A Mad Dash Down My Destined Path

Kokoro Connect Hito Random — LNCrawler · All chapters

I want to be cool.

That was my driving motivation when I, Enjouji Shino, started high school, and now it’s been a full year. Well, okay, technically just ten months, but it feels like a year. It’s February now, and once April rolls around, my first year of high school will officially come to an end.

God, it’s so cold. Really, really cold. Cannot wait for spring, honestly. All the biggest school events are behind us now... Well, except for finals... Ugh, kill me now. Okay, you know what? I’m just gonna sweep that right under the rug. There we go.

So, have I achieved “cool” status?

I mean, obviously I’m not under any delusions that I’ll ever be the real deal, but I wouldn’t mind trying it out, you know, for a day or so.

At the start of the year I’d almost entirely given up... but then I met my senpai in the Cultural Research Club and managed to improve myself a tiny bit.

Alongside Uwa Chihiro, I joined their club, and we all had so many adventures together! We overcame countless obstacles (including some downright unbelievable supernatural ones) and thanks to that, I improved a little more.

That was how I learned that I was capable of enacting change—with regards to both myself and the world around me.

This past year has been the craziest year of my life. I had so much fun... made so many new friends, both in my club and in my class... went to so many new places... All in all, I’m more than satisfied with what I accomplished. But if you asked me whether any of that made me “cool,” my conclusion would be:

“Hmmm... No, I don’t think so.”

Which is fine, since I’m not trying to be the real deal. Maybe I’m just getting too big for my britches... Humans are greedy creatures, after all. Hmm.

Well, assuming for a fact that I’m not within the standards of “cool,” what exactly am I missing? Let’s take a look at my CRC senpai for comparison.

“...A boyfriend?”

Of my five senpai, four of them are dating someone (namely, each other). Four out of a total of seven club members—that’s more than 50 percent! The majority of my club is currently up to their eyeballs in romance!

Yeah... Romance seems like a critical element. If I fall in love with someone, will the world start to seem like a more beautiful place? But then again, there’s still one senpai who isn’t seeing anyone, and she’s still really beautiful herself...

What makes something “beautiful,” anyway? I should probably stop to think it through. But my puny brain has its limits... and I can’t think of anyone who I could consult about it... I don’t suppose there’s anyone around here who conveniently has a vested interest in this subject, is there? Someone who could use their powers of analysis to guide me?

Like maybe... a Love Guru?

+++

It was lunchtime, and I, Fujishima Maiko, was just wrapping up a conversation with a little lost lamb.

“Thank you so much, Fujishima-san! Now I can finally make up with my boyfriend!”

“Glad to hear it. But do try to take his needs into account; even if you’re afraid of losing him again, you have to respect his space. Try to take a step back every now and then and look at the relationship from his perspective.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you!” And with a friendly salute, the girl dashed off, grinning from ear to ear.

As I watched her go, I reached up and pretended to wipe the sweat from my brow. I wasn’t actually sweating, of course. The winter winds were blowing at full force today, and I was freezing. If anything, I just wanted to celebrate a job well done. Just a formality, you know.

“Whew. Another good deed in the books.”

I was the gardener, helping love blossom one bud at a time. Like Cupid himself, I daresay. And while my second year of high school was coming to an end, there was always more work to be done. Love never took a day off, and so, neither did its Apostle. In fact, I was anticipating overtime. After all, it was February, and we were quickly approaching the year’s most romantic holiday: Valentine’s Day.

Of course, I wasn’t doing this work purely out of obligation. I was listening to my own desires and following my heart.

Today was another busy day, and in a blink, it was all over. My life was going smoothly, and I had no real complaints. But sometimes... every now and then... I found myself wanting more.

This dissatisfaction never lasted very long, but it always came back, gnawing away at my heart. And if I focused on it too hard, it would ripple through me until I couldn’t stand it any longer. It made me want to change the way I lived my life.

To be clear, however, my situation really wasn’t all that dire. It was by no means enough justification to derail my entire lifestyle. If I ignored it, it eventually went away. If anything, it was merely the sort of fleeting melancholy everyone felt from time to time—the yearning desire to leave everything behind and start over from scratch somewhere new. Anyone could relate to that, right?

Each time I felt it creep back up, I would lose all my motivation for the day. As you can imagine, this was rather inconvenient.

Was there a root cause for this dissatisfaction? Ideally, I hoped to alleviate it somehow... And once I found the solution, I had a feeling my whole world might change...

Just as I was on my way back to the classroom, I spotted some familiar faces. I was acquainted with the majority of the students at this school, and yet for some reason, fate kept pulling me back to those same five people: Yaegashi Taichi, Nagase Iori, Inaba Himeko, Kiriyama Yui, and Aoki Yoshifumi, the five second-year members of the Cultural Research Club.

I’d grown quite close to them over the past two years... Well, maybe not Aoki. But I digress.

The five of them were gathered outside in the courtyard, chatting away, almost like they were enjoying the cold weather. They were all smiles and laughter—yes, very picturesque. If this were a manga, the background would have sparkles and flowers. In other words, one could tell from a single glance that they were—

“So cool...”

“I know, right?!”

This immediate, unexpected response made me jump out of my skin.

“Oh! I’m sorry! I agreed with you so hard, I accidentally blurted it out loud! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

It was Enjouji Shino, a first-year Cultural Research Club member with big puppy-dog eyes and thick, poofy hair. In a blink, she’d gone from over-enthusiastic to over-apologetic.

“Hello there, Enjouji-san.”

“Oh, um, hi! ...Wait, you remembered my name?! But we hardly ever talk!”

“ ‘Hardly’ is still better than ‘never.’ And besides, you came to interview us that one time.”

“I’m so honored,” she murmured, awestruck.

She’s so down-to-earth and adorable... I’d love to corrupt—Ahem! Down, tiger.

“Hey! Enjouji! Forget it. I’m leaving without you,” scoffed another familiar face as he turned to go.

“Would it kill you to wait for her, Uwa-kun?” I called.

“Oh... Hello there, senpai.”

Uwa Chihiro was the other first-year member of the Cultural Research Club, notable for his aloof personality and handsome, almost androgynous features. He inclined his head in greeting.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had much opportunity to speak to you, either. Really not sure how you know our names.”

“Oh, please! We’ve met once or twice, haven’t we? What sort of uncaring monster do you take me for?”

“You can memorize someone’s name after two conversations...? That’s incredible... Especially considering you’ve talked to at least half the school,” Enjouji murmured.

“Now, where were we... Oh, yes. You were agreeing with me, right, Enjouji-san?”

“Yeah... I’m sor—hwaahh!”

“You’ll have to forgive my friend here; she gets a little out of control sometimes. Just ignore her.”

“Oh, no apology necessary. I encourage you to be true to your heart’s desires.” If anything, I aspire to be more like that myself. Feels like I’ve lost touch with my inner child lately. “So tell me, was it the word ‘cool’ that caught your attention?”

“Y-Yeah... I saw my senpai chatting over there, and they were radiating this incredible aura...”

“Yes, that magnificent aura...” Truly, that beautiful warmth was something I could never replicate.

“Is there a story between you and the CRC?” Uwa-kun asked as we all stared at the group in the courtyard.

“Oh, yes. A rather long story, at that. Destiny, you might say.”

“...Riiight.”

“Wow... Hmm... Your connection to the club must run really deep.”

Indeed, Enjouji-san was correct. But they had something I lacked... and whether the reverse proved true still remained to be seen.

