—Ah, I see. I— “Why didn’t you seem frustrated back then!?” The time when I lost to Asuhain-san for the first time. I was elated. I had started dating Mizuto again, and I was so happy. I didn’t care about where I ranked during the exams anymore. So, to Asuhain-san, who became the top student for the first time—who defeated me for the first time. Without hesitation, sincerely, I said this. “—Congratulations,” I said. “I was serious! And I thought you were serious too! So, as told, I sacrisficed my sleep schedule, studied without sparing any time, and finally! Finally, I won!” Her overflowing true feelings echoed through the night-filled resort. “Am I the one who’s strange for taking exams so seriously!? Are you guys, who are so engrossed in love affairs, normal!? Then tell me! How can I become normal! For someone like me who has never had her heart race about a guy since birth!” Ah—It’s too late now. It’s really too late. President Kurenai, Asou-senpai, everyone she knew had gotten boyfriends, and the conversations she’d been hearing all revolved around that. She had never been able to fit into that circle. I never thought she cared about such things. I thought she only casually brushed off our conversations as nonsense... I never directly asked her what she thought. “I... I’m sorry. I... didn’t really know about Asuhain-san...”
“—It’s not like I care, really.” In a cold voice that seemed like a lie compared to her earlier passion. But in Asuhain-san’s eyes as she turned around, tears still welled up.
And so she declares. From behind the mask, words of parting. “I bet you probably... wouldn’t get it anyways, would you?” Her slackened hand was forcefully shaken off. And Asuhain-san disappeared into the darkness of the night. This time, I couldn’t chase after her. I couldn’t even bring myself to call out to her. Any words were too heavy a burden for me right now. For the presumptuous me, who only saw her as just a friend.
[1]: The famous line from Sherlock Holmes when he usually teases Watson to convey that something should be easy to understand.
Chapter 3 - Getting Deeply Involved On The Third Day Yume Irido ◆ I Can’t Believe I Didn’t Know On the third morning of the school trip— As I slowly lifted my body from my bed, I realized that one of the four beds was already empty. ...Asuhain-san... Even her belongings were neatly arranged, leaving only the disarrayed sheets as a trace of her presence. I recalled the events of last night. All I could do was see Asuhain-san off, and then afterwards— “Asuhain was not the culprit.” Standing under a tree adorned with oddly bright illuminations, Mizuto declared. “Minami-san was guarding the entrance to the pool... Hearing that confirmed that idea. I should have listened to you more deeply too... Sorry.” “...What do you mean...?” As I crouched down and asked weakly, Mizuto answered. “Since Minami-san was keeping watch at the entrance of the pool, the culprit must have left the changing room and headed into the corridor after we returned to our rooms.” “Does that mean... they were hiding? Somewhere, concealing themselves, slipping past our sight...?” “That’s the only possibility. There were vertical lockers in the changing rooms—a lot of them.”
...Certainly, there were an abundance of those... Changing room lockers... it was possible the culprit could have hid inside one of them and slipped past us... “Do you remember how I had exited the changing room and entered the corridor later than you? I was actually checking inside the lockers in the boys’ changing room. You probably didn’t do the same thing, right?” “Yeah...” At that time—could the culprit have been hiding in one of the lockers of the girls’ changing room as I passed by? “After we left and Minami-san stopped keeping watch, the culprit quietly emerged from inside the lockers in the girls’ changing room... In that case, the culprit couldn’t have returned to our respective rooms before we did.” “Yeah.” “When you returned to the room, Asuhain was already there. So, she cannot be the culprit we were chasing. The only way she could have been the culprit is if she had overtaken you from behind as you were returning to your room.” “Yeah...” “...Do you know why I’m bringing this up now, Yume?” I slowly shook my head. I didn’t even have the energy to contemplate at this moment. Mizuto spoke with a gentle voice. “The person who was spying on us is someone else. However, it’s a fact that there was an injury on Asuhain’s thigh, and that someone had gotten hurt while hiding in those bushes.” “Ah...” “Ever since today, Asuhain’s attitude has changed. There must be some reason, and I think it is a fact that she was hiding among those bushes for a reason as well. Maybe not when we were meeting, but at a
certain point—Asuhain saw something from those bushes. And her attitude changed because of that... I think her words just now are an extension of that.” “—I bet you probably... wouldn’t get it anyways, would you?” Those words, sounding as if she had given up or pushed me away, echoed in my mind. “Don’t you want to know anymore? What happened to Asuhain, what she’s thinking—do you really think you won’t understand?” I bowed my head, burying my face in my knees. “I don’t know... I don’t know, but it’s like being...” Childish. But that was my genuine feeling at the moment. I felt Mizuto crouch beside me. Then, his hand gently rested on my huddled back. “I can stay by your side... But I can’t console you with superficial words, let alone speak ill of Asuhain to make you feel better. That wouldn’t be fair. Asuhain doesn’t have someone like that for her, after all. More than anyone, you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if that happened, right?” That’s right. Even relying on Mizuto’s words like this feels as if I was seeking comfort. Even if I let Mizuto help me recover here and try to reconcile with Asuhain, I feel like I’ll never truly understand Asuhain. “You wouldn’t get it—” I’ll never be able to deny those words... For the rest of my life. “Take the night to think it over.” Mizuto said. “Decide for yourself. If you do, I’ll lend you as much strength as you need.” “...Thanks.”
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ And the night passed. We changed from out of our sleepwear, still influenced by the somewhat tense atmosphere, leaving the room. As we arrived at the banquet hall for breakfast, Mizuto was already there. Putting down the piece of bread he was eating, Mizuto looked up at me standing there. “Have you decided?” “Yeah.” I want to know. I don’t want to stay in the dark. Even though I might have become an honor student, made friends, joined the Student Council, and gotten a boyfriend, continuing like this would be no different from the me during junior high—passive, foolish, just waiting for someone to do something for me. If I don’t attempt to find out properly and face it directly—I won’t ever understand. “If that’s the case, there’s something you should do first.” “What I should do?” “There was that other thing, right? That strange incident that happened during this school trip.” Saying that, Mizuto smiled mischievously. Yume Irido ◆ The Meaning To The Meaningless Case And without much explanation, I found myself on the bus.
Maybe it was because time was limited, or there were a lot of people around, but it seemed just as likely that Mizuto was being deliberately unhelpful in explaining what he thought. If you know something, just say it! I felt like I was experiencing the frustration of being the Watson character in a detective novel. Meanwhile, Holmes himself, in this case Mizuto, was happily chatting with Higashira-san in the seat next to him on the bus. “Isana, can you show me your booklet for a moment?” “Sure, but what about yours?” “It’s in the luggage I left before getting on the bus.” “I see. Here you go.” “Hmm... You keep it in good condition.” “Ehehe. I appreciate the compliment. My textbooks and notebooks are as good as new too, you know!?” “You should make an attempt to make them more worn.” [1] As I fidgeted, the bus arrived at its destination. The plan for the morning of the third day was to visit Churaumi Aquarium. Talking about aquariums reminds me of the one Mizuto and I visited last year. However, Churaumi Aquarium, true to its reputation, was on a truly different scale. After finishing taking commemorative photos in the square where a monument of a whale shark stood, we entered the spacious building, which resembled that of a terminal station, and took the descending escalators. At that moment, a breathtaking view of the deep blue sea spread out in front of us, eliciting cheers from the surroundings. This area, which served as the entrance to the aquarium, is actually meant to be the upper section, allowing us to have a broad view of the sea thanks to its height.
