Misaki
Advanced Nurturing High School; Courtyard
After the confrontation with Kurogane Seiji, Mihara sat down on a bench below the shade of a tree along with Mukai, resting as he recovers.
"How are you feeling now?" Mukai-senpai asked.
"I'm fine..." he said in a weak voice, still a little injured.
Mukai sighed and frowned. "I'm sorry, Mihara-kun. About Seiji-kun, I-"
"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for that."
"...Right." Mukai smiled at him, then turned to us. "I have to say sorry to you too. Didn't mean for you and your friend to get involved in this."
"It's fine," I said. "It's just how things turned out, that's all."
She nodded, then turned. "Furukawa-kun, yes? Thank you for helping us there." Furukawa stared at her, staying silent and saying nothing back.
"You seem quite close to Kurogane-senpai, Mukai-senpai. Are you two perhaps..."
"No no no! It's not that! We're just childhood friends, that's all." That's why they were calling each other by their first names instead of their surnames.
"I see. But if you were friends, why did he try to attack you? His actions and personality don't make sense."
"Ah...that..." Mukai-senpai frowned. "Seiji-kun was...not always like that. We've known each other for quite a while. When I came here, he followed me in my footsteps." Mukai looked down. "During his first-year, before you all came here, he was kind and passionate towards others. He always lended a hand and always smiled when it came to his classmates and his friends. Seiji-kun and I were quite close because of that, but..."
"But...?" I said.
"...He..." Mukai-senpai sighed. "Last year, during the last few days, he...asked me out. When he said liked me and all that, I rejected him. I think that's why he's been so...cold now..."
A broken heart. The pain and sadness from having your love rejected can definitely change one's own personality. The cracks in the heart may heal over time, but what was left because of it will become the foundation for something better...or worse...
"Again, I'm sorry for what Seiji-kun did, and I'm sorry for having you two get involved in this."
"You don't need to apologize, Mukai-senpai. The actions done by someone else are not yours, so don't put the blame on yourself."
Mukai smiled. "Such wise words...and from a first-year too. Hehe..." Mukai looked up at the sky. "It's time we should leave. Right, Mihara-kun?"
"Right." Mihara and Mukai stood up from the bench.
"What you two have done today...I can't thank you enough. So, if there's anything I can do to repay you, give me a call."
Mukai gave me her contact information, as well as Mihara's. Within my contact list, I now had four people in total, two of them who are important figures at this school. The President and Secretary of the Student Council will prove to be useful in my search for my father.
After they left, the two of us stood in the courtyard alone. It was quiet, and there was no one else around.
"I never imagined you knew how to fight," I said.
"It was just basic martial arts. And I knew piano and tea ceremony as well."
"I thought you said calligraphy?"
"That too."
I shook my head and sighed. "So? You said you had something to talk to me about. What is it?" I asked.
"...Before that, are you thirsty?" Furukawa asked. My throat did feel a little dry after what happened. It wouldn't be bad to get something to drink.
After getting ourselves drinks from the vending machine inside the school building, the two of us went back to the courtyard and sat down on the bench, both of us on opposite ends. Furukawa opened his Japanese black coffee and took a sip, and I did nothing but wait for him to speak while holding mine in my hand.
"...Horikita, what was your reason for coming to this school?" Furukawa asked.
"Huh?" Furukawa remained silent, staring at me with his even darker eyes, waiting for an answer. "Why should I tell you? Why do you want to know?"
"Because I want to determine a theory of mine."
"A theory?" I repeated. What did he mean by theory? And of all things, why did he want to know why I came here to this school? I sighed, and seeing that I didn't have much of a choice, I answered him. "...I came here to this school so I could learn about a certain someone. Someone...who is very close to me."
"I see..." The two of us paused and remained in silence, not moving nor speaking a single word to each other. There was a cool breeze that came by, and the sun got lower. The shadows covered us, and his eyes became even darker, almost pitch-black. "I suggest you stop trying to learn about this person."
"...!" I gave him a glare. "Why?"
