She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 35

When I returned to the classroom, Honoka was nowhere to be seen.

There wasn’t much time left until the bell rang to mark the end of lunch break.

So, it wouldn’t have been strange if Honoka had returned to the classroom first.

(…She probably just went back to the classroom)

Even as I thought that, a faint sense of unease remained deep in my chest.

It wasn’t that anything was wrong. Nothing had changed either.

But just slightly, I felt unsettled.

I couldn’t clearly identify what that feeling was.

Telling myself I was overthinking it, I sat down at my desk.

I looked out the window. The sky remained calm, with clouds drifting slowly by.

(…It’s just my imagination, right)

Even as I repeated that in my head, somewhere in my heart, an inexpressible discomfort continued to linger.

────

After school, I headed straight to Honoka’s classroom.

Honoka and I were supposed to walk home together.

So, going to pick her up should have been the usual routine—that’s how it should have been.

(…She’s not here)

I peeked inside from beside the door. A few students were still there, but Honoka wasn’t among them.

I let my gaze slide over the desks, the corners of the classroom.

But I couldn’t find her anywhere.

(That’s strange)

I suddenly pulled out my phone and sent Honoka a message.

‘Did you already leave the classroom?’

I pressed send and stared at the screen.

But even after waiting several seconds, the notifications didn’t change.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the number of people in the classroom gradually decreasing.

(Maybe she already went home)

I put away my phone and turned on my heel.

The evening hallway felt slightly chilly. The voices leaking from the classrooms gradually faded as I approached the entrance.

With only the sound of my footsteps echoing, a faint unease remained deep in my chest.

(…What is this?)

I remembered how Honoka had silently returned to the classroom during lunch break.

Back then too, she had disappeared without saying anything.

And now she was gone again.

Thinking that made me feel somewhat unpleasant.

But I didn’t understand the reason.

Even if I thought about it, no answer would come, so I simply passed through the school gate and started walking the path home.

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When I arrived home, I opened the door, took off my shoes, and quietly closed it.

The moment I entered the room—

“Eh—”

A strong force pushed against my back, making my body stagger.

Without even being able to properly regain my balance, I collapsed onto the floor.

The scenery before my eyes swayed for just an instant.

Before I could understand the situation, I felt something covering me.

I could hear faint breathing nearby.

The faint scent was a familiar smell.

“…Honoka?”

Gasping, I called her name.

But there was no response.

Only deep eyes staring intently at me.

The Honoka before me wasn’t smiling, wasn’t using a sweet voice. She was simply letting the emotions within her seep through.