"What do I do now? ... Oh well!"
"Actually, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Can we do it during lunch? It's just that... a lot has happened," was all I could say.
The silence in the classroom made our voices completely audible. Everyone stared at us, open-mouthed. The general confusion was evident. At that moment, as if the universe had decided to break the tension, the bell rang announcing the start of class. The metallic clang startled even those who were more attentive to gossip than to the clock.
"Huh? Well, it looks like we don't have time. See you at lunch then," said Anna-san, as if nothing had happened. She returned to her desk with a steady gait, calm, unperturbed, as if she hadn't just caused a social earthquake in the classroom.
Immediately afterwards, the teacher entered to begin the class.
For the next hour, I felt eyes piercing the back of my neck like needles. It was uncomfortable, but I tried to ignore them. I focused on my notebook and the teacher's voice, although it was difficult to concentrate knowing that my every move generated a new silent rumor.
When the lunch bell finally rang, for the first time in my life I felt nervous about something as trivial as eating. Less than two minutes later, Anna-san approached, carrying her lunch box.
"Well, I'm all ears," she said.
"... Why did you bring your lunch?"
"It's going to take a while, isn't it? So we'll have lunch while we talk," she replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Eh, you're right. I hadn't thought of that..."
My mind was a mess, I couldn't concentrate with so many eyes on me. And Kaito's gaze was particularly intense, as if he were judging me for committing a historic crime.
"Um... I think it's better to go somewhere else. It's a rather personal matter, and we're attracting a lot of attention," I said, glancing at the sea of curious onlookers who weren't hiding their interest.
"You're right. It would be awkward with everyone watching us..." He turned to his group.
"Luucy, guys! See you later! I'll explain later."
And just like that, we left the classroom. As soon as we took a few steps, a wave of murmurs erupted behind us.
"So... where are we going? To the dining hall?" Anna asked as we walked down the hallway.
"A quieter place would be better. And by the way... you seem very used to this. Doesn't it bother you that everyone is staring at us?"
"At first it was, but you get used to it. You just have to ignore them. How about the backyard, right next to the library? Hardly anyone goes there, and there are tables and chairs. Perfect for a quiet lunch."
"Good idea. Let's go."
When we arrived, I saw that her assumption was correct: the place was almost empty. We sat down at one of the tables under the shade of a tree and began to eat lunch.
"First things first... Yamazaki-san, both Mia and her mother thank you for helping them yesterday," I said, keeping my promise.
"So it was them. I'm glad I could help. I was just about to run an errand when I saw them looking for the cat. I went over to ask them what was wrong and told them everything. As soon as I finished, they thanked me and hurried off to find you. The kitten... I think his name was Kuro. How is he?"
"Well... unfortunately, he died. He was seriously injured and we couldn't save him."
Anna looked down, and for a moment her smile faded.
"Oh... I'm so sorry. The girl looked very worried. How is she?"
"She cried a lot... Kuro was very important to her. But then she calmed down. She met my family and, well... she got a little distracted."
"Poor thing... I wish I could have been with her. At least to give her a hug," she whispered sincerely.
Little by little, the atmosphere relaxed. I told her the most important things that had happened: from Mia's reaction to dinner at my house, playing with Lissette, and how she fell asleep in my arms.
Anna laughed when she heard all that.
"So you're her big brother now, huh? Good luck... onii-chan," she joked, pointing at me with her chopsticks.
"Aren't you embarrassed to say that?"
"Not at all. It's very sweet. And by the way... I want to meet her. You're going to visit her today, right? Let me go with you!"
"Hmm, that should be fine. I'll let Hiori-san know." Although somewhat hesitant, I decided to ask.
I took out my cell phone and dialed. I explained to Hiori that a classmate would be accompanying me to visit Mia. After hanging up, I spoke to Anna again.
"By the way, it seems that Kuro's remains will be cremated today at Kannō-ji Temple. They rented a car to go there as soon as we finish class. It's not very far, it'll be a half-hour drive. I agreed... but what do you say?"
"Of course I'll go! Just let me ask for permission. Wait a moment," she replied and took out her cell phone.
After a brief call, she returned with a confident smile.
"All set. Please take care of me, Nakagawa-kun!"
"Huh? They gave you permission that easily? You barely know me..."
"I said you were going with your family and that you were a good person. Besides, my parents trust me a lot. I've earned their trust," she said, puffing out her chest proudly.
