Episode 1: The Fork in the Road

I’ve thought about dying several times.

I’d skip school lessons and go to the rooftop to pretend to jump off. Cowardly as I am, I could never quite make up my mind, and ended up just skipping class on the rooftop.

The sky was cruelly beautiful.

Not a cloud in sight.

　A feeling bordering on envy welled up towards that sky.

I wish it were more murky…

Living feels like a bother. When did I start thinking that?

I (Takizawa Sora) am a second-year high school student, attending school as usual today. If you asked me if I had any particular strengths, I wouldn’t say so. The only thing I can really praise myself for is being somewhat good at studying.

　The new term has started, my class has changed, and so has the classroom. Since the classroom is now one floor higher, the schoolyard visible from the window seems far away. Before, it was too close, and the noise from PE made me irritable during lessons, so this distance is just right.

The one thing that hasn’t changed is being in the same class as Sato Mai, who I became friends with back in my first year.

During lunch break, Mai came over to me and started talking in her usual high-energy way.

“Hoshizora, you skipped first period again, didn’t you? Where were you? I want to skip with you next time!”

She said it casually. She always wears her long hair in a bun on top of her head. She looks bright, and I think she’s a bit scatterbrained and a bit of a joker. She seems the type who’d skip even if she wasn’t with someone else.

“I was feeling a bit ill, so I took a rest.”

I found it a bit of a bother, but I chose my words carefully so she wouldn’t feel bad.

“Since first year, you’ve always skipped a lot, so I figured today was just another day.”

It’s true, since first year, I’ve skipped classes frequently. The reason is simple: when I feel like I could jump, I go up to the roof.

I’ve never confided this feeling to anyone.

The reason teachers don’t get angry when I skip class is because my grades are the best in the year.

　Once, I was bullied by people jealous of my good grades.

＊＊＊

“Takizawa-san, aren’t you being a bit stuck-up? Everyone else is taking the lesson seriously, yet you just stroll back in like nothing’s happened. What are you playing at?”

“Could it be you’re meeting someone? You look like the type who’d have a forbidden romance with a school teacher.”

“I know what you mean! She looks so innocent, but she’s probably a real player with the boys.”

Looking back now, I realise it was just them taking their frustration out on someone else. I was surrounded by about three of them. They were probably from the same year, and since they knew I was skiving off, they might have been from my class too.

I wasn’t the slightest bit interested and just wanted this time to end quickly.

“Why don’t you say something? Eh?! Maybe you’re not denying it because it’s true? If we tell the teachers, you might get expelled or something.”

I could hear giggles of delight.
Honestly, it was a pain. I was used to silently waiting for the storm to pass, but I just wanted this situation to end quickly.

“—What are you lot doing?”

A voice I hadn’t heard before reached my ears. I lifted my head and looked towards the sound. It was Endo Hina, a girl in my year.

The reason I remembered her, despite having no interest in people, was that Endo-san was famous for being beautiful in our year. Mai had whispered it to me once when she passed by Endo-san.

Even someone like me, who takes no interest in people, found her so beautiful that I couldn’t forget her after just one glance.

　Long, lightly tinted hair that just skirted the edge of school rules, perfectly shaped eyebrows, beautiful double eyelids, lashes so long snow would cling to them, a high nose, and lips neither too thin nor too full, but sharply defined.

Her face was so perfectly formed, it looked like she’d stepped straight out of a book.

But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. If we managed to recruit someone that famous, even I would find it hard to stay at this school.

　This situation was enough to make me want to bury my head in my hands, but then something happened that made me want to bury my head even deeper.

“Don’t be cruel to my friend.”

Huh…?
My mind was already struggling to keep up with this situation, and now I felt even more distant from it.

　The next moment, my arm was grabbed and pulled, dragging me away from the spot. Swept along by her momentum, I couldn’t say a word as we left. I thought I saw the faces of the people surrounding me turn slightly pale.

I couldn’t care less about them, but this situation was beyond me.

“Um…”

I spoke up, trying not to show my fluster.

“Ah, sorry. Did that hurt?”

The arm holding me released, freeing the spot that had been pressed. I wanted to ask why she’d helped, but an awkward atmosphere made it hard to speak.

“—Takizawa-san, right?”

Hearing her call my surname made my heart skip a beat. Why would Endo-san, famous at school, witness the bullying, help me, and call my surname?

“You don’t remember, do you…”

Don’t remember…?

Was she mistaking me for someone else? No, she definitely called my surname. There must be others named Takizawa at school… As I pondered this, Endo-san spoke in a slightly lower tone.

“People who do things like that are absolutely despicable! I couldn’t stand watching, so I just had to say something. Sorry? Was it none of my business?”

I shook my head side to side and simply said, “It’s fine.” I’d developed a habit of not looking people in the face when listening to them, so I answered while keeping my gaze lowered.

Seeing this, she suddenly closed the distance between us and peered up at my face, asking, “Really?”

　I lifted my face, thinking my current attitude wasn’t right after she’d helped me. I didn’t know if I could manage it well, but I felt I had to at least say thank you, so I acted.

“Thank you…”

As I spoke the words, I looked at her. Seeing her, my voice caught in my throat.

Sunlight hit her hair, making her overly bright brown locks gleam. Her skin had a healthy colour, her eyes were a beautiful brown. Her lips, perhaps lightly made up, were coated in pink lip balm.

The uniform consisted of the regulation blouse with a red tie fastened. Mine too was loosened just enough to barely comply with school rules, the top button left undone. A slightly short navy skirt, the designated white socks, and black shoes.

Looking at her again up close, I was struck by how impressive she was. As I stared in surprise, she said, “There’s no need to look so frightened…” with a slightly sad expression.

　She then smiled at me and walked away.

“—Thank you.”

My voice was drowned out by the usual school noise.

＊＊＊

As I recalled this, Mai’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Hey, hey. Fancy going for a parfait after school?”

She held her phone screen up to my face, looking incredibly proud. I moved my face slightly away from the phone, which was too close, and looked at the screen.

“This café’s famous for being photogenic! Everything’s adorable and pretty – the colours, the decorations, everything!”

Mai looked incredibly pleased as she showed it to me, but I wasn’t interested and didn’t know what expression to make.

I’m really grateful to Mai. She’s always there beside me, even though I don’t have much to offer.

I think we became friends because I happened to be sitting next to her and she asked to see my homework.

　It wasn’t so much that we became friends because it was me; we just happened to sit near each other and got along. Mai would have become friends with anyone. But since then, she’s been very fond of me.

The thing is, I find it hard to enjoy anything, so I’m rarely interested in what she wants to do.

“I’m feeling a bit under the weather today,” I lied.

“Oh, right, sorry about that. I’ll invite you another time!”

　Mai is a kind girl. I imagine she must have been really sad inside and wanted to go. She doesn’t show it and treats me normally.

Sometimes I think that if I weren’t like this, I might have become closer friends with Mai. She invites me shopping or out for meals, and I do go along, but I’m not interested and just end up zoning out the whole time.

In the end, I grew to dislike being in the classroom and spent the afternoon lessons on the rooftop.