Chapter 10: Shina Rika

[2023- November 13]

.Monday.

"Then, I'll be leaving now." My sister bid a farewell with her distant look and left the house.

It's seems like she's back to her usual state. Unlike her behavior when she's drunk, her usual behavior is rather cold and seems distant, and apparently she have to leave for work as her usual excuse.

It looks like she does remember what happened when she got home, but she didn't even bother talking about it and leave it as it is. So as for me, Having a good mood when I see her acting like her usual self, I sighed in relief. Although her behavior when she's drunk is actually kinda fine to me, I still prefer this side of her.

***

Going to school while fighting with my drowsiness, Kira was nowhere to be seen in the classroom.

There was nobody in the class who hadn't noticed her absence. What's more, from the moment I took my seat, I felt someone's eyes discreetly peering in my direction.

Suddenly, our gazes met, and Kinori Yamako swiftly averted his eyes. If my memory serves me right, he's a member of the student council and is frequently seen with Kira. I wonder if their close association is due to their shared responsibilities or if there may be romantic feelings involved.

...

As I observed him intently, I couldn't help but notice his admirable appearance. However, I sighed, questioning why I would even concern myself with him. Whether he harbors feelings for Kira or not, It has nothing to do with me.

Kinori is widely recognized for his exceptional intellect, consistently securing a top position in the school rankings. I believe he ranks within the top 10 students. As for Kira, I speculate that she is also among the highest achievers, although I'm uncertain of her exact placement.

His appearance, I must admit, is above average. If only he would remove those glasses, he would exude a more captivating aura.

Furthermore, I began to notice Kinori's occasional unease whenever his gaze met mine. Unable to tolerate the discomfort any longer, I finally voiced my thoughts, "You've been stealing glances at me and fidgeting. what are you? a junior high school student that's going to confess his love?"

...Eh! W-What? What??" He stammered with such vigor that he abruptly stood up.

What is he, a girl?

"If there's something you want to ask me, then just don't even bother."

"N-No! I don't want to ask! Not yet! I need a little more time to prepare myself! I don't want to hear it yet!"

Huh? Why though? He's really weird. Isn't he going to ask why Kira is absent?..

"Don't you want to ask me about Kira? Didn't the teacher ask you why she's absent?"

"...Aah, that's what you're talking about…" sighed Kinori in obvious relief. "Yeah, right, why is she absent today?"

Kinori, sitting at his desk right next to mine, buried his head in his arms.

"Beats me. But maybe she caught a cold in the rain yesterday?" I replied ambiguously.

I used that as a suggestion because it actually did rain yesterday.

Kira didn't forbid me from talking about her mother, but I don't intend to disclose anything related to that matter to my classmates.

If I were to tell him that I know, it could lead to trouble and rumors might start spreading. It's none of my business to divulge that information. She will probably explain her reason for being absent later. Yeah, that's right, I'll just go with the flow for now.

Besides, if I were to tell him the situation, it would invite more troublesome questions. They would flood me with inquiries about how I know about her mother and how she's doing, or something along those lines.

No matter what I say, I'm bound to be bombarded by others asking how I found out. Just imagining the headache that would come my way if my classmates, especially the bothersome guys, caught wind of her visit to my home, made me feel a twinge of pain.

"Maybe I should visit Kira-san...?" Kinori said. "May I?"

I sighed and responded with an indifferent look, "...Then visit her. You don't have to inform me about it."

"Um..."

Kinori looked up at me like a hesitant puppy asking its master for food.

"Matsuki, is it really true that you and Kira are... dating?"

"...Yeah. You have a problem with that?"

Kinori slumped onto his desk.

"If so, then please take care of her!" He said determinedly.

"Don't worry about my love life. Worry about your own," I said indifferently.

Kinori pursed his lips, still lying prostrate on his desk.

"Well, I guess I don't have a chance with Kira. Maybe I'll just try my luck with the transfer girl."

"...Yeah, do that and get to your seat."

"But Matsuki, have you seen the transfer student next to our classroom? She's really beautiful."

"I don't care."

"Eh, but she really is on par with Kira, though her hair is kinda unique. Its color is, you know, whi-"

"I don't give a damn," I repeated, annoyed with his behavior of acting all chummy and talking to me.

"Uh, right. You already have Kira. I guess you're loyal."

He put his hand on my shoulder, "Kira is lucky to have a loyal boyfriend like you."

As bothersome as it was, it seemed that I had no choice but to engage in conversation with this guy.

"Yeah, yeah, she should be grateful."

