Chapter 3
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Chapter 3: Couldn’t Leave Her Alone
[Izumi’s POV]
As soon as the school year began, Fuuka Kisaki stood out significantly.
She served as the freshman representative, scored almost perfectly on the entrance exams, ranking first in her grade.
Even in the physical fitness test, she ranked among the top girls.
On top of that, she was beautiful, which should have made her popular with the boys. However, most of them thought she was out of their league and gave up before even confessing.
Still, a few reckless ones tried their luck, but all of them were utterly defeated.
I had been reasonably popular with girls since middle school and had confidence in myself. I thought Kisaki was an attractive girl, but I had no intention of confessing to her.
Since we ended up in the same class, I somehow noticed that Kisaki avoided getting deeply involved with others.
Even when she was laughing and talking, it wasn’t genuine.
Seeing that, I had no intention of getting involved with her.
But one day.
When I returned to the classroom after school to retrieve something I had forgotten, Kisaki was alone, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, drawing something at her desk.
She looked so desperate, almost on the verge of tears, that I couldn’t bring myself to enter the classroom, nor could I just leave. So, I hid and watched her secretly.
I was scared, wondering what I would do if she really started crying.
But in the end, Kisaki didn’t cry.
She stood up when it had grown dark.
I quickly and quietly hid in the adjacent classroom to avoid being seen by Kisaki.
After confirming that I could no longer hear her footsteps, I couldn’t help but look into Kisaki’s desk.
I was dying to know what she had been drawing so desperately.
If she had taken it home, I would have given up, but I saw her shove something into her desk.
Inside the desk was a sketchbook.
I hesitated but carefully opened it, making sure not to smudge or damage it.
“Wow, she’s even good at drawing.”
The sketchbook was filled with portraits so detailed they could be mistaken for photographs.
“It’s mostly the same people… Could these be her parents? And maybe her little sister?”
I thought, seeing some resemblance.
Every page I opened showed the same three people, all smiling.
“…Something’s off.”
The drawings were undoubtedly skillful, but something didn’t feel right.
It was like looking at mannequins so lifelike you couldn’t tell they weren’t real.
And then…
“What was she feeling when she drew these?”
Kisaki’s desperate, almost tearful face flashed in my mind.
She looked so lonely.
I returned the sketchbook to Kisaki’s desk.
“Alright!”
I nodded firmly to myself and clenched my fist.
From the next day, I started teasing Kisaki.
It wasn’t out of pity or anything like that.
I just couldn’t leave her alone.
Morning.
My mom woke me up, and I headed to school, yawning.
Thinking about how I hadn’t finished the assignment due in the second period, I decided I’d just copy someone’s work during the break.
As I passed through the school gate, changed into my indoor shoes at the shoe locker, and walked lazily down the hallway, I noticed the classroom was unusually noisy today.
When I opened the classroom door, someone immediately approached me without even a greeting.
“Izumi! Haven’t you heard anything? You were always teasing Kisaki!”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Kisaki’s dad crashed into a truck with everyone except her in the car!”
What?
“What do you mean?”
My mind went blank for a moment, and before I knew it, I was grabbing the guy who spoke by the collar and shouting.
“Whoa! I don’t know the details either! That’s why I asked you!”
“Kisaki wasn’t in the car, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard.”
I felt a bit relieved.
But then I wondered.
How must she be feeling right now?
“Damn it!”
Unable to stay still, I bolted out of the classroom.
Without changing my shoes, I ran out of the school and retraced the route we sometimes took home together.
But I didn’t know where Kisaki’s house was, so I searched every place I could think of.
But I couldn’t find her anywhere.
Out of breath and exhausted, I leaned against a wall and sat down on the ground.
I really am an idiot.
But…
The image of her in the sunset classroom kept floating in my mind.
She looked so lonely.
“Damn it!”
I couldn’t just leave her alone.
The next morning.
Our homeroom teacher announced that Kisaki was transferring to another school.