Love Story in College

Chapter 12

Tada Banri bowed his head to Kaga's parents.

And then I .. backed off to get a broader view.

I am a ghost, dead, but the living ordinary humans are forced to retreat from this point as well. This woman, Kaga Kouko. He must be a rather important person.

Anyway, tonight's capture is a sight to behold — Pasting my ghostly face into it, I enjoy myself to the maximum in other people's matters. What happened in the last few hours is relevant even to me.

That was about two hours ago.

With horrific offences: drinking while still a minor, even stealing a bicycle, he is interrogated in a room at the police station. Banri was with him too. And then, inevitably, as the guardian spirit of Banri, I am also with them.

Separated from Kaga Kouko by the few female policemen guiding her, she walks uncomfortably under the cold fluorescent lights and is taken into a room with several small couches wedged.

The room didn't look like "for criminals," even the door opened a little. Even though it was midnight, there were people rushing in and out, and noisy offices nearby. It seems to be a space for meetings.

He was told to wait there for a while. No, long enough.

To the point that the picture of doubt, looking around nervously, Banri had become an incarnation of nervousness, jumping even when he was given tea. Before long, one after another, a group of rough-looking middle-aged men in wind jackets, punches, and a radio firmly attached to their hips appeared, saying, "Yes, well." They passed them the paper and told them, "Write it clearly, okay?" Created to write his name and address, in one breath his luck faded, his nervousness returned and he began to tremble.

So that's how it is. Even he was nervous. Scared, even. Will this signed document remain for the rest of his life? Wouldn't this haunt him when he went looking for work? He was caught like that when suddenly and frighteningly, the ringing of the incoming phone echoed on the floor.

'Errr,' Banri's mouth opened and a weak voice came out. His face turned into a faint smile.

"Has he been arrested …? I, I, I mean, well, even though I'm to blame .. because, maybe …"

With no one sitting on the sofa facing him, the old men — police officers at the peak of their lives, bent down to stare straight at Banri's face. Banri, in desperation, spoke as honestly as possible.

Together with his classmates from college, even though they are still underage, prefer not to drink liquor. In retrospect, it was a disaster. There were problems related to her memory loss, and stress in the previous days. Perhaps persuaded by his drinking habits, he ran outside into dangerous streets. Kouko Kaga, before causing her own accident, desperately chases after her to ensure her safety. However, unable to keep walking, ask for a bike for a while, or rather, borrow it. The result turned out like this.

They have caused a lot of problems, both for bike owners, and for society in general.

"… Really .. I'm so sorry …!"

While drowning on the sofa, leaning forward, Banri suddenly lowered his head. It might get really bad if he told them where they were drinking .. Of course, no one noticed me, anxiously on Banri's side. With respect to the responsibility for underage drinking, even clubs may be involved.

'Hmph,' they couldn't see his emotions, but his voice sounded strange, and one of the police officers nodded.

Created to write down his address and phone number in Shizuoka, his parents' mobile phone number and his hospital name on a new piece of paper, Banri's hand held a vibrating ballpoint pen with embarrassment. He was calm, but the hand holding the paper shook, and it became as cold as mine. If this body had substance, my hands would definitely sweat like crazy. With the form in hand, the police officer left the room.

And then, as a bit of time passed, he saw two shadowy human figures rushing towards the door that was still open. Hearing footsteps, Banri's face and face both rose, but by then nothing was in sight. He realizes they are talking about Kouko, something and 'idiot'. He wonders if they are Kouko's parents.

At that moment a policeman put his head in, "No Mari, no. Banri. Your parents are already heading here." — 'Really !?' My yelling. Regarding the fleshy Banri, he stared at the ceiling in silence and covered his face with his hands. He slid off the sofa, falling onto the carpet as if he was kneeling.

Even his parents have been called …

By car? With a bullet train? No, it doesn't matter which one, or how they do it. Aaaahh. It got there, he thought.

Their son: causing such trouble, almost dying (almost like me), worrying that they are sick, untrusted and sent to Tokyo, is currently being detained.

How badly do you have to disappoint your parents, Tada Banri? Or rather, I.

However, just minutes from that information, the same (apparently) police officer reappeared,

"Your parents, they're back."

"…Him right!?"

This time, Banri got off the sofa.

With the sudden appearance of her parents, it can be said that Kaga Kouko's release from custody has been completed. So, without blaming anyone, coming home quickly, he would not drink again until he was an adult.

If he can hear, the high school survivor in filing his case for reimbursement has demanded "the most generous settlement", to speak. And what's more, it belonged to his friend, Banri, the guarantee of special consideration for his so-called memory loss was dismissed. What's more, it seems to have been a big consideration. Kaga Kouko, too, is very reflective of his actions.

And even more so, his parents were highly respected doctors in the area, and as a prominent member of the Men's Club have contributed to the community over the years. They said that they will closely watch their daughter's behavior from now on.

Under such circumstances, it would be a miracle if he were to descend with just a light reprimand, and so on.

The Kaga household followed right behind the police, and after leaving the lobby they finished. Banri stopped without thinking, and I collided with his back. It hurt, I tried to tell the back of his head, but of course there was no answer.

He said, "We are so sorry. Our daughter has caused you so much trouble," their bodies bent almost twice as much, repeatedly bowing their heads, her parents seem to be much older than hers, but their clothes showed excellent taste. Ordinary middle-aged men and women around here — let's say, for example, Tada Katsuhiro or Mieko-chan — obviously come from a different class. It was clear to the eyes of anyone, and to the eyes of spirits.

And then, behind the two of them, there was Kaga Kouko.

His head hung sadly, his torn knee had been repaired with a bandaid. The flower-patterned chiffon mini dress is dyed dark, and the bandage can be seen on her white elbows and cheeks, visible through the cracks in her long, falling hair. His high heels were hung on his hands by their straps, and on his feet were sandals. Without a heel, he was shorter, and looked extremely desperate.

"Kaga-san! You're okay !?"

Banri spoke without thinking.

That was at the time.

Pffts. Making an impolite sound, the lobby automatic doors opened and the night wind blew. Kouko's long, swirling hair was blown upwards in a whizzing sound, like something from a feminine promotional video. From there, everything went slow.

He found Banri, and twice, three times, shook his disheveled hair wildly, and posed — squinting as if looking into the distance and opening his lips halfway through, he said, she held her disheveled hair back from her nose lightly with one hand while gently biting her little fingertips. With the gentleness of a panther she twists her waist, puts her other hand to her hip, and then, she turns her other hand around,

"Mon bien-aime."

He whispered. Imminent. With delight.

Lahoo! Banri suddenly exploded superbly, splashing and spraying all over his body. Draining my strength, I fell to my knees. Kouko's mother pulled her tight with a belt attached to her dress, as if it was a rope.

Kouko snorted once as she pulled back trying to get close to Banri, but she was not bothered.

Again posing ... at a 45 degree angle. Repairing her hair while smiling. Bending his crooked body, he spoke, his wet eyes glittering. His chest, pushed by his arm, rose suddenly as if being pushed out.

"Don't it feel like we've had a meeting with the family?"

That the police did not stop him may have been due to his fist speed, or unwillingness to judge. Kouko's father's right fist knocked on the back of his daughter's crazy head. Crack down! Hearing the sound that echoed from his skull, Banri automatically retreated, and I disappeared behind Banri. As for Kaga Kouko, did he say "Police ... they don't stop as much as mosquitoes?" or not, is that "In hindsight, why are we still here?" He suddenly turned lightly towards his parents and,

"Hey papa, mama, this is my girlfriend, Tada Banri-kun. Isn't he a cool guy?"

Seeming quite happy, he pointed towards Banri.

Until then, Kouko's parents have not talked about fatigue. Transported like her, to the extreme point those living in my world would not find it funny, her parents stared wordlessly at their broken daughter, their shoulders drooping.

And then Banri,

"…"

He could see that his parents were at their limit, exhausted, their heads hanging silently.

