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It’s Not Rare To See A Rift Appear Between You And Your Friend That Suddenly Started Acting All Important
I figured the news about the high school girl apprehending a criminal would end at that level—But I was wrong. Oh, I was so wrong
“Wait, isn’t that Ayameike-san?”
“She doesn’t look that strong, at least.”
“But she’s doing judo and karate and kickboxing, right?”
“I always admired that kind of sport!”
“I bet my younger brother would be totally into her.”
When I walked past class 5’s classroom, I could see a bunch of people checking inside. Many of them were even from different school years. High school students love charging after what’s in right now, eh? I watched things unfold from way down the hallway, nowhere near the door to the classroom. Shortly after, Aika herself stormed out of the classroom with a raised hand.
“Helloooo everyone! It’s yours truly, Ayameike Aika! She’ll kick you across the face if you do anything bad!”
Aika seemed to be feeling great, showing a kick that almost showed off her panties. That show of skill was met with more cheers from the audience. In fact, the crowd around her only continued to grow. Of course, the majority of the boys were just after her flashing her panties, but there were still more people than before. I guess I’ll say hello later. Wouldn’t want to be treated like a terrorist in the middle of a large plaza. Maybe this is just something that loners like I worry about, but when you see a friend talking happily with someone you don’t know, you aren’t allowed to barge in there. Talking one-on-one is perfectly fine, but when it’s three people, the conversation breaks apart. If I was better at talking with others, I might even consider the chance of becoming friends with your friend’s friend. But for loners, that’s just impossible.
Not to mention that normies never really treat anybody who isn’t also a normie the same way. They only care about making friends with people who are the same as them. I’ve never seen loners like me make friends with a normie. And so, I’ve opted to watch things unfold from a distance! I’m not going over to talk to her! This is my limit! But even watching from afar, I was feeling anxious. To anybody who doesn’t know Aika very well, it might seem like she’s living on a high horse right now. Of course, taking her to the back of the school to teach her a lesson will not work out, but there’s still a possibility she’ll get excluded from the people in class. And not to forget her annoying supernatural ability. Since I am her only friend, I have to support her with everything I’ve got!
“No, everything worked out, really.”
When lunch break rolled around and I brought that up, those words were her response. On a side note for the people who care, my lunch today was just regular broccoli without any mayonnaise. Mom, at least add some seasoning, won’t you?
“You sure? Maybe they’re just pretending to be amazed and still badmouth you behind your back?”
Worst of all, the gears were already turning in my head, creating a simulation of what could have happened.
(Me): “Hey, stop it. You’re scaring Aika.”
(Girl): “What? Are you her boyfriend or something?”
(Me): “I’d stop you even if I was or not.”
(Aika): “We’re just friends, nothing more!”
(Girl): “Friends, she says. That’s hilarious…Wait, why does my body feel so heavy now?”
(Me): “Sorry, but my ability is good at stopping people like this.”
Since I’ve seen this before in pieces of fiction, I could easily replay this in my head. Well, I don’t think I’d be able to pull that off if it really happened.
“On the contrary, one of the groups of girls who gave Aika trouble before came to apologize. They understood why Aika’s curfew was always so early, and said that they felt bad, realizing that I’m a good person.”
“I see…I guess they’re all good guys deep down.”
Seems like you never really see any of the bastards from pure fiction that would deserve getting beat up to a pulp.
“We promised we’d eat lunch together tomorrow.”
“I guess you’re fixing diplomatic relations?”
Nobody would eat lunch with people they dislike. At least not within high school. On another side note, I was never once invited to eat lunch with a classmate. Until Aika invited me to the courtyard that time, I had a big fat 0 on record. But enough about me.
“Honestly, Aika didn’t think that her situation would change this quickly. Do you have any idea why, Narihira-kun?”
Aika moved closer toward me, placed a piece of fried chicken in my lunch box, and moved back to her original place. Her lunch box was colored pink like cherry blossom petals.
“This is clearly the known ‘The skilled sports player may sound arrogant, but his talent speaks of itself and he doesn’t sound arrogant at all’ theory.”
Now that people know who Aika really is, they stop thinking “Who does she think she is?” I don’t know if everybody changed their opinion about Aika’s past being annoying in their eyes, but a small group of girls at least opened up to her. Maybe some of the girls who hated Aika were once victims of sexual harassment themselves and felt sympathy for her with her supernatural ability.
“You’re a sharp one, Narihira-kun!”
Aika showed a full smile that was like the beaming sun, or the cool shine of the moon. I bet that smile, paired with her supernatural ability, is going to win over the hearts of many boys. If I hadn’t known about that, I might have just confessed to her here and now…
“Well, being sharp isn’t good enough to make friends. As much as a critic is not always meant to be a creator themselves, right? Either way, congrats on the invitation to eat lunch with them.”
