Chapter 6: Eiji Makizaka Reflects

“…”

Lately, I’ve been spending more time thinking. I’m usually the type to act before I think, so this is kinda rare for me.

The reason, of course, is Kirika.

That day—since I saw her at the school gate, I haven’t seen her again. She’s stopped coming out of her room. The food left outside her door disappears, so she’s probably eating, and there are signs she’s been bathing… but, like this morning, there’ve been times when she hasn’t eaten.

The reason for this… I think it’s probably Araya.

When Kirika saw me, I was with Araya. She’d been pestering me to go hang out since class, following me around. Kirika had been acting strange lately, so I was waiting near the gate to walk home with her, but Araya caught up to me.

I suspect Araya’s involved… I think she might be bullying Kirika, but I don’t have proof. Even though I’m the act-first-think-later type, I’m not completely reckless. It’s possible one of Araya’s friends went rogue and targeted Kirika.

I want to look into it… if possible, I want to talk to Kirika, but that’s tough. I can’t force her to open up.

And this time—I’m also seriously at fault. Whether Araya’s the cause or not, being carelessly around her was a mistake. Not just that… if I’d spent more time with Kirika, maybe I could’ve prevented this.

Plus—something Araya said, as much as I hate it, has been nagging at me.

“If you keep babying that childhood friend of yours too much, won’t she end up depending on you completely, Eiji-kun?”

Those words… they hit close to something I’d been thinking about. Maybe I’ve been too involved with Kirika.

When Kirika called me a “bother” this morning, I wondered if it’s because I’ve been too overbearing… too meddlesome.

I don’t know what to do. For now, I need to dig deeper into why Kirika’s like this, but there are too many problems, like how to even investigate. Aneki’s been visiting Kirika too, but like me, she’s barely gotten any conversation out of her.

Maybe I just have to wait for time to fix things…

While I was agonizing over this, time flew by. Lunch break came, and students started gathering around.

“Hey, Eiji! Let’s hang out! It’s been lame without you lately—especially with the girls.”

“…Sorry, can’t today.”

“For real?”

“What? Again? You’ve been bailing forever.”

“Got something to do.”

I’m thinking about a lot, but I’m not in the mood to hang out with anyone right now. …It’s not something I can talk to just anyone about either.

“Just make up with her already, man.”

“…It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it? Finally broke up or something?”

“…Ugh.”

My anger turned to exasperation, and then past that, to sadness.

There’s no one here who genuinely cares about me. …No, that’s not entirely true. They’d probably notice if a guy with perfect attendance suddenly skipped school. But no one’s worried enough to visit me at home if I were sick.

Why? It’s obvious. Because I haven’t built those kinds of relationships.

I love hanging out with people. Big groups, loud and chaotic, playing sports, joking around, hyping up someone who says they’ve got a crush.

But my favorite time has always been with Kirika. …Until now, I’ve prioritized her above everything.

People probably noticed that, which is why no one’s gotten closer than just “friends” with me. Some girls have confessed to me before, but I turned them down. Because I wanted to prioritize Kirika.

So it’s not their fault—it’s mine.

That realization made me a little sad. Without Kirika, I don’t have any friends I can really talk to.

And I probably won’t in the future either.

There’s another reason. I heard rumors that Kirika might’ve been bullied, but I couldn’t get any solid info.

If she wasn’t bullied and it’s all my fault… that’s not great, but I could face it head-on.

But what if someone was bullying her? Even if they weren’t the one doing it, what if they knew and kept quiet?

That’s not a friend. …I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone.

“Did you break up? But that’s fine, right? There’s a ton of better girls than that gloomy chick. Right, Shizu?”

“Hey, cut it out!”

The conversation around me doesn’t stop while I’m lost in thought, and since I’m at the center of it, I hear everything.

Unable to take it anymore, I stand up. My chair scrapes loudly, and the noisy classroom falls silent.

“Gonna hit the bathroom.”

Normally, someone would tag along or at least say something. But in this moment, no one follows or even speaks to me. They glance my way for a second but quickly look away, awkward.

“…”

But one girl—Araya—keeps staring at me.

With an expression like she’s thinking about something.

It bugs me a little, but I can’t turn back now.

I walk slowly toward the bathroom. That’s when it happens.

“U-um… can I talk to you for a sec?”

Someone calls out from behind. I can tell I’m still worked up— I take a deep breath before turning around.

“What’s up?”

It’s a girl I don’t recognize. Probably from another grade. She looks like a first-year, maybe.

I wonder if she meant to call someone else, but she’s staring right at me.

“You’re Eiji Makizaka-san, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s me.”

“I-I’m Hominoru Tokiyama.”

“Tokiyama-san, huh? So, what’s up?”

“Y-yes. I wanted to talk about a girl who hasn’t been coming to the library lately.”

“A girl who hasn’t been coming to the library?”

Why’s she telling me this? I tilt my head, but her next words make it clear.

“Um, I mean, the girl who sometimes waters the flowers in the courtyard.”

“You mean Kiri—”

“A-anyway, I need to talk to you!”

