Isago Natsuki’s “Fortune Roll.”
“…………”
I was left speechless, too stunned to even react.
Right there—in the corner of the room—was Isago, rolled up like a Swiss cake in an oversized blanket and laid out on the floor. And tied up with rope.
Standing beside me, Minase muttered quietly.
“Misfortune Roll.”
“Wait, was that an explanation??”
My intuition isn’t sharp enough to make sense of such a cryptic phrase.
I shot her a look to convey that, and Minase gave a small nod.
“She was feeling down, so I rolled her up.”
“Oh… Uh, sorry, but I don’t follow the logic at all?”
Though, now that I think about it, isn’t “misfortune” the opposite of “fortune”?
If that’s the joke, it’s way too obscure… Or was she secretly testing my cultural knowledge?
While I was still puzzled, Minase continued, piece by piece.
“She was waiting, you know.”
“Uh…?”
“With her upper eyes all soggy.”
“She doesn’t have lower eyes, though.”
“And the mouth under her eyes all soggy.”
“That’s just… a mouth.”
“And the blanket all soggy from waiting.”
“…………”
“If you don’t pay attention to her, Isa goes into roll mode fast. She got sulky.”
So, in other words—
Because I left her alone for ten days, she got upset and turned into a “Misfortune Roll” instead of a “Fortune Roll.”
…What kind of logic is that?
Unable to believe it, I walked over to Isago and called out to her.
“H-Hey? Isago-san…?”
“———…………”
Her face, poking out from the blanket, slowly turned toward me. Then—
“Kage-kun!? You came!?”
In an instant, her expression bloomed like a flower.
She seemed fine (?)—which was good. Or was it…? I had no idea.
“Y-Yeah. Long time no see, Isago. No clue what you’re doing, but…”
“Ah, sorry! I’ll get out right now, don’t worry!”
She started wriggling around.
After a brief struggle to escape the blanket, the squirming caterpillar finally looked up at me.
“Huh? I can’t get out!? Mina, didn’t you tie it too tight!?”
“I’m Flattered.”
“That wasn’t a compliment!!”
Minase’s deadpan face. Isago’s cheerful one.
If I left things to these two misfits, we’d never get anywhere.
“Got it. I’ll untie the rope, so hold still for a sec…”
“B-Be gentle, Kage-kun…?”
“I’d really like you to shut up right now.”
“Okay, got it!”
Natsuki Isago—always quick to reply.
Either way, I undid the rope binding her and freed her from the blanket.
Finally standing up, Isago beamed at me.
“Thanks, Kage-kun!”
“Yeah… Well, uh, sure.”
I didn’t know how to react to gratitude over something like this.
But hey, she looked happy, so maybe it was fine.
Folding the blanket, Isago plopped down onto a nearby chair.
“It’s been so long, Kage-kun! How’ve you been!?”
“I’ve been alright. Just busy, that’s all.”
“Oh, good! I was scared you’d never come back!”
Why did everything she say feel so heavy?
“Not gonna happen… But now that you mention it, we didn’t run into each other in the halls at all.”
Our classrooms are right next to each other, so we should’ve crossed paths at least once.
When I pointed that out, Isago nodded.
“Ehehe, that’s okay! I didn’t want to bother you!”
“Huh? Wait, what do you mean?”
“Huh? Well, wouldn’t it be annoying if I suddenly called out to you in the hallway?”
“I mean… no?”
“Really!?”
Her eyes widened in shock. Then—
“Aww… Then I should’ve gone to see you! I thought if I was too clingy, you might start hating me… Mina said so too!”
“…………”
“So I decided to wait instead of messaging you… But you never reached out either, and I started worrying—did I do something to upset you? But I told myself, ‘No, Kage-kun’s my friend, I should trust him!’—”
“Um, Isago-san?”
“Ah! Not that I doubted you or anything! Really! Look, I didn’t say anything, right? That counts as being good, right? But if I did do something wrong, I’d wanna apologize, so I was thinking about it—but since you came today, that means I didn’t mess up, right!?”
“Okay, timeout!!”
“That’s a thing!? Got it!”
Natsuki Isago—always quick to reply (Part 2).
Everything else about her was a disaster.
