Chapter 147 - The Beginning is the End
(1)
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ryuji Nakajima."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kana Oshima."
Once the two finished their introductions, Watanabe-kun nodded with a satisfied look.
"Well then, shall we all place our orders?"
As Watanabe-kun said that, everyone called out their orders.
"Deluxe tamago large portion, okashimonja, tonpei cheese-yaki, sobameshi, and a Calpis soda."
"...I'll have oolong tea."
Huh? Did Airi start a diet or something?
"Airi, are you okay without food?"
"It's fine, I'll just have Toya-kun share some of his monja."
Ah, I see.
"Heh, you two are certainly close,"
Kanna said with a laugh.
Incidentally, sitting at our table were Airi and I, Kanna and Makoto, and Kiritani-kun and Sashihara-san.
At the next table were Oshima-san and Nakajima-kun, Sakai-kun and Ichinose-san, and Watanabe-kun and Mika-san.
Further next to them sat Ishihara-kun and Eguchi-san, along with Shimizu-san.
I had heard the circumstances regarding Oshima-san and Nakajima-kun from Kanna.
However, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Ishihara-kun, who was sitting with Eguchi-san and Shimizu-san.
Another thing that bothered me was Ichinose-san. She seemed lacking in energy. I wondered what happened.
"Ichinose-san, did something happen?"
I asked while grilling okonomiyaki.
"It seems things are a bit bad between those two..."
Sashihara-san answered for her.
"Bad in what way?"
"Honoka, she was leaking a bit of information... saying things like 'I wonder if Sakai-kun actually likes me'..."
If he didn't like her, he wouldn't have confessed, right?
"Did Sakai screw up something?"
When Kanna asked, Sashihara-san shook her head.
"Rather, it's the opposite. Apparently, he doesn't do anything. That's why Honoka is becoming anxious."
"She's anxious because he doesn't do anything?"
When I asked, Airi stopped me.
"Toya-kun, just keep grilling the okonomiyaki. Oh, and don't put any aonori on mine."
So Airi is eating okonomiyaki too. Well, that's fine.
"When was the first time Katagiri-kun kissed Airi? How long after you started dating?"
"Eh?"
"It's useless to bring up that kind of talk with Toya-kun... It was the spring of second year in middle school. I think it was our second year of dating."
Airi answered in my stead. I don't know what meaning that answer was supposed to have.
However, Sashihara-san responded to that doubt.
"Even middle schoolers and high schoolers do it when the time comes, but they're college students. It's been three months and he hasn't even tried to kiss her."
"From Ichinose-san's perspective, that's fine, isn't it!"
When Kiritani-kun said that, Sashihara-san shook her head again.
"The thing is, is it a natural instinct? Apparently, he subtly and intentionally misses the timing... and that's why she's getting anxious."
Yeah, that's a complicated story. Let's just eat okonomiyaki.
"Give me a bite too♪"
"Here."
"Thank you♪"
Airi is eating with a delicious look. I made sure to leave off the aonori.
"I see, so the fundamental part hasn't been fixed yet."
"Seems so~"
Kanna and Sashihara-san reached a mutual understanding.
"Sorry to interrupt while you're busy..."
"What is it, Makoto?"
When Kanna asked, he pointed toward Sakai-kun's table.
"It feels like things are going south over there."
Did some kind of dispute break out?
I looked at the table too, but it didn't feel like that. Rather, it seemed lively. ...Wait?
Watanabe-kun looks panicked. Sakai-kun is the same as always... while Oshima-san is looking down, the ones getting lively are Nakajima-kun and... Ichinose-san!?
I stopped eating and listened intently.
(2)
"Man, I never would have guessed Yoshiyuki and Ichinose-san were dating,"
Nakajima-kun said with a laugh.
"Even if you say dating, nothing has happened yet, though."
She was smiling brightly, but was it just my imagination that there were thorns in her words?
"No, Yoshiyuki is a herbivore type... ah, it's going to burn."
Saying that, Nakajima-kun flipped Honoka's okonomiyaki.
"Thank you, Nakajima-kun, you're very attentive."
"Any guy would do this."
"That's not true," Honoka said, looking toward me.
Flip the ones for Nakajima-kun and Oshima-san too.
Unable to watch any longer, I flipped Oshima-san's for her.
"You're no good if you don't notice your own girlfriend's but you notice another woman's, right?"
No. The one who stole that opportunity was you, Nakajima-kun.
"I feel like I understand why Nakajima-kun is popular~"
"Not really. For example, I'm not liked at all by people like Ichinose-san."
