Chapter 2: Reality

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Translator: Soafp

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“Haruki! Why do you always disappear somewhere during homeroom before class starts!?”

“It's not a big deal, is it? I show up properly for class.”

After school, while I was at home studying, Shiho, who had just finished club activities, came all the way to my house to lecture me.

“Endo-san also came back to the classroom … were you with her?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. Why, is that a problem?”

“N-not really! It's nothing…”

Shiho said that and looked down slightly, seeming a bit down.

Maybe she was just tired from club activities.

It was already getting dark outside.

Shiho must have worked hard at club practice until this late hour, and on top of that, she'll probably study at home afterward too.

It would be strange if she weren't exhausted.

“Haruki. Did you make dinner? If you haven't, I could make something for you.”

I come from a single-parent household and my father works late into the night.

So Shiho has known since we were kids that I'm often home alone.

“It's fine. I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle myself, so go on home.”

I couldn't help but feel bad making her spend time on me.

I wanted Shiho to value her own time.

“Shiho… um, thanks, really. For always worrying about me.”

As she turned her back to me and headed for the door, I told her honestly how grateful I was.

“U-um… Haruki. We've been going to school together up until now, but… would you mind if we started going separately from tomorrow?”

“Eh? Oh… I see. But wait, you're the one who always invited me. Why the sudden change?”

“W-well… I feel bad making you match my morning practice schedule. And also… I think you should focus on studying more.”

“I-I see. Got it.”

She was right. I really did need to increase my study time if I wanted to get into Sendou High.

In my case, I actually get more done studying at home than in the school study room.

Maybe the fact that I've started understanding my own strengths like this means I'm improving.

“Well, see you tomorrow.”

“Y-yeah. See you… tomorrow.”

Shiho waved goodbye and headed home.

At that moment, I think I was feeling a little anxious.

Now that we didn't even talk at school anymore, I worried that if we stopped commuting together in the morning, we might never talk again.

That's what I was afraid of.

---

My fears came true. Over a week has passed since then, and I haven't spoken to Shiho at all.

Sometimes our eyes meet in the classroom, but she quickly looks away… It's kind of lonely.

“Haa”

“What's with the sigh? Don't ruin our lunch break. You're making the food taste bad.”

“You're always so cheerful, huh, Endo.”

During lunch break, I was eating with Endo on the rooftop.

“Still moping over Fukase?”

“I feel like there's even more distance between me and Shiho lately…”

“Hmm. From what I see, it just looks like your true relationship finally showed itself.”

True relationship…? She always says things in a roundabout way.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Fukase cares more about her surroundings than her relationship with you.”

“Is… that really how it is?”

Well, whatever she wants to do is her choice. If she's happy, that's what matters most.

“Asano… don't take this the wrong way, but you shouldn't get too hung up on Fukase.”

“What's wrong with that?”

“You're kind of becoming emotionally dependent on her, you know? And if you keep that up…”

“If I keep that up, what?”

“…No, never mind.”

Endo looked like she wanted to say something more, but dropped her gaze to her lunch and quietly resumed eating.

---

“We're going to return your tests now. Come up when your name is called.”

Today was the day we'd get back our midterm tests from last week.

When my name was called, I went to receive my graded tests from the homeroom teacher.

“Asano… um, you've really been working hard lately. I'm impressed.”

The teacher, who usually just gives me cold stares, suddenly praised me, which caught me off guard.

“Hey, Asano just got praised by the teacher!”

“Yeah. Must've scored pretty high, huh?”

I returned to my seat and looked at my test—90 points were written there.

I couldn't help but make a small fist pump.

I quickly looked around to make sure no one saw, and breathed a sigh of relief.

I'd had a good feeling about the test, but actually seeing the high score made me genuinely happy.

And I owed it all to Shiho—she's the one who invited me to aim for the same high school in the first place.

After school came.

Several more tests were returned today, and I managed to get high scores on all of them.

I couldn't wait to tell Shiho about it.

But lately, I hadn't had a single chance to talk to her.

“Ugh, cleaning duty sucks.”

“Yeah. I just wanna get to club already.”

A few classmates grumbled as they prepared for after-school cleaning duty.

“Want me to take your cleaning duty?”

“Huh…!?”

I called out to them, and they froze for a second.

“Wait… um, aren't you not on duty today, Asano-kun?”

“You've got club, right? And your final tournament's coming up. Let me take over.”

I took the broom from one of them, showing I was serious about helping out.

“Whoa… seriously? Thanks, man!”

They thanked me and left the classroom.

“You know, I've been thinking—Asano's actually a pretty good guy.”

“Yeah. He looks scary, but he's quiet and chill. That fight from before? I heard it wasn't even his fault.”

Their conversation reached my ears as they walked away.

But I'm not a good guy or anything.

I didn't take over their duty out of kindness.

I just needed something to kill time until Shiho finished club practice.

