Chapter 5 | A Tranquil Afternoon

The clock reads two in the afternoon.

With the teacher absent and no student patients in sight, I’m alone in the infirmary. Bathed in the soft sunlight streaming through the window, I find myself dozing off over my homework sheets. My consciousness fades in and out, teetering on the edge of sleep.

Maybe I should just give in and rest. It’s the teacher’s fault for placing the study space right by the window, not mine. Emptiness creeps in…

As I mull over such thoughts, slowly succumbing to exhaustion, a sharp rattle breaks the silence—the infirmary door sliding open. I freeze, holding my breath.

But instead of an intruder, a familiar, languid voice calls out. “Koiro-chan? You there?”

Stepping into the room is my much older cousin, Satomi-chan.

“Oh, jeez, you scared me! It’s just you, Satomi-chan.”

“Call me ‘Teacher’ at school.”

“Satomi-chan-sensei?”

“Kumada-sensei!”

Emerging from behind the bed curtain, Satomi-chan places her hands on her hips with a small “Hmph.” Her eyes scan my desk. “Let’s see… You haven’t made any progress on those worksheets. You were sleeping, weren’t you?”

“I was fighting my own battle, you know?”

“Don’t lie. There’s not a single pencil mark on here.”

“No, I mean…” My real opponent wasn’t the homework but the sleep demon.

Either way, with Satomi-chan in full teacher mode, she’d probably lecture me, so I pivot to change the subject. “What about you, Kumada-sensei? Slacking off? Don’t you have classes?”

“Of course not. I’ve got a free period right now. I came to check on you, Koiro-chan.”

“Oh, got it! Thanks for coming by, Sensei.”

I flash a grin, and Satomi-chan lets out a soft chuckle. “How’s attending school from the infirmary going?”

“Hmm, well, I’d say I’m getting used to it.”

“Good. It seems the rumor about the former idol Kamakura Koyuna being at school hasn’t spread, so things are going smoothly.”

If it hasn’t gotten out, that’s a relief. Since I don’t interact with other students, I wouldn’t hear such gossip myself, so it’s helpful when someone fills me in. I deleted my SNS accounts after quitting as an idol and stopped checking them altogether. At first, opening the apps was a habit, but now I don’t care at all. Rumors about me rarely reach my ears.

“If you’re struggling with anything, just tell me, okay? I’ll do what I can to help.”

“Really? Then, can you abolish the concept of failing grades on exams?”

“That’s… Well, just work hard to avoid failing in the first place.”

“Eeh, but you said ‘anything’!”

“Impossible things are impossible. It’s like me saying, ‘I want a hot boyfriend, so make it happen!’”

“That sounds like something you could actually pull off with a bit of effort… But seriously, you and Yako-chan should find stable partners already.”

“I’m totally hopeless at it. After messing up with my ex, I’ve become super cautious. And Yako-chan, well, she doesn’t stick with anyone for long. She’s great at finding boyfriends left and right, though.”

“Sounds like it’ll take a while… Just don’t fight if one of you gets married first, okay?”

“We won’t, we won’t. The other day, we went to the supermarket and saw discounted prepared food with half-off stickers. It made us inexplicably sad. We’re at an age where we might end up with half-off stickers ourselves. So, we agreed to cheer each other on—at least one of us should find happiness and share that happy aura.”

“That’s… kind of harsh…”

I don’t think Satomi-chan and the others are at an age where they need to worry so much. The average age for first marriages is rising, isn’t it? Still, adults probably have their own worries or anxieties.

I’m quietly convincing myself of this when Satomi-chan throws an unexpected question my way. “What about you? What’s going on with Negoro-kun?”

“Wait, are you asking that in, like, a romantic sense…?”

“Of course! You two went on a trip together during summer break, and it seems like you’re still close even now in the second semester. I only asked him to run errands for you during the makeup classes.”

Smiling, Satomi-chan scoots closer and perches on the edge of the bed. “Well, we just get along.”

In reality, there’s a lot more to it. But even so, it’s not like we’re hanging out in a romantic way. We’ve never once talked about that kind of thing.

“Is that really all?”

“Yup.”

“Maybe you’re secretly pretty far along?”

“I said there’s nothing!”

“I’ll keep it a secret from your mom—how far have you gone?”

“Whoa, whoa, hold on a second.” No matter how much she asks, there’s nothing to tell when there’s nothing going on. “Sure, Manamichi-kun is really important to me. But when it comes to romance, I don’t get it. I’ve always been told that love was off-limits. Love? What’s that? That’s how I feel. So, that’s the end of it!”

I really don’t understand. Right now, the time I spend with Manamichi-kun is precious to me, and—

“Important, huh?” Satomi-chan murmurs, grinning for some reason.

