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Chapter 3 â First Year High School\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\n\n
We left the main gate and walked down the hill.\n
The wind was getting stronger. If I were not careful, my umbrella would turn inside out. I changed the position of my umbrella according to the direction of the wind, but that didnât keep the rain out and I ended up getting a little wet.\n
âItâs kind of amazing rightâŠâ\n
I felt bad for Noguchi-san, but I was glad to get home early. Judging by the clouds, it would not have subsided in a few hours. In fact, there was a good chance that it would have become even more intense.\n
âYes.â\n
Fujisaki held down the hem of her skirt.\n
The thunder rumbled again. The raindrops became even heavier.\n
If it hadnât been for the umbrella, I donât know what would have happened. Iâm so glad I didnât leave Fujisaki like that.\n \n
ââŠâŠ Itâs okay. I didnât see anything.â\n
â Ookusu-kunâŠâ\n \n
Staring eyes. Itâs true, I didnât see it. I could almost see it, though. \n \n
The first thing I wanted to do was to get to a place where we could relax, so I hurried on my way to the station. I entered the station building, closed my umbrella, and breathed a sigh of relief.\n
I ended up getting my hair and pants very wet. My feet were a mess and I felt uncomfortable. I blamed it on a few unavoidable puddles.\n
The person next to me, Fujisaki, was drenched as well.\n
Her bangs were stuck to her forehead. Fujisaki, standing there with drops dripping down her face, looked more sexy than usual. \n \n
âDo you want to buy an umbrella?â\n
Fujisaki replied, âYeah â\n \n
We went into a convenience store in the station building. While Fujisaki bought a plastic umbrella, I bought something else. I handed it to Fujisaki as we left the convenience store.\n
âHere.â\n
Hot cocoa. I didnât know which one she liked, so I chose one that seemed safe.\n \n
âHuh?â\n
âItâs a little cold, isnât it? My treat.â\n
âYou sure?â\n
âI bought the same one. I canât drink it all by myself anyway.â\n
Fujisaki wrapped the can in both of her palms. The warmth of the can must have soaked into her cold body.\n
Opening the pull tab, I drink it. It tasted sweet. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I drank cocoa. When I buy something for myself, itâs usually tea or a sports drink.\n
âDeliciousâŠâ\n
But it seemed that I had made the right choice. Fujisakiâs face was smiling.\n
The people in the station all seemed to be in a hurry. Apparently, the train was running a little late. The announcement that the train was running a little late due to strong winds echoed throughout the area.\n
âWhich direction do you go, Ookusu-kun?â\n
âIâm heading for Tokyo-sideâ\n
âOh, Iâm going in the other direction.â\n
I continued to sip my cocoa. It was surprisingly hot and I couldnât swallow it right away.\n
I wasnât sure how to initiate the talk.\n
Even though she told me a little, I wondered how much I should ask.\n
Still, there was no time to hesitate. If I missed this moment, I would probably have to wait until next week.\n
âFujisaki, why donât you start from the beginning and tell me everything?â\n
Fujisaki held the can in both hands and looked at me.\n
âThe whole thingâŠ?â\n
âAbout the harassment. You donât have to tell me what you donât want to tell me. I told you weâre going to catch whoever did this.ăI just need a few leads to do that.â\n
ââŠYou mean like what and all happened?â\n
âYeah. But thatâs not all. Tell me again what happened when you were confessed to.â\n
Thereâs something thatâs been bugging me.\n
The harassment that had been going on for so long. The fact that Fujisaki did not try to catch the culprit. I had a feeling that it was not only Fujisakiâs kindness that had left them alone.\n
âWhyâŠ? It was just like the rumors are saying.â\n
âIs it true? I think it was a lie.â\n \n
Fujisakiâs face flushed with surprise.\n
The story Iâm hearing is simple. Ando called Fujisaki to the school roof. There, he confessed to her. Fujisaki bowed her head and said, âIâm sorryâ. Ando withdrew easily. Thatâs all.\n
It was too normal to be a story that needed to be told. However, the rumor was not only about the fact that he was rejected but also about the situation.\n
It was as if he wanted us to think it was an uneventful confession⊠\n \n
âFujisaki⊠In truth, werenât you probably a little scared? So maybe you were trying not to do anything to provoke the culprit.â\n \n
I didnât have enough evidence to be sure. It was just a trick. But the look on Fujisakiâs face in front of me confirmed that I was telling the truth.\n \n
â⊠Youâre amazing, Ookusu-kun.â\n \n
The cocoa in my hand was empty before I knew it.\n \n
âSo, it was a lie after all.â\n
ââŠYes.â\n \n
After that, Fujisaki told me a lot of things. What happened on the day he confessed to her and what kind of harassment was going on after that.\n
My anger started to boil up.\n
What came to mind was the incident at the school entrance earlier. Fujisaki tried to stay behind alone, watching the rain pouring down, without asking for help from anyone.\n
The situation now is no different from that time.\n
Fujisaki has not been saved yet. If I let her go, she would probably just run straight into the rain, no matter how wet she got. Thatâs why I have to stop her. I have to save her.\n \n
I said.\n
âJust leave the rest to me, okay?â\n \n
I threw the can of cocoa into the trash. When I turned around, I saw a puzzled Fujisaki.\n \n
âWhat Fujisaki is worried about is that you might get scared again, right? If I confront the culprit, you wonât have to worry about that. Am I right?â\n
âYes, but âŠâ\n \n
There was hesitation on Fujisakiâs face. Whether itâs okay to involve meâŠ\n
This is why I told her as confidently as I could.\n \n
âItâs not a problem. I have an idea.â\n \n
Even so, there was a moment of hesitation, and then Fujisaki gave a small nod.\n
âOkayâ\n \n
Weâve already gotten enough information.\n \n
The only thing left to do was to bring justice to the culprit Ando.\n\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nTN: Well, it was detective time⊠letâs hope for a hero time on the next one ⊠đ\n\n