Hiromu

Born in Fukui, residing in Tokyo. Thanks to the collaboration between Chiramune and Fukui, many readers have actually made the pilgrimage to my hometown. I’m truly happy about this, but unfortunately, there has been an extreme uptick in people posting pictures of ramen from Hachiban’s, katsudon from Europe-Ken, and yakisoba from Takokyu on Twitter to terrorize me. Meanwhile, I’m trying to cut back (sob).

raemz

Born in California, USA.

Works mainly on social-network games and game illustrations. I’ve been looking for a pet-friendly apartment recently.

Chapter 1: Our Own September

CHAPTER 1 Our Own September

“I’m close, but you can’t touch me,” said Fall.

“That’s because September’s jealous and will throw a fit,” laughed Summer.

No, that’s not it.

…I’m trying to wind back to Spring, before Winter comes and provides all kinds of answers.

As we cross the edge of September, we all feel a little lost.

As I put on my uniform for the first time in a long time, thoughts like this spring to mind.

Like paper lanterns lifted aloft over and over by tiny hands, summer deflates and falls to the ground. But fall isn’t here yet, so those summer lanterns are lifted up again and inflated anew.

More like a desolate, lonely seesaw, I think.

August is summer on one side, and October is fall on the other, with us seated precariously in the middle, arms stretched out, not knowing where we really land.

Are we on a bridge between the two sides? Or are we sitting on the fence? As we try to find equilibrium, there are brief moments of balance.

This colorless, liminal space seemed to fit me perfectly just then.

It’s like when you squeeze a bunch of bright paints onto a palette and try to decide which one to dip your brush into first—you’re excited but also hesitant.

As the seasons rotate and bring us along, it’s a good opportunity to stop and take a deep breath.

Teeter, totter.

And yet somewhere, you can hear a sound you shouldn’t.

Yes… Someone else out there doesn’t want it to be over yet. Doesn’t want the colors of the season to change.

Wants to keep things undefined…

I gazed at the water’s surface like I was studying photos in an album. Here cool and flowing, there warm with the lingering summer heat. As I watched, reflections fluttered on the water, short-sleeved shirts marching along the riverbank.

The greenery was still lush and vibrant. The sun was bright and hot enough to make you sweat even in early morning. And the cicadas were still chirping persistently.

The scene is so unchanged from midsummer, you might think the July closing ceremony was just yesterday. But the skies feel a little farther away, and the loafers on the feet of the younger kids sound a little more worn-in than they did before. But those are the only tells.

Heh, I thought, walking along and stifling a yawn, when…

“Morning, Saku.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I didn’t even need to turn around to see who it was. I simply inclined my head to the right and spoke.

“Good morning, Yua.”

Yua came up beside me, her profile composed, smiling slightly at my greeting. “That was quite a yawn. Sleepy on the first day back at school, really?”

“No, I slept really well. But my body still thinks it’s summer vacation.”

“Finished all your homework?”

“Of course. I checked the weather and recorded it in my daily journal. Everything’s accurate.”

“You never change, do you?”

We chatted back and forth, like we were warming back up for the second semester. I couldn’t resist any longer, so I sneaked a peek out of the corner of my eye at Yua, who was fiddling with her hair.

“You don’t need to mess with it so much. I promise you don’t have residual bedhead.”

I cracked a joke, and she finally looked right at me, pouting.

“Of course I don’t. I always check the mirror before leaving the house.”

I think we both noticed the awkward current running through our conversation.

We were too shy to make direct eye contact, talking too much, to try to act like everything was normal. But the content of our conversation was bland, inoffensive fluff that would fly away if you blew on it at all. And the too-short pauses before we spoke were impatient, nervous…

Not that there wasn’t a good reason for us to be like this right now.

Yua seemed to have regained some of her composure, and she forged ahead, as if nothing was wrong.

“Sure you ate a decent breakfast?”

And yet…

“I grilled the dried fish you picked out for me at the market.”

“Oh, I see. Did you enjoy it?”

I felt a little bad about the hesitation I was hearing in Yua’s voice, but still…

“Oh yeah. I think I’ve actually developed more of a taste for fish now.”

…Still, I tried to answer earnestly. Because I didn’t want to pretend I wasn’t aware of what was going on.

I couldn’t just pretend like I forgot the special time this girl gifted to me.

I needed to face up to my feelings. To face up to her feelings.

Yua pressed her lips together with embarrassment, then gently smiled. “We’ll have to go shopping again soon, huh?”

“Yeah. But next time, more meat, less fish, ’kay?”

“Hmph, didn’t you just say you liked fish?”

I was glad I could still walk this path with her.

Thank you, I silently whispered to my companion.

As we slowly walked along side by side, I thought I could almost hear the soft, smooth sound of saxophone music, somewhere far off in the distance.

As we passed through the school gate, I noticed a group of three people huddled in front of the entrance.

Yua and I exchanged looks, and as we approached, the trio turned and saw us. Kaito was the first to speak.

“Mornin’!” he chirped.

Next to Kaito, Kazuki just blinked a greeting at us, and Kenta nodded.

“Morning, King, Uchida.”

We joined the circle, and Yua smiled.

“Good morning, Asano, Mizushino, Yamazaki.”

I raised my hand lightly and followed suit. “Hey, what’s up with you all being together? Did you walk to school as a group, or…?”

“Yeah, right!” As he spoke, Kaito put his arm around my shoulders. “I just ran into Kazuki and Kenta on the way here, so I said hey. Total coincidence.”

“Not a particularly pleasant coincidence,” I said.

“What’s the matter, Saku? Are you jealous?”

“Don’t say awful things like that, even as a joke.”

I pushed his arm off me, and I had to grin to myself. Kaito, in his own way, was trying to keep things smooth for everyone’s sake.

This level of cheerful joking was just what we needed after the unpleasant fighting.

Kazuki, who’d been watching from a close distance, smiled in a sharklike way.

“Interesting to see you two looking so friendly first thing in the morning, even after what happened.”

Before I could think of anything to say in response, Yua smiled a little and said, “Oh, did something happen, Mizushino?”

Even Kazuki looked taken aback by Yua’s chillingly flat voice. His gaze drifted off, and he scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Eh, well… I guess it looks nice to regular schmucks like us on the outside, eh, Kenta?”

“Dude, don’t lob the grenade at me.”

Everyone laughed at Kenta’s cool retort.

Doubled over a little, Kaito said, “It’s too early in the new semester to get clobbered, you know, Kazuki.”

Kenta raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Watch out, Mizushino. You really don’t want to provoke Uchida’s wrath.”

This time, it was Yua’s turn to blink in confusion. “…Er, Yamazaki…I didn’t know you thought of me that way.”

Kenta flapped his hand in a panic and scrambled to explain himself. “Er, uh, well, I mean… Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way! It’s just… Let’s see, um, well… Okay, Uchida, you’re always so calm and kind. But even King here struggles to look you in the eye sometimes. You’re the type of girl who can really lay down the law and—”

“Hmph! You’re literally just making it sound even worse!”

This kind of back-and-forth was kinda rare to see, and I couldn’t help grinning.

“Right, Kenta. You don’t want to go making Yua angry.”

“Excuse me, Saku?”

“…See? That’s all it takes to make her snap at you.”

Everyone burst out laughing again.

This kind of scene was so familiar, and yet there was a freshness to it.

We all headed straight for the classroom.

That day, that evening, I’d tried to flee from everyone through this very door. Looking at it now…it felt kind of nostalgic.

“See you, everyone. Next semester.”

Those words had been dropped right here, never to be taken back…

“Bye, Saku. See you in the second semester.”

But Yuuko picked them up and gave them back to me, before summer vacation came to its end.

If that memory hadn’t been painted over in warmer colors, I bet stepping into this classroom again would feel totally different… It would feel very complex.

“Morning!”

Is it her? Is she here? I thought, lifting my gaze, but…

“Oh, Chitose! ’Sup?”

Not the person I was expecting at all.

Nazuna stood in the middle of the classroom, waving her hand vigorously.

“Morning, everyone.”

I hadn’t seen her since first semester, but we did chat on a video call just the other day, so it didn’t actually feel like it had been that long.

Yua and the others all exchanged quick greetings before heading to their seats.

I paused to chat. “…Hey. ’Sup?”

Nazuna came up close and tipped her head toward one shoulder impishly.

“Hmm? Chitose…you weren’t expecting Yuuko, were you?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Wow, you’re not even denying it? Suspicions confirmed.”

“I’m denying it now, then.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’m actually shocked at how little of a reaction you had to my morning greeting.”

“Oh, sorry, here you go… Saku’s super happy to see you again after all this time, Nazuna.”

“You neglected me this summer, wouldn’t you agree?”

Maybe. I smiled awkwardly.

Nazuna had helped out with baseball practice along with everyone else, and she had even come to watch the game.

