Part 3
With that, the foundation had been completed.
As for the rest of the story… A lot more work was required to break the spirit of Ichinose Honami.
Besides, I was certain that soon enough Sakayanagi would move to crush it, herself.
Sakayanagi’s plan was a great success, Ichinose continued to be absent from school even after she seemed to have recovered.
February the 18th. The day when the teams of Hashimoto and Ishizaki clashed.
On that day, five days after her illness, Ichinose was still absent from school.
In all probability, she was in a good physical state, already. However, had the wound of her heart recovered at all?
When I found out that she was still absent from school, I decided to contact her.
However, if you go to see someone openly after school or on break, you are likely to be found by someone.
So, I decided to aim for the daytime on a weekday when the dormitory would be empty.
I did not contact her via cell phone at all.
Since I had no intention of giving her a way to escape.
When I arrived in front of Ichinose’s room, I rang the doorbell.
“I want to talk to you a little. Would you come out?”
After a while, a response came from inside the room.
“I’m sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. You went to the trouble of coming to see me, but could you come back and visit me another time?”
Her voice had no vigour, but it seemed as if she had recovered from the cold.
“Were those letters that important deal for you, Ichinose?”
Ichinose gave no answer to the question. I sat with my back against the door in front of the room.
“Are you coming to school on Monday?’
“… I’m sorry. I don’t know, that”
She seemed to be responding to all, but the most pressing questions.
“I have time until lunch break is over. Let me stay here for a while.”
From then on to the end of the lunch break, I just sat there quietly.
“Well, I’m heading back to school”
“I just want some time. I will definitely go to school once I feel a little more put together. So, please stop coming…”
After hearing Ichinose’s strained voice, I returned to school.