Chapter 6: The Square Revolution

♧♧♧

With two weeks left until summer break, Maki says.

“Let’s do a summer training camp.”

It’s after morning classes, in the clubroom.

The trigger was Miki-chan, the English teacher Maki’s dating. When we revived the nearly defunct Mystery Research Club, we used her name as our advisor. Apparently, she got chewed out at a staff meeting for the club’s lack of activity records.

“If we do a camp, what are we gonna do?”

“Shoot a mystery video and put it online. That’ll be enough for activity records. Plus, we get to stay at a hot spring inn for free.”

Maki shows me a website for an old-fashioned hot spring inn on his tablet.

“It’s for promotion. We film a short movie set at the inn and upload it to a video site, and we stay for free. Summer’s off-season, so they’ve got empty rooms, perfect timing.”

It’s aimed at university film clubs or something.

They let you stay for free in exchange for making a promotional video.

“So, let’s do a hot spring mystery.”

“Nah.”

“Why not!?”

“Sounds like a hassle.”

“Look, if we don’t show some activity, they’ll take the clubroom away.”

“That’d be a problem.”

“Then we’ve gotta do it.”

Maki’s super pumped. Apparently, he’s always wanted to try being a film director. He’s already asked Yamanaka-kun from the manga club to start storyboarding.

“Let’s get some decent actors.”

“What about the script?”

“Tachibana’s fine, right? She seems good at creative stuff.”

“Guess I’ll bring it up with her casually.”

“You’re being vague. Something happen?”

“Nothing happened.”

“By the way, Tachibana’s been absent from school lately, huh?”

“She’s got a piano competition, so she’s taking time off until it’s over.”

That’s true. But honestly, things haven’t been great between me and Tachibana-san lately.

Since I refused to kiss her, Tachibana-san’s been in a really bad mood.

“Something did happen, didn’t it?”

Maki says with a grin. He’s got a knack for picking up on things.

“But, well, even if things get messy with Tachibana, you’re fine, right? You’ve got that enviable number-two insurance.”

Maki glances outside. Far off, at the back gate, Hayasaka-san is standing.

“You’re walking home together, right?”

“Yeah.”

I stand up and get ready to leave.

“Things might be fine now, but you’re gonna be in deep trouble someday.”

Maki says something cryptic.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Can’t say it myself. But you’ll find out soon.”

He’s probably heard something from Miki-chan.

“Anyway, let’s do the summer camp. Otherwise, they’ll take the clubroom.”

“Yeah, alright.”

But one thing bothers me. If we’re making a short film.

“What’s my role?”

“You don’t seem like the acting type, Kirishima.”

After thinking it over, Maki answers.

“You’d make a good corpse.”

“I’m the club president, you know,” I say, but I imagine it.

In a dim tatami room, Tachibana-san in a yukata slowly, carefully, very gently kills me.

“Well, that might not be so bad.”

“Keep your perverse fantasies in check.”

 

♧♧♧

 

Prioritize your number one.

That was the rule when we decided to date as number twos, and both Hayasaka-san and I understand it well. But sometimes, it’s hard to hold back, and this time, it was Hayasaka-san who couldn’t.

“Sorry about the other day. I’ve been meaning to say……”

While walking home together, Hayasaka-san apologizes. It’s about Tachibana-san’s emotion test.

“I got competitive with Tachibana-san. I just…… didn’t want to lose.”

“You knew it was my tie from the start?”

“Yeah. You always wear a tie, even in summer, but you weren’t.”

By the way, my shirt is buttoned up to the top.

“I’m supposed to hold back, but I got jealous then. Sorry.”

She looks so down that I take her hand.

“Kirishima-kun.”

Hayasaka-san’s face lights up.

Just holding hands makes her happy. It’s wonderful, but it’s also strange to realize how much my actions affect her.

“Society says jealousy is a bad emotion.”

Especially in love. You often hear that a man’s jealousy is pathetic.

“But isn’t it a really natural feeling?”

Wanting to possess, to be special—everyone must feel that.

“You get jealous because you love.”

Maybe when we’re older, we’ll think differently, but not now.

“But I got jealous of your number one. I got in her way.”

“We were still underestimating our number-two love.”

We’re number twos, but we’re real lovers, and we really love each other. That feeling is strong and sometimes hard to control.

“Jealousy is proof of love.”

