Act Four: The Feelings That Cannot Be Accepted
Friday after school.
Yuzuhana and I were at a family restaurant. We planned to snack on something light while enjoying some Monster Hunting, but...
"Idiot..."
Yuzuhana let out a sigh as she spoke.
"Don’t call me an idiot."
"I can’t help it. What is this?"
"It's a handout for a quiz."
"You know that's not what I’m asking, right? Or is your intelligence so low you don’t even understand that? Let me ask again. What is this?"
"…It’s my score."
"And what’s the number?"
"…Two points."
"Good boy. Now, this is my score, by the way."
She smugly pulled out a handout from her bag, flaunting her perfect score of ten.
"Idiot..."
"What part of me is an idiot?! Don’t tell me you thought the full score was 100 or something?"
"I only said it because seeing your perfect score made me jealous."
"How childish..."
"Childish is fine. Fifteen-year-olds are still kids, anyway. Besides, you can call me an idiot all you want, but in the end, we’re both going to the same university, aren’t we? We’re on the same level."
"Even so, as of right now, my grades are overwhelmingly better than yours! Now, bow down and worship me."
"Yes, yes. You’re so smart."
"…You’re definitely mocking me."
"I'm not."
"You are. You just used baby talk. That’s ridiculous, so stop it."
"You’ve used baby talk too, haven’t you? Like when I came home exhausted from overtime, and you said, 'You did so good at work today, didn’t you?'"
"Th-that was just me using a cute tone to cheer you up! If you're going to bring that up, you also said, 'Let's nap together, okay~!' didn't you?"
"Th-that was just me trying to calm you down because you were scared of the thunder!"
"If you're going to reassure me, at least use some cooler lines!"
"I was just trying to lighten the mood because you were frightened! People feel better when they see a baby, right?"
"Don’t compare baby talk from a 0-year-old to that of a grown man! Besides, you're trying to change the subject, but you do realize this situation is pretty bad, right?"
"Yeah, well... especially since it's a math quiz."
This time, I managed to get off without any punishment, but if I mess up on the midterm test at the end of next month, after-school study sessions will be inevitable. And if I screw up the final exam at the end of June, I'll lose my summer vacation entirely.
The thought of spending summer with our strict math teacher is unbearable.
"Seriously. We came to this family restaurant planning to enjoy some gaming, but you were hiding a bombshell like this."
"You're the one who brought it up, Yuzuhana."
"I was planning to brag about my score. Now I don't even feel like bragging anymore."
"You did brag... quite thoroughly, I might add."
"Oh? Did I now?"
"You have such a conveniently selective memory. Anyway, whether I end up stuck in detention or lose my summer vacation shouldn’t matter to you, should it?"
"Of course it matters. If you're stuck in detention, I’ll lose my playmate."
"Don’t worry. I won't end up in detention. I barely dodged it last time, too."
"Just because you dodged it last time doesn’t mean you’ll dodge it this time. And with scores like this, I can’t exactly invite you out to play without worrying."
With a clap of her hands, she declared,
"To make sure we can enjoy ourselves, I’ll help you study. The first goal is to get a perfect score on the next quiz. Got it?"
"Studying, huh..."
"Don’t make that face. I’ll tutor you gently."
Whether she’d really tutor me "gently" was questionable, but if my grades dropped any further, my allowance would too.
Even I had plans to spend summer vacation hanging out with Yuzuhana. Losing my funds for that would be a real problem.
"By the way, what should I do to thank you?"
"I don’t need anything... but how about you pay for today?"
"That’s cheap."
"It won’t be cheap after I order some cake."
"Then order one for me, too. I’m going to the restroom."
"Which cake?"
"Anything’s fine."
"I’ve told you forever that ‘anything’s fine’ doesn’t help... Well, fine. I’ll pick something you’d probably like."
"Thanks."
Yuzuhana saw me off as I stood up from the table.
After finishing up in the restroom and heading back to our table, I noticed an unfamiliar guy talking to Yuzuhana.
He was sitting in the seat I had just vacated, chatting with her in an animated, cheerful manner.
It was a guy wearing the same school uniform as me. Even from here, his good looks were obvious.
"Uh, that’s my seat."
"Oh, sorry. See you at school, Koikawa-san. I’m looking forward to a good answer."
With a refreshing smile, he said that and walked off toward a corner table where a group of guys in the same uniform were waiting.
"…That guy just now, do you know him?"
"That’s Yamada-kun. He’s in the soccer club."
"Yamada… Oh, yeah. I remember him."
I recalled Valentine’s Day when he received chocolates not only from classmates but even underclassmen.
Sure, I’ll admit he was popular with the girls, but I don’t remember him being close to Yuzuhana.
"Have you always been friendly with him?"
"Of course not. You know I don’t really have friends. The first time I ever talked to Yamada-kun was just recently. I was about to head home when a soccer ball came flying my way, and he asked, ‘Are you hurt?’"
"I see. So, what were you talking about just now?"
"He asked if I’d like to be the team manager since I haven’t joined any club yet."
"Manager...? So he was trying to recruit you?"
"Yes, that’s right. For him to recruit me without being scared of my glare, he’s got quite an eye for people, doesn’t he? I thought you were the only one who wasn’t afraid of me, Kouhei."
Yuzuhana gave a smug, shy smile.
She’s always been self-conscious about her sharp gaze. I get that being complimented on something you consider a flaw would make you happy.
But...
Seeing her look so pleased about a compliment from another guy didn’t sit well with me.
When I thought back to her saying, he’s got quite an eye for people, it only made me more irritated.
"So... does that mean we won’t be able to hang out anymore?"
There’s no way Yuzuhana would choose some other guy over me.
Of course, she’d prioritize spending time with me over being the soccer team manager.
I just wanted to hear it directly from her— I’d rather be with Kouhei than Yamada-kun. If I didn’t hear her say that, this uncomfortable feeling wouldn’t go away.
"Why would it mean that?"
"Because you’re going to be the soccer team’s manager, right?"
"As if. I’m too shy for that."
"So, if you weren’t shy, you’d become their manager?"
"I didn’t say that. And Kouhei, aren’t you kind of irritated?"
"I’m not."
Feeling embarrassed at the thought of her realizing I was jealous of Yamada-kun, my tone came out sharper than I intended.
"You are. Are you jealous, by any chance? Because I praised Yamada-kun? Haha, you’ve got a surprisingly cute side to you."
Yuzuhana squinted and grinned mischievously.
The mix of embarrassment and irritation made me snap back in a harsher tone.
"As if I’d get jealous over something like that. Unlike you, I’m not the clingy type. I don’t care who you get friendly with."
Yuzuhana’s grin faded.
"…Huh? What’s with that attitude? Don’t take your frustration out on me."
"I’m not taking anything out on you."
"You are. You’re all sulky just because I talked to another guy. How jealous can you get?"
"I'm telling you, it's not jealousy!"
"Then why are you so angry?"
"Because you were having fun chatting with another guy while hanging out with me! You get mad when I mess with my phone while we're eating, don't you?"
"Of course I get mad when the person I'm eating with prioritizes their phone over me!"
"Then you should prioritize the person you're hanging out with, too! You're always so good at turning a blind eye to your own flaws!"
"You weren't even at the table at the time! And telling me not to talk to other guys? That's just possessiveness! If anyone's ignoring their own faults, it's you!"
Yuzuhana yelled with a sharp expression, grabbed her bag, and stood up. Without even glancing back at me, she walked out of the family restaurant.
Noticing that some of the soccer club guys had overheard our exchange and were looking over, I felt a surge of irritation.
I should just go home.
As I was about to stand up, the server arrived with two plates of cake. A shortcake and a cheesecake—the kind I liked.
Imagining Yuzuhana choosing the cakes, a dull pain pricked at my chest.
"Welcome home..."
"Ah! Welcome back, big brother!"
As soon as I got home, Sana came bounding out of the dining room.
She was practically bursting with excitement—probably with some kind of good news. The gap between her energy and mine was staggering.
"I have a present for you today!"
"A present?"
"That's right, a present! Ta-da!"
Sana revealed a piece of paper she’d been hiding behind her back.
It was a zoo ticket, with a giraffe and an elephant printed on it.
"Mom gave this to me! She said someone at work gave it to her!"
"Ah... right."
Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled this event.
It was from a year or two ago, but my memory of it was hazy.
I didn't remember enjoying the zoo back then. In fact, I probably let the ticket expire because I couldn't find anyone to go with, and going alone didn't appeal to me.
"Do you want to go with me?"
"If you don’t have anything else to do, I guess that’d be fine. But I have club activities, so I’ll pass!"
"Not even one day off?"
"I’m the soon-to-be captain and star player of the basketball team! The club can’t function without me!"
She wasn't the captain or the ace just yet, but I knew that her determination would eventually earn her the role.
The joy she showed that day when she was appointed is still burned into my memory, so I couldn’t bring myself to drag her to the zoo against her will.
"I’m not interested in the zoo either, so I’ll pass. Just give the tickets to a friend."
"Look closer, big brother! There are two tickets!"
"As if I’d go twice when I’m not even interested in going once."
"No, I mean you should go with a girlfriend!"
"A girlfriend...? Yuzuhana is just a friend."
Although, after that fight, even staying friends seemed questionable at this point.
"Whoa! You're at the stage where you call each other by name! How youthful!"
"Don't tease your brother. It's natural to call a friend by their name."
"Either way, if you're close, you should invite her. So, here you go! The tickets! The expiration date is coming up, so ask her soon!"
"Even if I invite her, she might have plans."
"You won't know until you try. If this leads to something, make sure to say during your wedding speech, 'It was Sana who played Cupid for us'!"
"I'm not getting married!"
"Classic example of hiding embarrassment! So youthful!"
Grinning from ear to ear, Sana saw me off as I headed to my room.
I decided to read some manga until dinner, but the tickets kept tugging at my thoughts.
Whether I invited her or not, I figured I’d at least check out what kind of place the zoo was.
I booted up my computer and searched online.
"…It's collaborating with AniPara?"
The zoo was currently hosting a collaboration with Animal Paradise, a kids' anime celebrating its first anniversary this spring.
The collaboration featured photo panels set up around the zoo and a stamp rally event. Completing the rally by collecting stamps from all the animals would earn you a commemorative pin badge.
I’d only seen the short anime that aired in the mornings a few times and hadn’t gotten into it much. But Yuzuhana had raved about how relaxing and wholesome it was.
…What should I do? We’d just had a fight, so inviting her felt awkward. Normally, I’d wait for things to naturally settle, but…
"That’s not good enough this time."
I was in the wrong.
Hoping time would smooth things over wasn’t the solution. I had to fix this myself.
If I didn’t, even if it seemed like we’d made up, resentment might linger beneath the surface. One small issue could lead to an explosion of frustration, and we’d end up beyond repair.
Last time, that approach led to a divorce. I wasn’t getting married or anything, but I couldn’t repeat the same mistake. I wanted to stay close with Yuzuhana for life.
Resolving myself, I picked up my phone and dialed her number.
After a few rings, a tense voice answered.
"…Do you need something?"
Yeah, she’s still mad…
Bracing myself for a rejection, I decided to ask anyway.
"Um… do you have time tomorrow?"
"Why?"
"Well, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow. The day after or the day after that is fine too. I was thinking of going to the zoo… My family gave me some tickets."
"Hmm, I see."
She sounded uninterested, but her tone was a little lighter than before.
"You like zoos, right? So I thought maybe you'd like to go with me..."
"I do like zoos, but… why me? Can’t you go alone?"
"I just don’t feel like going alone. I’m not really that into zoos."
"Not interested, but you want to go?"
"Well… I wouldn’t enjoy it by myself, but I think I’d have fun if I went with you."
"Hmm." This time her response was a bit brighter.
"…You really want to go to the zoo with me that badly?"
"Yeah. I want to go with you. …Will you come with me?"
"Fine, I’ll come with you."
Her tone was a bit haughty, but hearing her cheerful voice made me genuinely happy.
"How about meeting at the station at noon tomorrow?"
