Mommy, juuust like always.”

“You didn’t want to leave your mom, huh?”

“…Fweh-heh-heh.”

Okonogi tried to play it off with a laugh that was just a bit lacking in her usual energy, and then she gave a small sigh.

“But you knooow, I didn’t waaanna get taken to the scaaary place like Mommy’s graaandma, so I’m gonna be a huuuman, just like Mommy.”

“The scary place?”

“I don’t really knooow; that’s what Mommy caaalled it.”

Okonogi didn’t have the means to protect herself the way beings like dragons or mermaids did, making her as defenseless as a human…and there was no telling how many ways that people could use her ability to see through lies for their own gains. She’d be in constant demand for political or military purposes. And in this day and age, the media wouldn’t let her rest, either.

Okonogi must have had a vague understanding of all that.

She once again dropped her gaze to her feet. It looked like ants were getting to her steamed bun.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, why do humans liiie?”

She mused in her usual tone, with nuances that could lead someone to take it either way. Was it an innocent question, a show of sadness, or a sign of resignation—?

“It’d be beeetter if they diiidn’t.”

Okonogi raised her head, showing her usual lazy smile. Even still, I didn’t understand what Okonogi had in mind when she asked this.

“Why do you lie, Okonogi?”

“Because I’m the baaad guy.”

Yeah, doing that with a wink, peace sign, and a photobomb pose made it clear she was joking around, so I could see through it.

“You lied, huh?”

“Fweh-heh-heh, you copied the thiiing I do.”

Okonogi cackled for a bit and then kept her gaze up toward the sky.

“…You knooow, I thought that if I lied a looot, then nooobody would know which ones were liiies and which ones were truuue. Hmmmph, it’s liiike…camocollage?”

“You mean, camouflage.”

Camocollage sounded kinda cute, though. Peaceful, even.

Okonogi laughed and pointed out how that was the one.

“In the eeend, it’s my fault because I’m not nooormal.”

“Now that’s a lie, too.”

“…It iiis?”

“It’s a lie. I can tell.”

As if. The truth was that I just didn’t want her to think that way. But it was also true that I didn’t think it was Maki’s fault.

“Heh-heh, then you might be riiight.”

Perhaps catching on to my intent, Okonogi seemed a bit relieved. But still…

“…So you really can tell when people lie, huh, Okonogi?”

This whole exchange really drove that home for me. If she couldn’t, then she was just putting too much faith in me.

Okonogi’s face was locked in a half-hearted smile, as though unable to decide.

“Hmm… You knooow, everyone’s voooices look like colors to me. They’re all reeeddish or bluuuish.”

“Does my voice look like that, too?”

“Yep, it’s a bluuuish color.”

I was suprised. I wondered if this was a type of synesthesia.

“Usammy and Macchie, riiight, they’re preeetty bluish. But sometimes they turn puuurple.”

“So, it’s not just two colors.”

“Nooope, after aaall, not everything’s true or false, riiight? Sometimes people just saaay stuff.”

“Ah… Like the voice when someone sneezes?”

“Fwih-hee-hee, that’s gooood, I liiike that about you, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

I felt a little embarrassed to have been laughed at, but it all evened out if it got Okonogi to smile. Or so I’d like to think.

“Why did you tell me all this, Okonogi?”

Okonogi was looking at her steamed bun again.

“Because I remeeembered about Mommy.”

More and more of the uneaten bun was being carried away by the ants.

“Mommy, at fiiirst, she had a lot of bluuue. But theeen, whenever we talked about meee, she started getting more and mooore red. And I just thooought, ‘Sorry.’”

I guess she meant to say that she felt guilty about how her mom started lying more and more when they talked. It was the sort of white lie a mother says to protect her daughter, but Okonogi would always know.

She would know that the person she loved was doing something wrong to protect her.

It’s a tragic situation. Okonogi’s mom must have been very important to her.

“Heeey, Mr. Hitomaaa, why does eeeveryone liiie?”

It was a question just like before, a question thrown into the wild as though she was talking to herself. But maybe it was a question that Okonogi had been searching for the answer to all this time.

“Why do they lie, huh…?”

With the topic brought up, I wondered when exactly I lied myself.

When I did something wrong, and I wanted to hide it.

When telling the truth would hurt someone.

When I wasn’t sure which path to take—

“…A desire to protect, maybe?”

“Protect whaaat?”

“Maybe themselves, or someone else.”

At least, that was my own reason.

“Hmmm.”

I couldn’t quite tell from that response if she accepted that answer or if she didn’t, but Okonogi wasn’t looking at the bun at her feet anymore.

“That’s why it’s not your fault, Okonogi.”

“Mweh?” Okonogi looked at me, stunned.

“Er, it’s okay for you to follow your heart would be what I wanted to say.”

I wondered if any of that came out weird. Okonogi called her lies camouflage, but as I heard her explanation, it felt more like she was taking it out on herself.

What Okonogi herself wanted to protect was surely everyone else’s ability to lie. She might have figured that telling lie after lie would make every other lie seem like a drop in the bucket. Maybe I was overthinking it, but simply put, I wanted Okonogi to know that she didn’t have to put all that pressure on herself.

“…Fweh-heh.”

I heard a small laugh escape her lips.

“Fweh-heh-heh. Mr. Hitomaaa, you’re really niiice.”

Her smile felt like it saw through everything, with a tinge of resignation. It reminded me of someone else’s—yes, it resembled the smile of that girl with eternal life.

What would I do if I could see others’ lies? Would I be able to withstand the weight on my shoulders?

“I wish I could be like yooou, Mr. Hitomaaa. You look so briiight.”

“C’mon, you don’t wanna end up like me. At least pick, like…Ms. Haruna, since she’s closer to your age and can probably relate to you more.”

The choice between an old man running on thirty and a young lady with a good head on her shoulders was pretty clear. Besides, Haruna was easy for pretty much everyone to like.

“Maybeee, Ms. Miraaai might be clooose to me. That’s why you look so briiight, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

That answer…was a little vague. She said that Haruna is close to her…?

“I wonder what Ms. Miraaai wants to proteeect.”

“Huh?”

“People lie to protect things, riiight?”

It was almost like…we were working off the assumption that Haruna was a liar.

“Mr. Hitoma! I heard from the principal that you found Okonogi, is that true?!”

“Whoa!”

“Eek! Mr. Hitoma, was that reaction not a bit excessive?”

“Fweh-heh-heh, so fuuunny.”

Shocked by Haruna appearing from behind me out of nowhere, I instinctively distanced myself as far as I could.

Well yeah, of course I’d be surprised if she showed up at what might have been a calculated attempt at the worst possible timing. I didn’t get any sense that someone was coming…

“Sorry. Ah, Ms. Haruna, so you came all the way back for us?”

“Yes! The principal told me Okonogi was safe by using some strange…spell? So I decided I’d go to pick you up! Okonogi, I’m glad you’re safe. I was quite worried, too!”

“Sooorry. I was spaaacing out.”

She had to have been really worried to come back all this way. Still, something about what Okonogi said was nagging me.

“I wonder what Ms. Miraaai wants to proteeect.”

“People lie to protect things, riiight?”

“Ms. Miraaai.”

“What is it?”

“Can I give you the there, there thiiing?”

“Huh? Th-there, there? Again?”

“Crouch dooown.”

“Sigh… All right.”

Okonogi then began patting Haruna’s head. Just like I’d seen her do on the school field not long ago. What was it that Okonogi had said back then? Ah, yes, I remember—

“Ms. Miraaai, good girl, gooood girl. Be nice to yourself, okaaay?”

It seemed like Okonogi was concerned about Haruna, too. I had to wonder how Okonogi saw her.

“Can I give you a huuug?”

“Tee-hee, just do whatever you like.”

Haruna humored Okonogi with the energy of a parent playing with a small child.

Okonogi went on to give Haruna a big hug. And then—she seemed to whisper something in her ear, after which Haruna vigorously distanced herself.

“Wha—?!”

Haruna had a baffled expression, the likes of which I’d never seen from her before.

“Okonogi, are you okay? And Ms. Haruna, what brought this on?”

“I’m fiiine. Hmm, weeell, maybe not, juuust a little.”

“Huh? So, Ms. Haruna, are you—?”

“I’m quite all right.”

Her voice was ice-cold. Her expression was stern and stiff.

“Ah-ha, well, it’s good to see that Okonogi is safe and sound. I’m starting to feel a bit under the weather, so I’ll head on back to the school. I’ll report this to the principal as well.”

Haruna got all of that out fast, and she left the forest behind for the school even faster.

“Okonogi…what did you say to Ms. Haruna?”

“Hmm… I’ll keep that a seeecret from you. You wouldn’t geeet it aaanyway.”

Was I…being pushed away? How exactly would I not get it?

“After all, you’re bluish. You’re cleeean, a different speeecies from the likes of uuus. But I liiike that about you, Mr. Hitomaaa. Whuh, but not the romaaantic kinda ‘like,’ though, tee-hee-hee.”

Okonogi cackled with glee.

I was bluish, and the likes of Okonogi weren’t. According to her.

“So anywaaay, I don’t think aaanyone but super-duper reds like uuus would get it. But awww, phooey, I wanted to be frieeends with Ms. Miraaai.”

Okonogi was as hard to grasp as ever.

“…If I don’t get it, I’d at least like to try.”

“No chaaance.”

“You never know, maybe there is a chance.”

“Theeen, Mr. Hitomaaa, what’ll you think when there really iiisn’t a chance?”

If there’s still no chance, if I listen to Okonogi lay it out for me and still fail to understand. I think I’d—

“Even then, I’d keep listening to understand even a little bit.”

“Mr. Hitomaaa…”

Okonogi’s response to my own contained a tinge of sadness.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, you said people lie to protect, riiight? I think for uuus, we’re protecting ourseeelves first. Thaaat’s why…we’re not strooong enough to keep taaalking until you understaaand us.”

Okonogi’s lazy smile made me regret my question, fearing that I’d once again overstepped my bounds.

“Sorry.”

I didn’t know what I was sorry for, but the words left my mouth naturally. Was it for making her sad? For overstepping my bounds? For making her think that I couldn’t understand? It had to be all of the above.

While I was hanging my head, Okonogi gave me a pat on the shoulder.

“Sooorry, but it’s not your faaault, Mr. Hitomaaa. Aaanyway, isn’t it time we head baaack to the others?”

We had been out here for quite a while. The sun was even starting to set.

“…Good idea.”

And so Okonogi and I returned to the school.

From what I heard later, the principal saw where Okonogi had gotten lost with his precognition, but he was relieved to see that I showed up soon after.

Okonogi and I apologized to everyone for making them worry, and the whole issue passed without incident, since there weren’t any major violations or damages. The principal had elected for pretty forgiving resolutions every time these issues came up. He placed his trust in me, and I didn’t want to do anything that could break it.

By the time we returned to the school, Okonogi was back to her usual self, her chats dreamily hopping from one non sequitur to the next. Maybe it was a sign that I’d gotten her concerned over me.

Haruna seemed to have left already, saying she commuted to the school from her family home and all. The buses to the train station did run until surprisingly late into the evening, but it was still a holiday that we came into work on, so maybe Haruna just wanted to get home early. It was already winter vacation for the students…and we faculty would have the week of New Year’s off, too. Maybe something came up. At least, I wanted to think so.

I didn’t end up having the chance to ask, but I still wondered what it was that Okonogi said to Haruna back then. She sure seemed shaken up by it…

This year would end in just a few short days. We wouldn’t see the students again until the new year.

There was much I wanted to think about, but I couldn’t get a grasp on any of it and was at a loss for what to do. This went for both my concerns over Maki…and my concerns over Haruna.

How would next year go for us?

It was ridiculous.

The accusation that I had corporally punished Haruna was absolutely baseless. There were limits to how much of a lie someone could manufacture.

The moment the news reached the head teacher, I was put on disciplinary leave. I was later told that Haruna would, for some reason, be expelled, and that I would be forbidden from contacting her.

Had the accusations been true, then that would have been the natural course of action. But I just couldn’t accept this.

From what I heard, Haruna was the one who reported the corporal punishment.

I couldn’t believe it.

The day before Haruna’s expulsion, I came to the school to collect my personal belongings.

The teachers’ office. The social studies prep room. Not a single person would speak to me.

I packed each of my belongings, one by one, into a cardboard box and filled out paperwork to have them shipped to my house.

After that, I decided to take a look at the classroom one last time. It was a Sunday; the only people at school would have been other teachers or students doing extracurriculars.

Or so I thought.

The Misanthrope and the Tranquil Tobari

I don’t sleep. I’m a being that doesn’t evenneedsleep.

I would’ve liked to have dreams.

Happy ones. Sad ones. Fun ones. Painful ones. I’d take anything.

I canimitatesleep. I close my eyes and stay still, that’s all.

Dreams are still foreign to me.

The curtain falls on another day.

My world is forever under the veil of a night that knows no dawn.

Shiranui High School held a New Year’s party every year. I didn’t attend the one in my first year, since I lived with my family at the time, and while I did move to the faculty dorms in my second year, I still went back home for the holidays and skipped that year’s as well. But this year, my parents were going to spend New Year’s overseas, so this would be my first time attending.

It was a smaller get-together that staff and students in the intermediate class and above could join, making it a priceless chance for out-of-class interaction.

“Mr. Hitoma, you eat your soba yet?”

When I arrived at the venue, the first voice to greet me belonged to my student, Tobari Haneda.

“Yeah, I just got mine. I’ve been really excited to try Roost Rep Ryouko’s special-made soba.”

“I feel that. Everyone says it tastes great. Got a li’l jealous, huh?”

“Hey, maybe.”

Heck, I made a beeline for it the moment I arrived. The dipping sauce had a thick, brothy fragrance to it, and the star of the show, the noodles (likely a nihachi eighty/twenty blend), had a satisfyingly firm texture and paired fantastically with the sauce.

Yes, it was quite delicious. Just remembering it had me about to drool.

“Mr. Hitoma, wipe the drool, ’kay?”

“Oh!”

Shoot, shoot, I let myself look like a slob… Still, Haneda didn’t pay any mind to my poor manners as she looked over the venue.

“You talk to the other teachers and the advanced class students yet? Sounds like everyone but Machi and Maki are gonna make it.”

“Huh… I see, it’s surprising to hear that those two won’t make it when you’d think they’d love these sorts of events.”

“Machi said she’s spending New Year’s with Chiyu. You know, since Chiyu’s still in the beginner class and can’t come to the party, right? And Maki said she was sleepy.”

“Ha-ha, yeah, that sounds like them.”

I looked around the venue and saw Ryuzaki talking with Ms. Karasuma. Their discussion seemed pretty lively.

Usami was surrounded by Mr. Hoshino and Kunitachi, the language arts teacher. Entrance exams were coming up, so I hoped that talking to these two could give Usami a boost in motivation.

Wakaba seemed to be talking with Ms. Sudou, the PE teacher, and Mr. Emoto, the art teacher. She was making all sorts of poses, so I had to wonder what they were talking about…

“Did Ms. Haruna go back home?”

“Sounded like it. She said she always spends the holidays at her family home.”

We were in winter vacation now, so I hadn’t seen Haruna since that field trip. And given how Okonogi didn’t join the event just when I thought I’d get the chance to talk to her, I was left with some misgivings in the back of my mind.

“Mr. Rei! What, might I ask, would you be discussing with Tobari?”

“Oh, Ryuzaki.”

Before I knew it, Ryuzaki was right in front of me. She must have gotten caught up with Ms. Karasuma already.

Thinking back, a lot had happened this year between Ryuzaki and me. She confessed her feelings for me again before the sports festival, and I told her that I couldn’t reciprocate—

“Haneda and I were just making small talk about stuff, like whether I had my soba, or which of the advanced class students were coming.”

“Oh, but of course!” said Ryuzaki. “Um, Mr. Rei. It’s been a pleasure to spend this year with you! I hope we’ll have the chance to make even more memories in the next one.”

“Sounds good.”

Maybe it was because of Ryuzaki’s effortless smile and the party’s festive mood, but I was able to talk with her without a hint of tension—in a good way—while she ever so slightly stumbled over what to say. Maybe moments like these were what this party was really for…

“I wonder if I’ll be able to graduate this year…”

“Ryuzaki, you wanted to advance to a private university, right?”

“I do. I wish to study history as you humans saw it. And I can’t wait to discover what romance might blossom there!”

“Ha-ha, I think you’d be a good fit for it.”

As a social studies teacher myself, I was quite happy to hear that. You see, what makes history fun isn’t memorizing what events happened when for a test, it’s the human drama that led to them in the first place. It’s the briefest of chance encounters becoming the catalyst for a pivotal turning point. So be it romance or anything else, Ryuzaki had a lens that would let her enjoy the process, which made me think she really was suited to studying history.

“Yes, Hitoma. It’s been some time.”

“Wakaba, haven’t seen you since the closing ceremony.”

Wakaba merely tilted her head and smiled, but her shining, silky hair brought the warmth of early summer with it. Even though we were in the middle of winter.

“What were you talking about with Ms. Sudou and Mr. Emoto?”

“Yes, I was being scouted. Sudou invited me for sports, and Emoto for modeling.”

“Guess you’re in vogue, huh…?”

“Yes, you could say. I decided to give both a try. It’s the end of the year, after all…they’d serve as fine memories to make, no?”

“Yeah, I think they’d be good experiences for you.”

It figured that any student would have graduation on their mind at this time of year.

I glanced over at Usami…and saw she was still talking with Mr. Hoshino, as usual. Everyone had their noses to the grindstone.

“Did you all have your dinner? It’s high time for the raaaffle!”

The principal’s voice brought everyone’s attention to the projector. Ms. Karasuma was already operating a computer next to him, possibly working as his assistant.

“Yo, Mr. Hitoma, I hear the grand prize this year is a luxury steak set.”

“For real? Nezu would’ve loved to join in, then.”

“Yes, and there’s supposedly a pair of high-quality headphones as well.”

