Chapter 5
This chapter was translated by yuugs and shizuumi and proofed by kuririn, yuugs, shizuumi, kittensparkles, and dei-hime!
One day...
The moment I opened the classroom door that morning, the students inside stopped talking all at once and turned to look in my direction. Even when I just stood up from my seat and started walking, I could feel everyone's gazes following me.
...Now that I thought about it… The atmosphere at Hakuo Academy had been sort of weird since this morning.
We were well into the new semester. The unforgiving chill of winter was finally beginning to let up. Since the start of February, I'd grown used to rubbing my shaking hands together while walking to and from school.
After completing the most arduous class of the week― Monday first period―I frowned, thinking about the odd feeling that had been growing since that morning.
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Classmate A: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um... Do you have a minute?"
Classmate A: ‘!! W-What is it, Yukimura? Oh, do you wanna tell me something? Whatever it is, you can tell me!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...No. Sorry. It's nothing, actually."
Seeing the jumpy, nervous state my classmates were in made me frown even more deeply. And it wasn't just my classmates, either. Everyone I passed by in the hallways, all the senior students...absolutely everyone had been acting downright strange since that morning.
Classmate B: "......"
I'd lock eyes with people, and they'd quickly look away.
Classmate C: "......"
The opposite happened, too. People would shoot me an earnest look whenever I said something inconsequential. Honestly, just what in the world was going on with everyone...?
And then, during the lunch break after morning classes, I just couldn't stand how everyone was staring at me anymore. I rushed out into the hallway as soon as the bell rang. When I first enrolled, I got a lot of stares as the only female student, but even so...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I feel like people are staring at me even more than they did back then..."
In the courtyard. In the corridor outdoors. I grabbed my bento and walked off, hoping to get away from all the stares. I looked for anywhere I could go where no one else would be around. The place I finally settled on was the quietest room in the school.
Chizuru Yukimura: "―Excuse me."
Keisuke Sannan: "Oh? What an unexpected guest to have."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Yukimura-kun? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, I feel fine, thank you. Actually..."
[time skip as she explains]
Keisuke Sannan: "...I see. You feel as though you're drawing even more attention than usual."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes. I may just be being overly self-conscious, but I feel like there's always someone who's looking at me. Is there anything...strange about me today? Like my appearance, or..."
Maybe I had bed-head, for example. Or maybe my jacket was buttoned wrong. As I spun once in place to show them how I looked, Yamazaki-senpai quickly averted his eyes.
Susumu Yamazaki: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, something must be out of place then, huh? Is it my clothes? Or my face...?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "No, there's nothing wrong with your face. You look as good as you alw― um, you look like you always do!" Yamazaki-senpai hurriedly shook his head for some reason.
Sannan-sensei smiled wryly and said:
Keisuke Sannan: "I haven't seen the situation firsthand, so this may be mere conjecture, but… could it be that all the students in your vicinity look restless and agitated?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ah, yes. Now that you put it that way, I think that's right. Someone nearly jumped out of their skin earlier when I called out to them. I wonder if I did something wrong without noticing, somehow...?"
Keisuke Sannan: "I suppose. You may be correct, in a certain sense."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh...?"
Keisuke Sannan: "Hehe, in short, you are at fault for being too attractive."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Whaaat...!?"
Keisuke Sannan: "I think you will come to understand what I mean soon enough. Isn't that right, Yamazaki-kun?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "...I do not understand why you're trying to drag me into this."
Sensei had called me 'attractive'... Could it be that he was teasing me...? I reflexively shot him a reproachful glare, but he showed no signs of noticing. He gave me a sweet smile and spoke again.
Keisuke Sannan: "Ah, more importantly, it seems as though you have yet to eat your lunch."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes. I couldn't stand to stay in the classroom any longer, so I didn't eat there."
Keisuke Sannan: "Well, then, why don't you eat here? It seems you brought along your bento."
I felt that he had deftly dodged my questions somehow, but… I decided that I'd take him up on his offer for now and gave a little nod. I ended up staying much longer than I'd intended to. By the time I left the infirmary, I had very little of my lunch break remaining.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm pretty sure that my first afternoon class is math with Nagakura-sensei..." Maybe it was because I had had a good meal, or because I had talked with those two, but I felt a little less anxious. "...But, for the time being, I need to find somewhere to kill a little more time."
Then, as I walked off, away from where math would take place, a huge obstacle blocked my path and my vision.
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Whoops! Where are you off to, Yukimura-kun? Don't you have math in just a bit? If you wanna skip my class, then I don't wanna hear about it!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, I wasn't intending to do that..."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Hm? Well, where are you going then? Toilet?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "......" Nagakura-sensei sometimes was a little...lacking in tact. "No, that's not it. Actually..."