“But y’know, Aika thought of declining since we planned on eating lunch together again. We’re friends, right?”
“You have to prioritize their invitation!”
Aika is slowly on the right track to making friends the proper way. Her work and success make me feel proud as a fellow loner, and it’s even a glimmer of salvation. If I was as good-looking and cute as she is, maybe I would’ve had a chance, too. I guess the only thing waiting for me as the boy that I am…was despair. I pondered on this unsolvable issue which ruined my mood while chowing down on some broccoli. It was not tasty at all.
But then, a shadow was drawn across my face. The people who’d get this close to me only are saints or absolute villains. Either way, it was a familiar face.
“Why are you here, Narihira? You sticking close to Ms. Popular to drain some of her popularity?”
Oh, it’s small-but-endowed Elias.
“Oh, it’s small-but-endowed Elias.”
“Y-You! You’re the worst! Whatever you might be thinking, don’t just say that out loud! I have no control over it…!” She said and blushed furiously.
She seems to have a complex either about her small stature, her giant tits, or maybe both of them at the same time.
“I know that was out of pocket, but you used my ability to make fun of me, so we’re even now.”
“F-Fine then. I have no business with you today, tomorrow, or the day after.”
All right, I’ll make sure to record this abuse the next time it rolls around to get material on her.
“…Ayameike-san, I am the vice president of the student council, who has more influence than the actual president, Tatsutagawa Erias,” she delivered a horrible self-introduction and then walked over to Aika.
It’s sad to think that the only person approaching me like this without remorse is the very person who hates me the most.
“By the way, this is the new product that we’re going to release soon. It’s “Vice President Holy Water,” Elias said and placed a water bottle next to Aika.
On the label, I could clearly see a photo of her face.
“Since we’ve known each other for a long time, I’m just gonna tell you right away…You should really change that name. Or at least not put your face on there. This only sounds like some underground idol business merch…”
“Ayameike-san, I would love to award you as a model student of our school. Would you mind attending the commendation ceremony?”
That commendation ceremony is exactly what it sounds like. At Seikou, we don’t have our weekly morning call, but there is this commendation ceremony every month where students with extraordinary achievements get an award handed to them. Probably to show the students and their supernatural abilities’ contribution to society. Of course, these awards also sometimes are handed to students who have shown commendable work in their club activities.
“I’m sure your ability might have a low contribution level, but a commendation from our school would even open the path to entrance exams at AO. You should be happy.”
“Really?! That makes Aika pretty happy!”
It’ll make entrance exams easier?! No joke she’d be happy! Granted, I did save Aika from that old man, but it all originated from her, after all…
“Actually, you managed to make the opponent let down your guard with your ability, so we might even bump up your contribution level in the end. Either way, you’ve done well, so congratulations. A person of our time, it is your turn to shine.”
“Okay! Thank you very much!” Aika politely thanked her.
“Also, before the commendation ceremony, we would like to take a photo of your gallant figure,” Elias said, to which a high school boy carrying a video camera appeared behind her.
Wait, where did he come from? Teleportation?
“This boy here is an ability user from the photography club. He can keep his appearance unseen from other people for a brief moment of time. He’s going to take photos while you spend your daily life.”
“He sounds like a ninja…”
“By the way, the name of his ability is ‘Cannot be used for peeping shots’.”
“And I somehow can’t believe that!”
“Hee hee hee…” Elias responded with the laugh of a villain. “Let me be clear. I wish to make you this school’s ideal, Ayameike-san,” she said.
“An idol? Aika…?”
The girl herself was far more bewildered than I was. She pointed at herself with her index finger.
“Quite, yes. Just consider yourself a local idol in this limited space of our school. You’ve already been blessed in certain departments…Like your face, for example.”
She really is honest, huh?
“Next, you’re popular with the boys. And thanks to this incident, the girl’s opinion of you has improved drastically, too. Plus, the students from other years think pretty highly of you, too. And you are strong, too. You can be the face of our school.”
“Elias, you’re thinking of using Aika as an advertisement for the student council, right?”
“Why, absolutely!” Elias puffed out her chest and proudly declared.
“At least try to hide it!”
“Hee hee hee, I will not rely on immoral means. And using a student who made herself a name by getting a criminal arrested is also part of the student council’s job. And it wouldn’t be weird for such a student to show up at the regular student council’s activities, right? Hee hee…Ha ha ha ha!”
I think she’s lost the votes of at least 20% of the people because of this kind of scam artist attitude.