Turning to the right from the escalator, we finally reached the entrance to hand over our tickets. However, we were on the third floor. The viewing route for this aquarium apparently descends from the entrance to the second floor and then to the first floor. “...So, what are we planning to do from here?” I whispered to Mizuto as we walked side by side. Since there was no specific activity where we had to be split into groups, everyone paired up with whoever they liked as we explored the aquarium. However, confidently walking alongside Mizuto in a place that is nothing but a date spot like an aquarium made me uneasy. Mizuto, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. “We need to tidy up. Regarding the other incident that happened besides the peeping.” “Are you talking about the school trip booklets that were stolen? What does that have to do with this? I just want to know what Asuhain-san is feeling.” “It’s highly relevant, I would say. After all, Asuhain is the culprit regarding that incident.” “Eh?” Surprised by the unexpected revelation, I stared at Mizuto’s face. As this was happening, a large tank filled with what seemed to be many corals (?) came into view. Mizuto, looking at vividly painted blue and yellow fish swimming in the tank, continued. “More precisely, she’s one of the culprits—let’s call them accomplices for simplicity.” “Accomplices...? Wh-why would Asuhain-san do such a thing!?” “I don’t fully understand that part yet. Well, I can make some guesses—so I’ll be planning to clarify things in that regard.” Passing by the coral tank, we entered an area called the “Sea Of Tropical Fish.” Spectators, including students from Rakurou, crowded around to observe the various colorful fish swimming. It was a noisy
scene, completely opposite to the quiet and serene image typically associated with that of an aquarium. The tanks on this floor faced the rooftop, allowing sunlight to filter through. The blue-tinted light through the tanks illuminated the corridor and the visitors brightly. While walking through, I glanced at the tropical fish through the crowd. “...I wanted to take a closer look since we came all this way.” “But you can’t concentrate right now, right?” In a considerate tone, Mizuto spoke. “We can come again someday. With Minami-san, Asuhain, and the others.” “Yeah.” Honestly, if there were a “someday” like that, I had intended to come with Mizuto. Despite this school trip being special, we didn’t have many opportunities alone together like this. But now, I’m thinking it would be nice to come with Asuhain-san and the others too—having so many people I want to travel with, as a lover, as friends, I wonder when I became so blessed. We circled around the large tank and entered a narrow passage leading to the next area. The sunlight that had been shining through the tank disappeared, and it became dim like a movie theater aisle. In the middle of the path stood a few familiar figures. It was the girls from our class, specifically the three members of the group that were late for the evening meeting time yesterday—walking and laughing together. “Excuse me.” Mizuto caught up with them and called out. The three turned around, looking a bit surprised. “What is it, Irido-kun...”
The girl in the middle responded with a voice tinged with confusion. I was also confused. When I heard he was planning on investigating the booklet incident further, I naturally assumed he would talk to Yoshino-san and the others— “Sorry, but could you show me your booklet? I want to confirm something, but I can’t find mine.” “Bo-booklet? Um, well, that’s...” The three of them exchange troubled glances. What’s going on? Why are they troubled? My question was answered by Mizuto’s next words. “It was stolen, right?” The three simultaneously held their breaths. Stolen...? These girls too, their booklets? Mizuto pressed further on the frozen trio. “Don’t be so wary. I don’t plan on doing anything to you guys. The truth is, I have a suspect—and to clarify that, I want you guys to show me the booklets you have now.” The ones they have now? What does that mean?! You just said that theirs were stolen! To my utmost confusion, Mizuto turned back and says, “I told you before—‘They started talking on their own.’” “Um... when we went to talk to Yoshino-san and the others?” “Yeah.” It was yesterday morning. Mizuto did say something like that—at that time, he didn’t reveal what he noticed, teasingly avoiding telling me. “At that time, the girl who testified about what happened said that all four of their booklets in the room were gone, which was why she
thought they were stolen. But she also said something along the lines of ‘I woke up in the morning, looked in my bag, and immediately thought they were stolen’ right before that. So without even checking everyone’s bags, she had already deduced that they were stolen.” Only now did I notice the strange discrepancies between the two statements. Normally, if you find your booklet missing just by looking in your own bag, you’d think you misplaced it—you wouldn’t immediately think it was stolen. “They were able to deduce that it was stolen, just by checking their own bag. So the only thing that came to mind for me in that situation was—” “Was...?” “A situation where their booklets were swapped with another.” “Ah...!” As I exclaimed, the three girls made awkward expressions. Certainly, if the booklets were swapped, it was clearly intentional—theft is evident. “But... all the booklets should have the same content, right? How did you know they were swapped? The class is printed on the cover, so maybe it belonged to a different class—or were there writings inside the booklet?” “If it was a booklet from a different class, you should have been able to report it to the teacher. It’s evident to anyone that it was swapped. However, if it was a booklet from the same class, the teacher couldn’t conclusively declare it was stolen—from their perspective, what was written on it isn’t their concern.” “There should have been writings on them... Does that mean that was the culprit’s intention?” “At least, I can’t think of any other reason.” Stealing a booklet from a school trip, something invaluable that everyone had—was the writings and added information on the booklets the culprit’s goal?
“The booklets that remained in their possession after the swap probably also had writings. Moreover, it’s not easy to erase, so they were probably scribbled over with a ballpoint pen or something.” Mizuto said that and turned to the three silent girls. “Yesterday, did you misunderstand the assembly time because of that? Maybe the writing regarding the meeting time was scribbled over—” Was Mizuto already suspecting such a trivial thing yesterday? The three of them might have had their booklets swapped, just like Yoshino-san and the others. The three exchanged glances again, whispered a few words to each other, and nodded quietly. “...I see...” The girl in the middle said with a sigh. “If you’ve figured it out to that extent, there’s no point hiding... Is mine okay?” “No, if possible, all of them.” The three each took out a booklet from their bags. Mizuto received the three overlapped booklets and said, “It’s dark here, let’s go a bit further.” The five of us walked through the dim corridor and entered an area with walls lined with individual water tanks. Right near the entrance of the area, a Cthulhu-like jellyfish with countless thin tentacles hanging down like beaded curtains was on display. According to the infotext on the side, it seemed to be the type called a “Hub Jellyfish.” Mizuto avoided the crowd around the individual water tanks and approached the wall, opening the received booklets. “I see...” “What do you see?”
