Chapter 5: Competing Frequencies

What should I do… Kishine-san totally beat me to a pulp...

Yesterday, I tried to clear my name—to show Kishine-san that I wasn't some useless weirdo by letting her see just how cool and mysterious I could be.

...But what actually happened was, she picked apart the way I call myself boku, used my own words to one-up me with a “you’re so cute” power move, and in the end, I had to flee the battlefield with teary eyes (internally, anyway).

It was a total, crushing defeat. Far from clearing up the suspicion that I’m a screw-up, I ended up slapping the label right on myself. Now I’m soaked in the shame of being full-blown, top-to-bottom, Class A hopeless.

...What if Kishine-san’s already given up on me?

“Shirogane-san wasn’t mysterious at all. ...Too bad. Well, whatever. If you’re not mysterious, then you’re just Mistake Rust-gane-san, covered in disgrace. Go home and soak in some makomo bathwater or something.”

If she ever said something like that—especially after becoming my one and only friend—I would probably have a full-on mental breakdown. That kind of future can’t be allowed to happen. Ever.

Yesterday, before I made my tearful escape, I anxiously told her, “Let’s meet again tomorrow, okay? I’ll be waiting!” I wonder if she’ll come up to the rooftop...

When I slid open the classroom door, there she was—Kishine-san turned to look my way again today.

“Good morning, Shirogane-san.”

“Mn, morn… ing. Kishine.”

She greeted me with a gentle smile.

There wasn’t even the tiniest hint that she thought I was Mistake Rust-gane, and I was so relieved.

…Well, okay, deep down I already knew that someone as kind as her—someone who would befriend a supreme communication failure like me—wouldn’t say something that cruel.

But it wasn’t until I saw her with my own eyes that I could finally relax.

Kishine-san, in her usual good mood, is once again a wonderfully kind girl to me today.

And it seems like my mysterious aura is still intact, so that’s another relief!

…If she’s not suspicious, then it must mean I’m good to go, right?

Today, I decided to work out a strategy before heading to the rooftop.

If I mess up again, I might lose my mysterious vibe completely. And that would just destroy my pride. I want to be the kind of mysterious girl who gives people butterflies in their stomachs!

So this time, I stopped by the library before going to the rooftop. I wanted to be absolutely ready—to present myself as the perfect, flawless mysterious girl.

I want Kishine-san to say “you’re amazing,” not just “you’re cute”!

That’s why I took a seat by the window in the library, holding a Dazai Osamu short story collection in my hands.

And what was I planning to do with that? A mysterious mindfulness ritual, of course.

Mysterious mindfulness is all about radiating an enigmatic aura that keeps people at a distance while still drawing their gaze—like a silent incantation.

...Okay, maybe that sounds a little overdramatic. But basically, it’s about getting myself into a mysteriously alluring headspace ahead of time, to sharpen my mystique.

What does it involve, exactly? Well, for starters, I try acting in ways that a mysterious girl probably would. You’ve got to start with the image, right?

Standing alone on the rooftop like usual—that’s part of it too.

Other options include muttering cryptic things under your breath, doing stuff that seems “different” (like pretending to read serious literature). That’s what mysterious mindfulness is all about.

…So yeah, basically the same as always.

The only difference today is that Kishine-san probably went up to the rooftop first, so I had to prep somewhere else.

That’s why I chose the library. When it comes to mysterious girl habitats at school, it’s either the rooftop, the library, or some obscure clubroom.

So, I came here to raise my mysterious stats before heading up to the rooftop!

Alright, time to pretend I’m reading Dazai and focus. Kishine-san’s probably waiting, so ten minutes should be enough!

……

…Oh no—wait, crap!?

The book was easier to read than I expected, and I totally got absorbed in it!

Ack! It’s already been thirty minutes since I started reading! This is bad!

What if Kishine-san already left...?

Ugh, curse you, Dazai Osamu!

…Actually, this wasn’t as gloomy as I thought. He wrote teenage girls surprisingly charmingly. Maybe I’ll binge-read his stuff tomorrow too...

But anyway! Back to the rooftop—wait, huh?

“……”

At some point, a girl with short, light blue hair had sat down across from me at the same table, silently flipping through the pages of her book.

But at that moment, the girl wasn’t looking at her book—she was looking up at me.

“…What is it?”

Did I drop something?

Thinking that might be the case, I asked her. In response, she opened her mouth in a flat, emotionless tone.

“Do you like Dazai?”

“…A little.”

“I see…”

She closed her book and stood up, then walked over to where I was.

“You have good taste.”

Still expressionless, she suddenly took my hand and started enthusiastically shaking it up and down.

──Wait… is this some new breed of mysterious girl!?

"See you tomorrow"—those words from Shirogane made my heart leap as I came to school.

It had been a long time since I’d genuinely looked forward to the next day.

This time, I told myself I had to be careful not to tease her too much.

As usual, the classroom door opened right on time.

“Good morning, Shirogane-san.”

“Nn… morn… ing. Kishine.”

Shirogane-san stepped into the classroom and greeted me without hesitation.

It felt like the distance between us had shrunk just a little—and that made me happy.

Today felt like it was going to be even better than before.

Then came after school.

As expected, before I realized it, Shirogane-san had already vanished from the classroom.

She really is light on her feet—like a cat.

I doubt anyone else even noticed she’d left. It’s not a big deal, but the thought filled me with a kind of smug satisfaction.

I felt like I’d become the person who knew the most about Shirogane-san at this school—and I was proud of that.

Without worrying about the little things, I headed to the rooftop with a light step in my heart.

Clang—the sound of metal scraping as I opened the rooftop door.

The moment it opened, a wash of blue filled my vision.

From the dim stairwell, I stepped into a world completely transformed.

And there—she should have been there…

“…Shirogane-san?”

But the one who was supposed to be waiting for me… wasn’t there.

I looked around, but there was no sign of her.

Not by the fence where she usually stood, not on top of the water tank, not even down on the ground below.

“Maybe… she hasn’t come yet.”

If I can’t find her even after looking around, that’s probably the case.

…Maybe I’ll just wait a bit.

She’ll come eventually—I’m sure of it.

Today, I walked up to the fence myself and looked up at the sky.

Just like Shirogane-san always does.

A soft, pale blue stretched out endlessly above.

Somehow, its clarity reminded me of her.

I wonder what she felt, looking up at that sky.

Did she think—maybe—I could walk on it?

“…Maybe so.”

Clear and bright, but not cold.

If the sky resembles Shirogane-san, then maybe I won’t be turned away.

──And today, I too felt… like I might be able to walk on air.

But even after waiting thirty minutes, Shirogane-san never came.

As I stood there waiting, the sun tilted westward, and twilight began to creep in.

Still, she hadn’t arrived.

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind: Maybe she’s not coming at all.

But…

“…She did say, ‘See you tomorrow,’ right?”

Yesterday, Shirogane-san had looked so adorably sincere when she said that.

Recalling her expression, I decided to believe—it couldn’t be that she wouldn’t show up.

But if that’s true, then… where is she now?

The more I wondered what Shirogane-san might be doing, the more restless I became.

“…I’ll go look for her.”

My feet started moving on their own.

I just wanted to talk to her—soon.

And so, I searched around the school building, convinced she was still somewhere on campus.

Eventually, I finally found her—

But…

For some reason, Shirogane-san was talking with some girl I didn’t recognize.

And they looked… oddly close.

──Huh?