[time skip as she explains]
Shinpachi Nagakura: "So your classmates are acting kinda weird, huh? I see."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Do you know something about it?"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Well, that's, you know… It's just that time of year." He folded his arms, nodding sagely to himself as he replied. "The day that men both dream of and dread… Valentine's Day!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh..."
I hadn't been consciously aware of it because there were still a couple of days left before the 14th, but now that I thought about it, it was already February. Valentine's ads usually flooded the city around now. That would more or less explain all the attention I had been getting since that morning. It was actually a bigger mystery that I hadn't noticed sooner...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "You're the only one in the whole school who can do something for Valentine's Day, Yukimura-kun. Who does the school idol's heart belong to? Anyone would be interested in finding that out."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Please stop. This is so embarrassing… Incidentally, how about you, Nagakura-sensei? You sound like you're excited for Valentine's Day."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Of course. This year, I'm definitely going to get chocolate from some beautiful ladies for once!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "'For once,' huh..." I was sort of wondering if he'd ever gotten any before, but I decided not to ask for the moment.
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Well, I think that there are tons of guys who are hoping to get chocolate from you, but… If you feel obligated to go around and give some to every one of 'em...no matter how much you have, it'll never be enough. It'll at least be peaceful around here until the 14th, so just forget about it for now! C'mon, let's head to class!"
After he had explained what was going on, Nagakura-sensei started walking, leading the way to the classroom.
Would it be easier for me to go back in if he was there with me...? I decided to follow after him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Valentine's Day, hmm..."
Now that he’d mentioned it, I realized I really did need to start thinking about it. The holiday was inching closer and closer.
‘What should I make this year...?’
My afternoon classes felt like they'd lasted longer than usual, but they were finally over. A feeling of freedom came over me as the final bell rang. School had finished for today. The moment homeroom ended, I left the classroom.
Thanks to the chats I had during lunch break, I knew the reason why everyone was acting like that, but that didn't change how uncomfortable it made me. On the contrary, now that I knew what everyone was expecting from me, I felt more and more like I couldn't stand to stay there a second longer.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Phew..."
As the sun began to set, the shadow of all those chocolatey expectations caused my face to fall. Soon enough, the day that gave women the courage to confess their love would roll around. A day where girls gave both chocolate and their hearts to the object of their desires, hoping to start something.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Who in the world should I give―" I was shaken from my thoughts by some sort of commotion going on right in front of me. "What's with this crowd...?"
There was a throng of people, all crowded around some sort of notice board affixed to the hallway wall. I spotted some people I recognized amidst the crowd and called out to them.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Amagiri-senpai, Shiranui-senpai!"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Oh, it's Yukimura-kun. Are you on your way home?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I was, but… What's going on over here?"
Kyou Shiranui: "Don'tcha think it'd be faster just to see it? Hey, you―move it or lose it!"
I stepped into the space Shiranui-senpai had made for me and began to read the bulletin aloud.
Chizuru Yukimura: "'Announcement― Beginning tomorrow, students will undergo random personal effects inspections for a week. Entertainment and gaming systems, as well as unnecessary food and drink, will be confiscated’...!?"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Starting tomorrow and lasting for one week. In other words, until Valentine's day. The perfect plan to eliminate any potential chocolate-giving."
Kyou Shiranui: "And the only person nasty enough to think this up… Well, you can take a guess, yeah?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Don't tell me...it's Kazama-senpai?"
Kyou Shiranui: "Naw, it ain't our boss. He's aiming for the opposite, actually."
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Yes. Contrary to this announcement, Kazama-sama is impatiently awaiting his chocolates."
Chizuru Yukimura: "So, if it's not him, then it's..."
???: "It hurts to be called ‘nasty,’ you know?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru...!"
Pushing his way through the crowd, Kaoru strode swiftly up to where we were standing.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru, what does this mean? Is this notice from the disciplinary committee?"
Kaoru Nagumo "Of course. It's our job to correct any disruptions to order within the school."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Why are you doing such a thing...?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Why? Isn't it obvious? If we take no preventative measures, the riffraff won't have a shred of shame coming to pester you for obligation chocolates. But if it's banned from the school grounds entirely, everyone will have to give up, right? You should be grateful to have such a kind older brother."
Chizuru Yukimura: "But, if things are like this now, if I happen to bring romantic chocolates, won't they end up being confiscated, too...?"
Kaoru Nagumo: “! ...R-...Romantic chocolate, you say? Hmph, well, say whatever you like. If I recall… You don't have anyone you want confess to in the first place, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Or...don't tell me you intend to confess to someone like Toudou or Okita, or even Saitou...!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I-I didn't say anything like that...!"
Kaoru continued to rattle off a rapid-fire stream of questions while completely ignoring my objections. How should I put this...? I had had no idea he was even capable of looking as frustrated as he did now.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Anyway, you're still too young! You absolutely can't bring any chocolate! Got it? You absolutely cannot!" Kaoru went to the trouble of reminding me twice before he briskly marched away. I was left dumbfounded in his wake and turned around to face Amagiri-senpai and Shiranui-senpai.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Amagiri-senpai, Shiranui-senpai. I'm sorry you had to see such a shameful display."
