Capítulo 35: An Outing with the Angel
"Good morning, Amane."
Most people would start an outing by meeting up somewhere, but Mahiru met him at
his apartment. Since she lived next door, they didn't need to go to the trouble of
arranging a meeting place. Instead, Mahiru came directly to his door.
She certainly did look different.
"Morning… Oh, you put your hair up today."
"I thought it would get in the way if we're going to be playing with cats. How do you
like it?"
Mahiru usually wore her long hair down, but today it was braided and gathered up in
a bun. It looked like a more complex version of what she did with it when she was
cooking.
"Yeah, it looks good."
"It's nice of you to say so, but… W-well… if you're going to laugh, just laugh, okay?"
"What are you talking about?"
"…You think it looks silly, don't you?"
Mahiru was squeezing her arms tightly over her chest. Her outfit showed a little bit
more skin than usual.
Putting it that way might make it seem like she was wearing a very exposing outfit,
but her top was a chiffon blouse with an open collar, and the pure-white skin of her
neck was peeking out, which just gave the illusion of more exposure.
The blouse had a long lantern sleeve with slits in the sides and lace panels that ran
along the length so her upper arms were partially hidden but still showed through. It
was subtly enticing.
Of course, she had an undershirt on, so it wasn't like he was at risk of seeing anything
if he looked at her from above, but somehow he found the look both tidy and alluring
in the way it enhanced her femininity.
On the bottom she was wearing skinny jeans, perhaps because she was preparing to
play with cats at the cafe . The jeans fit tightly to her figure, hugging her slender legs.
On her wrist she wore the flower bracelet Amane had given her as a present. He
remembered her saying she was going to wear it with care, and he felt a warmth in his
chest.
"I don't think you look silly. In fact, I think you look even prettier than usual."
"Well, don't you look the part today? Your parents must have raised you to be a proper
gentleman."
"Dad always told me that you ought to compliment a girl when she's all dressed up…
Of course, it's not just flattery, you know."
"…I'll believe you."
Mahiru's face flushed slightly red, and she held her bag tight. Amane smiled wryly and
almost patted her head, but he stopped himself. He expected she wouldn't be pleased
if he messed up her elaborate hairdo before they even started their outing.
Mahiru blinked like she'd been expecting it but seemed to understand he was being
considerate of her hair, and so she smiled at him. She did give Amane's hand a bit of a
wary look, though.
"…Amane, recently you've been a little obsessed with patting my head, haven't you?"
"If you don't like it, I'll stop. I know I shouldn't touch you too excessively."
"N-no, that's not what I meant… I, um, I want to be able to play with your hair, too,
when I want to."
"That's fine; I don't mind, but you can't do it now. I've got wax in it."
Amane had donned his "mystery man" outfit to go out with Mahiru, taking the time to
carefully arrange his hair. His outfit choice was relaxed, consisting of a denim jacket
over a white V-neck shirt plus some slim black trousers. It was obviously not as much
effort as Mahiru had gone to, but Amane was used to looking like a slob next to her,
and this time he'd at least tried.
"…So I can touch your hair?"
"I don't really mind, but for today, let's make do with petting cats."
"I—I didn't mean I wanted to do it right now, you know. I can do it later, I guess…"
"I've been doing it to you, so it's only natural that you should get a chance. Fair
turnabout and all."
He didn't particularly dislike it when Mahiru touched his hair… If anything, it felt really
nice, and if Mahiru enjoyed it, he was happy to let her continue. Mahiru had seemed
flustered at first by Amane agreeing so easily, but now she was finally wearing a happy
smile.
"…Okay, then we're agreed: I'll do it later. For now, let's go pet lots of cats."
"Sure."
"Off we go, then?"
"Mm."
Thinking that setting out together from the same apartment felt a little embarrassing
somehow, Amane left his place with Mahiru.
As they walked side by side, the thought occurred to Amane to extend his hand to her.
"Here, have a hand," he said lightheartedly.
Mahiru flushed faintly and smiled as she squeezed his hand.
He had done a degree of preliminary investigation, but when they actually entered the
cat cafe , it was much more spacious than Amane had imagined.
After the two had signed in and used hand sanitizer, they stepped into the main cafe
area. As expected, they could see cats everywhere, walking around or curled into balls
or playing with other patrons.
"Wow… It's pretty big. And clean."
The cafe offered food and drinks, so perhaps it was to be expected, but the cleanliness
of the place still surprised him. He could barely smell any of the scents characteristic
of many places where animals made their home. In fact, it was nearly odorless.
He had looked at the reviews online, and this seemed to be a cat cafe that was prized
for its hygiene and took good care of its cats. It was a popular place, but to keep the
cats from getting stressed, it had only a few seats. There were also many hideouts for
the cats, and in the end, the cafe seemed to be set up less for touching the cats than for
sharing the space with them.
This cafe had a time-limit system, and the fees were high, but it was such a beautiful
and calm space that he didn't mind paying at all.
"Whoa… cats… Look, Amane, they're all so cute!"
There were cats with the other customers, so Mahiru spoke in a quiet voice, but he
could hear her eager excitement as she tugged on his sleeve. There were all sorts of
cats around, and Mahiru's eyes sparkled as she looked at them eagerly.
The topic of animals had never really come up, but apparently she really liked cats.
She was so excited, Amane could feel his mouth curling into a smile.
"You're right; they're really cute."
"So cute!" Mahiru didn't seem to realize how cute she was being herself as she looked
at the profile chart she had received from the receptionist, listing the cats' names and
breeds along with photos. She pointed to the Siamese cat beside her. "Ah, that one's
name is Silky!"
Only the fur on its tail and around its face was black, while the rest of the coat on its
long, slender body was a dazzling white. It had characteristic blue eyes and exuded an
air of nobility.
Mahiru was itching to pet it, but suddenly touching the cats was prohibited, so she
kept an eye on it from the side as she slowly brought her fingers closer to its nose and
let it sniff her.
The cat's nose twitched.
She didn't say it out loud, but Mahiru clearly thought even that was cute, so she
definitely seemed to like cats a lot.
But after getting a full sniff of Mahiru's scent, Silky abruptly and gracefully dashed
away.
Mahiru was clearly disheartened.
"That doesn't necessarily mean she hates you; I think she was just done saying hello."
"R-right, I suppose that's fair…"
"Come on, I think we should let the cats take their time and get used to us. Let's go
have a seat for now, okay?"
Mahiru stood back up, he took her hand, and they sat down on an open sofa. Once there,
Amane finally took a slow look around the whole room and saw that there certainly
were a lot of types of cats.
The cat from a moment ago had been a Siamese, but there were American shorthairs,
Russian blues, munchkins, Bengals, and even more exotic breeds—cats with great
individuality here, there, and everywhere.
At the next seat over, a short distance from them, an American shorthair was curled
up on the table, and the girl sitting there was gently stroking it.
"So cute…"
Mahiru was looking at the other customers without bothering to disguise the envy in
her eyes. Amane smiled wryly and looked over the menu.
The food and drink offerings at this cafe were supposed to be delicious.
The top recommendation seemed to be a latte with a cat design on top, formed out of
the milk foam. Apparently, the staff was talented at making latte art, and many people
had uploaded pictures.
Amane left Mahiru to her own devices for a moment, as she was staring at a cat
loitering nearby, and he called the waiter over and ordered the signature latte art.
"I went ahead and ordered you the same thing as me, is that all right?" he asked when
he had finished.
"Huh? Ah yes, that's fine."
As expected, Mahiru was so preoccupied with the cats that she hadn't even noticed
him ordering. Mahiru was the type who could drink coffee or tea, so since this was a
special outing, he decided to keep the order a secret and give her a little surprise.
