Chapter 137 - The Person Waiting
(1)
"Katagiri-kun, over here, over here!"
When I enter the family restaurant, Sakai-kun is waving his hand from a wide seat in the back.
His voice sounds bright, or rather, it sounds like a plea for help.
Besides Sakai-kun, the people who had already arrived were Ichinose-san, Eguchi-san, Ishihara-kun, and... Shimizu-san!?
Ah, so she was still in the group. And she's actually participating.
Given this lineup, I can understand why Sakai-kun is pleading for help.
It's a feat that there's a family restaurant capable of accommodating a group of thirteen people at a single table.
For now, I order drink bars for everyone and wait for Watanabe-kun and the others.
After a while, Watanabe-kun and the others arrive, bringing along Kiritani-kun, who is dressed in a sweatshirt.
I don't know what happened, but Kiritani-kun looks solemn.
Then, he sits down next to Sashihara-san.
"Has everyone finished ordering?"
Watanabe-kun asks.
"No, we only ordered the drink bars,"
I answer.
If I ordered my usual menu right now, there's a 100% chance Airi would hit me.
"Watanabe and the others are here, so everyone's gathered. Let's order lunch! We can't talk calmly if we're starving,"
Kanna, who had lost herself the most, said.
Now I can make my usual order.
Ah, I mustn't forget the soup bar...
There is no retort from Airi.
Looking next to me, Airi was comforting Sashihara-san. She doesn't have time to pay attention to me. I feel somewhat lonely...
"Excuse me, after the meal, a chocolate parfait..."
Slap!
An oshibori flew at me.
"Show some restraint!!"
Kanna scolded me.
"Eita, you should eat something too... you haven't eaten anything, right?"
"I have no appetite."
That was the exchange between Eita and Sashihara-san.
Bam!
Mika-san, sitting opposite us, slammed the table.
"Just eat!"
"Then, a cheese hamburger..."
Kiritani-kun, intimidated by Mika-san.
What on earth happened in the car?
After taking the orders, the staff confirmed them and left the table.
Seeing this, Watanabe-kun said one thing to Kiritani-kun.
"Eita, this many people came just for your sake. Don't you think you should say something?"
"Everyone... I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize, just explain the cause! If you're going to apologize, apologize to Ai!"
"Ai... I'm sorry."
Sashihara-san says nothing.
Watanabe-kun spoke.
"First, let's start with the cause of why this happened. I'll speak on his behalf. It's not May sickness or anything like that; it's simple spoiled behavior."
"Huh?"
Kanna reacts.
"Even though university life has started, he doesn't have a single friend. His girlfriend is drifting away, and on top of that, he's homesick..."
"No friends!? Don't screw with me! Then what the hell are the people gathered here!?"
"Kanna, calm down and listen to him,"
Makoto soothes the agitated Kanna.
"What Kanna-san is saying is correct, Eita. Are the people here not your friends?"
Watanabe-kun speaks calmly.
"I'm sorry... it's my spoiled behavior... but unlike everyone else, I don't have anyone by my side."
Ah, if he says things like that...
"Don't say things like that! I feel sorry for Ai!!"
Airi spoke for Sashihara-san's feelings while comforting Ai.
"Ai was saying, 'If we're both living alone, wouldn't it be easier to live together?' She even said that. Ai feels the same way and is anxious too."
"I've heard that..."
"Then, between that statement and what you said earlier, I don't think those are things you can just say!"
Airi is seriously angry.
"Wait a moment, what is this 'statement from earlier' she's talking about?"
Eguchi-san asked.
"That we should break up... and that I'd leave the group..."
When Kiritani-kun says this, a wrinkle forms between Eguchi-san's brows.
"...It seems Kiritani-kun also needs training."
Kiritani-kun shudders at Eguchi-san's words.
"So, what are we doing from here?"
Kanna asked.
"I don't want to break up with Ai. I don't want to leave the group."
"That's what Eita is saying, but what does everyone think?"
When Watanabe-kun says that, Mika-san speaks up.
"Even if he says he's coming back, he hasn't actually left yet... but he needs to take responsibility."
"That's true. First, an apology to Ai. As long as Ai doesn't forgive him, I can't forgive him,"
Kanna says.
"Ai... I'm sorry, I won't say it again."
"Um, say..."
I mentioned one thing that had been on my mind.
