Chapter 22 - Us Ten Years Later
(1)
"Phew, finished—!"
Kanna collapsed on her back.
It was true that the summer vacation assignments were mostly done.
All that was left was the book report.
There were no specific requirements for the book.
I'll have to go to the library.
"Nice job, Kanna."
Airi had finished her assignments long ago and was studying on her own while watching us work on ours.
What is with this gap when we were playing together?
"Still, an overnight stay at a hotel, huh..."
I had mentioned going on a trip when I gave her the souvenirs.
She had been surprised.
"So, Toya... did you do it with Airi?"
Kanna whispered in my ear.
"No way, right? Our parents were there."
"Would you do it if the parents weren't there?"
"Is that all your head is filled with!?"
"No way..."
Kanna's energy vanished.
"Shall we go to the library tomorrow? While we're out playing."
It seemed Airi's mind was filled with nothing but going out to play.
Since she was the top of the grade, it was no wonder Saeki and Nakama felt frustrated.
And so, it was decided that we would go to the library tomorrow.
(2)
Pick a random book, read it, and write your impressions.
It sounds very simple when put into words, but it's actually quite a pain.
For a book I have absolutely no interest in, I want to settle the impressions with a single phrase like "It was good."
Therefore, I write a plausible report while looking at the afterword, but...
Kanna was asleep.
"Kanna, wake up."
Airi shook Kanna's body to wake her.
"I can't... I'm bad at this kind of thing."
Perhaps because she understood she was in a library, she didn't scream, though she did grumble.
"Can't be helped, I guess."
Airi picked up the book Kanna had been reading and began reading it all at once.
Is she really reading at that speed?
"Alright!"
Airi's pen flew across the notebook, and she finished the report in one go.
She handed the notebook to Kanna.
"Here. Don't just copy it word-for-word, okay? Only write down the parts you were able to understand yourself."
"Thank you, Airi. I owe you one."
Whether she heard Airi's words or not, Kanna began copying it down with incredible momentum.
"Um..."
"What?"
"Nothing for me?"
"It's better if you write it yourself, right? You can write it, can't you?"
Airi said nonchalantly.
This is discrimination...
Thanks to Airi's cheat, Kanna finished her report faster than I did.
She picked up a random manga and started reading.
Airi stayed with me to study.
As for me... I'm almost there.
"Alright, done."
I put down my pen.
"Good work."
Airi brought her work to a stopping point to match mine, packed up her tools, and returned the book to its original place.
I also put the book back, packed up, and left the library.
"What should we do now?"
Looking at the clock, it was a bit past 11:30.
We finished much earlier than planned.
"What about lunch?"
"The food court should be fine, right? It'll probably still be empty now, right?"
"Then let's go."
And so, we headed toward the station building.
It was reasonably crowded.
I ordered a katsudon, and Kanna and Airi ordered hamburgers.
Kanna fiddled with her smartphone while eating.
"Oh, it starts screening today!"
"Ah, I wanted to see that too."
The two of them looked at my face in unison.
There was no reason to say no.
"Sure."
When I said that, the two of them were delighted.
We went to the upper floor, bought tickets, and waited until the screening time.
Kanna bought popcorn and juice.
"Kanna, shall we buy together? The pair set is a better deal."
"Oh, true."
I bought popcorn... and a hot dog and juice.
"You sure eat a lot."
Kanna let out a voice of surprise.
When the screening time came, we entered the theater.
I started getting sleepy during the first trailers.
We were seated in the order of Kanna, Airi, and me.
Kanna was on the aisle side.
I looked at Kanna and Airi.
Both of them were watching the trailers while snacking on popcorn.
And then, the main feature of the movie began.
It was a Japanese film.
A story about a woman who was about to get married but suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness.
It took years before she finally regained consciousness, but it was a difficult story where she had lost her memories or had impairments in her motor functions.
The protagonist devoted himself wholeheartedly to her, but she didn't remember him.