“And at the same time, it should help clear your image that was once tainted because of your supernatural ability.”
When Elias finished her sentence, I could tell the glimmer in Aika’s eyes changed. She must hate being treated like some succubus.
“Okay…Aika will do it!”
I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t. After all, there shouldn’t be any reason for me to intervene. All that happened…was that I felt a bit lonely. I thought I was the only one who knew about Aika’s strengths, thus being her friend, so this kind of conclusion made it feel like she was being stolen from me…
“And please support Aika in her endeavor, Narihira-kun!” She said with sparkling eyes. “This is all because of the courage you’ve given Aika that day when we met.”
I really don’t think it’s fair that a succubus could have such a pure look in her eyes.
“Y-Yeah. I know you can do it,” was all that I could say.
“All right, then let’s discuss the future. Could you come to the student council office?” said Elias.
“Sorry, Aika will be back later,” Aika apologized to me and stood up.
“And Narihira, you can have some ‘Vice President Holy Water’ as a commemoration.”
She threw me a water bottle with dangerous branding.
“By the way, that one is lemon flavored, so it’s close to yellow.”
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?!”
Elias showed me a bewildered look, tilting her head.
“Apologies, but I have no idea what you might be talking about. Would you mind filling me in?”
You’re terrifyingly honest at times. How could I tell her that? I’d get slammed for sexual harassment.
“Why don’t you ask what’s inside your chest?”
“Like I said, don’t comment on my chest! You bastard with your sexual harassment!”
I was trying to be considerate, and yet I caught a stray in the end…The rift between the two of us only seems to grow. And while Elias trotted away, Aika turned around to look at me.
“Um, Narihira-kun? Are you and Takawashi-san getting along?”
She sounded oddly hesitant to bring up that name, paired with a troubled expression.
“Well, could be better, could be worse, I guess…”
“Personally, Aika believes that you two should try to. You’re friends, after all. But don’t worry about Aika. A-Aika isn’t so narrow-minded that she’d start sulking just because of that…”
Honestly, Takawashi said the same thing. If so, assuming I take the position of the middle-man, it might be possible for the two of them to make up. Well, strictly speaking, Takawashi and I aren’t friends, we’re just partners in crime. I took a sip of the “Vice President Holy Water,” and surprisingly enough, it was actually pretty good. Maybe thanks to Elias’ power.
*
I sent Takawashi a brief “I’ll be waiting at the simulation room” and waited there, to which she eventually arrived. Of course, she didn’t greet me and just read her book in silence, but I at least wanted to believe I didn’t get in her way. I wondered if I should work on my homework and sat down on my regular chair when something hit my head. It was the kind of one-bite chocolate you’d often see next to the cash registers at convenience stores. With milk flavor, too. It’s my favorite type. Judging from the direction it came from, it could only be one person who threw this at me—with the force of a small pebble, by the way.
“Thanks. Although that did hurt a bit.”
In the corner of the room, next to the window, Takawashi continued to look at her book.
“How many favors will that buy me, I wonder?”
“Not much, considering how cheap this is.”
“Someone’s arrogant.”
“You’re just too forceful trying to get a discount.”
Both of us stayed in our own personal space while conversing. In a way, this was our ideal environment. After I’d worked on my homework for about 15 minutes—
“Ayameike-san seems to be quite popular now. She’s a regular topic of conversation in our class lately.”
“Yeah, it does look like it. The curse of being a loner must have broken.”
Hearing that name from Takawashi put me on edge. Or I guess I should be happy that she hasn’t forgotten. She then closed the book she was reading.
“Let me be honest here.”
“You’re always honest.”
“Her supernatural ability isn’t made to receive this level of attention. If she wants to avoid any danger, she should stop soon enough.”
I wanted to say “Do you really have to spoil her success?” but I stopped myself. I remembered how she had kept her hand glued on her book when that last fight broke out. Whenever she was trying hard to say something, she would close it.
“If you’re concerned about her, then tell her that directly. And if you don’t look her in the eyes, you should be able to get away without another misunderstanding. That way, you could make up…I think.”
“I couldn’t do that. I have never made up with someone before.”
Well, I can’t exactly think of a way to do so, either. In my 16 years and a few months of living, I never experienced anything like that, so I instead relied on the World Wide Web, putting “Reconcile Methods” into my phone’s search bar. Most of the results were about reconciling with your boyfriend or girlfriend. What’s that gonna be of use for?! Maybe teach me how to get a girlfriend first?! Either way, I focused on ways of reconciling with friends and checked out the best-looking result. But in the end…all it recommended was to talk it out. I guess this just shows that you shouldn’t just rely on the internet. It’s what happens directly to us, after all.
