ACT I - Sunny Conditions II

As I saw his big body staggering from pain, I grabbed him from two sides. It was shocking to see such a startled Seiten-senpai, but he regained his composure in an instant.

"S-senpai, are you okay?!"

"Oh, jeez… I just got a really throbbing pain in my head for a sec there. I'm fine, though. It's probably just clashing with my contact lenses a little."

He blinked his eyes a few times and then grinned in his usual cool and charismatic manner.

"So what's your evaluation? Do I look like a wizard like you, or do I just look like an old grandpa?"

My heart was still beating fast from the sudden scare, but he seemed to be fine as if nothing happened. I let out a sigh of relief, and carefully examined how he looked with my own glasses on.

"Actually, neither…"

"Oh?"

He was looking like an… Artist? Like a cool person browsing an art gallery, or a popular music producer I could see on tv. When I voiced my opinion, he laughed.

"Oh wow, now that's unexpected. Haha, guess I transformed into a person that has nothing to do with me, huh…"

Why did he sound a bit bitter, despite his laugh…?

"Anyway, I'm giving back your glasses now. With them, I just ended up doing an 'Artsy Guy' cosplay, but they fit you perfectly so… Yeah, that's who they belong to."

This felt like quite the weird experience, but before I had any time to recollect my thoughts, he started jogging again so I had no choice but to tag along. Our conversations were getting me chatty so I couldn't help but continue talking, despite my initial reluctance in the presence of my popular senpai.

"It's true that at first I was scared if I looked ridiculous, but these glasses brought me a lot of fortune, actually."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"

He sounded interested in what I had to say, so there was no going back now. I am sorry senpai, but once I get talking, there's really no stopping me…

"Well, first of all, we are holding a conversation so that's amazing! I didn't think I'd get to have a comfortable conversation with you anytime soon, senpai."

"Eh? I'm scary or something…?"

"N-no! I don't mean it like that! It's just… How should I say… You're a person of a different world, sorta…? Not only are you an upperclassman but also you're… Really in another league so…"

He seemed a bit confused but he shrugged it off.

"Well, I am just some guy so never feel apprehensive or hold yourself back from talking with me. You're enjoyable to talk with, so this is a pleasant jog."

"Yeah, I feel the same! Hmm, if I were to continue with what these glasses brought to my life, I guess I even got to talk with another person I felt was 'unreachable' to me before."

"Hmm? Who is it? Is it someone I know?"

I doubt he knew him, and suddenly my mind went busy trying to recall if it were my glasses that got me to hold a conversation with Reo or was it just the test making me arrive at the classroom at that hour—well, why was I always so caught up with small details anyway? It didn't matter!

"I'm not sure, as it is someone in my class; Reo Kajimaru. He's kind of a mysterious guy? It's not like he's unfriendly, but he just seems difficult to reach and connect with. But it's also not like he's holding back himself deliberately from people…?"

I was thinking of how he often exchanged notes and discussed popular topics with other classmates when I said that, but then I remembered how he was drawing secret drawings after school and then erasing them without a word… That was pretty secretive!

"Kajimaru… Hmm, I don't think I know him. Is he in any clubs, maybe I can ask my friends about him? Most of them are club leaders."

"Ah, that. He is very artistically talented, but he's not in any clubs. He draws really well. I think his family didn't approve or something…?"

Crap, I just revealed his secret as if it was nothing to my club captain without thinking! I hope Reo didn't hear it somehow that I was talking about him like this…

"A family disapproval, huh… It's not like I don't understand."

"Huh…?"

But he was like, The Mister Perfect of our school, so what possible issue could his parents have with him? Surely he only said it in a 'Ah yeah, I feel for the guy' kind of way…?

"Sometimes parents really interfere with the path of artistic types, yeah? It happened to some of my friends too. It's sad, but family just can't be ignored."

"Right! I don't know anything about his family, though. I don't even know where he's from, even though he has a Kansai dialect."

At that moment, I came to the realization that I really, and seriously didn't know anything about anyone. It was true that Reo was a mysterious person, but this situation wasn't only relevant for him.

I was always thinking that I wanted friends and all that, but was I sharing anything about myself—other than surface level knowledge—to people as well? Hiding things and nitpicking which parts to reveal… I suddenly felt so dishonest and went silent, mind overflowing with thoughts.

If I want a true connection with someone, shouldn't I be open and vulnerable myself? Why would someone want to be my friend when I am just barely getting on with my days, following the unspoken rules of everyday small talk? Isn't it a better idea to just really let out what's on my mind? Really introduce my true self and my inner world to people?

Did I have anyone to do that with, though? Would it be a good idea to start with someone like Seiten-senpai…?

"Seira? Why'd you suddenly go silent?"

My thoughts got interrupted with his question. This was the perfect chance to say which troubles I really held in my heart about myself, about people—

"Hmm? Ah, I was just thinking about which cities have a Kansai dialect."

Great, another lie instead of my true thoughts and feelings. These kinds of white lies were too easy to throw inside a conversation, according to the flow and the pace of it. Was I sacrificing true bonding for the sake of convenience?

How did I even make friends back in Canada, if I was like this…?

I decided to put this inner argument aside for the moment. It was too much for me. On with the 'regular small talk' script I went…

"Reo-kun has a Kansai dialect, so I was trying to guess where he might be from."

"Haha, you can just ask about it next time, something like that is a good conversation opener! Well, anything else your glasses brought to your life?"

"Anything else… Hmm… Oh! I even got to talk with Azuma-senpai a bit…"

Right at that time, we heard her loud shouts scolding some students by the gate.

"Speak of the devil…"