A girl as beautiful as Kaori appeared in our class, and even Kaori herself joined the circle surrounding her.
Meanwhile, I was quietly sitting at my desk alone when a female student suddenly plopped down in the seat next to me.
“What, you’re not joining that crowd over there?”
As I said this and glanced over, Kiritsuki was resting her cheek on her hand, looking at me with a bored expression.
“You’re the one who told me to rely on Kaori if anything came up, right? That means I’ll get chances to talk to her, so I’m fine.”
“…Got it.”
I’d only meant to toss out a casual question as a regular classmate, but Kiritsuki narrowed her eyes and prefaced softly with, “More importantly.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“?”
“If I’m not imagining things, you came to school with Kaori this morning, didn’t you?”
Since I’d anticipated the question, I gave the answer I’d prepared without hesitation.
“Has Kaori ever mentioned anything about a childhood friend?”
Instead of answering, I threw a question back, and Kiritsuki put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful.
“…Oh, so the childhood friend she said she’s grown distant from since starting high school is you, Himura-kun?”
Couldn’t she have phrased it a bit more delicately? But since it was true, I could only nod without denying it.
“Kaori always talked about her childhood friend as someone she really cared about, so I was curious what kind of person you’d be… Honestly, it’s kind of a letdown.”
“…A lot of people had high expectations like that, so I had no choice but to pull away.”
Even if I were an outsider, I’d probably think the same, so there was nothing more to say.
Maybe because I’d spoken with a hint of sarcasm, Kiritsuki furrowed her brow slightly.
“Oh, um, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, Kaori’s always going on about how amazing you are, so I thought you’d be, like, a top student or something.”
Did she not realize that wasn’t much of a follow-up, or was she deliberately throwing shade despite knowing it?
Either way, it didn’t seem to change the fact that I’d disappointed her expectations.
“I’ll figure out what Kaori means by ‘amazing’ from here on out. I barely know anything about you, Himura-kun.”
“You’re better off not knowing. Kaori’s just overhyping me because of nostalgic childhood memories.”
“Then I’ll take that opinion into account and make my own judgment going forward. Since you’re my best friend’s childhood friend, I won’t treat you badly.”
It’s a sensible approach, but she’d be better off judging quickly.
Best friend, huh.
To me, both Kaori and Kiritsuki seem like unreachable people on a completely different level.
That’s just how it feels, though—physically, they’re the ones closing the distance.
That aside, being Kaori’s best friend means Kiritsuki naturally stands out just by being there.
Fortunately—or perhaps not—everyone’s currently obsessed with the new transfer student, Miyajima, so maybe Kiritsuki, with her refined, Yamato Nadeshiko-like charm, isn’t drawing as much attention as usual.
No… it’s probably more accurate to say that white and blonde hair over there are just too eye-catching.
Since we’ll be sitting next to each other for a while, I suppose we should at least get along decently.
“Come to think of it, I barely know anything about you either, Kiritsuki-san…”
“Right? So let’s both start fresh, no biases or preconceptions, okay?”
“For now, I can tell you’re capable of more mature thinking than I am.”
“Really? I’ll take it as a compliment for now.”
Kiritsuki said this without changing her cool expression and shifted her gaze toward Kaori and the transfer student.
“This year, our class is going to be pretty lively.”
“For you, Kiritsuki-san, I bet it’s no different from last year.”
Having spent a year in the same class as Kaori and earning her trust more than anyone else, she must’ve been at the center of that noisy, Kaori-centered whirlwind.
I know that chaos all too well myself, which is exactly why I’m dreading it.
“That’s exactly what I’m sick of. Getting swarmed by guys chasing after Kaori was more than enough last year.”
“Then this year, maybe you’ll get bombarded by club underclassmen asking, ‘Can you give me Kaori-senpai’s contact info?’”
“That wouldn’t bother me much, as long as Kaori’s okay with it. But when I can see through to their backup plan of ‘If Kaori’s a no-go, then Kiritsuki’ll do,’ it’s a bit… you know.”
“The curse of being beautiful, huh.”
Truly an inescapable fate.
If I had even one thing that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her without paling in comparison, maybe I wouldn’t be agonizing over this or getting picked on. I entertain these pointless what-ifs, only to sigh at the gap between them and reality.
Unfortunately, the single defining trait that represents me is “Nanami Kaori’s childhood friend.”
Finding a personal quality or strength that surpasses that would be about as likely as me conquering all of Japan’s Hundred Famous Mountains right now.
In other words, impossible.
I can’t even think of anything close.
I could never, even if my life depended on it, claim to be superior to others in looks, abilities, or character.
That said, as I was sympathizing with how tough things must be for her, Kiritsuki suddenly narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
Wondering what I’d done, I quickly reviewed my words and added,
“Objectively speaking, I didn’t say anything weird, right?”
