[Warning 15+]
Backstage 2Case 1: "The Indomitable Heroine"
Study Camp, First Night.
I was alone, sitting on a bench in the hallway.
Across the large glass window in front of me lay the central courtyard. It felt like a somewhat modern Japanese garden, and the light streaming from the lanterns scattered here and there created a beautiful and magical scene.
"It's so refreshing, isn't it!" "It feels like it's seeping into every part of my tired body after studying." "Ahaha, you sound just like an old person!"
While pretending to gaze at the central courtyard, I glanced briefly at students passing by in front of me.
They were all wearing the school-issued gym uniforms and sandals, with bath towels draped around their necks. Judging by their convo and their still-slightly-damp hair, they must have just finished showering.
"Izumi, what are you planning to do in your free time?" "Nothing, really. I just want to think about the practice schedule for Summer Break." "You, at least at times like this, should try to take a break from club activities for a while…"
A few moments later, another group of people walked by.
…Hm. That girl—she's from Class 1-D, right?
I realized that among them was the girl from the room next to my target's. She probably doesn't remember, but she's the girl I once talked to during the "Childhood Friend Event."
Well then, I guess it's about time….
I turned my gaze toward the corner where the public bathhouse was, and waited for that girl to walk by.
─There are two girls I've had my eye on during this Study Camp.
They're both "Characters" appearing on the main stage of this "Plan."
Unlike me, they're both girls who have something that's uniquely theirs.
'Every now and then, it's also important to try talking to someone whose personality is completely opposite to yours.'
Suddenly, the Café Owner's words echoed in my mind again.
…I still don't know if there's any real meaning to that.
Maybe what the Café Owner wanted to convey was for me to use his way of thinking or logic as a reference… …but since our personalities and core values are so different, it doesn't seem very useful as a reference.
Or maybe there's some other, unexpected meaning? Is there a hidden reason that I can't see?
In the end, even now I still haven't found a satisfying answer. I figured the only way was to try it myself, so I decided to hide out here.
"Wow, your skin is so smooth!" "This hot spring really is a real treat, isn't it!" "I heard hot springs are just ordinary for boys, though?" "Yeah, it's a shame if boys use it." "That's perfectly normal."
While watching the girls who occasionally walked by, I also turned my attention in the opposite direction from the bathhouse—toward the guest rooms.
One thing to watch out for is that Mei is in the target's class. If she sees the two of us (me and the target) talking alone together, she might suspect something's off.
Fortunately, there were still 30 minutes before Mei took her bath, and since there were no other facilities near the public bathhouse, the likelihood of an unexpected encounter was quite low. Even if it were discovered—since none of our actions so far had been related to any "Plan"—I don't think it would be a fatal problem.
Even so, it doesn't hurt to stay vigilant, and of course, it's better not to get caught. After all, this "Plan" has proven time and again that being overly cautious actually pays off.
"—Eh, could she have slipped in the bathroom?" "Yeah, that's so funny." "I-It's the hotels these days that still put soap in there that are at fault!" "Yeah, yeah. But luckily the bathtub was right behind you, so you're safe, Ayumi."
…Oh, looks like that girl finally showed up.
After confirming it was her, I stood up and stepped in front of the group, who were walking along, joking and laughing.
"—Katsunuma-san."
"Huh? It sounded like someone called my name just now… …Eh?"
Katsunuma-san stopped immediately, then looked in my direction, blinking repeatedly.
Katsunuma-san's school uniform fit her perfectly, and she was clutching a tote bag under her arm. Her slightly damp blonde hair and her bare, faintly flushed face.
There was no mistake. Today's target—Katsunuma Ayumi.
"You're…"
"It's been a while."
Seeing Katsunuma-san looking around with an expression that was half-confused and half-awkward, I held up and showed her something I'd prepared beforehand.
"Eh, can I have a moment? I want to give you this."
As I said that, I gently shook the bottle of strawberry milk I was holding in both hands.
