The Lie and What Follows

Friday

The last day of April. With the school trip scheduled for next week, the classroom was abuzz with that topic. Naturally, the stylish and handsome group was excitedly discussing it, especially the frivolous guy, whose energy seemed to be at an all-time high, as if this was the peak of his life. I wonder if his hair and clothes will turn white?

“Seriously, be quiet. Calm down a bit. Are you a monkey or what?”

“Aw, come on! It’s Kiryu! It’s a major event in our third year, so of course we’re excited!”

Indeed. Once the school trip is over, there won’t be many events left for us third-year students. There are the sports festival and the cultural festival, but the sports festival ends in one day, and there’s not much for the third year to do in the cultural festival. We can participate in cultural clubs or the organizing committee, but it might be hard to enjoy it as the center of the event.

Kiryu-san, who could cut through Charaman’s spirit with her words, seemed ready to unleash her usual combo of knife, fork, and nail punch, but then,

“True that. Let’s have fun, Shiori.”

Handsome Kondo-kun’s refreshing smile exploded. His opponent is either going to die or fall in love.

“Y-Yeah. Well, it’s our last one, so I plan to enjoy it.”

Yep, she’s already fallen in love. The moment Kondo-kun appears, Kiryu-san instantly turns into a maiden. How does she switch so fast? Does she have a radical good speed system installed?

Girls are indeed scary.

And Kondo-kun, who has recently been quietly watching Adachi-san in the stylish group, addresses her.

“Adachi, you haven’t been yourself lately. Want to have fun on the trip?”

Adachi-san nods weakly in response.

“Mm.”

Seeing her brief reply, Kondo-kun seemed to want to say something more but hesitated with a slightly pained expression.

…Love is complicated, huh? Adachi-san likes Kondo-kun. Kondo-kun probably likes Adachi-san too. Despite being top-tier popular students, they don’t seem to be getting along smoothly.

Too early for me to grasp, indeed.

I, completely focused on observing the stylish group, hadn’t realized I was being watched from the abyss.

“Are you interested in Adachi-san?”

“!”

Ninomiya-san caught me with her big eyes. No need for muscle roulette to admit that I was watching. But admitting it feels embarrassing.

“Um, how long have you been watching…?” I asked cautiously.

“Huh? I’m always watching Endo-kun.” Ninomiya-san tilted her head cutely.

…Watching me? But she’s in the front row. Maybe she has eyes on her back. Did the eyes on her back get startled when I tapped her shoulder the other day? Another attribute added…

“Looking forward to the school trip, huh?” Ninomiya-san smiles. A smile I hadn’t seen at school before, now becoming more frequent. Something must have changed inside her, brightening her aura.

“Yeah, that’s right.” I replied, thinking about the changing dynamics of the stylish group and the inevitable exposure to their pink romantic waves. Ninomiya-san seems unfazed by it. To me, she’s the last line of defense. I plan to bring 20,000 yen for souvenirs and consultation fees.

Though group activities are unavoidable, I want to explore alone on the third day of free time. Probably, the lovey-dovey pair (Imamura-san and Tamura-kun) will want to be together that day, so no one will object to me leaving the group.

I have personal sightseeing spots I’m interested in. My research for liberation is paying off. It’s not just because I’m excited…

I hope Ninomiya-san can also take a break from her endless consulting work and enjoy her solo travel vlog posting.

“Endo-kun, do you have any places you want to visit on the free day?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking of going to places like Ryoan-ji, and there’s a good curry place nearby that I want to try.” I look forward to leisurely viewing the rock garden, savoring delicious curry, and maybe stopping by a soft-serve ice cream shop for matcha flavor. I’m honestly really excited.

“Oh really? I want to go to Arashiyama, so that’s pretty close. Which way should we go?”

…Wait. Am I going to Arashiyama too? Sure, it has a special atmosphere in Kyoto, especially beautiful in autumn, but still nice in May. My phone’s camera is high-performance, perfect for Instagram-worthy photos. Not that I use Instagram.

Wait. Did I hear

that right? Is she implying we’re going together? I’m not sure, but I should clarify.

“Um, Ninomiya-san, do you have plans with someone on the third day?” I hinted that I’m not included in her plans, but she replied,

“Yeah, with Endo-kun.”

Endo-kun, huh. That’s an honor, spending free time with the sleeping beauty. Endo-kun…

…Wait, that’s me, right?