And she’d been chatting and laughing away with Yuuko and Nanase…

I could no longer see her as just a regular classmate.

Having said everything she wanted to say, perhaps, Nazuna seemed ready to end the conversation, but then she squinted, as if she’d just remembered something.

“Speaking of Yuuko, I think she’s gonna be a few more minutes.”

“I didn’t ask anything about her.”

Nazuna snorted, shoulders shaking in amusement, before she strolled off.

I watched her go—and the view was not half bad—then called out to the back of the guy sitting at the desk near where Nazuna was heading.

“’Sup, Atomu.”

“…’Sup.”

You jerk. At least turn around.

Atomu raised his hand, keeping his back to me, and I lightly shrugged.

Well, at least he responded. I’ll take the win.

Just as I was hooking my Gregory backpack onto the side of my desk…

“Morning!!!”

“Mornin’.”

…two familiar voices reached my ears.

The short ponytail of the one in the front bounced and bobbed.

“’Sup, Hubby?!”

A few days ago, for some weird reason, Mai Todo called me using Haru’s phone. The call got cut off in mid-conversation, and she didn’t call back.

“So did you end up winning your game against the old alumni?”

“Nope, we crashed and burned!”

But Haru still seemed unbothered… And generally, I could tell she’d let go of some heavy burden.

“I see.” I nodded, and Haru giggled.

“But I’ve gotten stronger.”

When I’d talked to her briefly on the phone, I’d been a little worried at how Haru didn’t really sound like herself… But I was glad she’d apparently worked through something.

She’s leveling up in life, I thought, and I felt a fleeting sense of being left behind.

“By the way, I got a text from Todo after that.”

I’d forgotten about it until now, but when I mentioned it, Haru’s eyes went wide with shock.

“Huh?! Why?!”

“That’s what I’d like to know…”

Judging from Haru’s reaction…it kinda seemed Todo had memorized my number and texted me of her own accord after the fact.

Haru scowled. “And…?”

Since there wasn’t really anything worth hiding, I shared the text from Todo.

“If you want a man, hold him close. If he doesn’t care, knock him down… ”

Before I could finish reading it out, Haru’s brow started to twitch. “All righty. Haru needs to step out and take care of some quick business at Ashi High right now! ”

“Not sure what’s going on, but you should try to chill out.”

“Oh? So is Chitose prepared to stick up for the beautiful and slender Mai?”

“Don’t drag me into this.”

While we were going at it…

“Can you guys wrap it up? Geez!” Nanase, standing behind Haru, gave her stubby ponytail a gentle tug.

Haru turned, grumbling, “You know, while you were off gallivanting around Kanazawa, Nana, Mai was running circles around our team.”

“You’re blaming me for the failures of our team’s so-called ace?”

“Oh, shut up! We put up a good fight at the end there!”

“Let’s just keep the losses to the court and not in the rest of your life, okay?”

“Nnng! Grrr! Before I take Mai down, I might just settle my score with you!”

“All righty, now that we’ve made a deal…”

Nanase grinned at me, signaling that she was done sparring with Haru.

“Hey.”

“’Sup?”

I remembered a little bit of friction between me and Nanase when she’d video called me during her trip with Nazuna and Yuuko.

When she’d asked me what I’d thought of her kimono, I’d tried to style it out with a joke, and she’d gotten pissed.

It’s still difficult to get the right balance between us, I thought to myself.

I still haven’t forgotten how I got a tongue-lashing from Yua and Yuuko the night of the summer festival.

“I think Saku really believes that. If he casually compliments a girl, she might get the wrong idea and fall in love with him.”

“You think a girl’s going to get the wrong idea over a simple compliment? You underestimate us.”

“Please, make up with everyone so you can get on with deciding.”

On a logical level, I’d like to think I get it.

You have to make yourself vulnerable and honestly face what’s in front of you, or you’re never going to manage to define what it is exactly you’re feeling.

I smiled wryly as I felt the rising awkwardness reach a peak. But then Nanase gave me a teasing look.

“Maybe you’re remembering the sight of me in a kimono?”

“…Hmm, maybe.”

I did not want to make the same mistake twice, so I decided to go for honesty.

Nanase’s eyes widened in surprise; then she continued with a big grin and a theatrical voice.

“Hmph, it’s too late to repent now. If you want to settle the score, though…I think you know what needs to be done.”

“I know, I know. Unfinished business and all.”

“Let’s go with that. So, when’s that rendezvous looking likely to happen?”

“Don’t rush. All in good time. Make the sign of the cross and pray before you pull that trigger.”

“Pulling the trigger—the ultimate act of love.”

Then we looked at each other and burst out laughing.

To be honest, I didn’t even know what I was saying partway through the bit. I was just making it up on the fly.

I felt like it’d been a long time since she and I’d last done our goofy role-play together.

When I pissed her off over the kimono incident, she’d said she’d treat me to some special dish I’ve never even tasted before. That was probably what Nanase was referring to with her cryptic dialogue.

Haru, who’d been listening silently next to us, looked back and forth between us with disgust on her face.

“Ugh, it’s so uncomfortable when you two talk like that.”

“No need for rude personal remarks.”

Nanase never failed to provoke Haru.

“It’s a secret between me and him. We’re talking in code so no one will figure it out, okay?”

Haru took the bait and grabbed me by the front of my shirt, her smile tight with barely repressed anger.

“Hey, Chitose. Share your secrets with Haru, too, ’kay? B”

“You think roughing me up is gonna work, huh?”

When these two get fired up on the court, they’re the coolest. How could I resist the allure of joining in on their sparky banter off the court, too…?

While the gang was back together and chatting, I checked the clock.

There were still around ten minutes left until homeroom was due to start.

She’s late, I realized, and I turned my attention now to the doorway.

Some busybody had closed the door with a thud and a serious look on their face, and ever since then, it had been still and silent.

This past year and a half, she always got to class before me and would greet me with that cheerful voice and bright smile. The colorful flower in the center of our social circle. But now, without all of that, I was surprised by how on edge and fidgety I was.

It felt so strange, as if a crumpled-up answer sheet with a red mark was stuck in my throat, and I found myself swallowing hard.

This summer, I was unable to accept the feelings offered to me by a friend I hold dear to me.

And now I don’t deserve all her gifts. I’ve sunk to the bottom of the bottle, averting my gaze from the night sky.

But I knew that she’d confessed her feelings—not to start something new, but to bring something to a conclusion, and that she had done it not for herself but for all of us.

And when we tried to withdraw and lick our wounds, our good friends had sought us out and offered us a helping hand.

So one final time…this time, I think, for sure…

…we should both try to face up to our feelings. We owed that much to ourselves.

Hand in hand. Sharing the same warmth.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised when I got that call from Nazuna in Kanazawa and saw her face on my phone screen.

And yet the conversation that followed was so short that it barely counted as a conversation.

A casual, normal conversation. It had been unthinkable to even picture such a thing before.

For me, it felt just right.

It was warm, like all the time we’d spent knowing each other had enveloped me like a hand-knit sweater. So warm, I almost got the urge to pull out my fall clothes.

So the emptiness of the morning classroom was really leaving me ill at ease.

Was it possible that I was alone in thinking of this as a soft reset?

Was it possible that the “ending” we experienced was actually “the end”?

“I don’t want to just pretend it didn’t happen.”

I believe I made that pretty clear?

Ugh, I thought, filled with self-pity, and then…

…rattle, clatter, roll.

The sound of the door opening arrived like a song.

“Good morning!!!”

I whirled around to face the voice I’d been actually really desperate to hear, and…

“““““““…!!!”””””””

I… No, not just me. The whole classroom seemed to hold its collective breath, and there was a preternatural silence.

Yua, Nanase, Haru, Kazuki, Kaito, and Kenta, too.

Their eyes were popping out of their heads, and their jaws were flapping in the wind.

In my peripheral vision, I could see that Nazuna was actually staring at me, her shoulders shaking slightly. She was the only one.

“…Huh? Good morning?”

The bewildered voice reminded time to flow again.

“““““““Whaaat?!”””””””

Our collective shock burst and splattered out like a water balloon.

None of us could process the situation.

We looked to our neighbor, then back to the door. Confused glances flew every which way.

And I was right there, staring with the rest of them.

I mean, this wasn’t an easy scene to swallow.

Yes, it was her, the girl I’d been thinking of so intensely just moments before, only…

…only, Yuuko had cut off all her long hair, her pride and joy.

I see, I thought, and for a moment, sadness filled me.

I knew Yuuko considered her long hair to be her trademark. She loved to make the most of it in different styles, and she spent more time caring for her hair than anyone else did on theirs.

Suddenly, a casual exchange we’d once had popped into my mind.

“Hey, do you like long hair, Saku?”

