CH 42

42 - The true identity of Kiyokawa Ayane ①

In order to observe Kiyokawa, I first need to get her to stop monitoring me.

So as soon as I wake up, I send a chat to Kiyokawa.

[I'm not going to have a talk to Rinka. So don't tail me today.] (Kazuto)

A few minutes later, I get a reply from Kiyokawa.

[I couldn't believe it. Rejected.] (Ayane)

[Please. I just want to have an easy day without being monitored sometimes. If I talk to Rinka, then I'll take responsibility and shave my head.] (Kazuto)

[I understand. It was only just for today, okay? I'd start monitoring you again tomorrow.] (Ayane)

.......

An so, I succeeded in escaping Kiyokawa's surveillance for today.

In hindsight, I wonder why I'm being so cautious to a younger one.

Should I be more dignified?

But I'm hesitant to act like a pompous a** to a popular idol.

No, even if the person isn't a popular idol, just the fact that the person is a girl makes me feel self-conscious. I'm really a chicken.

"Kiyokawa's classroom is...... right this way, isn't it?" (Kazuto)

It's lunch break. I'm visiting the first-year floor after Saito had told me which classroom Kiyokawa belonged to.

I'm filled with nostalgia somehow. Is it my imagination, or do I feel like an adult when I see first-year students passing through the hallways?...... It's probably just my imagination. I'm a nerd gamer, after all.

I walk down the hallway, while thinking self-deprecating thoughts.

Kiyokawa's classroom is the third class of the first year. When I arrive, I take a peek inside the classroom.

So far I haven't taken lunch, and I haven't taken any detours to make the way here.

If Kiyokawa has something to do and is planning to go somewhere I'll know it, so she must be in the classroom right now.

My prediction is hitting the nail on the head, and Kiyokawa is sitting in the middle of the classroom.

She's sitting in a seat near the center of the classroom with a straight back and a beautiful posture. Even though she's just sitting there, she's full of grace.

Some of the remaining students in the classroom look at her with a sparkling mixture of respect and admiration.

While some of the male students who seem to be fans of Kiyokawa, are secretly taking pictures of Kiyokawa's back with their phones from the back of the classroom. ......It's voyeurism, isn't it?

"............!" (Kazuto)

There's a tense atmosphere hanging in the classroom. And then, Kiyokawa stands up.

With just that, the atmosphere in the classroom completely changes.

She takes out a small lunch box wrapped in a white cloth from her bag, unconcerned about the attention she's drawing. Holding the lunch in her hands, she slowly walks towards the doorway of the classroom.

This is bad.

I move away from the classroom and hide myself in a nearby corner, sneaking a glance down the hallway.

Kiyokawa has just left the classroom and is walking down the hallway with her back to me.

I'm lucky to get a good position to observe.

But I'm witnessing for a surprising sight not long after.

"It's Kiyokawa-san......." "She looks beautiful today~" "Look at those fingertips and legs of hers. Really beautiful, aren't those." "Moreover the way she walks, it is so elegant~" "She must have grown up in a really rich family."

She is the envy of not only boys but also girls. She is very popular.

And Kiyokawa is smiling softly at them.

It's no wonder she's so popular. If I'm in a different position, I'll have become a fan of Kiyokawa.

The most amazing thing is that the other students moved to the side of the hallway to give way to Kiyokawa, who was walking the hallway down.

It's as if the commoners are bowing down to a noble young lady who's visiting the city.

An image of a young lady who has the overwhelming support of the commoners.

Neither rebellion nor riot is likely to occur.

"...... it's magnificent." (Kazuto)

My true feelings leak out. They reacted completely differently compared to Rinka and Kurumizaka-san.

In the case of Rinka, her cool and serious personality tends to make other students keep their distance.

While in the case of Kurumizaka-san, she is cheerful, friendly, and enjoys spending time with other students.

Whereas Kiyokawa, however, is neither of these.

She is extremely popular with the people around her, but she is kept at a distance.

Even though she is not the type of person that people can get close to, she is still a high-class lady that people admire.

That's Kiyokawa Ayane, the neat and tidy young lady.

"I wonder where's she going?" (Kazuto)

I wonder where she'll go with her lunch now that she's no longer being watched.

Maybe she has lunch plans with one of another class or one of the upperclassmen.

Kiyokawa seems to have a lot of older friends.

I continue to follow Kiyokawa down the hallway.

I'm tailing her and finally, I'm brought to the next school building. This is the school building where the special classrooms are located. And there's no one around.

"Could it be......?"

A boy? Might Kiyokawa actually have a guy that she's been going out, and they're going to have rendezvous?

If not, there's no reason for her to come to such a deserted place.

It doesn't even look like she's going to meet up with her friends, either.

"......" (Kazuto)

For some reason, Kiyokawa is looking around to check the area.

When she's sure that no one's around, she enters the nearby women's lavatory.

"Did she stop there to use the lavatory?" (Kazuto)

Does she have a sudden urge? I wonder where Kiyokawa's original destination is.

Well, she'll be sure out of the lavatory soon.

Taking it easy, I hide myself in the corner and wait with my back against the wall.

Five minutes later.

"Still not yet?" (Kazuto)

Kiyokawa still hasn't come out of the women's lavatory yet.

But, there's a fact that women are known to take a long time to use that room, so I guess that's how it is.

I decide to wait a little longer.

Another ten minutes later.

"......still hasn't come out yet." (Kazuto)

As I thought, isn't that indeed too long?

