Another snowy landscape. A white ground covered in a thick mist, snowflakes falling from the ostensible sky, passing through me as though they were nothing but illusions. The familiar sense of anxiety washed over me, and I began to walk, my legs moving through the thick layer of snow with ease like air. It wasn't long until I came across it: the green light orb. Peacefully hovering in the air, not too high from the ground, casting a faint, green illumination around itself. Why did it have to be here? Why was I here? And why do I want to catch it so badly? Maybe now's my chance. I moved forward, but halted when another light appeared between us. A yellow light. It didn't stay there for too long, instead charging at me, almost as if attacking me. And it hurt. I fought back. I punched it, I kicked it, I punched it again. With each hit, it faded away little by little. But at the same time, the green light did the same, fading away with every hit I took at the yellow one. But, I wasn't hitting it, so why was it disappearing? With the last punch, both of the lights disappeared, leaving me alone in the white emptiness. The whiteness soon blinded my eyes, and turned into darkness.

Slowly opening my eyes, I was met with my room's darkened ceiling. I kept staring at it for a minute, maybe two, before closing my eyes and rolling over to my side, pulling the blanket over my head. I stayed like that for some time, until I silently sighed out of frustration, and sat up. Rubbing the sleep out of my eye, I finally got out of the bed, and slowly made my way to the computer table to check my watch. Damn, I'm somehow up early, even though I didn't hit the hay until 1am. Well, I tried falling back to sleep already, and as it clearly didn't work, I might as well get ready for school. Besides, I've been missing lots of morning classes lately.

Getting dressed and half-assedly making my bed, I picked up my school bag and was about to head to the bathroom. However, as I was just about to exit my room, the door suddenly opened, taking me by surprise. I took a quick step back to avoid getting hit by it. Behind the door was Tamiko, dressed in her school uniform, seemingly as surprised as I was.

"A-Ah, Eiji-chan, I was just about to come and wake you up, but, I guess there was no need."

"Yeah," I murmured, scratching my head. "Why such a service?"

Tamiko frowned. "Because you've been sleeping in too often lately."

"And that affects you how, exactly?" I sighed.

She just kept frowning, muttering: "You're an idiot."

With a tired yawn, I waved my hand in front of her face. "Yeah, yeah. Out of the way, I need to take a piss."

"An idiot," she said as she finally moved out of the way and began walking towards the stairs. "A shameless, insolent idiot."

I quickly wiped my shitty grin as I exited the room and made my way towards the bathroom.

Just as I got to the bathroom door, I heard Tamiko talking from behind me. "Hey, uh…"

I turned around, seeing only her head peeking amongst the stair railing.

"…I made some coffee for you," she finished her sentence.

With an amused snort and a slight smile, I gave a quick wave of a hand. "Thanks."

That's how my and Tamiko's relationship is. I always manage to annoy her in one way or another, and oh man, does she let me know when I've gotten on her nerves. But, at the end of the day, she's still my loving little sister. That's why I always try to show my gratitude whenever possible, even as a single word of thanks. I gave up on the idea of trying to be the cool big brother a long time ago, but I still try my best to be at least a decent big brother to her.

After having my breakfast, I made my way to the school, joining the mass of dozens of students on the street. When I finally got there, I headed straight to the club room. As I presumed, no one was there. It was rare for all three of us to be awake early at the same time. There was still some iced coffee left from yesterday, so I grabbed myself a glassful, since I didn't feel like making anything special today. I also spent the time cleaning our coffee making equipment, all the while listening to some 80's Japanese rock. I got things done just as the bell rang, and I lazily made my way to the class. Minutes later Ichiro ran to the class only seconds before the teacher, and Tadaaki joined us about an hour later. A really typical morning.

I was fiddling with my pen and glancing out of the window, all the while thinking. The teacher was scribbling some mathematical equation on the blackboard, his voice becoming more and more mumbled the deeper I fell into my thoughts. For some days now, I've felt like doing something, but now that I have the chance to do it, suddenly I'm not so sure about it anymore.

"Sugimoto!" a voice suddenly called.

I quickly turned to face the teacher, finding him pointing at me with the chalk.

"I asked you a question! Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

Hm, maybe this is the push forward I was looking for. Usually I just bullshit my way out of these situations, but this time I might try something different.

I leaned backwards, laying the pen on the desk. "Oh, sorry, I was thinking about triangle roots."

The teacher lowered his chalk, frowning a bit. "There's no such thing."

"Why? If there's square roots, there has to be other ones, right?" I noted, spreading my hands.

A few amused, quiet murmurs could be heard around the class.

With a sigh, he put his hand on his lap, pointing at the classroom's door. "If you're here only to mess around and play stupid, you might as well leave."

That was the signal I was waiting for.

I slammed my hand on the desk, taking the teacher by surprise. "Hell, I might as well just do that," I proclaimed, got up, and walked out of the classroom before the teacher had a chance to say anything else.

I slipped my hands into my coat's pockets as I made my way through the hallway towards the stairs. As I said, I usually don't do such a stupid outbursts like that, but I can't say it was the first time. Midway through, I glanced at my watch. Huh, just ten minutes before the lunch break would've started. Oh well. I got to the lobby, changed my shoes, and stepped outside. As I got out of the school yard and to the street, I dug out my phone, messaging Tadaaki. In the message, I told him to gather my stuff and leave my school bag in the club room. I mean, I guess I could've taken it with me, but I felt like this was a better option.

Roughly half-an-hour of walking later I finally arrived at my destination: the Sakuragaoka High School. Dozens of stalls covered the decorated campus grounds, bustling with hundreds of students and visitors. Today was the first day of the school's festival. Even though Yui's club's concert wouldn't be happening until tomorrow, I still decided to drop by today out of boredom. Besides, it gives me a chance to watch their class' play. But, now that I'm here, I suddenly remembered about Ui. Oh, and also my sister, who went through all the trouble this morning to make sure I got to school early… Eh, fuck it, I guess. I'll just suffer through it. Shrugging to myself, I entered the school grounds.