“Why, that would be just splendid for Mr. Rei! If I win it, I’ll be sure to offer it as a present!”

“Ooh… Present aside, I wanna hear more about those headphones…”

I wondered if the pair was on the shelf that displayed the other prizes. Aaand…ah.

“Ahh… If that’s the prize, I already have the same thing, so I’ll pass.”

“In that case, I do believe that we’d have matching pairs if I win!”

“Ah-ha-ha, sounds like ya gotta win it, Karin.”

“I shall spare no effort!”

But despite how high we got our hopes up, neither the luxury steaks nor the headphones had their fates intertwine with ours. We walked away with Ryuzaki winning a few scant snacks and Wakaba winning a bookstore gift card.

“You still hangin’ around, Mr. Hitoma?”

“Oh, Haneda, what is it?”

The New Year’s party had ended, and we were already in the new year. To be honest, ringing in the new year didn’t feel as real to me as it used to. When I was a kid, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event, one that brought a sense of accomplishment over nothing more than the passage of time.

“Hmm, just a little thing. You?”

“I was helping to clean up. Everything’s all done now, I just have to return this key to the teachers’ office. I’m the least senior employee when Haruna’s not around, so I figure I ought to do it anyway.”

“Huh, well aren’t you the stand-up guy.”

Haneda watched without much interest as I locked up the audiovisual room.

“…All the other teachers and students have gone home by now.”

“Hmm? I’m here for you, though.”

“For me?”

I’d been planning to head home and sleep after I returned the key, but…

“There’s someone who’d really like to see you now, so wanna come with?”

“Now?! Isn’t it getting kinda late for that?”

My wristwatch gave the time as three thirty AM. This wasn’t exactly the sort of hour you knocked on a door at.

“It’s no biggie, Mr. Hitoma, you’re always up around this time either way. ’Sides, you spend most of your days off playing games till noon the next day, right? You sure got a lotta energy!”

I mean, I was worried about bothering the person we’d visit more than I was my own beauty sleep, so…

…No, there was something else here.

“Why do you know my sleep schedule?”

“Oh… Uh, vibes?”

Haneda awkwardly averted her eyes and gave a half-hearted laugh.

Wait, could it be? I wondered. Did she watch me with some kind of X-ray vision…?! How much does Haneda know about my personal life…?!

I considered digging into the matter by asking for more details, but my instincts told me that doing so would hit me with untold psychic damage, so I decided to drop the subject. Instead, I shot Haneda a stern look of disapproval.

“Eeeeek! Lady Shiranui! Happy new year!” Alice cried. “Oh? I see you came in your runt form.”

“Y’know how it is. I came with a teacher and all.”

“Oh, er, yeah, ringing in the new year.”

The place Haneda took me to was a shrine deep within the campus’s forest and shrouded by a barrier. Living here was Kurosawa, a student who dropped out last year due to personal circumstances, and Alice, a witch who served as her guardian.

“Hey, human. What does it mean to ‘ring’ it in? How strange!”

“Well, humans have some history with ringing bells on the new year, so I guess it’s sorta like saying to celebrate the occasion?”

“Hmmm, how strange. Why not just say that, then? Always making things too complicated.”

“Now, now, it’s a culture thing.”

“Lady Shiranui, I’m amazed you can tolerate them so well. But anyway! Lady Shiranui, listen to this! So, the other day…”

Alice was loud from the start as she related her recent events with quite a few gripes mixed in, and Haneda listened happily. I got the feeling that these two really did get along.

“…Hello…again,” came a voice.

I felt a light tug on the hem of my shirt, and then a black cat girl popped out from beneath my arm. She still looked just as small as when I saw her during the summer.

“It’s been a while, Kurosawa,” I said.

“Neneko, it’s meee! I came lookin’ like this.”

“Hold on, Lady Shiranui! I haven’t finished talking yet!”

“Meow…”

Either startled at Haneda’s sudden approach or at Alice’s raised voice, Kurosawa hid behind me.

“Aww, did I startle you? Sorry about that. I’m not scary,” Haneda said.

“…I’m not…used to you…looking like that.”

“Come to think of it, when did you decide on letting Kurosawa see you like that? You always had the director form on before.”

“Since summer. Wait, Mr. Hitoma, you didn’t know? You were the one who told me you saw these two back then, right?”

“We left to visit you after stumbling onto this human.”

“No kiddin’? Hm, well, that’s how it is.”

That made sense. No wonder she wasn’t used to it yet.

Kurosawa continued to hide behind me as she assessed the situation.

“…Meow, sniff, sniff… I smell…food.”

“Wait, is it left on my clothes?”

Particulars aside, I kind of had my misgivings about her smelling my clothes.

“We actually had the school’s New Year’s party just a bit ago, so maybe it’s food from that? And you know, seeing everyone else’s faces had me wanting to see ol’ Alice and Neneko, too!”

“Oh my! Lady Shiranui, what a delightful thing to hear! You’re warming up to me, I can feel it!” said Alice. “Oh, I could do without that human over there, though.”

“Was that last part necessary?!” I retorted.

“Mr. Hitoma, let’s settle down, I just figured Neneko might be happy to see ya.”

“What am I, a housewarming gift…?”

“I’m…happy, yeah…”

Kurosawa, still hiding behind me, hugged me tightly, like a stuffed animal.

Now, let me reiterate that I am not a pedo in any way, shape, or form, but something about this…it gave me a feeling… Was it a desire to protect…?

“Sigh… Well, if the cat’s happy, then whatever.”

Alice scratched her head haphazardly and gave a somewhat tired sigh.

“Hm? Hey now, look who’s feelin’ a little generous.”

“Well, just a bit.”

Alice looked at Kurosawa as though there was something she struggled to say. Kurosawa responded to that look by hanging her head and sulking.

“…Training hasn’t…been going well…”

“Well now, sounds like a handful.”

“And things were going so smoothly until just a bit ago… Why is it, I wonder?”

Maybe this had to do with how Kurosawa didn’t look much different from when I saw her over the summer.

“Whatcha think, Mr. Hitoma?”

Kurosawa’s flat ears seemed even more down than usual.

“These things happen.”

“Ugh, wasting my time, this guy’s just saying whatever sounds nice.”

“No, not like that.”

I didn’t want that brushed off, so I worded it a bit more strongly than I intended. I took a small breath to ensure I didn’t get carried away and blurt out anything I shouldn’t.

“Growth kinda looks like an exponential function.”

“Huh? I don’t know whatever it is they teach in your human schools.”

“Er, well…”

It’d be easier if I could just show her the shape, but I didn’t see anything lying around that fit the bill.

“Here, somethin’ like this.”

As I struggled, Haneda drew the shape of an exponential function with light in midair. I didn’t know she could even do that.

“What’s this weird shape supposed to be?”

“……”

Kurosawa looked quietly at the graph Haneda drew. And despite her grumbling, Alice was giving us an honest listen, too.

“Thank you, Haneda.”

“You’re welcome. As thanks, you can let me drag ya to one more spot.”

“Oof, fine, I get it.”

Haneda snuck in an extra plan for my night. My wristwatch showed just a little past four AM at this point. Was I gonna be out until morning?

“Yes, anyway, this graph measures time on the horizontal axis and progress on the vertical axis. I think Kurosawa’s first growth spurt has ended, and she’s now preparing for her next breakthrough.”

“…So…I’m not…a bad kitty?”

“Bad kitty?”

Where did that come from?

“Bad kitty… Worthless kitty… Stupid kitty… P-pathetic kitty… Useless… That’s…all stuff that Alice has told mgggrh.”

“Aaaliiice?” said Haneda.

Alice clamped down hard on Kurosawa’s mouth, leaving the rest of her sentence muffled. That’s when Haneda— Oh! I knew that smile! That was her shadowy smirk!

“Lady Shiranui, why are you looking at me like that?! Those eyes won’t scare me as long as you’re in your runt form!”

“Hmm… That so, now?”

After grinning from ear to ear at the witch who tried to childishly dodge the blame, Haneda stood up and took my hand.

“All right, Mr. Hitoma, let’s go home!”

“Huh?”

I locked up on the spot, surprised at both being grabbed and at the mid-conversation announcement that we’d be leaving.

“Huuuh?! Hold onnn! Wait, please wait, Lady Shiranui! Isn’t this the part where you transform to your usual self and blow up at me?!”

“I don’t feel like playing into what you obviously want me to do.”

Haneda watched Alice throw an even bigger tantrum with a sadistic smile. She had Alice in the palm of her hand.

“Alice…you’re being…embarrassing…”

“You be quiet.”

“Aaaliiice?”

Alice pulled no punches with Kurosawa—and Haneda didn’t take too kindly to that. It was kinda funny to watch from the side.

Kurosawa seemed to cheer up a bit, as her tail was whipping around quickly.

“Come onnn…”

Possibly feeling some pity for how down in the dumps Alice had gotten, Haneda sighed and slumped her shoulders in apparent exasperation.

“Geez… Look, she might’ve dropped out, but Neneko’s still a student to us, got it? So you shouldn’t be going all drill sergeant on her, either. A witch of your caliber oughtta know that, right?”

“Ghhh…”

Alice gritted her teeth in defeat. She probably understood that Haneda was right, but those feelings were in conflict with her own stubbornness.

“And Neneko, make sure you speak up when the time calls for it, ’kay?”

“Oh…I’m…fine th-there… I…speak up…a lot.”

“You do?!”

I didn’t imagine it from how unconfident she’d seemed before… No, maybe that qualified as speaking up for her? Did Kurosawa have more of a backbone than I gave her credit for?

“Hey, not bad.”

Haneda seemed satisfied with Kurosawa’s response.

“Mr. Hitoma.”

Perhaps catching that Haneda and I were about to leave, Kurosawa came over to us, one unfamiliar step at a time.

“How far…does hard work…get you?”

Kurosawa’s yellow eyes, shining like the full moon, were fixed on me. They hid uncertainty, hope—and impatience.

“I don’t know. There are plenty of times where it doesn’t pay off.”

I looked right back into her eyes.

“My typical answer would probably be something like, it’s less about hard work paying off and more about the act of working hard itself. Experience is its own reward, or something. But that’s just an ideal. In the real world, hard work almost never pays off.”

Kurosawa listened to me quietly.

“But still—when I see the work you’ve put in, I want you to be rewarded for it. I want you to make those ideals a reality. I’ll cooperate in any way I can to help you do it.”

“…Okay… Thank you.”

“Human, has anyone ever told you you’re honest to a fault? That sort of phrasing miiight be making you more enemies than you need.”

“Alice…I like…that about…Mr. Hitoma.”

“No kiddin’. That part of him always has me thinkin’ he’s awkward and makes life harder for himself, but it ain’t half bad.”

“Did you really have to say I make life harder?”

I had some complicated feelings, since she wasn’t off the mark.

“Heh-heh, it’s nice and humanlike of ya.”

Haneda’s joyful smile seemed like it had a sense of satisfaction.

I couldn’t quite understand what Haneda’s standards for “humanlike” were, but after one look at the joy in her smile, I felt like I could let a lot slide.

“Phew, I’m glad I got the chance to see Alice and Neneko again! Mr. Hitoma, thanks for tagging along.”

“You’re welcome. I was happy to talk with them, too.”

After Haneda’s scolding, Alice used magic to set up some snacks and drinks, and we ended up talking things out for a pretty long time. It was like an after-party.

Haneda and I left the shrine the two inhabited and walked through the quiet forest. It was the dead of night, so the air was brisk and cold.

“Fwaaah…”

“Ah-ha-ha, that’s one big yawn.”

“What do you want from me? It’s almost morning.”

My wristwatch had just ticked past six thirty AM. The sky was starting to brighten up ever so slightly.

“Time well spent, huh?”

“It really was.”

At first, I had no idea what she wanted by having me tag along at this hour, although it wasn’t so bad in the end. This was ancient history by now, but it kind of made me feel like I’d returned to my student days.

“All right, time to hit up the last place.”

“Huh? Whoa!”

Before I knew it, Haneda was holding on to me as I floated in the air.

“Waaaargh! Ha-Ha-Haneda! Haneda, please?! Making me fly, from out of nowhere, is kinda gonna freak me out!”

“Ah-ha-ha, you’re funny. It’s your second time, so get used to it.”

“It’s scary!”

I did not have any room in my brain to have misgivings about my back being pressed right up against my student.

When was the last time we’d done this? If I recalled, something similar happened in the autumn of my first year. That time, we were on the roof—

“I’m gonna start movin’ a bit, so hang on tight!”

“Eeeeeeeeeeek!!!”

I wondered where she was taking me. The wind blew stronger than I’d imagined; it roared as it whipped past my ears. Actually, I was just plain kinda scared!

“Bet you’ve never come around here, Mr. Hitoma!”

Where is “here”?!

Haneda gracefully sliced through the wind. It was all I could do to cling on to her. After some time passed, the wind began to settle.

“Phew, I think around here should do.”

“D-did we make it?”

I couldn’t see my surroundings at all, but it didn’t feel like we’d gone that far. Haneda then gently let me down to the ground.

Ah, the sweet safety of terra firma, I thought.

I considered giving a big hug to the earth at my feet, but I got the feeling that I wouldn’t be getting up for a while if I did, so I managed to keep my feelings inside and instead take a look around.

“So, where are we…?”

“The mountain by the school. The summit, at that.”

Ah, that mountain that I could always see from the school building. And now that she mentioned it, I could see the school building from here, too. So this was how small it looked from up here…

“Mr. Hitoma, just a little longer.”

Haneda pointed at the sky.

“Just a little longer” until what? I looked in the direction she pointed to and realized: The sky had whitened up quite a bit. It was twilight.

The cold, brisk air felt just a bit softer. The light pouring up from the horizon stretched into the sky.

Today was January 1. New Year’s Day.

“The first daybreak of the new year?”

“Yep. Pretty, ain’t it?”

The sunlight shone upon everything in sight, as though it was all born anew.

Morning was here.

It meant nothing more than that, yet this light seemed something more divine than the norm. Even though I’d always thought of the morning sunlight as some sort of violent punishment for my lack of a proper sleep schedule.

Maybe there was something special to the year’s first sunrise. Or maybe the feeling came from watching it in this spot with Haneda.

The light I had so loathed was beautiful, like a blessing enveloping everything its rays could reach.

“I used to talk with Shiro here all the time. Back when I’d just started running this school, anyway.”

I guess this spot reminded her of the past. A glance at Haneda showed that she was looking far off into the distance.

“Mr. Hitoma, what’ll you do going forward?”

“What does ‘going forward’ mean here?”

“It’s coming up on three years since you came to this school, right?”

Three years? Ah, she must be talking about my teaching contract period.

My contract was for three years. After that, I could choose to renew and continue teaching here. Alternatively, I guess I could end the contract, lose all memories of my time here, and apply to a different school.

“…You know, it’s hard to say good-bye.”

Those words just happened to leave my lips.

Huh, I guess I didn’t want to say good-bye. Even though all the stuff with Haruna at the start of the school year had me conflicted about whether to stay.

And so I considered where things stood. Objectively speaking, I didn’t think that every single one of the advanced class students was going to graduate this year. That’s why I wanted to spend next year in this very school and in this very class, helping these students prepare for graduation. That went for Usami, Nezu, Ryuzaki, Wakaba, and Okonogi; I wanted to see all of them make it through.

On that note…

“Haneda, do you intend to graduate at all?”

“Me? Hmm…”

Haneda’s eyes widened in surprise a bit before she furrowed her brow in thought. The morning light just began to reach her, giving her eyebrows a faint shine.

“…I want to graduate, yeah. But that’s still a long way off.”

Haneda gave a weak, sad smile. It sounded like she had given up on the idea for the time being. She appeared so forlorn yet also so beautiful.

“I see… In that case, I’ll stay at this school until you graduate, too.”

Even if that was far off into the future, I wanted to see what that future looked like. I didn’t want to give up.

“That so? Guess you’re stuck with me forever.”

Haneda offered me a gentle smile, her long, shiny hair tinged with the morning sun.

The Misanthrope and the Self-Sacrificing Prayer

“Graduation assignments?”

The new year had come, and today marked the start of the third semester. The graduation assignments were coming up, so I decided to talk to Haruna about the subject.

“Yeah,” I said to her, “the grade on this assignment is the final deciding factor in whether someone graduates. You might have already heard about this from another teacher, no?”

“Yes, from Ms. Saotome. It’s something like a graduation thesis or a final art project, correct? And I hear that the contents of the project vary from student to student…”

“Exactly. It’s pretty much anything goes as far as what gets assigned.”

If Ms. Saotome already explained things, then Haruna probably had a good idea of what to expect.

Haruna took a thinking pose, letting out a small “Hmm…” before continuing. “In other words…this school expects an even higher standard of humanlike behavior from its students. The assignment represents the final thing that this school wants them to learn…”

“Y-yeah…”

I guess she understood it even better than I thought.

“Well, I’m excited no matter what assignments come down! I’ll do my best to support our students!”

Haruna flexed her arms to demonstrate her determination. It was reassuring to know she wasn’t lacking in spirit.

Today was just the notice that the assignments were coming. I could only wonder what exactly would be assigned next week.

And so, first period, one week after the announcement. Today was the day for the assignment meetings.

The students went to the principal’s office one by one, where they were individually given their assignment. Some came back with strange things in hand…

“Uchami, what’s that?”

“…Straw.”

A strand of straw.

When Usami walked back into class holding that, I…honestly thought she must’ve picked up some trash along the way.

Usami herself was blinking in befuddlement, too.

“My assignment’s to trade this,” she said.

“Mweh? Sooo, like the ‘Straw Millionaaaire’?”

“Yep, that’s it. I’m supposed to trade whatever I get in the end to the principal.”

Okonogi showed a lot of interest in Usami’s piece of straw, giving it a few playful pokes.

“Ah, I get the picture. Like, the thing you turn in is the basis for your grade?” I asked.

