CH 47

When I opened the door to the rooftop, a strong light stimulated my eyes. I covered my eyes with too much glare.

The sky was clear and it was a perfect day for a nap.

What kind of a person would jump off the roof on such a day?

But there was something strange.

What is strange is that the rooftop of this building is usually locked, and you are not allowed to enter. Only a few privileged people are allowed to do so.

……That’s a lie, but it should only be someone who has been specially lent a key by the teacher. ……Was there anyone else besides me?

I checked the direction of our classroom and looked that way and saw someone sitting there.

It appeared to be a female student, judging by her uniform.

I kept walking in the direction of the student. I walked in the direction of the student and came up behind her.

The student was cowering and didn’t react at all when I came up behind her.

……What should I do? What should I say to her?

I’m sure she’s the one I saw in that futuristic …… vision earlier, right?

“…… Who?”

I was puzzling over this for a while, and then a female student finally sensed my presence and turned around and our eyes met.

The girl with glasses, who had her hair tied up in two buns and looked somewhat innocent, looked at me suspiciously.

“Ah, it’s nothing suspicious.”

“….. That’s a standard line that suspicious people say, isn’t it?”

“….”

Indeed.

“What are you doing here?”

“Nothing, really. It’s none of your business.”

Very cold. She seems to have closed her mind like the previous Asagiri. Rather, it’s not the kind of thing to blabber to someone you just met and don’t even know.

“And I’m the one asking the question. What are you doing here? I thought this place was supposed to be off-limits.”

“Uh, yeah.”

I saw someone fall from the roof. Probably you.

What can I say?

“I came here to skip class because it’s a beautiful day.”

“I see.”

“You skipping class, too?”

“……similar. I’m a little tired.”

“Don’t be too hasty.”

“Hahaha. I wouldn’t do that.”

“…it’s okay though.”

The girl smiles for the first time. I don’t think I said anything funny like that.

Then what was that thing I just saw?

But still, such a serious looking girl skipping out in broad daylight. I guess I shouldn’t judge people by their looks. Like Fujibayashi.

“Is something bothering you? I can–Nothing”

No, no. I was about to ask her if she was troubled like I was with Asagiri. I don’t get involved in troublesome matters. This should have been my heart. Lately, I’ve been getting involved too much. I have to be careful.

…. but I don’t want her to jump off the roof.

“Troubles? Nothing in particular. Nothing pressing at the moment.”

“I see. Well, that’s good. Oh, and if I fall off this thing, it’s not going to hurt, is it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, I’m talking about this one.”

“I see.”

I lightly nailed her, but she did not respond well. So it’s not a jump, it’s an accident. The first thing that comes to mind is that the person who was killed was a victim of a fall.

If so, then the time seen in the future has already passed, so it is safe to say that such an unfortunate future has been prevented.

I had achieved my goal.

I stood up.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just thought I’d come back. I’m a visitor you know.”

“I don’t mind though”

“I do.”

I don’t mind talking to other people, but it’s nice to be alone.

“I think you should get back soon too?”

I don’t know what’s going to happen after the time I’ve seen in my future vision. So I said that just in case. ……

“It’s none of your business.”

I got angry. That’s certainly true. I shrug my shoulders at her words and turn to leave the rooftop.

“Um…”

Then, a voice called out to me from behind. I was a little nervous because I hadn’t expected it at all.

“What?”

“May I ask your name?”

Surprisingly, unexpectedly. She didn’t seem to be interested in me at all.

“Ah, Ito Arase. I’m a sophomore.”

“Oh, you’re a senpai?”

“Why are you surprised?”

“Somehow, I thought we were classmates.”

So this girl is a first-year student.

I wonder if I look that young, as I did with Fujibayashi. I am often mistaken for a first-year student.

“I’m a senpai, so you can be nice to me you know.”

“I’ll think about it.”

The answer came back to me, as if she had no intention to do so. Well, I’m not the type of person who cares about hierarchical relationships, so I don’t mind.

My name is Mitani Yuyuko.

“…… Ah. Mitani-san. Nice to—“

“I won’t say please to meat you, but just in case.”

Before I could finish, I was covered ……. So it’s a self-introduction just in case, huh?

It seems that Mitani-san doesn’t intend to be friendly with me. I’m not looking for that much either, so it’s fine, but there’s such a thing as social pleasantries.

“Then…..”

I had nothing more to say, so I turned on my heel again and left the rooftop.

When I returned to the classroom, the teacher asked me, “Did you have a stomach ache? Or were you just picking on someone?” I was laughed at.

For some reason, I felt the pressure of the stares from next door increase.

◆

“Weirdo.”

I saw Senpai, whose name was Ito Arase, off and sat on the rooftop again.

I didn’t know what he was up to, if anything.

What on earth was the purpose of him going out of his way to talk to me? After a short conversation, he left.

“He said he came to skip school, but …… I guess I was in his way. But he was pretty easy to talk to.”

It’s rare for someone to be that easy to talk to for the first time.

“Phew,…….”

I take off my glasses and hold my eyes. Even glasses are kind of tiring if you wear them all the time.

But if that strange senpai hadn’t come, maybe I would be now ……

“Fufu. I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”

I looked down at the ground spread out in front of me. It was just a momentary lapse of imagination. What would happen if I jumped down from here when senpai came just then? That was what I was thinking.

In that sense, senpai might have saved my life.

“I think I’ll spare senpai here and just go home with an open mind.”

I could have stayed here forever, but I wasn’t in the mood for that today.

I thought that if I saw that senpai again, I would somehow want to talk to him.

I left the rooftop and returned to the classroom at the end of class.

When I returned to the classroom, I found a vase of flowers on my desk.

As I froze looking at it, I heard a giggle and a laugh coming from somewhere.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw the girls looking at me, frozen in place, without any pretense of concealment.

It’s …… silly.

I took the vase and put it on the desk of the girl who had just laughed.

The girl saw this, her face turned red and angry, and she lunged at me.

“Hey, can you please stop being such a simpleton?”

Oh, it’s really boring. Every word that reaches my ears is offensive. What the heck is the point of being a simple person, or not being a simple person?

When I responded in a reasonable manner, the angry shouts only increased in volume.

All the other girls and boys pretended not to notice.

I was not the most popular person in the class.

But it didn’t matter.

“Listen? I don’t want you…”

I was thinking about something else, despite the abuse I was getting from the girls in class.

I’ve taken a little time off from streaming , so I’m going to have to do it more often. Let’s talk about the strange senpai I met today- I was thinking about something like that.