Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「...I'm sorry. I'm happy with your feelings, but I'm not interested in going out with you」

「Why not? Are you still in love with Takatsuki-san?」

　She's already prepared to be rejected once.

　But this is where it all starts.

「...Yeah. I still like her. So I can't think about going out with another girl」

「But, Takatsuki-san is dating Izumi-kun, right? Are you going to wait until they break up?」

「That's..」

　Before he says anything, Kanako jumps into Kamishiro's chest.

　Then while smelling his sweat and feeling the thickness of his chest plate, she desperately tells him.

「Can't I do it? I may not be able to replace Takatsuki-san, but I need Kamishiro-kun. I'll do my best to make Kamishiro-kun like me」

　Half of her words are true.

　Having broken up with Riko, Kanako needed someone to turn to. It could be anyone, but it should be someone with high specs or a strong will.

　And Kamishiro Yuuki is the perfect person in terms of both situation and ability.

「So, Kamishiro-kun, please go out with me」

「Sorry」

　Kanako looked up at him with moist eyes, but Kamishiro pushed her back.

　He looked like he was holding something back.

　Is he resisting [Beautiful Voice]? No, not at all. ....

　Kamishiro's eyes twisted sadly as he looked at Kanako.

「Even if it wasn't for Takatsuki-san, I wouldn't go out with Sashiro-san. ...Also, you haven't apologized for laughing at Izumi-kun alongside Nishizaki-san, have you?」

「Eh――」

　He said something she didn't expect.

　Kanako stood there with her mouth hanging open.

　...but the person who hurt Chihiro were Riko, and she didn't do anything to him.

　No. Kamishiro doesn't care about that, he's talking about "laughing".

　But then Riko must be worse.

　No. Riko was also mentioned by another classmate during the commotion in class.

『Yeah. I feel bad for Izumi. ...I don't hate Izumi now, and I apologized to him and he forgave me. I'm really sorry for making him feel bad too』

　Chihiro himself affirmed this.

　But still... She had to say something.

　Otherwise, it'll be her fault.

　Kamishiro took an apologetic glance at Kanako, who didn't open her mouth, and then left without looking back.

　The empty corridor made Kanako feel not "special" but "lonely".

　☆　　　☆　　　☆

　Before she knew it, there is nothing left for Kanako.

　After failing to confess her feelings to Kamishiro, Kanako tried to lower his image by spreading rumors.

　――Kamishiro is toying with Aika, even though Kamishiro's true love is the Lolita girl from Class A.

　――Aika is two-timing Kamishiro and Chihiro.

　――Chihiro is a bit of a peckerhead, and demands that Aika play with him in a perverted way.

　However, the rumors disappeared without any success, partly because it was not taken seriously.

　In fact, Kanako, the one who spread the rumor, is looked upon with suspicion.

「...Why?」

　She didn't know how it happened.

　It became hard for her to stay in class, and she muttered to herself as she ate her lunch alone in a corner of the cafeteria.

　Moreover because of that, the shrimp pilaf she ordered was dry and unappetizing.

　There are many happy voices around her. But there is no one by Kanako's side.

　No one.

「Here, can I sit?」

　"Sure", she said.

　A tray is placed in front of the table.

　At the same time, a sweet scent drifted into the air and she looked up to see Reina sitting down on the seat across from her.

「...Why?」

「I came looking for you. Kanako, you've been down lately」

　...Really? For that reason alone?

　Kanako asked again as Reina started to eat the shrimp pilaf.

「But that doesn't mean why?」

「Because we're friends, right?」

「...Friends」

　Reina smiled smugly.

　Rear-eyed and elusive, this friend - or was it still a friend - had the same attitude as before.

「I don't like to be bothered. I want to be relaxed at school, so I came to stop my friends from doing troublesome things」

　*fluffy*

　For some reason, Kanako saw Reina as a kind of holy mother.

「It's natural that things won't work out if you try to force things to go your way. I'll stay by your side, Kanako, so why don't you just be quiet for a while?」

　Without realizing it, a tear falls on her own portion of shrimp pilaf.

「...Yes」

　Kanako felt that the pilaf they ate together tasted better than before.

　Henceforth, she would stop abusing her abilities.

　She decided this out of the trauma of the series of events and out of gratitude to Reina.

　Uno Reina.

　Rank E, ability to emit a reassuring scent, [Fragrance].

　She has an ability similar to her, [Beautiful Voice], and Kanako suddenly recalls that she initially brought her into the group out of caution, lest their goals repel each other and they end up fighting.

　...But now, she's really glad she's on her side.

　Kanako smiles, both heartbroken and grateful for the way she was saved by a friend she made for extremely selfish reasons.

　*fluffy*

　As Reina's delicious smell tickled Kanako's nostrils again, herloneliness disappeared from her heart.