- Well, what should we do...

When I was invited to Aki's room, I sat alone in a chair while Aki went out for tea.

I'm so restless now that I'm in a room that I can't count anymore.

In the meantime, I'll stroke the cat stuffed animal that Aki adores in order to distract her.

Sure this is... something I gave you last year.

When he finished his studies, Aki always looked happy to hold this stuffed animal.

I guess I should have noticed how she felt then.

Truth is, I want to be happy around you or something, so I can make one of the girls close to me cry. Then there's too much...

"- Thank you for waiting..."

When the mood change was supposed to be dark the other way around, Aki came into his room after knocking on the door three times.

I have a tray in my hand, a cup that I was told was reserved for me and a cup that Aki always uses.

The expression on your face is still dark.

Even though this is happening because of me, I wanted Aki to feel better soon.

"What's school like these days? Have fun?"

"Right, they're all sweet and fun"

I tried to shake a topic that was not obvious, but apparently Aki had gone to school properly.

Aki is a serious kid, and I guess even if she was depressed, she wouldn't have taken the day off.

Looking at my desk, I thought I was studying until I got here because my notebooks and reference books were open.

Maybe that was to distract you, but if you're not less willing to study, fine.

Originally, I have the ability to get top grades in my studies even without me, and I'm starting to feel like it would fit better if I stayed out of your way.

"Well, I'm glad it doesn't seem like a problem."

"... I owe it to my senior year to be able to live like this..."

…………

I shut up about Aki's words.

Aki seemed to miss me somewhere - and stared at me with sad eyes.

I figure it out so I can take her hand at what she's thinking right now.

I'm sure you remember when we met.

"Do you remember the first time you talked to me...?

- Cockoo.

I snort silently at Aki's questioning.

You can't even forget it.

That's how shocking it was to meet Aki.

"I was terrified of my senior at first. Because..."

"I know, I don't know what I was told back then"

I robbed Aki of the continuation of his words and wouldn't let him say any more.

When Aki had just entered school, my rumors were flying worse than they are now in middle school.

Scared by students and teachers alike, it would be about awards and the student chairman at the time who has treated them equally.

Even the director of the football club must have neglected me.

If I didn't have the strength, I think I would have been kicked out of the football club long before that event (...) happened.

"It was the cliché of my predecessors who were in the Badminton club at the time that I couldn't come near them because they would be blackmailed if I had eyes for them."

I'm not talking about me as a senior in the Badminton club.

You're talking about my classmate or someone who was in third grade at the time.

"Book, there were terrible rumors flying around today."

Even if I just remember, I get a bitter laugh.

People's impression manipulation is a scary thing, and even if they don't remember themselves, someone just rumors about it, and they treat it as if it really happened.

Surely the beginning of the matter was when you cautioned against the insignificant third-year student who persistently leaned over to the chairman?

It was because he started spreading strange rumors that he would be scared at some point if he had been careful of other bullies or teachers who give unfair guidance.

"Seniors who were vice chairmen at the time were afraid of eye-catching..."

"... well, don't tell me that..."

I remember how rough I was then.

That's why I don't really want to think back.

To think of it, some of the rumors that were once made could not be said to be mistakes.

"Why did the senior seem to be vice chairman?

I guess my interest simply boiled down.

I've never told Aki why I was in a student council before.

I didn't tell you because I'm not even talking enough, but if this makes her feel any lighter, I don't need to hide it.

"Oh, the chairman forced me in half when I was a freshman. Sure, if you can study and exercise, be a model for your students."

The chairman was a very persistent man.

No matter how much I refused, I had to lose my roots after all.

Well, the real reason that guy was soliciting me seems to be because I looked like I was in danger when I made a mistake.

Looks like I thought I'd make some hell of a mistake if I didn't keep an eye on myself.

It was the chairman's graduation day that he told me about it.

That guy asked me to come to high school with him, but in the end I turned him down.

Somehow, because I thought if I went to that high school, I'd be in the same high school as that guy I hate.

If it hadn't been for that, I would have gone to the same high school as the chairman.

Like Chang and Aki, he was a good person to trust.

"Senior, you were close to the chairman."

"Really?... Well, that may be true, but in that guy's case, you were friends with anyone."

I wasn't close to the special chairman.

The chairman was bright and kind to everyone.

If you say so, you're like Aki and Charles divided by two.

There were bright, people-friendly sides like Aki, and there were adult, quiet sides like Shall.

There is no way such a person would not be admired by a student.

"Phew, is that right..."

"What are you looking at like you suspected? I really would have."

"Well, he was a good guy who was nice to me too..."

Aki agrees with my words, but doesn't look convinced of anything.

What the hell is wrong with you...

Is this also a form of jealousy?

But I really didn't have anything to do with the chairman...

"More than that, it was the first time we talked. Sure it was raining then?

In the meantime, if we keep talking like this, it's going to be a lot of trouble in another way, so I'll bring up the first time we talked about it.

Then Aki changed her mind, too, and she nodded and stared me in the eye.

"That's right. It's only been two months since I was in school, and when I was being bullied by a senior member of the club."

There were no more dark emotions in Aki's eyes that uttered the word.

I see you trying to face me properly with a serious eye.

I just found out that this was just a bluff.

I guess it was something I couldn't really talk about without being careful.

That's how heavy this story is for Aki.

I don't think this is important now that I brought it up on purpose, even though I don't want to remind myself of it.

I decided to stick to Aki's story.