Part 5
Good. For a moment, I thought Makishima might say something like, ‘Don’t you dare mess with my girl,’ but—wait, isn’t that mental image way too outdated? What is this, a yakuza movie?
“Is after school today okay?”
“…Yeah.”
With that, Enomoto-san averted her gaze.
I’ll take that as a yes.
“Alright then, I’ll hold onto it—whoa?”
As I reached out to take the bracelet, she pulled her hand back.
What’s her deal? How am I supposed to handle this? We’ve only just met, and I can’t get a read on her personality yet. I wish she wouldn’t do stuff like this.
“…I’d be in trouble if it got broken, so I’ll watch over it too.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is…”
She doesn’t trust me, huh? Well, whatever.
It’s not a big deal to me, and it shows how much she values it, so I’ll let it slide.
“Then, could you come to the science room after school?”
“…Yeah.”
And with that, it seemed like today’s after-school time was going to be different from the usual.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
That Afternoon.
While waiting for Enomoto-san in the science room, I listened to Himari talk about her personality.
"So, Himari and Enomoto-san are connected through your brothers?"
"Yeah, that's right. We were close in elementary school, but not so much now. We weren't even in the same class last year."
"Huh, so you went to the same elementary school?"
"Well, it's a bit different. Back in elementary school, we were more like friends who hung out a few times a year."
"Like family gatherings or something?"
"Ah, close, but not quite. It was because of cake deliveries."
"...Cake?"
"Remember what Makishima-kun said? Enocchi's family runs a Western-style pastry shop."
"Oh, I see."
So basically, they played together as part of the cake delivery visits for the family business.
"Enocchi's family's cakes are insanely good. They're well-known in the neighborhood too."
"Really? Now I kind of want to try some."
"We still order from them, so do you want to come to the next birthday party? My mom's birthday is next month."
"No way. Why would one of your classmates crash your mom's birthday party? That makes zero sense."
"My mom's been saying she's lonely since you stopped coming over."
"That's exactly why I don't want to go..."
Why is their whole family so insistent about welcoming me? If I did go, what kind of tone would I even use to offer birthday wishes?
"Back to Enocchi, though. We started playing together during those cake deliveries. But by the time we got to upper elementary, she stopped coming over. We were in different school districts, so we didn’t see each other at all after that."
"Did you know she goes to our high school?"
"Yeah, I talked to her a few times back in our first year."
Alright, I had the gist of their relationship now.
Still, it's impressive how she remembers a friend from that young age. For me, I can only recall maybe one or two kids I played baseball with in elementary school... Wait, that's pretty awful, isn't it?
"So, you didn’t go to the same junior high school?"
"That’s right. As for the Moonflower accessory, didn’t she get that through your sister?"
Yeah, that seems plausible.
Either way, she doesn’t seem like someone I’d naturally end up crossing paths with.
"So, about me being the one who made it..."
"I think it’s better not to say anything. Enocchi seems really attached to that Moonflower accessory, right?"
"I don’t know about being attached, but she definitely treats it like it’s precious."
"Then it’d be cruel to mess with that by throwing in unnecessary distractions."
"Wait. Are you calling the fact that I made it an unnecessary distraction?"
"That’s not what I mean. I just think that important memories should stay pure, you know? Sharing certain information could end up ruining that memory. Wouldn’t it be kind of insensitive to disrupt something so meaningful?"
Ugh. She had a point.
It’s not like I was itching to boast about it anyway, so I guess I’ll keep quiet.
...Just as I was thinking that, Himari started nudging me in the ribs with her elbow, her expression turning mischievous.
"Aha! Yuu, are you planning to use this as a chance to go after the gorgeous, big-breasted cake shop girl?"
"No, of course not! And that’s not what I meant when I asked... Wait, she’s big?"
Himari folded her arms and nodded solemnly, her expression unusually serious.
With a distant look, she recalled something and spoke with conviction.
"...Big. I saw her during a mixed P.E. class changing session in our first year. There’s no doubt about it."
"For real...?"
"Her uniform hides it so well, I never noticed...
Not that noticing changes anything. Actually, I wish she’d stop filling my head with weird stuff.
