A scapegoat

"She was such an innocent girl! Could that really have happened?"

"I'm not so sure. The few times I met her, she was very nice and kind. But you know, how young people these days do not listen to their elders. What could she have done, if even her elders gave her bad advice? Going after a boy like that..."

My eyes were on the road and I did not turn my head. Hikari walked by my side, quietly. We stared ahead and walked at our own pace.

"Shh, look! Isn't that the son from that family? He might hear you." They spoke in audible whispers. "No matter what happened, they're still mourning. Shouldn't speak of the dead like that."

I'm not sure what they're talking about. It's obviously about Saeko, even standing so close to my house, it couldn't be anyone else. It's annoying, but also gets me curious. Which boy could they be talking about? Did she have a boyfriend?

"Don't pay attention to them," Hikari said grimly. "all they can do is talk crap."

"It's bothering you more than it bothers me?"

"Of course it does. Because I know she doesn't deserve it. She's not at fault, someone else is." He gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. "I used to not mind him much, but after losing—" He took a deep breath... "I promise, I'll tell you, okay? Don't lose patience. Please."

"Well, if I lose patience then I'll never come to know. Whoever this is about." It started when we saw the painting. Hikari would mention a fourth person other than the two of us and Saeko. All I know is that... well he's a guy. Hikari doesn't like him at all and Saeko's death made him hate that guy. So, by theory, he is somehow related to Saeko. It could be the mystery boy the neighbours gossip about.

"I like that about you." He smiled and pointed at the sky. "See that cloud, it looks like a dog."
"Don't get distracted now. We still have to reach the school on time."
"But it does look like a dog."
"It's like one of those bulldogs. I don't know why people find them cute."

Today, Hikari asked that we walk to school together. He waited at the next turning for around ten minutes. I asked him why, and he said he didn't want to be seen by my parents.

"Hypocrites! They all are, I'm telling you!" He nodded multiple times.

"Exactly. I kept telling her to not believe their lies, but she told me that she knew. Why would she act friendly with them, if she knew they talk like this about Saeko?"

"Maybe your Mom thinks they're right." That can't be true.

Later that day, the teacher told me to pay attention in class. But he did it in a very pitying and gentle way like he didn't want to say it at all. Also, Yamato caught a cold so he stayed at home. I asked the Class Prez if I could take his homework to his house since we were friends. She nodded but didn't look me in the eye. It didn't matter.

"I'm walking to Yamato's place today. Want to tag along?" I asked Hikari. He agreed and we went towards the completely opposite direction which we usually took. Something about the houses where he lived, they all looked the same and I always thought I'd get lost. Especially with Hikari, the chances doubled up.

"Do you think the Tokyo Tower is bigger than the Eiffel Tower?" Questions like that are bound to slow one down and make them lose their sense of direction.

But I had the right address on the map, and Yamato asked me to look for a bookstore. If I saw a small but expensive-looking bookstore very randomly in the middle of houses, I'd be at the right location. "I don't see any bookstore!" I scratched my head.

"What if it's closed today?" Hikari said. "Hmm, no. If they're closed right after students return from school, then their business won't survive at all. Let's ask a pedestrian." Except, there were no pedestrians. We kept walking around in circles. Hikari carelessly followed me.

"Say, Souma," He asked in a very casual way. "If we can't find any more things about your sister, you'll stop talking to me, right? It's not like I'm a good friend in any way." I did not think that way, actually, I too was afraid of it. It's not like he'd try to get rid of me immediately after his interest wears off. More so, his involvement was more than just interest.

"I'm not that good of a friend either. That doesn't mean people get rid of me."

"But people do get rid of me, you know? I don't know what is their problem with me, but there must be one if everyone says there is. Everyone can't be wrong. That makes me think if I'm not trying hard enough to be normal like she did. Saeko said I'm special and that I don't need to change myself. But only children believe in that."

What could I possibly answer that with? I didn't know what people say about him and I didn't know what people said about my sister. Mom wouldn't tell me anything and begged me to go on with my own life. She'd say,"It happened in the past. Don't let it drag you behind." At first, I thought, she called her death a past event... but there could be something else. Only Hikari will give me that answer, so I have to be patient.

"I don't think anything is wrong with you." It was the most I could say.
"You don't mean it." He replied.

"You are different, but it's not wrong. It's not like spacing out by yourself or getting distracted by clouds is something bad. Other than that... you could work on being a bit more considerate of your manners with others, but well, I'm not the most polite either."

He thought about it for a while and didn't say anything. We kept on walking and a very tall girl came up to us. She said she recognized our uniforms, they were from her older brother's school and that we looked like we were lost. "The bookstore is closed today. I swear they'll run out of business." She shook her head and guided us towards their home. Inside, she started bickering with Yamato who didn't look sick. He was just playing some video game.

Hikari found a small opportunity and whispered. "They don't gossip with complete lies. Most of them are half-truths. So, what if there is something really wrong with me that you don't know of? What if I'm dragging you down with me, without letting you know?"

"I'll be the judge of that. But I don't think you can do anything so bad that I'd hate you."

Yamato's sister asked us if we wanted any snacks.