“Maybe mushroom flavor would have been better,” said Takawashi out of the blue.
And at the same time, she put a piece of chocolate in her mouth—The same she’d given me earlier.
“All right, all right. I’ll buy some tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” Takawashi leaned on the table and went back to reading.
That said, she looked a lot more relaxed than during class. And I get that. It’s just the two of us here, after all. Both in terms of me being a loner, as well as because of my ability, this is all just a lot more comfortable for me. Nobody, especially not Takawashi, is forcing me to say something.
“I think Aika would be fine standing out more. It’s her own kind of growth, and when your friend is trying to improve, you should be there to support them…”
She’d been mistreated for so long just because of her ability. Now is her chance to get back on her feet, so I want to push her back. In a sentimental way, of course. Because it’s something both Takawashi and I worried about.
“You’re right. She’s your only friend, after all.”
And what about you, Takawashi? I can’t say for certain if you don’t tell me in your own words. Maybe I should be more upfront about this. Would that help resolve her issues? But if this doesn’t work out, it’ll just pry open the wound that was left when Aika ran out of the room. And Takawashi only has this room right here where she can be comfortable. I can’t do something that might make it harder for her to come back here. And it’s not just for her sake. Outside of Aika, I have no other friends. This is my safe space. Poverty dulls the wit, as they say. Because I don’t have much, I’m afraid of change so much that it binds me. From the nearby open window, I could hear the cheery voices of the sports club.
“I’m reading a novel about friends right now,” said Takawashi out of the blue.
It was so sudden, I couldn’t tell if she was just talking to herself, or if she was addressing me.
“It’s rough even if you have friends. The grass is always greener on the other side, no?”
So she must want friends, too. That’s what this means, right? Then why not just make up with Aika—is what I’d like to say, but I can’t. It was far too irresponsible. It ended up like this because Takawashi couldn’t tell Aika properly. And I might end up doing the same thing.
“But don’t you wanna at least once grumble about your friends?”
“Maybe.”
After that, Takawashi didn’t say another word, even when she left. And that was perfectly fine. This was our home ground, after all. Here, we won’t have to worry about my Drain or her Heart Open. But…if we stay here, nothing will change. There were many things I wanted to ask her, but the contents of it made it impossible for me to do so. I was forced to realize something so simple—Showing how you truly felt without looking each other in the eye was incredibly difficult.
*
The following day, posters with Aika’s face filled the hallway. Even with a boring catchphrase like “Leave all the thieves to Aika!”
“That Elias knows how to act quickly…”
I bet Aika got dragged around for hours on no end by Elias. I wanted to praise her for her efforts, so during recess after our first period, I walked over to her classroom. This is my duty of being a friend, after all. However, when I got there, I was greeted by three times the amount of visitors compared to yesterday.
“All right, here she goes!”
A boy with the ability to create an impact-absorbing cushion stood there waiting for Aika’s punch. In response, the boy let out a groan and flew back around five meters. That was less than a self-defense technique and more like an actual attempt at murder.
“Are you okay? Aika was just trying to get rid of some stress built up during the last math class, but maybe she overdid it?”
From inside the class, I could hear cheers like “Aika, you’re terrifying!” that was followed by laughter. But I could tell that this didn’t have hostile intentions and rather meant a lighthearted joke amongst friends. Aika, of all people, was surrounded by people. Meanwhile, I stood at the opposite end of the hallway, hiding behind a corner. We were so far apart, it was like a fable almost. I decided to go up to a different floor so she wouldn’t see me and typed up a message.
‘You’re really popular now, huh? Keep it going, Aika!’
I’m sure that this is the right thing to do as her friend. No doubt about it. And since she had promised to eat lunch with her group of friends, I instead proceeded to spend my lunch break by myself. At the desk to my right, Elias brought out more documents and papers detailing her plans with a big grin.
“Ayameike-san’s a lot better of a selling point than I thought. She’s diligent and straightforward, and she accepts whatever I ask of her. She can absolutely become our school’s symbol.”
And she’s even talking to herself now. Even though she sat plenty outside the 1-meter tape, I could clearly hear her.
“Don’t put Aika through too much, okay?”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m the one who can actually bring her happiness, unlike you.”
What she said with a smug face really rubbed me the wrong way.
“You’re her friend, right? That’s what she said. You were meeting up on the day she stopped that thief.”
“Ah, y-yeah?”
Hearing that’s how Aika felt made me pretty happy.
“I want her to be happy. A win-win situation for you, her friend, and me.”