"Back in elementary school, she was as cute as a doll, you know. And now in high school, she’s grown into such a glamorous beauty. Ahh, she’s totally my type... like, exactly my type."
"Heh, yeah, you’re into that kind of beauty, aren’t you? Like my sisters—same kind of vibe, right?"
"Yup. Yuu, I really like your sisters, too. Beautiful people are treasures of the world."
"But for someone who likes her so much, this is the first time you’ve mentioned Enomoto-san. I thought you were close?"
"..."
Himari’s face suddenly went serious, her playful demeanor vanishing.
She slumped onto the table, stretching out her arms like she was about to recount a tale of woe.
"I want to be close with her, but she kind of avoids me..."
"Wait, you’re the one being avoided? Miss Social Butterfly herself? That’s rare."
"Well, back when we started high school, we had mixed P.E. together, and we were changing in the same room, and..."
I got it.
More specifically, I understood the moment I saw her hands twitching like she was recalling the incident.
"Ah—say no more. I already have a bad feeling about this."
"It was an impulse! How often in life do you get the chance to grab something so magnificent with both hands?"
"I said I don’t want to hear it! And no wonder she avoids you after that!"
"But Yuu, if something like that were right in front of you, you’d go for it, right?"
"No, I wouldn’t! And what if someone overhears you saying this?!"
As we were making a ruckus, the science room door suddenly opened.
Of course, it was Enomoto-san. She stood there with a cold expression, staring silently at us. ...Could she have heard our conversation just now? No, wait—this wasn’t my fault!
Still keeping her cool demeanor, Enomoto-san spoke.
"…Hello."
"H-Hello…?"
Hello...?
I wasn’t sure if that was the appropriate greeting in this situation, but at least it didn’t seem like she had overheard my conversation with Himari.
"Oh, where’s Makishima?"
"Shii-kun has tennis club practice."
"Ah, right. That’s true."
Sports clubs have their practices, so it couldn’t be helped. But honestly, I wish he were here as a buffer for this conversation.
"Um, Enomoto-san, what about your club?"
"I’m in the wind ensemble, but we’re off today."
"Oh, I see. Um..."
I scrambled for a topic. Anything would do.
Before I could come up with something, Enomoto-san extended the Moonflower accessory toward me.
"Spare me the idle chatter and just fix this, please."
"O-Okay..."
It wasn’t like I wanted to be friends or anything, but she was so cold that it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Hey—Himari, stop laughing! This is partially your fault. If you hadn’t been spouting nonsense, maybe she wouldn’t be this wary.
"Alright, let’s get to it..."
I motioned for Enomoto-san to sit in the chair across from me and took the broken bracelet from her.
First, I inspected the damage. As expected, it was wear and tear on the joint section. To put it simply, the rings that fit together had rubbed against each other too much, weakening their durability.
The fix was straightforward: replace the part entirely. I didn’t have an identical one, but I had some similar spares in stock. Since these weren’t from a hundred-yen shop, their durability would likely be better than before.
…That’s when Himari’s words from earlier came back to me.
"Uh, Enomoto-san, can I ask you something?"
"…Don’t tell me you can’t fix it?"
Wow. She really doesn’t trust me.
Well, I guess that’s fair. To Enomoto-san, I’m probably just "some weirdo who seems good with his hands." If it weren’t for Himari or Makishima, she likely wouldn’t have asked me for help at all.
"No, it’s not that. I mean, um…"
"…Can you just spit it out already?"
Enomoto-san crossed her arms and started tapping her fingers impatiently. She seemed pretty annoyed... and seriously, her chest is huge. It’s like it’s spilling out of her arms—no, stop. Focus. This isn’t the time for that. Curse you, Himari, for planting these thoughts.
At that moment, Himari stepped in between us.
"Hold it, hold it! Enocchi, you’re being a little scary."
"…Hii-chan."
She didn’t seem thrilled, but at least she stopped glaring daggers at me.
"Yuu’s a total scaredy-cat, you know? He’s actually trying really hard to deal with someone he’s just met, so could you be a bit nicer to him?"
"I’m not angry, though…"
"But, Enocchi, your brows have been furrowed this whole time. Look at this, see?"
