Vol 2 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3 - Happy Days

Musical notes flowed into the court

It was a slow yet articulated melody

“It’s from the hall, I think”

shi+ori looked at the side building between the school buildings

“Yeah”

I also turned to that building

I didn’t know the details, but a famous man built this classical hall, and it had been the only building re here after the re-installo

“balls are being held there recently They’re practising, I guess”

“Oh, yeah I saw tables and table clothes being moved inside They should be materials for the ball”

“Seems so I don’t really have much interest in balls anyway”

“Because you’re a transfer student, Yuichi-senpai”

“I think it’ll be the same even if I’m not”

The ball is free to join, but it’s a scheduled event in school Nayuki told me before Still, lofty words like balls felt far from me

“I want to join the ball My sister told reat”

“Did your sister join the ball herself?”

I continued, carefully avoiding fro her sister’s name

“No,” shi+ori said, shaking her head

“She only had a gliowns The chandelier on the ceiling twinkles It’s like a dreamy world”

shi+ori said, indulgingly, as if she saith her own eyes

“So why don’t you join the ball?”

“Oh…”

My question caught her back from her fantasies She lowered her head in embarrassment

“I-I can’t”

“Why not?”

“Evening gowns don’t suit me”

shi+ori fingered around her cape, looking down at her fingers

Should I tell her that evening gowns do suit her?

But I could feel that shi+ori could s intention

“Well, own”

I pretended to make a joke

“Why do you have to state those things I’m sensitive of?”

shi+ori moved her eyes to me

“Do you mind?”

“…a little, yes”

shi+ori’s face reddened to the question Her pale lips contracted; when it opened again, she would speak her usual phrase

“I hate people who say things like that the most”

Look, I said so

“Yuichi-senpai, please don’t laugh!”

“Sorry I no you also have norirly troubles”

“Of course”

shi+ori pushed a bit her small chest, which seemed to be the roots of her anxiety

“Hey, you still have next year and the year after Maybe you’ll grow taller, and your breast bigger Then you can join the ball with good reason”

“Next year…”

“Yeah Next year Height aside, won’t it trouble you if a miracle doesn’t happen to your breasts?”

“Miracle”

“shi+ori”

I thought she was still angry, but with a closer look, I saw she showed a face of looking someplace far away, a face she hadn’t shown for some time

It was a face that depressed me

“shi+ori”

I called to her again, placing my hand on her cape, for if I didn’t, I was afraid she would just vanish off to so I once had

“Sorry”

Nevertheless, shi+ori just reverted to her usual smile

The radually left us

“Lunch break is almost over”

shi+ori looked at the school hung in the centre of the south-wing school building Usually, she would never look at the clock before the ending bell

“…so, see you tomorrow”

That was all I could say After that, shi+ori save a bow, and left

We didn’t pro day Besides, I didn’t ask her about her sister, so she shouldn’t be bothered by this Her smile, before she left me, was the same as ever

Still, it disturbed me that she didn’t say ‘see you tomorrow’

Toht, shi+ori?

Facing her back, I wished s would be sent to her

The following day, listening to the melody from the hall, I spent my lunch break in the court by myself

It was the cold Her cold worsened because she went out every day If I had disciplined s wouldn’t have taken this turn, I told myself

There was so about her weird behaviour yesterday, but even if I recollect our conversations, I couldn’t find any problems within

When the ending bell rang, I shi+vered in the penetrating cold, walking back froirl I hadn’t seen before

The ribbon on her uniforreen, so she was a junior

I didn’t knohat she was doing, since this corridor only leads to the court, and I decided to pass through her, having no interest in striking a conversation with her

“…Um”

But the girl called for me instead

“I have rubbed off the dirt before co in”

“I’ committee member”

“So you’re a volunteer”

“No”

The girl looked helpless, so I decided to wait silently for her to proceed

She then gathered her thoughts and spoke, “…well, are you the person who always stay with Misaka-san in the court?”

“Misaka…you mean shi+ori?”

“Sorry, I’m not sure of her name…I have only spoken once to her”

“If you’re talking about the girl ears casual clothes and stays with me, that’s shi+ori”

“Okay, right”

“Hey, could you possibly be a discipline co casual clothes”

“Why are you always trying to make me a committee member?”

The girl looked even more helpless now I furrowed my brows and scratched my head

“So, who are you?”

“I’m Misaka-san’s classmate”

“If you’re her classmate, you should knoell she’s on a sick leave because of a cold? She cauess”

“Yes…a cold?”

The girl cocked her head,a doubtful voice

“Isn’t it a cold?”

shi+ori did say it was a cold, or perhaps a common flu But it didn’t really matter which it was

“I don’t know the reason for Misaka-san’s absence…but…”

Sheat the floor, loss for words I tried to use a gentle tone

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me what you know?”

“…all I know is that ever since Misaka-san ca ceremony of the first semester, she hadn’t come to school any more”

…

Determined that she had a cold, I was struck speechless

“On the first day of school, the person who talked to me because I was too nervous to talk with anyone was Misaka-san She was slireat if she could be my first friend”

My heart was throbbing, noisy as hell

I suppressed the pre my heart

“Even the teacher remained silent about Misaka-san’s absence But I orried…later, when I saw her through theby chance, I thought it was a dream But when she came every time at the lunch break, I…”

“You want to ask what it’s all about? shi+ori being with me and stuff”

The girl nodded

“Is she really having a cold?”

