Part-1 Ch-08 Ep-02

 Why did Asahina-kun and Seishuku-san end up dating?

So many things have already deviated from the original game that this might be just one more divergence.

 Even so, a capture target dating someone other than the heroine feels like the story is straying far too far from its intended course. Which means there is a chance even more unexpected developments could happen from here on.

“Mari.”

“Wah!”

“Fufufu.”

My whole body jolted at the sudden cold sensation of a drink can pressed against my cheek.

The culprit who did it, sitting right next to me, smiled brightly and said, “This is fun, isn’t it?” with the most angelic expression imaginable.

Unable to resist that lovely grin, I found myself nodding, “Y-yeah.”

“Let’s have a Christmas party!”

That single suggestion from a boy in class led to all of us gathering at karaoke on a holiday just before Christmas.

We rented the biggest party room available, and everyone was enjoying themselves in the dim lighting: singing, dancing, chatting, doing whatever they felt like.

Maki was sitting to my left, Kagami-kun to my right. I glanced at the person to my right. Normally, if a class party like this took place, it would be part of the Kagami route.

The standard scenario was that toward the end of the party, Maki would slip out with Kagami-kun…

“Hey, is there something on my face?”

Because the music was blasting, Kagami-kun tilted his head toward me and leaned in to ask with visible curiosity.

I simply shook my head no. We do talk to each other, but there is absolutely no romantic atmosphere between them. The class party itself is not to blame.

At this point I might as well enjoy myself too. I don’t dislike this kind of lively atmosphere anyway.

Thinking that, I nodded, and Kagami-kun, who had been watching me the whole time, suddenly said, “You really never get boring to watch, Nagase.”

“Hm?”

“No, seriously, you’re super cute but your weird antics stand out so much.”

“Eh? I can’t hear you~”

The person on the mic was right at the chorus, so the vocals and music were loud and I truly couldn’t hear what he said. He had already leaned in, so I leaned toward him as well to ask again.

And in the next moment, my left arm was pulled sharply in the opposite direction, away from Kagami-kun.

“Eh, what?”

When I turned in surprise, Maki looked slightly flustered, averted her eyes, and muttered, “…It’s nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, could you let go of my arm?”

“…”

It seemed she had no intention of letting go.

Kagami-kun, seeing Maki gripping my arm, covered his mouth and stifled laughter, his shoulders shaking as he said, “Sorry… I just can’t stop laughing…”

How exactly do we look to him right now?

Giving up on getting an explanation from him, I turned to Maki instead.

“By the way, did you know Asahina-kun and Seishuku-san are dating?”

“Yes, I knew.”

Her voice suddenly became crisp.

“You knew?”

“Of course. I was the one they consulted.”

That was news to me. It seemed Maki had played matchmaker for the two of them, who had simply been good friends before. Wait, doesn’t that make her more suited to the support role than I am?

“Ehhh? Seriously? I only found out recently! I never imagined Asahina-kun getting a girlfriend…”

“…So you were interested in Asahina-kun?”

“No, not like that. To me he’s just a comrade who survived the same disaster.”

You’re the one who was supposed to care about him.

“…Then maybe Seishuku-san after all?”

“Huh? Oh, Seishuku-san is cute, yeah. That does feel kind of disappointing, I guess.”

“…I see.”

She was the only other person besides me who shared the same support-role position, so I felt a certain kinship with her. I never thought something like this would happen… Honestly, it’s a little lonely.

It felt exactly like when a friend at a school marathon says, “Let’s run together until the end!” only to immediately say, “Sorry, I’m going ahead,” and sprint off at the very start.

Yes, it felt like I had been left in the dust. Only now did that feeling truly sink in. I’m lonely. I’m really lonely. Perhaps sensing my sudden gloom, Maki silently placed her hand over my left one.

She almost never initiates physical contact, yet every so often she does something like this. Is it because we’re childhood friends? I wondered vaguely.

“…I’m glad those two got together.”

Maki’s quiet murmur was swallowed by the surrounding noise, and I couldn’t quite make it out.