Tachibana Sherry walked in the lead, and as she pushed the door open, there were still a few students in the classroom packing their things.
"Kurobe-san's seat is the third from the back by the window!" she shouted. Her voice echoed in the empty classroom. The remaining few students glanced up at her before lowering their heads to continue packing.
It seed the students of Class J were already accustod to her strange behavior.
Hachiman followed behind and entered, his eyes scanning the classroom. Third row from the back by the window: the desk was very clean, textbooks were stacked neatly, and a girl was sitting in the seat next to it.
A girl with an aura completely different from Kurobe Nanoka.
Silver-gray dium-short hair, with natural soft curls at the ends. The hair on the right side was braided into a thin plait, secured with a black ribbon hair accessory. She held a book in her hands, sitting upright and reading intently.
She looked up; her light purple eyes were clear and gentle. Upon seeing Kurobe Nanoka, a faint smile hung on the corners of her lips, and her whole person radiated a gentle and quiet aura.
Hachiman's gaze lingered on her for a mont.
Kurobe Nanoka's voice ca from beside him, "This is my older sister, Kurobe Naoka."
Kurobe Naoka didn't speak, only gave a slight nod as a greeting. Soone finished packing and brushed against her desk corner while passing by, but she didn't move at all.
"These are my friends; we are looking for sothing."
"Oh," Kurobe Naoka said, "Do you need my help?"
"No, just stay seated."
Kurobe Naoka nodded again, picked up her book, and continued reading.
Tachibana Sherry was already squatting under Kurobe Nanoka's desk, rummaging through it; her looped braids were dragging on the floor, picking up dust without her noticing.
"It's not in the desk crevices!" she shouted, poking her head out before diving back in to check the drawer.
Sakuraba Ema stood to the side, hesitated for a mont, then also squatted down to check under the chair. Nikaido Hiro stood by the window, his gaze sweeping around the classroom, landing on Kurobe Naoka for a mont before shifting away.
"Has this place really been searched?" Tachibana Sherry asked. "It looks so clean..."
"I check it again every day after school," Kurobe Nanoka said.
"Then... what about outside the window?"
"Checked that too."
Tachibana Sherry sighed.
"Where on earth could it have fallen..."
Hachiman didn't join the search. He leaned against the doorfra, watching Kurobe Nanoka's sister. Sunlight shone in from the window, landing on her silver-gray hair and casting a small patch of light on her fair cheeks. Her eyelashes were long, casting faint shadows in the light.
She looked completely normal, perhaps even gentler and quieter than most, but it was this "normality" that made Hachiman feel uncomfortable.
A person can be gentle, can be quiet, can be reserved, but there should be so emotion in their eyes—even if it is annoyance, even if it is indifference, even if it is a lack of interest in everything around them.
There was nothing in Kurobe Nanoka's sister's eyes.
"Has your sister always been like this?" he asked in a low voice.
Kurobe Nanoka's fingers, which were flipping through the book, paused.
"What?"
"Nothing." Hachiman looked away.
He stared at Kurobe Naoka's profile, and a scene suddenly flashed through his mind.
On the first day of school, he had been bumped into at the stairwell, and that girl had said "sorry," then stopped and secretly looked at him. At the ti, he thought she had just mistaken him for soone else.
That person...
Hachiman's pupils constricted slightly.
He rembered—that girl was Kurobe Naoka.
"Hachiman-kun."
Sakuraba Ema's voice suddenly rang out.
Hachiman turned his head and found Sakuraba Ema looking at him with a strange expression.
"You... have been looking at Kurobe-san's sister the whole ti," Sakuraba Ema said softly, a trace of unease in her voice.
"I was just..."
"That's not allowed," Sakuraba Ema interrupted him. Her eyes were fixed directly on Hachiman, a strange smile on the corners of her lips, "Hachiman-kun, you can only like Hiro, you can't look at other girls or have a change of heart."
Her voice was very light, carrying a hint of a smile, but that hollow gaze made Hachiman's back tighten abruptly.
'Witchification.'
The word appeared in his mind again.
"Sakuraba, calm down," Hachiman said hurriedly. "I just thought she looked familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Yeah, on the first day of school, I accidentally bumped into her at the stairwell."
Sakuraba Ema was stunned for a mont, then looked at Kurobe Naoka.
After staring for a few seconds, she looked back at Hachiman.
"Really?"
"Really."
"I'm joking." Sakuraba stepped back half a step and smiled—the sa smile as usual, her eyes curved, revealing her fang. "Hachiman-kun, your face is all stiff."
After saying that, she turned and walked away to continue helping Tachibana Sherry look for the hairband.
Hachiman took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
In that mont just now, he almost thought he had returned to the rooftop—those white bone wings, the hollow gaze, and the voice that didn't belong to her coming from her mouth.
He subconsciously touched his chest; there were no wounds, and his clothes were dry, but he still felt a bit breathless.
He looked at Sakuraba again. She was leaning her face close to the gap in the desk, looking for the item. Tachibana Sherry was shouting "check here too" from the side. She responded in her usual tone; perhaps that look just now was just him misreading her.
