The next day.
"Idiot! Wake up!"
Rikuo woke up to the wake-up call service from Sakiko-sensei.
'Sakiko-sensei is quite vengeful, still thinking about last night.'
"I'm getting up! I'm getting up!"
Rikuo quickly washed up and tidied himself before heading out. Since Tsukinomori is quite far, Mutsumi always leaves a bit earlier. Why didn't she wake Rikuo earlier to leave together? Because Sakiko wanted Rikuo to sleep a little longer. Perhaps, there was also a hint of a young girl's possessiveness.
The two went to school together. Sakiko walked ahead the whole way, pretending to be angry. But, from time to time, Sakiko would secretly look back to see if Rikuo was still following her.
Rikuo, of course, also noticed her small actions, and of course, he wouldn't expose her.
'Has Sakiko-sensei evolved into her complete form? She needs to stay away from Hatsune; I'm afraid she might act impulsively.'
...
The two arrived at the Haneoka entrance. Sakiko turned around, not even looking Rikuo in the eye, and handed him the bento. Rikuo quickly took it, and Sakiko turned and left without any hesitation.
"Haha! Riku and Sakiko had a fight, didn't they?"
Anon and Tomori had been observing the two from behind for a long time. Only after Sakiko left did Anon dare to approach Rikuo and talk to him.
"Hmm, I don't think so? Saki-chan seemed to be secretly watching Rikuo-kun the whole time. And I didn't sense any angry emotions."
Tomori rejected Anon's argument!
'Tomori really has special abilities, doesn't she? She only followed for a few dozen meters and noticed, while I only saw Sakiko secretly looking back after following her for quite a while.'
"No fight, it's probably... Sakiko-sensei's 'those few days' of the month?"
Rikuo couldn't say that Sakiko confessed to him and he politely rejected her. Activating his i9-level CPU, he immediately thought of the most indirect answer!
"What are you talking about!?"
Sakiko hadn't gone far. Because her physical condition had been strengthened, and she was also paying attention to Rikuo, she naturally heard Rikuo's nonsense.
Sakiko came back, slapped Rikuo hard on the shoulder, and then left again.
"Hmm, Saki-chan seems to be truly angry?"
"I didn't know before, but that hit probably used 7 of Spades."
Rikuo felt a tingling sensation in his shoulder, but Sakiko had still held back her strength.
"Haha! Anon-sama's deduction skills are indeed amazing, aren't they!"
"..."
Rikuo looked at Anon, becoming even more suspicious that she might be deliberately playing dumb.
Just then, Rikuo's phone rang. Rikuo unlocked the screen and saw a message from Sakiko.
[Sorry, Rikuo, I used a bit too much force just now. Since I've apologized, you can't dislike me, okay? But next time, you can't say such things behind my back.]
Rikuo put away his phone and thought for a moment.
"Sakiko-sensei has been possessed by Pink Husky! The sugar content of this message is off the charts!"
"Riku! You're saying that word again! I'm going to get angry too!"
And so, Rikuo's shoulder was slapped again by Anon.
...
Noon.
Wind Instrument Club.
Sakiko sat at the grand piano, her fingertips heavily striking the prelude to "Castle in the Sky." The piano music was more intense than usual, as if pouring all her troubles onto the black and white keys.
Outside the door, there was a cautious knock.
"Sakiko-sensei?"
Rikuo poked half his head in.
Sakiko didn't turn around, her fingers continued to dance on the keys, but the melody had changed to Chopin's "Raindrop Prelude." It conveyed slowness, coldness, and a clear sense of detachment.
Rikuo scratched his head and walked to a desk to sit down.
"Sakiko-sensei, let's go buy a keyboard tomorrow. Then you won't have to borrow the piano anymore..."
Rikuo tried to find some topics.
'Sakiko-sensei's message was really sent by Anon, wasn't it?'
"Although I haven't really studied music in depth, Sakiko, you play really well."
Sakiko looked at him in silence.
"Oh, right! Although Soyo invited me to her house today, you and Soyo are so close, you can come along too, right? So why don't we just..."
Bang—
Sakiko suddenly closed the piano lid. She finally turned her head, her eyes as cold as a potato from Siberia.
"Rikuo!"
"Here!"
"Actually, I'm not angry. I'm just wondering why you insist on keeping your distance from us."
"Huh? Did I?"
"Rikuo, think about it carefully. Unless someone needs help, you seem to have never initiated contact with anyone, have you?"
After her subtle confession failed last night, Sakiko analyzed all of Rikuo's actions so far. Rikuo only approached people when he was invited. Especially, whenever things were over, he would quickly extricate himself, as if afraid of getting involved with others.
'He says we're friends, but he's completely unwilling to form too many bonds with others? Even if he wants to fight against fate, why does he have to go to such lengths?'
Those he helped seemed unable to find a way to reciprocate him, as if he never had any specific needs, as if he existed independently in another world.
"Aren't we just friends? Sakiko, you're overthinking it, aren't you?"
Sakiko stood up and sat next to Rikuo.
"Do you know why I played 'Castle in the Sky' and 'Raindrop Prelude'?"
"Sorry, Sakiko, my understanding of music is very shallow. I can't understand."
Sakiko didn't intend for Rikuo to answer.
"Because their choruses both use diminished seventh chords, expressing feelings that cannot be conveyed."
Rikuo blinked, then suddenly realized!
"Just like Tachibana always shoots Kenzaki! They simply can't understand each other!"
Hearing Rikuo still trying to muddle through, Sakiko took a deep breath and grabbed Rikuo's shoulders.
"You're really condescending, Rikuo! Why can't you think about yourself a little?"
Sakiko suddenly hugged Rikuo.
Rikuo couldn't react to Sakiko's sudden move and could only stand there in a daze.
"I know you are Blade, and I've also found out that you bear the fate of the world. But why can't you look at yourself more?"
'Is that so? Maybe I am indeed condescending. Because everyone is a character in an anime, because like an RPG protagonist, bearing the fate of the world, I only think about how to help them avoid regrets, and then, after the deed is done, I leave. But, I am also a part of this world.'
But Rikuo still didn't know how to reply. It wasn't that he couldn't sort out his emotions like before. He was just purely embarrassed, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Hmph, you really are an idiot!"
Sakiko let go of Rikuo, picked up her small bag, and walked out the door.
"But, Mr. Idiot, don't forget! We agreed that on your birthday, I would give myself to you. You can't escape this time."
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