“Alright, time to go back. The bell’s gonna ring.”

“Huh? It’s already that time? Oh no, I haven’t finished my work at all!”

“So you were slacking off after all!”

Watching Satomi-chan rush out of the infirmary, I let out a sigh. A stable daily life. I’m barely managing to attend school and keep up with life. When Manamichi-kun comes over, I get excited thinking about what we’ll do. He surprisingly gets into games and has fun, which secretly makes me happy. There’s some kind of mock exam coming up, so I can’t disturb his studies too much, though.

—A gentle kind of happiness.

There’s a lingering unease in my heart, but for now, I just want these laid-back days to continue. Is it wrong to feel this way?

＊

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I head to Makura’s place after her invitation.

“Got tutoring tomorrow? If you’re free, wanna hang out and slack off?”

That was the message she sent last night. I don’t have tutoring today and was just planning to hole up in the study room all day. With no real plans, I agreed to her invite.

Since the second semester started, I’ve been dropping by her place two or three times a week. I could visit more, but… it’s naturally spaced out. Probably because Makura’s being considerate of me, trying not to interfere with my tutoring, self-study, or my life in general.

Summer break felt like an extraordinary time, a chance to goof off and let loose. But now thatyour with the second semester in full swing, it’s back to reality. I feel the need to live each day properly. If we want to keep this relationship going long-term, the next step is stability in our daily lives. To stay together forever, we need to live our everyday lives well.

I was thinking the same thing, so I could tell Makura was being considerate. And I’ve noticed I get really excited on the days I visit her after some time apart.

As I approach her apartment, I notice the door to the room on the far end of the first floor swing open. By chance, a familiar blonde woman appears, slipping on her shoes.

“Hey,” I call out from a distance, feeling it’d be awkward to pretend I didn’t see her.

Yako-san, dressed in casual clothes, looks up. Her makeup is more polished than usual—maybe she’s heading out on a date. “Hm? Oh, a young guy’s hitting on me! …Wait, it’s just you, kid? Bummer.”

“Don’t go looking for a guy the second you step out of your house,” I retort.

“They say you never know when you’ll meet your soulmate, so I can’t let my guard down. You here for Koiro’s place?”

“Yeah.”

I glance up toward the second floor of the apartment. Yako-san approaches with a sly grin. “I see, I see. So lovey-dovey. Nice, young love.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sensing some annoying teasing coming, I try to step away, but as expected, Yako-san catches up and slings an arm around my shoulder. “So, how’s it going with Koiro?”

“How’s what?”

“You know, as a couple.”

“A couple…” I knew she was getting at something like that. “We’re not like that.”

“Hmm… So, what do you think of Koiro? Do you like her? Like, like her?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

A former top idol just shows up in my life, we get a bit close, and I’m supposed to fall for her like it’s obvious? That’s way too simplistic. Is that what “liking” someone even is?

Yako-san pouts, letting out an “Ehh.” “Satomi and I were talking about it, you know. Wondering what’s really going on with you two.”

Kumada-sensei, huh… Those two adults love gossiping about romance. What kind of rumors are they spreading about me and Makura behind our backs?

“You’re always looking out for Koiro, right? Even coming to see her on your day off. When you care about someone that much, doesn’t that mean you like them?”

“Like…”

Honestly, I don’t know. What is this feeling I have for Makura, if I had to put it into words? I don’t have enough experience to even guess. All I know is that spending time with her is fun. I want to stay by her side forever, this person I admire and who’s my teacher in slacking off. That’s it.

As I fumble for words, Yako-san stares at me. After a moment, she bursts into a chuckle. “Man, you pure, innocent kids are something else. Got a pocketful of butterflies or what? Was I ever like that? Too ancient to remember…”

Pure? Butterflies? I don’t get it, but Yako-san seems to be enjoying herself, slapping my back repeatedly. “Well, keep at it, kid. I’m off to a group date.”

“A group date? No wonder you’re all dolled up. Good luck, Yako-san.”

“Thanks. Pray I meet a hot guy.”

“You’d have better luck stopping by a shrine on the way and praying to the gods…”

“Good idea, I’ll do that! Catch ya later, kid.”

Wait, she’s actually going to a shrine? The gods must be rolling their eyes at that kind of wish… Yako-san waves and walks off.

Shifting my gaze from her retreating figure, I step onto the rusty iron stairs of the apartment. Lately, my days have felt pretty peaceful. The people around me are a bit eccentric, to say the least… But compared to a few months ago, my heart feels surprisingly calm.

It was the following week when a small storm blew into my—our—peaceful daily lives.