Ichinose Honami : Route D

Chapter 2.1 : Clues and Conclusions I

1st April, 2023. 12.10 p.m.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka

Following the introductions, the students dispersed to pursue their own things. There were primarily two sorts of groupings. Some headed to cafés, while the noisier ones went to karaoke.

I thought it would be nice to get a feel for the layout of the school, so I began meandering around without a specific destination in mind.

Although I was able to establish two friends (and one acquaintance) on the first day of school, I couldn't bring myself to ask any of them for company, not because I was frightened, but because they were all girls.

But I don't need to be unhappy since there is still time, and I am confident that with a little more work, I will be able to make friends on the males' side as well.

After a half-hour of meandering, I went inside the convenience shop to acquire some basic essentials for my dorm room. A unusual mixture welcomed me when I opened the store's gate.

Ichinose was standing there, along with Horikita. Ichinose was attempting to converse with Horikita, but the latter was giving her the finest silent treatment I had ever witnessed. She was just standing there picking out the products while Ichinose's remarks entered and exited her ears at the same time. Even someone like myself felt empathy at this scenario, so I decided to assist Ichinose.

"Good afternoon to you both," I said.

They shifted their heads to my side after detecting and recognised my voice.

"What an unfortunate coincidence." said Horikita.

"Come on, there's no need to be so hostile. In any case, did you two need to purchase anything?" I inquired.

"Just a few things," she says. "I came to grab some supplies." Horikita responded.

When you first moved into a dorm, there was no shortage of necessities, especially if you were a girl. Horikita grabbed numerous items, such as shampoo, off the shelf and tossed them into the basket she was holding. I expected her to select higher-quality things, but she only chose the cheapest ones.

There was an ice cream aisle where she was standing, but I didn't know what to take and didn't want Horikita to make fun of my discomfort in selecting ice cream, so I just rejected the thought of eating ice cream today.

Ichinose has now left Horikita's side and approached me. But then I recalled overhearing her mention about going to Keyaki Mall with some of the other females in the class. So, what exactly is she doing here?

Then I wondered: is she even here? Or my mind is playing games on me by showing me someone I consider my first friend when I was alone and thinking about my lonely state.

Perhaps Horikita wasn't engaged in the talk with Ichinose because she wasn't present in the first place and it was all a trick of the light. After giving it some thought, I decided to do what Horikita was doing and disregarded Ichinose's ghost before approaching Horikita.

"I assumed girls made a big deal about what sort of shampoo they bought," I told her.

"Well, it depends on the individual, doesn't it? I'm the type who doesn't know when you might need money," she said, her face chilly.

"Hey, I'm here as well, so why are the two of you ignoring me?" Ichinose's ghost claimed to be playing with my logic.

Heh, I'm not falling for this. If I answer this question, Horikita will undoubtedly label me as a freak who communicates with air.