Part-2 Ch-03 Ep-01

 “Ah……… This feels so awful…………”

Lying on my bed in my room, I stare up at the ceiling. Inside my head, the events of the past few days churn together in a tangled mess, lacking any sense of order. Two months have passed since the New Student Welcome Ball Tournament ended.

Since then, I’ve become acquainted with Godaiin-kun, and we’ve grown close enough to exchange greetings or have short conversations whenever we pass each other in the hallway. During those conversations, he sometimes asks about how Maki has been doing lately.

When I talk to him while Maki is standing beside me, Godaiin-kun’s cheeks flush slightly, and he speaks in an awkward, embarrassed manner. Every time I see that expression, I’m forced to acknowledge that the flag has been completely raised, and something inside my chest lets out a faint, grinding creak.

“Godaiin-kun kind of acts like a girl, so I end up talking to him with that sort of vibe~”

“I see.”

Just as those words suggest, Maki seems fairly relaxed in how she maintains her distance from him. That, too, gives rise to a faint sense of unease within me. There’s no reason to feel uneasy. This is the correct path.

“Ahhhh, seriously, this feels so bad.”

--I really think this is bad.

At last, my assistance is bearing fruit, and things have begun to move in a positive direction.

They’re moving forward, and yet I can’t bring myself to feel happy about it. If anything, the tighter and more constricting my feelings become, the worse it feels.

This is bad.

Ever since that day, whenever I look at Maki, all kinds of emotions threaten to spill over. I know it’s just jealousy, and I tell myself that it’s only because we’re childhood friends that I feel this sense of loneliness.

--Yeah, this feeling definitely isn’t love.

So I quietly place a lid over those emotions within me. All the while fearing that they might burst out at any unexpected moment.

“…This isn’t good. Maybe I should watch some videos or something. There’s no class tomorrow anyway.”

Trying to escape, I tap on my smartphone screen. The next day, we were at the prefectural museum for the second-year school excursion. Every year around this time, the school organizes an excursion to places such as museums, art galleries, or science centers, and we’re required to submit a report based on a theme we’ve chosen beforehand.

Apparently, it’s also meant to serve as an opportunity to think about our future paths, since there’s still some time before entrance exams. Maki is interested in biology-related fields, so ever since the museum excursion was announced, she’s been looking forward to it nonstop.

As for me, I didn’t have many memories of visiting places like this in my previous life, but I like the museums in this world because of how elaborate they are.

They don’t just have real object displays. There are life-size dinosaur models, three-dimensional hologram exhibits, and even VR space experiences. There’s so much to do that, honestly, I had been looking forward to it.

I had been looking forward to it, but—

I suppress a yawn that nearly escapes with a soft “fua.”

“You look sleepy.”

Those were the first words Maki said to me that morning when she came to pick me up at my house.

“Yeah, kind of. I stayed up late last night.”

“You’re not wobbling around or anything, right? Are you okay?”

“Mm, I feel a bit sick, but I’m fine. I was just watching videos until dawn.”

“Seriously, pull yourself together. Staying up late was your own fault, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s all my own fault.”

That’s right.

It’s all my own doing.

The price for only two hours of sleep was clearly reflected in my physical condition.

“Nn, I feel like I’m going to throw up. I’m in terrible shape.”

“Hey, come on. Get a grip. Staying up late is self-inflicted, you know.”

“Yeah, it is. All of it, my own doing.”

That’s right.

All of it is my own doing.