Volume 3 Chapter 8 (1/2)

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I didn't feel like doing anything, after that day

My compulsion to study for shi+ori vanished, so of course, my attitude in class became horrible and I don't need to explain my quiz scores

I was called to the staff roo on My behavior wasn't good to begin with, and I was never very harrades fell apart, the teachers turned around began trying to ”guide” usted me

If I could answer, rades fell apart because I broke up with the first-year student Kubo shi+ori, the teachers would probably be surprised While I was being lectured, I just thought about that sort of thing If I actually paid attention to things like ”you have the talent to do well,” my ears would rot

Of course, reality and daydreams were different, so I never said a word about shi+ori My grades were a result of acy

Even if we never et about shi+ori Youko ht, and broke up But s contradicted our physical separation, and I yearned longingly for her

The second se exam break I received a summons from school

I didn't want to go to school during the break, butsummoned and forced me into the car

I bracedbad, but it felt wrong Because it was during the break, and I was su far more serious

My uidance office, a soleoose-buedfemale homeroom teacher for the first-year pine class, and two sisters One was the guidance office sister, and the other was the school principal

When I saw shi+ori's ho Today's discussion wouldn't be solely about rades I didn't kno they found out, but it was evident shi+ori and I's relationshi+p was an issue

When alked in, the door was closed, and locked fro to be called today Perhaps she'd already been called, a different time But I couldn't speak shi+ori's naated to pay attention to everything

After greetings, the horades and my attendance records and showed them to my mother

My uess, because she shrieked when she saw them, and asked if there was a mistake

”Perhaps After all, Satou-san was originally a model student”

After scaringto lead the student council next year, a person with many honor-student friends And then he said there seemed to be a reason why I turned downhill, and he mentioned shi+ori's name

The way I saw it, it felt like he protected his teaching skills, laying down the first strike byher name Like she was a witch, he spoke her name like the name of evil He probably couldn't think of any reason other than shi+ori

”Is that true, Sei-chan?”

My mother yelled, hysterical

”It's not shi+ori's fault”

I spoke not to my mother, not to my homeroom teacher, but to the principal No one else mattered to me except the principal, who knew about shi+ori

”I don't understand why you have to link shi+ori and , it was all my fault, not shi+ori”

”Kubo shi+ori said the same That it was her fault, not yours”

The principal see But she still called me here, with my mother

For the first tiretted my shallowness Even if I broke up with shi+ori, I should have paid attention in class As long as I was an honor student, my homeroom teacher wouldn't have squealed like this And if he didn't, the principal wouldn't have found out Even if she ht have overlooked another student, she felt directly responsible for anything to do with shi+ori, as she was supposed to be her away-from-home mother

I tearfully defended shi+ori, but the hoant

shi+ori's homeroom teacher seemed to have lost out in experience, as she sirew irritated, thinking she should defend her own student

In the end, I was released, just given a strict warning They wouldn't expel ap between rades that they wanted to shake soed to squeeze out of the red for all of my tests, and was about to break the record for the worst scores, ever

”School life isn't just about studying, but I wonder if it's loneso”

The principal's words felt like a finishi+ng blow

I understood My mother, and other teachers and students would never understand But the principal, she saw through shi+ori and I's relationshi+p

I didn't knoas going to happen totomorrow

When I got home, I called shi+ori's doritated and ranted insults at shi+ori, but after a while she see and let me return to my room I was too tired to care

shi+ori was not at the doro, and hadn't returned since

I then called the convent at Lillian But they told me shi+ori hadn't come At that point, I had no idea where shi+ori could be I was at a dead end I didn't kno to get in touch with her relatives in Nagasaki

I just wanted to hear shi+ori's bright voice Even if she coldly hung up, if I could apologize for h all this, I would have been satisfied

I called the dor whether shi+ori's returned, or if they knehere she went, but I couldn't even find out where she was,ceremony in preparation for winter vacation came

I expected it My grades were considerably worse than they were during first semester At Lillian, ere to have a Mass at noon, and the speaker was a guest Father froatory, so ere free to attend or not at our own accord, but I headed toward the sanctuary in the hopes of seeing shi+ori If she'd come to school, she'd definitely show up at Mass

I was a lot er of bothering shi+ori with anything I did suppressed my wildness

As I expected, shi+ori was at Mass She sat near the front, with a serene look

I took azed at her I was moved by her peaceful look To me, shi+ori looked closer to God than the Father

Youko caoing to have a Christmas party

”Rei-chan said she baked soh to stop by, I think”

”Yes…”

I'll go if I feel like it, I told her, and I left her

”We'll be waiting”

Youko's voiced seeainst my back

Still wearing my indoor shoes, I ran to the sanctuary We'd , but I felt like I would see shi+ori there

shi+ori aiting for ainst the sanctuary

”Sorry to keep you waiting”

shi+ori looked up when I spoke, and she into ly naturally

”shi+ori?”