“Can I even trade this for anything?”

This was a single, flimsy strand of straw. Nothing more.

“Meee! I’ll traaade for it. Maybe I’ll make a friendship bracelet out of your straaaw.”

“Maki! Are you sure? Thank you so much!”

Oh, looks like she settled that one sooner than expected.

“It’s a trade, riiight? Hmm… Ahhh, how about thiiis?”

Okonogi reached into her bag and pulled out a perfectly normal ballpoint pen.

“You’re sure you’d trade something this nice?!”

Usami had a point. Getting a pen for a piece of straw was like a fire sale bargain.

“I’m suuure. Besides, this pen isn’t kya-wootie at aaall.”

“You’re a lifesaver! Maki, thank you so much!”

“Fweh-heh-heh. You’re weeelcome.”

The two had a deal. Usami’s assignment was off to a good start.

“By the way, Maki, what kinda assignment did you get?” Usami asked.

“Mmwh? Mine is to find a huuundred true things. I write them all in this teensy-weensie noootebook.”

Okonogi showed off her notebook…which was more the size of a ring of flash cards. Usami flipped through it.

“Then you oughtta start off by writing this.”

Usami looked at the first page and her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

“‘Maki Okonogi is a do-gooder.’ There.”

Those words made Maki let out a flustered “Mweeeh?!” and contort her face into an expression I couldn’t quite read.

Ryuzaki came running over. “Mr. Rei! Mr. Rei, would you be familiar with this ‘social media’ thing?”

“Social media? Well…a normal amount.”

Sure, I checked my socials every day whenever I had a spare moment from waking up to hitting the hay, but that counted as a normal amount… Probably.

“It just so happens that my assignment is to accumulate five thousand social media followers, so I’d like to ask how one might go about that!”

Ryuzaki showed me the mobile device she was lent for the assignment and closed in on me.

“This school doesn’t allow posting on social media, right? So how is your assignment going to work?”

“Why, of course, posting any photos or mention of the school is strictly forbidden. I would fail the assignment and surely face some sort of punishment as well.”

“Sure comes with some high risks…”

“However, just for this assignment, posts that don’t touch upon those subjects will be allowed. As such, the service I’ll be using is a text-based one. But how can I gain the interest of so many different people…?”

Ryuzaki went deep in thought, and Haruna soon came over to us.

“I think it’s important to think about being relatable,” she said.

“Ms. Mirai! Would you perhaps be knowledgeable of social networks…?!”

“Heh-heh! My own account is at 124,000 followers!”

“That many?!” I cried.

All I have are the friends I play games with!

“I got hooked on a photo-sharing website back when I was in school…”

Haruna sounded a little flushed as she revealed her past, but a number like that was pretty amazing. Ryuzaki had a powerful adviser in her corner.

“Ms. Mirai, how splendid! I’d be delighted if you could show me the ropes!”

“Understood!”

From the looks of things, Ryuzaki would be just fine. But how about the other students?

“Wakaba, what kind of assignment did you get?” I asked.

“Mm, I am to write a diary. I must write of at least three events that occur each day.”

“Huh. Three’s a pretty particular number.”

“And over here, I’m on dinner duty at the dorm, squeak!”

“Nezu, you know how to cook?”

“…I can cook what I can cook.”

“Mm? Quite the loaded wording, I might say,” Wakaba remarked.

“Well, you know how ingredients are plenty tasty as they are…sooo…”

Nezu’s gaze wandered, and her voice grew muffled. Wakaba and I took the hint as to what the assignment was meant to accomplish.

“Ahhh… I see…,” I said.

“Squeak… That’s why whenever I can’t eat at the dorm, Chiyu’s the one on cooking duty…”

Because otherwise, her big sister ends up nibbling on all the ingredients…

“And Tobari, what of your assignment?” Wakaba asked.

“The one I’ve got is to make a song using three instruments I’ve never touched before.”

“An artistic venture, I see.”

Instruments she’d never touched… And she had to create a song when she might not even know what they sounded like…

“A little, maybe.” Haneda flashed a confident smile.

The advanced class’s graduation projects were underway.

Three days had passed since the assignments were given.

The first one to finish hers was, just like every other year, none other than Tobari Haneda.

“What were the three new instruments you went with?” I asked her.

“There’s this flutelike thing called a kazoo, and a daxophone, and a wheelharp.”

I could sort of picture what kinds of instruments they were from the names, but I wasn’t familiar with a single one.

“I got some pretty fun sounds out of ’em. Wanna hear?”

“Are you sure?”

Haneda plugged a pair of earbuds into her smartphone and offered me one.

“…Not using Bluetooth?” I said.

“Nah, charging that stuff is a pain.”

While I wholeheartedly agreed, we were still a little too close for comfort.

The song itself had a lot of very distinctive sounds that took some getting used to, but it did all come together into a rather interesting whole. With the right timing, I could even see it going viral as an internet meme.

“That’s a fun song.”

“Heh-heh, thanks.”

Seeing that smile reminded me of when we saw that New Year’s sunrise.

Even if Haneda passed this graduation assignment, she couldn’t graduate. That thought made the song sound just a bit melancholic.

“T-T-Tobari, how unfair! What are you listening to with Mr. Rei?!”

“Ah, Ryuzaki— Whoa.”

Ryuzaki had wedged herself between Haneda and me. She scowled at the earbuds that were connecting the two of us.

“I finished my graduation assignment, so I figured I’d let Mr. Hitoma have a listen.”

“Graduation assignment… Tobari, your assignment was to compose a song, correct? Yes, so it is… In that case…I suppose…”

Despite some misgivings, Ryuzaki seemed to accept the explanation. Though it wasn’t like I didn’t get where she was coming from; Haneda didn’t have to let me listen to her project, and she didn’t have to share headphones to do it.

“Uh, what about you, Ryuzaki? How’s your graduation assignment coming along?”

I decided to change the subject before this situation got dug into any deeper. Besides, I was curious about Ryuzaki’s assignment. What did her social media progress look like?

“Ms. Mirai imparted her know-how unto me. Things like, ‘Reach out to influencers close to you,’ or ‘Make your content provide useful information while being highly relatable,’ or ‘Try not to project a negative or egotistical image.’ However, it hasn’t quite gone as I’d hoped… Mr. Rei, what do you think of this?”

Ryuzaki then showed me the device she was lent for the assignment. The account shown on the screen was probably Ryuzaki’s.

Let’s see…

“…Ryuzaki.”

“Mr. Rei, have you found any room for improvement?”

Haneda was next to me, wearing a similarly sour expression. It looked like she had the same thoughts about Ryuzaki’s account as I did.

“Hmm… It’s hard to know exactly how to say this, but your account kinda…looks like spam, maybe.”

“My, that’s…quite delicious, no?”

“Not that kind of spam.”

Ryuzaki’s account was made following Haruna’s advice to the letter. But the content itself, well—

“Reaching out to influencers by directly saying ‘check my bio’ might not be the best strategy…”

“I simply wanted to be clear…”

“Also, all your posts are just links to household products…”

“I figured that information would be useful…”

Plus, her icon and everything else were still on the default options, so it even looked a little scary. And the bio that she told others to look at said only “Follow me.” Still, I found it hard to say any of that when Ryuzaki was already sullen, so I kept those thoughts to myself.

“Ryuzaki…I understand that you want to be seen, but I think things might improve if you put the same amount of thought into how others see you.”

“How others see me?”

“Ah, I feel ya. Karin’s assignment is to get followers, right? The way I see it, that’s basically like having that many humans like you,” said Haneda.

Ryuzaki seemed a little miffed by this. “I don’t need any human to like me besides Mr. Rei, thank you very much.”

“That means you can’t finish the assignment, though.”

“Hey, uh, Ryuzaki, what do you think your strong points are?”

Ryuzaki was struck silent after having the obvious explained to her, so I hurriedly tried to give her something to work from.

“Why of course, it’s my love for you, Mr. Rei!”

“Ah-ha-ha, why not? Ms. Haruna’s got her own expertise, but how about you roll with that next?”

“What do you mean?”

Ryuzaki seemed suspicious of Haneda’s proposal.

“I mean to try posting the exact feelings you always show us to social media.”

After a bit of thought, Ryuzaki had an epiphany.

“In other words…I can simply post a fantasy diary of me and Mr. Rei!”

“Sounds sweet. Go for it.”

Was she for real…? Still, it was an honest idea for how to approach the assignment.

“…Well, you might want to hide the parts about the school or how we’re teacher and student. I can see that getting you blown up. Also, it might be a good idea to start a whole new account instead of holding on to the current one, if you can.”

“Oh? Why might that be?”

“Old posts get dug up more often than you’d think… You know, just in case.”

“I’m not certain what you mean, but if you say so, Mr. Rei. Understood!”

Ryuzaki then remade her social media account. This time, she set her icon to a mood-setting royalty-free picture, and she put all sorts of young girl stuff in her bio.

Can an account like this get enough followers before the deadline? I wondered. But a fantasy diary, huh…? What in the world is a fantasy diary…?

I still had my doubts, given that description, but this would probably make the assignment a little easier for Ryuzaki.

But how were the assignments for the other students going?

“This is where I’m at with the straw trade.”

One day, after about a week had passed since the assignments began, Usami took out a pretty stone that was about the size of her palm.

Usami’s “Straw Millionaire” exchanges went from Okonogi’s ballpoint pen to Wakaba’s portrait photo of herself to Wakaba Fan Club member Konno’s luxury sweets to Nezu’s class notes (on cooking) from her time in the intermediate class, to Ms. Saotome’s unused beauty products, to Ryuzaki’s magic gem.

“What’s a magic gem?” I asked Usami.

“Karin called it like a piggy bank of magical energy. She said she was holding on to it just in case. I don’t know what kinda gem it is, though. Guess it’s strong, at least.”

The magic gem reflected a strange, dull light. At a glance, it looked like a rough gemstone with fluorescing rubies mixed in.

“I looked around, but I couldn’t find anyone who really wanted to trade for this. So this stone is probably what I’ll hand in to the principal.”

“You’re not handing it in yet?”

“It’s a slim chance, but if I find something better, I’ll trade it for that. If there’s any chance I could get a better grade, I’ll wait.”

Usami gave a determined smile with a “Hmph!”

She also put the magic gem into a small bag that hung off her waist so she could trade it at a moment’s notice.

“You’ve really got it all planned out.”

“Hmph! ’Course I do!”

Usami responded with full confidence; she was chasing the best grade possible to ensure she’d graduate this year. In her mind, yeah, of course she’d do this.

“By the way, how’s it coming along for Nezu?”

I didn’t know if she’d just been busy, but ever since the assignment began, Nezu had been heading right for the dorms the moment school ended. As such, I didn’t have much of an idea of her progress.

“She’s, well… Mrgh… It’s not looking great, but she is trying.”

“Not great, you say…?”

“Mm? Is this about Machi?”

“Oh, Wakaba.”

Wakaba popped out from behind me and joined the circle with Usami and me.

“So, Machi, she gets a specific amount of food she gets to taste test, right?”

“Yes, a single small spoonful.”

“She’s sticking to just that? I’m impressed.”

“Hitoma, you set the bar for Machi way too low.”

Oof… I had a faint awareness of it, but she got me there…

“Yes, but I’m certain Machi would appreciate her efforts being so assertively lauded.”

“Hmph. Well, not like I care. Machi’s barely managing to keep it together, I hear. But just looking at her gets me antsy.”

“That bad, huh?”

Hearing that got me a bit worried as well.

“Yes, but I’m certain Machi will be just fine.”

“What makes ya so sure?”

Wakaba had full faith in Nezu, but Usami threw the question back at her with a look of suspicion.

“Machi is a type who’s eager to please, and so rises to the occasion, no? That’s why she’ll be just fine. What’s more, I’m certain our support will motivate her ever more strongly.”

“…Wakaba, you know Machi that well?”

“Ha-ha, while it’s been but a year since Machi and I became friends, rest assured that there are things I know for certain.”

“Hmm. Ya don’t say.”

Was the air kind of tense around here…? Maybe these two didn’t get along as well as I’d thought…

“W-Wakaba, how’s your assignment going?”

“Mm, the sailing’s rather smooth for me. It’s but a diary, after all. However, it has proven to be a learning experience, as it comes with that rule of writing of three events each day.”

“What’re ya supposed to learn from that?” Usami asked.

“Mm. It’s made me consider becoming involved more with others, like this moment we share now.”

Wakaba sealed it with a stylish wink.

I had worried that this assignment might’ve been too simple for Wakaba, just a little.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, I’m dooone!”

Ten days since the assignments began. I was walking down the hallway to the teachers’ office when Okonogi came to turn in a flash card ring to me. At first, I didn’t remember assigning anything to do with flash cards…but right, that was the medium for her graduation assignment, yeah.

“Okonogi, you’re supposed to turn that in to the principal, not— Wait, can I check it just in case?”

“Go aheeead.”

I got the feeling that I ought to take a look first and took the flash card ring from Okonogi.

Okonogi’s assignment was to find one hundred true things. For some reason, the cover of the ring of cards was decorated with stickers.

I flipped through the cards. The first page had Maki Okonogi is a do-gooder, which Usami wrote. After that, the cards continued with The sky is blue, Clouds are white, Desks are hard, Chairs are also hard, Ice cream is cold, and so on.

She must have written these while spacing out in class, I thought. She probably jumped to ice cream from how cold the chairs get, though.

I continued to flip through the cards. But I noticed that partway through, they all started having similar text.

This is the 32nd line.

This is the 33rd line.

This is the 34th.

35th

36th

“Okonogi…”

“Mweh?”

This was, to be sure, following what she was assigned. It wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong…but turning in the assignment like this would maybe, probably, absolutely not get her a great grade.

“Wait a minute… Let’s pause. Just let me collect my thoughts…”

“Got iiit.”

Okonogi had on her warm smile, same as always.

This wasn’t her idea of a joke. She probably wrote this because she honestly thought she’d found an efficient way to do the work. And to be clear, it was an interesting solution she arrived at by being flexible in her thinking. It’s just…while it’d probably get high marks as a punch line, this was her graduation assignment.

So, how to approach this…?

“Mr. Hitoma, what are you doing hanging around here?”

“Ahhh, Ms. Miraaai.”

“…O-Okonogi, hello.”

Haruna’s smile froze for just a bit. I felt some kind of tension in the air. I’d bet that she called out to me because from her point of view, my body blocked Okonogi from sight.

To be fair, the two had been seeing each other in class, but as far as I knew, they hadn’t actually spoken to each other since the field trip at the end of last year. Okonogi had said something to Haruna back then, and Haruna seemed a bit flustered by it. What in the world could it have—?

“So ummm, you knooow, I was letting Mr. Hitomaaa check my noootebook.”

“Notebook? Ah, you mean this?”

Okonogi didn’t spare a thought for that baggage as she continued to speak with Haruna.

Haruna’s gaze dropped to the flash card ring in my hand. The page I had opened had “42nd” written on it.

“…I hesitate to even suggest this, but…that’s not Okonogi’s graduation assignment, right?”

“It’s my graduation assiiignment!”

Haruna was speechless. If anything, I was impressed that she could tell it was the graduation assignment at a glance. Maybe the number being written down helped her fill in the blanks?

“Okonogi… Your assignment was to find one hundred true things, correct?”

“Sure waaas.”

“Now, this might just be my opinion, but I think that the term ‘find’ implies that your discovery is a new one.”

“Diss-cuhbarry?” Okonogi cupped her hands around her eyes like a pair of glasses.

“Yes. Would you say that this contains one hundred discoveries?”

“Sure doooes.”

Perhaps that wasn’t the answer Haruna expected, because her expression stiffened as she tried to find the words. I knew what Haruna was trying to say, but it wasn’t quite getting across to Okonogi.

A hundred discoveries, huh? I thought.

“Discoveries…,” I murmured.

“Mr. Hitomaaa?” Okonogi peered up into my eyes.

…Yeah, I decided, it’ll be a little rough, but let’s go with this angle.

“Hey, Okonogi, you like cute stuff, right?”

“Yep! I wuuuv all the kuh-wooby stuff!” Okonogi beamed and made a heart mark on her cheek.

“But is that a ‘true’ thing?”

“Mmmuh? Yesh.” Okonogi nodded, still making a heart mark.

Yes, Okonogi likes cute things. In that case…

“Would you say the things you wrote in here are cute or…not?”

In that instant, her expression looked like she’d been struck by a crack of lightning. It seemed she got the picture.

“Iiit… It’s not kawootie-patooootie…!”

“Then what does that make this line?”

“It meeeans…it’s not a true thing?!”

For now, it looked like we were on the right track.

“Of course, all of the entries you showed me were absolutely facts. But they were just facts, which might be a little bit different from something you’d call a ‘true thing’ from your own perspective.”

“Mmah, so thaaat’s why Ms. Miraaai…”

Yes, the “discoveries” Haruna talked about weren’t in the sense of simply finding something. It was, as Okonogi called them, “cuh-wootie” things; the sorts of discoveries that moved your heart.

“Okonogi, you’re good at finding cute things, right?”

“Hrmhm.”

It seemed like we got through to Okonogi, as she nodded with a stern look on her face.

“So I’m sorry to ask this when you’ve already gone through the trouble of writing so much down, but do you think you could find one hundred true things for us one more time?”

“Ooh… But Mr. Hitomaaa, I don’t have any more paaages.”

“In that case, I’ll give you a flash card ring from the supply room. You should be able to take it off the ring and switch out the pages.”

“Yaaay, thaaank you, Ms. Miraaai.”

“We have something like that lying around?”

“Yes… I suppose it was a gift? It comes with a noshi envelope, and it was in the ‘free to use’ part of the language arts prep room.”

Like the ceremonial origami…? Ah, it must have been a bingo prize from the New Year’s party. That reminded me, I saw that Mr. Kunitachi managed to win it, but he seemed at a loss for what to do with it.

“In that case, Okonogi. Let’s add in your new pages.”

