29 An Interview with Kagami Fukuda by Katsumi Arima

"Is that so? What are those reasons?"

Fukuda-san sat back in his seat and folded his arms. He had lost his stand-offish aura before but a flicker of mischief was there as he sized me up.

I don't think I did anything wrong just now... did I? I slightly felt nervous.

He pointed at his ears.

"Her earrings."

"Huh?"

"Before I knew it, looking across the room to see what earrings she wore today became something like checking the weather."

I blinked.

"A-ah..."

So he was the same as me. From the moment she transferred in my attention always went to her ears. Her earrings weren't huge or anything, sometimes they repeated and sometimes they were so random...

Amamiya-san seemed to like unusual earrings.

Most girls liked beautiful earrings but she went for earrings modeled after objects.

Before I knew it it became an unconscious habit to look at her earrings, and before I knew it the more I wanted to talk to her and ask about it.

Watching her awakened something inside me. When I got ready for school I wanted to pay more attention to my appearance, what if she looked down on me for not bothering to look pretty?

It was a first for me, who had never cared much for my appearance before.

But I didn't have to worry. When I finally worked up the courage to talk to her that day, I realized how silly I was being.

She was a relaxed person, who didn't seem to care for such things at all.

"Also..." Fukuda-san continued, his gaze lifting upwards as he tried to think.

"There are some times where I oversleep. And she goes to school without me, so I check to see if she's angry."

I heard a sigh from my right. I had nearly forgotten the main subject herself, Amamiya-san.

She said, "I wouldn't get angry over something like that."

"But I wasted your time..."

She nodded. "If it's you I don't mind, since I know you work hard and probably need the sleep. Besides I could also try to wake you, I choose not to. If anything you should be upset with me."

"Ah, you're right..." Fukuda-san's eyes widened in gradual realization. "...But I could never get mad at you!"

"That's a lie. You got mad at me the other day."

Fukuda-san's mouth hung open. He licked his lips. I expected him to say something but instead, he fell silent, perhaps there was some truth to Amamiya-san's words just now.

"Was that it?" I had figured he had a more intimate reason...

Fukuda-san stared vacantly at me for a moment.

"I just like admiring her."

To which Amamiya-san quickly muttered, "I'm not a painting."

Fukuda held up a finger in objection and shook it. "People like you who decorate themselves can't complain, you should expect people to study you, why else put so much effort in if you didn't want people to stare? Staring isn't a crime!"

I nodded unconsciously in agreement. But why did I get the feeling at the end Fukuda-san was trying to justify himself?

Like that, I learned everything I wanted to know. Well almost. What is he so busy with that he can't wake up in the morning? I'll ask Amamiya-san another time perhaps.

I didn't think I was the type of person to talk behind his back but with him here I sort of felt scared to ask. It's his business after all what if he's like my brother, shutting down your curiosity with one sentence. "Mind your own business."

It hurts.

Exams came and went, and Summer Vacation arrived.

I managed to make some plans and hang out with Amamiya-san, this made me rather happy.

Though interestingly enough, Fukuda-san seems to have left town. I'll have to ask Amamiya-san about it later.