I spent some minutes just moseying around the yard, looking at different stalls and activities. Lots of them were the same as last year, but surprisingly, all of them had some twist to them to make them just different enough. Also, I noticed I was getting more looks from the students than usual. Hold on, could it be because of the rumors Tsumugi told me about? Oh, wait, maybe it's because I'm in my school uniform. A student from another school visiting a festival when they're supposed to be at school is sure something that catches attention. But I didn't have the chance to stop by at my home to get changed, since there was a risk of my dad being awake and catching me skipping school. Not that it would bother me much, I just want to save myself from any unnecessary interrogations… Oh, right, I need to go in front of the auditorium to check the schedule, and—

"Um, excuse me."

I came to a halt. The voice was coming from behind me, so I glanced over my shoulder, finding a short, spectacle-girl standing behind me. She was a student, and according to the color of her ribbon, she was in her second year. A completely unfamiliar gal to me, but she was looking at me, so she was most certainly speaking to me.

I turned only half-way, and faced her. "Hm, what?"

"Uh…" she sheepishly muttered.

Ah, no wonder. I'm a guy, one head taller than her, and acting like this. Hopefully she doesn't feel too threatened.

As she finally managed to pull herself together, she asked: "You're… You're a student from another school, right?"

…Ain't it obvious?

I nodded. "Yeah, what of it?"

"May I see your invitation?"

…

"…A what now?" I asked, cocking my head.

She flinched a bit, but tried her best to appear calm. "W-Well, the school regulations require that students from another school visiting the festival should have a formal invitation from one of the students here," she explained with a nervous smile.

Why the hell haven't I heard of this befo—? Oh, right, this is my first time being here in my school uniform… This was something I was not prepared for. With a sigh, I slipped my hands into my coat's pockets, looking around a bit, while the girl nervously waited for me to answer. Should I call someone to come and help me out of this mess…? Wait, a bit further away… Isn't that…? Oh, it is. I need to buy myself some time.

"Why?" I suddenly asked, catching the girl off guard.

She had no obligation to answer such a stupid question, she could've just thrown me out just for that.

"U-Uh, well, y-you see…" she stuttered, trying to gather her thoughts. "I-I guess it's just common decency, because, well, the festival is happening on school days, and, well, we just want to be sure that if there're, uh, other students visiting, they should have a good reason. Also, there's the concern of some of them skipping school, and, um…"

…She really bought into my bullshit? Seriously? As she was taking a pause to remember all the student council's brainwashing, I noticed that the gal who I saw earlier was now closer, only five meters away. Close enough to call for without shouting too loud.

I raised my hand. "Yo, Nodoka-san!"

The girl, Nodoka, came to a stop, turning to face me. Yup, that's Nodoka, with red glasses and all, carrying a clipboard. Surprised and puzzled, she walked over to us. That's also when the girl in front of me noticed her presence.

"A-Ah, Manabe-senpai!" she flinched.

Nodoka looked at the girl, and then at me, raising her eyebrow. "Eiji-san?"

"Is it true that you need an invitation if you're a student from another school?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Well, yes, those are the regulations."

I scratched my ear. "Right. So, can you give me an invitation?"

"Eh?" she muttered, taken aback.

It was quiet for some seconds, save for the noise of the festival around us, until the girl turned to face Nodoka. "Uh, Manabe-senpai, do you know him?"

She sighed a bit. "Yes, in a way…" She then glanced at me, before returning to the girl. "Well, there are many other students here who would give him the invitation, so it might as well be me, if it saves some time."

She raised her clipboard, browsing through it until she found an empty page. She wrote something on it, ripped it off, and handed it over to me.

"Here. It's not an official document, but pretty much every student council member should recognize my signature, so it'll do."

I took the note, giving it a quick look, and shoving it into my back pocket. "Thanks a lot. Oh, you got a stabler? I'd like to attach it to my sleeve so no one would bother me."

She chuckled a bit at my shitty joke. "Sorry, no, but I'm sure you'll manage."

The other girl, dumbstruck, quietly made her leave. "U-Uh, excuse me…"

Nodoka and I watched as she disappeared into the crowd of people, when I recalled something. "Ah, by the way, when's the play going to start?"

"Oh, you mean Romeo and Juliet?" she asked, glancing at her clipboard, and then at the school building's clock. "In about an hour and a half."

I, too, took a look at the clock, and nodded. "Right, thanks."

"Well, I've got to go and help Yui and the others with the finishing touches," she said.

"Ah, right," I nodded. "See ya."

She then headed towards the school building, disappearing into the crowd. Huh, even though she's a student council member, she's still willing to turn a blind eye to my shit. Well, whatever the reason, it suits me just fine. I spent another minute or two roaming around the yard, stopped by the auditorium to confirm that indeed, the play would start in an hour and a half, and then headed inside the school building itself.

Just as I anticipated, the inside, too, was decorated nicely. Bright colors are always a nice change of pace, even though I kinda like this school normally, too. I'm not sure why, I guess I just like old buildings. I picked one of the two wings, and slowly walked through it, glancing inside different classrooms, which were bustling with stalls and activities. However, I didn't manage to find Ui's class' refreshment stall on this wing, so as I got to the end of the hallway, I turned around and made my way back to the entrance hall. A student council member happened to stop me and asked to see my invitation, so I dug out the note Nodoka had written, and showed it to her. She was surprised, but still accepted it, and let me be. Huh, Nodoka wasn't kidding, her signature carries weight.

Now, to the other wing. If I can't find the refreshment stall there, then I can't find it anywhere… Wait, it's most likely in their classroom. I should've just looked for the number of their class to begin with. Eh, whatever, a little sightseeing never hurt anyone. In the midst of admiring the decoration and dodging people in the hallway, I finally spotted the classroom for the class 2-1 in the distance. I also spotted a girl standing next to the doorway, greeting the customers. Oh, hey, that's Azusa. Even though she was facing the other direction, I'd still recognize those long pigtails anywhere. As I got closer, I noticed she was wearing a mustard yellow kimono, the sleeves rolled up and tied with a tasuki. Huh, it actually looks kinda nice.

