“Currently, there’s nothing we can do from our side, unfortunately.”

“Nanjo!”

“Calm down. And think about it reasonably, will you? It’s like a small segment of rumors and complaints born from jealousy. I can’t stop it and it will just go on around like that. In the end, our actions will become a personal problem of Yoshida-san’s.”

“But still!”

“Kurai… do you think that I don’t feel anything while saying this?”

“Sorry!”

In Nanjo Rin’s eyes, I detected a flame that could be called hatred.

She had eyes which was much darker and more bottomless than mine and I was there with her to witness her driven passion.

— First of all, stay calm and reasonable. Her eyes, which desperately suppressed her emotions, made my head cool as well.

It was just as Nanjo Rin said. First of all, I had to calmly assess the situation, then think about how to deal with it.

“Since they have not done anything concretely. That’s why we can’t do anything by ourselves on that topic right now. Even though you feel compelled, however… right now it’s better to just keep a close eye on her from the sidelines.”

“… Ah, I understand. But if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I’ll do anything.”

“Kurai you are… Nope, never mind, it doesn’t seem like you are that type of person…”

[TL: like those taking out the ‘trash’??? Scary…]

“Nanjo?”

“U~uun, it’s nothing. I just thought you were a little different from the others, that’s all.”

“What’s with that type of understanding…?”

Seeing me suddenly getting rattled, she instead showed a calm expression and smiled at me.

… What does she even mean by that?

—-♪

At that moment, the sound of my smartphone rang, notifying me about an incoming message.

I entered the password and checked the screen.

《 Where are you now? I have a request. I’ll be waiting at Hatsuseya station. 》

… It was from Shiyori.

“Sorry, Nanjo, I will be going home today.”

“Is that so… Well, there are many things that you and I want to do by ourselves, but please don’t get too active by yourself, okay?”

“O~h, I’ll take that advice to heart.”

“Fufu~, Good.”

《 I’m coming now. I’ll arrive in about 20 minutes 》

Seeing the message, I headed for Hatsuseya Station, which was also the nearest station to our house.

Aside from the time I was running to the station, even the time I spent sitting still and being jolted by the train somewhat felt unsettling.

I tried to send another message several times along the way… but while typing it out, I would repeatedly delete it. Then type again, just to delete once more.

I had no idea what I should be sending even.

When I passed through the ticket gate while soothing my stray feelings, I saw a gorgeous girl running up to me excitedly with a bright smile. It felt like, if she had a tail, she would also be wagging as soon as she arrived here and with a bright smile as well.

“… Ah!”

“Shiyori…?!”

I also tried to run toward while looking at her figure running toward me, but my legs felt somehow sewn down to my present spot.

Even the insides of my head become pure white. In response to Shiyori, who seemed to be in a good mood, I instead had a wrinkled eyebrow as I approached her.

“Ah, umm, I have a small request that–”

“… Just what’s wrong with you, did something happen to you  Shiyori?”

“Fueee?”

“Shiyori!”

On her neat right cheek, there was clearly a reddish tint that had been definitely put on by someone else’s hand.

“Say, what happened to your cheeks?”

“Eh… ah, this is, I kind of… lost my balance… because I’m kind of clumsy…”

Even though she showed a dismayed look as if she noticed my point, she immediately tried to deceive me with a fake smile.

It was clearly a lie. It was a smile that seemed to say that it was nothing.

It looked like she was forcing herself to just deal and put up with circumstances—the same withstanding face that I didn’t like back then.

To have her even make that face even though I was with her, I felt incredibly miserable and powerless all of a sudden.

“Uh, umm, your hand…”

“I’m sorry!”

In a panic, I let go of the hand that was holding her shoulders in worry.

When I looked at Shiyori in front of me, I could see her troubled face rubbing, her shoulder that was being grabbed moments ago.

Apparently, it seemed that I had more blood going directly to my head than I thought.

――Damn, even though Nanjo Rin also just told me moments ago to keep my calm…

“Fhew…”

She took a deep breath and exhaled to show her impatience.

And I gently rubbed Shiyori’s reddened cheeks with my hand as much as possible.

“Shiyori, are you really okay?”

“Fu, fu ehhhhhh!?”

It was slightly warm there. Of course, since it’s swollen. When I looked closely, her hair was also a little disheveled as if it was pulled violently.

Then I remembered the malicious whispers that were directed at Shiyori in school. It wasn’t hard to imagine that something did happen, however, the person in question,  Shiyori, confirmed that nothing had happened.

–Don’t overdo it. With that thought in mind, I finally lifted my hands from her cheeks and let go of her from my grasp.

“Tell me if you ever need any help, okay?”

“Ah… Un.”

Looking at Shiyori who answered like that, I noticed her letting out a sad sigh with her eyes going moist. Perhaps she was remembering the time when she was struck on her cheeks. I felt powerless, unable to do anything at all.

Even though she appeared like this, I knew just how stubborn Shiyori could get through the experience I had with Philia-san in games till now.