It was too many things at once, emotionally and physically tattered. They can't even open their mouths anymore.

And then I pulled back to take the big picture.

She hasn't decided to start dating that horrible woman yet, has she?

Before, in my life, Tada Banri, there was this girl. She was my lover. Just now, while crying, their emotions overflowed, promising each other, this vow to become an official couple.

In any case, it cannot, of course, ask for such an arrogant favor as "Can you drive me to my apartment?" Banri headed towards the station alone, as if he were running away, bowing like a shrimp.

It was almost the last train, inside it was terrible. Flinched by the drunkard, Banri planted his legs firmly, closed his eyes intently, and went into confusion and jerks.

Indeed, for things to be like this — I do not know how many thousands, how many tens of thousands of times again, I was pushed to the back of Banri in the same way.

Of course, the biggest "indeed" to date is my death.

Having an accident, falling off a bridge shortly after graduating from high school, I, or rather my substance, was removed from my body by the shock. What had been around for eighteen years until the time when Tada Banri could not return, the empty body was diagnosed with "memory loss", and new life emerged. And then I .. became a victim. As the soul drifted, no longer visible, there was such, always on Banri's side.

Therefore, he will not accept the idea of how bad the relationship is.

His phone is buzzing, text messages have arrived. Although he did not want to move his arm, he opened his phone anyway to check on her. It was from his mother. By continuing the details of the house, he said, "We came back before the Yoshida exchange, and we've gone home." Not hitting 'reply', Banri put his phone back in his pocket.

"I'm sorry for the worry" her mother said on the phone as she waited for the train, her voice sounding very tired. "Although I intend to worry about you all your life" he said.

No replying to text, there are still two more. Sender for both of them: Hayashida Nana.

Linda.

— Linda.

Banri looked at the window he was facing. In the gap between people's heads, a dark Tokyo night could be seen. Tada Banri's face, reflected in the glass, alone, natural.

The tired face of young men. A bad boy. Tada Banri, come back to life. Looking at himself carefully, Banri's eyes slightly caved. Looking embarrassed, he smiled faintly, but then a serious shadow crossed his face. Little by little, the smile disappeared. His gaze sadly bowed, his face reflected on the glass shaking back and forth as if he was looking at someone else.

Thinking about her new lover, and then about her future, she may get lost in confusion and exhaustion.

Banri considers me some kind of evil spirit, something scary — something that hates its existence so much, and tries to drag it into the world of the dead.

While watching my own face reflected backwards by the dark glass, I spoke softly to Banri's ears.

I've never thought of you with reproach.

I've come to grips with how things have changed. I've never thought you'd want to die. I've not tried to chase you, to disappoint you.

Of course, there is no doubt that I am "The Ghost of the Past."

But I don't even have a reason to stay here. Thinking that I was after you, about the pressure of this situation, I said to myself, "There's no way I can have a healthy life from now on." This is negative pressure, you could say. Demonstrate soul exhaustion (definitely an illusion without substance), sort of. That was a nightmare.

Still, I can't help but be here. Since I can't disappear, I can't help but be. That's all there is to it, really.

* * *

"Master Ro ~ I ~ o ~"

Something pure white grabbed towards him from the corner of his eye,

"It's time for Juliet to get on stage."

"…You…"

Suddenly Banri's left arm was intertwined. Sticking on it tightly like that, though,

"… surprised me …! I thought someone was putting mochi on me as a joke!"

"I'm not a rice cake."

It's me, c'est moi, it's me,

"I'm Kouko, your wife, your Juliet!"

A big smile and raised eyes.

Kouko, a white hand that had been mistaken for a mochi that stuck tightly to Banri's arm, made her eyes sparkle.

"Good morning, Tada-kun."

"Go …"

His tongue was tied, embarrassed, this time Banri who turned into mochi. Smiling lazily with his entire face, his expression began to slowly melt and fall, and as usual Kouko also smiled. The two of them looked at each other, mochi to mochi.

"… Good morning, Kaga-san."

Kouko uttered "good morning" once again. Banri reverberated. They laugh together.

Like those.

One night it unlocked a gift. The two of them had started their official relationship, becoming boyfriends and girlfriends. In the school of life, being called "spouse" should give you credit.

Hand in hand, they felt like they were circling in this place. Although not, all the worlds had already turned into a stage for the two of them.

This traffic jammed as an orchestra, the neon lights became spotlights. The crowd is as a parade of blessings, beeping the ticket gates of an angel checking the trumpet. Looking into each other's eyes, holding hands, wrapping each other in warmth, momentarily in eternity .. In his nose the sweet-flowing fragrance of eau-de-toilette roses, Banri will drown at the knees. First thing in the morning, immediately.

In love like her and continuing to be, it's fine if she falls in front of the pretty face of His Majesty, if she so desires. But this morning, just before 8:30 a.m., the nearest station ticket gate to the university was the stage for the debut of a new couple, at the exact time when school travel was at its worst.

For those people who were pacing around, huddling together horribly in this cramped place, stopping in the hallway, two mochi staring at each other was an infinite distraction. If it is the throat of an older person, then the sound of an angelic trumpet is not a message of love, but only an unexpected welcome cry. Suddenly blocking the flow of people,

"Ah, pardon! Oh no! Sorry!"

For the most part, the bags and elbows of angry people hit Banri's back and buttocks. They took the opportunity to run on his feet by carrying their belongings, not even forgiving themselves, even making disapproving noises. Banri turned to face them as quickly as possible, apologizing while he hurriedly leaned back, on his tiptoes, bending his body in a futile attempt to stop blocking the flow of people.

On one hand, Kouko maintained her position.

"You know, I waited here thirty minutes to say 'Good Morning?'"

He grabbed Banri's sleeves with both hands, tilting his head to one side, like a child bothering someone because of a toy, his big, adorable eyes.

"Thirty minutes? You waiting in a place like this? You can send me a message …"

"I want to show you my love. Look, err ... it's like that .. hazy thing …"

"Snow?"

"It's dead waiting for Richard Gere …"

Showing her, Kouko brought her two hands that were grasping gently in front of her face, stuck out her tongue, said "he he he he" and looked at Banri.

"E, e, e? D, dog?"

"Yes, a dog! Isn't that in Shibuya? Look, the dog …"

"Eh …? Did you happen to talk about Hachiko?"

"That's it, fantastic, Tada-kun! We understand each other, of course!"

Kyaa! He looks at Kouko as a loyal and lonely dog, but a big question mark dances inside Banri's head. Why did he come out with Hachiko, no, a dog, he doesn't know. No-no. Wait, wait, before that, wait,

"Waiting for Richard Gere ... what is it about? Maybe that's the first time I've heard it."

"Haha"

Kouko stabbed Banri in the chest lightly with her index finger. "I know that" he said, laughing.

"You're imagining now, inside your head, the dog Saigou-san!"

Not even given time to deny it,

"That one, in Ue-no. But in that case, no one died waiting. Might as well. So, let's go sometime! Take a look at Saigou-san, take a walk around Ueno Park and Shinobazu Pond, walk around the art museum, and take the remaining time to see the zoo. We could miss the panda. But a fun date! Hmm, in that area, what are those guys out in the open air are some and far in between, though wouldn't you say they're also 'part of the scenery'? "

"In other words Ueno, I .. ah, wait …!"

Hit on the shoulder from behind by a bloodthirsty employee, Banri staggered forward.

The next train left the platform, a growing crowd of people descending on them en masse from the ticket gate. With Banri and Kouko just standing there, facing the transfer gate, right in the middle of the Y aisle, just standing and talking without a care in the world, they seem to prevent them from passing by.

"For now, let's go! Let's walk! We're becoming a nuisance ... waa, sorry, I stepped on your foot!"

While leading and exiting, he tries to take Kouko's hand in a dashing manner. However, the narrow passageway was crowded, and before long the people separated him from Kouko.

