2

Why did I end up relying on Haruta?

That"s what I always think.

Until we went to elementary school Haruta and I were childhood friends who lived next to each other. Our reunion dates back to the spring of this year when we newly entered our high school. Back then I was secretly determined to do one thing. I decided that I would part with my "charming" short hair and trousers from my middle school days and enter into a lady-like club activity. I had no lingering affections for the volleyball club that seemed to operate like a j.a.panese corporation which was open for 24 hours a day for a whole year. Not to mention that there were off-seasons in the professional sports as well, so it was irritating no matter how much I thought about it. And so, I knocked at the gates of the Wind Ensemble Club that I had secretly longed for since my time in middle school. Wind instrument music. So lovely. There was no high threshold like with cla.s.sical music and most of all the music genre didn"t matter. It was possible to do jazz or even popular songs. If it"s a wind instrument, sounds would come out even if I started from high school, so I felt that I"d be right in time as well.

Somehow I shook off the invitations of the girls" volleyball club, who were insistent like snakes from the moment I entered high school, by displaying the flute I desperately persuaded my granny to buy for me like a charm against evil spirits.

But a tragedy occurred when I was about to report my joining of the club. The club president awkwardly showed me the photos of this year"s graduation alb.u.m. Those photographed were seven club members. Eh? Four of us graduated. Eh, eh? Only three second years are left over. Eeeeh! To make matters worse, the club was in the danger of becoming abolished as the advising teacher had a change of post. My face grew pale. The senpais of the girls" volleyball club high fived. At that moment I heard an idiotic voice that said, "Uhee." It was a male first-year student who peeked into the alb.u.m.

For the first time in nine years I was reunited with Haruta who had become able to play the horn.

I heard the sound of tapping and beating on iron.

I looked up in a daze while picking up on the rhythm. The joining of the veneer board with the footing of the construction site and the making of the gate at the school building"s main entrance had begun.

Three days were left until the cultural festival. Starting from today the lessons will only continue up until morning and the time for preparations for the cultural festival was set aside starting from noon. The enormous monument in the courtyard came steadily close to completion. The richly colored decorations of the school building, the horizontal banners and posters were to be pasted all over the place. The antic.i.p.ation of the students would increase because the school"s atmosphere changed every day little by little... is what I would like to think.

The facial expressions of those of us in the executive committee all darkened as if the world was coming to an end today.

"Chikaa."

Fellow executive committee member Nozomi came over holding the pamphlets that she just finished printing.

Nozomi is a cla.s.smate who belonged to the Pen Drawing Club and was skilled at drawing manga. The members of the executive committee were selected by choosing one person from each cultural club. The tasks were odd jobs, but the solidarity was strong.

"I"m sorry about this morning," Nozomi grasped the sleeve of my uniform. "I wasn"t able to help out with everyone."

"Wasn"t today the deadline for the pamphlets?"

"But still," Nozomi blearily blinked her puffy eyes from a lack of sleep.

The executive committee and the Chemistry Club had gathered at the school building at six in the morning. It was held in order to carefully look for the lost copper sulfate crystal one more time. A blue crystal that was put inside a large gla.s.s bottle stands out plenty. Perhaps someone brought it out impulsively, was troubled about how to use it and threw it away somewhere. The science room, the veranda of the cla.s.sroom, the incinerator, the garbage divider container and so forth. We looked high and low for any place we could come up with.

"I suppose it got stolen after all," Nozomi muttered. Keeping silent, I was embraced by unease. It wouldn"t stop. "It will definitely get into the newspapers, huh. If that happens it will be cancelled."

Apart from this aforementioned being the worst case scenario, the possibility also existed that the copper sulfate would be abused for crime. I closed my eyelids. I began to curse that yearly custom of stupid threatening letters. Just what kind of goal...

"Chika, I"m sorry."

I came to my senses at hearing Nozomi"s voice.

"Even though it"s us who restrained you who said to notify the police."