Mizuto showed me each open booklet one by one. As Mizuto had said, in several places, the characters were scribbled over with a ballpoint pen. The scribbled characters seemed random at first glance, with no apparent commonality. “Why swap booklets... What could be the meaning?” “If you scribble on the booklet, you can no longer write on it, right?” “Write on it...? Like making circles or crosses?” “Yeah. What if there were such markings on the stolen booklet? If you search for these marks on various characters, and if you read them up one by one, you’ll get...” “...A sentence?” Exercising his detective-like mindset, Mizuto raised one side of his lips. Was that it? What the culprit stole was a booklet used for— “If you look closely, in all three of these booklets, there are uniformly scribbled-over characters.” Before my thoughts reached a conclusion, Mizuto explained. Mizuto opened his own blank unwritten booklet and compared it with the three he received. It seems he was confirming what the scribbled characters were. “In total... Taking a broad view, there are three.” And Mizuto, showing me the booklets, pointed to each one. The characters that the culprit, who swapped the booklets, didn’t want Yoshino-san and these girls to mark. “—‘I’” (い) “—‘ri’” (り) “—‘do’” (ど)
Whether it was kanji, hiragana, katakana, or even the character, “one”, anything that could be used for wordplay were all meticulously checked. And what he found was that those three characters were thoroughly scribbled over. I—ri—do. (いりど) Irido. (伊理戸) Needless to say... that was our last name. “W-Why...?” Our—my name? Given the flow of the conversation so far, what’s being indicated in this booklet is— “What was being conducted using the booklets was a form of encrypted communication through marking specific characters” Mizuto said with a calm tone. “It’s like passing notes during class. Since we can’t use smartphones on this school trip, it’s an alternative way of communication. And judging by the information they were exchanging through this, it seems—” Mizuto’s gaze, devoid of emotion, pierced through the three girls. “—‘Who is Yume dating?’ Isn’t that right?” The three averted their eyes and fell into a silent sulk. Me... dating someone? Does that mean... what I say when I reject a confession...? “It was originally a hot topic. That you’ve revealed it’s someone from the same school, and let’s say it was the case they were in the same year, it wouldn’t be strange to think you might try to make contact with them during the school trip. They were trying to gather that information through communication using the booklets.”
Saying that, Mizuto closed the three booklets and stacked them. I see—so that’s why Yoshino-san and the others hid the fact that they were swapping booklets. Looking back now, at that time, it felt like my presence wasn’t very welcomed... “I-I’m sorry...” One of the girls apologized in a small voice, and Mizuto, offering back the stacked booklets, responded. “It’s not like I’m angry. Probably not her either.” And then he threw a brief glance at me. “She was giving such comments so provocatively anyway. It’s understandable that it might have interested you guys. Rather, I think her dropping hints like that is worse.” “Hey. Whose side are you on?” When I complained, Mizuto continued. “But even if unintentional, it’s not a pleasant feeling to have your family investigated behind your back. Be more careful from now on.” After the girl took the booklets, Mizuto turned his back on them without saying goodbye. I chased after him and asked quietly, “Are you really not a bit angry?” “I’m not angry. As I said earlier, dropping hints like you’ve done is worse.” Really? In the nuances of his voice and attitude, I glimpsed a sense of stiffness covered by his social skills. Back when I had just entered high school last year and was bothered by boys targeting me, he had a similarly rigid attitude. I loosened my cheek and was about to poke Mizuto’s side, but I realized the others might still be watching, so I held back. Instead, I decided to say something a little teasing.
“‘Your family’... you really emphasized that part a lot, huh?” “Did you want me to say, ‘Don’t sniff around my girl’ or something?” “As if. It’s more like I thought, ‘Woah, you’re actually considering things properly.’ For someone who found communication so troublesome before.” “I guess I’ve grown a bit.” “For whose sake did you grow for, I wonder~?” “......” Seeing Mizuto fall silent, I could almost grasp what he was thinking. He was about to say, ‘For Isana,’ in a tit-for-tat manner, but realized that wasn’t something you should say as a lover, so he stopped. I crossed my arms behind my back and bounced my steps. “Onee-chan is so happy~. My lil’ bro has grown into such a cool guy!” “...More importantly, let’s continue our conversation from before.” Perhaps realizing the awkwardness, Mizuto forcefully changed the topic. “Yoshino, her friends, and those three were using the school trip booklets as a form of coded communication. So, what was the goal of the person who stole them?” “Um... to steal a glimpse of the content they were communicating?” “If that were the case, stealing it on the first night is too early. It would be better to aim for the second or third night when more substantial information has been gathered. And generally, with their communication method as simple as that, you could probably decipher it on the spot—there’s no need to take the actual item.”
“Oh, I see. So—” I recalled the condition of the booklets that remained in the possession of those three girls. It had been scribbled over, riddled with holes—a booklet rendered unusable for communicating through their methods any further. “—To stop their investigation and communication regarding who I’m dating?” “That seems to be the case.” I began to understand somewhat... what had been happening behind the scenes during this school trip. “The girls in our class are divided into two main factions.” Mizuto raised two fingers as if making a peace sign. “One is Yoshino’s group, the force trying to pry into who your boyfriend is. The others are the one’s stealing the booklets, the force trying to interfere with that.” It seemed that boys were not involved. According to Mizuto, he confirmed it with Kawanami, so there’s no mistake. With a mental image of the organized power dynamic, I lightly touched my chin. “I... might have an idea.” “What is it?” “The mastermind behind stealing the booklets.” “That’s right.” Mizuto wore a sympathetic smile. “The only one in our class who would casually pull off something like this is her.” Yume Irido ◆ Why Count The Booklets With Arabic Numerals?