Moving forward helplessly, he would flee to the side of the station to wait for him a little. Kouko, fell out of the crowd a moment later, and,

"Well .. Isn't the rush hour today a little worse than usual?"

He straightened his slightly curly hair.

"It looks like the subway started a little late, maybe that's why."

Banri tries to casually grab Kouko's hand, but,

"Oh, that reminds me."

Unwittingly, Kouko puts her hand in her bag, looking around for something. Looks like he made sure his wallet was okay, that it had not been revoked. And then, noticing that Banri extended his hand,

"Eh?"

With an innocent face, he tilted his head to one side with curiosity.

"… Hmm?"

Whahuh? But that doesn't matter? My hand was just about to scratch my head — Surprisingly feeling embarrassed for not moving, Banri pretended to scratch his head.

For him it was a mystery to him how he could have taken the girl's hand naturally some time ago, but now he could not, once again an awkward child. Jostling and confusion inevitably act to create a good mood. If so, and he could hold his hand properly during the following hours, then he should not let go of it for life.

For now giving up by holding hands at school, Banri and Kouko stop shoulder to shoulder in front of a pedestrian crossing. Closing her sparkling eyes slightly, Kouko said "I'll need an umbrella soon" and held a white hand on her face. The beautiful gemstone from her ring shone on her slender fingers.

Today's weather was a thin white cloud, Banri laughed, "You're exaggerating," and looked at him. "Yes it was burning, completely burning, or rather I was roasted," said Kouko, her hand still raised, stubbornly shaking her head from side to side.

According to television weather forecasts, the Okinawa region is already entering their rainy season, but in the heart of Tokyo there are no gentle breezes, and today it is strangely warm. His temperature would likely rise from now on, and moreover, he noticed the humidity rising. Under the long-sleeved shirt, Banri's skin was already wet.

Crossing elegantly at the green light in his high heels, Kouko peeked at Banri's slightly mischievous face.

"Tomorrow I'll ambush you in front of your apartment. With solar umbrella and ThreePlus SPF 50 UV sunblock."

"By all means, by all means. Or rather, I could do it without even the ambush part. If we go to school together, then we can try to calm ourselves in a quiet place halfway there. A noisy place is fine, of course. Squeezed to death by the crowd, in a busy place. "

"Because, I love …"

Going behind the narrow guard railing, they walked one behind the other.

Casually checking his appearance reflected on the windshield of the talent test prep school, Banri looked back at Kouko's white face, following closely behind him. He does look like a stalker. He must truly love whatever he seeks with that hand, like a private eye busy at his craft, but aware, of,

"… Tada-kun."

Hearing the unexpected sweet words, his legs stopped automatically. I love you. Tada-kun's chat.

"For that reason, promises are forbidden. I don't want to spend as much as a second, a meter. I want to be with Tada-kun from the first step from the beginning of each day, from the first second. "

Kouko passed the stalled Banri, stepping out in front in high heels. Looking back, tilting his head with a question, he asked, "What's wrong? Shouldn't we hurry?"

This was just the beginning .. there were still many paths to take .. and he would try to match the task, yet he found his face heated up. Unable to keep his face, Banri laughed. A wide grin on his face, a somersault in love, turned into mochi, at a rate he had never seen before,

"Oahahahahaha!"

Laughter from inside his stomach, he laughed with all his might. He laughed out loud. He shook it up to his clasped hands. Even standing lightly on the tip of his toes.

The people who were busy pacing the narrow path in the morning did their best to ignore them, walking a considerable distance away from the students who were laughing loudly, with their strange expressions, with their, scary attitude and deep breath.

While he was laughing, Banri thought.

He wondered when, usually, someone would get used to it? Loving someone, being loved by someone, by that reality. The current self, at least, is completely unfamiliar. She can hardly believe that she and Kouko are leaving together. Too happy, having too much fun, he couldn't help but laugh like an idiot.

Kouko also laughs, smiles, and waits for Banri, who continues to laugh out loud, to return to sanity. Not Banri, nor even anyone else who passed by, seemed to be unable to ignore the dazzling woman. Once again he thought, amazed: how could such a man love me?

Kouko Kaga is perfect. The gods chose his spirit, deliberately and carefully, giving him a truly perfect form.

Look at that woman. Smooth-shaped features, beautiful appearance.

Her feminine curves like a standing bow, with a beautiful style. Feet and legs graceful. A smooth frame. The muscles are gently outlined in the shadow.

Polished milk-colored skin, a gaze that seemed to burn everything he saw and a shiny deep red lip gloss. The contrast between them dramatically and definitively highlighted the beauty of her face.

Next, he wore a silk cardigan and long linen. Slender pants that emphasize her figure and high heels that are as if a work of art. His bag was thrown off his shoulder, the black calf's skin was a bit pinched, probably due to a copy of the Six Codes.

Today she has done her dark brown hair in wavy curls, with an emerald green silk scarf replacing the headband hanging on her back in the style of "Kaga Kouko Indeed". Recently, the college girls all wore hairbands and scarves, something Banri thought was due to Kouko's influence. It may only be popular around here, but at least among the Banri student group, the style was first introduced by Kouko, and spread from it.

So. The woman is perfect. Everyone is aware of it. Everyone looked at him.

Blessed with naturally excellent looks, having good taste, time, money, or endless troubles, Kouko clearly polished herself bit by bit, achieve perfect beauty conditions. Trying, spending money, taking time, having done all those things in preparation, Kouko is now in a specially blessed place. No, if you are talking about blessed, there is one more thing — as far as the high-end barrier protects a person from bad things, he never gets hurt even once.

On the other hand, with regard to Banri …

Unconsciously, his laughter stopped. He looked down on the fool he had become. Without checking again on the glass wall, it is just another form of unrefined.

Apart from his second-hand clothes, his entire body was armored in UNIQLO, his bag was hanging obliquely, his Jack Purcell was worn. Spiced by Koenji, revived in Shimokitazawa, defeated in Harajuku, he becomes bored about branding. Looks stylish in mass-produced items, obscure people that can be found anywhere. A boy is punched by a printing press in a subcontractor factory subcontractor God subcontractor by a naked old man from the waist, looking the other way, and, a cigarette stuck into a crack where one of its front teeth was crushed. That's Tada Banri.

He did not even think about whether such a self was really good for a girl's boyfriend. Who doesn't say that he doesn't think. To get along, you have to match! At first he had no such thoughts.

Not yet, and not yet, yet,

"… As for me, dating Kaga-san makes me happy …"

That's reality.

He's actually dating Kouko. Without even thinking about it, he murmured solemnly, as if he was chewing on his excitement.

"Come, Tada-kun …"

Kouko, moving her hands to her chest, looked back at Banri and suddenly looked sad, as if she was about to cry. Banri reached out nervously, trying to gently touch his shoulder. Even from then on, Kouko's eyes shone brighter, like wet gemstones.

"… I can go to see you at your house every day, for sure. I'm not the one who says, 'I don't want to waste a single second.' In order not to roam too much, where is the nearest station? If I can be with you, whether it's to ambush you or stalk you, whatever you like. "

However,

"May, err …"

Suddenly, sticking out her lower lip as much as Matsumoto Seichou, a strange expression on her face, Kouko broke away from her. Turning on his heels, he started walking towards the campus.

"Suddenly what is it?"

"It's hard to say …"

Looking back a little awkwardly, though,

"Come to our place, not good …"

Right. Sighs…

He forced a haphazard smile. Chasing him, Banri called out "Wait!"

"Eh, not good !? What is this: planning to stalk me is fine, but for me to do it back is not allowed !? How selfish!"

"You misunderstood! That's not what you think. It's just, my parents didn't want to see us hanging around together, it seemed …"

"Don't want to see, we !?"

While chasing after Kouko quickly, who did not seem to want to speak properly, he suddenly realized Banri. His heart was racing, he closed his mouth.

