But the sound of the dismissal bell now felt to Shido like a temporary reprieve granted by a holy chime.
He immediately buried his head in his arms, trying to isolate himself from his surroundings and escape the omnipresent interrogation stemming from his own guilty conscience.
The sound of classmates talking and laughing, and the scraping of chairs in the classroom, reached him as if from a great distance, muffled and indistinct.
In his world, there was only the heavy thumping of his own heart and the fragmented memories of that blue-haired girl replaying in his mind.
Just then, a familiar scent, carrying the faint fragrance of laundry detergent, drew near.
Before Shido could react, an arm was naturally draped over his shoulder, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, yet bearing an undeniable closeness.
"My dark ally, Dark Flame Master—"
A voice, deliberately lowered and carrying an exaggerated, operatic tone, rang out beside his ear.
Shido's body stiffened; he knew who it was without looking up—Koushi Hōoin.
"What profound darkness, what heavy chains of destiny, cling to your soul, causing you to emit such a dense aura of anguish even in the bright light of day?"
Koushi continued with his familiar chuunibyou lines, his tone so serious it sounded as if he were chanting ancient incantations.
"Inform me! Let me, the solitary and bewildered Undying Black Mage who wanders the boundary of life and death—Koushi—dispel this gloom for you!"
Normally, Shido would probably play along with him, half-amused and half-exasperated, or simply retort with a sharp comeback.
But at this moment, hearing this familiar, long-missed bout of delusion, and feeling the warmth of his best friend on his shoulder, an even more bitter torrent surged through Shido's heart.
(Koushi... he doesn't know anything... he's still trying to care for me this way, just like before...)
(And I... I've...)
He didn't dare look up, afraid the other boy would see the unconcealable panic and guilt in his eyes. He could only bury his face deeper and mumble vaguely:
"It's... nothing... I'm just a little tired..."
"Hmph..." Koushi didn't seem satisfied with that answer, and he tightened his arm slightly, as if trying to yank Shido out of his self-imposed shell.
"Mere fatigue cannot breed such a pure 'Aura of Darkness'... It seems a more powerful 'Purification Ritual' is required!"
Saying this, he forcefully pulled Shido up from his seat without waiting for an argument:
"Come, my ally! The cramped classroom only encourages the proliferation of shadows. Follow me to the 'Abyss of the Corridor,' and let the flowing 'Winds of Time and Space' cleanse your soul!"
Shido was practically dragged out of the classroom by Koushi, who still had his arm around his shoulder, and led into the hallway.
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting bright patches of light on the clean floor, and a breeze carried the distant sounds of the noisy playground.
This vibrant scene formed a stark contrast with the gloom in his heart.
Koushi leaned against the window, took a deep breath, and continued his "role-playing," extending his hand toward the window as if summoning something:
"Listen! To the whispers of the Wind Spirits! Feel! The intertwining of light and shadow! Dark Flame Master, channel your troubles into this void, and I shall use the power of Black Magic to render them null!"
Shido looked at Koushi's incredibly focused, almost comical profile, and the guilt in his heart nearly overflowed.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, it only resulted in a weak sigh. He lowered his head and stared at the tips of his shoes.
(He clearly doesn't know anything, yet he's trying so hard to cheer me up... I really am a scoundrel...)
Just then, Hiroto, who was passing by, saw Koushi "casting spells" by the window and Shido looking dejected, and his eyes immediately lit up as he rushed over.
"Oh, oh! Isn't this Dark Flame Master and the Mysterious Black Mage!"
Seeing the situation, Hiroto immediately got into character, striking a cool JoJo pose he had learned from Koushi.
"It seems you've encountered a 'Dimensional Rift' that even you cannot easily resolve? Does this great me, 'Boundary-Breaking Hero Hiro,' who traverses countless worlds, need to lend you a hand?"
"You came at the perfect time, Boundary-Breaking Hero!" Koushi immediately responded, as if he had found a comrade.
"A crack has appeared in Dark Flame Master's 'Heart Barrier,' and negative energy is leaking out! Quickly, help me set up the 'Tri-Phase Purification Grand Formation'!"
"Understood!" Hiroto stood solemnly on Shido's other side, sandwiching him between himself and Koushi.
The two began making various complicated (and chuunibyou) gestures in the air, chanting under their breath, as if truly casting some incredible spell.
"In the name of solitude, be gone, shadows!"
"By the proof of the hero, descend, light!"
"Gather! The power of our friendship!"
Sandwiched between the two goofballs, listening to their earnest nonsense, and feeling their clumsy yet sincere concern disguised as fooling around, Shido's heart felt as if it had been lightly poked.
The heavy sense of guilt still existed, but in the face of this unrestrained, even silly, friendship, it seemed... a slight crack had opened.
He couldn't help but raise his head, looking at the two friends beside him, who were immersed in their own world. The corners of his mouth pulled upward in a difficult, extremely faint movement.
Although the smile was still bitter, at least it was no longer utter stillness.
Not far away, the trio passing by—Yamabuki Ai, Yozakura Mai, and Fujibakama Mii—happened to witness this scene.
"Oh my, the boys are at it again," Aoi said, rubbing her forehead.
"Whenever they gather, their collective IQ disappears at a visible rate," Mai said, nodding in agreement.
"Honestly, Itsuka-san looked like it was the end of the world just now, and now he's been led astray... I can't deal with them," Mii said, shaking her head helplessly.
They exchanged a look that clearly said, "Boys really are idiots," and walked away laughing.
In the hallway, the so-called "Purification Ritual" was still ongoing.
Although Shido wasn't participating, he was no longer resisting. He simply stood there quietly, allowing Koushi and Hiroto to play off each other, using their unique, clumsy, yet sincere method to try and dispel the gloom in his heart.
(I'm sorry, Koushi... I'm sorry, everyone...)
(But... thank you.)
This noisy, chuunibyou, and even slightly embarrassing friendship became the small but solid strength that kept Shido from being completely crushed by guilt at that moment.
He knew that the secret concerning Chinatsu was one he had to bear alone. But at least, in this seemingly returned normalcy, he was not completely isolated.
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