IT WAS SUNDAY, the day after the meeting with Kanzaki and there was still some slight friction with Kei.
It was time to meet with Ichinose, whom I had promised to meet with the day before.
I went down to the lobby a little early, but I didn't see Ichinose in the area.
I thought there was a possibility that we would've bumped into each other by chance, but that didn't seem to be the case.
I turned around and looked at the elevator, but it didn't seem to be moving.
It's unlikely that Kei will follow her.
Kei, who was worried about me meeting Ichinose, wouldn't take such an action.
No, it was too early to say that she won't do anything. She could be on her way to Ichinose by now, or she could already be there ahead of Ichinose.
Or she may boldly join us while we were meeting. If I analyzed her past behavior patterns, there was a possibility.
If that happens, we'll just have to wait and see…
But I doubt that she'll take any reckless actions, given the way she behaved yesterday. It takes courage to see something you don't want to see.
I left the dormitory. The sky was clear so far, but unfortunately, it was predicted to rain in the afternoon, so I brought an umbrella.
I wondered how Ichinose felt this morning.
What she wants, what she desires. Whatever it was, it was clear that there was more than one thing. To be a great leader, to be in a successful relationship, to have a strong spirit. We have more desires than fingers we can count on one or even both hands.
That night during the school trip wasn't enough to cause any concrete change in our relationship. I had to see Ichinose in person to know what she was thinking, as she was currently still unstable.
I arrived a bit before the scheduled time and saw that Ichinose was already waiting for me with an umbrella in her hand.
She noticed me before I called out to her and slowly raised her hand."Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."
I didn't sense a tense atmosphere. If anything, it felt fresh and innocent. Unlike the night of surprise on the trip, Ichinose has also come prepared with her outward emotions.
At first, she made eye contact with me, but when I continued to look into her eyes to find out her true intentions, she quickly turned her gaze away from me. I could tell that she had dropped her eyes to my mouth, nose, and neck to avoid being noticed.
"I'm sorry I had to ask you to free some time for this meeting."
"It's no big deal. I didn't have any plans originally."
If I was the one who invited others, I'd appreciate it if they said so, even if it was just a formality. There was still some time left before Keyaki Mall opened, and since we weren't allowed to go inside yet, we stood in a line by the entrance.
We were standing next to each other, but not too close or too far apart. To an uninformed third party, it'd be difficult to determine whether we were waiting together or separately for the mall to open.
"It's not often that I come here before opening, but surprisingly there's no one here yet."
"It's especially cold today. I guess everyone is still relaxing in their rooms."
That's for sure. Unless it's a special sale day, there's no need to wait in line for the mall to open early in the morning.
"It's really cold," Ichinose muttered to herself, repeating the same words over and over again.
The conversation stopped there, as I had expected to wait until we were inside the mall to talk.
My daily routine consisted of spending more and more time with Kei, my girlfriend, which was not always full of conversation.
We would share the same time, but sometimes the silence lasted for 10 or 20 minutes. At first, I had the same awkward feeling as now, but it disappeared and I even began to feel comfortable with the silence.
This is not a matter of getting used to it, but rather a matter of feeling that the slightest moment of silence feels strangely heavy with a person with whom you are not yet close enough with.
It wasn't that I couldn't stand the silence, but rather, I wondered if I should approach the subject since I had invited her.
Maybe Ichinose was thinking the same thing. But neither of us could speak properly, and neither of us could take the first step.
A common topic… Once you start a common topic, you can contribute to the discussion two or three times.
When I thought about it, a boy came to my mind.
"I was in the same group with Watanabe on the school trip the other day.""I see."
"I didn't know him before because we didn't have any contact, but Watanabe was friendly and easy to talk to. He's a good guy."
When I honestly told her what I thought, Ichinose was pleased as if he were her own family.
"Yes, he's liked by his classmates, both male and female."
He wasn't as bossy as Ike, nor as sociable as Yousuke, but he can read the situation reasonably well.
I only saw a part of Watanabe, but I was sure he would be the same in his class as well.
"I've been studying at the same place for almost two years, and with different classes. There's still so much I don't know."
"It's the same for me. I don't know much about other classes, even though it seems like I do. It's totally different from elementary school or junior high school… I think that's what happens when you really compete with each other".
