A bad girl who was an outcast in class and dated men for money. If a
painting with a title like that existed, I was sure it would be a scene like
this.
The other kids were chatting happily as they hit the ball back and forth.
Meanwhile, I took advantage of my plain looks and the lack of attention
they drew and quietly approached Ayase.
I leaned against the fence and sat down like I was resting in the shade.
"Skipping class?" I asked casually.
She removed her earphones and looked at me suspiciously. Then her
eyes went wide.
"This is a surprise," she said. "Why are you talking to me?"
"I get curious when I see someone I know skipping class."
"Hmm. So you're here to lecture your younger sister?"
"No, nothing like that. I'm not such a good person that I can start
lecturing other people. I just noticed that you also chose tennis for Sports
Day."
"Maaya suggested we choose the same thing, though that isn't the only
reason."
"Maaya Narasaka? Are you guys close?"
I glanced back toward the tennis court.
"Yeah," she said. "Though, I mean, I don't think there's a single girl at
school who doesn't get along with her."
"So she really does have a hundred friends. Wow."
There were twenty girls per class, times eight, making it roughly a
hundred and sixty in our grade. The number seemed astronomical.
"Maaya probably doesn't count them all as her real friends," she
explained. "But she's bright and cheerful and can get along with anyone,
even if they aren't close."
"Oh, that makes sense."
Ayase had me oddly convinced.
"So, Asamura, why did you choose tennis?"
"Um, do I have to say? It isn't anything impressive."
"That's okay. My other reason is that I'm pathetic."
What did she mean, "that's okay"? This wasn't some game where one
embarrassing truth canceled out another.
She stared at me blankly, but her eyes implored me to go on, and
eventually, I gave in and told her.
"In tennis, there aren't any team competitions."
Other sports, like basketball, soccer, and softball, which Maru had
chosen, were team events. Tennis was the only sport without team or
doubles competitions. The tournament would be singles only. This meant
that if multiple students from a single class continued winning, they would
eventually play one another.
"I chose tennis because I wanted to avoid team competitions."
If you're wondering why I would say that, you must be very lucky.
I didn't like expecting things from others or having others expect
things from me. I would cringe at the mere thought of making a mistake
and causing problems for my team. Anyone unbothered by troublesome
thoughts like these must be about 80 percent better off than I was.
"Oh yeah…?" said Ayase. "We really do think alike."
Anyone who could relate to that feeling was more or less admitting to
being an introvert.
"You're like that, too?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. I chose tennis because Maaya suggested it, but I didn't
want to play team sports in the first place. I think you've started to notice,
but I stay away from the other kids."
What she was saying was sad, but Ayase's tone was dry and without
any hint of loneliness.
No one complained, even though she was clearly playing hooky and
listening to music on her smartphone. It almost felt like she and her
surroundings were stuck in a parallel world.
Wondering if she might be transparent, I squinted and looked at her,
but her facial features were clear, and I could smell her fancy perfume. Her
presence was too much, and I looked away, aware I was blushing.
"Do you, maybe, not really fit in with your class?" I asked.
"Is that a surprise?"
"Well, yeah. I thought stylish girls were the center of attention."
"That's generally true."
"But not me," she left unsaid.
People probably did say negative things about Ayase, though whether
they were substantiated was anyone's guess. Still, most of the students
believed the rumors.
"I'm in a pretty good position right now, though," she said. "…I
couldn't care less about Sports Day. It sounds like a waste of time. And as
long as people leave me alone, I can do whatever I want."
"Is that why you're listening to music?"
"Huh? …Oh, well, yeah," she said evasively, averting her eyes.
She was hiding something, but it wouldn't be polite to intrude further.
She'd talk when she felt like it, if it was something she could share with
me. I'd be harassing her if I tried to dig it out before then, and I hated
people who did that.
"This time, I'm going to get it right! My secret technique, the Ultra
Soaring Serve!"
"That's not even the same name as before, lol!"
I could hear Maaya and her friend cavorting on the court again. They
were really loud.
Just then, something occurred to me, and I looked at Ayase.
"Aren't you going to practice with Maaya? She must have suggested
you choose tennis so she could play you."
"Nah."
"Wow, you didn't even need to think about it."
"I don't want to play tennis. Maaya knew I'd be sitting out when she
made the suggestion… I guess that flexibility is another secret to her
popularity."
As she said this, I felt some of Ayase's usual stiffness leave her voice.
The way she looked, the fact that she was playing hooky, the things she
said—everything substantiated the rumors about her. But the personality I
kept glimpsing within seemed to cancel out everything else.
I wondered who the real Saki Ayase was.
But I didn't know enough about her to figure out the answer.
When I arrived home from school, Akiko was just stepping out the door.
"Oh, Yuuta."
"Uh…I'm back."
"Welcome home! Dinner's ready!"
"Thank you…but you didn't have to do that. You're going to work,
right?"
"I am," she said gently, placing one hand to her cheek. "Even though
I've just moved, too. I can't get a break!"
She wore an expensive-looking top that elegantly exposed her
shoulders, and her perfume was so intense that it made me dizzy. She
radiated the sex appeal of an adult woman, like a butterfly sprinkling her
charming scales wherever she went