Actually, when the loss of the copper sulfate crystal came to light the executive committee had split up into two factions. The one who insisted that we should inform the teachers and contact the police, was me. It was unnecessary to tell this to Haruta. However, eventually the outcome was pushed by the opposing faction of Nozomi and the others. The opposing faction believes in the conscience of the students of this school. Someone of the opposing faction told us with a loud voice that the report to the teachers would be delayed by a couple of days and if they couldn"t find a solution in that time frame, they would take responsibility. But I wondered just how they would take responsibility. It"s probably a good word to say carelessly. I felt that it was no longer possible to turn back.

"If it isn"t found before the day is over the police will be contacted, am I right?" I earnestly asked her.

While on the way to the entrance, Nozomi returned a "Yes."

"You"re not giving up till the end, huh?"

This time she responded vaguely with a feeble "Yes."

"You"ll make do somehow with everyone"s support, right?"

Make do somehow. The weight of those empty words could be felt. By no means there were any people who will somehow make do like that. As far as I know at this school, save for two --

"How was Fujimoto-kun"s situation?" I tried asking Nozomi.

Fujimoto-kun is a cla.s.smate in the Chemistry Club and a bright person who would be suitable in a doctor"s gown. He was the person who lost the copper sulfate crystal and he is also the one who Nozomi has unrequited feelings for.

"Well... he"s getting desperate and is trying to make pies. He said he would sell pies. He said that loves big pies. Haa."

I don"t know him very well, but it seems like he"s at the end of his wits. That much is a justified retribution. It happened when I brushed Nozomi"s head, saying "there there", and let out a sigh.

"Heeey. Homura-san."

A voice called my family name from faraway. Startled at that voice, I turned around.

Kusakabe-sensei held up a hand and came closer. The one in charge of music was an unusually young male teacher and by some students he was called a man of gentle manners resembling n.o.bita-kun. This year he took up a position at our school and gladly became the teacher who was responsible for advising the Wind Ensemble Club. Kusakabe-sensei and I made efforts to gather new members until the summer holiday. Along with Haruta, while I"m at it.

Incidentally I saw a short girl standing next to Sensei. I recognize her. If I"m not mistaken she"s a cla.s.smate who belongs to the Biology Club.

"Just the people I wanted to see."

Kusakabe-sensei faced Nozomi as well. The black-rimmed gla.s.ses suited him well.

"See. Yesterday there was a commotion about a damselfish theft at the Biology Club, right? That"s resolved. It caused some trouble for the executive committee members, didn"t it?"

I went blank. I had totally forgotten that something like that had happened.

"Haa," Nozomi exhaled. "Various things were stol--"

I covered Nozomi"s mouth in a hurry.

"What"s wrong?" Kusakabe-sensei asked.

"Nothing at all!" I yelled involuntarily with a big voice. I blushed and looked downward. After a silence, I sensed the presence of Kusakabe-sensei quietly opening his mouth overhead.

"Nevertheless, many places such as cla.s.srooms and clubrooms will be open in preparation for the cultural festival."

Nozomi felt nervous.

"Opportunities may occur despite the control management of the valuables and machinery."

This time my spinal column went cold.

"Starting from today you send out warnings through the school broadcasting system after trouble happens or if it"s too late. As executive committee members, could you give a notification of this to each club just to be sure?"

I muttered, "Yes..."

My attention was caught by the Biology Club member who stood next to Kusakabe-sensei. I wonder if she was relying on Kusakabe-sensei due to the damselfish theft uproar. If that"s the case, then I understand her feelings very well. Although Kusakabe-sensei is a rookie teacher in his first year, he receives immense support from some students, which includes us members of the Wind Ensemble Club.

I understand as someone who has watched beside Kusakabe-sensei the whole time. Due to the fact that he"s young, he is sent around to do various ch.o.r.es related to school events, but even though he handles those easily, he plainly states his opinions to the princ.i.p.al and vice-princ.i.p.al. From what I have heard he had the experience of winning the second prize in the conductor division of the Tokyo International Music Compet.i.tion during his student days and it seemed like he was expected to have a future as an international conductor. The reason why he came to work at this school is surrounded by mysteries. But to me things like mysteries are not worth worrying about. Although Kusakabe-sensei has such an amazing personal history, he holds no trace of arrogance or haughtiness. Simply put, when he meets our gazes, he speaks with words that are easy to understand. Perhaps I think he was also very popular with the orchestra members when he was aiming to be a conductor.