"Morning would be better."
"That’s fine, but do you have plans in the afternoon?"
"Nope. It’s just that we can enjoy it longer if we start in the morning, right? Do you have something to do in the morning, Kouhei?"
"No, I’m free. Then let’s meet at nine in front of the station. I’ll look up the train times and email you. …And about today…"
"Are you talking about Yamada? Just so you know, I don’t like Yamada."
"…Are you just saying that for my sake?"
That’s the only way it made sense to me.
After all, Yamada’s good-looking.
He seems socially adept, and he’d probably take the lead for someone shy like Yuzuhana.
"It’s not like that. Yamada’s going to cheat on two girls this summer. Then, later in life, he’ll get divorced because of an affair."
"…Seriously?"
"Seriously. I heard about it at last year’s class reunion."
Incidentally, I wasn’t invited to that reunion. Yuzuhana had said, "They probably just forgot to contact you. Let’s go together," but I sulked and turned her down with, "No, it’s fine. I wasn’t invited anyway."
"Anyway, there’s absolutely no chance of me getting involved with Yamada, so you can rest easy. …We fought today, but can we call this our makeup?"
"No, not yet. I haven’t apologized yet. …You didn’t do anything wrong, and I took it out on you. I’m really sorry."
"It’s fine already. It’s in the past. Besides, it’s rare for you to apologize, Kouhei. Is it going to snow tomorrow?"
Her teasing tone made me smile without realizing it.
"Don’t make fun of me when I’m apologizing. And don’t worry—it’ll be sunny tomorrow."
"I hope so. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. See you tomorrow, bye-bye."
"See you."
We’d successfully made up, and I ended the call feeling lighthearted and relieved.
-----
The next morning, while fixing my hair in front of the bathroom mirror, a groggy Sana wandered in, rubbing her eyes.
She yawned, but as soon as she caught sight of me in the mirror, her eyes widened.
"Whoa! Big bro’s discovered fashion!?"
"Wait right there!" she exclaimed, dashing upstairs. She came back clutching her phone, ready to snap pictures.
"Hey, stop taking photos!"
"Come on, it’s for memories! Strike a cool pose!"
"I’m not posing."
"Ah, so you mean your natural vibe is the coolest! Big bro, you’re looking sharp~!"
"It’s nothing like that. Fixing your hair is just normal for a high schooler."
"But today’s a day off from school. Yet you’re up early, getting all dressed up—"
Sana suddenly froze, realization dawning on her face. She broke into a mischievous grin, her voice practically bubbling with excitement.
"You’re going on a zoo date, aren’t you!?"
"You’re going on a date!?"
Great. Now Mom had come rushing in from the kitchen, thanks to Sana’s loud declaration.
"You’re going to the zoo? Wait right there, I’ll give you some allowance!"
"…How much?"
"10,000 yen!"
"You’re giving me that much!?"
"Use it to treat Koikawa-chan to something delicious!"
If I accepted the money, it’d be like admitting I was going on a date with Yuzuhana. But… I couldn’t resist the allure of 10,000 yen and ended up taking it.
"Thanks. But for the record, it’s not a date."
After firmly clarifying that, I ate breakfast and left the house. Behind me, my grinning family, now joined by Dad, saw me off with knowing smiles.
"…Damn it."
Thanks to Sana and the others teasing me, I ended up overthinking it.
Sure, it’s natural for people to mistake a guy and a girl going to the zoo together as a date. But we’re just friends.
I’m just hanging out, and Yuzuhana doesn’t see it as a date either. If she picks up on the fact that I’m considering it, things could get awkward.
It’s not a date.
It’s not a date.
It’s not a date.
It’s not a date.
I repeated this mantra in my head to calm down as I arrived at the station.
Though I was five minutes early, Yuzuhana was already sitting on a bench near the entrance.
"Yo. You’re here early."
"I just got here! And look, it’s such a nice day! Perfect weather for the zoo!"
"Y-Yeah. You’re pretty hyped. I didn’t know you liked zoos this much."
"I’ve always liked animals. And when I looked it up, I saw they’re doing a collab with AniPara!"
Ah, so that’s why she’s this excited.
"They’re doing a stamp rally, too."
"And they’ve got panels up! I have to take pictures with them! Oh, here—take this now."
She handed me a brand-new digital camera.
Yuzuhana’s notorious for shaky hands, so I usually ended up taking pictures during outings. …Not that this is a date or anything.
"Looks brand new. Did you buy it just for today?"
"I bought it before starting school. I wanted to capture memories with friends. In the previous timeline, it just sat in the corner of my room collecting dust. I should thank my mom for giving me a reason to use it now. I’ll visit her later to say thanks!"
"You don’t need to thank her or anything. If you come by, they’ll just tease me again."
Last time, I could deny everything with confidence. But now, I’ve realized I have feelings for Yuzuhana. Of course, it’s just as a friend—there’s no trace of romantic emotion.
Even so, I’m not sure I’d be able to hide my embarrassment if they started teasing me in front of her.
To maintain a friendship between us, I don’t want to feel flustered in front of Yuzuhana.
“Why not just introduce me as a friend?”
“Even then, my family would just tease me like, ‘Oh, good for you, making a cute friend.’”
“A family that celebrates their son’s happiness sounds nice. Totally different from mine.”
“Let’s not talk about that. Thinking back to that day just makes old wounds ache.”
“What old wounds? You haven’t even fought with my dad yet…”
With an exasperated look, Yuzuhana pulled a bandage from her bag.
She pressed an animal-patterned bandage—clearly something that would please a little girl—onto my cheek.
Her hand brushed against my cheek, and, despite myself, my heart skipped a beat.
“I’m not even hurt, though…”
The time I got hit by her dad was on the day we first met. He must really care about Yuzuhana, since the moment I introduced myself, he grabbed me by the collar and yelled, “You can’t have my daughter!” It turned into a full-blown fight.
“You’re the one who brought up old wounds, so I put it on for you. Be grateful.”
“Couldn’t you at least use a normal bandage? This design is embarrassing.”
“Don’t be picky. This bandage was expensive, you know. And besides, you’re talking about old wounds, but I got hurt too, okay?”
“Yuzuhana, you didn’t get injured.”
“Do you know how shocked I was when my boyfriend had a huge fight with my dad during their first meeting? I suffered a deep wound in my heart.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“Make sure I have fun today. That’ll heal it.”
“If that’s the deal, I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah.”
We headed to the train platform. Just as we arrived, the train pulled in, and we boarded.
Once we settled into a two-seater, Yuzuhana pulled a thick book out of her bag.
“Here you go.”
“What’s this?”
“Like it says, it’s the fanbook for Anipara.”
“You actually got this for me?”
“For you, Kohei. It’s more fun if you know the details, right?”
“Well, yeah, but… this thing’s ridiculously thick.”
“That just means the characters are really well-developed. It takes about two hours to get to the zoo, so make sure you read it carefully. If your knowledge is fuzzy, we can’t really—fwaaah…”
Yuzuhana let out a yawn.
Looking closely, there were dark circles under her eyes.
“Are you sleep-deprived?”
“Yeah. After our call last night, I rented Anipara and rewatched it. Even though it’s a short anime, it took quite a bit of time.”
“You rewatched the whole thing? That’s some serious dedication.”
“I wanted to fully enjoy the Anipara collaboration, after all.”
“Then sleep until we get there. If you’re sleep-deprived, you won’t enjoy it as much.”
“But if I fall asleep, won’t you get bored?”
“Don’t worry about that. Remember when I took you on that hot spring trip to thank you for helping with my doujinshi? You didn’t sleep during the car ride and ended up falling asleep in the hot spring. If I hadn’t been there, you might’ve drowned.”
“It’s not my fault. The hot spring felt so nice…”
“I’m glad you liked it, but still, get some proper rest.”
“I wanted to enjoy the drive date too… Don’t get mad at me.”
“I’m not mad; I’m worried about you.”
“Then speak more kindly if you’re worried. And you know, you talk about me, but you got injured at the hot spring, remember? I was way more worried about you.”
“That wasn’t my fault. It was slippery.”
“Sure, slipping happens, but you wouldn’t listen when I said we should go to the hospital.”
“You were exaggerating. We came all the way to a hot spring, and wasting time at a hospital would’ve been a shame.”
“It’s not a waste! You’re more important than a hot spring. So if you get bitten by a lion at the zoo, promise me you’ll go to the hospital.”
“If a lion bites me, of course I’ll go to the hospital… Just go to sleep already.”
“Fine, I will…”
The gentle rocking of the train must have been soothing because Yuzuhana quickly started breathing softly in her sleep.
She leaned her head against my shoulder, her face peaceful and happy as she slept.
…Well, there’s no helping it. Since she went to all this effort to enjoy today, I guess I’ll read through the fanbook properly.
Feeling Yuzuhana’s warmth and soft breathing, I couldn’t help but feel a little flustered as I immersed myself in learning about Anipara.
By the time we got off the train, she still looked a bit sleepy, but as soon as the zoo came into view, her excitement skyrocketed.
Her slightly sharp eyes sparkled brightly as she pointed toward the entrance gate.
“Kohei! Take a picture of that!”
“Alright, alright. Next, I’ll take one of you in front of the gate, so stand over there.”
“Thanks! I’m counting on you!”
After snapping a photo of Yuzuhana making a peace sign in front of the gate, I handed our tickets to the staff. We received a pamphlet and a stamp rally sheet before stepping through the entrance, where a lion statue greeted us.
Yuzuhana ran straight to it, flashing a peace sign and signaling me for another picture.
“Kohei! Take a photo!”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, done.”
“Did it turn out well?”
“Perfect.”
“Alright, now take one where I look scared!”
She struck a pose as if being attacked by the lion, her expression exaggerated and animated.
Her energy was through the roof…
I’m used to it, but if anyone from school saw her like this, they’d think she was a completely different person.
Knowing this side of Yuzuhana is something only I get to experience. That thought gave me a small sense of superiority.
“…Hey, hurry up and take it. Holding this expression is tiring.”
“Ah, sorry, my bad.”
After snapping the photo, Yuzuhana rushed over to me.
She leaned in close, asking to see the picture.
Surrounded by her faintly sweet scent, I showed her the photo I’d just taken.
“This turned out great. You should consider becoming a photographer.”
“I’m not that good, and I wouldn’t even know how to go about it.”
“Neither do I… but remember that calendar we got from the travel agency?”
“The one I hung in the bathroom?”
“That’s the one.” She nodded.
“They use photos submitted by the public for those. If your photo got selected, it could count as a credential, right?”
“But most of the photos I take are of figurines. None of them are the kind that would make it onto a travel agency calendar.”
“Then send in the ones you just took. If you really want to be a photographer, I’ll give you special permission.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m not confident I could make a living as a photographer. I’ve already decided to live a life where work doesn’t give me grief.”
Work is supposed to be something you do to live, but back then, I was living just to work. The stress piled up, and I ended up taking it out on Yuzuhana… I never want to become that version of myself again.
“Well, that’s fine. I don’t want you to be troubled by work either. In that case, I’ll take a picture of you next.”
“Photos with just me in them aren’t interesting.”
“They’re not boring at all. Now, hand over the camera.”
“No thanks. I’m not photogenic anyway.”
“Are you seriously worried about being photogenic?”
“Of course I am. On our school trip, most of my photos had my eyes half-closed. Do you know how it feels to be laughed at by the girls, saying, ‘Kurose-kun looks like a Tibetan fox’?”
“Tibetan foxes are cute. Besides, unlike the school trip photos, I’ll be the only one seeing these pictures, so it’s not a problem.”
“Even if it’s just you, I don’t want to look like a Tibetan fox. I want to be photographed looking cooler.”
“If you hate half-closed eyes so much, we can stop by a photo booth on the way back, and you can make your eyes as big as you want.”
“Making my eyes bigger would make me look cute. I want to look cool, not cute.”
“What a luxury problem. At least looking cute is better. Do you know how I feel when the beauty filters make me look scary instead?”