"I like that side of Nakajima-san."
At those words, the air at our table froze.
Nakajima-kun, your positioning for the goal is slightly off.
"Well, Ichinose-san has Sakai-kun, after all."
"That's right, Nakajima. What about Kana?"
Watanabe-kun and Kuze-san immediately entered defense.
"Oshima-san has been looking down this whole time and won't even look at me, so I wondered if she hates me."
Oshima-san is just nervous. Wasn't sending a through-pass into that mental defense your specialty?
"Nakajima-kun, do you have someone you're seriously interested in?"
"Hm? Unfortunately, no one in particular for now."
"Then, maybe I'll put myself forward as a candidate~"
At Honoka's remark, the second freeze of the day occurred.
Finally noticing the awkward atmosphere, Nakajima-kun panicked.
"N-no. Ichinose-san has Sakai..."
"What does Yoshiyuki-san think?"
You're throwing it to me now?
Normally, that's where I should have spoken clearly.
However, I, who can't keep up with this kind of vibe, ended up saying it.
"T-there, we should respect the person's own will."
Smack!
"That's no good, Sakai-kun. As a man, you have to say the things that need to be said clearly."
Watanabe-kun said, hitting me on the head.
"I think that just now was Yoshiyuki-san's true feeling. I finally understand the reason."
Ah, no no. I don't understand what reason you've finally understood.
"You two seem like a good match."
Oshima-san, you finally spoke, and that's what you say? Have you forgotten your own goal?
"Everyone, just eat the okonomiyaki already! We can't grill the monja!"
Katagiri-kun is shouting things I don't quite understand. Can you read the room?
"Geez! There's other food, so eat that and wait!"
Even Tosaka-san is siding with Katagiri-kun... ah, she's trying to change the atmosphere. But it seems impossible.
At that moment, a single sentence from Shimizu-san dealt the finishing blow.
"Why not just get together, you two? I'll take Sakai-kun for myself."
What on earth are you saying? Look, Honoka is tearing up.
"Yoshiyuki! Say something. Even you should be able to tell things are bad right now!"
What is the person who made the atmosphere bad saying?
"No, everyone please calm down and let's just eat the okonomiyaki first."
I wonder what I'm saying too.
A very sharp gaze is piercing me from diagonally in front.
"I understand perfectly."
No, Honoka! I don't understand at all.
"Ichinose-san, please calm down,"
Watanabe-kun said, but...
"I'm fine."
Am I the only one who feels she's not fine at all?
Katagiri-kun, please help me. Please make a miracle play.
I sent that look to Katagiri-kun, but he didn't notice and was poking at the monja with Tosaka-san.
Which is more important, me or the monja?
"L-let's leave it at this for today,"
Watanabe-kun tried to wrap things up.
"I haven't finished eating yet!"
Katagiri-kun's sorrowful cry could be heard.
"...I see. It seems re-education is necessary."
Ugh, am I going to undergo that training again?
I want to be spared from that at least.
"And Oshima-san, was it? You also seem to need discipline."
She's relentless even with other women.
Once Katagiri-kun finished eating, we settled the bill.
At that time, I saw Honoka and Nakajima-kun exchanging phone numbers.
I felt like it was already over.
On the way home.
I and Nakajima-kun were in Honoka's car.
Nakajima-kun is asleep. Or is he just pretending to be asleep?
Honoka suddenly started talking.
"...I'm completely fine."
"About what?"
"I'm not bothered by it."
So, about what?
"So, let's not do things like quitting the Blue Bird, okay?"
Ah, that kind of talk...
"I understand. Shall we go back to our original relationship?"
"I knew you felt that way..."
Wasn't it Honoka who suggested that?
The car arrived in front of the apartment where I live.
"Well then, good night. ...I've had fun until now."
"I had fun too. Thank you. Good night."
Honoka's car drove away.
Ah, it's over.
Tears didn't come.
My mind was just blank.
(3)
After Sakai-kun and the others went home, Sashihara-san was apologizing to Oshima-san.
"Sorry, next time I'll bring a proper guy,"
Sashihara-san apologized.
"It's okay, I really think a boyfriend is impossible for me."
"You only think it's impossible after you've fallen in love,"
Shimizu-san said.
"Coming from you, who is struggling so hard, that has some conviction... but I agree. You're not even trying to struggle. You have to move on your own,"
Eguchi-san said.
"But I get so nervous..."
"That's the first step. Start by trying to participate in our group. You'll probably become bold eventually."
"In the meantime, we'll pick out a man for you,"
Sashihara-san and Watanabe-kun said.
