Chapter 452: Fake (1/2)

Back to school in the new year.

In the classroom, Taiyou felt like people were looking at him.

Well no, he didn’t just feel that way. They were actually looking at him.

His classmates were clearly sneaking glances at him, saying something.

“I remember this happening before.”

Taiyou recalled when summer vacation had ended.

Just as he had been then, he was the center of attention today.

Just in case, he concentrated and searched for any abnormalities.

He thought there might be an enemy lurking among the students, but there was no such thing.

So he let it be.

But he still felt someone watching him, and he still felt the same way after school.

“Natsuno-kun.”

“Hm?”

Someone spoke to him as he was getting ready to go home.

When he looked up, he saw one of his female classmates standing there.

She went by the name of Mogami Rina, one of the more sociable students.

“Are you free today? Let’s go out someplace.”

“Go out?”

Taiyou puzzled over why she invited him.

The gaze he’d felt since morning felt like it intensified.

When he casually looked around him, Taiyou could tell that most of the classmates in the area were paying attention to their conversation.

What in the world was happening? Taiyou wondered.

“Sure, fine by me.”

But he didn’t think about it any further.

Rather than overthink everything, just plunge on in. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Nene.”

“””Yes.”””

The class began making some noise. He heard people ask “Nene?”.

Come to think of it, this might be the first time calling them this in public, thought Taiyou.

“I’m going to take a little detour today, so go ahead and go back with everyone.”

“””Understood.”””

He spoke to Nene before turning back to Rina.

In that instant, he could tell she was sullen.

That was only for an instant, and the next moment she was back to having her amiable smile.

“Kay, let’s go then.”

She said, linking her arm with Taiyou’s and walking out of the classroom with her taking the lead.

The hallway was filled with students returning home, and they looked at Taiyou and Rina with surprised expressions.

Taiyou questioned what exactly they were so surprised about.

He watched them before he and Rina exited the school.

Rina had a rather proud expression on her face as she walked with him, arms linked.

☆

After they hung around the station for a bit, the day was growing dim, so the two of them entered a cafe.

“Today was fun, huh?”

Rina said to Taiyou on the other side of the table. It was fairly enjoyable, so Taiyou agreed.

“Yeah, it was fun.”

“Natsuno-kun, what’d you do for New Years?”

“I went to the ocean.”

“Whaaat, why the ocean? It’s cold in winter.”

“I dunno, I think the ocean’s pretty fun in the winter too.”

He decided to leave out the part about going to an island under the equator, since it would have dragged things out.

“Wow, I’m jealous. I was just in my house and didn’t go anywhere. I mean, I did go visit a shrine for New Year’s but that’s it.”

“I see.”

As he talked with Rina, Taiyou kept on trying to figure out what her true intentions were.

He had never actually talked with her very much. They had always been classmates, but had only ever conversed once or twice, that was about it.