As I walked past her and got in front of the doorway, she bowed, bidding: "Welcome!" But, as she got up and got a better look at me, her expression suddenly changed. "Oh…"

Something about it made me smirk a bit. "Yo, Azusa-san."

She looked at me, not sure what to make of the situation. "…I thought you were coming only tomorrow."

"Eh, I got bored, so I decided to drop by," I said with a shrug, and pointed at the doorway with my thumb. "Is Ui-san in?"

"Uh, yes, but…" she said, but stopped to think for a bit, before shaking her head to herself. "Just, don't bother her too much."

"Who, me? No, never," I quipped, before pushing the curtain aside and moving through the doorway.

The classroom had been turned into a refreshment stall, just as anyone who cared to look at the signs outside would guess. One side of the room held the 'kitchen' area behind a handful of folding screens and a counter, behind which was a cashier, while the rest of the room held many tables for customers, which were actually just regular classroom desks pushed together and covered with a colorful table cloth. But, instead of the regular wooden chairs, this stall used big, soft looking 'blocks' for seating. They're like pieces of a huge gym mat. Well, that's something different. Most of the tables were occupied by customers, who were enjoying their drinks. Luckily, I managed to spot a couple of vacant ones, too. I didn't see Ui anywhere, so she must be working behind those folding screens.

I walked over to the counter. The cashier was some unfamiliar student, dressed the same as Azusa.

She bowed a bit. "Welcome! May I take your order?"

I took a look at the menu hanging from one of the folding screens, thinking for a bit. "…I'll have an iced tea and two white chocolate cookies."

I dug out some coins out of my wallet, counted them, and handed them over to her.

"Okay, then," she nodded, but an apologetic smile soon appeared on her face. "Unfortunately, we're currently out of cookies, and are cooking a fresh batch just as we speak. Would you like your iced tea now, or do you prefer to have it delivered with the cookies?"

Hm, not a big problem. "Eh, I'm not in a hurry, so I can wait."

"Excellent. Your order will be delivered to you at the table, so please, feel free to take a seat," she instructed, pointing her hand towards the tables.

"Alright…" I muttered, and was just about to head there.

But, I stopped as a thought suddenly popped into my head. It was one of Tadaaki's advice. A stupid thought, a stupid idea, but… maybe something I should do regardless. After all, it's how I… Ugh, fuck it. I realized I had been standing there for three whole seconds, staring at nothing, and the cashier gal was probably getting confused.

"Well, actually…" I suddenly said, turning back to face her.

It took her off guard. "H-Huh, yes? Did you change your mind?"

Keep your cool, Sugimoto.

"Nah, I'd just like to make a request," I said confidently, crouching down and leaning over the counter a bit.

…

"I'd like a cute, ponytailed girl to bring my order, if possible," I said in a low voice.

…

…Shit, I said it, didn't I?

Fuck, can't believe I just did that! God damn it, now that I actually said it, I don't think it was such a good idea after all. For fuck's sake, these are high school girls, not some maid café employees! That cashier will probably take it as harassment, and I'll get thrown out, and… Wait, speaking of the cashier, she's just quietly staring at me, a faint blush on her face. Shouldn't she have yelled at me by now?

After many painfully long seconds, she finally spoke: "…You're Sugimoto, right?"

…What?

"H-Huh? Well, yeah, why?" I asked, both confused and nervous, my poker face slipping off bit by bit.

She didn't answer, but instead… smiled? "Well, in that case, I'll see what I can do," she said with a nod.

…What!?

I really felt like asking about it, but quickly decided against the idea. "…Right," I muttered, taking a step back from the counter.

I scoped out the tables again, and picked a vacant one from next to a wall. I took a seat on the soft block, and leaned sideways against the wall, being totally confused. I've never seen that girl, I have no idea who she is, but somehow she recognized me. She knew my name. Is… Shit, is she from Yukinokawa or something, or…? Hold on, is this because of the rumors? According to Tsumugi, some of the students have seen me hanging out with the Hirasawa sisters. Also, I can't help but put some of the blame on Yui's club, too, since I'm sure they've said something about me, intentionally or not. For example, that time when Ui called me on a speakerphone in her classroom, and Ritsu told everyone to 'wish happy birthday to Sugimoto-san.' And then there was that scene at the marathon, and… Ugh, I'm overthinking stuff again. This was long overdue. A girl going to an all-girls school and hanging out with a guy would catch attention sooner or later. As long as they only know my name and face, and not my past…

Minutes passed as I kept leaning against the wall, trying to decide between staring at the ceiling or at the table, occasionally taking a look around the room. Well, not that it mattered, as I was too deep in my thoughts to actually notice anything happening around me. As I said, all that occurred only because I happened to remember one of Tadaaki's advice. Give her some subtle flirts, just to give her the idea that you're interested, he said back then. I'm not sure if that was exactly subtle, or if it even was a flirt, but… aside from the play, she's the reason I came here.

"A-Ah, Eiji-kun?"

I flinched, and quickly turned to face the voice. It was Ui, sporting the same attire as the other workers of this stall, and carrying a serving tray. At first, she was surprised to see me, but her expression quickly changed to a worried one.

"Is everything okay?" she asked in a low voice, setting the tray down on the table.

"Huh? A-Ah, yeah," I stuttered, nodding a couple of times.

Ui still wasn't convinced. "Really? You seemed so preoccupied."

I've got to come up with a lie, and fast!

"…Well, honestly, I was kinda nervous to see you," I said.

Ui cocked her head. "…Eh?"

"Because, well, you know…" I muttered, scratching my cheek. "…I kinda, well, left school early, even though I was supposed to come only tomorrow."

Processing my words for a few seconds, Ui took a seat next to me. "Oh. Were you worried that I'd scold you?"

Phew, my bullshit saved me.

"Well, not really, since I knew you'd do it anyway, but the unpleasant anticipation was the thing that got me," I said.

She was thinking for a moment. "Eiji-kun. I really don't like it when you skip school, but I can make exceptions on the festival days." She then took a glance at my school uniform. "Nonetheless, you still were at school today, right?"