“I think your hair as it is right now suits you best, Yuuko.”

“Hee-hee, I see! Then I guess I’ll keep it this way.”

At the time, it wasn’t the compliment being from me that seemed to please Yuuko. It was because I’d complimented her hair.

Who could have imagined a day like this would ever come?

Yuuko walked over in the midst of our utter shock and confusion.

“Good morning, everyone! Here’s to the second semester!”

We all exchanged glances…but Nanase was the first to clear her throat and speak.

“Er, good morning. So, um, what’s with…y’know…?”

Nanase was beating around the bush, but Yuuko got straight to it.

“Yeah, I thought I’d try becoming the new me!”

Yuuko tossed her head to show off the cut. No longer weighed down by its length, her hair fanned out lightly, then fell smoothly against her cheeks.

It reminded me of a first snowfall in the middle of the night, and I found myself entranced.

Nanase raised an eyebrow in what looked like admiration and said, “A very Yuuko move.” She shook her head and chuckled.

Yua seemed to have regained her composure while observing the exchange between Yuuko and Nanase, and she was the next to give a gentle nod.

“Yuuko, you look really beautiful,” she said.

“Thanks, Ucchi!”

Haru lifted a hand and chimed in. “You look super cool! I actually think I like this much better.”

“Really?! Yay,” Yuuko said, raising her hand, and Haru gave her a high five.

“Whoooa!!!”

Kaito bellowed, apparently no longer able to contain himself.

“There was a time when I was totally convinced that Yuuko had to have long hair. But…but look at this, everyone! How could any man see her this way and not be utterly charmed?! Gaaah!!!”

Yuuko chuckled as she watched Kaito, who was now addressing the entire class.

“Hmph. Kaito, you always act so dramatic.”

Yuuko paused for a breath, rolled her eyes, then said…

“But I’m kinda pleased, all the same.”

Then she smiled softly, a little shyly.

“Y-yeah.”

Kaito suddenly seemed to get embarrassed then, and he turned away, raising a hand to block his face.

Kazuki shrugged and rolled his eyes, then spoke up next. “Not bad at all, Yuuko.”

“What’s that, Kazuki? A genuine reaction? Yikes, that’s kinda creepy.”

Kenta spoke next, through gasps. “Yuuko… That… You’re red-hot!”

“What does that even mean?!”

Nobody asked her why.

But then they’re not that kind of people, I thought to myself.

Once she was done chatting it up with the others, Yuuko finally turned to me.

…Thump.

That was enough to make my heart beat louder.

Am I nervous? I wondered, not sure myself, and I found myself stiffening up.

Perhaps it was just awkwardness over speaking face-to-face after such a long time…or insecurity about our relationship and what shape it would take now… Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

Yuuko looked down, and her long eyelashes fluttered for about five blinks before slowly angling upward. At last, her wavering eyes met my own.

She tipped her head a little to one side, and she gave me a faint smile that brought to mind an intricately twined knot of a traditional Japanese paper cord.

“Good morning, Saku.”

Quietly, gracefully, and simply put.

Okay. In this moment, in this situation, with Yuuko right in front of me…how should I react?

Up until now, it would have gone like this: Yuuko would have approached me with a mix of unease and anticipation on her face. She would have said, “So? Whaddaya think?” and I would have given her a cheesy, overblown compliment, keeping my awkwardness under control.

So why not this time? Why don’t I play it off with a lighthearted remark, or act all cute and pretend like I haven’t noticed anything’s different, to spare both of us the embarrassment? Or I could even crack a joke about her new hair.

…But all those things would seem crass now.

Silently chiding myself for being so awkward, I said…

“Good morning, Yuuko.”

Just natural, you know.

The other day, I had this feeling when I was talking to Yuuko on video call:

We don’t need to say too much else.

Not for a while, I should add. For some reason, I feel like I can guess the answers to everything I’d like to ask her without specifically asking, and even if there are certain things I’d like to know, I can probably get by okay without knowing them.

Anything I’d want to express to her, I can get across without actually saying it, I thought, and I found that the smile on my face was completely natural.

Not apologetically, but thankfully, I said:

“I think it suits who you are right now, Yuuko.”

What I ended up saying was the one thing I wanted to say, to overwrite what had gone before.

As for Yuuko, it was like she’d known what I wanted to say this whole time.

“Then feast your eyes on who I am now, I guess.”

She chuckled.

“…And, to my final topic of discussion…we have to decide on a class presentation, or what have you, for the Fuji High Festival next month. I’ll earmark a homeroom session for that soon, but until then, you should all give some thought to what you’d like to do.”

After some rambling anecdotes from Kura and some good-natured envious bitching about the freedom high school students enjoy during summer vacation, followed by some dry administrative announcements, the introductory class of second semester came to an end.

It’s that time of year again, I thought as I tidied up my desk.

The Fuji High Festival is our school festival, held over three days in October.

The first day is the public festival, where the culture clubs give presentations in the large hall of a facility located near Fuji High. The second day is the sports festival, and the third day is the cultural festival.

Last year, I’d just quit baseball and wasn’t really in the right frame of mind to enjoy the school festival. In fact, I can hardly even remember the preparation period beforehand even though it had the rest of the school buzzing. And I can hardly even remember the actual day of the festival itself.

I was still thinking about that as I shouldered my Gregory backpack, and then…

“Hey, Saku, how about going to Takokyu?” Kaito grinned.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen the old dame who works there since just after the closing ceremony of the first semester.

She’ll probably give me a bit of a tongue-lashing, I thought ruefully.

“I’m down… What about everyone else?”

Haru nodded. “Basketball is having independent practice today. So I have plenty of time to eat.”

Kazuki spoke next. “Same here. Hey, why don’t we have a brainstorming session and discuss what we’re gonna do for the school festival?”

He was probably referring to some kind of performance Year Two, Class Five would put on. Or maybe he meant just our group.

Basically, aside from the presentations put on by the culture clubs at the public festival, anyone can take part in the sports or cultural festivals in any way they’d like to, if they’re so inclined.

“You’re the last person I’d imagine would suggest something like that.”

I was teasing, but Kazuki just shrugged.

“Last year, we all chose not to, out of concern for a certain someone’s mental state.”

“…Yeah. Sorry.”

Nanase strolled over, shoulders shaking with mirth. “Mizushino taking point? Kinda surprising.”

Kazuki narrowed his eyes a little and gazed out the window. “Same as the fireworks festival. There’s no guarantees we’ll be able to have the same type of fun next year.”

When he said that, Kenta, Yua, and Yuuko also paused in the act of packing their bags, looked at one another, and nodded.

As soon as we pushed open the door to Takokyu…

“You never once showed your faces during summer vacation. You heartless kids.”

Just like I’d expected, the first thing I heard was a tongue-lashing.

We tried to placate the old dame and ordered yakisoba, takoyaki, and fried chicken as a token of our apology.

Once our dishes arrived, Kazuki immediately got down to business.

“So what to do for the school festival?”

We’d ordered the yakisoba as a form of penance, but in the end, the proprietress upgraded our order to a jumbo portion for free.

Kaito was busy chowing down, but he paused to speak next. “But the performances put on at the cultural festival by each class are something we’re gonna hash out in homeroom, right? Are you talking about doing something extra?”

Kazuki nodded and continued. “Yeah, like serving on the executive committee or taking one of the free participation slots.”

I don’t know how it goes at other high schools, but at Fuji’s school festival, basically all the students are assigned to some kind of committee or group.

The executive committees for the sports festival and cultural festival are probably the best examples. Actually, a lot of students try to get the maximum enjoyment out of the event, so there’s a lot of competition for places. Conversely, less motivated students usually try to get onto the school grounds cleanup crew or the film crew, things that involve less work.

Kaito went on to bring up the entertainment put on by each class at the school festival.

Stuff like food stalls and booths, haunted house experiences, and stage performances like plays and comedy routines.

Then there’s the free participation slots anyone can apply to fill, either as an individual or in friend groups. Stuff like light music performances or a cappella contests and so on.

In other words, if our gang wanted to do something besides our official class entertainment, we’d either have to try to join the same committee or apply for one of the free participation slots.

Nanase picked up a french fry and casually spoke. “I want to try being in a band for the school festival at least once in my life.”

I paused in the act of wolfing down my takoyaki.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“Really? I mean, I don’t know much about music, but I think it’s just kinda cool, you know? I’ve always been sporty, ever since I was little, but I’ve always kinda admired people in bands like brass band, who perform onstage in front of an audience.”

I kinda got what Nanase was saying.

Of course, in baseball and basketball, you end up playing in front of a big crowd if you make it to nationals. It’s kinda similar in that you can show off the fruits of all your practice in front of an audience.

But we’re not professionals, so we’re not playing to entertain anyone. We’re just competing with the other team, although it usually ends up with the audience getting excited anyway.

