2
But however trivial, once something started itching at him, he couldn’t stop scratching it. He spent the whole class with his eyes on Uzuki, watching for anything else out of place.
Until yesterday, Uzuki would have listened with rapt attention. If she didn’t get something, she’d have thrown a hand up even if that meant interrupting class. Even if the friends around her were whispering or texting one another, once she found her focus, she stayed that way. That was how Uzuki did things.
But today, she was fidgeting constantly, joking with the friend next to her. Sometimes, she’d crook her head at what the teacher said, but she didn’t call out, “I don’t get it!”
When class ended, she didn’t wave the teacher out or yell, “See you next week!”
Like everyone else here, she just put her books away and joined the girls around her, talking about where to get lunch. Her voice didn’t echo above the crowd. Someone suggested the cafeteria, and she just said, “Mm, let’s do that,” using an indoor voice.
And this all just made Sakuta certain something was wrong. But once again, only he seemed to have noticed.
The girls around her were talking like she was always this way. “Let’s swing through Yokohama on the way home,” one suggested, and it sounded so natural that it didn’t feel like they were putting on an act.
From another perspective, this was a typical college-girl conversation, nothing extraordinary about it. The way Uzuki usually tried to join in while being constantly a bit more wound up than anyone else—that was far less natural.
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him. Takumi, asking, “Azusagawa, lunch?”
Sakuta turned to look and found Takumi leaning way over the seat.
“I brought lunch today,” he said.
“Enough for me?”
“It’d be creepy if I had.”
“True. I’d die.”
Takumi sat back up.
“Gonna hit the shop, then,” he said, and then he was out the back door. He said it like he’d be right back, so Sakuta figured he should wait.
But a blond girl came in the door he’d vacated.
Nodoka.
She looked at Sakuta for one second but quickly turned to Uzuki—who was about to head out the front door.
“Uzuki,” she called.
Uzuki flinched. Then she said, “Sorry, you go on ahead,” to her friends and sent them into the hall.
Most of the other students had gone to lunch, too. Sakuta had put his lunch box on his desk, but that left him alone with two idols.
“……”
“……”
One at the front of the room, one at the back. That distance and tension separated them.
“Guess I’ll…go buy a drink,” Sakuta said, attempting to take the hint. But Nodoka cut him off.
“I haven’t opened this yet,” she said.
She moved forward to his row and dropped a soda bottle next to him. Peach flavor—Mai had done a commercial for it not long ago.
If she wanted him here, he was happy to sit, but…
“Uh, Nodoka, is this about the thing?” Uzuki asked, going first.
“The thing?” Nodoka repeated, frowning.
“Sunday, ’course.”
Uzuki was talking like this was obvious.
“……?”
And that’s why Nodoka looked baffled. She hadn’t expected Uzuki to bring it up first. She’d just assumed her irritation, concern, anxiety, and worries had been totally lost on her. And she’d said as much the day before.
“I’m super sorry!” Uzuki said, slapping both hands together. Nodoka got even more confused. “I had no idea what you were all going through! Of course you’re mad.”
“…Uzuki?”
“We get so many jobs that drag us off in different directions, we’re spending a lot less time together. I don’t want that, either, so let’s make sure we talk about that as a group.”
“Uh, great, but, um. I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to say all that.”
“Don’t worry about it. You speaking up clued me in.”
“Okay…”
“I mean, solo work matters, too? These jobs help more people find out about Sweet Bullet.”
“I totally agree.”
“But if that pulls us apart, it’s not worth it.”
“Mm…”
“So let’s meet up with Yae, Ranko, and Hotaru. Everyone’ll be at the dance lesson today, right?”
“That’s what I hear…”
Who was she talking to here?
There was a good chance Nodoka was wondering that.
Uzuki was speaking very logically, and Nodoka looked stunned the whole time.
“Nodoka? Am I saying something weird?”
Nodoka wasn’t reacting much, and Uzuki picked up on that. That itself was the root of why this felt so strange. She was perfectly tailoring what she said to the person she was talking to.
“No, that’s basically everything I meant to say,” Nodoka managed.
“Great.”
“Mm.”
Nodoka had been totally out of it this whole time.
“Nodoka?” Uzuki frowned, not missing that, either.
“Nothing… Um, Yae’s got a shoot, so she’ll be a little late, but we can talk then. I’ll let the others know.”
“Cool! Do that. I’m gonna go eat lunch with my friends.”
Uzuki waved, grabbed her bag, and ran off. She was soon out of sight.
“……”
“……”
They were left feeling bamboozled, unsure how they were supposed to feel. Confused? Surprised? Did that really just happen? It was hard to be sure. It didn’t sit right. It left them with serious doubts.
Unable to sort it out, Nodoka just stood there staring at the door. It was like she never planned to move again.
“That went well,” Sakuta said.
“……”
Nodoka’s eyes swiveled toward him, questions plastered on her face.
“I said, that went well.”
“What did?”
“You made up.”
“…Right. Yes, we did.”
Nodoka nodded, but her frown didn’t go away. It still wasn’t adding up.
“The hell was that?!”
The words burst out of her. If he’d said anything himself, it probably would have sounded like that. If Sakuta had been in her position, that’s exactly what he’d be doing.
“Sakuta, what did you say to her?” Nodoka’s tone sounded accusatory.
“Not a thing.”
“Really?”
“I swear.”
“Then how is she like this about stuff she totally didn’t get on Sunday?”
“If you don’t know, how should I?”
“Huh?”
“You know her better than I do.”
They’d met long before he knew either of them and had spent a lot of time together.
“Obviously!” Nodoka snapped, but she was agreeing with him.
That didn’t make it any less weird, though. She thought for a minute.
“Are we sure that was Uzuki?” she asked, dead serious.
“Who else would it be?”
“She was, like, watching my reactions while she talked.”
The way she put it made it sound like that was not like Uzuki at all.
“She was.”
“But that means…”
The words got stuck in her throat, and she broke off. Hesitant to say it out loud.
“Uzuki’s reading the room!”
That was what she eventually settled on.
“Yep.”
That’s all there was to it.
Only one thing had changed.
Nodoka had hit the nail on the head.
She’d read the room.
Uzuki.
That was what had felt so wrong.
“Are we sure this isn’t like what happened to me and Mai?” Nodoka demanded.
“Like a body swap?”
“Mm.”
“She knew too much about Sweet Bullet’s business.”
What they’d just talked about was all insider stuff.
“True…”
“Even if this is some kinda Adolescence Syndrome, is it a bad thing?”
“Well…”
From her tone, she’d been about to say, “Well, yeah!” But before she did, her brain caught up.
She’d patched things over with Uzuki.
Because Uzuki had worked out why Nodoka had been so upset.
That wasn’t a problem for anyone.
It was actually a net benefit for all.
That had certainly rattled Nodoka.
But Uzuki herself had said she was in good form now that she was on the same wavelength as everyone. She’d been happy about it.
But the change had been dramatic enough to shake both Nodoka and Sakuta to their cores.
“Then…I guess we can let it be?”
Nodoka didn’t sound at all sure of herself.
“She might be her old self again tomorrow,” he suggested. And that was how they punted the problem down the road.
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