The next day, the next step began immediately: Kushida questioning Sakura Airi.
I think asking her directly might complicate things, especially since the girl is shy and withdrawn. But since Kushida is the most social girl in the class, things should be fine.
So when lunchtime came and Kushida went to talk to her, Horikita and Yukinoshita gathered in the hallway waiting for the result.
As for me, I decided to quietly enjoy my lunch outside. I lost dinner yesterday because of them. I'm not losing another meal too.
I sat quietly behind the school. The weather was hot with summer approaching, and I started sweating a little, so I took off my red blazer and placed it beside me before sitting in the shade enjoying the silence.
I placed the bag I bought from the cafeteria beside me and started enjoying my meal.
If today's step succeeds, the entire direction of the case could change drastically.
Maybe Sudou's problem was an annoying disaster that fell upon the whole class, but perhaps it also had some positive effects.
Horikita started cooperating with the students around her to solve the crisis.
Even Ike and Yamauchi seriously committed themselves to searching around to help their friend.
Class D doesn't necessarily have to come out of this situation as losers.
Conflicts polish skills.
"Damn it…"
As usual, whenever I come here, someone always breaks the silence and brings annoyance with them. I can't even get a moment of peace here.
Maybe I really should change this place.
I looked toward the corner where Sudou appeared, kicking the ground and spitting.
"Tch…"
What is this? Did he fail to find someone to fight, so he decided to kick the earth and punch the air instead?
He looked extremely irritated as he roughly rubbed his red hair.
That was natural. The discussion happening inside could determine his fate.
He stood there as if trying to calm himself down before looking around.
Our eyes met while I held my coffee can near my lips. I froze in place and couldn't take a sip.
"Hikigaya?"
After noticing me, he started walking toward me, then stopped beside me. He raised his right leg and leaned it against the wall.
He really does look like a delinquent.
"What are you doing here?"
Why is he asking such a stupid question? Can't he tell just by looking?
"Eating my lunch here…"
I quickly drank the rest of my coffee and put the can back in the bag.
"Huh? Why don't you eat in the cafeteria or the classroom…" Sudou said while looking down at me.
Why doesn't he understand?
"I needed some fresh air…" I answered lazily.
The classroom feels suffocating, and the cafeteria is the same. This place is ideal.
"Hmmm… you're right, the atmosphere here is nice," Sudou said as he pushed himself off the wall before lying down on the green grass.
Isn't he leaving?
Well, whatever, as long as he stays quiet.
"Man, I can't stop thinking about what's happening inside…" Sudou didn't let the silence last long and immediately started talking again.
"If that's the case, then stay inside…" I said indifferently.
"I can't… feels like the stress is eating me alive," Sudou started expressing his worries.
Even if he looks like a delinquent, things like this still cause him problems.
"Watching everyone work to help me… makes me feel like dead weight on the class," Sudou said while digging his fingers into the short grass.
So he doesn't want people to look down on him, and he also doesn't want to become a burden.
"Them helping you… isn't that a good thing? It's better than them despising you like they did at the beginning."
Their help could simply be proof that they care about him.
"You might be right. Horikita helped me during the expulsion issue… and now she's helping with the investigation. Even that girl named Yukinoshita is helping…" Sudou stared at the blue sky with his head resting on the grass.
Won't his hair get dirty like that?
Seems like his view of the people around him has changed…
At first, everyone saw Yukinoshita as an Ice Queen because of her sharp tongue, but everything changes once you get to know her better… source: me.
Even Horikita is trying to help in her own way. Maybe she's never worked within a group before, so the idea of class unity is still difficult from her perspective, even if the president is helping her.
"But…" Sudou clenched his fist tightly and hit the ground beneath him. "What happens if everything fails…"
So he finally admitted the reason behind his anxiety: crashing into a wall after all this effort.
That's understandable, and also very possible.
Wait a second… he's lying on the ground talking about his fears like this. Have I become a therapist?
I don't really know how I should calm him down. I don't think calming him down would help anyway. He should live with this anxiety for a little while so he won't repeat the same mistake again.