◆
I led Katsunuma-san to the central courtyard, then sat down on a bench that wasn't visible from the hallway.
From the woods nearby, I could hear the sounds of all kinds of insects. Even though it was a summer night—perhaps because this place is famous as a summer resort—the fresh, dry breeze felt pleasant on my skin.
"Here, help yourself."
Saying that, I handed Katsunuma-san the strawberry milk I was holding in my right hand.
"Wait a minute, eh… …what's this all about, though?"
Katsunuma-san, standing next to me, crossed her arms, her face looking tense. Since I'd already handed my belongings over to my friends, my hands were empty at the moment.
I exhaled, then set the bottle in my right hand down on the bench.
Maybe because I'd called out to Katsunuma-san so suddenly, she seemed nervous. Actually, after she came to her senses, we'd made up for a while… …but since then, we hadn't spoken again. Maybe that was a natural reaction.
I tried to soften my tone before I started speaking.
"You don't need to be so tense. I didn't come here to pick a fight with you."
"Oh, I see…"
Then, Katsunuma-san clearly looked relieved and relaxed her shoulders. At that very moment, the towel draped over her shoulders slipped and fell to the floor, so she hurriedly picked it up.
…But the impression I have of Katsunuma-san has really changed—this girl, really.
Back then, during the "Childhood Friends Event" or when Katsunuma-san yelled, "You wanna fight, huh!? Oh!?" she acted really fierce. Now she's totally like a wolf with its fangs pulled out—Wait, actually, she never really looked like a wolf to begin with. I wonder… ...maybe more like a Chihuahua that's had its fangs pulled?
Come to think of it, that nickname "Lousy Kōhai" that Kōhei gave Katsunuma-san really is spot on….
"Um, well then, why?"
"Oh, right. Well, that's… …actually, there's no specific reason, really. It's just that, for some reason, I felt like having a casual convo like this for once."
"Huh…? Wait, why all of a sudden…?"
Katsunuma-san tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Well, that's understandable. I don't really understand it myself.
"Well, there's no deep reason behind it. As long as we can just talk casually, that's enough."
"Oh, even though you said, 'As long as we can just...'"
Katsunuma-san looked troubled, her eyes darting back and forth nonstop.
Well, but I guess I really do need to come up with something to talk about....
Just as I was thinking about how to start the convo, Katsunuma-san exclaimed, "Oh!" as if she'd just remembered something.
"I mean, is this Senpai's doing?"
Hearing the words Katsunuma-san spoke while furrowing her eyebrows as if she didn't like it, my ears instinctively perked up.
Hmm… …"Senpai," huh?
Even though Kōhei said Katsunuma-san'd seen the light, it turns out she still calls him by that name.
"Is Senpai asking you to tell him something, or is he planning something crazy like stalking—"
"No, Kōhei has nothing to do with this."
When I replied firmly, Katsunuma-san suddenly stiffened.
"Btw, the way you're calling Kōhei sounds kind of sarcastic. You should probably just stop, don't you think? Although I don't really know."
"Eh… …Oh…!"
As if realizing her mistake, Katsunuma-san covered her mouth with both hands.
"Y'know why Kōhei became a ronin, right? If you call him in a way that sounds like you're mocking him, the people around you are bound to get the wrong impression, aren't they? I don't really know, though."
"I-I'm sorry…"
Seeing Katsunuma-san cowering in embarrassment, it suddenly dawned on me.
…Hm, this won't do.
Wait, did I speak too harshly just now…?
"B-But!"
Then, Katsunuma-san started talking, waving her hands as if she were panicking.
"That's not what I meant! I mean, it's not like I'm trying to put Senpai down… …Eh, actually, I do think he's an idiot, but that's not what I meant…"
"…"
Well, I do agree about the idiot part.
"U-Um! Saying it like this, it's really embarrassing!"
