Chapter 58 - Amidst Teasing and Ridicule
(1)
It started.
Giant graffiti written on the blackboard.
"Who the hell did this!?"
While Kanna's angry shout echoed, Airi and I silently erased the graffiti.
"It's their first joint project~"
Someone said that, and laughter echoed through the classroom.
I stopped Kanna as she tried to grab that person by the collar.
I was worried about Airi.
I stole a glance at her.
Was it a baseless fear?
Airi was erasing the graffiti with a composed expression.
I see, Airi is used to this too.
Once we finished erasing it before the homeroom teacher arrived, we took our seats.
In the time between the end of HR and the start of the first period, someone was boldly writing on the board again.
They've got nerve.
As I let out a sigh, a large-framed boy... Watanabe Masashi, was it... grabbed that person's shoulder.
"Come here a sec."
Saying that, he pulled him to the corner of the classroom and said something.
The boy who had been grabbed returned to his seat in silence.
Watanabe-kun came over to my desk and whispered.
"Don't let stuff like that get to you. It's just kids' pranks."
Saying that, he laughed and returned to his own seat.
Ah, there is a reason it became like this.
It happened a few days ago.
Student vice-presidents are elected starting from the first year of high school.
Airi was chosen as a candidate.
Well, she seems like she'd be popular.
Up until then, it was normal.
At that moment, Airi got angry.
"I have no interest in the student council! I want more time to enjoy school life with Toya-kun! I don't have the luxury to spend time on such things! Please choose more seriously!"
She stated that flatly in one breath.
"I cannot leave it to someone who refuses for such a ridiculous reason; I will run for the position."
The one who said that quietly was Ijuin Akira.
"Shouldn't the people who want to do it just do it?"
Our homeroom teacher, Mizuta-sensei, spoke in a dismissive tone.
Since that incident, the two of us became targets of teasing.
When the second period ended, Airi grabbed my arm as I headed excitedly toward the school store.
"Where are you going~? Toya-kun."
"No, to buy lunch..."
"I made a lunch box."
"I want to eat a lunch box too!"
"Stop talking like a child!"
"Just once, I want to experience eating something called a yakisoba pan!!"
"They sell them at the Convenience Store, right!?"
"I have information that the yakisoba pan at this school is delicious."
"You're only fast when it comes to that kind of information!"
"I'll eat it all without leaving anything!! Just once!!"
"U-uh. Just this once."
Bless you.
It was just as I was about to step into the hallway in a great mood.
I tripped on something and took a spectacular fall.
"Toya!"
"Toya-kun!?"
Ouch...
As I got up and looked back, a somewhat well-built boy, Takeshita Takeshi, was standing there.
"You guys stand out too much... it's irritating."
Takeshita-kun said that in a menacing voice.
Ah, he tripped me.
"You bastard, what do you think you're doing!"
"Kanna, no!!"
Airi was desperately stopping Kanna, who was trying to pounce on Takeshita-kun.
Takeshita-kun approached Kanna and grabbed her by the collar.
"Do you have feelings for Katagiri too?"
As I explained before, Kanna is originally a quiet girl.
In situations like this, she suddenly becomes timid.
"What? Are you scared? What happened to that spirit from a moment ago?"
Good grief, why does it always end up like this?
"Let go of Kanna."
I said that in a low voice.
"What? I can't hear you, Katagiri."
Goodbye, my yakisoba pan.
I'll save it as something to look forward to tomorrow.
It doesn't look like I'll be able to go buy it today.
"Hahaha, you want to act cool in front of your girlfriend? Fine, come at me."
Takeshita-kun released Kanna and raised his hand toward me.
Is that how it is?
Then I'll go at it without holding back.
I grabbed a desk and hurled it toward Takeshita.
Takeshita guarded.
Having anticipated that, I circled behind Takeshita in an instant and delivered a roundhouse kick to his back.
Takeshita was blown away further than I expected.
I heard the girls scream.
The boys came to watch out of curiosity.
"You piece of...!!"
Takeshita got up and swung a punch at me.
But I dove into Takeshita's guard faster than that and punched him square in the nose.
I continued to kick Takeshita while he remained down.
"Atone for the yakisoba pan I missed out on buying."