“I don’t get it, but looking like a hawk sounds pretty cool. Honestly, you’ve always worried too much about this stuff. You have such nice eyes, but you’re so picky.”
“You’re the only one who compliments my eyes. Seriously, you’ve got no taste.”
As Yuzuhana said that, she looked oddly happy.
She seemed even more pleased now than when she talked about how she thought Yamada-kun had good judgment. Seeing Yuzuhana’s happy face made me feel happy too.
“So, what’s the plan for the photo? If you don’t want to be in it alone, I wouldn’t mind being in it with you.”
“Since we’re here, let’s take one together.”
“Settled, then. Now, hand me the camera.”
I handed her the digital camera, and Yuzuhana grabbed my sleeve, pulling me toward the statue.
She suddenly leaned in close to me—wait, her face is way too close!
Click!
“Did it turn out well?”
“W-Wait! Let me check it first!”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask…?”
Because I ended up staring directly at you, that’s why.
If she saw that obviously awkward look on my face, things would get uncomfortable.
Not that I was staring because I’m conscious of her or anything—it just caught me off guard.
“I might look bad in it, so I want to make sure. If it’s bad, I’ll delete it.”
“No way. Even if it’s bad, it’s still a memory worth keeping.”
“Not if it’s an embarrassing memory. I don’t want that haunting me forever.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Do you know how many times I’ve looked at your face?”
Ignoring me, Yuzuhana checked the camera screen.
She saw it…
“…It’s no good. It’s blurry.”
“Seriously? …Oh, you’re right.”
Looking at the screen, the photo was a complete blur.
Thank goodness Yuzuhana isn’t great at taking pictures.
“Next time we take one together, let’s ask someone nearby to help.”
“That’s probably a good idea… I’ll leave that to you, then?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Well, that was a nerve-wracking start, but time to regroup and enjoy the zoo.
As I opened the pamphlet, Yuzuhana leaned in to peek at it from the side.
The closeness made my heart race for a moment. Not that I minded, though.
“Where’s yours?”
“I put it in my bag. One pamphlet is enough, don’t you think?”
“Fair enough. So, where do we start?”
“Anywhere’s fine, but I want to feed the animals. Oh, and I want to take a picture of Rinrin-chan.”
“Then let’s head to the giraffes first.”
“Oh? How’d you guess it was the giraffes?”
“Read the fanbook thoroughly.”
“And your favorite?”
“Snakichi.”
Yuzuhana let out a small laugh.
“So you do like the Tibetan fox too.”
“What’s the big deal? That face of his, like he’s completely given up on life, it’s addictive.”
“You totally get it! Your face is addictive too, you know. I could stare at it forever without getting bored. Should I blow up a photo of you and hang it on my wall?”
“Don’t do that. I’d be mortified when I come over…”
“Then you hang one of me in your room.”
“Sana would see it, and that’d be even worse… Anyway, let’s go see Rinrin-chan already.”
“Right, let’s go!”
We strolled through the bustling zoo, full of families with kids, until we spotted the giraffes.
They were sticking their long necks out of the enclosure, munching on carrots offered by children.
Now, where’s the feeding station…?
As I scanned the area, Yuzuhana grabbed my shoulder, shaking me.
“Kohei! Kohei! Look, there’s a panel of Rinrin-chan!”
“Oh, nice. Looks more impressive than I expected.”
Rinrin-chan was an anthropomorphic giraffe in a sailor uniform, standing upright. She had a gyaru vibe, with her spots designed like ganguro makeup.
“Kohei, look! Rinrin-chan’s eyelashes! They’re so long and pretty!”
“Yeah, they are.”
“And her legs are so sleek and elegant!”
“The year-round scarf thing is a cool touch, too.”
“She wears it because she’s self-conscious about her long neck, right? I get that. I’m self-conscious about my eyes, so I can totally relate to Rinrin-chan…”
"That's why I told you not to worry. I like your eyes, okay?"
"Thank you. I wish there was someone who could say that to Rinrin-chan like you do to me."
"I’m counting on Sunakichi. The setting suggests that he might have feelings for Rinrin-chan. Though, it seems like they never spoke a word to each other in the story."
"Sunakichi is shy and only comes out from the corner without saying a word. So, as his substitute, you should comfort Rinrin-chan."
"Me? That’s pretty embarrassing… Rinrin-chan's neck isn't as long as she thinks it is."
"Then your feelings won’t reach her. Just like when you complimented my eyes, you should compliment her with more sincerity. Like this—'I really love Rinrin-chan’s neck!'"
Yuzuhana loudly praises the panel, and the children nearby are staring at her.
Honestly, it’s super embarrassing. I’ve learned all about Anipara, but it’s hard to get as hyped as a real fan…
Of course, it’s not that I’m not enjoying it.
Just watching Yuzuhana having fun makes it enjoyable enough.
"Look, Kohei! Rinrin-chan smiled!"
"She was already smiling from the start."
"In my eyes, she looks like she’s smiling more than before! Let’s take a picture now! Hurry up and ask!"
I asked someone nearby, and they kindly took the photo for us.
We thanked them and checked the picture.
…Alright, she’s facing the camera properly.
"Alright then. Let’s feed them."
We found a vending machine and bought some carrot sticks.
When Yuzuhana nervously brought the carrot close, the giraffe stuck out its tongue.
It expertly used its long tongue to take the carrot into its mouth.
"Look! It’s eating it so deliciously! Kohei, you should try to learn from that!"
"What am I supposed to learn?"
"You always eat carrots like they’re bitter."
"I don’t like carrots… But I’ve never left any behind."
"You’ve never left any behind, but you never said they were delicious either, did you? Not just with carrots, but with all my cooking."
"Didn't I properly praise you? Have you forgotten my reaction the first time I tasted your cooking?"
"How could I forget? You kept saying 'It's delicious, it's delicious,' taking seconds so many times, and even saying embarrassing things like, 'I want to add this to the full-course menu of my life!' or 'If you offered this at my grave, I'd come back to life!' You praised it so much it made me blush."
"See? I did praise you properly."
"But it was only at the beginning. After that, you stopped complimenting me. I even experimented with different seasonings, thinking your preferences might have changed."
"Well... I thought it would be obvious even if I didn’t say it every time."
"If you don't put it into words, I won't understand... Have you reflected on it?"
"I have. I’ve reflected."
So please, let’s end this conversation here.
I don’t want to fight with Yuzuhana anymore.
"I see. Then..."
Yuzuhana fidgets, rubbing her thighs together. Then, shyly lifting her bag, she says:
"Do you... want to eat my cooking?"
"Wait... Did you make a bento for me?"
"It's a day off, and I thought the restaurants might be crowded... If you don’t want it, we can go to a restaurant instead..."
"I-It’s not like I don’t want it!"
"O-Oh, really? Then that’s fine!"
We check the pamphlet and head to the plaza.
On the way, we spot a pony. It seems like they offer horse-riding experiences.
"Want to try it later?"
"If we're going to ride, let's do it first. You might get queasy from how much it shakes."
"It doesn’t shake that much."
"It does. Remember? I fell off a horse."
"Oh, right, that did happen. Why not go for a rematch?"
"No way. I swore back then that if I ever got sent back to the Warring States period, I’d settle for being a foot soldier."
Yuzuhana chuckles softly, as if reminiscing.
"You really said that. I never thought you'd seriously end up time-slipping, though."
"Yeah. Anyway, if you’re interested, go ahead and try it. I’ll stay here and take pictures for you."
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."
I take her bag, move to the fence, ready the camera, and start snapping photos of Yuzuhana as she mounts the pony. It seems to shake quite a bit, and she grips the reins tightly, staring straight ahead to keep from being thrown off.
By the time she had gone halfway around the course, Yuzuhana seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Letting go of the reins with a swift motion, she waved at me.
I quickly snapped a photo. Seemingly satisfied with that one shot, Yuzuhana grabbed the reins again.
"......"
Before I knew it, I was clutching my phone.
As I took another photo with my phone, Yuzuhana turned to look my way.
Her eyesight wasn’t great to begin with, so she might not have noticed the phone from that distance. Still, I couldn’t be sure. If she had seen, she might question why I was using my phone to take pictures.
It’s not like I planned to grin at the photos later or set them as my wallpaper or anything like that.
I just felt like saving an image of Yuzuhana looking so cheerful on my phone, that’s all.
There wasn’t a single shady thought behind it. But if I tried to explain myself to Yuzuhana, it could easily lead to some weird misunderstanding...
While I was agonizing over this, Yuzuhana finished her lap and returned.
"Did the digital camera run out of battery?"
"Wh-why do you ask?"
Her slightly sharp eyes sparkled brightly as she pointed toward the entrance gate.
“Kohei! Take a picture of that!”
“Alright, alright. Next, I’ll take one of you in front of the gate, so stand over there.”
“Thanks! I’m counting on you!”
After snapping a photo of Yuzuhana making a peace sign in front of the gate, I handed our tickets to the staff. We received a pamphlet and a stamp rally sheet before stepping through the entrance, where a lion statue greeted us.
Yuzuhana ran straight to it, flashing a peace sign and signaling me for another picture.
“Kohei! Take a photo!”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, done.”
“Did it turn out well?”
“Perfect.”
“Alright, now take one where I look scared!”
She struck a pose as if being attacked by the lion, her expression exaggerated and animated.
Her energy was through the roof…
I’m used to it, but if anyone from school saw her like this, they’d think she was a completely different person.
Knowing this side of Yuzuhana is something only I get to experience. That thought gave me a small sense of superiority.
“…Hey, hurry up and take it. Holding this expression is tiring.”
“Ah, sorry, my bad.”
After snapping the photo, Yuzuhana rushed over to me.
She leaned in close, asking to see the picture.
Surrounded by her faintly sweet scent, I showed her the photo I’d just taken.
“This turned out great. You should consider becoming a photographer.”
“I’m not that good, and I wouldn’t even know how to go about it.”
“Neither do I… but remember that calendar we got from the travel agency?”
“The one I hung in the bathroom?”
“That’s the one.” She nodded.
“They use photos submitted by the public for those. If your photo got selected, it could count as a credential, right?”
“But most of the photos I take are of figurines. None of them are the kind that would make it onto a travel agency calendar.”
“Then send in the ones you just took. If you really want to be a photographer, I’ll give you special permission.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m not confident I could make a living as a photographer. I’ve already decided to live a life where work doesn’t give me grief.”
Work is supposed to be something you do to live, but back then, I was living just to work. The stress piled up, and I ended up taking it out on Yuzuhana… I never want to become that version of myself again.
“Well, that’s fine. I don’t want you to be troubled by work either. In that case, I’ll take a picture of you next.”
“Photos with just me in them aren’t interesting.”
“They’re not boring at all. Now, hand over the camera.”
“No thanks. I’m not photogenic anyway.”
“Are you seriously worried about being photogenic?”
“Of course I am. On our school trip, most of my photos had my eyes half-closed. Do you know how it feels to be laughed at by the girls, saying, ‘Kurose-kun looks like a Tibetan fox’?”
“Tibetan foxes are cute. Besides, unlike the school trip photos, I’ll be the only one seeing these pictures, so it’s not a problem.”
“Even if it’s just you, I don’t want to look like a Tibetan fox. I want to be photographed looking cooler.”
“If you hate half-closed eyes so much, we can stop by a photo booth on the way back, and you can make your eyes as big as you want.”
“Making my eyes bigger would make me look cute. I want to look cool, not cute.”
“What a luxury problem. At least looking cute is better. Do you know how I feel when the beauty filters make me look scary instead?”
“I don’t get it, but looking like a hawk sounds pretty cool. Honestly, you’ve always worried too much about this stuff. You have such nice eyes, but you’re so picky.”
“You’re the only one who compliments my eyes. Seriously, you’ve got no taste.”
As Yuzuhana said that, she looked oddly happy.
She seemed even more pleased now than when she talked about how she thought Yamada-kun had good judgment. Seeing Yuzuhana’s happy face made me feel happy too.