“They have a sort of ‘it’ factor that’s hard to pinpoint, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes! Exactly! I really wish I knew how to be cool like them, but it’s a total mystery! I... I mean, I know I’ll never stop being a loser at heart, but just once, I’d like to know what it feels like to walk in their shoes... I want to learn from them, but it’s just not going very well for me...”

“So, you’re making an active effort to try to be cool?”

“Wait, what?! How did you guess?!”

Bit of a ditz, this one.

“And I imagine you feel the same way, right, Uwa-kun?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

You walked right into that one, didn’t you? I’ll take that as a yes.

Evidently, the original members of the Cultural Research Club were now so impressive that their little underclassmen saw them as role models.

“In that sense, I admit I find myself drawn to your club in much the same way.”

Somehow, those five felt... different . But what was their secret? I was dying to know. And I knew I wasn’t the only one.

“I know I’ll never be like them, but... I can’t help but dream,” Enjouji-san murmured.

Did I share that dream? Of being like the CRC? Of being cool? This led me to another question:

“What does it mean to be ‘cool,’ anyway?”

Admittedly, I only had a surface-level understanding of the concept.

“It’s not one of those things you can really define,” Uwa-kun replied without missing a beat.

Well then.

“In that case, perhaps I should seek the answer for all of us.”

Nothing gets me going like a worthy cause!

“I don’t think anyone here asked you to do that.”

“Oh, don’t pretend you’re not curious. Besides, I’d like to establish a concrete definition if I can.”

What is “cool,” and why does the CRC pentagon have it nailed down? What is this vague sense of dissatisfaction that plagues me?

“Th-That sounds wonderful!” Enjouji-san exclaimed, eyes sparkling, reminiscent of an excitable little puppy.

“Meh, I don’t care either way.”

“You’re a bad liar, Chihiro-kun.”

“Hey! Screw you!”

Ah, friendship.

The prospect was an amusing one, and since I’d already located two like-minded individuals who shared my passion for the cause—

“Why don’t we all investigate it together?”

◇◆◇

Initially, Uwa-kun was resistant to the idea, claiming it was “stupid” and “too much work.” But Enjouji-san seemed determined to rope him into it, and in the end, he caved.

Now then!

“Today we formally declare the birth of the CRC It-Factor Investigation Team!”

Our mission: to observe the ecology of cool people (in this case, the CRC pentagon) in their native habitat, then use our findings to make ourselves cooler! Or something like that!

“At your service, Fujishima-senpai!”

“That’s the dumbest team name I’ve ever heard.”

“Glad to see you’re both as excited as I am!”

“...Are you even listening to me...?”

And so the newly-minted CRCIFIT got started almost immediately. We decided to meet up after school that same day, since none of us had other plans.

Winter was an off-season for most of the school’s athletic teams, and with the third-years focused on college entrance exams, many of the non-athletic clubs—the CRC included—had wrapped up their scheduled activities for the remainder of the calendar year. As such, the whole school felt a bit too quiet.

“Did you have permission from your club to be here?”

“Oh, yes! Attendance is hardly ever mandatory, so we just stopped by for a few minutes!” Enjouji-san explained, her hand raised. She was wearing a heavy coat over her uniform.

“I’m willing to goof off with you, but just for today, got it?” Uwa-kun grumbled, his hands buried in his coat pockets.

“Oh, Chihiro-kun, you’re such a tsundere .”

“There’s literally no comeback I can make that’ll convince you otherwise, is there?”

“Well played, Enjouji-san.”

The easiest way to ensure victory: drag your opponent down to your level!

“First, let’s establish whether the CRC truly are as cool as we think they are. After all, it’s possible we’re simply biased, and it’s not safe to make conclusions based on that sort of subjectivity.”

“Hold on—let me jot that down real quick.”

“Yeah... If you ask me, I’d say you’re both delusional.”

Naturally, I elected to ignore Uwa-kun’s little tsundere comments.

First things first, I decided to pull up the dictionary definition of the word. One internet search later, I located the following:

cool (adj.)

Fashionably attractive or impressive.

Yes, of course. Fashionable, attractive, and/or impressive. I could see it, for sure... but something felt missing. The others seemed to agree with this assessment.

With that established, our next move was to ask around. Our first interviewee: a boy who was in Class 1-C with me last year. Once we confirmed that he was available to speak with us, we started the interview at once.

“Is the CRC cool? Oh, absolutely,” he answered with no hesitation.

“What is it that gives you that impression?”

“Well, y’know... guys and girls hanging out together? No awkwardness?”

“So they’re cool because their friendship extends across the gender gap?”

“I mean... not exactly... But if you can’t hang out with the opposite sex, then you’re probably not that cool, right?”

Sounds like a necessary condition, then.

“Are there any other people who come to mind when you hear the word ‘cool’?”

After a few more questions, we brought the interview to a close.

“Thank you for your input. It was very helpful.”

“Sorry my answers were so vague... but yeah, I do think the CRC members are a textbook example of cool,” the boy replied.

“...Our CRC senpai are so incredible...!” Enjouji-san gushed.

“Yeah... Apparently even the second-years agree,” Uwa-kun mused.

“Likewise, I apologize for the rather philosophical nature of my questions. One last thing before I let you go...”

I had a feeling the answer would be no, but I wanted to see what would happen if I asked.

“Am I cool?”

“Yeah... I think.”

You THINK?

“You’re cool in a different way. You can talk to just about anyone, girl or guy, but... you don’t really ‘hang out’ with them. You’re sort of... all business , you know?”

Yes, I get that a lot, actually. But I’m afraid I must protest!

I did my homework, I raised my hand during class, I studied for tests, I ran errands for the school, I worked hard for the Student Council Outreach Committee, I did volunteer work, I helped people wherever possible... and yet this was their opinion of me.

Why try so hard? they would ask me. Why put in so much unnecessary effort?

Admittedly, there was a point in time where I was a bit too attached to my reputation and title, but still.

“Is it not possible to be both cool and all business?”

“Sure, of course it is.”

I didn’t understand it. I was just... I was just living my life! Why did everyone form this same opinion about me? If I kept chasing the concept of cool, would I find an answer?

“Hey, Uwa! Enjouji-san!”

Before long, a group of first-year boys walked up. Evidently, they were acquainted with the CRC kouhai.

“What’s up, guys?”

“What’s up with you , Tada?” Uwa-kun retorted.

“W-We were just... um...” Enjouji-san began.

Now that the first-years had started to chat amongst themselves, I felt it was the ideal time to end the interview.

“Anyway, sorry for bothering you. Talk to you again soon.”

“No problem... Actually, there was one thing I wanted to ask you.”

“Go for it.”

As thanks for the fun interview, I was more than happy to return the favor.

“Have you been hearing all those weird rumors floating around lately?”

“Weird rumors?”

“Yeah! They say there’s gonna be some kind of large-scale experiment happening soon, and they’re going to force a bunch of people into it.”

“I beg your pardon? Is that an urban legend or something? Or is it some sort of university research project?”

“No idea! I just heard about it from... Wait, who did I hear it from?”

“Well, suffice it to say, I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“Gotcha. Alright then, just wanted to ask.”

Once the first-years were done talking, the Investigation Team resumed its... well... investigation.

“The CRC? Yeah, totally!”

“They’re super cool!”

“Reeee! Death to normies!”

We received a variety of responses to our questions, all of them affirming the CRC’s status as cool. Next, it was time to discuss our findings.

“So, it seems safe to say that the CRC pentagon are indeed ‘cool.’ One of the reasons offered for this is that they socialize in a mixed-gender group.”

“Mixed-gender... Boys and girls... Together...” Enjouji-san murmured.

“So, what next?” Uwa-kun asked.

