About a week after summer vacation ended... I noticed a clear difference between this time and the time I traveled back in time. That is...
"Good morning, Ishigami-kun."
"Ah, good morning, Otomo."
After exchanging morning greetings with me, Otomo walked over to where his friends were gathered and joined the conversation.
"Ahh, I wish I had a boyfriend..."
"Kyoko's saying it again."
"Should we form a singles' alliance?"
"I don't want that!"
I could hear a group of girls chatting about something funny... It seemed that Otomo and Ogino weren't dating. Around this time last time, they should have already been having a tryst in the classroom after school. But if they weren't dating, that was convenient for me. No matter what happened to Ogino, if they weren't lovers, Otomo wouldn't get hurt... Suddenly, I remembered something Shinomiya-senpai had told me a long time ago.
...…
"Ishigami, it's true that what you did was something that most people couldn't do. Your desire to protect Otomo Kyouko's smile is very noble. But, Ishigami... while you protected Otomo Kyouko, you could also say that you deprived her of an opportunity to grow."
"An opportunity to grow...?"
"That's right. If you had revealed Ogino's true nature at that moment, she would have been hurt to some extent. She might even develop a fear of men... but she would be less likely to be deceived by a man like Ogino."
"it is..."
"She'll meet all sorts of people in high school and college. Maybe she'll meet someone like Ogino again. Ishigami, are you going to sacrifice yourself and save her every time?"
"That's... I certainly agree with what Shinomiya-senpai said. But Ogino—!"
"Are you saying you were threatened with no harm if you kept quiet?"
"..."
Senior Shinomiya's words left me speechless...
"Haaah... Why don't you protect me?"
"picture?"
"If she was in danger, you would have protected her until the danger was gone. Wouldn't that have been the right thing to do?"
"But someone like me..."
"...Your lack of self-confidence is your weakness. I told you, didn't I? To work hard and become a good man...Okay? A good man is someone who is always confident in himself, always considerate of others, dedicated to his studies...has a sharp gaze...and can find a girl hiding and crying in an alley...that kind of person..." *fidgets*
"Hmm? Are you perhaps talking about the chairman?"
"Hmmmm!? Well, let's look at it objectively, okay? Not subjectively, but purely objectively! Ahem... Anyway! Have more confidence in yourself, got it?"
Senior Shinomiya said that and patted me on the head.
"Yes... I can't do it right now, but I'll try my best."
"Hehe, that's fine."
...…
Shinomiya-senpai... Even so, I still want to do what's best to prevent Otomo from getting hurt. I took the opportunity to slip the envelope I had prepared into Ogino's locker.
It's a simple message, but I've enclosed the evidence, so Ogino should come.
"..."
It's finally happening... I couldn't say anything or do anything back then... but I can't dwell on it forever.