I kept kicking, giving Takeshita no time to get up.
The spectators, who were excited at first, now feared the one-sided violence.
"Toya, that's enough!"
Kanna stopped me.
"Kanna... let go."
"You're going too far, Toya!"
Airi, unable to process the situation, was simply crying.
"You bastard..."
"You still have a mouth to speak with."
The one who grabbed my arm as I added further violence was Watanabe-kun.
"Stop it already, the teacher's coming."
Then, Airi, having regained her composure, approached me.
Poke
"You went too far, Toya-kun."
Airi said that and poked me again.
"You two are so close~"
I kicked the idiot who made that teasing remark with all my might.
"It's a pain to repeat this every day and miss out on yakisoba pan. I'll kill you, so come at me quickly."
I provoked them, but no one said anything.
Then, the warning bell rang.
(2)
Lunch break.
I opened the handmade lunch box from Airi.
As always, it was carefully prepared.
Perhaps considering my large appetite, it was packed with plenty of rice.
Kanna seemed to have gone to eat at the school cafeteria.
We were eating on the rooftop.
Here, there would be no unnecessary interruptions.
"You went too far over just some bread."
Airi was in a slightly bad mood.
"But the yakisoba pan at this school has a reputation for being delicious."
"No one will forgive a yakisoba pan as a motive for attempted murder."
Contrary to her words, Airi looked a little worried.
"Sorry, I just lost my temper..."
"What kind of thought process leads to that reason being a single piece of bread!?"
It's already a rumor, so there's no point in hiding it now.
I put my arm around Airi's shoulder.
"If Airi had gone through something like that, I think I would've snapped."
That's probably true.
I was a fool to think she would say "Thank you."
Poke
She hit me on the head.
"No, if you do something like that, you'll be suspended again. You were almost in trouble today too."
"Sorry."
"Violence is bad."
"I won't (if the other person doesn't start it)."
"Yeah, let's go back to the classroom."
Waiting for us in the classroom was a disaster: my desk had been overturned, and the contents of my bag were scattered everywhere.
I could guess who did it.
Kanna, who had arrived at the classroom first, was cleaning up.
The situation was that Takeshita-kun was overturning it again.
For Airi's sake, I refrained from starting a violent incident and began cleaning up with Kanna.
Airi helped as well.
But no matter how many times we did it, it was overturned.
Other students joined in, finding it amusing.
Watanabe-kun approached, unable to watch, but the teacher entered first.
"What's this? Katagiri, clean up quickly. You two, get back to your seats."
Saying that, the two returned to their seats.
I was alone, tidying my desk.
(3)
The homeroom at the end of the day ran long.
The reason was us.
The fight with Takeshita-kun. The commotion during lunch break.
Apparently, someone snitched.
Doing unnecessary things...
Are they trying to interfere with my pleasure at the end of the day... buying snacks?
I'll kill everyone at this rate, you know?
"I hear there are people teasing Katagiri and Tosaka; anyone who has an idea who it is, stand up."
No one budged.
Well, no one is going to stand up honestly, right?
Mizuta-sensei seemed to know that too.
"Well, I figured. There's no way a chicken who can only do insidious and cowardly things because they don't like the two of you flirting would stand up."
This teacher provokes people at every turn.
"Teacher. The level of flirting between those two is a bad influence on other students. If you are to discipline them, you should discipline both of them."
The one who said that was Ijuin-san... was it?
However, the teacher denied it outright.
"I don't think so. Any normal high schooler would have at least one lover, right? It just looks to me like people who can't get one are being bitter. Don't involve teachers in tedious things."
"It's inappropriate relations between opposite sexes!"
"I don't know if it's impure or pure, but it looks purer than someone who can only do insidious things, doesn't it? Don't you think so, Takeshita?"
Takeshita-kun said nothing.
"Same for the rest of you. If you're going to spend time on trivial things, spend your school life more meaningfully."
The teacher's talk ended there.
When HR ended, some students prepared for club activities and others began preparing to go home.
A lot happened today.
On a day like this, there's nothing better for a change of pace than eating a hamburger.
"...Today is special."
I obtained Airi's permission.
Nothing stood in my way.
At the fast food restaurant, three hamburgers, fries, juice, and...