Kyou Shiranui: "I mean, I don't mind, but… What even was that?"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "It seems that the inner workings of an older brother's mind are just as mysterious as those of a woman's..."
After that, I parted ways with Amagiri-senpai and Shiranui-senpai and passed through the front gate on my way home. Even if I set aside the random inspections for now, I couldn't escape the fact that Valentine's Day was fast approaching.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I really don't have a choice. I need to start thinking about what chocolates to make… And the person I want to give chocolates to, huh?" My mumbled words turned to white fog as they left my mouth, floating up out of anyone’s reach in the pink sky.
Just one week left until Valentine's Day.
I wondered whether anyone would accept these sweet, aching feelings in my heart…
I wanted just a little more time.
But time still marched on regardless, and the days couldn’t very well get longer just because I wanted them to…
Before I even knew it, the calendar already read mid-February.
I spent my Saturday afternoon preparing for Valentine's Day, which was fast approaching…
I visited the Hakuo Academy cafeteria with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan over the weekend.
Sen Suzuka: "This is Hakuo Academy's cafeteria? I saw a little bit of it during the cultural festival, but it really is spacious."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Ours is a little bit smaller. Lots of people bring bento lunches anyway."
Usually, I was the only girl here, so it felt really strange seeing other girls in school like this. The two of them looked at the unfamiliar menu and grinned.
Sen Suzuka: "Look, Kosuzu! Doesn't this pudding sound delicious?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san, we're not here to eat or anything..."
Well, Kosuzu-chan was right. We didn't come here today to eat...
Genzaburou Inoue: "I hope you three weren't waiting long. Everything's ready now."
Chizuru Yukimura: "That must have been a lot of work, Inoue-san. Thank you so much."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "But is it really alright? For people who aren't students here to borrow your kitchen like this?"
Genzaburou Inoue: "You've already gotten permission, haven't you? Besides, you're from Shimabara Girls' High School. There's no need to be shy."
Sen Suzuka: "Well, we'll take you up on your offer, then… So? How about we get started? Time to make chocolates!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah!"
Genzaburou Inoue: "Now, I don't want to get in the way of you girls, so I'll stay in the back and leave you to it. You're free to use whatever equipment you need in the kitchen. Just be careful with the stove."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Sure thing! Thank you so much!" After thanking him, we first lined up all the ingredients we had brought in a row.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Fresh cream. Unsalted butter. Cocoa powder..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Wheat flour, eggs, baking powder..."
Sen Suzuka: "Chocolate to use, more chocolate to use. Oh, and some chocolate to use."
......
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Um, Osen-chan? Are you making a life-sized chocolate statue?"
Sen Suzuka: "Huh? What, Chizuru-chan, would you be the model for it?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "It's surreal to imagine that being eaten..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Absolutely not!"
Sen Suzuka: "Oh, boo... Well, we're not even making one big chocolate in the first place anyway. We'll be making lots of smaller ones."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san has a large circle of friends. She also needs to prepare some for her relatives."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ohh, I see..."
Sen Suzuka: "It must be nice for you two. You look like you're making chocolates to give to your special someone."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh!?"
Sen Suzuka: "Well, I don't know if you have anyone like that to give chocolates to, Chizuru-chan… But lately, Kosuzu's gotten close with that Ibuki-kun guy we met at the pool, see."
Chizuru Yukimura: "S-Since when...!?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "I-It's not really like that… These chocolates are just friendly ones..." With her ingredients cradled in hand, Kosuzu-chan's expression softened tenderly, her muttered protests weak. I felt a bit jealous seeing that, but I also found myself making a similarly fond face.
Sen Suzuka: "Now, then, how about we make those chocolates?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah! Let's do this!"
I wondered if I'd ever make such a tender face as I put my heart into what I made. But either way, I had to do my best making them...!
Before anything else, our first step was to warm things up. The chocolate we heated inside the bowl slowly started to melt.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Now, next is..."
With the chocolate's sweet-smelling fragrance, it was only natural that I was reminded of someone.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hmmmmm..."
Then again, no one person’s face came to mind, really… Maybe this meant that I myself didn’t quite get it yet. ‘Maybe I ought to give my chocolates to someone who’d helped me out this year…’
While I thought about that, at the end of the day… even with the tasty chocolates prepared, I wasn't even sure that I could bring them to school in the first place...
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hmmm..." Maybe I could trick the Disciplinary Committee one way or the other during the inspections...
Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan cocked their heads a little at me. Maybe because they realized that I'd stopped working at some point.
Sen Suzuka: "What's wrong, Chizuru-chan?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Nothing, I just don't know if I can bring these to school, even though I've made them."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "...What do you mean?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "The truth is..."
