Prove Your Eternal Love. There Shall Be No Heroine Correction. - Chapter 4 Part 4

A low perspective that scurried around. It belonged to Nagisa. The school building of a year ago was not a bit different from what it looked like now. The famous balloons were still swaying in the wind everywhere.

Nagisa tilted the pamphlet map left and right. Then she tilted her head to the left and to the right, and turned her body around. She concluded by muttering, “Hmmm.”

“I must be lost, then?”

She pulled out her phone from her bag. There were no notifications, but she opened the message app. It was a message from Minagi: “Lost? I’m in class 3D!” message five minutes ago. However, Nagisa probably doesn’t know where she was.

“…What’s wrong?”

The one who called out to Nagisa was Aogashima Yuno.

“Ah, you know, I got lost. Do you know where is the class 3D?”

“It’s at that school building…”

Aogashima-san pointed to the second floor of the school building in front of her. Nagisa was lost very close by.

“Follow me.”

That was probably why. Considering the possibility that a verbal explanation might not be sufficient, Aogashima-san gently took Nagisa’s hand. She led the way, but no conversation took place. The air was somewhat awkward. It was Nagisa who broke it.

“U-Um, you are very beautiful.”

Aogashima-san stopped dead in her tracks. Turning slightly toward Nagisa, she answered without expression.

“…I get told that a lot. But I’m not happy about it.”

“Eh, ah…I’m sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize. I didn’t mean anything else.”

Really, I don’t think she was angry. But she was blunter in her words and actions than she currently was. Perhaps noticing Nagisa’s deflated state, she now cuts her off.

“Middle school student? Are you applying here?”

“Ah, yes. I’m in the third year of middle school. But this isn’t a school I could try to go for. I’m just here to hang out with my sister, and I’m not very good at studying or anything like that, so no.”

“…I see.”

The conversation ended with a single word I didn’t expect. We walked up the stairs in silence. The third grade classrooms were on the second floor, and besides, D class was on the front side. In no time at all, the guidance was over, and Aogashima-san pointed to the classroom plate.

“We’re here.”

T-Thank you very much!”

Nagisa bowed without releasing her tension. As she was about to enter the classroom, Aogashima-san grabbed the strap of her bag and said, “Wait.” Nagisa turned around in surprise as her body was pulled.

“…Heh? U-Um?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not good at getting involved with other people for various reasons.”

Aogashima-san held the ribbon tied at the side with an undefined gaze.

“But this is a good school. I also made a best friend whom I can trust with all my heart.”

She brought her hand to her own chest this time. The eyes were fixed in a slightly downcast position.

“I’m sure you will have such a wonderful encounter. I mean…um, you can come to our school.”

Then, their eyes met. But there was not a single fake smile. That was probably why there was something that touched Nagisa’s heart.

“Yes…If there is someone like you, I want to enroll here. …Senpai. If I can get in, will you be my friend?”

“…! I would be happy to. …I’ll be waiting for you.”

Aogashima-san waved her hand in a small, modest, waist-high gesture, and Nagisa waved it back in a big, all-out, full-throttle motion.

After collecting the memories, we decided to meet up in the fourth-floor cross hallway. The stage seemed to be in full swing right now, and the indoor space was somewhat empty.

“Suguru-senpai!”

A voice louder than necessary echoed through the corridor. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

“…Nagisa.”

“Suguru-senpai is a cheater!”

She shouted again and dashed toward me. Nagisa hugged me in the middle and rubbed her face in my chest with all her might.

“Suguru-senpai! What was that!? You made out with Aogashima-senpai like that! It’s unforgivable! That was almost cheating on me!”

“Calm down. I’m sure it’s not for a long period of time.”

“That’s no excuse at all!”

I mean, what was there to say? Because we were a boy and a girl before we started dating. Even if we had flirted, it would have been a little more than that.

“Eh, no, what was I doing?”

“You made eye contact, smiled, your hands touched each other, and it was a little shy. It was a nice vibe and you could have kissed or something.”

“…I’m sorry about that. But you were also holding hands with Aogashima-san.”

“Eh. No way, eh…really?”

Her pupils were shaking with agitation.

“Really. You came to this school because you admire Aogashima Yuno.”

“No way. If that’s the case, I’ve been…”

Seeing Nagisa’s pained expression, I realized. The pain Nagisa was feeling was not only jealousy.

“You two promised to be good friends when you could enter the school.”

Maybe Nagisa had been trying to fulfill that promise for a long time. But Nagisa, being a shy girl, had not been able to approach Aogashima-san for a long time.

I guess I didn’t like that very much.

“Then, of course, it’s impossible now. I…cried. In front of her. Aogashima-senpai was sadder than I was.”

“…It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll get along.”

I stroke Nagisa’s head. In the way Minagi used to do.

“What’s the matter with you, you stroke me too much!”

Nagisa yelled at me, repulsively, moved from me, and her ribbon straightened with a pong.

“Ah. …Perhaps you were jealous of Aogashima-senpai?”

“Why would I be? I’m not.”

How could I be jealous of such clumsy conversation? But.

“I kind of wished it had been me.”

If Nagisa had followed me to this high school. If she had worked hard at her studies, which she was not good at. I would have been moved by her efforts.

Thinking about the impossible world, we hugged each other for a while. The stares from the people around us were painful, but I didn’t mind at all.