「Kurumi. Lemme see your physics homework.」
Rather than any sort of greeting, that was the first thing I heard out of Mutsuki’s calm and collected self. Her words reached me through even the noisy bustle of the classroom in the morning. I thought her voice was quite beautiful, but I had mixed feelings about what she was saying.
I wryly smiled.
「Didn’t do it again? What is it this time? Too much messing around?」
「Nope. I was saddled with an unavoidable duty to learn more about the world.」
「Learning about the world?」
「Yep. I was, for scholarly purposes, studying methods to better one’s relations with others. Because of that, I could afford no time for my homework. Unavoidable, see?」
「So basically, you were just hanging out with your friends.」
「Don’t sweat the details. Now lemme see.」
「Listen here…」
“Come on,” I thought. And I thought that every time, but she was impressively unyielding. I was sure that she’d never lost an argument before.
「I’m not showing you my homework anymore.」
「Wow. Stingy. I guess you don’t care if your friends get mad at you.」
「I won’t show you, but I’ll help you do it. Physics is third period, right? We’ll probably finish it in time.」
「My savior.」
「Don’t push your luck. Can’t you just be normal and do your homework?」
「No way.」
Mutsuki spoke with pride. I sighed and then got my physics workbook out from my desk.
Today was just like any other morning. It goes without saying, but the classroom was occupied by the same people as always. They filled the room with chitchat about celebrities, gossip about our fellow classmates, and all other sorts of everyday conversations.
Half a year had already passed since we entered high school. Everyone had already gotten accustomed to the high school life and those sorts of conversations had begun to lose their novelty.
「Hey, did you hear? Sera got confessed to by Kiyomura from Class 4.」
「And? How’d it turn out this time?」
「Like usual.」
「Ugh, that’s so boring.」
「And now Kiyomura’s absent today.」
「Just because he got rejected? That’s hilarious.」
「Right? But honestly, I kinda get how he feels.」
「Huh, so you’d react like that too?」
「No no no. You see, Sera doesn’t mince her words when she turns people down. Like, last time, she just straight up said she had zero interest.」
While teaching physics to Mutsuki, I passively absorbed the conversation happening nearby. They all certainly were the type to eat up this sort of gossip. On the other hand, I didn’t have any love stories to my name, and neither did Mutsuki nor Yume. I didn’t really have any interest in romance.
It’s not like I was particularly curious about other peoples’ love lives. This conversation just happened to be close enough that I’d end up hearing about it whether I wanted to or not.
「Gosh… Sera’s pretty crazy, huh? She seems so gentle, but she’s able to be like that.」
「Well, if she handles things that way, it’s easier to make the person give up for sure, right?」
I began to feel some tension in the relaxed atmosphere.
I turned around to see that at some point, the empty seat next to me had been filled by Sorahashi Sera. The girls that had been so gossipy just a moment ago froze up in an instant.
「Good morning, you two.」
「Ah. Um. Morning.」
「Good morning, Sera.」
Sorahashi-san’s smile seemed to be effective at making people embarrassed. The two of them smiled back, as if they hadn’t in fact been engrossed in gossip just a few moments ago.
Sorahashi Sera.
Within this class… No, within this school, there was nobody that didn’t know her name. She was famous enough here to be the constant center of attention.
I felt like it was easy to see why. I mean, she was shockingly beautiful, and her cheerfulness made her easy to like. It would be no exaggeration to say that this entire class revolved around her. It might even be accurate to say that she was the heart of the whole school.
We lived in different worlds. To be frank, that’s the sort of person she was. Despite being in neighboring seats, there was an invisible line that divided the two of us. It was a line that was probably more difficult to breach than the borders between nations.
「Ah. Good morning to you, Kurumi.」
Her piercing gaze bore into me. The thought that she might call out to me never even crossed my mind, so I froze up in an instant.
My heart leaped.
Sorahashi-san looked like she was waiting for my response.
I saw my reflection in her beautiful eyes. After hesitating for a moment, I responded.
「Good morning, Sorahashi-san.」
「Yes, good morning.」
It didn’t seem like she had any business with me, and without saying another word, she began taking her textbooks out from her bag. Then, as if nothing had happened, she began chatting with her friends.
