Crossing the walkway, I headed to the restroom in the annex.
I often come to this restroom when Sumire invites me during break time.
Part of the reason is that nearby restrooms get crowded, but Sumire seems to like taking the time to go out of her way to use this one.
There was no sign of anyone in the restroom.
Maybe because it’s not used very much, the lights don’t turn on automatically. Light shining through the frosted glass of the closed windows illuminates the floor.
I entered the back stall, sat on the toilet seat, and took out my smartphone. I scrolled through the screen again for no reason.
I was timing it. Is it okay to go back to the classroom after five… about ten minutes?
…And somehow this makes me look like a kid who has no place in the classroom.
Aside from Sumire, there is practically no one in the class I could call a close friend.
If Sumire weren’t in the same class, I think I would’ve felt a bit of a sense of crisis and gone over to talk to people myself.
I heard the sound of the restroom door opening.
I instinctively held my breath. Suddenly, I felt like I was doing something wrong.
Judging by the footsteps, only one person entered. The presence stopped right outside the stall.
“Aoi?”
My heart gave a start and almost jumped out of my chest. There is only one person in this school who calls me that.
Panicking a bit, I flushed the clean toilet water on the spot.
I stood up and took one breath, two breaths.
After a pause, I came out of the stall.
“Ah, there you are! I knew it was here.”
Sumire’s anxious expression instantly brightened up.
I asked with a nonchalant face.
“What?”
“I thought you were taking long.”
It shouldn’t have been that much time.
Even though she uses this place often, what would she have done if the person inside wasn’t me?
“Anyway, don’t follow me all the way to the restroom.”
As I tried to slip past her side, Sumire tilted her body to block my path. She peered into my face from below with an upward glance.
“Aoi-chan, are you mad at something?”
“Not really? I’m not mad.”
“No way. You’re mad, right?”
“I said I’m not mad.”
Just being asked persistently makes me want to get mad.
Without looking the least bit guilty, Sumire smiled mischievously.
“Could it be you’re sulking because I’ve only been talking to other kids?”
I feel my face getting hot all of a sudden.
I started to look away, but immediately brought my gaze back. I stared straight back into Sumire’s eyes.
“Besides, we’re dating in secret, you know. If the two of us are too clingy, people will get suspicious. Right?”
I’ve let it slide, but this might really be the limit.
Saying I’ll wait and see, only to let things drag on, was a bad idea.
“Hey, about that dating thing… are you serious?”
“I am serious, you know? Aoi-chan said it was fine too, didn’t you?”
“No, I mean…”
Sumire’s tone is light as usual.
Like she’s not thinking about the consequences… no, she definitely isn’t.
“It’s fine, it hasn’t been found out at all, right?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what?”
“Hey, you don’t get it, do you?”
“I get it. We’re keeping it a secret from everyone, right? Nfufuf.”
Sumire is laughing like it’s funny, but it’s not funny at all.
She still doesn’t get it. She’s completely off. From Sumire’s perspective, this might just be an extension of the usual fooling around she always does.
To begin with, what’s up with suddenly confessing out of nowhere? Without any warning.
There’s no doubt Sumire and I are close, but jumping straight to dating is way too sudden…
I just think things should stay the way they’ve always been.
Plus, we’re childhood friends, in the same school, in the same class, and what’s more, sitting right behind each other—I’d be in trouble if things got awkward.
Fine or not, it’s like I didn’t even have a choice to begin with.
“So like, that thing about dating… you don’t really understand it properly, do you?”
As I ask that, I actually don’t understand it very well myself, either.
But Sumire definitely doesn’t either.
Neither of us has ever dated anyone before, so Sumire should be the same way.
What’s that supposed to mean. Do you understand, Aoi?”
Whoa, she talked back.
She’s hitting right where it hurts.
But I can’t back down here.
“I do get it. Better than Sumire does.”
“Heh. Then tell me.”
A thorn mixed into Sumire’s tone.
Her large black eyes held a deep color with no bottom.
Sometimes I think I’d be envious, seeing her round like a surprised cat with slightly bad eyes, but right now it was creepy.
Sumire isn’t really honest, airheaded, and silly or anything like that.
Sometimes I feel like she’s much smarter than me, pays close attention to her surroundings, acts skillfully, and secretly looks down on me.
Even if that were true… I still can’t back down.
I am smarter than Sumire, calm, and the one who puts a stop to Sumire’s weird behavior by telling her it’s no good.
That’s like my identity. That’s the part where I can stand above Sumire.
I stepped one step closer to Sumire and grabbed her upper arm.
Her lips remained slightly parted in a smile as she stared at me without flinching. Toward those lips, I pressed my own.