"What is it, Toya?"
"What happened to the 'saying I love you every day' thing?"
"I haven't done it since the day we all stayed over,"
Sashihara-san muttered with a sigh.
"So things were normal up until then?"
"Well, I guess so,"
Watanabe-kun says.
"Hmm, then, what happened after you got home from the sleepover?"
I questioned Kiritani-kun.
"When I got home, I felt empty. I'm alone again, the boring university life is starting again... then suddenly, I just stopped caring about everything."
"I see."
"What have you been asking since a while ago? What are you trying to say, Toya?"
Kanna asks me.
"I just normally wanted to know the cause. Also, I was just curious. Now I'm thinking about how these two can make it work."
"That's a conversation for after Ai forgives him, right?"
"Sashihara-san, you want to get back together, right?"
I mean, they haven't even broken up yet.
"What do you think, Toya-kun?"
Airi asks.
"I think the best thing would be for the two of them to live together... but that's impossible, right? That's why they're struggling."
I say that and look at Makoto.
"We have no choice but to rely on Makoto."
"But I have soccer..."
"In that case..."
I thought.
"What's this 'In that case...'? Do you have some secret plan?"
Makoto asks.
"It's not exactly a secret plan, but..."
Everyone's gaze gathers on me.
"Don't keep us in suspense, just say it,"
Mika-san says, so I answer.
"Maybe we should make the group's activities more active? I mean..."
"Ho, interesting. Tell me more... Toya,"
Watanabe-kun bites.
"Basically, we just have to make sure Kiritani-kun and Sashihara-san aren't left alone, right? But it doesn't work with just the two of them. So I thought we could just create some kind of 'excuse'."
"But, Katagiri-kun. What would the group activities be?"
Sakai-kun asks.
"Recently, Kanna, Makoto, and I have been going to the mountains to hang out late at night."
"Ugh... you were going that often?"
Airi's gaze is painful... for now, I'll soothe her later.
I continue talking while stroking Airi's head.
"Something like that, I thought it would be good if we went somewhere to hang out every weekend night... our schedules should be open late at night."
"Going to the mountains to hang out, do you intend to have a picnic? In the middle of the night."
There's no way that's the case, Eguchi-san.
"I have work on weekends, so it's impossible for me," Mika-san says.
"Well, can't we just go when everyone's schedules match? Prioritizing the convenience of those with part-time jobs. We can decide what to do then."
"Toya's opinion seems interesting, so I'd like to flesh it out. What do you think, everyone?"
"Well, there's no reason to oppose it,"
Sakai-kun says, and everyone agrees.
"Then, shall we go with that for now? Basically Friday nights or whenever we have time on weekdays... right, everyone has an internet environment, right?"
Everyone nods.
"I'll make a table online. I'll send the address, so let's go with the form of writing in your preferred dates there. Is that okay, Sashihara-san?"
"For me, it's just a matter of not being put on the late-night or early-morning shifts, but is everyone okay with that?"
"Ai, I'm about the same, don't worry about it," Kanna says.
"My part-time job isn't the kind where I work late nights or early mornings either," Sakai-kun says.
"My workplace is the same as Sakai-kun's," Ichinose-san says.
"Wait a moment, the most important thing hasn't been settled," Eguchi-san says.
"In the end, what is Kiritani-kun doing?"
"Eita's participation is mandatory. If he skips, we'll barge into his house like today."
"Is that okay with you, Ai-chan? Can you forgive him?"
"...Well, I have my faults too. This time..."
"I wonder if that's really true?"
The one who said that was Shimizu-san.
(2)
"I wonder if that's really true?"
Shimizu-san said.
"What do you mean by that?"
Eguchi-san snaps back.
"You aren't the kind of woman who would stick with such a weak man. If you looked, there are plenty of..."
"Shimizu-san, I've said this before, but everyone has their own values, and denying them out of hand is..." Sakai-kun says.
"I don't want to be told that by a woman who would stick with a man even after being dumped by a weak one."
T-That's going too far, Eguchi-san.
"He told you to leave him alone, right? Then just leave him alone. Why was there a reason for everyone to gather today? I find it hard to understand."
"I don't want to be told that by someone who has never properly had someone they loved."
Sashihara-san has completely taken the bait.
"As for someone I love, I've properly made one. I'm just struggling a bit to conquer them."