As we passed through the individual tank area, a massive tank called the “Kuroshio Sea” came into view to our right. Suddenly, a large manta ray swam right in front of us, startling us. The panels of the tank, shining in a deep blue, resembled the windows of Ryūgū [2]—fantastical, otherworldly, and above all, majestic. After walking for a bit, we entered a hall resembling a movie theater. Despite the incredible crowd, it felt more like the grounds of Kiyomizu-dera [3] than an aquarium. Moving through the rows of seats, we navigated through the crowd until we could fully view the massive tank. Its acrylic panel was as large as a movie screen, cutting the sea into a square shape. Comparing the size of the tank to the other visitors in the foreground made it quite frightening, though not to the point of traumatizing. Within the enormous tank, one of the highlights of the Churaumi Aquarium, a whale shark, leisurely swam. As I gazed up in awe at its white belly, Mizuto tugged at my sleeve. “I found her. Over there.” I followed the direction Mizuto pointed to. The hall, illuminated by the blue light flowing out from the massive tank, was divided into two levels. We were watching her from the second floor where the seats were lined up, looking down at Akatsuki-san, along Maki-san and Nasuhana-san, who were in the same class as me last year, and Higashira-san, who Mizuto entrusted them with, as they entered the passage on the left side of the tank. “Let’s go.” Descending the slope with Mizuto, we reached the first-floor section where the massive tank unfolded before us. Passing through the crowd, we proceeded to the left-back passage. A room labeled “Whale Shark and Manta Ray Corner” appeared at the corner at the end. Passing through it and turning right, the overhead suddenly brightened. Looking up, the world of the sea spread out. The ceiling, curved in a semi-fan shape, was transparent, revealing a massive tank. The extraordinary feeling, as if standing at the
seabed, and the fear that at any moment the acrylic panel might shatter, causing us to be swallowed by the sea, wavered my heart simultaneously. I found myself gaping open-mouthed. Beneath the transparent ceiling, benches arranged like stairs accommodated several visitors, all gazing up at the world of the sea, just like me. It seemed to be a room called the “Aqua Room.” Akatsuki and the others were standing near an acrylic panel in front of the bench, emitting cheers and sounds of admiration. “Ah, it’s Irido-san! Wassup!” Before we could speak, Maki-san, with her short hair and tall stature, noticed me and waved. Following suit, the other three also noticed us and greeted us with waves. Only Higashira-san seemed visibly shaken, trembling in fear as she looked up at the world of the sea above. As we descended the stairs between the benches and approached them, Mizuto’s figure caught Higashira-san’s eye. Instantly, she rushed towards us with quick movements, resembling that of a small animal seeking refuge in its burrow. “Hey, Mizuto-kun!” Drawing close to Mizuto, she began protesting in a subdued voice. “Why did you throw me into this group?! It’s been tough being teased about you all this time!” “Isn’t it better than being ignored? You should get used to socializing among other girls.” “It’s impossible! My soul is that of an otaku virgin! I can only get nervous!” “Saying that so confidently... I wish you had the same level of confidence when interacting with others.” While I chuckled at Higashira-san’s usual demeanor, Maki-san interjected with a playful tone. “Oh, look at you~!”
Approaching from behind, she embraced Higashira-san, who was still trembling. “I’m not letting you have a lovey-dovey aquarium date with your boyfriend over my dead body, okay?” “Wait-!? I-It’s not like that...!” “Woah. You’ve got a really comfortable body to hold! Is this how you turn your boyfriend into a beast at night? Oooh?” Continuing to hold Higashira-san like a stuffed animal, Maki-san elicited a scream from her. Since it was known that I now have a boyfriend due to the rejections I’ve given, among the four of us who were often together during our first year, Maki-san is the only one who ended up without a partner. Because of that, she has become quite envious. By the way, Akatsuki-san also doesn’t have a boyfriend, but apparently Maki-san doesn’t want to consider someone with a male childhood friend as a fellow bachelorette. “Well, well,” Nasuhana-san, with her bob cut and gentle demeanor, soothes Maki-san gently. “You won’t find happiness by interfering in other people’s love lives, you know?” “What are you saying with that smiling face! Are you trying to kill me?” Startled by Nasuhana-san’s words that sharply contrasted with her tone, Maki-san released Higashira-san.
Seeing that opening, Mizuto took advantage. Approaching Akatsuki-san, Mizuto spoke. “Minami-san, could you tell me where the restroom is?” It was a peculiar question that he could have asked Higashira-san, who he was the closest to. Nevertheless, Mizuto deliberately chose Akatsuki-san. Sensing something unusual in that question, Akatsuki-san answered with a meaningful smile. “The restroom is a bit back that way. Want me to take you?” “Please.” Akatsuki-san then turned towards Maki-san and the others and said, “Sorry! I’ll go to the restroom for a bit, so you all go ahead!” With that, she started back down the aisle with Mizuto. I casually followed them. Passing straight by the “Whale Shark and Manta Corner,” we reached the restroom at the end of the narrow corridor, and Akatsuki-san leaned against the blue wall, her ponytail lightly swaying as she looked at Mizuto. “So? What’s the story?” Akatsuki-san quickly got to the point, as if she knew Mizuto would talk to her today. “I want to ask you a question.” Without hesitation, Mizuto delved into the conversation. “After dinner on the first day, what were you doing?” After dinner...? Was something happening at that time? While I was perplexed, Akatsuki-san crossed her arms behind her back and smiled meaningfully. “By asking that, you saw something at that time, didn’t you?”
“Not really. I didn’t witness a decisive moment. What I saw was Asuhain being hassled by Yoshino and the others—telling her not to get too familiar with me.” “Asuhain-san?” I was surprised, but I could imagine it. Those three are the type to do something like that—they often tease Mizuto and Higashira-san’s relationship, and they think they’re dating. It wouldn’t be strange if Asuhain-san, who had confessed to Mizuto out of a sense of justice or self-awareness, was being cautioned. I hadn’t seen it, but maybe something like that was occurring behind our backs? I couldn’t imagine Asuhain-san making advances on a guy. “The content of the conversation doesn’t matter. I didn’t interfere either. The only thing I can say for sure is that during that time, Yoshino and the others were not in their room.” “Not in their room... Ah!” I exclaimed softly, voicing my realization. “Could it be that during that time, their booklets were stolen?” “After dinner, we basically had free time until lights-out. In that situation, the only option left was to wait for Yoshino and the others to conveniently leave their room. And since we had free time after dinner, that timeframe clearly had the best window of opportunity.” Certainly, and with no plans until lights-out, predicting the exact time Yoshino and the others would leave the room was impossible. In that case, if someone could stall them right after dinner... “You also mentioned something about Asuhain-san being an accomplice to the person who nabbed the booklets, right? That means…” Akatsuki-san tilted her head slightly with a troubled expression. “Hmm... I don’t really get it, but it seems like you’re getting somewhere exciting, so I’ll throw in something sus. So, the current situation is someone sneaked into the room while Yoshino-san and the
others were away and stole their booklets, right? Doesn’t that sound impossible? I mean, their room should have been locked, right?” “You just need someone with a key. Regarding those staying together in that room, there are three, including Yoshino, in the same friend group group, and one girl who was assigned to their room—a perfect spy.” I see... There was no need to sneak into the room from the outside. The culprits could have implanted a mole in the first place, who would have returned to the room faster than Yoshino-san and the others and quietly nab the booklets that were stored in their bags. And all they just needed to do was hide the stolen booklets so that Yoshino-san and the others wouldn’t find them. It’s as simple as that. “And the fact that all four of their booklets were nabbed only drives suspicion away from her. She might have initially even participated through communication via the booklets as well to dispel any possible suspicion too.” Truly a perfect spy. Although she didn’t seem like someone who would be good at that at first glance, people have surprising skills. “I see. Well, that’s settled. The next question... Why are you telling me this? If your earlier hypothesis is correct, and Asuhain-san is the only one believed to be involved in the booklet theft, I don’t think I have anything to do with it.” “You’re definitely one of the accomplices.” “Why?” “It’s a calculated conclusion.” “What do you mean by calculation? What’s one plus one? Me?” “That’s right.” Unexpectedly affirmed, I looked at Mizuto’s face with a puzzled expression. “The stolen booklets belong to the four in Yoshino’s group and three girls from another, a total of seven girls. All of them had their booklets swapped for different ones—except for one, reserved for the
spy. Considering the fact one could be reused during the exchange, the culprits only needed to steal and swap a total of six booklets.” “Um... Yoshino-san’s team had four, 0f which one was collected and stored so it’s out of the picture, the other group had three, making a final total of six..” Nodding to my count, Mizuto continued. “In other words, there are six culprits excluding the spy. The victims, as mentioned before, total seven, including the spy. Furthermore, only girls are involved in this incident, with the booklets containing the class numbers printed on them, of which only a specific number of them were printed for a number of people in the first place.” “So, only our class’s girls—oh...” I said it while realizing. Certainly, the calculations add up. Because— “Our class has 15 girls...” “A total of 13 booklets in circulation were swapped, tampered, or stolen—adding to a total of 13 victims and culprits combined. Out of our class’s girls, only two are not involved in this matter.” 15 minus 13 equals... 2. With the victims being confirmed already, figuring out who the two remaining girls unrelated to the incident were would naturally lead us into deducing who the culprits were. Moreover, one of the two is easy. “Yume tried to investigate the incident on her own. That would be an almost impossible action for someone on the culprit’s side. Well, even without that, I can easily tell she’s uninvolved from her demeanor.” “Telepathy, huh? That’s some hot shit~” Akatsuki-san made a slightly lame teasing comment.
