I try to catch Shizuku before school starts, but she is with Kurosawa. The teacher asks Kyoko to get some papers from the teacher's staff room so I get up to approach Shizuku while she's gone, but  Yamada and one of her friends get there first for a little girl talk. Even after school, Kyoko drags me to yearbook. Most of the time, however, it's Kurosawa walking her to school, meeting her afterward and just hanging around her between classes as if guarding her--especially when I'm around. I catch more than one sideways look whenever I get too near. It's almost as if he's jealous of our friendship. I never get the chance to find out what Shizuku is thinking.

The following week, we present our reports. Kyoko and I get top marks for our video report, though Takasagi-sensei questions us on our subject. We've obviously had help putting it together. I'm certain he wants to make sure we've actually done our own research and not had someone else do the whole thing. I dance around his questions while Kyoko calmly answers them all.

Shimura and Himura present their report using a power-point presentation with Shimura lecturing and Himura rapping along beside her with her part of the report. It is unintentionally very funny and Himura plays along as if she'd intended it to be so. It almost seems like a manzai routine with Shimura playing the tsukkomi, or straight man, and Himura playing the boke, or fool, though Shimura doesn't ever quite lose her temper and slap Himura around as she's supposed to. We laugh until we cry.

Shizuku and Kurosawa present their report in a straight up lecture using an easel on which Shizuku writes their key facts entirely by memory in machine-perfect handwriting. A nervous Kurosawa reads the lecture in a stiff monotone while a relaxed Shizuku offers little-known and strangely detailed historical facts about their subject. Takasagi-sensei is fascinated and asks them to bring sources for some of their information.

To celebrate surviving the week of presentations—which managed to be both terrifying and incredibly boring—Kyoko talks me into taking her out to a nearby coffee shop after school. We manage to give our friends the slip and I understand why Kyoko insists we go alone when we get there. The café is a frilly little place populated almost entirely by young couples. Kyoko explains as she waits for me to open the door, "They say that taking your special someone on a date here provides good luck for your relationship."

"Ah."

Kyoko orders a coffee that seems to have very little actual coffee in it and I order a hot tea. We chat, waiting for our drinks, and I watch the other couples sitting close, leaning into each other, talking through shy smiles. Kyoko sits across the small table from me. She's not frowning, but she's not exactly smiling either. When our drinks come, we each take several thoughtful sips and I wonder why we are here. I can see her thinking as if she wants to say something but can't find the words.

I grow anxious waiting. Finally, I ask, "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried."

"About what?"

"I'm worried that some of our classmates might get the wrong impression about you?"

"About me? Really? Why?"

"It's the way you're always looking at Shizuku-san. You're always thinking about her. I know you're just worried about her as a friend, but some of them might misunderstand and think you have other feelings for her."

"What?" I'm stunned speechless, mostly because of her tone. She doesn't actually sound worried. She almost sounds like a mother scolding her child.

"And then there's Kurosawa-san to think about."

His name sends a shiver of annoyance through me. I grumble, "That's what I'm really worried about."

"You should be. If he gets the idea that you are trying to take his girlfriend, there will be trouble."

I am both surprised and insulted. "Why would he—why would anyone think—?" Kyoko gives me a disapproving look and I stop in mid-outrage. "What?"

"I just think you need to be more careful about how things appear."

I look around the cafe, searching for words. I could understand her being jealous if I had feelings for another girl, but this doesn't even seem like jealousy. Her tone is a little like a teacher lecturing a student in the teacher's staff room for breaking one of the school's rules. I almost feel like she is threatening to punish me or something. I take a deep breath. Maybe I'm over-reacting. She can't possible think other people would think I like Shizuku, but I've obviously made her worry unnecessarily. "What exactly would you like me to do?"

Kyoko's smile is strained, her gaze piercing. "Don't look at her. Don't talk to her or about her. Don't even say her name. If you do that, then nobody can say anything and there won't be any misunderstandings."

I try not to let my irritation show. "We are classmates. It's just possible we might have class duty together or something."

Kyoko nods as if conceding a point. "If you have to, you have to. But as far as possible, act as if she doesn't exist."

I sigh. It's not like I wanted a shinigami in my life. "Very well. As far as possible, I won't have anything to do with her."

Kyoko smiles brightly. "See! I knew we could handle this."

I look down at my tea which has gone cold.

Kyoko finishes off her coffee. "Drink up. This place is really popular."

I take another sip and grimace. I hadn't realized that, when it got cold, this tea would taste so bitter.