Today being the day of the opening ceremony, once homeroom ended without much else happening, about eighty percent of the class headed for club activities, while the remaining twenty percent quickly headed for home. It was easy enough to guess which club Kaito and Haru’s group were in. As for Yuuko, she was in the tennis club, while Yua was in the wind music club. Everyone I got along with was in some kind of club. The only one who had no plans and would spend the afternoon waiting with their mouth hanging open was myself.
I bought a can of coffee from the vending machine, and leisurely made my way up the stairs towards the roof. In the distance, I could make out the sounds of the wind music club’s trumpet being tested out, the shouts of the soccer club, the light dribbles of the basketball club, and the dry, nostalgic echoes of the gloves of the baseball club. As I strained my ears to listen to such afterschool rhythms, I felt just a little bit lonely.
Upon opening the door to the roof, the sight of a rectangular sky sprung into view, surrounded by railings taller than even me. So pale that it looked like it would crash to earth at any time, and so wide that it looked like it would soon be confined. At an altitude a great deal lower than the clouds, but just a little higher than the railings, puffs of tobacco smoke wafted comfortably through the air. Pursuing their whereabouts, I found a familiar face that I didn’t really want to see.
「Yo, so you came.」
Kura-sen was seated on the edge of the rooftop structure to which the water tank was installed, comfortably smoking a cigarette.
「…I heard that the entire school was designated as non-smoking?」
I climbed the ladder, then sat down next to Kura-sen.
「A pointless rule only concerned with maintaining a presentable appearance in the eyes of society, don’t you think? As long as the smoke doesn’t blow onto a student or anything, it’s not a big deal.」
「May I ask what you consider this person right in front of you to be?」
「Between reporting my smoking to the other teachers, and receiving the spare key to the rooftop to use whenever they like. A guy who’s clever enough to weigh those options and correctly decide which is more advantageous, perhaps.」
「…Why yes, thank you.」
Just as was the case for many high schools, at our school the rooftop was basically off-limits to students. It was more or less true that if you submitted an application with things like the purpose of use and number of people to the roof’s custodian Kura-sen, permission would be granted for a reason as simple as eating a bento there, but because it was a bother there were practically no students who would go that far.
On that note, I had been assigned by Kura-sen to some irresponsibly made-up role related to roof-cleaning, and therefore had the freedom to come and go without having to let him know each and every time.
「Still, don’t smokers these days feel kinda ashamed? I mean, they keep getting bashed by society.」
「They probably all want someone who’s easily understood to be the bad guy.」
「I happen to know what you mean…」
Opening the pull tab of my can of coffee, I recalled the matter of the school’s underground site.
「It seems like it’s a fact that second-hand smoke causes harm to others, and anyway, it’s hopeless if someone tells you they can’t stand the smell. The ones who bash have this overwhelming sense of justice. An easy target for throwing stones, regardless of things like their level of education or societal standing. Just like a modern-day witch trial. There’s no means of striking back.」
Contrary to the contents of his speech, Kura-sen carefreely puffed out rings of smoke.
「However, setting aside the matter of right and wrong, I do dislike the humans who at such times are cheerfully gathering up the stones. I’m earnestly hoping that you all don’t end up becoming boring adults who do things like that, you know.」
「My thoughts exactly. Mind passing me a cig?」
When I jokingly extended a hand to Kura-sen’s cigarettes, it was promptly smacked away.
「Don’t get ahead of yourself. What would I do if it ended up risking my standing in society?」
「An excellent example of why you shouldn’t trust the words of adults, huh.」
「You can go puff on Hiiragi’s or Nanase’s boobs like a high school student would or something.」
「That’s not a good thing for a teacher to say, even as a joke.」
I obediently took a sip from my can of coffee.
「…Anyway, you said you had a job for me?」
After homeroom ended, I was called out by Kura-sen and told to come to the usual place.
「Chitose, you’re the class rep, aren’t you?」
The one who had called me took out a now crumpled pack of Lucky Strike from his pocket and lit his second stick.
「Ahhh that was close, looks like it’s almost time for practice.」
Somehow feeling an ominous premonition from that brief comment, I tried to stand, but Kura-sen held my shoulder firmly in place. Despite his build being akin to a withered tree, I felt a pressure that wouldn’t take no for an answer.