“So serious, Asano. Volunteering for cleaning?”

The one who called out to me with a broom in hand was Endo, who almost never shows up for cleaning.

“What's with you? You usually skip cleaning.”

“Even I can act serious once in a while.”

She said that, then held her broom like a kendo sword and pointed it at me.

“Then stop fooling around and let's finish this quickly.”

We finished cleaning in about 15 minutes, and with time to spare, I decided to go to the study room.

“Hey Asano, where are you going? Not heading home?”

“To the study room. And why are you following me?”

“We just got our tests back, and you're already hitting the books?”

“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”

Ignoring Endo following me, I arrived at the study room—only to find the door locked.

“Come to think of it, I heard it's not open every day after school.”

“Really?”

I often used the study room in the morning, but since I usually studied at home in the afternoons, I didn't know that.

“Hey, let's just go home. We can stop by the convenience store and get some snacks or something.”

“Go home by yourself. I… want to wait until Shiho finishes her club activities.”

Now that we go to school separately in the mornings, the only time I really get to talk to Shiho is when we walk home after club activities.

“Don't do it.”

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I said, don't go see Fukase.”

“Huh? Why the hell do I have to listen to you?”

“Sure, she might be an honor student, but she's a kid inside. She's not good enough for you, Asano.”

What the hell is this guy talking about?

While I stood dumbfounded by Endo's sudden comments, he kept pressing on.

“Fukase doesn't value her relationship with you at all. Don't waste your time on someone like her.”

“Don't talk bad about Shiho!”

I've always thought I was a patient person, but hearing Endo say that made my blood boil.

“What do you even know about Shiho? I've known her since we were little, okay?”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

“Sorry… for yelling.”

“You really are a good guy, Asano.”

Despite me lashing out, Endo just smiled kindly for some reason.

“Come with me.”

“Hey, what the hell?”

Endo grabbed my hand and started walking, dragging me along.

We left the school building and ended up in front of the gym, where the girls' basketball team—Shiho's team—was practicing.

“We wait here.”

“What? Why? Shiho's still in practice. There's no point just standing here.”

From where we stood outside the gym entrance, we could clearly hear the shouts of the students hard at work.

Among them, I instantly recognized Shiho's voice. That's something only a childhood friend like me could do.

“Shiho… she's really giving it her all.”

A little while later, the gym quieted down—probably break time.

“Hey Endo. How long are we supposed to wait here?”

“…Not sure.”

Always energetic and goofy, Endo now wore a serious expression she refused to drop.

---

“Hey, were you serious about what you said earlier?”

“Yeah, he's seriously a pain.”

“Haha, that's hilarious!”

We could hear girls talking behind the closed doors in front of us.

Among them, I could hear Shiho laughing too.

(That voice… Shiho's having fun… It's been a while since I heard her like that.)

“And you're childhood friends, right? With Asano?”

“Well… we used to be close…”

(Huh? ‘Used to be'…?)

“But I mean, just look at him…”

“Yeah, wasn't he the one who got violent with some upperclassman last year?”

(No, that was just me trying to defend myself…)

“He really did. He's the worst.”

“…Eh…?”

The word slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.

There was no mistaking it—the voice calling me “the worst” belonged to Shiho.

“He's always been rough. Until recently, if I didn't go to his house, he couldn't even wake up in the morning by himself.”

“Lame! Is he like, a badass at school but a baby at home? Wait, Shiho, you actually went to his house to wake him up?”

“T-That was a while ago… I don't want to go near him anymore.”

This moment, this reality unfolding in front of me, felt like a bad dream I couldn't wake from.

“Asano… you okay?”

Endo said something beside me, but it barely registered.

I was nowhere near calm.

“Asano said he wants to go to the same high school as me.”

Everything looked and sounded warped in my dazed mind.

Even so, I could still hear Shiho's voice clearly.

The way she called me “Asano,” like I was some stranger, made her feel so far away.

(Yeah… I guess she wouldn't want anyone to know we used to be close…)

“Ugh, he's totally into you. Following you to high school? Gross. He'll probably try something on you one day.”

“Stop it… Don't say stuff like that… Asano wouldn't…”

(Yeah. I'd never do anything to hurt her—)

“So disgusting!”

When I heard Shiho say that, I realized there was no turning away from this reality anymore.

I wanted it to be some kind of mistake, but reality was brutal.

“Hey, wanna go to the vending machine?”

“I'm thirsty too.”

The gym doors opened, and the girls who'd been chatting emerged.

Shiho was among them, of course.

“H-Haruki… why are you… here…”

Shiho stood frozen in place, shocked to see me.

“Asano… let's go.”

Endo said, taking my hand and pulling me along—I couldn't move on my own.

“Wait! Haruki!”

Behind me, I could hear Shiho shouting something.

But the voice that had always been so familiar and clear to me… now felt like a distant memory I couldn't hear anymore.