“As the CRCIFIT, our task is to examine our findings in search of something we can utilize in our own lives. Perhaps it’d be fastest if we simply tried out being cool for ourselves.”

“What?”

“WHAT?!”

Oh, surely it’s not THAT much of a surprise.

“I don’t know for sure whether we can actually replicate the exact lived experience of a cool person, but if we at least attempted to mimic what it looks like from the outside, perhaps we might make some worthwhile discoveries.”

“I-If it was that easy, we wouldn’t be here right now!”

“You’d be surprised. If mixed-gender socializing is such a crucial component, then we may as well test the theory.”

C’est simple!

“Either you’re a genius or you’re the dumbest person alive.”

“Probably the former, Uwa-kun. Let’s just give it a try!”

“She... She’s even more aggressive than Inaba-senpai...!”

“What’s the matter with you two? You want to be cool, don’t you?”

“Urk...!”

As I walked down the hallway, I spotted a boy I knew, standing around and generally looking bored.

“Hey there, Aiba-kun. Are you free at the moment?”

“Huh? Well... yeah, sure...”

The first step to hanging out with someone: general proximity. I took a large step forward.

He took a step backwards.

I took another step forward. He took another step backwards.

I took another step forward. He took another step backwards... right into the wall behind him. Now I had inadvertently cornered him. Oops .

“Wh-What is it?”

Oh well. At least now we’re definitely hanging out with each other... technically. Step one: check!

“Let’s talk.”

“T-Talk?!”

For some reason, Aiba seemed rather nervous.

“Yes, I’d like to have a deep conversation with you. We could discuss... sex, perhaps?”

“Sex ...?!”

After all, what better way to “hang out” with a close male friend than to have a deep philosophical conversation about the intricacies of gender?

Wait, but then... why is he panicking? Is he... sweating? In the middle of winter? Oh, I get it. He must be the innocent type.

“Never mind. Let’s talk love instead. Tell me about your current crush.”

“My... current crush...?”

“Don’t you have one?”

“...Honestly, not really...”

“Surely you jest! I know you have one. Surely you must have one.”

“No, really, I don’t! Sorry, but uh, what is this about, exactly?! Why are you coming on so... Wait... Is this what I think it is...?”

Aiba seemed to intuit something. His face flushed pink.

“Aha! You’ve thought of someone, I can tell! Now out with it!”

“Are you asking me because you...? No, that can’t be it. That can’t possibly be it!”

“Don’t deny your feelings! Whoever you thought of just now—that’s your crush!”

Love is all in the heart, not in the head!

“What...? So you want me to confess to... No, no, this can’t be right!”

“You’re ready to confess?! Well then, quit dawdling around!”

“W-Wait! Slow down! I’m... I’m confused!”

“Hesitation is normal, but you have to push through it, Aiba-kun!”

“What, so... you think I should just say it for the hell of it?!”

“That’s the spirit! Go for broke!”

“You’re right... The reason I’ve never dated anyone is because I’ve never had the courage to ask. No risk, no reward!”

“Precisely! Now what are you waiting for? Go for it!”

“R-Right now?! I... I think that’s moving a little too quickly...”

“You think you can just sit around and wait for it to come to you?”

“Well, no... If I’ve got nothing to lose, I may as well make my first-ever confession and just get it over with! I can do it! I can handle a little rejection!”

“Yes, you can! I believe in you!”

“Okay, but who...? I guess I’ve got a perfectly good candidate right here... O-Okay, um... Fujishima-san, will you g—”

But just then, Uwa-kun and Enjouji-san came crashing onto the scene!

“Sorry, but we’re going to have to stop you before this failboat completely capsizes!”

“She means well, I promise! Please find it in your heart to forgive her!”

“What are you two doing? We were just getting to the good part!”

“You don’t secretly like this person, do you, Fujishima-senpai?”

“Aiba-kun? Oh, no. Not at all.”

“Thought as much! C’mon, Enjouji, let’s get these two away from each other!”

“Y-You got it, Chihiro-kun!”

“Haha... ‘Not at all,’ she says... Hahaha... Rejected before I even got the words out... I couldn’t even ask ... Hahaha...”

“Wh-Where are you taking me?!”

“Someplace where you can’t break his spirit, Fujishima-senpai!”

“That was almost a complete disaster,” Uwa-kun sighed.

“I apologize... I admit, I got a little carried away back there.” It was so much fun, I couldn’t help myself. Love is a forbidden fruit that drives people mad... “Don’t worry. I’ll just patch things up with him later.”

“Are you sure you can? Because I’m not.”

“Oh, relax. I always follow through on my loose ends. Why do you think they call me the Goddess of Love?”

At this, Enjouji-san finally pushed herself up from the table where she’d collapsed facedown.

“You really do have the power of a goddess... You make snap decisions, and then you act on them at the speed of light... It’s inhuman...”

“I couldn’t agree more, Enjouji. I don’t think either of us can keep up with her.”

This was a sentiment I was used to hearing. I knew I worked at a faster pace than most people, but I didn’t see the need to slow myself down.

Still... it could get lonely at the top. Was that the reason I wasn’t cool?

Well, at least I had these two comrades with me.

“Fine, whatever. It’s your turn next.”

“...It is?” my two kouhai asked in unison.

“Now, let’s go find ourselves the perfect prey... I mean, target!”

“ ‘Target’ isn’t any less sinister-sounding, you know!”

“Hey, Shimono. My friend here wants to talk to you.”

“Huh? Enjouji-san wants to talk to me ?! Sure, I’ll talk! What’s up?!”

“Oh... um... well... I...”

“You can come a little closer, y’know. He won’t bite.”

“D-D-Don’t push me, Chihiro-kun!”

“...Can you guys stop flirting right in front of me?”

“We’re not flirting!”

“If you’re making physical contact, then you’re flirting! Uwa and Enjouji-san, sitting in a tree!”

“Oh god, I’m gonna die...! Oh, there’s Tomomi-chan. Tomomi-chaaaan!”

“Hmm? Did someone call my name?”

“I sure did! Apparently Chihiro-kun wants to talk to you!”

“Stop! Don’t drag me into this!”

“B-But you promised to do it with me!”

“Well, don’t rush me—”

“Sure, let’s talk! What’s up, Uwa-kun?”

“Oh... uh... well...”

◇◆◇

“So tell me: what was it like, having an intimate conversation with the opposite sex?”

“Exhausting...”

“Same...”

Indeed, they both looked ready to pass out. Pathetic.

“Did you feel cool?”

“I’m now fully convinced that the road to coolness is impossibly long...”

“Impossible sounds about right, yeah.”

Evidently, our experiment wasn’t very effective. “I must say, I didn’t feel very cool either,” I agreed.

“Hanging out” didn’t mean aggressively approaching someone who didn’t reciprocate. It was important to build a strong mutual connection first.

“Let’s change tack. Do you have the energy to try again?”

“Yes, please! I... I refuse to give up after one try!”

“Personally, I’d like to go home now.”

“Glad to see you’re both still raring to go!”

“Yup!”

Uwa-kun fell silent in defeat, and I made a mental note to apologize to him later.

“What are the requirements of being cool? Or rather, what is it that the CRC pentagon has that we lack? Can you think of anything?”

“Someone to date...? Well, no, Iori-senpai’s still single... Oh! Hobbies, maybe?” Enjouji-san suggested.

“Doesn’t everyone have a hobby?” Uwa-kun asked.

“W-Well, yeah, but... but our senpai are all really passionate about theirs!”

“Hmm... Yaegashi-kun does have a borderline unhealthy obsession with pro wrestling, and Inaba-san seems rather knowledgeable about computers... Oh, and Kiriyama-san loves all things cute, of course... What about the other two? I can’t remember.”