“I get that…”
But, something doesn’t feel right. I mean, being friends with her also means I’ve got someone to spend time with, too. Everything about this should be great…And yet, it’s not fun at all. When lunch break ended, Aika sent me another LINE message that read ‘We had fun eating lunch together!’ Oh, there’s nothing to worry about. Aika is doing great. And as her friend, I should be happy. Any friend should be happy about their friend’s success. So, I swiftly responded with ‘Hell yeah! Now you’ll be able to make even more friends!’
The following days after that, Aika’s name continued to make rounds, using an after-school defense class taught by her, as well as an “Aika’s Lunch Break Radio.” Since all of that is within school grounds and regulations, it’s not anything to really write home about, but it helped quite a lot to get her name around. And as it turns out, a lot of girls were actually interested in learning self-defense. Of course, with each passing project, Elias bragged about it. That’s the only merit of sitting next to her.
“She told me that her ability led to being uncomfortably approached by boys, even hugged and all that. That’s why she knows just how to throw a guy down on the ground. In her case, because of her ability, she just needed a way to protect herself.”
“Yeah, I bet girls get in a lot of trouble like that. I was never molested in any way, so I wouldn’t know, though.”
Then again, my ability would protect me just fine. In fact, a bit too well.
“People now understand what kind of person she is. And the impression that she is just toying with the boys is fading, too.”
“Yeah, I’m thankful for your work in that regard.”
She showed a bewildered expression in response to my words.
“Being thanked by you will only invite misfortune. What if I die in three seconds?”
“That’s a bit too effective, don’t you think?! And hey, you’re helping out my friend, so the least I can do is thank you.”
And just as Elias stated, she prioritized Aika’s happiness over my own.
“I look forward to the commendation ceremony at the end of the month. I’m currently working on a promotional movie for that. It’s a genuine one that shows her bare feelings.”
“Bare feelings? What do you mean?”
“That she’s happy being freed from the shackles of her ability so that she can make friends now.”
Being told that, I thought back to all the issues she’s been through. She must have suffered the same issues that I did. We’re both loners, after all. But now, she escaped the swamp and has grown wings.
“Speaking of, you and Ayameike-san haven’t met much as of late, have you?” She said with a smug expression as if she wanted to pour salt into my wound.
“Y-Yeah…I mean, she’s busy with photoshoots, interviews, and whatnot…”
“I see. I thought you were simply daunted in the face of someone as popular as her, but I guess I expected too much.”
She sounded like she agreed on something while watching me from her seat, but…
“I believe you’re allowed to be a bit more selfish,” she said and then dropped her gaze down to her textbook.
That’s right, I’m not avoiding Aika or anything like that. I’m just trying to be considerate since she’s so busy with everything. I know when to hold myself back, after all.
“You haven’t met up with Ayameike-san at all lately, right?”
In the afternoon of the same day, Takawashi told me that in the simulation room. As always we kept an unnatural distance between us while talking to each other. Even our desks were not facing each other. And on each desk was a small piece of chocolate. The one I bought today.
“That’s because Elias drags her everywhere…”
“Great excuse.”
“Someone’s arrogant today,” I said and used her special technique of not looking at her.
“I understand how you feel. It’s great that she’s becoming more popular, and yet a part of you can’t be genuinely happy for her. But you’re trying to pretend like those feelings aren’t real.”
I was in the middle of working on my homework, but upon hearing those words, my hands came to a stop to the point I wouldn’t have been surprised if a supernatural ability was at work.
“Can you read people’s minds too now?!”
“I don’t mean to brag, but I am a loner. I’m very confident in being able to guess what a loner might be thinking. There are always these common denominators, and your thoughts are especially easy to guess.”
So she said, sounding extremely close to bragging, only to lounge on her desk. To most people, she might look like a dried-up octopus, but in my eyes, her knowledge is more than reliable right now.
“Tell me, Takawashi…Am I just an awful person?”
My original goal of coming here was to stop Takawashi from isolating herself, trying to find a way for her and Aika to make up. And yet, I feel so anxious about my relationship with Aika that I can’t think about anything else.
“If you want to know if your birth alone was a bad thing, then I can’t answer that. You’re a winner in life already. Just being alive here means you’re extremely lucky”
“I wasn’t talking about some philosophical approach! I was asking about my own thoughts!”
“Gure-kun, just remember that famous law in physics. That’ll make everything clear.
“What? Are you talking about gravity?”
“The law states that, the more popular someone you’re close with becomes, the harder it is for you to talk to them.”
“No way a law like that exists! But…I get it! I really do! I can’t help but get it!”
