42
“Huh…”
“What are you saying, Miura-san!?”
I hurriedly interrupted Miura’s outrageous statement.
“Hm? Isn’t she?”
“Of course not! I barely know Akane-san.”
Miura tilted her head, but there was no malice in her expression, which was the worst part.
It was obvious that she wasn’t thinking about me and was just saying whatever came to her mind on the spur of the moment.
To say something like we’re dating on the first day of school, when we’re in the spotlight of our new classmates, is incredibly thoughtless.
This is exactly what they mean by being a nuisance.
“Oh, I see. But you already know her name. That’s unusual for the reserved Tsujimura-kun.”
“W-well, it’s nothing. I just happened to have a chance to talk to her, that’s all.”
But for some reason, her intuition is incredibly sharp.
Even though she’s not interested, she says things like she knows everything and suddenly hits the nail on the head.
It’s like she’s barging into my mind with her muddy shoes, and that’s what I’ve always disliked about Miura since middle school.
“Hmm, so you’re not. I’ll have to report this right away.”
“Huh? Report?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. It’s nothing. Sorry about that, you two. I jump to conclusions too quickly. I always get scolded for it.”
Miura laughed to cover it up.
She’s apologizing, but it doesn’t seem like she’s very remorseful. Is it because I know how lighthearted she is?
“Whew…”
“They say that loose lips sink ships, but I just can’t seem to stop myself. Was it Akanishi-chan? I’m sorry, I just blurted that out… Ah, Tsujimura-kun, did I use ‘bushi Are you sure you’re right there?”
Don’t ask me things like that.
I’m honestly amazed that she got into our high school… I’m floored all over again.
“Yeah, more or less.”
“Yay! Listen, Akanishi-chan, let’s be friends since we’re here. It’s fate or something. Come on, what do you say?”
“Um, well, I…”
Akanishi-san looks bewildered as Mihara barrels toward her.
She hasn’t said anything up to this point, but she’s clearly perplexed.
I had a feeling she wasn’t the pushy type, and it seems I was right.
(That’s something she has in common with Mio…)
Just when I was about to start drawing parallels between them, the door on the other side of the room creaked open.
“Hey, everyone, take your seats. I understand that you’re all excited to talk to each other since you’ve just started high school, but first we need to take attendance.”
The woman who spoke in a gentle voice was wearing a suit.
She must be the homeroom teacher for this class.
The students who had been standing around talking hurriedly sat down, and in an instant, the three of us were the only ones left standing awkwardly.
We too were told to take our seats by the homeroom teacher, and we quickly found some empty chairs, but as I sat down, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
(I can’t believe I’m in this situation already…)
Being the center of attention is incredibly stressful for me.
I was hoping to just blend into the background in high school, but now I’m being watched by a huge group of people. This is the worst possible start.
(I feel bad for her, too…)
I glance at Akanishi-san’s small back in front of me and feel a pang of guilt.
“Well, I’m so excited to start high school!”
…By the way, the student next to me turned out to be Mihara, for some reason.