The final exams got pushed to next Friday, with a holiday in between.
As for me, today was another day of desperately cramming for those tests. I couldn’t help thinking it’d be nice if I could just focus more during regular classes, but it’s way too late for that now.
“Himura-san, mind if I join you again today?”
The moment the after-school bell rang, I headed out of the classroom, only for Tomo to call out to me from behind.
“Sure, but I’m heading to the library— that okay?”
“Yes, anywhere is fine with me.”
And just like that, it was another after-school study session with Tomo.
On our way to the library in the second building, Yamabuki caught my eye.
“Huh? What’s she up to…?”
The Yamabuki I spotted was at the end of the corridor connecting the first and second buildings, peeking around toward the back of the school.
Frankly, it looked super suspicious.
“Um, that’s Yamabuki-san, right? Tomiya-san’s childhood friend or something?”
Tomo asked cautiously, confirming what she thought, and I nodded while pondering it.
“Yeah. That’s her, but…”
Suddenly, as if she’d overheard our conversation, Yamabuki turned toward us.
“…What, Himura? Keeping another girl on reserve?”
“I’m not keeping anyone on reserve!”
Wait, am I? No, definitely not, right?
Anyway, that’s beside the point. The issue here isn’t about me.
“What about you? What are you doing?”
When I flipped the question back at her, Yamabuki beckoned me over with a little wave of her hand.
It didn’t exactly put me in a great mood, but I followed her lead and peeked around the back of the second building.
And there, unbelievably—
Hachijou was sitting on a bench, giving Tomiya a lap pillow!
“What are you even peeking at? That’s just sad.”
Without thinking, I yanked Yamabuki inside the second building.
“That spot over there… wouldn’t it be fine even for me?”
“You’re the only one who’d think that’s fine.”
Seriously, what a pathetic sight.
With a sigh, I turned my gaze toward Tomo.
“Sorry, but mind if we change plans?”
I couldn’t just leave things like this, so I suggested switching things up, and Tomo nodded with a wry smile.
“It’s fine. I’d actually like to chat with Yamabuki-san too.”
“…What? About me?”
“—If we leave her like this, it’ll just be pitiful for Tomiya.”
When I cut in with that, Yamabuki quietly shut her mouth.
Tomo and I took Yamabuki with us and left the spot.
Deciding to skip studying for today… meant no reason to stick around school, so the three of us wandered aimlessly into town.
“Where should we go?”
“…Doesn’t matter to me.”
“I’m fine with whatever you pick, Tomo.”
I answered casually, but Yamabuki latched onto it right away.
“Huh? What? You just— seriously!?”
“W-what? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong!? You just called her by her first name…!”
“It’s not something to overreact about…”
I seriously thought something big was up.
Even I realize it’s out of character for me, but her reaction was way over the top.
“Does Himura ever call girls by their first names…?”
“Kaori.”
“Childhood friends are the exception!”
“…What, you want me to call you Sakuna?”
“No! I mean, it’s not like I mind… but no! That’s not what I meant, so don’t get the wrong idea!”
“What idea am I supposed to get…?”
If this emotional rollercoaster is the result of her spying on the guy she likes getting a lap pillow from his girlfriend, then maybe it’s time for Tomiya to straight-up reject her and put an end to it.
Suddenly, Tomo leaned her shoulder against mine, so I tilted my head down a bit to meet her eyes.
“Yamabuki-san really likes Tomiya-san a lot, doesn’t she?”
“Well… they’ve been childhood friends for over a decade, so yeah, that happens.”
“But for you, Himura-san, Nanami-san isn’t like that, right?”
“Hm… did I tell you about that?”
“Not directly.”
So she’d heard it from somewhere.
She probably doesn’t know the full details, but Tomo seems pretty perceptive in her own way.
“Oh, right— Nanami-san’s moving away, isn’t she?”
Yamabuki tossed that out unexpectedly.
Word must’ve spread like wildfire; at this point, probably no one in our class doesn’t know.
“Apparently.”
“…Being separated from the person you like? I couldn’t even imagine that.”
“Coming from Yamabuki, who’s turned into some kinda stalker because her childhood friend got a girlfriend— that’s pretty convincing.”
“I’m not stalking anyone.”
Then what was that super suspicious peeking just now?
Anyway, whether it’s stalking or not, heading straight to spy on them every time she spots them is just plain problematic.
I wanted to talk some sense into her, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Lately, Nanami-san doesn’t seem to hang out with you much at all, Himura-san…”
“Well, Kiritsuki’s been glued to her side constantly.”
“And she’s always with the same group of a few others too. Don’t you want to join them, Himura-san?”
If it were just the three of them including Kiritsuki, or even just Kaori and me alone, I could probably stay chill.
But throw in two or three more people, and all I can do is fade into the background.
If it included someone like Tomiya, who I at least talk to a bit, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so out of place…
“Honestly, with finals coming up, I’ve got no time for that.”
“Was Himura always this bad at studying?”
I don’t think I’m actually bad at it. It’s just that in class, even when I’m trying to be serious, my focus drops off a cliff.
Suddenly, Yamabuki leaned her shoulder against mine too.
That’s when I realized— totally unintentionally— I had a girl on each arm.
“…Hey, I turned you down before, but want me to tutor you? Last year, my grades were better than Kaname’s, you know.”
“You sure?”
“Well, it’s not like… I had a real reason to say no back then either.”
Then why’d you turn me down?
And what was up with that “actually, I’d rather you teach me” vibe anyway?
“…Oh, what about you, Tomo?”
“Huh? Miyajima-san’s grades on the edge too?”
“No, I’m a bit worried too, but…”
If they’re gonna talk across me, couldn’t they just move?
“It’s more like mental stress than actual ability issues— she seems fine academically.”
“Huh. So the real handful’s just Himura, then.”
“Sorry to be such a hassle.”
“It’s fine, we’re friends and all.”
Yamabuki said it so casually, without a hint of embarrassment.
She didn’t seem to have put much thought into it, so I let it slide, but I wondered if there was some reason she phrased it that way.
“Oh, we ended up at the station.”
Tomo’s sudden murmur as she stopped made me realize we’d been walking and talking the whole time. Yeah, we never actually decided on a destination.
“…Well, might as well hit up the usual cafe.”
“Sounds good.”
“That work for you too, Sakuna?”
“Yeah.”
So in the end, it felt like the usual for me as I pushed open the door to the cafe we’d basically become regulars at.
“…Huh?”
Then, out of nowhere, Yamabuki stopped in her tracks.
“Hm?”
“…Himura, what’d you just say?”
“I said, is it cool if we go into the cafe.”
I mean, we’re already inside.
“…You didn’t just call me Sakuna without any honorifics.”
“Ah, so you noticed.”
She’d basically given permission earlier with that “it’s fine” thing, so I tested it out, but it took her forever to catch on.
“Well, you know, I call Souma without honorifics too, so it’s fine.”
“…I mean, it’s okay, but… don’t do it in front of Kaname! She’d totally get the wrong idea!”
“She wouldn’t get any wrong ideas… not like it’s you or anything.”
Tomo, who I’d thought was right beside me, had already been shown to a seat. When our eyes met from across the way, I couldn’t help but give a wry smile back.
If that happened, Kiritsuki would probably join in and say something like “You can call me by my first name too, you know?”
Until she says that, there’s no way I’d start calling her by name on my own, and honestly, a few days from now, I’d probably forget we even had this conversation.
