Chapter 15.6: Me and Her VI


    Dont get mad anymore, lets just forgive them, okay Everyone wasnt ridiculing you. Yeah I know how you feel, but the festival is over. You should return too. I will bring you back.


    <em>No good? Cant you? So what should be done? .No, thats not good.</em>


    Hyuga spoke to the female student next to her as if she were conversing with someone else, periodically cocking her head to indicate that something bothered her before growling.


    Yeah I know, its unpleasant. But its enough everyone is gathering outside, I swear. It will be difficult to leave at this rate.


    Hyuga continued rubbing her back. The fists that were being clenched by the female student gradually loosened.


    Yeah, is that fine then? Okay, Ill burn it all I promise.


    While saying this, she turned her head diagonally above the female student and nodded repeatedly.


    I could feel the temperature in the ssroom shiftI could feel it on my skin.


    Lights shed all over the ssroom in fleeting seconds as the female students loosened fists were fully released. The bizarre chilly feeling was no longer palpable. Even the window panes, which had been rattling furiously, ceased to make noises, followed by the door being violently thrown open.


    Are you okay!?


    Several teachers came in and surrounded us.


    <em>Whats wrong?</em> When asked over and over again, it was somewhat, no, considerablyplicated to exin what had taken ce, and words were trapped in the back of my throat. Because, in reality, even I didnt understand what had transpired.


    In the vicinity of the ssroom, the whole area was flooded with onlookers who were leaning forward, all staring in our direction.


    It looks like she just felt a little sick.


    The teachers crowded me and, to my consternation, offered a helping hand to the one person who had single-handedly resolved a ludicrous situation that was beyond exnation.


    While supporting a first-year student who had copsed from her chair and gone limp, Hyuga began to persuade the teachers to help us. The acts Hyuga herself had taken and everything I had witnessed were concealed behind the veil and they were all done in a very convincing way.


    She deceived them.


    The teachers unquestioningly took the honor student Hyugas word for it, and finally the situation subsided after several of them were brought to the infirmary for health conditions caused by excessive use of air-conditioning. The majority of the pupils clearly did not share the teachers conviction, as they went to Hyuga to question her about what she had seen inside and what had been done to her. For a while, questions persistently bombarded her.


    Hyuga, on the other hand, was not in the least bit interested in sharing anything and replied in the same manner as she did with the teachers.


    By the time the cleanup was thoroughly finished, several first-year students in the ssroom where the incident had arisen expressed their thanks to her countless times. With tears streaming down their faces, the freshmen apologized and thanked Hyuga, who told them not to worry and patted them on the head, all of whom had bright red eyes.


    Thank you, senior.


    Um. What is going to happen to us after this?


    Dont worry, it will be fine.


    I am d<em>Trantor: MadHatter</em>


    Ugh that was horrifying I still cant believe it.


    I know you were shocked, but I dont think anything wille of it, so you can rx and forget about it.


    Ugh yes.


    Oh, thats right, you should burn all the straw dolls you used. You can throw them in the schools incinerator.


    With this final message, Hyuga left.


    Hey, what was that thing you just did?


    Decorations, sets and everything else had been cleared away, desks were arranged in the usual order, and the ssrooms were vacant and deserted. The after-party festival had started, and from the gymnasium, strange noises, cheers, and ridiculously loud singingwhich was not especially impressivewere echoing from the gymnasium. Whereas the other side of the building was bustling with activity, the main building was so silent that it seemed as though the ce had been packed with people until a few hours ago was false.


    Left alone in the dimly lit ssroom of her own ss, I found Hyuga seated by the window, gazing out. The whole thing was really bugging me so I went to ask her about it.


    Hyuga answered, I was trying to persuade a girl, while holding her chin in her palm and gazing at the smoke rising from the incinerator at the back of the old school building.


    Well, you certainly looked like you were trying to persuade her of something But what you did and had shown in front of me was far more mysterious than that.


    Please exin it to me more inly.


    Hyuga eventually turned to face me as I pleaded, tilted her head slightly, and remained silent for a brief period. What was with that subtle expression?


    With her legs swinging around like a small child, I could tell she was at a loss for what to say.


    What?<em>NotSharedOnAggregatorSite</em>


    If I told you, you would probablyugh at me.


    Youre alwaysughing at me.


    But


    I wontugh. Myugh tolerance isnt as low as theirs.


    If you dont want to tell me, I wont force you.


    Then Ill tell you.


    What!!


    This school has always been inhabited by a girl whos so tall she almost reaches the ceiling.


    Hey.