[Transition while she explains]
Sen Suzuka: "That's what the inspections are for...? What the heck!? That's so mean of them!"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "The fact they're doing it now means they're totally targeting Valentine's Day."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah..."
Hearing the situation, the two were infuriated. They stopped making their chocolates and looked ready to run over and give the Disciplinary Committee a beating right this second. I shook my head in a hurry at them.
Chizuru Yukimura: "C-Calm down, you two. It's already been decided anyway..."
Sen Suzuka: "But, isn't that just totally tyrannical!? Maybe if I go and give them a complaint or two..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san. You'd be sure to cause havoc if you did that, so try and bear with it. ...Although, even though it's definitely unfair, I feel like there is some point to it. Speaking practically, you have fewer boys to worry about wanting chocolates from you thanks to that notice."
Chizuru Yukimura: "You...have a point, but..."
Sen Suzuka: "Mm..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "You can't really do much seeing as it's already been decided, and if there's someone you want to give chocolates to, you could just do it on your way home, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah..." Honestly, Kosuzu-chan might've been right. Even if I wanted to give chocolates to someone, there wasn't any reason I had to bring them to school...
Sen Suzuka: "...I think that’d be a waste. I mean, Valentine's Day alone is a whole page in this chapter of our lives as high schoolers, right? There's meaning in giving chocolates to the person who you want at school, plus you'll make memories that way, too."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-Yeah... I guess that’s true too..."
Sen Suzuka: "If there's someone you wanna give them to no matter what, then this is the one chance you get this year! You can't give in to the rules!!"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "But I think it'd be really sad if you got your chocolates confiscated as a result."
Sen Suzuka: "...Well, whatever you end up doing, it’s all up to you, Chizuru-chan."
What was the right thing to do? I thought about that in the back of my mind as I finished preparing my chocolate dessert.
February 14th.
It was the day that gave girls who developed feelings for someone the courage to express them: yes, Valentine's Day, which came only once a year.
Despite that it was such a romantic day, I found myself sighing in my bedroom that morning.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Haah..."
I glanced at the parcel of chocolate I had wrapped on my table. Although I'd made them with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan for Valentine's Day...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I can't bring them to school, seeing as there are personal effects inspections going on..."
Osen-chan had insisted that I secretly bring them to school… but I had no reason to go so far as to break the rules to bring them in. I did want to distribute chocolates among the people that had helped me out so much, but I could also do that any other day.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I guess it's come down to this," I sighed as I made up my mind and went out, leaving my chocolates at home.
Even though everyone seemed disappointed that I didn't bring any chocolates… That also meant I didn’t cause a huge fuss either, and the day passed like any other day.
And so, Valentine's Day passed us peacefully by...
Valentine’s Day came to an end, and soon enough February too was coming to a close. It was then that a certain event caused a stir.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I guess Ibuki-kun's absent again today."
In fact, Ibuki-kun hadn't been to school for a week. I’d heard that the school had been contacted and were told that he was resting for health reasons. Maybe he’d come down with something really serious.
‘Maybe I should visit and see how he was doing.’
I’d tried texting him when I heard the news, but he hadn’t replied at all. He didn't reply all that much usually anyway, so I hadn't worried about it before, but now the radio silence was starting to worry me a bit.
Around that time, as expected, whispered rumors started to spread.
Classmate A: "...D'you think Ibuki's playing hooky or something?"
Classmate B: "No, it can't be. This is Ibuki we're talking about."
Classmate A: "But, y'know, he's pretty involved with a couple of guys from other classes in the year above us."
Classmate B: "Ohh, right. They found out he was the chairman's son around Christmas and all."
Classmate A: "Yeah, he's a pretty tactless dude, so it's easy for him to cause misunderstandings and piss off people off accidentally."
Classmate B: "Actually, I heard that someone saw him with some guys from other classes in front of the station when he's supposed to be resting. Maybe that did happen..."
I didn't want to listen to all the gossip going around, but I overheard them all the same. I myself had seen and heard some stuff about it, but they were only rumors...
What was really going on with Ibuki-kun?
It wasn't any surprise that I'd gotten a little worried, so I decided I'd go and check up on him while heading back from school.
I made my way towards Ibuki-kun's house...in other words, Serizawa-san's house, and spotted someone familiar walking ahead of me on the pavement.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Harada-sensei! Where are you going?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Oh, it's you, Yukimura. I thought I'd go and see how Ryuunosuke's doing."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Same here. Maybe we could go there together, then?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Sure, I don't mind. But..." having said that, Harada-sensei looked a little worried as he asked, "Have you heard from him at all lately?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Actually...I tried contacting him over and over, but my calls don’t go through, and he hasn't responded to my texts either. But if he's in a bad way and resting at home, then someone must have called the school to say, right?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah. Someone from Serizawa-san’s household called to say that."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...A week sure is a long time. I'm a little worried. Also...there've been a couple rumors going around class, actually."