“So, what’s the plan for the photo? If you don’t want to be in it alone, I wouldn’t mind being in it with you.”
“Since we’re here, let’s take one together.”
“Settled, then. Now, hand me the camera.”
I handed her the digital camera, and Yuzuhana grabbed my sleeve, pulling me toward the statue.
She suddenly leaned in close to me—wait, her face is way too close!
Click!
“Did it turn out well?”
“W-Wait! Let me check it first!”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask…?”
Because I ended up staring directly at you, that’s why.
If she saw that obviously awkward look on my face, things would get uncomfortable.
Not that I was staring because I’m conscious of her or anything—it just caught me off guard.
“I might look bad in it, so I want to make sure. If it’s bad, I’ll delete it.”
“No way. Even if it’s bad, it’s still a memory worth keeping.”
“Not if it’s an embarrassing memory. I don’t want that haunting me forever.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Do you know how many times I’ve looked at your face?”
Ignoring me, Yuzuhana checked the camera screen.
She saw it…
“…It’s no good. It’s blurry.”
“Seriously? …Oh, you’re right.”
Looking at the screen, the photo was a complete blur.
Thank goodness Yuzuhana isn’t great at taking pictures.
“Next time we take one together, let’s ask someone nearby to help.”
“That’s probably a good idea… I’ll leave that to you, then?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Well, that was a nerve-wracking start, but time to regroup and enjoy the zoo.
As I opened the pamphlet, Yuzuhana leaned in to peek at it from the side.
The closeness made my heart race for a moment. Not that I minded, though.
“Where’s yours?”
“I put it in my bag. One pamphlet is enough, don’t you think?”
“Fair enough. So, where do we start?”
“Anywhere’s fine, but I want to feed the animals. Oh, and I want to take a picture of Rinrin-chan.”
“Then let’s head to the giraffes first.”
“Oh? How’d you guess it was the giraffes?”
“Read the fanbook thoroughly.”
“And your favorite?”
“Snakichi.”
Yuzuhana let out a small laugh.
“So you do like the Tibetan fox too.”
“What’s the big deal? That face of his, like he’s completely given up on life, it’s addictive.”
“You totally get it! Your face is addictive too, you know. I could stare at it forever without getting bored. Should I blow up a photo of you and hang it on my wall?”
“Don’t do that. I’d be mortified when I come over…”
“Then you hang one of me in your room.”
“Sana would see it, and that’d be even worse… Anyway, let’s go see Rinrin-chan already.”
“Right, let’s go!”
We strolled through the bustling zoo, full of families with kids, until we spotted the giraffes.
They were sticking their long necks out of the enclosure, munching on carrots offered by children.
Now, where’s the feeding station…?
As I scanned the area, Yuzuhana grabbed my shoulder, shaking me.
“Kohei! Kohei! Look, there’s a panel of Rinrin-chan!”
“Oh, nice. Looks more impressive than I expected.”
Rinrin-chan was an anthropomorphic giraffe in a sailor uniform, standing upright. She had a gyaru vibe, with her spots designed like ganguro makeup.
“Kohei, look! Rinrin-chan’s eyelashes! They’re so long and pretty!”
“Yeah, they are.”
“And her legs are so sleek and elegant!”
“The year-round scarf thing is a cool touch, too.”
“She wears it because she’s self-conscious about her long neck, right? I get that. I’m self-conscious about my eyes, so I can totally relate to Rinrin-chan…”
"That's why I told you not to worry. I like your eyes, okay?"
"Thank you. I wish there was someone who could say that to Rinrin-chan like you do to me."
"I’m counting on Sunakichi. The setting suggests that he might have feelings for Rinrin-chan. Though, it seems like they never spoke a word to each other in the story."
"Sunakichi is shy and only comes out from the corner without saying a word. So, as his substitute, you should comfort Rinrin-chan."
"Me? That’s pretty embarrassing… Rinrin-chan's neck isn't as long as she thinks it is."
"Then your feelings won’t reach her. Just like when you complimented my eyes, you should compliment her with more sincerity. Like this—'I really love Rinrin-chan’s neck!'"
Yuzuhana loudly praises the panel, and the children nearby are staring at her.
Honestly, it’s super embarrassing. I’ve learned all about Anipara, but it’s hard to get as hyped as a real fan…
Of course, it’s not that I’m not enjoying it.
Just watching Yuzuhana having fun makes it enjoyable enough.
"Look, Kohei! Rinrin-chan smiled!"
"She was already smiling from the start."
"In my eyes, she looks like she’s smiling more than before! Let’s take a picture now! Hurry up and ask!"
I asked someone nearby, and they kindly took the photo for us.
We thanked them and checked the picture.
…Alright, she’s facing the camera properly.
"Alright then. Let’s feed them."
We found a vending machine and bought some carrot sticks.
When Yuzuhana nervously brought the carrot close, the giraffe stuck out its tongue.
It expertly used its long tongue to take the carrot into its mouth.
"Look! It’s eating it so deliciously! Kohei, you should try to learn from that!"
"What am I supposed to learn?"
"You always eat carrots like they’re bitter."
"I don’t like carrots… But I’ve never left any behind."
"You’ve never left any behind, but you never said they were delicious either, did you? Not just with carrots, but with all my cooking."
"Didn't I properly praise you? Have you forgotten my reaction the first time I tasted your cooking?"
"How could I forget? You kept saying 'It's delicious, it's delicious,' taking seconds so many times, and even saying embarrassing things like, 'I want to add this to the full-course menu of my life!' or 'If you offered this at my grave, I'd come back to life!' You praised it so much it made me blush."
"See? I did praise you properly."
"But it was only at the beginning. After that, you stopped complimenting me. I even experimented with different seasonings, thinking your preferences might have changed."
"Well... I thought it would be obvious even if I didn’t say it every time."
"If you don't put it into words, I won't understand... Have you reflected on it?"
"I have. I’ve reflected."
So please, let’s end this conversation here.
I don’t want to fight with Yuzuhana anymore.
"I see. Then..."
Yuzuhana fidgets, rubbing her thighs together. Then, shyly lifting her bag, she says:
"Do you... want to eat my cooking?"
"Wait... Did you make a bento for me?"
"It's a day off, and I thought the restaurants might be crowded... If you don’t want it, we can go to a restaurant instead..."
"I-It’s not like I don’t want it!"
"O-Oh, really? Then that’s fine!"
We check the pamphlet and head to the plaza.
On the way, we spot a pony. It seems like they offer horse-riding experiences.
"Want to try it later?"
"If we're going to ride, let's do it first. You might get queasy from how much it shakes."
"It doesn’t shake that much."
"It does. Remember? I fell off a horse."
"Oh, right, that did happen. Why not go for a rematch?"
"No way. I swore back then that if I ever got sent back to the Warring States period, I’d settle for being a foot soldier."
Yuzuhana chuckles softly, as if reminiscing.
"You really said that. I never thought you'd seriously end up time-slipping, though."
"Yeah. Anyway, if you’re interested, go ahead and try it. I’ll stay here and take pictures for you."
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."
I take her bag, move to the fence, ready the camera, and start snapping photos of Yuzuhana as she mounts the pony. It seems to shake quite a bit, and she grips the reins tightly, staring straight ahead to keep from being thrown off.
By the time she had gone halfway around the course, Yuzuhana seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Letting go of the reins with a swift motion, she waved at me.
I quickly snapped a photo. Seemingly satisfied with that one shot, Yuzuhana grabbed the reins again.
"......"
Before I knew it, I was clutching my phone.
As I took another photo with my phone, Yuzuhana turned to look my way.
Her eyesight wasn’t great to begin with, so she might not have noticed the phone from that distance. Still, I couldn’t be sure. If she had seen, she might question why I was using my phone to take pictures.
It’s not like I planned to grin at the photos later or set them as my wallpaper or anything like that.
I just felt like saving an image of Yuzuhana looking so cheerful on my phone, that’s all.
There wasn’t a single shady thought behind it. But if I tried to explain myself to Yuzuhana, it could easily lead to some weird misunderstanding...
While I was agonizing over this, Yuzuhana finished her lap and returned.
"Did the digital camera run out of battery?"
"Wh-why do you ask?"
"You were using your phone to take pictures, weren’t you? …Oh? The camera’s battery isn’t dead."
"W-Well, yeah. It’s just, you know, um… Oh, right! I got 10,000 yen from my mom."
"She gave you that much?"
"Yeah. She said, 'Go enjoy the zoo,' so I wanted to take some photos as proof we went."
"I don’t think she’d doubt you even without proof. But if you’re going to take pictures, I wish I’d struck a pose. I wasn’t making any weird faces, was I?"
"I took them from far away, so your face isn’t that clear."
"I see. Then it’s fine. Shall we head to the plaza now?"
"Yeah, let’s go."
Somehow, I managed to dodge that bullet.
Relieved, I let out a breath and sat down on a bench in the plaza.
I wasted no time biting into the sandwiches from Yuzuhana’s homemade bento.
"…How is it?"
"It’s delicious."
"How delicious?"
"…Delicious enough that I’d want to eat it again."
"How often?"
"How often…? Every day?"
"Every day would only be possible if we were living together."
"I know that. I just wanted to say it’s so good I could eat it every day."
"…Wouldn’t you get tired of it every day?"
"I wouldn’t."
Each time I praised her cooking, Yuzuhana’s cheeks softened with satisfaction.
"Fine, then. Next time we go out, I’ll make you a bento again."
"Thanks. I’ll look forward to it."
"Of course. By the way, do you have any requests?"
"Anything is fine."
"There you go again. I’ve told you before, saying ‘anything is fine’ is no help. Even if you don’t feel like deciding, you should at least make a proper request."
"It’s not that I don’t want to decide. I really mean it—anything is fine. I like everything you cook, Yuzuhana."
"O-Oh, is that so? If that’s how it is, then fine… But you should’ve said that from the start. You’re always saying unnecessary things but never the important ones…"
Blushing, Yuzuhana muttered this while taking a bite of her sandwich.
"Where should we go after we finish eating?"
"Anywhere is fine. We’re going to visit everything in the end anyway."
"Sounds like it’ll take forever."
"Does that bother you?"
"Not at all. It’s fun, after all."
Spending a leisurely day at the zoo with Yuzuhana, taking our time to enjoy her homemade bento without worrying about the clock—it was something we hadn’t been able to do since work had gotten so busy. Now that it was happening, I felt genuinely happy.
…No, it’s not a date or anything.
The footsteps of May were drawing near.
That day after school, as I passed through the school gate, Yuzuhana came running after me.
“What are you doing today?”
Although I’d become friends with Yuzuhana, we made a point not to talk at school except during committee activities.
It was still early in the school year, and it was rare to see boys and girls getting along so well. If people started gossiping that we might be dating, things could get awkward. To preserve our friendship, we wanted to avoid any hint of romance.
So, without explicitly discussing it, we had a tacit understanding to act like mere classmates at school.
“I was thinking of heading home to read some manga.”
In truth, I planned to go shopping.
Yuzuhana’s birthday was coming up.
I’d forgotten her birthday once before and paid the price—she’d been really mad. Sure, I bought her a cake a day late and promised to take her anywhere she wanted, but it took days to get back on her good side.
It wasn’t the main reason our “marriage” cooled down, but it was definitely part of it.
Not that we’re married now, of course.
I wouldn’t expect a friend to get that upset over a missed birthday.
But ignoring it when I clearly remembered would feel wrong. Even though it was embarrassing to give her a present, it was better than upsetting her.
Still, if I told her the truth now, she’d probably start expecting something, so I decided to keep it a secret until the day itself to lower her expectations.
“Then let’s have a study session,” she suggested.
“Not really in the mood for that…”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me you’re skipping it. If you don’t get your act together, you’ll lose your summer break.”
As much as I didn’t want to lose my summer break, her birthday was just around the corner, and studying wasn’t a priority right now.
But using manga as an excuse to decline wasn’t going to cut it…
“Actually, I think I’ll go to the shopping mall instead.”
“You really don’t want to study, do you?”
“It’d be a lie if I said I did.”