Of course, I myself knew that I was not involved—Mizuto must have trusted me. Well, it’s not like deceiving him could have worked in the first place. “So, the remaining one is—” Ignoring Akatsuki-san’s teasing, Mizuto continued. “—I had a clue about this too. So, I confirmed it in a simple way.” “A simple way?” When Akatsuki-san asked, Mizuto answered with a calm face. “An accomplice on the culprits’ side, having used their own booklet for the swap, would be currently using a stolen booklet from Yoshino and the others—those with various writings in code. Whether it’s a pen or whatever, erasing the writing would leave some kind of trace. So by asking to see the booklet they are using now, you can quickly determine whether they are an accomplice based on the presence or absence of said traces.” Then I remembered. What Mizuto had been doing until we came to this aquarium— “I asked Isana for her’s, and she showed it to me right away. A completely clean booklet with no traces.” —Yeah. She really kept it in good condition. Thinking about it now, it was a bit strange. Mizuto has a somewhat rough personality, as seen by the mess of books in his own room, and he’s not meticulous or neat. He isn’t the type to straightforwardly praise someone just because their school trip booklet was neat. “So you confirmed it at that time... that Higashira-san wasn’t involved in this whole affair.” “That’s right. With this, the identity of the two unrelated people are confirmed. Naturally, this means we can confirm the culprits as well—among them is Asuhain, and Minami-san, you’re included too.” Choosing Akatsuki-san from the seven culprits to call out was likely because we had a relatively close relationship, and she was the
only one who would go to the extent of swapping booklets to protect my reputation. I had felt this way for almost a year now. When Akatsuki-san gets involved, she tends to become a bit extreme. Though there was no concrete evidence to this accusation, it was almost certain that she was the main culprit this time around. Affirming this, Akatsuki-san herself didn’t offer any special objections, simply listening with a smile to Mizuto’s explanation. “You’ve become sharp, Irido-kun—I yield. I Surrender. I wanted to keep it from Yume-chan without being found out. But once you’ve clarified it to that extent, there’s no room for excuses.” “Akatsuki-san... Could it be that you’ve been protecting me like this until now?” I recalled the early days of our second year... “Do you know how to turn down a confession?” Since being asked that question, I suddenly started receiving confessions. So I thought Akatsuki-san had been subtly protecting me behind the scenes before that... Akatsuki-san scratched her cheek awkwardly. “I don’t usually act this directly... I usually use LINE to deter and subtly lead others to give up. That’s my usual style. Oh, by the way, Kawanami is also an accomplice. He’s not involved in the bookmark incident this time, but he usually crushes anyone who tries to bother Yume-chan or Irido-kun.” “I had a vague idea. The way you put it might affect his image, though.” Mizuto shrugged his shoulders. Perhaps that’s why he was so surprised when Higashira-san was always appearing next to Mizuto. “I thought it might not be necessary anymore. It’s a school trip, after all, and I wanted you two to enjoy it as a couple a bit. So, just think of it as me clearing the path for you guys a little. “You’ve really mellowed, huh?”
“Irido-kun, you’ve been misunderstanding me for a while now. I’ve been mellow since a year ago. I mean, I messed up only once before, right?” “Once is more than enough...” Although it seemed like they were talking about something I didn’t know, there was something more important to me at the moment. “Akatsuki-san, you kept Yoshino-san and the others occupied to prevent them from interfering... So, could that be the reason for all of that?—Regarding Asuhain-san confessing to Mizuto.” By getting closer to Mizuto, she can use the consciousness of Yoshino-san and the others to keep them occupied... And to keep Mizuto from realizing it, she just needed to confess in advance. Was it just for that? “Ah, hold on! Don’t misunderstand, Yume-chan!” Akatsuki-san hurriedly defended herself. “I wasn’t the one who suggested that! I wouldn’t make someone fake a confession for something like this!” She said she hadn’t suggested it herself as if she had done it before already. “That, well, it was Asuhain-san who brought up the idea. For me, it would have been enough if she just helped us by lending her bookmark. But when I approached her about it, she suggested, ’How about doing it this way?’” “Asuhain-san herself...?” Akatsuki-san crossed her thin arms and tilted her head in thought. “I said she didn’t have to go that far—I tried to discourage her from doing as well. But she insisted, saying it would be more certain this way. I secretly thought she might unexpectedly like Irido-kun, but judging by last night’s situation, it seems more like...”
Akatsuki-san glanced briefly in my direction. No, no, Asuhain-san’s feelings aren’t like that, right? Mizuto also crossed his arms and spoke to Akatsuki-san. “So, you knew nothing about Asuhain’s strange behavior from the second day onwards?” “I didn’t know, I didn’t know! I tried asking about it indirectly, but she wouldn’t tell me anything... Maybe it was better to prevent her false confession after all...” “Who knows? Only Asuhain would know that—for now.” To the dejected Akatsuki-san, Mizuto spoke in a dispassionate tone. Little by little, I began to understand... the circumstances surrounding Asuhain-san. But on the other hand, what happened with her since the start of this school trip was still completely unknown. “It’s about time to challenge the main stronghold.” “The main stronghold...” I could understand what that meant. Asuhain-san entered this aquarium earlier than us, even before Akatsuki-san and the others. Mizuto stared straight into my eyes. His gaze was gentle, strong, as if I could rely on him right away. But the next words he uttered weren’t comforting. “From here on, you should handle it yourself.” “Eh...?” Confused, I looked at Mizuto, and he continued, speaking to me as if to a child. “It’s meaningless for me to unravel everything for you. She’s not looking for me, but rather you.” “—Why do I have to think about you so much?”
