The tone passed pleasantly through his ears and cut off his thoughts
Fweh What what
He had thought he was alone but someone was standing behind him and he nearly fell from his seat
The other person also cried out in surprise and opened their eyes wide
K-Kurikara You really scared me
No you scared me Why did you suddenly shout like that
His usually noisy classmate Kurikara Saya had appeared silently
What’s going on You don’t often stick around afterschool
She was friends with everyone in the class and knew a lot about them all She tilted her head as she asked her question She also tilted her entire body which was childish and cute
I’m waiting for Ange This is the day for those who can’t swim to stay behind remember
Oh yeah
A charming smile covered her face
That was really surprising Ange is so athletic but she can’t seem to make any progress when it comes to swimming
Ah ha ha That’s right You’re always sticking with her during swimming class aren’t you
Sorry she’s so much trouble
Think nothing of it
She sat on a nearby desk to continue their chat
What about you Kurikara Don’t you have to get to your club activities
I’m about to I was hungry after class so I stopped by the school store and they had a wholle bunch of discount pudding I ended up eating too much Eh heh heh
Try not to eat so many snacks
Mhh Don’t say that
Mutsuki did not have many female friends because he was fairly shy at the core but he could hold a conversation with Kurikara who got along with all of their classmates
But now that he thought about it this was his first time alone with her
She had a plump feminine build and a smile that suited her bright personality
In the reddish light of the setting sun she looked somehow mature
Are you okay like this
Are you okay being away from Ange
She almost seemed like another person entirely
Okay Why wouldn’t I be
Well the two of you are always together so I thought maybe there was a reason why you couldn’t be apart
She was still smiling but she stared directly at him with a somehow sharp look in her eyes
There was indeed a reason why they could not be apart Ange was his bodyguard so she was normally with him at all times However no one else should have known about that
Not really W-we’re relatives so we just happen to be together a lot
He stumbled over his words a little The class had found out he and Ange were living together so they had explained it by saying they were relatives
Hmm she said while staring at him with a knowing look Relatives you say
A somehow depthless giggle escaped her throat
He usually got along with her better than any other girl in the school – even Ange – but for some reason he felt a chill run down his spine
By the way
It may have been the reddish sunlight but her usual friendly expression had transformed into an oddly bewitching smile as she glanced over to the seat behind the boy
You get along well with Satowa don’t you
Well yes I suppose I do
Well enough that he would come for you if you called for him
N-not that well
She giggled again with a somehow probing look on her face Only then did he realize that she no longer had the bright eyes of his classmate
Her eyes were angled sharply upwards like those of a wild animal eyeing its prey
The twilight of late spring entered the classroom
As that setting sunlight washed over him a warm sweat began pouring down his back
Hey is anyone still in here
A sudden voice broke the thread of tension
Katsue-sensei their homeroom teacher poked her head in from the hallway She frowned suspiciously when she noticed a boy and a girl alone together
I’m about to lock up so head on home
Oh Okayy
In that instant Saya returned to being her usual eternal optimist self She turned around with a bright expression on her face and ran off
Bye Fujita See you tomorrow
S-see you
His strength left him and his chair creaked below him The teacher was still looking his way so he gathered his things to leave
At that point he heard the quiet sound of a bell once more
Saya left the classroom without looking back
Mutsuki could not remain in the school building He had a feeling that being alone was a bad idea
That bad feeling led him to the pool so he could wait for Ange to finish up
The swimming lesson was being led by volunteers from the swim team Nearly thirty students from Megutono Academy’s elementary middle and high schools who had trouble swimming were doing their best with a kickboard in one hand Incidentally anyone could choose to join in even if they did not have any real trouble with swimming
Ahh Mutsuki
As he peered in through the fence Ange’s was not the first familiar face he spotted Or rather that he was spotted by
Lucia
Mutsuki was surprised to have his name called so loudly and the demon boy in swim trunks immediately ran over like a puppy He had no trouble with swimming In fact he had broken the school’s records for the crawl and the butterfly He was apparently just having fun What is it Are you here to swim Or did you come to see me