“Well, at least you’re honest… Fine, we’ll go to the shopping mall for today. But you’d better study properly later, okay? If you end up in the remedial group, I won’t have anyone to hang out with.”
"I get it. When it’s time to study, you’ll be the teacher, right?"
"Of course! Leave it to me!"
"…By the way, Yuzuhana, are you coming along, too?"
"Obviously. Why, is there some reason I shouldn’t?"
She looked slightly worried, so I shook my head. The whole point of this outing was to pick out a gift to make her happy. Upsetting her would defeat the purpose.
Of course, to keep expectations low, I wasn’t going to mention anything about her birthday until the actual day.
"Great! Then let’s get moving!"
Once it was decided that we’d go together, Yuzuhana was instantly in high spirits.
Seeing her light up at the idea of spending time with me made my heart skip a beat for a moment.
I’m not falling for her just from that, but her smile was what made me fall for her in the first place. Even back then, I’d already had feelings close to love, but her devastatingly charming smile had completely disarmed me.
Now that we’ve "divorced," I’ve got some armor to protect me, but I’ll still need to be careful not to get swept up.
Chatting about anime, we headed to the station and got on the train.
After getting off at the nearest station, we arrived at the shopping mall.
"So, is there anything you’re looking for?"
"Not really. Just wandering around is the goal."
"I see. Then why don’t you tag along with me while I shop?"
"Sure."
By sticking close, I might figure out what she wants.
We wandered through the air-conditioned mall and ended up in the furniture section.
This feels nostalgic… It reminds me of when we moved into our new place.
Back then, we’d browsed shelves, tables, and the like, talking about whether the designs were cute enough or whether the sizes would work for when guests came over.
Those were truly happy times.
I thought that happiness would last forever.
But… work took over, cutting down the time we spent together. The lack of fun built up stress, which led to more arguments. Eventually, we couldn’t stand the sight of each other anymore, and we divorced.
Yuzuhana was just as tired from work as I was. If only I hadn’t said cold things like, "At least you get to go home in the evening." If only I’d invited her to relax in a hot spring and let the stress melt away, maybe our marriage wouldn’t have fallen apart.
Regretting it now won’t change anything.
This time, I’m not going to marry Yuzuhana, and I’m going to live a life free from the struggles of work.
We might still have our little spats, but it won’t escalate to the point of a cold, distant relationship like last time.
When we’re old and gray, we’ll be able to sit on the porch, sipping tea, laughing and chatting like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
That’s the kind of relationship we’re destined to have.
But for now—
A piece of furniture as a gift is out of the question.
There’s no way I can afford something like that on a high schooler’s allowance.
I’d like to get her something she really loves, but couldn’t she pick something… a little more budget-friendly?
Unaware of my internal dilemma, Yuzuhana plopped herself onto a sofa.
Y-you… That sofa costs 40,000 yen!
"Come sit next to me."
"Sure, but…"
I mentally declared that this was absolutely not an option and took a seat.
"How is it?"
"It’s so expensive I can’t relax."
"Don’t worry about the price. How does it feel to sit on it?"
"It feels good, I’ll admit. You can tell it’s high-quality."
"Do you think it’s the right size for the space?"
"It’s the right size, but…"
"Then I’ll consider it a candidate."
"A candidate? Are you planning to buy a sofa? You already have a perfectly good one."
"It’s too cramped for two people."
Oh. So that’s what this is about.
She’s picking something with the two of us in mind.
"Yeah, it felt a bit tight, but I don’t think it’s bad enough to warrant replacing."
"…Didn’t it bother you, sitting so close to me on that sofa?"
If this were the old me, it would’ve been unbearable. Back then, I’d have thought sitting on the same sofa as her was worse than sitting on a spiked stool.
But now, it’s different. There’s no longer any part of me that feels uncomfortable being beside Yuzuhana.
In fact, just sitting next to her like this fills me with a surprising sense of happiness.
"Not bad. It's not as cramped as you'd say. Besides, Yuzuhana, you're skinny right now."
"Huh? The way you said that makes it sound like I'll gain weight in the future!"
"I didn't say that."
"You said something close to it. Sure, I've gained weight, but that's just because I've grown taller! Unlike you, my growth period isn't over yet!"
"Huh? The way you said that makes it sound like I won't grow any taller in the future!"
"That's exactly what I meant."
"This time, I'm going to grow like crazy! Then I'll literally look down on you!"
"When that happens, I'll wear heels!"
"Heels are cheating!"
"Heels are fashion! ...What are you doing?"
"Imitating you on a date in heels."
"I-I wasn't wobbling like that!"
"You totally were! I remember being worried! If you're not used to wearing them, don't force yourself!"
"Shut up! I thought you'd be mesmerized if I wore heels!"
"My eyes were glued to you, in a way! I couldn't take my eyes off because I didn't know when you'd fall! Seriously, fashion is fine, but safety first!"
"You're one to talk! You showed up for a date in ripped jeans! And your top was that red paint-splattered shirt! I thought you'd been hit by a car!"
"I thought it was stylish!"
"What's stylish about that?! It's the worst combination ever! Don't set up a flag to get hit by a car with your outfit!"
"It wasn't a flag! And keep it down in the store."
"It's your fault for saying I'd gain weight in the future!"
"That's not what I meant. If anything, you're too skinny right now. Make sure to eat properly so you don't get summer fatigue, alright?"
"You too."
"Yeah. ...So, what about the sofa?"
"I'll pass."
"Got it. Anything else you want?"
"If I had to say, I'd like to check out some clothes."
"Clothes, huh..."
"Why do you look so unenthusiastic?"
"I just figured this might take a while. Every time I go to a clothing store with you, we end up coming home late."
"It doesn't take that long. At most, two hours."
"That's plenty long. You should learn from me; I’m done in a matter of minutes."
"You're too fast. If you didn't want to shop together, why didn’t you go off on your own? You could’ve gone to the arcade or a bookstore or something."
"If we split up, what's the point of coming together? ...Besides, it’d be a problem if you got hit on."
Yuzuhana, who had been sulking, softened her expression at those words.
With a wry smile, she said,
"Nobody’s going to hit on me in the women’s clothing section. And even if they did, could you protect me with those skinny arms?"
"If I go all out, I can just barely manage."
Yuzuhana smiled faintly.
"You’d go all out for me? ...In that case, will you protect me from getting hit on today too?"
"I guess I have no choice but to protect you. With these ripped arms of mine."
"Sure, sure. Let’s go with that."
And so, I ended up tagging along with Yuzuhana to the women’s clothing section.
...As expected, this was going to be a long haul. She took her time browsing without any concern for me, and even after nearly an hour, it didn’t seem like she was done.
"So, which one are you going to get?"
"Uh... none of them really stood out. Your turn now, Kohei."
"I’m good."
"No way. You need to dress properly. You wore that weird English print shirt to the zoo, didn’t you?"
"Don’t call it weird. It was cool."
"If you think so, then translate it. You’ll be so embarrassed you’ll never wear it again."
"...What did it say?"
"Translating it yourself would be more educational."
Yuzuhana was grinning mischievously, like whatever was written on it was particularly ridiculous.
With her looking at me like that, there’s no way I could dare translate it...
"Since we’re already shopping, I’ll pick something out for you."
"No need. Don’t bother. I’m out of spending money."
"Didn’t you still have money left over from the zoo trip?"
"I spent it on manga."
"You should learn to manage your money better..."
Truth is, I still have some left.
But that money is for Yuzuhana's gift. My clothes can wait.
In the end, we wrapped things up without deciding on a gift.
After returning home and finishing dinner, I browsed some online shopping sites. But I couldn’t find anything that seemed like a gift Yuzuhana would truly be happy with.
Just as I was thinking about taking a bath, a message from Yuzuhana arrived.
[Got any recommendations for a funny rom-com anime?]
[If it’s something you probably haven’t seen, I’d recommend LoveKano.]
[Thanks! I’ll go borrow it!]
[It’s already dark, so be careful.]
[Thanks!]
Twice in a row, huh. Yuzuhana really does love anime.
At first, she wasn’t interested at all, but under my influence, she’s become a full-blown otaku—
"...I’ve got it."
Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to me.
I checked the online shopping site again and found a promising gift.
"5,000 yen, huh."
It’s a little pricey for a high schooler to give to a friend, but... imagining Yuzuhana’s happy face left me with no hesitation about the purchase.
Her birthday.
Back when I first time-slipped, I would head to school early to avoid running into Yuzuhana, but that’s no longer necessary. Lately, I’ve been waking up later and later, so by the time I get to class, about 90% of the seats are already taken.
Yuzuhana is already at her seat.
But we don’t talk.
It’s an unspoken rule to interact as just classmates while at school.
"(You’re late.)"
"(You’re just too early.)"
"(At this rate, you’ll be late for real one day.)"
"(If it gets really bad, Sana will wake me up, so it’s fine.)"
"(I could give you a morning call if you’d like?)"
"(No thanks. You’re already busy with chores every morning, right?)" (T/N: Talking with their Eyes)
As usual, we exchanged glances silently and took our seats.
I pulled out my phone and sent Yuzuhana a text.
[Are you free after school today?]
[Super free!]
[Then let’s go to a maid café.]
"A maid café!?"
Whoa! That startled me.
I wasn’t the only one surprised; the entire classroom went dead silent.
With all eyes on her, Yuzuhana looked like she was about to combust. Her flushed face tilted downward as she typed an embarrassed reply.
After a moment of waiting, my phone vibrated.
[Now everyone thinks I’m some weirdo because of you!]
[It’s not my fault.]
[You’re the one who suggested going to a maid café!]
I didn’t expect her to get mad. This wasn’t the first time I’d invited her to a maid café.
Back in university, I was too embarrassed to go to one alone, so I invited Yuzuhana. Together, we made our maid café debut.
It ended up being a blast, and she seemed to enjoy herself too. That’s why I chose it as the venue for her birthday celebration this time. I’ve already made a reservation and arranged for a birthday-themed cake.
I thought she’d eagerly agree, given her personality, but...
[Do you hate maid cafés?]
[I love them! Both maid cafés and maid outfits!]
[Come to think of it, we once went shopping for a maid outfit together. You were so picky, saying no to cheap cosplay outfits and insisting on a long skirt.]
[I wasn’t being picky. I just didn’t want to settle. And didn’t you say, "I’ll stick with you until you’re satisfied"?]
[I didn’t expect it would lead to visiting a specialty maid outfit shop in another prefecture.]
[Sorry for dragging you along.]
[Don’t worry about it. It was fun, like a mini trip.]
[Really? You’re not mad?]
[Not at all. Let’s go again sometime!]
[You just want to see me in a maid outfit again, don’t you?]
[It suited you, and you liked it too, right? You even did housework in it for a while.]
[It’s surprisingly efficient for chores.]
[Speaking of maid outfits, remember those cat ears I gave you as a present? You only wore them once.]
[They were too embarrassing! But I let you take a picture, didn’t I?]
[Yeah, and for a while, I used it as my phone wallpaper.]
[What!? That’s so embarrassing! Nobody saw it, right?]
[No worries. I resisted the urge to show it off.]
[Why would you want to show it off?]
[Forgot.]
I played it off, but the truth is, I remember. I wanted to brag to my coworkers, saying, "This is my wife. Isn’t she adorable?"
[So, are we going to the maid café or not?]
[We’re going, but… why today of all days?]
...Ah, I see now.
Today is Yuzuhana’s birthday. She hasn’t mentioned it outright, but she’s probably expecting me to celebrate it.
Instead, I suggested going to a maid café, making it seem like I was more interested in seeing maids than celebrating her special day. No wonder she’s upset.
I found myself thinking Yuzuhana’s jealousy over something so trivial was adorable… but I shook my head to clear the thought.
To preserve the balance of our friendship, I can’t let myself feel even a hint of romantic attraction toward her.
[Today’s your birthday, right? That’s why I wanted to celebrate somewhere special.]
The gift is a surprise, but there’s no need to keep the celebration itself a secret.
