I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

"Just try your best~"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“They actually let us in…”

When I got permission and waved her in, she looked puzzled. So she had no confidence in me...

"As long as you explain it clearly and give good reasons..."

To have a good reason, it's not a big deal to tell a little lie... Well, we just lied and said we were members of the student council of No. 1 High School.

"But...what are you doing here? There should be no one in the school right now..."

"There are still some... There are teachers on duty in the office building."

"...Why do you even need to look for...a teacher or something?"

"If I want to find out about a student's situation, who else can I ask if not the teacher?" I'm too lazy to explain this kind of question...

"...So, why do you have to do this?"

"Then you will..."

"Explain it to me clearly!" She pulled my sleeve again.

"Tsk." What a hassle.

"Okay..." I also stopped and looked at her impatiently. I don't know if it was because she was too excited, but there was a hint of timidity in her eyes.

“How do you think people’s worries arise?”

"Because...the...surrounding environment...or maybe someone bothered me...or something like that?" She sounded uncertain.

"Ah, that's right. It's nothing more than things and people. But things are done by people, so... I think this incident is just the spark that ignites the fuse, and the real gunpowder is produced here." I pointed around.

"..."

"You mean...at school?"

"That's right, congratulations, you finally understand it." I wanted to applaud her and encourage her, and in fact I did so.

"So, she's under...pressure at school?"

"That might be... just one aspect." I looked around and finally found the office building. "I can't be sure of anything else. After all... neither you nor I know her very well."

...................

"Kurima-san... is truly outstanding."

It's just a polite remark...

"It's just... well, if I were to say there are shortcomings, they do exist."

What follows is the important information.

"You know the situation in our school... The students here have strong pride and a strong sense of shame... Regarding things like how to treat others..."

"But, compared to that classmate, Kurumi Masa-san is definitely very different. She's always outspoken... I can't say that's wrong... but she should be more measured in her words."

"Later, no one in the class wanted to get close to her no matter what... We were in a difficult situation, but there was nothing we could do..."

"Later, she kept asking for leave... Since her parents allowed it, we didn't ask for anything more. If she maintained her attendance, her enrollment would remain... But the class gradually stopped paying attention to her."

"So...when this happens..."

"It's okay, we're just asking about the situation. We'll discuss the details after we find her."

After some twists and turns, I got the cell phone number of Kurumiya's homeroom teacher, and after explaining the situation, I got some information... Just as I guessed, that guy's personality was indeed isolated by the people in this school.

I don't want to say who is right or wrong about this matter... How she lives on campus is not what I care about, and I have no intention of changing the status quo.

"So, what do you think?" I looked at Jiumuting beside me.

Since the whole process was hands-free, she heard the entire conversation between me and the teacher.

"...I...I'm going to go find her."

Was it because she was sad or because she was trying so hard to think? She lowered her head and answered me, and I couldn't tell her expression at that moment.

"...What are you looking for her for?"

"I don't know...but I always feel that I must find her."

"That won't do... You still have to speak out what's in your heart, otherwise it won't be conveyed."

Well, it's impossible to convey it 100%.

"Take me to her."

"...Have you figured out what to do?" I checked again, just in case.

"Don't even think about it..."

She suddenly raised her head and looked at me.

Although his eyes were blurred with tears, his expression was very firm.

"If the conversations were all calculated, it would be quite insincere, wouldn't it?"

...What... My usual style has been stolen? I'm a little bit unwilling to accept this. However, regarding Kurima's problem, I don't seem to have the same strong concern...as she has shown.

"...It seems not only I but she too made a mistake... No, maybe even she made a mistake."

I'm not the one who really needs to be called...

"What are you talking about suddenly?"

"No, nothing." I shook my head and ended the topic. "Okay, come with me to find her."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

A person's habits are difficult to change... even for someone as proud as Kurumiya. When one is at their wit's end, one can only rely on their luck for the outcome.

"...It seems this guy is really waiting for me..."

