Class 2-3 was even more restless than yesterday before homeroom began. Outside the window, October's morning sun fell across Capsule Middle School's grounds. The sky was clear. Perfect weather for the pair dance competition today. Kakarotto sat by the window in the back row, gazing outside. (I might step on her feet again today.) He thought back to yesterday's practice. Every time he messed up a step, Chichi yelled at him. But when he said "dancing with Chichi is fun," her face went strange for just a moment. He still didn't understand what that expression meant. Then the door opened. It was Morino-sensei. A Japanese teacher in his thirties with tired eyes. Today he came into the classroom with antacid tablets in his shirt pocket. He was holding a single sheet of paper. "[gentle]Well then, everyone, good morning" The class quieted down a little. "[gentle]Today is the pair dance competition. Let's do our best. ……But first, I have an announcement" The teacher looked toward the classroom entrance. "[gentle]Starting today, we have a transfer student. She was supposed to start yesterday, but due to paperwork……please come in" The door opened. Golden hair, long and flowing, changed the air in the classroom. Loose waves of gold cascaded from her shoulders to her waist, catching the light with a faint shimmer. She was tall. Her posture was perfect, and somehow her uniform looked pristine despite being her first day. Amber eyes slowly swept across the classroom. No one spoke. Those eyes——moved. From the hallway side to the window side. Straight through the desks. All the way to the back row. They stopped at Kakarotto. It was the same as yesterday. The girl who had whispered "finally found you" and stood there. "[cold]I'm Flora. Nice to meet you" It was brief. Just a self-introduction. The classroom froze. Flora walked over to Morino-sensei and said something quietly. The teacher checked the paperwork and made a troubled face. "[sad]Um……you want to move to the empty seat next to him?" Flora nodded. "[sad]That would be the seat next to Kakarotto-kun……" The teacher looked at Kakarotto. Kakarotto looked back with a confused expression. "[gentle]I'm totally fine with it?" "[sad]……Yes, then, please go ahead" The teacher's antacid tablets made a faint sound in his pocket. Chichi watched from her seat——two rows in front of Kakarotto——her eyes fixed on the scene. Flora set her things on the window seat. Distance from Kakarotto: fifty centimeters. From Chichi's position, the golden hair was clearly visible at a diagonal angle ahead. (Why……why next to him……) She gripped the notebook in her hand tightly. Her knuckles turned white. Kakarotto looked at Flora and smiled. "[gentle]Nice to meet you. Let me know if you need anything" Flora didn't answer. She just looked at Kakarotto. With eyes that seemed to be confirming something, searching for something. The class began to buzz. "Hey, what does that girl want with Kakarotto?" "She said 'finally found you' yesterday too, right?" "But why is she so beautiful?" "Wait, she knows Kakarotto?" Word spread instantly, and before anyone knew it, three boys had volunteered to "introduce Flora-san to Kakarotto." The kid in the front seat complained to the one behind, "You're closer, so you get to talk first!" The kid in back shot back, "I don't even want to talk to her!" And the kid in the hallway column voiced everyone's true feelings: "But don't you wanna know……" Morino-sensei stood at the front and closed his eyes. "[sad]……Could you all be a little quieter" It didn't quiet down. "[sad]You can't, can you" The teacher put an antacid tablet in his mouth. His first one. --- Lunch break came. The hallway in front of the gymnasium was crowded today. The student council was moving around preparing for the dance competition, and somewhere a voice shouted, "The order for events 3 and 6 has been switched!" As Kakarotto walked down the hallway, Flora appeared in front of him. Amber eyes pointed straight at him. "[serious]Today's dance" "Huh?" "[serious]I'll teach you the steps directly. You have time now, right" Kakarotto scratched his head. "[gentle]But my partner is already——" "[angry]Wait a minute!" A voice flew at them. It was Chichi. Her deep green hair swayed as she approached quickly, clutching her notebook to her chest. Her gray eyes were fixed firmly on Flora. "[serious]I'm his partner today. Teaching Kakarotto-kun the steps is my job" Flora looked at Chichi. "[cold]I know. But how many times did he step on you yesterday" "[serious]That's……but it's fine!" "[cold]It doesn't look fine" "[angry]It is fine!" The two faced off in the hallway. Flora's expression didn't change. Chichi's face was red. Then footsteps came. "My" Bulma passed by. Her light blue hair swayed at her shoulders. Data was displayed on the tablet in her hand, but the moment she saw the situation in the hallway, she lowered the screen. "[sarcastic]Still at it, huh" "[cold]Do you have business here too?" "[sarcastic]Not really. Just passing through" Bulma stood next to Kakarotto. Naturally. With a face that seemed unconcerned. But she positioned herself squarely between Flora and Chichi. "[sarcastic]But since I'm here, let me ask. Coming to steal your partner on your first day of transfer——that's quite an interesting hobby" "[cold]I didn't come to steal him. I came to help" "[sarcastic]Worried about Kakarotto-kun's feet? How kind" "[serious]That's not what I——" "[angry]Kakarotto-kun will dance with me!" "[sarcastic]Right, right, that's probably the most sensible arrangement" Three girls surrounded Kakarotto. Kakarotto looked at each of them in turn. Chichi, Flora, Bulma. All of them looked like they had something to say. (Something's going on……?) He didn't understand the situation. But then he remembered something. "[gentle]By the way, do you know what's for lunch today?" The hallway stopped. All three looked at Kakarotto