In normal friendships, people show each other their weaknesses and help each other out.
However, this school was a place where this concept of normality didn't apply. This is the common belief that Ichinose and other students had.
"Socializing is difficult. I can't say that I'm getting along with my classmates yet. In comparison, Ichinose, who was able to make friends with everyone at an early stage, is amazing."
"Eh? I'm really not that great."
Rather than being modest, she didn't seem to realize how skilled she was.
"So, do you have any tips on how to get along with everyone?"
Friendship building, no matter how much we do it, there is still more to learn.
I haven't acquired the skills of people like Ichinose and Kushida, yet.
I already know what I need to do.
I know what to say, I know the words.
Still, I can't be like them. The slightest difference in what I have accumulated, in my tone and in my body language can make a big difference in the outcome.
"I wonder if there's such a thing. If there is, I don't know."
It isn't possible to break it down and talk about it theoretically because it's an innate skill. Therefore, even if you were to watch and learn, you cannot easily understand, absorb, and use it. The conversation somehow continued.
Soon after, at the stroke of 10:00 a.m., the closed automatic door had opened.
"Shall we go in?"
"Right."
Thus, we were the first to enter the Keyaki Mall and were enveloped by the warmth of the heated mall.
"How late are you able to stay today?"
"Any time is fine. I don't have any plans after this."
This is a good opportunity as I wanted to ask Ichinose some questions today. If you have a time limit, then you would have to converse within that time limit. It's especially important to know more about her reasons for leaving the student council, as it's an important issue raised by Kanzaki and the others.
It is very convenient that we have time to fulfill Kanzaki's wishes but… on the other hand, there was something disturbing about the situation.
Putting the love aspect aside for the moment, Ichinose is not an insensitive person.
Even if she doesn't always have good deduction skills, she is more perceptive than the average student.
She wasn't the type of person who was insensitive, because otherwise, she wouldn't be able to become a leader. It's highly likely that she knows how her classmates perceived her, from their words, and from their feelings, even in her current state of mind.
If this is the case, it's not a good idea to assume that you have been blessed with this opportunity by chance.
She may have at least guessed the intention of my invitation. Depending on the conditions, she may also be aware that her classmates are lurking behind my intentions.
I'd better go about my day with that in mind.
"What do you want to do now?"
The purpose of this meeting was to get information out of her, but the apparent purpose of the meeting had not yet been established. I'd been thinking about how to spend time with Ichinose today, and this was the conclusion I'd come to.
"I didn't have anything to do in mind but.. I suppose I could ask you to tell me how you spend your days off."
"How do I spend my days off?"
"Yes, I'd like to find out what kind of daily life I should lead to get along with everyone."
"What? Is that something you can just figure out?"
"I'm just saying what comes to mind…, is that okay?"
When she didn't respond immediately, I thought about asking a different question, but Ichinose nodded her head without any displeasure.
"I don't know if I can help you, but if that's what you wanted, why don't we try it?"
She seemed to think positively and readily agreed.
It seems that the first topic of conversation was successful.
"So..., can we really do what I do on my days off?"
"Of course. Shopping, movies, cafes, etc., I'll go with you.""I might not be able to meet your expectations. Is that okay?"Ichinose smiled, as if none of the above applied to her.
She had looked somewhat awkward since joining me in the morning, but I saw a natural smile on her face.
"Well, let's get going."
Ichinose said and started walking as she headed for the second floor by the escalator, without hesitation.
1
There are various commercial facilities in the Keyaki Mall, most of which I've visited before. However, there are still a few facilities that I have yet to experience.
One of them is the gym on the second floor.
"I try to come here only on weekends and holidays. I'm a bit of an athlete, so
I'm hoping to improve a little bit."
We arrived at the front of the gym and Ichinose took out her student ID card.
"Ayanokouji-kun, you haven't been to the gym before, have you?"
"Yeah. I've never been in one."
"Then it's a good thing."
"I'm surprised that you've been going to the gym. How long has it been?"
"I did a free trial in the middle of September and became a full member at the beginning of October, I think."
"So you've been going to the gym for more than two months now. I had no idea. Did you start by yourself? I'm not great at being involved in these places…"
I guess I wouldn't mind it if I joined and started going, but the first time or two would be a hurdle.