The woman said she couldn't bear to watch the protagonist like that anymore.
Since I liked the lead actress quite a bit, I could watch it... but I was sleepy.
I glanced to my side.
While Airi was watching intently... huh? Is Kanna watching too?
Moreover, isn't she crying?
I saw an unexpected side of her.
While I was captivated, the end credits began to roll.
Fortunately, all three of us were the type to stay seated until the end credits finished, so we were able to watch until the very end without problem.
When it ended and the lights came on, everyone left all at once.
As is my habit, I looked around.
There were several women crying.
Airi, of course, but Kanna also had a handkerchief pressed to her eyes.
"Man, that was a great movie."
"It was!"
When we left the theater, both of them had recovered nonchalantly.
Women really switch their feelings quickly, don't they?
"Hey, Toya, how was it for you?"
"I-it was a great movie."
"Were you actually watching? You were yawning."
"I-I wasn't sleeping."
"Really?"
"I saw clearly enough that you two were sobbing."
I said, laughing.
"I wasn't sobbing!"
"Stop looking at that and watch the movie properly!"
Kanna panicked and Airi blushed.
"Toya was wiping tears with his arm too!"
"Tears come out when you yawn."
I was blushing too.
"Toya-kun rarely cries; he's emotionless."
"Now that you mention it, I've never seen him crying."
"Who cares about me?"
Though there was one time I cried.
That's for another occasion.
For now, we decided to go home.
After seeing Airi home, I saw Kanna home.
It had been a while since I walked this path.
"Hey, if it were Toya, could you wait for 8 years?"
It was an abrupt question.
"I wonder, wouldn't it depend on the person?"
"What if it were Airi?"
"Hmm, I wonder?"
"You're fickle, aren't you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Then, what if it were me?"
"Huh?"
"If we had been dating in 4th grade, could you have waited?"
"I wouldn't know that, there's no guarantee they'd come back, right?"
"Well, that's true..."
Kanna fell silent after that.
Did I say something bad?
We arrived at Kanna's house.
I called out to Kanna as she was about to enter the house.
"But, if we had been dating. I might have written letters, or at least made phone calls."
I hoped it would be some comfort.
Kanna gave a small giggle and went inside the house.
(3)
On this day as well, the three of us were studying.
Kanna had finished her homework and perhaps had some free time, so she was reading manga and such, but Airi and I were studying for the proficiency test after the summer vacation.
"Kanna. There's a test right after summer vacation, you know? Are you okay?"
Airi said worriedly.
Hearing those words, Kanna sat up.
"For real!?"
For real.
"Eh? Is the test range decided?"
"Well, it'll probably be from within the summer vacation assignments."
"If you ask Toya-kun, Toya-kun's predictions are often spot on."
"I see, Toya, where are you? Tell me!"
"What are you going to do by asking now? Studying everything in general is the basic way, right?"
"That's too broad, I can't deal with that."
Is she thinking about entrance exams?
"Anyway, review is the only way."
"Che, you actually basically know, don't you?"
"Well, yeah."
I really did know. But I wouldn't tell her.
"If you know, then tell me!"
Kanna circled behind me and attempted a rear naked choke.
"S-stop it."
"Both of you, stop making a racket!"
Lately, Airi had become irritable again.
I wondered if something had happened.
Knock knock.
It was probably Mother.
"What is it?"
"About today's dinner, Father says we're having a barbecue in the garden, so he wondered if Kanna-san would like to join?"
Deciding things on their own again.
Since she didn't ask Airi, Airi was probably already counted in the number of people, right?
Why? Because it was likely a party involving Airi's family as well.
"What do you think, Kanna?"
I asked Kanna.
"I'd like to... but can I invite Makoto too?"
She asked apologetically.
"Mother, I want to invite one more person, is that okay?"
"That's fine."
"She says it's okay."
Perhaps having heard Mother's voice, she sent a message to Makoto on her smartphone.