I turned to Minase.
“Ref! What’s the explanation!?”
“That’s the explanation.”
“That’s not an explanation!”
“Nothing else to explain.”
“Seriously!?”
“It’s fine. Isa acts normal around everyone except Kageyuki-san.”
“That just makes me more worried!”
“She’s just overexcited about her first male friend. Her emotions’ll stabilize soon.”
“……………………”
Silently, I turned back to Isago.
Not understanding the weight of my gaze, she tilted her head cutely.
…Then, a mischievous idea hit me. I held out my palm, facing upward.
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“Kage-kun?”
I decided to test it.
“Paw.”
“Like this?”
Plop.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand in mine—utterly sincere, as if it were the most natural thing.
“Damn…”
“Huh? Did I do it wrong!?”
The fact that she was right made it even worse.
I was doomed… This was, without a doubt, the easiest affection I’d ever earned in my life.
“Wow… Your hand feels so boyish.”
Fascinated, she started squishing my palm.
Since she seemed to be enjoying it, I let her be and turned back to Minase.
“Is Isago like this just with me?”
“…For now. Not that you’re special or anything.”
“That so? Then fine.”
“That’s fine with you?”
“Better than being the only one…”
As I muttered, Isago—still kneading my hand—spoke up.
“Huh? No way! Kage-kun is special! ‘Cause you’re my friend!!”
“Isago… do you have any other friends?”
I asked, recalling that there were others like her. After a brief pause, she answered.
“Hmm… I know a lot of people, but…”
“…I see?”
In that sense, she’s the exact opposite of Shiranui…
Isago continued.
“Friends are something you choose, right? You can’t just call everyone a friend.”
“————————”
Unknowingly, I fell silent.
—”I never want to have to choose my friends.”
The memory of my past self, roaring those words, flashed through my mind.
“Maybe you’re right.”
That’s why I said it. Then—
“By the way, can you let go now?”
“Ah! Sorry! It’s just my first time holding a boy’s hand!”
“Wait, didn’t you say you had a boyfriend before?”
“Yep! But y’know, if someone’s gonna be my boyfriend, they’ve gotta follow the proper steps!”
“…Steps?”
“Of course! If we’re dating, I want them to take it seriously! I’d hate it if they were just messing around. Ahaha… Not that I’ve ever not been messed with before!”
“……………………”
“But with friends, it’s totally fine to hold hands! So this is my first time!”
I had no idea what her internal standards were.
But Isago is undeniably attractive. The guys who’d dated her before probably realized too late how differently she saw things. Whether that’s her fault or theirs, I don’t know.
Still, I was starting to understand.
To Isago, I wasn’t a boy—just a friend who happened to be male.
In a way, it felt like a strange defeat… but maybe this was for the best.
…Or was it? If Isago’s idea of a “male friend” was weightier than a boyfriend, was I really safe here?
As I stood there conflicted, Minase suddenly spoke up.
“So, Kageyuki-san. What brings you here today?”
“Oh, right… There’s actually something I wanted to ask.”
I glanced at Isago. She smiled back.
“Huh? There’s something you want me to do? Just say the word, and I’ll help!”
It’s harder to ask when you know they’ll agree before you even say anything. Isago doesn’t seem to get that.
At the very least, I wish Minase would balance things out a little. So I speak up.
“Nah, actually, I’m trying to gather some people.”
“……People?”
Minase tilts her head, and I nod.
“A drama club… well, more like a unit. I’ve been tasked with putting one together.”
“And you need members?”
“Exactly. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but the goal is to put on at least one performance before the year ends. Problem is, even with me, we’ve only got three people.”
“I see. Yeah, that’s not enough for a performance. So you’re recruiting?”
“You catch on quick—that’s a relief…”
“You said nothing’s decided yet, right?”
“Yeah. So I don’t even know what I’d ask you to do, but… well, on the bright side, think of it as an environment where you can do what you want.”
“That’s one way to spin it.”
—I couldn’t agree more.
Minase nods softly, then falls silent, lowering her gaze as if deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Isago—sitting in her chair—just smiles without saying a word. Maybe she’s leaving the talking to Minase.
After a while, Minase looks up again.
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