Chapter 20 Back to the Past

Back to the Past

I don’t think I ever had the feeling that a sensei’s teaching was as long as it’s today. I couldn’t help worrying about Hiiragi-kun.

I remembered what Hiiragi-kun had told me at lunch.

It seems that he was going to meet Shiramine-san, his childhood friend, after school today

Although I don’t know the details, I know that Shiramine-san and Hiiragi-kun probably don’t get along, and combining my research with the way Hiiragi-kun looks, I can predict that she’s one of the reasons he’s become like that, as if there was some kind of connection in the past.

If she contacts him again and does something with him, it’ll only hinder Hiiragi-kun’s progress. Although I had asked him not to leave during the lunch break, I couldn’t predict how he would behave. …

Finally, when sensei’s lecture was over and sensei was about to leave the classroom.

“Kudo-san, could you please give me a few minutes of your time?”

…I stop in my tracks when sensei calls me. It seems to be a discussion about career paths.

“I don’t have much time, so please be brief, sensei.”

“Thanks for coming. Hiiragi-kun.”

“Yes.”

I went to the rooftop and looked at her. Her eyes were darker and more serious than in the morning, and there seemed to be a touch of madness in them.

“To be honest, I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

“I thought it might be important.”

She comes closer to me step by step.

“Well, hey, Hiiragi-kun … No, Shuu-kun. There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to Shuu-kun about for a long time.”

“…Something you wanted to tell me?”

I’m surprised to hear her say the name by which she used to be called me. What on earth is she thinking?

“Yes…”

She stops in front of me and stares at me.

“Shuu-kun, do you remember that incident? Ah, it’s impossible that you don’t remember.”

The only thing that happened between Shiramine-san and me that I would ever talk about again was that incident.

“I remember it.”

“You see, I always wanted to tell you about it.”

“Is that so?”

As for that incident, it was supposed to be a done deal, a story that ended with everything being my fault. Everyone blamed me, and I feel that my life in elementary school was pretty devastated after that.

I had no place at home or at school.

Looking back on it now, it doesn’t really matter and I don’t feel anything about it. I just think, Oh, that happened.

“I always have been. I wanted to apologize to you for that. … I really wanted to apologize.”

“You wanted to apologize?”

Apologize for what?

Are you saying that you’re sorry for not being able to cover up the crime I committed? I was a little disappointed because I thought I was going to be killed until a few minutes ago.

But still, what is she apologizing for?

“Yes, that time …