We are from different classes, they have what is called their way. 'Our shopko and this idiot are out of control! Isn't that what happens in general? You can't be friends with an unknown boy, who made you steal a bike. Besides, he lost his memory. '

"Wow ... Are you serious !? They're against us dating !? No way! I'm really harmless! Please solve the problem with your parents! No way, parents are against our dating, absolutely impossible, impossible, impossible! "

For the sake of happiness that was so hard to find, that he finally held, to be cut off lost like this — !? Such a determined resistance would turn the rather irritating Banri into a real problem. No way, no, no, no! As it is, their upper bodies are moving forward wildly, he and Kouko came together quickly and simultaneously. While casually placing his hand as a guard, Kouko uncomfortably pointed at herself.

"Whoa over there, Tada-kun. Calm. People noticed. Besides, there's another side to it. That's a problem for me."

Other side…? Giving a big nod to the bewildered Banri,

"so. They told me not to get close to you. Because if my weirdness sticks to you, your life will go wrong. They told me to go pick a new target!"

"Old target ... Yana-ssan?"

Suddenly turning around, he wondered if the way his large eyes could be seen spinning was an affirmation.

"By the way, I even made trouble for you this time. Or rather, after yesterday, that was enough! How! It's hideous! You were scolded .. Your nose seems to be almost covered in blood .. well, it is not visible though . "

'Oh,' while holding his tongue in front of Banri, Kouko sighed once more. His shoulders slumped, desperate.

"By and Mom, in the end, they were talking about locking me in a cell."

"Huh? You locked up? Is it not enough that you have poisonous snakes? Wow, amazing, Tokyo Mystery Zone …"

"Of course not. And maybe that's why I'm a free woman. But, when for a moment my mother looked towards the place where she was keeping things under the floor, I was a bit nervous."

After politely making a pose like a runner, Kouko took the lead and climbed the stairs to the lobby of the law building. Pushing open the glass door, the two of them walked happily side by side into the atmosphere of being cooped up there.

The sleepy-looking disciples went from there in two and three, apparently from the first period, carrying bags that looked heavy.

If he thought back to the confusion when he had just entered college, it seemed to him as if there were fewer people this morning. It might even be a more appropriate number of people, given the smallness of the original downtown campus.

Kouko looked at her watch, and once again sighed.

"So, we actually have some difficulties in the store. Romi-July that. We can't even date openly with our parents, like poor Romeo and Juliet. … Finally even us, maybe even take poison together."

Banri was about to reply, 'But the two people poisoned themselves separately ...' when he looked at her,

"That reminds me, what about your parents? Did they talk to you from there yesterday? Can't you say anything about us going together?"

"No, nothing about you."

Kouko said, "Is that so?"

Last night he spoke to his parents. Once from the train station platform. And then he called once more when he got to his room.

It's not too much, but say things like, "There's a girl I started dating, and she's been accused of stealing kids' bikes!" … will not give the right impression. How it happened, they were detained by the police is not something that is easily explained, but he decided to say that the actors in the drama were himself and a "friend from school."

Of course, he did not say, "Linda was at a drinking party at the same time, Linda who was very close to me before losing my memory! I said, "Why are you pretending not to recognize me? ' and we fought like in the beginning. "

Perhaps, if he said such a thing, then they would be too worried about him in Tokyo, he thought.

In fact, it seems that Banri himself got on that road, one way or another, and for that reason, the mess, he may have been told to return home already to Shizuoka, he thought.

In fact, Banri was afraid of it.

In fact, Banri was afraid of it.

He wanted to try Tokyo. Things here and there started to get tough, and there were days where everything was going in all directions, and yet, somehow, he wanted to settle here. He wanted to plant himself here and not give up.

That reason of course

"Well, it might help us, just a little bit. If both sets of parents oppose us, there won't be much we can do."

Walking beside him was a woman. Beautiful hair lightly combed upwards, Kaga Kouko smiled at Banri. This lovely lady is from Tokyo.

But, with a pile of problems,

"But, hey, even though I wasn't put in a cell, they did take my credit card."

He couldn't explain everything to Kouko. He had no choice but to manage it himself. Thinking like that, and at the same time some other things, a certain shadow figure floated in his brain and suddenly his heart was full of overflowing. But he kept his face, and his voice was like that until now.

"Ups. Is that so?"

The carefree face of Tada Banri, caught in the moment.

So then? Shrugging her shoulders, Kouko pursed her lips sweetly.

"For now, even if I have a pass, we can't use it for a taxi. I can't shop either. I also can't go to restaurants or beauty salons. It's not much different than being in prison. "

"Ah, then, maybe Ueno Park? Coming from you, I think that's cheap advice."

"For now, the train fare and tea money are the only ones I have to play with. How's it?"

"While I am, I have never been to Ueno. At least I want to see the park. After that, Ameyoko? That's a rather thing."

"really? Then it's decided! Next Saturday, it's a date with Ueno!"

"Then it's done. If the weather is good, we are ready. I mean, if I could just say 'I'll take care of it!' at a time like this, it would be incredible. But I was the one who almost always went bankrupt … "

"It's okay, it's okay, it doesn't matter." Kouko. "We're going to be Dutch."

Kouko doesn't even need to be told that basically, with the reality of their financial condition, if they don't split the cost, they won't be able to do anything, but, instead, with the reality of their financial condition, if they don't split the cost, they won't be able to do anything,

"I think I should take my part-time job seriously, I should."

He recalled that in local shops and taverns, there were posters people were looking for. Even some used bookstores have them, if he remembers correctly.

Since it could not be said that he had a very healthy body, his parents told him to devote himself entirely to his studies. They do, but if he asks for enough pocket money so that he can fully devote himself as he has said, the answer is no either.

"job? Then, we'll have less time together."

Opening her wide big eyes, Kouko stood tiptoed as if she was jumping. He brought his face closer to Banri, slightly pouting.

"Well, whatever, it's something I think about. Everyone worried. By the way, what time is it?"

Kouko turns her wrist towards Banri, here, showing him the small button of her silver watch, but

"Very small! Hard to see!"

"It's not hard to see! See, doesn't that clearly indicate 8:45?"

In a small speck of a face watch, he could only see that small hand. Holding Kouko's wrist, she brought it closer to her face, peering up close to check the time, and,

"46 after, of course. Wouldn't it be easier for one to see clearly if it was a little bigger? Wouldn't it be better if the hand was like someone jumping, like Conan-kun? It would fit, of course . Someone doesn't like you, you destroy them. "

"Eh !? Nothing like that, or rather, is impossible! It's nice! Isn't this funny !? Isn't that Cartier Mini Panthere !? It had already been stopped, so it was not easy to obtain! It's precious!"

"****** ***** mini."

"Yeah!"

Kouko shouted, laughing jokingly, and then she patted Banri on the shoulder.

"Speaking about such things, you really like it !?"

With almost the same strength, she patted Kate on the shoulder while she also laughed.

"But Conan-kun's man is very hard to find. By the way, what are we gonna do? Going to college? First period, I have English, but Kaga-san, what do you have?"

"French"

"Since we have about ten minutes, shouldn't we kill the last one in the cafeteria?"

Just saying stupid things that were somehow strangely pleasant, Banri found it hard to let go of Kouko. It seemed like Kouko was thinking the same thing, so at Banri's invitation, she nodded with a happy smile.

The first period of Banri was English. He took her along with Yana-ssan and the Two Dimensions. It came to my mind that there was a possibility of meeting one or the other in the cafeteria, but saying 'It should be okay, ' Banri kept going. She has no particular intention to hide that she and Kouko started dating like this. There's no need to do it, right?

… Nothing, right?

When he started to think, he involuntarily tilted his head to one side, as if puzzled.

When he recklessly confesses at a drinking party, Oka Chinami viciously rejects Yanagisawa Mitsuo. Banri felt that the wound in Mitsuo's heart had some way to go before it healed, of course.