That happened to me back in elementary school. I was in the children’s shogi club, and the guy I always practiced with suddenly got really good so, since I didn’t know left from right, I felt too embarrassed to talk to him, which is when we started living apart. And that wasn’t the only instance. I once had a group I’d regularly play cards with, but one of them got so good he participated in tournaments, and although we all agreed we’d make it to the next one together, I just felt bad so I quit…Not once did they complain about me being part of the group. They didn’t say anything that could be interpreted this way. In fact, it felt more like they were reaching out to me. But I just thought I didn’t have the right to be with them, so I never took their hands. Maybe I really haven’t changed at all since then?
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Who knows?”
She avoided answering me. So you’re not willing to help me out here?
“But because it’s you, there’s something you should be able to do, right? Whatever you might expect, there is no perfect solution. It’s all case by case. And so, there’s nothing more I can say.”
Contrary to her cold attitude, her words were sincere.
“Right now, neither I nor Ayameike-san are your friends. I’m just a top-ranking student, nothing more.”
I really wish she’d stay consistent in being self-deprecating or bragging.
“But sometimes, it’s easier for outsiders to get a clear view of things. Granted, whether or not that leads to a resolution is different. Someone like me wouldn’t be able to give you an answer.”
Takawashi kept her body resting against the table and put both her fingers together.
“I think it’d be fine if you just think about being able to stay her friend or not,” she said and raised her head.
For just a moment, her expression looked as sincere as her words.
“Her supernatural ability is dangerous. It’d be better to have someone close to her who isn’t just a fan who affirms her every word. She might have fans, but those aren’t friends.”
I was a bit shocked she made a separation between friends and fans, but she’s got a point.
“I’ll think about it. Also, a bit off topic, but…”
I thought it was fine, to be honest, and I figured she’d at least listen to me now.
“Do you really have no intention of being friends with Aika?”
Takawashi hid her face by leaning on the table and putting her hands on her head.
“I can accept to admit that she’s not a bad person.”
Maybe be a bit more ready to admit it, no?
“However, if you asked me if I could get along with her, then I’d have to say NO. We’re completely different people. A sumo athlete can’t suddenly switch careers and become a soccer player. I think I can only get along with people who are the same type as me.”
“If there existed two of you, we’d be having a Sekigahara battle of toxic remarks.”
However, that statement of her…Being able to only get along with others who are just like her…It felt like a curse. Maybe we loners are too selective when it comes to the people we hang around. Or are people really just that picky about who they’re friends with? But before I could find an answer, the phone in my pocket vibrated. It was a LINE message from Aika.
‘Let’s eat lunch in the courtyard tomorrow!’
It was an invitation.
*
I’m going to interact with Aika as her friend—That is what I decided and waited for the lunch break to arrive. I bet Aika must be plenty busy herself, yet she’s worried about me. That’s because I’m her friend, and she’s the only friend I have. I can’t be a reason for her worry. I waited in the corner of the courtyard, to which Aika arrived a bit later while waving her hand.
“Sorry for the wait! Aika got stopped on the way here.”
“Stopped on the way…?”
Aika pushed her head close to my ears and said “Aika’s supernatural ability makes it so that she often gets confessed to.” She then moved away again and sat down next to the flower bed. Seems like there are even more people interested in Aika than before. We talked about studying for exams and anything else that came to mind, but things definitely changed from before. I could feel constant gazes directed our way. Paired with voices, too.
“Who’s that boy sitting a distance away from her?”
“Not her boyfriend, right?”
“Maybe he’s her private bodyguard?”
To think Elias’ plan of turning Aika into an idol would progress in such a direction…+
“Here you go! Special cute and tiny squids I made!”
Something white in the shape of a squid was placed on my food. I’d like to give something back to her, but all I have is broccoli, and that doesn’t match at all.
“Hold on, Ayameike-san gave him something!”
“So are they dating?”
“But she moved away immediately…”
I don’t mind you gossiping, but at least do it somewhere I can’t hear you…Loners like me are extremely sensitive toward that. When I was in middle school and slept on my desk during recess, the girls from across the room started talking about me.
“Hagure-kun is still sleeping…”
“Maybe he doesn’t have any friends?”
Thanks to that, I was wide awake but couldn’t get up. I mean, I did sleep because I had nobody to talk to, but I pretended I was sleepy and got a quick nap! Yet they completely broke down my defense mechanism! If you’re that concerned about me having friends or not, why not become friends with me instead?! Why are you talking like that despite knowing the answer already?! Just leave me alone. I’m using my techniques as a loner! I swear, I’ve got a lot of awful memories like that, so they just come back to haunt me all the time.
“Narihira-kun? What’s wrong? Would you have prepared the octopus instead?”
“Sadly, it’s not as insignificant as that, but it’s fine. I was just feeling a bit embarrassed but that’s about it.”