She cuts me off. Normally, I wouldn’t think much of it, but it feels like there’s a reason behind it.

“Come to the library after school.”

“…Today?”

“Yes. I’m on the library committee, and every Thursday after school, we close the library for cleaning and organizing.”

That means—it’s a conversation she doesn’t want anyone else to hear. And it’s about Kirika.

“After school, right?”

“Y-yes. It won’t take long.”

“Got it. I’ll be there.”

“…! T-thank you! W-well then!”

“Sure. See you later.”

After a polite bow, Tokiyama-san hurries off.

After school—maybe I’ll finally learn something about Kirika.

I’ve finally got a lead, but my heart’s racing with unease.

◆◆◆

The wait until after school feels agonizingly long. Probably because I got called to the library.

Why was I called?

Why didn’t she talk there? What’s the reason she couldn’t?

How does she know about Kirika?

No matter how much I think, I can’t figure it out. Even knowing that, I keep thinking—

“Eiji-kun, you free today?”

“…Huh?”

During a break between classes, Araya talks to me. Maybe because I’m on edge, my voice comes out lower than I expect, almost like it’s not mine. I clear my throat and try again.

“Sorry, what?”

“I wanted to talk after school. Just the two of us.”

The classroom erupts into chatter. It’s way louder than the usual lunch break noise.

“It’s happening… it’s finally happening?”

“Whoa… for real? Going for it while the main girl’s gone? That’s wild.”

“That’s exactly why, right?”

All I hear are speculations like that, but Araya doesn’t seem to care.

“…Ah, sorry. Like I told someone else earlier, I’ve got plans. It’s something I can’t miss today.”

My words make the classroom even noisier. Guess most people wouldn’t expect me to turn her down. Even I… if it’s Araya, I’d normally make time for something like that.

I debated mentioning it’s a different matter, but Tokiyama-san seemed like she didn’t want anyone to know, so I left it at that. Both things are about Kirika anyway.

Araya pauses, thinking, then lets out a “hmph” mixed with a sigh.

“Then how about tomorrow? You free?”

“…Yeah, tomorrow’s probably fine.”

I feel a tiny bit guilty, so her words are kind of a relief. Better to be clear than let it be misunderstood.

“Then keep tomorrow after school open, okay?”

“…Sure.”

That exchange sparks more speculation from the class, but the sixth-period teacher scolds us, and the room finally quiets down.

◆◆◆

After school, at the library. As promised, a sign on the door reads, “Closed today for cleaning and organizing.”

“…Alright.”

I’m a bit nervous but open the door. It’s unlocked, as expected.

The smell of books hits me as I step inside. When was the last time I came to the library?

And there she is, in the back.

“Y-you came. I’m so glad…”

“I said I would, didn’t I? Sounded like it was about Kirika.”

I glance around, but it’s just Tokiyama-san. I thought there’d be other library committee members.

She must’ve noticed my look.

“There was supposed to be one other person, but I asked to do it alone. I thought today was my only chance to talk.”

“…That’s interesting too, but can I ask something first?”

I want to get to the point, but there’s something bugging me. She nods, so I don’t hold back.

“What’s your relationship with Kirika?”

I only learned about Tokiyama-san today. But she knows Kirika. She knows about her watering the flowers in the courtyard. And she seems to know about me too.

“We talked a bit here once. I saw her watering the flowers from this window, and she was helping organize the shelves here. …I heard about you, Makizaka-san, from a friend since you’re kind of famous.”

“…Oh, yeah, she mentioned getting praised for that. That was you, huh?”

I remember a few weeks ago, before Kirika started acting strange. She told me, smiling, how someone at school saw her watering the flowers and complimented her, and she was happy about it.

It feels a bit nostalgic, and I squint, but… now’s not the time for that.

“Sorry, just wanted to clear that up. Can I hear why you called me here?”

“Y-yes. Um, I haven’t seen her lately… is she not coming to school?”

“Yeah. She’s been absent. Some stuff happened.”

“Do you know what that ‘stuff’ is, Makizaka-san?”

“…Nah. I’m trying to figure it out.”

I shouldn’t talk about things based on guesses. Especially when it involves someone else’s reputation.

But the way she asked—

“—Do you know something?”

“…Yes. Probably.”

I catch my breath. I had a hunch. But I didn’t think she’d actually know.

I open my mouth but close it, worried I’ll raise my voice. Then I let out a long breath.

“Tell me.”

Tokiyama-san nods and—

“Nishizawa-san is being bullied.”

“…By who?”

Tokiyama-san closes her eyes, as if recalling something, and slowly speaks. It’s probably just a few seconds, but it feels painfully long.

“I saw it during lunch break. The people gathered around you, Makizaka-san.”

“…Who exactly? Araya? Can you describe them? Their looks, their speech, anything?”

During lunch, there were a decent number of people around me. Maybe eight or nine. To think the person who bullied Kirika was among them—

“U-um, yes. Probably Araya-san was the main one. The others… probably the people who were hanging around you.”

“…What?”

“N-no, I don’t think they were all directly involved. But they all… they all probably knew she was being bullied.”

—What?

——.

ToC

Chapter 7