He wondered if it wouldn't be too sensitive for him, to the point of disqualifying him as a friend, to wear a face like "We've just started out, and are at the peak of happiness!" in front of him.

But, secretly lying for Mitsuo's sake, hiding the fact that they were dating as if it was an act of friendship.

He had a hunch that discussing like "Hey, hey Kaga-san, what should we do ~? Isn't that sad, talking to Yana-ssan about how friendly we are? ~ Should we hide it ~? " will be a big mistake. Even without speaking influencefully, somehow, flirting openly would not help Mitsuo's bad mood.

To make matters more difficult, there was a reason for Mitsuo to confess when he did. To the other person's point of view, it was too unreasonable. Banri, for example, did not consider it something that Kouko provoked.

Don't even say things like 'What's the state of Kouko and I now ~, We are very happy ~' ...... If he tries to do something good for Mitsuo, then he is in discomfort.

In that case, if he was asked 'Are you hiding something?', then he felt that there was nothing to hide.

Towards where he did not know what to do, Banri, practically by reflex, would change their direction towards the cafeteria. Back then, when they were still in the lobby, when he tried to change Kouko's direction.

He saw it right there, behind the lobby.

The area in front of the student office notice board. At the table that had become Omaken's gathering place were several figures. Kouko must have noticed it too,

"Oh yeah, we didn't apologize to the senpais about yesterday, did we? Even though I've texted Linda-senpai for now, shouldn't we give her a better explanation?"

"T, no, no, no …"

Banri desperately shook his head from side to side, hiding his trembling and forcing himself to laugh. Turning once more, he turned towards the stairs, heading towards the cafeteria as he had intended before. Who's at the table, he doesn't know. He could not see clearly that far. But, suddenly his heart was beating fast enough to be broken. That's still impossible. His heart is not ready.

"… Come on, let's do it later. Later, later. Next time."

Not knowing what he should do, until the 9th level, he turned to the cafeteria, feeling that he would rather meet Mitsuo.

* * *

When they opened the lid, or rather, when they opened the cafeteria door and looked inside, there was a Two-Dimensioner, on a table in the corner, alone, in the corner, look down on her preparation for English classes.

He was neat, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, chino pants, and regular glasses. His face still looked tired, a little puffy. Feeling a little relieved, "Hey", Banri called out to him,

"Hei Banri's"

Lifting his head from the text and turning the pen to Banri's face,

"… and, Kaga-san ... is that …?"

The tip of the pen shifted to the side, right next to Banri.

"Again, Two Dimensions."

The two Dimensions went back and forth many times between Kouko and the perfectly smiling Banri, who had a slightly hollow smile, comparing the two, and then,

"… What happened …? For some reason ... It feels like .. are you a couple?"

Pulling his glasses, he folded his hands.

"Yana-ssan hasn't come yet?"

Without replying to Banri, he said "Tsk!" The sharp one, then getting the best out of him, he casually pulled the chair next to him, he said,

"… For now, here you go Kaga-san, put it there. Dude, your bag looks heavy."

"Thank you."

Kouko sat there. As if he was a noble, Kouko sat gracefully on the chair next to the Two Dimensions. 'Err, me, me, my chair, ' Banri looked around uneasily, looking around,

"Banri, wait a minute. Did you lower yourself even to the floor there?"

…What? It seemed like he was given time to return verbally.

"Then, Kaga-san, is it okay if I ask you a little question?"

Two Dimensions, behaving quite as if he was a doctor, or an adviser, turned his chair so that it faced straight towards Kouko. Kouko, with a graceful gesture, turned her head slightly towards Banri who was still standing, and sent him a meaningful blink, he said,

"All right? Whatever do you want?"

Completely calm, he looked back into the Two Dimensional eyes.

Showing off flashing and fluttering eyelashes, you can see the deep shadow of her eyes. It was a dramatic dark brown, as if in one worldview it was coming to an end.

However, today the Two Dimensions were not defeated by Kouko's gaze. He took off his glasses and faced them.

"Is that so?"

"That you happen to be at the station, and all that?"

"no? I was there to ambush Tada-kun?"

"Do you want to return the amount of money you borrowed, or such special circumstances?"

"Is something wrong? That I ambushed him because I wanted to ambush him?"

"Can you stop answering questions for me?"

"Although it's okay?"

Saying that, Kouko knew very well what he was doing.

'Fufun,' smiled happily, he looked to the Two Dimensions while twirling the tips of the hair that spilled onto his chest around his finger. Putting her weight behind the chair, she stared at Two Dimensions in some way defiantly while she slowly crossed her legs — her smile was ice, if she was not wearing ****** ***** definitely. In the entire world, how many tens of thousands, indeed, how many hundreds of millions of times a scene like this was played out repeatedly?

'If there's anything you want to say, please' it's written on Kouko's pretty face. I have no plans to hide anything, he said. But since it will be known sooner or later, there is nothing to be done, right? Right? It's like that, isn't it? Sure was! So said the eyes that looked at Banri. Along with what he did not say, all said the same thing, confident, like women.

Even the Two Dimensions looked quickly at Banri who was still silent. Banri shrugged lightly, replying, "As you can see."

"… Uh, really? Really? Really so?"

The Two Dimensions said it quickly, as if muttering, and once again looked at Kouko's face.

Banri thought, "Speak a little more clearly."

So, they can't hide it behind a blush. If it will be known, then shout. There was no reason to hesitate whether or not to hide something from the Two Dimensions of — and they hid it from Mitsuo, but not from the Two Dimensions, which he did not think to do … After coming to this moment, he wondered if he could no longer turn around.

We are! Is! I see! A date!

In Kaga Kouko's score setting, the word was raised dramatically, to the highest level. Be a heroine as you please. Whatever role you want to play is fine, be it a poisoned Juliet or a powerless killer.

However, contrary to what Banri was thinking, Kouko fell silent. Still not saying anything, she took a lot of time, teased them to the maximum, and then, she took a lot of time,

"…"

Fwips.

He opened the front of his long cardigan. Seen from that side, to perfection, like the flasher found along the way — he has the right speed, suddenly the right, that kind of feeling,

"Ooh …"

When shown to the Two Dimensions, he shuddered. The hero, as if satisfied with the result, closed his eyes and smiled.

Inside the cardigan that Kouko opened, a huge heart mark had been painted. On the white T-shirt that fits her body, shows her delicate, full, line right in the middle, with bright red beads that gather together tightly and glitter, she said, the sign of the big heart has been sewn.

It was a very friendly shirt that normal people rarely wore.

But Kouko, who was wearing it well, turned towards Banri, as she turned,

"Je, tai …"

"Je, tai …"

Chewing her full lower lip, she slowly traced the heart with the fingertips of both hands from bottom to top. Drawing Banri's gaze, they followed the two round roads without hurry. Kouko's fingers met at the top of the heart, then suddenly turned out and pierced the heart,

"…me."

His passionate face was directed straight at Banri. His lips pucker like a kiss. Then,

"I love Tada-kun. Tada-kun loves me too. Therefore, we have already started dating."

With both hands together in the form of a pistol aimed at the fire, still in a shooting position at the center-Banri, smiling beautifully, Kouko spoke to the Two Dimensional. The defeated Banri covered his heart, and made a multiplied show. Yes, yes, I'm dead, I'm dead again, I've been killed by Kouko's love. I want to die, how many times. He really felt it, with all his heart.

As for the Two Dimensions, the,

"…"

He suddenly picked up his own bag, shouldered it as if it were a bazooka, and saw Kouko through the hanging circle,

"I'm gonna blow your pretty face!"

Not satisfied with just shouting something very ambiguous,

"Ah, I mean …! You dirty bum! You can do it !? Ow hell! You animals ~! Amazing ~! Hey you, isn't school fun !?"

For some reason, he was grinning wide. Standing up, he placed Banri on the head, and,

"Thah ... shit …!"