“They both have a love for all things fun... but now that I say it out loud, it doesn’t really sound like an actual hobby,” Uwa-kun mused. “Maybe we’re missing something.”

“I don’t know. It feels like we’re on the right track,” I replied. “It’s important to find one’s true passion, because that passion will color your whole life. For example, imagine what Yaegashi-kun would be like without his love of pro wrestling.”

“Hmmm...” Enjouji-san closed her eyes and folded her arms in contemplation. “He... He’d turn into a bland, flavorless background character!”

“You better not let Taichi-san hear you say that. You’ll make him cry.”

“Oh, no, I was joking. He’d still have his sexy voice, if nothing else.”

“You can be really harsh sometimes, you know that?”

“So, what do we think, team? Do hobbies seem important?”

“Yes, I think so!”

“Though it’s possible they aren’t cool because they have hobbies , per se, but rather because they have something they really care about.”

“A keen observation, Uwa-kun.” He might just be smarter than I took him for.

If I wanted my kouhai to better themselves, it was crucial I showed them that I valued their opinions. Now that we’d dug up a useful hint, it was time to put it into practice... but how?

“What about you? Do either of you have any hobbies?”

“Not really...”

“It doesn’t have to be a deep obsession. Anything will do.”

“Well... I like listening to foreign music...”

“I like... playing with my pet dog?”

“Well then, let’s give that a try.”

“What?” they asked in unison.

“It’s time to test our hypothesis!”

We picked an empty classroom at random and walked in. Enjouji-san and I sat side by side, while Uwa-kun sat in front of us, almost like he was our personal DJ. And in a sense, he was.

He pulled out his MP3 player and set it to play through its external speakers. The sound quality wasn’t great, but that wasn’t important.

“I’ll start with the more mainstream bands.”

Then I heard the peal of an electric guitar, and recognized the song as one I’d heard in the background of a commercial on TV. This was American rock, if memory served.

But Uwa-kun didn’t give us any further details about the artist, so instead the three of us just listened in silence. Four minutes later, the song came to an end.

“I liked it. Very empowering. What about you, Enjouji-san?”

“Oh, yes! It’s the sort of song that picks you right up!”

“This particular band actually broke up at one point, and they just recently got back together. Honestly, I hate to say it, but their new stuff is all trash.”

“Oh.”

“Hmm.”

Silence.

“Well, this is excruciating. Can we stop now?”

Seeing as Uwa-kun asked so nicely, we decided to end things there.

“Well, now it’s time to try out Enjouji-san’s hobby... but we don’t exactly have a dog on hand. Hmm.”

“S-Sorry, but Bobby isn’t the kind of super-dog that can hear me calling him from across town...”

“Gee, that sucks. Anyway, looks like we won’t be able to—”

“What if we went to one of the parks nearby? I imagine plenty of people are out walking their dogs at this hour. Perhaps one of them would let us play with theirs.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!” Enjouji-san flailed her arms excitedly.

“Ugh...”

“What’s wrong, Chihiro-kun?”

“Nothing. I just... don’t see the point in playing with dogs at the park.”

“With that attitude, you’ll never be cool,” I remarked, and Uwa-kun fell silent.

Wait... Does he not realize I was joking?

“If you ask me, it can’t hurt to give it a try, just once. Nothing’s going to change unless you step outside of your comfort zone,” I continued.

This seemed to resonate with both Enjouji-san and Uwa-kun; their eyes filled with passion, and they nodded firmly.

Look at me, dropping truth bombs without even trying. They ought to lock me up!

“H-Hi there! Your dog’s really cute!” Enjouji-san called out to an elderly man resting on a bench. At first she was rather resistant to the idea of initiating a conversation with a stranger... but then she saw his Shiba Inu and seemingly changed her mind.

“Hello there, young lady. Are you a student at Yamaboshi High School?”

Fortunately, the man was every bit as friendly as he looked to be. And since he was just sitting around, we probably weren’t interrupting anything... Enjouji-san glanced back at me, and I gave her a thumbs-up.

“Could we play with your dog for a little bit?!”

“With Gonta? Of course! Be my guest. These days I’m getting too old to roughhouse with him, so I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”

And so, with his owner’s permission, Enjouji-san took Gonta’s leash. Uwa-kun and I raised our hands in greeting as we approached.

“Come here, Gonta-kun! Eeek! Hey! Haha... hahaha!”

When Enjouji-san crouched down, the little Shiba Inu ran over and jumped up, resting his front paws on her chest. He nuzzled his face against her, then started to jump and frolic like he was begging to be played with.

“Hey! Wait! Calm down—eeek! I’ll get you back for that one!” She playfully ruffled his fur.

“It’s like watching two puppies play-fight.”

“Seriously, Enjouji, how did you make friends with it that quickly...?”

“I... I’ve always been popular with small animals for some reason...”

“Yeah, probably because they recognize you as one of their own.”

“Hey! Gonta-kun! Wait, what? So... the animals have all accepted me as a friend?! That’s incredible!”

“...That joke sailed right over her head, didn’t it...”

Once Enjouji-san had had her fill of playtime, she commanded him to “Sit, boy!” Surprisingly, Gonta promptly did as he was told. Either this dog was exceptionally well-trained, or Enjouji-san had a special way with animals.

“Okay, Chihiro-kun, it’s your turn. Trust me, it’s fun!”

“Right... uh... Yeah, I could tell you were having a good time, so I think I’m all set.”

“What’s the matter? Come on!” She tugged on the leash, leading Gonta toward Uwa-kun.

“Wait, wait, wait! Give me a minute! I’ll approach him when I’m ready!” he shouted, taking a few steps back.

“Wait... Are you... scared of dogs...?”

For a moment, Uwa-kun’s face froze. “Of... Of course not! That’s stupid!”

“C’mon, Gonta. Let’s play with this nice boy!”

“Stop! I said give me a minute, damn it!”

“Pfffft... I can’t believe you’re scared of a little doggy.”

“Screw you, okay?!”

Summoning all his resolve, Uwa-kun walked up to the Shiba Inu. Slowly, he crouched down... and timidly reached out his hand.

“Go on!”

Enjouji-san gave Gonta a little push, and the dog ran forward to curl himself around Uwa-kun’s legs.

“Gaaahh!”

Uwa-kun shot upright and froze stock-still like a statue.

“Hee hee hee!”

“I’m gonna get you for this, Enjouji, you little twerp!” he growled. Then he crouched back down, gave the dog a few perfunctory pats on the head, and rose once more. “There! I’m done!” And with that, he walked away.

“Ch-Chihiro-kun? I was just messing around... Did I go too far?”

“I’m done with you.”

“Noooo! I’m sorry, Chihiro-kun! I promise I won’t tell our senpai or our friends in class! Please forgive me!”

“...Fine, but you better keep your mouth shut!”

I admired the way Enjouji-san casually weaved some idle threats into her plea. She’s a force to be reckoned with, this one. If anything, it was indicative of their close-knit bond.

“Well, you both clearly had a lot of fun. Did you feel cool?” I asked them. They exchanged a glance.

“A little bit, maybe...”

“Trust me, I never feel cool when I’m with her.”

Swing and a miss, it seems. The CRC “It” factor was proving to be even more elusive than I thought.

“Oh yeah! Why don’t you play with him, Fujishima-senpai?”

“...I think I’d better not.”

“Are you scared of dogs, too? This one’s really friendly! He won’t bite, I promise!”

“Sadly, that’s not the issue.”