He pushed those thoughts down, but his heartbeat still wouldn't calm.
"Hachiman-kun," Kurobe Nanoka suddenly spoke up.
Hachiman turned his head.
"What's wrong?"
"You said earlier... you bumped into my sister on the first day of school?"
"I accidentally hit her in the stairwell after school. You should have been there, too."
"Hmm..."
Kurobe Nanoka's expression beca sowhat complicated, as if she were thinking about sothing.
Hachiman's gaze returned to Kurobe Naoka's hair: the thin braided plait, secured with a black ribbon hair accessory. That ribbon was made of satin, with silver thread embroidery along the edges. It wasn't a standard store-bought ribbon, but a hairband folded into the shape of a bow.
It also had silver embroidery on it and looked very delicate.
Wait.
Hachiman narrowed his eyes and took two steps forward.
Although the edges were a bit frayed and the color of the embroidery had faded, if one looked closely, it was clear that this ribbon was very similar to the one on Kurobe Nanoka's head.
"Kurobe Naoka-san," Hachiman started. His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear in the quiet classroom; the rest of the Class J students had already left.
Kurobe Naoka looked up, her light purple eyes still carrying a gentle smile.
"What is it?"
"The ribbon in your hair..." Hachiman paused. "Could you let see it?"
Kurobe Naoka looked at Hachiman, the smile on her lips unchanged. After two seconds, she raised her hand and slowly untied the bow from her hair. The ribbon slid out from between her strands, the silver thread embroidery shimring in the light.
She placed the hairband on the desk and pushed it toward him.
Hachiman picked it up. The satin wasn't as smooth as it had been when new; there were several frayed spots on the edges, and the vine pattern embroidered with silver thread had faded, the lines sowhat blurred.
"Is this the one you lost?" he asked, handing it to Kurobe Nanoka.
Kurobe Nanoka walked over and took it to inspect. She didn't speak, but Hachiman saw her fingers trembling.
Kurobe Nanoka looked at the hairband and nodded.
"Great! The great detective's deduction was right! The hairband was in the classroom... wait, no, it was on soone else's head..." She scratched her head, her voice gradually fading, and she muttered, "Anyway, it's found!"
Tachibana Sherry leaned in front of Hachiman, tilting her head to look at him.
"Hachiman-san, how did you figure it out?"
"Just lucky."
"How did you see it? I didn't even notice!" Tachibana Sherry puffed up her cheeks. "I clearly observed for so long—the hallways, the stairwells, the old school building; every clue was recorded in my notebook. To think you beat to it, I never expected it would be right under my nose..."
She pulled out that small notebook and flipped through it. The more she flipped, the more discouraged she beca. Finally, she closed the notebook and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Forget it. Even a great detective slips up sotis. I'll let you have the win this ti."
Kurobe Nanoka hadn't spoken; she gripped the hairband and watched her sister.
"Why did your sister take your hairband?" Tachibana Sherry asked.
Sakuraba Ema looked at Kurobe Naoka, then at Kurobe Nanoka, and said in a small voice: "Maybe she thought it was pretty? Wanted to try wearing it?"
Nikaido Hiro stood up straight from the bookshelf and put her phone into her pocket.
"It's good that it was found."
"Yeah," Kurobe Nanoka said. "Thank you all today."
She walked in front of her sister and swapped out the temporary hairband. Kurobe Naoka looked up at her younger sister, the smile on her lips unchanging.
"You guys go ahead."
Tachibana Sherry was stunned for a mont.
"Eh? But..."
"See you tomorrow."
Her tone was polite, but her attitude was very clear.
"Alright then..."
Sakuraba Ema walked to the door and looked back. Hachiman hadn't moved yet; she hesitated, wanting to say sothing.
Kurobe Nanoka's voice ca.
"Hachiman-kun, please wait a mont."
Sakuraba's footsteps stopped at the door.
"Why?"
Kurobe Nanoka didn't answer.
Sakuraba looked at Hachiman, then at Kurobe Nanoka, and bit her lip. She didn't leave; she stood at the doorway.
"What is he staying for?" Her voice was not loud, but it lacked its usual gentleness.
"I want to thank Hachiman-kun alone, after all, he is the one who found the hairband."
Tachibana Sherry poked her head in to look, her looped braids dangling, and whispered: "Can't we all hear the thanks together..."
Nikaido Hiro's voice ca from the side, "Let's go."
Sakuraba looked at Shiro, but Nikaido Hiro didn't look at her; she had already turned and walked toward the stairwell.
Tachibana Sherry hesitated for a mont, then followed.
The hallway grew quiet. Sakuraba looked at Hachiman and took a step back.
"Then I'll wait for you downstairs."
She turned and left. Her footsteps rang out a few tis in the hallway before being swallowed by the corner of the stairwell.
Kurobe Nanoka turned around and looked at Hachiman. Her eyes were a little red, but her gaze was filled with hope.
"Hachiman-kun, can you go out with my sister?"
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