“And that’s fine with you? Aika will just take it as something positive.”
I think that’ll be a bit difficult for me.
“Aika was worried, you know. Thinking that maybe this environment wasn’t good at all,” she said and flashed a wry smile.
First Takawashi and now her…Am I really that obvious? But with how much of a celebrity Aika is now, just eating lunch together, despite our distance, gives off a lot of pressure.
“You know, if you have some other friends and want to spend time with them, then you don’t have to worry about me. It’s important to form new relationships, after all…”
I didn’t want to monopolize all her time. I don’t want people to think that we spend this much time together, and I wasn’t even confident to take that position.
“Narihira-kun, it makes Aika sad when you say stuff like that. Saying that you don’t deserve to be here with Aika is just a self-defense mechanism, and how do you think she feels if that’s what you think?” She stared into my eyes.
And yet, her words were sharp and to the point that I could not hope to argue about that. I could only reflect on my mistakes.
“You’re right…Calling myself some non-important small fry is rude to the other person…”
Hearing my words, she softened her gaze and showed me another smile.
“But then again, that just shows how kind you are, so Aika doesn’t mind too much!”
This succubus power is back at it again…Oh man, I wanna be her boyfriend and go out with her…Go to a theme park, line up for a ride, and then grumble about the line being too late…Any kind of conversation that is just empty and vapid but still fun! Of course, my Drain ability would only bother other people, so I couldn’t ever hope to go to a theme park!
“How are things with Erin?” said Aika while forming a megaphone with her left hand, using Takawashi’s nickname.
But she then pulled on her scrunchie, as if to hide that fact.
“Not great. But it does look like she’s worried about you.”
I tried to paint her in a positive light, only to probably look like some faithful servant instead.
“Is that so?”
I didn’t get to hear her own desire to make up with Takawashi, because, at that moment, I heard a set of footsteps approaching us. And someone was clearly looking at us.
“Ayame, mind if we join you?”
A group of three girls arrived, calling Aika like that. Judging from the colors of the neckties, they must be also second-year students.
“Yeah, of course! But don’t stick too close to Narihira-kun, he’s got a bothersome ability. Just stay next to Aika.”
She immediately made things easier by explaining my ability. From that point on, she also explained how I helped her way before we even encountered that thief.
“That guy who’s sitting apart from you? So is he like your Prince Charming?”
“W-Well, I don’t really think so…Haha…Hahaha…”
My reaction is way too embarrassing, I swear. Also, having a conversation with a girl I’ve basically just met is way too difficult for me!
“Yeah! He might be having trouble thanks to his supernatural ability, but he’s actually really nice!”
Meanwhile, Aika showed no reservations, just gleefully talking with the other girls. I guess this is really what it means to have friends. No hesitation, no nothing. As I thought, a high school girl like her should be with other girls. That’s the most natural thing. Yet, why do I…feel so restless and uneasy? I’m not even being left out of this group, and yet there is this strong feeling of alienation that’s plaguing me. It felt like I was watching Aika smile from the outside. There is a glass wall between us. She’s already a normie, and our worth is different. She’s clearly ranking above me. She’s smiling, and there are other girls with her. Meanwhile, I’m like a satellite, smiling even though nothing is funny.
I may be Aika’s friend, but in simple terms, aren’t those girls closer to being her friends than I am? What can I do for her? Give her courage? Give her energy? I might have done that before, yeah. But my job’s already over. I was reminded of what Takawashi said, explaining that they’re just different people. Even if I stayed around, it would only cause more trouble for her in the future. And I don’t want to cause any issues. I guess…I should step away from her when the commendation ceremony happens next week. If I just fade out of her life, our relationship as friends is probably going to end during summer break. While talking to the girls, Aika would regularly glance over at me, but I pretended not to see any of that and instead focused on my own lunch.
*
As it turns out, my attempt to slowly fade out of her life already began to accelerate even without my input. Because of Aika’s idol activities, the time we could spend together lessened drastically. In the end, ever since the theft incident, we haven’t even walked home from school together. It’d be one thing if we just knew each other, but we declared to be friends, so that was definitely not what one would expect. That’s also why I didn’t feel too much guilt whenever I’d purposefully respond late to her LINE messages. Although I still didn’t like it. Deciding to step away from Aika also meant I wouldn’t be able to spend time around her anymore. And as a matter of fact, she’s already being included in the normies of her class. Once the reason for all the hate she received vanished, her ability to communicate and her looks pretty much did the rest.