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah, even I've heard them. You're talking about what happened at Christmas, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes..."
Sanosuke Harada: "You don't have to worry about a thing. They just got it a little twisted, that's all."
I hoped that was the case...
Either way, I decided to go to Serizawa-san’s house and find out myself.
As Harada-sensei and I passed through the gate, we heard Serizawa-san's voice coming from the garden. As we went to see what was going on, we bumped into Serizawa-san.
Kamo Serizawa: "What are you doing here?"
Sanosuke Harada: "...Serizawa-san. Perfect timing. We came to see Ryuunosuke. He's been out of school for a week. We were told that he was in bad condition, but I'm still worried, as you might imagine."
Kamo Serizawa: "Well, now... That dumb mutt's even pretending to be ill now, is he?"
Sanosuke Harada: "...Pretending to be? What do you mean by that?"
Kamo Serizawa: "I don't know either. At any rate, it's been a week since he went and left the house."
Sanosuke Harada: "Serizawa-san... I don't mean to pry, but what in the world happened?"
Kamo Serizawa: "Hmph... I told him to get out if he didn't like the way I did things. I didn't imagine that he would actually do so."
Sanosuke Harada: "This is just him getting back at you for what you said. You didn't catch onto even that much? Also, what have you been doing since he left? Have you even looked for him?"
Kamo Serizawa: "Why would I search for someone who left of their own accord?"
Sanosuke Harada: "He's still a minor. And you're his guardian. You're supposed to look after him!"
Kamo Serizawa: "...I don't recall raising a mongrel who only barks out his grievances without bothering to say what he does want. Harada, process his expulsion tomorrow."
Sanosuke Harada: "Hold on, wait just a moment! How did it come to that!?"
Kamo Serizawa: "School is where you go to learn. If he's on unpermitted leave, then the sooner he quits, the better."
Sanosuke Harada: "Serizawa-san!"
But Serizawa-san ignored Harada-sensei and walked past us and out the front gate. Then he got into a car that had been prepared for him and they drove off.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ibuki-kun won't... he won't really be expelled, right?"
Sanosuke Harada: "This is bad... If we can't find him and bring him back to Serizawa-san's today, he might actually be."
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'll call Heisuke-kun and ask him to help us search for Ibuki-kun!"
Sanosuke Harada: "Sorry, yeah, that'd be a great help. I'll call Hijikata-san on my end as well." To himself, he added, "Please. Come back, Ryuunosuke."
Harada-sensei and I started running towards the station where Ibuki-kun was last seen.
I split up with Harada-sensei in front of the station and searched for Ibuki-kun for a while, before...
Heisuke Toudou: "Chizuru! Did you find Ryuunosuke?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Heisuke-kun! No, we haven't yet."
Heisuke Toudou: "Right... I thought he was just absent, but he actually ran away from home?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I think he does have a good reason, though."
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, you're tellin' me. Anyone would if they had Serizawa-san as a housemate. Souji and Hajime-kun are looking for him now, too. They'll call as soon as they find him, so don't worry."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Okay..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Still, though, he's a proud one. If he’d only asked, I would've let him stay at my place, no problem… Anyway, let's search for him!"
After Heisuke-kun gave me some encouragement, we decided to keep searching for Ibuki-kun.
After that I parted ways with him, searching in front of the station. It seemed that Heisuke-kun and the others were looking elsewhere nearby.
But where could Ibuki-kun be...? What was he doing out at night when it was this cold...?
I stopped and looked over the cityscape under the dark sky, before...
???: "Um, could you give me some of this cardboard?" I heard a familiar voice from the store in front of me. "Man, I'm saved... My crib tonight's going to be brand-spanking-new. If I fold over this newspaper and stuff it into the cracks, then..."
I bumped into him just as he was coming out of the store.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ibuki-kun...?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...Yukimura?"
The moment our eyes met, Ibuki-kun looked about, then threw away his cardboard and fled.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Wait! Ibuki-kun!"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Leave me alone!" In the blink of an eye, his figure had shrunk into a pinprick in the distance. I couldn't catch up, even running full-tilt.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Haah, haah... wait, Ibuki-kun!"
‘...Oh, right!’ I had to... I had to phone everyone. I fished out my cell phone to call them. My fingers were clumsy, though, as I was still panicking and chasing after Ibuki-kun. ‘...What should I do?’
I'd lose sight of Ibuki-kun at this rate.... But just then:
Souji Okita: "Good work, but you can leave the rest to me. Make sure you call the teachers, Chizuru-chan."
Chizuru Yukimura: "O-Okita-senpai...!?"
Okita-senpai had appeared beside me, leaving me with that one phrase before he ran off. I stopped on the spot and called Harada-sensei like he'd told me.
Okita-senpai was alongside Ibuki-kun in a blink.
Souji Okita: "You've been causing quite the fuss. I suppose this is where I catch you."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Please! Just let me go!"
