As Nagumo and his allies started arriving at the pool, I quickly withdrew.
Even if I didn't initiate contact, I knew that he would send a ssenger from his side if he wanted to talk to directly. The fact that that hadn't happened could be interpreted as him having no intention of talking to .
In any case, it wasn't pleasant to be the centre of attention.
After I escaped, just as I had finished getting dressed in the changing room──
"Ayanokōji-senpai!"
I encountered Nanase, who saw walking along the corridor and ran up to with a cheerful look on her face.
Since there were so few places you could go on the ship, you would repeatedly pass by students you recognise, and so seeing each other two days in a row wasn't that unusual.
That being said, because the way she appeared was completely identical, I was reminded of the encounter we had yesterday.
"Could I have a mont of your ti, please?"
She was checking my surroundings to make sure that I wasn't with anyone else. I was with Ishizaki yesterday, so she might not have been able to talk about it back then.
Sowhat disconcerted by her intense pressure, or rather, her close proximity, I nodded.
"Actually, I'm not sure if I should report this, but um, there's sothing that's been bothering ."
"Sothing bothering you?"
Nanase nodded and her cheerful expression was replaced by a more serious one. She then spoke in a whisper, paying close attention to our surroundings.
"There's sothing I kept quiet about, senpai. If I tell you, you might get angry..."
I might get angry? What on earth could it be?
"The thing is..."
Whispering even more quietly, Nanase was about to speak up about what she was keeping quiet, but...
"Oh? Ayanokōji-kun?"
A voice she didn't recognise called out, and Nanase hurriedly distanced herself from .
It was Ichinose's classmate, Kobashi Yu. In the past, we wouldn't have even greeted each other if we passed each other at school. However, we spent so ti together during the uninhabited island exam, albeit briefly, and it seed to have brought a change in our relationship.
"Oh, was I a bother...? Maybe I should have waited..." she said apologetically, perhaps noticing Nanase hiding behind my body.
"No, it's okay. I was just asking Ayanokōji-senpai about sothing I didn't understand."
"Are you sure it's okay?"
Nanase nodded vigorously twice, as if to say it wasn't as serious as I was thinking.
"I'll call on you again when you have more ti."
The only thing I knew for sure was that it wasn't sothing for other students to hear.
Nanase bowed deeply not only to , but also to Kobashi, and ran off.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't realise you were in the middle of a conversation. That girl's a first-year right? Did I upset her?"
"I don't think you need to worry about that. More importantly, you wanted sothing from ?"
"Actually, the girls in my class are going to have a party tonight to celebrate the end of the exam. We were wondering if you'd like to join us, Ayanokōji-kun. We also wanted to thank you for helping Chihiro-chan."
So it was an invitation. However, the key phrase "girls in the class" stuck with .
"What kind of people are going to be there?"
I was worried so I went to check, but Kobashi just tilted her head with a "hmm".
"Right now, I guess we're still fine-tuning who is coming and whatnot. There are no weirdos so you don't need to worry so much."
It wasn't that I was afraid of a strange person participating, but she didn't seem to understand.
"It's only students from your class, right Kobashi? Would it be okay for an outsider like to join?
"Really? It's nothing like that. Hey, hey, so how about it?"
It was an invitation to a fluffy, abstract celebration party. To be honest, I wasn't really interested in going as there weren't very many people in Ichinose's class that I was close with. It was doubtful I'd be able to have a good conversation with Ichinose, especially right now. I felt a little regretful, but I decided to decline.
"Nah, I'll pa──"
Seeing that I was about to refuse, Kobashi clasped her hands together and cut off.
"Please! This was like, a fateful eting, right?"
It was hard to say no when she put it like that, but I couldn't give in so easily. I could see that if I just went with the flow here, it wouldn't be good for later.
"You an it's my fault...right?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, I guess it's no use. I'll properly report what happened here to everyone in the class. I invited Ayanokōji-kun to the party, but I was turned down because my invitation wasn't good enough."
"Wait. Why would it end up like that?"
"So you're going to co?"
"...That's..."
"Oh you do hate it, don't you? Ahh, if only I could have asked you out a little better... I'm sorry everyone."
"It would be a problem if you get so depressed..."
"You only need to show your face...! Please, even just that! And Honami-chan is coming too!"
She clasped her hands together once again, this ti with more force than before. After she had co this far, it was as if there was no way out of this situation.
"Fine, I get it. I really just need to show my face, right?"
"Yes, thank you! Ah, but don't tell Honami-chan you're coming to the party later, okay?"
She showed a smile so bright that it was hard to believe that she had been sad and depressed just monts ago. It was often said that won were born actresses. But don't tell Ichinose? That part stuck out to a little.
"Why keep it a secret? I'd like to ask permission from everyone to see if it's okay for to join."
If even one student didn't want to participate, I'd prefer it if they told without reservation. If that were to happen, I could say no again unequivocally, this ti in the na of the greater good.
"You know...that's just...well...Don't you think it would be better as a surprise, Ayanokōji-kun?"
I couldn't help but think it would be a surprise of the unpleasant sort. I didn't really want to get into it, but it seed that her classmates had a lot on their minds regarding and Ichinose.
"Well then, we'll be waiting for you in room 5034 at 8pm, okay?"
"Room 5034...You're doing it in soone's room?"
I thought we would be using a rest area or a deck sowhere. Moreover, I could tell from the room number that this was a room where girls, not boys, were staying.
"Is that a problem?"
"It's not that it's a problem...I just feel like I'll have a harder ti getting there."
"That's not the case. Right?"
Sohow, Kobashi's 'right?' left overwheld and on the defensive. One after the other, my possible escape routes were being taken away.
"I'll be waiting for you then! You definitely have to co!"
Perhaps satisfied with my promise, Kobashi walked away a little too fast.
"Ah, I give up."
It wasn't really the right ti to talk to Ichinose face to face. Well, I guess if it was going to be in a crowd it would be fine. If it was a party to celebrate the end of the exam, there should be more than a few boys in attendance.
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