We both slept on the same bed.
When morning came, I woke up and Mia was still asleep.
The rain had finished falling and the morning sun was shining through the window.
The birds’ song was sweet to my ears.
「Mia…It’s about time」
When I look at the time it was just past 8.
Since we went to bed at 11, we both slept soundly for 9 hours.
Mia opened her eyes slightly at my greeting.
「Nn…somehow…I slept deeply…」
「Me too…」
Stroking her hair, Mia squints her eyes like a cat.
「Feels good…」
It’s good checkout isn’t until 10.
Mia had gotten up and taken a shower and made preparations to set out.
Since I barely had any preparations, I cleaned up the room the whole time.
Heading to the management office, a different person from yesterday was at the reception.
We returned the key without any major issues.
We both walked to the station.
Holding hands, we continue down the street.
The sky cleared up like yesterday’s rain never happened and the trees that filled both sides of the road were a verdant green.
A bunch of puddles were left behind and Mia advancing while avoiding them was lovely.
Riding the train that came, we both had a foolish conversation.
As we drew near Mikura Station, we spoke less and less.
Mia, sitting next to me, was holding my hand and I was grabbing hers back.
The amount of houses able to be seen through the train window increased.
「We have school tomorrow, huh」
「That’s cause it’s Monday」
「I kinda don’t feel like going…」
Looking at her own feet, Mia smiled.
After a bit of silence, she opens her mouth.
「It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this…」
「What feeling?」
After hesitating a bit towards my question, Mia responded.
「I mean, when you were young, you went to the amusement park with your family, right? Like on the way home…you think, “Ah, I don’t want to go home”. Since that age I don’t really get that feeling that much anymore…」
I wonder if she was remembering the past, Mia smiled.
And then, after she shakes and pats her legs a bit, she looked at me.
「What about you?」
「E-to…when I was young, I never went to the amusement park」
「Eh? Seriously!?」
Mia stopped moving her legs.
「You never went to an amusement park with your family?」
「I never did. My dad was always bedridden with an illness…my mom was busy nursing him everyday.」
「How is your dad now?」
「He’s dead. It happened when I got into high school」
「Is that so?」
Looking slightly downwards, Mia quieted down.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, I tried to keep as chipper of a voice as possible.
「But, I got to play with my neighbor a lot」
「Your neighbor?」
「You know, the small one you met at the supermarket. Her and her mom」
「Ah…」
Mia turned her eyes upward like she remembered.
「She was cute」
「She’s my childhood friend so I don’t know but she is kinda cute」
「You played at her house?」
「That’s right. Her mother is a photographer but…because of that she goes to a bunch of places for her job and at that time I would go with」
Mia nods in admiration.
「Since there were plenty of pictures of nature, forests, mountains, seas, we went to all these places」
「Hee…I on the other hand didn’t go to many places. You should teach me good places to go」
「I got it. Next time I’ll send you a list of 30 places to go」
「I don’t think I need that much」
It was the next day, Monday.
As I thought, Mia and I didn’t talk at school.
Even though it was like that, it was back to normal.
Everyone’s beloved Mia was there and I was sitting in the corner of the classroom.
Lend me your mask. I hadn’t talked to Ebara or Kawauchi either and classes ended.
However, Ebara called out to me on the way to the club.
「Okutani」
He didn’t look mad.
He also didn’t really look happy either.
Rather, his face was terribly colored with disappointment.
「Wh-what is it?」
「I want to talk a bit…」
I was brought along to a passage near the clubroom.
It connected the old school building and the new school building but since it’s on the fourth floor barely anyone uses it.
Kawauchi was also in the passage.
「Is this about the day before yesterday…?」
「Yeah, it is」
Ebara’s mouth twisted.
「I’m sorry…」
For starters, I’ll apologize.
However, the two didn’t reply.
They float an expression of depression as if my apology didn’t even enter their ears.
「Why? What happened?」
「Don’t ask us…」
Ebara replied to my questions.
「Kurusu-san quit the club」
「Eh? Eeeh!?」
It’s not like I wasn’t expecting that but as I thought I was surprised.
「Earlier she came to Kawauchi and turned in a club withdrawal form」
「Wh-why?」
「Kawauchi also asked that. And then she said it was because of the issues from the day before yesterday」
That shouldn’t be the direct cause.
It should be to escape the agreement they made and to try and not cause me trouble.
Mia took responsibility for all of the day before yesterday’s events
「But, isn’t it bad if she isn’t attached to any club? Mia…Kurusu, what club did she join?」
「She didn’t join a club」
Kawauchi replied.
I unintentionally frowned.
「Then…eh?」
「She joined the student council」
「Haa?」
Certainly, student council members are exempt from needing to be attached to a club.
Rather than that, the student council leaders have activities like a club.
They place where committees and club activities take part in.
「It seems she asked Eda-san」
「Eda, huh…that Eda Fukiko?」
「There is no other Eda in this school」
It’s not strange to ask her to join the student council.
Especially with that personality and popularity. She is a talented person that is wanted by the student council by all means.
However, it is difficult to imagine Mia entering the student council on her own.
She should have plenty of other clubs she could join because of her popularity.
If she just wanted to quit the Human Culture Research club then it didn’t really need to be the student council.
「Wh-why…?」
「Well, it’s fine if you don’t know anything…」
Ebara muttered with a distant gaze.
「I-I don’t know but…」
They must have thought I knew since I got off the train with her yesterday.
However, I also don’t know.
I don’t know if this is something she has been thinking about for awhile or a split second decision.
I’m not fully satisfied with her leaving the club without feeling the need to discuss it with me let alone say anything before she quit.
I took the day off from club activities.
The figures of Ebara and Kawauchi leaving looked somewhat small.
Since it can’t be helped, I decided to head home.
I wanted to avoid the same bus as those two.
Because of that I decided to kill a bit of time.
I finished up today’s assigned homework and then left the school building.
When I made it to the gates, a voice called out to me.
「Ah, you finally came out…」
When I look towards the voice, Mikoto was standing there.
My childhood friend wearing a gray dress was the attention of all the students heading home from my school.
Particularly, the male students were sending hot gazes towards her.
「Mikoto!? What happened? Why are you here!?」
「I have something I want to ask you」
「Eh?」
She had short black hair and sharp sanpaku eyes.
She was a tomboy. Furthermore she looked like a pretty boy.
Since she also got quite a bit of attention from guys, Mikoto’s loveliness was objective.
Choosing when there was no other students around, Mikoto opened her mouth.
「You, spent the night with a girl, right?」
It felt like cold water was poured down my back.