"I can tell from your eyes that you're determined to find out more about this person. You're focused, so focused that you're doing everything you can think of to figure out ways on how to gain information about them. However...is that what you really should be doing right now?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked him.
"Our class has been stripped away of Class Points, leaving us with no way of gaining any more Private Points. Everyone is divided, panicking and running around without a clue on what to do next. And not only that, the midterm exam would soon arrive, and our classmates would surely be unprepared for it."
Furukawa was right about that. If no one did anything, our class would surely fail. Worse, half of the class would be immediately expelled without hesitation. If that were to happen...then the dream of reaching Class A would never be a reality.
"It's obvious to me that this person you're so focused on is preventing you from using your full potential. It's holding you back. And because of that, our class is in this situation."
"That's not true!" I snapped, letting out a shout full of anger. "That's...not true..."
Furukawa stared at me with his usual blank expression, saying nothing and doing nothing. He sighed, then looked away. "During the first couple days of school, no, first few weeks, you've been trying to save the class from a dark fate you and I knew about. However, on that day when we went to that karaoke party Kurino invited us to, you suddenly stopped. You came only to leave a few minutes later. You stepped up, only to step back down."
"..." I said nothing, only listening to what he was saying.
"You told yourself that your goal to learn about this person was more important than bringing the class together. Isn't that right?"
"I..." My hands shook and I looked down, ashamed to look at him.
"Our class needs help. You're an intelligent and talented person, Horikita-san. You have the power to lead them in the right direction. You should use those skills if you have it."
I clenched my fists and shook my head. "I appreciate you for saying such words, but I'm not that person. I...I'm not my Okaa-san. She's a highly intelligent and talented person capable of bringing everyone together to work towards a common goal. No matter how hard I try, I can never be on her level, yet alone surpass her."
Furukawa sighed, then sipped the rest of his coffee. "Horikita Suzune and Horikita Misaki are two different people." Furukawa stood up from his seat and threw away his can in the trash. "You lack the will to do it, but it's clearly different when it comes to learning about this person you're close to." He turned around to look back at me. "If you're really that determined to learn about this person, then use that goal of yours to motivate you to become a better person for the class. Let it support you, not bind you."
"Let it support me...not bind me..." I repeated. I looked at my hand, staring at it and thought about his words. Furukawa was right. I became so fixated on this goal of mine that I haven't had any time at all to improve myself. I missed my chances on using my intellect and my knowledge for myself and for the benefit of others. "...Yes, I suppose you're right." I stood up from my seat and looked at the sky. "Class D...our class. I will make sure we all reach Class A together." And...I will learn about the identity of my Otou-san.
The shadows around us began to disappear, revealing light from the sunset. Furukawa's eyes now brightened up and I could see his whole face again.
"Furukawa-kun, about your entrance exam. Is it true that you got all 50s on your entrance exam?"
"I thought you didn't have anything you wanted to talk to me about." I grunted and glared at him. "You heard from Matsubara-sensei already, didn't you?"
"You said it was a coincidence, but Matsubara-sensei didn't believe it. And I don't believe it either."
Furukawa shrugged. "It can be quite freaky. Coincidences I mean."
"You had all 50s on the entrance exam. And as for the mock test we had earlier, you scored a perfect 100. Studying alone wouldn't have explained that dramatic change in scores."
"So? What are you trying to say?" Furukawa turned to look at me, staring into my eyes with his usual empty dark-gray eyes.
"You have an understanding of this school, from the S-System to the class rankings. If you're that knowledgeable, then that must mean you knew about the entrance exam as well." Furukawa remained silent. "You knew that if you scored lower, then that would mean you would be placed in the lowest class. You did it intentionally. You chose to be in Class D, didn't you?"
Instead of replying or saying anything, he continued staring at me with his empty dark-gray eyes. "Hm." Furukawa turned back around and started walking away.
"Wait!" I grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You haven't answered the question I asked you!"
"You'll figure it out on your own," he said. Furukawa freed his arm from my grip and walked away.
"Furukawa...Hideyoshi..." I watched him as he got further and further away from me. This classmate-this neighbor who sits next to me in class-is such a mysterious and strange person...and a strong one at that...