"Well... then let's plan this carefully. We'll go out together after school. But... you saw what happened earlier, right? Everyone went crazy. If we go out together again, the rumors won't stop."
"Ahhh, we can just say we're friends, right?"
"Think about me a little! You're practically an idol. You suddenly getting close to me like this, when we hardly ever talk, and then going out together... that's the kind of thing that makes the rumor forums explode."
"Hmph. I really don't care. Rumors are just that: rumors. Although... it does bother me to attract so much attention."
"Problems of popular people?" I said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Hey! It's not like I asked for it," she replied, pouting a little.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Then let's stick to the plan we already made. Although... I'd rather keep Mia-chan a secret, at least as far as her personal history is concerned."
"Okay. I'm in. As soon as I see her, I'm going to spoil her rotten!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
"You'd better control yourself a little..." RING RING!
The bell signaling the end of lunch rang. We looked at each other in surprise.
"What!? So soon?! Come on, Nakagawa-kun! We'll be late!"
"You're right!"
We picked up our bentos and hurried to the classroom. On the way, Anna spoke again.
"By the way, I want to bring Mia-chan a gift. What does she like?"
"Hmm... she loves chocolates. There's a store on the way to her house, you can buy some there.
"Perfect. I have enough from my allowance. Thanks for the tip!"
"You're welcome."
When we arrived at the classroom, we ran into our homeroom teacher, Yonikawa-sensei.
"Oh, you're just in time. Come in, we're about to start."
When we walked through the door, the classroom fell silent. Once again, all eyes were on us. Anna whispered to me:
"See you later."
"See you later," I replied softly.
We sat down in our seats. Yonikawa-sensei began the class, but less than ten minutes later, a folded piece of paper fell onto my desk. I opened it discreetly.
It was from Sota.
[Hey, what happened with Yamazaki-san? You two seemed to get along really well. Everyone is talking about it. Kaito was shocked and now says that you two are childhood friends. Please explain something to me!"
I sighed.
I wrote on the back:
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
I returned the paper and, with a resigned sigh, finally concentrated on the class... while thinking about what story to make up to avoid social chaos on Monday.
*
It was time to leave, so I packed up my things while watching Anna-san chat with her friends. She said goodbye to them with a smile and then walked over to me.
"Okay, we need to hurry," she said, waving briefly to Sota and the others.
"Guys, I know you have a lot of questions. It's okay, we'll talk about it calmly on Monday, okay? See you later!" I added before leaving the classroom with her.
As we left the school, several eyes were on us. Again. It wasn't the first time they had looked at us, and apparently it wouldn't be the last.
"I hope this doesn't last long," I said with resignation.
"You'll get used to it. Oh, by the way, according to the story I told Luucy and the others, you and I met online. We talked about cooking, but never about our private lives... so we didn't realize we went to the same school until yesterday." She said it with impressive naturalness.
"Excuse me?" I asked, somewhat confused.
"Just as you heard it. From now on, one of your hobbies is cooking all kinds of dishes, both domestic and foreign. That love of cooking is what brought us together. Brilliant, don't you think?"
"Ahhh, well... let's stick with that story. I'm pretty good at cooking, so it's not such a lie."
"You know how to cook? That's great! Luucy is a disaster in the kitchen, practically a walking hazard. Besides..."
I couldn't help but smile when I saw how excited she was about the subject. She told me anecdotes with such joy that, for a moment, she seemed to forget everything else. It was... contagious.
"Yes, I think it's better to let it brown a little more. Ah, look, that's the store. Take the opportunity to buy some sweets," I said, nodding toward the small shop.
"Wow, we got here without me noticing."
"Okay, I won't be long," she replied, entering the store.
After she finished shopping, we resumed our journey. After a few minutes, I saw a black car parked in front of Mia-chan's house.
"Look, we're almost there. See that car? That's where Mia-chan lives," I said, pointing to the house with one hand and taking out my cell phone with the other to let Hiori-san know we were close.
Suddenly, a small figure shot out the door.
"Onii-chan? Onii-chan!" she shouted happily when she recognized me, running toward me with all her might.
I crouched down just in time to catch her in my arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, with a smile so pure that it was impossible not to respond with tenderness.
"Hello Mia-chan, it's good to see you. Look who came with me," I said, stroking her head.
"Eh?... Aaaahh! The Onee-chan from yesterday!" she exclaimed when she saw Anna-san, whom she had just noticed thanks to my gaze.