Souji Okita: "Let you go...? Really now, don’t let anyone overhear you talking like that. They’ll think I’m some kind of villain here."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I'm never going back to Serizawa-san's place!" Ibuki-kun yelled, before running away from Okita-senpai.
But then someone else blocked his way.
Hajime Saitou: "You don't know when to give up, Ibuki-kun. Come quietly and turn yourself in."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Turn myself in? I haven't even done anything!"
Hajime Saitou: "Not so. I heard you skipped school without permission, and you even planned to run away."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I wasn't missing without permission! The school was told I was sick and everything!"
Saitou-senpai and Okita-senpai cornered Ibuki-kun, but then he ducked into a side street and bolted.
He ran to the shrine where we'd paid our first respects of the year.
Saitou-senpai and Okita-senpai were still chasing him when Ibuki-kun burst into the shrine grounds.
Heisuke Toudou: "Surrender, man! We got policeman's rope to tie you up!"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Why the hell do you have rope!?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Resistance is useless!"
Hajime Saitou: "Stay still. Don't do anything stupid."
Souji Okita: "Hey. If you still feel like running… you know how it's gonna turn out, don't you?"
The three boys surrounded Ibuki-kun.
He seemed to finally resign himself to defeat, and sank t0 the ground where he stood.
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Ugh, nghhh... I-I understand..."
That was how, by my senpais' hands, Ibuki-kun was appreheー I mean, retrieved.
After that, Hijikata-sensei and Harada-sensei met up with us and we listened to Ibuki-kun's story. Just like Harada-sensei and I had heard earlier, after his argument with Serizawa-san, Ibuki-kun decided to take his advice and run away.
...It sounded like something he would do.
Sanosuke Harada: "So, what did you say to Serizawa-san?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I said I wanted to do kendo again...but he wouldn't let me. Then, he started hitting me, and before I knew it I was running out of the house."
Heisuke Toudou: "Man, Serizawa-san's just awful..."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Right? I didn't do anything wrong!"
Souji Okita: "Uh, just checking, here: you were the one who said you wanted to quit kendo, right? You also promised Serizawa-san you wouldn't do it again, yeah?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "A-Ahh... That's true, but... Huh!? Wait, how do you know that!?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Sorry. We overheard during New Year's."
Hajime Saitou: "I did think eavesdropping on you was in poor taste, but you weren't particularly quiet."
O-Oh, so that was what had happened. I had thought it was strange that they still hadn't eaten any red-bean soup at the time...but anyway.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um, Ibuki-kun. I'm sorry. I actually heard as well..."
Toshizou Hijikata: "I shut her up just as she was about to yell out to you. If you’ve got any complaints, you can take them up with me."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "What the hell. So you all heard...?"
Souji Okita: "But, you were doing all that 'cause you wanted to be stronger. Isn't that fine, then? Not that that matters at Shiei Hall. As long as you get stronger, then that's what matters."
Hajime Saitou: "I can’t agree completely with Souji. As long as you give it your best effort, it doesn't matter if you win or lose."
Heisuke Toudou: "Plus, it'd be fun to practice together. If you manage to get good as well, that's two birds with one stone, right?"
Ibuki-kun looked dumbfounded, staring at the three of them, listening to their lighthearted banter.
Eventually...
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "But people badmouth you behind your back about how good you are, don't they, Okita-senpai? Doesn't that bother you?"
Souji Okita: "Not really. People can say what they want."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "What if you learn that everyone's been tricked, not that you have any real ability yourself?"
Hajime Saitou: "That's when you should demonstrate your true strength."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "What if the obstacle...isn't me, but the fact that people only focus on Serizawa-san..."
Heisuke Toudou: "If that sort of thing happens, you can just ask Serizawa-san to say something, right?"
Ibuki-kun let out a bitter smile at what the three of them were saying as he responded.
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...Hahah. It might be fun doing kendo with you guys… But, I was the one who said before that I'd never do kendo again… Serizawa-san said stuff like 'What kind of man goes back on his word?' If I can't even keep my promises, then I'll always just be..." Ibuki-kun hung his head low as he mumbled.
Toshizou Hijikata: "What's wrong with taking back what you said? When you realize you’ve messed up, you should take back your words as many times as you need. But here's the thing. If you take things back, you need to have the right attitude about it. You need to make the distinction between owning up to your mistake and telling the other person about it. Have you done that?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "......"
Sanosuke Harada: "Serizawa-san was saying as much earlier. You can't just complain. Try talking to him properly one more time. You know what you have to say to him now, don't you?"
Having heard Hijikata-sensei and Harada-sensei speak, Ibuki-kun slowly raised his head.
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Yeah... I do. I'll apologize to him properly. Sorry, everyone...for making you do all this for my sake. And, uh... Thank you." Ibuki-kun declared this not only to the teachers, but also to all of us standing around him.
