Epilogue: Back to Normal, But Not Quite
The school day was as boring as ever.
Before I knew it, it was a week before winter break. The students were restless.
“What does the baseball team do during winter break?”
“Mostly running and basic training. I want to pitch, though!”
“Don’t go throwing your elbow out by overdoing it~”
“Haha, You would totally do that. We should keep an eye on him.”
“I’m not that stupid!”
In the center of the classroom, Akazawa was cheerfully chatting with the other guys.
“Kanon-chan, what are you doing for Christmas?”
“I’m thinking of having a party with my family~”
“Aw, that’s too bad. I wanted to spend it with you~”
“Really? Spending it with everyone sounds fun, too!”
“Well, I didn’t mean everyone… but whatever.”
Kazemiya was walking down the hall with a group of handsome guys again today.
“Hey, wanna hit up karaoke today?”
“Sounds good. Everyone’s going, right?”
“Eh… ah, yeah. But is it okay to skip club?”
“Karaoke is basically band practice, right?”
Ogino was hanging out with Nishimura and her friends.
“Kaede, there’s something I want to talk to you about…”
“Yeah, sure. Is lunch break okay?”
“Hey Kaede, I don’t get the math homework. Can you help me?”
“Of course. Is it okay if we do it when we get back to the classroom?”
“Hey, hey, everyone. You’re troubling Kaede.”
“Ahaha, I’m fine. I’m happy you’re relying on me.”
And Tsukimi-senpai was her perfect self again today. It seemed she was planning on continuing her ‘sister’ persona at school for the time being. It would be unnatural for her personality to suddenly change, after all. She was probably just testing the waters.
“—See you tonight,” she whispered as she passed by me.
Tonight, we were having a party to celebrate her return to the Alliance.
I was happy to feel that I was looking forward to the night.
“Nice shot! Good job, everyone! Let’s keep the passes coming!”
On the other hand, Tsukimi-senpai during club practice had changed a little.
After losing the autumn tournament, she had been playing more of a one-woman show. But now, she was back to her teamwork-focused playstyle.
Was it because she had reconciled with her mother, and no longer felt the need to win at all costs? Her one-woman show style was probably a last resort for her, too.
The tense atmosphere during practice was gone, and her gentle expression had returned.
Considering only the strength of the girls’ basketball team, this might not be a good change. But I thought it was probably for the best. It’s suffocating for one person to carry everything on their shoulders.
“Did Tsukimi change a little?”
“She was scary after the tournament, but she’s back to normal now.”
The seniors on the boys’ team were having a similar conversation while watching the adjacent court.
The Tsukimi-senpai in question had just made a no-look pass under the basket. The player who received the pass from her easily made the shot.
“Nice pass!”
She then exchanged a high-five with Tsukimi-senpai, smiling.
With Tsukimi-senpai’s change, the overall atmosphere of the girls’ team had become more relaxed. She was just too influential, for better or for worse.
…As I was thinking that and watching her, our eyes met.
She looked at me and smiled. A childlike smile.
“H-Hey! She just smiled at me!”
“No, it was me! We’re classmates, after all!”
“I didn’t know Tsukimi could smile like that… I think I’m in love…”
The seniors on the boys’ team were making a ruckus nearby, oblivious to the fact that she had smiled at me.
…It was me, right?
I was starting to lose confidence.
It was only hitting me now, but we were worlds apart.
…Come to think of it, I confessed to her, even if it was for the sake of the plan.
And since I had added “as more than a friend,” there was no way to play it off.
I had just conveyed my feelings, not asked for a reply.
Still… isn’t it incredibly embarrassing to talk to someone knowing they know you have a crush on them?
I was so desperate at the time that I didn’t notice, but now that the incident was resolved…
Furthermore, we had become a couple, albeit a fake one, and had even started calling each other by our first names.
…Maybe I should avoid being alone with her for a while.
Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of face to make when I talked to her.
The long-awaited night after club practice arrived.
When I opened the door to the secret base, everyone was already there.
Thanks to the electric heater Kazemiya had brought, it was warm inside.
The table was a smorgasbord of snacks—potato chips, cookies, chocolate.
I had just bought a two-liter bottle of cola, so I started pouring it into paper cups.
