Chapter eleven. Even if there are no signs left…

Kyoko knew about the passage from school to the forest park. The overgrown park was not the best place, but it was still a good opportunity to leave when her suitors persistently tried to take her for a walk home together. As well as I knew about several opportunities to enter the school from the park. Freshly broken branches of bushes near the widest "secret passage" told her everything she needed — recently, several people broke in here at the same time. Or two or more people were dragging a third.

In addition to the main building, the school itself had an old academic building, an old club building, and a new club building. The latter had a large auditorium where all the main ceremonies and celebrations were held, there were also several smaller classes where additional classes were most often held, and some clubs. Most of the small clubs were in the old club building, where most of the rooms were empty. And Gila Terikoto also made appointments for her there. Behind the old building, there was a small canopy in the shade of trees, where school bullies often hung out — there, you could smoke or have fun without getting under the eyes of teachers or cameras.

According to Kyoko, the most likely place for all sorts of bad things was the old clubhouse. Kyoko spent half an hour climbing from the foundation to the roof, checking all the closed rooms — no traces. She didn't even go into the academic buildings; firstly, a guard was most often wandering there, and secondly, they were quite far from the hole in the fence to the forest park. Luck smiled at her when she entered a new club competition. The auditorium was closed, and that's understandable. But there was access to some rooms on the floor above. And on the second floor, in the sewing and sewing club room, where some of the most highly rated girls of the school usually signed up, she found what she needed — a locked door, behind which a guy was tied to a chair, to whom she confessed her love.

However, the guy was in an exceptionally disgusting state. However, nothing was surprising in this, considering that she found the room mainly because of a very unpleasant smell. The new clothes, the ones she had bought with Hideki for a long time, were ruined, as Kyoko herself hoped, not irrevocably. Hideki himself was unconscious, and perhaps it was even better for him. The center of the sewing room looked just disgusting, and Kyoko didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Hideki had been found by one of the club members.

Another unpleasant detail was that Hideki was tied up pretty badly, and his hands looked too pale, in her opinion. Once upon a time, Kyoko, who took first aid courses, found this to be a very bad sign.

That's just, as luck would have it, she didn't even take a nail file with her, and all the sharp and valuable objects of the girls from the club were locked in a locker, and Kyoko couldn't quickly determine where they hid the key.

The lock on the locker was from very honest people; Kyoko had seen enough of these during rehearsals and performances; the locker could even be unlocked with a screwdriver or even with a nail file… But Kyoko didn't have a nail file, nor a screwdriver, and the only metal object was a pendant in the form of a Mobius ribbon presented to Hideki.

"Apparently, there is nothing to do. But if it helps Hideki, then it doesn't really matter!"

Tears welled up in Kyoko's eyes, but she suppressed them, took the ring off the chain, and resolutely slapped the ring with her heel, turning it into a flat piece of metal that, with a certain luck, could open the locker. Kyoko came over and stuck a crumpled piece of metal into the keyhole; there was a quiet "crack," and the lock turned. The locker was open.

Kyoko opened the locker door, and inside, of course, there was a cloth-cutting knife, quite durable and sharp enough to cut the ropes. Kyoko somehow dragged Hideki's chair away from the stinking puddle and cut the ropes on it. When she was done with it, she pulled Hideki even further away and pushed back her chair.

Hideki's hands finally began to regain their normal color, and moaned without regaining consciousness. Apparently, the sensations were extremely unpleasant, but there was very little Kyoko could do about it.

Kyoko looked around the room for detergents and tools and found rags, detergent, and a bucket under the sink. The sewing club was clearly not in trouble: there was even a washing machine. There was no dryer, which is not surprising; it is generally rare, but there was a very powerful industrial hair dryer.

There was a lot of work to do; Hideki had to be undressed, wiped somehow, washed and dried his soiled clothes, washed the room, and destroyed all traces. The room was not cold, and Kyoko undressed herself, having previously closed the door, curtains, and curtains in the glass in the door. Left in her underwear, she put on gloves and a waterproof apron, which were found in the same place as the detergent, and set to work. There was little work, although it wasn't particularly pleasant, but there was no one else who could do it. Anyway, it's a girl's job to take care of her boyfriend.

Get to work!

***

Hideki came to with a strange feeling, as if he was lying naked on the floor and someone was trying to put pants on him. Okay, at least not to take it off… Stop! What does it mean to dress?

He came to himself from a pungent smell that reminded him of being on duty in the toilet at school or a part-time job. A cleaning gel with some chlorine-based active substance… What nonsense comes to mind?

He tried to comprehend his feelings without opening his eyes. His cheeks and wrists hurt a little, but not critically; he could feel his hands. My back seems to be numb, although not much.

And then it hit him.