Out of kindness, Enjouji-san turned Gonta my way. Meeting his gaze, I took a step toward him... and with a loud whimper, he ran off back to his owner, tail between his legs, whipping the end of the leash right out of Enjouji-san’s hand. Dismally, I watched him go.

“Animals never seem to like me.”

“...Sorry,” the two first-years apologized in unison.

“Oh, that’s alright. It’s not your fault.”

I’ve just got some dust in my eye, that’s all.

Once we had recovered from our misstep, we gathered to discuss our findings. The sun had set, and the park’s lampposts had flickered to life.

“Well, this looks like a good time to call it a day. Let’s head home before it gets any darker,” I told them. It was late, and the park had grown quiet.

“Yeah, it’s only going to get colder... Oh, but we haven’t tried your hobby yet, Fujishima-senpai!”

“It can wait.”

“What is your hobby, anyway?”

Good question. At this, I paused to think.

Is it... doing good deeds...? No, that’s not a hobby. Giving love advice? No. Working for the Outreach Committee? No...

“Let’s see... My exercise routine, I suppose.”

“That’s your hobby?”

“Chihiro-kun, tons of people are passionate about physical fitness. You know, like bodybuilders and stuff! It’s an admirable hobby, if you ask me.”

“...Do you have a fetish for muscle dudes or something?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?! I don’t look at those magazines!”

As they bickered amongst themselves, I contemplated Uwa-kun’s remark. He wasn’t the first to comment on my interests, of course.

Hobbies were defined as something you enjoyed. But whenever I told people what I enjoyed, they always looked at me funny, or told me it wasn’t a hobby, or otherwise decided I had to be wrong.

Apparently, hobbies were supposed to be productive and meaningful... Perhaps I was better off finding a “normal” hobby that more closely fit society’s requirements. A more common hobby, like karaoke, or shopping, or eating dessert. But the more I thought about “normal” people, the more I started to feel like an aberration...

“So... we’re going to keep doing this crap?” Uwa-kun asked, and I snapped back to reality.

“...Our investigation, you mean?”

“Personally, I want to keep investigating, Chihiro-kun!”

“Okay, but when will it end? We can’t do this forever.”

“True... Why don’t we give it one more day? We should reach a conclusion by then.”

And so we went our separate ways.

Enjouji-san and Uwa-kun had brought their bookbags with them, so they headed straight home; I, on the other hand, returned to the school to retrieve my bicycle. Hunching my shoulders, I braced myself against the northerly winds and wondered absently to myself: what constituted “going home from school,” anyway?

Did it count as “going home” if I took my bookbag and left campus? Not like I was going back to the classroom. In that case, could I say I’d “gone home early” today?

Not only that, but... in a sense, I’d hung out with friends, too. For me, that hardly ever happened. Was this what it was like for other people? People whose clubs took the occasional day off? Somehow, it was oddly satisfying. For once, I didn’t feel quite so empty inside.

Is this what it’s like for cool people?

◇◆◇

Fortunately, no one had any special plans nor any urgent business with our respective clubs after school the next day, so the CRCIFIT was free to meet up once more. Our meetup location: the school infirmary. I was the first to arrive, so I leaned against the wall and waited for my two kouhai.

Then I heard two girls talking nearby.

“Where’ll we hang out today?”

“Hmmm... The usual place, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess...”

These two young ladies spent so much time together, they had established a “usual place”! Perhaps that sort of close friendship was another key to being cool.

“So have you heard the rumors lately?”

“Totally! The one about the weird thing that’s gonna happen, right?”

“Yeah, that one! What do they mean by ‘large-scale event spanning multiple days involving the students of Yamaboshi High School,’ anyways?”

“Huh? All I heard was that we won’t be able to escape once it starts.”

“Oh my god, that’s creepy!”

“The part you said was a lot worse, if you ask me!”

What an odd rumor. Come to think of it, that boy from yesterday had mentioned something about rumors, too... Evidently this was quite the hot topic. Was it a supernatural phenomenon, or some sort of orchestrated event? Either way, it wasn’t the sort of thing I wanted to hear people gossiping about at school.

So I decided I would ask them for more details... but in the same moment, I made eye contact with a different girl.

“Oh, hey, Fujishima-san!”

It was Kishikawa-san, a girl from a different class, and one whose daily conduct often left something to be desired.

“Hello there, Kishikawa-san.”

“Heard you were hitting on Aiba! You go, girl!”

“Hitting on Aiba...? Oh!”

Clearly she was referring to yesterday, when the two of us had “hung out” in close proximity to one another in my pursuit of mixed-gender friendship.

“Oh my god, you did?! This is my first time ever hearing about your love life, so I kinda wasn’t sure! How’d it go, anyway? Aiba seems like a total virgin, so I assume you had to make the first move.”

“For Aiba-kun’s sake, allow me to clear up this misunderstanding. Our interaction was entirely platonic.”

“Aww, really? And here I was really excited!”

“Sorry, but it’s simply not true. And I’m sure Aiba-kun wouldn’t appreciate this rumor floating around either. Next time someone brings it up, could you correct them for me?”

“Just because you’re not interested in him doesn’t mean he’s not interested in you, y’know!”

“Kishikawa-san, I understand how fun it can be to gossip about romance, but you shouldn’t encourage these things for your own entertainment.”

“Oh, relax! I’m just messing with you! Sheesh!”

“It didn’t sound that way to me, that’s all.”

“God, Fujishima-san, lighten up! Don’t take everything so seriously.”

—Lighten up. Calm down. You’re too serious. You’re no fun.

“You gotta relax sometimes or you’ll push people away.”

And with that, Kishikawa-san walked off like she’d lost all interest in me. I looked around for the two other girls, but they were already gone. Now I was alone. Abandoned.

At any given moment of my life, I was always giving it my best effort. I didn’t half-ass a single thing. Some people found this impressive, while others found it alarming. But no matter what, they all had one thing in common: they couldn’t relate. Instead, they kept me at arm’s length for being “different.” They drew a line in the sand between their world and mine.

Every now and then I would hear people refer to me as “superhuman.” But for as much as they may have wished to be more like me, they never once realized that I wished to be more like them ...

“Hi there, Fujishima-senpai!”

“Oh... Hello...”

I snapped back to reality to find Enjouji-san and Uwa-kun standing there. Quickly, I put all my errant thoughts into a box and tucked it into the corner of my mind. The real world was waiting for me!

“No club activities today?” I asked.

“They said they’re okay with it as long as we’re back by tomorrow... so let’s wrap things up today!” Enjouji-san declared enthusiastically.

“We may as well see it through to the end,” Uwa-kun shrugged.

With the two of them here, I wasn’t alone... even if I knew it couldn’t last forever. And with these fleeting friends at my side, I found the strength to carry on.

“Alright then... Time to resume our investigation!”

Let the mission begin!

◇◆◇

Using the conveniently deserted Classroom 1-B as our base, we worked through all the ideas we could think of.

Was it cool to have close friends?

Was it cool to get together in a big group and goof off?

Was it cool to have an emotional impact on the people around you?

Through trial and error, we experimented around, discussed our findings, then headed off to investigate our final lead:

Was it cool to have a boyfriend or girlfriend? Or, alternatively, was it cool to be seen as attractive?

In the end, all our conversations ended up right back here. No one could deny the aesthetic appeal of being entangled in some sort of romance!

“This has to be it... Nothing could possibly exceed the power of love!” I shouted once we returned to Classroom 1-B for what was hopefully the last time. Truth be told, I was rather hoping love could remain its own separate entity distinct from coolness, but alas.

“I really don’t think having a love life has anything to do with being cool,” Uwa-kun retorted.