So when you look at it that way, it’s like the whole point of a live band or brass band performance is to entertain an audience.

I’ve thought about what it might be like to have people respond directly to a performance you’re putting on. Sure I have.

I thought for a second and then spoke. “I reckon you could learn to play a basic song easily on, like, guitar or bass, Nanase.”

It’s not uncommon for a group of friends to form a beginner band for the school festival.

It’s not like we’re selling tickets and performing at some legitimate live venue. But a group of scrappy kids cobbling something together and pulling off a mostly okay performance at a school festival… That’s something a crowd loves to see.

Nanase waved her hand airily. “Oh, I’m just spitballing, though. One song would be doable, I guess, but putting together a live set and doing our class entertainment and somehow keeping up with club stuff sounds too much like hard work.”

“Hmm, I guess you’re right.”

Haru sounded a little bit wistful. “We’ve got the Winter Cup preliminaries coming up next month. I want to enjoy the school festival to the fullest, too, but if we’re going to do something as a group, it’d be easier if we could slot into something our class or one of the committees already has all arranged.”

Nanase cupped her cheeks, looking contrite.

“Right. Sorry, everyone.”

Fuji puts a lot of effort into its school festival, so all clubs are canceled in the immediate run-up to it. But when there’s some important tournament going on, like there is for Haru and her team, they can’t just neglect practice. They’ll probably have their hands really full if they have to balance the class activity with a committee-organized one as well.

But Kazuki sounded like he’d been expecting that reaction.

“Well, that’s only natural, I guess. All right, no free participation slots for now. I’m fine just doing a class performance if it comes to that. But is there any committee everyone would like to join?”

“Oh, me me me!”

Yuuko thrust her hand into the air.

“So, like, what if we joined the cheering squad for the sports festival?”

“““““Aha!”””””

Kaito, Kazuki, Nanase, Haru, and I all vocalized our understanding in unison.

Yua and Kenta didn’t seem to get it, though, and they both stared at Yuuko in bewilderment.

Basically, for the sports festival, all the students are divided into five groups: red, blue, yellow, green, and black. Then we compete against one another in relay races and tug-of-war, stuff like that. Incidentally, our class is going to be in the Blue Team, apparently.

But aside from the tried-and-true events, there’s a few other interesting ones—namely, the big group Display Project and the cheering squads’ routines.

So for the group Display Project, each team has to physically make something that’s the same color as their team color.

For example, the Red Team would make a big Lupin in his red jacket, and the Green Team would make Yoshi or some kind of famous character like that. You’d make them with a chicken wire framework, about sixteen feet high, and then display them in front of a background panel. Then you’d put on little skits when performance time comes around.

And the cheering squads are there to cheer for their own team.

While the races and so on are going on, the cheer squad leads the other students in shouting encouragement, waving flags, and performing synchronized cheers every now and then.

But just like with the Display Project people, the cheer squad really shines during the performance sessions.

Each cheer squad gets a slot to perform while wearing handmade costumes and performing original dance routines they’ve personally choreographed to music.

The Display Project teams and the cheer teams get ranked and then bring in a ton of points. They’re basically one of the highlights of the whole sports festival.

Haru was the first one to jump aboard.

“Sounds great! I’m amazing at anything physical, after all!”

I was quick to tease her. “Haru, can you even dance?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Haru chided me, waggling her index finger in front of my face. “Don’t underestimate me, Hubby. Any basketball player worth her salt’s got to have a good sense of rhythm, in my humble opinion.”

“Ah, indeed, there may be wisdom to your words. So then you’re cool with this, too, Kaito?”

Kaito was quick to flex his bicep.

“Heck yeah! I mean, I don’t know if basketball skills translate to dance skills, but if it’s jock stuff and not academic stuff, then I think I’ve got it on lock! I mean, I can easily wave a flag around and all that.”

I grinned. He’s oddly persuasive, I thought.

I looked at Nanase and Kazuki.

Eh, these two are probably persuadable.

Kazuki smiled. “Not that I have any experience, either, but either way, I don’t see why I should get outshone by Kaito.”

Nanase smiled teasingly as well. “Same goes for me, but against Haru, of course.”

“Hey, that’s not cool!”

“Excuse me?! You wanna go right now?!”

Eh, I never really had any concerns about these hard-core school club members to begin with.

The issue lies with… I glanced over at the two who had yet to contribute to the conversation.

Predictably, Yua raised her hand with a look of mild concern on her face.

“I have some reservations, I think.”

“Whaaat?” Yuuko said. “But you’ve been playing music since you were little. If anyone can do it, it’s you!”

“I mean, it’s just a bit embarrassing…”

“But, Ucchi, you have that big stage performance with the brass band on the first day of the public festival, don’t you? You’ll be performing in front of tons of people! This is essentially the same thing, you know?”

“Hmm… Well, when you put it that way…”

“Don’t worry! I won’t laugh! Even if it turns out you’ve got two left feet.”

“Please! I’m not that uncoordinated!”

Seeing the two of them giggling together, I realized that Yua was probably just fine.

And then everyone’s head swiveled as we turned to look at…

“No way, no way, no way, and NO WAY!”

Kenta stood up, flapping his hands in a panic.

“You jerks! Would you drag a deep-sea fish out of the ocean in midsummer and tell it to dance the samba on the beach?! You think a floppy blobfish like me can blend in with the tropical specimens on display on the cheer team?! Is this a ploy to mock the former shut-in?!”

“Hey, calm down, Kenta. Not even tropical fish can dance the samba on the beach.”

But at the same time, I saw what he was getting at.

This kind of thing clearly divides folks into the “I could do that” faction and the “No way in hell” faction.

So even though this is the best part of the entire festival, those who really want to participate usually get granted a place.

It depends on the psychology of the individual. You can’t force it.

Still, it wouldn’t seem right for Kenta to be the only one left out.

Maybe we could switch to theater props or some other committee, I thought, but then…

“Kenta, can I talk to you for a second?” Kazuki got to his feet, but before he could say any more, Kenta started protesting.

“No, no, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to persuade me, I just can’t! I’ll join some other committee, something easy, but you guys go ahead and do cheering.”

Kazuki shook his head slightly and placed his hand on Kenta’s shoulder. “Just listen, Kenta.”

“I’d rather die than dance!”

It’ll be no easy feat to convince Kenta when he’s all wound up like this, I thought with a smile. Still, let’s see what Kazuki does.

“Kenta, you like anime, right?”

“So what? In case you’re unaware, the school festivals depicted in anime are fictional.”

And you call yourself an otaku? Don’t pull us into the bleak real world.

Kazuki continued in a cool voice.

“Speaking of dancing, anime characters dance in the opening and ending credits sometimes, right? Who wants to watch something like that? Wouldn’t it be better to show something more in canon, something more steeped in the world of the actual work itself. That stuff is just pandering fanservice.”

Kenta gave Kazuki a shockingly sardonic look.

“Excuse me? It’s a TREAT for fans. It’s practically every fan’s duty to reproduce the dance moves to perfection!”

One corner of Kazuki’s mouth twitched up a little.

“And incidentally… Don’t anime fans do those Wotagei dances with glow sticks at voice actors’ live performances?”

Kenta sighed heavily. He turned both hands palms-up and rolled his eyes.

“Oh dear. See, this is what happens when people like you act like you know the first thing about otaku. Nobody does Wotagei these days. It just annoys people who’ve actually come to enjoy the live show. Anyway, I’m not even a voice actor otaku. So if you want to reach me on my level, at least do some research first.”

Amazing.

Kazuki blinked away Kenta’s diatribe with that same cool expression on his face.

If I were him, I would have flicked Kenta right in his big dumb forehead.

“So, Kenta… You don’t know any Wotagei moves? You can’t do it?”

“Huh? I know Wotagei. I never said otherwise.”

“But you said nobody does Wotagei these days.”

“Oh, you don’t get it, you don’t get it at all, Mizushino. If you do Wotagei at a concert, it’s an inconvenience to others. But in your own room, you can do what you like, right? You can dance your heart out with a concert video. And you know, I’ve been keeping up the training program King made for me, so I’m actually really in shape right now.”

Looking closely, I could see Kazuki’s shoulders shaking slightly, like he was desperately trying to hold back laughter.

But by this point, I knew where he was going with this.

Kazuki seemed to be trying to speak with the utmost calm. “Hmm? It sounds kinda interesting… But I guess it would be embarrassing to do that in front of others, right?”

Kenta puffed out his chest melodramatically.

“Hmm. But King said something once… You gotta be proud of who you are. Like, there’s no need to be ashamed of what you like.”

Hey, don’t go paraphrasing me. You’re making me sound like a dork.

Kazuki got to the point. “Well then, why not show me what you got? Might be good to do something new, not one of the dances you’ve already learned.”

