It was during summer vacation of my second year of high school.

Kashiwagi-saaan!

All of the class was working hard to prepare for the cultural festival that would come right after vacation ended.

We ran out of wood, I'm afraid.

Won't you help us? Going to the student council room is kinda scary.

It's full of 3rd years.

You need wood?

I was usually picked as the leader, so this was nothing special.

I'd take the lead and do the work for the class.

Ok! I'll go!

Yay! You're such a big help! Thanks!

As expected of Kashiwagi~

No, no, stop it.

I'm just making sure everything goes smoothly.

You really are a big help.

Always being relied upon, being made a big deal of, having lots of friends...

All of it gave me self-confidence, status. It was my an everyday thing, it was natural.

Wah!

These are all stuck to me again...

Ever since I entered this school,

I've been able to see these things.

Kashiwagi-san's reliable. She's so cool~ I really admire her!!!

Haha...

But it seems that other people can't see these papers.

The Classroom With Labels First Part

Hey, is there any glue left?

Some guy from another class took it.

No way!

Whoa, we only got a little ink left. What's up with that?

I'll go out shopping, but what do we need?

I realized that they were the assessments of others.

Hey, is this good?

That's good.

Kashiwagi! Really?

Yeah, I like this design.

Thank goodness.

I'm leaving soon

But are we really ok on the things we need?

Ah, Kashiwagi, do you need anything too?

You made a shopping list earlier, right?

Mmm? Umm... I'm fine, there's nothing I really need.

Sometimes, I even see things that I don't want to see, and I hate that.

I see! Then, I'm leaving!

His back is really troubling...

I thought about discussing it with someone, but...

I wouldn't be able to explain it very well, and I don't think they'd believe me.

I think I shouldn't worry about it, and keep on pretending that I can't see them.

But, of course, because I'm bothered by the things about me and the things about other people...

Oh...

That's surprising...

Sometimes I feel guilty too, but I'm the only one who can see it...

So I guess I shouldn't tell anyone.

Hey, listen, this is hilarious---

Eh, is that so.

Annoying.

I shouldn't...

For a while, I thought that it was seeing hallucinations of how I imagined them.

Kashiwagi-san, there's something I'd like to ask you...

But sometimes, there were bits of information attached that I didn't know.

And sometimes...

Sometimes they were terrible. Sometimes, I didn't want to know them.

Do you mind...?

Ah...

No, it's fine...

Is that so.

Ah

Ah, sorry.

...S-Sorry...

Wakatsuki-kun, are you going home?

Eh

Ah

Yeah.

I've already finished my part...

Really?

Bye...

Even though each sheet is really light...

They seem really heavy...

They seem painful...

I...

I...

Even if I tore off that 1 piece, the assessment of everyone around wouldn't change.

I knew that more than anything else.

Did Wakatsuki do anything today?

Eh, I saw him making something in the corner of the classroom.

Huh? Isn't he just slacking off?

Actually, I bet he didn't even talk to anyone today.

Hahaha

That's really troubling.

Eh, really? But he said "I've already finished my part"...

U-Umm, Wakatsuki-kun was doing some work too, you know?

I happened to see him! Just a glimpse of it!

Ah, is that so?

If Kashiwagi says so...

Hmph, then I guess it's fine...

More importantly, clean up and let's go home!

Ok.

Did I mean to protect him like that...?

In such a half-baked way...

I didn't know Wakatsuki-kun's feelings.

It was so hard for me to just look at his back from behind,

That I thought that it must be much harder for Wakatsuki-kun himself.

Hey, where should we go? I'm hungry.

The next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, I was worried about Wakatsuki-kun's back.

No Entrance Fee

Let's move this desk?

You're really good.

Do you like drawing this sort of thing?

Eh, not really...

No, I bet you do.

It's great. I can't draw at all.

But when it's hot, I feel really sluggish in PE. Though I wish that we could have class in the pool.

I'm the worst at art. I try really hard, but well... Of course, you must have a real talent for this. How lucky.