at the same time. Chichi froze. Bulma blinked. Flora's expression cracked for the first time——her lips moved, just barely, so very slightly. "…………" Three deep sighs escaped into the hallway. At that moment, Morino-sensei, peeking from around the corner of the hallway, quietly took his second antacid tablet. --- Two o'clock in the afternoon. Kakarotto and Chichi stood on the gymnasium stage. The audience——just folding chairs lined up——held about half the school. Three teachers and two PTA representatives sat at the judges' table. Waiting pairs lined up in the wings. The competition music began to play. Chichi turned to face Kakarotto. Her gray eyes were serious. Not a single strand of her deep green hair was out of place. Kakarotto only vaguely knew how much time Chichi had spent practicing yesterday and the day before. "[serious]Today we're definitely going to nail it" "[gentle]Yeah, let's do our best" The music marked its rhythm. One step, two steps. Thud. "[angry]Again!!" "[laughing]Oh, sorry. It's the left, right, left!" Quiet but desperate exchanges. Some laughter rippled through the audience. Kakarotto stepped out again. This time he got it right. The two began to move. Chichi's rhythm was perfect. Her body remembered the steps they'd practiced dozens of times yesterday. She led Kakarotto's hand, changed their direction, moved with the music. (He's actually following.) Kakarotto felt it. Chichi was moving at his pace. Not faster, not slower. Just right. Midway through the routine. He almost messed up a step again. But Chichi guided him gently with the angle of her hand. When he realized it, they were in sync. That was when Kakarotto really looked at Chichi's face for the first time. She was desperate. Tense, but not giving up. Stepping properly, listening to the music, trying to do everything. (……Has Chichi always had this face while standing next to me?) He suddenly thought. Not just today. During yesterday's practice too, and after she said "we're friends, right?" Maybe she'd been beside him with this face the whole time. Something stirred faintly in his chest. (Friends……or maybe not……) He couldn't quite put it into words. But something felt different. In the final part of the routine, Kakarotto gripped Chichi's hand again. On his own. Firmly. Chichi flinched. For a moment, their eyes met. Chichi's eyes widened. Her gray pupils reflected Kakarotto directly. (Ah) Something pulsed heavily in Chichi's chest. Kakarotto didn't let go of her hand until the very end. The music stopped. Applause came from the audience. The score wouldn't place them, but they wouldn't find that out until after leaving the stage. --- At the edge of the stage, before the results were announced. Kakarotto said to Chichi: "[gentle]Let's dance together again. Dancing with you feels the most right" Chichi froze. (Most right……) The word "most" pierced her chest. Painful, happy, frustrating——all at once. (Not because we're friends, right? Tell me it's not because we're friends?) She wanted to say it. She wanted to scream "I don't want to be just friends……!" But no sound came out. Instead, her eyes grew hot. Tears were coming. She wouldn't cry here. She forced a smile. "[gentle]……Yeah. Let's definitely do it again, okay" Her voice trembled slightly. Kakarotto looked at Chichi's face. "[gentle]Why do you look like you're about to cry?" His voice was straightforward. Chichi froze. (Did he just……ask?) Even when she'd felt like crying so many times before, Kakarotto had never asked. He'd just said "we're friends, right?" and walked away, leaving Chichi alone. But today——he asked. "…………" She couldn't say anything. All her words disappeared somewhere. She looked at Kakarotto while holding back her tears. --- A little distance from the audience, Kuririn watched it all. His light blue round head caught the October sunlight. The tear marks from last night's rooftop had already dried. He saw the moment Kakarotto gripped Chichi's hand again. He saw the moment her eyes widened. He couldn't hear their conversation after leaving the stage, but he could see Chichi smiling with tears in her eyes. Kuririn pressed his lips together tightly and looked forward. He nodded slowly, quietly. (Good for you.) That was all. That was enough. --- After the competition ended, students filed out of the gymnasium. Kakarotto and Chichi walked side by side down the hallway. Chichi's eyes were still a little red, but she was smiling. Kakarotto had started talking about something related to lunch. Probably thinking about dinner tonight. Flora stood with her back against the hallway wall. Arms uncrossed, not looking down. Just watching the two of them walk away. Not angry. Not sad. Just eyes that seemed to be waiting for something. "[whispers]You still haven't completely forgotten about me, have you" Her voice was small, dissolving into the hallway noise. Then footsteps came. "[serious]You" Bejīta walked down the hallway and stopped beside Flora. Dark blue spiky hair, burning red eyes. His brows furrowed, he looked at Flora. "[serious]What's your connection to Kakarotto" Flora looked at Bejīta. Her amber eyes turned toward him for just a second——then returned to the hallway where the two had walked. She said nothing. Bejīta started to say something, then stopped. The air around this girl felt strange. Not like an ordinary transfer student. That was all the sense he had. Eventually, Bejīta looked toward the other side of the hallway. Bulma was operating her tablet at the gymnasium exit. She seemed to be compiling today's dance competition data. (……Not that I care about the data, but) Bejīta walked forward. Toward Bulma. "[serious]Is your data accurate" Bulma looked up. "[sarcastic]……Of course it is. What are you talking about?" "[serious]The dance scoring. Can you prove with numbers whether the judges evaluated it correctly" Bulma looked at Bejīta. Two seconds.