Chapter 11 - Night Gathering
The door opens with a click.
"Phew~ I feel refreshed."
Kanna had just finished taking a shower.
It seems she had prepared loungewear.
And her uniform, for that matter.
I wonder if she's used to staying over at friends' houses?
"Sorry for borrowing the bath so late."
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
Inside, I'm buzzing with excitement.
This is the first time I've ever had a friend stay over at my house.
Rie-chan laid out the futon in the space that opened up after she leaned the table against the corner.
Rie-chan is my mother's name.
A few dozen minutes ago.
"Sorry! Can I stay over tonight!?"
I was surprised by the sudden request.
Apparently, she had a fight with her parents.
And apparently, she had run away from home.
"I can't just... even if you tell me so suddenly..."
Would they allow me to let a runaway girl stay over?
Especially Kanna, who had been a problem today.
"That's true. It can't be helped, then let Toya let you stay. It'll be fine at Toya's house, right?"
Kanna started saying something outrageous.
That's a no-go!!
"That's not allowed! Alright, I'll try talking to Rie-chan."
Saying that, I went to talk to my parents in the living room.
I felt nothing but Anxiety, but if I didn't do it, something even more Anxiety-inducing might happen.
To start with the conclusion, my worries ended up being unfounded.
"A friend of Airi-chan's? How rare~. Well, if she's Airi-chan's friend, it's fine~. Right, Papa~?"
"...Umu."
It was settled with just one word each.
Hearing that, I went out to notify Kanna, who was waiting outside.
Kanna seemed to have been talking about something with Toya-kun.
Probably about their future paths?
It was dim, but I could tell Kanna's expression was bright.
Did the persuasion succeed?
"Kanna! Rie-chan says you can stay!"
Saying so, I guided Kanna to the living room.
Rie-chan looked at Kanna and marveled.
"What a beautiful girl~, she's like a model~. Right, Papa?"
"...Umu."
Kanna bowed to my parents and spoke.
"I am sorry for the sudden visit so late at night. Thank you very much for letting me stay tonight."
"Oh? You don't have to be so formal~. Friends of Airi-chan are more than welcome~."
"U-Umu."
Sometimes she's incredibly well-mannered.
I heard she was originally a quiet child, though.
"For now, please have a bath~, I'll prepare a place to sleep in the meantime~."
"Then, I'll take you up on that offer."
"Kanna, put your luggage in the room first."
"Ah, that's true."
When I guided her to the room, Kanna looked surprised.
It's a bit messy, so I'm embarrassed.
"Next time, show me your room too, Kanna."
"It's narrow and dirty."
She said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well, I'll guide you to the bathroom."
"Ah, wait a second."
Saying that, she took a change of clothes and a towel out of her bag.
"You could have used ours."
"Well, I brought them just in case."
I guided her to the bathroom.
"Thanks."
While Kanna was in the bath, a message arrived from Toya-kun.
"Persuasion successful. I think she'll probably make her first-choice school the same as ours."
Thank goodness. Honestly, I had nothing but a scary image of Mieno High School.
"Thanks, how did you persuade her?"
"I told her I wanted to spend my high school life together with her too."
Hmph!
"What does that mean?"
"There's no deep Meaning. It's just that Airi's wish is for the three of us to spend time together, right?"
That's true, but...
And that leads to the present.
"Sorry for borrowing the bath so late."
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
I sat on the bed and Kanna sat cross-legged on her bedding.
A moment of silence flowed.
"Hey."
"Um."
That was almost simultaneous.
"Kanna, you go first."
"No, Airi can go first."
Then, I'll take you up on that offer.
"Your future path... what are you going to do?"
Then, Kanna smiled brightly.
"I'm going to continue my studies. Toya told me to... it's weird, right? Even when my parents told me, I had no intention of going, but when Toya tells me, somehow... yeah."
"I see..."
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I only see him as a Friend."
"Yeah..."
"Still, to think that Toya would get a Lover. ...What I'm about to tell you is strictly a story from the past."
I want to know.
What kind of relationship did they have back then?
What was Toya-kun like before he met me?
"Yeah."
"There were a few times I subtly tried to create the right atmosphere. After all, you want to be confessed to by the boy, right?"
"That's true."
In my case, it was from me too.
"And then, even when I sent him chocolates on Valentine's Day, he brought back return sweets the next month looking like it was a chore."
"Mm-hmm."
"And then, it turned out I was transferring schools. He never once said he liked me."
Kanna looked lonely as she said that.
"...Do you still like him even now?"
"N-No way. I've been over there for three years already, I got over it long ago."
Kanna laughed as she said that.
But is it just my imagination that she seems lonely somehow?
"How about you, Airi?"
"Eh?"
"How did Airi conquer Toya?"
Kanna asked with great interest.
Was I the same way just now?
Taking a deep breath, I began the story.
The last Valentine's Day of Elementary School.
I stood there holding the chocolates I had made the day before.
Suddenly, heavy rain fell right after I arrived home.