I believed that our teachers' and senpai's words had reached his heart. I was so happy for Ibuki-kun. But, beyond that… Everyone was absolutely wonderful for helping him out. They'd been desperate to do all they could to help a friend in need.
I felt...so proud, in that moment, to be a student of Hakuo Academy. So glad I’d chosen this school over the others.
Then, we accompanied Ibuki-kun to Serizawa-san's home.
It seemed that Ibuki-kun was going to give him a proper apology this time. Obviously, we hadn’t intended to be there when it happened, but with the way things went, we ended up accompanying Ibuki-kun all the way home.
We passed through the gate to Serizawa-san's house before we heard a loud voice coming from the garden.
Isami Kondou: "Serizawa-san. Won't you reconsider, about Ibuki-kun?"
Kamo Serizawa: "Hmph. Even if you came all the way from school to try and cancel his expulsion, nothing will change. You're wasting your time."
Isami Kondou: "I have a suggestion regarding that. Why don't you have Shiei Hall restored once more?"
Kamo Serizawa: "What would reviving that derelict dojo accomplish?"
Isami Kondou: "Because I believe our school...no, society as we know it needs its teachings. 'Be a proud warrior.' Now, more than ever, I want to impart that teaching upon Ibuki-kun. No, not just him. I want to teach all our current pupils that as well. I want them to become warriors by learning the way of the blade at Shiei Hall. A style of swordsmanship that prizes propriety and loyalty, devoted to sincerity and to training one's mind and body. People sharing a path and learning from one another, building their character from it… Those are the teachings of Shiei Hall. Couldn't you leave Ibuki-kun in my... No, in Shiei Hall’s care? Please!" Kondou-sensei bowed deeply.
Kamo Serizawa: "......"
Serizawa-san stared hard at him. When Kondou-sensei lifted his head, Serizawa-san addressed him quietly.
Kamo Serizawa: "The leadership of the older generation is needed to forge a path on which to guide youths. But I believe that today's youth naturally carve that path for themselves now. It is impossible for them to do well by merely mindlessly following the rules set by adults. Kondou-kun. Shiei Hall's teachings reek of antiquity in our modern society. However, there might be something to it that this modern society of ours has forgotten..."
Isami Kondou: "So...will you entrust Ibuki-kun to me, then?"
Kamo Serizawa: "That is a different story altogether. Harada should already have relayed my message about his expulsion. This is what that boy decided to do. To that end, any unsolicited meddling is futile."
Ibuki-kun, who had been with us until then, ran up to the two of them.
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "S―... S-Serizawa-san!"
Kamo Serizawa: "What, dog? You still want something from me?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Serizawa-san... I know I promised you that I wouldn't do kendo again when I quit of my own accord. But now I understand. I didn't listen to you well enough and decided to just try to get back at you for what you said." Saying that, he faced Serizawa-san, straightened his posture, and bowed. "I'm very sorry! Please! Let me do kendo again!!"
Kamo Serizawa: "Kendo, eh...? Because you want to grow stronger? Because you want to get back at me for back then?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "No. I want to try it again with these guys. I feel that, if I do that, I'll really learn… what it means to truly be strong, and to win, and to lose."
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Please! I'd like to do kendo once more!"
Kamo Serizawa: "This is the first time you've lowered your head and said all of that out loud." Serizawa-san's unusual tone had Ibuki-kun lifting his head. He looked away from Ibuki-kun and went on, "Kondou-kun. If you can give me results, you can try opening up that dojo once more."
Toshizou Hijikata: "Serizawa-san. Shiei Hall's teachings aren't about results. Kondou-san just said that it's not about winning or losing."
Kamo Serizawa: "I'm not talking about winning or losing. Are his teachings what Hakuo Academy needs… or what our world as we know it needs...? Show me results that answer that."
Isami Kondou: "Yes, of course."
Souji Okita: "Obviously, I'll be the one to show you."
Heisuke Toudou: "Hold up, hold up! I'm gonna be the one to show him!"
Hajime Saitou: "I will also assist with this."
Sanosuke Harada: "I'll serve as back-up, of course."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "You guys..."
People started speaking up one after the other, following Kondou-sensei's lead. Serizawa-san let out a small sigh at the sight of that unfolding before him, and then turned to Ibuki-kun.
Kamo Serizawa: "Ryuunosuke, I will cancel your expulsion. Do as you please."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Oh... Okay. Thank you, Serizawa-san."
Serizawa-san had accepted what Ibuki-kun had to say with an indescribable look on his face before he swiftly turned his back on us and vanished into his manor.
Heisuke Toudou: "Hell yeah, Ryuunosuke!" Heisuke-kun rushed over to Ibuki-kun, looking positively ecstatic.
Harada-sensei and Kondou-sensei were drawn in, too, as they rushed over with smiles on their faces.
Hijikata-sensei let out a sigh with a face that clearly said, 'Good grief.'
