{Sato-san and the Reading Report}

After four in the afternoon, there were almost no students left in the school building.

Aside from the distant sound of the brass band practice from the music room, the school was quiet.

I walked carefully towards Class C’s classroom, trying not to make any noise.

As expected, Sato-san was there.

In the second row from the window, at the very back of the room, she was frowning at the manuscript paper.

Even though I peeked quietly from the doorway, she didn’t notice me. She held a pen in her right hand, occasionally hovering it over the paper, but there was no sign that she was actually writing anything.

With a furrowed brow, she stopped moving for a few seconds.

Then she shook her head slightly and slumped her shoulders.

It was still before sunset. The sky outside the window was blue, but the sunlight was beginning to change color slowly.

Sato-san squinted against the brightness and remained motionless, gazing vacantly out the window.

It was a bit late to hesitate now, but I still hesitated for a moment.

However, if I didn’t talk to her, there would be no point in staying behind.

“Sato-san.”

As I stepped into the classroom, I called out to her, making her shoulders flinch.

Her face was tense, but it immediately changed to one of surprise when she recognized me.

She asked, still gripping the pen tightly.

“Yamaguchi-kun… What’s up?”

“I lost track of time talking with some friends. Right now, I’m just waiting for the bus.”

The excuse I had prepared came out smoothly.

Well, it wasn’t a lie. I had detained friends at the entrance and chatted with them about trivial matters until just recently. After pretending to have forgotten something, I sent them off first, so I don’t think anyone would be suspicious.

Everyone knows Sato-san stays late. But since it’s usual for her and quite ordinary, they probably don’t pay much attention to it.

I was the same way until recently, so there’s no doubt.

“Sato-san, is it about the reading report?”

I casually approached her desk.

Sato-san gave a faint smile and nodded.

“Yes. I can’t go home until this is done.”

“How’s the progress?”

I pulled out the chair next to hers, in the row by the window, and sat down.

Then I carefully suggested.

“While we wait for the bus, I could help you look over it if you’d like.”

Sato-san’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Eh?”

Then she hesitantly continued.

“I-is it okay? If you’re willing, I’d really appreciate it…”

“I’ve got time to spare. That bus line only comes once every thirty minutes.”

I emphasized that point.

This wasn’t an excuse. It was an explanation to make her feel less concerned about me.

“Thank you.”

Her words of gratitude, which came slowly, seemed to tremble.

It might have been my imagination. I quickly averted my eyes, so I didn’t see her expression.

“It’s just because I’m free. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Yeah, I understand, but… I’m really happy.”

“So, how far have you written?”

If left to her own devices, she might keep thanking me. I decided to cut off the unproductive conversation quickly.

I tried not to look at Sato-san and peered at the manuscript paper on her desk.

The page of manuscript paper was a 400-character blocks, blocks that were entirely blank.

“Um… I haven’t written anything yet.”

I already knew that without her having to explain.

This was proving to be more challenging than expected.

“Not even a single line?”

I asked, holding back a sigh.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sato-san looking down.

“Yeah… You see, Yamaguchi-kun. I want to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

“I read this book.”

She then took a book out of her bag.

“Helen Keller”

A biography of a famous historical figure.

It seemed like a perfect choice for a reading report.

“And I was so moved that I ended up crying.”

“You cried?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

Well, considering Sato-san, that might be possible. But it’s quite rare for a high school student to be so moved by a biography. I’d probably finish it without a single reaction.

“Y-yeah.”

Sato-san nodded, looking embarrassed.

Then she continued with sparkling eyes.

“Because, you know, Helen Keller is amazing. Despite going through such hard times, she overcame them and lived her life properly. I also thought Sullivan-sensei was amazing for supporting her, truly.”

That was such a typical reaction from her.

I suppressed a laugh and shrugged.

“Well, then, why not write about that? Just elaborate on it a bit. That should fill up at least one manuscript page easily, right?”

“At first, I thought so too. Since I was so moved, I thought I’d be able to write a lot of impressions if I wrote what I felt. But—”

She sighed, causing the edge of the manuscript paper to tremble.

The pen in her right hand remained still.

“When I tried to put it into words, everything started to seem so trivial.”

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know… But I started to wonder if it was okay for me to think that way.”

“Think what?”

I asked, and immediately, Sato-san pressed her lips together.

She remained silent for a moment.

The sunlight streaming through the window was even more intense and stronger than before.

The shadow extending from Sato-san’s feet reached the neighboring desk.

The shadow extending from my feet enveloped Sato-san’s desk and Sato-san herself.

The classroom, with only the two of us, was quiet. Even though both Sato-san and I were in our usual positions, there was an unusual atmosphere surrounding us.