I nodded. "Right. I left just as the lunch break started." Actually, I was kicked out of the class ten minutes before it, but I'll just keep that to myself.

"Well, then there's no reason for me to scold you," Ui said reassuringly, cocking her head with a smile.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye, and couldn't help but to smile a bit. That actually eased my nervousness a bit.

Ui suddenly twitched. "Oh, right, I almost forgot!"

She reached for the serving tray, picking up a cup of iced tea and a plate holding two, big cookies, placing them in front of me. She then got up, picking up the tray, and holding it flat against her chest.

"There you go. Ah, by the way, my break starts in a bit, we could go roaming around. Azusa-chan and Jun-chan can come too, but unfortunately Tamiko-chan is on the next shift."

Actually, that's just fine by me. Even though Ui is quick to forgive, my sister sure isn't.

I nodded. "Sounds good."

Cocking her head with a smile, she returned back to the kitchen area, leaving me alone at the table. I looked at my order. The iced tea was served in a paper cup, while the cookies were on a paper plate. Well, it makes sense, saves you from washing the dishes. Without further ado, I picked up one of the white chocolate cookies. Damn, it was actually kinda big, bigger than my palm. After admiring it for far too long, I took a bite. It was tasty.

I finished the cookies and the iced tea, and spent my time folding the paper tableware into small clumps. Few minutes later Ui, Jun and Azusa came to pick me up, having changed into their normal school uniforms.

"Ah, so Eiji-kun really is here, huh?" Jun said.

Azusa glanced at the kitchen area's folding screens. "Tamiko wasn't really pleased when she heard that you're here. She said she can't stand seeing you right now."

I chuckled a bit, gathering the trash from the table and getting on my feet. "Well, it's nothing that chocolate and a few kind words won't fix."

Stopping by the trashcan to drop off the pieces of paper dishes, we exited into the hallway. I glanced at my watch.

"So, only an hour until the play starts," I noted.

Ui nodded enthusiastically. "That's right, I can't wait to see it!"

Azusa, on the other hand, didn't look as excited. "They've spent the past week practicing for the play instead of coming to the club room. I wonder how tomorrow will go…"

"Don't stress over it too much," I said, since I didn't have any better advice.

We slowly began walking through the hallway towards the entrance hall. For some reason, Jun was glancing towards the ceiling, until she suddenly turned to face us.

"Want to take a look at how they're doing?" she suggested.

Ui cocked her head. "Eh? Would that even be suitable?"

Azusa frowned a bit, noting: "Besides, visitors aren't allowed on that part of the second floor."

Jun just flapped her hand with a grin. "Don't worry about it, a quick visit won't hurt."

"You just want to get me in trouble, don't you?" I muttered, unamused.

"Says the guy skipping school to visit an all-girls school's festival," Jun said, putting her hands on her hips.

I thought about it for a second. "Hell, you got me there… Fine, just a quick peek. But, any signs of trouble, and I'm bolting out of here."

Jun was grinning triumphantly. "I knew you had it in you."

I glanced at the two other girls. Azusa, as I guessed, was sighing out of frustration, while Ui, well, was sparkling. I guess she wants to see her sister rehearsing, huh? Wait, what even is Yui's role in this play?

We got up to the second floor, and, after making sure the coast was clear of any teachers, we slipped past the fences, one of them holding a sign that said No visitors past this point! Of course, as we walked along the hallway, we came across a few students, all of which were looking at me with puzzled expressions, but not saying anything. Well, maybe they're not so strict about the rules because there's only one of me, accompanied by three students. Soon we got to the classroom of the class 3-2. The door was ajar, so we could easily take a peek inside. And sure enough, the whole room was bustling with students, getting props and set pieces ready. Ah, and there's Mio and Ritsu, rehearsing the play, and that's… Tsumugi directing? Huh, didn't see that coming. Ah, and there's Nodoka, making sure everything was in order. But, where's Yui?

"Oh, Eiji-kun!"

"I'm out of here," I said swiftly, turning on my heels.

However, I only managed to take a single step before I heard someone running to the door. That someone was Yui, who had just spotted me, and alerted the whole room of my presence. I really don't like causing attention.

"Eiji-kun, hello!" Yui greeted me from the doorway, as if saying my name once already wasn't enough.

I took a deep breath to try to calm myself, and turned to face her. "Yo."

"Eiji-kun!" Yui called me again, not caring about the scene it was causing. "Did you see me playing a tree?"

"A tree?" I muttered.

"Yes! I was a tree, standing in that corner!" she explained excitedly, pointing somewhere in the classroom.

I scratched the back of my head, trying to hide my nervousness. "You were? Man, I didn't even notice you. That's a damn fine tree playing right there."

Yui squirmed due to the compliment, acting modest. "Aw, you really think so?"

Something about her goofiness made me relax a bit… At least until the rest of the gang appeared at the doorway.

"Oh, Eiji-san?" Mio said surprisedly.

I raised my hand. "Yeah, hi, gals."

Ritsu smirked a bit. "Don't you know that this place is off limits to visitors?"

"Yes, I do know, but I'm a big, bad delinquent, so what can you do?" I said sarcastically, glancing at the side.

My companions weren't as bothered by the situation. "You guys looked cool!" Ui complimented them.

Ritsu nodded. "Heh, thanks, we've been practicing a lot."

"Speaking of practicing, maybe we should let them continue, and not disturb them," Azusa suggested, taking an annoyed glance at Jun, who was sheepishly looking elsewhere.

"Now, now. A small break doesn't hurt," Tsumugi soothed Azusa, and turned to face me. "Besides, it's fun to have Eiji-san visiting us unexpectedly."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really plan on visiting, but just taking a peek," I noted with a shrug.

Ritsu's smug grin didn't look promising. "Peeking at girls changing their clothes? We also use this as a dressing room, you know."

"Huh?" I muttered, carefully turning to look at the classroom's hallway windows, which were covered by big, white sheets of paper. "…No one was actually changing their clothes, right?"

After a devastatingly long second, Ritsu finally snickered. "No, just kidding. We haven't gotten our costumes yet."

