“Interlude 1”

I figured I should thank her after all. During the short recess after first period, I made my way over to her desk. That desk always felt like it had a thin membrane drawn around it, constantly maintaining a fixed distance from everyone around it.

You could call it isolated, but at the same time, you could also call it a kind of aloof purity that kept out all impurities.

"Chitaira-san."

When I called out to her, her walnut-colored hair shifted slightly, and the face that had been hanging downward lifted. I had only ever remembered it as completely expressionless, like a Noh mask—an appearance so young it was hard to believe we were the same age. Rather than someone a year behind us, she looked more like an elementary schooler.

And then there were those yellow-green eyes, undeniably the rarest color in our entire classroom.

"Thanks for yesterday."

"You're welcome."

Since you hardly ever saw her talking to anyone in class, there were probably classmates who had never even heard her voice before. It was a voice like falling snow, coexisting with a temperature and fleeting fragility that felt like it would melt away in an instant.

In both my ears and my heart, there remained only an icy distance where nothing could ever settle.

"I'm glad your cold cleared up."

There wasn't the slightest fluctuation in her tone, revealing zero interest. Still, she had shown consideration for me, so I gave an awkward chuckle and rubbed my finger.

"I stayed in bed yesterday just to be safe, but I was pretty much all better. I saw you through the intercom, Chitaira-san."

"Hmm... Was your mom home the entire time?"

"Nope. She left work early and came home just for me."

"I see. So she works..."

That Chitaira-san's expression softened ever so slightly was surprising enough, but I wondered what about what I just said could possibly have brought about that warmth. Sensing my friends' eyes burning into me as they watched me talking to Chitaira-san, I kept shifting my weight from foot to foot. Chitaira-san's eyes vaguely tracked my little fidgeting movements.

"Is that all?"

She tilted her head, wondering if I had any other business, and kept right on speaking.

"Well, figures. You and I aren't friends, Amamiya-san."

She laid it out so bluntly. To be fair, we'd barely said two words to each other since being placed in the same class.

Hanging around Chitaira-san inside the school was a little uncomfortable. Not because of her, but because of the stares from everyone else.

Chitaira-san was shunned by everyone in class. No, if my intuition was right, even the teachers kept their distance from her. All sorts of rumors circulated about the Chitaira family and whatever went on there, but I really couldn't stand anything bordering on that kind of behind-the-back gossip. If you have questions about someone, you should just talk to the person herself.

Otherwise, it felt like the light bulb above my head wouldn't turn on properly... like shadows were closing in, leaving me restless.

"Ah—well... what if we become friends starting today?"

Since we were in the same class after all, if a chance to become friends presented itself, I ought to welcome it with open arms.

Chitaira-san's mysterious eyes widened in surprise, and she averted her gaze.

"Either you're extraordinarily carefree, or..."

"Did you say something?"

Her eyes immediately snapped back to mine.

"Sure, why not. Nice to meet you, Amamiya-san."

"Yeah!"

We exchanged words in place of a handshake. Watching her gentle demeanor, I couldn't help but wonder why the other kids steered clear of her without ever talking to her. Her family circumstances didn't have anything to do with the rest of us anyway.

"...Amamiya-san, we're registered as friends now, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yep, registered. Your friend."

"Well then, not that this is payback for yesterday, but... I'm kind of stupid, so could you teach me how to study?"

Chitaira-san lightly knocked against the side of her own head, tap-tap, as if demonstrating the emptiness inside.

"I don't mind, but... with what?"

"Everything. All my textbooks."

Chitaira-san lifted the textbook she had prepared for the next period and gave it an exaggerated rustling shake. Naturally, nothing fell out from between the pages. Is she serious? I found myself wanting to tilt my head in bewilderment. I didn't know anything about Chitaira-san's grades, but I didn't recall the teachers ever singling her out for scolding or remedial lessons.

Well, maybe that was just because she was kept at such a distance that no one even bothered to say anything even when she skipped PE.

"You mean study at my house?"

"Yeah. You definitely shouldn't come to mine. If you did that... your mom would be mad at me, Amamiya-san."

As if picturing the scene in her mind, the corners of Chitaira-san's mouth softened once again. Her sense of humor was clearly operating on a completely different wavelength from mine, giving me a slightly deeper understanding of her. And maybe a deeper divide between us too.

But if we were hanging out at my place, I wouldn't have to deal with the awkwardness in the classroom, so it might actually be perfect.

Making friends with someone new always piqued my curiosity.

"Sure, sounds good. But my room and I might still have some lingering germs from my cold, so you might catch it."

"It's fine. I've never caught a cold in my life."

"Really~?"

As if dodging the question, Chitaira-san rested her chin on her hand and turned her gaze toward the blackboard.

"What was that about?"

With recess coming to an end, I headed back to my seat, where a friend sitting nearby called out to me with a hesitant look.

"Hmm, just went over to say thanks."

"Thanks for what?"

"Ah, well, you know, yesterday. Since I was out sick..."

After that, my friends barraged me with all sorts of questions.

All I did was say thanks for yesterday. Was it really that strange?

It made me feel like I was the weird one, which was a little unsettling.

Ah, but now that I thought about it, there was indeed one strange thing.

Chitaira-san and I only became friends today. So yesterday, we weren't friends.

And Chitaira-san's house wasn't even in my neighborhood, so why did she volunteer to drop off the handouts? That part was definitely bizarre, so stretching my neck from my seat, I secretly peeked over at Chitaira-san. Maybe she took the job because she's actually a super sweet person. Smiling to myself at the sheer implausibility of that thought...

Chitaira-san, whose eyes met mine, offered an uncharacteristically faint smile and gave me a little wave.

When her expression shifted and light caught her eyes, she gave off a completely different impression.

Taking after my dad's simple-minded nature, maybe I'm surprisingly a super great person after all.

I found myself thinking something like that.

ToC