Can you really call that having someone you love?
"Your values and Sakai-kun's are too different. Just give up," Eguchi-san says.
"As I said before, if you're persistent, you'll be hated," Ichinose-san says. So that's the kind of character she is.
"I called him a weak man, but basically, he was just sulking alone because he was lonely. Depending on how you look at it, it's cute."
Sashihara-san has completely forgotten. That she was crying until a moment ago.
"N-Now then, why don't we all just order one large order of french fries and share them?"
Poke
"Toya-kun, you just want to eat them! Don't get carried away!"
I see, once Sashihara-san is revived, Airi's surveillance is revived too.
"Don't say that, look, here's the parfait. Say ah..."
"W-Wait, everyone's watching..."
Munch
She eats it anyway.
"It's delicious. But no fries, okay? Let's be patient with that♪"
"Eh, but let's all get along..."
"Let's be patient♪"
"...Yes."
"Tosaka-san, where did you find value in such a weak man?"
"Hoe?"
The target of Shimizu-san and Eguchi-san's attacks seems to have shifted from Kiritani-kun to Airi.
"What's so good about a man who does nothing but eat?"
"Should I list Toya-kun's good points? It'll take some time, is that okay?"
"If there are that many, I'd certainly like to hear them."
"Airi-chan, it's a waste of time to tell this woman."
"I'm not sure if she'll understand..."
Airi is conflicted.
"What, are you going to settle it with 'my own special person' again... hmph."
"That's not it! Fine, then I'll let you hear them in detail. First..."
Airi's bragging continued for about an hour.
That he's so good at soccer he's called a fantasista, he's amazing at basketball, he can dunk at this height, he can play baseball. Above all, his physical abilities are insane. He can enter the Zone, he can enter a Flow State. He can create a world for just the two of them. He only thinks about me... and so on, she praised him so much it was endless.
"You, your delusions are quite extreme. If such a superhuman existed, I'd like to see him."
"He's right in front of you."
"This plain man is a fantasista!? You say he can dunk. Then I'd like to see it!"
"Uugh..."
"I can show you soccer and basketball, you know?"
Eguchi-san let out a surprising word.
"How will you show us?" Shimizu-san asked.
Eguchi-san calls Shinjo-san.
"Just wait a moment."
After waiting for a while, Shinjo-san arrived.
"Young lady, I have brought it."
"Good work. You may go now."
"Yes!"
With that, Shinjo-san leaves the store.
What he brought was a DVD and a portable DVD player.
"A TV crew came to the high school, right? So I recorded it as a memento."
That one.
On the DVD was the sight of me dunking and me striking down nine panels.
"Do you still doubt it?"
Eguchi-san wears a smile as if to say, See?
"I-It's true that your boyfriend is amazing. Though it's frustrating."
"Right!"
Airi also makes a proud face.
"If you want, want to see his driving technique too? You can see it tonight," Kanna says.
"Kanna, that's no good. Today, the car is going to be allowed to relax," Airi says.
"Don't misunderstand. All I've understood is that Tosaka-san is a winner."
"You don't understand anything, Shimizu-san," Airi says.
"What do you mean?"
"Even with Toya-kun being this amazing, just one word like 'I have no motivation' makes him look like a plain man. In the end, a person's good points are only understood by the person who fell in love with them."
"But surely Katagiri-kun is amazing too, isn't he?"
"But he doesn't want to do it. Toya-kun even rose to be a candidate for the Japan national soccer team. But he declined for the reason that he wanted to enjoy campus life with me more than playing soccer. That's how much he loves me. That's the most wonderful part."
"If it's that kind of thing, Isshy has it too. Despite how he looks, he's trained in martial arts. Also, he's clumsily kind. Though he's timid."
"Eita's gaming skills are decent too. Though he's an otaku."
"Masashi is reliable too."
"Makoto is good at soccer. Though he's a pervert."
"Yoshiyuki-san is kind and surprisingly courageous. Though he's unreliable. Shimizu-san, what part of Yoshiyuki-san did you come to like?"
When the women started bragging about their own boyfriends, Shimizu-san fell silent.
"...I see. First, I start by finding the good points of my own boyfriend."
Shimizu-san says that and looks into Sakai-kun's eyes.
Sakai-kun is bewildered.
"I think the order is wrong. You find the good points, fall in love, and then the romance begins. Any reason will do. You don't think it with your head; your heart decides."