Then, with her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest, Katsunuma-san—
"So… …since Senpai admitted that I'm a great person… …I thought maybe I should show him a little respect. But using honorifics feels a bit off, so I think just calling him 'Senpai' is enough, right? I really just thought of it on the spur of the moment…"
Katsunuma-san's voice grew softer, while her cheeks slowly turned red.
…Listening to Katsunuma-san's words, I, for some reason, felt embarrassed too.
"So… …um…"
"…"
No, but—.
The reason I feel embarrassed is probably because what Katsunuma-san just said wasn't a lie or an act, and maybe because it felt like she really meant it from the bottom of her heart… …maybe that's it.
….
…Oh, I see.
Without me realizing it, both Kōhei and Katsunuma-san had already started a relationship like that.
"Oh, right. Well, if Kōhei says it's okay, then it's okay, isn't it?"
"O-Okay."
"Besides, it's none of my business to comment."
I gripped the back of my head tightly, then shook it out recklessly.
…That's true.
Basically, this isn't my business.
Regardless of what they call each other or how they treat each other, there's no reason for me to get involved in the matter between Katsunuma-san and Kōhei.
But I went and did something unnecessary. It was completely irrational and made no sense.
Just as I was feeling uncomfortable with myself like that, Katsunuma-san looked awkward and seemed about to speak.
"Oh, but… …You two have known each other for a long time, haven't you?"
"Hmm…"
"In that case, I can understand why you're upset that your close friend is being looked down on. I'd definitely be mad too if Eiji were looked down on."
Katsunuma-san clutched the towel wrapped around her neck tightly as she looked down.
…Am I upset because Kōhei is being looked down on?
Me?
No, but.
"I don't think so. Besides, there's no particular reason to be upset."
"…?"
That's right.
From the very beginning, both Kōhei and I weren't in a serious relationship like the one between Katsunuma-san and Tokiwa-kun.
We were just "Childhood Friends" in the "Plot," which means it was all just a lie.
So, there's no reason for me to get involved for no reason. Nor is there any reason for me to get angry.
"A reason for me to be upset…? Huh, is there a specific reason for me to be upset…?"
Katsunuma-san tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
…Yeah, that's true. There's no way Katsunuma-san could know about the specific circumstances here.
I thought for a moment, then decided to explain it in a way that didn't involve lying.
"Actually, um… …I wasn't always close with Kōhei, y'know. In middle school, for example, we never even met or talked at all."
That was the truth, and it didn't contradict the "Plot." It wasn't just in middle school—even before that, we had absolutely no contact at all.
"Tbh, I'd almost forgotten that Kōhei even existed. So, you could say high school was like our first meeting all over again."
"H-Huh…"
"So, I'm not in a position to get angry or complain. We're just casual acquaintances who happen to have a relationship that's a little different from others. Suddenly butting in and complaining about this and that… …that's weird, isn't it?"
Katsunuma-san kept his eyebrows furrowed into the shape of the letter "ハ," while ruffling her hair with the towel she was holding in both hands.
"Eh, oh, I don't really get it… …I mean, I don't get it at all, actually. So, is that what you mean? You're not really close with Senpai, but suddenly you're acting as if you're friends—isn't that annoying? Or is that how it is?"
"Well… …Broadly speaking, that's more or less it."
"But if that's the case, I can't exactly say that Eiji and I have always been close. Ever since he transferred schools, we haven't been close at all—in fact, back in middle school, to be honest, he actually avoided me…"
…Come to think of it, that's exactly how it was.
"But now we're just regular friends. So that's enough, isn't it?"
Katsunuma-san asked, still looking a bit confused.
That's not quite it….
That's not the heart of the matter.
"In that case… …both our past relationship and our current one. What if they're all just a collection of empty things?"
"Empty…?"
"Just appearances—nothing more than a polished exterior meant to look convincing. If a relationship is built on lies and deceit… …it's not a friend; It's nothing."
Fake is still fake, no matter how much it's polished.
Something built on a fake is also a fake one.
…So, I still have nothing.
Even my relationship with Kōhei—it was all just a lie.