It seemed that Hiori-san had wanted Anna-san's presence to be a surprise. For some reason, she remained silent for a few seconds, looking at us with an expression that was somewhere between distracted and... blushing?
"Yamazaki-san?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Ahhh! I-I'm sorry... I got a little distracted," she replied hastily.
"It's nice to see you again, Mia-chan. My name is Yamazaki Anna, and I heard you like chocolate, so... I brought you some. Here you go," she said, handing her a bag.
"Oh... thank you... uh..." she replied somewhat shyly.
"You can call me Anna, don't be shy."
"Yes! Thank you, Anna onee-chan," she replied cheerfully, still in my arms. She didn't seem to have any intention of getting down.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hiori-san approaching.
"Hello William-kun, Yamazaki-san, right? Thank you very much for joining us," she greeted us kindly.
"It's nice to see you again, Hiori-san. After hearing what happened, I just couldn't sit idly by. I'll be in your care today."
"Thank you for thinking of Mia, I really appreciate it. Okay, get in the car or we'll be late," she said, pointing to the vehicle.
In the car, Hiori-san drove while Anna-san and I sat in the back seat. Mia was still sitting on my lap, entertained by the candy.
"It's a shame your sister couldn't join us. How is she?" Hiori-san asked.
"She's feeling a little better now. It seems her fever has gone down, and since she has a weak constitution, Mom asked for time off work to take care of her. We just have to wait for her to make a full recovery."
"By the way, Yamazaki-san, would you mind telling us a little more about yourself? I'd also like to have your parents' number so I can let them know you're okay."
"No problem. Well... I'm an only child, and..."
Anna-san began to talk about her life, her voice a little shy at first, but she soon loosened up. She talked about her tastes, how much she likes to read mystery novels, and her recent hobby of learning to bake.
*
When we arrived at the temple, Anna-san carefully held the urn containing Kuro's remains, while I carried Mia. She looked at everything with curious eyes, and Anna, noticing this, explained some of the things she was seeing.
With the arrival of the priest, the ceremony began. It was brief but emotional. We placed the columbariums, donated by the neighbors, and offered our prayers. It was a dignified farewell for Kuro.
When we left, it was already late, and as if fate had planned it, Mia clutched her stomach.
"I'm hungry..."
"Yes, it's late. Let's go out for dinner, it's on me," said Hiori-san.
After a quiet dinner at a nearby café, Mia and Hiori-san went to the bathroom. Anna-san and I were left alone at the table.
"Ahh, I'm full," she said, stretching.
"By the way, Mia-chan loves you very much. You can tell she likes it when you carry her."
"It seems so. Maybe she finds it comforting... and to be honest, I've grown very fond of her too, so it's a win-win for both of us."
"I noticed... that smile when she hugged you... it was genuine," she said with a soft, almost nostalgic look.
"Thank you for not saying anything to your friends about Mia-chan," I thanked her.
"You're welcome. I don't want to burden her or you. Besides, we're friends now, right?"
"Friends? I guess so, we're not just classmates. We've been through a lot."
"Then, no Yamazaki-san. Call me Anna, like everyone else."
"And you'll call me William?" I asked, curious.
"William-kun," she said with a mischievous smile.
"Don't even think about calling me that in class!" I exclaimed, alarmed.
"Hehe, I'll think about it. Well, give me your Line. It's better to stay in touch just in case... and I hope we get along," she said, extending her hand.
"Same here... Anna-san," I replied, shaking her hand. It was a simple gesture, but it sealed not only a made-up story, but a real friendship.
"Onii-chan, Onee-chan, what are you doing?" said an innocent voice suddenly.
"WHAT?!!" we exclaimed in surprise, letting go of each other immediately.
Hiori-san looked at us with an amused smile.
"Well, guys, it's time to go."
*
Back at Mia's house, Hiori-san asked me to look after her while she took Anna-san to the meeting point with her father.
"Onee-chan, thank you for coming," Mia said with a smile as she said goodbye.
"Take care, Mia-chan. I'll visit you soon," Anna replied from the car.
"See you in class, Anna-san," I said goodbye.
"William-kun... take care of yourself too," she said, giving me one last smile before the car drove off.
"Come on, Mia-chan. Mom and Lissette are waiting for us with tea and cookies."
"Really? Let's go! I'm still a little hungry." With her in my arms, we set off for home.