Chapter 22 Shiramine Kyoka's Past (2)

Shiramine Kyoka’s Past (2)

After that, thanks to Shuu-kun, I felt comfortable in my surroundings. I also made friends, and thanks to him, the teasing I received from the boys began to diminish.

It was around that time that I began to enjoy school; I did something irreparable.

I did something stupid that ended my own friendship with Shuu-kun. I took his place by doing such a thing without considering Shuu-kun’s feelings. I returned his favor in a cruel way. I took advantage of his kindness.

I thought he would forgive me. But it only took a moment to destroy the relationship and lose Shuu-kun’s trust in me. …

That day, I was always with Shuu-kun. When I went to school in the morning and played with other friends, I thought of Shuu-kun, and when I talked to him, my heart was warm.

We had a peaceful school day, but it was after school that it happened.

“Everyone, we have a music test tomorrow, so please do your best.”

Oh, that’s right.

There was a recorder test tomorrow.

I had been practicing with Shuu-kun during lunch and after school, so I was sure I would get a good score, so I thought I should practice at home for final practice.

I tried my best to find my recorder, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I almost cried, thinking that maybe everyone had gone back to the way they were before and were trying to b🬀lly me again.

“What’s wrong? Kyo-chan.”

“Ah, I lost it. I lost my recorder, Shuu-kun.”

I was so worried that I clung to Shuu-kun, not hiding my face, which looked like it was about to cry.

“I practiced a lot, but I couldn’t find my recorder anywhere.”

When I said this, Shuu-kun asked Sensei for help, and everyone agreed to help me find my recorder. But no matter where I looked, it was nowhere to be found, and when the boys got frustrated because they couldn’t go home and started complaining to Sensei, I looked again in my locker, which I had looked for once before, and there it was.

There was the recorder that I had lost sight of earlier because I was in such a hurry that my vision had narrowed.

I was happy, but at the same time, I was driven by an inescapable feeling of anxiety, fear, and impatience.

I was afraid of what would happen if I told them I had found it in my locker.

How much better it would be if that time I could honestly say it was my fault.

I put the recorder in the back of my locker and pretended not to see it.

Soon after Sensei said “It’s late today, let’s do it again tomorrow,” and we had to leave the school.

“Kyo-chan, let’s go home.”

“Um, yes.”

I thought of the worst when I saw Shuu-kun being so nice and worried about me. I’m sure Shuu-kun will forgive me. It’s going to be okay. I’m sure he’ll forgive me.

“Shuu-kun, go ahead.”

“… Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah. I’m fine.”

After I had made sure that both Sensei and Shuu-kun had left the classroom, I quietly took it out of my locker and put my recorder in Shuu-kun’s desk drawer.

I had no idea what was wrong with me. I was just afraid to be alone again. I was afraid that everyone would treat me like before again.

I took my bag from the classroom and left as if to run away, and when I went to the shoebox, Shuu-kun looked at me with a worried look.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Let’s go home. Shuu-kun.”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t look at Shuu-kun’s face.