Kiritsuki is undeniably a beautiful girl—by any common standard, that’s an indisputable fact.
That said, if you flipped through a fashion magazine, you could probably find women with a similar vibe, so she doesn’t stand out as overwhelmingly as Kaori or Miyajima. Those two are exceptions, practically in a league of their own.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face is screaming, ‘This guy’s got a flippant way of talking that doesn’t match his looks.’”
“That’s not true. I just thought, ‘This guy’s got a flippant way of talking that doesn’t match his looks.’”
Why did she bother denying it only to repeat the exact same phrase word for word?
As I puzzled over this internally, Kiritsuki’s skeptical expression softened into a smile.
“I’m kidding. I was actually a little impressed that you can say something so witty.”
That doesn’t feel much different, but I decided not to point it out.
“At least I took it positively, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Then for now, I’ll apologize for assuming you were some stiff, formal type.”
“That’s fine. My family is pretty rigid, after all.”
“I just thought you’re a lot more laid-back than you seem. I’m not interested in your family.”
“Is that a compliment?”
Who in their right mind would care about a classmate’s family situation? I’m already fed up dealing with my childhood friend’s family drama.
“That was my intention, at least.”
“Alright, then I’ll take it as a compliment.”
As expected—or perhaps not—my morning with Kiritsuki left me feeling that she’s a bit more quirky and humorous than my initial impression of her.
The morning classes went by without a hitch. If I had to mention something memorable, it’d be that a few students dozed off during modern literature class, lulled by Miyajima’s captivating reading voice.
As soon as lunch break started, classmates swarmed Miyajima’s desk, joined by students from other classes—peers, seniors, and juniors alike—flooding in to catch a glimpse of her. I bolted from the classroom to escape the mob.
My destination: the school cafeteria.
I was about to quietly enjoy a standard daily lunch set at the far corner of the cafeteria, as if it were some VIP seat, when—
“Is this seat taken?”
“Go ahead.”
Someone approached the seat across from me. I had no reason to refuse, so I nodded, but when I saw who it was, I couldn’t help but look up.
For some reason, Kiritsuki, who’d been sitting next to me during class, was now standing right in front of me.
That’s when I noticed the cafeteria was noisier than usual. Glancing around, I saw Miyajima, the center of all the buzz, with Kaori right beside her, both commanding everyone’s attention.
“Himura-kun, do you always eat in the cafeteria?”
“…Nah, maybe twice a week at most. I usually make my own bento, but I came to school earlier than usual today, so…”
It seemed Kiritsuki had come here because there weren’t any other open seats.
“Oh, you make your own bento?”
“Both my parents often work night shifts, so I usually handle it myself. My mom says she wants to cook when she’s home, but she’s a caregiver and sometimes gets called in for overtime. If she gets an emergency call on a day she was supposed to make my bento, I end up eating here.”
“Sounds like a tough home situation.”
Nowadays, it’s common for both parents to work, and while kids in school can take on some household responsibilities, the expenses pile up too.
“My little sister’s taking entrance exams this year, and it overlaps with my dad’s solo work assignment, so things are probably going to get tougher from here.”
Sure, a busy job means less family time and communication, but we’re not struggling to get by, and our family gets along fine, so I’d say we’re doing alright.
“What about you, Kiritsuki-san? You mentioned your family’s pretty strict.”
Following the flow of the conversation, I asked casually, and Kiritsuki made a slightly awkward face as she took a bite of her katsu-don.
“Munch. Well… I guess you could say we’re well-off. My parents had an arranged marriage, and they’re all about appearances, so they had two kids and left the rest to the housekeeper while they focus on work.”
So, though I hadn’t asked for details, it sounds like Kiritsuki might be the daughter of some big corporate family. Or maybe she’s from an old, established lineage.
“My older brother’s set to take over my dad’s company, so I’m free to do what I want. I don’t lack for anything, but… there are a lot of public appearances, so I have to keep up proper manners and appearances at all times.”
From her comment about her brother inheriting the company, it’s probably the former.
It sounds like a household where you’d grow up without much parental affection, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it.
“Since no one’s expecting much of me, I get to do what I want, so I guess you could say I’m fortunate… maybe?”
“If you’re not hung up on your relationship with your parents, then that’s fine, I guess.”
“It’s not like I don’t care. When Kaori talks about going camping with her family or visiting summer festivals, or when she shows me pictures, I can’t help but feel something.”
“Her family’s… well, she’s an only child, so she’s not exactly sheltered or overprotected, but her parents are ridiculously doting.”
That’s when it happened.
I felt a gaze on me and looked up. Scanning the room, I didn’t see anyone watching me.
“…Just my imagination…?”
I muttered to myself, brushing it off, and went back to savoring my bamboo shoot rice.
For some reason, Kiritsuki and I ended up getting a little caught up in talking about our families.