“Okaaay.”

And so Haruna and Okonogi set off for the language arts prep room. I had my concerns, but I also had Haruna’s support, and that made me feel like this year’s assignments were going more smoothly than ever.

After that, Okonogi steadily gathered things that she felt in her heart were true into her flash cards.

Wakaba was also taking the first step to interact with others more, making more new memories to write about in her diary.

I hadn’t seen Nezu handling her assignment firsthand, but reviews were raving that the dorm’s meals had been tasting better than ever. I’d even heard that some of Nezu’s culinary renditions were being proposed to Roost Rep Ryouko.

As for Ryuzaki’s fantasy diary…well, let’s just say that an account that sure seemed like hers made its way to the timeline of my personal account.

So yeah, she was going viral. Those posts that captured the tender, melancholic moments of a girl whose love was never meant to be seemed to capture quite a few birds of a feather.

I took a peek at the account’s follower number and saw that it was just a few dozen people away from five thousand. Ryuzaki was surely going to pass her assignment. And while I was there, I calmly clicked the account’s MUTE button. I mean, come on… I was getting embarrassed here…

Usami had been walking around with that magic gem always in her bag. She was probably going to turn it in to the principal on the final day.

There was less than one week left until the end of the assignments. Just a little more, everyone.

“Mmah, Mr. Hitomaaa, take a looook. I wrote them aaall in.”

Today was the deadline for the graduation assignments. I had just exited the teachers’ office when Okonogi came waddling down the hall toward me, her flash card ring in hand.

“Oh, good going.”

I opened the flash card ring that Okonogi handed me and flipped through the entries.

Maki Okonogi is a do-gooder

The sky is blue

Clouds are white

Desks are hard

Chairs are also hard

Ice cream is cold

So far, it was the same as last time.

Macchie’s food is good

Ms. Ryouko’s food is good, too

Hamburgers taste good

Tobie’s eyes are pretty

Morning skies are pretty, too

Pwinse Waka is cute when she smiles

Manga is funny

Usammy works hard

Usammy’s magic gem is pretty

Okonogi’s flash card ring was almost entirely about the things around her and the students she knew.

“Heeey, Mr. Hitomaaa, is thiiis kawootie-patootie, toooo?” Okonogi looked up at me with a satisfied smile.

“Yeah. It gets across what you feel to be true.”

“Nooot like thaaat… Kawootie-patootie?”

Okonogi’s eyes had that specific sort of force found only in complete innocence. Okonogi seemed to truly want that word, nothing more. I felt too sheepish over it and casually avoided saying it out loud, but seeing her hopes up so high to hear it somehow made me even more embarrassed. If it was going to come to this, I would’ve been better off just blurting it out in the first place.

“It’s…”

“It’s whaaat?”

“It’s cute, I think.”

I didn’t manage to say kawootie-patootie, but Okonogi seemed happy to hear me say what I did anyway.

“Fweh-heh-heh, thaaanks.”

And so I gave Okonogi the flash card ring back. She then headed off, probably to hand it in to the principal. I had a feeling that she’d receive a fine score for it with content like that.

“Come on! It’s your fault anyway!”

“Excuse me?! You all are ones to talk!”

On my way back to the teachers’ office, I suddenly heard what sounded like an argument.

What’s going on? I wondered. Is someone around here having a fight?

I could only guess as to who. The voices didn’t sound too familiar, so all I could say for sure was that they didn’t belong to any students from the advanced class. But where were they? Up above?

I climbed up the stairs and found myself approaching the voices. It sounded like they really were coming from the second floor.

There they are!

The arguing was between a few of the students from the beginner class. They all stood in the walkway connecting the school building to the annex, with three of them surrounding one other student.

Whoa, hold it… I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

“Hey, you over there! Whaddaya think you’re doing?!”

I was about to head over to the beginner class students, when, all of a sudden, a very familiar voice came from behind me.

“Geh, it’s Usami?!”

“Hmph, Tsukino… You’ve got some nerve spitting out my name like that when you’re down in the beginner class.”

I swung around to see Usami, who stood with her arms crossed and her glare cold. She didn’t acknowledge me with so much as a glance as she walked toward the beginner class students—that is, toward Tsukino Wakuma.

“Usami! It ain’t our fault! It’s ’cause this here—”

“Spare me the excuses. Aren’t you ashamed to gang up on a single student?”

Usami stepped in between Wakuma’s group and the student they were cornering, as though covering for the lone girl.

For Usami’s graduation assignment two years ago, she had to gather the signatures of every student and faculty member in the school. These were students who had stayed in the beginner class since then. At the time, Usami went to great lengths to teach the beginner class students how to write, so she’d developed a pretty dedicated following among them.

“…Hey, could we start by explaining to me what happened?”

“The heck? Oh, Hitoma. It’s just you.”

We’d arrived on the scene at pretty much the same time, but it looked like Usami didn’t notice me. For better or for worse, she went full speed ahead at whatever she locked on to.

“So? What’s the deal here?”

I proposed moving to a different room, since we were otherwise standing around in a walkway, but Usami was of the opinion that matters like these were best settled quickly, so we ended up hearing the story on the spot.

With no way to back out, Wakuma glanced at Usami with a bit of indignation before starting to speak.

“For our advancement assignment… Some beginner class kids have group assignments, no? We four must get ten people to say ‘thank you’ to us. Yet this girl here says she wants out of the group…”

“That’s not it! I said I can’t keep going along with how you all do it!”

“And I tell ya, that’s the same thing!”

“Hey, cool it! Let’s stay calm, here.”

The fight was about to get physical, but I managed to mediate.

The beginner class had more than a few rowdy-natured students who wouldn’t hesitate to let fists fly. I had the feeling that I saw the sharp claws on Wakuma’s hand shine for an instant, and a shiver ran down my spine.

“Um, why do you not want to go along with them?”

Usami kept her arms crossed as she listened to the students.

The cornered student glanced around nervously, trying to gauge how we’d react.

“…Because it’s wrong to help people after causing them problems on purpose.”

“The heck?”

Usami raised a skeptical voice and furrowed her brow.

“It’s doin’ what the assignment asked!”

“Hiding someone’s stuff so you can lend them yours isn’t the same! So…I just wanted to tell the truth…”

So instead of finding problems, they cause them.

“Yeah, that’s not a nice thing to do.”

“I’m with Hitoma here.”

Usami and I gave our opinions, and Wakuma responded with an indignant glare.

“What? If you’ve got somethin’ to say, then spit it out.”

“Usami, let’s not get too harsh…”

Usami shot back with a glare that wasn’t to be outdone, so I tried to settle her down.

I was sure that deep down, Wakuma had at least a faint idea that what she was doing was wrong. Her eyes soon had tears welling up within them.

“But why…? Just when I thought…I could get this assignment finished…for all of you…”

Wakuma was quivering. The other two students who’d been watching in silence exchanged troubled looks.

“…Still, Tsukino. It’s probably not right to hide it.”

“Yeah…”

The other two softly expressed their remorse. They then shuffled over to us and turned around to bow their heads to the student they’d cornered.

“Um… Sorry.”

“Yeah, what we were doing really wasn’t right.”

The student who’d been bowed to didn’t seem to know what this situation called for, so after some hesitation, she gave Usami a look asking for help.

“What gives? If someone apologized to ya, say somethin’ back.”

“B-but…”

The student looked at Wakuma with a troubled expression. Was she worried that Wakuma was going to take the fall if she accepted their apology right away?

From the sound of it, I got the feeling that Wakuma was the one who wanted to complete the assignment by any means necessary, causing her to clash with the other students. Even if the method wasn’t right, it was clear that she was trying her hardest. That’s why this student probably didn’t want to be too harsh on her.

“…!”

“Hey! Tsukino! Where d’ya think you’re goin’?!”

Suddenly, Wakuma bolted off toward the school building.

“Hitoma! We’re goin’ after her!”

“R-right!”

Usami and I entered the school building and gave chase. I guess Usami had the quicker reactions, as she was running in front of me, but this was no time for giving warnings about running in the halls.

Wakuma, desperate to avoid her pursuers, made a beeline for the stairs. It happened the moment she turned back toward us.

“Watch out!”

With her attention elsewhere, Wakuma’s foot slipped from the stairs, and she proceeded to float in midair.

It was a long drop from where she’d climbed to. If she continued to fall, she was sure to get injured. Or worse…

No matter how fast I could run, I was far enough away that I wasn’t going to reach her.

“You can’t…!!!”

Usami extended her hand, hoping that she could just barely reach. But wait, wouldn’t that just get Usami caught up in—?!

That moment, a red gem was flung out from the small bag that Usami had been wearing at all times lately. The gem shone brightly, and suddenly, a scalding tempest blew out.

I knew this wind. It was Ryuzaki’s.

The wind embraced the two girls as though supporting them before gently lowering them down to the hall. When the wind died down, the red gem left a puff of smoke and vanished like dry ice.

I guess magic gems disappear after use.

The two girls looked around blankly, like they couldn’t understand what had just happened.

“Usami…I…”

“Are you okay or not?!”

Usami snapped out of it at the sound of Wakuma’s voice and immediately expressed her concern.

“Wha—?”

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are ya?! Wait! Your leg! Is your leg all right?!”

“Y-yeah… I’m quite fine…but…”

“…What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere else?”

“No, it’s not that…! Usami, you… Your graduation assignment…!”

Just about every student in the school knew about Usami’s graduation assignment. Konno from the intermediate class was so pleased with the portrait of Wakaba she’d traded Usami for that she boasted about it any chance she could. That’s why the students tried to stay up-to-date on what Usami had for trade. And what Usami had right now was Ryuzaki’s magic gem—

“Your graduation project… It’s all my fault…”

“Oh, for cryin’ out loud! Don’t go gettin’ worried over that!”

Wakuma’s head had sunk, and her face had gone pale, but Usami grabbed on with both hands and made her look up into her eyes.

“Hmph, Tsukino, you listen here. I ain’t so petty that I’d let that get to me. I’d do it all over again, no matter what gets in my way, no matter how many times it takes. I wouldn’t be here if I were that easy to break. Don’t insult me, got it? So, you’d—”

I could hear people behind me; the other beginner class students were watching on from afar.

Usami took a deep, long breath.

“You’d better go and do it all over again, too!”

Wakuma faced Usami with large tear droplets streaming from her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry… M-me, and the others…w-we worked ever so hard, so I promise… Waaaaaaah!!!”

“…Hmph. Tell it to them, not me.”

With a thump, Usami put her forehead against Wakuma’s and gently laughed.

“…We’re sorry, too.”

“Yeah, we pushed way too much onto you, Tsukino.”

“Can we…make up?”

Wakuma harshly wiped her face before looking up at her fellow beginner class students.

“Sorry… I should be the one apologizing…”

Usami looked a bit exasperated at having to handle these kids, but happy all the same.

After that, Wakuma’s group of four beginner class students talked things over again. They gave their thanks to Usami and went right back to their classroom shortly after, leaving Usami and me alone in the hallway.

Usami mused about her trade being gone like it was a minor inconvenience, but her ears were drooping in sorrow.

The thing she kept to exchange with the principal had burst into a wind and vanished. There was nothing more Usami could do with her assignment. It would effectively be over.

But a graduation assignment couldn’t be passed without turning something in. And students were required to turn something in for the graduation assignment—or else they wouldn’t graduate.

“Usami… Uh…”

In other words, Usami’s hopes for graduation were looking grim. I thought that it’d be best to say something, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Hitoma. That gem… I guess it went and used itself up. Would this count as unhuman-like behavior?”

“Uh, oh, I wonder about that.”

It was an important concern, but the unexpected question had me visibly caught off guard.

“Hmm, going by my personal perspective, it was an unavoidable reaction unrelated to the student’s own abilities or intentions, so I believe it wouldn’t be a problem…but I’ll make sure to check, just in case.”

“Well, good luck with that. I’m goin’ home. See you tomorrow, Hitoma.”

“S-sure…”

I wasn’t sure if her composure was forced, but Usami calmly stated the facts and left.

Today was the final day for the graduation assignment. I wondered how the other students were doing.

Haneda and Okonogi had already finished theirs.

Wakaba and Nezu had assignments that continued until the deadline, so theirs should be finished once the day was over.

Given how Ryuzaki’s was going, I had little doubt that she completed hers.

And Usami…

Personally, I really thought that this was going to be the year that Usami could graduate. She worked so hard, faced her own weaknesses, and did everything she could’ve possibly done…

The thought of her doing another year of that made me a bit sad. Then again, Usami probably felt even more frustrated by it all. Even if she knew from the start that effort wasn’t always rewarded.

“Oh, phew, how fortunate you’re still here! Hey, Mr. Hitoma! I’ve something I’d like to ask of you!”

“Huh?”

The voice that called out to me belonged to that beginner class student from before, Wakuma. Her expression was bright. Their group talk must have gone well.

“It’s difficult for us, so I’d like you to teach us!”

What could this be about…? Class, maybe?

“Sure, got it,” I said, and then I followed Wakuma toward a classroom.

“Oh, advanced claaaaass!!! Congratulaaaaaaaaatiooooons!!!!!”

“Eek! Wh-what is it?! Principal Karasuma?!”

Right, I had forgotten to tell Haruna that the principal always liked to make a grand entrance to announce who was graduating…

This year, the principal appeared during the morning homeroom of the day following the end of the graduation assignment period. It was my third year of this, and the students seemed to be used to it on some level, but his sudden entrances were still surprising. Especially for Haruna, who was seeing this for the first time.

“Good work on your graduation assignments, everyone! Now, then! Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? After rigorous review, there will indeed be a graduation this year!”

The word graduation instantly heightened the tension in the air. Everyone took their assignments seriously. It wouldn’t be a surprise for any one of them to graduate.

Except for one person—Usami. She had her head off in space; she heard what the principal said, but she was more out of it than usual.

“This year, there will be one graduate,” the principal began. “A student harder on herself than any other, a student who has her eyes fixed on her goal, and who marches toward it through ceaseless hard work and self-improvement. A student with a side that holds others to those same standards, but whose thoughtfulness has come to overtake it, and who now treasures others ever so dearly.”

Everyone’s eyes began to gather on one person—yes, there was only one student who that description brought to mind.

“And so, in light of those accomplishments, Sui Usami. You shall be this year’s—”

“That’s just messed up!”

Usami slammed her desk with a loud bang! as she stood up. Both the noise and the shrill cry that Usami’s voice resembled stunned the principal into silence.

Usami had held a baffled expression ever since the start of the principal’s speech. But now it was one of deep anguish.

“I didn’t…turn in my graduation assignment. So there’s gotta be some mistake.”

“Oh, there’s no mistake. I received it yesterday, after all.”

“…That magic gem disappeared yesterday. That’s why I had nothing to exchange with you. So what gives…? If you’re making some kinda exception, I don’t need it. Everyone else did their assignments the right way. So this just…isn’t what I want.”

I had to wonder if she was holding in her anger, her sorrow, or maybe both. Whatever powerful emotion was welling up inside, her attempts to quell it made her voice quiver.

The old Usami probably would have accepted any shortcut if it meant she could graduate, but the current Usami absolutely wouldn’t stand for it. Because now, she knew that all the students around her were working just as hard as she did.

“I didn’t do anything. So—”

“It was turned in, indeed.”

Usami gave the principal a suspicious look at those words.

The magic gem had vanished. So what could have been turned in? And if Usami wasn’t the one who turned it in, who was? Those thoughts were surely swirling around in Usami’s mind.

The principal calmly took out a sheet of paper. It was a thin letter-size sheet. And I—yes, I—knew exactly what that sheet was.

“Why, it’s a petition.”

A petition requesting that Usami’s graduation assignment be treated as a successful completion, along with the signature of the one who put in the paperwork yesterday, Tsukino Wakuma.

When Usami saw that name on the petition, she bit her lip and glared daggers at it.

“What’s the deal…? Nobody asked me to do that in the first place… Does that girl…feel like she’s responsible for it or somethin’…?”

“No, not quite.”

I knew how that petition had come to be written up. When Wakuma called me over after Usami and I parted, she asked me to teach her how to write a petition.

“She said she wanted to ‘repay a debt,’ in her own words.”

The beginner class students struggled to even write words. A document like this would be pretty difficult to write on their own. But still, Wakuma wanted to do something to repay Usami.

Repay. That was the word Usami had said over and over since she first came to this school.

“She said she was going to return what she received from you, so this paper would be one of your trades for the straw.”

It was true that the magic gem was used the moment she went to save Wakuma. Therefore, this petition was a perfectly acceptable exchange for it.

Usami looked over the petition as though reveling in the presence of a priceless personal treasure.

“Right, then! As my boy explained, this was the final exchange. And I quite certainly received it!”

Just then, the principal perked up, as though he’d just remembered something.

“Ah, it nearly slipped my mind. I forgot to give you my end of the exchange.”

Usami’s “Straw Millionaire” project was supposed to have her trade with the principal at the end. The principal slowly pulled out a small box from his pocket.

It was a box I’d seen a few times before. One that Usami seemed to know full well, too.

“Here, Usami. This is what you’ve traded for.”

The principal handed the small box to Usami. Usami then opened it very, very slowly.

“It’s…a ring.”

It was the director’s jeweled ring that, every year, was given to the graduating students.

“Ahem. Usami, may I continue to speak?”

The principal topped it off with a perfectly casual wink. Usami looked far more serious as she slowly nodded, but the sight of her made the principal grin with relief.

This was really going to be it.

“And so, in light of those accomplishments, Sui Usami. You shall be this year’s graduating student.”

Her long life as a student was coming to an end.

The red gem encrusted in the ring glinted in Usami’s hands, as though blessing her path ahead.

The Misanthrope and the Nigh Future

February, in the classroom.

Haruna was right in front of me.

“…Mr. Hitoma.”

Our eyes met, and Haruna softly turned back. She stood alone in the center of the room, looking out the window.

“…It’s…been a while,” I said.

