Ch 1 part 3

 

"Welcome back, class president. I know you've been working hard."

"Thank you! My boyfriend is so gentle~ I love you!"

"I love you too."

The two of them shamelessly flirted in the middle of the classroom early in the morning.

Eishi gently caressed Izumi's head as she snuggled up to him.

Their classmates were already used to seeing such scenes and only gave them warm looks.

Leaving that aside, Izumi always seemed full of energy and vitality like this. She was the class president and took her responsibilities seriously. If a friend needed help, she would readily lend a hand, even if she couldn't fully handle it herself.

Her positive and proactive attitude earned recognition from both students and teachers, making her a prominent figure in the class.

She and the composed and cool-headed Eishi were complete opposites, but for some reason, they got along very well.

Men and women are truly puzzling creatures.

"Oh, Hajime, you're here early too!"

"Don't greet me as if you just remembered, casually."

"Speaking of which, it seems she's came  to school today!"

Izumi's face lit up like a light bulb as she spoke with a bright idea. Just then, the classroom door suddenly opened, making a noise.

The classmates who were chatting enthusiastically all lowered their voices, and the atmosphere in the classroom instantly changed.

Everyone's gaze turned to one spot.

I followed their line of sight to the classroom door and saw Aoi standing there.

"......"

The classroom fell into silence, and the students stared at Aoi with cold eyes.

Throughout the room, one could hear unkind words like, "It's rare for her to come to school," "When was the last time she showed up?" "I forgot she existed."

Of course, Aoi must have heard those comments, but she didn't seem to care and simply sat at her desk, unfazed.

Afterward, the classmates acted as if nothing had happened and continued chatting and laughing among themselves.

This reaction accurately reflected Aoi's position in the class.

Eishi, Izumi, and I silently observed the scene in front of us.

"It's been a long time since Aoi attended school."

"She took a long break, and I was really worried. It's great to see her back at school."

Izumi said this with a sigh of relief.

"I'll go say hello to her!"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Aoi! Good morning♪"

Ignoring the gazes of their classmates, Izumi walked up to Aoi and greeted her.

In this classroom, only Izumi didn't turn a blind eye to Aoi.

Perhaps this had to do with her role as the class president, but more importantly, it was just her nature to be meddlesome. She truly lived up to her decision to run for class president; it was in her nature to be a busybody.

However, whether Aoi was willing to accept Izumi's overly straightforward personality was another matter.

"...Good morning."

Aoi replied with just a brief word. No matter what Izumi said to her, Aoi remained indifferent.

At home, she could talk to me normally, but that time seemed like a lie now. She now gave off the impression of being a proud blonde girl.

"You came to school today. How have you been lately!?"

"...Fine."

"That's good! Being fine is a good thing!"

Even in the face of such cold treatment, Izumi was undeterred and continued talking to her with a smile. Her strong spirit was truly impressive.

As I looked at this familiar scene, thoughts of the future suddenly crossed my mind.

She's living in my house now, so her current living situation should be okay for the time being.

At least until I transfer schools, Aoi won't have to worry about where to live.

As for the financial aspect, as long as I make good use of the allowance my parents give me, there should be a way for both of us to live.

Aoi also works part-time, so she'll eventually be able to save up some money.

But... What will happen after I transfer schools?

Deciding on a place to live before that is fine, but what if she can't settle down anywhere after that?

In that case, she'll face homelessness again, and the school won't have a place for her either.

It's possible that no one will extend a helping hand to Aoi this time, given the current circumstances. The way things are going, it seems unlikely that anyone would want to assist her.

Even if Izumi takes care of Aoi as much as she can, it won't be easy for their classmates to accept her. Unless Aoi takes the initiative to approach them, it's unlikely to happen.

Moreover, not only the students but also the teachers hold a similar impression of her.

"The blonde girl who doesn't come to school." Naturally, the teachers have a negative view of her as well.

"Do you care that much about Aoi coming to school?"

It seemed that I had been unconsciously staring at Aoi.

Hearing Eishi's question, I quickly averted my gaze.

"Well... it's not like that."

"Then what are you thinking?"

"Aoi and us, we graduated from the same junior high, right?"

"Yeah."

"I never had any interactions with her, and I transferred in during the first year of junior high, so I'm not very familiar with her. I was wondering if she's always been like this since junior high."

"I haven't been in the same class as her either, so I'm not sure. It seems like she became more like the 'blonde girl' after starting high school. But even back then, she often seemed to be on her own, much like now."

"I see..."

I weakly replied with a noncommittal response and looked back in Aoi's direction.

"If you have any troubles, I'm willing to lend you a hand."

"I'm not troubled by anything, but thanks."

After saying that, the bell for class rang.

During the class, my mind continued to ponder about the future.

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