"You can just give them at school tomorrow, right~? If you don't like that, why not do it after the rain stops~?"
Rie-chan said, patting my shoulder.
No, I have to give them today.
I was convinced of that.
And so, I dashed out of the house with an umbrella in hand.
But I thought it would be bad if the wrapping paper got wet, so I desperately shielded the chocolates, leaving myself soaking wet.
Thinking back, it's like a horror movie, isn't it? A soaking wet girl standing in front of the door.
The first person to come out was Maya-san.
"Oh? What happened? You're soaking wet! Come in! I'll get a towel."
"No, I'm fine here... um."
Maya-san noticed what I was holding and, sensing the situation, immediately called Toya-kun.
Toya-kun came out looking like it was a chore.
"What is it, Tosaka-san? Why are you so soaking wet?"
This man doesn't even know what day today is, does he?
"A-Ah, this!!"
When I handed him the gift box containing the chocolates, he finally seemed to realize.
"Ah, thanks. Can I open it?"
Saying that, Toya-kun ripped through the wrapping paper.
"Ah, not now!! Well, see you tomorrow!"
Saying that, I dashed away from Toya-kun's house.
The next day, I caught a cold.
Did I push myself too hard? It wasn't even that far of a distance.
I felt like crying.
The message written along with the chocolates.
"I like you. Please go out with me. Is that not okay? Your answer, tomorrow after school in the Classroom."
And yet, I ended up absent from school.
I couldn't make use of the last chance of my Elementary School life.
The tears wouldn't stop. I'm actually crying...
But then, a Miracle happened.
Ding-dong.
It seemed someone had come.
"Oh, how rare~. Wait a moment~."
Rie-chan came up, making pitter-patter sounds.
"Airi-chan, a friend has come, is it okay to let them in~? ! Oh, you're crying. What happened?"
"It's nothing... I'm okay, let them in."
"Is that so? Then wait a bit~."
Saying that, Rie-chan went back down with a smirk.
"It seems it's okay, so come on in~. She doesn't seem very energetic, so please cheer her up~."
I heard words like that.
Rie-chan's words carry well.
The sound of someone quietly climbing the stairs.
I heard a knock.
"Come in..."
I replied with a lifeless voice.
Click.
The person beyond the door was...!?
"○▼※△☆▲※◎★●!?"
It was Toya-kun.
What should I do, I'm in loungewear!?
I mean, my hair is a mess!?
How embarrassing! I don't want him to see me!
"Look away!"
"Got it."
Toya-kun stood facing the wall as told.
"...Sit anywhere."
"...Yeah."
Toya-kun closed his eyes and tried to sit anywhere, but he hit his shin on the table and looked pained.
Seeing Toya-kun like that, I ended up laughing.
I quickly tidied my hair with my fingers.
"You can open your eyes."
When I said that, Toya-kun opened his eyes and sat on the desk chair.
"Is your cold okay?"
"Yeah."
"Because you pushed yourself yesterday."
Because if I hadn't pushed myself yesterday, today wouldn't have happened.
"The note... did you read it?"
I took a chance and asked.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"Yeah..."
"Yeah" doesn't tell me anything!
"...But honestly, even if you say Lover, it doesn't really click. How is it different from a Friend?"
What is that anticlimactic answer.
"It means I like you more than a Friend. I feel at peace when I'm with you, Toya-kun."
"But you were panicking just now, Tosaka-san."
"That's because you came suddenly. Besides, I haven't heard the answer. My heart is still pounding."
"Hearing you say that, my heart is starting to pound too."
"...Toya-kun, do you... like me?"
"...Yeah. I probably like you."
What do you mean, "probably."
"But, specifically, what should I do?"
"Just as much as you can, please always be by my side."
"Got it."
"And... from now on, call me 'Airi'."
"Got it, Airi... nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Toya-kun. Thank you for coming today."
And so, my story ended.
"...That's so like Toya."
Kanna nodded as she listened intently.
"Right? When Toya-kun came to my house, I really thought it was going to rain heavily again."
"I see, a message... that was an option."
"Kanna, if you find someone you like, you should try using it."
"I guess I don't have to wait until Valentine's Day anymore, right?"
"That's true."
The two of us laughed.
"Ah, it's already this time."
The clock had passed midnight.
"Should we sleep soon? You're going to Toya's house early tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah."
I turned off the light.
Then I lay in bed and closed my eyes.
I looked back on the feelings of that time.
Thank you, Toya-kun.
I look forward to being with you from now on.
The next morning.
Kanna and I visited Toya-kun's house.
When we entered the Room, Toya-kun, who knew nothing, was sleeping peacefully.
His sleeping face is cute too.
"Toya-kun, it's morning."
He didn't wake up.
I had taken out the secret weapon I borrowed from Maya-san, but...
"Wake up, Toya!!"
Kanna jumped and drove her elbow into Toya-kun's solar plexus.
"Geho!!"
Toya-kun jumped up in a panic.
He looked at us with a puzzled face.
"Good morning, Toya-kun."
"Good morning, Toya."
And so, another day begins.