Chapter 17
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Chapter 17: Maid Outfits Are Best With Long Skirts And Lace-Up Boots IV
“I don’t know what kind of tricks were used, but even when I got home, there was no reprimand for skipping school. My mom or grandpa would’ve said something right away if there was an issue. Feeling a bit scared of Rei-sama’s influence, I ate breakfast and resolved to make it to school safely today.
‘Come to think of it, Haruka-nee didn’t come yesterday.’
Since Haruka-nee goes to school, unlike the other two, she must have noticed I wasn’t there. She often checks on me since I have trouble making friends. It’s embarrassing and makes me stand out more, so it’s counterproductive, but I can’t find the right moment to tell her, since she’d probably burst into tears.
“I hope Rei-sama isn’t lying in wait today.”
Why do I have to be so cautious and sneak around just to go to school? I made my way to school along the usual route, carefully watching for any conspicuous black luxury cars that would definitely stand out on the countryside roads.
Luckily, it seemed I wouldn’t be kidnapped two days in a row, and I made it to school safely. Just as I was about to head to the classroom, I stopped halfway up the stairs.
“I wonder if the kendo club is doing morning practice today?”
I turned back down the stairs and headed toward the kendo dojo. Although Haruka-nee is the manager, she always shows up for morning practice. The small dojo is shared with the judo club next to the gym, and when I peeked into the kendo side from the entrance, there weren’t many members, since morning practice is optional.
Among them, Haruka-nee stood out in her tall figure, wearing her tracksuit. It was easy to spot her with just a glance through the entrance.
“Ah, there she is. Doesn’t seem like anything’s wrong, though.”
Haruka-nee tends to show her emotions on her face when she’s worried or troubled, so I can usually tell right away. She seemed to be seriously instructing one of the younger female members, concentrating hard on whatever she was saying.
“She really does love kendo.”
She doesn’t practice in club activities or with the trainees at our dojo, but I know she sometimes swings the bamboo sword when no one’s around. Since I practice Iaido alone by myself, I can understand the feeling. There’s some lingering residue of things we’ve kept doing out of habit, and that connects us to the bamboo sword.
Sensing my presence, Haruka-nee glanced over at me. Even though I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I felt the urge to hide, but it was too late. I thought about saying something, but she quickly turned her gaze back to the younger member.
“Huh, maybe she’s busy?”
If she didn’t know about yesterday, this wouldn’t be strange, but it still feels odd that she didn’t react to me coming to the dojo. Maybe she’s mad? I usually feel confident about reading Haruka-nee’s expressions, though.
Not wanting to disturb her, I left the dojo and headed toward the classroom. Now, what to do with this extra time I’ve ended up with? I wish I could ask someone how far they got in yesterday’s lessons.
In the warm spring air, I barely managed to stay awake until lunch. I have no idea how much I understood from the classes I listened to with half-asleep ears, but that’s something I can catch up on before the exams.
It’s been about a month since starting high school, and by now, most of the students have settled into groups to eat lunch together. As for me, I didn’t really stick to anyone in particular, so I spent my lunch moving around to different places.
It’s not that I don’t have friends, but I also don’t have anyone I’m particularly close to. It felt like I was just drifting aimlessly through the flow of school life, as if I were the only one floating along.
“Where should I go today?”
I could just eat in the classroom, but since the weather is nice, eating outside under the sun doesn’t sound too bad. I hadn’t yet been to the rooftop, which was unusually open today.
On a day like this, having lunch and then taking a nap might be a good idea.
Yeah, let’s do that.
I grabbed my bento box and a bottle of tea and headed up the stairs. If I go to the first-year building’s rooftop, I won’t have to worry about dealing with upperclassmen. It should just be first-year students up there.
In the sunlight-filled hallways, there were students stretching out their bodies after the tiring classes. I passed by them and climbed the stairs all the way to the sturdy, windowless door at the top.
Sunlight poured down generously onto the gray concrete, making it almost too hot. Even so, it seemed a fair number of students had gathered on the rooftop, drawn by the nice weather. Many spots were already taken, including the pedestals near the water tank and the faded light-blue benches that had been baked by the sun. Some students were even sitting directly on the ground.
“Looks like I was a bit late.”
I was too slow to get a good seat. I scanned the area to see if there was a spot for one person left. I didn’t have anything urgent to do, so I could wait for someone to leave. As I wandered around aimlessly, I suddenly heard someone call out to me.
“Ah, it’s Nao-kun. You really do go to this school.”
Hearing my name, I turned toward the voice. Hardly anyone at school calls me by my name. Especially, if the voice belongs to a girl, it really narrows down the possibilities. However, I had no idea who the voice belonged to.
The person calling me was a girl with chestnut-colored hair.