Chapter 320 - Spring Breeze
(１)
"Toya-kun, it's morning～. You have to get up～"
Airi shakes my body.
"It's a day off, right?"
"Boo～. You said you'd go out on your day off, Toya-kun～"
Oh right, that was a thing.
If I don't take Airi outside, she'll do housework.
But still, where should I take her?
Let's finish my daily routine first.
I change clothes and finish my routine with Airi.
While I'm taking a shower, Airi makes breakfast.
When I finish breakfast, I take coffee upstairs while Airi is showering.
It's Airi's small request to drink morning coffee together.
It wouldn't hurt to grant her that much, right?
When Airi comes back from the shower, she's watching TV while drying her hair.
"Toya-kun, you haven't been playing games lately, have you?"
"I play when there are events, right?"
"That's not what I mean, like the ones with jam splattering. Are you holding back for me?"
"I've already gotten used to that sort of thing in real life."
"Oh, I see..."
Still, a new title did come out for sure.
Maybe I'll buy it next time?
"Airi, are you not into robot stuff?"
"It's not that I don't like it~ I'm just not interested~"
I see.
"What kind of games do you like, Airi?"
"Hmm~ I like ones with cute characters or pretty pictures."
She adds, But I can't play them myself because they're too hard.
"And I kinda don't like blood splattering, I absolutely hate horror."
I silently take out a horror game.
A suspense-type game called a sound novel.
Airi showed a rejection reaction just from seeing the opening.
Poke
"Toya-kun's mischief has begun!"
"Sorry, sorry!"
Airi isn't genuinely angry. She just wants to play around.
As proof, when I catch her patting me, Airi calms down.
"Where do you wanna go today～?"
"Hmm~ A drive might be nice. Where should we go～?"
As Airi starts searching on her phone in my arms, a message arrives.
"Anyone free today? Wanna go see a waterfall?"
Makoto had suggested it.
After consulting with Airi, we decided to take Makoto's suggestion.
Going were me and Airi, the Tada couple, the Ishihara couple, Kosei and Naru, Takatsuki-kun and Chi-chan, and Kisaragi-kun and Asakura-san.
The others had various reasons, like having part-time jobs or wanting to spend time just the two of them.
We decide to meet at Blue Bird for now.
Everyone was already there.
"Well, let's get going then."
When Makoto says that, everyone departs.
The Tada couple leads, and we take the rear, forming a line.
Everyone seems to like speeding, and we're left behind in no time.
"Toya-kun really does things at his own pace, huh."
Airi laughs.
Should I speed up?
"I love you just the way you are, Toya-kun."
When Airi says that, my right foot eases off.
Today was clear and perfect weather for an outing.
（２）
To be honest, I was scared.
Even if I were being polite, Sho-chan's driving isn't good.
It's not good, but he speeds recklessly.
It was the kind of driving that made me want to yell "Brakes!" over and over.
It's not just rough; to put it plainly, it was bad.
Still, I don't say that out loud.
I don't want to do something that would cut the red thread he tied for us.
"Nice weather today, huh."
I start a safe, neutral conversation.
"Yeah, perfect day for a drive."
Sho-chan says.
The drive course that Tada-senpai chose has great views and is nice for a leisurely drive.
I gently convey that.
Let's go slowly, no need to rush? Don't push it so much.
But as we approach the destination, the car's progress gradually gets worse.
Apparently there's an event at the destination today.
He starts showing irritation at the slow-moving traffic jam.
The destination is right there, no need to be so impatient.
Oh right, there's something I wanted to try.
"Sho-chan, open your mouth."
When I tell Sho-chan to open his mouth, he opens it for me.
I toss a candy ball into it.
Suck on it and calm down, okay?
But he crushes the candy and swallows it right away.
I tried to bring up topics I had on hand, like "How's school?" or "What kind of music do you usually listen to?"
But the conversation with Sho-chan doesn't pick up; I'm just talking one-sidedly.
Sho-chan seems to be in a bad mood. The atmosphere in the car gets worse.
What should I do at times like this?
I was fiddling with my phone alone.
"Quite easygoing of you to just fiddle with your phone alone!"
I incurred Sho-chan's anger.
"I'm sorry."
For a first date, dark clouds were already gathering.
（３）
My first date, invited by my brother.
Maybe it's the first date in my life.
My first boyfriend ever, whom I started dating because I neither liked nor disliked him much, but since I didn't hate him...
His driving was just like my brother's.
Reckless, runaway driving.