As I sat there in silence, thinking about that, I heard Katsunuma-san let out a groan: "Ugh…"
"It turns out I still don't understand…"
…Oh, I see.
Turns out, with an explanation like this, Katsunuma-san won't understand, will she?
"Listen… …is there such a thing as lying or telling the truth when it comes to the things I've done?"
"…What do you mean?"
"No… …It's just that… ...All this time, I've just been imitating other people, and everything's failed. So, I think that in itself is wrong, but…"
But, and.
Katsunuma-san fixed her gaze directly on me.
"Even if they were wrong or meaningless, the things I've done can't be erased, can they?"
─.
The things I've done… …can't be erased?
"No, but—"
I sensed something was bothering me, then continued what I was saying.
"No matter how much we've gathered, if it all fails, it's all for nothing, isn't it?"
"No, I mean… …you've been talking about content and meaning this whole time—what's so important about that, though?"
"…?"
Katsunuma-san… …didn't understand what I meant.
"Eh… …what I mean is this. No matter how often we repeat something meaningless, isn't it true that new meaning won't just appear out of nowhere? The substance of it won't just suddenly materialize either."
"That's exactly why…!"
Katsunuma-san gripped her bangs tightly, looking annoyed.
Yeah… …why can't Katsunuma-san understand?
"Okay. In that case, I'll try to explain it as simply as possible: If something starts at 0, no matter how many 0s you add to it, the result will still be 0. It won't become 1 or 2. That's right, isn't it?"
"Oh, now I'm even more confused!"
"Yeah, I can't explain it any simpler than that..."
Oh, never mind—I'm starting to get annoyed, too.
Besides, it feels like our convo hasn't made any sense at all this whole time. Our ways of thinking are so different that it feels like we're not even speaking the same Japanese.
"What don't you understand? Where should I start?"
"From the beginning—everything! Everything!"
"What on Earth is that supposed to mean? 'Everything'—do you really intend to understand—"
"That's exactly it! That's what I've been saying all along!"
Then, Katsunuma-san...
After ruffling her hair until it felt really hot, Katsunuma-san said,
"Reasons or meanings—things like that don't matter, do they? If you're upset, you're upset! What we've done, we've done! That's all there is to it!"
Those words were spoken with great passion, as if Katsunuma-san were venting her anger.
Straight into the crevice of my stunned heart.
Then, Katsunuma-san's words sank in seamlessly.
─Ping, that's it.
It sounded as if something had clicked into place.
"Oh… …eh, that's…"
Huh, Katsunuma-san suddenly snapped out of it and covered her mouth.
I stared intently at Katsunuma-san's face.
Katsunuma-san, who had just finished showering, was makeup-free, her eyes were red, and her hair was a mess.
Compared to Katsunuma-san's usual appearance—which was always neat, well-groomed, and stunning—she really shouldn't have been attractive at all.
But for some reason, Katsunuma-san looked beautiful and seemed more mature.
─Even so.
Even though it started by chance. Or was built on a lie.
Even though it's empty, it's just a facade.
What we've gone through as part of that facade—
Still exists, just as it is.
It cannot be dismissed as if it never happened.
"…Oh, I see."
"I-I'm sorry, I shouted without realizing it because I got carried away by my emotions…!"
"It's okay—"
Yeah….
That wasn't a meaningful excuse, nor was it sound logic, or anything like that.
It was just based on the facts, as if I had simply given up—.
Really, if that's all it takes.
That's certainly a way of thinking that:s very… ...soothing to the soul.
'Ayano-chan thinks too much, doesn't she?'
…Maybe this is what the Café Owner meant.
I laughed cynically, nodded deeply, and said, "Yeah."
"Thanks, Katsunuma-san."
"…Okay?"
"It might help me a little."
"Eh… …what was that just now?"
I nodded slowly again.
Katsunuma-san's eyes widened for a moment, then she said, "Well, in that case, it's okay…" as she shyly turned her face away.
"Eh, btw…"
"Hm?"