"Me too. That's why I started with my friends... because if I'm not brave enough alone, I can be pretty bold with two people. You're going to work out with me today, right?"
I nodded my head and let Ichinose lead me into the facility.
Ichinose greeted a friendly female staff member who was standing at the reception desk and presented her student ID card. She explained to her what we were doing while I stood behind her.
"Do you have your student ID card?"
"Yeah"
Apparently, if you present your student ID card, you can easily get a free trial without having to fill out any forms.
"See you in a bit, Ayanokouji-kun. You'll have to let the staff explain it to you from here."
After that, a male trainer guided me to the locker room, and I was asked to change my clothes after a brief explanation of how to use the lockers, change rooms, and shower rooms.
It seemed that the gym was designed so that you can go in empty-handed without bringing your belongings.
I took off my clothes, stored them in a locker, put on the rental training wear, and headed to the training room at the back of the gym.
Ichinose hadn't finished changing yet, and no one was in sight. It had just opened, so I guess that was natural.
But it was a bit awkward for me to be the first one since I was only here for a free trial.
A male trainer seemed to be willing to teach me a few things, but I declined his offer. I thought it would be better to learn from Ichinose. Not knowing how to behave, I looked around at the equipment at random.
However, I was familiar with the training equipment itself, so I felt comfortable with it.
When I was in the White Room, we had all the latest equipment for physical training. Even if the make and year of the equipment are a little different, they all seemed safe to use. Surprisingly, while I was having these thoughts, members of the gym started to enter one after another.
I thought the gym would be quite empty, but it seemed to be quite popular.
"Oh, it looks like some of the boys have already started."
I was a little surprised at Ichinose's outfit as she came out in her training wear, but I didn't speak on it.
"There were a couple of people in the women's locker room, too."
"I've seen adults in the locker rooms, so I guess non-students can use them too."
I knew that not all the movie theaters and supermarkets were exclusively for students, and this gym seemed to be no exception.
"I often see Mashima-sensei here as well."
I see. Teachers were also no exception. For those of us who live on the school grounds, a place to work out was important.
I had long shied away from such facilities, but if there were familiar students like Ichinose, I might be willing to join them.
As I was beginning to think about this, Ichinose began to carefully explain the equipment.
She explained how to use it with a bit of hands-on practice. I didn't want to ask any questions that didn't need explanations, and I just sat quietly and listened to the explanation, pretending to know nothing.
Ichinose had acquired a fair amount of knowledge, but she seemed to have little practical use of the equipment, probably because she had only been going to the gym for a short period of time.
After about 10 minutes of being taught how to use the equipment, the number of people coming to the gym gradually increased, and about seven men and women, excluding myself, began to work out.
It's time for us to do something, too…
"Oh, Mako-chan, good morning!"
Just as we were about to start working out, Ichinose saw a familiar face and called out to her.
"Ah, Honami-chan!"
It was Amikura, who had just come out of the locker room after changing. She seemed genuinely surprised to see Ichinose, as she had known that I and Ichinose were going out today.
"W-what are you doing at the gym?"
Her thoughts probably leaked out of her mouth as she was visibly unsettled.
"Remember how you started going to the gym on your days off? I thought
I'd introduce Ayanokoji-kun to it a little"Ichinose replied with a casual expression.
"Oh, I see."
Amakura couldn't have imagined the two of us being at the gym together and Ichinose couldn't have understood her feelings at all, so she simply brushed it off with a nonchalant face.
"Well, I won't get in your way."
"...It's not like you're getting in the way or anything..."
Amikura gave me a sharp look in the eye that seemed to say, 'Don't say something unnecessary.'
By 'something unnecessary', I assumed she meant what she said to me the other day at the karaoke bar. Of course, I wouldn't do that. I didn't know how well she would understand, but I communicated to her with my eyes.
"Ayanokouji-kun and the gym are very different from each other."
"Is that so?"
"I can't think of myself doing this kind of thing. I don't like places where people gather."
I would like to say that this is just prejudice, but it was correct. I felt hesitant about working out in front of regular students. Moreover, I had an image that this kind of gym was not for working out in silence but with friends, so it was difficult for me to come here. I had to admit that I kept myself away from it for that reason.
"....I mean, come here, Honami-chan."