"At any rate, I"m glad that Kamijou-kun came to school," Kusakabe-sensei said and I was taken back to the reality. Kamijou is Haruta"s family name.

"Where is Haruta?"

"I just met him and told him the same thing. I suppose he is practicing the stomp that will be presented at the cultural festival with everyone in the music room about this time. Homura-san, it would be good if you showed up as well later on."

"I will."

Kusakabe-sensei had turned on his heel, but he looked back for a moment. He gazed at me, having noticed something.

"Are you perhaps having any problems?"

"Uh."

"No. Since yesterday the executive committee, including Homura-san, has been occupied with all sorts of things."

Slowly but steadily tears were about to fall out. Aah. I"m so hopeless as expected.

"Uh, well. Actually..."

Nozomi straightened her back in a hurry and covered my mouth. Together we made a terribly shameful sight. Kusakabe-sensei let out a chuckle, saying, "You two get along well, huh" and left to go towards the staff room together with the first year student from the Biology Club.

I stared at Kusakabe-sensei"s back in a daze. We were ten years apart.

"... If you like him that much, why don"t you try boldly confessing to him?"

I heard Nozomi"s voice behind my back and turned around in a fl.u.s.ter.

"I"ll cheer for you, Chika. Even shoujo manga don"t make a joke out of a teacher and a student going steady, and these days it"s alright even if it"s unusual."

"But," My voice was about to quaver and it actually did. "I have a rival."

"Rival?" Nozomi made a curious expression. "Well... If it"s around Kusakabe-sensei"s level there would be no lack of rivals, but perhaps if it"s Chika then it would be an easy victory. You"re cute and even your figure is good."

"No good. That"s absolutely no good. It"s because I"m bound to a pact."

"A pact?"

"So that one of us doesn"t steal a march on each other."

"Huh." Nozomi gave a dispirited reply, seeming like she understood or didn"t understand. "So weird."

I mostly wasn"t set on engaging into this topic with Nozomi. It was something that couldn"t be helped. I parted ways with Nozomi at the entrance and headed to the music room where Haruta was. Haruta was at school after a week-long absence, but everyone in cla.s.s had accepted him like before as if nothing had changed. My dodgy dealings have borne its fruit.

The music room was on the fourth floor of the school building. When I went up the stairway and neared the entrance, I was able to hear the sounds of a broom handle beating a chair and the battering of buckets and plastic bottles. ... Amazing. Everyone was even more in tune than yesterday.

"Uhaha."

Haruta laughed indecently.

When I looked from the entrance, Haruta was in the middle of the eight Wind Ensemble Club members who had gathered there. A stomp is an ensemble in which nearby things like desks, brooms, and the like are used as percussion instruments. Letting the keyboard accordion do the main melody, all members casually produced a rhythm and Haruta was leading with the drum can.

Without meaning to I listened attentively to them. I realized I had picked up on the rhythm without myself noticing it. Eventually the musical performance ended and the music room was suddenly filled with the members exhaling out breaths.

"Chika-chan."

In their midst, Haruta showed his white teeth.

"I"m sorry to say, but there"s no place for you here."

I dragged Haruta out of the music room to the point that his ear would tear off.

Previous: The Crystal Thief 1Next: The Crystal Thief 3

TRANSLATOR"S NOTES

- Wind Ensemble Club (lit. Wind Instrument Music Club): wind instruments are typically grouped into two families: bra.s.s instruments (horn, trumpet, tubas, etc) and woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, saxophone, etc). A wind ensemble is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, bra.s.s, and percussion families of instruments, along with the double ba.s.s.

- Damselfish typically live in tropical coral reefs.

- "n.o.bita-kun" refers to n.o.bi n.o.bita of the Doraemon series.

- Tokyo International Music Compet.i.tion for Conducting: website.

- Stomp refers to a stomp box (?).