12. When the stars meet the cherry blossoms. (Vote for this story! Please keep reading!)

“Heh-haa~~~”
Sitting inside the train carriage, Tsukiyomi Jinguuji let out a long yawn, rubbing his bleary eyes, still half asleep.

“Tsuki, what’s wrong with you? You look out of it.”

Beside him, Sakura Sakurakouji had tucked her hands inside the sleeves of her school uniform, only her ten lovely fingers peeking out as her elbows rested on her bag, cradling a juice box.

“I got caught up reading a novel last night. By the time I noticed, it was already past three.”

“Heeh~~ Was it that novel by the male voice actor again? I heard he’s been entangled in scandals with a bunch of female voice actresses, and there’s a huge uproar about him on Twitter.”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t even watch late-night anime—I have no idea what his voice sounds like.”

“But they say he’s a real jerk. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been blacklisted yet.”

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji lifted his eyelids to glance at Sakura Sakurakouji and pointed at himself with his finger.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m a jerk, too,” the boy replied.

“Um… Tsuki, you’re different.” Sakura Sakurakouji turned her face slightly away.

“How am I any different?”

“You just are. Ugh, you’re so annoying.”

Sakura Sakurakouji was showing signs of irritation, so Tsukiyomi Jinguuji wisely decided not to push his luck. He was far too drowsy anyway; his mind was still lingering in a state of half-sleep.

He closed his eyes and let himself feel the gentle rocking of the train. His head bumped against the window a few times, jarred awake by the impact, which actually helped him regain some clarity.

Hearing his head knock against the glass repeatedly, Sakura Sakurakouji couldn’t help but be concerned. She gently shook his shoulder. “Hang in there. Tomorrow’s the weekend. You can sleep as much as you want.”

“I have a morning shift tomorrow.”

“Ah… your part-time job?”

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji nodded.

“Then you’d better not stay up late again tonight.”

“I’ll try.”

Sakura Sakurakouji glanced at the juice box with the straw sticking out, hesitated a moment, then put it down on the floor with her bag. With her hands still hidden in her sleeves, she gently patted her skirt.

“If you’re really that sleepy, you can use me as a pillow. Get a little rest.”

“Idiot, what if someone from school sees us?”

“It’s fine. There’s no one from Shinzakura High on this train. I’ll wake you up when we reach our stop.”

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji glanced at the small, uniform-clad mounds on her lap, hesitating. Even if they were childhood friends, resting his head in her lap on the train seemed a bit much.

“Um… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Noticing that his gaze wasn’t on her thighs, but rather on her upper body, Sakura Sakurakouji’s face turned scarlet. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

“Where are you looking? I meant my lap, you dummy!”

He could almost hear her bones grinding together, and the remnants of his drowsiness evaporated instantly.

“Huh? I suddenly feel so refreshed. Looks like I won’t need your pillow after all.”

Suppressing her anger and embarrassment, Sakura Sakurakouji pressed her trembling right fist with her left palm, admonishing herself to regain composure.

After a few deep breaths, she calmed down, glancing at Tsukiyomi Jinguuji, who was finally looking more awake. She lowered her head and, in a slightly awkward tone, spoke:

“If it were the student council president offering her lap, you’d lie right down without hesitation, wouldn’t you?”

“Huh? Why are you bringing her up again?”

“...Tch, forget it.”

“Hey, have you been acting weird lately? Is it because your boyfriend’s still on vacation in Hawaii and hasn’t come back to keep you company? Are you lonely?”

“…”

“Sakura?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

So it really was because her boyfriend wasn’t around. With that, Tsukiyomi Jinguuji decided not to provoke her further, even shifting in his seat to put a bit of distance between them.

Noticing his movement, Sakura Sakurakouji grew even more annoyed and pulled her bag between them in silence.

When they arrived at Nakameguro Station, Sakura Sakurakouji got up at once, hurried out to the platform without looking back, and dashed out of the station.

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji, moving at his own slow pace, picked up the juice box she’d forgotten on the seat, giving it a gentle shake—it seemed she’d only drunk a third of it.

“What a troublesome girl.”