“Before we start the party, there’s one thing I want to confirm,” Akazawa said, his expression serious. “I’m glad Kaede is back. But there’s a problem we can’t just sweep under the rug.”
The serious atmosphere made us all sit up straight.
“Minase. You broke the Covenant, didn’t you?”
…Of course he noticed. That I had something to do with Tsukimi-senpai’s return. And that to do so, I had to uncover her secret.
“…Yeah. I broke the Second Covenant.”
Hearing my words, Akazawa turned to Tsukimi-senpai.
“Shouldn’t he be punished?”
“It’s true that Minase-kun stepped into my secret.”
It was a major violation of the Covenant. I couldn’t complain if I was exiled from the Alliance.
As the sinner, I silently awaited the outcome of the discussion.
“But at that time, I had left the Alliance, so the Covenant doesn’t apply,” she declared, a triumphant look on her face. “Therefore, Minase-kun is innocent!”
Hearing her one-sided verdict, Akazawa shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
“…That’s a stretch.”
“Well, if Kaede-senpai, the person in question, says so, then it’s fine, right?”
“Kaede wouldn’t have come back otherwise, so it can’t be helped.”
Akazawa, Kazemiya, and Ogino all said their piece.
Whether we liked it or not, things were changing. The Covenant was becoming ambiguous.
Now that the incident was resolved, there was a problem we couldn’t just leave alone.
“Tsukimi-senpai. Is the Covenant fine as it is?”
The four covenants no longer fit our current situation.
One: Members shall not speak of this alliance or the secret base to anyone.
Two: The night is for freedom. However, members shall not interfere with each other’s secrets.
Three: The use of this secret base is limited to the time after club activities until 10:30 PM.
Four: Members shall not bring Alliance relationships into the outside world.
—A superficial relationship, where no one interferes with each other’s secrets.
Were we going to continue with that?
Even though Tsukimi-senpai and I had already crossed that line?
“I think we should change it.”
“Specifically, what do you want to do, Minase?”
“I think we can get rid of the Second Covenant. Of course, no one should be forced to talk about things they don’t want to. But if we can’t interfere with secrets, we can’t help each other when we’re in trouble.”
When Tsukimi-senpai disappeared, none of us knew what had happened. So without breaking the Second Covenant, we couldn’t even find a way to help her.
“I want to make this alliance a place where we can help each other when we’re in trouble.”
I wanted us to be real friends, not just have a superficial relationship.
“I’m against that. The Second Covenant is the reason people gathered here, isn’t it? I don’t know what happened between you and Kaede… but there are still people who want to protect their secrets.”
But Akazawa shook his head, his expression stern.
“What’s important is that it’s written down. At least, that’s what Kaede thought, right?”
Akazawa said, looking at Tsukimi-senpai.
She was silent, watching our debate.
“…Change is scary. So I thought it was fine to stay as we were,” she said, closing her eyes once before opening them with a look of resolve. “But if we’re just scared, we can’t move forward. So let’s… change the Second Covenant!” she declared with force.
“The night is for freedom. Therefore, comrades may share secrets and help each other!”
Everyone was silent for a while after hearing the new covenant she proposed.
In effect, it was similar to abolishing it. Because there was no sentence that forced it.
May help each other—meaning, you don’t have to.
You can share secrets, or you don’t have to. It was left up to the will of the members.
So, was it the same as not having it? No, I don’t think so.
What was important was that it was explicitly stated in the covenant that we may help each other.
Because we, who held secrets, couldn’t step into others’ secrets without a proper reason.
“S-So, what do you think?!”
Seeing everyone’s silence, Tsukimi-senpai hurriedly asked for our opinions.
“I’m for it.”
“…Yeah. I’m fine with that, too.”
“If everyone else is okay with it, then so am I.”
I, Ogino, and Kazemiya voiced our approval in that order.
All eyes focused on the last remaining person, Akazawa.
“…Alright. If that’s what Kaede says, then I’ll agree to the change,” he said with a deep sigh.
“…You’ve changed, Kaede-senpai,” Kazemiya murmured.
Kazemiya and the others didn’t know what had happened between me and Tsukimi-senpai. All they knew was that I had brought her back.
By facing reality, Tsukimi-senpai had chosen change over stagnation. That’s probably why it seemed like her opinion had done a complete one-eighty.