Sure, holding off until the last moment could make the surprise more impactful, but it’s not worth making Yuzuhana anxious just to pull it off.
[You should’ve said that earlier! I was worried you’d forgotten my birthday!]
[Sorry, sorry. I’ll give you a heads-up next year.]
[You’ll celebrate it next year too?]
[Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?]
[Thanks! By the way, is there even a maid café nearby?]
[Three stations away.]
[What kind of place is it?]
[From what I found, it’s similar to the one we went to on that date before.]
[You haven’t been there?]
[Back then, I was too embarrassed to go alone. And by the time we got close, the old one had already shut down.]
[Then we’ve got to help their sales now!]
Her excitement came through clearly, and it made me even more eager for the after-school plans.
When school let out, we headed straight to the maid café.
"Welcome home, Master and Milady!"
An Akiba-style maid greeted us warmly and showed us to our seats.
It was an odd time on a weekday, so we were the only customers.
It felt like a private booking, which was perfect for celebrating Yuzuhana’s birthday without worry.
"When you’re ready to order, please ring the bell on your table."
"Oh, excuse me. I’m Kurose. But, uh… this isn’t something I can discuss here. Could we step aside for a moment?"
I spoke vaguely to avoid tipping off Yuzuhana. The maid seemed to catch on immediately and smiled brightly. "Of course. This way, please." She led me toward the kitchen.
"Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to confirm—did the message about the cake get through?"
"Absolutely! We’re honored that you chose our café for such a special occasion."
Thank goodness. It seemed like the birthday arrangements were all set.
"Could you bring the cake out after we’ve finished eating?"
"Certainly. Oh, and if you’d like, we can help make this a more memorable experience for your girlfriend."
"Help? How so?"
"We can rig the rock-paper-scissors challenge so that you win."
Right, if a customer beats the maids three times in a row, they get a photo and a special drink on the house.
The photo would be a nice memento, and a free special drink was always a bonus.
But…
"No, I’d rather win fair and square. I don’t want to trick my friend—it wouldn’t feel right."
"I see. Honestly, I agree with you. It’s more genuine that way. Well then, enjoy your meal with her!"
"Thanks. And she’s not my girlfriend, by the way."
Even so, being mistaken for a couple made me a little nervous. I gave myself a small slap on the cheeks to snap out of it and returned to the table.
There, Yuzuhana greeted me with a pout.
"Welcome back. What were you talking about?"
"Nothing important."
"Something you can’t tell me? Don’t tell me you were flirting or something?"
"Like I’d flirt with someone on your birthday, Yuzuhana."
"So, if it weren’t my birthday, you would be flirting? Don’t tell me you’re scouting today or something."
"I said no. I’m purely here to celebrate your birthday. Do you really think I could flirt with anyone?"
"I don’t think you could, but… that maid earlier was cute. If you had the guts, she might’ve been worth it."
Yuzuhana is persistent.
If this were the old me, I would’ve shot back with, “What does it matter to you who I date?” But… now, seeing Yuzuhana jealous, I find her kind of cute.
Damn it. Stop thinking she’s cute. Do you want to ruin this friendship? Don’t see her as a girl!
"I don’t have that kind of courage. Even when we first talked, it was you who approached me, right? I knew you were an old classmate sitting next to me, but I was planning to just ignore you. Talking to girls makes me nervous."
"I wasn’t planning to talk to you at first, either. But I didn’t want to spend my college life all alone… and, you know, you were reading a novel right before class started."
"Oh, yeah. I don’t usually read general literature, but the cover was illustrated by a manga artist I like."
"I didn’t know back then that you bought it just for the cover. It just happened to be a novel by one of my favorite authors, so I thought maybe we could get along. I kept overthinking, like, ‘Is my first college friend going to be a guy?’ or ‘If I don’t make a friend here, I’ll be alone forever.’ I was agonizing over it until the lecture ended, and then I finally worked up the courage to talk to you."
"You were super awkward back then, Yuzuhana."
"I was nervous, okay! Also, how many times are you going to bring that up? It’s embarrassing, so just forget it already."
"There’s no way I could forget. It’s an important memory—the first time we talked."
Yuzuhana is shy around people.
Despite being shy around people, she spoke to me.
It must have taken an incredible amount of courage.
Of course, I got flustered when she suddenly started talking to me, but… I want to praise my past self for making the effort to build a connection back then. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to live these happy days.
…Well, I’m also the one who ruined those happy days.
"I was really happy you spoke to me back then. I was anxious about ending up a loner too. Thanks to you, I had an enjoyable college life. Thank you, Yuzuhana."
It might be a bit late to say this, but Yuzuhana told me at the zoo that it’s important to say what matters. I don’t know if this counts as important to her, but it definitely is to me. I’m truly grateful.
"You don’t need to thank me or anything. I had a lot of fun spending time with you too… Anyway, I’m starving. Let’s just order already."
Yuzuhana opened the menu, as if trying to hide her face. She must really be hungry.
"Today’s on me, so order whatever you like."
"Thanks. I’ll take you up on that. Hmm… maybe I’ll go with the omurice."
"I think I’ll have the same."
I rang the bell and gave our order to the maid.
As we chatted about her thoughts on the anime I recommended the other day, the omurice arrived.
The maid picked up the ketchup and asked, "Do you have any requests?"
I had her write ‘Kohei’ and ‘Yuzuhana’ on our omurice, and we dug in.
"This is really good," Yuzuhana said, her face relaxing into a smile.
Meanwhile, I found myself stiffening.
Inside my school bag was Yuzuhana’s birthday present.
I’m confident she’ll like it, but… now that the moment’s approaching, I’m starting to think I might have overdone it.
We’re just friends, after all. And yet here I am, taking her to a maid café, preparing a cake, and giving her a 5,000-yen gift. If the roles were reversed, I’d definitely think she had feelings for me.
That said, blurting out something like, “I don’t like you or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea!” doesn’t feel right either.
Actually, if I said that to otaku Yuzuhana, she’d probably mistake it for a tsundere act.
"Hey… Yuzuhana, what do you think about tsunderes?"
"What? Where’s this coming from?"
"Just curious, that’s all."
"They’re cute. But, if I may add, I get frustrated with protagonists who take their words at face value. Like, when they say, ‘Don’t get the wrong idea!’ and the protagonist actually doesn’t. If it were me, I’d totally misinterpret it."
No good! The “Don’t get the wrong idea” strategy is off the table!
Looks like I’ll just have to stick to the plan without overthinking it…
"Challenge Time!"
Once we’d finished eating and the dishes were cleared, a maid came over with an enthusiastic announcement.
After she explained the rules, I volunteered as the challenger.
And the result? A flawless three-game winning streak! No tricks, pure victory!
"Wow, you’re amazing!"
"Yeah, I’ve got a talent for rock-paper-scissors!"
"Let’s just say you’re lucky today!"
We took a commemorative photo with the maid in the middle. She wrote “Happy Birthday, Yuzuhana-chan!” on it, and Yuzuhana looked absolutely delighted.
"We’ll bring out the special drink now. Would that be okay?"
The maid glanced at me for confirmation, silently asking if it was time to bring out the cake.
I gave her a nod, and she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Happy birthday, Lady Yuzuhana!"
"Huh? A cake? I didn’t order this…"
"I requested it when I made the reservation."
"You went out of your way for this?"
"Of course I did. It’s the birthday of the person most important to me. Happy birthday!"
As the maids and I clapped, Yuzuhana sat there, wide-eyed in surprise.
She blew out the candles for now, but it seemed like she still couldn’t quite grasp the situation. Her expression remained reserved, not showing much joy.
If that’s the case, this should make her emotions explode.
I pulled a thick book out of my bag.
"Ta-da! Here’s your present!"
"This is… the KimiUta artbook…"
"That’s right. Remember? You wanted it ages ago."
Yuzuhana wouldn’t fall in love with KimiUta until a few years after its release. By then, the artbook had become a rare collector’s item, nearly impossible to find.
If I’d owned it, I would’ve gladly given it to her. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have a copy back then either. I simply couldn’t afford it at the time.
"W-Well, yeah. It’s just, you know, um… Oh, right! I got 10,000 yen from my mom."
"She gave you that much?"
"Yeah. She said, 'Go enjoy the zoo,' so I wanted to take some photos as proof we went."
"I don’t think she’d doubt you even without proof. But if you’re going to take pictures, I wish I’d struck a pose. I wasn’t making any weird faces, was I?"
"I took them from far away, so your face isn’t that clear."
"I see. Then it’s fine. Shall we head to the plaza now?"
"Yeah, let’s go."
Somehow, I managed to dodge that bullet.
Relieved, I let out a breath and sat down on a bench in the plaza.
I wasted no time biting into the sandwiches from Yuzuhana’s homemade bento.
"…How is it?"
"It’s delicious."
"How delicious?"
"…Delicious enough that I’d want to eat it again."
"How often?"
"How often…? Every day?"
"Every day would only be possible if we were living together."
"I know that. I just wanted to say it’s so good I could eat it every day."
"…Wouldn’t you get tired of it every day?"
"I wouldn’t."
Each time I praised her cooking, Yuzuhana’s cheeks softened with satisfaction.
"Fine, then. Next time we go out, I’ll make you a bento again."
"Thanks. I’ll look forward to it."
"Of course. By the way, do you have any requests?"
"Anything is fine."
"There you go again. I’ve told you before, saying ‘anything is fine’ is no help. Even if you don’t feel like deciding, you should at least make a proper request."
"It’s not that I don’t want to decide. I really mean it—anything is fine. I like everything you cook, Yuzuhana."
"O-Oh, is that so? If that’s how it is, then fine… But you should’ve said that from the start. You’re always saying unnecessary things but never the important ones…"
Blushing, Yuzuhana muttered this while taking a bite of her sandwich.
"Where should we go after we finish eating?"
"Anywhere is fine. We’re going to visit everything in the end anyway."
"Sounds like it’ll take forever."
"Does that bother you?"
"Not at all. It’s fun, after all."
Spending a leisurely day at the zoo with Yuzuhana, taking our time to enjoy her homemade bento without worrying about the clock—it was something we hadn’t been able to do since work had gotten so busy. Now that it was happening, I felt genuinely happy.
…No, it’s not a date or anything.
-----
The footsteps of May were drawing near.
That day after school, as I passed through the school gate, Yuzuhana came running after me.
“What are you doing today?”
Although I’d become friends with Yuzuhana, we made a point not to talk at school except during committee activities.
It was still early in the school year, and it was rare to see boys and girls getting along so well. If people started gossiping that we might be dating, things could get awkward. To preserve our friendship, we wanted to avoid any hint of romance.
So, without explicitly discussing it, we had a tacit understanding to act like mere classmates at school.
“I was thinking of heading home to read some manga.”
In truth, I planned to go shopping.
Yuzuhana’s birthday was coming up.
I’d forgotten her birthday once before and paid the price—she’d been really mad. Sure, I bought her a cake a day late and promised to take her anywhere she wanted, but it took days to get back on her good side.
It wasn’t the main reason our “marriage” cooled down, but it was definitely part of it.
Not that we’re married now, of course.
I wouldn’t expect a friend to get that upset over a missed birthday.
But ignoring it when I clearly remembered would feel wrong. Even though it was embarrassing to give her a present, it was better than upsetting her.
Still, if I told her the truth now, she’d probably start expecting something, so I decided to keep it a secret until the day itself to lower her expectations.
“Then let’s have a study session,” she suggested.
“Not really in the mood for that…”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me you’re skipping it. If you don’t get your act together, you’ll lose your summer break.”
As much as I didn’t want to lose my summer break, her birthday was just around the corner, and studying wasn’t a priority right now.
But using manga as an excuse to decline wasn’t going to cut it…
“Actually, I think I’ll go to the shopping mall instead.”
“You really don’t want to study, do you?”
“It’d be a lie if I said I did.”
“Well, at least you’re honest… Fine, we’ll go to the shopping mall for today. But you’d better study properly later, okay? If you end up in the remedial group, I won’t have anyone to hang out with.”