"…Huh!?"
Out of nowhere, Himari held up a small mirror to Enomoto-san’s face. Startled, she recoiled, leaning back instinctively. Her arms flailed wildly, trying to regain balance.
"Uh, Enocchi?"
"Wait, hold on—wah, ahh—!"
And just like that, she toppled over, chair and all, with a loud thud.
Himari and I just stood there, dumbfounded, watching the whole scene unfold.
…It’s strange how your body just freezes in moments like this.
"Enocchi!?"
"Hey, are you okay!?"
Himari and I hurriedly helped Enomoto-san back to her feet.
Luckily, it didn’t seem like she had hit her head. However, she’d clearly slammed her elbow pretty hard, as tears welled up in her eyes.
"…Ugh, ugh…"
"Enocchi? I’m sorry! Are you okay?"
Suddenly, Enomoto-san shouted out in frustration.
"You said you could fix it, so hurry up and fix it already!"
"O-Okay! My bad (I guess?)…"
I honestly hadn’t expected her to fall so dramatically...
Could it be? Is she, well, that type of person? You know...
"Enocchi, you’re just as clumsy as ever," Himari said bluntly.
Wow, she just outright said it!
Enomoto-san’s face turned bright red, and she shot back immediately.
"This was your fault, Hii-chan!!"
"Well, I mean, come on? But seriously? …Pfft!"
"～～～～っ!?"
Enomoto-san’s right hand shot out and clamped tightly onto Himari’s head.
She began squeezing with alarming force, and Himari let out a muffled scream of "Mogyaaah!" while flailing her arms in protest, weakly slapping at Enomoto-san’s arm.
"Hii-chan, I hate you! You’ve always been so tactless, and you used to take all my favorite keychains and dolls!"
"Mercy! Enocchi, mercy! Your iron claw is too much! You’ve been honing those arms with baking, so you can’t use that strength on my skull! My cranium’s cracking!!"
"Shut up! I’m going to settle the score for all the grudges I’ve been holding onto since elementary school, right here and now!"
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I swear, I’ll never do it again—aaaah!"
…Wow. Just wow.
Watching Himari get completely outmatched like this is definitely a first. Given their history, Enomoto-san must be one of those rare people immune to the "Himari Magic." Honestly, I could stand to learn a thing or two from her approach.
After letting Himari go, Enomoto-san turned her sharp glare on me. Her intense expression radiated an almost tangible pressure—like facing an enraged deity or something.
"Natsume-kun. Fix it, now!"
"Y-yes! Right away!"
I hurriedly picked up the broken accessory.
Despite the intimidating vibe, the tension in the room had lightened a bit. Maybe because I now realized Enomoto-san also struggles to handle Himari, which oddly made me feel less nervous. Still, I wish she didn’t have to serve as collateral damage for this peacekeeping.
"Before I start the repair, I just need to confirm something. I can fix it, but I’ll likely have to replace some parts. Are you okay with that?"
"…I guess. But you can’t just fix it as is?"
Yikes. She looks really unhappy about this.
"Well, these parts seem to be from a 100-yen shop. Those stores switch out their products all the time, so it’s unlikely I’ll find identical replacements for a two-year-old item."
"…From a 100-yen shop?"
"Ah, no! I mean, it looks like it could be."
Close call.
I don’t personally see a need to hide the truth, but I agreed with Himari to keep it under wraps, so here we are.
Enomoto-san still looked reluctant about replacing the parts. Clearly, this accessory held some sentimental value for her. Himari seemed to pick up on that too and appeared just as unsure about how to convince her.
That said, the reality of the situation is unavoidable. The lack of available replacement parts was likely why accessory shops and hardware stores refused to fix it in the first place.
Even if we contacted the 100-yen shop, it’s doubtful they’d trace the part back to the original manufacturer, assuming it’s still in business. It’s also highly improbable they’d restart production just for this one repair.
In the end, it comes down to convincing Enomoto-san to accept a compromise. If she can’t, then even I won’t be able to fix this.