“……”

Haruna averted her gaze without a word. I didn’t know what kind of face to make, either.

“So…you been well?” I ventured.

I went with the safest words I could, but Haruna showed no reaction.

Of course she hadn’t been well. Neither of us had. Haruna was gaunt, and there were faint bags under her eyes.

“Uhh… Haruna, have you been making sure to eat? Getting enough sleep, too? Who am I kidding? Ha-ha. I stay up late pretty often myself, so I’m not one to talk.”

“…Shut up.”

I knew I’d screwed up. The air around us froze. I tried to joke around because I at least wanted her to smile, but it completely backfired.

“…Mr. Hitoma, you said…you’d believe me even if I lied, right?”

She approached me with a smile, albeit a pained one.

Yeah, I did say that.

“…It’s all your fault, Mr. Hitoma.”

She sounded like she’d given up on everyone and everything. My chest hurt, as though my heart were being gripped by her bare hands.

Tears were streaming down Haruna’s face a mere two desks’ length away from me. But she paid them no mind and kept looking at me.

“Y’know, Mr. Hitoma, you might not believe it, but I was the one who made up the story about you hitting me. I thought you were annoying, so I figured I’d drag you down with me… I bet you’d believe that lie, too, wouldn’t you?”

That was just about the most awful lie I could imagine. But with Haruna speaking so calmly and shedding so many tears, she hardly looked malicious to me.

So why…?

I didn’t know what had gone through her mind to make her say that. All I knew was that I was indescribably sad.

Why did Haruna tell a lie like that? What was it that pushed her so far beyond the brink? Was it because I tried too hard? Because I thought I could save her?

“…Is this because…I did something I shouldn’t have?” I asked.

“Sure is. Everything…is because you took some offhand gripes at face value and tried to take on something you could never handle, Mr. Hitoma…!”

Maybe I’d gotten too full of myself. Haruna was crying and screaming right before my eyes. All because of me.

Things started to turn dark, and I had to sit down on the spot. That said, I didn’t even have the right to be sad.

“It’s…my fault…,” I managed. “It’s my fault that you…”

I couldn’t look at Haruna’s face anymore. The edges of my vision blurred.

“Sure is. That’s why you got what you deserved, Mr. Hitoma.”

This couldn’t have been any worse.

I wanted to protect her even if it cost me my career. But the person who stole Haruna’s school life from her was none other than me.

Haruna came a bit closer to me once more.

“Sorry for being a liar,” she said.

When I raised my head, I saw yet another wounded expression on Haruna’s face.

“Well, I’m leaving now. See ya, Mr. Hitoma.”

Haruna left me with those parting words.

I was alone in the classroom, which was bitingly cold. The air that filled my lungs stung. I could only wallow in pain.

“…It’s all…my fault.”

There were no happy endings. Not for the people I tried to help, nor for me.

That was the last time I saw Haruna as a student.

“Phew… Yeah, Mr. Hoshino sure makes some good coffee…”

There was no better way to spend a morning without class than by doing paperwork with a soothing cup of Mr. Hoshino’s coffee.

The school year was basically over, and attendance was optional for the advanced students.

Usami had safely passed the entrance exam to her first-choice school, and she was preparing little by little for her new lifestyle.

The other students sometimes came and sometimes didn’t. Ryuzaki and Haneda kept up their perfect attendance, but Nezu and Wakaba only came to school now and then. Okonogi—was late just about every day, but she popped in, too.

The exchange she’d had with Haruna during last year’s field trip was still in the back of my mind. What was it that she told Haruna?

Speaking of Haruna, it was about time to wrap up the school year with a brief interview. I wondered how she saw the advanced class over this past year, so I considered asking her following the day’s classes.

“Hitoma, my boy, might you have a moment to spare?”

“Uh, oh, yes.”

I wondered what he needed at a time like this.

The principal popped out of his office and motioned me to come forward, so I approached him.

“Is Okonogi at school today?”

“Yes, I heard she’s been here since second period… Did something happen?”

The principal made a peculiar look. I had a bad feeling about where this was headed.

“Hmm… It appears there’s been a liiittle bit of an incident, probably during that field trip at the end of the year. It’s no hurry, mind you. But after school, have Okonogi—ah, and just in case, the teacher who accompanied you all on the field trip, Haruna—report to my office.”

The principal left it at that and returned to his office. Was he not going to tell me what Okonogi did back then yet?

Okonogi had a lot of moments alone during that trip, to say nothing of how she’d gotten lost. Did something happen during one of them? What could someone even do in the middle of a forest? Heck, wasn’t the principal watching her while she was there…? No way, was it before then?

I thought about it from every angle I could, but I returned to my seat without any clear clues coming to mind.

Haruna—she probably had class right now. I had to wonder what we were going to discuss in the principal’s office after school.

“Nwaaah, you knooow, it’s my fiiirst tiiime in the principal’s office. It’s reeeally sparkly. Does this mooove?”

“…If the principal gets serious, it moves.”

“It actually does move?!”

It occurred to me that I’d nearly forgotten to think of the principal’s office, lined with its wax figures and gaudy furnishings, as a little bit bizarre. It gave me a newfound sense of just how steadily this school has been coloring my view, a thought that brought me joy…and a little bit of concern… Well, let’s just say it was complicated.

Still, despite being called out to a place like this, Okonogi wasn’t showing the slightest shred of nerves, and she simply glanced around curiously. I could get where she was coming from, but it was looking like she really didn’t have any clue what this was about, either.

I hadn’t heard from the principal what this meeting was called for, so maybe it was a misunderstanding…or, so I chose to hope, but…

“Apologies for the wait.”

After having us enter his office and take our seats on the sofa, the principal pulled out a single envelope from within his desk. The envelope was rather cutesy and fanciful, with cloudy shapes drawn all over it in pink and light blue.

“Aaah, thaaat’s my leeetter. Why do yooou have it, Principal?”

The principal’s look grew stern at that response.

“…I see there’s no longer any need for confirmation, then.”

The principal’s uncomfortable expression and the question mark practically floating above Okonogi’s clueless head hinted at something deeper here.

“How’s Mooommy?”

“Mommy…? Principal, would it be all right to tell us what happened?”

I could infer the gist of the situation, given how Okonogi asked about her “Mommy” and how the principal had gotten hold of Okonogi’s letter, but I was hoping deep down that it wasn’t the case. Please, let me be wrong about this…

“I-I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what this is all about!”

Haruna raised her hand slightly and made a small hop up from the sofa.

Seeing the rest of us so confused, the principal softly sighed.

“…In this school, contacting the outside world without permission is strictly forbidden. The recipient being a parent or sibling is no exception, at that.”

“So, that letter—”

“Hitoma, my boy, it’s as you suspect. This was sent by Okonogi to her mother.”

The principal placed the letter on top of the desk. The letter even had a postmark firmly stamped.

“O-Okonogi, did you know that you can’t contact people outside?”

If she didn’t know, then there was a chance that they could be a little lenient! But Okonogi didn’t look me in the eyes, instead simply twiddling her thumbs.

“Mmmh, I dunno about that stuuuff.”

Did that reaction mean…?

“Okonogi, please don’t lie. You really did know it was wrong, didn’t you?”

I was conflicted over how to respond, but Haruna snapped back quite firmly.

Okonogi stopped fidgeting with her hands, approached Haruna, and looked her right in the eyes.

“…I don’t wanna hear that from yooou, Ms. Miraaai.”

Her eyes were almost pitying Haruna.

“Fweh, you’re juuust like me, aaanyway.”

Haruna looked like she wanted to say something, but she just glared back at Okonogi. “We’re nothing alike,” her eyes might as well have said.

“Ahem.”

The principal intentionally cleared his throat.

“The school year has already ended. As such, Okonogi’s punishment for this matter will have to take place over spring break. Okonogi will be placed under house arrest in her dorm for the duration of the break, half of her points will be rescinded, she’ll be tasked with writing a letter of apology as well as a ten-page essay on the meaning of school, and depending on her behavior during her punishment, she’ll be put under conditional advancement for the next school year.”

“Fweeeeeeh?”

Okonogi made the most blatantly displeased face she could manage, but that’s just how it was. It all might have sounded pretty rough, especially with the possibility of conditional advancement on the table, but that was surely just a threat to ensure she abided by the house arrest and wrote her apology.

It was a pretty harsh punishment for sending a simple letter. Even harsher than what happened after Usami and I left the campus without permission. I figured they were different situations, since this carried the risk of information leaking and Usami’s had a sense of urgency to it, but…

“Okonogi, what did you want to tell your mom?”

Okonogi might have had her head in the clouds, but she was by no means dumb. And on top of that, she knew what consequences came with sending that letter. What could the letter have contained to make it worth taking such a risk?

“What do yooou think?”

She had that lazy smile again… Was I being tested? I knew for a fact from our previous conversations that Okonogi had a lot of love for her mom.

“…Letting her know that you’re doing all right?”

“Mweh?” Okonogi looked skeptical, as though that answer was unexpected.

“Hmmmmm, Mr. Hitomaaa, I dunno how to play alooong with that joooke.”

“No, I didn’t mean that as a joke.”

“Well, you know Mr. Hitoma. He has that airheaded side to him.”

“Wha—? You’ve gotta be kidding…”

That was a serious answer…

Well, that was enough about me.

“So, what did you write in that letter?”

“Hmmmm?”

Okonogi laughed a bit awkwardly. Then she brought her index finger up to her lips.

“Not telling.”

Okonogi said that and hung her head a bit; something about her seemed a bit more mature than usual.

After our meeting with the principal, Haruna and I talked things out with Okonogi and came up with a plan for her to get started on her essays during the optional attendance period. The optional attendance period did come with assignments of its own, but they were simple ones that could be finished in ten minutes. As such, Okonogi would use the remaining forty minutes to work on her essays.

The letter of apology was scheduled to be turned in by the end of the semester, so she could have written it in the dorm instead. If anything, writing in the dorm was recommended, since she wouldn’t have the eyes of other students on her. But Okonogi didn’t seem to care much about that and wrote her apology in class, like it was any other homework assignment.

Early on, a few other students asked what she was writing and seemed surprised to learn that it was a disciplinary assignment for Okonogi, but nobody made mention of it after that, and school continued as usual.

“Mr. Hitomaaa.”

After school, just when we’d hit about three weeks left of the third semester.

“Heeere, I diiid it.”

After saying that, Okonogi held out a bundle of papers to me.

“Oh, thank you. I’ll look through it.”

This was her apology letter and her essay. She finished much faster than I expected. Maybe because she also used class time to work on it?

I went and flipped through the bundle of papers Okonogi handed to me and skimmed over their contents.

“…Okonogi.”

“Mweh?”

“You slacked off halfway through.”

“No I diiidn’t.”

“Look, you wrote the same sentences over and over again.”

A short ways into the essay’s third page, the phrase School is a good place. That is because you can become human there started filling up the paper. It went on to the final page, all without a single paragraph break.

It was similar to what I saw of Okonogi’s graduation assignment.

“It’s honestly kinda spooky, like you wrote a curse.”

“But come ooon, ten paaages is a little muuuch.”

While it might seem like a lot—or so I was about to reflexively chastise, but that would’ve backfired on Okonogi. I decided to hold that instinct in and try to relate with her.

“Yeah, I thought the same myself. Makes me wonder what they expect you to write, you know?”

“Riiiight? Mr. Hitomaaa, you goootta talk with them.”

That said, what would I do here…?

Apology aside, there was no way I could let her turn in this borderline descent into madness to the principal…

“Mr. Hitoma? What are you doing in the hall?”

“Ms. Haruna! Perfect timing!”

“Ms. Miraaai, help meee!”

Before I knew it, Okonogi had hopped over to Haruna and was now firmly clinging to her.

“Whoa, Okonogi! Please, don’t jump at me all of a sudden!”

“But come ooon, it’s baaad, I’m gonna be in trooouble. Boooowey-hoooo.”

“Wha—? Mr. Hitoma, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Well, about that—”

I handed over the essay to Haruna.

She seemed to have trouble reading over it, probably because Okonogi was still clinging on to her. In hindsight, maybe it would’ve been better to show her the essay while flipping the pages myself, or so I ever so slightly regretted.

“Ah… I see…”

Haruna scanned Okonogi’s essay, and if her wry, twitching smile was anything to go by, she shared my concerns about its contents.

Okonogi was clinging tightly to Haruna, trying to garner sympathy with appeals like “Stoppp already” and “Ms. Miraaai.”

“This is…kind of…not quite something she can turn in.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Haruna and I were on the same page.

“Mwehhh, whyyy, it’s fiiine, I filled in the paaages.”

I had to wonder when Okonogi was going to let go of Haruna. Being gripped for so long had to be a little painful, right?

“Okonogi, I think we should have a little chat.”

“Mweh?”

“Also, let’s rewrite your essay in the form of a conversation. And you’ll be joining us as well, Mr. Hitoma, yes?”

“Yeah. Nobody should be using the advanced classroom right now, so let’s do it there.”

“Waaah, that sounds like deteeention. I don’t waaanna.”

I mean, it was.

And so we all moved to the advanced classroom.

The classroom seemed a bit lonely with nobody inside. Yeah, I could sympathize with someone not being a fan of this sort of out-of-the-ordinary feeling.

When we entered the classroom, Okonogi quietly took her assigned seat.

“Heeey, what’s this talk abooout?”

“It’s about what school means to you. That was the theme of your essay, was it not?”

“Hmmmm.”

Haruna placed the essay on the desk as Okonogi mulled it over.

“Oh, I guess we don’t have any essay paper here.”

“Don’t worry, we’re just making an outline, so this notebook paper will do fine.”

Haruna opened her notebook from the back end.

“Ms. Miraaai, your notebook’s all kyootie-pawooootie.”

“Is it, now? Well, thank you very much.”

I hadn’t paid it much attention before, but Haruna’s notebook was colored clear pink and had a fairly subtle design to it. What did she have back in her student days? The fact that I couldn’t remember anything in particular made me think she went with a more subdued style back then.

At some point, I found myself sitting across from Okonogi in the seat next to Haruna’s.

“For starters, Okonogi, why do you think this assignment was given to you?”

“Because I diiid something baaad?”

“That would be correct. Now then, why do you think the subject was about what school means to you?”

Haruna had The Reason for The Assignment written in her notebook.

“Mweh? Why waaas it? Mr. Hitomaaa, do yooou know?”

Okonogi propped up her cheek by her arm and wore a disgruntled expression as she asked in a pleading tone. I would have liked for her to think just a little harder, but this called for keeping that quip to myself…

“Okonogi, do you think the school’s rules are a chore?”

“No I dooon’t.”

“Is that true?”

“I liiied.”

“…Well, either way, I guess. The way I see it, I think they chose this subject because they want you to explain how you feel about the school rules, what the consequences for choosing to follow them or not are, and what you think about those consequences. It’s because they want to know how you’ll approach school going forward.”

Oh, crap. I think I went on for too long. That was the sort of stuff I wanted Okonogi to think about on her own, too…

Okonogi simply gave a light round of applause. “Oooh, wow, Mr. Hitomaaa, that makes seeense.”

“Yes, I would agree there. Okonogi, I feel the principal wants to know just how much dedication you’ll have for your studies next school year. That’s why this assignment has you explain what you think of school, while also giving you another chance to think your reasoning through.”

I appreciated Haruna backing me up with such a concise summary.

Okonogi, as usual, continued to sway around with an unfocused expression.

“So theeen, what should I wriiite for this?”

Just when I thought she was going to give Haruna’s notebook a light tap, Okonogi instead went ahead and wrote something inside it.

What was this…some kind of cartoon?

“Er…what is this?”

“It’s meee. You knooow, I was thiiinking I’d write a little about the school arooound me.”

Okonogi then started scribbling lines pointing away from her caricature, at the ends of which she wrote a few words.

Mommy

Love you, miss you

How’s she doing?

School

Normal

Nice

Mr. Hitoma

Blue, sometimes red

I guess what a Daddy would be like?

Ms. Mirai

Red

Like me

Lies

Bad things

Graduation

Human

Okonogi’s pencil stopped.

“…I’m really not a human, huuuh?”

Her tone was calm but tinged with some sort of disappointment. I had to wonder how Okonogi felt when she first realized that she was different from the humans around her.

What were the differences between my students and humans like me, anyway? Back when I first came to this school, there was a part of me that was elated by the world of fantasy I’d stepped into and found comfort in how different it all was, but the more I learned about this school and its students, the more I thought of these girls as not all that different from humans—

“Yes, it’s true that you’re an oni rather than a human. Humans can’t tell when people lie, and they don’t grow horns, either. So if you ever think…being human…isn’t right for you, then you’ll surely have an easier time ahead.”

Okonogi watched Haruna closely with tranquil eyes, but suddenly, she turned her gaze out the window, as though searching for something.

“I wonder if I dooo wanna become human… But you knooow, it’s not like I dooon’t wanna become human. After aaall, I wanna be with Mommy. I wanna split steamed buns agaaain.”

Okonogi spoke to the sky, as though her musings were meant for her own ears more than anything. Her words carried a somewhat wistful tinge.

The sky that colored our day-to-day lives continued to drift along, just like always.

“…Heeey, what do you think I should dooo?”

I couldn’t see through other people’s lies. But I did get the impression from her that she really was lost and searching for an answer. She had her usual lazy smile and leisurely style of speech, but I felt it. This wasn’t a lie.

“Personally, if there’s something you want to do, I’ll support you all the way. So it’s fine if you take your time to think. I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to find the future you want.”

The path ahead isn’t for others to decide. If the person who has to walk it doesn’t believe in it, then it’s a path that was forced upon them, no matter how others worded it. The future wasn’t built by the words of teachers; it was built by the will of the students themselves.

It brought to mind Kurosawa, who dropped out last year. Kurosawa was a student who figured out what she really wanted during her enrollment, and after a lot of thought, she chose to build her future herself.