“Do you get jealous, Kirishima-kun?”

“When you go to futsal, I don’t want you to. Even though he’s your number one. It hurt to give the okay as your number two.”

“I’m happy.”

Hayasaka-san stares at me and says.

“I’m happy you’re jealous of me, Kirishima-kun. Why’s that? Is it weird?”

“No, that’s fine. I was happy when you got jealous, too.”

Dating as number twos probably comes with getting jealous of number ones.

That slightly warped relationship.

“Hey, Kirishima-kun, I want you to be more jealous.”

Hayasaka-san says.

“Futsal gets pretty physical, you know.”

“Hey, now.”

“I’ve fallen and ended up tangled with someone before.”

“I don’t really want to hear this.”

“When I bumped my thigh, he gently touched it and asked, ‘Does it hurt?’”

“That’s enough.”

“I was happy every time.”

“It’s fine, it’s totally fine!”

“How do you feel right now, Kirishima-kun?”

“Like I’m dying.”

Hayasaka-san is my girlfriend, someone I can hug and kiss. She wants that, too. But the girl who’s supposed to love me is having fun with another guy and feeling happy. That’s pretty complicated.

But that’s what dating as number twos means.

Every time jealousy burns me, Hayasaka-san smiles happily.

“When you were getting along with Tachibana-san, I felt the same way.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. That’s our relationship, right? Proof that we really love each other, right? Hey, Kirishima-kun, I want to be jealous, too. I want it more.”

Since Hayasaka-san says that, I tell her about the rainy day I couldn’t talk about before.

“Tachibana-san once asked me to do a wall-slam on her.”

“You did it!?”

“Yeah. She said it made her heart race.”

“You can’t just do that so casually!”

“Her face was so close, and it made my heart race, too.”

“It’s fine, totally fine!”

Hayasaka-san is jealous but seems to enjoy it. So now it’s my turn, and I start sharing more cozy stories about Tachibana-san.

“In the music room next door, she always plays the songs I say I like.”

“That’s a coincidence! You’re totally imagining it, Kirishima-kun!”

“During lunch break, we swapped side dishes in the clubroom.”

“I don’t want to hear any more……”

“Tachibana-san seems to have downloaded every album from my favorite band.”

“I’ll listen to them, too!”

Every time I talk about Tachibana-san, Hayasaka-san grips my hand tightly, closes her eyes, or clings to my arm. We keep bragging about our number-one stories, getting jealous, and exhausting ourselves.

“Dating as number twos is tough, huh?”

Hayasaka-san says.

“But I let it slide because it’s Tachibana-san. If it was some other girl—”

“What then?”

“Hmm, I probably wouldn’t get mad at you, Kirishima-kun. I’d get mad at the girl. Like, ‘Stay away from my boyfriend!’”

“You’re too nice to me, Hayasaka-san.”

She giggles, “Ehehe.”

“But you’re pretty close with Tachibana-san, huh?”

“About that.”

I tell her. About Tachibana-san’s fiancé. And that she has no intention of breaking it off.

That means Hayasaka-san is all I have left. But—

“Hey, Hayasaka-san.”

“I know. You’re worried I’ll feel sorry for you and give up my number one on purpose, right? It’s okay.”

I know you don’t like that, Hayasaka-san says.

“I’d never do something you hate, Kirishima-kun. So I won’t let my number one dump me on purpose. I’ll do what you want. I want it to be that way. I’m your girlfriend, after all. I want to be a good girlfriend for you, Kirishima-kun. Tell me what you want to do. Tell me what you don’t like. I’ll do everything, and I’ll fix everything.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Let’s go on tons of dates during summer break. The beach, fireworks, summer festivals!”

Hayasaka-san says in an unusually excited voice.

“And during summer break, let’s be proper lovers. Make real memories. Do what everyone else does. Make me a proper girlfriend, even as number two. I’m totally fine with you, Kirishima-kun. You’re always kind, you help me when I’m in trouble, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun.”

Hayasaka-san grips my hand tightly. I feel some heavy pressure, but her face is smiling brightly, so this must be normal……

“Hey, Kirishima-kun, we’re lovers, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Then do the same things with me that you did with Tachibana-san.”

“Like the wall-slam or elbow-slam we talked about?”

Yup, Hayasaka-san nods firmly.

“Fine, but where? Back to school to use the clubroom?”

