As May was coming to an end, during one lunchtime, Souta came over to my desk, smartphone in hand.

“Hey, Natsuki, you got a minute?”

Souta asked as he sat backward on the seat in front of me. The actual owner of that seat, Kuribayashi, never came back until the last minute of lunch break.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Well, I wanted to ask you about the ‘Prince of Suzakura.'”

“Tachibana?”

Hearing an unexpected name, I couldn’t help but ask back.

Tachibana Iori had completely returned to her usual self, and I hadn’t seen that other version of her since then. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate for her, I had no way of knowing. For now, all I could do was wait.

“Yesterday, I was running Ruin with Shirataki, and they asked me for a favor. It seemed kind of serious.”

Shirataki was a second-year from Suzakura High School whom Souta had met during the Aotaka Festival. I didn’t know if it was their surname, first name, or just a nickname. After proudly reporting that they had exchanged contact info on the day of the festival, I hadn’t heard any updates. I was surprised they were still in touch.

…Could it be that they were dating?

“So, by ‘favor,’ you mean they wanted you to ask me something about Tachibana?”

“Yeah, exactly. Apparently, it’s pretty well known in Suzakura that you and Tachibana work at the same place.”

“Seriously, how did that even become a famous topic?”

At Aotaka, the most famous Suzakura student was undoubtedly Tachibana Iori. And at Suzakura, the most famous Aotaka student was probably me. When I thought about it like that, it made Cyberia seem like an even more extraordinary place.

“Just accept it. Anyway, they said Tachibana hasn’t seemed like herself lately. Do you know anything about that?”

“No, not at all.”

I answered immediately, because I truly had no idea. In fact, I had the impression that lately, Tachibana had been shining even more than usual. Over the past week, I had lost count of how many times Furubayashi had been drawn to her instead of focusing on work. Each time, I had to step in and cover for him.

“She looks like she’s having a great time at Cyberia, though.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing.”

I thought I was giving him a valuable clue, but Souta already knew.

“Apparently, some of the Suzakura students found it strange, so they went to Cyberia to check it out. They said she acts completely different there compared to how she is at school.”

Suzakura students tend to be overly dramatic when it comes to Tachibana. So, I figured it was just some misunderstanding. But it seemed like it wasn’t that simple.

I leaned back into my chair and straightened my posture. The drowsiness from lunch vanished instantly.

“How does she seem at Suzakura?”

In response to my question, Souta glanced at his phone.

“Uh… She stares out the window and sighs a lot, or just wanders off somewhere alone. Apparently, she never used to do that last year.”

“…I see.”

That was definitely strange. I couldn’t even imagine Tachibana sighing.

I remembered something from the first time I met her—after our shift had ended. When I asked if she was tired, she replied, “I am, but I just don’t show it in front of others.” Someone like her wouldn’t sigh in front of her admirers at Suzakura High School.

That could only mean one thing.

The Tachibana they were seeing… wasn’t the Tachibana they knew.

“So you think it’s weird too, right, Natsuki?”

“Yeah. I can’t really picture it.”

“What I was thinking is… doesn’t she kind of seem like a girl in love?”

“Really?”

I tried to keep my cool, but my heart skipped a beat. “In love” didn’t quite resonate with me, but “like a girl” definitely did.

If even Souta, who only heard about it secondhand, got that impression, then it wouldn’t be surprising if some Suzakura students were thinking the same. At this rate, Tachibana’s “Prince” persona might crumble. But was that really what she wanted?

“Nah, probably not. I mean, Tachibana is ridiculously good-looking. I’m honestly jealous.”

Both Aotaka and Suzakura students probably felt the same way.

That’s why Tachibana was struggling with this alone.

…And I had a feeling I was the only one who could do something about it.