“This Gekkabijin resin piece will be left as is. I promise. But if we combine it with parts that are more durable, I think it could be used for a long time.” (T/N: The gekkabijin is a white, night-blooming flower that grows on a cactus-like vine and is also known as the Queen of the Night)
“But…”
“If that’s not possible... let’s see. How about displaying it in a collection case in your room? You could admire it that way. I could also create a decorative piece to suit your preferences as much as possible.”
“……”
She glanced back and forth between the bracelet and my face.
Her expression was like a hesitant child, unsure of what to do.
Her first impression seems a bit harsh, but maybe she’s unexpectedly pure at heart. After all, earlier she seemed to get along well with Himari in a playful way.
While I was thinking about that, Enomoto-san spoke up.
“…I want to wear this.”
“Then can I replace the parts?”
“…Mm.”
Reluctantly, she agreed.
…It’s been a long journey to get here. Honestly, just this much has been exhausting. I’m not the type to listen to people’s specific requests about accessories on a daily basis, and now I just want to go home and soak in a bath. …Well, most of this exhaustion might be because of Himari.
“All right, I’ll get started right away. Just wait a bit.”
I unlocked the steel shelf behind me and pulled out a box of tools. Inside it were cases containing material stocks.
From them, I selected a metal stick that matched the color and shape of the bracelet. It was a coral-colored, cylindrical piece about one centimeter long. I placed it temporarily on the table to visualize how it would look once connected.
“Does this look okay?”
“Mm...”
“I’d like to measure your wrist size.”
“…Like this?”
She extended her left wrist, and I wrapped the measuring tape around it.
It’s about the same size as Himari’s. But in Enomoto-san’s case, leaving a little slack might suit her style better.
“Alright, I’ll start the work now.”
“…Got it. Please do.”
First, I began dismantling the Gekkabijin bracelet.
It wasn’t too difficult. I just needed to snip it with a pair of fine-bladed pliers. Since the bracelet was already deteriorating, it didn’t require much force.
The challenge was avoiding any damage to the Gekkabijin resin. It’s simple but requires caution. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to connect it this intricately? Oh yeah, that was me.
…Done.
Since I’m at it, maybe I should clean the resin too… but no, she might not like me messing with it too much. Good call, me. Look at you being considerate.
Now for the joint sections…
“…Hey, Himari.”
“What’s up?”
“What’s your relationship with this person?”
“Huh? Curious? Don’t tell me you’re into Yuu?”
“N-No! I was just wondering, that’s all!”
“Hmm. But denying it so strongly is a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Then what is it?”
“We’ve been best friends since junior high school.”
“Best friends?”
“Yup. Why? Does that sound strange?”
“…No, not really. So, what are you two doing in this science room?”
“That’s the gardening club’s activity. We grow flowers in this shelf. We’ve also planted a variety of things in the flowerbed behind the bike racks. Take a look inside the shelf!”
“Wow! What’s this? There are flower buds lined up in these cute round pots…”
“It’s an LED planter. It’s amazing—you can grow houseplants even indoors where sunlight doesn’t reach well. It’s also great for keeping leafy vegetables like lettuce fresh.”
“That’s incredible. I didn’t know something like this existed…”
“By the way, I haven’t watered them yet today. Enocchi, do you want to try?”
“O-okay. I’ll give it a go…”
“Here you go, a watering can. Each flower has a name, so call their names and say, ‘You’re so cute!’ as you water them. Flowers are pure, you know.”
“G-got it.”
“Start here. This one is Akari, then Izumi, and Ui…”
“Akari-chan. Izumi-chan. Ui-chan. Y-you’re so cute…”
“Yep, just like that! Keep going. Next are Kekekeke and Kokokoko…”
“Are these Pokémon with randomized stats that you caught in bulk!?”
“Ahaha! I couldn’t keep up with naming them all. But Yuu remembers them perfectly.”
“That’s… amazing.”
“Yeah, Yuu’s smarter than me when it comes to things he’s interested in. It’s such a waste.”
“But Himari… I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a gardening club at this school…”
“Yeah, probably. Yuu and I started it last year. We haven’t even recruited any members.”
“What kind of club is it?”
“Mostly, we observe and grow flowers. We write reports on flowers that can be easily grown indoors. The official purpose is to promote mental therapy benefits and contribute to social welfare.”