Ping
"He says he'll come, and that we should do fireworks too."
"Sounds good."
Since the adults would probably just get drunk and not move, we'll do it at the Nanasegawa park.
"Okay."
As soon as she said it, Kanna began tapping away on her smartphone.
"He says he'll come after club activities."
"I see."
"Then, we have to finish studying by then, right? Kanna."
"Yeees... doesn't it feel like we've done nothing but study this summer, us?"
That was certainly true, but... haven't we played quite a bit?
I'll keep that a secret.
Around 5:30 in the evening, Makoto arrived.
He was still in his Soccer Club jersey.
He probably came straight from club activities, right?
The BBQ preparations were also complete.
The adults had canned beer, and we toasted with Cups filled with cola.
Father and the others began grilling meat.
"You're in your growing years, so eat up."
Saying so, Father and the others arbitrarily put grilled meat on our plates.
Airi stopped eating almost immediately.
Apparently, she had a small appetite.
She was the opposite of Kanna, who ate greedily.
Unaware of this, they continued to add meat to Airi's plate without mercy.
I took it and ate it for her.
"Toya is kind."
Kanna said, looking at me.
"It would be a waste, right?"
"Toya-kun, your mouth is dirty."
Saying so, Airi wiped around my mouth.
"You've turned into a younger brother rather than a boyfriend, Toya."
"Toya is such a spoiled baby."
"How about it? Our Airi-chan is~? Toya-kun would be very welcome~. Right? Papa~"
"...Umu."
Just how many years into the future is this?
At that moment, I suddenly remembered.
"Could you wait for 8 years?"
If 8 years pass, I'll be 21.
Still a college student.
"What are you spacing out for, Toya?"
Makoto poured more cola.
"You were thinking about something again, weren't you?"
"I always wonder, why can you tell?"
"Anyone who looks at you would think so, right?"
"I was simply thinking about the future."
"I see, so your wife will be Tōsaka-san after all?"
"...I wonder?"
Then Makoto muttered under his breath.
"You should just say 'that's right' at a time like this."
He said, sending a signal with his eyes.
Beyond that was Airi, who was eavesdropping.
When she noticed I was looking at her, Airi smiled brightly.
"You're a lucky man, Toya."
"?. Makoto, you have Kanna, right?"
"That's true..."
Saying so, Makoto began eating meat again.
Once things settled down and we were about to start cleaning up.
"You kids go do fireworks. Don't stay out too late."
Saying so, the adults began cleaning up by themselves.
We headed to the park on our bicycles.
Though we said fireworks, they were launch fireworks, rocket fireworks, and ordinary fireworks.
It started with launch fireworks, then became a competition between me and Makoto to see whose rocket fireworks flew further, and after being scolded by Airi, we split into two groups to do ordinary fireworks.
"It's beautiful~"
"It is."
I thought Airi, illuminated by the light of the fireworks, was also beautiful, but I didn't say it out loud.
"It's beautiful."
"Kanna-san is also beautiful."
"T-thanks."
I felt like it had been a very long time since I'd seen Kanna acting bashful.
"I'm jealous of Kanna~ being told something like that."
Airi whispered, looking back and forth between the fireworks and Kanna and the others.
Does she want me to say it?
"A-Airi is also beautiful."
"Thank you."
Airi gave a small giggle.
"It wouldn't suit me anyway, even if I said it."
"It's not that, it's just that Toya-kun stutters when he says his true feelings. That's why I'm happy."
"You sure watch me closely."
"Also, you sweat strangely and you get all fidgety."
"I'm telling you, it's called being bashful."
"Is that so."
Airi is cute when she's laughing.
If possible, I want her to be laughing forever.
I wonder until when "forever" refers to?
I'm not at an age to be thinking about things that far ahead, right?
For the time being, I have to worry about myself two years from now.
Ten years later... none of us at that time could imagine what would happen.
Because we couldn't even predict what would happen the following month.