On the first day of the new semester, classes ended by mid-morning.
In the end, nothing happened today.
(I thought something like a new student heroine or a new event might happen—it feels odd that it didn’t.)
Thinking in terms of clichés, I expected characters who would drive the story forward or events tinged with some kind of mystery, but surprisingly, there was nothing out of the ordinary, just because Shiho was in a different class.
It felt anticlimactic, considering how vigilant I had been.
“…Guess I’ll head home.”
I stood up from my seat and left the classroom.
Glancing at my phone, I saw a message: “Azu-nyan headed home first (‘ω’)ノ”
From Azusa, there was a brief message saying, “I’ll look after Shimotsuki-san.” Her texts were always simple without emojis or emoticons, typical of her straightforward style.
(Seems like they get along well.)
Maybe because both of them have a somewhat childish side, their mental ages might be close.
…If I were to say that out loud, they’d probably get mad at me…
Lost in thought, I walked out of the school gate and noticed an unfamiliar car parked a short distance away on the roadside. Unlike ordinary cars, it looked very expensive—probably what’s called a ‘luxury car.’
It was a type of car that had no connection to my typical life, so I found myself curious and gazing at it for a moment.
…This reminds me of the second semester of my freshman year.
Back then, right after Mary-san transferred in… she often mentioned something about ‘creating a story’ and was frequently whisked away in a limousine.
I remembered being shocked because the car was unusually spacious inside, even equipped with a refrigerator.
“Hey!”
The window suddenly opened, and I heard someone shouting.
I raised my head and confirmed the person… it was indeed the girl I had been thinking of.
“…Mary-san?”
“NO! I AM BEAUTY… for I am a passing beauty.”
Of course, only Mary would say such a ridiculous thing.
“Hey, high school kid over there! Staring at people in foreign countries could get you into a fight, you know. Remember that. Fakyu!”
“Is that really a thing?”
“Of course. It’s like a monster-catching game where you might get caught by an unpredictable ball in your pocket. If our eyes meet, the battle begins. So, you’re picking a fight with me.”
“I was just looking at the car…”
I chuckled at the absurd accusation.
Or rather, I never expected to encounter Mary…
“Come to think of it, was Mary-san attending this school?”
Her blonde hair was distinctive, so I didn’t think I would have missed her. I asked just to confirm.
“School? I quit. It’s unnecessary for me.”
She murmured through the backseat door.
Her eyes were not on me but seemed to be looking somewhere distant… there was a hint of melancholy.
“…Did something happen?”
“N-nothing at all!? Well, I’ve completed my Master’s degree in America, so attending high school was more of a hobby for me… In other words, I got bored and quit. That’s all.”
Is that really the truth?
While the part about her master’s degree might be true… there seemed to be more to Mary quitting high school than she was letting on.
After all, she’s quite unusual.
(Is it okay to touch on things like her maid outfit?)
After all, she’s a blonde, blue-eyed beauty wearing a maid outfit.
She even had a prim attached to her head… Mary was dressed very unnaturally even for her…