“If the Second Covenant has changed, then I can ask, right? What exactly happened?”
Akazawa immediately put the new covenant to use and asked Tsukimi-senpai.
“Minase-kun saved me.”
“…I can see that much. What I want is a concrete explanation.”
Tsukimi-senpai glanced at me, then raised a finger to her lips.
“That’s… a secret between the two of us.”
Even if the Covenant changed, it didn’t mean she could suddenly talk about everything.
“Someday, when I’m ready… I’ll tell everyone.”
There were things she could talk about now, and things she still didn’t want to.
Even so, we could now slowly move our relationship forward.
“…Alright,” Akazawa said, nodding with a wry smile.
“Kaede-senpai is back. That’s enough for me,” Kazemiya said, snorting and turning her face away as she showed a rare moment of direct affection.
“Something’s… suspicious…”
Ogino looked at me and Tsukimi-senpai alternately with suspicious eyes.
“A-Anyway! That’s enough serious talk for now!”
As if to escape Ogino’s gaze, Tsukimi-senpai clapped her hands, ending the conversation.
“Well then, shall we start the party to celebrate Tsukimi-senpai’s return to the Alliance?”
The carbonation in the cola I had poured into the paper cups had completely gone flat.
But, well… that was okay sometimes.
I raised my paper cup without a care and declared with a smile, “Cheers!”
Everyone repeated the same word in unison.
Tsukimi-senpai brought out a board game, Akazawa won by a landslide, Ogino fell asleep before I knew it, and Kazemiya did her homework. As I watched everyone, I took a sip of my flat cola.
—For the first time in a while, the fun night deepened.
I stepped outside to get some air.
It was naturally cold, but the starry sky was beautiful.
“Shuuto-kun.”
I turned around at the sound of my name.
Tsukimi-senpai was standing there, wearing a coat.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, just getting some fresh air.”
I answered nonchalantly, but my heart was pounding.
Honestly, I still didn’t know what kind of face to make when we were alone.
And… didn’t she just call me by my first name?
That was only for when we were fake dating. We had gone back to our usual way of addressing each other after that.
“Can I stay with you?”
“…Yeah.”
When I nodded, she stood next to me.
For some reason, the distance between us was incredibly close.
Her hand touched mine. It moved away slightly, then touched again.
I had been looking up at the night sky, but I glanced at her.
She had a prim expression, but if you looked closely, her ears were bright red.
“Um… Shuuto-kun. Are we still… fake dating?”
“Eh?”
As if she had made up her mind, Tsukimi-senpai met my eyes.
“I thought it ended when the operation was over…”
“B-But! We never said it was over, did we?”
She blushed as she moved her face closer to mine.
It was true, we hadn’t said it was over. But wait a minute.
The way she said that, didn’t it sound like she wanted to continue our relationship?
“So… um, Christmas is coming up soon, right?”
The word that came out of her mouth was one I thought had nothing to do with me.
“So, um, if you’d like, with me—”
I felt like I was being sucked into her jewel-like eyes.
Just then.
Clatter. The door to the secret base opened.
Tsukimi-senpai flinched and hurriedly moved a little away from me.
“It’s cold out here…”
Akazawa looked at our suspicious behavior and raised an eyebrow.
“…Something wrong?”
“N-N-N-Nothing at all!”
“Y-Yeah! The door just opened suddenly and surprised us.”
I was actually relieved that Akazawa had come.
If we had been alone any longer… I don’t know what would have happened.
Of course, I liked Tsukimi-senpai as more than a friend. I wanted to go out with her.
But… did someone like me even have the right to be with someone?
“Minase-kun!”
Tsukimi-senpai called out to me as I stood frozen.
From inside the secret base, everyone was looking at me.
“Let’s all play a board game!”
Tsukimi-senpai, Akazawa, Kazemiya, and Ogino were waiting for me.
I, who had been all alone in the darkness of the night, walked towards the dazzling sunlit spot.
Its name was the Don’t Want To Go Home Alliance.
Its location was the unused old gym storage.
Its time was the night, after club activities.
Its purpose was to have fun at night.
This is the story of a group of boys and girls with secrets, living out their youth in the school at night.
Kazuki Amamiya
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