205 2.2

With Kei's bold action, our relationship, which few people had known about until now, became known to the whole class. It will probably spread across the whole school by the end of the day.

I'm not sure how many students would be interested in the relationship between me and Kei, but I doubted it would be many.

The pairing of Ike and Shinohara, who had became a couple during the summer holiday, didn't cause as much of a stir in terms of publicity as I'd expected. Rather, it was a pairing that had been expected.

Some of the boys were pretentious and some of their friends were frankly jealous, but in the end, it made no difference to the many people who congratulated them, and they developed a slow but steady relationship as a couple.

The sight of them going home together, as well as going on dates together, was becoming increasingly frequent.

What at first seemed like a new sight will soon become commonplace.

I'm sure it will be the same for me and Kei, but we'll probably cause more of a stir for a longer time than the Ike-Shinohara pair. I'm not sure how many of the students could have predicted our relationship.

Anyway, the first day after school arrived and the whole class knew about the relationship.

I'd been aware of this all afternoon, but a certain girl hadn't looked at me once since lunch.

"Hey Kiyopon, would you like to walk home with me?"

One such girl, Airi's good friend and confidant, Haruka, came up to me and called out.

I was expecting Kei to suggest that we go home together after school, but when I'd looked at her, I saw that she was still surrounded by girls asking her questions.

"Are you sure?"

I'd thought that Haruka would do something to help and care for Airi.

Airi was silently preparing to leave.

"I know, but there's nothing I can say to that girl now. Well? Unless you're saying that there are reasons why Kiyopon can't go home alone with me." When she said this, Haruka's expression hardened for a moment.

"Okay."

Now that our relationship has become public knowledge, there are inevitably fewer opportunities to get together with the Ayanokōji Group.

Therefore I'd better listen to them as much as I can. Then the two of us took our bags and headed for the front door via the rear exit. On the way, Haruka walked along without saying a word. I occasionally stole glances at her face, which looked both angry and sad.

When I'd put on my shoes and left the school, she finally turned to look at me.

"I'm going to ask you straight out because there's no point asking in a roundabout way, but... is it true that you started going out with Karuizawa-san? I still can't believe it, even now."

"Just as you saw, it's true."

When I told her this, her lips pursed and she nodded quickly.

"Right? But it was such a shock. It's not that I care who you go out with, it's just that I didn't think it was going to be Karuizawa-san."

The reputation of Karuizawa Kei was not very high in the eyes of the rest of the student body. Most of them think that she is a selfish girl who went out with the popular Yōsuke early and dumped him for her own convenience.

"So this is what you were talking about in the pool before. It's a bit of a psychological shock. You know, it's not just a bit, okay? She was trying to hold it together in the classroom, but she was crying all throughout lunchtime."

"I see."

"Well, no. And are you serious about the fact that you started dating over spring break?"

"I'm sorry for not telling you, I really am. It's just that there are a lot of circumstances."

"Circumstances, huh? Well, there are a lot of rumours about Karuizawa-san, so I can understand that..."

Considering the fact that she had started dating Yōsuke immediately after enrolling at the school, and that she herself had probably been fabricating her past, this kind of perception arising was unavoidable.

"This is real, isn't it? I mean, it's not like, a prank, or anything."

"Don't do that."

"Ha. ...I see. That's right. I'm so confused too ...No, no, no, no, no, I never would've guessed Karuizawa-san, but I had an idea that Kiyopon was dating someone, or that you liked someone who wasn't Airi..."

She held her head in her hands, lamenting that all her predictions had been wrong.

"I talked to Yukimū and Miyacchi for a bit and they felt the same as me. I haven't heard directly from them, but I think Airi's shock was bigger than ours."

I was sure it was. I could easily imagine that.

"I mean, how did it happen? It didn't seem like you had many personal connections at all."

It's no wonder she doesn't know when I started to like Kei, or when she started to like me.

"I was in the same group as Kei in the Cruise Ship special exam last year. From there we started to talk a bit more, and when Yōsuke and Kei decided to split up, our relationship started to take off."

In February of this year, the fact that the relationship between Kei and Yōsuke had ended reached the ears of some students.

"So you're saying you've had contact with her for a rather long time?

You didn't seem to talk to her on a regular basis."

"We were mostly talking on our phones."

"I'm going to have to dig deeper; who confessed first?"

As Airi's guardian and spokesperson, she would like to learn more about it.

"I did."

"So, if it was at least from Karuizawa, I thought there would still be a chance, but I didn't expect it to be from Kiyopon... I'm beat."