“‘Official purpose’…”
“Remember last year’s graduation ceremony? The school gate was decorated with flowers, right? Those were ones we grew.”
“Oh, the ones the seniors were plucking as keepsakes after the ceremony?”
“Yep, that’s the one. I don’t mind, but they could’ve been a little gentler when taking them.”
…I finished connecting the metal sticks.
Yeah, this should do.
Now I just need to connect it to the resin part…
“Himari, this guy hasn’t reacted at all since earlier…”
“That’s how Yuu always is. Once he starts working on something, he wouldn’t notice even if a vase shattered right next to him.”
“…You’ve tested that?”
“Ahaha, yeah. Last year, I accidentally knocked one over while changing the water for the flowers.”
“I see…”
“He’s not listening to this conversation either, so if you touch him now, he wouldn’t notice. Want to give it a try?”
“Huh?”
“Like this. You just… here, and then…”
“W-wait a second. Isn’t that a bit much…?”
“Hehe~. Oh, I should take a picture too.”
“W-wait, Himari. Won’t he get mad at you later…?”
…Done.
For now, this should do. If I had more time, I could refine the details… but no, I promised Himari we’d keep it simple.
Hopefully, she’ll be satisfied with this…
“Hm?”
I felt a strange sensation on my head. Specifically, it felt like my hair was being pulled.
Then Himari handed me a hand mirror.
“Here you go, Yuu! Have a look~♪”
“Huh?”
My hair was tied up with countless red ribbons for some reason.
“Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!”
The sight was so shocking that I let out an involuntary scream. These ribbons were ones I’d prepared for packaging accessories!
“Himari, what did you do?!”
“Aaaaahhhhh—wait, why are you screaming like that? You sound like a girl—pffft haha!”
Himari pointed at me, laughing hysterically.
I hurriedly reached for the ribbons to untie them, but my hair was tangled, and I couldn’t get them off easily.
“Ugh, this really won’t come undone! You fix this!”
“Okay, okay! I’ll untie it for you, so just keep working on your project!”
It’s your fault this even happened in the first place, you know.
Himari moved behind me and started trying to untie the ribbons. Leaving that to her, I turned to Enomoto-san and handed her the bracelet.
“Uh, Enomoto-san, could you try it on for now…?”
“Mm…”
I wrapped the bracelet around her wrist.
The size was just as I’d planned. Now it was just a matter of how comfortable it felt.
When I glanced up, my eyes met Enomoto-san’s. For a moment, her cheeks puffed up, and then… she burst out laughing with a “Pfft.”
“Don’t laugh! Hey, Himari! Hurry up and get these off!”
From behind me, Himari groaned.
“Yuu, sorry. I know I did this, but it’s actually really hard to untie these.”
“Are you serious right now!?”
“Don’t worry! If this ribbon is still stuck on you when you’re 30… hmm, maybe I’ll just shave your head.”
“That’s where you’re supposed to take responsibility and say, ‘I’ll take care of you!’ Don’t just avoid the important stuff!”
Himari’s cheeks flushed red.
“Wait, Yuu. Are you actually planning to choose me if you’re still single at 30? …Okay, I’ll let my brother know.”
“Don’t try to pawn me off to your brother while looking a little embarrassed!”
“Well, he’s really not the type to actually settle down, you know. And I definitely don’t want to be stuck taking care of him in his old age!”
“That doesn’t mean you can just throw the responsibility onto a stranger!”
“Yuu, you can be so selfish sometimes.”
“I’m the selfish one here? Really!?”
While we were talking, Enomoto-san suddenly let out a small laugh.
“Heh, haha. Himari, this is definitely all your fault… hehe.”
We both stared at her, taken aback.
The guarded expression she’d had up until now seemed like a lie as her face lit up with a childish smile. When I glanced back at Himari, she grinned smugly and said:
“See? All thanks to me.”
“…You totally just made that up on the spot, didn’t you?”
Well, at least the mood had softened, and that was a good thing.
After confirming the bracelet’s size, I moved on to the final step: attaching the clasp.
(T/N: Dropped)
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