"Huh, right…" I sighed out of relief.

Suddenly, I heard the classroom's other door opening behind me. I turned around, finding a bunch of Yui's classmates peeking into the hallway, looking at me. Ah, shit, of course, it's not just Yui's club here. I'm just causing a scene and bothering the others… Though, they didn't seem bothered, but curious.

"Ah, so this is Sugimoto-san?" one of them asked to my complete surprise.

I just stood there dumbstruck, my mouth open. "…What?"

"We've heard about you from Yui," another one told me.

Blinking a couple of times, I slowly turned around to face Yui. As she noticed my gaze, she sheepishly lowered her head, rubbing her fingertips together.

"Ah, well, I might've accidentally slipped something out sometimes…" she muttered.

For some reason, I really doubt that explanation.

One of the girls in the doorway snickered. "Slipped? Like a couple of weeks ago, when you talked about how he stayed over to help you take care of your sister?"

I called it.

I once again looked at Yui, who was rubbing the back of her head, chuckling embarrassedly. Damn it, I thought Ui had problems keeping her mouth shut, but looks like it runs in the family.

"Thanks for taking care of Yui-chan for us!" yet another girl yelled out.

Huh, it seems like this class is tight together, and it also looks like Yui is one of their favorites. It's actually kinda sweet.

"Ah, yeah, don't mention it," I said unsurely.

Ugh, even though this attention wasn't the negative kind, I still couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. How long before they connect my school uniform to that crowd that's always hanging out next to their marathon route? Ah, shit, and here comes a teacher, on top of all that. Hold on, that's Sawako, carrying a pile of cardboard boxes. Phew, I thought I was gonna get in trouble, but guess not.

"Guys! The costumes are ready!" she announced.

After some students took the boxes from her hands, she sighed tiredly, and directed her attention at me. "Ah, Sugimoto-san, fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah, hi. Just decided to drop by and see what all the fuss is about," I said, nodding towards the classroom.

Sawako just smiled, putting her other hand on her hip. "You know, now that the girls have got their costumes, I'd suggest for you to make your leave, if you understand."

Yup, I understood it very well.

I snapped my fingers, pointing at Sawako. "You know what, lady? That's actually a damn fine idea, I'll do just that, see you later, break a leg!" I said in a quick succession, before heading off, my companions skittering after me.

A cluster of goodbyes could be heard from behind me. I only waved my hand for an answer, continuing on through the hallway.

Azusa glanced at the classroom over her shoulder, and then at me. "…I guess you don't like being the center of attention?"

"What, really? I never noticed," I remarked sarcastically, looking outside the hallway's windows as I walked.

I'm sure Azusa didn't appreciate my sarcasm, but she didn't care to comment on it, which was just fine by me.

"Ah, that's right. Eiji-kun's shy, remember?" Jun snickered.

"You know what? You come to my school and have a bunch of guys stare at you, and we'll see who's shy," I muttered in a low voice, unamused.

We got to the fences, slipping past them, and were once again on a public area. I saw Ui taking a look at my frowning face, and thinking about something.

"H-How about we go and get something to eat?" she suddenly suggested, probably to change the subject.

The idea suited the rest of us, so we head off, roaming around the festival area. In the end, we decided to eat some crepes. They were rather good, I must say.

After wasting some time by having fun around the festival area, it was time for the play to start. However, when we got to the auditorium, we quickly noticed how crowded it was. Luckily Sawako had saved some seats for us, so we didn't need to stand. It wasn't long before the lights went out, and the curtain rose. Sure enough, it was just your typical school play, though Mio's acting was above average. And Yui, well, was a tree. A very distracting tree, in fact: I just couldn't help but stare at the tree with a face. Though, she was a good tree. And at one point she was a bush. Huh, what a multi-skilled gal. By the end, the stagehands' performance seemed a bit rushed, almost as if there was something going on behind the stage. Whatever it was, they pulled it off, and managed to finish the play. Honestly speaking, I'm not sure if this was worth skipping school. Oh well, at least I got a chance to hang out with the gals.

I felt like now would be a good time to head back home, as the festival would be ending for today in just an hour. The gals and I said our goodbyes to each other, and I headed home, getting there after half-an-hour of walking. I quickly got up to my room before my parents would notice that I wasn't carrying my school bag, which would raise suspicions. I changed into my casual attire, and headed back downstairs to make myself some afternoon coffee. I spent the next hour browsing the internet, looking at nothing in particular. I also realized I forgot to buy that chocolate for Tamiko. Though, she seems to be taking her time getting home…

As the afternoon was slowly turning into evening, the sky being filled with hues of orange, I decided to lie down on my bed whilst listening to a rock album currently blasting from my speakers. It was one of the albums Ui gave me for a birthday present. Hm, two and a half years… Actually, almost three years since we met for the first time. She has learnt about me, about my past, about who I am, and she still likes having me around. She sure is a sweet and caring gal. Maybe I should've taken my chance today…? Nah, probably not.

My thought process was cut short when my phone began vibrating on my computer table. With a tired sigh, I got up, walked over to it, and picked up my phone. Huh, Yui was calling me?

"What's up?" I answered the phone.

"Eiji-kun, now's your chance!"

My legs almost gave up, but luckily I managed to take a hold of my chair before crashing down on the floor.

"A… A what now?" I stuttered confusedly.

I could hear Yui chuckling determinedly. "Now's your chance to come and play with us!"

"Play with you guys?" I asked, slowly taking a seat on the chair.

"That's right! Remember when I suggested that you could play with us sometime, and you said maybe? Well, now you can do it!" she explained.

Oh, so she wasn't reading my mind… "…Where, exactly?"

"At our club room, of course!" she said, and elaborated: "We're going to stay here and practice until the morning. So, I thought it'd be no problem for you to come here."

"You thought, huh…?" I muttered, scratching my head. "Did you at least tell the others about your idea? I'm not coming there just to get kicked out."

"It's fine, it's fine," I could hear Ritsu reassuring from a bit further away.

"Yes, Eiji-san. And we have lots of tea and cake!" That was undoubtedly Tsumugi.