He got tru kidnapping, slaps, ridicule, and lack of opportunity to do anything. Felt grins visible even through the mask. I felt a premonition of future problems and disappointment in falling in love. Another one. Stomach ache and some noise in the hallway. Strange. Wait, what nonsense is this: how can it be that they put pants on him?

"You're so heavy, Hideki-kun,— he heard muttering in an undertone.

The mumbling he heard so close was uttered in a voice he knew perfectly well. There was Kyoko Ame's voice.

—Kyo-kyo-kyo-ko—san," he croaked somehow, "when you finally open your eyes, what are you doing?"

Kyoko, who was trying to pull her pants on him, yelped, let go of her pants, and jumped back.

The pants were dry and even a little warm. And clean. Hideki pulled on his pants and looked around. The center of the room, where the chair stood, looked wet, as did the chair to which he was tied. The pieces of rope were in the bag, there were also disposable gloves and some rags... or napkins. In general, it was clear what had happened. It could be clearer how and why, but it is quite clear to you that. What a shame!

Hideki wanted not just to die but to dig into the ground. Yes, how so! It seemed to him that being tied up and shitting in front of the girls from the club by a sewing circle was the worst thing that could happen in life. How wrong he was. Not at all. The worst thing that can happen in life is when you are in your most shameful form imaginable, found by the girl you fell in love with. Hideki wondered if the roof of this building was high enough so that he wouldn't have to worry about such little things anymore.… And is the entrance closed to it…

—Hideki," Hideki's thoughts must have reflected on his face enough for Kyoko to worry, —calm down! It's all right! No one but me saw anything! Now everything will dry up, we will throw the garbage away, and there will be no traces left at all!

How could Hideki say that the main problem was that she was the one who saw it all? Hideki closed his eyes and sat down, leaning against the wall, not far from which he came to his senses. He did not want to speak; his jaw was cramped with terrible shame, and his face was bright red from the realization of shame, but he could not remain silent.

"Kyoko," he began, omitting both suffixes and polite address; what's the point of that at all... After jumping off the roof, he decided to wait for now… Until Monday. At least. — Kyoko, — he repeated, — And I liked you... — Kyoko suppressed a sob, not daring to say anything so as not to inadvertently interrupt Hideki, who was already extremely morally unstable and in obvious disarray of feelings - I was probably even in love with you. You were very cute, but that's not the point.… Not only that, you were one of the few, if not the only one, who treated me normally.…

Hideki fell silent, and Kyoko decided to fill the pause with a hesitant remark:

"I didn't specially treat you, Hideki—k..." She decided to leave out the suffix, too. — I treated you like an ordinary classmate.

"That's right," Hideki's voice grew stronger, "you treated me normally. No worse and no better than for everyone else. And you're also cute, really. I already said that. Cute and very kind. To everyone, including one not-very-pleasant fat man… What I am... how little it turned out to take for me to fall in love… But that's why... that's why…

Kyoko was silent. Hideki slammed his fist on the floor he was sitting on.

— That's why I was terribly disappointed by your fake confession, from being so wrong about you.

Kyoko was crying silently, not daring to make a single sound out loud. Hideki continued.

"But the truth is, Kyoko, I'm no better. I also behaved extremely badly. And my behavior was no less fake than your confession.…

- what? Kyoko couldn't stand it. But you are…

— Well, yes, I accepted your confession, even though I knew it was fake... I decided to enjoy what I could. I decided that even if, in such a crooked way, I could experience everything possible for a person in a relationship, and even with a girl I liked, then this in itself is not bad. I was extremely disappointed in you — you turned out to be a complete fake in my eyes.

Kyoko lowered her head:

—It is," she said.

—But then," Hideki continued, ignoring Kyoko's words, "when I got to know you better, I realized that, apparently, you didn't have much choice. And I wanted to try to build a real relationship. But I didn't have time because you left me.

— I just wanted to…

— Start over, I get it. But it still hurt.

— I'm sorry.…

— That's it. I've already forgiven you. But it still hurt. I understand that this is stupid, illogical, and wrong because we didn't really meet. But still… But I understand… There are some demands from "girlfriends" again, right? I should have …

— To talk.

— Yes, to talk. And we would have found a way out together. And it wouldn't hurt so much. It's ridiculous to talk about this to an idiot who, through his fault, found himself up to his ears in shit. Hideki's voice was so bitter, and he realized that the excess of self—irony had carried him away. — But we just had to talk.…

— Nope. — it sounded from the side. "That's not true, Hideki-kun.

- what? Hideki needed help understanding.

— Not up to your ears. It's only waist-high. Complete bullshit, Hideki-kun. Actually, it's not a problem.

Hideki's nerves broke down, and he laughed. Nervous at first, then amused, hearing Kyoko laugh as she joined him. In a school devoid of students, on the weekend in an empty club room on the second floor of a new club competition, the hysterically cheerful laughter of a couple who found themselves together due to not the most cheerful circumstances did not subside for a long time.