“But if someone doesn’t have an active love life, that’s not very cool either, don’t you think?”

“Point taken. You’d have to be a total hermit to isolate yourself from the opposite sex!”

“Now, now, Enjouji-san. That’s a bit heteronormative, don’t you think? Don’t forget there are people with other sexualities in the world. Our language should be inclusive to reflect that.”

“Oh, of course! You’re completely right, senpai!”

“...I have no idea what you just said.”

Do try to keep up, Uwa-kun!

“So, what about you two? Are you in love with anyone?”

“Wh-What?! I... I think that’s a little out of my league... for right now, anyway...!”

“I’m not really interested in dating.”

“Enjouji-san, you may think love is out of your league, but I’m afraid I must disagree. Everyone has the right to fall in love at any given time.”

“Are you sure...? It’s just kind of complicated...”

“And you, Uwa-kun! You sound like you’re still in middle school, pretending you’re ‘not interested’ when really you’re just scared!”

“Please don’t shame him for it, Fujishima-senpai! It’s not his fault he can’t talk to women! He’s trying his best!”

“Screw you! I just don’t want to waste my time, okay?!”

“Could it be that you... play for the other team? Prefer sausage to tacos? In other words—”

“I understood you the first time, Fujishima-san! And the answer is no, none of the above! For the record, I do talk to girls, okay? Tada has a lot of female friends, and we hang out in a big group sometimes.”

“Whoa... You hang out with girls...? That’s kind of devastating...”

“Why would it be devastating ? What business is it of yours?”

“I was enjoying the mental image of you getting all flustered around the opposite sex...”

“Quit inventing reasons to feel sorry for me!”

These two have such good chemistry. Could it be that they’re...? No, it would be tactless of me to ask them flat-out. I’ll just have to wait for them to figure it out on their own... But good god, I want to say it so badly!

“S-So, um, Fujishima-senpai... do you have... a love life...?” Enjouji-san asked, once she was done bickering with Uwa-kun.

“Well, let’s see... I dated around in middle school. Both boys and girls.”

“What?!”

“Don’t get me wrong—I know the gender binary is an outdated concept. When I use the word ‘both,’ in this case, I mean to say that those are the two genders I dated.”

“I don’t think she was reacting to your word choice, Fujishima-san.”

What part of it was so alarming, then?

“Well, in any case... I haven’t dated anyone since enrolling in high school.”

Admittedly I’d been a bit distracted with... other discoveries.

“Ugh... Is that what I’m missing?! Then so be it! Let’s fall in love, Enjouji-san!”

“What?! With each other?!”

“That’s not what I meant, but... if you’re game for that, I would certainly consider it.”

“N-No... Sorry...”

Alas. Rejected.

“What’s your type, anyway?” Uwa-kun asked me.

“I don’t think I have a type, to be honest with you. But it’s been a long time...”

More than two years had passed since my last romance, and there were no new prospects in sight. Was that a bad thing? I hadn’t really thought about it until now...

“And neither of you have a special someone in mind, correct?”

“R-Right...”

“Not really, no.”

“That’s it. That’s our problem. We don’t need to date anyone, but we at least need to find someone we’re mildly interested in!”

That way, their presence would keep us on our toes. This was what had kept us from cool status all this time!

“We’d better find ourselves some romance—posthaste! I’m sure it’s lying around somewhere!”

“Romance has gravity?!” Enjouji-san shouted.

“It’s just a figure of speech! Lest you forget, there is such a thing as ‘love at first sight,’ you know. Now let’s find it!”

“Are... Are you sure I can?!”

“It won’t be easy, but you shouldn’t have trouble as long as you set your sights low. Focus not on Mr. Right, but Mr. Right Now! We’re looking for someone who sets our hearts aflutter! Now let’s go sit in on some club activities!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

“This makes absolutely no sense to me. Can I go home?”

“I’m afraid not, Uwa-kun! What I’m asking isn’t rocket science. Surely even you know a pretty girl when you see one! And as long as the two of us are with you, you can stare at the volleyball team all you want without it being creepy!”

“I... I don’t...”

“Aha! I saw that little smirk just now!”

“Good grief... You’re such a covert perv, Chihiro-kun.”

And so we decided to walk around campus together and take a peek at some clubs!

First, we observed the baseball team from behind the backstop. They were in the middle of practice, but as this was their off-season, it wasn’t too intense.

“What do you think, Enjouji-san? Any candidates?”

“Oh... I... I don’t know... Based on my purely subjective personal preference, I tend to like guys who have cool hair... or, you know... any hair...”

“I see, so a guy’s hairstyle is an important element for you. What about you, Uwa-kun? Any thoughts on the team managers? That one’s a second-year, and that’s the new first-year recruit. I hear she’s very cute and energetic.”

“Yeah, I know her. Eh, she’s alright, I guess.”

“Do you prefer the quiet type?”

“Wow... Chihiro-kun’s actually checking them out...”

“I’m not doing this because I want to! You people are making me!”

Next, we continued on our lap around campus.

“The badminton team!”

“Everyone looks really classy.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“The rugby team!”

“They’re all very manly, but... in a scary way...”

“And they don’t have any team managers.”

“The basketball team!”

“Basketball’s a pretty cool sport, I guess...”

“...I take it the girls’ basketball team is somewhere else?”

“The volleyball team!”

“Wow... They’re really aggressive...!”

“You can say that again.”

“Now for something completely different: the Tea Ceremony Club!”

“...There’s no boys in there...”

“Are you sure we should be leering at them through this window...?”

We continued on our journey, chatting along the way. And as we looked at all the people, I contemplated what it meant to have feelings for someone. To fall in love.

This school was filled with objectively kind, smart, and handsome boys, but none of them felt right. As important as romance was to the human experience, I just wasn’t in the right headspace for it lately. Me, of all people—ironic, I know. Alas, I didn’t have a crush on anyone.

I did, however, love someone... and by “someone,” I mean the entire human race.

The last time I admitted to this out loud, however, my audience laughed and said I “had to be joking” or else I “really got around, huh?” Naturally, I didn’t bother elaborating further. But to be clear, it wasn’t a joke. I didn’t joke around about these things.

Of course, I could never quite tell them that. Even if I tried, they’d just assume it was another part of the joke. They would never truly understand.

In middle school I never thought too hard about it, but now that I was in high school, it was all too clear to me: I was different from everyone else. I was... abnormal .

Ugh... My usual mood swings are hitting even harder today. Must be all the thinking I’m doing.

I didn’t fit in here. This wasn’t where I truly belonged. And that thought made me want to abandon everything I’d built and fly away to some distant land. Could anyone ever love someone like me?

“Looks like we’ve come up empty-handed,” I muttered as we sat near the main entrance, exhausted from all the walking.

“There were certainly a lot of attractive people, but... I didn’t feel any spark...”

“I wasn’t expecting to actually find anyone, so I’m not disappointed.”

“I see... Sorry for dragging you around, then.”

“Fujishima-senpai...?”

“In the end, we never did learn how to be cool... nor did we find love...”

“Huh...? Wh-What’s wrong, Fujishima-senpai?”

“Yeah, you’re not acting like yourself. Besides, if I genuinely hated doing this, I would’ve just gone home by now.”

They were trying to cheer me up, and it hit me hard. What am I doing? I can’t act like this!

“Well, the CRCIFIT was unable to find any conclusive evidence... but I think it’s safe to say that romance is a crucial element.”

There I was, admitting defeat. I knew my words had no persuasive power, but I pressed on regardless.

“I know I don’t have any right to say this, considering I haven’t found any special someone myself, but... I hope the two of you will keep looking.”

