Prolonged Absence
“Hasumin’s absent again today, huh…”
I muttered under my breath, glancing at the still-empty seat beside me as morning homeroom began.
Ever since the day after the sports festival, Hasumin hadn’t shown up to school—not even once.
Including the weekend, it had already been a full week.
She’d been full of energy the day of the festival, so her sudden, prolonged absence left me genuinely worried. When I asked our homeroom teacher about it—
“I’ve only been told it’s a health issue. Hasumi was the vice class rep, always taking the lead, and she’d never missed a day until now. Her sudden absence even came up at the staff meeting. Don’t you know anything? You and Hasumi were pretty close, weren’t you, Oda?”
—he just turned the question back on me. And that was the end of it. I didn’t learn a thing.
“Hey, Nitta-san, do you know why Hasumin’s been out so long? I messaged her on LINE, but she just left me on read.”
At last, I turned to my final hope—Nitta-san.
As Hasumin’s best friend since elementary and middle school, surely she’d know something. Or so I thought.
“Actually, I haven’t heard anything either. I’ve messaged her a few times, but just like you, I haven’t gotten a single reply. And she’s had perfect attendance since junior high…”
“Seriously…? I figured if anyone knew, it’d be you, Nitta-san.”
And just like that, my last thread of hope snapped, all too easily.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could be of more help.”
“Ah, no, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault, Nitta-san. But… if you do hear anything, I’d really appreciate it if you let me know.”
“Got it. You’ll be the first person I tell, Oda-kun. Oh—do you want her address? Just in case something serious comes up, it might be good for you to have it.”
“I appreciate the thought, but… are you sure it’s okay to give out someone’s personal info without her knowing?”
“If it’s you, I doubt she’d mind. You two have been really close lately, haven’t you?”
“Still… they say even among friends, there’s a line you shouldn’t cross.”
“Ahaha, come on, it’s fine. Really. Don’t worry—I’ll vouch for you.”
Smiling, Nitta-san pulled out her phone and sent Hasumin’s address to me via LINE.
“If it’s a guarantee from Hasumin’s best friend, then I guess I’ve got no choice but to trust it.”
And that’s how I ended up getting Hasumin’s address from Nitta-san.
She lived three stations away, in a newly developed neighborhood about ten minutes north of the station’s north exit.
“If you’re thinking of bringing something, Mont Blanc’s your best bet. She absolutely loves them.”
“Now that you mention it, I think she said something like that when we went to that café by the station.”
Her words brought back the memory of us sharing cake together at that cozy, stylish café.
“A café date at a place like that—ah, youth. I’m jealous of her, honestly.”
“You say that, but I’ve noticed you and Date getting pretty cozy lately. You two were walking home together after school the other day, weren’t you? I saw you.”
From what I saw during relay practice at the sports festival, Nitta-san and Date had definitely grown close.
“T-That was just a coincidence! The basketball team had a rest day, and we just happened to leave at the same time, okay? I-It’s not like that between me and Date-kun or anything…”
Her cheeks flushed red as she stole a glance in Date’s direction. No matter how you looked at it, she was the picture of a girl in love.
But I wasn’t exactly overflowing with romantic experience myself, so I left it at that.
I mean, I’d never even dated anyone. What right did I have to comment on someone else’s love life?
Still, personally speaking, I thought they made a great pair—good personalities, good looks, and they just seemed to click.
(Well… neither the teacher nor Nitta-san had any answers. I guess I’ll have to put the Hasumin situation on hold for now.)
Date and Nitta-san’s blossoming romance aside—
As for Hasumin, that was the only conclusion I could reach for now.