After a short while, their order was brought over. Slowly, so as not to destroy the latte
art, their smiling waiter set the cups down on the table, bowed, and left. Mahiru
couldn't take her eyes off the latte art atop her cup.
"Is this okay?"
"Y-yes, it's super cute…"
"I'm glad."
On Mahiru's drink, the milk foam had been poured with great care to form a cat that
was curled up asleep, its coat pattern and expression drawn with cocoa powder. In
Amane's cup, they had drawn a cat leaning against the rim. The cute, dainty depictions
of the cats made it easy to understand why the cafe had become so popular.
Perhaps to preserve the excitement, Mahiru was taking photos with her smartphone
and looking quite pleased, but then for some reason her expression turned. "It's so
cute I can't drink it…," she muttered.
She sounded so serious. Amane couldn't help but laugh.
"D-don't laugh at me, please."
"It's just—you're so troubled over something so adorable."
"B-but… it would be such a waste to destroy it when there's such a cute little cat…"
"But it would be even more of a waste not to drink it."
"Oh no."
It wasn't that he didn't understand Mahiru's feelings, but the foam would collapse
anyway even if she left it alone, and he presumed that the person who made the coffee
would probably be happier if she drank it before it got cold.
After sufficiently appreciating his own latte cat, Amane raised his cup without
hesitation. He almost laughed again when he heard a murmur of sadness from beside
him, but somehow he contained it enough to slowly sip his caffe latte.
Mahiru looked so downhearted that he tried his best to drink without disturbing the
cat too much. The latte itself was delicious. The combination of the deep coffee flavor
and the rich milk was just perfect. And it wasn't too sweet, so Amane, who drank his
coffee black, didn't mind it.
"Mm, it's good."
When he took a break from drinking and made this comment, Mahiru groaned slightly
but brought her cup to her lips with some hesitation.
She looked funny and cute drinking her latte and carefully trying to not destroy the
cat, and Amane's lips must have curled into an unintentional smile.
"I—I feel like you're laughing at me, but—"
"You're imagining things. Is it good?"
"Yes, it is, of course."
When Amane looked at Mahiru once she had pulled her mouth away from the cup and
set it back down, he couldn't control himself, and his shoulders shook with laughter.
"Wh-why are you laughing?"
"Well, you have a white moustache."
She must have failed to pay attention to the rest of the milk foam in her efforts to keep
the cat intact, for Mahiru's upper lip was now decorated with a white moustache
reminiscent of Santa Claus.
She looked so extremely cute that he instinctively snapped a photo with his phone.
"Uh, d-did you just take a picture?!"
"Sorry. Do you want me to delete it?"
"W-were you planning on keeping a record of such a shameful face?"
"You looked cute, so I just took it."
When he said that, Mahiru pressed her lips together tightly, and her face flushed red.
In a quiet voice, she grumbled, "…You can have the one photo."
She was still wearing the white moustache as she told him that, so Amane felt his chest
growing warm as he held back a laugh and nodded in agreement.
"…Ah!"
Around the time they finished drinking their caffe lattes decorated with foam art, one
of the cats jumped up on Amane's lap.
It was the American shorthair that had been at the neighboring seat earlier.
After checking out the profile sheet, they saw that it said CACAO, FEMALE.
Amane wasn't sure whether she was friendly or just shameless, but she had suddenly
gotten up on his lap, which he found perplexing. He was fully aware that cats did as
they pleased, but he was slightly unsettled to be approached so suddenly.
The warmth in his lap was more profound than he had expected, as the cat confidently
curled up and settled in as if to say this was her spot.
"This one is really friendly."
He looked over at Mahiru as the cat sniffed at his fingers and thought she seemed
incredibly jealous.
Once Cacao had finished sniffing to her heart's content, she nuzzled her face into
Amane's palm, so he figured she was asking him to pet her and started scratching her
under her chin like he had practiced on Mahiru.
He could tell from the vibration and the sound that she was purring.
Feeling relaxed by the presence of the cute cat, Amane ruffled the fur under her chin
as he petted her, but he felt jealous eyes on him from Mahiru sitting next to him and
chuckled to himself again.
"Mahiru, put out your hand."
"Huh? R-right."
She obediently stretched out her hand, so Amane removed his own hand from Cacao
and, in its place, put Mahiru's palm near Cacao's face.
This cat is probably friendly and used to humans, so she ought to allow herself to be
petted after a proper greeting.
Cacao sniffed at Mahiru's hand, then let out a somewhat listless meeeow and rubbed
her face against Mahiru's palm. Mahiru's eyes sparkled, overcome with emotion.
"Amane, she let me pet her!"
Mahiru smiled gleefully at Amane as she finally got to pet a cat, stroking the fur in the
right direction.
Perhaps a sign of how carefully the cats were looked after, Cacao's fur was shiny and
incredibly soft. She didn't smell bad, either, and had just a faint hint of cat odor. She
was obviously treasured dearly by the staff.
All the cats had nice coats and looked healthy, and there weren't any that were
extremely fat or too thin. And all the lively cats were free to move about as they pleased.
"…So cute."
"They really are, aren't they?… I'm jealous of you, Amane…"
"How about you call Cacao over to you? Tell her to come sit in your lap."
The cats couldn't understand words, but gestures seemed to communicate surprisingly
well.
As a test, Mahiru patted her lap and called "Come here," and Cacao meowed once, then
slowly moved over to sit on the offered spot.
Mahiru's expression of excitement at that moment was so full of joy that just seeing it
was enough to make Amane happy, too.
"Look, she sat on me!"
"That's great. Hey, she wants you to pet her."
Cacao must have preferred Mahiru's soft lap over Amane's hard one, for she meowed
even louder than before and pushed her face into Mahiru's palm.
Smiling at the beaming Mahiru, who was rubbing the cat to her heart's content, Amane
captured the moment with his smartphone.
"Is this photo all right?"
"…This one's okay," Mahiru said as she stroked Cacao.
Amane kept smiling at her and stood up.
Along the wall were bookshelves filled with magazines and comics, so he intended to
bring several of them back to the table.
This place was called a cat cafe , but that didn't mean one would constantly be playing
with cats. His main goal was to spend a comfortable time in a space where there were
cats around, so relaxing with some reading material was also an option.
While Mahiru was absorbed in petting Cacao, Amane chose something to read from
the shelves without much thought. That was when he noticed that Silky, the cat that
had greeted Mahiru when they first came in, was at his feet.
He crouched down and put his index finger near her nose, and as expected, she sniffed
him in greeting.
This gesture was quite adorable, so his cheeks softened into another smile as he
watched her fondly. When she was done smelling him, Silky lifted a front paw and
leaned against him, as if she was going to leap into his arms.
Silky meowed in a higher pitch than Cacao and touched him again, so Amane sat crosslegged on the floor.
The cat had a high-class aura but seemed to be comfortable around people, and she
was allowing him to pet her. When he tried stroking her, she put on a very satisfied
expression.
She was purring and nuzzling him, so he took that as a sign that she wanted him to pet
her more. In accordance with the wishes of the noble Lady Silky, he gently and carefully
stroked her back.
There was a cat at Itsuki's house, so he understood how to do the petting. He watched
Silky carefully and adjusted his motions to keep her happy and docile.
So cute…
He could feel her purring, and another gentle smile soon slipped onto his lips. At first,
she had behaved a bit coldly, so he hadn't expected her to be so permissive and fawning.
Now that I think about it, she's kind of like Mahiru.