"I get it. When it’s time to study, you’ll be the teacher, right?"
"Of course! Leave it to me!"
"…By the way, Yuzuhana, are you coming along, too?"
"Obviously. Why, is there some reason I shouldn’t?"
She looked slightly worried, so I shook my head. The whole point of this outing was to pick out a gift to make her happy. Upsetting her would defeat the purpose.
Of course, to keep expectations low, I wasn’t going to mention anything about her birthday until the actual day.
"Great! Then let’s get moving!"
Once it was decided that we’d go together, Yuzuhana was instantly in high spirits.
Seeing her light up at the idea of spending time with me made my heart skip a beat for a moment.
I’m not falling for her just from that, but her smile was what made me fall for her in the first place. Even back then, I’d already had feelings close to love, but her devastatingly charming smile had completely disarmed me.
Now that we’ve "divorced," I’ve got some armor to protect me, but I’ll still need to be careful not to get swept up.
Chatting about anime, we headed to the station and got on the train.
After getting off at the nearest station, we arrived at the shopping mall.
"So, is there anything you’re looking for?"
"Not really. Just wandering around is the goal."
"I see. Then why don’t you tag along with me while I shop?"
"Sure."
By sticking close, I might figure out what she wants.
We wandered through the air-conditioned mall and ended up in the furniture section.
This feels nostalgic… It reminds me of when we moved into our new place.
Back then, we’d browsed shelves, tables, and the like, talking about whether the designs were cute enough or whether the sizes would work for when guests came over.
Those were truly happy times.
I thought that happiness would last forever.
But… work took over, cutting down the time we spent together. The lack of fun built up stress, which led to more arguments. Eventually, we couldn’t stand the sight of each other anymore, and we divorced.
Yuzuhana was just as tired from work as I was. If only I hadn’t said cold things like, "At least you get to go home in the evening." If only I’d invited her to relax in a hot spring and let the stress melt away, maybe our marriage wouldn’t have fallen apart.
Regretting it now won’t change anything.
This time, I’m not going to marry Yuzuhana, and I’m going to live a life free from the struggles of work.
We might still have our little spats, but it won’t escalate to the point of a cold, distant relationship like last time.
When we’re old and gray, we’ll be able to sit on the porch, sipping tea, laughing and chatting like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
That’s the kind of relationship we’re destined to have.
But for now—
A piece of furniture as a gift is out of the question.
There’s no way I can afford something like that on a high schooler’s allowance.
I’d like to get her something she really loves, but couldn’t she pick something… a little more budget-friendly?
Unaware of my internal dilemma, Yuzuhana plopped herself onto a sofa.
Y-you… That sofa costs 40,000 yen!
"Come sit next to me."
"Sure, but…"
I mentally declared that this was absolutely not an option and took a seat.
"How is it?"
"It’s so expensive I can’t relax."
"Don’t worry about the price. How does it feel to sit on it?"
"It feels good, I’ll admit. You can tell it’s high-quality."
"Do you think it’s the right size for the space?"
"It’s the right size, but…"
"Then I’ll consider it a candidate."
"A candidate? Are you planning to buy a sofa? You already have a perfectly good one."
"It’s too cramped for two people."
Oh. So that’s what this is about.
She’s picking something with the two of us in mind.
"Yeah, it felt a bit tight, but I don’t think it’s bad enough to warrant replacing."
"…Didn’t it bother you, sitting so close to me on that sofa?"
If this were the old me, it would’ve been unbearable. Back then, I’d have thought sitting on the same sofa as her was worse than sitting on a spiked stool.
But now, it’s different. There’s no longer any part of me that feels uncomfortable being beside Yuzuhana.
In fact, just sitting next to her like this fills me with a surprising sense of happiness.
"Not bad. It's not as cramped as you'd say. Besides, Yuzuhana, you're skinny right now."
"Huh? The way you said that makes it sound like I'll gain weight in the future!"
"I didn't say that."
"You said something close to it. Sure, I've gained weight, but that's just because I've grown taller! Unlike you, my growth period isn't over yet!"
"Huh? The way you said that makes it sound like I won't grow any taller in the future!"
"That's exactly what I meant."
"This time, I'm going to grow like crazy! Then I'll literally look down on you!"
"When that happens, I'll wear heels!"
"Heels are cheating!"
"Heels are fashion! ...What are you doing?"
"Imitating you on a date in heels."
"I-I wasn't wobbling like that!"
"You totally were! I remember being worried! If you're not used to wearing them, don't force yourself!"
"Shut up! I thought you'd be mesmerized if I wore heels!"
"My eyes were glued to you, in a way! I couldn't take my eyes off because I didn't know when you'd fall! Seriously, fashion is fine, but safety first!"
"You're one to talk! You showed up for a date in ripped jeans! And your top was that red paint-splattered shirt! I thought you'd been hit by a car!"
"I thought it was stylish!"
"What's stylish about that?! It's the worst combination ever! Don't set up a flag to get hit by a car with your outfit!"
"It wasn't a flag! And keep it down in the store."
"It's your fault for saying I'd gain weight in the future!"
"That's not what I meant. If anything, you're too skinny right now. Make sure to eat properly so you don't get summer fatigue, alright?"
"You too."
"Yeah. ...So, what about the sofa?"
"I'll pass."
"Got it. Anything else you want?"
"If I had to say, I'd like to check out some clothes."
"Clothes, huh..."
"Why do you look so unenthusiastic?"
"I just figured this might take a while. Every time I go to a clothing store with you, we end up coming home late."
"It doesn't take that long. At most, two hours."
"That's plenty long. You should learn from me; I’m done in a matter of minutes."
"You're too fast. If you didn't want to shop together, why didn’t you go off on your own? You could’ve gone to the arcade or a bookstore or something."
"If we split up, what's the point of coming together? ...Besides, it’d be a problem if you got hit on."
Yuzuhana, who had been sulking, softened her expression at those words.
With a wry smile, she said,
"Nobody’s going to hit on me in the women’s clothing section. And even if they did, could you protect me with those skinny arms?"
"If I go all out, I can just barely manage."
Yuzuhana smiled faintly.
"You’d go all out for me? ...In that case, will you protect me from getting hit on today too?"
"I guess I have no choice but to protect you. With these ripped arms of mine."
"Sure, sure. Let’s go with that."
And so, I ended up tagging along with Yuzuhana to the women’s clothing section.
...As expected, this was going to be a long haul. She took her time browsing without any concern for me, and even after nearly an hour, it didn’t seem like she was done.
"So, which one are you going to get?"
"Uh... none of them really stood out. Your turn now, Kohei."
"I’m good."
"No way. You need to dress properly. You wore that weird English print shirt to the zoo, didn’t you?"
"Don’t call it weird. It was cool."
"If you think so, then translate it. You’ll be so embarrassed you’ll never wear it again."
"...What did it say?"
"Translating it yourself would be more educational."
Yuzuhana was grinning mischievously, like whatever was written on it was particularly ridiculous.
With her looking at me like that, there’s no way I could dare translate it...
"Since we’re already shopping, I’ll pick something out for you."
"No need. Don’t bother. I’m out of spending money."
"Didn’t you still have money left over from the zoo trip?"
"I spent it on manga."
"You should learn to manage your money better..."
Truth is, I still have some left.
But that money is for Yuzuhana's gift. My clothes can wait.
In the end, we wrapped things up without deciding on a gift.
After returning home and finishing dinner, I browsed some online shopping sites. But I couldn’t find anything that seemed like a gift Yuzuhana would truly be happy with.
Just as I was thinking about taking a bath, a message from Yuzuhana arrived.
[Got any recommendations for a funny rom-com anime?]
[If it’s something you probably haven’t seen, I’d recommend LoveKano.]
[Thanks! I’ll go borrow it!]
[It’s already dark, so be careful.]
[Thanks!]
Twice in a row, huh. Yuzuhana really does love anime.
At first, she wasn’t interested at all, but under my influence, she’s become a full-blown otaku—
"...I’ve got it."
Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to me.
I checked the online shopping site again and found a promising gift.
"5,000 yen, huh."
It’s a little pricey for a high schooler to give to a friend, but... imagining Yuzuhana’s happy face left me with no hesitation about the purchase.
-----
Her birthday.
Back when I first time-slipped, I would head to school early to avoid running into Yuzuhana, but that’s no longer necessary. Lately, I’ve been waking up later and later, so by the time I get to class, about 90% of the seats are already taken.
Yuzuhana is already at her seat.
But we don’t talk.
It’s an unspoken rule to interact as just classmates while at school.
"(You’re late.)"
"(You’re just too early.)"
"(At this rate, you’ll be late for real one day.)"
"(If it gets really bad, Sana will wake me up, so it’s fine.)"
"(I could give you a morning call if you’d like?)"
"(No thanks. You’re already busy with chores every morning, right?)" (T/N: Talking with their Eyes)
As usual, we exchanged glances silently and took our seats.
I pulled out my phone and sent Yuzuhana a text.
[Are you free after school today?]
[Super free!]
[Then let’s go to a maid café.]
"A maid café!?"
Whoa! That startled me.
I wasn’t the only one surprised; the entire classroom went dead silent.
With all eyes on her, Yuzuhana looked like she was about to combust. Her flushed face tilted downward as she typed an embarrassed reply.
After a moment of waiting, my phone vibrated.
[Now everyone thinks I’m some weirdo because of you!]
[It’s not my fault.]
[You’re the one who suggested going to a maid café!]
I didn’t expect her to get mad. This wasn’t the first time I’d invited her to a maid café.
Back in university, I was too embarrassed to go to one alone, so I invited Yuzuhana. Together, we made our maid café debut.
It ended up being a blast, and she seemed to enjoy herself too. That’s why I chose it as the venue for her birthday celebration this time. I’ve already made a reservation and arranged for a birthday-themed cake.
I thought she’d eagerly agree, given her personality, but...
[Do you hate maid cafés?]
[I love them! Both maid cafés and maid outfits!]
[Come to think of it, we once went shopping for a maid outfit together. You were so picky, saying no to cheap cosplay outfits and insisting on a long skirt.]
[I wasn’t being picky. I just didn’t want to settle. And didn’t you say, "I’ll stick with you until you’re satisfied"?]
[I didn’t expect it would lead to visiting a specialty maid outfit shop in another prefecture.]
[Sorry for dragging you along.]
[Don’t worry about it. It was fun, like a mini trip.]
[Really? You’re not mad?]
[Not at all. Let’s go again sometime!]
[You just want to see me in a maid outfit again, don’t you?]
[It suited you, and you liked it too, right? You even did housework in it for a while.]
[It’s surprisingly efficient for chores.]
[Speaking of maid outfits, remember those cat ears I gave you as a present? You only wore them once.]
[They were too embarrassing! But I let you take a picture, didn’t I?]
[Yeah, and for a while, I used it as my phone wallpaper.]
[What!? That’s so embarrassing! Nobody saw it, right?]
[No worries. I resisted the urge to show it off.]
[Why would you want to show it off?]
[Forgot.]
I played it off, but the truth is, I remember. I wanted to brag to my coworkers, saying, "This is my wife. Isn’t she adorable?"
[So, are we going to the maid café or not?]
[We’re going, but… why today of all days?]
...Ah, I see now.
Today is Yuzuhana’s birthday. She hasn’t mentioned it outright, but she’s probably expecting me to celebrate it.
Instead, I suggested going to a maid café, making it seem like I was more interested in seeing maids than celebrating her special day. No wonder she’s upset.
I found myself thinking Yuzuhana’s jealousy over something so trivial was adorable… but I shook my head to clear the thought.
To preserve the balance of our friendship, I can’t let myself feel even a hint of romantic attraction toward her.
[Today’s your birthday, right? That’s why I wanted to celebrate somewhere special.]
The gift is a surprise, but there’s no need to keep the celebration itself a secret.
Sure, holding off until the last moment could make the surprise more impactful, but it’s not worth making Yuzuhana anxious just to pull it off.
[You should’ve said that earlier! I was worried you’d forgotten my birthday!]
