I'm Not Saying It To Be Mean

As usual, we were finishing up the routine in Kotori’s room.

The passing rain had already stopped.

The sun had set significantly toward the west, dyeing the room in madder red.

Amidst the ticking sound of the alarm clock Kotori had used since childhood and the rustling of clothing as she straightened her uniform, Kotori asked nervously—a rare sight for her.

“Um, so… did it not feel good today?”

“Eh?”

Takumi was taken aback by the unprecedented question.

As he stared intently at Kotori, who had finished pulling up her underwear, her expression clouded over and she lowered her head, whispering.

“It just felt like… you were somewhere else today, or something…”

“That’s…”

Takumi’s heart leaped in his chest.

With his head having been full of thoughts about Akira, even though he tried to act normal, he couldn’t deny the possibility that he had been off from usual.

Kotori seemed to have picked up on such a subtle difference from usual with sharp sensitivity.

With cold sweat running down his spine, Takumi answered with a garrulousness rare for him.

“That’s not true at all. Compared to yesterday, the amount wasn’t any different, right?”

“That’s… true, but…”

“I-It might be because it was two days in a row.”

Ahaha—Takumi let out a dry laugh.

He was well aware that it was a somewhat weak excuse.

They had known each other for a long time, after all. There was no way Kotori wouldn’t notice that much.

“Was there something weird about me?”

“No, it’s nothing like that!”

“But…”

Being told something completely off the mark with teary eyes would naturally make anyone raise their voice in panic.

However, he could also understand Kotori’s frame of mind with her low self-esteem.

If things went poorly, the very existence of the routine within her might be shaken.

“…”

“…”

They stared at each other for a short while.

The truth or falsehood of a clumsy excuse would be seen through immediately.

Besides, thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t something he had to go out of his way to hide.

With his cheeks heating up slightly from embarrassment, Takumi falteringly spoke about what had happened at noon today.

“To tell you the truth, during lunch break today, there was an upperclassman who talked to me normally.”

“Ehhhh!?”

Shouting in utter disbelief and astonishment, Kotori opened her eyes wide. Without missing a beat, she threw rapid questions at him.

“Wasn’t that a punishment game, or you getting wrapped up with some delinquent!?”

“Ah, no, I just normally helped carry boxes to the home economics room. On the way, we were just casually chatting about how lettuce goes well with okonomiyaki, and I answered that kimchi was good too.”

“Phew, that’s such a normie conversation…! Takumi, that’s amazing!”

“Heh-heh.”

Kotori held her hands together, staring at him with a sparkling, envious gaze.

Not feeling too bad about it, Takumi rubbed under his nose in embarrassment.

“So, what kind of person was that upperclassman?”

“A second-year girl, with an honors-student feel, and a really cute look. Her name was, if I remember right, Akira… Ikoma?”

“Akira Ikoma… I might have heard that name before.”

“Really!?”

This time Takumi leaned forward, pressing Kotori for details.

Kotori placed a hand on her chin, furrowed her brow, and spoke while digging through her memory.

“She’s super cute, and helps out with all sorts of clubs, committees, and even the student council… If I recall, the Angel of Assistance?”

“Ah, that’s her. I see, so she’s famous.”

Heh—Takumi chimed in agreement.

If she regularly did that sort of thing, it made sense why she had offered to help him at noon.

Then Kotori murmured, looking somewhat impressed.

“Still, that’s unusual. Talking to Takumi without flinching. And a girl, too.”

“Yeah, I was surprised too. I wonder if I can talk to her again?”

“Maybe, but… it might be better not to get your hopes up. There might be an ulterior motive, or something.”

“…Ah.”

At Kotori’s words, uttered in a somewhat stiff voice, Takumi’s expression froze up instantly.

Seeing that, Kotori hurriedly wove words of defense.

“I-I’m not saying it to be mean! Um, it’s just that I don’t know that upperclassman’s true nature well… and I don’t want Takumi to get hurt…”

Those were words of consideration for Takumi, who had been getting a bit carried away.

Kotori herself had been trusted and betrayed in that past fake confession, leaving an unerasable scar on her heart.

That’s why her words carried weight.

Takumi steeled his mindset anew, flashing the best clumsy smile he could manage.

“I know. Well, either way, there’s not much information about the upperclassman, so there’s not much to say.”