[Mayu]
"WOULD you please take it slow in pulling me, Shuji-kun? I can walk on my own, you know." I attempted to joke around about the way Shuji-kun was pulling me at the moment.
But I knew it was a futile effort. Especially when I couldn't help feeling nervous because of this guy's serious aura. If Shuji-kun was already known even before as the serious type, it doubled up when he caught my attention as soon as he entered the room and pulled me out of there.
With that, I already figured out that something happened. I only needed to know what it was and if I was right.
He stopped pulling me upon reaching the right end of the hallway. We were near the balcony just beside the fire exit. I saw Shuji-kun heave a sigh before facing me.
"Is there a problem? Why the unusually serious face?" I asked.
"He's been missing... since last night."
Missing? Who? But my mind didn't take long to rake out the possible answers. "You mean Setsuji-kun?"
He nodded. "That's the reason why Sei-nii and I didn't go to school today. We were all busy looking for Setsu-nii, especially when we know that he still has a fever. He would end up straining himself."
What the heck? Why didn't Seiho mention anything about this to me?
"But why did you look for me? Weren't you looking for your brother, as well?"
"I came here to ask you something."
"Ask me something? About what?" This boy was getting weird by the second if you'd ask me.
"Did you know about what happened to my older brother back in high school? About Kataoka-san?"
"I'm one of the few who knew about it." Seriously, where would this conversation lead us? Until I realized something. "Wait a minute. You're not telling me...?"
"Setsu-nii is a type of person who doesn't easily forget an event that has a big role in changing his life drastically. So I came here to ask you if you know the place where my brother found Kataoka-san."
Oh, boy! Don't tell me... Setsuji-kun was at it again? When would this issue come to an end? Nako-chan, I thought you'd done something for Setsuji-kun about this?
Speaking of Rinako...
Oh, right! I left here in the classroom. "Shuji-kun, wait for me for a while, okay? I have to check on my cousin."
"Cousin? You mean... the girl who punched Setsu-nii at the start of the semester?"
I looked at Shuji-kun in surprise. "You knew about that?"
"Duh? Who wouldn't know about that? It was the first time that a girl didn't fall on my brother's face value and charms. Not to mention, that girl was brave enough to defy my brother and punch him."
Well, I guessed that truly was a piece of news. An unbelievable one, at that. "To answer your question, yeah. It was indeed my cousin who did that to your brother."
"But why do you have to go with her?"
"It's because there's a possibility that she can help us in finding Setsuji-kun. It seems that her radar is strong when it comes to your brother."
"Seriously?"
I just responded with a shrug. "It's just an observation. Since November last year, those two would clash almost every day." But it wasn't just my observation that I used as a basis for me to say that.
I could still feel that Rinako would find Setsuji-kun. Especially when that cousin of mine already knew the secret that Setsuji-kun tried his best to hide from the world— the secret that can ruin more lives if that guy doesn't want to stop.
Shuji-kun accompanied me in returning to the classroom to look for Rinako. But confusion and surprise filled me when I saw my cousin's empty seat.
"Where is she?" Shuji-kun asked as he looked around.
Duh? I was supposed to ask that question. But then, this guy sure was acting as if he knew what Rinako looked like with the way he searched the place just by looking around. From what I knew, he hadn't met my cousin yet— personally or even through a picture. Not unless Setsuji-kun managed to steal a picture of Rinako.
"Hagiwara-kun, have you seen Rinako?" I asked one of my classmates for that class. It so happened that he was Rinako's seatmate.
"She left as soon as she took her things after following you and Shuji-kun outside the room. She looked like in a hurry, though. Maybe she needs to chase after something."
I couldn't help facing Shuji-kun after hearing that. Both of us had the same expression on our faces.
Confusion.
"Mayu, do you think it's possible that... she heard what we were talking about a while ago?" Shuji-kun ventured.
My gosh! Nako-chan, what was running in your mind at the moment. What in the world was going on with you?
I grunted upon realizing something. "It looks like the two of us are not going to look only for Setsuji-kun."
And no doubt, the boy got my message.