Kenta’s eyes gleamed. “It’s on! Challenge accepted.”

“Including practice time, I think next month should be good. On the school playing field.”

“With that amount of time, I can show you three or four dances.”

“Well, if you’re going to be dancing, you should plan out every detail and make a costume to go along with it, hmm?”

“Heh. It’ll be my first time cosplaying. But I’m not complaining.”

“Well, then…”

Kazuki looked around the table, a dodgy smile on his face.

“It looks like Kenta will be joining the cheer team, too.”

“Wait… WHAAAAAT?!”

We’d all held back our mirth enough. Now we burst out laughing at the way Kazuki had trapped Kenta.

Kaito was wheezing with laughter and clutching his stomach. “What’s the issue, Kenta? It sounds like you’ve got the most experience of us all.”

Haru wiped her eyes dramatically. “I’m looking forward to seeing Yamazaki’s amazing dance moves.”

Nanase chimed in, too. “Don’t worry, a bunch of us will be dancing, so it’s not like you’ll stand out.”

Yuuko brightened and got to her feet. “Kentacchi! Let’s make some amazing memories, okay?!”

Yua looked up at Kenta and smiled gently. “Let’s work hard together, Yamazaki.”

Finally, I spoke. “Well, looks like it’s all decided. Let’s enjoy our youth while we’ve still got it.”

“Darn normies,” Kenta sulkily mumbled to himself.

As we all laughed together, I found my thoughts wandering.

The summer of our seventeenth year…never to come again.

After passing through that fresh green tunnel, everything felt different.

I saw last summer through to the end with Haru, then welcomed a new summer.

Yuuko opened up her heart to me.

Then Yua opened up to me and Yuuko.

Honestly, thanks to Nanase and Asuka, I felt like things had already started changing, though.

Kazuki and Kaito… Well, they’d always been Kazuki and Kaito.

But Kenta had evolved into a higher form.

…Together, we all saw this summer through to its end.

I have zero intention of pretending like none of it ever happened.

However…

Everyday life was back to normal, and boy, if it didn’t taste sweet.

I walked along the riverbed path. Same as this morning, just in the opposite direction.

We’d all gone our separate ways after Takokyu. Nanase, Haru, and Kazuki went right off to club practice. Yuuko and Yua were going shopping near the station, apparently. And Kenta, who was headed to Animate, would be walking that way with them.

I had no particular plans, myself. I strolled home, leisurely taking in the scenery. I felt so laid-back. Taking a nap with a stray cat for companionship…now that would be a nice way to pass the rest of the afternoon.

I could do whatever I wanted. I could do absolutely nothing, too. It was a glorious time.

Done with their duties now that August had passed, the wind chimes were putting in overtime. Their tinkling was almost morose.

I could smell something sweet drifting on the air. Leftover corn being hastily boiled, perhaps.

As I made my way along, I spotted a figure sitting by the little sluice gate. I stopped dawdling and sped up. Then I clambered down the bank, using the narrow, paved channel that was just wide enough for one person. I saw her in profile, and for a moment, she appeared to be wearing a crisp new dress, soaking wet.

I called out, hoping my voice would sound light and cheerful. Lively, like festival music.

“Asuka.”

Asuka looked up from her paperback, relief crossing her face. It was the kind of look she might have had at a parent-teacher conference if her dad ran in after being late, or something. Then she tossed her head and turned away.

“I was sure I wouldn’t be seeing you today.”

I smiled a little and sat down beside her.

“Sorry, sorry. I was grabbing dinner with the gang.”

I glanced at the cover of her paperback and noted the title: Me, and Our Summer. I’ve never read it, but it made me wonder if Asuka was feeling wistful about the season that had just passed.

Asuka shook her shoulders a little awkwardly and spoke.

“Just kidding. It’s such a nice evening, I didn’t feel like heading home straight away. Although I was kinda wondering if I might get to see you.”

We were thinking along the same lines, I realized, and that realization filled me with warmth.

I was worried I might have inadvertently hurt her feelings when we went to tour the URALA office together that time. But it seemed like she’d long gotten over that incident.

Oh, speaking of which…

“What color are you, Asuka?”

From her confused expression, I realized I’d been too vague and quickly clarified.

“Sorry, sorry. I mean for the sports festival.”

She seemed to realize what I was getting at, but her response was still kinda muted.

“I don’t think we found out yet… How come?”

“Nothing. Just me and the gang were talking about doing cheer team together.”

Generally speaking, the committees for the school festivals and the color-coding for the sports festival were decided randomly.

In other words, besides school clubs, it’s the only time in all of high school that we could participate in activities together with students from different grades.

Maybe she’d picked up on my subtext—or should I say, the rather exciting possibility I was subconsciously expressing. Asuka turned away and blushed.

“Well, what color are you?” she asked.

“Blue.”

“I see… The cheer squad for the sports festival…”

I could see that she looked troubled, so I quickly kept talking.

“Well, I guess you aren’t really the type to put on a colorful costume and dance for a crowd, Asuka.”

The comment was meant to be lighthearted, to soften the mood, but Asuka pouted. “Hold on. What’s that supposed to mean?”

Her reaction was so funny. I felt an urge to mess with her.

“I just mean that you look best to me reading, in a white dress.”

Now Asuka was pouting even more.

“Listen here, you… You think I can’t even dance, don’t you?”

“…Honestly, all I can picture is you yelling, ‘Wait! Don’t leave me behind!’ like you did that one time, and…”

“Okay, so I’m not exactly the best at sports. But I’m not totally uncoordinated, either.”

“The issue is, you become a total klutz when you’re out of your element.”

“…Oh, okay, now I see what you think of me!”

She turned her back on me, sulking. I grinned.

“I was just joking. What I wanted to say is, don’t force yourself to go along with the crowd.”

Asuka let out a short sigh, and her shoulders slumped.

“I understand well enough that it’s not in my comfort zone.”

“You never would sing at karaoke, either.”

“Oh, again with the teasing, huh?”

“C’mon, you know me.”

Asuka gave me an exasperated look.

Her expression was more melancholy than I’d thought…and more vulnerable than I would’ve hoped.

She started to say something but then stopped herself and just muttered under her breath instead.

“My final school festival…”

Loneliness welled up inside me; I had nowhere to put it, so it spread through me. I responded in a subdued tone.

“It’d be cool if we got to be the same color, at least.”

“Yeah. Blue, like you.”

And so we sat there gazing at the blue sky for a while, at a red bicycle parked by the side of the road, at a yellow T-shirt swaying on a nearby balcony, at the green trees rustling in the breeze, and at the black crows swooping by.

Swish.

As my hundredth two-handed three-pointer fell through the net, I, Haru Aomi, finally relaxed my shoulders and took a deep breath.

After we all dispersed at Takokyu, the independent practice session began. Before I knew it, it was seven PM already. Sen, Yoh, and the others were all as caught up in practice as I was. None of us were showing any signs of leaving. And no one had even thought to bring up the idea of wrapping it up when we were ready, either.

Things really have changed, I thought, taking in the scene.

I wiped my sweaty brow with the hem of my T-shirt and turned to my partner, who’d been passing balls to me.

“Thanks. Shall we wrap it up for today?”

Nana looked composed, even though she’d just finished a hundred baskets herself.

“All that practice has started paying off.”

“You’re one to talk.”

I wasn’t exactly keeping count, but I’m pretty sure it only took Nana, like, 120 to 130 shots to get a hundred baskets.

As for me, I took well over 200 shots. Actually, it might have been more like 300.

Seeing me deep in thought, Nana smiled, turned her back to me, and began briskly instructing the others in tidying up.

Actually, when I told her that I’d been practicing my three-pointer in secret, away from the rest of the team, she got pretty steamed at me and was like, “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I mean, I just thought I should try to get the basics down first, before I brought it to the team… Otherwise, I might just confuse them or make everyone do more practice than they’d normally need to…”

“Are you crazy? It’s like with any shot. The only way to get a real feel for a three-pointer is to try it out in a real game! I mean, even if you get an eighty percent success rate in practice, that usually only translates to, like, forty percent in an actual game. Practicing shots from a fixed position, not even passing—it’s better than nothing, but you’re not gonna get too far doing that!”

“…All right, all right, my bad.”

In truth, getting passes from Nana and trying to convert them was way less successful than just shooting by myself.

I can pretty much imagine how this would go in a real game, especially with defense players all up in my face.

Nana often got on my case about it. “Why didn’t you try for a three-pointer?!” Yeah, she has a point, but… My partner is just kinda amazing, being able to make shots like that as calmly as she does during games…

“But,” I said, hugging the ball.

“I’ve gotten stronger.”

Those words I said to him weren’t lies.

I’ve seriously leveled up since that game against Aki and Kei.

This sometimes happens to people who have been involved in sports for a long time. Growth isn’t always a smooth curve.