“F-Fujishima-senpai...” Enjouji-san’s eyes shone with tears.

“Seriously, Fujishima-san, what’s got you down? Why are we having this tragic little moment?”

All the color had drained from the world around me. I was now in full-on “pity party” mode.

“Oh, hey! What’s up, guys?”

But then, a voice called out to us. It was a boy with spiky, messy hair and a friendly face. Reasonably tall, reasonably muscular—high marks across the board. Yes, it was Yaegashi Taichi’s best friend Watase Shingo, the soccer player, decked out in his jersey and cleats. He and I had shared the same class in our first year.

“Fujishima-san and the CRC first-years? That’s a weird combination if I’ve ever seen one.”

“H-Hi there, senpai!”

“...Hello, senpai.”

Watase-kun grabbed the sports towel from around his neck and wiped his forehead. “They’re making us run laps right now, and I’m dying! Seriously, what is it with sports teams making people run laps in the winter? Anyways... What are you up to?”

Slowly but surely, my monochrome world filled with color once more.

“We’re looking for love in the hopes that it’ll make us cool.”

“Oh boy... I can already tell she’s up to no good... Seriously, I’ll never understand this woman,” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, so—wait, what? You’re looking for love... so you can be cool...? What?”

“Fujishima-senpai... Y-You have to explain it a bit more or else it won’t make sense,” said Enjouji-san.

“Not that we really need it to make sense to anyone else, if you ask me,” said Uwa-kun.

They were both completely right, of course.

“Good point. Well then, to put it simply... We’re looking for a little romantic thrill to spice up our lives.”

“Huh... So... you’re trying to find a boyfriend?” Watase-kun asked hopefully.

“In my case, not exactly. For now I just want to find someone I’m interested in.”

“Oh.” He slumped his shoulders... but why was he so disappointed?

“You’re in the middle of soccer practice, right? Sorry if we disturbed you.”

“No, no, not at all! You’re not disturbing anyone, Fujishima-san!”

“Alright then. Glad to hear it.”

He was such a good-hearted person. Frankly, it was hard to understand how he was still single.

“Right... Okay, well...” he muttered awkwardly, almost like he was hesitant to walk away... so I decided I would help him along.

“Best of luck with soccer practice, Watase-kun! Let’s get going, you two!”

But just as I turned to go—

“Oh, okay. See you... No, wait!”

—he stopped me.

“Did you need something?”

“Well, no, but...”

He was normally a cheerful and confident guy, but for some reason he would always get a bit stiff and formal with me. Almost like he was keeping me at arm’s length.

“Okay, I’m just gonna be blunt! ...This is kind of awkward to say in front of the first-years, so you two do me a favor and pretend you’re not listening, alright?” He turned back to me. “Sometimes love is... you know... a lot closer than you think!”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, you’d be surprised! It’s really not something you need to go out of your way to look for. C’mon, Love Guru! This is basic stuff!”

“No, it’s really not. Not for me. I’m not like most people... People always tell me I see the world differently than they do... That I’m too serious... That they don’t understand me...”

Great, now I’m whining. Why am I crying about my problems like a little baby? What happened to you, Fujishima Maiko?

Well... at least this way I’m more “normal,” I guess... Maybe I’m just tired of walking this path alone...

“You’re not the kind of person who cares about what other people think of you, Fujishima,” Watase declared.

And for some reason, he addressed me not as Fujishima-san , but Fujishima .

“I’m not...?”

“I mean, obviously I’m not the arbiter of ‘who you are’ or anything. You’re the one who gets to decide that,” he added hastily, gazing into my eyes. “My point is, you have a lot of great qualities. But not everyone in the world is going to appreciate you like you deserve because not everyone values the same things. So if someone doesn’t like you, you kind of just have to let it go, you know? I mean, think about all the famous people who weren’t recognized for their awesomeness until after they died!”

Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but...

“You’re not going to operate at your best when you’re busy worrying about how everyone else sees you! So in my opinion, as your number one fan, I say just ignore them. You do you, girl!”

Focus on myself... not on others...

“You can do things normal people can’t even imagine, Fujishima. Everyone admires that about you... though I’m sure sometimes they might get jealous, too. But me personally? I hate to see you let their opinions get to you. I don’t want you to stumble over this—I want you to charge full speed ahead! Because that’s... that’s what I love about you!”

Here he was, validating my choices. Telling me he loved me just as I was.

Human or superhuman, we were all still just people. No matter how we chose to live our lives, we still had people who loved us—yes, even me.

Suppose, hypothetically, that I would someday be one of those famous people—the sort of celebrity who did interviews or wrote autobiographies. If anyone were to ask me what the turning point of my life was, without a doubt, I would tell them about this very moment.

Because I’m perfect just the way I am.

“You’re right... I lost sight of that. Why on Earth did I nearly let society’s view of me dissuade me from pursuing my ideals...?”

Considering I’d only just overcome my obsession with prestige, clearly I had a lot I needed to work on. Fortunately, my friends were always there to help me see the light—first Yaegashi Taichi, and now Watase Shingo. And with this trusted support network, I could find the strength I needed to carry on, all my flaws notwithstanding.

“Thank you, Watase-kun. I don’t know how you did it, but... you’ve set my heart ablaze.”

“I... did...?”

“Yes, you most certainly did. I’ve been rather down in the dumps for the past two days, but now that I’ve bounced back, I’ve got the energy to survive a good four months or so.”

“Man... When you ‘bounce back,’ you really bounce , huh?”

“Enjouji-san. Uwa-kun.” I turned to my fleeting friends in the CRCIFIT. “I’m afraid this concludes our investigation... but our team is not disbanded. Let’s keep in touch... and should either of you find a special someone, or discover what it means to be cool, I hope you’ll tell me all about it. Only then will we consider our work truly done.”

“Right! I... I’ll never forget what we accomplished together, senpai!”

“Dude, it’s been two days . None of us are going anywhere! Whatever... It’s been fun, I guess.”

And so I received two responses: one heartfelt and sincere, the other not so much.

Two wonderful days. A magical moment in time. Yes, what a beautiful world we live in.

“I promise, I’ll find love someday! Let’s all support each other on our journeys!”

I exchanged a handshake with each of them.

But before another word could be said, I got a call on my cell phone.

“Sorry, I have to take this... Hello?”

I pressed the phone to my ear. On the other end, I heard the familiar voice of a first-year on the Outreach Committee.

“F-Fujishima-senpai! There was an error on the paperwork we submitted yesterday, and... and we have to do it all over again! I’m so sorry... It’s all my fault!”

“I’ll be right there. I’m familiar with those forms; depending on the error, it’s possible we won’t have to redo everything from scratch.”

“Really?! That would be such a relief! Okay, see you soon!”

Guilt flooded my chest as the call came to an end. “It looks like I’ve got some business to attend to,” I said after a moment.

The other three all grinned at me.

“Classic Fujishima-san.”

“Th-They sounded like they’re in real trouble! You’d better go help them!”

“Yeah, get going. Don’t worry about us.”

From the bottom of my heart, I found myself wishing we could all spend time together again someday. No matter how far I traveled down my destined path, I knew this was the place I could always call home.

“I’ll be in touch with all of you again.”

“Okay!”

“Sure thing.”

“And thanks again, Watase-kun! I must say, you’re quite good at cheering people up. Perhaps you’re even a better advisor than me... See you around!”

“Oh, uh... Right. See ya.”

Now then, it’s time for me to get going. Forward... forward... full speed ahead!

And so I walked across campus, greeting people as I went.

What’s wrong with following my heart, chasing my dreams, or taking things seriously? What’s wrong with putting in 100% effort at all times?

