Vol. 1 Chapter 15 – That’s Unfair…

Thursday, with only one day of exams left. A pattern had already been established: I’d study alone during the day, and around evening, Akari and Murai-san would come over. Today, as usual, I focused on my studies, and then looked up when the doorbell rang. It was just past 3 PM. Considerably earlier than usual.

“…Hey.” (Nagisa)

“Oh? Work today?” (Yuuto)

“Yeah.” (Nagisa)

“I see.” (Yuuto)

After that brief exchange, I invited Nagisa, who had rung the bell, into the house. I couldn’t read what she was thinking from her expression as she gazed at the steam rising from the mug I handed her. Unfazed, she sat on the bed. I hesitated for a moment, then, keeping some distance, I also sat on the bed.

“So? What brings YOU to my humble abode?” (Yuuto)

“Mm… Just felt like it?” (Nagisa)

The joke I’d cracked to lighten the somewhat heavy atmosphere vanished along with the steam Nagisa was watching.

“…So? Did something happen?” (Yuuto)

Even if I mostly guessed what it was, I went through the steps from the beginning. The seconds ticking by, steadily, one by one, made me do so.

“I said something about wanting to take the exam, didn’t I?” (Nagisa)

She strung the words together as if murmuring.

“You said, ‘I can’t quit yet.'” (Yuuto)

“Yuuya-san, ever since I was a child actor, he’s always praised my acting whenever we’ve worked together.” (Nagisa)

“Well, he seems like a good person. That guy.” (Yuuto)

He especially seems to like kids.

“He really is… So, at some point, I wanted to know. What would happen if Yuuya-san truly evaluated me.” (Nagisa)

“So you decided to take the exam.” (Yuuto)

“That’s about it. Though it looks like I won’t be able to, anyway…” (Nagisa)

As she muttered this self-deprecatingly, she showed a darkness, as if she might sink endlessly, as if she might lose all motivation.

“I guess I should have acted a little sooner too. Everyone’s already paired up.” (Nagisa)

“That was you being considerate in your own way, wasn’t it? You can be surprisingly like that, you know. You.” (Yuuto)

When I said that, the dark expression on her face receded, replaced by a sly grin.

“Eh~? What’s this? Suddenly acting like my boyfriend~? We’ve gotten closer, sure, but isn’t it still a teensy bit early? I guess if you don’t have many girl friends, you wouldn’t get that, huh? Maybe you should try closing the distance a bit more and try again, okay?” (Nagisa)

Her tone became clearly teasing, and she lectured me with a condescending air, as if talking to someone younger.

“That’s not what I meant…” (Yuuto)

I felt my temperature rise in reaction to the words “acting like my boyfriend.” My cheeks had probably flushed too. Confirming this, Nagisa smiled with satisfaction.

“Well, I’m going to school tomorrow, so maybe I’ll try a little harder.” (Nagisa)

She tilted the mug back in one go, presumably draining it, then placed the empty cup on the night table and stood up.

“Can I read some manga?” (Nagisa)

“It’s Akari’s, but I guess it’s fine?” (Yuuto)

“…Maybe I should check with her first, just in case?” (Nagisa)

“It’ll be fine. It’s in my room, so the ownership rights should be mine. Probably. I don’t actually know.” (Yuuto)

“That makes sense too, I guess.” (Nagisa)

Some time after that, the doorbell rang, and simultaneously, I heard the footsteps of the duo who had opened the door heading straight for my room.

“Coming i~n… Oh, it’s Nagisa! You finished work early today?” (Akari)

“Yeah. I finished up pretty early today.” (Nagisa)

“I see, I see,” Akari said, plopping down on her usual sofa spot without any hesitation. Murai-san, who usually followed her, looked a little awkward, glancing back and forth between Akari and me.

“Hello. We spoke before, I believe. Murai-san… was it?” (Nagisa)

“Ah, hello… I’m Murai Hinata.” (Hinata)

“I’m fine next to Yuuto, so you can sit next to Akari, okay?” (Nagisa)

“Ah, thank you very much.” (Hinata)

Thus permitted, Murai-san hesitantly sat in her usual spot. Perhaps Murai-san, being a good person, hesitated to leave Nagisa alone?

“Oh, right, right, I told Hinata-chan, but are you coming tomorrow too, Nagisa? To Yuuto’s ‘End of Exams’ party.” (Akari)

“Wait? I don’t know anything about that.” (Yuuto)

“Yuuto’s mom told me, you know?” (Akari)

“That’s news to me…” (Yuuto)

Apparently, an “End of Exams” party had been planned somewhere without my knowledge. As I wore a bewildered expression, Nagisa, next to me, grinned and said in a voice only I could hear, “It’s kinda funny seeing you get teased when you usually act so cool.”

“So, can you come too, Nagisa~?” (Akari)

When Akari asked her that, Nagisa folded her outstretched legs into a triangle, smiled slightly, looked up at me, and said.

