However, I could tell that Koutora himself knew what he was talking about, as I could understand him trying to make me laugh with his stories. Thanks to that, the perplexities in my heart were somewhat lightened. At times like these, I am really grateful for the presence of someone like Koutora.

“””Kyaaa~!!!”””

“I knew it was black … hmm? What’s that?”

“What indeed, I wonder …?”

We saw a group of girls making noise in front of the shoe locker at the entrance.

“Eh, Rin-chan, is that a love letter!?”

“No way, seriously! Isn’t that too old-fashioned nowadays!?”

“But on the contrary, it certainly has an impact, doesn’t it!”

“Ahahaha, It’s still not yet decided that it is one. …”

Apparently, the center of the turmoil was Nanjo Rin. Hiyori too was peeking in at that commotion from the sidelines. Although she told me that she wanted to try changing yesterday, I noticed that her hairstyle was still the same as the one she had last night.

“What! A love letter to my Nanjo-san!?”

“She is not yours.”

Apparently, slipping a love letter inside the shoe box was something typical.

While the girls around her were in a frenzy from excitement, Nanjo Rin’s face was painted with the color of a deep-troubled look.

I guess being too popular also has its downsides too, huh. … Somehow, I was reminded of the incident at the fire exit’s staircase that happened just the other day.

“!”

“!”

As I stared at that scene while thinking about such things, my eyes met Hiyori’s by accident.

But that only lasted for a moment, as her face suddenly turned red and she immediately turned sidewards. Similarly, I, too, turned my face the other way because of either embarrassment or awkwardness.`

“Yoshida-san, your face seems red. Are you okay?”

“I know, you tend to blush more when you see a love letter, right~ I also get that feeling~.”

“No, what I meant was… “

“hahaha, I know, right~ … hehe …”

Anyway, there was no reason for me to be here any longer. Let’s exit this place as soon as pos—.

“—Damnit!”

“!?”

As I was about to head for the exit, the periphery of my line of sight met that of Nanjo Rin’s.

Her mouth was slightly distorted as she donned this mischievous look on her. 

“Hey, hey, look, Subaru! I just had Nanjo-san smile at me!”

“I’m happy for you, Koutora.”

…I don’t know what she’s trying to do. 

Maybe she was, in fact, really smiling at Koutora. 

Regaining my lost momentum, I opened my own shoe box.

“—!?”

Then, there was this loud clatter that reverberated around the hallway. For a moment, everyone’s gaze focused on me as if something huge had happened.

I coughed lightly and placed my shoes inside, pretending that it was nothing.

“What’s wrong, Subaru?”

“… it’s nothing.”

I fumbled terribly and wasn’t sure if my voice sounded off by any chance. I was glad that the person who asked was just the simple-minded Koutora. 

On top of my shoe was a lovely piece of letterhead. It was sealed with a heart-mark sticker and looked very girly. 

Just who in the world? 

And why? 

Unfortunately, I didn’t know any girls at school with whom I was close to. It made me more confused than happy or joyful, and to add something to it, it was incredibly suspicious.

When I picked it up and checked the back, my caution turned to conviction.

—Nanjo Rin

That was what was written in the sender’s column.

I secretly opened the letter during class so that no one around me would see it.

‘I’ll be waiting for you at the same place after school.’

That was all what was written on the letter, brief and to the point.

There was not even a slight degree of charm; moreover, it looked more like a letter for a duel. …

“What should I even do with this…”

I sighed loudly and thought to myself. Why did Nanjo Rin even decide to send such a letter to me?

It is true that I know her secret.

However, I’ve never told anyone about it, nor do I intend to. I don’t even intend to use it as something to blackmail her or to gain her attention. Truthfully speaking, I have no intention of getting involved with her any further.

As I looked out the window with my cheeks resting on my hand, I saw the scene where the class next door was having their P.T. The boys were running a marathon while the girls were playing soccer.

I spotted the figure of Nanjo Rin quite swiftly.

She was running around the soccer court, looking in all directions while giving instructions, and manipulating her teammates as if they were her hands and feet, creating a sense of unity. Anyone who was watching the game could clearly tell; she was at the center of all the play. The eyes of the audience were drawn towards her as she gave instructions. It was exhilarating and refreshing to watch as the ball was brilliantly sucked into the goal, directly or indirectly, through the work of Nanjo Rin.

I see. I had heard that she was good at all sports, but rather than being only a solo lead, she also had a talent for leading the group. She would definitely be someone difficult for an ordinary person to imitate.

I also spotted the figure of Hiyori instantly.

She was amusingly being tossed around at the mercy of the soccer ball. She was even about to fall over nothing at all. No matter how you look at it, she was athletically inept, and so much so that it made me, an onlooker, feel distressed.

She was completely out of breath to the degree that even I wanted to tell her, ‘Just take a break already.’ Her teammates worried about her as they asked her whether she was alright.

Initially, I had formed an image in my mind that Hiyori was not good at sports. Now, how should I put it? She was precisely the image I had envisioned. I thought it was so like Hiyori, but then in front of me was Hiyori herself. As I thought about it, I couldn’t help the smile from appearing on my face.

They were two very contrasting people.

And yet, for some reason—, there were times when I felt that Nanjo Rin and Philia-san overlap each other perfectly. I felt this strongly the other day when I talked with her.

I looked down at the letter again. But I couldn’t understand Nanjo Rin’s intention. Then I suddenly remember our eyes meeting at that strange moment this morning. Interestingly, Nanjo Rin was a person of good intuition and discernment. I’m not sure what she wanted, but if I were to be involved with her more, I don’t think I would have the confidence to come out without my clothes turning into rags. Some things concerned me. But somehow, I couldn’t help but feel that further contact with one another would become detrimental to both parties in the long run.

—Let’s just pretend that I didn’t notice the letter.

With that conclusion, I tucked the letter away at the back of my bag.