Mahiru had also been cold and standoffish at first, but once she let her guard down,
she started gazing at him with trust in her eyes, fawning over him, and getting
comfortable. In that way, she had reminded him of a cat.
Inwardly bestowing Silky with the moniker Angel Two, Amane enjoyed petting her.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a camera shutter. He looked up and saw that Mahiru
had approached without him noticing and taken a picture with her smartphone.
"I thought you were taking a while… So you made friends with Silky, huh?"
"I don't know why, but she came over to see me."
"You're so stingy… I want to pet her, too…"
"What happened to Cacao?"
"Cats have a mind of their own…"
Apparently, the cat had gone off somewhere.
He looked around the cafe and saw Cacao curled up on the second story of a cat tower.
Just a moment ago, she had been sitting with Mahiru, but she must have changed her
mind.
"Is Silky your favorite, Amane?"
"Well, I haven't petted all of them yet to really start comparing… But yeah, she kind of
resembles you, so I'd like to keep petting her."
"Resembles me?"
"I mean, you were pretty standoffish at first, kind of cold and blunt, but once you
decided you liked me, you warmed up quickly."
Sure, it was catlike for her to let her guard down and fawn on him, but he thought that
the way she trusted him and relished his attention was more doglike, so he thought of
her as a cross between a cat and dog.
Mahiru didn't seem to realize just how badly she was spoiling him, which made Amane
feel happy yet embarrassed at the same time.
"…I am not a cat. Besides, it's not like I get attached to just anyone."
"Well, that's because you're very wary."
"…You haven't been thinking of me as a cat?"
"I haven't, I haven't," he answered, stroking the cat in his lap the same way he always
patted Mahiru. "Right?" he sought Silky's agreement.
Either she was good at reading the room, or it was just a coincidence, but Silky
meowed, right on cue so even Mahiru couldn't press the matter any further.
But Mahiru looked at him with a fairly dissatisfied expression, so Amane used his
unoccupied left hand to stroke Mahiru's head.
"…So you do think of me as a cat."
"Sort of. Here, how about you play with Silky? It looks like they'll lend you some toys
if you go to the front desk."
"You're not getting out of this that easily."
"…So you don't want to play with her, then?" he asked as he teased the cat.
Mahiru pouted slightly and grumbled "You don't play fair, Amane," then headed for the
front desk to borrow some cat toys.
Amane had been planning to switch places with her and go to the desk himself, so he
watched her with wide eyes, then tilted his head in confusion as he recalled Mahiru's
expression, which had been a little sulky for some reason.
"What does that mean, I don't play fair?… Is she talking about playing with Silky?" He
muttered as he pondered the reason for Mahiru's sour expression, but the cat just
meowed as if to say "How should I know?" and nestled its head in his palm again.
Ultimately, the reason for Mahiru's pouting wasn't really clear, but as she played with
the cats, her mood quickly improved, and she was soon smiling at him again.
After a certain point, Mahiru stopped paying attention to Amane and focused entirely
on the cats. He smiled wryly as he watched her play, but for some reason, the cats kept
settling into Amane's lap.
Mahiru saw this and started sulking again, but Silky, as if to say "There's no helping it,"
moved over to sit on Mahiru's thighs, and all was well again.
There must have been something about Amane that the cats appreciated, because as
he was petting them, even though he had no treats to give, other cats continued to
swarm around him.
Eventually, though, they reached the end of their allotted time in the cafe . The two of
them used lint rollers to remove cat hair from their clothes and washed their hands,
and as Amane finished, Mahiru went to get the bill, then looked at him with
dissatisfaction.
"Why are you making that face?" he asked.
"You didn't have to go to the trouble of doing that."
"It's no trouble. It's for my own satisfaction, so don't worry about it." Amane had gone
ahead and paid for everything already, so she didn't have to. "Actually, think of it as my
way of saying thanks for coming with me to a cat cafe , a place I never would have gone
into alone. Okay?"
"…But—"
"Let me treat you in situations like this. If you don't agree, then… All right, how about
coming with me again to make it even?"
"…I can't do anything but agree to that, can I?"
"Well, I'm for this plan, too, so it's a win-win. No problem!"
Mahiru pressed her lips together tightly and nudged Amane's upper arm, then
squeezed Amane's hand again.
Amane and Mahiru had lunch at a restaurant they had picked out in advance, one with
a good reputation, before heading to the shopping mall. It was a popular restaurant,
and as expected, the food was tasty, just like the reviews reported. Perhaps it was a
simple matter of opinion, but Amane still thought Mahiru's cooking edged out ahead,
confirming once more that hers was the very best.
Seeing as how it was Golden Week, there were quite a few more customers in the mall
than there might have been on a typical weekday, so gripping tightly onto Mahiru's
hand, Amane stopped beside a wall so they could figure out where they wanted to go
before diving into the crowds.
"So then, what will we do in the mall? You mentioned shopping, but is there something
in particular you want to buy?"
"N-nothing specific, but um, I thought it sounded fun to have a look around together…
I-is that all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I'm good with window-shopping."
At home, he had often been dragged around by his mother, and his family would also
sometimes go out shopping, so he had built up a tolerance to an activity that some
found fairly agonizing.
Besides, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a look at some things that Mahiru wanted to
see.
"Where do you want to start? There are all sorts of shops—variety goods, clothes,
interior decorating…"
This enormous shopping complex had an almost uncountable number of clothing and
accessory stores, restaurants, variety shops, and entertainment facilities all crammed
in wall-to-wall; so many stores over such a wide area that they couldn't possibly see it
all in one day. Since it would be impossible to look around the entire mall, he had to
get her to provide at least some direction.
"All right… Can we start with clothes?"
"Sure. You buying a new outfit?"
"I want to buy something, if there's anything good. They've got this summer's styles
out, so I'd like to get some new clothes."
"Summer, huh…? That came quickly."
The sweaty season was about to start, but even so, it was still the time of year when
the sunlight was warm and cheerful, so he thought it was a bit hasty to switch over to
summer clothes just yet. The stores, of course, had to anticipate the approaching
season, but still, Amane couldn't shake the springtime feeling.
"This summer… Uh, you'll be coming home with me… will you?"
"Ah y-yes. If it's all right with you and your parents, that is." She seemed to remember
the earlier conversation about coming with him to his parents' home the next time he
went, and she nodded eagerly.
"I asked my mom once more after we talked, and she said you're definitely welcome.
Actually, she insisted I bring you."
His parents would probably agree to let her stay even if he didn't check with them first,
but they would have to get a room ready and everything, so he had made sure to ask
ahead, and they'd promised to give her a warm welcome.
He was certain to hear complaints from his mother if he showed up without her, so he
was grateful for Mahiru's enthusiasm.
"Well, my hometown's not that impressive, you know. Although, I guess there's plenty
to do."
"Really?"
"Well, my mother never had trouble finding a new place to drag me. There's a shopping
mall like this one, a ridiculously huge wilderness park, a stupidly large water park, just
general stuff like that."
Amane's hometown was in a nice, central location, not too urban and not too rural, so
it was a place where people wouldn't get bored in the summer or winter. Far from it,
there were so many things to do that it was a distinct danger to be dragged around
from place to place and not have any time to be alone.
The water park would be open in the summer, so it would feel really nice to go on the
slides and swim around and relax. There was also a large water park in the area where
they were living now, so they could probably also go swim there right after the start
of summer vacation.
Amane wasn't especially good at sports, but he didn't have anything against being
active. He liked to swim, so it would probably be nice to go by himself, too. There was
no way that he could tell Mahiru he'd like to go to the pool with her, because the
invitation would sound too much like he had an obvious ulterior motive.