“Okonogi, your future is yours to decide. If you make your decision with no regrets, then there’s no way you can fail. So you can decide however you like.”

“…Were yooou the same, Mr. Hitomaaa?”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback for a moment by the unexpected question.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, if you had a tiiime where yooou had to choooose…did you choooose the way you liked?”

How did my life shake out? I had to wonder. I was a good student through compulsory education, I went pretty far with high school, and then I got into video games and the internet during college, but I ended up following in my dad’s footsteps and becoming a teacher… Yeah, I wasn’t really thinking about too much back then.

And then the incident with Haruna happened, and I holed up in my parents’ house for two years…

Hmm. So that was the result of me choosing how I liked. Abject failure. And I’m still picking out the thorns that experience left in me.

“…Yeah, I think I chose how I liked over the course of my life. It’s just…ahh…sorry. To be honest, I’ve had plenty of failures and regrets, too. But I wouldn’t want to forget a single one for as long as I live.”

“…Why’s thaaat? Don’t you wanna forgeeet all the bad things?”

I found myself glancing at Haruna. Haruna was looking sternly at the drawing Okonogi had made in her notebook.

I wanted to forget it all. Haruna surely felt the same. Both of us had tried to act like nothing had happened for this entire year.

I didn’t know what to do at first. Before reuniting with Haruna, I had spent two years holed up at home and another two years working here. I thought about Haruna that whole time. Wondering what I should have done back then…as if it were that simple. Racking my brain wasn’t going to change the past. It was ancient history, as Haruna called it.

“Because it’s all important.”

It was my duty, my cross to bear, to always remember my regrets. I could never forget them, no matter how much I wanted to. I didn’t want to put Haruna behind me that easily. I had no right to start preaching about how it was a learning experience that made me a better person, but I just…wanted to carry it with me going forward. I was sure that doing so would bring a new perspective, a different future, or so I wanted to believe.

“…Huuuh, goootcha.”

Okonogi smiled gently. Haruna looked as stern as ever.

“I like yooou, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“Huh? Th-thanks…?”

I wasn’t sure why, but Okonogi’s expression looked absolutely relieved. She had a habit of expressing herself very bluntly that sometimes caught me off guard.

“You knooow, liiike, I was reeeally lonely. That’s why I sent a leeetter to Mommy.”

Okonogi spoke while twiddling her fingers in front of her face.

“…‘I missed you,’ that’s what I wrooote.”

That was what Okonogi wanted most.

She softly closed her eyes. “But thaaat sorta stuff isn’t gooood. Fweh-heh-heh, I’m glaaad it didn’t get sent. Heeey, Mr. Hitomaaa. Do you think I can maaake it here? Can I become huuuman and see Mommy agaaain?”

Her eyes were hoping for some sort of answer. Based on the fact that she’d ask that sort of question—yeah, I had a pretty good idea of what Okonogi was aiming for.

“I’ll do everything I can to help you make it.”

Okonogi beamed and patted my head. “Fweh-heh-heh, I thooought you’d say that, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

And then she went ahead and hugged me tight.

Any other time, I would have dodged before contact was made, but Okonogi moved just too naturally, so I went along with whatever happened.

What do I do here? I wondered. It wouldn’t feel right to push her off, but…

“Thanks a buuunch, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

Okonogi gave me some light pats on the back and then drifted away from me while I was still locked up from confusion.

“…Okonogi. This is partly on me for missing the timing to stop you, but it’s not good to touch the opposite sex so carelessly.”

“Mweh?”

She probably didn’t mean much by it. Okonogi tilted her head, as though she had no idea what kind of warning she’d just received.

“A-anyway! Right! I’ll be here to support you as well! On that note, I believe we were supposed to be discussing your essay, but this conversation sure seems to have gone off track, no?!”

“Aaahh, now that you meeention it, you’re riiight.”

The only things Okonogi had put down in Haruna’s notebook were her self-portrait and a few scattered words.

“Ms. Miraaai, thanks for letting me borrow your noootebook.”

“Huh, are you done already? But sure, no worries.”

“You knooow, I thiiink I wanna try by myself juuust a little longer. Sooo can I show ya tomorrow, toooo?”

“Understood! I’ll be waiting, then!”

“You toooo, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Looking forward to it.”

“Fweh-heh-heh, I’m going back to the dooorm, then.”

Once she put her pencil box back in her bag, Okonogi leisurely stood up and walked toward the door. It seemed like she was going to leave, but she leisurely turned back at the end.

“Mr. Hitomaaa. I’m gonna try haaard to graduate.”

She struck some sort of pose that involved using her fingers on both hands to make a rectangle. I thought it was maybe that once-in-a-millennium idol’s pose, but the rectangle seemed a bit large… Was it supposed to be a diploma?

I responded to her with a thumbs-up. Seeing that, Okonogi left the classroom for the dorms with a satisfied smile on her face.

I wanted all of my students to graduate as soon as they could. But this school wouldn’t grant that to those who gained knowledge alone. That was surely because the director wished for graduates to not just know human society, but to build the emotional strength needed to survive in it.

The students in this school weren’t human. Because of that, very few of them had communities waiting for them like Okonogi did with her family. The school’s goal was likely to make up for that lack of support by having students learn to survive on their own, while occasionally asking others for help.

Hey, it was my third year here, so I was getting a pretty good grip on how the director thought, if I do say so myself…!

“Mr. Hitoma.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

It was just as I placed my hand on the classroom door to return to the teachers’ office that Haruna called to me.

“Is it really important?”

Haruna’s voice was monotone. She hung her head, so I couldn’t tell what expression she made.

“…What is?”

Something in the air felt different from when Okonogi was with us.

“Your own regrets, I mean.”

Regrets.

Hearing that word in Haruna’s matter-of-fact voice gave me a flashback to an experience with her back in her high school days.

I was talking with Haruna in the social studies prep room. Her relationships with her friends were worsening by the day. I stuck my nose in and broke things down even further.

And then—that classroom, in the winter.

“—fault that it all went wrong.”

For an instant, I had the feeling that I heard the Haruna in my memories speak, and my vision snapped back upward.

That was the voice of the Haruna before my very eyes.

“…I have some regrets of my own, you know.”

“Haruna…”

She wore the same expression as she did that day—and her voice was trembling.

“It’s a bit late for it now, but would you be willing to listen?”

Haruna looked at me closely. Right, now was just about the same time as it was back then.

“You know, I still sometimes think that I would have been better off had I never met you in high school, Mr. Hitoma.”

A classroom with the windows shut and the heater off. A classroom with nobody but Haruna and me, both enveloped in the undiluted cold of winter.

Haruna spoke in the center of the classroom, her eyes facing the floor, while I watched from beside the classroom door.

“Meeting you is my regret.”

I noticed that nothing about this felt real anymore.

“A moment ago, you told Okonogi that you wouldn’t forget your regrets. I can’t believe you. How can you live with that sorrow?”

Yeah. It figured that Haruna still hadn’t forgiven me for what happened back then. And I’d bet she saw me as—

“…Well, I wanted you to forget it all! Everything about back then!”

Yeah, of course. Couldn’t get much worse than being expelled for a made-up reason.

And here I was, saying I didn’t want to forget it. Some nerve I’ve got, being the person who caused it all. But…

“I won’t forget.”

Not about Haruna then, nor Haruna now.

“Why…?!”

Haruna raised her head; her eyes were tearing up. She was managing to hold them back, but they could spill at any moment.

Her expression tugged on my heartstrings. I wouldn’t forget, not even this very moment.

“Because… Because…!”

Haruna blinked, and the drops began to pour from her eyes. The fallen drops left faint, spotted marks on the classroom floor.

I had to wonder what expression I was making right now. For some reason, my heart was calm; finally confronting reality in Haruna had me just a bit relieved.

Of course, because I was surely the villain in her story, so it was only right for her to criticize me. That was fine. I’d made my peace with being hurt.

Haruna shut her mouth and then took her time taking in shallow breaths.

“I can’t…”

Once the words so painfully left Haruna’s lips, her expression broke down.

“I’m sorry…”

“Stop it! Don’t apologize! If you do…I won’t be able to forgive myself…”

…Haruna had trouble forgiving herself? Not me?

But by anyone’s account, Haruna had done nothing she could be blamed for. If there was anyone to blame, it was me. Haruna was just a victim, pure and simple.

My previously calm heart began to stir.

Why—?

“Because if you hadn’t gotten involved with me, you wouldn’t have had to quit the school…!”

…………Huh?

“Haruna…?”

With the way she worded that, it almost sounded like her regret was the fact that I had resigned.

Haruna paid no heed to the tears streaming down her face and walked right up to me.

The waves crashing in my heart grew ever more turbulent.

Haruna… What Haruna really wanted to say was—

“Just so we’re clear, okay?! I didn’t want you getting wrapped up in it…! ’Cause I mean, you loved your job! I could tell… It was obvious…”

Haruna raised her fist high, and then—

—gently placed it on my chest with a pat.

“I remember. Like how you were pleading with the other teachers for my sake. And how you tried to make sure I didn’t get left without supervision at school… Before I told you what was going on, you always ate lunch in the social studies prep room, but all of a sudden, you started eating in the classroom, like, come on.”

“I just wanted to talk about video games with the boys…”

“The next door teacher said, ‘You shouldn’t eat in the classroom every day or else the students will disengage,’ right? And that put you on even thinner ice with the faculty.”

Oh yeah, that did happen, didn’t it?

That warning just popped up in a casual conversation; it was nothing serious. I’d forgotten all about it until she brought it up just now, but I guess Haruna remembered it all this time?

Besides, it wasn’t like that warning was the exact reason why I got put on thin ice. The real nail in the coffin was probably that dinner with the head teacher. I’d bet that was the point where they saw me as an enemy.

“But…you still have some regrets deep down, Mr. Hitoma, don’t you? I mean…I already told you to forget the whole thing, that it was all right, didn’t I…?! So why…? I can’t stand it… I don’t want you to go through any more pain because of me! I don’t want to be your regret…!”

The fist placed on top of my chest started gripping more tightly.

Had I misunderstood our situation this whole time?

That’d mean that Haruna—that what she felt toward me wasn’t hatred…

“I’m sorry…Mr. Hitoma…!”

It was guilt.

After that, Haruna cried as though a dam within her had broken. She cried just like a child; I had her take a seat until she calmed down, during which time I thought over everything that had led up to this moment.

It was probably the both of us who’d lived with guilt all this time. But if so, why was the last thing Haruna said to me back then—?

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you see all that.”

Perhaps feeling a bit self-conscious after losing her composure, Haruna apologized with a sheepish expression.

It was just like her to always carry a handkerchief. She had a cute one, plain and pink.

Her thoughts were still probably nowhere near in order, but Haruna had calmed down for now, so I could breathe a sigh of relief.

“…I could have sworn you had a grudge against me, though.”

“Huh…? That’d be ridiculous. I wouldn’t have come to this school otherwise.”

Fair point. But—

“Do you…remember the end of our talk, in that classroom?”

The stuff about the corporal punishment framing, and when she said, “Everything…is because you took some offhand gripes at face value and tried to take on something you could never handle, Mr. Hitoma.”

You don’t say stuff like that without one heck of a grudge. Or so I thought…

“Oh… About that…”

Haruna tensed up and looked away from me. It looked like she was really uncertain about how to word it.

The silence continued for a bit, until Haruna slowly spoke.

“…Do you mind if I say something weird?”

Haruna slightly tilted her head, as though cautiously gauging my response.

“Weird how?”

“Er, first…I really am sorry. I wasn’t quite myself at the time…”

This was strange. Haruna was acting like a child expecting someone to yell at her.

“I wanted to hurt you.”

Haruna murmured with an expression that seemed moments away from crying all over again.

“I’m really sorry. That was a lie I told on purpose. I said something awful to you on purpose. I wasn’t the one who made up the story about corporal punishment… I could never do something like that…”

“…Akazawa, huh?”

Haruna stayed silent and nodded.

Akazawa, the student who stood in opposition to Haruna, would stop at nothing to accomplish her goals. If she wanted someone taken out of the picture, she made sure they were gone for good.

“Then, why…? Don’t tell me, did Akazawa threaten to—?”

“That wasn’t what happened! Sure, Rio did some slimy stuff…but the last part was different. That was all my choice. I’ve regretted that moment all this time. I wanted to…hurt you, so you could hurt me. That way, you could hate me. If you at least hated me, then I thought—”

Haruna gave a sad, sobbing laugh. Her smile looked excruciating.

“—I thought it’d ease the pain.”

That was some awful logic. What was the point of those four years I spent worrying, then?

Still, I felt like I could understand what Haruna was saying on some level. It wasn’t far off from what I’d been doing just before.

It was all my fault. So it’s natural for her to hate me, I thought. The sorry sense of self-pity a perpetrator holds when their victim hates their guts. Poor me, hated by the person I harmed.

If I hadn’t put up those walls to protect me, I wouldn’t have been able to bear the guilt I held.

The deeper the wound went, the more comforting it felt. I’d been the exact same way. This whole time, all four years of it.

That’s why I had no right to blame Haruna.

“But it didn’t work out that way at all. At first, yeah, it felt a little better. I was glad I got you to hate me. But the fact was, I hurt you. All for just a moment’s comfort… And when I realized that, I just felt so guilty… Really, I am so sorry.”

Haruna went through her own pain all this time. Just as much as I did, if not more.

“…You know, we might be kinda similar.”

“Huh?”

We wounded each other. And yet we couldn’t bring ourselves to hate each other.

Haruna seemed stunned, but she was skeptically watching for how I’d respond.

“Haruna.”

I had a lot I wanted to tell her. And just as much that I wanted to ask her. But there was one thing I wanted to tell her above all. One thing I wanted to make sure she understood.

“Haruna, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

We’d just gotten on different wavelengths.

What was done in the past wouldn’t go away. But its meaning was a matter for those of us in the present to decide.

“After all this, I really am glad that I never forgot about you, Haruna.”

It was the guilt I held in my heart toward Haruna that brought me to this school. And the fact that we could reunite, talk like this, everything—it was all because of the regrets we held.

“Why won’t you forget?”

“I won’t forget. Turns out, it really is that important.”

Haruna made a baffled expression for a moment, but it soon turned into a playful, if exasperated, smile.

Come to think of it, she’d started talking like her high school self again, too.

“…Says the guy who regrets it.”

“Yeah. I regret it, and I still wonder if there was a better way even now, but I got to see you again. I think that’s plenty for me.”

“Tee-hee, what’s that mean?”

She talked like she was poking fun, but it sounded like there was a tinge of happiness in her voice.

“But still, thank you very much.”

Haruna showed a gentle, relieved smile.

“I’m glad you could still be the teacher I always knew.”

And then, this time with that same ear-to-ear grin as before, she said:

“I’m going to be a teacher just like you, Mr. Hitoma!”

The air was still cold to the touch, but the gentle sunlight poured into the classroom.

It was still just a hunch, but I felt that spring was already here.

Our futures would continue.

The long winter was over, and spring had come another year.

It was an unexpected way to run into him again.

“Shiranui Private High School…?”

I was exhausted from the job hunt and absentmindedly browsing an educator-oriented hiring website.

I’d gotten my teaching license, but I didn’t have any motivation to actually become a teacher. So I went about my job hunt focusing on large corporations and medium-size businesses with room to grow. But that photo…

The teacher interviews section had someone named Satoru Hoshino answering questions. But way in the back of the photo was a person just barely caught in the frame.

“…Mr. Hitoma.”

He was sitting in a chair and drinking something.

The days and weeks had piled up into four whole years since then, but Mr. Hitoma didn’t look like he’d changed much. He was pretty much the exact same guy as before.

I wondered if I could meet him if I went to that school. If I could experience the atmosphere within that social studies prep room.

I had no motivation to be a teacher. But I really, really wanted to see him again.

I wanted to face my regrets from back then.

Would I be able to give him a real apology this time?

Would I be able to give him a proper thank-you?

I had grown up since then, but would I really be able to stand next to Mr. Hitoma?

If only I could see him once again.

That single thought swelled within my heart.

And so I clicked theAPPLYbutton for that school.

“Mr. Hitomaaa, looook, I wrooote it!”

“Oh, pretty fast, aren’t you? Thanks, I’ll look it over.”

The day after my long chat about the past with Haruna, Okonogi turned in her essay in record time.

…Yep, that was ten pages. I then moved on to check its contents.

“Hmm? What does this…?”

The essay had a section about me.

Mr. Hitomaaa is an honest human. He’s like Mommy. But he says he doesn’t want to forget his regrets, like they’re important. I thought he was lying, but it was true. And I thought, just a little, that it might be nice. I’m a liar, but I don’t want to be a bad guy. I don’t know why, but I feel like if I think of my regrets as important, then even a liar like me can be a little bit better of a person. I’m still thinking about why that is.

She kinda threw in the towel at the end, there… But hey. I was a little…no, very happy to read this.

I resisted the loosening I felt in my cheeks and continued to skim over Okonogi’s essay, but I didn’t find any blatantly suspicious segments. The essay touched upon school and Okonogi herself in her own unvarnished words, and I thought she did a fine job.

“Okay, this looks all right, so go ahead and turn this in to the principal.”

“Hooraaay!”

With this out of the way, the only penalty Okonogi had to face was the dormitory house arrest over spring break.

“…Come to think of it, Okonogi…”

“Mweh? Whaaat is it? Was the essay weeeird?”

“Oh, no, there shouldn’t be any problems with the essay. But back then, what was it you said to Ms. Haruna?”

“Back wheeen?”

“During the off-campus field trip last year.”

Okonogi made a motion of trying to remember with an expression so blank that she couldn’t have been thinking about anything at all.

“Mmah, I remeeembered. But I wooon’t tell you, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

Guh… She still won’t spill, huh…?

“Oh, did Okonogi finish writing her essay?” Haruna asked.

“Ms. Miraaai, I fiiinished, wanna seeee?”

Haruna accepted the essay papers from Okonogi and gave it a good look-through.