I mean, of course, skills and physical strength are always improving bit by bit, but there always comes a point where you feel like you’ve plateaued. Like you’re standing on a landing in between flights of stairs.

You can push yourself to the limit, practicing longer, practicing harder, chasing this ideal, but your body can’t quite keep up.

Then one day…

…it’s like you break through the proverbial ceiling, and you go up another flight of stairs two or three steps at a time.

You feel lighter, like you’ve shed the weight of the person you were yesterday. You catch up to that ideal style of play you were chasing, just a few steps ahead—and you’re perfectly in sync.

Like you’ve broken out of a shell, vaulted over a barrier, finally grabbed hold of something.

Yeah, there are definitely times like that. For me, I think it was the game we had the other day. Or more specifically, I think it was down to what Miss Misaki said.

“You’re not warriors. You’re fighting girls.”

Those two sentences blasted away all my confusion.

Suddenly, the promise I made with everyone at Takokyu came to mind.

Me, on the cheer squad at the sports festival? I wanted to laugh.

Of all the ways to participate in the school festival, cheer squad has to be among the top five most difficult and time-consuming.

I mean, for the dance performance bit, we have to choose the theme, make costumes, pick music, come up with choreography, memorize the choreography, then do the actual performance itself.

If it had been last year, I’d have said no, claiming it was too much of a distraction from basketball.

“If I have time to dance and cheer, I’d rather spend it practicing basketball,” I’d say, or something like that.

But…thinking of that guy I’m crazy about…

The more I devote my passion to basketball, the more I miss him.

And the more fired up I get about him, the sharper my basketball skills become.

So I was able to decide what to do without any hesitation at all.

I can still be around him, even without the excuse of helping him with his baseball practice or making summer memories.

What kind of conversations will we have? What kind of time will we spend? What kind of memories will we create?

I want to embrace it all. I want it to power me.

Maybe…

Maybe I don’t even need an answer from him.

Maybe there’s no need to make a serious challenge of it.

Right now, I think I’m probably happier than anyone else in the world.

If just having feelings for him is this fulfilling, then is there really any need to hope for anything more?

I mean, I’ve already figured something out.

I’ve inextricably linked basketball and you in my mind.

That’s how come I know I can get even stronger. That’s how I’ve come to know fear.

Two sides of the same coin. Both things I think about whenever I have a spare moment.

If this love were to end, would I still be able to stand on the court?

Would I be able to gaze at the basketball hoop with the intensity I have now?

…I don’t think I could.

Would I be able to shake it off and focus solely on basketball again? Or would I lose all my fighting spirit and never get back to this sweet spot again?

One thing I do know for certain.

If this love ends, then the girl I am today ends, too.

In that case, I thought, putting a hand to my heart…

In that case, I won’t be dramatic and ask you to consider me.

As long as I get to gaze at you all I like…then that’s enough.

I’d rather have both hands full than both hands empty.

…If only our relationship can carry on just like this… Forever…

I, Yua Uchida, was preparing dinner as usual.

Today’s main dish was swordfish wrapped with plum paste and shiso leaves.

Dad and my brother don’t really like fish—where have I heard that before…? But this recipe is something they both really like. Maybe because pickled plum paste goes so well with rice.

First, I cut the horse mackerel I’d pre-thawed in the refrigerator into bite-size pieces, sprinkled a little salt on it, then left it for a while. While that was sitting, I took out a couple of large pickled plums, removed the pits, and pounded them with a chopping knife until they turned into paste.

Then I got out the shiso leaves I’d bought in bulk on sale. I’d kept them stored in a plastic container half filled with water.

Then I spread the pickled plum paste over the cut swordfish pieces, wrapped them up in shiso leaves, and lightly dusted them with potato starch… And that was the prep work all done.

Before I started frying them, I checked on the pot I had bubbling on the stove.

I’d boiled some potatoes and onions. Ordinary base veggies for miso soup. Since it was a weekday, I’d cheated a little and used granulated dashi soup stock.

I checked that the potatoes were cooked through, then switched off the gas and dissolved some miso into the stock. Then I shook in some dried wakame seaweed, and I was done with the soup.

Next, I put a frying pan on the stove and heated the rice oil, which we use instead of salad oil at home, and started by frying half of the horse mackerel rolls that I’d already prepared.

Once those were cooked through, I put them on a plate and then fried the remaining half.

Salt-and-plum flavor is delicious enough on its own, but my younger brother prefers stronger-tasting food, so I always splash some mentsuyu on half the portion to provide a different flavor dynamic.

Today, I poured on some of the ishiru dashi that Yuuko had brought me back from Kanazawa as a souvenir.

The delicious smell of marinated fish filled the air, and my mind suddenly drifted to this morning.

…Summer was over. And my best friend had cut her hair.

That’s all that really happened…technically speaking.

But I never thought a day like this would come.

I knew that Yuuko took exemplary care of her hair. I remembered how excited she was when she showed me some new updo she’d mastered, something that made the most of her long tresses.

…I just couldn’t have imagined her without that long hair.

Because she was the girl it looked best on.

Ever since the day Mom left, right up until I started high school, I stuck to a short haircut. Something understated.

I never wanted to have a fashionable hairstyle, nor did I want people to think I was pretty… I’d much rather have blended into the crowd than stand out in any way…

When I met Yuuko—and then you—was the first time I ever wanted to be more girly.

The new friend I made had such long hair that it shook whenever she laughed and whipped around when she got angry, and whenever she came running up to me, it’d stream out behind her shoulders like a wedding veil.

She was exactly what a pretty girl should be.

No doubt, back then, I was just as charmed by Yuuko as I was by that boy I hated.

I was too embarrassed to ever express it out loud… But the truth is, I’ve been an admirer of hers since last year.

I wanted to be like “that girl.”

I’d grown out my hair as part of that desire, and by now, I had considerable length myself.

…But just when I thought I was getting close, the gap opened wide again.

I heard oil spitting and quickly turned to the frying pan to turn over the swordfish with a pair of cooking chopsticks.

I had to smile over how silly I was.

Yuuko…really is something else.

I had basically zero concept of boys and romance until I entered high school, but even I got the significance of the gesture.

After what happened, she cut her hair. In other words, she was signaling to the world that she had no lasting sadness or regret over what happened.

All she’d done was cut off her long hair, which had always reminded me of angel wings and which I’d spent so much time admiring. So why does it give off that impression?

She always looked like she’d be able to take off and fly out the window with just a firm kick against the ground.

Even when we were shopping together near the station after school.

Here I was, thinking the old Yuuko had returned. But now there was this brand-new Yuuko I didn’t know at all.

She was somehow much more mature, but also ethereal, like she might disappear if you touched her. And yet she was all here emotionally, but with an aura that was hard to pin down.

It made me feel a little left behind…and a little in awe.

I switched off the gas, transferred the swordfish rolls to a plate, and gently placed a hand on my chest.

I’m so glad it didn’t end like that. I’m glad we were able to link hands once more.

But still, I thought, gazing at the kitchen stool.

“And then, one day, we’ll all decide to face up to our own feelings of love.”

That evening, I remember I said that… A reconciliation, with a clear time boundary.

At the very least, it was clear to me that the “someday” hanging in the air between Saku and Yuuko was definitely a “not now.”

I’d said those words for two people so precious to me.

In that case, then, I thought, ready for some soul-searching:

When will that “someday” be for me?

Yuuko was moving forward in her own way. Saku listened to what I had to say and made a little place in his home for me. An acknowledgment of how I feel.

But still, I…

I’d realized that what I want is to be special. I’d made up my mind to be a little more self-indulgent. But there’s a part of me that’s still clinging.

Facing up to your romantic feelings doesn’t always mean disaster.

But this summer…I tried to see through to Saku’s and Yuuko’s true hearts.

To see those endlessly flowing tears. The pain that hurts so bad, you want to rip out your own heart. The suffering that takes you out of your true self. The sadness that feels like drowning. Regret so strong, you want to erase your own memories…

To know the end of love.

Because I knew how Yuuko felt that day. She was me.

The only difference is, one confessed her feelings, and one kept them a secret.

If it had been me who had confessed in that classroom at dusk, I would have been rejected with the exact same words.

Even if there was a place for me in your heart, well…what about the other girls? What then?

Without having the courage or resolve to take the first step, I just accepted the results in advance.

Instead of being deeply hurt, I was only hurt superficially.

But because of that, I can live in the present, where things seem likely to continue rather than end. This happiness. I’d like to just enjoy it, I think.

I can hang out one-on-one with Yuuko again. Saku and I made plans to go grocery shopping like it was the most natural thing in the world. And while this cheering squad idea kinda freaks me out a bit, I know the Fuji High Festival will end up being an experience I’ll never forget.

