This Girl Is A Delinquent!, Vol. 3

Chapter 29: Friends And Strangers

The weekend following the autumn festival was a quiet and uneventful one. With his room serving as a self imposed crypt, Ken stared at his phone awaiting communication that would never arrive. Steeped in his anguish, he was caught off guard by his alarm on Monday. Time seemed meaningless as he instinctively drug himself from his dorm and met the newfound chill in the air. Had he known that his tribulations were only about to begin, he might have stayed in bed longer.

He would find out from Lyra that no one had been able to reach Sonya after the festival. A fact that destroyed any lingering hopes and replaced them with guilt. This was further reinforced when she didn't come back to school. After meeting with everyone, Ken could feel his heart wrench anytime that his friends' eyes would land on him. They had to know that he was responsible, he thought.

Riddled with resentment, he strived to leave his dorm as early as possible to avoid those closest to him. While concerned, the others gave him space as the rest of the week and weekend slowly trickled away without a single message from Sonya. Despite a few brief exchanges with Lucas, Ken kept the truth of his exchange with her to himself as he withdrew from his school life in shame. A devouring feeling had made its home inside his heart and brought a sunken loneliness that made his chest ache.

Nonetheless, he still arrived at school the next Monday. Perhaps it was hope, or maybe he didn't want the others to worry about him. Whatever the reason, he sat alone in his classroom replaying the evening of his birthday in his head. As a few students started to arrive, the sound of rapid footsteps went unnoticed by Ken. It wasn't until a familiar voice cut through his classroom that he lifted his head from his desk.

"Big bro-K-ken! Are you in there?!"

Curiously poking her head into the room, Lyra scanned the confused faces of his classmates that were just getting seated. Not restraining his disgruntled tone, Ken spat out a reply in an attempt to get her to leave.

"Huh? What's going on? Why are you here?"

"It's Sonya! She's back!"

Lyra excitedly announced the information and immediately pivoted to run down the hallway towards the stairwell. Within seconds, Ken felt his body lift from his chair as he followed behind her as the tightness in his chest loosened slightly. After a brisk jog, they stopped outside Miss Rose's classroom and Ken gave Lyra a quizzical look.

"Why didn't you just text me?"

While the question seemed natural to him, Lyra shot him a glare as she shook her head in disappointment.

"Tsk. I told you last week. Miss Rose confiscated my phone because I kept messaging Sonya in class. Not that she ever answered... I literally told you this at lunch and you looked at me and nodded! Are you okay, space cadet?"

Ken turned his eyes away from Lyra as he had no memory of the conversation she described.

"Yeah... I just forgot. Where is she anyway?"

Gesturing toward the classroom doorway, Lyra gripped the threshold with one hand and leaned her head forward to peer in.

"She's just sitting there..."

Following his sister's example, Ken scanned the somewhat familiar class. Not immediately seeing Sonya, his attention was drawn to Stella instead. The girl was leaning across a desk and was bristling with excitement while talking to a classmate. It was then that Ken noticed that the classmate in question had a pair of flaxen pigtails. He had almost not noticed Sonya due to one large inconsistency in her appearance.

"She's in her uniform..."

Clad in a white blouse and azure skirt, Sonya adjusted the buttons on her long sleeved sky blue sweater that had the school's crest emblazoned on the breast pocket. The sight made Ken freeze in confusion while a png of unease swirled in his stomach as Lyra called out to him.