The images of that blonde-haired guy I stumbled upon online are still stuck in my head. His face is mostly hidden behind a long, black fringe, his hand shooting up in a desperate bid to shield himself from those relentless camera flashes. Even without a clear view of his face, there's this vibe of guilt and panic about him that you can't miss. And when I flick back to those festival snaps and vids from Miyamoto, it's clear as day—the guy was wearing trauma on his face like it was his skin.
Was he just freaking out, relived whatever hell Horie-san's death dragged him through? Or is there some other messed-up chapter I haven't cracked open yet? Man, I gotta dig deeper into this.
"Seriously, Tete… I thought you were messing around when you said you wanted to go to this school," Itou laughs, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she watches me park my bike. "Won't your girl get all jealous? I mean, she always gives me the evil eye whenever we chat."
"Ha-ha. You're not actually worried she's gonna come after you, are you?"
"Oh, please!"
"Yeah, sure, I picked this school 'cause it's close, but there's a bigger reason I landed here," I say, letting a smirk play across my lips just so Itou knows there's more to the story. Her curiosity sparks right on cue.
"And what's that?" she bites, just like I knew she would.
"You're gonna think I'm messing with you, but it's 'cause of Maki's stepbrother," I drop the line, dangling it like a cliffhanger, watching her brows furrow in confusion, barely peeking out from under her long dark brown fringe.
"She has a stepbrother…?"
Bingo! I've got her hooked now. But I'm not about to play keep-away with the info. I spill what I know, even though it's really none of her business. But hey, isn't it always a bit of a thrill to dish out on someone else's drama?
"Uh, well... I didn't know at first either, but Ayaka's the one who clued me in," I say, slipping in a tiny white lie so Itou doesn't peg my nosiness as too over-the-top. "Turns out, Maki's stepbrother is that blonde-haired guy who got all handsy with her at the last festival."
"Hmm, okay… so what's the deal with him then?" Itou probes, her eyebrows lifting as she flashes me a knowing smirk, like she's fully caught on to how deep my nosiness runs. "What did he do that made you here?"
Yup, I think she's already crowned me the king of gossip. No use trying to hide anything from her now, ha-ha.
After making sure my bike is snug with the others, Itou and I head to the shoe lockers. It's barely been a week since I kicked off my high school life at Miyamoto High, but I already feel like I've got the layout down pat. And like some kind of high school movie scene, I can feel eyes on me as we walk. I catch glimpses of girls whispering, shooting curious glances my way as I stroll by with Itou.
They're probably buzzing, wondering if I've ditched Maki for a replay with Itou.
I'm half chatting with Itou, half scanning the scene, when suddenly, it's like some invisible force yanks my attention away. There, under the drab shelter of the walkway, I spot him—a familiar sandy blonde-haired dude decked out in a grey pullover hoodie under a navy-blue school blazer, his grey plaid pants making him stand out. He's heading from the front gate probably towards the shoe lockers, same as us.
And as I get closer, something oddly poetic catches my eye—a small cherry blossom tangled in his hair.
I don't know why, but as we cross paths at the intersection, it's like some invisible puppeteer takes over my hand. Without thinking, I reach out and pluck the stranded cherry blossom petal from his hair.
My move is so spontaneous that it catches him off guard—his almond-shaped eyes, magnified behind those round glasses, go wide with shock, and he stops dead in his tracks. Confusion is all over his face, but I flash him a grin, holding up the soft pink petal for him to see.
"There's something in your hair," I say, causing his brows to furrow.
"Uh, thanks…"
Just like that, I casually blow it away into the breeze and then, without missing a beat, I strut off towards the shoe locker area, catching up with Itou.
I glance a bit at the back, watching his eyes as wide as when he was surrounded by judgmental people in the crowded art gallery. And while his thin brows frown as intensely as back then, somehow, I like this look he has more.
Uhm… I don't know. I think he's cute.
So, I wound up here all because of him. But why exactly? Am I here to dig up why he gave Horie-san the cold shoulder? Or maybe I'm just trying to figure out what she found so intriguing about him? Could it be I wanna see if Maki really wants him to pay for what went down with Horie-san? Maybe I'm just itching to see how messed up his life really is? Or, heck, maybe I just wanna get a good look at his face…?
Well, whatever the reason, here I am.