I was confused, feeling a mix of happiness and surprise, and I pulled her to the back of the sanctuary, where less people were to come

And then we kissed, and I don't know if one of us lead the other It was like ere cos that were too complex to describe ords

”I kept thinking of you, ere apart… even while I was praying, I kept thinking of you I didn't knohy it turned out like this… and I felt pathetic”

After cal About how she'd stayed at the principal's roo the break About how she met with her uncle, who came to Tokyo, and how they spoke about the future

”The principal figured out as between us, and she was greatly worried She was vehe a ht I shouldn't be with you, and I proain, but it was no good”

The da by a great wave, not knohere ould land It took our all to hold onto each other's hand, so that ouldn't lose sight of each other, no matter where we ended up

”What's going to happen to us?”

”I don't know”

But we knee'd be torn apart, at this rate We becahtly Feeling each other's war eren't alone

”shi+ori, let's run away”

I o That ould have to throay our current lifestyle and build ourselves a fresh home

”… What?”

”Don't worry, we'll be okay, I know it Let's live together, where no one can interfere”

”Live…?”

”Yes”

I asked shi+ori if she didn't want to If she didn't want to go with me

”Of course I wouldn't I'll go anywhere with you, Sei But-”

I placed er on shi+ori's lips

”We can”

There was no way of knowing if we can or can't without at least trying I didn't want to give up before we tried

”Bring the o now”

I wanted to run aith shi+ori right there and then I knew deep down that if we took too long, our resolve would wither Running away froht

But reality cae out of our uniforms to stand out less, and we had to find out where to run, and how rab my cash card

Paying heed to being seen, we decided to leave the ca with our belongings

”Okay”

shi+ori and I split up behind the sanctuary

”See you”

shi+ori waved her hand slightly and watched me return to the campus

See you

I'll never forget that smile

I whole-heartedly believed that I would see that sain, a few hours later I had no reason to doubt it

I arrived at theplace 40 minutes earlier than we'd decided

At the 3rd and 4th line platform of M Station We picked the closest point of the advance direction, so we'd see each other easily

shi+ori wasn't there yet

I backtracked a bit and sat down on a bench and looked at the ti There was only one set of stairs to get to this station, so shi+ori would have to pass by this bench

I even wore a wristwatch today, despite howtrack of time, and waited for shi+ori

But I didn't dislike the ti for shi+ori Contrary to that, I actually enjoyed it

We'd have to discuss where we'd go, first We'd put o without having to change trains, and think about the possibility of stepping off at shi+njuku Station or Tokyo Station, and as I s, the time we'd decided on came

I closed the ti It'd be a pain if h to e of underwear and my passport and identification, so I could just buy whatever else I needed

I lied, saying I was going to the Christmas party with the Yamayurikai, and left hoo be with my trusted onee-sama and Youko, ell-received by adults

Don't be too late, and have fun- Her send-off made me feel a bit bad

The orange-colored train stopped in front of ers, then sed other passengers and ran off toward the east In the space of a few minutes, I saw this scene repeat itself

So, square boxes Oh yeah, today's Christmas Eve The trees around the south-end of the station were decorated with lighting, and it looked brilliant, as if the normally plain scene had been brushed up with make-up

They knew the trains would be jaot off- I felt exasperated, and looked at my watch

Five twelve

(Christmas cake)

I hated the decorations, like the fir trees, the cabins, the angels, those things that embroidered Christmas cakes I also hated the chocolate plates that read Merry Christmas That's why my father always elected to order a cake weeks in advance, keeping in mind all of my dislikes, and had it carefully delivered

But we'd stopped doing Christo, h to eagerly await cake

Even when it became five fourty, shi+ori didn't show up

They'd picked the ti ample room to prepare So she was definitely late

Maybe the roads were packed because of Christot where ere supposed to meet

Just in case, I walked across the platform As I walked, I peeked into the first and second platform as well as the fifth and sixth platform, but there was no one like shi+ori

Maybe she was delayed by the principal Restless, I picked up the receiver at a nearby public phone I remembered the phone nu the break

Thinking they ht deliberately hide her from me, I used her classmate Sachiko's name But around four, shi+ori had politely told the out

Without dropping the receiver, I called her dorm If she'd left at four, she should be here by now Maybe shi+ori forgot so important and backtracked to her dorm

But shi+ori wasn't there But I found out she hadn't taken a quick leave, but had vacated the dorm completely

I didn't reo somewhere

Then, why?

She left her dor to go?

And where was she now?

Ti away, and it became seven