Rina gives small glances in the direction of the exit door of the classroom. The poor girl doesn't know how to cut short the discussion with Minato without offending him.
She looks at her classmate with embarrassment, then looks at her left wrist.
She stands up suddenly and taps her wrist
"Ah look at the time, time flies. I have a business meeting in a little while with my Mummy, sorry Minato-kun, I have to go."
In an instant, Rina packs up and rushes towards the exit without looking back.
"I leave you here for today, see you tomorrow classmate!"
Rina disappears in the crowd of students in the hallway. The voice of professor Fujisaki can be heard in the distance.
She dodges each student with such fluidity and speed, it's reminiscent of the signature technique of the Running Back wearing the number 21. If she wasn't sure which club to join, the American football club would probably be interested.
"No running in the hallways!"
"Yes, sorry!"
Left in the lurch in no time, Minato finds himself dumb.
"A professional meeting with her mother? She didn't even have a watch on her wrist…"
A student approaches Minato's desk and sits on it without pressure.
"It's rare to see you be blown off like that, it's even the first time right? Usually girls are pretty gracious to you."
"It's the second one that leaves me hanging like that to be exact… However, hearing you talk it sounds like I was trying to hit on her."
"It wasn't?"
"No it wasn't, I was just sympathizing with my tablemate."
"Still, she blew you off from day one. I almost feel sorry for you."
"You better take care of your own case Takeru, I'm not saying anything but if you don't get around to declaring your love to that senior girl soon you might regret it."
"That's a cheap-shot to change the topic like that"
"That's advice from your best friend, take it on board."
…
We find Rina at the exit of the building of the high school, she looks around her by jumping to see where her friends are. People look at her strangely but she seems not even to realize that she looks ridiculous.
In the distance, she sees Aya's silhouette in the direction of the fountain.
Without thinking, Rina rushes to join her.
A small voice echoes in Aya's ears.
"Aya."
"I feel like I hear Rina…"
She hardly has time to turn around when Rina jumps on her and clutches her waist with ardor.
"Ayaaaa !"
The return of crocodile tears.
With a maternal attitude, Aya gently strokes her head.
"Come on, take it easy Rina, how did it go in your new class?"
She's pouting.
"Good…"
At the same time, Sophie arrives a little late.
"I'm sorry, I'm a little late… Rina-chan? Did something happen, Aya-chan?"
"No not really, I just think she had to give it her all and now she has to let off some steam, right Rina?
She nods as if in agreement.
"Ok so that was right, well done if you managed to make it back to school on your own, haha."
"Rina-chan is much more fearful than she lets on."
"How did it go this afternoon for you?"
Rina withdraws her embrace, dries her tears, and with a proud look tells what she has been through these last hours.
"Um, I think your story is a little romanticized, but from your expression, I imagine that overall you're happy with your first day on your own and your new class."
"Yes it's fine, I have no complaints, this class is to my liking."
That was a bit condescending, hmm?
"I'm happy for you Rina-chan, I too have a great class, I found many members of the book club and tea ceremony club there."
"It makes me think that I, too, had a class that was almost filled with sports club members, it almost felt like a sports-study class."
"Um, I don't really know what to make of it, other than Minato-kun I haven't really had a chance to make friends with the others, except for the one from the cooking club who invited me tomorrow to try their cookies."
Sophie raises her eyes to the sky and hits the palm of her hand with her fist, Eureka?
"So that was it!"
"What is it Sophie?"
"I just thought about it but I think the reason we're separated this year is probably because of our choice of school curriculum."
"Meaning?"
"I had thought I heard that starting in the second year of high school, classes would gradually begin to specialize based on students' future choices."
"Hmm…"
"That's probably why in my class there are so many students who are more literary-minded like me, and the same goes for Aya-chan's class."
"Actually that makes sense, that would mean we would have specific classes for each class, like for me to have more PE time per week?"
"I wouldn't know right now, we'll have to find out. But next year it's almost certain that classes will have different schedules from each other."
"I see, there's a logic to both. However, I don't even know what kind of study I want to do, let alone what profession I want to do. What would be the specialization of my class as a result?"
"Hmm… It's true that it's rather unclear in your case Rina-chan. You could ask your homeroom teacher tomorrow."
"Yes I will do that."
Aya suddenly feels a vibration in her pocket, she pulls out her smartphone and sees a message from her mother asking her to come home to help at the Aquamarine.
"Ah shoot, we didn't see the hour go by, I have to go help my parents at the store."
"Should we walk Sophie to the tram stop and head for the beach?"
"Okay, let's do this."
The girls head for the campus exit and hear the sound of the tram arriving in the distance.
"Get your transportation card ready, Sophie, we're parting ways now. Don't forget that tonight you are coming to our ryôkan."
"Yes don't worry, I haven't forgotten… Finn, come on, we're going home."
Sophie moves away and disappears into the tram car.
Rina and Aya go in the opposite direction and take the road that leads to the Indigo Beach.
"Every time I forget that Sophie is always accompanied by her spirit friends. I tend to turn around for nothing when she calls one in public."
"Haha, it's true that it's disturbing, she'll have to be told to be more careful when she's in places like that. We wouldn't want people to give her a bad name without even knowing her."
"That will be our mission for this year as far as Sophie is concerned."
"Absolutely."