"Swimming is optional at our school, so if you don't take it, you don't get the chance to
swim, so it might be nice to go swimming. If you want to, you could go with my mom…
Mahiru?"
"Uh, no, it's nothing…"
"Ah, don't worry. I'm not thinking that I want to see you in a swimsuit or anything rude
like that."
"I d-didn't think you were. A p-pool, huh?"
"Is there something wrong with that?"
Amane always thought of swimming pools in the summertime, and not in a weird way
or anything, but Mahiru shook her head with slightly stiff movements.
"W-well… umm…"
"Hmm?"
"A-as long as I don't have to swim, um… I could consider going…"
"…Is it possible that you don't know how to swim?"
She blatantly refused to meet his eyes. Apparently, he had been right on the money.
"…I honestly thought you could do literally anything."
"O-of course I can't do everything. Swimming is optional, so I thought I could get by
without telling anyone."
Her face was turning redder by the second. She was obviously embarrassed.
"I don't know what to say; I didn't expect that…"
"Th-that's enough about swimming already, isn't it? Come on, let's go."
Mahiru didn't seem to want him to dwell on the fact that she couldn't swim, and with
a very red face, she tugged at his hand. Well, not exactly tugged—she pressed her body
against his arm and squeezed it tightly. It was clear she was trying to push him to get
started with their window-shopping because she wanted to avoid the topic, but she
couldn't find any traction.
All the fabric on the clothes in the shops was more lightweight, to match the changing
seasons as the weather gradually got warmer. The chiffon blouse Mahiru had on that
day, for example, was very light and thin, and it had a wide collar, exposing much of
her neck and shoulders. And Amane discovered at this moment that he was at just the
right angle to see directly down the front of her undershirt.
But he had a feeling that if he pointed that out right now, she would run away in a huff,
so instead he kept his mouth shut and gently extracted his arm from Mahiru's grasp,
then firmly took her by the hand.
Frankly, he wouldn't have minded being able to enjoy the view for a little while longer,
but his feelings of guilt took over and internally he derided himself for being a
spineless loser.
"I hear you, I hear you. Don't run; you'll fall."
"…I'm not a child."
Mahiru thankfully turned away, apparently unaware of Amane's agitation, and Amane,
too, turned to look outside, hoping to escape her gaze for a bit.
Desperately trying to drive the lingering feeling of that softness pressing up against
his arm out of his mind, Amane sighed quietly enough that Mahiru couldn't hear.
Amane gazed down the long row of shops as Mahiru tugged him along by the hand,
but once again, all he could think about was how much attention she attracted.
She possessed a simple and clean beauty that befitted her nickname of "the angel." But
right now, Mahiru was exuding an aura of carefree joy that made him want to wrap his
arms around her.
In angel mode, Mahiru had the beauty and ephemerality of a painting and made
onlookers feel like she must not be touched or interfered with. However, that was a
fragile, artificial kind of beauty, and Amane knew it wasn't who she really was. The girl
holding his hand was wearing a genuine, carefree smile and brimming with life.
Without her even saying a word, he could tell from her expression and the way she
held his hand, and even the way she walked, that she was having a lot of fun.
Her usual restrained smile was beautiful, too, but he thought she looked much cuter
when she let her feelings show on her face and smiled with her whole being, rather
than keeping it all bottled up.
"…Is something the matter?" she suddenly asked.
"No," he answered. "I was just thinking that we get a lot of stares when we're walking
together."
Both men and women were turning to look at them as they passed, which really drove
home the reality of Mahiru's beauty.
"…I don't think I'm the only one they're looking at, you know?"
"Well, I'm sure some of them are taking the time to size up the guy escorting you."
"That's not what I mean, geez!"
She looked up at him with disappointment but didn't seem inclined to elaborate, only
squeezing his hand tightly again. He heard her mumble quietly, "His self-esteem is a
real problem…"
But Amane knew that if he was with Mahiru, he would be under strict scrutiny, and it
was also obvious that he could never compare favorably to her, so this wasn't really an
issue of self-esteem or anything like that, as far as he was concerned.
"All right, listen up," Mahiru said. "I'll try to say this as frankly as possible so you can
understand."
"Huh? What's with that voice? Scary."
"How rude…" She pressed on his nose with her index finger and silenced him. "This is
your own fault, you know?"
But instead of pouting, Mahiru wore a teasing smile as she repeatedly poked at
Amane's nose, then pulled away once satisfied and tugged on Amane's hand. Actually,
it would be more accurate to say she pressed up against his arm again.
"…Things would move along a lot faster if you just had a little confidence," Mahiru
grumbled, putting her forehead against his upper arm.
Amane couldn't stand it. He had to look away.
…It's not on purpose; she doesn't mean it.
Amane was trying not to think about the softness pressed up against him. He tried to
politely open up some distance between them, but Mahiru clutched his arm as if to tell
him not to go anywhere.
He shuddered, thinking that if this was all intentional, she was acting like quite the
little devil. But he was convinced she wasn't aware of what she was doing, so he
shuddered for a different reason.
If things continued this way, he was going to blow his top, so Amane somehow turned
his conscious mind to other things and took an easy look around at the area. Exactly
when he needed it, he spotted a store lined with racks of understated clothes that
Mahiru might like.
"Hey, the clothes on that mannequin seem like they would suit you. Want to go take a
look?"
He pointed out the shop with his free hand, hoping to divert attention from the fire
currently searing his cheeks, and Mahiru asked, "Are those the sorts of clothes you like,
Amane?" She seemed interested, so their feet naturally led them toward the shop.
"How about this one?"
"Yeah, well, you look good in everything, but something like this does seems like it
would suit you in particular."
The mannequin was dressed in an off-the-shoulder dress with thin stripes on a white
field. It was summer clothing, so the fabric was fairly thin, and the shoulders were
exposed. It looked cool and comfortable for warm-weather outings.
This style of clothing looked really good on women who were slender and had pretty
de colletage, so he was sure it would look great on Mahiru. He mentally dressed her in
the outfit as she stood there next to the mannequin and was immediately able to
imagine her looking light and breezy in it. It was a look that would go well with a straw
hat.
"I'll just go try it on, okay?"
Mahiru picked up one of the same from a rack of dresses hanging next to the
mannequin, as if she had either decided quickly or had always been planning to try it
on.
Amane was a bit taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm. He accepted the bag she
entrusted to him, and she immediately disappeared into the fitting room.
He waited for Mahiru to change clothes, baffled by her excitement, and ended up even
more baffled because for some reason he kept finding himself on the receiving end of
warm looks from people nearby. It wasn't just the store clerk—the other customers
were smiling at him pleasantly, which made Amane extremely uncomfortable.
As he waited for Mahiru, he wished from the bottom of his heart that she would return
soon. Finally, the fitting room curtain opened, and Mahiru stepped out.
But she hadn't changed into the dress.
"Welcome back… You didn't put it on?"
"No, I put it on and checked the size. But… Well, I can't show it to you right now,
because I don't have on the right underwear…"
"S-sorry I asked."
The chiffon blouse she was currently wearing also showed a fair amount of cleavage,
but not as much as an off-the-shoulder dress. It sounded like she needed to have on
different underthings than usual when wearing clothes that exposed so much
shoulder, so she wasn't ready to immediately show him the dress.
"But you were kind enough to point out that it would suit me, and I put it on and liked
it, so I'm buying it."
She took her bag back from him and went to the register with the dress in her arms,
so Amane followed her in a fluster.
He started fishing his wallet out, thinking he ought to pay for it, since he was the one
who said it would suit Mahiru, but she stopped him as she was already groping around
in her own bag.