    Wait, wait, wait, ceiling!? She resides here!?


    I didntugh, however, the subject suddenly veered off in an astonishing direction. Without responding to my words, Hyuga continued her story.


    Her hair goes down to her knees and her appearance is frightening, but if you talk to her, shes normal Ive seen her frequently throughout the year.


    Such a guy would undoubtedly catch peoples attention, but unfortunately, I have never encountered such a telephone pole woman even once. My expression remained stiff as I regarded Hyuga, who was speaking nonchntly about something so bizarre that I struggled to understand where this wasing from.


    It was a student from decades ago. But she said she was bullied by people around her for being creepy or that she might curse people They always wrote nasty words on the ckboard, locked her in the toilet


    <em>They put white clothing, spikes, and straw dolls on her desk</em>


    She was driven into a corner by the bullies. Before entering the second year, she hanged herself in the ssroom.


    <em>Thats why her neck is crooked.</em>


    Hyugas eyes were so intent that they sent a jolt of fear down my spine. I wondered when the topic had shifted to a ghost story, but apparently it hadnt.


    The first-year students of that ssroom used straw dolls as ornaments for the haunted house without being aware of it. That made her furious because she assumed that she was being treated like a fool All I did was inform her that it wasnt true and persuaded her that many people are oblivious to such spaces, but they gather together quite easily.


    Um, that girl is


    Shes already dead.


    What


    When I was in junior high school, I started to see those things normally Its a little harder to see them when I wear sses, though.


    She momentarily removed her spectacles before putting them back on. Hyuga gave an awkward smile.


    Sorry for the crazy talk. I guess youre a little put off, right?


    <em>I can tell, </em>she added. Hyuga rose from the chair.


    I know you hate this kind of talk. I hear rumors about that often.


    I dont deny it but


    You cant believe what you cant see, isnt that right? Im sorry, I wont bring this kind of thing up again in front of you.


    Admittedly, I was a little taken aback at being told something like this out of the blue. I was in no state of mind to say anything right away.


    While it was true that something strange had unfolded at that time, the revtion that a specter was involved didnt make sense to me. After all, I had always believed that specters were something in the imagination of people who were afraid of them


    Nevertheless, Hyuga didnt have her usual sillyugh; instead, she had a serious expression on her face. It didnt strike me that she was faking it. And yet, the stubborn conventional wisdom that I had clung to in the past hindered me from trying to believe Hyuga.


    My bad I cant believe it when you say it like that out of nowhere.


    Its okay, I didnt say that because I wanted you to believe me. In fact, that kind of response is more reassuring and is more like you.


    Whats with that?


    For once, if I had taken Hyugas words to heart and believed them


    You are always straight and unwavering, and thats good. I envy you, the way you are so straightforward with yourself


    I bet I never saw her with a forlorn smile on her face like this.


    Youre the one whos straightforward.


    I am looking at other peoples faces and worrying about all the things going on around me, and I cant always be true to myself when I look at you, sometimes I think I want to be you.


    I kept blinking as I felt like I had heard something extremely unexpected. After all, she was someone with aid-back lifestyle. I mean she wanted to be me?


    Was that a lie? Is that true? Hey from which part to which part?


    Well, I wonder which part was true or false?


    With a light clink of her indoor shoes, she skipped and slipped next to me.


    Oh, the festival is over in the blink of an eye, isnt it?


    I feel refreshed.


    Thats right, the next event is the long-awaited summer tournament, isnt it?


    Dont make any funny gestures when Im on the field, like waving at me. Oh, and dont let your instrument shine in the audience like you did today!


    Oh, thats a nice idea.


    Dont do that. Absolutely not.


    Since the main building was mostly empty, we walked around the school proudly for the first time that day, side by side. Hyuga, as if having forgotten the look on her face earlier, walked unsteadily by my side in her usual fashion, while I asionally poked her with my elbow as we moved along.


    I believe in you. I believe you can make it to the Koshien.


    Even if you dont tell me, Im going to give it my all and win. You too, dont remove your instrument just because it drowns in the other instruments.


    Yes!


    Our rtionship was unstable, yet I didnt dislike this indescribable rtionship.


    The not-too-long walk to the gymnasium, the darkened and quiet hallway, and the shadows that had stretched out.


    The reason why I slowed down the speed at which Hyuga walked with me was that I wanted to be with her just a little bit longer. I had assumed that after the festival, after the summer tournament, and after I retired, our rtionship wouldst for years toe.


    I had no doubt that it would, and I was smiling next to Hyuga with a face that I never showed to Kinoshita and the others.