Driving that made me feel scared sitting in the passenger seat.
Is all men's driving like this?
Do they think of their girlfriend in the passenger seat as just a doll?
I confirmed that wasn't the case by watching Katagiri-senpai.
He drives leisurely at his own pace, and disappears from the rearview mirror in no time.
I heard from my brother that his driving is top-notch.
Why doesn't he speed?
Because he treasures his girlfriend in the passenger seat?
Am I not treasured?
That doesn't seem to be the case.
When he sees a convenience store sign, he asks if I'm thirsty.
I tell him, "I'm fine."
He doesn't talk much. Is he nervous?
If he's nervous, I want him to stop this reckless driving.
I tried telling him honestly.
"The seniors aren't here yet, so how about slowing down a bit?"
He seemed to notice and eased off the accelerator a little.
"Sorry, were you not good with speeding?"
"I just thought it was dangerous. It was a crazy speed on a road where you don't know what might jump out."
The speed had reached near the level of license suspension.
"You should take care of your license too. I hear they're doing speed traps around here."
A speed trap is a speed enforcement where police officers with radar guns hide and guide speeding cars onto side roads.
"It's fine, I have a radar detector."
I don't think that's the issue.
The reason radar detectors aren't illegal is that they warn drivers in advance of sections where enforcement is set up, urging them not to speed.
They're apparently common on sections with many fatal accidents.
After a while, we enter a town area. After passing through the town and driving a bit, traffic starts to jam.
It seems there's an event at the destination this time of year.
Is that why my brother chose this destination?
He starts listening to FM radio.
He must have given up on driving through the traffic jam.
Let's go casually.
That feeling came across to me.
Once out of the traffic jam, we park following the guidance of an attendant.
It was a square surrounded by many tulips.
We join my brother and his wife, who arrived earlier, and Asakura-san's group.
Asakura-san's group had an awkward atmosphere.
Kanna-san noticed it too and was listening to their conversation.
"Still, that Toya guy is slow."
About twenty minutes later, Katagiri-san's group arrived.
"You're late, Toya!"
"Sorry, it was more crowded than I thought. So, what's up with you two?"
Katagiri-san seemed to have sensed the atmosphere of Asakura-san's group too.
Kanna-san explains.
Apparently, while stuck in traffic and irritated, Asakura-san started fiddling with her phone alone, which got on Kisaragi-kun's nerves.
"I'm sorry."
Asakura-san was crying.
"Why did you start fiddling with your phone?"
Tosaka-san asked.
"It's... he was in a bad mood and I didn't know what to talk about, so I just..."
Tosaka-san looks at the phone.
"There's a problem with Iori looking at her phone alone, but the biggest problem is Kisaragi-kun's attitude. He doesn't notice that she's trying her best to lighten the mood, and he's just getting irritated alone. Don't you think that's a problem?"
Tosaka-san says.
"Yeah, well, he was probably triggered by this idiot, but driving in a way that makes his girlfriend feel scared and then getting annoyed alone? I think that's not great."
Kanna-san says, nudging my brother.
"Well, I'm hungry too, let's eat something. Once our stomachs are full, the irritation will probably subside too. Right? Toya."
My brother says.
"Sorry, Chitose-san. I didn't think that far either."
When Takatsuki-kun bows his head, Kanna-san gets angry: "You too!?"
"It's already over, and since you understand, it's fine," I said.
After eating, we look at the colorful tulips, see the waterfall, then cross a suspension bridge over the waterfall. Tosaka-san scolds Kosei-kun for shaking the suspension bridge to scare Naru-chan. My brother and Katagiri-san each take their partner's hand, guiding them while looking down at the waterfall from the bridge. Takatsuki-kun also shyly held my hand and guided me. The only one different was Kisaragi-kun.
"Don't dawdle! Come on, hurry up!"
But hopping on the stones in sandals is dangerous. I'm scared and can't easily step forward.
"You have to properly guide her there, Kisaragi-kun!"
When Tosaka-san gets angry, Kisaragi-kun reluctantly guides her.
"Kisaragi-kun really needs education, it seems."
Emi-san said.
Ishihara-senpai gives a wry smile.
After watching the waterfall for a while, we return to the parking lot.
Tosaka-san pokes Katagiri-san for trying to conquer all the flavors of soft serve ice cream.
The time had passed 2 o'clock.
"So, what now?"
My brother asks for input.
"How about we check out the souvenir shop first?"
Emi-san says.
We each look around the souvenir shops with our partners.
Katagiri-san was only looking at food.