"You can't pay. I need to buy this myself and show it off to you."
"O-oh."
"Though I won't be able to wear it until it gets warmer. I'll hold on to it until summer.
You can look forward to seeing it."
She looked bashful as she finished paying, and Amane shut his mouth tight and tried
desperately to resist the urge to collapse on the spot.
Dammit, she's saying such ridiculously cute things. It sounds like she's saying she's going
to wear it just for me. My heart can't take this.
He caught the eye of the store clerk who was taking Mahiru's payment, and she smiled
at him with a truly friendly expression, so Amane couldn't do anything but bite his lip
and avert his eyes.
Amane and Mahiru had enjoyed window-shopping together—actually, since they'd
made a purchase, it was more accurate to just call it shopping at this point—but
Amane had temporarily split off from Mahiru and was on his own.
That was because Mahiru had gone to buy something she wanted to check out on her
own and said she needed to be alone for a bit. This outing had been Mahiru's suggestion
to begin with, and Amane figured that girls had all sorts of shopping that they wouldn't
want other people to know about, so he readily parted ways and went over to a pillar
near the mall fountain they'd designated as a meeting place.
Amane was plenty used to accompanying women on marathon shopping trips thanks
to his mother, and he was also accustomed to waiting for them when they dragged him
around places. At the end of the day, he didn't dislike waiting quietly by himself, so he
did just that, without the slightest shred of irritation.
The staring decreased after he split off from Mahiru, which made him a little more
comfortable, and this intermission was just what he needed to give his overburdened
heart a brief rest.
…She's so adorable and keeps touching me. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on…
Mahiru was showing a side of herself she usually held back. She was joyful and
genuine and unspeakably charming.
Mahiru must have been perfectly aware of just how extraordinary her appearance
was, but she also seemed indifferent to her own beauty. Maybe it was because Amane
treated her as a friend and didn't make a big deal about it, but she didn't make a fuss
about her looks in front of him, and she let him see her natural cuteness, smell her
sweetness, feel her softness, and so much more. Amane knew he was extremely lucky
to be able to enjoy her company like that, but he felt too guilty to really appreciate it.
He was racked with shame just remembering it all, but he couldn't let it show in public,
so he drew his lips in tight and quietly closed his eyes.
All these thoughts were making him restless, so he shook his head slowly to drive them
from his mind.
Suddenly, Amane heard a high-pitched voice from close by. "Um, excuse me."
His eyes snapped open at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and he looked forward to
see two girls smiling at him. They were probably about college age. At least, they
looked older than him. They were dressed stylishly for a Golden Week outing and
smiling at Amane, who had his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Excuse me, are you alone? Do you have some free time?"
He was astonished to hear the girls ask him that.
He would have thought that, with his head hung low, it would have been obvious he
didn't want to talk to anybody, so it shocked him that these girls were so bold. It was
unfortunate that they seemed to have no eye for quality.
Even as suspicions flickered through Amane's mind about why these girls would have
gone out of their way to come talk to him, when he wasn't even that nicely put together,
he knew it would be rude to ignore them entirely, so he went ahead and looked at them
with a bland expression.
"No, I'm waiting for someone."
He was hoping they would infer the situation from all the women-oriented brands
emblazoned on the many shopping bags Mahiru had left with him, but the girls didn't
seem to notice. Perhaps the bags didn't stand out because of their simple designs.
"I appreciate the invitation, but I've got a previous engagement, so—"
"In that case, your friend can come with us, too! We'll get tea or something."
They seemed to have decided that the friend he was waiting for was another guy.
If he and Mahiru had been dating, he could tell them he was waiting for his girlfriend
and easily turn them away with that one word, but he and Mahiru weren't actually
dating, and she wasn't here with him at the moment, so if he claimed she was his
girlfriend, he didn't know whether she would quickly back him up when she actually
did reappear.
Besides, he had once used that excuse to get her away from a drunk guy, and Mahiru
had told him to stop saying it, so he hesitated to use it again on his own.
He frowned slightly as he regarded the two girls, figuring he was probably stuck
talking to them until he reunited with Mahiru—then, out of the corner of his eye, he
spied some familiar flaxen hair.
"Sorry for making you wait."
Several seconds later, swinging her hair gently to the side and approaching with easy
movements, his savior, the angel, appeared.
She seemed to have seen that Amane was in trouble and had come quickly. Her
breathing was a little too fast for having just walked.
Mahiru smiled lightly at Amane, who had been trying to weather the waves of the girls'
chatter with a stoic face, and practically leaped into his arms.
By some stroke of luck, he managed to not let it show on his face, but Amane was
startled beyond belief. Mahiru was looking up at him with her body angled just right
so he couldn't see the girls behind her. He could sense amazement and dissatisfaction
in her eyes and the unspoken question of "What are you doing?" all of which he
recognized as a performance to help Amane extract himself from the situation.
…She's making me super nervous; I wish she'd stop.
This was all Amane's fault—he didn't want to hurt their feelings, but his indecision
had been mistaken for an invitation to keep chatting him up. And Mahiru had arrived
to rescue him, so he definitely couldn't complain about her methods. But he couldn't
deny it was still stressing him out.
Amane joined the charade by gently placing his hand on her back. It was a very
intimate move to show they had a special relationship.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "These nice girls were kind enough to keep me
company, so it didn't feel like that long."
"Oh really? Thank you for going to the trouble."
Mahiru half turned around with a beaming smile, and the girls looked at her in blank
amazement. The boy they had been trying to pick up was embracing a girl who seemed
like his girlfriend. On top of that, she was incredibly cute.
Mahiru must have realized why the girls were frozen in place, but her expression was
full of good will, as if she had no idea. Amane was awestruck by her apparent
magnanimity. She really did appear grateful, and her smile was the picture of innocence.
But the girls just stared at them, without moving an inch. Amane smiled back, trying
his best to act casual. "I'm sorry. Like I said before, I have a prior engagement, so…"
Amane was relieved he'd given them that excuse earlier. He tapped on Mahiru's back
impatiently, and Mahiru, who was still wearing a divine smile, entwined her arm with
his, seemingly in good spirits.
She was nestled very close to him again, and the breathless feeling in his chest returned,
but he knew he couldn't allow himself to get flustered now. Not after Mahiru had gone
to the trouble of putting on this act for him. So he feigned calm and bowed to the girls.
Mahiru followed his lead and bowed, too, then at her urging, they turned and walked
away from the girls.
Once they had turned a corner and checked to make sure they couldn't be seen, Amane
looked at Mahiru and saw her fake smile disappear.
"What were you doing?" she asked in a tone of voice that was suddenly flat and
detached as she looked up at him.
Without meaning to, Amane chuckled at the suddenness of her transformation. She
was still clinging tightly to him, but her expression looked weary and slightly
displeased. She had seemed to be in a good mood earlier, but that had evidently been
part of the act, for now shades of ill humor were flashing across her eyes.
"You really saved me back there," Amane said.
"I take my eyes off you for one second… Really, I was only gone for a short while.
Unbelievable. I wouldn't have left you alone if I knew this would happen…" Mahiru was
muttering to herself.
With a sudden rush of guilt, Amane noticed his gaze had drifted lower and lower over
Mahiru's body. He seemed to be the only one who was agitated by the close contact—
Mahiru didn't seem to be paying it any mind.
"You really don't know how to tell a stranger off, do you, Amane?" Mahiru didn't show
any sign of being aware of Amane's internal turmoil. She just looked exasperated.
"Maybe I can't turn them down, or maybe I just don't know how to handle that type of
stranger. They were girls, so I didn't want to act rough or use strong language. I
wouldn't know what to do if I made them cry or something."
