11.5 Chapter 3: Lost Lamb Introduction

Chapter 3: Lost Lamb Introduction

As the spring break passed by, the 30 days of April would inevitably arrive.

I didn't do anything in particular during these past few days. I just spent my time in my room, enjoying the holiday.

I wanted to welcome the new school year carefreely, just like this...

I woke up just before 8 and noticed that I had received a text message on my phone.

It was from one of Class B's students, Ichinose Honami.

It was an invitation to meet sometime during the spring break.

It seemed like the rest of the break wouldn't end so peacefully.

The date was still in consideration, but she wanted Horikita to come along.

I could guess that Horikita was the main event, and I was just in the undercard. I could even roughly predict what the contents of the conversation were going to be.

It should be about the final examination of our 1st year, the event selection exam. Although Ichinose would've collected some information about it already, she would want to know the details of our own 3 wins and 4 losses against Class A.

The topic of us moving up a year and becoming 2nd-year students would also come up.

It would most likely relate to the cooperative relationship between Ichinose's class and mine. Would it continue? Or would it end? She should want to be sure what would happen to it.

The conversation was probably going to be a mixture of those two topics, rather than only one of them.

Especially the latter topic, discussion regarding that should take priority during this spring break.

"Has Ichinose recovered from what happened yet?"

I thought about the girl who I haven't seen at all during the spring break.

It seemed like the results of the end of year exam were still weighing on Ichinose's heart.

Although they acquired 2 wins, they also suffered 5 losses. A miserable defeat.

Despite us falling back to Class D, the differences in the scores were shrinking.

A change in the class ranks due to a new special exam was now very likely to happen. Class B and the classes below it were now evenly matched. Sooner or later, we'll have to discuss what our classes will do in the future.

The cooperative relationship established in the first year wasn't bad for either of the classes.

If we were to continue this ambiguous cooperative relationship, it would reduce our mental burden by a bit.

But in the future, the fact that this relationship would eventually become detrimental to both classes had finally crossed the mind of both parties.

And when the situation escalated, the relationship would have to be forcefully ended, which would seem dishonourable and uncaring.

To make it clear, other than the lower ranked class, the upper ranked class still had to lay out their plans for the future.

If Horikita knew about Ichinose's invitation for a talk, she would be able to figure out as much as I had.

This wasn't going to be a simple conversation. Instead, it would be an important point of divergence on the basis of what the future held for the two classes.

Even if Ichinose wasn't flexible enough to talk about it, Horikita would probably bring the topic up herself.

Essentially, this conversation was going to happen, no matter what.

Then there was the issue of time. I was available all day today, but what about Horikita?

Horikita's brother said that he would leave on the 31st and deep down, Horikita should still be yearning to talk to her brother in the short time she had left.

If they wanted to do something together as siblings, it wouldn't be surprising.

As for whether her brother would be willing to do it, and whether or not Horikita had the courage to go meet him, that is a separate matter.

I'll send the message to Horikita first.

I also added another line.

[Are you ready to talk to your brother?]

I just wrote up what Ichinose wanted to do and sent it to her. It should be read in a few seconds.

She didn't take long to reply.

[I'm available at any time.]

That was her answer.

No, you're not available at any time.

As I said that within my heart, I wanted to know what her response would be if the time was set to be tomorrow. But deliberately poking at things she cared about would prove troublesome for me.

Her reply had ignored everything to do with her brother.

[So how about April 2nd?]

Pay attention to that day, and leave your thoughts of today and tomorrow behind.

[I'm free today.]

Her reply had a sort of imposing manner to it, meaning that I shouldn't be sticking my nose in this.

Although admitting that she wanted to spend time with her brother was hard for her, all she needed to say was that she was busy.

Even if I said I had plans afterwards, it would be tough to convince her.

[Okay. I also want to deal with the troublesome things first.]

It would be troublesome to go against her now, so I decided to go along with it.

After the meeting ended, she still would have enough time to meet with her brother.

[...That would be difficult]

It seemed like those two would not meet any time before the scheduled meeting they had tomorrow.

I replied to Horikita, agreeing to meet with Ichinose today.

After confirming it with Ichinose, it was decided that our meeting would occur at 10 in the morning, at the café on the 2nd floor of Keyaki Mall.