“—I bet you probably... wouldn’t get it anyways, would you?” I was the one pushed away. I was the one who wanted to get closer. I was the one who wanted to understand—me. “...I understand.” Anxiety loomed within me, yet. It felt lonely, yet. I’ve received enough support. If that’s the case, from here on, I’ll have to do my best. I have to unravel Asuhain-san myself. “I won’t let you say that I wouldn’t get it—never again.” Yume Irido ◆ Only One Weapon, Only One Connection Passing through the “Aqua Room,” the lighting instantly dimmed, turning the other surrounding visitors into shadowy figures. In the darkness, a giant specimen of a colossal squid remained illuminated, welcoming me. Its white skin and elongated tentacles, illuminated by the light, seemed more fitting for a monster than a living creature. Beyond this point was an area called the “Deep Sea.” In the pitch-black darkness, dim blue lights from individual water tanks and the artificial light from explanatory panels were evenly spaced. Since there were plenty of people around, it didn’t feel as eerie as a haunted house. However, walking alone through the dimly lit path, amidst families and couples, felt like distancing myself from the activities of people—akin to the sensation of gradually losing sight of the surface of the sea, as if descending into it. As I moved through the darkness, memories of the past resurfaced. Previously, when I asked Asuhain-san, “Why do you want to defeat me so badly?” she had answered something along the lines of “Because there’s no other way.” Studying was the only method she had
to fight against those who ridiculed her. It was the only way she could show them up. “—In front of someone like me, you appeared, Irido-san” I wonder since when I had forgotten the intensity in her eyes directed at me at that time. She had been looking at me with those eyes all along. Taking away the only weapon from her sworn enemy, making me her lifelong rival. On the other hand, I recalled her indifferent reaction when Asou-senpai and I were talking about romantic matters. Did she think each time that she couldn’t be like that? That she couldn’t indulge in ordinary girl talk because if she could, there would be no need to cling to her studies for self-preservation? Since when did I become like this—belonging on this side? I, too, was once like Asuhain-san. My only reliance was on serious matters. I even got upset when I lost to her in a math exam back then, just like her. But gradually, more and more things started to become important to me, and I no longer needed to rely on just one thing. I remembered Mizuto’s joke. “You’ve become quite impressive” Truly... I had become great. Despite having almost nothing I had grasped on my own, I had gained everything thanks to Mizuto. I had unknowingly lost the ability to understand the feelings of someone who had nothing. I was just a hollow high school debutante. I might say I’ve grown, but is it really growth when I’ve become unable to understand my past self? Could it be that I simply ran away from being the person named “myself”? I’m after all at my core, shy, gloomy, and narrow-minded. If calling the act of pretending to forget that and living as if I had grown up is considered growth, then it’s a rather sad thing. The more you grow, the more there will be things you won’t understand... I feel like I understand why Mizuto and Higashira-san don’t do anything about their lack of friends. They value their current selves.
They affirm and believe that living with their present selves is a form of great happiness. Therefore, they don’t forcibly seek to be understood. If it happens along the way, then they’re lucky, and if they happen to meet someone like that, they would cherish them. That’s all there is to it. So, what about Asuhain-san...? In the past, that’s what I wanted. I wanted someone to understand me. It could have been a friend or a lover. I wanted proof that I wasn’t alone. If that’s the case, then Asuhain-san— As I advanced through the darkness between the individual water tanks, a path appeared to my right. At the end of that path, there was a curved wall turning to the left, with small square-like water tanks embedded in the wall in two rows, one above the other. The dim blue light near the ceiling illuminated a sign that read “Tiny Creatures of the Deep Sea.” There were fewer people here. Passing by four or five visitors looking at the mini water tanks along the curved wall, a sizable tank, resembling two blackboards placed side by side, appeared on the right wall. In front of it stood a girl. In the faint blue light, she gazed blankly at the world of the deep sea, where fish with bulging eyes swam. Her profile was astonishingly beautiful. Although she had beautiful features in the first place, the darkness of the corridor and the light that leaked out of the water tanks dyed her, giving her a beauty out of this world, resembling a sculpture carved by a famous artist. The more emotionally drained her expression, the more beautiful she looked—an ironic twist of the human aesthetic sense. Ah, I noticed it now. I probably... have never seen Asuhain-san smile.
“Asuhain-san.” When I called out decisively, Asuhain-san slowly turned her head to look at me. “If you’re okay with it, would you like to explore together?” Asuhain-san responded like a robot, maintaining her cold expression. “It’s already over though. The moment we pass through here, the exit will be right there.” “In that case, how about the beach outside? They seem to sell souvenirs on the first floor, so also something we can check.” “Are you planning to drag me around forcefully again, as if saying something like ‘Let’s save this poor girl’? How long do you intend to continue that arrogant attitude?” “...Yeah, maybe I’m arrogant.” I willingly accepted the sharp-edged words thrown directly at me. Surely, even such a dignified attitude wouldn’t sit well with the current Asuhain-san. I knew that much. And at that moment— I suddenly understood. But not through the empirical approach that Mizuto often employs. With an intuition opposite to my proficiency in mathematics, I somehow understood things I had never grasped before. “Asuhain-san, without me doing anything, you’ve been working hard to understand me, haven’t you?” Asuhain-san glanced at me briefly. “Choosing Mizuto as your confession partner was because there were no other options, right?” Asuhain-san remained silent. “The boys you’ve been closest with, Asuhain-san, were the ones you went with on the Kobe trip together last year. The guys related to
the Student Council are inconvenient, and Kawanami-kun seems to be the type you dislike. Naturally, only Mizuto remains. And he’s not the type to boast about being confessed to or needlessly spread such news.” Asuhain-san remained silent. “Asuhain-san, you just wanted to confess, right? You just wanted to know the changes that would happen to you through that experiment. Mizuto was the most convenient for that experiment. For you, Mizuto had the highest potential to make you fall in love.” Asuhain-san remained silent. But I delivered the answer. “You wanted to study love... for my sake.” Asuhain-san—without answering anything, simply averted her eyes looking somewhat embarrassed. She scored higher than me in an exam fair and square, but I didn’t show my frustration as I was already so engrossed in love affairs... So she decided to take matters into her own hands and change herself. She made a resolution to understand what I say. To have conversations I enjoy. Using just one weapon. She tried to understand how wonderful romance could be. “I don’t know the results, but I think Mizuto probably accepted you, even if he didn’t fully comprehend your intentions... He has a bit of resemblance to you, Asuhain-san.” In a way, everything seems distant, and reactions to stimuli are faint. Yet, when there’s something to be passionate about, one loses sight of their surroundings. In some ways, I envy it... Asuhain-san seems to have something close to Mizuto. “But something happened around the end of the first day... You abandoned that experiment. Did you realize it was futile... or did you suddenly start hating yourself?”