"Honestly, I don't know whether you're gentlemanly or a total loser."
"Hey, shut up, that was the first time something like that has ever happened to me, so
I couldn't help it. I never would've imagined in a million years that girls would come
over and talk to me."
Amane never would have thought, with so many people hanging around, that someone
would talk to him of all people.
"Assertive girls are incredible, huh? They even approach antisocial guys like me."
"…The way you look now isn't really antisocial… If anything, you look more like a fresh,
friendly young man."
"Those are very nice words that don't describe me at all."
"Well, a makeover can only go so far…"
"How nice of you to say."
Mahiru was right—even if he looked a little nicer on the outside, there could be no
mistake that inside he was as gloomy as ever. Amane laughed despite himself.
This straightforward way of speaking was also one of the things he appreciated about
Mahiru. He found it very endearing. It was far preferable to being lied to.
He knew she definitely was not intending to disparage him, so he accepted her words
with a gentle understanding.
But Mahiru sighed for some reason. "Okay, I suppose I have to just tell you outright.
You're definitely not bright or cheerful, but I wouldn't say you're gloomy, either. To me,
you seem calm and composed, and when I'm with you, I feel calm, too. Like I can relax.
Even if we're not talking, I feel comfortable when I'm by your side, and I think that's
wonderful."
"…Oh, you do?"
Her compliments were embarrassing, and Amane could only manage a short reply.
Mahiru didn't seem satisfied, though. She pressed against his arm again, seemingly
unaware of how weak it made him.
"And how do you feel when you're with me?"
"…At home, I feel calm."
"And now?"
"…Now I can't relax at all. Because someone keeps pressing her chest up against me."
That must have been completely unexpected, and she must have been completely
unaware of what she was doing, because Mahiru froze stiff and looked down at her
own chest.
And then her face turned red with such force she looked like a boiling kettle.
"I thought you were doing it on purpose."
When he joked that she had been causing him terrible distress, to the point it bordered
on harassment, she glared up at him with slightly teary eyes. It didn't have the slightest
impact, probably because he knew she was doing it to hide her embarrassment.
"Wha—? Y-you dummy, I would never!"
"I know that. I was joking, sorry."
He knew that if he teased her too much she would start sulking, so he apologized
quickly to defuse the bomb. Mahiru's raging emotions now extinguished, she grumbled
only a small complaint. But she didn't really have anything more to say and instead
settled on punching him once in the side to vent her anger.
Smiling at her obvious frustration, Amane took hold of her hand again to make sure
there was some space between them.
"Don't cling to me so closely."
"…Can we still hold hands?"
"I'll lose you if we don't."
If they let go of each other and got lost in the Golden Week crowds, it would defeat the
purpose of going out together in the first place.
"…What would you do if you lost me?"
"I would use my phone to contact you and pick a place to meet up, like normal."
"How pragmatic."
"Guess so. Well, I'll try not to let you go."
If he let her slip from his grasp and made her wander around by herself, Mahiru was
far more likely to get hit on, so he didn't intend to let her look like she was alone.
Mahiru had specifically requested this outing and probably wanted to enjoy a pleasant
day rather than being hounded by people she had no interest in. Besides, even though
Amane knew Mahiru was often approached by other guys, he didn't have to like it.
At Amane's words, Mahiru stared deeply into his eyes, then lowered her gaze to their
joined hands. And then her lips curved softly into a smile, and in a voice as gentle as a
blooming flower, she said, "…Yes. Please don't let me go."
She whispered quietly and entwined her fingers with his. Trying not to let her sense
his sudden panic, Amane responded in kind.
"…So this is a game center…"
After they finished at the clothing stores and variety shops and had made a few
purchases, Amane led Mahiru to his favorite arcade.
Coming here had been her idea. They had put this place last on their list of destinations;
so even if they won prizes at the crane games, they wouldn't have to carry them around
everywhere. After this, they were going straight home, so they had plenty of time.
Finishing the day here had undoubtedly been the right call.
Apparently, Mahiru had never come here with Chitose, either, and she looked adorable,
marveling at everything around her.
"There really are all sorts of games here, huh?"
"Sure are. Not just crane games but arcade games and physical games, too. This game
center has a ton of different types."
"I can see that. And it's super loud."
"Ah, most places like this are."
Mahiru was frowning a little, reminding Amane that the cacophony typical of game
centers could be grating to the ears for someone not accustomed to it. He was used to
this ambience, so he was fine.
The section with slots and arcade games was even louder, so he weaved his way
around those areas as he walked through the game center with Mahiru following
behind him.
"So what'll you play?"
"I want to try a crane game. I want to try winning a stuffed animal."
Her sights seemed to be set on the crane games. She looked around that section of the
game center, alternately squeezing and releasing his hand in her excitement.
It was Golden Week, so the game center had gotten a lot of new prizes and had stocked
plenty of cute stuffed animals that were more family-oriented, so there were plenty
that Mahiru would probably like.
"…Amane, I want to get that one."
"Hmm, which one?"
"That one. That cat… Don't you think it looks like Silky?"
The toy Mahiru was pointing at was a cat with white fur that turned dark brown
around its face. With its blue eyes, it did indeed resemble Silky, the cat who had first
greeted Mahiru at the cat cafe , and she seemed enamored by it.
"It really does look like her. You want it?"
"I do. Can I try?"
"Sure. I think the machines here are easy to win, but if you can't get it, I'll get it for
you."
"I'll try my best so you don't have to."
Eager to take on this new challenge, Mahiru squared off against the crane game, while
Amane hung back and watched. If Amane was to take a turn, he could easily secure the
prize, but Mahiru wanted to win this one, and it was best to let her tackle the challenge
alone.
She inserted a coin and timidly pressed the first button to move the crane arm to the
side for just a moment, then checked its position. Typical of the prudent Mahiru, she
seemed to be confirming how far it would move with one press of the button.
But with this type of crane game, once you let go of the button, it shifted into verticalmovement mode.
"Wait, huh? It won't move."
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Once you let go of the button, it shifts to vertical movement,
so you've only got the one chance."
"Ah, so now…"
"No matter what you do, it won't reach the stuffed animals."
The toys were placed in the middle of a wide open space, but the arm had only barely
moved away from the drop chute, and all that was left to set was vertical movement.
No matter how Mahiru struggled, she wouldn't be able to touch the prizes.
This game center also had the type of crane games that were timed and used a lever
that could move in all directions, but this particular machine was the button type, so
there was unfortunately no going back. This happened to a lot of people when they
were first playing crane games, so there was really no getting around it.
"Well, that hundred yen is gone, but you still have the vertical movement, so you can
use this as a chance to get a feel for the speed the arm moves and the lag after you
release the button. Then you can use that information on your next try."
"Hmm… I'll do that. It's my fault for being careless," she said, then moved the arm with
intense concentration, paying careful attention to the speed.
Amane felt like he hadn't given her enough warning on her first attempt, so he quietly
inserted another coin, which made Mahiru look at him with dissatisfaction. Amane
said "It's fine" and patted her on the back for encouragement. Reluctantly, she returned
to her game.
She must have more or less figured out the speed at which the arm moved, because on
her next attempt, she was able to line it up laterally with the position of the stuffed
animals.
It was somewhat off-center, but she still had a chance to reach her target along the
vertical axis. Even if she didn't grab right in the center of the toys, considering the
arm's center of gravity and the force of its grip, plus the timing of when it released, she
could still get something.
Mahiru was a total beginner, but Amane was impressed with how skillfully she was
already playing. She carefully moved the arm along the vertical axis until it was more
or less above the stuffed animals, then tried to pick up the stuffed cat.
