Please note: These are OPTIONAL side stories from Maika’s POV that sometimes come with the release of each light novel volume (to celebrate its publication). This one should be read after part 76.

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          “Left something behind,” huh.

          It sounded like something Shiori might do, but the way she’d been acting just now made it seem unlikely.

          「Hi, Utsunomiya-sensei! May I ask for your opinion on something?」

          Ami raised her hand like an eager elementary school student, her voice bouncing off the empty hallway.

          I already knew what she was going to ask—it had to be something about Shiori.

          “Sorry, I think I left something behind,” Shiori had said suddenly when we were on our way to the shoe lockers together.

          Even though the cultural festival had just ended, the hallways were so eerily quiet now, it was hard to believe all that noise and excitement had ever even happened. The three of us had planned to grab some food at a fast food restaurant, but now Shiori was gone, leaving Ami and me behind. The silence around us made the lively atmosphere of the day feel like it had been nothing more than a dream.

          「I know what you want to ask, Ami-sensei.」

          I replied, playing along as we walked over to the shoe lockers, switching out our indoor shoes.

          「Aww, can’t we just stick with being student and teacher instead?」

          「That’s what bothers you? Isn’t it fine if we’re both teachers? Come on, Ami-sensei, why don’t you give me your opinion first?」

          「Fine, fine. Well, here’s what I think――what if her going back for something she ‘forgot’ and that whole thing about her father were actually cover-ups for a boyfriend?」

          That was a possibility I hadn’t thought of.

          Considering how unnaturally Shiori had brought up her father coming home early, I could see why Ami would jump to that conclusion.

          「Shiori might have a boyfriend, huh…」

          「Yeah, don’t you think she’s been acting kind of suspicious? We already made plans to have our own little after-party, but the moment she checked her phone, she suddenly said she forgot something. Then, right after that, she claimed her dad wanted her home as soon as possible, so she couldn’t hang out with us. It feels like both were excuses, and in reality, her boyfriend asked to meet up.」

          「That… could be true.」

          Honestly, it was hard not to be suspicious. If she’d only mentioned forgetting something, I could’ve shrugged it off, but bringing up her father out of nowhere made it impossible not to raise an eyebrow.

          「It’s gotta be her boyfriend. You think so too, don’t you, Maika?」

          Ami declared confidently as we walked out of the school building together.

          「But maybe she really did leave something behind, and her dad actually does want her home early. Shiori can be absentminded, and her father does often ask her to come back.」

          Shiori brought up her father a lot in conversation.

          Today didn’t quite seem like the right situation for it, but I couldn’t dismiss the possibility completely. If anything, it felt more likely that her leaving something behind was the excuse, not the part about her father.

          Of course, I was curious about why she’d made something up at all, but I was also fine letting it slide for now.

          As we walked in the slowly fading daylight, Ami let out a sigh.

          「Well, maybe you’re right.」

          「And besides, if Shiori did get a boyfriend, don’t you think she’d tell us?」

          「Would she, though?」

          「Yeah, so why don’t we interrogate her about it tomorrow?」

          I joked, glancing at Ami.

          I didn’t plan on forcing Shiori to share every detail of her love life, but I did want to know if she had a boyfriend. I wanted to see what kind of person she liked, and make sure they were someone I could trust her with.

          Though, honestly, I didn’t actually think she had a boyfriend.

          「That’s a good idea. Let’s do that… Though, I don’t actually think she has one or anything.」

          Ami said, almost as if she’d read my mind.

          「I agree. Maybe we shouldn’t interrogate her, then.」

          I replied.

          Shiori had never mentioned liking anyone, and I’d never seen her act like she had a crush. She didn’t really talk about romance at all, actually. Love was just one of those topics that never seemed to interest her much.

          「No, let’s do it. I think it’ll be fun.」

          Ami said cheerfully.

          「Oh, poor Shiori… is what I’d like to say, but yeah, let’s do it—as punishment for ditching us.」

          I didn’t plan on going too hard on her, but since I was overlooking her odd excuses today, a little teasing seemed fair.

          「Well then, it’s settled. Tomorrow, Shiori will face her fate! She’ll pay for leaving us behind!」

          Ami said with a grin on her face.

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