and only briefly each time? Why did they all end up having some kind of accident?
Ryuto had mentioned being followed by a man like an angel of death wearing sunglasses and being badgered to break up with Amemiya by some guys who looked like the pirates in
Treasure Island.
Had that happened to all the boys Amemiya had dated? But why?
Argh, it just keeps getting more complicated. I’m no detective, though… Too bad.
I would at least tell Ryuto what I’d found out.
As for Tohko…
“I bet you’re angry at me for blowing you off two days in a row.”
I remembered how she had made me promise to meet her and pouted on her way out. I leaned my hand against the wall and groaned.
The pranks Tohko had told me about, half-sobbing, still nagged at me. But I suspected I would get better results and solve the mystery faster by helping Ryuto.
Besides, I had a hunch about the paranormal phenomena and who had sent the black lilies. If my suspicion was right, Tohko wasn’t in any real danger. And in fact, it would be a big help for me if Tohko’s attention was focused on the ghost.
My decision made, I went to the place where I had agreed to meet Ryuto after school.
When I got to the restaurant we’d visited the day before, I saw a girl extend a hand and suddenly slap Ryuto in the face.
“You… are…
awful!
”
The girl was older—she looked like a college student. She threw her glass of water on Ryuto and stormed out of the restaurant, shoulders thrown back.
“A-are you okay?”
“Oh, that happens all the time. She slapped me pretty hard. It was nice.”
He was totally unfazed and calmly accepted the towel the waitress brought him.
“Sorry about that, Harumi.”
“I’m used to it.” The girl shrugged, smiling ruefully.
I was astounded. How often did this happen?
There was a hamburger, chili beans, and a soda on the table in front of him.
“You got here quick. Has your school started its midterms already?”
“No, I left early today.”
“You cut class?!”
“You could call it that.”
I could feel a headache coming on, but I told him what I’d heard at school.
“Hmph. So she dated a bunch of scumbags.”
You know, most people would say you’re not such a stand-up guy yourself
…
“I also tried to find out about Kayano Kujo. Her name was on the student rolls seventeen years ago. She was enrolled at our school for her first and second years it looks like, but her name wasn’t on the graduation list, so I guess she left partway through her second year.”
“I see…”
Just then, as we were talking, two women called out to Ryuto simultaneously.
“Ryu! We’re here!”
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ryu!”
One was a short-haired girl dressed in another school’s uniform, and the other was an older girl who looked like an office worker with her hair tied up. She wore a miniskirt.
A second glance revealed another girl behind the one with short hair. She wore the same uniform and fidgeted shyly.
“Are you three-timing
again
?!” I cried without thinking.
Ryuto smirked. “That’s not a very nice thing to say, Konoha.”
Then he turned to the girls brightly.
“Hey, Misaki, thanks. Er, you’re Sonoko Segawa, right? Hi, I’m Ryuto Sakurai. Thanks for comin’.”
“Uh, sure.”
The shy-looking girl turned bright red and shook her head.
“Hey now, Sonoko’s too serious for you. No seducing her. I only got her to come because you were so pushy about it.”
“Whoa, whoa. Oh, and Saeko’s here, too. Sorry to make you take off work early.”
“Oh, it’s fine! I had the day off anyway. This seemed like much more fun.”
The lady who looked like an office worker winked and then sat down in the chair Ryuto had pulled out for her.
“This is Konoha Inoue. He’s a second-year at Seijoh Academy.”
“Hey there. I’m Misaki Kaga, second-year at Takara Girls’ School.”
“Um, I’m her classmate, Sonoko Segawa.”
“And I’m Saeko Tachibana. I work in an
Ryuto had mentioned being followed by a man like an angel of death wearing sunglasses and being badgered to break up with Amemiya by some guys who looked like the pirates in
Treasure Island.
Had that happened to all the boys Amemiya had dated? But why?
Argh, it just keeps getting more complicated. I’m no detective, though… Too bad.
I would at least tell Ryuto what I’d found out.
As for Tohko…
“I bet you’re angry at me for blowing you off two days in a row.”
I remembered how she had made me promise to meet her and pouted on her way out. I leaned my hand against the wall and groaned.
The pranks Tohko had told me about, half-sobbing, still nagged at me. But I suspected I would get better results and solve the mystery faster by helping Ryuto.
Besides, I had a hunch about the paranormal phenomena and who had sent the black lilies. If my suspicion was right, Tohko wasn’t in any real danger. And in fact, it would be a big help for me if Tohko’s attention was focused on the ghost.
My decision made, I went to the place where I had agreed to meet Ryuto after school.
When I got to the restaurant we’d visited the day before, I saw a girl extend a hand and suddenly slap Ryuto in the face.
“You… are…
awful!
”
The girl was older—she looked like a college student. She threw her glass of water on Ryuto and stormed out of the restaurant, shoulders thrown back.
“A-are you okay?”
“Oh, that happens all the time. She slapped me pretty hard. It was nice.”
He was totally unfazed and calmly accepted the towel the waitress brought him.
“Sorry about that, Harumi.”
“I’m used to it.” The girl shrugged, smiling ruefully.
I was astounded. How often did this happen?
There was a hamburger, chili beans, and a soda on the table in front of him.
“You got here quick. Has your school started its midterms already?”
“No, I left early today.”
“You cut class?!”
“You could call it that.”
I could feel a headache coming on, but I told him what I’d heard at school.
“Hmph. So she dated a bunch of scumbags.”
You know, most people would say you’re not such a stand-up guy yourself
…
“I also tried to find out about Kayano Kujo. Her name was on the student rolls seventeen years ago. She was enrolled at our school for her first and second years it looks like, but her name wasn’t on the graduation list, so I guess she left partway through her second year.”
“I see…”
Just then, as we were talking, two women called out to Ryuto simultaneously.
“Ryu! We’re here!”
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ryu!”
One was a short-haired girl dressed in another school’s uniform, and the other was an older girl who looked like an office worker with her hair tied up. She wore a miniskirt.
A second glance revealed another girl behind the one with short hair. She wore the same uniform and fidgeted shyly.
“Are you three-timing
again
?!” I cried without thinking.
Ryuto smirked. “That’s not a very nice thing to say, Konoha.”
Then he turned to the girls brightly.
“Hey, Misaki, thanks. Er, you’re Sonoko Segawa, right? Hi, I’m Ryuto Sakurai. Thanks for comin’.”
“Uh, sure.”
The shy-looking girl turned bright red and shook her head.
“Hey now, Sonoko’s too serious for you. No seducing her. I only got her to come because you were so pushy about it.”
“Whoa, whoa. Oh, and Saeko’s here, too. Sorry to make you take off work early.”
“Oh, it’s fine! I had the day off anyway. This seemed like much more fun.”
The lady who looked like an office worker winked and then sat down in the chair Ryuto had pulled out for her.
“This is Konoha Inoue. He’s a second-year at Seijoh Academy.”
“Hey there. I’m Misaki Kaga, second-year at Takara Girls’ School.”
“Um, I’m her classmate, Sonoko Segawa.”
“And I’m Saeko Tachibana. I work in an
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