I don’t know, but probably the latter, I think. If it’s Asuhain-san, being strict with herself, reflecting on what she’s doing, and suddenly disliking herself... Isn’t that possible? “And so, you distanced yourself from Mizuto and I, but I, who still didn’t understand anything, chased after you... At first, you pretended not to notice anything and tried to go back to the way things were, but you realized you still didn’t understand anything, and you changed your mind, thinking there was no need to force it... What do you think? If it’s different from reality, just say so... I want you to tell me.” Even the great detectives in novels can’t accurately pinpoint the thoughts of the culprit. So, my imagination, at best, can only make me feel like I’ve understood something. I thought I would get scolded. I thought she would say that I really didn’t understand anything. Nevertheless, I felt like I was making progress. Rather than not understanding something without realizing it, I felt like I understood that I didn’t understand, and somehow, I felt like I could hear Asuhain-san’s true feelings. But for Asuhain-san— “You’re not wrong.” She didn’t get angry. She answered quietly, as if sinking into the deep sea. “I just felt despair... I became like a lonely, sad child who could only get angry because they didn’t get what they wanted. It’s not that I gave up thinking there was no need to force myself... Rather, I think I gave up on giving up.” Giving up on giving up... Instead of discarding loneliness and sadness, she dragged them like weights. “I see.” I hesitated for a moment but said it anyway. “That’s tough.” “Those are light words.”
Asuhain-san turned her face toward me. I smiled a little and nodded. “But still, it’s better than not saying anything. Words are inconvenient for conveying feelings, but... it’s the only thing we can do.” If you can’t feel, all you can do is speak. Even your words have no emotional nuances, or if they’re too direct, clumsy, and lighthearted, it’s better than conveying nothing. “I see...” Asuhain-san looked up at the light filtering down from above the aquarium like stairs. “As good as you are at using heavy words... You’re not really eloquent.” “Even so, I’ve gotten better, you know? Compared to when I was in junior high!” I joked, and Asuhain-san looked back into my eyes— Slightly. Just a little, she lifted the corner of her mouth. “I can imagine. Somehow.” That was the first genuine smile I saw from Asuhain-san. ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ As more people gathered around, Asuhain-san and I left the aquarium. Walking along the path from the exit, we reached the beach, partially visible from the entrance. A vast, expansive, white sandy beach where many people swam, dug in the sand, and played, laid in front of us. Not everyone was in swimsuits; about half of them seemed to be wearing regular clothes. Come to think of it, I recall seeing in a video or
something that people in Okinawa don’t necessarily wear swimsuits while swimming. As Asuhain-san and I stepped onto the soft white sand, we looked out at the emerald green sea. “There are surprisingly only a few people…” Asuhain-san remarked. Indeed, compared to crowded beach resorts during peak season, the number of people here might be considerably fewer. It felt like there were more people inside Churaumi Aquarium. “Have you been here before, Asuhain-san? To the sea.” “We weren’t exactly the kind of family that went on family trips... I’ve only been to the sea for school extracurricular activities.” “Come to think of it, it might be the same for me...” Certainly, my father (the biological one) didn’t need to be mentioned, and even after being alone with my mom, I have no memories of going on a trip. It couldn’t be helped because she was often busy. “In that case...” I peered into Asuhain-san’s face. “Wanna give it a try?” “Huh? ...You mean stepping into the sea?” “Yeah.” Asuhain-san looked down at her outfit. She wore a white tunic cinched with a waistband and ankle-length skinny pants, giving off a distinctly summer vibe. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit, though...” “It’s okay if you go barefoot.” Saying that, I took off one sandal and planted one bare foot on the sandy beach.
“Ouch!” Naturally, the sole of my foot immediately heated up, and I was left hopping on one foot with the sandal still on. Looking at Asuhain-san’s face, I made an awkward, sheepish laugh. “If we’re at the water’s edge, it’ll probably be cool. Right?” “...I suppose.” Saying that with a somewhat exasperated expression, Asuhain-san then gazed out at the expansive sea. “Once in a while might not be so bad.” I put my sandals back on, and alongside Asuhain-san, we walked to the water’s edge. This time, I held my removed sandals in both hands and stood barefoot on the sand. I felt a liberating feeling of my usually covered feet, now exposed to the unfamiliar touch of nature through the cool, wet sensation of the sand. Following suit, Asuhain-san also took off her shoes. Rolling up her socks and placing them in her shoes, she cautiously looked down at her feet while stepping on the sand barefoot a few times as if testing the temperature of a swimming pool. Right after that, a wave washed over the sand. The seawater gently caressed our feet, and in that moment, “Cold!” Asuhain-san exclaimed softly, grabbing my shoulder and lightly hopping. “You okay?” I asked, and Asuhain-san looked at my face, then bowed her head as if embarrassed. It might be the first time I’ve seen such a natural reaction. Even though we spent so much time together in the Student Council room, there were still so many firsts we had yet to experience together—it made me feel sentimental.
After playing with the waves several times, Asuhain-san said quietly, “...I saw it.” “Eh?” Raising my head at her small voice, Asuhain-san answered, still looking down at the waves. “On the first night—at the hotel pool. I was... hiding in the bushes. But it’s not about the story around 9 p.m that you were curious about.” Mizuto said that Asuhain-san wasn’t the culprit who peeked at our secret meeting, but it was true that there was a wound on her thigh. Now, Asuhain-san seems to be trying to answer. Answering my question from last night—and to me, who genuinely thought about Asuhain-san. Organizing the information in my head, I said, “That means you weren’t involved in what happened after 9 p.m.” Since Mizuto and I confirmed the bloodstains on the shrub branch, Asuhain-san must have been hiding before that. “But you were there before 9 p.m, right?” “Yes. I think it was around 8:30 p.m... I was walking on the floor near the pool, looking for a less crowded place. But then I saw two people entering the pool and couldn’t help but be curious—I followed them.” “...And then?” “At first, I heard voices... Something like ‘I wanted to be in the same group if possible’—I think that’s what they were talking about. Because it was a different tone of voice than usual, I instinctively hid in the bushes near the entrance... and then...” “And then...?” “...I witnessed a confession.” A confession? “Does that mean... a confession asking to be in a relationship?”
“I think it’s accurate to consider it as such... But when I saw it, I became terrified.” “Terrified?” “The extent of one person’s attachment to another—is this how despicable it is? And is this kind of thing lurking within me too?” Despicable... I can’t deny it. I feel like I did a lot of despicable things to be with Mizuto. But to watch a love confession and have such an impression... “That means, somehow, it didn’t go well, did it? That confession.” “Yes, you’re right... they were rejected. And being rejected made them a little hot-headed—looking back now, I thought that if I was in their situation, I would have regained my composure immediately. But I... I wanted to deny it. I wanted to show someone that I’m not that kind of person... So in an instant, I jumped out of the bushes.” The waves gently washed over our feet as Asuhain-san spoke. “I pushed both of them... into the pool.” Not a confession of love, but a confession of wrongdoing. If there were no injuries, it wouldn’t be something to worry about. But for Asuhain-san, it was an important event—it was perhaps the first time she had ever used violence on someone. Despite being embraced annoyingly by Asou-senpai, Asuhain-san had never forcefully pushed her away. “Asuhain-san, you were trying to help the person who was being approached, right?” It might be a comforting thought, but I expressed my honest opinion, looking directly at Asuhain-san. “You said it yourself. You admired President Kurenai for saving you from persistent advances. And now you did the same thing.” “Yes... That might be true. That might be one way to put it.” “What happened afterward?”