It smells like Tachibana-san there, so not really, Hayasaka-san shakes her head.

“Then where?”

“I’d love to go to my room, but my mom’s home today.”

Why does that matter?

“Oh, there’s that shrine nearby, right?”

There’s a quiet shrine not many people visit. Behind the grounds is a sacred forest with dense trees. Rumor has it couples do stuff there at night.

“That’s way too sacrilegious. Plus, someone might see us.”

You’re right, Hayasaka-san says with a shy expression.

“It’s kinda thrilling, huh?”

 

♧♧♧

 

“Look only at me.”

I have Hayasaka-san stand in front of a big cedar tree and do a wall-slam.

“Okay. I’m only looking at you, Kirishima-kun.”

Hayasaka-san hugs me without holding back, pressing her whole body against me. She’s been completely swept away since we entered the shrine grounds.

It’s been a while since we were alone together.

That’s what she said. Maybe it’s a reaction to her rivalry with Tachibana-san.

“By the way, Hayasaka-san, I’m pretty sweaty.”

Even in the shade, it’s hot. It’s the kind of season where cicadas are buzzing frantically, so my shirt’s soaked with sweat. But Hayasaka-san doesn’t seem to care.

“I’m sweaty, too.”

She says, not pulling away. Our sweat mixes, like the boundary between us is fading.

“I kinda like wall-slams.”

“No, it’s not supposed to be like this.”

“Really?”

“It’s sudden, and the girl’s supposed to get embarrassed and look away.”

It’s about enjoying that subtle distance.

“Then I’ll do a tie-pull next.”

Hayasaka-san yanks my tie, pulling my face close. The next moment, she kisses my lips and even slips her tongue in. The hand gripping my tie ends up around my back, and we’re just hugging while kissing.

She kisses for so long that saliva drips from the corner of my mouth.

“I might like tie-pulls, too.”

“That’s totally different.”

“How do I compare to Tachibana-san?”

“I’ve never kissed Tachibana-san, so.”

“I want to be compared to her. It’d probably feel really good.”

Hayasaka-san, aren’t you going a bit too far?

“Hey, compare us. What was Tachibana-san’s wall-slam like?”

“Tachibana-san…… she was, well, skillful.”

“Did it make your heart race?”

“……Yeah.”

“I see.”

It’s fine, Hayasaka-san says with a bright expression.

“You did a bunch of stuff from the Mystery Club’s notebook with Tachibana-san, right? Anything else?”

When Hayasaka-san asks, I think for a moment before answering.

“There’s something called the Ear Whisper Mystery.”

It’s a game where you press close and whisper book titles in each other’s ears, guessing the author. I can’t tell her about licking ears with Tachibana-san. Especially not to Hayasaka-san in this switched-on state.

“Let’s do it.”

“You don’t read much mystery, do you, Hayasaka-san?”

“Then let’s use stuff from the literature anthology.”

Standing, we cross faces to whisper in each other’s ears.

“Botchan.”

“Natsume Soseki.”

“The Restaurant of Many Orders.”

“Miyazawa Kenji.”

After a few quizzes, Hayasaka-san tilts her head.

“What’s fun about this?”

“Yeah, figured.”

The Ear Whisper Mystery and the Hands-Free Game only get fun depending on the players’ finesse—basically, Tachibana-san’s imagination.

“It’s a game to get a guy and girl closer, right? How do we do it?”

Reluctantly, I tell the confused Hayasaka-san what Tachibana-san did.

“It’s like, as the mood builds, you end up wanting to hold each other, and then you start licking ears or something. I mean, it’s all just a guess. Nothing like that happened with Tachibana-san, though.”

“Ears, huh?”

Hayasaka-san wraps her hands around the back of my neck. Standing on her tiptoes, she brings her face close to my ear. Then, the air around her shifts.

“I get it now…… I’m such an idiot.”

Her eyes are hazy, and a sly smile plays on her lips.

“We’re lovers, right? We don’t need games to get closer anymore.”

“Hayasaka-san?”

“We don’t need to play these excuse-like games. No need for that kind of pretense.”

With that, Hayasaka-san starts licking my ear.

Her brakes are completely shot.

Hayasaka-san presses her chest against me blatantly. As she does, she seems to get more and more worked up, her breathing growing ragged.

“Hey, Kirishima-kun, how is it?”