Saitou-senpai looked pleased in his own way, watching as everyone formed a ring around Ibuki-kun.
Then, though it came as no surprise to anyone… Okita-senpai grinned with mischief while he took a picture of the whole scene.
And I watched everyone looking so happy, being all together…
After that, Ibuki-kun came to school again.
Classmate A: "What happened? Why'd you miss out on school?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Hehe... Don't be too shocked when you hear. I trained so I could become a proper adult."
Classmate B: "Yeah, I heard. You rolled up some cardboard in front of the station and spent a week there, didn't you? That's some real intense training."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Sh-Shut up...! I didn't have enough money on me!"
That was pretty much how the rest of the class welcomed Ibuki-kun back from his absence, joking about the whole thing.
I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the boys, times like these.
After that, spring break arrived in a flash. That was when it happened: Shiei Hall, which had been shut down for so long, was being reopened.
Heisuke Toudou: "Maaan! It's finally spring break. Why we gotta get up and go to school so early?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I mean, we have to. They're opening Shiei Hall today."
Heisuke Toudou: "Let's say I did go ― they're obviously gonna make me do all the sweeping or something. It's times like these you oughta arrive fashionably late."
Chizuru Yukimura: "I don't think so, Heisuke-kun. Oh, look...it's Okita-senpai. Good morning, Okita-senpai!"
Souji Okita: "Morning, Chizuru-chan. Seems like you're up for joining us in Shiei Hall, then."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh... Yes. I’ve made up my mind."
Heisuke Toudou: "Huh? What d'you mean? You're not just visiting?"
Souji Okita: "Of course, she's now Shiei Hall's...or, really, my personal manager."
Heisuke Toudou: "I didn't hear about that!"
Souji Okita: "Of course the job of being Shiei Hall's manager would be left in a competent person's care."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hold on a moment! I accepted the position of being everyone’s manager, but I didn't hear about that..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Look, see! This sort of thing's just... Oh!"
Just as he was about to complain more to Okita-senpai, Heisuke-kun looked like he'd spotted someone and ran off.
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Heisuke Toudou: "Ryuunosuke! You heading to the dojo? Let's go there together!"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "W-What're you doing!? I-It's not like I said anything about heading there."
Heisuke Toudou: "Right, then why're you wearing your uniform and heading to school even though there’s no school?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "That's 'cause...I just have some stuff to take care of at school."
Souji Okita: "Really, now...? I wonder who it was that bowed their head and asked, 'Please, let me do kendo again!' Oh, yeah. I took a pretty good picture of that, too. Wanna see?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Uwaaaarrrghhh! Don't take photos of stuff like that!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Aw, c'mon, we'll be able to use Shiei Hall from now on, so we can all look forward to that."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "I told you I never said anything about that!"
Souji Okita: "You know, a rookie shouldn't be dragging his feet like this. Hurry and go clean up."
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "Huh? Rookie? You mean me?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Uh-huh. Of course you are. This is the first time I've had any kouhai below me in Shiei Hall, so I'm super excited!"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "H-Hold up. I'm not gonna be the only rookie there, am I!?"
Heisuke-kun and Okita-senpai bracketed Ibuki-kun on both sides as he tried to make excuses one way or another.
With nowhere left to run, Ibuki-kun kept complaining as the two of them brought him along, and we all headed to school.
Beneath the cloudless, blue skies...
The wind sent petals from cherry blossoms in full bloom dancing across the school grounds.
In front of the unwrapped sign board on Shiei Hall were...
Kondou-sensei, Harada-sensei, and Nagakura-sensei. Standing right next to them were Sannan-sensei, Saitou-senpai, and Yamazaki-senpai. Even Inoue-san and Shimada-san were there.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Good morning, everyone!"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...You came." Ibuki-kun took a step towards everyone, interrupting our greetings to each other.
Then, as if they were all waiting for him, everyone took a step towards him as well.
Isami Kondou: "I'm happy you came, Ibuki-kun."
Sanosuke Harada: "We were waiting for you. You were starting to make us sweat a little, there."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "I'll be training you with no holds barred from now on, Ryuunosuke!"
Keisuke Sannan: "Welcome back, Ibuki-kun."
Hajime Saitou: "What you've learned up until now is useless. Forget everything you've learnt. I will train you from the ground up."
Susumu Yamazaki: "You'll be fine even if you get yourself hurt. Rest assured."
Even Inoue-san and Shimada-san, who were standing behind everyone, smiled at Ibuki-kun's return.
Then, Hijikata-sensei appeared at the center of the crowd.
Toshizou Hijikata: "Doesn't matter that you're a rookie or that you're Serizawa-san's kid. You're not getting any special treatment here. ...Got it?"
Ryuunosuke Ibuki: "...Yeah. That's just what I wanted!"
The first gust of the spring wind blew that day.
The day that Shiei Hall was restored to Hakuo Academy.