Amikura noticed something and pulled Ichinose's arm away from me. She then whispered something. Both of their eyes were on me for some reason.
"...?"
Ichinose jumped up in surprise and ducked down behind Amikura for some reason.
"I didn't notice that, Honami-chan..."
Amikura, who answered in this way, also seemed to be somewhat embarrassed.
"What is it...?"
"Oh, no, I mean... Well, you know, it's a little embarrassing to dress like this in front of others. Right?"
I received a look that felt like it was saying, 'Read the mood. Understand?'"I see."
It seemed that she was embarrassed to be seen by boys in her gym clothes. However, the gym was a place where one had to restrict their clothes in order to have ease of movement and absorption of sweat. It's often best to avoid introducing the notion of embarrassment, whether by mentioning it explicitly or by avoiding it altogether
Ichinose had not noticed this fact, but Amikura had made her aware of it. Amikura's expression suggested that she had made a mistake by being so blunt about it.
As a member of the opposite sex, it may be understandable to be concerned at her age, but this is a gym. It was best to just let it go and not worry about it.
"In times like this, it's best to work up a sweat, isn't it? Tell me how to do it,
I'd like to try it."
I said this to get her to think about something else, because she loses her mind when she starts worrying about what the opposite sex thinks of her. Ichinose seemed to have made up her mind after hearing what I just said.
"I think you're right. Let's see, what should we do, Mako-chan?"
"Why are you asking me?"
Apparently still in a state of panic, she asked Amikura for help.
The two girls talked to each other as they were whispering in each other's ears, and they nodded their heads almost simultaneously to show that they were communicating.
"We're still new to this, so can we start on the treadmill, which is what we're used to?"
"Of course."
The two girls got on the treadmill, which seemed to be a staple in fitness clubs, and started running in the mode that suited them best. The machines were naturally from different manufacturers, but I had used these repeatedly when I was a child, so I was not at a loss on what to do.
It was a standard cardio machine that was indispensable for indoor training.
Ichinose and Amikura had similar settings, so I'll leave this one at about the same level as well.
"This is your first time in a gym, right? Take it easy, Ayanokouji-kun."
Amikura said so as if she was concerned about me, and I lightly answered with my hand that I was fine.
After that, we started training silently on the treadmill for a while.
At first, Ichinose seemed to be nervous and embarrassed, but the feeling gradually faded away, and after about 30 minutes, she seemed to have gotten used to the treadmill to some extent.
After the set 30 minutes had passed and the treadmill stopped, Ichinose looked up.
"Phew! I'm so tired!"
She seemed to be more exhausted than Amikura, perhaps because she said she wasn't good at exercising. She exhaled deeply and moved her shoulders up and down.
"I'm going to go rehydrate."
Ichinose said and left the area after waving goodbye to us.
As I recalled, there was a station to fill water bottles next to the locker room.
Since Amikura and I were the only ones left, we decided to talk for a while.
"You've been coming here for a while, you look good."
"Ayanokouji-kun, you're not tired at all even though we did the same routine."
"I'm a boy, so I have more base physical strength than girls."
"I see. But I was surprised. I had imagined there could be a chance that we could meet at the Keyaki Mall, but I didn't think we would run into each other in the gym this early in the morning."
Apparently, running into each other at this place was not something that even Amikura had expected to happen.
"So, how did it go? Did you get anything out of… Honami-chan?"
"Nothing yet. We headed to the gym right after we met, joined you, and here we are."
"I see. But Honami-chan seems to be having a lot of fun, so that's good."
Wiping the sweat off her face with a towel, Amikura's eyes narrowed in delight.
"You know that kind of thing when you're best friends with them, huh?"
"I do. I usually smile a lot, but today I feel like I'm bursting with happiness."
Now that Ichinose had left the conversation and we were alone, I tried to casually elicit information from Mako-chan in order to fulfill my promise with Watanabe.
"It's almost Christmas, isn't it?"
"Indeed. You're spending Christmas with Karuizawa-san, right?"Before I could get any more details, I was asked a question in return.
"Hmm? Well, that's the plan."
"Well... let me ask you frankly... What are you going to do about Honamichan?"
"What do you mean?"
"Because you know how she feels, don't you? So, you know, right?"