“One of them quickly left the pool... The other one, I brought my spare clothes from my room for, she changed, and we disbanded. Even while changing, she didn’t say a word... No one else came to the changing room... It was an awkward atmosphere from start to finish... I can’t help but think there could have been a better way.” “I see...” Even now, before going to sleep, I sometimes think about the conversations we had that day and reflect on whether I could have spoken better. I still can’t fully believe that there are people who don’t do this. In that regard, I felt like I could understand Asuhain-san. “By the way, you mentioned those two earlier. The ones you were talking about, are they people you know, Asuhain-san?” “...Yes.” “Can you tell me specifically who they were?” “I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose that information.” In her usual decisive manner, Asuhain-san spoke. “I believe it concerns the honor of those two, so... I cannot spread rumors on their behalf.” “I see. Well, I think that’s fine.” “...Is that so? Generally, don’t people like gossiping?” “Common opinions don’t matter. For Asuhain-san, it’s what’s correct for you—that’s what matters.” For a long time, I felt trapped by the curse of ‘this is how things are normally.’ But now, I can honestly say this. Things considered common, normal, or conventional, are irrelevant compared to a person’s individuality. “If there’s something Asuhain-san wants to do, regardless of what’s considered normal, she should feel free to say or do it. Whether it’s her reaction after losing to someone in an exam or anything within reason. I’m sorry for excluding you like that from our group until now.” “It’s not like that...”
“I won’t be satisfied if I don’t tell you that, Asuhain-san.” Facing Asuhain-san directly, I held her small hand with both of mine. “When I lost to you in the end-of-year exams, I didn’t feel frustrated, for sure. More than that, I was happy.” “...Happy...?” “Because I’ve been watching Asuhain-san working hard all the time. Always with your textbooks and notes open... I had to admit that you’re working much harder than me. If I had been defeated like that, I wouldn’t have felt any frustration. I was just glad that your hard work paid off. I felt that before the frustration came.” Well, I was also preoccupied with romance at that time, chuckling as I told her this. “So, I apologize. For becoming a rival without seeing you as one... I’m sorry.” I couldn’t see Asuhain-san as a rival. I could only see her as a friend who was doing her best. It wasn’t what Asuhain-san was seeking. Even if I sought to become what she desired, Asuhain-san probably wouldn’t be satisfied. So, all I could do was apologize. And ask her to be my friend—sincerely. “If that’s the case...” In a somewhat downward gaze, I listened to the small words that slipped out. “...Can I... do that... to you?” “Um, what?” “You know, like what Minami-san and the other girls seem to do... that... Can I hug you?” ...Ah, I see. I smiled and spread my arms.
“Of course. Go ahead?” Asuhain-san, looking flustered, glanced to the right, then to the left, then again to the right, and for no apparent reason, looked down at the sandy shore at her feet. After taking a deep breath, she looked at my face again. And she exclaimed, “—Ei!” Her exclamation was cute. The impact I felt throughout my body was also cute. I embraced Asuhain-san’s petite body against my chest and held her back. Soft, warm, and lovely. This was the girl named Ran Asuhain. In a whisper, Asuhain-san spoke. “Um... Irido-san.” “Yeah.”
“I’m... not really good at stuff like this at all.” “Yeah.” “I might not be able to read the atmosphere and say some unnecessary things.” “Yeah.” “I can’t talk about love that much either.” “Yeah.” “But... will you be friends with me from now on?” “Yeah.” I agreed and replied without hesitation. “I’m looking forward to it too.” Mizuto Irido ◆ All’s well that ends well (at least for the girls) On the third afternoon, we returned to the southern area of the main island, just like on the first day, and proceeded with group activities. Each group was free to decide where to go, but many chose the bustling Kokusai-dori Street, said to be the largest downtown area in Naha City, and our group was no exception. Despite being called a downtown area, it wasn’t as large-scale as Tokyo’s. It was a place where chain stores, antenna shops, and souvenir shops were clustered around a straight, two-lane road. In Kyoto terms, it might have a vibe similar to Teramachi Kyogoku—though there were no arcades overhead, the early summer sky stretched out, and the streets were wider. But what made me realize that I was actually in Okinawa was that there were palm trees instead of the normal roadside trees we had in Kyoto—thinking that way might be because I usually lack interest in cities.
First, with the intention of filling our stomachs, we entered a cafe we had identified during our preliminary research (mainly pointed out by Kawanami and Minami). Opening the menu, a photo of something like a crepe, piled high with whipped cream and an abundance of fruit, caught my eye. It seemed like a dessert designed for enjoying a seesaw game between desire and heartburn. “Ca-ca-ca-ca... calories... so many calories...” Isana muttered mysteriously while looking at the menu photos. While gently tapping Isana’s back, Minami spoke in a tone reminiscent of a scammer. “It’s fine... Today is fine. Your stomach won’t bloat from just one day...” “Th-that’s right... Just for one day...” “You worked so hard on your diet... You deserve a little reward...” “That’s true... It’s a reward, right...!” I was currently witnessing a person on the verge of relapsing. I’ll overlook it today as a cheat day, but when she gets home, I need to make sure she exercises properly. I won’t let them become unhealthy over my dead body. On the other hand, Yume and Asuhain were peering into the menu together. “I think I’ll go for the one with various toppings. What about you, Asuhain-san?” “Well, I... um...” In a way that clearly indicated her unfamiliarity with such places, Yume was considering her order, and Isana, with a somewhat amused expression, was watching over her. She seemed more like Yume’s sibling when compared to me. Asuhain had already grown quite attached to Yume and didn’t move away from her side. Although not as clingy as Isana to me,
Asuhain didn’t attempt to move from her spot next to Yume while Yume and Minami talked. She remained expressionless throughout, only softening her expression a bit when Yume addressed her. Yume seemed pleased with Asuhain’s behavior. After finishing our battle with the mountain of whipped cream and fruits, we left the cafe and started walking along the sidewalk. While looking at the lined-up shops, Yume was enthusiastically talking to Asuhain, who, despite her awkwardness, responded in a reserved manner. Minami, observing the sisterly scene from behind, had a complex expression. “My... my position...!” “Don’t say something like you’re all grown-up.” It was Kogure Kawanami who spoke in a tone of exasperation. “Irido-san, who is usually so reserved, is actively engaging with someone. Just watch over them with a smile, like a good, quiet person.” “It’s because I am being quiet! It’s lonely, and I’m jealous, but Yume-chan acting like an older sister is cute too...!" All’s well that ends well, right?” From further behind our childhood friends, Isana, who was watching over the situation with me, suddenly spoke. “Mizuto-kun... I’ve found myself more open to yuri recently.” “Why the sudden coming out?” “But in that case, Mizuto-kun is really in the way. What should I do?” “How should I know? Don’t talk as if I’m a guy getting sandwiched in between a yuri. If anything, you’re the one who’s between them.”