But my exhaustion was slightly relieved by the heartwarming sight of Kinori leaving and nodding docilely.

"Okay, I'll try to take a peek at the class next door."

Then he disappeared from my sight.

***

The time at school went by more peacefully than usual.

Kira's absence from the classroom was the cause, which also explained why everyone is quieter than usual.

It had been quite a while since I last had my peace.Kira Miyoko had taken some of my time in my life and become special since the day she confessed to me . Of course, I am talking of another kind of "special" than the others.

As a consequence, I had never had much peace with her around me. However... Thanks to her I had more fun than ever far more better than those days, I don't dream about that anymore and I seem to be improving.

***

On went the days without Kira Miyoko.

The first day remained peaceful. On the second day, however, there was already a commotion in the class; everyone was now worrying about her.

As expected, their attention was immediately directed at me because I am her so called boyfriend. As planned, I played dumb and said I don't know anything.

And then what happened? Assumptions brought forth assumptions, which eventually turned into rumors. Some of the rumors are

"Her cold worsened.

She has been kidnapped and is kept confinement.

She is in the middle of filming her debut movie.

She finally got appointed to be the heir of their business."

Such absurd rumors were all over the place. I could only laugh dryly. Whether she was here or not, she was always in the center of attention.

On the fourth day, however, some rumors came in circulation that weren't funny at all.

But all of those rumors have vanished in an instant when our home room teacher announced why she's absent. And that is because she's been taking care of her mother.

...

[2023- November 17]

Friday: Dismiss of class: Afternoon

While sighing in my chair, I stood up and went to my locker. I had planned to retrieve the notes I had stashed, but what I found inside was completely unexpected. There was a pink envelope placed on top of my notebooks.

"What the hell is this?"

As I picked it up, I held it in front of me, and eventually, it came loose and opened. A heart drawing, colored in red, caught my eye, followed by the letters written on it.

"[ Matsuki, please come to the rooftop after school. I have something to tell you.]" The words were adorned with glistening glitters, and at the end, there were two more hearts.

What the hell, is this a love letter?... No, it can't be. It looks suspicious. Could the person who wrote this be scheming something? Is someone trying to ambush me on the rooftop or something?

Whatever is is. It seems like I'll be getting into another fight... Or so I thought...

...

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Just like what I've just said: I like you, please go out with me!"

Huh?..

I came here because I thought someone wanted to fight me, but here I am in front of a woman. She was wearing a suspicious jacket that hid her uniform, and she had an adorable, gal-like appearance with silky pink hair. And what's more, did she really think I wouldn't notice? She was wearing a pink wig and makeup. Yeah, her style and hair were different, but it was unmistakably her. Shina Rika, Kira's best friend.

Shina Rika is quite famous for her clumsiness and adorable face, and her silliness only adds to her popularity since she's always with Kira as one of her friends. What the hell is she plotting? She just glared and cursed at me the other day, and now she's here acting all cute and everything.

"Your answer?" She demanded.

"I refuse."

"Huh?... Wh-why?"

"Why do you ask? You already know I have a girlfriend, and I'm never going to cheat on her." I glared at her. "Understand?"

Sigh, it's not like what I said. It's just that I don't feel like getting involved with her. She's annoying, after all.

"Uhh!" She cried out. "My plan failed!" She yelled as she threw the wig onto the floor.

"What did you do to Kira?" Her face turned angry as she asked.

"What did I do? Who knows?" I answered bluntly.

"I've told you, didn't I? Kira is not someone who would just go out with anyone, especially someone like you!" Her true colors, contrasting with her cuteness, were quite unpleasant.

"I swear you did something to her!" She exclaimed.

I, too, don't know why Kira, of all people, would ask me out.

"Like I told you, I have no idea what you're talking about. Kira simply asked me out, and so we started dating."

"That's not it! There's no way I would believe whatever comes out of your mouth!"

Sigh, this woman is really annoying, isn't she?

"I swear I'll expose all your secrets and keep you away from my Kira! Remember that!" With that declaration, she stomped the ground and left.

...

What the hell is wrong with that woman? Women are really a different species. They are hard to understand. I swear they are not human; they are aliens who invaded Earth and managed to blend in with us.

Scary... "Hahaha."

Just as I was pondering the strange encounter, my phone suddenly rang. Ring** Ring** The sound echoed through the air, breaking the silence of the moment. I quickly picked up the phone, curious about who could be calling.

"M-Matsuki-kun, help..." a panicked voice came through the other end of the line. It was filled with desperation and fear.

"...the manager..."