“Heeey, Ms. Miraaai, you knooow, that thiiing? I stiiill didn’t tell Mr. Hitomaaa about it. Did I do gooood?”

“H-hey, now! That was just your misunderstanding, to be clear!”

“Hmmmm?”

“That thing” must have referred to the moment on the field trip I asked about. I thought it must have been important to Haruna, so I asked about it again to be sure, but I guess it was sounding like I didn’t really need to know…? Well, no need to pry.

“All right, I’m gonna head back to the teachers’ office, then.”

“Okaaay.”

Okonogi gave a laid-back response, while Haruna gave an acknowledging nod. It seemed she was going to check over Okonogi’s essay a bit more.

Yeah, seeing Haruna’s dedication to her students made me certain that she’d be a great teacher.

“I gotta try and keep up…”

And for the foreseeable future, I’d be doing that right here.

I headed toward the teachers’ office with just a bit more of a spring in my step.

“Yes, this is a wonderful essay. I don’t have any suggestions, either.”

Okonogi’s essay was peculiar, but that was a part of its charm. It was certain to split readers into loving or hating it, but curiously enough, I quite liked the portions I read.

“Ms. Miraaai!”

My name was called in that leisurely, elongated style of speech as I felt a tug from the hem of my clothes.

“What is it?”

Okonogi always had her head in the clouds, so to be honest, I couldn’t quite tell whatever she was thinking.

She brought her body in close and placed a hand up to my ear. I braced myself, expecting her to tell me some sort of secret again.

“…You knooow, Mr. Hitomaaa’s pretty pooopular, so good luuuck, Ms. Miraaai.”

“……!”

I was wondering what she’d whisper in my ear, and she turned out to continue that old conversation…!

“Okonogi… I just told you that was a misunderstanding, did I not?!”

Okonogi simply smiled wide and looked at me, her red and blue eyes seeming as though they could peer into my very soul.

I remembered what Okonogi had said back then.

“Ms. Miraaai, you knooow, you’re a liiiar in front of Mr. Hitomaaa. Does that meeean—?”

I hadn’t noticed it at all, but Okonogi’s whisper brought it to my attention.

The reason why I was so fixated on Mr. Hitoma.

A reason that’d be nothing more than a bother to Mr. Hitoma himself. So I had to make sure it never slipped out.

I didn’t even want to acknowledge it. But maybe it’d been too late to turn back from the very start. Since the moment we first talked in the social studies prep room, with its warm atmosphere that I so admired.

Yes, I’m sure of it.

I’ve loved Mr. Hitoma all this time.

The Misanthrope and the Promised Graduation Ceremony

The day had come for another year.

The weather yesterday had been looking a bit dicey, but today, it was nice and sunny out. We’d had fair weather on this day every year, which made me wonder if the director or the principal worked some magic.

No, could just be a coincidence. I always hoped that the students could have a warm send-off on the big day that they finally left the nest, and I simply hoped that others felt the same. That their first steps on the road ahead could be met with as many blessings as one could wish for.

Today, our graduate would be embarking on her journey under clear skies.

The road from the faculty dorm to the school.

I didn’t have many chances to walk on unpaved roads, but I’d gotten quite used to this one.

“Good morning, Mr. Hitoma.”

“Whoa, Haruna, good morning.”

I wondered where the sudden light tap on my back had come from and found that my walk was overlapping with Haruna’s commute.

Come to think of it, Haruna traveled from home instead of living in the dorms. The bus times were pretty particular, so back when I commuted from home, I arrived at school either right at the bell or with plenty of time to spare. Haruna, of course, was the type to arrive in the teachers’ office before anyone else.

“Don’t often see you around this time. Did the bus schedule change?”

Right now was just between those two arrival times, which was about as comfortable an arrival time as you could get.

“It’s on the weekend schedule.”

“Ah, that’s right. Today’s Saturday, huh?”

I felt some comfort in making such peaceful small talk.

“Have you thought about coming to live in the dorms? It cuts time off your commute, the rent’s cheap, it’s pretty roomy, and there’s even a hot spring a little bit of a walk away. If I had to give the downsides, I guess it’d be that the building kinda shows its age? I don’t really notice, though.”

“Uh, I kinda really don’t wanna live under the same roof as you.”

“Phrasing.”

“Ha-ha, besides, I’m still going back and forth over whether I’ll work here next year.”

“You are?”

“…It’s easier for you to be a teacher when I’m not around, right?”

Haruna walked a bit ahead of me, so I couldn’t see her reaction.

“It’s kinda distracting if you keep getting reminded of ancient history, right? Besides…I did what I came to do.”

“What’d you come to do?”

“To let you live in peace, and to finally apologize to you.”

“Hey, you’re making it all about me.”

“Yeah, I am.”

Haruna twirled back around.

“Because I’ve always regretted dragging you down with me.”

Haruna looked at me with a smile that was moments away from tears. I could tell from that expression that Haruna really was planning to quit this school. She’d probably made her peace with it to some extent.

But that didn’t feel right.

“Haruna.”

Haruna’s shoulders jolted up a bit. Like she was a student expecting to be scolded.

Haruna was a sharp girl. She might have taken the hint about what I was going to say next.

“How did you like this year, Haruna? What do you want to do?”

Haruna’s lips pursed tight. I saw her eyes begin to strain.

“Just put me aside for a sec.”

Haruna looked frightful, so I tried to ask as gently as I could to show that I wasn’t mad at her. I had to wonder how well it got through, though.

“W-well, I…”

A breeze brushed by, carrying cherry blossom petals with it.

When Haruna turned around, I smelled a sweet fragrance in the air. A fragrance that didn’t seem like it belonged to the cherry blossoms. What was it, again? It seemed familiar, somehow.

“…I had fun.”

The words left her lips like a tightly wound knot coming undone.

“Oh, no, I mean, I wasn’t trying to sound like some kid after playtime, or anything!” she insisted. “Right, getting to learn more about our students over time and watching how these deeper sides to them led to their growth provided a very fulfilling work experience!”

It seemed Haruna had been caught by surprise, too, as she hurriedly panicked for a moment before quickly straightening her posture.

There was a lot I wanted to say, but seeing Haruna like this made it hard to sweat the small stuff. I found myself breaking into a smile.

“Sounds like that’s good enough, right?”

“But—!”

“I’d be happy to have you stay for another year.”

“Huh? Wh-wh-what makes you say that…?!”

“Well, you’ve got younger sensibilities, and you’re closer to the students in age, so it’s pretty easy for the students to take a liking to you, right?”

“Oh…right, yeah…”

Hmm? I thought. Haruna doesn’t seem satisfied with that answer, and she’s got a fidgety look on her face…

Oh! I suddenly realized. Haruna was once my student, so I guess that’s why I didn’t hesitate to bring up her age, but she’s a grown adult now. It figures that she’d be sensitive over that. Besides, everyone knows that it’s poor etiquette to talk about age to a lady…! I really screwed up… But trying totake it back doesn’t seem like a good idea, either, as that’d just rub it in more…

“And besides, it’d be a great help to have coworker like you, totally! Because, like, you’re a great mood-maker, you know? So, uh…yeah!”

The criiinge!

I’d tried my best to maybe, just barely smooth things over.

Haruna still looked fidgety, but at least she was less… Wait, was she trying to stifle a laugh?

“Pfft… Ah-ha-ha!”

She was laughing at me… Had I done that bad a job?

“I more or less understand what you want to say. Thank you very much. Now, then—I look forward to working with you next year.”

“Yeah, same here!”

This time last year.

Back when I first learned that Haruna would be coming to this school as a teacher. I never imagined we’d be able to talk like this.

Haruna had her own thoughts about those days, ones we never had the chance to discuss back then.

If we’d never gotten the chance to meet again like this, those regrets Haruna held might have festered into a deep, painful wound.

I was glad I got to see Haruna again. It wasn’t something I’d say to her directly, but I felt it deep within my heart.

The ceremony’s facilitator was, once again, Ms. Saotome.

We’d lit up the kerosene stoves for the last two years of ceremonies, but it was a bit warmer out this time around, so they were going to sit the event out.

The beginner class students weren’t scattered around, and instead formed a straight, single-file line. The intermediate and advanced class students, of course, went without saying.

And our graduate, Usami, stood beside the principal with her usual nonchalant look on her face.

“We will now confer the degree.”

Ms. Saotome’s voice rang clear throughout the gymnasium.

“Sui Usami.”

“Present.”

Usami carried herself boldly, with no regard to her small frame. This moment was for her above anyone else, and she exuded a sense of presence that almost overwhelmed anyone watching. She smoothly stood up straight, raised her chin, and proceeded toward the podium where the principal awaited.

“Sui Usami, congratulations, my dear.”

“Nothin’ to it.”

With no reservations in her response, Usami accepted the diploma from the principal. She then took a long, hard look at her new certificate.

“…? Usami? Is something the matter, my dear?”

She already had her diploma, but Sui wasn’t stepping down from the podium.

I wondered what had happened. Maybe there was an error on the diploma?

I heard a drip. The principal’s mic picked up the sounds of water drops falling on paper.

The principal was smiling gently at the new graduate in front of him. Usami’s shoulders were trembling.

“…Lemme just…make one correction. I managed to graduate thanks to my own hard work and the support I got from others. This diploma’s a symbol of that. So I…”

Her voice was shaking, but Usami put everything she had into stringing one word to the next.

“This…diploma…is my pride and joy! Thank you for everything you’ve all done…!”

I heard sniffling from somewhere in the gymnasium.

Usami always carried herself with an exceptional level of pride. She walked straight ahead, never making concessions to others or herself.

We clashed often because of that, but through it all, Usami eventually learned to forgive and forget. Not to concede or to acquiesce, but to forgive; the act of respecting and accepting another person.

And she gained the willpower to do so even when hurt.

Congratulations, Usami. The pride you hold in your heart always shines bright.

“Uchamiii! ’Grats on your graduatiooon!”

“Sui, rest assured, I’ll take good care of Mr. Rei!”

“Karin, what are you to Hitoma anyway…?” Usami asked.

With the ceremony over, Usami returned to the classroom to find herself immediately surrounded by the advanced class students.

“Usammy, it’ll be a little looonely once you’re gooone.”

“Mm, that’s for certain. But I wish from the bottom of my heart that your journey ahead be a wondrous one. I swear it on the sky above.”

“Thanks, guys.”

Everyone gave Usami their best wishes. To be honest, even I was getting pretty bummed that I wouldn’t be able to hear any more of Usami’s cutting punch lines.

“Speakin’ of, weren’t ya cryin’ up there, Uchami?” Nezu jabbed at Usami with a mischievous grin.

“Hwha?! Do you really gotta bring that up?!”

“Uchamiii, looks like ya got your cyootie-wootie side after all!”

Usami was trembling from head to toe at being made the butt of the joke. She then whipped around to face me.

“Hitoma! Give her a deduction! Her humanity’s in the garbage!”

“Uh… Gee, should I?”

It was true that Nezu maybe went a little too far, but I didn’t want to ruin such a nice day with a deduction. And besides, knowing Nezu…

“Squeeeak! Please, ya can’t! I just couldn’t help it, ya know?! If I don’t get to joke around like this, I’m, I’mmm…”

Tears were welling up in Nezu’s eyes by the second.

Yeah, she’s sad to see Usami go.

“I’m gonna cryyyyy! Sqwaaaaah!!!”

“Fweh-heh-heh. You knooow, Usammy, Macchie here, right, she was all sobby-wobby during the ceremony, toooo.”

“Hwah?!”

“C’mon! C’mooon! If Uchami’s gone, who’m I supposed to bicker with?! I’m gonna be lonely! What’re ya graduating first for?! Congratulations! Be good out there!!! Sqwaaaaah!!!”

“M-Machi, don’t cry so much. If you start crying, I’ll…I’ll also…,” Usami stammered.

“My, my, you two… You’re quite a mess,” said Ryuzaki.

Nezu was one thing, but I never thought I’d see Usami weep so uncontrollably.

“Mm, the two of them are particularly close,” said Wakaba. “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

“Usami, Machi. Here, have a handkerchief.” Haneda seemed a little happy when she looked at them.

“Thanks a bunch, Tobari,” said Nezu.

“Yeah, thanks,” Usami added.

“Hey, Usami.” Haneda gently patted Usami on the head and proceeded to softly stroke her hair. “Congrats on graduating.”

Haneda’s carefree smile was soothing yet also seemed somewhat sad. It was this smile that Haneda faced Usami with.

“Tobari,” said Usami.

“Hmm?”

Haneda stopped patting Usami’s head. She looked expectant.

“…I thought you were gonna be the first to graduate,” Usami told her.

“Ah-ha-ha, for real? I think it’s still looking a little rough for me.”

“Still, you’ve always been my inspiration.”

“I was? That’s news to me.” Haneda offered a comforting, maternal smile.

“I don’t wanna basically admit defeat, so I never told you before. But I looked up to you, ’cause you’re always so cool. That’s just the one thing I wanted you to know before I graduated.”

“Gotcha.”

Maybe Haneda’s presence was a big reason why Usami was able to make it this far. Haneda had always kept running a step ahead of Usami, so Usami came to see her as a goal to overcome.

“Tobari, once you turn human, I want you to come visit me. And, uh, I’ll look up a good restaurant or something!”

“Ah-ha-ha, thanks. Lookin’ forward to it.”

“Aaaaagh! That ain’t fair! I wanna go to a good restaurant, too!”

“Pick up the slack first, Machi.”

“Squeakin’ rude!”

“Yeah, point taken, Machi makes a lotta careless mistakes.”

“Tobari, not you, too!”

Even this rambunctious atmosphere that ran through the advanced class was only possible because Usami was here. She really did work so hard all this time.

“Usami,” I said.

“Hitoma.”

Given that she’d been crying moments ago, her eyes were redder than normal.

“Congratulations on graduating.”

“Hmph. Well, these three years with you weren’t the worst, I guess.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You just weren’t reliable at first, Hitoma. I couldn’t trust you.”

Usami clutched her head to get across that “Phew, good grief” sensation all the more strongly.

“Teachers like you are out of style. You’re nosy to a fault, always butting in. It’s gonna land you in some weird kinda trouble sooner or later.”

That was for sure. It was like I hadn’t grown a bit between Haruna’s time and today.

“But I don’t think I could’ve graduated without a teacher like you around.”

Usami then raised her head.

“You get heated in the cringiest ways, but maybe that ain’t half bad.”

She wore her usual self-confident smile.

“So Hitoma, lemme just say…thank you!”

Usami crossed her arms with a self-important “Hm-hmph.” She nailed the look.

There was a base to her confidence; it was built on the foundation of her ceaseless efforts. This confidence was Usami’s greatest virtue.

“I could say the same,” I told her. “There’s a lot that I realized, thanks to you, Usami.”

That being nosy isn’t half bad.

That our time is limited.

“Oh, right—here, have this.”

“What is it?” Usami asked me.

“A phone number.”

“What, yours? Wha—? It’s just a little too forward, y’know…but, well, if I’ve got it, then calling it once or twice isn’t…out of the question. Sure.”

Was there some kind of misunderstanding here…? I had to admit that this was a bit funny in its own way, but I decided to be honest and set the record straight.

“No, it’s Sae’s.”

“Sae’s…?! Wh-why didn’t ya say so sooner?!”

“The principal had me promise that he’d hold on to it until your graduation.”

I handed Usami the note containing an eleven-digit phone number and an e-mail address. Usami looked at it like it was as precious as her diploma, tinged with just a bit of nostalgia.

“I can’t wait to see what kinda adult that brat turned out to be.”

“I probably don’t need to repeat this for you, but remember, not a word about this school. Otherwise, your memories—”

“Yeah, I get it. My story’s that I’m ‘a kid who grew up in Seiko’s neighborhood’ who ‘met Seiko after Sae left the house.’ I know.”

Keeping one’s memories of this school while still interacting with humans outside of it required lying.

If you didn’t want to lie, you’d have to forget everything about Shiranui High.

It was a rule to protect this school. To protect—but from what? From the panic that would ensue if humans learned that demi-humans existed? From humans who would try to abuse their powers if they learned that oni like Okonogi existed? Or maybe…

“Usami! I heard they’re holding a buffet-style party in the form cafeteria, so let’s go already!” said Haneda.

“I got it, all right?! Hitoma! Someday, I swear! I’ll repay the debt I owe ya! So you better take care until then!”

With a dazzling smile, Usami proclaimed that and nothing more before dashing out after Haneda and the others.

Repay a debt. That was the reason Usami once wanted to be human. And even after becoming human, Usami would surely still try to live her life for others.

“…Ha-ha, that’s just like Usami,” I said.

Repay what debt? I was always the one on the receiving end.

And so, excluding the exception of Haneda, all the students I had taught in my first year had now graduated.

This time of the year always brought with it a somewhat wistful sense of accomplishment.

The cherry blossom petals rode the breeze as they gently drifted past.

The sun always shines on the first step of a journey.

“We really are drinking at school…!”

“Ah-ha-ha, right, ’cause it’s Haruna’s first time joinin’ the club.”

“Haruna, can you hold your liquor well?”

“…As well as anyone else, I think!”

I wonder about that…

I was curious about that pause before her answer, but hey, it was Haruna. She surely knew how to pace herself to some extent.

“Yo, human. How’s it hangin’?”

“…”

Feeling a hand placed on my shoulder, I turned around only to have its index finger poke me in the cheek…

“What’s the deal? You’re barely reacting at all. Sigh, you sure are one dull human.”

“Alice… So, you came again this year?”

“Yeah, got a problem? There’s just so much delicious food for me to eat here.”

I had to wonder if the principal was going to chew her out for that.

Ohhh, the principal’s away at the moment…so maybe that’s why…

Alice was already stuffing her face with sushi while plopping everything else into a food container.

“Just wondering, but would you happen to have a really bad food shortage over there?”

“Oh, not at all. I’m not that much of a dope. What am I, you?”

