The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses: Our Secret Classroom Ch.2: A Day Without Glasses and Sakurazaka's Hand

The classroom in April still had a certain unfamiliar chill to it. Three days since the class shuffle. I—Komura Kaede—pretended to open my textbook at my desk while stealing a glance at the seat next to mine. Mie Ai. Her black hair swayed around her shoulders, the tips curling just slightly. Her big dark eyes faced forward. And today, once again, she wasn't wearing glasses. ...Again, huh. I muttered it in my head. No—it wasn't like I had any reason to care. If the girl next to me forgot her glasses, that had nothing to do with me. That's what I'd thought, and yet. Morning homeroom. Our homeroom teacher, Mr. Saga, stood at the podium. All right, announcements for today! Tomorrow's physical exams, so don't forget your gym clothes! His voice rang through the classroom. Mie was staring intently at Mr. Saga's face at the blackboard. Squinting. Making a weird face, like she was scowling. Ah—without her glasses, she can't even see the teacher's face. I scribbled a small note in the corner of my notebook. "Mie forgot her glasses." ...Wait, why am I taking notes on this? The chime rang, and first period began. Math. The teacher wrote on the blackboard. I copied into my notebook while sensing the presence beside me. Mie had her textbook open on her desk. But her gaze wasn't on the board—it was on my notebook. No, more precisely, she was leaning her face toward my notebook. Close. Really close. "...Um, Mie?" When I spoke, Mie slowly turned toward me. Then she leaned in even closer. Our noses were about to touch. Her big dark eyes stared at my face. Still with that scowling look. ...Ah, Komura. Good morning. "G-good morning... I mean, you don't have to look from that close—" My heart was making a strange noise. I forgot my glasses again today. Would you let me look at your notebook? "...Go ahead. I mean, my notes aren't that neat, though." That helps. Your handwriting is big and easy to read, Komura. Mie peered at my notebook and began writing in her own. I took a deep breath in my mind. Calm down. There's no way someone like me would register on her radar. She's just troubled because she forgot her glasses. Even as I told myself that, something stirred deep in my chest. When I see your face up close, Komura, I feel reassured. Mie said that out of nowhere. Her voice was dreamy. "...Huh?" You look like my dad, so it's comforting. I want to make sure I don't forget your face, Komura. My dad. Again, my dad. I smiled, feeling complicated. Ahaha... you think so? Mie nodded, satisfied, and turned back to her notebook. I ran a hand through my hair and looked out the window. The cherry blossoms in the schoolyard were scattering in the wind. My dad, huh. Well, I guess that's about right for someone like me. When second period ended, it was time for lunch. Today's menu: corn potage, bread, a hamburger steak, and salad. Students lined up at the serving counter. Mie too, walking unsteadily toward the counter. Without her glasses, she probably couldn't see the tray positions or tell the dishes apart. I held my own tray and watched her from behind. Then— Mie reached for the tray next to another student, thinking it was hers. "Ah—Mie, that's—" I called out instinctively and reached for her arm. Just as my hand was about to touch her, Mie turned around. ...Komura? "Th-that's the guy next to you's tray. Yours is over here." I held out the correct tray in front of her. Mie looked back and forth between the tray and my face. And then, again— She leaned her face in close. Komura, you can see so well. Amazing. "No, I'm just seeing normally... I mean, close, you're too close—" My heart was so loud. I pretended to be calm and returned to my seat. While eating lunch, I glanced at Mie. She took a bite of her hamburger steak and nodded in satisfaction. Her face was completely different from that scowl earlier—soft. ...I wonder what her face looks like when she's wearing glasses. No, seriously. What am I thinking? Lunch break. Amid the classroom chatter, I was getting ready for the next class. Suddenly, Mie tugged at my sleeve. ...Komura. It was a small voice. "Hm? What's wrong?" Mie glanced around the room, then lowered her voice even more. Um... today, I forgot to put on shorts under my skirt. ...Huh? For a moment, I couldn't process what she'd said. Shorts. Under her skirt. "...Uh, why are you telling me that?" Komura, could you lend me your jacket? I'll wrap it around my waist. Mie said it with a serious face. Wait, hold on. Lending her my jacket means my jacket would be wrapped around Mie's waist. Which means, indirectly... "Awa-wa... no, but if my jacket's okay—" Flustered, I took off my jacket and handed it to her. Thank you. I'll definitely repay you for this someday. Mie wrapped my jacket around her waist. ...This has turned into something incredible. I screamed internally. I want to preserve today's hand sebum on a cotton swab. No, what am I even saying? As I was thinking that, a familiar voice came from the back of the classroom. Hey hey, Komura, are you lending your jacket to Mie? I turned around to see Someya Narumi, her brown twin-tails swaying, grinning at me. "Th-that's not it! This is, um... it's not like that!" What are you panicking for? I didn't say anything weird. Someya slapped my shoulder repeatedly. You're really soft on Mie, aren't you, Komura? Are you two dating? "W-we're not dating! Absolutely not!" My voice cracked as I desperately denied it. Someya was laughing gleefully. Yeah yeah, I'll let it be that way. "Let it be that way," she says. What even is that. I screamed internally once more. There's no way someone like me could date Mie. ...Even as I thought that— Something deep in my chest gave a small, sharp ache. After school. The end-of-day meeting finished, and handouts were passed out. They went from the back rows