“That’s right. I’ll do whatever I want,” Irie said with a smile, picking up Kotori’s lunchbox and placing it in front of her again.
She didn’t need it, though—
Grrr Kotori’s stomach growled.
“… … …”
“…Pfft. Guh!?”
Annoyed by Irie’s laughter, she punched him.
“Hey, Shiina! Good morning!”
After that, despite everyone ignoring Kotori, Irie continued talking to her. Even though she ignored him, he kept on. It was starting to get a little irritating.
Every morning, he’d greet her with a “Good morning!” He stuck to her side during lunch breaks and even after she quit her club, thinking she could go home alone, he insisted on walking her part of the way.
“Shiina! See you tomorrow.”
He always said that when they parted on the way home.
What does he mean by “See you tomorrow”? Is he saying he expects me to keep dealing with him tomorrow? How annoying.
Soon, strange rumors began to spread. Things like, “She’s doing compensated dating,” or, “She’s dating six guys at once,” or even, “She’s involved with a teacher.”
It was all ridiculous lies. Kotori wasn’t that kind of girl. In fact, she hadn’t even kissed anyone yet—she was still a virgin.
On top of that, her textbooks were being thrown into the trash, and her desk was being vandalized.
It was probably done after she had gone home. The first time she saw it, it really hurt.
But then Irie’s constant interference made it feel less important.
But that only lasted for a day. The next day, her textbooks weren’t thrown away, and the graffiti on her desk was gone.
However, Irie started falling asleep in class more often. Kotori had a hunch why but didn’t say anything.
After all, she thought he would abandon her eventually.
As those days went by, Irie also started getting bullied.
Risa and her group didn’t like that Irie was getting in the way of their efforts to isolate Kotori.
What an idiot… he’s walking right back into the life he had before.
Now, surely, Irie will abandon me too.
Of course, everyone just wants a peaceful school life. No one wants to become a target. Just like Miku.
Kotori knew this would happen. It was obvious. So, she didn’t feel sad or upset.
But her certainty was shattered.
Even though Irie had become a target for bullying himself, he continued to talk to her.
He was probably being harassed too, but he still acted like everything was normal, as if nothing had changed.
“Shiina, can you cook? What’s your favorite dish? I like fried chicken! Oh, by the way, I—”
“Shiina! Shiina! Look at this sweet potato dessert! Doesn’t it look amazing? Let me treat you next time… Oh wait, it was only available until yesterday.”
“It’s getting colder lately, huh? Do you wash your hands and gargle when you get home, Shiina?”
“Shiina, your hair... it’s really... beautiful. Do you do something special to take care of it? I really, uh, l-like your hairstyle, you know... h-ha…”
Itsuki Irie did not abandon Kotori Shiina.
And then, on December 22nd, the day before the end-of-term ceremony…
“I’m home.”
Kotori said, knowing full well there would be no reply.
She was always alone when she returned home.
There was no one else. Just Kotori.
Her parents were both working and hardly ever at home.
It was understandable—they had jobs to do. But still… she was lonely.
She cooked for herself, ate alone, prepared the bath, did the laundry—all by herself.
She made her lunch for the next day and went to bed.
A silent, empty world. All she felt was loneliness and isolation.
Time seemed to pass so slowly.
That’s why she hated being at home.
But Christmas was different.
Christmas was the one day her mom and dad came home.
Tomorrow, they would greet her with a “Welcome home” when she returned.
They would cook together, eat together, talk about everything that had happened, laugh, and fall asleep without realizing it.
And on Christmas Day, they would take her wherever she wanted to go, spend time with her, and focus all their attention on her.
Time would fly by in an instant.
Kotori lived for that day. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say so.
She looked at the calendar, excited about what was coming. She needed to get the ingredients for the dinner before the end-of-term ceremony.
As she daydreamed, her phone buzzed.
It was a notification from her mom.
“Oh, is this about tomorrow night’s dinner? Ah, Dad sent one too.”
Smiling to herself, she opened the messages.
“I have an urgent job, so I won’t be able to come home for Christmas.”
“It’s work. I won’t be back on the 23rd.”
That’s what the message said.
Huh… My mind went completely blank.
Mom and Dad… aren’t coming home?
“Well, I mean… it’s w-work, right? It can’t be helped… Haha, hah…”
Alone in an empty house, I cried.
I tried calling them, hoping to at least hear their voices, but they didn’t answer.
“Oh… I just wanted to hear their voices…”
December 23rd. After the end-of-term ceremony, my classmates left the school in groups, heading home.
For some reason, everything started to feel meaningless.
After all, no one would be home when I got back. Going home would only make me feel worse, make me more depressed.
…Maybe I’ll go to the rooftop?
Speaking of which, where’s Irie?
He usually comes up to me by now.
I glanced around the classroom, but he was nowhere to be seen. His bag wasn’t there either. Did he leave already?
Ugh, the one time he’s not around when I could use the company…
Wait, what am I saying? That makes it sound like I actually want Irie to be here.
Shaking my head, I started walking toward the rooftop.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a hole in my heart.
Dragging my heavy feet, I climbed the stairs and opened the door to the rooftop. There, I saw Irie, looking out at the sunset.
It wasn’t that he looked particularly cool or anything, but for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
I just stood there, silently watching him.
“…Huh?”
Irie noticed me.
“…I thought you finally left…”
I quickly looked away, trying to cover up my feelings.
Wait… that empty feeling I had just a moment ago—it’s gone.
“Did you come up here to watch the sunset too, Shiina?”
“…”
“I’ll be here for a while. What about you, Shiina? Want to watch the sunset together?”
“I’m going home.”
After seeing his face, I didn’t feel like staying on the rooftop anymore.
As I reached for the doorknob, ready to leave, Irie called out to me.
“Shiina!! See you! Uh, and… Happy New Year! Let’s… uh, let’s keep going next year too!”
“…”
Next year… huh.
As I walked through the school gates on my way home, my previously heavy footsteps felt surprisingly light.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand.
“Mom!?”
No way!
Is it possible? Could she have canceled her work plans?
Excitedly, I opened the message.
“I’m sorry, work’s really busy, so I won’t be able to make it to your graduation ceremony either.”
“…What?”
But you promised. You missed my entrance ceremony, so you promised you’d come to my graduation…
It was a promise from three years ago.
I stopped in the middle of the bridge.
This bridge is pretty high. If I jumped off, would Mom and Dad finally notice me?
No one pays attention to me. Maybe if I ended it all here…
“Shiina! See you next year.”
!!
Irie’s voice stopped me just as I was about to jump.
Why… Just when I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore, why is he always around me!?
“Why… Why is it that no one sees me, but you’re the only one who stays in my mind!?”
In the end, I wiped my tears and went home.
During winter break, as Kotori’s will to live faded, thoughts of death crossed her mind over and over.
She visited train stations, bridges, crosswalks—places where she thought she could jump to her death. But every time, Irie’s voice, Irie’s face popped into her mind, stopping her from going through with it.
On the first day back to school after the New Year, Irie called out to her as she walked to class.
“…Morning.”
When I responded, Irie looked genuinely surprised.
His face was so dumbfounded that it was kind of funny.
And then came the day of the graduation ceremony.
In the end, neither Mom nor Dad showed up. I finished the ceremony, feeling a deep sense of envy as I watched the other parents. Afterward, I sat alone in the classroom.
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