If I could have my wish…

…not just for me, but for everyone…

…it would be that we could cherish this September, now that we’d made it through the trials of August.

For “someday” to remain just that.

…If only I could fully indulge myself in ordinary days like these forever.

“What color are you, Asuka?”

You’re like…the only postman who comes to an isolated island.

Just when you’ve forgotten about him, he suddenly shows up to deliver a letter… A thing of joy.

Though experience should have taught me better… Though I know I should just face reality… I keep wondering, Will he come today? What about tomorrow? And I find myself waiting…

I haven’t noticed. I don’t see it. I’ve been repeating these falsehoods like some sort of prayer. But in reality…it’s always been on my mind.

That’s what kind of summer it was. With me out of the loop.

I spent the summer quietly…and mostly alone.

My date with you felt like a continuation of the seven days we spent when we were little. And when we spent time together on the summer study trip, it made me feel like we were actually classmates, if only for a short time.

I was getting all excited over trivial shared moments—falling in love with you—and all the while…

Unbeknownst to me, you were hurting terribly, and I was so far outside the situation, I couldn’t even try to wipe away the tears you had to be crying.

Well then, at least let me be your older, wiser school friend.

The invite to Grandma’s house was steeped in nostalgia. I tried to get you to open up…but who knows how much help I actually was?

Then the night of the festival.

When you returned with those girls, now that you’d all made up, I wasn’t even surprised.

I knew it was going to happen the day before, with that telephone call.

It was that kindhearted girl who made you omelet rice while you were crying. It was obvious she’d been by your side through the whole thing.

This summer…

Hiiragi. Uchida. Nanase. Aomi. Mizushino. Asano. Yamazaki. And you, friend.

You all shared things together. Your worries, your suffering, your pain. You made stories together that can never be overwritten. But it doesn’t matter how many pages you flip through. My name doesn’t even appear in the book.

It’s always been this way. And it always will be. I’ve given up. And that’s precisely the reason why.

Why your casual words had the power to bring me to tears with happiness.

Whenever I think too hard about things, I start hoping for stuff. So I try really hard not to focus on it too much.

Because of that, the true meaning passed me by at first.

If we could be on the same committee for the Fuji Festival… If we could be on the same color team during the sports festival…

I’m sure I’ve been imagining this possibility for a long time, longer than you have.

Suddenly, I realized that the retro-style radio perched on the edge of my desk was playing Bump of Chicken’s “Stage of the Ground.”

The cheer squad for the sports festival, eh? I thought, and I couldn’t suppress a grin.

Yeah…that tracks for you guys.

They’ll get all excited about it, take it super seriously, get fired up to an embarrassing level, and put on a performance that’ll whip the audience into a frenzy.

If I joined that circle…?

Hmm, nope, can’t really picture myself cheering at the top of my voice or dancing around in a costume, but maybe breaking out of my comfort zone might not be so bad for once.

Because after all, you always take me to places I’ve never known before.

Or, perhaps, I think.

Maybe that’s what I need right now—to spend some time doing stuff like that.

Not time with “you”…but time with “you all.”

I wanna get my name in the book, too.

I feel like I didn’t pick up on certain things because I’m a year ahead of you.

Maybe they aren’t all great things.

I’d only ever had experiences of them through you—through the soft filter of your stories about them. But now I see the depth of your relationships with them, the look in your eyes when you see them, the shorthand you all use together…expressions on your face that I’ve never even seen…

I want to see it all up close. Some of it will hurt. Some of it will be confusing. Some of it will cause suffering, no doubt.

But I even envy the pain involved.

“It’d be cool if we got to be the same color, at least.”

“Yeah. Blue, like you.”

Dye it blue, I think.

Recently, I keep having this random thought.

Would my big love really come to an end if I went to Tokyo?

I mean, I’ve certainly been prepared for that to happen.

I would leave this town and chase after my dream. No more surreptitiously waiting for a third-year Saku at this very riverbank. No more random date invitations. No chance of being his wife.

For all those reasons, I’m trying to make the most of the time we have left… Or at least I thought I was.

Still, sometimes I find myself tempted by a sweet escape.

I think back on the year when I encountered you once again in my life.

We never had the type of relationship where we saw each other every day. And until recently, we never once made plans to meet in advance, let alone exchange phone calls or chat on the LINE app.

So can’t we just stay like that?

If I work hard at a part-time job over there, I might be able to come home, like, once a month.

Without telling you, I’ll sit on the riverbank and read a book just as school’s getting out.

Then, after thoroughly enjoying the look of surprise on your face, I’ll drag you off for a date.

This may sound a little conceited, but I can certainly provide you with career advice… Like, literal career advice via phone calls.

We could even do video calls, and I could bring you on walks along the streets of Tokyo on the weekends.

Would it be all that different from this past year? It’s incredible how fast it’s gone.

That day we went to do that workplace experience, we had dinner that evening.

The conversation you had with Hiiragi and Uchida before you came back to the festival… How things worked out…

I think you probably took care to tell me only the parts it was okay for me to hear.

It was a beautiful story, one that moved me to tears of sympathy… So much so that I wanted to run away…

One single ray of moonlight shining down.

Your big love hasn’t started yet.

But maybe…, I think to myself.

You’re so earnest with everyone, but you make everything so hard for yourself.

For someone like you, choosing just one person is never gonna be easy.

But maybe you’ll be able to name your feelings in time and earnestly face each of the girls in your heart (and please, let me be one of them!). You’ll take your time about it, choosing every word carefully, like you’re writing a novel.

While that happens…

Maybe the big one-year gap between us will naturally close.

Let’s say, for example, you consider college in Tokyo, too…

Once we’re both college students, me being an academic year older is going to be almost completely irrelevant.

Heh. I know, I know, I’m making it all sound way too easy, aren’t I?

But if I could have one wish…then even after I graduate…

…please let this closeness…this time we spend together…go on and on and on.

I, Yuzuki Nanase, opened my eyes quietly to the sound of dripping water.

No matter the time of year, I just love taking long relaxing baths like this.

I turn off the bathroom light and light a scented candle.

Sometimes I just stare blankly at the flickering fire, and other times I rest my head on the edge of the bathtub, just loll there in the water, and let my thoughts wander.

I think about basketball, about my team partner, my friends, the guy I like.

Today, I’ve been thinking about September.

Or I should say, I’ve been thinking about all of us—here now, having passed through summer and finally reaching fall…

I think about Chitose.

“…But there is another girl in my heart.”

He said that again, it seems, in a pained sort of way.

After prefacing it by saying that Yuuko was in his heart.

He’s always a total disaster, I thought, smiling a little to myself.

Why couldn’t he just say, “Please wait a little for my response”?

I know the girl Chitose’s referring to. Or girls.

Yuuko, Ucchi, Haru, Nishino.

…And me.

Heh. Okay, maybe it’s bigheaded of me, but I’m not some naive, cowardly girl. I can include myself in the list.

Right now, these are the five girls in Chitose’s heart, I think.

Well, in that case, I should be jumping for joy a bit, getting a little cute about it. But I can’t be all the way happy. I can’t just let things slide. I can appreciate how conflicted he is about all this.

There’s no doubt he feels differently toward us than he does toward our other classmates.

But as friends…? As team partners? As someone to look up to…?

At the very least, those feelings aren’t romantic. Not yet.

We’ve all been dragged left and right by imaginings and delusions.

I’ll put a label on it and call it love later on, at the end.

That’s what I thought…until I made contact with the real Chitose.

I mean, he’s the person I find it easiest to talk to at school. I can hang out with him like he’s family. He’s a running buddy who can keep up with me and match my enthusiasm. He’s the one who accepted, for the first time ever, the version of me I can’t show publicly.

I’ve seen plenty of people eager to slap on the LOVE! sticker for the most trivial of reasons. Then they get sick of who they’re with and rip off that same sticker with callous abandon.

“Love” is carte blanche to go hurting other people for your own selfish whims.

I’m sure that’s what we were both thinking.

My past self. Your current self.

It applies even more when the person in question is a precious friend you don’t want to hurt.

…I don’t know when it becomes okay to label my feelings as love.

In other words…, I thought, as I scooped up water in my palms.

I can see Yuzuki Nanase reflected in the surface of the water I’m holding.

In other words, maybe one day Chitose will look at me differently, and I’ll finally be able to call these feelings “requited.”

Tch. This is all so deeply annoying. And yet here I am, grinning.

I think about Nishino.

To be honest, I still don’t know much about her.

But you’d have to be dumb not to see that Chitose looks up to her.

And that he’s somebody special to Nishino, too.

Ever since that trip to Tokyo I encouraged him to go on, their relationship doesn’t seem to have the same air of mystique that it once did. But at the same time, it’s like the time they spend together is building something that’s increasingly untouchable by anyone else.

Well, crucially, Nishino will be going far, far away soon.