“How, uh—”

“Compared to Tachibana-san, how is it?”

I lie, saying I’ve never done this with Tachibana-san.

“Just imagine it and compare.”

“……Your tongue is hotter, wetter, and feels better. Better than Tachibana-san.”

Better than Tachibana-san. Hearing those words, a hint of joy mixes with the breath brushing my ear.

I can feel Hayasaka-san’s happiness radiating from her body pressed against mine.

Honestly, Tachibana-san is more skilled, more precise, and probably, because we’re so oddly compatible, the physical pleasure is greater with her. But Hayasaka-san is clumsy yet earnest, desperate, and there’s a mental satisfaction. The fulfillment of being so deeply loved by a girl.

“Hey, lick my ear, too.”

She brushes her hair aside, and I lick her ear. Hayasaka-san’s body trembles.

“Ah…… nnh, ah…… yah…… aahn!”

“Hayasaka-san, your voice.”

“I can’t help it, it just comes out.”

Her sultry moans get to me, and I start feeling strange, too. I obsessively lick her ear. Knowing she’s enjoying it, I go overboard. And when I slip my tongue into the depths of her ear, she lets out an even louder cry. Her loafers lift onto her toes, and beads of sweat trickle down the thighs extending from her skirt. And probably, it’s not just sweat.

“Hayasaka-san, we should probably—”

I thought that was enough. We’d been more openly intimate than ever before. But.

“Kirishima-kun, let’s do more.”

That probably doesn’t mean just licking ears—it’s something beyond.

Hayasaka-san’s eyes are completely unfocused.

“No, the rule was kissing only—”

“We don’t need that anymore. I’m your girlfriend, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But when Tachibana-san was wearing your tie or using your earphones, I thought about it.”

“Thought about what?”

“What does it mean to be a girlfriend? Is it enough to confess and be one? But back then, there was no difference between me and Tachibana-san. I was supposed to be your girlfriend, but I kept losing.”

“That’s not true.”

“But it makes sense, right? We haven’t done the things girlfriends normally do.”

Hayasaka-san takes my hand and places it on her chest.

Being pressed together so long, she’s soaked with sweat, her wet hair oddly alluring, her underwear faintly visible through her shirt.

As my hand, swept along, touches that bump, Hayasaka-san’s face lights up with joy.

“No, wait a sec. Even if we’re doing boyfriend-girlfriend stuff, this is outside.”

“That’s what makes it good, right?”

Hayasaka-san says, pressing herself between my thighs.

“I’m totally fine if you end up with Tachibana-san, Kirishima-kun. But I want you to remember I was your girlfriend. So I want to do lots of things only with me.”

Hayasaka-san’s words are earnest.

“I want to do it here, now. I’m not forcing myself. Because, you know, I’ve been……”

“My body’s burning, and it’s itching,” she says in a faint voice.

“Don’t you want to, Kirishima-kun?”

I try to think. But feeling her body pressed against me, I blurt out.

“……I want to.”

“Good. I want you to do everything you want.”

Her messy shirt, the white legs stretching from her skirt.

“I want you to touch my whole body. I don’t want any part of me you haven’t touched.”

Hayasaka-san’s cheeks are flushed.

I put pressure on the hand resting on the bump on her chest. Even through the fabric, I can feel it.

“Ah, Kirishima-kun……”

A plaintive moan escapes, and my switch flips, too.

Hayasaka-san reacts so vividly. Her expressions shift, and she lets out provocative sounds.

I touch her waist, her thighs, one by one.

“Kirishima-kun…… nnh……”

I kiss Hayasaka-san as she urges me on.

Her expression, one I’ve never seen, and her reactions. I want to see more, so I touch her body. I want to see more. That disheveled look she shows only me, more, more. Wanting to hear sounds I’ve never heard, I finally move to slip my hand under her skirt.

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah. I’m already……”

That’s when it happens.

The smartphone in the bag tossed on the ground buzzes and vibrates.

“Hold on a sec.”

Hayasaka-san crouches and reaches for her bag.

“I’m turning it off. I don’t want any interruptions from here.”

She pulls out her phone, and the moment she sees the screen, she freezes.

“Hayasaka-san?”

I call out, but she just stares at the screen.

I glance at her phone.

I see.

This must be the “deep trouble” Maki was talking about. As student council president, and since he’s from the same middle school and knows him, he must’ve heard in advance.