What was with that just now?
To be honest, Sorahashi-san and I had nothing to do with each other. We would sometimes pick up dropped pencils for each other during class, but if you asked me if I spoke to her, I would have to say we really didn’t.
It felt like it had been quite a while since she had even said good morning to me.
「Kurumi. Help me with this next question.」
Hearing Mutsuki’s voice, I returned to reality. I felt that my racing heart, too, had begun to calm down a little.
Caring little about Sorahashi-san and more about her homework, she was frantically working through the problem set.
If you cared enough to get worked up like this, then you should have just gotten it done from the start.
「Uh, the next question is… Oh, this. So for this, you…」
I helped Mutsuki with her homework up until the bell rang. By the time that morning homeroom had begun, I had forgotten all about how Sorahashi-san had spoken to me.
Today had begun like any other day, and would probably end like any other.
At least, that’s what I thought.
「…Huh?」
Class had ended. As I got ready to go home, I noticed something sticking out from inside my desk.
「What’s up?」
Mutsuki called out to me from the front of the classroom. She had already gotten all her things together and was out of her seat. It seemed that as thanks for helping her with her homework this time, she was going to buy me some new drink that had just hit the shelves today. That made me happy.
I reached into my desk and pulled something out.
What had been inside was a letter. And moreover, it had “To Kurumi” written on the front in cute lettering. Could this be…
「A love letter?」
Is what Mutsuki said.
I thought that the term “love letter” was a thing of the past. I’d heard my mom recount stories of her receiving them before, but these days, I didn’t think that anyone would use a letter to reach out to someone else. I supposed I was wrong.
「If you’re going to turn them down, I’ll come with you.」
「We don’t know if it’s a love letter.」
「But there’s a heart-shaped sticker on it.」
「…That’s true.」
There was a light pink seal stuck onto the letter. I had no sense for these sorts of things, so I was left wondering. I didn’t think anyone would find it fun to play a prank on me, but it also was hard to believe that it was really a love letter.
Be that as it may…
「You should go home without me. This could take a while.」
「If you say so… See you tomorrow.」
「Yeah, see you.」
Mutsuki wasn’t the sort of person to get all excited over a friend receiving a love letter. In fact, she seemed completely disinterested in the matter. I let out a small chuckle and went out into the hallway to open the letter.
Written within was a request to come to an unused classroom on the third floor.
I had thought that the contents would be something more direct, like some passionate confession of love. I went back to grab my bag and then headed up to the classroom in question.
I had no interest in romance. I thought that it was a realm completely foreign to me. But if, just if. If the person who wrote that letter truly held me dear in their heart, then I felt like I ought to properly respond to their feelings. However, this was a first for me, so I was awfully nervous.
The hallways were busy with noise during the day, but now, all you could hear was the faint noise of some club activities here and there. It had been getting colder lately, so the windows were all closed and it was a lot quieter than it was in the summer when outdoors activities were in full swing.
As I saw the crimson light shining in from the window, I thought for a moment that I ought to hurry up and head home.
But right now, I felt no real urge to be home early. Besides, my parents both usually got home quick anyway.
I stood in front of the empty classroom. Unlike when one entered the staff room, there was no need to knock or announce who you were or your year and class. Despite that, I decided to at least knock first.
「Come in.」
I recognized that voice.
Thinking that it couldn’t be, I opened the door to see…
「I’m glad you came, Kurumi.」
「…Sorahashi-san?」
My eyes widened involuntarily. I couldn’t have imagined that the one standing here would be her. However, thanks to that, I knew that it wasn’t a love letter. There was no way that Sorahashi-san would write a love letter to someone like me.
Just as a wave of relief came over me, the door shut.
Not just the door, but the lock, too.
That click of the lock felt otherwordly. Perhaps it was because her and I did live in separate worlds.
「Yes, in the flesh. You gave a proper look at my letter, yes? It’s been some time since I’ve written one, so I gave it my all… what did you think of it?」
She let out a giggle after speaking.
Not registering that this was real life, I began to feel lightheaded.