"Sudou… you're a basketball club member, right?"
"Hmmm… yeah," Sudou nodded, surprised by my question.
"So you're good at basketball," I said while glancing at him from the corner of my eye.
"Y-Yeah…" He looked confused by my suspicious questions.
"Yukinoshita used to belong to a club that solved students' problems, so she's good at this kind of thing too…"
If Sudou excels in his own field, then there are people who specialize in this field as well.
"Seriously… wait, there's a club like that?" Sudou said, unable to believe my words.
I nodded confidently to support my claim. Don't doubt me. I have proof. The source is me.
There's still a long road ahead before Sudou's fears disappear. There are always side paths to solving problems.
But there's still something I want to ask him, even if it doesn't really matter at this stage…
I stood up and brushed the dust off my pants, then picked up my blazer and held it over my arm while standing above Sudou's head.
"Sudou… I want to ask you something… are you really innocent?" I asked with the most serious tone I could manage.
Even Sudou's eyes widened in shock as he tried to stand up.
"What are you talking about…?"
I raised my hand to stop him. I didn't want to hear anger or irritation. I just wanted an answer.
"Just answer honestly…"
Sudou stared at me in surprise as if understanding how serious I was. Then he adjusted his posture and sat on his knees.
"I'm innocent. Really innocent…"
I nodded slightly before turning away.
"Then don't worry. They'll definitely find a solution…"
I left those words behind as I turned the corner. I don't know whether Sudou heard them or if the wind swallowed them before they reached him.
Doesn't matter.
I entered the school again. I figured the conversation with the girl must be over by now. It shouldn't take this long.
I put my blazer back on and adjusted it while walking through the hallway toward the classroom, where I spotted Yukinoshita standing alone.
Seems like it really was over.
"Yukinoshita…"
I approached her and called out her name so she wouldn't be startled by my approach.
"Ah… Hikigaya-kun…" She raised her head after apparently thinking about something.
But it looked like something had happened.
"How did things go…"
"The moment Kushida-san brought up the topic… the girl got nervous and ran down the hallway. She even dropped and broke her camera…" Yukinoshita began explaining the events that happened while I was gone.
She ran away?
Doesn't that mean she's hiding something?
Or maybe not. If she's shy, then getting approached by a stranger could easily make her panic.
Loners are really weird.
"Kushida-san and Ayanokouji are going with her tomorrow to repair the camera…" Yukinoshita said.
Well… that sounds reasonable.
Ayanokouji keeps getting dragged into work during weekends.
I'll make sure to lie in bed all day long.
I tried hiding the victorious smile on my face so Yukinoshita wouldn't notice and drag me into work too.
But she was already ahead of me.
"Hikigaya-kun, you seem happy… you're coming with me tomorrow." Yukinoshita didn't hesitate to crush my simple dreams.
"Hah… where to?" I don't want to go out on my day off.
Days off were made for resting, not working.
"Do you remember the girl from Class C I mentioned before…? I'm going to talk to her."
I vaguely remembered something about a girl from Class C who liked books.
"Do you really think she'll tell you anything?" If she's from Class C, then she's an enemy. She won't betray her own class.
Thinking otherwise is naive.
"I never said she would tell us anything… all we're going to do is talk to her," Yukinoshita said.
Maybe she plans to decide the next step based on that conversation.
That might be good, but still…
"Fine… I don't want to go."
"What, are you busy? As expected, you have nothing to do," Yukinoshita immediately said with a playful smile, not even giving me a chance to respond.
"You should at least let me answer. That's the bare minimum of my rights… besides, I already said I don't want to play detective…"
Going there and talking to that girl would basically feel like an interrogation.
"No one told you to be the detective. You can be the detective's assistant." Yukinoshita pushed herself away from the wall and headed toward the classroom.
Now that I think about it, assistant detective is a good role. I could just drive the car and become the hero during chase scenes…
Wait a second… what am I even thinking about right now…
I seriously don't want to go…