I check my own phone.

The same message Hayasaka-san got is on mine, too.

It’s from Hayasaka-san’s number one, Yanagi-senpai.

I’m transferring to Kirishima’s school, so let’s get along!

 

♧♧♧

 

“That’s just unfair!”

During lunch break on the covered walkway, Maki says with a sour face.

“Instantly popular and a total heartthrob? That’s cheating! I’ve been grinding away as student council president to build my rep, and he swoops in on his first day and steals the show. Unbearable!”

Yanagi-senpai became the talk of the school the moment he transferred. He’s just so refreshing and cool.

“Don’t say that. You owe him a lot from middle school, don’t you?”

“I know, I know. But still! Me! The student council president! A junior girl said to me, ‘You know Yanagi-senpai? Wanna hang out? Bring him along!’ I’m just a sidekick now? Is that even fair?”

I got bombarded with questions from girls once they found out I’m close to senpai. What’s his favorite food? What music does he listen to? Does he have a girlfriend?

“He was in a youth soccer team but gave it up because of an injury. That’s a strong backstory. Girls love a tragic hero. Oi, Kirishima, where you going?”

“I promised to show senpai around the school.”

“Even you’re all about Yanagi-senpai now?”

Leaving Maki’s whining behind, I head to the third-year classroom.

Senpai’s tall, so I spot him right away.

“Yo, Kirishima.”

Senpai sees me and comes over.

Walking down the hall together, everyone’s eyes are on him. Being next to him makes me feel like a celebrity, too. I point out the AV room, the school store, and so on.

“That was a pretty sudden transfer, huh?”

“My old school was just convenient for the youth team.”

Come to think of it, it was pretty far.

“It wasn’t great for college prep either. So I wanted to transfer to a good school nearby sooner rather than later.”

“There’s summer classes, too. But don’t you miss soccer?”

“Nah. Guys like me are a dime a dozen. Also, Kirishima, I keep telling you, drop the formal talk.”

“It’s kinda hard, though.”

As we chat, I notice Sakai standing in the hall, in her plain mode.

“You’re the new transfer, Yanagi-kun, right?”

Sakai’s not intimidated by Yanagi-senpai at all, totally blunt. The people around us are a bit shocked.

“I’ve got some business.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, it’s not really my business.”

I see Hayasaka-san peeking from behind Sakai, watching us.

Sakai pushes Hayasaka-san forward.

“Oh, Hayasaka-chan.”

Yanagi-senpai raises a hand.

Hayasaka-san’s face turns bright red in an instant.

“Hello!”

She greets him, then turns to me.

“Kirishima-kun, hello!”

Apparently, Hayasaka-san gets even more clumsy around her number one.

“Senpai, you’re having Kirishima-kun show you around, huh!”

“What’s up, Hayasaka-chan?”

Yanagi-senpai tilts his head.

“Your face is kinda red.”

“It’s really hot today!”

“You’re acting kinda stiff.”

“Y-Yeah, maybe. I guess it’s weird seeing senpai at school. Haha.”

As they talk, Hayasaka-san gradually calms down.

Once she’s back to normal, I speak up.

“Hayasaka-san, why don’t you show senpai around?”

“Huh? Me?”

“I got a failing grade on that last test. Gotta prep for the makeup.”

“You failing a test, Kirishima-kun? Oh.”

Hayasaka-san seems to catch my intent, nodding with determination.

“Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll do my best.”

“Then I’m out.”

I flash two fingers and start to leave. But.

“Don’t be like that. Let’s all go together.”

Yanagi-senpai slings an arm around my shoulder.

“I’ll help you study later, like back in middle school.”

And he whispers in my ear.

“Kirishima, you totally like Hayasaka-chan, don’t you?”

“No way, not at all.”

“Don’t play shy. Leave it to me.”

Leave what? Hayasaka-san and I are solid as number twos, but senpai doesn’t know that, so he just says, “Alright, Hayasaka-chan, you’re on!”

In the end, the three of us tour the school together.

Hayasaka-san walks ahead of us, a bit awkwardly.

“I’m telling you, Kirishima, you’ve got a shot.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Hayasaka-chan’s super embarrassed. She’s totally aware of you.”

Yanagi-senpai, you’re as oblivious as ever.

It was like that in middle school, too. When we’d eat ice cream in front of a convenience store after school, girls would give us heated looks. Senpai would say.

