Chapter Thirty-Three: Aoki Tsukasa Is Truly a Good Man

"Aoki is a recent transfer student, isn’t he? How did you get to know him, Kasugano?" On the other end of the line, Kokoro Terukashi narrowed her eyes slightly, holding her phone with a hint of irritation as she lay sprawled across her pink princess bed. Her sleepwear was an elaborate and adorable shade of pink, her fair skin exposed without care, and her long blue hair fell lazily over a chest that, compared to her peers, was rather full—she looked the very picture of a beauty in spring slumber, though her expression was anything but peaceful. After all, Kokoro was usually strict about her skincare routine and never looked at her phone past ten o’clock; any messages received at such an hour would have to wait until morning for a reply.

But for reasons she couldn't explain, the moment she saw the name "Tsukasa Aoki," she couldn't help but tap out a response.

"He was brought home by my father..." Sora hesitated for a while after typing this, then completed her sentence: "He’s my uncle’s child, apparently. My uncle passed away, and his mother has been missing since he was little and can’t be reached, so my father brought him to live with us."

Kokoro's heart skipped a beat as she read this line: Aoki’s father was dead? He was living with Sora Kasugano? His mother left him long ago, and no one could find her?

In a flash, Kokoro conjured up a sprawling “boy’s wandering journey” in her mind—Aoki Tsukasa’s image spun through her head like a carousel of tragic scenes: sobbing quietly at night before his father’s photograph; cold and aloof on the outside, yet fragile within; secretly weeping for his lost family as he enviously watched others’ happiness. All sorts of melodramatic, utterly uncharacteristic images of Aoki flooded her imagination.

Was that why he didn’t react to me with his usual exclamation? Kokoro thought she’d found her answer. Who would be in the mood for anything else after losing a loved one? Clearly, Aoki’s heart was wounded too deeply, and he’d lost interest in life...

How pitiful...

Her fingers tapped the keys: "Ah… so that’s how it is… I never would’ve guessed Aoki had such a tragic past. Did you ask about him for any particular reason, Kasugano?"

Sora stared blankly at the chat box, unable to decide what to say next. She couldn’t just come out with, "I think he might be dangerous—can you check for me?" After all, Aoki hadn’t done anything to her, and, if anything, she found herself thinking he was actually a decent person...

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she typed rapidly: "Since he’ll be living with us, I was just curious about what kind of person he is. I happened to notice he had some wounds on his face, and he said he’d be going out every night and wouldn’t be back until ten. I’m just curious what he does outside."

"Did he get those injuries from fighting?" Sora bit her lip after sending the message, feeling a bit troubled. It almost sounded as if she was worried about him... She sighed, but nonetheless found herself staring at the screen, waiting.

On the other end, Kokoro Terukashi had fallen into deep thought.

What kind of person was Aoki Tsukasa?

Before Sora’s question, Kokoro’s image of him matched most people’s—the classic delinquent with a shaved head.

But after learning of Aoki’s tragic past (though he himself certainly didn’t see it that way), her opinion began to shift. Setting aside her preconceptions and thinking carefully, Kokoro realized that Aoki seemed rather well-behaved.

He was never late for class, and she’d never seen him doze off during lessons. After class, he went to kendo club. The only fight he’d been in was when Toru Maeda had picked on him, and after Aoki had dealt with the group without hurting a soul, he’d done nothing further. Maeda, if anything, had started calling Aoki "boss." Aoki listened intently in class—no, most of the time, he seemed even more focused than she was… Wait, why was she paying so much attention to Aoki during lessons?

Kokoro startled herself with that realization—half in shock at her own unconscious observation, half surprised that, factually speaking, Aoki seemed to be a pretty good person.

And he didn’t even react to someone as dazzling as herself...

Mulling it over as she typed, Kokoro only realized what she’d sent to Sora after the message had gone through.

"Aoki is very attentive in class—seriously, no matter the subject, he studies hard. He’s also in the kendo club, and I’ve heard their selection criteria are strict, not just for skill but for character. He’s only been in one fight at school, and that was because someone bullied him. He single-handedly defeated all those who picked on him; even his opponents respect him now and follow him around, calling him 'boss.' He’s very disciplined, too—he never talks to girls… Actually, he doesn’t talk much to boys, either, and usually just sits at his desk reading, sometimes glancing at his phone… In gym class, he often sits alone in the corner. It seems people exclude him because of his intimidating appearance…"

As Kokoro finished typing, she sat up in bed, astonished at the portrait she’d just painted. If one only read this message, it would seem completely at odds with her first impression of Aoki. Yet, thinking back, everything she’d told Sora was absolutely accurate.

Aoki Tsukasa, is that really the kind of person he is?

Kokoro’s imagination ran wild—she pictured Aoki doing nothing wrong, yet being ostracized simply because others were afraid of him (though in truth, Aoki rather enjoyed the peace). She imagined people gossiping behind his back because of his silence (Aoki would have said it was just his cursed charm). He was diligent in his studies and sports alike, yet misunderstood by everyone... Ah! Aoki, what a pitiful soul! (Though in reality, Aoki relished his undisturbed life.)

But what did he do staying out so late every night?

Kokoro’s sympathy was overflowing, her curiosity about Aoki swelling like a balloon.

Meanwhile, at home, Sora read Kokoro’s barrage of messages and felt her heart soften, even a tinge of guilt for her earlier suspicions of Aoki. So, in school, he was just like her—friendless, alone, even bullied...

But what did he do every night? He’d looked so exhausted when he came back... If it wasn’t fighting, then what?

Before Sora could puzzle it out, her phone pinged with a new message.

"As for what Aoki does at night, let me investigate for you!" Kokoro wrote.

Sora curled up beneath her blankets, carefully tapping a reply: "Thank you."

"Sora, I bought some new snacks and drinks. Do you want me to bring them up?" Suddenly, Aoki’s voice called from outside her door.

Sora hesitated for a long while, then sat up carefully and answered, "Alright."

"Okay, just wait a moment." Aoki hurried downstairs to grab the snacks, feeling awkward. He did want to get along with Sora, but worried that today’s incident might have driven her further away.

When he realized she wasn’t keeping her distance, Aoki quickly went to fetch the snacks—he needed to at least raise her impression of him from 'dislike' to 'neutral'!

Yet Sora’s thoughts had taken a completely different turn. Perhaps it was Kokoro’s description of Aoki being isolated and bullied for his fierce looks that resonated with her; Sora’s impression of Aoki had risen from mild dislike to genuine fondness. Coupled with his earlier acts of kindness, she now found herself thinking about how to take the initiative to improve their relationship.

She picked up a hair tie and styled her hair into pretty twin tails in front of the mirror—not quite sure why she suddenly wanted to fix her hair, since she had already planned to rest.

Meanwhile, Aoki, carrying a bulging bag of snacks, arrived at Sora’s door.

"Sora, I’ll just leave the snacks at your door—"

He was bending down to set the bag on the floor when, with a soft click, the door opened before him!

Standing there was the silver-haired girl, twin tails perfectly arranged, her cheeks faintly tinged with red as she shyly lowered her head, carefully reaching out her delicate hand toward him.