CK 05

Chapter 05…

First-Year Students

Section 1 – Reunion

Even So

I can’t understand what’s happening right in front of me.
I’m so confused.
The answer should be simple.

My childhood friend, Insei Masato — “Mā-kun” — whom I finally reunited with, turned out to be the armored person who defeated the mud dolls that attacked us yesterday.

Yeah. It’s really that simple.
And yet my head keeps saying, “I don’t get it.”

I don’t even know how to talk to him. The words won’t come out.

Then Mā-kun spoke first.

“Why are you here?”

His voice was clearly angrier than during our earlier argument.
I flinched a little under the pressure but somehow managed to answer.

“N-no…! It’s not like I’ve been following you or anything! I just saw those mud dolls again and couldn’t stop worrying…”

While I was fumbling through my excuse, Hii-chan caught up to me, calling my name.

“Are you okay…? Wait, why is Masato here?”
“You again, Hiyori?”

Mā-kun sighed and fell silent.

The two of us couldn’t speak either. We still hadn’t wrapped our heads around the situation.
We didn’t know what words to use.

But there was one thing — one thing I absolutely wanted to say.

“Um… yesterday… thank you for saving us…”
“It’s not like I saved you because it was you.”

Cold.

The Mā-kun I remember would have said, “It’s only natural to help someone in trouble,” or, “I didn’t do it to be thanked.”

And he would have said it with a smile.

Maybe, like Hii-chan said, he really isn’t the same Mā-kun from back then anymore.

While I was lost in thought, Hii-chan started arguing angrily with Mā-kun about his attitude and words.
But now wasn’t the time for that.

I just wanted us to be friends again, like we used to.

If we kept arguing, we’d only grow further apart.

I wanted to know Mā-kun’s true feelings. Even if he rejected me, that was okay.
But I felt like if I didn’t ask my questions now, I’d never get another chance to speak to him.

I raised my voice:

“Hey!”

The two of them stopped and looked at me.
I went on.

“Mā-kun, is the reason you’re pushing us away related to all this? What are those mud dolls? And what’s with that armor?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Saying that means it is related to why you’re pushing us away, right?!”
“I said it’s none of your business!”

His shout sounded full of pain.

People often call me “dense” or “easygoing.”

But even I could tell this was him screaming because we were about to touch a wound he didn’t want touched.

I was at a loss for words again.
I knew people have things they don’t want others to touch.
And I knew you shouldn’t touch them.

But… could I really just leave a friend who looked so hurt right in front of me?

While I hesitated, Mā-kun spoke again.

“You two should just live your normal lives.”

Squeezing out those words, he turned and left.

In the end, I still didn’t know what to say to him.

As the sky darkened, we walked home.

My steps felt heavy.

Was it because of the shock? Or because my mind was still in turmoil?
Hii-chan matched my pace and walked slowly with me.

My true feelings spilled out in a murmur.

“What should I have said…?”

Hii-chan, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned back to look at me.

“Yui, you’re still thinking about that…?”
“But Mā-kun is fighting those things, right? Can we really just leave him alone…?”
“…But we can’t do anything. And he’s not wrong to tell us to stay out of it.”

That was true. We didn’t know anything. We had no way to fight those mud dolls.

We’d probably only get in the way.

Maybe, like he said, staying out of it really was the right thing to do.

But… not being involved with Mā-kun at all — I couldn’t believe that was right.

“…Even so, maybe there’s still something we can do.”
“Against creatures we don’t understand that attack people? You’d stick your neck into something that could get you killed?”
“Even so, I can’t just leave Mā-kun alone. We finally met again, and I don’t want it to end like this. And even if we can’t fight, there might be other ways we can help!”

Hii-chan met my eyes.

We didn’t say anything. We didn’t look away.

The spring night breeze brushed our cheeks.

Hii-chan spoke first.

“…Okay. But don’t do anything dangerous, okay?”
“Uh… um… sorry?”
“It’s fine. I want to give Masato a piece of my mind too.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at her words.
Then Hii-chan laughed too.

After laughing a little, feeling a bit refreshed, we started walking home again.

“Oh, but I’m planning to join a club, so I can’t tag along every time.”
“Yeah, it’d be too much to ask you to come every time… it’s okay!”
“Still, are you going to be okay without me? I’m a little worried.”
“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?!”

I gave Hii-chan a playful push from behind.
Then we both burst out laughing.

Our steps no longer felt heavy.

A few days later.

Even though I said all that, I still didn’t know what I could actually do.
I didn’t even know what to say to him.

So I hadn’t been able to talk to Mā-kun at all.

In fact, every time I thought about approaching him during breaks or after school, he was nowhere to be found.

And today again, the moment homeroom ended, he vanished, and I couldn’t find him.
So I gave up and went with Tabuchi Yōko-chan — whom I’m close to — and two other classmates to tour some clubs.

After finishing our rounds, the four of us walked down the hallway.

Yōko-chan spoke up.

“We’ve seen most of them now, but… which clubs are you all joining?”
“I… I think I’ll join the swim team after all.”
“I’m team ‘go straight home’~~”
“You two are so cold…
Ah, Yui, what about you? Want to join the dance club with me?”
“Ah, uh, um… I’m still not sure yet…”

The one joining the swim team was Egawa Kana-chan.
Apparently she admired senior Iriumi Ruka, who competed at the prefectural tournament.

The “go straight home” one was Ogino Nonoka-chan.
She hadn’t joined any clubs in middle school either.
But Yōko-chan dragged her along to check them out anyway.

Yōko-chan herself was all-in on the dance club.
She said, “I did it in middle school too, so it’s just a continuation.”

There was also a talkative girl named Nagasawa Mayu-chan, but…
She’d already gone home, saying, “I’m not planning to join a club. I have chores to help with at home.”

As for me, I did plan to join something since it was a good opportunity.
But in the end, even while looking at clubs, my mind kept drifting, and I didn’t really pay attention.
I was only here because Yōko-chan invited me… but I still couldn’t stop thinking about Mā-kun.

The three of them were talking about what to do next.

…What should I do?
Look at more clubs again? Or just go home today?

Then we heard a scream somewhere in the school.

We froze, not knowing what had happened.

I quickly came to my senses and looked out the window.

I saw an insect-man attacking someone.

…But there was nothing I could do right now.
I didn’t even know Mā-kun’s contact info, so I couldn’t message him about what was happening.

…But if I waited here, maybe Mā-kun would show up again.

Even so… what would I even say to him?

“Hey, Yui? What are you doing? We have to run!”

Only then did I realize Yōko-chan was calling to me.
I’d been so lost in thought I hadn’t noticed.

“What… is that?”
“I don’t know… but I think we should go home.”
“Aren’t you going, Yui-chan?”
“I… oh! I just remembered something I have to do! Sorry, everyone! See you tomorrow!”

I left them with that and started running.
Thinking won’t solve anything. I have to act.

I didn’t know what I could do, but unless I saw Mā-kun, I wouldn’t know anything.
He still hadn’t told me anything.
That’s why I wanted to talk to him one more time.
That was the answer I’d finally come to.

I was on the second floor now.

It might be dangerous here with the fighting going on.
So I ran up the stairs, heading for the upper floors of the school building.