[Hatsune PoV]
“Sorry… who are you?”
In the middle of the city, a poor boy who had been forgotten even as he spoke.
I—Momo Hatsune—witnessed it.
“Ah, Momo. Welcome back.”
“Ahaha, I saw someone talking to you earlier.”
“Yeah. I wonder if I did something wrong…”
“It's not a big deal.”
The truth is, I know about him.
Since first year, he had occasionally greeted Ayanon, but they never had a conversation. Even though he sat next to her, he never made much of an effort.
To be honest, he seemed like a suspicious person.
His name is Hajime Toumachi.
I thought he'd probably end up as one of Ayano's victims.
“Eh?”
One day in the classroom.
I saw the unmistakable rainbow-colored hair.
It was him. He instantly went onto the list of strange people.
At that time, I thought maybe he had gone astray mentally and become a delinquent.
“…Inexpensive… curry…”
“?”
Then.
During lunch break, I saw him muttering incomprehensible words in front of Ayanon.
I thought this was bad.
Maybe he was stalking her due to some personal grudge—
“At this time of year, cabbage is cheap, so maybe a Japanese-style curry would be good—”
“—! Thank you.”
“Well then!”
“? Eh.”
But, perhaps Ayanon's angelic presence purified him… the conversation started normally.
I was relieved.
Still, I thought he was someone to be wary of. With such suspicious behavior, there might be police involvement—such worst-case scenarios crossed my mind.
I needed to protect Ayanon.
And then, on Saturday. This time, there was a suspicious person who was trying to spin on the horizontal bar.
He wasn't spinning at all.
Spinning in double meanings… yeah, I made a clever remark.
So, early in the morning—at this time.
Did he know that Ayanon and Kanon-chan often come here to play?
Was he staking out this early?
I don't know.
But he seemed very earnest for some reason—
“—Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Ah, uh, uh.”
“Um~, that person is a classmate of mine—”
It seemed too pitiful.
When he was being questioned by the police, I couldn't help but step in to help.
“I run here every day at this time, but I haven't seen you before.”
“…I just started today. With the horizontal bar.”
“…Hmm?”
“Just felt like it…”
“….Come to think of it, how do you know me?”
“Because a ‘suspicious person' was talking to Ayanon.”
“Eh?”
“Besides, I don't think it's because of your hair color that you're recognizable.”
“…Ah.”
“You’re a strange person, Toumachi-kun. Suddenly talking about curry.”
“…Ugh.”
Even when questioned, he seemed to be hiding something. Suspicious.
But, strangely, he didn't seem like a ‘bad person.'
I don't know.
“—Thank you for helping me, Hatsune-san. I'll repay this favor someday.”
“!?.”
He suddenly got all serious. It was a bit unsettling.
And today.
At Ayanon's request, I was at the movie theater with Kanon-chan.
And then I spotted him.
At that moment, I was convinced once again that Toumachi-kun was Ayanon's stalker.
“Go for itーーーーー!!”
…And then, with his voice joining the other audience members' cheers from behind—the certainty began to waver.
“So—Toumachi-kun, were you watching something?”
“Eh?”
“Oh, were you about to watch it?”
I teased him playfully.
It wasn't out of jealousy for how close he seemed with the angelic Kanon-chan.
Even if he wasn't a stalker, if he said he was watching that movie… it would surely reflect poorly on him in Ayanon's eyes.
The moment he said, “I was about to watch it,” I planned to question him later. It was too pitiful to do so while still with Ayanon.
But.
“Actually, I just watched ○× Cure.”
“Eh?”
“Eh, why did you say that yourself—”
“—Rainbow colors!”
“It was interesting, ○× Cure.”
“○× Cureー!”
“Everyone did their best.”
He admitted it himself.
And ended up talking happily with Kanon-chan.
“Oh. I should be going to watch the next movie soon!”
“Eh?”
“Well then. Uh, Kanon-chan, Hatsune-san, and Kisaragi-san.”
“Bye-bye!”
He then disappeared into the screening room.
…Now, I'm completely confused.