She slapped her forehead and held up her hands in surrender.

"There's so much information, it's hard to sort through it all. I'm sorry, but can we stop by the convenience store?"

Just as we were approaching the convenience store, Haruka suggested this to me.

"Yeah, I'll wait outside."

Apologizing lightly, Haruka disappeared into the convenience store in a hurry. I took out my phone, which had vibrated in my pocket several times during this journey.

[ "I'll be waiting for you at Keyaki Mall afterwards. It was hard for me to dig up all the answers!" ]

Such a message of invitation from my girlfriend was left for me.

[ "Alright. I'll call you when I leave." ]

After a brief minute or so, Haruka returned with a croquette in her hand.

"This afternoon, Airi and I were talking so much that we couldn't eat lunch at all."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"I don't mean to be a nuisance or anything, but..."

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to ask you out at a time like this, but there's actually something I'd like to ask Haruka and, if possible, Airi to help me with."

"Cooperation?"

"It's not public information yet, but we've decided on one of the events for the cultural festival."

"Oh, really?"

"This is a secret that only I, Horikita, and the organisers know about, so as not to let any information leak out. We're going to have a maid café as part of the festival."

"Ma-... maid café? What the heck ...I'm not shocked, but a little surprised. I never imagined Horikita-san would approve of a maid café.

"In her case, she's pretty flat about everything she does. I think she allowed it because she thought she could compete purely with a maid café without any prejudice."

"I see. And what made you ask me for help?"

"Actually, the way I found out about this project, I had to take care of a number of things."

When I said that, Haruka nodded her head as if she understood.

"Even if the situation was like that, Horikita-san, who wants to leave it to Kiyopon, is also quintessential."

"So, I'm wondering if I could ask you and then Airi to be waitresses for the café."

Not surprised, Haruka listens with an indescribable look on her face.

Well, I suppose you could have guessed from the way I was talking.

"If it hadn't been for the incident with Karuizawa, I might have agreed to do it here, despite my reservations. I don't like to dress up like a cosplayer in front of a lot of people, but I don't think I would have been able to say no if an important member of my group of friends had asked me to. But... it is bad timing."

On the day that I found out that my best friend had lost her heart, it would have been a bit of a surprise for me to ask her to do this.

"It's just that I can't blame Kiyopon, that's also a problem. I said something similar, but you're entitled to go out with whoever you want, and I'm sure there are circumstances I don't know about. Airi is free to fall in love with Kiyopon, just like you are free to reject her..."

It's like you're convinced in a logical sense, but your emotions won't accept it.

"I can't make any promises. But when I'm a bit more relaxed, I'll talk to Airi."

"Are you sure?"

"Sooner or later, she has to accept reality. And, I don't know what Kiyopon, thinks, but if it's against Karuizawa-san, she might not give up.

Even if it's just a one-percent chance, there's a possibility she might hold hope, right?"

"Well, yes. I think there's a great deal of potential for her to be affectionate."

"When that time comes, it means that Airi will get another chance.

She's a gem who hasn't stood out at all at the moment, and... Kiyopon's feelings might change too."

It's true that if Airi were to put on a costume like that and give it her all, she could be as good as Matsushita, Satō, and Mii-chan. No, if you include her physical characteristics, she might even be able to beat them.

Furthermore, although not related to the guests of honour, the school staff will be surprised by Airi's appearance. If this happens, rumours will quickly circulate around the school and may even reach the ears of guests.

"No, that's not true. I'm sure Airi will change her mind after this incident."

When the person you love has a girlfriend, it's natural to begin looking for your next love interest. I thought I'd said the obvious, but she now looked the angriest she'd looked all day.

"Listen, don't you think you're taking Airi's feelings too lightly? I've been watching her for a long time, and I know exactly how she feels. Her feelings towards Kiyopon aren't so light that they'll be shaken because of something like this.

She strongly denied that it is unthinkable.

"I'm sure you'll be going on lots of dates with Karuizawa-san, but make sure you show up to our group gatherings. I don't want us to drift apart because of this."

"Right. I get it. For me too, this group is part of my life at this school."

I think it's a big downside to be missing out in a situation like this.

"Ugh, I feel a bit better. I'm going back to school."

She said this as she finished her croquettes and put her trash away in her bag.

Although she didn't specify, it was clear that she was going to see Airi.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

The girl ran back to the school, and I followed Haruka's back to the halfway point. I then changed my direction, not towards the dormitory, but towards Keyaki Mall.