Her aim was good, but the toy was slightly oblong, so when the arm squeezed, the
center of gravity shifted immediately, and the cat fell.
"Hmm."
"Almost. Instead of trying to pick up the actual toy, it'll be easier if you move it with
one side of the crane arm and take advantage of its center of gravity to make it roll
over."
Luckily, the partition around the drop chute wasn't very tall, so if she could roll the cat,
it should fall down.
Mahiru blinked intently, then obediently carried out the movements as she had been
told.
One thing he appreciated about Mahiru was her ability to take advice without getting
angry or stubborn.
She made another attempt for the cat, taking into account the position of the arm and
the stuffed animal's center of gravity.
"So I'll do this here… and move the head…"
Mahiru's serious expression was reflected in the game cabinet's glass. Amane laughed
quietly so she wouldn't hear him.
After inserting several more coins and trying for a while, Mahiru finally moved the toy
into the prize chute with the crane arm.
She let out a quiet gasp as the stuffed cat fell with a plunk against the flap covering the
end of the prize chute.
After a moment of silence, Mahiru looked up at Amane, slightly stunned.
"…It fell."
"Yeah, good work… Look, it's proof of your victory."
Amane retrieved the stuffed animal she had fought so hard for and held it out to
Mahiru. The reality that she had finally won the prize seemed to be sinking in. Right
before his eyes, an expression of delight transformed her beautiful features.
"I—I got it. I got it, Amane!"
"You sure did. You did great for your first time."
He patted her head for a job well done, and she squinted in embarrassment and tightly
embraced her prize, the stuffed cat that closely resembled Silky.
She seemed especially happy that she had won the toy by herself and smiled in
satisfaction as she rubbed her cheek against the stuffed animal.
Amane was feeling a bit jealous of the stuffed cat as she squeezed it tightly with a
cherubic smile. He was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check as he watched
her celebrate.
Mahiru embraced the stuffed animal with an expression of incredible delight, but then
suddenly she looked in Amane's direction and timidly held the toy out to him.
"…Um, will you… accept this?"
"Huh, me?"
"Well, you've given me so many, and you seemed to really like Silky, so…"
Amane liked cats, and that cat in particular had been cute in the way she resembled
Mahiru. But he couldn't come out and say that, so he just scratched his cheek and
nodded.
"…Or you're a guy, so you don't need stuffed animals; is that it…?"
"No, that's not why. I was just wondering if it's really all right for me to take it, since
you worked so hard to win it."
"I was trying to win it for you. I mean, I don't want to sound pushy, umm… But you said
it looked like Silky, so I thought maybe you liked it, so… If you don't want it, I'll decorate
my apartment with it, but…" She looked up at him uneasily, shoulders drooping a little
as if disheartened. There was no way he could turn it down now.
"All right, I'll take it and keep it in my room. Though I, uh… I won't put it by my pillow
like you did with yours."
"I—I wish you'd forget about that…"
"I'll treasure the cat."
Amane politely accepted the stuffed animal from Mahiru, grabbed a carrying bag for
prizes from the dispenser nearby, and placed the cat inside.
Mahiru watched him with a happy smile, and Amane was just about to extend his hand
to her again, when—
"Huh? Shiina?"
A voice called out to her from somewhere nearby, and Amane froze.
Mahiru stiffened, too, and they both turned awkwardly to face the direction the voice
had come from. Standing there was a young man whose handsome face was both
innocent and dignified… Yuuta Kadowaki.
"Kadowaki?"
At the sight of Yuuta, Mahiru immediately put on her angelic smiling face that she
displayed at school. But it seemed a little stiffer than usual, probably because she was
still struggling to regain her composure.
It was Golden Week, so they were well aware there was a good possibility of running
into their classmates, but they had never expected to meet someone they had recently
started hanging out with.
"It's surprising to see you in a game center… Uh, did I interrupt something, perhaps?"
Yuuta noticed Amane and looked worried. He didn't seem to have recognized yet that
it was Amane, but as soon as Amane spoke, he was sure to be found out. On the other
hand, Yuuta's attention was focused on Mahiru, so there was a chance that Amane
could escape notice.
"No, not at all…," Mahiru said.
"This is the first I've heard about you having a boyfriend, you know."
"He's not my boyfriend; we don't have that kind of relationship."
Amane felt a twinge of heartache at Mahiru's flat denial, but it was true that they
weren't dating, so he really didn't have any right to complain. It would have been
stranger if she'd said otherwise.
"W-well, to all appearances… Hmm?"
Yuuta, obviously bewildered by Mahiru's stubborn demeanor, was about to question
her again, when he suddenly focused his attention on Amane.
Their eyes met, and Amane's cheek twitched.
Yuuta stared hard, as if puzzling over what he saw. This was an extremely bad situation
for Amane.
"…Fujimiya?"
Just as Amane expected, Yuuta recognized him.
They hadn't been hanging out for that long yet, but even so, it was clear that Yuuta was
perceptive. No matter how differently Amane dressed or styled his hair, he couldn't
deceive his new friend.
Amane had hoped that maybe Yuuta wouldn't look at a stranger so closely, and he did
look pretty different today, but Yuuta didn't miss the connection.
"Huh, Fujimiya… It's you, right? I can tell now that I see you up close… Could it be, you
two knew each other long ago and met again at school?"
"No, well…"
Yuuta seemed to take it as confirmation when he saw Mahiru hesitating to answer. He
looked back and forth between Mahiru and Amane, appearing downright astonished.
Before he'd started hanging out with Yuuta, Amane might have denied everything, but
now that wasn't even remotely possible. He sighed heavily and pressed on his forehead,
then looked up at Yuuta, who was wearing an inquisitive expression.
"…I'm impressed that you recognized me."
"I knew it! Well, somehow I just knew it was you, Fujimiya."
"Is it that easy to tell?"
"Nah, I don't think anyone in our class would figure you out that quickly. You don't
make that sort of face very often."
Amane wasn't sure what "that sort of face" meant, but for the time being, Yuuta didn't
seem to have made the connection between Amane and the "mystery man" Mahiru
had been spotted with, so he was relieved.
"Anyway, it's really something else to run into the both of you, together like this."
"…There's no point in hiding it, so I'll just tell you. It's like you said, we have indeed
known each other since before we started second year. I'll even admit to being good
friends. But we really don't have the kind of relationship that you're imagining,
Kadowaki."
"…Oh really?"
"Really."
Mahiru had not hesitated to deny that there was something going on, so even though
it made him sad to say it, Amane was also clear in his denial. It would cause trouble
for Mahiru if the misunderstanding went any further or became more complicated.
The one who found them just happened to be Yuuta, so he wasn't all that worried, but
there would be trouble if others became suspicious—and their secret got out. He
absolutely had to forbid Yuuta to speak of it.
Amane adopted a firm stance, and Mahiru grasped his sleeve and looked up at him.
She seemed to have something to say but didn't make any move to open her mouth, so
for the time being, he didn't press her.
Yuuta watched Amane's and Mahiru's behavior, and whether he understood or didn't,
he shrugged slightly.
"Hmm… Well, that's all fine and good. I have to say, it's just like Itsuki said."
"What did he say?"
Amane's eyes narrowed involuntarily when he thought about Itsuki having some slip
of the tongue.
"Nothing you need to worry about." Yuuta laughed. "But he said you look cool when
you get dressed up properly. I was just thinking you do look really sharp."
"That sounds sarcastic coming from you, Kadowaki."
Amane could do nothing but smile bitterly at the compliment from the top heartthrob
in their year, maybe in the whole school.