It's starting to tighten really bad. Two Dimensions is a stereotypical herbivore fashion addict, raised in Shitamachi. He is also an unexpected man. While Banri whimpered swayed increasingly, the,

"Eh? Can you fill me in, short version? Did you spend the night together? And this morning as a couple still? Is that so? Hm? Is it like that? It's better if you answer now … "

Stuttering, "Y, y, y, you're wrong ..." while answering faster than his dying breath,

"Last night we were arrested by the police."

The friendly smile Kouko showed shattered the vulgar suspicions of Two Dimension. It definitely went into the Two Dimensional head, as he removed his arm from around Banri's neck which was panting heavily, and he immediately laughed.

"A, arrested …! Caught on! What are you saying, Kaga-san !? You make a serious face that's interesting, really!"

"interesting? Me? How could that be?"

"Obviously like daylight, isn't it …?"

Mumbled, "Didn't it?" to Banri, who was holding his neck, Kouko nodded.

While the Two Dimensions were still bending twice over, continuing to laugh like idiots, sitting back down as if he threw himself onto a chair, he said,

"Now what are we going to do with these people, really! Hey Yana-ssan, are you hearing that now !? They're dating! Banri and Kaga-san! Can you laugh?"

"Eehh !?"

With a shout, Banri looked over his shoulder. He had no time to worry, or think. Two Dimensions waved outside of him and called out, "Yo!" Yanagisawa Mitsuo, aka Yana-ssan, stood there.

Stand there, please,

"Huh?"

With wide eyes, he looked at them. That hair, that,

"Whaa !? Yana-ssan, you look great!"

Banri called back, that he looked more handsome. Two Dimensions raised her voice again, "Yana-ssan is so cool!" Kouko also shouted.

"… Eh? Like, like that?"

She seemed embarrassed at the unexpected high praise of her new hairstyle, a stranger-looking, at first glance disorganized, relaxed, and airy perm. With handsome features, coupled with a tall muscular figure, he actually looked a mix of races, or something. She was only wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but she wouldn't look weird in magazines. Whether it was intentionally, or coincidentally, the cuff area of his blue jeans was tangled in a certain way. He's not imitating anyone, that's cool.

The person in question, as a young man himself, who was unfamiliar with such things, rubbed his cheeks as if he was embarrassed, and frowned as if in explanation.

"Well, actually yesterday I thought, 'Enough with my head this. I'll shave it.' But when I went to the salon, they told me, 'If you keep cutting it, why don't you let my new student cut it for you?' and this kind of perm .. I said 'Good!' being happy, since he cut it so quickly, I wonder if it wasn't a bad job .. no, or rather, eh? Whahuh? Banri and Kouko …? What's up with them? "

"They're dating! Isn't this a great surprise? I'm a little shaken."

Without a doubt, the Two Dimensions explained to them. Banri muttered a little, and glanced silently at Kouko. What are we supposed to do? Do you think we should give some kind of explanation to Yana-ssan about us? That was the meaning of the appearance he gave, but to Banri's gaze, Kouko nodded, "yes yes yes yes!" many times,

"We totally agree! That hair suits you!"

Somehow he held his voice. Curving her beautiful brows, she quickly moved her eyes up and down, then gave her a big thumbs up. Banri felt tired, thinking "Not that ...," however,

"… no. For a moment, I thought 'Eh!', but I wasn't too surprised. To say that I know it's not excessive."

For Mitsuo to say such a thing lightly was anti-.

"Or rather, I kind of suspect that sooner or later you'll get like that."

Putting his bag on the table with a thud, he put his hand to his hair, seemingly not used to his sluggishness, and grinned Banri.

"So don't make a face like that, Banri. Some people may think it's unpleasant, like you're about to explode."

Beautiful, graceful, handsome, and handsome face. Without thinking about it, Banri raised a finger and started scratching the cheek of his almost grown face.

"… You 'know' .. since when?"

"Yep, that's for sure, after you stated very angrily, I spoke to Kaga-san, and we decided to be friends! She's a beautiful person!' I thought of that just now, though to be fair, it was after the fact. "

"Some, something like that happened?"

"Banri is forgetful!", the Two Dimensional laughed. Then Kouko comes and attaches herself tightly to Banri's arm,

"A pretty person?"

Raising his face, a spoiled expression there, he pointed to himself.

"Me, a beautiful person?"

Pointing with her left and right hands, she declared "Beautiful People! The Super Beautiful!", and Kouko, looking happier than ever, glued herself to him.

And then, curled up near Banri, he snorted. Her sweet smile disappeared as she looked towards Mitsuo,

"I mean ... What's wrong with you, Mitsuo, are you feeling good? Even though you always make a bad face when you're going to go with me …"

He raised one eyebrow, his smile cold. Resting her chin on her raised shoulder, Kouko's face becomes unpleasant in her personal battle with her childhood friend. Although to be honest, Banri also did not like that face.

"Otherwise, your assumptions are wrong. If you say that Tada-kun and I are going out, then you really think the opposite of us. For the same reason my parents .. Even though it seemed like they were aiming at me, they said that Tada-kun's life was messed up. So, has it ever occurred to you to think about why you were told about it? Do you want to hear it? "

Speaking to Mitsuo, who was sitting opposite him, his entire face smirked, like a demon.

"No! I don't want to hear it!"

He shook his head from side to side violently, as if he was tearing it apart.

"Aren't you listening now? Well, I was destined to be with Tada-kun, right from the start."

"No! I don't want to hear it! Or rather, I'm not worried about Banri. As far as I can see, Banri has an incredible capacity to wait, and should be able to get along with you."

"Ah, that's a compliment, for now," he turned around and said to the confused-looking Banri.

"And besides, as far as I'm concerned, it's a relief. As of now, she is an evil spirit that is maturing, clinging and harassing me! It feels like that."

A woman is called an evil spirit. But the Kouko in question only snorted, and did not seem to be offended.

"Surprising, right? If that's all you can say, you really aren't sad? Mitsuo seems to be tougher than I ever thought. Even though I might seem so, am I a little worried? Saying, "Mitsuo, is she really okay?" But that day! What Mitsuo is doing here, with regard to the pitiful, arrogant Ultrasonic! That, I can't forget, you see, that,

Hiya! M! A! Looking up at the sky and closing his eyes, Kouko threw her hand into the air. Banri, of course, pulls a little nervously on one of his elbows, the,

"Ka, Kaga-san, that's a bit excessive …"

"It's o-kay. Mitsuo was a strong child. Hey, put that aside .. isn't there always something more important? Don't we each have a different second period? What are we planning for lunch?"

"Lu, lunch .. yeah …"

"Our first lunch since we started dating."

If you put it that way, today might be a bit special. But Kouko thumbs up in Two Dimensions. That way, he promised that at lunch time, along with Two Dimensional and Yana-ssan, they would go buy a deflated lunch and eat it on a park bench. He promised that Banri would show them where "there is a cheap and delicious lunch." Banri realizes that Kouko has just risen from her respect, seeing that she doesn't want to look like someone who takes lightly the friendship of someone she just met.

"Today I ate with the boy's team .. sorry."

"Do you want to be tied up? Or didn't? I only asked this once, so answer me honestly."

"Tidaa .. not too …"

"All right, I'll forgive you. To what period of the day is it?"

"Threeth period…"

"We'll wait in the lobby after the third period."

With a sweet smile, the plan was made, Kouko stood lightly with her bag in hand. "See you soon!" she said, moving her hands like Her Majesty the Queen, her high heels ringing and her curly hair bouncing, the greatly admired person she admired left, quickly walking in front.

He realized it was already past the time starting the first period.

"Ah, we're late! Le's go! What'sthat?"

Yana-ssan and the Two Dimensions started to look back, but they saw something unusual.

"Wait for me, Banri! And drag Yana-ssan!"

Fascinated by Kouko's last minute words, Mitsuo fell to his knees. It was an incredible body blow; by the time he realized it, the pain was curling all over his body. Moreover, in rejecting it all, Mitsuo was not a 'strong child'.