“That’s what she says”

“…”

I couldn’t discoirl worried about shi+ori I assured her with a setic now I’m sure she’ll be back to school soon”

“…I guess so”

“Thanks…though it ht seem weird for me to say this, I’ll tell her next time I see her that she has a friend worried about her”

“Thank you”

The girl smiled covertly

“Please tell her I’ll be waiting to meet her at the classroom”

“I’ll be sure to do that”

Giving a bow si the corridor

Let alone running, I was not even in the mood to return to my classroom

Alone, and suppressing those rushi+ng pre crushed

With unsteady steps, I went to the tuck shop that was about to close and bought an ice cream

After that, I went to the court and ate that myself

It wasn’t nasty, but it was cold, and no one would have a single idea why someone would eat ice cream here

But I couldn’t stand my inner tension if I didn’t

When lessons were over…

“Is Kaori here?!”

“Woah Why didn’t you come to the lessons just now, Yuichi?”

I was sorry for ignoring Nayuki, but I was too drained to answer her I directly headed to Kaori and said, “What’s shi+ori’s condition, actually?”

“…what do you mean? Who’s shi+ori?”

Kaori said, tensed

“She’s your younger sister Why do you have to pretend you don’t know her?”

Driven by impulse, I clutched her wrists and pressed on “Hey, what are you doing?” Kitagawa asked, while Nayuki said in a bit of fear, “Don’t be so loud, Yuichi”

“Didn’t I tell you before I didn’t have a sister?”

Still, Kaori’s face was stiff

I glared her, staying still; she didn’t move her eyes away from me either

“Kaori…”

Nayuki pulled Kaori’s sleeves

“It’s fine Nayuki, you have club activities today, right? It’s tio”

Kaori s to tell to Kitagwa, “Don’t you have a part-time job today? You’ll be late if you don’t hurry”

Nayuki and Kitagawa kneell that she wanted them to leave

“Okay, I’ll go”

“Please don’t fight”

The two of them turned around and left the classroom

Kaori and I were the only ones left in the classrooone to their respective clubs or returned home

The classroom was silent and still

Kaori suddenly stood fro beside my seat, where I could look at shi+ori’s usual position and the bench we sat on

Maintaining a suitable distance froh the s like her

There was no one at the court Refraining froh I don’t have a sister…”

“…”

“…can I ask you so?”

Kaori’s tone was lifeless

“What?”

“Aizawa-kun, do you like that girl you call shi+ori?”

“…”

Kaori still looked only at the court, as if there was so for there

“…perhaps”

I told her honestly

“I believe that’s a yes”

Perhaps it began froirl with snow on her head, at a loss, it turned this interesting encounter into a heart-stirring instant

When I saw her at the court, I thought it was a dreairl

Eventually, this girl entered my heart as a formed body named shi+ori

Now, her single day’s absence had made me lost my usual cool, my heart wild and worried

“…I see”

Kaori leaned on the glass with her forehead, her beautiful wavy hair fluttering on her shoulders

“I don’t know shi+ori think of h”

“…”

“So I’m worried about her Not only her condition, but also because she was sadly hated by her ‘loving sister’”

Kaori’s shoulders twitched, but she still kept her eyes away from me

“That’s all I want to say Itto you if you don’t have a sister I’ that has nothing to do with you”

And thus I left the classroo her alone

I spoke as though I had soreat reason, but if shi+ori still didn’t come to the court tomorroouldn’t knohat to do after that

The following day, the school was boisterous since the

The usual desolate hall was now decorated beautifully and glamorously to make its occasional appearance remarkable Many students walked by with heavy suitcases Thoseinto for the afternoon ball

Those that wouldn’t join the ball were excited to look forward to the half day off because of the activities

“Forget it If no one is listening, there is no reason to continue Let’s end here”

Sighing, the teacher closed the textbook And thus we had free time to our disposal

Everyone was engaged in ti conversations: “The student council would pull off a good ball this year”, “This is a good chance to look at well-dressed boys and girls,” and the like, while I was resting my chin on my hands sullenly

“Yuichi, you’re not joining the ball, right?” Nayuki invitedeither, and since I don’t have club activities today, why don’t we go to the shopping district together?”

I know a shop that sells delicious strawberry parfait, Nayuki said, s

“No…Not today”

“What a pity”

“Let o with you, Nayuki”

Kaori patted Nayuki’s shoulder

“Kaori, aren’t you joining the ball?”

Kitagawa asked, holding a bag, seee his clothes

“Why aawa Have fun”

“Mm, okay”

Kitagawa looked lonely

“Yuichi…”

Kaori said flatly at Nayuki to discourage her from worry, “Let those sullen people run off to places like the court and hide themselves”

“Kaori, did you really not have a quarrel with Yuichi?”

“No, we didn’t”

I answered in Kaori’s place and stood up It was disco for both of us if I stayed this cheerful place

As what Kaori had said, I decided to hide myself at the court

I still didn’t see shi+ori the day after that day

Perhaps she would never coe in the short memories I had With that in mind, I opened the steel door to the court

And…

“You’re late, Yuichi-senpai”

For a irl at the corner of the court was looking at me with a smile She hadn’t vanished

“shi+ori…”

I sed the tre voice that would embarrass myself Onand running to the young girl

“I was absent for two days, so I don’t really have the right to repri late, I think”

“What happened in these two days?”

“I didn’t feel really good”

“Is it better now?”

“I haven’t fully recovered yet…”

But I came because I want to see you, Yuichi-senpai

I i and let myself swim in joy

Unfortunately, shi+ori h all the trouble to let me come here and see her

Still, I would never know, and nothing was ht now

“The ball is about to start after all those preparations”