"Toya-kun, you're eating too much!!"
...I'll leave it at this.
I happily put a hamburger in my mouth.
"Look, you have ketchup on your mouth."
Saying that, Airi wiped around my mouth with a napkin.
Even though it'll just get there again soon.
"You really flirt everywhere, don't you, Toya and company."
Kanna said, sounding exasperated.
"Ah, sorry."
Why is Airi apologizing?
"No, it's fine. Well, I am envious, though."
Kanna said, laughing.
Ah, I see.
Is it because Kanna can't flirt with Makoto?
"Sorry, I didn't notice."
I apologized too.
"I told you that you don't have to apologize; I'm just envious that you two can act as if nothing happened even after things like that."
Things like that?
Ah, the things at school.
"Because that's... right, Toya-kun?"
She threw it to me.
"Well, I've gotten used to it since elementary and middle school."
When I said that, Airi nodded too.
"I didn't get used to it. When Takeshita grabbed me by the collar, I was so scared I couldn't do anything."
"You're a girl, so isn't that inevitable?"
"That's right; rather, the problem is with Takeshita-kun for laying a hand on a girl."
"I wonder... after that, I suddenly remembered being bullied in Tokyo..."
It's been a while since I've seen Kanna this timid.
Makoto, who should be comforting her at a time like this, isn't here now.
"Kanna, there's no point in worrying about it. It'll disappear in a month."
"Can you two endure for a month?"
"I have Airi and Kanna. Since we're here, I want to spend my school life happily."
"That's right, Mizuta-sensei said it too, didn't he? To spend it meaningfully."
Airi agreed.
"Toya and company are strong. But you should have said 'Because I'm with Airi'."
Kanna laughed, saying that.
"Kanna is with us too~"
Airi hugged Kanna.
Nine o'clock at night.
Airi and I walked Kanna home.
Then, as if remembering something, Kanna said.
"Ah, that's right. Keep today's events a secret from Makoto."
"Eh? But..."
"I'm counting on you, Airi. I want him to be able to concentrate on soccer right now."
"Understood. I won't tell."
I answered in her stead.
"Eh, wait, Toya-kun!"
"Thanks, Toya. See you tomorrow."
Saying that, Kanna entered her house.
On the way home.
"Why did you say that?"
"There are things people don't want known, right? I don't want to make Airi worry either."
"Of course I don't want to make you worry, but isn't it shocking to be kept in the dark?"
When put that way, I suppose so.
"But even if Makoto knew now, there's nothing he can do. At most, it would just make him anxious. In that case, it's better not to know."
"Hmm."
While saying that, she was worried.
What if I were Makoto?
What would I think if I found out later?
"Toya-kun, you be careful too."
"Eh?"
About what?
"Because Toya-kun loses his temper immediately when it comes to food."
Ah, the fight.
"I'll be careful."
"Yeah!"
"Do you want to stop by my house today?"
"I'll endure until the weekend... no, maybe until the long holiday."
Before I knew it, we had arrived at Airi's house.
"Well, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
After seeing Airi go inside her house, I went home too.
At that moment, a call came from Makoto.
I entered my room and called back.
"Hello, is this Toya?"
"Yeah, did something happen?"
"I called Kanna and she seemed kind of strange. Toya, do you have any idea why?"
"Nothing in particular... How was she strange?"
"She was suddenly insistent that she wanted to see me... I wondered if you guys knew something."
"No, I don't know. Maybe she's just lonely? You haven't seen each other for about two weeks, right?"
"If that's it, then it's fine. No, it's not fine..."
"Well, give her some encouragement. Also, if you have time off, go see her."
"Yeah, I think I can take time off during Golden Week."
"The first half is impossible; there's a residential study trip."
"I see. Got it. I'll take the second half off."
"Yeah, don't overdo it."
"I know. Sorry for leaving it all to you, Toya, but please keep an eye on Kanna for me."
"Got it."
"Later."
The call ended there.
Kanna really was anxious, after all.
But it's not like Kanna is being bullied directly.
If we wait a bit longer, it'll eventually settle down.
Am I being too optimistic?
But for now, there's nothing to do but endure.
I'll give Kanna some attention too.
Only time can solve this...