For Sakuna Koizuka, lunchtime was a time of melancholy.
The surroundings were too noisy to read a book, yet there was no one to engage in small talk with. True loneliness isn’t absolute; it’s relative. If one were alone in the universe from the start, they probably wouldn’t feel lonely. However, being the only one alone while everyone else is communicating with someone brings the weight of loneliness to the forefront.
Usually, she would drive this thought away, telling herself, “So what? I don’t need to engage with Homo sapiens.” But occasionally, she would feel a sudden, “Ugh, this is tough.” That’s why, most of the time, she would eat lunch in places where no one else was around, but for the past few days, she had been eating at her seat in order to observe Konoe.
(Why is she so sparkling…?)
There was an aura of someone truly enjoying the reality in front of them. She probably had a mindset of “I hope something good happens today” as soon as she woke up in the morning, while Sakuna would always think, “I don’t want to go to school” when she got up.
Although this was all just Sakuna’s wild imagination, there was no falsehood in their smiles. It seemed there were times when they were laughing to fit in, but for the most part, they genuinely appeared to be enjoying themselves. She also noticed a slightly arrogant air, but it was understandable—everyone tends to think they’re special.
Sakuna, who was an absolute loner, herself thought she was different from others, being a professional novelist.
(In that sense, Konoe-san is just… strange…)
She was smiling. Sakuna believed it was probably genuine, but it felt like there were many false smiles. However, this wasn’t particularly rare; everyone acts in a way that blends in with others.
(There’s something else that feels off, though… what is it? It’s not that she’s lying… but…)
Konoe was chatting with two of her friends from afar. Even from a distance, it was clear that Konoe was strikingly beautiful.
But something still felt off. Yet, she couldn’t pinpoint it. The subtle expressions that flashed across her face, called microexpressions, could only be discerned up close, and even Sakuna couldn’t identify them from this distance. It was simply too difficult to spy on her.
“Sakuna-san, are you interested in Konoe-san?”
Suddenly, she was called out, and a strange sound slipped out of her mouth. Surprised, she turned around to find Miku Tashiro standing there. Miku had talked to her several times while investigating things related to Akizuki. As a result, it had become somewhat common for Miku to approach Sakuna now.
“Uh, well… I just thought she was pretty…”
She answered while averting her eyes from Miku.
“Well, Konoe-san is beautiful… she really is the epitome of an Akita beauty.”
“Huh? Um… she’s from Akita?”
“Her dad’s a part of a company that moves people around a lot. She said she went to middle school in Akita.”
“I see…”
As Sakuna continued nodding in reply, Miku suddenly asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just… I’ve never heard Konoe-san use a dialect. I’ve always had this image that people from the Tohoku region speak with strong dialects.”
“Oh, now that you mention it… maybe she worked hard to learn standard Japanese?”
(I see, there’s still so much I don’t know…)
Sakuna was thinking about whether or not she should ask Konoe directly, but at that moment, her thoughts shifted to how she should end her conversation with Miku.
Konoe suddenly pulled out her smartphone and checked the screen. Sakuna saw her expression change—first to happiness, then mixed with sadness and fear. Though she was too far away to clearly see the details, it looked like she was experiencing a mixture of happiness and aversion.
It was likely that Konoe had received a message from Akizuki.
Konoe put on a fake smile and spoke to her friends before quickly standing up and leaving the classroom. If the message was from Akizuki, she might be planning to meet him.
“Oh, sorry, Tashiro-san, I’ve got something to do… um, excuse me.”
“Ah, okay. Sorry for suddenly talking to you.”
“No, it’s not that I mind… it’s just… sorry…”
Sakuna stammered as she hurriedly left the classroom.
Miku wasn’t a bad person, and she had enough social skills to talk to someone like Sakuna. But, as usual, talking to people in general was difficult for her. Her mind instinctively tried to read the emotions of others.
(I wish I could just deal with people like Iwanaga-san, who are hard to understand…)
With those thoughts in mind, Sakuna followed Konoe.
The hallway during lunch was crowded, making it easier for Sakuna to sneakily follow her. She had read in detective novels that the key to tailing someone is maintaining an irregular distance, and she decided to trust that knowledge.
She didn’t need to be overly cautious; Konoe didn’t notice her tailing. She walked toward the back of the school building, where she had once argued with Akizuki. Sakuna stopped in front of the entrance, wondering what she should do.
“You came too?”
The voice made her turn her gaze to find Asaichi standing with his arms crossed.
“…Please don’t approach me suddenly. You said it would attract attention.”
“There’s no one here, so don’t worry. Let’s go follow them.”
“I’m not sure I feel comfortable invading their privacy like this…”
“You can read people’s emotions, but not their thoughts?”
“…I don’t read minds. I can only read emotions. Anyone can tell if someone’s happy by seeing them smile, right? I’m just better at it than most.”
There was no benefit in exposing things people wanted to hide.
“This is all for a happy ending.”
“Iwanaga-san, you’re really forceful…”
“If you don’t seize the chance, it’s a waste, don’t you think?”
While speaking, Asaichi started walking, and Sakuna followed quietly behind. They approached the back of the school building, where they could hear the conversation of the two.
“What do you mean by ‘it’s impossible, Manami?’”
Konoe didn’t respond to Akizuki’s words. When Sakuna peeked from the shadows, she saw Konoe’s expression clearly. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see Akizuki’s face due to the shadows.
“…I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“No, I don’t get it. You said everything on Twitter was a lie. I only have you, Manami. What do I need to do to make you believe me?”
“…This is my problem.”
From Konoe’s expression, Sakuna could read feelings of guilt and sadness. There was no lie in her expression, but since she was about ten meters away, Sakuna couldn’t clearly make out the details.
“Did you figure something out?”
Asaichi asked from behind, but Sakuna continued to observe without responding. Suddenly, Konoe burst into tears and ran toward them, crying, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Sakuna and Asaichi pressed themselves against the wall in surprise, but Konoe ran past them as if she didn’t even notice them.
In that moment, Sakuna clearly saw Konoe’s crying face.
It was a genuine expression of sorrow.
For a brief moment, she could tell that the sadness was undeniable.
And yet, something felt off. She realized that the strange sensation came from her upper eyelids. There was something unnatural about the way they moved.
Akizuki arrived a moment later. Seeing his downcast expression, he noticed Sakuna and Asaichi, and without hiding his displeasure, he asked, “What were you watching?”
Sakuna stammered, “I… um…”
Asaichi quickly apologized, “Sorry.”
Akizuki clicked his tongue and walked off. Sakuna, still stunned, stared at his retreating figure, when Asaichi asked, “Are you okay?”
“…Are you okay? You’re friends, right?”
“Well, you’re right. I probably shouldn’t have gotten involved in their private business…”
“You’re not seriously going to say you’re quitting now, right?”
“…Huh? Are you interested? You didn’t seem so keen before…”
“Somehow, I’m starting to figure out Konoe-san’s secret.”
“Seriously?”
“I don’t have proof yet, but I want to investigate a bit more.”
“…Do you think we’ll have time?”
She was talking about their potential breakup. It seemed like a tough situation.
“…I’d say the chances of a happy ending are fifty-fifty.”
As she answered, Sakuna thought about what actions to take next.
