Chapter 17

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

[Maaya PoV]

—April ××—

Today, I tried walking to school with Reita-kun part of the way.

I kind of forced the invitation… I wonder if he's mad.

I'm a little scared that he might end up hating me again, like back then.

But for me, this is the last time.

If I go in with a “give it my all and accept the outcome” mindset, I probably won't have any regrets.

I do feel bad for him, but I want to keep going with this momentum.

Also, lately, it really feels like his whole vibe has changed.

Before, he gave off an intimidating aura that pushed people away, but now he seems calmer.

He was considerate enough to make sure I wouldn't get dragged into rumors, and he even went along with my selfish request.

It felt like the kindness of the Reita-kun I used to know.

Could it be that his memories have come back?

…I thought about that, but there's no way things would work out that conveniently.

If they had, he wouldn't bother hiding it.

I already told him I'm not angry, so it's not like guilt would stop him from saying anything.

Well, either way, I'm happy.

At the very least, the Reita-kun I talked to today felt like the one I fell for.

With or without his memories, maybe Reita-kun is still Reita-kun.

Still… I can't help but wish his memories would come back.

Maybe I'm being greedy.

After fifth period, during the break…

I was writing in my Reita-kun diary.

Maybe because something actually happened today, my pen was moving faster than usual.

Like I was pouring out all the feelings I had nowhere else to put, I just kept writing without stopping.

I need to get everything out here so I don't accidentally let my feelings spill over.

If I suddenly dumped something this heavy on him, it would probably just trouble him.

…Ah, Rin-chan is about to come back from the bathroom.

There's still more I want to write, but if anyone found out I was writing something like this, I'd definitely get scolded again.

Thinking that, I quickly closed my notebook and slipped it into my inner pocket.

“—Maaya.”

I was called out sooner than expected and flinched as I turned around.

“R-Rin-chan… did you see just now…?”

“It's not Rin. It's me—Shizuno.”

I panicked, thinking I'd been seen, but it was Shizuno-chan standing there calmly.

“Oh, it was you, Shizuno-chan. You two actually sound kind of similar sometimes, so I mix you up now and then.”

“Do we? I think Rin has the cuter voice, though.”

Now that she mentions it, Rin's voice might be a bit higher, but both of them have beautiful voices.

As for me, mine sounds a bit stuffy, like my nose is clogged. People say it's a “cute voice,” but I don't really like it.

“Anyway, Maaya. You were writing pretty intensely just now—what were you doing?”

“Eh!? Th-that was… um… I-I was studying!”

Caught off guard right after letting my guard down, I hurriedly made an excuse.

“Studying during lunch break? That's admirable.”

“W-Well, yeah. Since we all ended up at the same high school, I thought I should try my best.”

If she found out I was just thinking about Reita-kun the whole time, even Shizuno-chan might be exasperated.

Unlike Rin-chan, she wouldn't get angry if I talked about him, but between us, there's still this unspoken rule that we shouldn't casually bring up his name.

Every time his name comes up, the mood turns heavy…

“Even so, it's kind of amazing, isn't it? We didn't plan it, yet we all ended up at the same school. And this year, even in the same class. I'm not really one to believe in fate, but this almost feels like something like that.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Sorry to break it to her, but us ending up at the same school wasn't a coincidence.

I was still full of lingering feelings, so I deliberately chose the same school as Reita-kun.

Rin-chan adjusted her plans to match mine, and as for Shizuno-chan—

“Come to think of it, why did you end up enrolling at Shirosaki, Shizuno-chan?”

I suddenly remembered that only Shizuno-chan being here was truly unexpected.

I had assumed she'd go to a more academic-focused school, so I was genuinely shocked when I found out we'd be attending the same one.

“I… have something I need to do.”

“Something you need to do?”

“That's… not really something I can talk about. I'm sorry.”

I asked for her reason, but she didn't tell me.

Not something she wants to do—but something she has to do…

I wonder what it is. The way she said it didn't sound very positive.

I just hope it's nothing bad…

“If anything's troubling you, don't keep it to yourself. You can rely on me or Rin-chan, okay?”

“Fufu, thank you, Maaya. Don't worry—it's nothing that serious.”

She smiled reassuringly, but I couldn't fully relax.

She's not the type to ask for help. She's always handled everything on her own…

Well, she usually manages to solve everything anyway…

But sometimes I wonder—what would she do if she faced a problem she couldn't solve?

She's always doing things that could make enemies, so I worry she might get caught up in something dangerous someday.

Of course, what she does is admirable—I really respect her.

But it still makes me uneasy…

“Don't make that face. I'll be fine.”

“Okay…”

Even so, it's not like I have the strength to actually help her, so there's nothing I can do.

If anyone could really support Shizuno-chan, it would probably be Reita-kun.

Usually, Rin-chan and I are the ones being helped, while Reita-kun and Shizuno-chan are the ones who step in and fix things.

We always rely on them, never able to give anything back…

That's probably why we couldn't save Reita-kun back then.

If only I had been a bit stronger…

…but it's too late to regret that now.

“By the way, Maaya.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Have you still not given up on Reita?”

“Pff—”

The sudden question made me choke.

“Cough… cough…”

“Are you okay…?”

“Y-Yeah… I'm fine…”

That came out of nowhere, Shizuno-chan…

“So? What is it?”

“W-Well, um…”

If I say I still love him—like, really, really, really love him—it might come off as too much…

But since she asked, she probably already suspects it anyway… maybe it's fine to admit it.

“…Yes. I guess I still haven't fully moved on.”

“I see. You're as devoted as ever. That's wonderful.”

I expected her to be exasperated, but surprisingly, she responded positively.

“It makes me a little jealous, actually.”

“Eh? What do you mean by—”

Just as I was about to ask what she meant—

the chime signaling the start of the next class rang.

“Oh, looks like break time's over… Well then, Maaya. Stop daydreaming about him and pay attention in class, alright?”

“I-I'm not daydreaming…!”

She hit the mark, and I instinctively denied it with all my might.

…Wait, does she know I've been thinking about Reita-kun all day?

If she does, that's way too embarrassing…

From now on, I need to be careful not to think about him too much.