"He ..", he groaned, unable to stand. Quickly, Banri and the Two Dimensions propped him up from both shoulders, but,

"Oh .. ooh, an, smi ... what's in the world …!?"

Toward the question with a voice like death, the other two had no answer. First of all Banri, his head tilted in confusion,

"… Is it 'me' ... 'can't take it anymore' ... 'again'?"

Continues, Two Dimensional,

"'Chat' .. 'manga' .. 'government'?"

'Ha ha ha ha,' 'stupid,' 'not funny,' the three of them for the time being tried to laugh,

"… Haa. Or rather, really, I was too sick at the time …"

They turned to their classrooms and, as they walked as quickly as possible, Mitsuo let out a depressed sigh.

At that time, of course, it was about the first-year drinking party on another day. Through the end of a drunken fight with Kouko, shoot each other as hard as possible, then confess stupidly to Chinami. Answer, "Eh? You're idiots?" even surprising Kouko with his sharpness, beating him with one punch, solved the problem that night as well.

Banri and the Two Dimensions exchanged a brief glance over Mitsuo's head. That one must have been, really, watching the whole painful scene from the start. Banri thought. Really, "O, M, G" .. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to continue.

"It's definitely going to be a little awkward from here on out. I wonder if Yana-ssan has been talking to Oka-chan ever since? Or even send a text?"

Although the Two Dimensional spoke, he shook his head,

"Never. Nothing at all .. I mean, nothing from there. But, here, although it is not the way Kouko means, actually being a 'Mitsuo strong boy', cool, I mean, I think that usually he has no choice, we even went to club meetings together. We have many of the same classes. From now on, there won't be anything we don't go to. together…"

That's for sure. Banri had to turn his head to avoid a pinch from his friend.

"The next time I meet him, will I be able to try and greet him smoothly? I'll wear a face like 'tempo the day I'm just drunk.' I'd say I caused a problem, that's all. "

"… That's right. You better go with that approach. … It's even smart; making jokes about it might just work."

It may be a little late, but the door is still open. They could see the students enter, and then immediately return to the hallway.

While wondering, Banri entered halfway and looked at the blackboard, with a capital letter, "Canceled Lecture!"

"What !? Why !?"

Under him, in small letters, it is said that the lecturer suddenly fell ill. The two Dimensions and Mitsuo saw it as well,

"Whoa, that's something! When I finally rushed over with my translation!"

"Wow. It's too bad to wake up .. I can sleep."

All students, as one, do face about here and there. It is not at all pleasant to have the first menstruation suddenly canceled. They could sleep if they knew before, but after coming to school, it now occurred to them that they suddenly had time to visit.

"How about we go back to the cafeteria? I want to ask you about Banri and Kaga-san."

"There are things that still need to be talked about about your future as well."

"But we just discussed it, and the situation hasn't changed …"

Their faces were harmonious, like those of a tramp comrade, they had no choice but to chat tiredly. And about love, of all things.

"But we just discussed it, and the situation hasn't changed …"

Their faces were harmonious, like those of a tramp comrade, they had no choice but to chat tiredly. And about love, of all things.

A man she knew from the same class said, "Have time? How's it?" He swung the tiles around to tempt them, but, not knowing mahjongg, this threesome also took a shortcut. Walking down the corridor, Banri for some reason turned his head towards the man they had just passed by, he said,

"I mean, shouldn't we learn mahjongg? Although one of the parents in Omaken, from staying so long in the mahjongg room, did not even come to lecture. Is it true that if you don't play, you will be harassed? "

"Did?" Mitsuo frowned as he spoke.

"Isn't 'it' nothing more than an exchange of money? Is it hard to have 'money friends'?"

"Is that so? Actually, I don't know, or rather, I can't hear clearly around those places."

"They're a really bad place. Aren't I right, 2D?"

Catching the sudden change in the moniker, Banri burst into laughter. While the Two Dimensional laughed,

"Well, wouldn't there be a case where it wasn't? But it's not interesting. I mean, Mitsuo Mangrove Forest, that's …"

How ridiculous! Banri suddenly rolled on the floor with a laugh. He laughed out loud, like a monkey brother, while he tried to say something reasonable.

"… Oh …"

He stopped moving. Uh oh, he swallowed. No, Banri does not need to swallow, however,

"… Oka-chan, she's here …"

Even though he was looking this way, it was clear they had seen his tiny shadow in the corridor first. Leisurely turning towards Mitsuo behind him, Banri intended to show him. He had said before that his heart had been prepared for his normal greeting to be ignored.

However,

"— Impossible, of course!"

He speaks quickly, at mach speed.

All that was lacking was a sonic boom like everything he had, Mitsuo escaped from that place. Eh? Neither the Banri nor the Two Dimensional were able to follow the escape that clearly, with the same energy they had avoided, they turned around to face in front of them,

"…Good morning."

Oka Chinami, who was still standing alone, waved to them.

Cute figure, like a child, sweet anime voice.

"And I was just about to say, 'Class canceled, eh? I took the same, and ended up with free time.' Yeah." yeah."

Grins. He looked lonely, in a way he had never seen since knowing him, but Banri could see a faint smile on his lips.

* * *

Suddenly, there was a change of tour members.

With Yanagisawa Mitsuo OUT, and Oka Chinami IN, form a curious trio. Back at the cafeteria, they sat around the table to pass the time. Pour free all-you-can-drink tea for each one,

"I was beaten, I was beaten .. I might be beaten."

Chinami sighed, putting her chin in her hand. With both of his hands pressed against his white cheeks, his mouth sharpened into a beak. In the depths of his anxious eyes, the universe of thousands of twinkling stars shone. Her puckered lips were the most beautiful.

Looking at Chinami like that, side by side at the other side of the table, enchanted .. Banri and the Two Dimensional were almost grinning, watching as if bewitched, they sighed with a completely different meaning than his.

If Banri is seen by Kouko showing such a face in front of Chinami, I'm afraid it might be the end of the road for him. Romeo, die of poison. After all, Kouko, even at the best of times, hates Chinami as much as snakes, and by any means, will hate Banri admiring Chinami from the bottom of his heart. Saying he hated her existence would not be an exaggeration.

He understood that, and yet, he,

"Am I defeated ~?"

While showing a sick smile, Banri snorted. Two Dimensions, in almost identical conditions, are,

"Yes yes, defeated ~ ... I understand it ~"

No, nodding, they lowered their heads, showing their agreement.

"It's not a laughing matter!"

Chinami sends her sneer once again towards a pair of comedians.

Sitting in his chair at the cafeteria table, Chinami has a sort of compact cuteness. Purity until a little scary. For them, it's not.

Slender legs and hands on a petite body. Slender shoulders, slender neck, straight back. On her pure white skin, a long, fan-shaped shadow fell from her long eyelashes. Shows through her bright skin, pure lips. The base of his nose is narrow and his eye sockets are deep.

Looking small and calm there, in a state that defies description even just sitting down, Chinami clearly has a mysterious appeal. The canteen is a deep forest. They sit on the stumps of trees. With fluorescent lights, sunlight filtering among the large trees, Banri and the Two Dimensions were the beasts licking them. They must have thought, instinctively, that they wanted to gift the walnuts they had peeled with their front teeth, or the mushrooms they had made to ripen among the dead leaf litter. And then, they wanted to see her happy face. They might even throw their bodies into the flames, if only they could curl up near his stomach.

Nonetheless, as far as Banri is concerned, such feelings are on a completely different dimension than "love" or "care", but Kouko will probably find them difficult to understand.

Cute Chinami throws her cute eyes,

"There it is. Get a perm like that …"

Sweet murmur with cute voice. Although it would be suitable for him to add chirps.

Today as usual, his black hair full of long blisters, his bangs were gathered on the sides above his ears, his round forehead was fully open.

