CH 29

I have come up with several ways to deal with the sudden increase in stares from the upperclassmen.

First, ignore them completely.

The advantage of this plan is that I can live my school life freely without having to change my life. The disadvantage, however, is that I would be subjected to a constant stream of unintelligible stares, and there would be the possibility of bad rumors about the three of them working together with me, who have a bad reputation.

Secondly, I would confront the owner of the stares.

It’s a wild idea, but it’s also the clearest way. If the stares are directed at me are in response to bad publicity, it is easy to solve the problem by clearing up the misunderstanding. However, if it was jealousy over my being with Kohinata, it could add fuel to the fire. Because it’s not just the opposite gender that looks favorably on Kohinata.

In other words, both sides are at risk, and it is hard to choose – and that is the situation.

So I explained my reasons to the three of them and decided to proceed with the third compromise.

“I don’t know how you feel, but you don’t have to worry about us too much, okay?”

It was Wednesday, the day after the mass stares.

Keiichi and I were visiting the school cafeteria, which we hadn’t been to for a long time.

“That’s okay. It’s a good opportunity for me to digest the treat of a special meal. Besides, …… I don’t like the idea of someone else feeling bad because of me.”

“Don’t you think you’re rather hurting someone else with this action?”

Keiichi cowered his shoulders in disappointment and said in a tone and expression of dismay. I know what you mean.

Especially Kohinata. When I explained to her that we should stop playing and having lunch together for a while, she seemed to have a very sad look on her face. Kohinata seems to be fond of me, and I don’t think she would feel good if I told her I was going to keep my distance.

I would like to spend time with her as usual if I could.

However, if that caused the Kohinata and the others to get hurt, I wouldn’t be able to countenance it.

“It’s not like we’ll be going our separate ways forever. Let’s see how this changes them and think about our next move. If possible, I want to do something about it before Golden Week.”

It is April 27th today.

The big holiday weekend that will last from Showa Day (April 29) to Children’s Day (May 5) is just around the corner.

Since my father is busy with work during the holidays, I am hoping to be able to play with Keiichi and the others again. Of course, I would like to include Saejima and Kohinata in my plans.

“I wonder if the results will come so soon. If it’s before Golden Week, it means you’ll do something about it today and tomorrow, right? It’s not an active strategy, and it’s not going to be easy, is it?”

“That depends on what happens today. If nothing happens, we’ll think about it another time.”

I look around.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t been in the cafeteria long, but I don’t feel the same kind of stares directed at me. There are some female students who glance at me from time to time, but the one who is looking at me is Keiichi.

It’s hard to be a popular guy, I thought fluently as I was eating my meal, keeping a wary eye on my surroundings,

“…… hmm?”

A female student visited the cafeteria, looking around with an air of searching for something. I hadn’t seen her around much, and from the look of her uniform, she was probably a third-year student. And as soon as she saw my face, she had a gawked expression on her face.

That third-year girl put her hand over her mouth and seemed to be trying to suppress her surprise. After making her face pale, she hung up and left the cafeteria.

…… No, I don’t know what that means, indeed. Did I look like a ghost?

“What’s the matter, Tomoki?”

Keiichi, who was munching on cheap chanpon, asks me, but I don’t know what to say to him because I don’t understand it either. Am I supposed to say that the female student who saw my face turned pale and ran away? I don’t understand what it means, but it’s sad that it’s true.

“I don’t know …… I have no idea, but there has been a change, I guess.”

I say to Keiichi, who is tilting his head, in a halting manner.

Now, based on this change, the next strategy – I mean, what should I do?

☆ ☆　☆　☆　☆

“I see,…… this is just as Tomoki said, there is a change.”

Lunch break was over and it was recess time between fifth and sixth periods.

After lunch break, the students are able to go to their fifth and sixth period classes.

“There are all the third-year and student council officers who have been passing by this classroom for no reason since a while ago. Even though Tomoki isn’t interested in them, he at least knows the face of the student council president.”

“That much is as expected. The student council is the most important body of the school.”

For some reason, third-year students were pacing back and forth in front of this Class 2C for no apparent reason. Among them was a face I recognized – that of the student body president. Although I was not directly involved with the president, I had seen the student council election speech, and the inauguration speech was fresh in my mind.

The current student body president is a beautiful woman who nine out of ten students would recognize, and she won the election with an overwhelming number of votes. I forget her name.

I thought she was the kind of person people looked at with admiration and envy, but now almost everyone in Class 2C is looking at me strangely. And the glances are so bad that I can’t even see them. Why do they even turn their mouths toward me along with their eyes?

“It looks like she’s concerned about Tomoki and Kohinata, but she seems really upset.”

As Keiichi said, the third-year students, including the student body president, who are acting in a manner that makes no sense, are all looking impatient. The reason is unknown. From the way they were looking at me, I guessed that it was something to do with me and Kohinata.

I was afraid that the other party would come to me directly without any action on my part.

And my hunch came true.

[Tomoki Sugino, Class 2C. Please come to the student council office after school. I repeat: Class 2C, Tomoki Sugino. Please come to the Student Council Room after school.]

Sixth period classes were over and it was time for cleaning.

The announcement calling me to come to the student council office rang out in the school.