「The lettering was beautiful. But why did you suddenly reach out to me like this?」
My heart had raced a bit at the thought that this could have been a confession. Now that I knew that couldn’t be the case, however, I was able to hold a normal conversation.
She giggled at my question.
「Why did I reach out to you, I wonder? What do you think, Kurumi?」
Her smile was so cute and refined that the words that came to mind were “doll-like”. In unison with her smile, her hair swayed. Her golden locks, illuminated by the evening sun, were so beautiful that I found my eyes inadvertently drawn to them.
「Is something the matter?」
I had no interest in things like romance, but… I felt like I could, just a little, understand the feelings of all the people that had confessed to her before. The way she carried herself was cute to the point that I wondered whether or not she, like me, was human.
「What would you do if I told you that this was something that only you could do for me?」
Her voice was inviting.
She peered at my face from below.
Being stared at from below by a girl taller than me made me a bit restless.
「I’d hear you out. We’re classmates, after all. If there’s something troubling you, I’ll help.」
「Really?」
「Yeah. What happened?」
I wondered how there could be something that only I, someone she had barely any connection to, could do for her.
That’s what I thought, but I felt that if someone was in trouble, I was obligated to lend my help. Even if it wasn’t something I could fully resolve, I felt that as a human being, I had a duty to do what I could.
「Hmmmm……」
Tap, tap, tap.
She slowly paced around me. As she did, I was struck with the refreshing scent of the seaside in springtime and was transported to another world.
Was it really something that difficult to say? While I wondered that, I felt something touch my shoulder. I realized that it was her hand. The moment that the sight of her beautiful nails captivated my attention, I felt her breath against my ear.
My body flinched in surprise.
「Be my master, Kurumi.」
「…….Huh?」
I froze.
Her master. What did that mean, exactly?
「Ah, I don’t mean in terms of maid and master, but rather, in terms of dog and owner. I would be your dog, and you would be my owner. That’s the sort of relationship I want us to have.」
I had no idea what she was saying. I hadn’t thought that Sorahashi-san was the type to play pranks on others, but perhaps that wasn’t the case. I opened the door to scan the hallway, but there was nobody there.
「This is a private conversation, so please leave the door closed.」
Saying that, she once again closed and locked the door to the classroom.
「Um, what do you mean by that?」
「Is it so difficult to understand? Like I said, Kurumi, I want you to be my mas-」
「Yeah, I get that. …Is this some sort of prank?」
「I wouldn’t make absurd jokes like that. I’m not a fan of such things.」
She spoke with clarity.
We had barely spoken to each other before this, but I knew that Sorahashi-san was being honest about her feelings. There was no way she would pull such a ridiculous prank on me.
But even so.
The fact that she was being sincere was troubling.
「Why me? What about one of your friends? And in the first place, why do you want a master?」
「I thought that you would be a good fit. My friends aren’t suitable to be my master. I’ve always desired to be a dog owned by someone else. ……Do you have any other questions?」
She proficiently delivered her responses rapid-fire. So this is what it meant to have a way with words[1].
「What do you mean by ‘suitable to be your master’?」
「It means exactly what I said. I’m looking for someone who can at times be kind, and during others be strict. The sort of person who has an aptitude for that is the sort of person I’m looking for to be my owner!」
She swayed in front of me as if she was dancing.
Her skirt gently fluttered. For an instant, I was under the illusion that she had truly become weightless. That was how delicate her skirt and hair were.
Was this real life, or was I just dreaming?
「I mean, that’s how you were this morning, right?」
「This morning?」
As I tilted my head in confusion, she grinned.
「You were a bit stern with Nakamura-san, but in the end, you still kindly taught her how to do her homework. I felt like that matched up quite well with the sort of master I wish to have.」
She continued to smile.
It felt as if her faraway smile existed on a plane different to the one I was standing on. As I continue to see myself reflected in the indescribable color of her eyes, an uneasy feeling overtook me. It was as if the world itself was telling me that she was right and I was wrong.
「If that’s what you want out of a master, then surely it could be someone el-」
「There’s nobody else. Out of all the people I’ve seen, you’re the only one, Kurumi. It has to be you, Kurumi. Kurumi, I want you to be my master. …..What do you say?」
I was at a loss for words. This was the first time that someone had ever so directly longed for me, and because of that, my heart began to race.