Amikura tried to convey her feelings in a muddled manner, as if she hesitated to express them straightly.
"What kind of person do you think she should be with?"
"What? You're asking me that?"
"You have at least an idea that she has a special interest in you, don't you?"
She looked troubled and lightly wiped her forehead with the towel around her neck, as if she was starting to sweat.
"I… would love nothing more than for Honami-chan to smile, as her friend. But Ayanokouji-kun has Karuizawa-san now. And it's a little different considering you shouldn't break up with her. I think the best thing would be for Honami-chan to fall in love with someone else and be happy with that person."
She comes to her own conclusions while thinking and speaking about her own ideals.
As Amikura said, the current situation in which Ichinose is showing affection to me is rather troublesome. So, if the affection is directed to an unrelated third party, then this situation could've been resolved with no problem.
"I agree. I don't know a lot of boys either, but Watanabe is easy to get along with and would be a good fit for Ichinose."
I threw Watanabe's name into the conversation as if I was trying to get in on Amikura's conversation.
Depending on her response, I may be able to find out what Amikura's impression of Watanabe is. Amikura appreciates Watanabe enough to accompany him when he's shopping on his days off.
This might be enough to explore the possibility.
"Watanabe-kun, right? He's the one in our class."
"Yes. We had a lot of chances to talk to each other during the school trip."
"Hmmm ... I guess so..."
She appeared to be thinking for a moment.
The vague gap between positive and negative is difficult to discern.
"As for me... I think Honami-chan can aim a little higher."
"I see. Watanabe is not good enough."
"I'm not saying anything bad about Watanabe-kun, okay? I think a normal girl would be good enough."
"I see. By the way, how about you?"
Since I wasn't sure, I decided to ask with a bit of force. If I took too long, Ichinose would come back.
"Me?"
"You seem to know a lot about love."
"Not at all. I already have a crush on someone."
"Ah. Someone you like, huh?"
"Well, of course, there's someone I like. I'm in high school."Who was it? It would be best if I could find out.
"I've had a crush on him for almost 5 years now. When will I go on to my next love?"
She mumbled to herself. Five years. That means the love had been going on since before she entered this school.
It seemed that there was no need to go any further, but I wonder if this would be good news for Watanabe. At least he doesn't have any rivals at the same school…
I was about to ask Amikura what type of guy he was, but Ichinose came back after she had finished rehydrating herself. Amikura hurriedly moved away from me, not wanting to let Ichinose know that I had been talking about her love life without her permission.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No, not at all. Are you okay now?"
If I persist more about Ichinose's situation, it will only make her suspicious of me.
I will ask her later if she can go into a little more depth.
2
For another hour or so, I continued my gym experience with Ichinose and Amikura.
While we were working out, Amikura said she would stay behind for a bit, perhaps to keep up with the gym mood, so Ichinose and I went ahead and changed our clothes. We would meet up with each other at the reception desk.
While waiting for Ichinose, I got a pamphlet for the gym so that I could consider joining officially. It's a pain to spend a few thousand more points every month, but it's not a bad idea to work up a sweat once in a while.
I was reminded again that my body had declined to the point where I couldn't even compare it to when I first entered the school, since I'd hardly done any exercise voluntarily for the past two years. I'd come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to raise the level of my physical abilities to some extent, if not to restore them to their previous state.
After changing, Ichinose and I left the gym and headed back to the mall.
"Did you get a brochure?"
"Yes, I've been considering going to the gym more seriously."
"Oh, well, maybe we'll see each other more often then…"
"Yeah."
"I see..."
"What should we do now?"
The meeting shouldn't end at the gym alone, so I asked her what happens after that.
"I often go to bookstores. I also tend to shop at grocery stores. But I'm a little more tired than usual today, so I might want to take a break. Can we sit down on a bench or something?"
Even from the usual workout routine, the environment you are in may affect your physical exhaustion. It's important to choose when to take a rest instead of forcing yourself to follow a routine.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to a café?"
"Yeah. You know, it kind of stands out."
It seems she made the suggestion with me in mind.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but don't worry about it. We could go to a café."
"Yeah? If… You are fine with it, I'm fine with it."
If you try to avoid being seen, it only makes you look more suspicious. Having a cup of tea with the opposite sex in a café is just a common part of everyday life. It is only because you are conscious of it that it may seem special.
