Chapter 5: Friends

“Kikyou-chan, do you want to stop by a café on our way back today?”

“Sure, let’s go! Oh, but wait just a minute, okay? I want to invite one more person.”

Kushida headed toward Horikita, who was putting her textbook into her bag. “Horikita-san, would you like to come with us to a café today?” She asked.

“Not interested.” Horikita threw Kushida’s invitation back in her face, with no room for ambiguity. Couldn’t you just lie and say you were planning to go shopping, or that you were waiting for a friend? Despite the harsh rejection, Kushida kept smiling.

This wasn’t a particularly unusual scene. Ever since the entrance ceremony, Kushida had regularly tried to invite Horikita to do fun things with her. I thought it would be nice for Horikita to accept an invitation at least once in a while, but perhaps that was just a bystander’s selfish interpretation. No one had ever met with anything but rejection when they’d tried to invite Horikita.

“I see. Well then, I’ll try inviting you again another time.”

“Wait, Kushida-san.” Surprisingly, Horikita called out to Kushida. Had she finally given in? “Don’t invite me again. It’s a bother,” said Horikita coldly.

However, Kushida didn’t appear saddened. Instead, she smiled as she answered, “I’ll invite you again.”

Kushida then ran back to join her friends, and they left the hall.

“Kikyou-chan, just stop inviting Horikita-san. I hate her—”

Just before the door closed, I faintly heard one of the other girl’s words. Horikita, who was right next to me, must have heard as well, but she gave no indication that she cared.

“You won’t try to invite me places, will you?” she asked.

“Nope. I understand your personality well enough. It’s pointless to even try.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

After Horikita finished getting ready, she walked out of the classroom by herself. I absentmindedly stuck around for a little while, but soon grew bored and got up. Time to go home, I thought.

“Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment?”

Hirata, who was still hanging around, called out to me when I passed by. Unbothered, I responded to him softly. It was unusual for Hirata to notice me.

“It’s about Horikita-san, actually. I was wondering if something was wrong. Some of the girls were talking about it earlier. Horikita always seems to be alone.”

Maybe it wasn’t Kushida especially. Perhaps Horikita was just the kind of person who strongly disliked company.

“Could you possibly tell her to try to get along with people a little?”

“Well, that’s up to the individual, isn’t it? Besides, Horikita isn’t really making trouble for anyone else,” I replied.

“You’re right, of course. However, many people have voiced their concerns about it. I absolutely do not want any bullying in our class.”

Bullying? Such talk seemed premature, but perhaps there were signs of it. Was he warning me, then Hirata looked at me with the purest of intentions.

“Well, I think it’d be better for you to tell her directly rather than talk to me, Hirata,” I said.

“You have a point. Sorry for bringing it up.”

Horikita was always alone, day after day. If this continued, within a month she’d be like a tumor in our class. However, this was Horikita’s personal problem and something I probably shouldn’t involve myself with.

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