I like PE, but there's not as many PE classes for 2nd years as there was for 1st years.

...What?

U-Umm, you have some trash stuck to you.

I'm coloring it, so... If you sit there, you'll get dirty.

...Wakatsuki-kun, you have some paint on your arm.

I'll wash it once I'm done.

If it dries, it'll be hard to get off.

Wait a moment.

I was taking off the thin papers on his back.

But no matter how many I took, they were limitless...

He couldn't see them, so there probably wasn't any point to it.

But maybe it was for my own self satisfaction.

If... there's no point in taking them off...

Here, I wet my handkerchief.

I'm ok... with getting dirty. Actually, you should be doing your own work.

I, It's fine. Don't worry about it. Hurry up and wipe it off.

Kashiwagi, do you not want that handkerchief?

Eh, why?

Because, well,

Wakatsuki's going to use that handkerchief.

Huh?

You're going to throw it away once Wakatsuki uses it, right?

Haha

H, Huh? Whatever, go do your own work.

...Are you going to throw it away?

Eh?

It's something you're going to throw out, so you let me borrow it, right?

I'm not going to throw it away! I really like this handkerchief!

If you're done using it, then give it back to me!

I'll wash...

You don't have to wash it! I have to wipe my hands too!

Don't worry about such stupid things. Hurry up and finish up the sign, you skilled peon!

OW

Ow...

With all my strength, I attached something that other people couldn't see on his back.

I hope it doesn't come off. I hope it doesn't come off.

I hope nothing else gets stuck on top of it.

Actually, I didn't think it would stick.

Since I can see them, I can attach them?

I don't really get it.

Can our class use these spare panels?

These are the only ones.

Ah, let me see... I have to ask the action committee...

We have to show up for the preparation of our club event now.

Umm, I'm really sorry about it...

It's ok. I'll go ask.

I'm really sorry! Thank you!

Thanks!

Everyone relies on me, everyone needs me.

What I do might be the odd jobs, but...

Everyone in the class is happy, and I enjoy it too.

So I'm happy.

Ah, ummm... I have to...

Check with the action committee about the panels...

Secure the empty classrooms...

Decide on the people in charge on the day of the event...

And...

...It's hot.

I want to stick "too hot" on the sun.

When I think about it, maybe it was chance.

There were too many things to do, and when I got home that day,

I had a slight fever.

The next time I went to school was 2 days later, after taking a day to rest.

Group 2 Schedule

I slept all day.

Ahh, but I didn't have anything really urgent.

If I'm not there, then that's that.

I'm sure they got by.

I wonder if I worried them by suddenly taking a day off.

Kashiwagi-san, did you ask the action committee about the panels?

Eh...

Ah, sorry... I planned on... asking them today...

Eh, whatever.

She didn't do it in time.

We're the only ones without enough of them.

If she couldn't ask, then that's that.

Ah, so we have to go shopping again.

Hah...

Umm, I took yesterday off, so...

Oh, you took the day off? I thought you were in some other class.

N-No, you see... I thought that someone else

Would take care of checking the empty classrooms.

No way.

Hey, she said she didn't check the classrooms either.

Seriously? What should we do?

I thought we already decided on that.

Could it be that I'm...

...Being blamed?

Actually, about the thing I asked you about earlier...

Kashiwagi

Kashiwagi

About that thing...

Kashiwagi-san

Ah, sorry. I have something to do with the teacher...

I'm going to the teacher's lounge...

What is this? I only took 1 day off, right?

I was just a little late in contacting, right?

Why?

I thought that someone

Would be worried about me.

But a-aren't they my f-friends... It's also my fault for taking on too much, but... But...

...No.

What's this?

No, no...

No...

It seems that other people can't see these papers.

I realized that they were the assessments of others.

No.

No...

Even if I tore off that 1 piece, the assessment of everyone around wouldn't change.

Uuu...

I knew that more than anything else.

Gradually, those assessments boiled over. Those assessments. Those assessments...

Kashiwagi-san?

...You have quite a lot on your back... don't you?

Are you ok?

Eh?