It looks nothing like Saibaba in its loose cotton blouse and over-waisted Ali Baba style pants, Birkenstock sandals and its usual rustic black package, that means he is in an ambiguous style that is now familiar, everything does not need to emphasize his fragility.Sleek wrists and ankles, Chinami is amazingly feminine. Even combing her long hair down and collecting it on one shoulder with her fingers, it seemed like they would be crushed the moment she applied any power.

"… He doesn't have to run away like that. Don't you think so? Neither Banri, nor the Two Dimensions go."

Staring at the face of the two male couple, Chinami tilted her head to the side. He looked cute until it completely overwhelmed them.

From Banri's point of view, he wanted to take Mitsuo's side here. It seemed that the Two Dimensions, with the same feeling, were somewhat distracted watching Banri.

But Mitsuo, he is a cute living creature. Awkward, pure, with fine and soft hair. The damage to his scalp from the perm was a little alarming, but he was a pet, five feet eleven in height.

Hesitating, choosing his words, Banri spoke.

"Hey, Oka-chan. You're, well, just a black dagger …"

Two Dimensions spewed tea from his nose. Chinami bangs, swish, fall in front of her nose.

"On one side of Yana-ssan, looking like that, was just an innocent young man who didn't even know where the fungus grew …"

"A, what did you say …? What do you mean …?"

"Of course you know the meaning of the flowers below?"

Chinami jump. Bending down on the table, he slapped Banri's hand.

"S, so! Even though I said before! I don't have such a flower blooming down below! It's truth! You'll believe me anytime now!"

"It's a joke, it's a joke, actually, the meaning is figurative. Seriously. Really ... Yana-ssan doesn't really care, she's in a miserable state. Drunken, after making such a powerful confession, well already did that kind of thing. Of course, don't you understand that there's nothing bad in you? But, could it be, in that case, leaving it a little easier? I mean, to make things like that never happen, be as close to her as ever. "

"… I mean, hey …"

Returning to his seat, Chinami flipped his tiny body into the prisoner in his chair.

"Doing something like that was my intention, of course. But if she was going to run away like that, I guess ignoring her (or not) is impossible."

Passing through the tissue to the Two Dimensional, who was still coughing and speechless, Chinami's dark and clear eyes stared at Banri.

Oh In an instant he forgot his words, the color of those eyes was so deep. The chasm, and very cool.

"In addition, to me, it is not considered as 'recognized'. Something that is done while drunk is usually forgotten. However, running away like that, when you are no longer 'under the influence', is unforgivable. As far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with the here and now. Usually, you get hurt. "

"… Oh well. Such is. Run like that, maybe a little …"

With that gentle hairstyle. Regardless of how cool he is, accept the problems of himself and Kouko at once. Regardless of how cool he is, resist Kouko's attack right after. Banri remembers having sympathy for her as she ran away behind the backs of her friends.

He understood the man's feelings.

Too heavy to endure, bitter circumstances, he thought. But if he tries a little harder to stay in this place, and if he can keep looking cool, if he does, chat with Chinami like before, like this, they can return everything to normal.

"… Mitsuo was not a strong child .. so many."

Wiping his mouth, finally returning to the conversation, Two Dimensions continued.

"But, more than that, Yana-ssan has her good points. Don't you think so? Although he was a very handsome man, inside he was only a smelly human, usually feeling nervous. After all, what we do, he and I, is about the same. We can't help but be ordinary people, it seems. As it is, his appearance is already there. But even if he was a finished and perfect man, I still thought he would be a bit unpleasant, myself. He's too different from the world, I mean. "

The speech that had a somewhat pleasant feeling to it, Chinami agreed slightly, nodding towards the Two Dimensional. With Banri's approval, too,

"of course. That's how it is. Moreover, in regards to Yana-ssan,"

While sitting back in his chair, he connected everything with an increasingly knowing face,

"…!"

He saw ... that guy.

So shocked that he suddenly lost his balance, flipping to the chair behind him. Bang and clang, sounds echoing. Suddenly, the scattered people looked towards him.

"Banri!" There were three voices calling his name.

Standing with Two Dimensions and Chinami, there is one more: Linda.

Linda's figure, it's right there. He stood at the entrance to the cafeteria. Her hair, though not too long, was forced into a single knot. He has a pack a day hung on one shoulder. He wore a dark blue T-shirt and light blue cardigan, tight jeans, and the usual Nike. His eyes are wide open. Red ... lips …

Banri got up without saying anything, threw his bag into their scattered luggage and started running. Leaving Two Dimensions, Chinami, Linda, and almost everyone back there, without looking back, she ran out.

Running running, running, staring forward, he jumped into the elevator that had just arrived. He pushed '9' for the upstairs to go up for now, and the door was closed. Riding steadily in the elevator car, he stood frozen like a pole.

Waah .. he closed his eyes. He covered his eyelids with his hot hands. Like those. Perhaps because he saw Mitsuo escape at such a high speed, he had just done the same. … No, he would not deceive himself with such words. He could not even blame his friend.

He's running away. It was entirely due to his own weakness. Looking at me, that guy — Linda, what should he think? Is he angry? Is he hurt? Does he hate me? Saying, "As I thought, the man is useless, he's changed," will he return Tada Banri?

He ignored all the text.

Are you all right? Please call me. I'm worried! How are you doing? Sorry for everything. He sent her such words, but no matter what, she could not answer them.

The ninth floor was the office of the professor and the graduate students all lined up. He could see with light through the windows of each office, but there was no one around. Into the deadly desolate space, Banri stepped forward unsteadily.

But what should he say back to her? What kind of expression should he make, what should he say? How should he face her, what should he tell her, to Linda who is now completely forgotten?

What does Linda think of her?

Frighteningly.

After knowing her old self, what Linda thinks of her right now in front of her, in her heart, really and truly, she doesn't know. … And though he did not know, from what he could imagine, he was afraid.

They don't just meet each other innocently, as in "I'm glad to see you again!" That even Banri understands. If that was the case, right from the start, Linda would probably have talked to him from the start.

That night, Linda called him "Banri."

"I'm sorry, I'm scared!" So he screamed.

He could not forget that voice. He could no longer think of "Smooth and reliable Linda-senpai."

At that moment, Linda called the old Tada Banri. That's not what exists now. Call the man, and then ask for something. It wasn't himself. Didn't Linda expect that the man would wake up and answer her, so that she would come back to him and stand before his eyes, in particular?

— Afraid that it seems entirely so, Banri has escaped from the place at once. Not you. Go awayl. Disappear. Being rejected like that is scarier than anything else.

And now, recognizing himself fearing such a thing was also frightening. Pretending to have fun, as everything has been forgotten, promises to date Kouko, who says that she loves him, gathers to laugh and joke with friends; and; he can't live any other way.

Really, he would not forget that terror.

However, he just pretended not to notice. Not staring directly at him, but rather at something else like that, he just kept deceiving him. Where acting like it would take him in the end, he had no idea. He also did not know when it would end. It was just that he continued acting incompletely.

Thus, when suddenly the source of his great fear appeared before him, he knew no other way to escape from this.

Waah. The head in his hand, he was crouching on that spot. Therefore, he did not want to see her again, although there was no way he could do that. To completely abandon it, and then make things seem as if they never existed, was impossible. The story might have been different if he had fallen once more from a high bridge, but he did not believe in miracles enough to risk himself that far, and more than anything else, he doesn't think Kouko will allow it. He wondered how far and how many times he would chase her on the bike, trying to take her across the bridge on the handlebars. He wouldn't allow such a thing. He would hug her tightly and pull her back.

At the corner of the landing, putting it back against the wall, Banri collapsed weakly. He buried his face in the knees of his bluejeans. He wants to see Kouko. He wanted to see her, he couldn't stand it.

"… Kaga-san …"

I'd like to see you soon.

I'd like you to pull me back from this scary world.

I'd like you to help me.

I'd like you to tell me in that soft voice, "You can stay here." I want to hear your voice say, "I love you."

I want to see it.