"I want to see you play, Eiji-kun!" Ah, and there's Ui.

I scratched the side of my head, thinking. Alright, just because they're fine with it, doesn't mean the teachers are. If I get caught trespassing at an all-girls school after-hours, there'll be hell for me to pay… But, assuming I won't get caught, I think it'll be fun to play with Yui and her club, though I doubt I'll ever be as good as them. And besides, when has sneaking into an all-girls school never been exciting?

I sighed, and nodded to myself. "…Fine, alright. But obviously I can't just march in through the front doors."

"Oh, that's right…" Yui muttered, as if she just realized it herself.

"Ah, maybe Sawa-chan can help?" Ritsu suggested. "If you're accompanied by a teacher, it raises less suspicion."

"Well I'm not exactly sure about that, but… Eh, fine. I'll be there in about half-an-hour," I said, standing up.

"Okay. Oh, and bring Patricia with you!" Yui told me.

I glanced at the guitar in the corner of my room, snorting amusedly. "Yeah, Patricia's coming."

Ending the call, I stared at an empty space for a few seconds before getting to work. I got dressed in my red hoodie, packed my guitar in a gig bag, and headed downstairs to get my shoes on. However, my mom just happened to be making dinner in the kitchen, and noticed me.

"Hm, where are you going with your guitar?" she asked me.

"Just going to my friend's place to play," I said, since it was technically the truth.

Mom nodded, returning her attention to her cooking. "Very well, then, but you're going to miss dinner."

"I know, I'll eat it later," I said as I was getting my shoes on.

My father, who was watching TV in the living room, said: "Be careful out there."

"Huh? Why?" I asked.

"They talked about some juvenile gang causing troubles around the town on the news the other day," he explained.

I got my shoes on, and stood up. "You know I can take care of myself."

"Hm, right, I know that very well…" he muttered.

As I exited the house and got off the porch, I looked up to the sky, which was slowly turning from orange to purple. Fixing the position of the gig bag on my back, I headed off towards the Sakuragaoka High School, for the second time today. This idea is honestly very stupid, but then again, most of the things I've done for the past few years have been stupid. And besides, they said Sawako would be there to help me get inside, so maybe it'll be fine… But will it really? I'm still a teenage guy, no matter whether a teacher is with me or not. Well, too late to back off now, so I'll just get through with this.

The sky was already showing darker shades of blue as I got to Sakuragaoka. The main gate, of course, was closed, but not entirely. There was a small gap that allowed me to slip through it. All of the stalls in the yard had closed. There was no one else but me there, or at least I think so. I hope so. As I walked through the yard towards the school building, I was overcome by this empty feeling. There were hundreds of people here having fun just a few hours ago, and now it was eerily quiet. Well, it's only natural, and tomorrow's another festival day. But still, due to this silence, I'd probably shit my pants if another person suddenly appeared to—

"Ah, Sugimoto-san, there you are."

Flinching a bit, I turned to face the voice. Luckily it was only Sawako, standing near the school's main doors. I've got to stop thinking about stuff too much because I clearly can't concentrate on my surroundings.

I walked over to her. "Hi, again."

She smiled a bit. "The girls told me about the plan. Honestly, this is very bold of you, but as long as there's no harm in it, I'm happy to help."

No harm, except for breaking the rules, and you risking your job…

She glanced at the building behind her. "Well, almost all of the teachers should be at home by now, and there's only a few students getting things ready for tomorrow. As long as you stay in the club room, everything should be okay."

"Right, got it," I nodded.

"Well, then. Follow me. Oh, and let me do the talking," she said, beckoning for me to follow her.

Do the talking? The hell does that mean? We stepped inside the school's darkened entrance hall, walking through it towards the stairs. All of a sudden, Sawako began talking.

"I'm so glad you could come on such a short notice! The amplifiers just suddenly stopped working, and we don't have time to get replacements!" she said, sounding worried, but clearly just acting.

I was wondering about why she was doing such a thing, until I realized to take a glance to our side, and saw the security guard's booth. Inside it was the security guard himself, looking at us from the corner of his eye. Ah, of course. I quickly but subtly turned my gaze away from him.

As we got to the stairs and walked them up, Sawako continued with her acting: "I was getting desperate, but then I happened to remember that you're the expert when it comes to musical equipment! Oh, and sorry for asking for you to come here right after your guitar tutoring, you didn't even have time to go home and drop off your guitar!"

This lady sure is something different, huh? It was actually kinda amusing, and I had a hard time trying to prevent myself from grinning like an idiot. But it clearly did the trick, since we made our way to the second floor without the guard stopping us. And that's where we stopped, after Sawako made sure the coast was clear.

"Well, that's that, then," she spoke in a low voice. "Just these stairs up, and you're there, but I'm sure you already know that. I've got to get back to making the costumes."

"Costumes?" I asked.

"Yes, costumes for tomorrow's concert. I have a lot of work to do. Well, bye for now," she said with a wave of a hand, and began walking through the hallway.

I answered the gesture. "Yeah, thanks, see ya."

I looked up at the dark stairwell, and walked up to the third floor. The sound of my footsteps echoed irritatingly. And there it was, the club room. The door was closed, but I could clearly see light shining through the door's window, and I could hear the girls talking and laughing inside. It's moments like this that make me wonder how stupid it would be to just turn around and head back home without a word just for the hell of it. I had no such plans in my mind, though, so I grasped the door handle, and opened it.

"Evening," I greeted the ladies.

The girls were sitting on a blue blanket in the middle of the floor, having a picnic of some sort. Aside from Yui and her club, Ui and Jun also were there. Oh, and Tamiko, too. Explains why she never got home. Their conversation died down the second I opened the door, but luckily it was followed by a pleasant atmosphere.

"Ah, so the guy actually came," Ritsu remarked.

"My name is Sugimoto Eiji, son of Sugimoto Taiki, born in northern Iwate and raised in this town, just so you know…" I muttered sarcastically as I took off my shoes, placing them next to the door.

"Oh, you brought Patricia!" Ui said, sounding strangely excited.