At that moment, a message arrived on everyone's phones. It was the group chat.
"Everyone, I'm sorry about today. If possible, I want to stay in the group, and if possible, him... Nakajima-san too."
"Yikes~ it turned out like that after all,"
Sashihara-san shouted.
"We'll have to introduce a woman to Sakai-kun too."
I think it would be better to leave him alone.
"Oh? I'm here for Sakai-kun,"
Shimizu-san said.
"Have you still not given up?"
Eguchi-san said in an exasperated tone.
"I'll struggle as much as I can. Because I've become serious."
"Struggle all you want. Frustration is also necessary."
I never get tired of the bickering between these two.
"Well, shall we head home for today? I'll call another meeting next time."
When Watanabe-kun said that, today's gathering disbanded.
(4)
"Hmm."
Airi is troubled.
"What's wrong?"
"I feel bad for Sakai-kun, but I can't help but sympathize with Ichinose-san."
"About not kissing?"
"That's part of it, but it's lonely when you're making moves as a woman and he doesn't notice. You start thinking 'Am I hated?'"
I wonder if it's like that.
"But Airi, you made the move on me, right?"
Half-forcibly.
"That's because I was anxious. I thought Kanna might take you away..."
Is that how it is?
"Toya-kun was thinking only about Kanna too. And then we had that huge fight on Christmas."
She's really holding a grudge.
"But Toya-kun chased after me. He chose me. That alone made me happy."
"Shall I make you feel secure starting now?"
"Hoe?"
"It's a weekday today, so it's cheap."
It seemed to take a few seconds for Airi to understand the meaning of the words.
"That might be good too. I'd like to try it with a different atmosphere for once."
Ah, lie. It was a joke.
"Just kidding, home is fine too."
"If it's at home, you can't let out your voice fully, right? Aren't you dissatisfied with that?"
Bonk.
"If you're worried about the voice, my house is fine too, you know?"
No, it would be bad if Airi's papa heard that voice.
"I already let out my voice fully at Toya-kun's house. I don't care anymore. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"I've heard rumors that those kinds of hotels have magic mirrors and people are peeping~"
"Isn't that an urban legend?"
"Maybe, but I'd still hate to be peeped at. That doesn't happen at home."
Airi doesn't know.
That after that night, I was told things like "do it with moderation" and "if you're going to do it fully, take her to a hotel" repeatedly.
"From a woman's perspective, isn't it awkward if your parents hear?"
"Hoe?"
"You know... thinking it would be bad if your parents heard."
"Rie-chan doesn't mind. In fact, they've already heard."
"Huh?"
"The soundproofing at my place isn't that good, you know?"
What kind of face should I make when I meet Airi's papa?
He looks like he might barge in with a blunt weapon eventually.
"But if it's a hotel, I want to do it at a proper hotel. It seems like there's no peeping there. I mean..."
"?"
"If we're doing it in an unconventional situation, inside a car deep in the mountains is fine too, you know? Not like Makoto-kun, but..."
"Please spare me from just that..."
"I thought Toya-kun would say that. But I'm happy. To think Toya-kun would invite me... oh no, I'm starting to feel that way."
I've become awkward instead. I shouldn't have said it. Or rather, at this rate, we really might just do it at home. Let's change the subject.
"I wonder what Oshima-san will do?"
"Ai and the others will probably look for someone else for her."
"We'll have to change Oshima-san's personality a bit too."
I don't think that kind of training is necessary, though.
"She'll change while hanging out with everyone. Today the situation was just bad. Anyone would be nervous like that."
Is that how it is...
Well, it was basically like a matchmaking meeting.
"I've thought of a strategy."
"What kind of strategy..."
"That is..."
"I see."
"You think it's good, right? Let's consult Watanabe-kun."
"Do you know Watanabe-kun's ID? It'll be bad in the group chat, right?"
Since Oshima-san is there.
"I'll try telling Kanna~"
Saying that, Airi started fiddling with her phone.
"She says, 'Roger, but first we have to start by easing Oshima-san's tension.'"
That makes sense. It was sudden. Anyone would be nervous.
And then...
My phone rings.
"I've been completely dumped by Ichinose-san."
Ah, it turned out like that after all.
And so, she'll get together with Nakajima-kun.
"In that case, is Shimizu-san the leading candidate?"
"Probably so."
I can't imagine those two starting to date.
Will it be like Ishihara-kun and Eguchi-san?
The answer to that was a story for later.
Solving the tangled puzzle of love cannot be done by one person alone.
However, I had a feeling that a little bit of light was beginning to shine from beyond the darkness.