I tended to go easy on Mutsuki, and the fact that she relied on me like that made me happy, so I tried to look out for her. But it wouldn’t be good for her if I was always like that, so I had to be strict sometimes. Being told that that made me suitable to be her master troubled me.
What should I do? How could I refuse her without hurting her?
「Do you really hate the idea that much?」
「I don’t… I don’t hate it. But I don’t really get it.」
「Hmm, I see. So you’re not willing to be my master.」
「…Sorry.」
Saying this in a dissatisfied tone, she let out a small sigh.
Even the sound of her breathing was beautiful compared to other people. Perhaps it’s because Sorahashi-san was a special existence. For a moment, I was lost in her eyes.
Just a bit, I thought it was a wasted opportunity.
That’s how I felt somewhere within my heart. I loved the unchanging everyday life that I led. If I had went along with her request, then that everyday life would have become filled with colors that I had yet to know. But that wasn’t what I wanted.
What I wanted was to, like I always have, pass the days with Mutsuki and Yume, and occasionally converse with Mizuki when I returned home.
These days that I’d been blessed with ever since entering high school were what I should, above all else, love and hold dear. In the first place, I wondered what it would have even been like to have Sorahashi-san, who I barely even knew, become my pet.
「How regrettable. I thought that you would have agreed to become my master, Kurumi. My apologies for saying such a strange thing all of a sudden.」
「No, it’s fine…」
She slowly blinked. I was a bit amazed at the length of her eyelashes, and as I was caught in that thought, her irises once again revealed themselves.
For some reason, I felt like I couldn’t hear anything else around me.
「Sorahashi-san. I won’t tell anybody else about this.」
But, just to be clear.
Even if I were to reveal that Sorahashi-san had asked me to be her master, nobody would believe me. I just felt anxious about what would happen if the word did spread.
She strolled past me, opened the door, and then turned around and spoke.
「I don’t mind if you talk about it, you know?」
「Eh?」
「I intend to make an important announcement tomorrow.」
「Huh?」
「You know Kiyomura-kun from Class 4?」
「I’ve heard of him.」
「I thought I’d ask him when he came to school tomorrow.」
She grinned and laughed. For a moment, I was rendered speechless.
「By ‘ask him’, do you mean to become your master? In the morning? At school?」
「Yes. Inside Class 4’s classroom.」
She spoke in a cheerful tone.
No matter how beloved Sorahashi-san was, how would that turn out if she said that out loud in a class that wasn’t hers? Her high school life would turn into a total mess, and on the off chance that Kiyomura-kun agreed to it…
I felt myself begin to sweat at such an unpleasant thought.
Even between two girls, a dog and owner relationship between the two would be considered strange. It was easy to imagine what would happen if the same relationship were to occur between her and someone of the opposite sex.
「Why? What happened to needing your master to be someone suitable?」
「Hmm… Well, if you won’t do it for me, Kurumi, I have no other choice. It’s possible that Kiyomura-kun has the right disposition.」
「What…」
She grinned.
「Then, until tomorrow. Thank you for humoring me today.」
I felt like my breath was going to stop.
I wasn’t friends with Sorahashi-san. Occasional conversation was the extent of our interactions, so there was no reason for me to get so deeply involved with her. There shouldn’t have been.
Even so, because I knew how unhappy that would make me, I couldn’t just leave her be.
But why?
As I was lost in thought, she walked away. Startled by the tapping of her footsteps echoing through the empty corridor, I hurriedly chased after her.
「Wait up!」
What was the right thing to do?
Without knowing the answer, I shouted out to her back.
[1] In the original text, the idiomatic phrase 「立て板に水」, “like water on a standing board”, is used here. It’s typically used to compliment someone’s smooth and fluent speaking skills, but can also be used to imply that someone is really really good at saying a whole lot of nothing. I considered using the idiom “silver-tongued”, but that turn of phrase carries a strong implication of persuasiveness and manipulativeness that doesn’t really fit.
Ave Lilium Translations 