We went to the café, trying to blend with the environment. We chose a small café on the second floor instead of a café on the first floor, where people tend to gather.
We both bought a drink of our choice and took our seats at a table.
"May I ask you a question?"
"A question? Ask me anything."
"...Does the reason why you invited me here today have anything to do with my resignation from the student council?"
Ichinose asked me hesitantly, but she seemed to be sure of it.
I guess she knew that when I suddenly asked her out on a holiday.
"I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with it."
"Right. I'm glad you answered honestly."
Ichinose's mouth relaxed as she said this, though her gaze was still averted from me.
"I was surprised that you resigned from the student council. I thought there was a good chance you would win the student council election against Horikita."
Ichinose's personality and ability contributed to the student council early in the first year. Horikita, on the other hand, entered the student council one term later than Ichinose. With her older brother as the previous student council president and her current momentum in Class B, I thought the two would've been evenly matched.
"If there had been a student council election, who would Ayanokouji-kun have supported? …Sorry, that was a foolish question".
Like it or not, Horikita was currently my classmate. For the betterment of the class, it would be more beneficial to have one of my classmates as the student council president.
"I don't feel the need to support Horikita just because we are classmates. If
Nagumo said he would support Horikita, I still would have supported you."
This was also an honest response, but Ichinose must have taken it as flattery.
She seemed to be more apologetic than happy.
"But if I had… I wouldn't have won. I'm no match for Horikita-san."
It seemed that Ichinose didn't feel she could win against Horikita even before the fight. But that was because she was defeated not only in ability but also in spirit.
"It's probably a good thing that I quit after all, because it saved me from being humiliated."
"You don't know the outcome until you actually try."
"I'm glad you said that. Thank you."
"But you decided to quit the student council before that, right?""Yeah."
"Is it possible that that incident on the school trip had something to do with it? If that's the case..."
"That's not true."
Ichinose interrupted my words and denied them with a strong tone of voice.
The paper cup in her hand was bent with so much force that it seemed to crumble.
"I was already thinking of quitting before that. I'm not suited for the student council. I'm not good enough, I'm not talented, and above all... I have a past that I can't erase."
Ichinose's profile reminded me of that night on the school trip for a moment, but she didn't start crying like that time. She had no intention of continuing to be weak.
"But you know..., I haven't given up on everything. I know some people in the class are worried that I might have given up on getting into Class A, but that's not true."
"So you're going to keep trying to get to Class A?"
"You told me, 'If you don't have the courage to take the first step, I can lend you a hand.' Hearing those words, I was able to make up my mind on that night of the school trip."
Ichinose, who had made eye contact with me, laughed.
"I can still fight. But I thought that it was not a battle I could win with the way I am now. I thought that continuing to be a member of the student council
would be either a luxury or be an unnecessary burden."
Is that the reason why you quit the student council?
"Oh… but then the reason I quit the student council might be because of the incident on the school trip after all. I guess that's what I'm saying."Ichinose chuckled with a light joke and squinted her eyes.
"I'm going to tell everyone in my class at the beginning of next week what I just told you, Ayanokouji-kun. Regarding what I was thinking before I quit the student council. It's not good if it's misunderstood."
"That's good."
If her peers continue to probe her without knowing her true intentions, it will make fighting with Ryuuen's class more difficult. Everything Ichinose has said here can be regarded as her true feelings.
It was a great advantage that Ichinose was able to resolve herself over time from the unstable stage leading up to the school trip. Although she lost her position in the student council, which was one of her weapons, what she gained was greater than that.
I think it was safe to say that she had temporarily gotten out of the situation that I had feared. I will now be able to give a good report to Kanzaki.
Yes. This is totally unrelated, but I have a question. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What is it?"
I'd like to do a little more investigating for Watanabe's sake.
"Do you know what type of guy Amikura likes?"
"What?"
Ichinose, who had brought the cup to her mouth, froze. Her eyes, which had been avoiding mine just a few minutes ago, now stared directly into them and didn't let go. If anything, I was more struck by a feeling of wanting to run away.
"Why'd you ask me that?"
Her voice was the same. She didn't seem to be angry. But I don't know why. The atmosphere surrounding Ichinose, which was supposed to be the same as before, was now different compared to a few seconds ago.
