Episode 66: Third Year of High School

The cherry blossoms flutter to the ground.
I fasten my school tie, slip on my blazer, and leave the house without a word.

　As if the bitter cold were a lie, people on the streets are now dressed in much lighter clothes.
Spring is a season of quiet bustle, and I’m not particularly fond of it. People heading off to university, those starting their careers, and those facing life changes, all sorts of people are passing through the streets, each with their own expression.

Today is the opening ceremony.
As I approach the school, I see more and more boys and girls in the same uniform.

“There you are!”

　From a distance, I can see Mai waving her arms wildly and shouting. Even as a third-year, she’s as energetic as ever, and I feel relieved to see her greet me just as she always does.

“Yoo-hoo! Long time no see! Did you have a good spring break?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I was worried you might be feeling a bit down, Hoshizora.”

Mai doesn’t care about the people around us; she gives me a big, tight hug.

“You’re being a bit of a nuisance right at the start of term.”
“That’s mean! We’ve been friends since Year 2. If we’re in the same class again this year, it must be fate.”
Saying that, Mai burst out laughing.

Today is the day the class lists are announced.
No matter which class we end up in, what we have to do won’t change. That’s what both the first- and second-years thought.

But this year is a little different.

　There’s a part of me, a bit of a fool, that wonders if school life would be a bit more fun if I ended up in the same class as Endo-san…

“Hoshizora? Aren’t you daydreaming a bit too much?”
Mai’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“It’d be nice if we were in the same class.”
I tried to match Mai’s high spirits as best I could.
We walked through the school we’d attended for the past two years, getting ready to head to our new classroom. The class lists were posted in front of the entrance.

‘I’ll go and check Class 5 to see if Hoshizora and my names are there, so you go and check Class 1!’
‘Right—’

Mai scurried off in the opposite direction to me.

I checked the names in order, starting with Class 1.
As the roll is in alphabetical order, both Mai and I have relatively low numbers.

Our names weren’t in Class 1.

There’s another name I’m looking for besides my own and Mai’s.

　I started looking through Class 2 from the top.

〈Endo Hina〉

Endo’s name caught my eye.
It seems Endo is in Class 2.

When I looked down below that, I saw Mai’s name.

It seems Endo and Mai are in the same class.
I felt a twinge of pain in my chest at that thought.

I let my gaze drift downwards.
My heart was pounding loudly, as if trying to tell me something.

Suddenly, I was embraced from behind, and my heart began to beat even faster.

‘Takizawa, we’re in the same class, aren’t we?’

Endo-san looked at me with a smile that couldn’t have been any happier.

‘Endo, we’re at school. Let go.’

I pushed Endo away with such force that it felt like I was shoving her.

I looked at the class list again, and there was my name.

〈Takizawa Sora〉

I’m in the same class as Endo.

Not that it changes anything.
Yet, for some reason, my heart won’t stop pounding.

Now that we’re classmates, it won’t seem strange even if we talk at school. I wonder who Endo-san will spend time with in class. I wonder what sides of her I’ll get to see.

Here I am, my heart racing over such silly things.

“Sora, my name wasn’t on the list until Class 3.”
“Mai, we’re in the same class again this year.”
As I said that, Mai’s eyes lit up and she hugged me just like she did when we met earlier.

“I’m such a lucky girl!”

As she said that and wouldn’t let go of me, I could see Endo-san’s cheek puff out slightly.
Endo-san looks cute no matter what expression she’s wearing. I’m always amazed by her unchanging beauty.

“Mai, I’m in the same class as you too, you know.”
“Eh!? Hina’s in the same class too! That’s going to be so much fun!”

　After that conversation, as the three of us headed towards the classroom, Mai asked a pointed question.

‘Come to think of it, why are you two so close, Hoshizora and Hina?’

Since we’d agreed not to interact at school in our second year, so it was hardly surprising that Mai would wonder. While I was thinking what would be the safest answer to give, Endo-san smoothly answered.

“She used to help me with my studies.”

I think Endo-san is amazing for being so composed in situations like this.

“So that’s why Hina’s grades shot up in her second year! Hoshizora, you’re amazing!”
“It’s just because Endo-san studied hard, isn’t it?”

Just as I was relieved that Mai hadn’t latched onto the conversation any further, we arrived at the classroom.
Looking at the seating plan inside, I discovered a shocking fact.

　Endo-san is sitting next to me…

I’m next to Endo-san, Mai is diagonally behind me, which means Mai’s seat is behind Endo-san’s.

‘Even our seats are perfect. What a great start to Year 3!’
Mai says this with a genuinely delighted expression on her face.

　As soon as I sat down, I felt an intense gaze from next to me.
I glanced over to see Endo-san, who wasn’t just smiling, she was grinning.

‘What?’
‘Oh, nothing. I just thought it was lovely that I get to see Takizawa’s profile during lessons too.’
‘Are you daft? Concentrate on the lesson.’
‘That sounds lovely! Let me join in too!’

The conversation was already a complete mess. Endo-san is talking as much as she likes, but Mai is talking even more freely than that…

It might be fun, but it looks like it’s going to be quite exhausting.

But when I looked over at my neighbour, I didn’t care about any of that anymore.
Both Mai and Endo-san were smiling and looked like they were having a good time.

Watching the two of them, they looked so happy that I found myself smiling too.