I took the gig bag off my back, placing it next to the wall. "Uh, yeah, I did."

Before I had the chance to open it, I noticed Tsumugi raising her teacup. "We're having a snack break right now. Please, join us."

"Hm, I might as well do that," I nodded.

There was an empty space between Ui and Yui, so I sat down between the sisters. Yui picked up a lunch box from the ground, showing its contents to me. It was filled with neatly done rice balls.

"Here, Eiji-kun. I made a lot of these, so eat up," Yui explained, cocking her head with a smile.

Hm, she made these? When did she have the time to do so? And why was she acting like that? Eh, whatever, guess I'll bite.

"Oh, okay, thanks," I said, taking one of the rice balls.

As I took a bite out of it, everyone seemed to… stare at me? What the hell, what's in this thing? Wait… It's… It's good. It's very good.

"Huh," I muttered as I swallowed the piece. "You know, Yui-san, you've gotten a lot better at cooking."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ui next to me flinch a bit. "Eh? You mean me?"

"What? No, I was talking to Yui-san. Your food has always been great, Ui-san," I explained, confused a bit. Why did Ui think I was talking to her?

I examined the half-eaten rice ball in my hand, and as I was about to take another bite, I stopped as I noticed the other girls around me. They all were staring at me dumbstruck, being both surprised and shocked. Seriously, what the fuck was going on!?

Too many seconds passed, until Jun muttered: "…So he really saw through it?"

"Yeah, it seems like it…" Tamiko added.

I had enough of their shit. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Um, Eiji-kun…" Ui called for me, so I turned to face her.

She was staring at me, speechless. I couldn't help but stare back. For fuck's sake, what the hell was going on? Was there something on my face? Was my fly open? No, wait, did I forget my pants at home? Though, I'm sure Sawako would've mentioned it if anything about my appearance was wrong…

…

Wait a second… I turned to look at Yui to confirm my suspicions. Huh, I see what's going on.

I snapped my fingers. "Oh, now I get it, you guys switched your hairstyles. I didn't notice it before."

Sure enough, Ui had her hair down and was wearing Yui's hairpins, while Yui's hair was tied into a ponytail, the same kind Ui usually has.

And now, the silence was even more strange than before. Though, it didn't last long.

"Wait! You mean, you recognized them!?" Ritsu snapped.

"Uh, yeah, I did. Why, what's wrong?" I asked, taken aback a bit.

She was grinding her teeth out of frustration, and pointed at the Hirasawa sisters with both of her hands. "Just look at them! How can you tell them apart!?"

Puzzled, I looked at both of the Hirasawa sisters, who were in turn looking at me, equally surprised. Ah, taking a closer look, they have switched their ribbons. Also, Ui's wearing Yui's tights.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I admit, they have lots of similar attributes."

"Similar!? They're almost twins, you…!" Ritsu yelled, but stopped, trying to calm down. Why's she so riled up about this?

Mio, who was a lot calmer than Ritsu, but still seemingly astonished, leaned forward a bit. "So, how can you tell them apart?"

"How?" I muttered, taking another look at the sisters, and shrugging. "I don't know. It's the small things, I guess."

"Like what?" Tsumugi asked, clearly interested.

Shit, why is this such a big deal…? "Well, their voices are audibly different, that can't be denied. Also, Ui's hair is a lighter shade of brown than Yui's, and her face is also a tad narrower."

The girls looked at each other, still puzzled, and Azusa asked: "When did you absorb such facts?"

I just shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I've just spent enough time with them."

That if anything was a lie. Of course I absorbed those facts on purpose a couple of years ago, because I just knew something like this would happen sooner or later. Back then, whenever the Hirasawa sisters were looking away from me, I used the opportunity to scope them out for any small details I could use to tell them apart. And yeah, I've got to admit, there's not many of those. These gals are practically twins, as Ritsu said earlier. As the time went on, I learned the ways to tell them apart, and soon enough I could do it by nature. But I guess I've gotten used to it, since the other girls' reactions confused me at first.

Ui giggled as she took the hairpins off. "You're right, Eiji-kun, it's me."

"Yeah, I know," I said, finally eating the rest of the rice cake in my hand.

"Aw, I thought it'd be a fun prank…" Yui muttered as she was untying the ponytail.

"Gal, if you wanna prank me, serve me a decaffeinated coffee," I said, sucking the few grains of rice stuck to my fingers, and was quick to correct myself: "It was a joke, don't actually do that, or I'll be really pissed." It was met with a few chuckles.

The rest of the snack break was spent relatively peacefully. I ate whatever was available, and drank Tsumugi's tea, which was really good. I tried to contribute to the girls' conversations whenever I could, but mostly I just stayed quiet and only observed. Even though I was invited, I still felt like the third wheel… Well, actually the 9th wheel, to be precise. To my surprise, Yui seemed to notice my absent expression.

"Ah, should we play something?" she suddenly suggested, cutting everyone off.

Ritsu slammed her fist on her palm. "That's right, we're here to practice, aren't we?"

"Don't tell me you forgot about that…" Azusa muttered, unamused.

"Oh, yeah, that too," Yui muttered, as if having just remembered that, and shook her head. "No, I mean with Eiji-kun."

I knew we were going to play, but I still couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

"Why, that sounds wonderful," Tsumugi said happily.

"Yes, but, what should we play?" Mio thought to herself, and turned to me. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"Uh, no, not really," I said, shaking my head. "I know a few songs, but I don't think you guys know them."

"So, should we just jam, then?" Azusa suggested.

We all looked at each other, and everyone seemed to be fine with the idea.

"Alright, then!" Ritsu yelled determinedly, jumping on her feet. "Yui, go get the third guitar amp from the storage room!"

"Roger!" Yui said with a salute, got on her feet, and hopped over to the other side of the room, where I presumed the storage room to be at.