"Well… I don't know what to say when you ask me why, I'm just somewhat curious about it."
"Somewhat? Why do you want to know Mako-chan's type? It's not like you in any way."
If she said so, then that's all there is to it, but the heavy air was getting heavier and heavier.
I didn't know what to say. However, I couldn't easily hint at Watanabe's existence here.
"I thought that Amikura was cute and quite popular."
"Yes, I know Mako-chan is cute. So? Is she your type?"
"I don't think so."
"This isn't like you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
It seems I'm not the type to ask such a question, or so I was told. She also didn't seem to look away at all.
"No..., well, maybe..."
Where had the calm atmosphere I had experienced gone? Ichinose, with the cup still in her mouth, was staring me down with the same tense expression.
"Why do you want to know Mako-chan's type?"
"No particular reason..."
"No reason?"
"Of course not. I'm asking you this because..."
I gave up on making eye contact with her and tried to talk about the café clerk instead.
"Oh, it looks like they just got an order or they're making a drink with chocolate."
"Did you meet Mako-chan somewhere else before you met me?"
Ichinose's pursuit continued without regard to the fact that my gaze had wandered off.
"What do you mean by…?"
"When you ran into each other at the gym today, your gazes met in a strange way. Isn't it called conversing with your eyes?"
When she was this convinced, denial would only make things worse.
"You noticed."
"I did. Because I'm... always watching and thinking about you, all the time..."
At this point, Ichinose finally broke her gaze. She must have realized that she had said an embarrassing line without hesitation.
"Here's my guess. Mako-chan and the rest of the class must have been worried when they heard the rumor that I was quitting the student council. That's why they asked you for advice. Did they ask you to check on me if you could?"
As if to prove that she had recovered mentally, Ichinose showed that she had a good grasp of the situation. She was aware of her surroundings.
"You're right."
I'd like to applaud her, but I'll refrain from doing so.
"But I don't get it… why did you want to know what Mako-chan's type is?"
Even if we can deduce that I had a discussion with Amikura some time ago, it's unreasonable to assume that it led to me asking what type of the opposite sex she liked.
"Why do you think that is?"
I'll ask her if she can think and guess. Rather, this was the only way left to conceal Watanabe's existence. It would be better to work backward from Ichinose's intuition and make up a suitable answer.
"It's not because you're interested in Mako-chan, is it? Yeah, I don't like the sound of that, so I won't think about it."
She had made it an option but stopped as if she was cutting herself off from both sides of the issue.
I mean... that's a very bold thing to say, even in a private place.She still liked me, and she didn't even try to hide her intention.
Or is she not thinking deeply about this kind of thing and is mumbling unconsciously?
I couldn't see Ichinose's true intention even though I observed her.
"If it's other than that, it could be that there is a boy who likes… Makochan, and he asked you to find out. Yeah, that would be a good fit. I guess he thought that I would know."
When she connects the dots on so many things, it gets a little scary.
I mean, a man who knows the relationship between Mako-chan and I. And a student in my class who has contact with you..."
"Okay. I'll be honest with you."
I'm sorry, Watanabe. I don't think your little deception is going to work on someone as sharp as Ichinose. Even if I hadn't stopped her here, she would have given me the name in a second.
"I was asked to find out if there was someone who Amikura liked. But I can't tell you who that boy is. I thought it was a bit one-sided".
I wasn't saying that indirectly finding out who the opposite sex likes is a bad thing. However, whether it's a good thing or not from Amikura's point of view is a different question.
"I'm sorry. Let's forget about this."
"No. It's natural that everyone wants to know about the person they like and I know how much courage it takes to ask directly. Mako-chan is a very nice girl. I honestly don't know what her type is. I've never asked her. But from what I've
heard from her, I don't think she likes anyone at this school."The 'at' part implies that her type was not at this school.
This was related to what Amikura said earlier.
"Seems she had a classmate she liked in middle school. I don't think she was dating him, but she had been thinking about it for a long time. I don't think she has fallen in love with anyone else yet."
This is a situation that Watanabe probably never envisioned from Amikura's love life. It may be a surprisingly high hurdle to earn the affection of a person who has had an unrequited love ever since middle school.
