Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Several hours earlier.

After collecting the forms from everyone else, Itou Maho glanced at a certain someone sleeping soundly in the back row before hesitantly approaching Yayoi’s desk.

Around the girl, as if sealed off by a glass prison, there existed what one might call a “vacuum zone” where no one dared approach.

The Class Rep, who had witnessed this situation since Yayoi started attending school, wasn’t feeling particularly happy about it. Yayoi herself didn’t seem to mind.

She was brazenly using her laptop during class. The Class Rep caught a glimpse of the screen’s contents from the corner of her eye. Rapidly scrolling down were complex tables and data graphs that made one dizzy just looking at them.

“I’m sorry. Everyone probably doesn’t know what to say. They’re not intentionally trying to distance themselves from Ogiwara-san…”

She spoke softly, filled with apologetic feelings.

…After all, that incident had happened.

She had asked Liang-kun about it afterward. But the answer she received was vague.

The Class Rep wasn’t clear about what had happened after encountering him at the hospital. But having witnessed the confrontation between Miki Yu and Niwa Takahito firsthand, she was undoubtedly closer to the truth of the incident than other students in Class 2-1.

Then there was Ogiwara-san’s disappearance.

Since that day, she hadn’t come to school for nearly a month. Yet everyone ignored this abnormality. Even now, some people still insisted on visiting Niwa-kun, but not even the teachers mentioned anything about Ogiwara Yayoi.

Only from the Novelist could she learn about Ogiwara-san’s current situation and understand the cause of this “strangeness.” The school had already tacitly approved her choice.

“You can just call me by my first name from now on.”

Unexpectedly, Yayoi’s response came quickly. She had thought she would be rejected. Calling her by first name… did that mean their relationship had improved?

“Besides, Itou-san, what does this have to do with you? Are you perhaps the one who instructed the students and teachers to ignore me?”

Yayoi’s slender fingers, which had been typing rapidly on the keyboard, came to a stop. She raised her cool gaze and quietly inquired.

“No, how could that be… um…”

“If it wasn’t you, then there’s no need to apologize, right? That’s not something Itou-san should be doing on others’ behalf.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Words so correct they couldn’t be refuted.

However, Itou Maho had no intention of giving up and repeated the same words.

Perhaps because she was someone who could do nothing but apologize to others, a useless person. She understood that true victims wouldn’t find comfort in others’ apologies, and might even find them disgusting—but for someone like herself who couldn’t extend a helping hand, if she didn’t at least speak words of apology, she might be overwhelmed by the guilt welling up inside.

If Liang-kun knew about this, he’d probably tease her with something like “Your masochistic tendencies need to stop! Are you an M?” …How enviable. If only she could possess that kind of forward-moving spirit and ability to act without hesitation, everything might be different.

“…”

Yayoi shook her head but didn’t continue, instead changing the subject.

“So, what did you need from me, Itou-san?”

“…It’s about the family information form. You and Liang-kun are the only ones who haven’t submitted it.”

“Is that so.”

She nodded, taking the form from the Class Rep’s hands and began filling it out with a serious attitude.

The girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“…Oh right, as for Liang, better wait until next period to wake him up. He needs a certain amount of sleep.”

The pen tip glided smoothly across the page. Yayoi spoke without looking up.

First name basis? Looks like they’re close, the Class Rep thought—

“He was woken up by me very early today. Because we were busy for a long while after that, he probably hasn’t gotten enough rest.”

“Eh? EH?!”

The Class Rep’s face quickly turned red.

…

“Ogi… Yayoi-san, what you just said, surely it wasn’t… wasn’t that kind of meaning, right?”

After a long while, she carefully opened her mouth.

“Hmm? Everything I said earlier was serious. Though I’m not sure what Itou-san is referring to, there’s nothing indecent between Liang and me.”

Yayoi handed her the form.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the Class Rep thought she saw a hint of amusement in those cool pupils.

Come to think of it, they must live close to each other, right? Oh yes, maybe they’re neighbors in the same apartment building, like rental rooms next to each other. Did she move there later? Which means, between these two, surely…

Her thoughts were unconsciously approaching the truth.

“But if I remember correctly, Liang-kun seems to be living with his girlfriend…”

Noticing Yayoi’s gaze, the Class Rep hesitated, choosing her words carefully as if realizing she had misspoken, but forced herself to continue.

“Um… don’t you feel uncomfortable?”

“Why would I feel uncomfortable?”

Yayoi furrowed her brows as she responded.

“Well, I mean, when Liang-kun and his girlfriend are being intimate, don’t you feel sad?”

The Class Rep remembered what had happened at the party.

…Being able to make such intimate gestures so easily. She really was a bold woman.

“What a strange question. If I felt sad about something like that, wouldn’t that be the same as being jealous? And being jealous would mean I like Liang, wouldn’t it? That won’t do. I won’t like him.”

The Class Rep’s mouth fell open, unable to think of a response for a moment.

“…Ah… haha, is that so?”

…No, wait, but if she doesn’t like him, why did they become so close and end up living together?

She felt that this question shouldn’t be asked out loud.

“Well then, I’ve finished filling it out. I’ll leave the rest to you, Itou-san.”

Yayoi returned her attention to the computer.

“…It’s nothing, this is my duty.”

It seemed there was no way to get answers from her.

Itou Maho sighed while making up her mind.

In the end, she had dawdled until now before taking action.

The Class Rep now just wanted to give a good scolding to her indecisive self from several hours ago.

“So? What does this have to do with me?”

In the after-school corridor, the two people carrying documents walked together toward the staff office.

“It’s about Ogiwara-san. I wanted to ask you.”

She took a deep breath and answered softly.

“Is that so. Ah, right…”

The boy beside her suddenly stopped walking, staring at her with a somewhat serious expression.

“What… what is it?”

Being stared at so intently, the girl’s mood unconsciously became tense.