This is the path I want to follow. This is the way I want to live my life. Other people tend to see it as strange... but I’ve decided to accept that. The world can go ahead and laugh at me if they want—and if they do, I’ll just laugh right back. It’s not my fault they can’t keep up!

Who makes the rules? Me. Who’s steering this ship? Me! End of story!

I’m a pioneer, exploring a path no one else has ever walked. I’m going to carve my way forward... today, tomorrow, and all the days after that. That’s where I’ll find true fulfillment!

Oh, and if I can find love along the way, well... I’ll consider that a tidy bonus. Teehee!

+++

As I watched Fujishima-senpai go, my brain struggled to process everything that had just happened... but nevertheless, I felt a tiny hint of affection for her all the same.

“And there she goes,” I whispered.

On one hand, she was kind of like a hurricane—completely overwhelming. But on the other hand, she had fears and worries just like me.

“I don’t know how we got dragged into that mess, but... now it’s all over,” Chihiro-kun muttered next to me.

“She’s incredible, isn’t she?” Watase-senpai commented. “I feel like she might just take Japan by storm someday.”

Ummm... Yeah, I don’t know about that...

But a moment later, something occurred to me.

“Say, um... This is a random observation... I mean, purely random... and if I’m wrong, feel free to punch me... Eeek! On second thought, please don’t punch me!”

“Relax! I’m not gonna punch my sweet little kouhai! Now what were you gonna say, Enjouji-san?”

“Watase-senpai... do you maybe... have feelings for Fujishima-senpai?”

I said it! Oh god, I said it! Now I’ve stuck my nose in his business!

Flustered, I waited for his response... but as it turned out, he was surprisingly rational about it.

“She’s got a keen sense of intuition when it comes to romance stuff. That’s why people call her the Love Guru or the Goddess of Love or whatever.”

His tone was warm and gentle.

“But when it comes to her own love life, she’s completely oblivious.”

It was obvious just how much he cared for her.

“Hey! Watase! Quit standing around!” shouted the soccer team’s club supervisor, and we collectively remembered he was supposed to be running laps.

“Oh crap! Let’s keep that between us, alright? We’ll talk more later. See ya!”

And with that, he took off at full speed.

“Hmmm... I have a hard time picturing Fujishima-senpai being oblivious about anything ,” I mused quietly.

“I can see it, personally,” Chihiro-kun replied. “She talks like she’s some unlovable monster, but really, what she’s looking for was right next to her all along.”

“I guess Watase-senpai was right. Sometimes love is a lot closer than you think.”

What if I’m not as unfit for romance as I think I am? What if it’s right around the corner, but I just haven’t noticed? What if... all I need to do is start paying more attention...?

The next thing I knew, I found myself looking at Chihiro-kun. He looked at me. Our eyes met. We gazed at each other for a moment, just an arm’s length apart. I’d never really noticed before now, but he had very handsome, androgynous features—

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Yelping, I whipped my head away and forced myself to stare straight ahead. My cheeks burned. Then Chihiro-kun followed suit. I glanced at him—his cheeks seemed a little pink, too...

What? What is happening right now? Are we...? No, no, no! Noooo, no, no! Not possible! Not happening! I mean, this is Chihiro-kun we’re talking about! He’s just my friend from class and fellow clubmate, that’s all!

No romance here! No sirree!

+++

“So if we just do this for that... See? Looks like it’ll work out fine.”

“Y-You’re right! Thank you so much, Fujishima-senpai! Man, I thought we were screwed!”

“It’s my fault for dumping the paperwork on you without any prior training, and for that, I’m sorry.”

“No, no, don’t be!”

Together, we had resolved the crisis. And after my short break away from the Student Council Outreach Committee, I was ready to work a little overtime to make up for it.

“God, what a relief... Oh, actually, that reminds me. Have you heard the rumors?” my kouhai asked me.

“What rumors?”

“They say the students of Yamaboshi High School are going to be forced into some weird experiment. Supposedly they’re gonna lock us up somewhere we can’t escape or something.”

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard about that,” I replied. “I’m told that a series of supernatural events will take place in there—people swapping bodies, that sort of thing. But it’s all hearsay, so I can’t speak to the validity of... What?”

Over the past two days, I’d heard a lot about some “large-scale experiment” that the students would be “forced” to participate in. It sounded rather strange, and I’d been meaning to investigate more...

Wait, what? Then where did I hear about “people swapping bodies”?

I was sure I’d heard it from someone, but I couldn’t remember when or where. Without a doubt, something strange was going on.

[———]

...Silly me. What am I getting so puzzled about? That’s just the way rumors work—you sort of pick them up subconsciously. Nothing strange about that.

Nothing strange at all.

+++

“That reminds me... The other day, Shino-chan was like, ‘The road to cool is a long one, but I’ll try my best! Watch over me, Fujishima-senpai!’ ” I told Inaba Himeko as we took the train home after school.

“What nonsense is she on about now? And Fujishima’s involved? I feel like I should be concerned.” Furrowing her brow, Inaban let out a sigh.

Just then—

“Whoa!”

—the train car suddenly jolted, and I had to grab the handrail to keep myself upright.

“Whew! That was a close one.”

“Dumbass. Pay more attention, Iori,” Inaban scolded me. “Anyway... The ‘road to cool,’ huh?”

“I wonder if I’m cool, too,” I mused. “Because I know you definitely are! And here I thought you were a total geek back in our first year!”

“I certainly can’t complain. I’ve got some great friends and a great boyfriend.”

“Oh god, now she’s bragging...”

No one could have predicted that our Inaban would change so dramatically. So many crazy things happened—so many choices were made—and they all led right here. It was honestly incredible to think about.

Whenever I paused to look back, I tended to lose myself in all the what-ifs—what if I’d done X instead of Y?—but the scale was greater than that. There were countless factors based on the choices of countless other people. That was the foundation upon which “today” was built.

“What’s with the faraway stare?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking, y’know, I’m glad I enrolled at Yamaboshi and joined the CRC.”

Looking back, that felt like the biggest turning point in my life thus far.

“Good grief, don’t get all cheesy on me. Seriously, what’s the matter with you?”

“You started it, Miss I-Have-Great-Friends! Honestly, I never would’ve imagined you’d end up all bashful and lovey-dovey...”

“Can we not talk about the bashful crap for once?! ...Though I admit, if you’d told me I’d end up dating Taichi, I guarantee I wouldn’t have believed you.”

“I know, right? But then a bunch of even more unbelievable stuff happened, and look how we ended up!”

“Yeah, we certainly went through a lot...”

“Yup! Obviously most of it had to do with you-know-who, but there was a bunch of other stuff, too.”

And all of it was irreplaceable.

“Next year we’ll be busy studying for college entrance exams... Should we make a CRC graduation album or something?”

“Pfffft! Getting a little ahead of ourselves, are we? Seriously, we’re not graduating for more than a year! How big are you planning to make this album, Inaban?! Besides, if anything, we should try to hang out more. Don’t forget, we’ve still got spring break to look forward to!”

“Oh... Right... I guess it’s still early... I mean, I’ve never made one before, so I wouldn’t know... Alright then, let’s all go on a trip or something.”

“Now that’s more like it!”

Going forward, I’m going to create even more precious memories with the CRC. What magical moments are in store for me in the days, weeks and months ahead?

As I pondered this, I gazed at ***** next to me...

Wait, what?

What IS this girl’s name, anyway?

...Duh! Inaban! Obviously! Inaba Himeko!

What was that brain fart just now? Inaban’s my best friend in the whole world. I could never forget her name as long as I lived...

Right?

The End