My concern was met with ridicule.

“Did I never mention that my magic can only make sweets? That’s why this stuff is so precious.”

Come to think of it, I got the feeling I’d heard that before.

Once her container was nearly filled, Alice closed the lid with the deftness of someone who’d done it a thousand times. Seeing a Western-style witch use this kind of food container had a bit of a commoner feel to it, and I found it a little funny…

“You’ve got a rather rude thought on your mind, don’t you?”

Crap. Did it show on my face? Having Alice suddenly peer at me from point-blank range definitely carried some impact, and I could feel my heart rate rise.

“Oh, no, never!”

“Hmmm? Well, you better not.”

Alice stored the container inside her hat. She then put the hat back on her head.

…I wondered if the inside of her hat doubled as a four-dimensional pocket sort of thing.

“Alice, what’re you doing here?”

“Eek!”

“Oh, Ms. Karasuma.”

I saw Ms. Karasuma’s slender hands stretch smoothly out from behind Alice’s back before suddenly tightening…into a hug, or rather, a grip, to make there was no running away.

“You brat! When did you even—?!”

“Tch, you sure run your mouth for a witch. Who are you calling a brat?”

Whoa, this was a rare sight. Ms. Karasuma was actually a little angry.

“You! The pip-squeak who was always stuck to me like glue!”

“Riiight, senior citizens never stop bringing up ancient history.”

“Huh?! Are you calling me old?! Just look at how young and beautiful I am!”

“You’re really saying that with zero shame, huh?”

Oh no, they’d gotten into a flame war. And uh, Ms. Karasuma was packing some heat… This was the kind of posting power that came from survival on the most chaotic of message board battlegrounds.

“Oh? Hey, Hitoma, is this that person who came by last year? An acquaintance of the principal’s, if I remember right.”

“Oh, Mr. Hoshino.”

Mr. Hoshino appeared to drop by while I was admiring Ms. Karasuma’s skill as a poster.

“Alice, be a good girl and go to your room.”

“Excuse me?! Why should I listen to some brat ordering me around?!”

“If you don’t leave quick, I’m calling my dad.”

“How infuuuuuriating! Very well! I’ve gotten a good enough haul… Oh.”

“Hmm?”

Alice and Mr. Hoshino were looking at each other. Alice appeared to just realize something, but Mr. Hoshino’s gaze was simply baffled.

“Ohhhhh?”

“Guh-ross.”

A somewhat vulgar smile floated to Alice’s face, while Ms. Karasuma relented as though she was repulsed to her core.

“Well, that’s just fine. Calling for Shiro would give me a headache, so I’ll take my leave.”

“Calling for who would give you a headache, my dear?”

I thought I heard the small fwoo of a deep breath in, and the next moment, Alice was gone. But the principal immediately grabbed what seemed to be thin air, and then left the conference room as though dragging something out.

“I’m not sure I follow, but she’s certainly a colorful fellow.”

Oh, Alice… Is she getting chewed out by the principal right now…?

In contrast to the carefree, happy-go-lucky attitude of Mr. Hoshino, I had gotten a little worried. Alice might have been arrogant to no end and could be very insistent on having her way, but nonetheless, she was still an important figure in Kurosawa’s life. I’d get worried, probably without cause, that Alice being in the dumps might make Kurosawa feel the same way.

“So, Ms. Karasuma, that was an acquaintance of yours, eh?”

“Bluh.”

Ms. Karasuma blurted out a strange noise, apparently not expecting to have the conversation thrown back at her.

“Ahhh, y-yeah, sure. I know her through the principal. She’s a headache, though, so you’re better off keeping your distance, Satoru.”

Her eyes sure did shift around a lot… And while she told Mr. Hoshino to keep his distance, Alice seemed like she already knew him…though for Mr. Hoshino’s part, the recognition didn’t seem mutual. Maybe Alice mistook him for someone else?

“Hmm, you don’t say. Well, got it. Thanks.”

Mr. Hoshino didn’t seem willing to push the issue, which Ms. Karasuma looked relieved about. To be honest, I was curious about it myself…but I was a complete outsider here.

“Oh, Mr. Hoshino.”

“Hmm?”

This was a completely different subject, but I had something I needed to say to Mr. Hoshino.

“Thank you for your cooperation with Usami’s exams. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I could have instructed Usami in a way that drew out the best of her abilities. I mean it, thank you for your instruction.”

“Whoa, no, it’s nothing. I just did what I could. Besides, Usami’s achievements came from her own hard work.”

Even then, I still thought that Mr. Hoshino’s help played a big role. Even though we specialized in different subjects, there was a lot I learned from watching him teach. Enough to make me feel motivated to work even harder going forward.

“Ms. Mirai, are you all right?”

As I gave my thanks to Mr. Hoshino, I heard Ms. Saotome’s concerned voice from elsewhere in the room.

“I’mmm fwiiiiynne!”

And that not-fine-sounding reply belonged to…Haruna?

I turned toward the voice and saw Haruna sprawled out over a desk, looking absolutely exhausted.

“Wait, Haruna, drink some water.”

Understanding that we were suddenly in an extraordinary situation, I told Mr. Hoshino my good-byes, went over to sit down next to Haruna, and poured water from a plastic bottle into a paper cup.

“Wah, Mr. Hitoma! Ms. Mirai can’t hold her liquor at all, huh?! Just a lick of Japanese sake got her wobbling around…!”

“I can toootally dwink! I can do, lihke, haffa wunna thoshe can phings!”

Everyone in the room surely thought the same thing.

That can’s gotta be one of those hard fruit juices…

I figured that she wasn’t great with drinking, but I never imagined she’d be this much of a lightweight…

“Haruna, have you ever drunk sake before?”

“Eh-heh-heh, ishh my fursht tiiime.”

I see. She must not have understood what she was dealing with or had a good idea of her own limits.

Haruna was in a state I could hardly imagine seeing her in. She was more cheery and upbeat than usual now that her inhibitions were loosened. Maybe that was a sign of how tense she normally kept herself. If so, then maybe it wasn’t so bad to have times like these… Not in excess, but if Haruna had some time to really relax, then—

“Whoa!”

“Mmm… Tee-hee.”

Out of nowhere, Haruna suddenly fell on top of me.

“Wow, that’s a lap pillow!”

“Mee-hee-hee, Mr. Hitomaaa, lemme borrow your lap, okaaay?”

Before long, Haruna started peacefully snoozing while still lying atop my thighs. I wished I could have gotten her to drink more water, but it sounded like all she had of the sake was a lick, and she did drink down the contents of the cup I’d handed her anyway. The school nurse, Ms. Karasuma, was also glancing over with a bit of concern, so things were probably fine for now.

I then noticed Ms. Saotome was clinking glasses of sake with the art teacher, Mr. Emoto. Ms. Saotome was beyond a mere alcoholic; at this point, I could only respect her fortitude.

“Hee-hee, Mr. Hitomaaa.”

“Haruna, you’re awake?”

“Hee-hee.”

She was lying on her back and looking straight up at me, but was she still maybe half dreaming?

Seeing her like this made me realize that Haruna was still a bit of a child. She always had a bit of a baby face, too. Not that I was one to talk…

Haruna snoozed soundly again. Guess she really was still asleep. Watching her slumber made me remember the times I played with the kids at a relative’s house. Or maybe the times that cats and dogs have used me as a bed. But listening to Haruna’s silent snoozes had me feeling a bit sleepy, too.

“Mirai,” that’s a good name. It means the future, the possibilities that are always one step away.

Next year, Haruna and I would stay at this very school, watching our students embark toward their futures.

Epilogue

After that, Haruna snoozed peacefully for just shy of an hour. She apparently pieced together what had happened the instant she woke up, though, and started apologizing pretty profusely.

She must have been the type to sober up after sleeping it off. For now, I decided to pretend that the lap pillow thing didn’t happen, since the party wasn’t exactly a place for formality, but I did warn her to try and avoid drinking sake.

Ms. Saotome also apologized by crying, “Waaah! I’m so sorry, Ms. Mirai!” as she held her tight, but Haruna seemed to reflect on her actions and replied, “Oh, no, it’s my responsibility for not understanding my own limits.”

“Mr. Hitoma, good work this year.”

Late March, the director’s office.

The day after the graduation ceremony, the director, principal, and I held an end-of-the-year conference. I was used to seeing her as Haneda, but it had been a while since I’d seen her director form, huh…? As usual, her attire didn’t cover much, so I wasn’t sure where to rest my eyes.

“Hitoma, my boy, do you recall the contract period I explained to you at the start?”

“Ah, yes.”

I was so taken by the director’s form that I almost didn’t hear what he asked. Contract period…? Right, that’s what he meant.

Three years.

That was the period I was hired for. It was ending with this year, and because my contract would be completed, I had the option of either renewing it or cutting things off here.

“From our point of view, we’d love nothing more than to have your continued service!”

“Yep, that’s the truth. Not too many humans cut out for the job.”

The director belly-laughed as she nodded.

“However, we’re aware that it must be difficult to make things work in an environment such as ours, one that’s so different from the outside world.”

It was certainly true that compared to what you’d call a “normal” school, this one had quite a few more quirks to its job responsibilities.

“Hitoma, my boy, will you renew your contract?”

The principal asked with just a bit of anxiety in his voice, but I had already made my decision.

“I’d like to continue working here with you all.”

A lot had happened over these past three years.

In my first year, I wasn’t used to anything, and I wound up going in circles while failing to support my students well. I think that was also when I had my salary slashed after leaving the school grounds with Usami.

In my second year, I started to understand this school, and I think it was my first time witnessing the principal’s powers. That was also when I searched for Chiyu with Nezu.

And this year, my third year.

I was nervous at first over everything with Haruna, but we reunited, and over the course of the year, we finally broke enough ice to get back on speaking terms.

Excluding the exception that was Haneda, every student I’d taught in my first year had now graduated. Minazuki, Ohgami, and Usami.

It was a bit sad to see them go, but that’s what students were supposed to do: power through school, graduate, and take the next step toward their futures. A step made with hope in their hearts, toward the futures they wanted to bring to life.

I wanted to see the rest of my advanced class students take that step.

The principal sounded pleased as he hummed through his nose.

“I knew I could count on you, my boy!”

With a smile on his face, the principal presented the paperwork for next year.

“I’ve still got plenty of jobs I wantcha to do, Mr. Hitoma. I’m happy to hear you’re staying on.”

The director gazed at the principal while seeming pretty pleased herself. I looked back at the director—at Haneda—and slowly opened my mouth.

“…Actually, I found a goal for myself.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

The goal I made on that day, as Tobari Haneda and I basked in the morning sunlight atop that mountain I’d always seen from the school.

“To have you, Tobari Haneda, graduate.”

The director looked a little surprised, but that relaxed into a gentle smile soon enough.

“…That’s nice, hope you can reach it.”

For now, Tobari Haneda had no desire to graduate. But the day of Tobari Haneda’s graduation was a day I wanted to see.

The director closed her eyes and then gave a small sigh, as though giving up on something.

“So, Mr. Hitoma, do you like humans?”

The question I was asked every year. Dropping it at this exact timing made it sound like she wanted to change the subject, but…

“Humans—”

The director said she liked humans. That she liked all the parts I hated.

“Humans are annoying, indirect, quick to lie, hardly ever consistent with what they believe, temperamental, and have a lot about them that gives me a headache…”

Thinking about it like this, those humans sure didn’t have much going for them, did they?

“…but I think I’d rather live with them driving me up a wall than without.”

“In other words?”

“I hate humans. Everything about them besides the part where they continue to stay alive is just such a pain in the neck. But I respect that about humans, and I think I’d like to keep valuing that going forward.”

“You think so, huh?”

The director gave a joyful smile.

She and I surely felt the same way here.

Humans are annoying. But that’s what makes them such intriguing, lovable creatures.

“I forget, was Mr. Hitoma the only conference we had for today?”

“Yes, indeed he was.”

Being alone in the director’s office with Shiro had me reminiscing about the past.

“Guess Ms. Haruna’s tomorrow… Hee-hee, how noble of ya to stick to it.”

“To what, may I ask?”

“That way you talk.”

Shiro averted his gaze and fiddled with his moustache after I pointed it out.

“Yes…I’m afraid it’s become a bit of a habit.”

“You could always drop it when it’s just us.”

“I’m afraid that ship has sailed. Besides, it’s rather endearing, so I’ve grown fond of it.”

“You actually like it, huh?”

I only brought it up on a whim in the first place.

“It’s beloved not just by the students, but by Haruka as well.”

“You two really got a happy little family, there.”

Haruka had been helping at this school for a long time now. Not that I really understood why.

“That aside, will there come a day when Hitoma does let that ‘Tobari Haneda’ fellow graduate?”

“Good question, huh?”

To tell the truth, I figured it wouldn’t, but I decided to brush the question off.

“Do you think I can graduate?”

“Lady Shiranui, my dear, you have no desire to graduate, correct?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s that low.”

Guess I was easy to read.

“Well, speaking as the principal, it’d be quite a bother to have you graduate now. We still have students enrolled.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

That’s right, I won’t graduate. Because I can’t graduate.

“Come to think of it, should Alice be told about Mr. Hoshino?”

“Ahh, that’s right. Don’t wanna deal with word slipping out to Mr. Hitoma or the other teachers. I know Mr. Hoshino especially doesn’t. Yeah, go ahead and tell Alice about how Mr. Hoshino became a teacher here.”

“Ooh… Understood. But Alice can’t be trusted, mind you.”

“Hey now, don’t go sayin’ stuff like that. I keep telling you to get along with her. Alice might be a witch, but she’s also a heretic, so she’s not that bad.”

“Aww, rats… Well, I’ll be off to the shrine.”

“Goootcha. Laaater.”

At some point, this school that I built for myself became blessed with so many students. I’ve rattled around the thought of graduating myself every now and then. But every time, I’d start thinking about the other students and teachers, and I put the idea on hold.

“Actually, I found a goal for myself. To have you, Tobari Haneda, graduate.”

Tee-hee, Mr. Hitoma had a way with words sometimes. I didn’t tell him then, since I’d have felt guilty poking fun at someone so dead serious.

But you know?

“…If I graduate, then this school’s gonna be gone.”

There was still something I wanted to do around here. Something I wanted more than giving myself a life span.

And that was to make the students’ dreams come true. To help the students be able to make it on their own.

But with Mr. Hitoma around, the thought of graduating didn’t sound half bad. I had to wonder why. Maybe all that earnest energy of his was starting to get to me.

“…Hard choices, huh?”

My solitary musings from within the director’s room would reach no ears.

Mr. Hitoma, congrats on burying the hatchet from a little bit ago, but don’t let it go to your head. You don’t have to look right at me that much.

It was a hard choice, but I felt my face soften into a smile. Maybe I was…happy?

Yeah, Mr. Hitoma sure was a fascinating one.

“Tee-hee, I wonder what kinda year we’ve got coming up.”

Humans change more and more as they get influenced by their surroundings.

How was this school changing him? What parts would end up staying the same?

C’mon, teach me more about humans.

Afterword

Heeellooo! I’m the author, Kurusu Natsume. I’m really sorry for making you all wait for such a long time!

It’s been about a year and a half since the publication of Volume 2, but I hope you all enjoyed Volume 3…!

In Volume 3, Hitoma reunites with the source of his trauma, Mirai, and they sometimes might and sometimes might not touch upon their past. And then it shows new sides to two of the students who joined the advanced class in the second year, Machi and Karin. What’d you think of the two students who came in the third year? I particularly liked how Wakaba was earnest to the point of breaking and frequently given to blind faith, and how Maki was hard to grasp and just a bit mysterious.

I basically write the tale of the demi-human classroom as a sort of anthology of short stories, so I’d be delighted if there’s a story or two in here that you liked. By all means, feel free to tell me which characters and chapters were your favorite.

And now for the appreciations!

Once again, Sai Izumi sent me some absolutely amazing illustrations! I know how busy you are, so thank you very much!

I write with the full intention of putting a fan service scene into every volume, and I was so happy to receive the insert illustration of that cheer costume scene! Everyone! Look at it! It’s cute! Do you like tummies? I love them. If anything, just looking at cheer costumes cheers me up. Also, I received designs for four new characters! First, isn’t the aura of Wakaba’s androgynous beauty off the charts? It’s off the charts. And the sense of sparkles giving that little boost to her beauty is just the best. For Maki, her fluffy, carefree vibe is just so cute! I want that jacket! I always liked droopy eyes before, but this made me realize that all over again! But the insert illustration of Maki with her hair down just changed her vibe so much that it makes your heart race, right?! And Mirai, I love how she has that girl-next-door honor student feel, giving a sort of youthful beauty to her! The silhouette her hair makes is so fluffy, it’s amazing! Her morning routine is probably pretty stacked. And Ms. Haruka Karasuma! She’s actually been around since Volume 1, but this is the first time we reveal her design in color! I wanted to meet you for so long! She’s a cool loner, but surprisingly haphazard, and I absolutely love how her gentle vibe makes you want to say you’re okay with that. Once again, thank you very much for drawing the best scenes for these characters that I could ask for!

This time, I also have some other illustrators to thank for their work on the store bonuses. Asagi Tohsaka, who drew an excellent picture of Wakaba by the windowsill, her beauty shining like a jewel. Amashiro Natsuki, who drew a cute, colorful picture of Maki enjoying a crepe. Thank you both so much for this!

And once again, to my editor, who I caused a crazy, massive amount of trouble for, but who still listened to my concerns plenty of times. Plus, to my managers (I have two), who were able to watch over my discussions with my editor. Thank you very much, really.

And now, at last. It is thanks to the support of none other than you, my readers, who now hold this book in your hands, that we were able to publish Volume 3. Thank you very much. I mean it. I intend to live a long life in order to repay this debt, so I’d appreciate nothing more than your continued support! Thank you so much for reading this far!

Let us meet again! Until then!

Kurusu Natsume

March 2024