Yuuta was the type of guy who didn't have to try to be attractive. Guys like Amane, who
had to spend time getting dressed up just to look decent, were always destined to be
jealous of guys like him. Amane didn't go so far as to begrudge the other boy his good
looks, but he did on occasion imagine having a more lustrous life if he'd only had the
good fortune to be born like that.
"I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. Just saying, you should style yourself like this all the
time."
"No way; it would be a pain to set my hair every morning. And it would stand out if I
suddenly showed up at school looking like this."
"Well, that is true, but… Shiina, you must have known that Fujimiya could look like
this?"
"That's, well… Yes."
Mahiru nodded uncomfortably as Yuuta turned to study her.
It wasn't a look of scrutiny or distrust. More like he was searching for clues.
"Mm-hmm, I think I understand."
"Understand what?"
"That you also don't want to cause Shiina any trouble."
Mahiru looked startled by his words. Yuuta laughed quietly and said, "You're easier to
read that I expected, Shiina."
He gave a thin smile. It looked somewhat warm, yet lonely in a way—and perhaps even
tinged with a bit of jealousy.
"Um, Kadowaki?" Mahiru asked hesitantly.
"Hmm?"
"Well… I'd like to ask you not to say anything about this to other people. About us being
f-friends, and… everything." Mahiru would be troubled if he said anything, so she also
asked for his silence.
Yuuta nodded readily. "Ah, you don't have to worry about that. I think I understand
why you want to keep this hidden, and I appreciate how you feel. Besides, I've found
that once rumors about you are spread around, you don't much enjoy spreading them
yourself."
Amane had never been so grateful that Yuuta was such a person of character. Also, he
imagined that their situation was probably something Yuuta could deeply relate to. He
was extremely popular with the girls at school, and so he often had to deal with
jealousy from members of his own sex, and on the flip side, if he ever made friends
with a member of the opposite sex, that girl would be in danger. He had told Amane as
much, so he was probably speaking from experience.
Even if they didn't have a romantic relationship, if it became known that a plain guy
like Amane had become friends with the graceful angel Mahiru, who turned away
every suitor, there was bound to be trouble.
Amane was very grateful that Yuuta apparently understood that and would keep his
peace.
"Thanks, Kadowaki."
"Yeah, well, I think it's the normal thing to do. And besides, I wouldn't want to do
anything to jeopardize our relationship, Fujimiya. Not after I finally managed to make
a friend."
Yuuta flashed one of his bright smiles at them, and looking at him, Amane keenly
understood why this boy was so popular. Even speaking as another boy, Amane thought
that Yuuta was a friendly, earnest guy, so he could understand how the girls might find
him utterly charming. It wasn't just because he was handsome; he was also a good
person. The other guys in their class didn't stand a chance.
"Oh, that's right. Fujimiya?"
"Hmm?"
"I'll see you the day after tomorrow."
That day, which Yuuta casually mentioned in a slightly coy tone, was the day when
Amane, Itsuki, and Yuuta had planned to go to karaoke together. In other words, Yuuta
was telling him he would be asking for more details about this situation then.
When their eyes met, Yuuta was wearing a playful smile, underpinned by his peculiar
brand of confidence.
"Got it," Amane answered, though he really felt like running away.
Mahiru watched Amane and Yuuta with a hint of jealousy.
"Sorry about that."
They had separated from Kadowaki and were on their way home, and on the walk to
the apartments from the nearest train station, Amane apologized to Mahiru in a quiet
voice.
Mahiru, who was quite satisfied that she had won some other small toys at the game
center, blinked her caramel-colored eyes in surprise at this sudden apology.
"What are you apologizing for, all of a sudden?"
"Well… for getting found out by Kadowaki."
"Surely that was an accident. Besides, I think everything turned out all right. He
seemed to be rather understanding…"
Now that she said that, he knew it was true, but even so, he was annoyed that someone
suspected that they were dating.
Fortunately, Yuuta had not hung around long, probably because he could tell how
uncomfortable Amane was in that situation. Still, it had tugged at Amane's heart to
hear Mahiru deny everything so definitively.
"Besides, it's not like we weren't aware that something like this could happen when
we decided to go out," Mahiru continued. "Considering the possibilities, I think we're
lucky it was Kadowaki who saw us."
"You're right. For better or worse, Kadowaki knows, but at least he's being cool about
it. He really is a stand-up guy."
It's a good thing he's the one we ran into.
Amane had resigned himself to being cross-examined later, but when he considered
that he would no longer have to feel guilty about continuing to conceal things from
Yuuta at school, it was actually probably a good thing that they were discovered.
Amane had a feeling that Yuuta had also discerned how he felt about Mahiru, but as
long as he didn't tell Mahiru herself, there would be no problem on that front.
He would probably get teased a little bit at karaoke, but Yuuta and Itsuki both had
some discretion in that area, so he shouldn't get it too bad.
"…Amane, you have quite a high opinion of Kadowaki, don't you?"
"Hmm? Uh, I guess so. We've had more and more chances to talk, and I've come to
realize he's popular because he's a really good guy. He's really attractive inside and
out."
"And you trust him, don't you?"
"Trust him…? Well… Yeah, I think he's a stand-up guy."
Amane already knew he could be pretty picky about the people he hung out with. If he
didn't like someone's personality, he would naturally keep them at arm's length. But
Amane's gut told him that Yuuta was a good guy, and that was exactly why he wasn't
too panicked at being found out.
"All right, well, they do say birds of a feather flock together," Mahiru mused.
"I don't know if I belong to that flock…"
"You're putting yourself down again, Amane. Kadowaki decided to be friends with you
because he liked your personality, right? Isn't that the same thing you thought about
him? And Kadowaki, who you think is trustworthy, recognizes something good in you,
so you ought to have more confidence."
Mahiru gently poked his cheek with the tip of her finger, and Amane smiled softly at
her.
Of course he couldn't grant her wish, but as someone who always thought the worst
of himself, he was grateful for her reassurance.
Amane chuckled quietly at Mahiru's sudden lecture on self-confidence, but he also felt
very grateful toward her.
"You're always saying nice things about me, huh, Mahiru?"
"Well, I'm only telling the truth. It's not good for you to always be so hard on yourself."
"It's a habit."
"Well, why did you develop that bad habit? It's a real pain, you know." Mahiru grumbled
in open frustration.
He wasn't sure how to answer the question. Though he knew perfectly well the reason
why.
The simple answer was that he was afraid of failure.
Humans are quick learners. That goes for things both good and bad. Amane didn't
want to fail, and he didn't want to get his hopes up, only for others to turn on him. So
in order to protect himself from disappointment, he kept his expectations low.
But he didn't know how he should tell Mahiru that. And honestly, he didn't particularly
want to have to explain it.
Mahiru stared at him with clear eyes, like she could read his mind. Then just as he
started feeling uncomfortable, she looked away, leaned toward him, and pressed
herself against his upper arm again.
"If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, but please just remember that I accept
you, okay? It's not good to be so hard on yourself."
"…Sure."
"If I need to, I'm going to praise you until you beg me to stop."
"Whoa, scary. You say it like that, but I really do want you to stop. I can't take it
anymore."
"Well then, you need to have more self-confidence."
Mahiru smiled faintly and squeezed his hand. Feeling heat gradually surging up
through his chest but not wanting to destroy this pleasant moment, Amane didn't let
go. He just replied with a quiet "Thanks" and kept walking down the road home.
He didn't want to let go of her hand, but he knew that they would have to let go once
they reached home, so he deliberately walked a little slowly, and Mahiru matched his
pace without saying another word.
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