Maybe there's an incident inside there.

I'm getting a little worried.

However, there's no way I can go in and check.

So I decided to wait a little longer.

Another ten minutes later.

Finally, Kiyokawa comes out of the women's lavatory.

On the edge of her mouth, there's a grain of rice――――

"......." (Kazuto)

A certain expectation comes to my mind.

No, I don't believe it, and I don't want to think it, but.......

She, was she having lavatory meal?

Yes, a lavatory meal. (PTW/N: 便所飯 [benjomeshi], Toilet Meal, has a meaning: "having lunch in a toilet cubicle by oneself".)

There's a grain of rice on the edge of her mouth, and she's patting her stomach in some kind of satisfying way.......

"N-no, no! There's no way that could be! It's Kiyokawa we talk about, you know? It's impossible." (Kazuto)

Normally, lavatory meal is for a loner.

It's not something that a girl like Kiyokawa, who is the envy of everyone, would do.

However, there's not the slightest hesitation in Kiyokawa's steps on the way to the bathroom here.

In other words, she was used to going there.

"......I still need to observe more." (Kazuto)

I follow Kiyokawa as she begins to walk. She's walking back to the school building.

"Ah, Kiyokawa-san. Hello."

"Hello~ Kiyokawa-san."

A duo of girls walking down the hallway stop to give Kiyokawa a cheerful greeting.

Kiyokawa also stops and returns the greeting. I wonder if they're classmates.

"There's a grain of rice on your mouth, Kiyokawa-san."

"My, that's embarrassing......." (Ayane)

"Ahaha. Kiyokawa-san have klutz side, too, yes?"

The female students let out a friendly laugh. This is one more thing that has increased Kiyokawa's popularity.

"Where did you have lunch?"

"Umm, that's......" (Ayane)

It's in the lavatory.

"Is it the courtyard?"

"Y-yes. In the courtyard." (Ayane)

No, it's in the lavatory.

"I see. This school's courtyard is unusually clean, isn't it?"

"Yup. It's a place that suits a neat girl like Kiyokawa-san, yes~"

The two girls nod admiringly.

Kiyokawa, on the other hand, has a soft smile on her face.

However to me, who knew what was going on, it looks like she's straining himself.

"Who did you eat with on the courtyard?"

"Eh?" (Kiyokawa)

I'm having lunch alone in the lavatory.

There's no way she's going to answer that, so Kiyokawa's at a loss for an answer with her mouth agape.

Looking at Kiyokawa's loss for words state, one of the girls asked fearfully

"Maybe...... by yourself?"

"N-no. I'm not." (Ayane)

Kiyokawa denies it. The way she's upset is clearly proving that she's alone.

"T-that's obviously, yes. Kiyokawa-san seems to have a lot of friends. I'm sorry for asking such a strange question."

"It's okay. I'd be happy if you could continue to treat me without hesitation." (Ayane)

The two girls are relieved when Kiyokawa gives them an elegant smile.

But, my hands were shaking.

I have just learned a shocking fact about Kiyokawa.

Kiyokawa might be an all-alone girl.

That Kiyokawa is...... I assume, but considering the beginning of the lunch break, it makes sense.

None of her classmates had invited Kiyokawa to lunch.

It's not that they don't like her by any means, but they don't invite her out either. She's that kind of type, huh?

If Kiyokawa is an all-alone girl, it's no wonder she was able to keep monitoring me all the time.

In addition, she was forbidden by Kurumizaka-san to practice dancing in the old school building.

The more I think about it, the more my theory of Kiyokawa as an all-alone girl gets stronger.

"Hey, what are you doing, Ayanokouji?" (Tachibana)

"Tachibana......and Saito, huh?" (Kazuto)

I'm skulking around a corner when I hear someone talking to me from behind, so I turn around.

"What's wrong, Ayanokouji-kun?" (Saito)

"It's nothing....... What are you guys doing here?" (Kazuto)

"We're just returning from the library." (Saito)

"Heeh." (Kazuto)

"Would you like to read this book, Ayanokouji-kun? It's an erotic light novel with some pretty explicit descriptions, you know!" (Saito)

"...... Why the h*ll would they put such a light novel in a school?" (Kazuto)

"Look, Ayanokouji! Look at these illustrations!" (Tachibana)

"I-I don't care!" (Kazuto)

Tachibana opens the book and shows me the illustrations. This is not something to talk about in the hallway, you know.

Look. A female student who passes by us gives a look as if she's looking at filth.

*BZZZZZT!*

I feel a slight vibration from my smartphone that I have in my pants pocket.

I take out my smartphone and check the screen. There's a chat from Kiyokawa.

[How long have you been following me?] (Ayane)

.......

I look back in the direction where Kiyokawa had been. There's already no one there.

She continues to send me chats.

[After school today. I'll be visiting Senior Ayanokouji's house.] (Ayane)

Mha gosh.

"Suddenly you looked at your smartphone and got a faraway look in your eyes, what's wrong with you?" (Tachibana)

"......It's your fault guys." (Kazuto)

"Huh?" (Tachibana)

Kiyokawa must have noticed this because of the noise they made. She must have figured out that I was following her.

I feel like I've been spotted by a last boss. It's no doubt that Kiyokawa will be angry with me. And for sure she'll treat me like a pervert.

No, depending on how I think about it, I can set up a place where we can talk one-on-one.

I wish I can take this opportunity to understand Kiyokawa better.

......It's impossible, right? As I thought.