I Can’t Understand
After walking to school with Yume, the morning classes ended without incident.
Because of Saya, Yuuki considered not eating lunch in that place, but staying in the classroom or going there wouldn’t change the fact that he’d feel bad either way.
If that was the case, then dealing with Saya, who might not even show up, might still be slightly better, he thought, and stood up from his seat and left the classroom.
Until a moment ago the classroom had been quiet, but once Yuuki left, voices began to rise here and there. He brushed the thought aside, deciding there was no point in thinking about it, and kept walking.
When he reached his destination and sat on the bench, he opened his lunchbox. It looked delicious.
Staring up at the sky absentmindedly, he ate the lunch Yume or Kyousuke had made while slowly moving his chopsticks.
What came to mind was the recent trip.
It was a nice place with beautiful scenery and clear air, and it felt disconnected from the everyday world.
But what he remembered even more than the scenery or air was Kyousuke’s warm hand and Yume herself.
This morning, for the first time in a while, he’d dreamed of his blood-related father.
Maybe it was because he had held hands with Kyousuke. Maybe because he now felt he could rely on Kyousuke as someone he trusted and was overlapping him with his real father. He didn’t know.
But he hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all.
Both Kyousuke’s hand and his blood-related father’s hand were warm, and nothing changed the fact that both were important to Yuuki.
Gazing quietly at the hands he’d held with his fathers and sinking into nostalgia, he must’ve let his guard down. Maybe he’d relaxed too much.
Close by stood Shinjou Saya.
The relaxed feeling he’d had just moments ago vanished instantly.
Even though he’d told Saya in their previous conversation, “Don’t get involved with me anymore,” Yuuki had no idea what nerve she had to show up here, nor what she planned to say.
The only thing he knew for sure was that it wouldn’t be anything good.
But there was one clear difference between Yuuki now and Yuuki before. His mindset.
Maybe because the tension between him and Yume’s family had eased, facing Saya wasn’t as painful as before.
Though he still disliked it.
“Yuuki-kun.”
Yuuki looked at Saya’s face.
Something about her expression was bright and yet pitch black, and a bad feeling surged inside him. He hurriedly packed up his half-eaten lunch, intending to leave immediately.
“I realized something.”
Reluctantly, he stopped walking.
He truly had no idea what this person named Saya was going to do.
“Yuuki-kun, you actually hate me, don’t you. I get it, I get it.”
He had no idea what she was talking about.
He couldn’t understand this girl.
Yuuki’s instincts were telling him he shouldn’t understand her.
He moved his feet and hurried away from the spot.
“Ah… it’s… because of… right?”
Saya’s voice barely failed to reach Yuuki.