「You know, Chitose… don’t you think it’d be great if all your classmates could be gathered together, without a single person left out?」
「Yes, if the homeroom teacher achieved that with their appeal, it would simply be the best, wouldn’t it?」
I had noticed that there had been a single empty seat in the back of the classroom. I had thought that they were simply unwell, but it would appear that I was wrong.
「In the new Class 2-5 there was one absent student, right? The name’s Yamazaki Kenta. He was originally in Class 1-1, and while I wouldn’t say they were particularly impressive, his test scores were consistently well above average, and apparently he even had friends in class. However, as soon as third term began he became prone to absenteeism, and here we are with him not even showing up to the first day of school.」
I had no recollection of having heard that name. This so-called truancy thing was relatively rare at our school.
While I did not know the situation in other high schools, Fuji High was a prep school where pretty much every student would enter with the intention of continuing their studies at university, so naturally, most of them were intelligent human beings. Even if there were those who secretly relieved their stress with the underground site or those who engaged in battles for supremacy, it seldom developed into outright bullying. I had heard of rare cases of students who would just barely pass, be unable to keep up with the level of classes, and drop out, but it did not seem like that was the case here.
I reluctantly opened my mouth.
「…Do you know the reason?」
「His previous homeroom teacher did visit his home a few times, but they were apparently unable to make direct contact. Of course, attempts were made to ask his close friends about the situation, but it would seem that their connection only went as far as having common interests, and they weren’t close enough to ask about personal circumstances.」
「I see, so if I understood that correctly, now’s the perfect opportunity for you to step up and show your skills, sensei. Am I right?」
「Anyway, that should be just about everything I know about this. Also, their common interests were things like anime and light novels. That kind of stuff.」
「…Hmm, don’t you think something’s weird here? This conversation isn’t forming right. Don’t you think playing catch is the foundation of good communication?」
Kura-sen was pretending not to hear me, so after breathing a huge, exaggerated sigh, I continued, even more reluctantly than before.
「I might as well ask, but… why did you tell me all that?」
「Chitose, you’re the class rep, aren’t you? The legendary existence that can resolve any matter as long as it’s related to the class?」
「Just so you know, it’s not that kind of all-encompassing role, okay?」
「Chitose, you’re my maid, aren’t you?」
「Damn you.」
I’ve been set up. There’s no mistaking that Kura-sen putting me in charge of today’s homeroom even went as far as anticipating that we would have this discussion. He had probably known that if he did that, I would inevitably end up volunteering to be the class representative.
「Only children can understand the circumstances of children. Just like how only adults can understand the circumstances of adults. Look here, why do you think this fine adult man has stayed single for over thirty years of his life? I wonder, do you know why he’s pouring his meagre salary into Katamachi’s『Don’t Take My Blazer Off』service establishment?」
「Well I’m pretty confident now that it’s because of the fact that you’ve failed as both a human being and a teacher!! …Good grief. To sum things up, you want to persuade this Yamazaki-kun to come to school, right? Why didn’t you call Yuuko?」
「Hiiragi isn’t suited for this kind of subtle communication, and barging in without having a firm grasp of the situation would just deal the final blow, in various senses of the word. It’d be better to have the explanation of the situation start from you, and make good use of that important position.」
「By the way, I take it that my refusal isn’t an option, right?」
「There’s a problem that’s fallen into reaching distance, and it can be resolved if you get involved. Do you really think it’s fine to ignore it? Everyone’s I-Can-Do-Anything-Superhero Chitose-kun?」
Kura-sen grinned meaningfully.
…Tch. He really is a difficult old man.
Don’t pursue those who leave you, but don’t refuse those who come to you. I wouldn’t save someone of my own volition, but if someone were to rely on me, I would meet their expectations at a standard more perfect, more beautiful, and beyond their imagination.
In order for me to function as myself in life, and in order for Chitose Saku to live up to the Chitose Saku everyone believes him to be, he needs to continue being that way.
「I take it that you’re leaving the method up to me. I’m looking forward to receiving my compensation, okay?」
「What? Did you want me to bring you along to that service place?」
「If you mean The Blazer’s Off, then I’m fine with it.」
「…Are there any who prefer middle-aged men there?」
「Seriously, you…」
[Previous] | [Main Page] | [Next]
learning... please hold... 
thank you!
LikeLike
when will it be resumed admin?
waiting
LikeLike