While the girls got to work and began setting the instruments up, I walked over to the gig bag, laying it down on the floor, and opening it. Inside was my root beer colored Yamaha Pacifica, though I call it just Patricia, thanks to Yui. I crouched down to pick it up, tuned it quickly, and stood up. The girls were already all set up, and were waiting for me to join them. I was directed to the front of the crew, next to Yui. I plugged my guitar in, checked the sound (it sounded sweet) and we were ready to rock. Ui, Jun and Tamiko had moved themselves to the bench right across from us. A rather small audience, but it's still something.

"Okay, Eiji-san. Start playing something, and we'll join you," Ritsu instructed me.

"Something, huh…" I muttered, glancing down at my guitar, not sure in which chord I should place my fingers.

"Don't stress over it. Jamming's about improvising, after all," Mio reassured me. "It can be from a song that you know, if you can't come up with anything."

I looked at her, and then at the other girls, who all seemed eager to play. Better start playing something soon, or this'll get awkward. Eh, fuck it, I'll just play the bridge part of that rock song I was listening to the other day…

Starting from C-sharp minor, I began playing, moving straight to B and then A, and so on. Ritsu was the first to join me with her drums. The beat was right, but the playing was calm. It was followed by Mio, who quickly managed to get the right sounds out of her bass to match my chords. Tsumugi joined with her keyboard, the sound being a synthetic piano one. Even though there was no such thing in the original song, it still fit in very well. Yui and Azusa joined with their own guitars. Azusa strummed along the song, mimicking my guitar, almost as if creating echoes for it. And Yui, on the other hand, began playing a solo. A completely improvised one, that is. And fucking hell, did it fit in surprisingly well! And that's how we played for the next few minutes. From time to time, someone would take the song to another direction, and the rest were quick to follow. I don't care if it didn't sound good, I don't care if anyone was out of rhythm, because I had a whole lot of fun.

A whole hour passed as we played, ate snacks, and just generally messed around, before we decided to call it quits. Well, it was actually Jun who decided on that by almost falling asleep. Ui, Jun, Tamiko and I said our goodbyes to the others, who were going to spend the night at the club room to practice for tomorrow's concert. And with that, we left the room, walking down the stairs to the first floor. As we got there, I gave a quick look at the security guard, who was looking back at us, but not saying anything, though I'm pretty sure he knew what was going on. The girls changed their shoes, and we headed out. The whole time the girls were talking about today's events and what to do tomorrow. I spent my time looking at the darkened town around us, occasionally adding something to their conversation.

Tamiko was the first to leave the group as we walked past the train station. Sure, I could've also gotten on the train and used it to get home, but as I've stated before, I don't really care for public transport. Not too long after that, Jun also left us, leaving just Ui with me.

"You know, I completely forgot to ask this, but… do you have any idea why they did such a thing?" I asked her.

She cocked her head. "What thing?"

"Inviting me over to play, even though they're supposed to be practicing," I elaborated. "I can't help but feel I kinda wasted their time."

"Eiji-kun, you shouldn't say things like that," Ui said, frowning a bit. "If you really want to know, it was sis' idea. The others weren't so sure about it at first, but then she told them about how gloomy you seemed back when you all went to that music store, and you told about how you'll probably never again play in a band."

"Yui-san said that?" I muttered, and smiled a bit. "Hm, I see."

We kept walking in silence for a moment. I had already gotten used to having someone talking, so I tried to spark up a conversation.

"So, how was it? My playing, I mean."

"Ah, it was great!" Ui said excitedly. "You looked really cool!"

I scratched my cheek sheepishly. "Thanks. Though, I doubt I'll ever match your sister or Azusa-san."

Ui shook her head. "That's not important. All that matters is that you give it everything you got, and that it's fun to you."

Millions of music critics around the world would like to disagree with you, gal… Whatever. That sweet, positive and optimistic attitude is something that never fails to cheer me up.

After walking a bit more, we came across that same, old bridge. Ui would go across it to her neighborhood, while I'd continue along the river to mine.

"Well, see you tomorrow! Good night, Eiji-kun," Ui bid me farewell.

I waved my hand. "Yeah, night." I then resumed walking.

But I quickly stopped as I realized my footsteps were the only ones I heard. Confused, I turned around, finding Ui still standing next to the bridge, facing me. The street light illuminated only half of her face, but I still could clearly see that she was lost in thought. As she noticed that I was looking back at her, she flinched a bit. What's this about?

"Um, Eiji-kun?" Ui finally asked me.

"Yeah?"

Ui looked at the river, slowly flowing under the bridge, and then at me. "…Is it true that, uh, earlier today…"

"…You asked for a 'cute, ponytailed girl' to bring your order?"

…

I thought about what to say, but in the end, I only managed to shrug. "Maybe."

"O-Oh? Well, um…" Ui muttered, rubbing her hands together sheepishly, maybe thinking of something to say.

However, she suddenly chuckled embarrassedly. "N-Nothing, never mind. Good night!"

And suddenly, she was off, crossing the bridge at a swift but calm pace. I watched as she got over the bridge, before finally turning around and heading home. So, she knew. Did she hear about it just a couple of hours ago, or has she known ever since I made that dumb request earlier today? Well, no matter whenever she heard it, she's hidden her reaction pretty well until now. I guess she was waiting for the two of us to be alone until daring to ask about it. But, I'm not entirely sure what to make of that reaction. Sure, she was clearly sheepish, maybe a bit embarrassed, as anyone would be, but… in what way? Good? Bad? What was she even about to say? Thank you?

Ugh, fuck, I'm overthinking it again! I only indirectly called her cute, what's the big deal? I mean, she is cute, but that's not really something you can say to a girl just like that, no matter how long you've known each other. But, as Tadaaki said, subtle flirts and all that… But what the fuck does he know? What do I even know? Nothing, absolutely nothing, and that's why I'm overthinking stuff! Tomorrow's going to be another festival day. I really need to pull myself together by then, or I won't be able to be near Ui. But, will she be able to be near me, or…?

…

What's done is done. I'll just suffer through the consequences, just like I've done many times before. It's not the end of the world, I doubt she outright hates me over it. And besides, well…

…I'm kinda happy that she heard it.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

That's it for this year. I'm gonna take a break, and we'll get back to it sometime next January.