I'm getting tired of hearing the bell ring all the time, so from now on I'll just say recess has started. It's annoying because it reminds me of my alarm.
Something else bothers me more.
"Hello, sir. I forgot to do my homework." Going out with a group of girls is no excuse for not doing your homework.
Otsuki showed a certain pride when she mentioned her group of girls. She was either proud of Hina or Tsukiyomi, because someone who bullies a poor boy like that can't possibly have anything to be proud of.
"It doesn't matter if I miss one day."
I accepted that this would be a routine I'd have to endure until the end of the school year: Otsuki coming to my seat to say hello—or rather, to bother me—at the start of recess. He doesn't do that when classes begin or end, only when it's time to go out to the playground. It's misleading to say "go out to the playground" because I always go to my lair.
"And what's it to you anyway?"
"What else am I going to bother you with?"
"I feel sorry for Hina and Tsukiyomi."
Having to put up with someone like that…
Over the past week, I watched my carefully formed idea of 'Otsuki' slowly crumble, completely shattering by Saturday. I let it go at the time since she was with her friends, but I didn't expect her to act this way toward me. Too friendly.
Although friendly, she was the last thing I would have expected from the Otsuki I first saw.
"It's a shame I have to be with people so inferior to me."
"Now you're changing your character? What are you, a little princess?"
"With how spoiled you are, you're the little princess."
I grabbed my bag and stood up from my seat, unable to think of a better response. My golden age of messing with people seems to have come to an end; now all I can do is lose, lose, and lose.
Once he was up, Otsuki knelt in front of me to act as my guide. He assumed something that wasn't necessarily going to happen.
"I suppose you're coming with us?" She followed her sentence with another, though in a low voice. One I couldn't quite hear, "unless—"
"Who said I was going to be with you?"
I was thinking about something else during the last class, and I haven't given the question any thought since Saturday. My immediate answer would be a resounding no, but I could only say that if I were missing the ability to think. Which I haven't missed for a single second of the day.
From the moment Otsuki first came to my house, not a day went by that we didn't see each other without her trying to drill into my head that 'nobody cares about what happened,' and that 'nobody is going to bother me.' An attitude contrary to the one I had.
The two weeks I've been going to class have been pretty much the same, and I'm sad to admit that neither of us is right. I have extremely strong grounds for my point, but at the same time, Otsuki is right to say that I'm not going to die from hanging out with her. Now, we're afraid to say "her" in the plural. That would change things.
Even in anime and manga, it's rare for a guy to hang out with a group of girls unless it's a harem or he's a heartthrob. And don't even get me started on real life. I'm more worried about how unusual it is than the potential consequences, specifically because it's me.
But honestly, I've made so much progress that at this point I'm starting to not really care whether I do it or not. I know it's going to have consequences. I'll have to deal with them later.
As I've already said, I have other things on my mind that are more important to me.
"…Don't tell me now that you're going off on your own."
"Ugh, no. Okay, I'll go with you."
Technically my answer contains a 'no,' so I'll consider this a victory.
"…"
"Now's the time to celebrate."
"Another burden to bear…"
"But you invited me!"
Most of the class had gone outside; only those who wanted to eat in groups remained inside. Otsuki and I weren't among them. That's why we left the classroom before we caused any more of a commotion.
The hallway was about as crowded as expected. Not too crowded, not too crowded. After all, it hadn't been long since recess started.
A perfect environment in which to tell him my doubts.
"…I was thinking in class…"
"Yeah?"
Otsuki didn't turn around and continued walking beside me, a little ahead of me. I expected her to tease me a little more. I'm spoiled.
"Do you know the girl who switched seats with me? I don't know if I should thank her or not..."
"Isn't it too late to do that? They transferred you when you came back to class. Besides, I imagine she already knows. Nagatomo is even more shy than Natsuki, at least she seems to be. She'd never ask you for anything like that."
So her name was Nagatomo… No, that's not what I should be paying attention to.
He was right about how late it was to say something like that. You don't wait two whole weeks to thank someone; if you do, you've got a problem. And I don't want any more problems.
"But if you want to do it, it's not a bad thing."
"Didn't you just say it's late?"
"If you want to do it, better late than never."
We had already gone up to the second floor, where Hina and Otsuki's classroom was. At first, I thought Otsuki's reasoning was wrong, but perhaps I misunderstood what she said.
"I suppose you're right."
"Why did they move you anyway? Do you have vision problems?"
"Do you see me wearing glasses now or not? My eyes are as fresh as a daisy."
"So why?"
I can't tell you that…
They say avoiding one problem leads to another. I don't know who said it because I just made it up, but it makes me sound smart.
I'd have to make something up, like our tutor wanted to change her because she talked too much in class. Although I don't think she sits near her friends... if she even had any.
"You certainly took your time getting here, Atsumi. You didn't force poor Riku to come, did you?"
We reached our destination before I could even make an excuse. Hina will be remembered in history books as my savior. I'll have to return the favor someday.