“Kirishima, you’re such a ladies’ man.”

It wasn’t me.

It’s always senpai who’s cool, and it’s the same now.

With tall senpai and reserved Hayasaka-san walking side by side, they look perfect together.

Other students see them and think, well, it makes sense for Hayasaka-san.

With Hayasaka-san’s number one suddenly becoming real, I feel her slipping away. But this is how it’s supposed to be. So I whisper to her, low enough that senpai can’t hear.

“I’m rooting for you.”

Hayasaka-san gives her usual smile and clenches her fist.

“Yeah, I’ll do my best!”

 

♧♧♧

 

“You’re looking rough. Like a delinquent.”

Sakai says.

It’s at the bike parking lot. I wasn’t in the mood for class and was skipping when she found me.

“Need something?”

“Yamanaka from the manga club was looking for you. Maki asked him to storyboard the short film, but he’s wondering about the script.”

It’s about the Mystery Club’s summer camp.

“The script will probably be Tachibana-san’s job. I’ll tell her when she’s back from her competition.”

I thought we were done, but Sakai lingers, smirking.

“Lately, Akane’s been too much of a klutz to watch.”

“That’s your real reason, huh?”

“She made cookies in cooking class. Did she give you any?”

“Nope.”

She was all excited about giving them to senpai. Didn’t even notice me.

“Did she manage to give them to him?”

“No way. She tripped over her own feet and faceplanted.”

Apparently, she spotted senpai, ran to give him the cookies, and collapsed.

She cried to Sakai, I’m such a failure.

“I’m getting dragged into all sorts of stuff because of her.”

Like going to senpai’s classroom or trying to talk to him on the way home.

“But at the classroom, she just fidgets. On the way home, she yells ‘Goodbye!’ and bolts past him.”

“Sounds like Hayasaka-san.”

And—

“She’s totally head over heels for senpai. It’s different when it’s her number one.”

“And here’s the number-two guy, moping about it.”

“Came to rub it in?”

“Something like that.”

But that’s not all, Sakai says.

“Akane hasn’t forgotten about you, you know.”

“Really?”

“She’s actually super worried. You’re the one who got her into futsal, right?”

Yeah. I kept it a secret, but now that everyone knows Yanagi-senpai and I are close, it all came out.

“Akane was muttering to herself again. I made Kirishima-kun do something awful just because he’s my number one. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. And What if he hates me now? She was half-crying.”

“I did it on my own……”

Just like Hayasaka-san left only one umbrella so I could get closer to Tachibana-san.

Just like she feels, I want Hayasaka-san to be happy.

“I think Akane’s confused.”

“Is she? She seems energized with her number one around.”

“That’s because she’s trying to play along with the scenario you set up, Kirishima. Number one comes first. Since you and Tachibana-san are getting along, she thinks she has to go for senpai. She’s forcing herself.”

Think about it, it’s Akane, Sakai says.

“After building a relationship with you, Kirishima, do you think she can just switch gears when her number one, who she’d almost given up on, suddenly shows up? She’s on the brink of breaking down, totally confused.”

“She shouldn’t worry about me, her number two.”

“Maybe the rule about that order she set in her mind has already changed.”

“What are you getting at?”

“If you pushed her, Akane would go to you.”

“Hey, now.”

“Hmm. You won’t accept a rule change, huh? Then it’s fine if I help Akane and Yanagi-kun get together, right?”

“Huh?”

“It’s not just number twos who play matchmaker. I’m her friend, too. Can I do it?”

Since Sakai’s testing me, I say, “Do whatever.”

“Acting tough, huh? Don’t regret it later~”

Sakai’s love assist takes effect right after school.

While I’m the last one in the classroom, Hayasaka-san approaches with a beaming smile.

“Senpai invited me! He asked me to go to that new pancake place together!”

“……That’s great.”

Probably Sakai, being bold, asked senpai. He’s the type who can’t say no to a younger girl’s request. Sakai’s read is sharp.

“Finally, a one-on-one date with your number one.”

“Yeah, so you should come with us, Kirishima-kun!”

“Huh?”

What is she talking about?

But Hayasaka-san says it with a completely genuine, unclouded smile.

“I can’t do it without you, Kirishima-kun! Stay by my side forever!”

Maybe Sakai’s right.

Hayasaka-san is totally lost.