It was the same intersection where we'd spoken last time and the time before that. A familiar figure was leaning against the wall. She was shrouded in shadows, gazing at the intersection to the side, completely unaware of us approaching from the other side.

"What do you mean by waiting for you..."

Jiumuting, who heard me talking to myself, immediately refuted me.

"...fine."

I'd better not tell her that my house is nearby.

"Well, I'll get her attention first, and then... you can persuade her."

"...Yeah, let's do it."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

It seems that she was lost in thought and didn't notice that I was standing in front of her... Could it be that she has been waiting for me for a long time? If so... couldn't she have asked me for my address earlier? What a joke.

Looking at her furrowed brow and the sadness in her eyes, I seemed to just realize...she was a little pitiful.

But...if you're saying hello, it's better to be light-hearted.

"Oh, why do you have that expression... Didn't anything good happen to you?"

After hearing what I said, she finally noticed me, and her previous emotions seemed to disappear. Her pink little mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to say something, but she was too excited to speak.

"Hey, why aren't you talking... Aren't you hoping to find someone to talk to?"

She nodded quickly.

"Well..." I pretended to be nonchalant and stretched, then turned to look at her who seemed a little confused by this move. "Maybe you really do have something to say to me, but before that, there's someone else looking for you."

I pointed next to her.

"Hey, Miya..."

"Remember...what you said to me?"

..................

Oops, this scene... maybe I should just back off.

Well...bye for now.

"Wait, where are you going?" She noticed that I was about to leave and actually ignored Jiumuting beside her, which I never expected.

"...While you're talking, I think it's best for me to leave."

"But...I still have something to say to you!"

Being needed... It's not often that I see such a thing. For a moment, I even stopped myself from taking the next step.

However...after seeing this situation, Jiumuting behind her stood there at a loss.

Hey, she hasn't finished her words yet... What kind of behavior is this...

So, don't ignore other people's kindness, it will make people sad. She has been away for a long time, just to find you...but you don't want to say a word to her?

But...if I leave like this, she still won't be in the mood to have a conversation with Jiumuting.

There's no other way, this is the only way.

Please...learn to respect others.

"I say...did you make a mistake?"

She seemed a little overwhelmed by my sudden change of tone.

"Huh? ...What are you talking about?"

"Even though you didn't say it yourself, you must have really liked that book, right? I think it was about... a knight named Mi... Mi, but I can't remember exactly."

"No...why are you suddenly saying this..."

"That's where the misunderstanding happened. Actually, we weren't familiar with each other, were we?"

Damn it, why do you have to look so hurt at this moment... I'm just stating the facts.

"When I bumped into you, I was looking at... that knight. I think you thought I was one of your kind because of that, didn't you? If that's why you're so close to me, then I can only say... I'm sorry! I just happened to be open, and I'm really sorry for causing you to misunderstand me. Actually, I don't like him at all... and we have nothing in common."

"...You're lying..."

"Whatever you think... Anyway, don't show up here waiting for me in the future."

“…”

She lowered her head silently and did not respond.

"..."

You can't be soft-hearted. Anyway, Jiumuting will be there to comfort her later, so nothing will happen.

"...Are you faking all this?"

After I turned around, her voice came from behind me.

"What do you mean?"

"Whether it's a casual conversation, asking me questions when we meet on the street...or accepting my invitation to a party...you've always thought I was a bother, haven't you? Those behaviors...are all just an act, right?"

"........"

"Yes, if it's just that level, I can still accept it. But this time you really went a bit too far... I hate trouble. So... goodbye."

............

Is this really okay...

Maybe it's not that good, because it feels really bad to call someone you don't hate annoying... But maybe it's not bad, because... there are obviously people around her who care about her more, and I hope she can pay more attention to it.

More importantly, if she is smart enough...she should be able to understand what I meant by saying that.

Well, anyway...

That's it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"That...that..."

Faced with everything that had just happened, Jiumuting seemed a little at a loss, no...or rather, even more at a loss.

He was investigating everywhere for Kurimasa, and suddenly said something like that. And...