"Did you maybe just have a fight with Senpai?"
Then, this time, Katsunuma-san asked in a tone that sounded worried.
"…Did you guys fight?"
"No, I mean, why are you constantly thinking about your relationship?"
As Katsunuma-san touched her earlobe, she glanced at me briefly.
No… …it's not like we fought.
But—.
"Maybe they do look alike, huh."
"…I knew it. Senpai, just how bad of a mistake did he make this time…?"
Katsunuma-san said with a wry smile.
Without realizing it, Kōhei had already been labeled as the one at fault, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, in that case… …listen, I can help patch things up between you two, right? Besides, I want to pay off my debt as soon as possible."
On top of that, Katsunuma-san even went so far as to tentatively suggest something like that.
Katsunuma-san's thoughtfulness warmed my heart, and before I knew it, a smile spread across my face.
But—.
"It's okay."
I shook my head, then looked into Katsunuma-san's eyes.
Then I said firmly,
"When it comes to dealing with that Idiot—that's the one thing I'm absolutely certain about, so it's fine."
There's no doubt about it; That's exactly how it is.
Because I can say with certainty that's what I've been building all this time.
"─Oh, I see."
Katsunuma-san nodded, a dreamy look on her face.
"I don't know why… …but that kind of thing is actually pretty nice."
Then, in a tone that sounded envious, Katsunuma-san muttered softly.
"Oh, no! It's not that I like fighting—that's not what I meant!"
"It's okay, I understand."
With a wry smile, I replied to Katsunuma-san, who hurriedly added an explanation.
Honestly, Katsunuma-san is a girl whose reactions are constantly changing. I'm surprised she never gets tired of acting that way.
As I thought about that, I took out my smartphone and checked the time. I guess it was time for me to go.
"Anyway, thanks a lot. If you want, feel free to drink this. Didn't you say before that you liked this drink?"
As I said that, I pointed to the strawberry milk left on the bench.
"Just one bottle—maybe that's not enough, though."
"Not really—one bottle is plenty…"
"Hm, really? I'm already on my second one."
"Seriously? That's way too much. My mouth is so sweet, I feel like I'm going to die."
"Wow," said Katsunuma-san, sticking out her tongue as if she didn't like it.
Is that really true…? …If so, that means someone dies at my house every day.
I finished my drink and stood up.
"Sorry for taking up your time. See you later."
"Oh, btw!"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, just as I was about to leave, Katsunuma-san called out to me.
"Um… …could you please stop calling me 'Katsunuma-san'?"
"Um… …Why?"
"No, I don't know why, it just feels weird… ...My hometown is really remote, and everyone around there is named Katsunuma, so I've always just been called by my nickname."
With a slightly shy expression, Katsunuma-san clutched her towel with both hands and rubbed it back and forth.
Oh, I think Kōhei said something like that, too. He said Katsunuma-san didn't know which house was hers, or something like that.
"Most of my classmates call me by my nickname, too. Well, I'm not going to force you, though…"
Scratching her cheek, Katsunuma-san kept glancing my way.
Well, in that case, it's fine, I guess.
In that case—.
"All right. In that case, I'll just call you Ayumi."
"Hmm. Eh… …Uenohara-san?"
"…Why do you have to use honorifics?"
"Huh? Oh, right—well, here's the thing! Your situation is different from mine, isn't it? So, if I just call you without using honorifics, it feels a little rude, or something like that…"
Katsu—I mean, Ayumi—suddenly got nervous and started stammering.
Ayumi's extremely awkward behavior since earlier—for some reason—started to seem endearing, and before I knew it, a smile had spread across my face.
…Wait, I'm starting to get it.
Kōhei must have felt this way, so he decided to include Ayumi in his "Plan."
If that's the case, maybe it's only natural that Kōhei wants to give Ayumi the title of "Heroine."
─Sting.
"…?"
Huh, what's going on?
My chest, which should have been feeling relieved, actually feels a little sore.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
RP: Angga Kun
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