Chapter 8: CH 8

Mizutani, are you actually an idiot?

Translated by Dawn

Mizutani, are you actually an idiot?

After the end of the assembly, I left the classroom.

However, I couldn’t just go home alone today.

I had some business with Mizutani.

I wasn’t sure if she would be able to help me or not.

As I was slowly changing my shoes in the shoe box, Mizutani came over to me.

I bowed to her lightly, and she responded in the same way.

I finished changing my shoes first and went out the entrance to wait for Mizutani.

Mizutani came out after me.

She was surprised that I was right there.

Mizutani widened her eyes for a moment and then returned to her usual emotionless face.

“What’s wrong?”

It was only when Mizutani asked me that I suddenly became able to look at the current situation objectively.

Wasn’t what I was doing no different from what Yamamoto was doing?

When I realized this, I instantly felt a sense of shame.

“Well, it’s not a big deal, but I wanted to ask you something.”

“Then, do you want to go home with me again? I wanted to talk to Aizawa about something too.”

“…Is it okay?”

“That doesn’t matter, we’re going in the same direction anyway. If we’re going to talk, it would be more reasonable to go home together.”

“That’s true, but……”

—You stubbornly refused Yamamoto’s invitation, but you’re okay with me?

although I thought that, this was more convenient for me right now.

Shaking my head and shaking off unnecessary thoughts, I opened my mouth.

“…No, you’re right, Mizutani. Then, let’s go home together.”

“…Un.”

Mizutani smiled slightly at my response.

***

Mizutani and I took the same route together just a little over a week ago.

Well, it actually is no different from my usual route to school, but the addition of one more person made me feel that something was definitely different.

“So what’s the question you want to ask?”

Mizutani broke the silence first.

I glanced at her and said.

“About the other day……you said you didn’t have any reason to believe that Satomi was harassing you. Is that true?”

“It’s true. If I had any idea, I would have told you.”

“Hee…but you don’t have to hide it anymore. I know why.”

“…What do you mean?”

Mizutani stopped. She looked dubious.

“That person herself told me why she was harassing Mizutani.”

Well, that was all I could say.

After all, I promised Satomi that I would not reveal the person she liked to anyone.

I was convinced that Mizutani knew about it, but nothing was absolute.

If Mizutani really didn’t know who Satomi liked, then I would just end up telling her who Satomi liked. So the only way forward was to hear it from Mizutani’s own mouth.

“…I see. Then there really is no need to hide it from Aizawa.”

As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Mizutani took a deep breath.

Then she smiled softly.

“How did you find out from Satomi?”

“No, I didn’t ask her, I just happened to stand at the right time and listen to it…Like, about the reason for it.”

“…I see, the reason, huh.”

Mizutani whispered back.

But I had yet to hear the important part.

“So, Mizutani, why did you cut me off when you had an idea what was going on?”

“…why do you think?”

“…still trying to play dumb, huh?”

I frowned at Mizutani, who tilted her head in a deliberate manner.

Mizutani smiled softly as if to cover up something, and then turned to face me.

“I was annoyed with Satomi, but I thought it was okay since she hadn’t done anything serious to me yet. It’s not like she didn’t have a cause. And even if I resisted…I didn’t want to reveal the person she like to anyone else because it would be like exploiting a weakness.”

“…”

I sighed.

The other side was attacking her with malicious intent, and if Mizutani was worried about the other side, there was nothing she could do to help. Just listening to her, I was getting irritated.

“…But I see. So that’s why you were strongly rejecting Yamamoto.”

“Yes. I couldn’t think of any other way to solve the problem.”

Mizutani nodded. Her face was as beautiful as ever, like a sculpture.

At first, I had a somewhat cold impression of her face.

But now it was different. Mizutani was probably an idiot.

“Mizutani, are you actually an idiot?”

“…Why do you say that?”

I didn’t just think it in my mind, I said it out loud.

Mizutani’s shapely eyebrows furrowed.

“Because Mizutani’s response is too kind. And it’s the type of kindness that can be detrimental. There is a saying, ‘Mercy is good for nothing,’ but I don’t think your kindness will come back to you. Since the other side doesn’t even know you’re like that.”

“…I don’t think Aizawa can speak for others.”

“…It’s strange that you’re talking about me here. I’m not kind, to begin with.”

“Even though you went out of your way to volunteer to be a member of the class representative for my sake.”

“Unlike Mizutani’s case, though, my kindness transmitted to the other party.”

“Then what about that time last year when you gave up your seat on the train to an old lady?”

“…Sorry, what are you talking about?”

I looked at Mizutani seriously without thinking.

Perhaps my words slipped out.

Mizutani made a face of “Oh no.” and looked away from me slowly.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but her cheeks seemed to be blushing a little.

A moment of silence fell.

Apparently, Mizutani wanted to pretend that she had not just made a mistake.

However, I did not want to let that happen either.

Therefore, I continued to compare patience with Mizutani.

A few dozen seconds must have passed.

When we arrived at the station and passed through the ticket gate, Mizutani finally admitted defeat.

She sighed and opened her mouth heavily.

“…I think it was around the fall of our first year of high school. Aizawa, didn’t you once get yelled at by an old lady on the train?”

“…come to think of it, there was such a thing.”

It was a rare experience to be yelled at by a stranger on a train, so when I searched my memory, I remembered it. However, it was a memory from six months ago. Even I, the person in question, couldn’t picture the image vividly at that time. And yet—

“How did Mizutani know about that?”

Mizutani glanced at me.

“I was sitting across from Aizawa at that time.”