Class President

There was the contemplative side of me, that would still overthink the whole situation. And there's the Hikari-driven logic which was simply illogical. Because he said, "Don't think about anything!"

I was distracted from my thoughts when our Class President approached me. "Ayato, can you help me bring the printouts from the staff room?" She asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah, sure." We got up and walked outside the classroom.

Yamato awkwardly smiled at me helplessly.

The thing with Nao Kobayashi was that everyone liked her. During voting for Class President, Yamato was sure that I would win, but pretty much no one voted for me. The majority of the class was already smitten by her. And it was well deserved because she was the only one serious enough to actually do the job throughout the year without complaints. She cared about her classmates and helped out everyone, so, like everyone else, I appreciated it.

We got the stacks of sheets and walked side by side in the corridor. Apparently, she was using this excuse to ask about my well-being. "My condolences about what happened to your sister. You seem to be doing better now."

I nodded. "Thanks. It's still a little hard to believe, it was really sudden, after all."

She continued to engage in small talk. "I noticed you were getting along with a guy from the other class. How did that come to be? I haven't seen you guys talking before."

So she had noticed it. "Well, it's nothing much, to be honest. We just casually started talking."

She is very observant of our classmates. I looked at her and thought to myself. Once a girl's cat had died, and she noticed right away that something was wrong, and tried to make her feel better. She was an expert in leading a classroom of unbothered students, even when she had nothing to gain from it. People like that are admirable.

"I was in the same middle school as him." She mentioned and caught my attention. "We never really talked... actually, he didn't talk to anyone at all. He was alone all the time and didn't participate in group activities." Hmm, I didn't know that. "It's not really my problem, but he had weird rumours about him back then."

"What kind of rumours?"

The question seemed to make her panic. "Sorry, I really don't know. It's just that, if he's a delinquent or something, you shouldn't get involved with him. You've been getting good grades till now, I hope that doesn't change." I laughed a little and that made her stop in her tracks. "I guess I shouldn't have said it like that... Am I bothering you?" She asked looking a little upset.

"No, it's just that you really act like the Teacher sometimes." I guess she didn't like hearing that, so she stopped walking beside me and walked a few steps behind me.

I went ahead and slid the door open. The next teacher was already inside. "Hurry up!" She motioned for us to enter quickly. I don't know what I did wrong, but it felt like I had to apologize to her for something.

But... I did think about what she said. It's true that I don't know much about Hikari, but at the same time, I don't think I need to know much. I already crossed out his possibility of being a stalker, so he doesn't know me either. Even if he had some weird reason for knowing my sister, I don't think we're close enough for him to tell me just because I asked. I do have the right to know... but I don't mind his presence and he'd tell me if he wanted to.

Kobayashi rushed behind me and got seated quickly. The last class started.

"...last time we covered till page number—"

I looked outside the window, half-distracted, and thought.

It's been more than a week. Mom and Dad haven't mentioned her since the funeral. I haven't gone to investigate her room anymore, maybe that's reassured my parents. But I don't know what to feel about the empty room. It's sad and must've been boring to sit there all day.

It seemed like, since Saeko left us, I've had this weird obsession with her. Certainly, I didn't think so much about her when she was alive. But now suddenly I've planned to visit her university campus. I remember :

"Souma, there's a big basketball court in our college! You should come with me and see it sometime!" She was very excited about going to college.

"I don't even play basketball! And, aren't all courts of the same size?"

"No! This one is definitely bigger!" 

"Whatever, you know I'm not going with you. It'll be embarrassing."

"Hah," She sighed. "I think you're right, they're all the same size."

......

"—ouma! Souma!" I abruptly stopped thinking and looked towards Hikari calling out.

Shit. I think I spaced out for the entire last period. I notice Kobayashi eyeing Hikari suspiciously.

"Souma, what do you think about it?" Yamato asked.

I stared at him for a second. "What were you talking about?"

"Dude, you've really been spacing out!"

"Souma, do you like juice or flavoured milk? Which is better?" Hikari asked.

"I prefer soda."
"I think that comes under juice," Yamato said.
"No way, that's a completely different genre!" Hikari refuted.
"But it doesn't have milk in it, thus soda is a kind of juice." Hikari wailed and called Yamato unreasonable.

"You guys," I sighed and put my head down. "Soda is mostly gas, water and sugar. It's not a juice." Are you seriously arguing about something so stupid?

Kobayashi made a coughing noise and caught our attention. She picked up her bag and walked towards the door. "You all are the only ones left. Leave quickly." She said and walked out.

I looked around and noticed she was right. Everyone had already left. "Let's go." I stood up and yawned.

"Ugh I live opposite to you guys, so I'll see you next week again? I'll be leaving first, then. Bye." Yamato picked up his bag on his shoulder and started walking off. "Man, I really don't want to walk home..." He whined on the way.

Hikari kept eyeing the corridor. "Souma, I think your Class president hates me. She keeps glaring at me and she doesn't even know me!"

I saw him fidgeting with his phone again, "Really? But she told me you guys went to the same middle school?" I started dragging him outside the class.

"Ehh really? Wow, I didn't know that. No one really glared at me like that before, seriously."

We changed into our shoes. "You'll make it for Monday, right? I don't even know where to begin asking, so don't ditch me." I said cautiously.

"That's rude! You're more likely to ditch me, you know that, Souma?" He laughed.

That day, I walked home laughing to myself. The whole interaction was just so stupid. And when I reached home... my parents didn't notice me even after I said my usual "I'm home!"

"It hasn't been that long, darling! You can't throw away everything!" I overheard Mom and Dad arguing... I've never heard of this happening before...
"Souma keeps lurking around in here, it's better to get rid of these things quickly," Dad said sternly. Mom made a disagreeing noise.
"But... do you think Yuki might want to keep some of this?" A new name! Who—
"Are you out of your mind!? He didn't even show his face at the funeral! Just throw away everything!" I heard Dad's voice get louder and I ran up to my room quickly. Whatever they were discussing, it wasn't for me to listen to.