forward. Mie tried to place the handout she received on her desk— And her hand slipped. The paper fluttered to the floor. Ah. She reached for the floor. But maybe she couldn't gauge the distance—her hand grasped at empty air. I quickly picked up the handout. "Here, you dropped this." Mie took the paper from my hand. Thank you. You really are a caretaker, Komura. "I-it's nothing, really." I ran a hand through my hair to hide my embarrassment. Then, a thought surfaced in my mind. ...If I'm going to say it, now's the time. My heart pounding, I opened my mouth. "Hey, Mie." Yes? "...So you don't forget your glasses—want to walk home together?" I said it. I actually said it. Mie looked at me with a blank expression. Then, slowly, she broke into a smile. Are you sure? I'm so happy. "Y-yeah. I'll walk you home. I just thought... to keep you from forgetting your glasses, it might be better to go together." You're so kind, Komura. Well then, please. Mie nodded happily. Seeing that smile, my chest tightened. ...This is bad. Don't get carried away, me. This is just being a caretaker. I'm just helping her so she doesn't forget her glasses. Telling myself that, I left the classroom with Mie. The sky over Tokiwagawa City was dyed in evening colors. We walked from Hekiryo Middle School toward the Tokiwa Station shopping street. Behind the shopping street, a slope called Sakurazaka stretched toward the hills. In spring it became a row of cherry trees—a three-hundred-meter slope. Now, cherry petals were dancing in the air. Komura, my curfew is six o'clock. Mie said as we walked. "Curfew?" Yes. Six p.m. If I break it, I don't get to drink my morning cocoa. Cocoa. So Mie drinks cocoa every morning. "That's... rough." Yes. So I can't really stop anywhere after school. You're walking me home today, right? That helps. "Yeah, of course." I nodded. We walked the slope together. Cherry petals rode the wind, dancing around us. Mie walked watching the ground, occasionally checking her footing. Without glasses, she probably can't see the ground well either. I matched her pace and walked slowly. Your hands are big, Komura. Mie said suddenly. "...Huh?" I looked at my own hands. See, compared to mine, they're so big. Your hands look warm, Komura. Mie held her hand up beside mine. Not touching. But very close. I thought my heartbeat might be audible to her. "...Y-you think so? I think they're normal." Um, Komura. I feel like I've held your hand somewhere before. I wonder why. Mie murmured softly. I nearly stopped in my tracks. "...Must be your imagination." You think so? But somehow it feels nostalgic. Mie tilted her head. Her words stuck with me strangely. Held my hand before? Me, holding Mie's hand? ...I don't remember that. But if she says so, maybe we met somewhere before. I felt a murky feeling spreading in my chest. Don't get carried away. Someone like me. Muttering that in my heart, I started walking again. When we reached the top of Sakurazaka, an old apartment building came into view. A sign that read "Mie-so." Mie's home. Komura, thank you so much for today. Walking me all the way home. Mie bowed politely. "No, I offered on my own. More importantly, try not to forget your glasses tomorrow." Yes. I hope this one listens to me tomorrow. Mie tapped her bag gently. Treating her glasses like a living thing. ...I thought it was cute. No, seriously. "Well then, see you tomorrow." Yes. See you tomorrow. I want to make sure I don't forget your face, Komura. With that, Mie disappeared into the apartment. I stood there for a while. A cherry petal fluttered down onto my shoulder. ...I want to make sure I don't forget—all of today. I murmured that in my heart. When I got home, a good smell came from the entryway. "I'm home." Welcome back, Kaede. My mother, Sayo, poked her head out from the kitchen. Her bright brown hair was tied up. This hair color of mine was dyed on my mother's suggestion. It used to be black. It's stew today. How was school? "...Yeah, so-so." I washed my hands and sat at the table. While eating stew, I gave her the abbreviated version of my day. "The girl next to me forgot her glasses again. I was helping her all day." Oh, really? Kaede's always been good at looking after people. Sayo giggled. "Looking after people... I just couldn't leave her alone. Someone like me can only do so much anyway." There you go again. Sayo looked at me with a slightly troubled expression. Kaede, you always say 'someone like me.' Have more confidence. "...It's not that I don't have confidence." Yeah yeah. But the girl next to you must be glad to have you looking after her. Sayo said that and took a bite of stew. I sighed internally. My mother was right. Since I was little, I've done nothing but hold back. Even when I want something, I say I don't need it. Because I didn't want to cause trouble for my mother. Even now, that habit hasn't gone away. I desperately pretended to be calm so Mie wouldn't realize I was conscious of her. That was the same thing. The truth is, I want to talk to her more. I want to know more about her. But someone like me. ...My habit of holding back was showing in my attitude toward Mie too. Realizing that, something deep in my chest ached sharply. After dinner, I went back to my room. I picked up my phone and saw a notification on the class chat app. Someya Narumi: Hey hey, Komura and Mie walked home together, right? Someone says they saw you on Sakurazaka? Kawato Asuka: Wait, really? I gripped my phone. ...This is bad. Someya, why would you— I could picture Someya's gleeful face on the other side of the screen. Shaking her brown twin-tails, eyes sparkling, looking right at me. More notifications followed. Mie Ai: Komura walked me home. ...What. Mie, you're saying

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The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses: Our Secret Classroom Episode 2: A Day Without Glasses and Sakurazaka's Hand