Still, it doesn't mean that it's impossible. If you can establish a close relationship now or in the next year, you may still have a good chance.
"This is all I can tell you, but was it useful?"
"That was plenty. Thank you, Ichinose."
"Ayanokouji-kun, Watanabe-kun has come to depend on you a lot, hasn't he?"
"I never said anything about Watanabe."
"Oh, I see. Sorry, sorry."
The biggest reason for my defeat was that I had too few social relations other than him, rather than the fact that I mentioned his name in the morning.
3
After that, we spent a while enjoying Keyaki Mall.
As Ichinose said, we just browsed around aimlessly rather than shopping.
We spent half the day together while she showed me her routine.
Then, we left the mall when it was time for lunch.
"Is it already raining?"
I wouldn't say it was raining heavily, but it looked like it had been raining for a while.
"It looks like it."
Since both of us had brought our umbrellas, we put them up and started walking.
"I'm sorry for accompanying you today while keeping my true intentions hidden"
"It's okay. Now I know that there are people who still care about me."
Everything I did today was to get information from Ichinose. I couldn't blame Ichinose for being angry, given her current position.
"Thank you Ayanokouji-kun."
But she didn't mind at all, rather she was being thankful
"No need to thank me. I'm sorry I should've asked you more upfront instead of going around and about."
"Don't be like that. You made a detour so I was able to spend time with… you."
Ichinose muttered with a shy blush on her cheeks.
"Are you sure Karuizawa-san won't be angry? We've talked about that today, haven't we? Whatever the circumstances are, I'm sure she felt bad about her boyfriend spending the day alone with another girl."
Ichinose was worried about Kei, who was in a position contrary to her own feelings. Was this her true intention, or was it just a pretext?
"Maybe."
On the way home, puddles began to form, and water splashed on the ground as we walked.
The silence came unexpectedly. However, unlike this morning, the uneasy feeling of the silence had lessened.
"Can I ask you something? Did you confess? Or was it Karuizawa-san who confessed?"
Her eyes peered at me.
I couldn't give her the answer she wanted.
"I confessed."
I see. You were the one that liked her, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm jealous…"
In the past, I never thought that I would have this kind of talk with Ichinose. However, Ichinose, who was walking next to me, was rather reserved, or at least she was ready to accept it. Usually, this kind of situation happens when the person has already given up their feelings for the other.
However… Ichinose's love for me was still strong.
Then, what is Ichinose's current psychological state?
Is it just stubbornness? Or was she on the verge of giving up?
No matter which of the two I assumed, I couldn't come to a conclusion that made sense in my head. Strangely enough, Ichinose's eyes seemed to have more sparkle in them right after she heard about Kei.
"Did you cause any unnecessary misunderstandings with Karuizawa-san?"
"It didn't go so smoothly. I tried explaining it to her, but I think I offended her a little."
"I see. If you want, then I can tell her what happened today, okay?"
"It's not something you should worry about. It's my fault for not explaining it well enough in advance."
"But..."
Another moment of silence returned, and it lasted until the end.
We eventually arrived at the lobby of the dormitory, and we both got into the elevator that came down.
"I had a great time today. Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun."
When we reached the fourth floor and I got off, she waved goodbye to me.
"See you later, Ichinose."
Ichinose and I kept eye contact for a few seconds until the door closed.
Eventually, Ichinose disappeared from sight.
When I returned to my room, I contacted Kanzaki via a chat application and reported the incident.
[Ichinose has not given up hope for A class. The reason for resigning from the student council is so that she can concentrate more on fighting. A statement of her resignation will be known to the public tomorrow or Monday.]
I received a message from Kanzaki afterward, asking if I meant those things.
At least, as far as I could see, there was no false impression.
Above all, I was able to catch a glimpse of an unusual aggressiveness that Ichinose had never shown before.
Whether this would be a good thing or a bad thing remained to be seen, but I had a feeling that we would see a different side of Ichinose.
I told Ichinose that I would watch over her and support her, and that she should have more people with whom she can express her opinions.
Kanzaki sent me a message of deep gratitude, perhaps with a sense of relief.
"No word from Kei?"
I could have told her that it was over, but I would meet her at school tomorrow either way.
If I were to put forward an explanation then, that should be more than plenty.
So I decided to leave it as it is without any contact today.