[Sorry, sorry. I’ll give you a heads-up next year.]
[You’ll celebrate it next year too?]
[Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?]
[Thanks! By the way, is there even a maid café nearby?]
[Three stations away.]
[What kind of place is it?]
[From what I found, it’s similar to the one we went to on that date before.]
[You haven’t been there?]
[Back then, I was too embarrassed to go alone. And by the time we got close, the old one had already shut down.]
[Then we’ve got to help their sales now!]
Her excitement came through clearly, and it made me even more eager for the after-school plans.
When school let out, we headed straight to the maid café.
"Welcome home, Master and Milady!"
An Akiba-style maid greeted us warmly and showed us to our seats.
It was an odd time on a weekday, so we were the only customers.
It felt like a private booking, which was perfect for celebrating Yuzuhana’s birthday without worry.
"When you’re ready to order, please ring the bell on your table."
"Oh, excuse me. I’m Kurose. But, uh… this isn’t something I can discuss here. Could we step aside for a moment?"
I spoke vaguely to avoid tipping off Yuzuhana. The maid seemed to catch on immediately and smiled brightly. "Of course. This way, please." She led me toward the kitchen.
"Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to confirm—did the message about the cake get through?"
"Absolutely! We’re honored that you chose our café for such a special occasion."
Thank goodness. It seemed like the birthday arrangements were all set.
"Could you bring the cake out after we’ve finished eating?"
"Certainly. Oh, and if you’d like, we can help make this a more memorable experience for your girlfriend."
"Help? How so?"
"We can rig the rock-paper-scissors challenge so that you win."
Right, if a customer beats the maids three times in a row, they get a photo and a special drink on the house.
The photo would be a nice memento, and a free special drink was always a bonus.
But…
"No, I’d rather win fair and square. I don’t want to trick my friend—it wouldn’t feel right."
"I see. Honestly, I agree with you. It’s more genuine that way. Well then, enjoy your meal with her!"
"Thanks. And she’s not my girlfriend, by the way."
Even so, being mistaken for a couple made me a little nervous. I gave myself a small slap on the cheeks to snap out of it and returned to the table.
There, Yuzuhana greeted me with a pout.
"Welcome back. What were you talking about?"
"Nothing important."
"Something you can’t tell me? Don’t tell me you were flirting or something?"
"Like I’d flirt with someone on your birthday, Yuzuhana."
"So, if it weren’t my birthday, you would be flirting? Don’t tell me you’re scouting today or something."
"I said no. I’m purely here to celebrate your birthday. Do you really think I could flirt with anyone?"
"I don’t think you could, but… that maid earlier was cute. If you had the guts, she might’ve been worth it."
Yuzuhana is persistent.
If this were the old me, I would’ve shot back with, “What does it matter to you who I date?” But… now, seeing Yuzuhana jealous, I find her kind of cute.
Damn it. Stop thinking she’s cute. Do you want to ruin this friendship? Don’t see her as a girl!
"I don’t have that kind of courage. Even when we first talked, it was you who approached me, right? I knew you were an old classmate sitting next to me, but I was planning to just ignore you. Talking to girls makes me nervous."
"I wasn’t planning to talk to you at first, either. But I didn’t want to spend my college life all alone… and, you know, you were reading a novel right before class started."
"Oh, yeah. I don’t usually read general literature, but the cover was illustrated by a manga artist I like."
"I didn’t know back then that you bought it just for the cover. It just happened to be a novel by one of my favorite authors, so I thought maybe we could get along. I kept overthinking, like, ‘Is my first college friend going to be a guy?’ or ‘If I don’t make a friend here, I’ll be alone forever.’ I was agonizing over it until the lecture ended, and then I finally worked up the courage to talk to you."
"You were super awkward back then, Yuzuhana."
"I was nervous, okay! Also, how many times are you going to bring that up? It’s embarrassing, so just forget it already."
"There’s no way I could forget. It’s an important memory—the first time we talked."
Yuzuhana is shy around people.
Despite being shy around people, she spoke to me.
It must have taken an incredible amount of courage.
Of course, I got flustered when she suddenly started talking to me, but… I want to praise my past self for making the effort to build a connection back then. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to live these happy days.
…Well, I’m also the one who ruined those happy days.
"I was really happy you spoke to me back then. I was anxious about ending up a loner too. Thanks to you, I had an enjoyable college life. Thank you, Yuzuhana."
It might be a bit late to say this, but Yuzuhana told me at the zoo that it’s important to say what matters. I don’t know if this counts as important to her, but it definitely is to me. I’m truly grateful.
"You don’t need to thank me or anything. I had a lot of fun spending time with you too… Anyway, I’m starving. Let’s just order already."
Yuzuhana opened the menu, as if trying to hide her face. She must really be hungry.
"Today’s on me, so order whatever you like."
"Thanks. I’ll take you up on that. Hmm… maybe I’ll go with the omurice."
"I think I’ll have the same."
I rang the bell and gave our order to the maid.
As we chatted about her thoughts on the anime I recommended the other day, the omurice arrived.
The maid picked up the ketchup and asked, "Do you have any requests?"
I had her write ‘Kohei’ and ‘Yuzuhana’ on our omurice, and we dug in.
"This is really good," Yuzuhana said, her face relaxing into a smile.
Meanwhile, I found myself stiffening.
Inside my school bag was Yuzuhana’s birthday present.
I’m confident she’ll like it, but… now that the moment’s approaching, I’m starting to think I might have overdone it.
We’re just friends, after all. And yet here I am, taking her to a maid café, preparing a cake, and giving her a 5,000-yen gift. If the roles were reversed, I’d definitely think she had feelings for me.
That said, blurting out something like, “I don’t like you or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea!” doesn’t feel right either.
Actually, if I said that to otaku Yuzuhana, she’d probably mistake it for a tsundere act.
"Hey… Yuzuhana, what do you think about tsunderes?"
"What? Where’s this coming from?"
"Just curious, that’s all."
"They’re cute. But, if I may add, I get frustrated with protagonists who take their words at face value. Like, when they say, ‘Don’t get the wrong idea!’ and the protagonist actually doesn’t. If it were me, I’d totally misinterpret it."
No good! The “Don’t get the wrong idea” strategy is off the table!
Looks like I’ll just have to stick to the plan without overthinking it…
"Challenge Time!"
Once we’d finished eating and the dishes were cleared, a maid came over with an enthusiastic announcement.
After she explained the rules, I volunteered as the challenger.
And the result? A flawless three-game winning streak! No tricks, pure victory!
"Wow, you’re amazing!"
"Yeah, I’ve got a talent for rock-paper-scissors!"
"Let’s just say you’re lucky today!"
We took a commemorative photo with the maid in the middle. She wrote “Happy Birthday, Yuzuhana-chan!” on it, and Yuzuhana looked absolutely delighted.
"We’ll bring out the special drink now. Would that be okay?"
The maid glanced at me for confirmation, silently asking if it was time to bring out the cake.
I gave her a nod, and she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Happy birthday, Lady Yuzuhana!"
"Huh? A cake? I didn’t order this…"
"I requested it when I made the reservation."
"You went out of your way for this?"
"Of course I did. It’s the birthday of the person most important to me. Happy birthday!"
As the maids and I clapped, Yuzuhana sat there, wide-eyed in surprise.
She blew out the candles for now, but it seemed like she still couldn’t quite grasp the situation. Her expression remained reserved, not showing much joy.
If that’s the case, this should make her emotions explode.
I pulled a thick book out of my bag.
"Ta-da! Here’s your present!"
"This is… the KimiUta artbook…"
"That’s right. Remember? You wanted it ages ago."
Yuzuhana wouldn’t fall in love with KimiUta until a few years after its release. By then, the artbook had become a rare collector’s item, nearly impossible to find.
If I’d owned it, I would’ve gladly given it to her. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have a copy back then either. I simply couldn’t afford it at the time.
Yuzuhana loves anime, and she had just watched KimiUta recently.
This should definitely make her overjoyed!
Or so I thought...
But Yuzuhana didn’t smile.
Her eyebrows lowered, her eyes glistening, and her expression was complicated—like she was confused, overwhelmed, happy, and unsure all at once.
"...You didn’t like it?"
"No, that’s not it at all. It’s just… I never expected to be celebrated like this. I can’t process it… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do."
"Come on, just be happy about it."
"Of course I’m happy! I really am, but…"
Yuzuhana lowered her gaze, looking downcast.
Happy, but what? Don’t leave me hanging here—it’s making me nervous.
As I waited for her to continue, Yuzuhana finally lifted her head.
I couldn’t tell if she’d sorted out her feelings, but her expression now carried a faint trace of joy.
Her eyes softened, and a blissful smile spread across her face—
"Thank you. I’m really, really happy."
"──!"
That devastatingly beautiful smile, paired with her quietly spoken words, made my heart leap.
A warm sensation spread from deep in my chest, climbing up to my face.
I lowered my head, trying to hide my flushed face, but my racing heart wouldn’t calm down.
"…What’s wrong?"
"N-Nothing! I just need to use the restroom for a sec!"
I quickly got up and rushed to the restroom.
Looking in the mirror, I saw myself completely red-faced.
And my expression was a mess.
I couldn’t tell if I was grinning or panicking—my face was frozen in a bizarre mix of emotions.
I slapped my cheeks, took a deep breath to calm myself, and returned to the table. We chatted about anime as we ate the cake and drank our special drinks. By the time we left the café, the pounding in my chest had settled down... or so I thought.
"Hey, what’s up with you? You’ve been making weird faces since earlier."
"N-No, I haven’t. You were the one making weird faces earlier, Yuzuhana."
"How rude! I wasn’t making any weird faces!"
She turned her face away with a childish pout, a gesture so adorable that—
Her voice, her tone, her expressions, her every little movement—everything about her seemed so precious to me.
Even after we parted ways in front of the park, the feelings that had resurfaced refused to fade.
…Of course, there’s no way I can allow myself to acknowledge these emotions.
Act 4 END
This should definitely make her overjoyed!
Or so I thought...
But Yuzuhana didn’t smile.
Her eyebrows lowered, her eyes glistening, and her expression was complicated—like she was confused, overwhelmed, happy, and unsure all at once.
"...You didn’t like it?"
"No, that’s not it at all. It’s just… I never expected to be celebrated like this. I can’t process it… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do."
"Come on, just be happy about it."
"Of course I’m happy! I really am, but…"
Yuzuhana lowered her gaze, looking downcast.
Happy, but what? Don’t leave me hanging here—it’s making me nervous.
As I waited for her to continue, Yuzuhana finally lifted her head.
I couldn’t tell if she’d sorted out her feelings, but her expression now carried a faint trace of joy.
Her eyes softened, and a blissful smile spread across her face—
"Thank you. I’m really, really happy."
"──!"
That devastatingly beautiful smile, paired with her quietly spoken words, made my heart leap.
A warm sensation spread from deep in my chest, climbing up to my face.
I lowered my head, trying to hide my flushed face, but my racing heart wouldn’t calm down.
"…What’s wrong?"
"N-Nothing! I just need to use the restroom for a sec!"
I quickly got up and rushed to the restroom.
Looking in the mirror, I saw myself completely red-faced.
And my expression was a mess.
I couldn’t tell if I was grinning or panicking—my face was frozen in a bizarre mix of emotions.
I slapped my cheeks, took a deep breath to calm myself, and returned to the table. We chatted about anime as we ate the cake and drank our special drinks. By the time we left the café, the pounding in my chest had settled down... or so I thought.
"Hey, what’s up with you? You’ve been making weird faces since earlier."
"N-No, I haven’t. You were the one making weird faces earlier, Yuzuhana."
"How rude! I wasn’t making any weird faces!"
She turned her face away with a childish pout, a gesture so adorable that—
Her voice, her tone, her expressions, her every little movement—everything about her seemed so precious to me.
Even after we parted ways in front of the park, the feelings that had resurfaced refused to fade.
…Of course, there’s no way I can allow myself to acknowledge these emotions.
Act 4 END
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