Tosaka-san pokes him.
The Ishihara couple is picking things out casually.
My brother and Kanna-san are relaxing in the food court.
Kosei-kun, Kanna-san, and Naru-chan are looking at keychains.
All products that you can find at any roadside station.
Bamboo crafts, wooden toys, etc.
Asakura-san tries to engage Kisaragi-kun in conversation to enjoy herself a little, but Kisaragi-kun seems uninterested.
I wasn't very interested either.
But Takatsuki-kun suggests we at least buy a keychain as a souvenir.
When I agree, he buys matching keychains for both of us.
"Thank you."
My first date souvenir. I immediately swap out my keychain.
When everyone's shopping is done, the clock had passed 3 o'clock.
My brother is pondering again.
He suggests that if we go home now, the time would be awkward, so maybe we should drive around Taketa City before heading back.
Everyone agrees.
Ishihara-senpai says to Kisaragi-kun.
"Here's your chance to redeem your honor."
Whether he understands or not, he nods.
And so we left the waterfall.
（４）
Sho-chan apologized and gave me a keychain as a present.
"It's matching, so make sure you use it."
I swap my keys onto the new keychain in the car.
My first present ever.
Until now, I couldn't even get a return gift for Valentine's Day.
I gave him birthday presents too, but I never received any.
For the way back, it seems we'll drive around Taketa City.
We'll be going through mountain roads, but Katagiri-senpai ended up leading.
Katagiri-senpai drives safely and smoothly.
He doesn't speed recklessly.
Getting impatient, Sho-chan tries to overtake, but Katagiri-senpai matches his speed and prevents the overtake.
I gathered my courage and said it.
"Sh-Sho-chan, it's dangerous to recklessly dart into the opposite lane."
Sho-chan seemed to understand.
"Don't women seek more thrill?"
Huh?
"This driving is boring, isn't it?"
"That's not true. Driving leisurely while chatting is more fun."
"Is that so? I find it dull though..."
"Sho-chan, haven't you ever felt scared when you're speeding?"
"I'm not the kind of man to get scared by that!"
"I don't think that's a matter of being scared or not."
Dangerous things are dangerous. You mustn't cause trouble for others. That's what traffic laws are for, I explain.
"Running on a predetermined track doesn't suit me."
Sho-chan states firmly.
How can I make him understand?
"If you got hurt in an accident, Sho-chan, I'd be sad. How would you feel if I got hurt?"
I thought I'd explained it clearly.
"I won't have an accident."
"Accidents aren't just caused by yourself; you can be involved in them too, you know?"
"...Katagiri-senpai is amazing. His driving is really skilled. Even I can tell that much."
Indeed, Katagiri-senpai's driving is mysterious. Even though he's just driving slowly and safely, it's incredibly stable.
He doesn't make sudden brakes or accelerations.
After passing through the mountains, we enter Taketa City.
Passing through streets that still retain the atmosphere of a castle town, we get back on the national highway and enter another mountain road.
Then something strange happened.
Even though we're just driving normally, Sho-chan can't catch up to Katagiri-senpai's car.
I heard Sho-chan's car has better performance.
And it's not like he's speeding that much.
But the gap widens with every curve.
Why is that?
Sho-chan seemed to wonder too.
At the top of the mountain, Katagiri-senpai was waiting with his hazard lights on.
Katagiri-senpai smiles.
"You're late."
It's because Katagiri-senpai is fast.
"Let's stop by a family restaurant when we get down the mountain. We'll have dinner there and call it a day."
Tada-senpai says.
"Toya-kun really has to be at the rear! On mountain roads, he'd leave everyone behind."
Tosaka-san says.
"Alright, I'll lead again then."
Tada-senpai says.
With Tada-senpai at the front and Katagiri-senpai at the rear, we moved in the same formation as when we started.
Katagiri-senpai follows behind us.
The two cars ahead speed up.
On such a narrow road with houses around...
Sho-chan tries to chase the two ahead.
"Sho-chan, no!"
"But we'll be left behind!"
"We know the destination, so we just need to head there."
If worst comes to worst, we can contact them by phone, I tell Sho-chan.
At that moment, I felt something odd.
On the straights, Katagiri-senpai's car pulls away, but as soon as we hit a curve, it catches up quickly.
This repeats several times.
"Am I just bad at driving?"
"That's not true. It's just that Katagiri-senpai is too skilled."
I offer Sho-chan words that aren't really consoling.
Sho-chan gives up and starts driving within the speed limit.
I was happy.