“Is it okay? If I come?” (Nagisa)

“…Please do.” (Yuuto)

Shown a smile softer than any I’d seen before, and hearing her breathy voice, I couldn’t refuse and gave my consent. Careful not to let anyone else see my face…

The next day, I naturally couldn’t attend the “End of Exams” party hosted by Souma, which transcended the boundaries between the General and Advanced courses, so I went straight home.

As I was enjoying the afternoon, simply glad to be home early, and concentrating on my reading, Akari and Murai-san arrived at some point.

Even when Mom started arranging dishes on the table, prepared with more enthusiasm than usual, Nagisa still hadn’t arrived, so it fell to me to go get her.

Ding-dong…

Several seconds passed after I rang the doorbell, but there was no response. Did something urgent come up? Or was she sleeping? Just in case, I rang the bell again, and this time, after a few seconds, I heard a reply.

“…Yes?” (Nagisa)

“It’s me. Think you can make it today? Mom and the others are asking for you, sort of. If you don’t want to, I can tell them for you…” (Yuuto)

“…Come in.” (Nagisa)

The reply that came after a few seconds’ wait was an invitation to enter. I thought about asking why, but the connection to the inside of the room had already been severed. I hesitated, wondering if it was okay to enter a room where a woman lived alone, but in the end, I opened the door.

“It’s dark…” (Yuuto)

In contrast to the perpetually lit apartment building hallway, the only light illuminating Nagisa’s room was the moonlight, slightly veiled by clouds.

“Excuse me for intruding…” (Yuuto)

Fortunately, I knew the layout of the apartment building rooms, so I was able to reach the light switch with only the faint moonlight.

“…What’s wrong?” (Yuuto)

The light that illuminated the room revealed Nagisa, collapsed over the low table in front of the TV.

“…It didn’t work out?” (Yuuto)

“Well, yeah…” (Nagisa)

Deep sadness could be read in the tone of her voice as she replied with that single, quiet word. I didn’t know how much Hokujou Yuuya meant to Nagisa, but he was surely a presence far greater than I could imagine. She must have admired him since childhood, and this was a chance she had finally grasped. The regret of not being able to hold onto it—I couldn’t fully comprehend how immense it must be.

“Sorry, but could you tell Akari it’s no good after all? You see, I’m like this right now.” (Nagisa)

Her slightly muffled voice was a little damp.

“…Can you lift your head?” (Yuuto)

“…Why…?” (Nagisa)

“Because I thought you were crying.” (Yuuto)

“…Actresses don’t cry in private. It lessens the weight of their tears when they perform. They’re not supposed to cry in private. So this is just that kind of acting.” (Nagisa)

She said so in a voice more trembling than before.

“Then acting is fine. I’m okay with being fooled by the ninety percent acting.” (Yuuto)

“…For the sake of the ten percent?” (Nagisa)

“That’s right.” (Yuuto)

“…You’re an idiot.” (Nagisa)

I sat down near Nagisa.

“I told you before, didn’t I? That I’d help.” (Yuuto)

No reply came. But she was waiting for my words.

“I’ve been thinking about it since then. The exam rules didn’t say that Entertainment Course students absolutely had to team up with each other. I went to ask an Entertainment Course teacher on Tuesday, and that was the case.” (Yuuto)

Nagisa’s body moved slightly.

“You’re in a bit of trouble, aren’t you?” (Yuuto)

“Yuuto, you’re definitely bad at this sort of thing, aren’t you…? I’m not in trouble… I’m not in trouble, so…!” (Nagisa)

Her trembling voice became even more watery.

“So you’re in quite a bit of trouble?” (Yuuto)

When I said that, she slowly lifted her head, registered my position out of the corner of her eye, and then collapsed onto my lap.

“Unfair… Unfair. That’s unfair, Yuuto…” (Nagisa)

Nagisa’s head, resting on my thigh, was in a very convenient position for patting, but fortunately, the shred of rationality I’d managed to cling to when she collapsed held me back.

“The way you say things is unfair, seeing through the flow of conversation is unfair, seeing through my acting is unfair, and being kind to a crying girl is the most unfair thing of all.” (Nagisa)

She complained, lightly thumping my thigh.

“…If I cried and asked for help, what would you do, Yuuto?” (Nagisa)

Her voice held a hint of expectation, as if even she knew what the answer would be.

“I’ll do whatever I can. Absolutely.” (Yuuto)

“Then… help me…” (Nagisa)

She suddenly grabbed my arm and guided it to her head. I stated what I had decided in my heart. I’d confirmed with the teacher; rule-wise, there was no problem. Besides, if you weren’t in the Entertainment Course, the judges’ evaluations didn’t matter anyway.

“Is it okay if I do it with you? The exam.” (Yuuto)

The hand resting on Nagisa’s head moved up and down.