Chapter 3: Kirika Nishizawa's School Life

As soon as the lunch break began, the students in the classroom started gathering around one particular boy. That boy, of course, was Eiji.

He glanced at me for a moment, but a female student stepped in front of him, blocking his line of sight.

Watching the crowd form around him, I stood up. I had somewhere to check on today. If I kept staring at Eiji, he might get teased again.

With that thought, I left the classroom. My destination was outside the school building, in the space between it and the gymnasium—the courtyard. There was a flowerbed there… and when I looked, the soil was dry.

I enjoy wandering around the school. The scenery changes with the seasons, and there are always little discoveries to be made. Plus, strolling alone doesn’t draw much attention, which is another reason I do it.

I found this flowerbed during one of those walks. It’s blooming with beautiful flowers now, but when I first discovered it, the soil was parched, and the flowers were wilting.

The flowerbed is managed by the gardening committee. I’d heard in April that they grow flowers for events like the entrance and graduation ceremonies, as well as to add color to the school. So, I asked my homeroom teacher, who then spoke to the teacher in charge of the gardening committee.

That teacher apologized profusely, explaining that the committee hadn’t been maintaining it properly. Apparently, even they hadn’t known about the issue. They promised to make sure the students took better care of it, and things did improve. But there were still days when the soil was dry.

I considered reporting it again but decided instead to ask for permission to take care of it myself. I got the okay, so now I check on it a few times a week and water it. …It’s also a way to pass the time during lunch breaks.

“…That should do it,” I muttered.

I’d heard overwatering isn’t good, so I kept it moderate. The gardening committee members aren’t completely negligent, so if it needs more, they’ll probably take care of it.

With the task done, I washed my hands and took a moment to catch my breath. …Lunch break wasn’t over yet. I’d gotten so used to this routine that it didn’t take long anymore.

What should I do now? I wandered a bit more and ended up at the library. Recently, I’ve been hooked on reading. Not heavy, complicated books, though—I’m not great at following dense text. I stick to collections of short stories.

I don’t dislike the library. In fact, I quite like it. It’s quiet, and no one thinks it’s weird if you’re alone. To be honest, I started borrowing books because it felt awkward to just sit there staring at them without taking any—it seemed like it might look suspicious.

As I was idly browsing the novels, I suddenly felt something was off.

…This book isn’t supposed to be here, is it?

The shelves are supposed to be organized by author, but the order was wrong. A different author’s book was mixed in among one author’s works.

Looking closer, I noticed a few other misplaced books. Probably someone returned them carelessly, thinking, “The library committee will fix it later.” It happens sometimes, so I started reorganizing them.

Once I noticed, I couldn’t ignore it, so I began sorting the books. The more I worked, the more misplaced ones I found, and I ended up quietly focusing on the task. Maybe I’m more meticulous than I thought.

I was mulling that over while sorting through two shelves when—

“U-Um…”

I flinched, my shoulders jumping. Nervously turning around, I saw… the girl who’s usually at the checkout counter.

“S-Sorry!” I blurted out, bowing reflexively.

But there was no response. Slowly, I looked up, and she was staring at me with wide, round eyes.

“Uh, um… why are you apologizing?” she asked.

“Well, uh… I thought maybe I was meddling or something.”

Saying it out loud made me realize I’d been feeling a bit guilty for doing this without permission.

As an awkward silence loomed and I started to sweat, she shook her head vigorously.

“N-No! If anything, thank you! That’s supposed to be my job.”

“…It’s nothing. I just noticed something was off, that’s all.”

It wasn’t like I did it out of kindness. I just couldn’t leave it alone.

I said this with a forced smile, but she kept staring at me intently.

“Um, well… I’ll just—”

“I-I’ve been watching you,” she interrupted.

“…Huh?”

I was about to make my escape back to the classroom, but her words caught me off guard. I tilted my head, confused, and she continued.

“I can see it from here. You, watering the flowers in the courtyard. You’re not on the gardening committee, right? I’ve never seen you at the committee meetings.”

“Oh, yeah.”

I glanced at the window she mentioned. Sure enough, the courtyard flowerbed was visible from there.

“And I’ve seen you organizing the books sometimes, too. I just… I think it’s really amazing.”

“…I’m just doing it because it bothers me. It’s not amazing or anything.”

Her words felt ticklish, almost embarrassing. But at the same time, they stung a little.

I’m not amazing. Truly amazing people are like Eiji, not me.

My tone came out a bit sharp, but she shook her head again.

“No, it is amazing. I… I knew the flowers in the flowerbed were wilting, too. But I didn’t know if it was okay to do anything about it, so I didn’t. I couldn’t.”

Her words faltered, but she spoke earnestly, her gaze steady. I was so surprised that I couldn’t respond, and she kept going.

“Maybe you’re right, and you only did it because it bothered you… but not everyone can take action like that. Until you stepped in, everyone—including me—just ignored the wilting flowers.”

She stopped abruptly, her expression shifting as if she’d said too much.