 

♧♧♧

 

“Why are you and senpai so close, Kirishima-kun?”

Hayasaka-san asks, and senpai answers.

“Back in middle school, there was this city recreation camp. We did outdoor cooking in the mountains and spent the night in tents.”

The three of us are at the pancake place.

Sakai set this up to get Hayasaka-san and senpai together, but it didn’t turn into a date for two. Hayasaka-san wanted me along as her emotional stabilizer, and senpai sent me a message the day before.

Hayasaka-chan totally seems into you! That Sakai girl asked me to invite Hayasaka-chan, but she immediately asked if you could come, too. I’ll back you up on the day, so leave it to me!

Now, senpai’s sitting across from us, with me and Hayasaka-san side by side. We’ve finished our pancakes and are sipping coffee.

When we arrived, senpai kept nudging me and Hayasaka-san to sit together. I arranged it so Hayasaka-san and senpai could talk face-to-face.

Our intentions are all over the place, and this situation might be tough for Hayasaka-san.

“At that camp, me and Kirishima were paired up.”

“And we thought it’d be fun to pitch our tent on a sandbar.”

I pick up senpai’s story.

“But in the middle of the night, the river got loud, and I woke up. It must’ve rained upstream, and the river was rising. The sandbar was shrinking, and water was right next to us. When I went outside, I fell into the swollen river.”

“Kirishima, you can’t swim, right?”

“Senpai jumped in and saved me.”

“Oi, you’re skipping the important part.”

“Am I?”

Hayasaka-san asks naturally.

At the pancake place, she’s not her usual clumsy self and is managing the conversation well.

Maybe having me nearby does help.

Hayasaka-san’s profile as she listens to senpai is the picture of a girl in love. But when our knees bump under the table, she turns to me with a shy smile. Then, remembering senpai’s there, she tries to act composed.

Her heart must be busy.

Sometimes, she looks at me with a confused expression.

Why is Kirishima-kun here when I’m with Yanagi-senpai?

That kind of face.

Hayasaka-san isn’t handling this situation.

“While Kirishima was asleep, I was outside packing our stuff.”

“When I woke up, senpai was gone, so I panicked and went outside. Bad timing—a piece of driftwood floated by, and in my sleepy haze without glasses, I thought it was senpai.”

“So he jumped into the river to save me. A guy who can’t swim diving in to save someone? That’s rare.”

“No, senpai’s the impressive one. Pulling someone out of a raging river.”

Senpai’s amazing. Kirishima’s amazing.

We argue in front of Hayasaka-san. She starts giving polite smiles, probably because her thoughts have stalled.

Her number-one love and number-two love are getting crossed.

“That’s how it went, so me and Kirishima are like life-saving buddies. That’s why we hung out a lot in middle school.”

We drifted apart when we went to different high schools, but now we’re at the same school again. So it’s natural to be talking like this. Yet it feels awkward because my relationship with Hayasaka-san is unnatural and unhealthy.

“Alright, I’ve got stuff to do.”

Senpai stands up.

“You two take your time.”

He pays for all of us and leaves. So smooth.

I was planning to slip away at some point to leave Hayasaka-san and senpai alone.

“It ended up like our usual date, huh? Sorry, I couldn’t assist properly.”

I say, but Hayasaka-san stays quiet, head down.

“What’s wrong?”

“……I’m the one who’s sorry. I dragged you along when I was with Yanagi-senpai. Thinking about it calmly, that’s pretty awful.”

“It’s fine. You’ve done a lot for me, too.”

“……I didn’t want to make you do this, Kirishima-kun.”

I’m such a failure, Hayasaka-san says with a teary face.

“You’re probably just tired, Hayasaka-san.”

For a while, Hayasaka-san stays silent, head down.

Outside, an evening shower starts, and I rest my elbow on the table, watching the city get wet.

When the rain stops and the sun peeks through the clouds, Hayasaka-san lifts her head.

With a smile that’s painful to see, she says.

“I’m going to confess to senpai on the last day of school.”

♧♧♧

 

A reckless confession is guaranteed to fail.

It might feel dramatic, but it’s like throwing in the towel mid-game.

After the last day of school, I’m sitting alone at my desk in the classroom.

Hayasaka-san is heading to the third-year classroom to confess to senpai.

We talked about this confession again a few days ago at a café.

“It’s really tough.”