Looking at LINE, the number of her messages had gone up, though. Mainly because I wasn’t responding. And Takawashi is definitely going to give me hell for this, so I’ll just stay away from the simulation room while I’m at it. Of course, if you’d ask me if I felt lonely, then I’d have to say that I’m trying to cope with it. I’ve been pretty much alone all this time, so it’s not like it’ll be impossible for me. The day before the commendation ceremony, I was enjoying a loner meal in the classroom when I got a message saying ‘Can we go home together?’
I typed a brief response, saying ‘Sorry, I got somewhere to be today’ and pressed the send button—Or I tried, at least. But my right hand was shaking. I felt a chill creep up my back. The food I had in my mouth, I couldn’t swallow no matter how much I chewed. I glared at my message for about a minute and then erased it all. If I don’t respond now, I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll be the asshole ignoring messages. That works perfectly fine. If we can’t stay as friends at this rate, Aika will definitely blame herself. Worst case scenario, she would cut off her new friends to choose me instead. But that…isn’t for her best at all. For the sake of my friend, I’ll have to stop being friends with her. This is my way of acting for my friends. Next to me, Elias was once again mumbling to herself in a loud voice.
“At the ceremony, Ayameike-san will become a legend. And once she joins the student council, her charm will get all our support up…and I’ll be the winner! I won’t let them call her a succubus any longer!”
Of course, the other students could hear her just fine, but because she blurted it out this openly, it helped maintain her clean image.
“Narihira, for the occasion, let me give you some more hot lemon ‘Vice President Holy Water’.”
“It’s impressive that you’re doing all this subconsciously!”
“Again, what are you even talking about? This is just water I made, nothing more.”
She once again looked at me in confusion as a “?” mark popped up above her head. Granted, that expression is rather adorable, but it felt more like a waste considering her personality.
“Come on, take it.”
She just threw the bottle at me. It rolled atop my desk and then came to a stop. I’d rather not keep this on my desk while I’m eating lunch…Maybe I should sell this off to some guy with questionable interests. But more importantly, my phone vibrated again.
‘Just let Aika know if you’ve got other plans already!’
I just turned over my phone and didn’t respond.
Once classes ended that day, Takawashi and I sat in the simulation room. Outside, we could hear cheers from the sports ground. Looking over, Aika had brought out a mattress and was giving self-defense lessons.
“Why are you acting like a heartbroken boy watching his ex-girlfriend?”
“I’ve never experienced love before, nor did I have my heart—Wait, I don’t wanna talk about that or it’ll just hurt me. Forget I said anything.”
“But that kind of goss factor isn’t anything like your normal self, it’s much more plus ultra this time around.”
So she’s saying that I am simply gross 24/7.
“In other words, there must be a reason you seem more gross than usual. Did something happen between you and Ayameike-san?”
The real issue is that nothing happened, really.
“Say, Takawashi? Are you done with your plan to recruit more friends?”
“Why don’t you stop worrying about me and instead focus on getting along with Ayameike-san instead?”
Neither of us answered the other person’s questions, just bothering with our own agenda. It was like playing catch with a wall. And because it was so one-sided on both sides, we just went quiet eventually. Only the voices from the sports ground outside created any kind of noise. What’s so funny to them, anyway? Life isn’t about having fun, clearly.
“Gure-kun, I believe that being friends with someone means you have a duty to fulfill. If your friend is about to make a dangerous choice in their life, you should warn them. That’s what friendship is all about, right?” Takawashi closed her hardcover book and started talking again. “In my opinion, if you’re getting along with someone in your class, then you’re not automatically friends. You’re strangers who talk regularly. A long time ago, I would have been jealous of just that, but now I really don’t care anymore. They’re all just sucking in air and breathing out carbon dioxide.”
“You’re just looking down on them…”
“However, your relationship with that girl…A part of me could possibly accept that you might not be that bad off.”
That doesn’t sound convincing at all.
“And considering her ability, she must have had some resistance to calling another boy her friend. It ought to have cost her a lot of courage to see you as her friend.”
I never once doubted her about that fact, either. I think Aika actually had a lot of trust in me. But I don’t know how to answer that while remaining as Aika’s friend. On the contrary, Aika might look happy at first glance, but it partially felt like she was suffering. And if I can’t make her happy, then I’m not worthy of being her friend.
“So you really are worried about her, huh?” I said.
“She’s just a pain in my butt.”
I was hoping for their relationship to repair eventually, but I can’t even get my own feelings straight. Is this how relationships break apart for the smallest reasons? Nobody is even the bad guy here.
“Tomorrow’s that ceremony, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You make sure to celebrate it with her.”
I hesitated for a moment.
“Of course.”
Since it hasn’t happened yet, I wasn’t lying. I wish I had a supernatural ability that would stop me from attending, but of course, something so convenient doesn’t exist in this world.
CClaw Translations 