"How complicated. Once you've decided 'it's this person,' isn't that enough?"
No, that's why the means of deciding "this person" is...
"It's not about deciding, but accepting them naturally. This is what love is..."
"In that sense, I've decided."
"Eh?"
Airi is surprised. Airi, I think that person probably has huge problems.
"Who is it?"
No, Kanna, don't ask that. I think the person themselves would be troubled.
"It's Sakai-kun."
See, Sakai-kun has a troubled face, right?
He has a blatantly disgusted face, right?
I think he actually finds it a nuisance.
"It's impossible, just stop. He already has a wonderful girlfriend, Ichinose-san."
"I've heard there's a term called 'stolen love'."
"Wait, you..."
"I'll leave it at this for today. My ride is here. See you tomorrow."
Saying that, she paid the money and left the store.
"That woman's personality is quite twisted..."
Eguchi-san says spitefully.
"The next problem is what to do about Shimizu-san," Watanabe-kun says.
"Just leave her alone?" Sashihara-san says.
"It seems like it would be fun to make a woman like that shut up," Mika-san says.
"But I feel like she understands, even if her direction is quite wrong," I say.
Though it's someone else's business.
"Well, shall we decide the next day to gather?"
When Watanabe-kun says that, they begin coordinating for the next day.
(3)
We ate dinner at the family restaurant and then dispersed.
I am heading home, driven by Honoka.
Honoka is driving in silence.
Is she still dwelling on the conversation from earlier?
If so, is it correct not to touch upon it?
Did Tosaka-san say it?
"No matter what happens, you must not waver. Because a strong bond will bring things back to how they were."
"Um, Honoka..."
"If it's about the conversation from earlier, I'm not worried about it, you know?"
Eh?
"She's a troubled person, isn't she? Shimizu-san..."
"Yeah..."
"I believe in you. In Yoshiyuki."
"Thank you very much."
"You weighed me against Shimizu-san and chose me, right?"
I don't even remember putting her on a scale.
"The time I spend with Yoshiyuki is longer, so I'm the one with the advantage!"
"I think it's a waste to just compete."
"Eh?"
Honoka makes an anxious face.
"Since I've chosen Honoka from the start, it's not even a race. I think it's a state where Shimizu-san is just waiting alone."
"...That's true!"
Honoka finally smiled for me.
If I may wish, I hope this smile never ends.
What can I do?
A small happiness that was finally achieved.
A beloved person I never expected.
This is not the destination.
Further ahead.
Let's open the next door.
The door to a future where light shines...
(4)
I was troubled.
Why am I pursuing a man who is practically equal to worthless?
The first man who voiced an opinion to me.
His eyes looked as if he found things bothersome.
He's the first man to look at me with those eyes.
Was I attracted to those eyes?
I realize it now.
Is this love?
If what Tosaka-san said is correct, was I attracted to that man's eyes?
This is fine, right?
Then, what do I do next?
He has a girlfriend.
But I'm not a woman weak enough to back down because of that.
I'll make an effort to get him to look my way.
I'll make him look my way even by force.
It was the first time.
That I would make an effort to get a man to look my way.
The only tool connecting me and him is smartphone messages.
His house has already been investigated.
His part-time job has also been investigated.
And the fact that it's the same as her part-time job...
For now, the thing to do is a declaration of war.
I send a message to the group message.
"I've fallen for you seriously."
There is no reaction.
This is the first time I've seen a group like this.
"I'm going to go all out from here, so be prepared."
"Knowing humiliation is also a good experience. Struggle as much as you like."
A response came back from Eguchi-san.
"There's nothing I haven't been able to obtain."
"Yes, how unfortunate. This time will be your first."
A disagreeable woman who picks a fight at every turn.
I'll leave her alone.
Next, I send a message to his ID.
"And so, looking forward to working with you from today."
After some time, a response came back.
"Please be gentle."
"I won't use such lukewarm methods, you know?"
"It's a boorish thing to interfere with another's path of love. You'd better stop."
"I've fallen for you seriously."
"I have a girlfriend."
"I'll wait. I'm a tenacious woman, despite how I look."
"Why me?"
"Because you were the first."
"?
"Because you're the first man to make me serious."
That's a sufficient reason, right?
I'm looking forward to tomorrow.