“S-Sorry! I said something weird. I just… I thought it was amazing and wanted to tell you.”

“…No, I’m glad. Thank you.”

This time, she bowed, and I responded softly. A warm feeling spread through my chest.

As we talked, the pre-bell signaling the end of lunch break rang.

“Well, I should head back to class.”

“Y-Yes! Come back anytime!”

“Thanks.”

I waved to her as she gave a polite bow, then left the library.

Everything I said was true. I did it all for myself, not because I’m kind or amazing.

—But being praised like that? It feels genuinely nice.

With my hand on my warm chest, I replayed her words in my mind as I returned to the classroom.

I don’t have friends at school. …Well, I talk to Eiji, but he’s got a lot of friends, so we’re not always together. Plus, lately, there’s a girl who seems to like him.

Still, I’ve been enjoying school life in my own way. Compared to elementary school or my first year, I’ve gotten better at handling things.

That’s why, at first, I didn’t notice.

The ground suddenly rushing toward me. The sensation of something hitting my legs. A dull thud. It happened so fast that even the pain felt delayed.

“Oh, s-sorry! You okay?”

I only realized I’d fallen when I heard the voice behind me.

“I’m fi—”

“Whoa, that’s bad. Your nose is bleeding.”

I turned to respond, but the next words made me freeze. …My gym clothes, worn over my tracksuit, were stained red.

Touching my nose, I felt warm liquid on my hand. If they hadn’t said anything, I might not have even noticed it was a nosebleed.

“You should go to the teacher and head to the infirmary.”

“Y-Yeah… thanks.”

Holding my nose to stop the bleeding, I made my way to the gym teacher, then to the infirmary.

My head felt foggy—maybe from hitting my face, or maybe from the shock of a nosebleed after so long. Either way, my mind was elsewhere.

“…I left my change of clothes behind. What should I do?”

I don’t have friends. Would someone kind bring them to the classroom for me? Or would I have to go get them myself?

Lost in thought, I reached the infirmary. The teacher was there, so I sat down to rest and stop the bleeding.

About ten minutes later, the bell signaling the end of class rang… and the infirmary door burst open. I thought it might be someone sick or injured, but it wasn’t.

“Kirika, you okay!?”

“…Eiji?”

It was Eiji. Part of me wondered why he was here, but another part wasn’t surprised at all.

“Some girls came back to class, and I didn’t see you, so I asked around. Oh, and I asked Suzuki-san, the class rep, to grab your change of clothes.”

“Oh, thanks.”

He’d noticed what I was worried about and came to tell me. That thought made me a little happy.

“You’re in Kirika-chan’s class, right?” the infirmary teacher said. “Just to be safe, I’ll have her rest here until the next class. Could you let the teacher know?”

“Of course!” Eiji replied, straightening up sharply.

Then he looked at me.

“…You tripped, right?”

“…Yeah, just tripped. I stumbled a bit.”

His eyes were filled with concern, so I answered like that. I didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily, and I wasn’t sure if the other person had meant any harm.

“I see,” he said, still looking at me closely.

“Kirika, once your nosebleed stops, wear this tracksuit.”

“Huh?”

He handed me his tracksuit.

“If you lie down on the bed, you might get blood on it, right? And even if not, it’s probably better to go back in this than your stained one. Less noticeable.”

“Oh… yeah, thanks.”

“Alright, no big deal. Also, I only wore this during the start of gym class, so it shouldn’t be too sweaty!”

“…H telomeres. I don’t mind, even if it is.”

“I mind! I mean, it’s not that sweaty, I swear.”

I took the tracksuit gratefully, and he grinned.

“Well, see you later. If you start feeling sick, tell the teacher, okay?”

“I know, I know. You sound like my mom. Thanks, though.”

“Get well soon!”

I gave a small wave as he left with a cheerful wave of his own. …The infirmary teacher watched him go with a satisfied smile.

“Nice kid. Is he your boyfriend?”

“N-No, he’s… he’s my childhood friend.”

My face burned. My voice was so soft I wasn’t sure she heard me.

Careful not to dirty Eiji’s tracksuit, I placed it on my lap and fanned my flushed face with my hand.

It wasn’t until the following week that I realized that day was the beginning.

I started tripping or nearly tripping a lot more often. It was clear someone was sticking out their foot. And it always happened during gym class.

Then, my textbooks started disappearing. They’d always be back in my desk the next day.

—Oh. I’m being bullied.

Once I realized it, I didn’t know what to do.

It was a different girl tripping me each time. I had no proof of who was taking my textbooks, though I had my suspicions.

Eiji noticed something was wrong and asked, but I brushed it off for now. I wanted to be sure of the culprit first.

And then—that day came quickly.

In the girls’ bathroom in the special classroom building—where the science and music rooms are—during lunch break, I was suddenly dragged in by a group of girls.

And there she was—

“…Araya-san?”

“You’re seriously always wandering around the school alone during lunch. It’s so creepy.”

It was Shizuko Araya-san, from my class.

Her face was filled with disgust.

——.

ToC

Chapter 4