Hayasaka-san said, staring at her tea.

“Switching between the me with senpai and the me with you, Kirishima-kun.”

“Is it that hard?”

“In front of senpai, I act like I don’t have a boyfriend. But I have you. It was fine when senpai was at another school, but now it’s really tough. I feel like I’m splitting into two people.”

Being with all three of us is especially confusing.

“I’m no actress.”

“Yeah, acting’s not your strong suit.”

Hayasaka-san ignored me and kept talking.

“So I’m going to confess.”

“If this keeps up, I’m going to lose it.”

“This confession isn’t to get rejected on purpose. I’m doing it because I want to. So it’s not something you’d hate, right, Kirishima-kun?”

I couldn’t say anything. Once Hayasaka-san sets her mind on something, she’s stubborn.

And on the last day of school, I’m waiting for the result of her confession. But—

This confession probably won’t succeed.

Senpai thinks I like Hayasaka-san. So for my sake, he’d never accept her confession. That’s the kind of guy he is.

Honestly, it’s better for me if Hayasaka-san gets rejected. Then I’d definitely end up with either Tachibana-san or Hayasaka-san.

Hayasaka-san would be my perfect insurance, and my heartbreak probability would be zero percent.

Best of all, I wouldn’t have to hand over the clingy, cuddly, adorable Hayasaka-san to someone else.

Thinking like that makes me a jerk.

But I stand up and leave the classroom.

I’m going to stop the confession.

I want Hayasaka-san to be happy. Even if it’s inconvenient for me, I should stop this confession with near-zero odds of success.

I’ll tell senpai, “I have someone else I like.”

If the misunderstanding is cleared, there’s a good chance senpai could fall for Hayasaka-san.

Why go this far? Probably because I really love Hayasaka-san.

I love her enough to help with her love for another guy.

But maybe that’s because I’m her number two.

If I were her number one, I couldn’t calmly cheer her on. That makes me a little sad.

I reach the third-year classroom and spot Hayasaka-san.

She’s standing in the hallway, hand on her chest, taking deep breaths.

“Kirishima-kun, what’s up?”

The moment Hayasaka-san notices me.

Yanagi-senpai comes out of the classroom.

“Huh?”

Hayasaka-san and I exclaim at the same time.

Following Yanagi-senpai is an unexpected person.

“President?”

It’s Tachibana-san. She’s back from her competition.

She looks at me and Hayasaka-san alternately with a puzzled expression.

“What’s going on?”

“No, what about you, Tachibana-san?”

Seeing me flustered, Yanagi-senpai tilts his head.

“Something wrong, Kirishima?”

“Senpai, you know Tachibana-san?”

“Yeah.”

Senpai scratches his head and looks at Tachibana-san.

“Can I say?”

When senpai asks, Tachibana-san says, “Sure, whatever.” Not using formal speech shows they’ve known each other for a while.

I’ve got a bad feeling. I don’t want to hear this. I want to run away. Some things are easier to accept secondhand.

Tachibana-san faces me, but her gaze drifts diagonally downward. Unlike her usual cool demeanor, she seems almost apologetic. I’m certain my bad feeling is right.

Give me time to prepare.

My mind races. Ways to escape, to deflect, just a little more time—

But senpai says it casually.

“We’re engaged.”

“Huh?”

“We’re getting married someday.”

Senpai and Tachibana-san are getting married.

What do I even say to that?

“So, uh…… congratulations?”

“It’s a bit early for that.”

My feelings can’t keep up with the situation.

Tachibana-san’s fiancé, who she said was at another school, is Yanagi-senpai.

So what happens now?

What do I do?

A perfect square relationship forms, with me and Tachibana-san on opposite diagonals?

I glance beside me, and Hayasaka-san is smiling calmly.

She’s probably too overwhelmed to think. That enlightened expression must be a relief.

“By the way, Maki invited me.”

Senpai’s tone is as usual.

“You’re short on people for that short film, right? I’m in for the summer camp. Hayasaka-chan, come along, too.”

Hayasaka-san keeps her Buddha-like smile.

I try to think, but the summer camp talk doesn’t register at all.

I need to sort out the situation first.

In times like this, doing a familiar, repetitive task helps calm the mind.

I’ll sharpen pencils when I get home.

By the time I’ve sharpened twelve pencils to perfect points, I should be calm again.

That’s what I thought.