The Blonde Saint Only Makes Strange Noises In Front Of Me, What Should I Do?

Episode 39: A Sense Of Discomfort.

“Come on, let’s get started!”

After a short break for tea and sweets, we started to prepare for decorating the bamboo branches. The decorations were simple origami crafts that could be easily cut and made.

Sana suggested that we make it look like a Christmas tree, since strips of paper were boring, and that’s how we decided on this event.

Well, it’s true that I’ve been bored with games lately, so this kind of event is good for a change.

“Well, I’m going to make a knitted decoration.”

“I’m not very handy, so I’ll make a diamond.”

Kazuharu and Asuka said to each other, and immediately began to work on it.

“Then, why don’t Kaoru-kun and I make some windsock?”
[TN: A windsock. (Click on Windsock.)]

“Windsock? What’s that?”

I tilted my head and asked. I had no idea what the name meant.

“Have you ever seen one? The ones with fluttering legs like a squid.”

“Oh, you mean that? I remember seeing them displayed in the classroom in elementary school. Do you know how to make it?”

“Yes, it’s so easy that I think even Kaoru-kun can make it. First fold it in half, then repeat it four times….”

Sana folded the origami, looking innocent and happy. After folding it four times, she unfolded it and made a cut along the crease to make it flutter. Finally, she rolled it up and glued it down.

“Okay, that’s a windsock. Easy, right?”

“Oh, I think I can do this.”

“Well, I’m going to make something else. Can you make a paper Windsor for me, Kaoru-kun?”

“Sure.”

I immediately folded the origami as Sana taught me.

I don’t know what a high school student is doing making bamboo decorations out of origami. But it’s refreshing and fun.

Asuka seemed to be really clumsy with his hands, and even the simplest of the diamond-shaped decorations turned out funny, while Kazuharu made me laugh by jokingly making strange creatures out of origami. It was an empty room, but it was filled with smiles and laughter, and above all, Sana seemed to be enjoying herself.

While joking and laughing with each other, we proceeded to decorate the bamboo branches little by little. And then—

“Yippee! It’s done!”

Sana put on the last of the decorations, and we ended up with a magnificent Tanabata-like bamboo branch. We made so many decorations that it looked like a Christmas tree, but I guess it’s easier to make your wishes come true if you make a lot of decorations.

“The next step is to make the actual strips of paper. Have you decided on your wish yet?”

Sana asked as she handed the strips of paper and ballpoint pens to the three of us.

“Oh! I want to be friends with Kaoru forever!”

“Then I’ll be eternal friends with Kazuharu.”

Immediately, Kazuharu and Asuka ran a ballpoint pen across the strips of paper.

“Oh, why are you guys complicating the vector relationship so much?”

Seeing them together, Sana was taken aback and instead asked me, “What about Kaoru-kun?” She must have thought it would be a bad idea to touch them too deeply. It was a good choice.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have any wishes. But it was too embarrassing to write it here, or something. If I’m going to write, I want to do it where no one can see it.

“I’m ….still having trouble with it. What about Sana?”

“Me? I….”

While saying that, Sana also ran a ballpoint pen. The words written on the strip of paper were…

“I hope everyone else could be friends for a long, long time.”

That was written over it. She showed me the strip of paper and smiled at me.

But for a moment … for just a moment, the smile made me feel uncomfortable. Somewhere, a smile that makes you feel lonely. But that’s just a moment. When I suddenly noticed, she was back to her usual smile, and I thought it was because of my mind.

In the end, I too wrote something similar to what Sana wrote, “We will all be healthy and have fun!” It may not be the best wish, but it’s also an important wish for me. If everyone is not healthy, we can’t play and have fun. I’m sure health is important. Yeah. That’s what I kept telling myself.

Then we hung up the four strips of paper and looked at the bamboo branches. There were so many more decorations than strips that the strips no longer stood out. The branches of the bamboo were hanging so low that it seemed to complain, “The decorations are too heavy!” I felt a little sorry for them.

“What if…..”

While looking at the bamboo, Sana suddenly muttered to herself.

“If I were to disappear …..and we could never meet again, would guys still remember me…?”

Sana’s words came out as if she was talking to herself. It was a really small voice, and it wasn’t directed at anyone. It was as if a question that was in her mind had leaked out a little. Her voice was so quiet that it seemed that Kazuharu and Asuka, who were joking about something a little further away, didn’t hear her.

The expression on Sana’s face at that time was so lonely. They were full of emptiness, and their aqua blue eyes were so moist that they had a film over them that made me worry that a ….drop would spill out.

“Sana…?”

When I called out to her, she flushed and made her usual smile.

“It’s nothing! This is the first time I’ve done something like this with my friends, so I’m a little ….sad.”

“Oh, really…?”

“Yes, I did! Of course. I’ve been friendless for years. You think I’m stupid? What? You’re making fun of me!? Then just make fun of me!? You’re more paranoid when you’ve been alone for a long time, try making fun of me!”

She was angry like usual and said self-deprecating things that were not appropriate for her gorgeous appearance.

But today, it was too much like an act, and I felt uncomfortable. I was sure it was because I could tell that her eyes were not shaking from anger or embarrassment. They looked so painful that I couldn’t watch them.

However, this kind of exchange happens quite routinely between us, and since Kazuharu and Asuka are just laughing as usual, I apologized to her as usual. Sana was acting as usual, so if I were to interrupt her, the atmosphere would become strange.

Then we ended up playing a game in Sana’s room while eating sweets. I was sure that by doing so, my wish on the strips of paper would come true.

Just at the time it was about to be nine at night and we were about to return home, Sana said—

“Hey, can I have this bamboo?”

We boys looked at each other.

“Isn’t it in the way? I was thinking of taking it home if it was in the way.”

When I asked her back, she shook her head.

“Yeah … because this room is a dead plain, isn’t it? So I wonder if there should be something so flashy.”

Laughing in annoyance, Sana looked around the room.

The room was almost empty except for the bare necessities. Come to think of it, there were no reference books either. The room was so inorganic that it could not be described as a high school girl’s room, and in such an inorganic room, only the decorated bamboos remained to show their presence. I felt that the balance was wrong in many ways.

“Well, since it’s fine with Sana, I’ll leave it here…..”

With that, I said to Sana, “See you tomorrow,” and left her room.

I couldn’t help but feel sad about the decorated bamboo that I saw just before I left the room.