"It was... it was... a pretty shitty joke."… Kyoko-chan..." Hideki finally managed to say, choking with laughter.

"But it helped,— Kyoko smiled. —Hideki-kun,— she became serious. Hideki—kun, while I was busy putting things in order," Hideki blushed and turned pale again from such a euphemism, "I had time to think. And I realized something that I should have realized much earlier. I'll tell you everything, Hideki-kun. Maybe not all at once; I need to check something else, but I'll tell you everything.

Hideki was silent, not knowing what to say to such a heated speech, and Kyoko, not waiting for any other reaction than a frown on her forehead, continued.

Hideki—kun, do you remember the note I wrote you?" Kyoko blushed, hesitated for a second, and continued, "More precisely, not the note itself ... but…

— A poem, yes, I remember. I actually took it for a hint of a fake confession. Hideki immediately quoted:

— Locked up tight

A bird in a cage

When will you fly out

Before dawn?

The crane slipped

The turtle fell

Look around; we're starting over.

— A bird locked up tightly means that there is no way to refuse. The crane and the turtle are signs of longevity. The fact that there is something wrong with them is a hint that there will not be a long relationship. However, I don't know how to explain the last line.

"Originally..." Kyoko—chan started to explain but suddenly stopped, "Hideki—kun, how are you feeling?"

— It's shitty, of course, — Hideki made another bad—smelling joke, - but I think I can even walk and do things with my hands.

— Then let's move, — Kyoko got to her feet, left some rags in the same bag in which she had thrown the pieces of rope before, and then gave Hideki her hand, - let's talk about how best not in such a shitty place, may the girls from the sewing club forgive me.

Hideki shook his head and did not take the outstretched hand.

— Kyoko-chan, thank you, of course, but I'm twice as heavy as you; you can't lift me. It is for the best. Otherwise, you'll fall on me like in some shojo manga. Hideki stood up, somehow leaning against the wall.

—Whatever you want," she shrugged. — I think I could do it. Shall we go?

—Let's go,— Hideki didn't argue. — Where to?

— You still owe me a date, but we'll wait a little bit. Let's find at least some cafe, like the one where I waited for you near the window for four hours. We'd better talk there. And you were supposed to have a family meeting today, weren't you?

"Ah," Hideki waved his hand, "it'll work out somehow. My father will be only too happy. My grandfather would scold me less for my appearance. There were fewer pitying looks from Mom and Grandma. I wasn't going to go anyway.

Yumiko-chan was worried.

— That's right. Hideki thought about it. — I'll call my sister. He searched for his phone, "Damn, it's dead.

Kyoko handed him hers.:

— There is Yumiko in the last calls. She called me.

— Thank you, Kyoko-chan. Then please wait a minute.

Hideki and Kyoko went out the same way as they entered the school — through a hole in the fence and a hike through the forest park.

In the cafe, they sat in a corner far away so that they would not be easy to see from the outside and even more difficult to eavesdrop on.

"So, about the note, Hideki-kun," Kyoko continued after they sat down and even received their drinks—coffee with milk for Kyoko and black tea for Hideki, "you understood the first lines quite correctly. I had about a minute to give you some hints.

"And if I hadn't understood?"

"Of course, I'm sorry, Hideki—kun, but a complete idiot definitely couldn't keep all his grades within the grade point average all the time—especially the grades in classical Japanese.

— I could have very average luck.

"Well, in that case, you should have just had enough luck of your own.

Hideki chuckled and decided to ask anyway:

— So what's the last line anyway?

Kyoko replied with a very similar grin and replied:

— Just randomly selected. To make it sound beautiful. And one more thing.

"I've been racking my brain," and Hideki laughed. In a way, I haven't laughed in quite a while.

"But now," Kyoko continued, not really paying attention to his laughter, "I tend to see it as a smile of luck.

An extremely puzzled look was her answer.

"Let's go out, Hideki—kun?" And, of course, I'll tell you everything. I'll give you a hint now.

And Kyoko sang:

— Nothing can hold a songbird back,

Everything is flying above the clouds.

From morning till dawn

And even sometimes at night.

It's much easier for a crane.

The turtle lives longer.

But she is the happiest of all,

The one who sings

—...Always alone. Hideki finished, "a rather famous song by Kikari Boshi, or rather her idol group, the name... something with a smile… And yours is very similar… It turned out... but it can't be?!

Kyoko just smiled.

"Since the beginning of high school, I have often missed classes," she began to tell. — I'll get to the reason for this. Probably, the beginning was made by the fact that on the first day of school this year, I went to school without panties.

Hideki tried his best to maintain his composure from such revelations, but his bulging eyes immediately put an end to this unsuccessful attempt.