At first, the mood was hostile, but I felt my feelings gradually reaching Sho-chan.
It was like being bathed in a gentle spring breeze.
I hope we can slowly get along.
The reason we started going out doesn't matter.
What's important is understanding each other little by little from there.
What's important is conveying your feelings.
It was a day I learned that.
（５）
"Good work～"
Makoto raises his glass and says.
We were at a family restaurant.
I order my usual menu items.
Everyone orders their own dishes.
"How was it for you four? Did you have fun?"
Airi asks the four.
"Well, it wasn't bad," says Kisaragi-kun.
"It was fun. Thank you very much," says Asakura-san.
"There were some things, but it was fun," says Takatsuki-kun.
"It wasn't bad," says Chi-chan.
"Well, first times are like that. We'll be doing various things in the Watanabe squad from now on, so be prepared."
Kanna grins and says.
"Oh, clear your schedule for next weekend and the holiday. We're having a welcome party and a training camp."
"Training camp?"
Chi-chan asks.
"It's an annual event for the Watanabe squad."
I say that to Kanna with a grin.
This year's sacrifice is Kisaragi-kun, huh...
"It's fun～ Look forward to it!"
I deliberately say nothing.
Makoto and Ishihara-kun keep quiet too.
Well, we're fine though.
"Makoto, is soccer okay?"
I turn the topic to Makoto.
"I'm fine. I'm just in the adjustment phase. The coach is helping me so I can be safely sent off to the local team."
"More importantly, Toya, right? I heard you weren't called up for this month's training match either?"
Kanna asks.
"...I'm called up for next month's Lee Sang-baek Cup."
"Oh, is that so! But are you okay with your first game in a while? Hasn't your instincts gotten rusty?"
"I'm adjusting now."
"I see... Well, as long as you're fine..."
Kanna has a grim expression.
"What's wrong, Kanna?"
"No, I was just thinking that your goal is almost within reach..."
"What goal is that?"
Takatsuki-kun asks.
"Toya-kun's dream is～ to win a gold medal and then retire from basketball～"
"Seriously!? That's such a waste! Winning a gold medal and then retiring is unbelievable!"
"I thought I'd need to do that much to convince everyone."
"I see... If you could do that, it would be absolutely cool."
Takatsuki-kun is trembling.
"Tosaka-san, aren't you going to stop him? I heard he's been scouted by pro teams too."
"Toya-kun is seriously working hard, so I just support him～"
When Chi-chan asks, Airi answers.
"It's fine if Katagiri-kun retires from basketball, but have you decided on a job? Shouldn't you decide soon? Isn't that a problem?"
"Yeah, I'm looking now... but I can't find one easily."
It seems Unity's bad reputation is hindering it after all.
"If that's the case, I could hire you at my company. You could join the company where Nozomi works."
"Before me, Kanna, you need to find a job too, right?"
"I've already decided."
"Huh?"
Everyone is surprised.
"Where are you going?"
"I've only applied so far. Information desk at a department store. It seems I passed the document screening."
"No way, that's awesome."
What's more amazing is that you didn't know this, Makoto.
"So that means Toya, you're the only one who hasn't decided yet."
Kanna says.
"Well, you can take your time choosing. Up until near graduation. You have the insurance of my company, after all."
"Go to the interview at least. It's a foregone conclusion anyway," says Emi-san.
"Well, I'll think about it."
Thinking that way might be easier.
While having that conversation, we finished dinner and went home.
"Hmm～..."
"What's wrong, Airi?"
After getting home, we both took showers and were drinking chuhai while Airi seemed troubled.
"Toya-kun, you know, you seem like you're running away, but actually you're fighting really hard, aren't you?"
Huh?
"I mean, you could easily take it easy with soccer, basketball, and jobs, but you deliberately challenge the hard path."
"If I didn't do that much, it wouldn't be fair to others, right?"
"It's more unfair to have such talent and not use it."
"It's not just talent. Talent alone has its limits."
"What else is there?"
I point at Airi.
Airi looks at me curiously.
"Because I have a goddess of luck named Airi. That itself is cheating."
Airi giggles, "Ehehe～."
"Then, shouldn't you do something for that goddess of luck?"
Airi hugs me.
"Yeah, I have to take good care of her."
"Yay～"
"But wait a little. I haven't finished drinking yet."
"Okaaay～"
Airi says that and gets into bed first.
When I finish my chuhai, I also turn off the lights and get into bed.
Sensing Airi in the scent of spring's breath, I walk forward.