him and said that he was perfect for the role, he’d looked bitter, and when Tohko and the other girls had been in a tizzy over whether Omiya or Nojima was cooler, he’d had some harsh criticism for Omiya.
He must have had Igarashi and Sarashina in mind. He had identified with Omiya, and it had pained him.
“Akutagawa was the one who first introduced Igarashi to Sarashina, it seems. At first, the three of them would go out together. That was last summer. Then around the end of autumn, Igarashi’s attitude toward Akutagawa changed. His bullying got real bad, and when a third-year couldn’t stand to watch it anymore, he asked what was going on. Igarashi apparently told him that Akutagawa had stolen his girlfriend. And Akutagawa didn’t deny it. He said, ‘Igarashi is right. It’s all my fault.’ After that, Igarashi quit the archery team.”
Tohko drooped.
What she’d told me was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill love triangle. Falling for an upperclassman’s girl happened all the time and so did hooking up with your friend’s girlfriend on the sly. It was everywhere in books and on TV.
There were even love triangles at the turn of the century, and even before that—ever since the age of legend, people had reenacted moronic love stories of stealing and being stolen from, of falling in love and breaking up.
But for those involved, it probably wasn’t so easy to accept.
Omiya agonized over the knowledge of his crime against Nojima, and like him, Akutagawa must have blamed himselffiercely. In the nurse’s office, he’d told me that everything was his fault.
“I’m a contemptible person… Of course they’d hate me.”
Wait—but why would Sarashina hate him? I could understand Igarashi since his girlfriend had been taken from him. But why Sarashina? When she was clinging to Akutagawa, it definitely didn’t look like she hated him.
It was strange. There had to be something more going on between Akutagawa and Sarashina…
Just as I seized on this question, a paralyzing anxiety welled up in me. I couldn’t. Hadn’t I decided I wouldn’t get involved?
My breathing grew labored, and in a quiet voice, I said, “Tohko… you said before that maybe Akutagawa was covering for someone? Considering what you just said, the only people important enough to Akutagawa—or the only ones he owed enough—to protect would be Sarashina and Igarashi.”
“Yeah.”
Tohko nodded.
“Which one do you think he’s protecting, Tohko?”
“I—”
As she hesitantly opened her blushing pink lips, a beeping sound started in Tohko’s pocket. She pulled out not a cell phone, but her beloved silver stopwatch. Apparently it had a regular clock in it, too, because she looked at it and then her eyes went wide.
“Omigosh. Lunch is over in five minutes!”
We both bolted to our feet and rushed out of the room. As we ran down the hall, Tohko explained quickly, “I’m not quite sure yet who’s cutting up books. Or why they did it.”
Tohko pulled to a stop in front of the stairwell where we would part ways.
“I thought it might scare you so I wasn’t going to say anything, but I heard another rabbit has disappeared from the biology club. A girl from the club was worrying about it this morning.”
I recalled the rabbit, held by its ears, blood dripping from it, and I gulped. Tohko grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to murmur encouragingly into my ear, “Look, you absolutely cannot miss rehearsal today. We’re doing the costumes today. Not for any reason, okay? Promise?”
Her warm breath struck my ear, and her soft lips brushed it for an instant, then pulled away.
“See you after school! If you skip, I’m going to your house to get you!”
She smiled, then ran up the stairs.
Tohko… I can see up your skirt. Are those shorts?
… But no.
They were white.
My ears and cheeks slowly grew warmer. I hurried off to my own classroom.
And just then, Akutagawa cut across my vision as he walked down the hall.
I
He must have had Igarashi and Sarashina in mind. He had identified with Omiya, and it had pained him.
“Akutagawa was the one who first introduced Igarashi to Sarashina, it seems. At first, the three of them would go out together. That was last summer. Then around the end of autumn, Igarashi’s attitude toward Akutagawa changed. His bullying got real bad, and when a third-year couldn’t stand to watch it anymore, he asked what was going on. Igarashi apparently told him that Akutagawa had stolen his girlfriend. And Akutagawa didn’t deny it. He said, ‘Igarashi is right. It’s all my fault.’ After that, Igarashi quit the archery team.”
Tohko drooped.
What she’d told me was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill love triangle. Falling for an upperclassman’s girl happened all the time and so did hooking up with your friend’s girlfriend on the sly. It was everywhere in books and on TV.
There were even love triangles at the turn of the century, and even before that—ever since the age of legend, people had reenacted moronic love stories of stealing and being stolen from, of falling in love and breaking up.
But for those involved, it probably wasn’t so easy to accept.
Omiya agonized over the knowledge of his crime against Nojima, and like him, Akutagawa must have blamed himselffiercely. In the nurse’s office, he’d told me that everything was his fault.
“I’m a contemptible person… Of course they’d hate me.”
Wait—but why would Sarashina hate him? I could understand Igarashi since his girlfriend had been taken from him. But why Sarashina? When she was clinging to Akutagawa, it definitely didn’t look like she hated him.
It was strange. There had to be something more going on between Akutagawa and Sarashina…
Just as I seized on this question, a paralyzing anxiety welled up in me. I couldn’t. Hadn’t I decided I wouldn’t get involved?
My breathing grew labored, and in a quiet voice, I said, “Tohko… you said before that maybe Akutagawa was covering for someone? Considering what you just said, the only people important enough to Akutagawa—or the only ones he owed enough—to protect would be Sarashina and Igarashi.”
“Yeah.”
Tohko nodded.
“Which one do you think he’s protecting, Tohko?”
“I—”
As she hesitantly opened her blushing pink lips, a beeping sound started in Tohko’s pocket. She pulled out not a cell phone, but her beloved silver stopwatch. Apparently it had a regular clock in it, too, because she looked at it and then her eyes went wide.
“Omigosh. Lunch is over in five minutes!”
We both bolted to our feet and rushed out of the room. As we ran down the hall, Tohko explained quickly, “I’m not quite sure yet who’s cutting up books. Or why they did it.”
Tohko pulled to a stop in front of the stairwell where we would part ways.
“I thought it might scare you so I wasn’t going to say anything, but I heard another rabbit has disappeared from the biology club. A girl from the club was worrying about it this morning.”
I recalled the rabbit, held by its ears, blood dripping from it, and I gulped. Tohko grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to murmur encouragingly into my ear, “Look, you absolutely cannot miss rehearsal today. We’re doing the costumes today. Not for any reason, okay? Promise?”
Her warm breath struck my ear, and her soft lips brushed it for an instant, then pulled away.
“See you after school! If you skip, I’m going to your house to get you!”
She smiled, then ran up the stairs.
Tohko… I can see up your skirt. Are those shorts?
… But no.
They were white.
My ears and cheeks slowly grew warmer. I hurried off to my own classroom.
And just then, Akutagawa cut across my vision as he walked down the hall.
I
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