In the corridor after practice, three girls’ shadows were present.

All of them belonged to Houjou Noa’s faction, and one of them, Gobai Miya, spat out words like this:

“…Indeed, I can’t stand it anymore”

“What is it?”

“I understand, but calm down.”

Kisaragi Hiyori tilted her head as she walked beside her, while Sakura Sanae tried to soothe her.

Miya nodded and answered in a growling tone.

“The way Otonashi treats Mizuki-sama.”

“Ah, that girl”

“Acting that way toward a man… it’s downright disgraceful.”

Hiyori shows a cold, cruel smile.

“Indeed, Class K natives should be driven out.”

“Yes. If we allow someone like that, they will eventually become poison.”

Miya said this and changed direction to another corridor away from the classroom. Sanae and Hiyori briefly looked around as if on guard.

“Well, Noa-sama will handle it somehow.”

“…I don’t know.”

They stopped where the view was clear on both sides and lowered their voices.

“It seems like Noa has changed her approach. I don’t sense the same intent to exclude others as before.”

“…Lately, Noa-sama has been acting a little strange too, hasn’t she?”

“Maybe she’s adjusting to Mizuki-sama. Since he’s a boy, she’s trying not to rub him the wrong way.”

Miya nodded in agreement.

“Mizuki-sama is kind… but too lenient at times. If something like Otonashi’s half-hearted performance is allowed, it’ll make managing the class difficult from here on.”

“…So?”

Sanae urged her forward.

“If necessary, we’ll guide her.”

“…Guide her, huh?”

Kisaragi Hiyori smiled slyly.

“Since Mizuki-sama will one day form a bond with Noa, it’s ideal for him to earn National Party eligibility as early as possible. To make sure he graduates from the top class, we have to give it everything we’ve got.”

Outside the window, the sunset was dyeing everything red.

Gobai Miya’s eyes were also dyed red with burning determination.

◇◆◇

The sun was setting, casting a huge shadow over the brick-built main gate of Shirayuki Academy.

Toudou Mizuki stood quietly at the bottom of the main gate with his aide, Mikado Rei.

Girls from Class K who had changed into their uniforms after finishing sports festival practice noticed Mizuki and waved goodbye as they left.

“Mizuki-kun, what are you doing?”

Among the passing girls, Kaminari Nene stopped and called out to him.

“I have a little errand left.”

“I-is it fine? It’s getting dark already. Do you want me to stay?”

Nene looked worried as she leaned closer.

Mizuki gave a wry smile and glanced at Rei, who was waiting behind him.

“Thank you. But since Rei-san is here, I’m fine.”

“B-but…it’s dangerous, you know”

Nene looked around anxiously. There were almost no people in the school grounds.

“…I-is it okay for me to stay?”

“Um, sorry… there’s someone I want to talk to alone for a bit.”

“J-just the two of you!? W-who?”

Nene’s face turned pale.

“No, not like that……Ah, here she comes.”

Confirming the approaching Otonashi Nagi from the entrance, Mizuki started walking towards her.

“Nene-chan, sorry. I need to talk about the sports festival with Otonashi-san for a bit.”

“Ah…Okay”

Understanding the situation, Nene quickly stepped back and said goodbye before leaving through the main gate.

Otonashi Nagi, who had noticed Mizuki’s presence, stopped and showed a troubled expression.

“Otonashi-san, do you have time?”

“…Yes”

Otonashi Nagi answered in a voice that was barely audible. Mizuki smiled as best as he could to avoid scaring her.

“Somewhere private would be better, right? Maybe the car?”

“…Yes”

“Okay. Then come with me.”

They headed towards the parking lot from the main gate.

In the boys’ parking lot, only his sedan was parked.

“Sorry, Rei-san, could you wait outside for a moment?”

“Of course”

Otonashi Nagi hesitantly entered the back seat, and Mizuki closed the door behind her.

“I probably startled you by calling you out like this. I just wanted to talk for a moment.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Otonashi Nagi’s response seemed more natural than usual.

“I knew it—you’re comfortable when no one else is around.”

“…How did you know?”

Mizuki hesitated slightly before deciding to speak honestly.

“Because I was the same way.”

“Eh?”

“In middle school, I was scared of girls’ stares. My body wouldn’t move, and that’s why I couldn’t go to school for a long time.”

“…”

“Are you afraid of being watched by many people?”

“…When I’m under too much attention… I can’t move.”

“Oh. Same here”

Otonashi Nagi’s eyes were fixed intently on Mizuki.

“…How?”

“Hm?”

“How… did you overcome it?”

Mizuki hesitated to answer and looked out the window. From a distance, Rei was watching the car intently.

“In my case… maybe it was just by chance. It’s like my outlook suddenly changed, for no real reason.”

“…”

“Sorry, it might not be helpful for you.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Otonashi Nagi lowered her head.

Her bangs fell forward, hiding one of her eyes, making her look small and unsure of herself.

Seeing her like that overlapped with a past version of his own self, and Mizuki chose his words carefully.

“As I said before, I’m in a state where I can’t run properly. So even if you can’t move well, it’s okay not to worry about it. In the worst case, I could just withdraw”

“…Yes.”

Her voice was barely audible. Somehow, he realized that wasn’t her true intention.

“…But I also think giving up from the start isn’t good either. So why don’t you try practicing when there’s time?”

“Eh?”

Nagi, who had been looking down, raised her head.

“It might be too tense during class practice, so let’s first do it just the two of us a few times and get used to it.”

“…Is that okay?”

“Yes. Let’s work together.”

“Okay.”

This time, her response was filled with determination. Seeing this, Mizuki decided to change his approach.

“It seems like there are no people around at this time. How about trying it out for a bit?”

“…If Toudou-sama says so”

They got out of the car and took out the two-person walking band they had brought just in case.

“Sorry, just a moment.”

Nagi had already changed into her uniform—she was in her skirt now.

After hesitating for a moment, he tied his leg together with hers, doing his best to look away and not stare.

“Alright, let’s try moving.”

He pulled her gently closer by the shoulder, and Nagi, still timid, lightly grasped Mizuki’s shoulder in return.

“Start from the foot that’s connected.”

“Yes.”

They slowly took a step. However, they immediately lost balance, and Rei, who was watching nearby, hurriedly supported them.

“Otonashi-san, you might want to stick a little closer.”

“…Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Nagi’s timidly placed arm tightened around him.

“Then let’s try again.”

“Yes.”

The next step went smoothly. Although slowly, they moved forward without falling.

“One, two, one, two”

As long as they didn’t rush, it seemed like there were no problems moving forward.

He stopped at a good spot and looked toward Nagi, who was right beside him.

“Looks like we can manage this with a bit of practice!”

“…Yes.”

“Okay, let’s try again.”

They slowly ran around the parking lot. Due to tension, Nagi’s body was sweating.

After completing one lap without incident, they separated.

“…Sorry, I got sweaty.”

“It’s more tiring than just running normally, right?”

The surroundings were already dark. Mizuki knelt down and untied the band at their feet.

“Since the class practice is already over, let’s stop here for today.”

“…Yes”

“Let’s practice again when the Seikadan’s off, okay?”

A siren was heard from afar. 

The security guard patrolling the main gate was checking on Mizuki’s group. 

In the deepening darkness, Otonashi Nagi bowed her head.

“…Thank you”

She didn’t raise her head for a while afterward.