With a sigh, he walked in the direction Sakura Sakurakouji had gone.

“Good morning, Jinguuji.”

Just as he was about to leave the station, a familiar voice called out from nearby.

“President Hoshinomori? Uh… good morning.”

He was surprised to run into the student council president at the station.

Truth be told, neither Tsukiyomi Jinguuji nor Sakura Sakurakouji were particularly proactive people. Though Tsukiyomi Jinguuji had good grades, his attitude toward study was nothing special.

They were never late, but usually arrived at school just ten minutes before homeroom.

As for Hoshinomori Hoshino, the student council president, arriving only ten minutes before homeroom was—strictly speaking—a dereliction of duty… wasn’t it? Tsukiyomi Jinguuji wasn’t quite sure, seeing her standing before him now.

“What a coincidence, Jinguuji. Say, if you don’t mind, would you walk to school with me?”

“Eh?”

“Do you mind?”

He hadn’t quite processed the situation and reflexively replied, “I do mind.”

This answer seemed not to surprise Hoshinomori Hoshino. She kept her lovely smile, living up to her reputation as one of Meguro’s most beautiful girls.

“How strange. Given your personality, you’d think walking to school with a beautiful girl like me would be a good thing, no?”

“I believe I’ve said before, President Hoshinomori, you’re not in my hunting range.”

Hoshinomori Hoshino shook her head, her long sky-blue hair swirling behind her like a shining galaxy.

“You’re so stingy. Isn’t it about time you expanded your range a little?”

“To be honest, I’m considering retirement.”

“Retirement? At your age… wait, you’re only sixteen, aren’t you?”

Her dubious, sidelong glance made Tsukiyomi Jinguuji feel his character was under assault. He took a moment to compose himself, imitating Sakura Sakurakouji’s way of calming down.

“President Hoshinomori, you can say what you like. I’m leaving now.”

He took a step forward, and immediately the lively tapping of her loafers followed behind. If he stopped, the sound ceased as well.

With a sigh, he turned around in exasperation. Here at the station, he’d already spotted several students in Shinzakura High uniforms. Some even took out their phones to snap photos—not exactly polite.

“President, is there something else?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You’ve been following me.”

“What are you talking about? I’m just going to school. Unless, of course, you prefer I loiter nearby instead? Jinguuji, are you hoping to see me get in trouble for being late?”

“…”

He fell silent for a while, then said, “Then I…”

“As student council president, it’s also my duty to supervise students coming to school.”

It seemed Hoshinomori Hoshino had already anticipated his response, cutting off his escape route entirely.

“How come you always get the last word?”

“Because I’m the student council president. If you’re not happy with that, Jinguuji, you should aim for this position yourself. Though by then, I’ll probably have graduated. Huhu~”

Hoshinomori Hoshino strode lightly ahead, hands clasped behind her back holding her bag, her mood curiously buoyant today.

As she neared the exit, she turned to look back at the boy still standing there, flashing a smile that could make any adolescent boy’s heart race.

“Well? What are you waiting for? You’ll be late for school, Jinguuji.”

Tsukiyomi Jinguuji glanced at the juice box, still two-thirds full, sighed helplessly, and resolved to sneak it onto Sakura Sakurakouji’s desk when he got to class. With small steps, he set off after the student council president.

Meanwhile, the girl who’d been hiding by the exit, hoping to prank him, never saw him come out.

As she grew anxious and was about to go back in search of him, a slender figure with sky-blue hair appeared in her sight—composed, graceful, with a smile both gentle and unapproachable.

The person she’d been waiting for was walking just behind that girl.

For some reason, Sakura Sakurakouji felt like an ugly duckling in front of a swan. A strange sense of shame welled up inside her, spreading as she stood rooted in place, too afraid they’d notice her. Only when the two of them had walked far away did she breathe a sigh of relief.

With nowhere to put her hands, she fiddled with her skirt, then wiped her palms on her uniform, though there was nothing on them.

“Ah, what a pity. I left my milk with him.”

“I’ll just buy another box.”

With a deliberately clumsy gesture, the girl scratched her head and smiled to herself.