But maybe one or both of them will have come to a decision by then.

I think about Haru.

After we went up against Ashi High in July, my partner was a little distant.

Like emotionally, she was away with the clouds. Still, she never neglected practice or lost sight of her goals. So I wasn’t able to reach out a hand to her in any specific way. I just watched from the sidelines, feeling conflicted.

But then that day when we played the match against the older girls I also look up to—Aki and Suzu.

Umi seemed to get something from that.

Yeah, I was shocked she’d apparently been practicing three-pointers without telling me. But it was proof that with enough practice, she could be an ace player, a menace on the court.

Trouble for our opponents, and for me, too.

In all probability, Umi’s little slump was probably connected to her romantic feelings for Chitose.

But the fact that she was able to break free of the slump must mean that she came to some resolution within herself.

She’s my right-hand girl on the court. But as an opponent? She’s a rival worthy of striking fear into my heart. And there aren’t too many of those around.

I think about Ucchi.

When I think about Ucchi, my heart aches.

“I want us to understand each other better than anyone else.”

I thought I wanted that, too…

But I wasn’t able to find Chitose’s hidden heart for her.

Because I’m not the one who understands him best. It’s her.

What’s she thinking right now? That girl with the strength to dash forth without hesitation for the person who matters most to her? That girl who has such a kind soul, she can ultimately unite everyone?

Then I think about Yuuko.

I don’t want to admit it, but to be honest…right now…

I think it’s either Ucchi or Yuuko who’s got center position in Chitose’s heart.

It’s not like they forced him to consider them by confessing their love, even if he wouldn’t have otherwise.

…This summer, Yuuko’s gotten so beautiful, I can barely recognize her.

I felt it during the Kanazawa trip, and then it hit me all over again this morning.

I don’t even know what words to use to describe the change she’s gone through.

More mature? Grown inside? Gotten more modest?

Those words get close, but they’re still slightly wrong.

It’s the soft look in her eyes sometimes.

The warm smile she directs at Chitose.

The affection in her voice when she says that name.

She’s breathtakingly attractive.

So I think she, too…

Finally, I end up thinking about myself.

I try to look at myself from an objective perspective—rationally.

I’m not poised to go far away like Nishino. I can’t bond with him over sports like Haru does. I haven’t gone ahead and confessed my feelings to him like Ucchi and Yuuko.

So as a girl, I should be able to get closer to him, in a nicely balanced way, than any of the others can.

Some days, I feel like we’re sparking more than we ever did while we were fake-dating.

Like, is this okay? I mean, I think it’s okay.

Sure we don’t have anything special connecting us. So if we’re close, it’s not because of anything in particular. But in a backward sort of way, that seems more powerful.

Eventually, I get out of the bath and look at myself in the mirror.

A lot happened this summer, but I’m glad things settled down, and we were able to welcome September.

Yuuko’s confession and the fallout put us all into a state of stasis, for better or worse.

I’d explained things to Haru, with Yuuko’s permission. And I’m guessing Chitose talked about it to Nishino.

It’s not like any one of us was thinking, “Well, even if he said no to Yuuko, maybe the answer would be different if I ask.”

It’s just that we need a little more time. A little more time to really face the reality of this crush.

Nothing’s over. We know that much. But now’s not the right time.

Why don’t we just enjoy this time together, with the far-distant sounds of festival fun light on the air?

So until the day you put a name to this feeling…

…I just want this fake time to go on and on and on…

A few days after the opening ceremony.

Year Five, Class Two was having a homeroom session in seventh period to discuss the class committees and skits for the school festival, including the off-campus day, the sports festival, and the cultural festival.

I, Saku Chitose, as class president, was standing at the lectern taking point. Vice President Yuuko was in charge of taking notes on the blackboard behind me.

We were going with a “raise hand if interested” approach to committee membership. If it happened that there were more people interested than spaces available, we’d have people either discuss it among themselves or do rock-paper-scissors in the case of a stalemate.

It might have put some people off the cheer squad if all the members of Team Chitose shot their hands up in unison when it was brought up. We’d had a little meeting beforehand and all decided to hold back at first, then if no one showed much interest, Team Chitose would swoop in and claim the cheer squad spots.

Incidentally, with eight people, boys and girls included, we were already over capacity. But luckily, no one from the science classes who were Blue Team for the sports festival wanted to do it. So there was no issue with Team Chitose basically forming the entire cheer squad ourselves.

I’d checked with Kura beforehand, and apparently something like this happened every year, and it was no biggie.

Actually, we still technically had space for one more boy and one more girl. We reached out to Nazuna and Atomu, who responded in a “Is today the day you’d like to die?” type way. In the end, those two ended up joining committees that seemed to involve the least amount of work.

Anyway, we were done discussing the committees now, and we’d moved on to discussing what kind of performance we’d be putting on as a class for the cultural festival.

Everyone in class seemed pretty excited about the topic. There were a lot of ideas being tossed around.

“But don’t you wanna do something food-related? Yakisoba! Takoyaki! Frankfurters!”

“Or maybe sweets like crepes or pancakes would be good, too.”

“Maybe a haunted house setup?!”

“What if we make a funny video?”

Scrape, scratch, scrape, scrape.

Yuuko wrote down each suggestion on the board in her cute rounded handwriting.

“I know! I know, I know, I know!”

One of the guys got to his feet with way too much enthusiasm, and I focused on him.

“Yes, Kaito.”

“A maid café with cute cat ears! Me-OW!”

“““““Boo!!!”””””

“But why not?!”

It was mostly the girls in the class who’d booed Kaito’s suggestion.

Haru rolled her eyes.

“You’ve clearly been watching too much anime. I’m guessing this is Yamazaki’s influence?”

But Kaito wasn’t one to be deterred so easily.

“Come on! It’ll be a big hit for sure! I wanna hear Yuuko and Ucchi say, ‘Welcome ho-meow, Master!’ Don’t you, Kenta?!”

Put on the spot, Kenta pushed his glasses up by the bridge and addressed Kaito in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone.

“Asano, do you understand the definition of ‘fiction’…?”

“Damn you, Kenta! Traitor!”

“We should both grow up, that’s all.”

“But what happened to the days when you and I would have those passionate discussions about cosplay?!”

This exchange had the whole class rolling.

But the guys seemed quietly kinda disappointed that Kaito’s suggestion had sunk like a rock.

I know more than a few of them had been picturing Yuuko and the other girls dressed as maids.

And of course I’m not excluding myself from that.

Then Kura spoke up from the side of the classroom where he’d been silently watching the meeting progress.

“Hey, Yamazaki.”

Kenta stiffened a little. Kura sounded like he meant business.

“Y-yes?”

Kura heaved a sigh and gave Kenta a stern look.

“Asano’s right. Don’t you go becoming another one of those boring adults.”

Kenta blinked, not grasping what Kura was saying at first.

“What…?”

Kura sighed and muttered, a distant, disinterested look on his face:

“I, too, would like a round of ‘Welcome ho-meow, Master’…”

“You’re just an old pervy teacher, aren’t you?!”

Then everyone basically died laughing.

Come on, Kenta. It’s time you realized what kind of grown-up Kura really is.

I was still chuckling when Kazuki sighed and shrugged.

“Your idea’s a few years out of date, Kaito.”

Kaito pouted. “All right, then, Kazuki. What’s your big idea, hmm?”

Kazuki’s mouth twitched with annoyance. “A tomboy butler café.”

Kaito blinked, apparently not following this line of thought at all.

“So…girls dressed like boys? Who wants to see that?”

Kazuki elaborated, a wry smile on his face.

“Well, picture this… Yuzuki, dressed in a butler’s uniform, pins you against a wall… She grabs your chin…and jerks your face up to meet her eyeline…”

“…You’re a genius, is what you are!!!”

Darn it, Kazuki. How can you look so cool and composed while proposing the most insane ideas?

Seeing their banter, the rest of the class was dying again.

But Nanase was frozen in her seat, bewildered. Not her typical reaction.

Hmm… It’s more like she’s not used to Kazuki teasing her in this kind of flattering way. And she’s clearly not sure how to respond to it.

To be honest, I was also surprised that he used Nanase as an example.

Maybe he’s gone through an internal change of his own.

“I know, I know!”

The next to stand up was Nazuna.

“There’s a lot of good-looking boys in our class, so what about a cosplay café where the guys dress as only female characters…?”

““““Yeah!””””

““““No way in hell!!!””””

This time, the reactions were split evenly down the middle between the boys and girls.

Nazuna placed her index finger on her lower lip in this kind of deliberate way and grinned, almost like she was enjoying our reactions.

“Oh, and of course Chitose here will be dressed in a frilly maid costume… Right?”

“Gimme a break.”

“Mizushino in a girl’s school uniform with really heavy makeup.”

“Cut it out!”

“Asano… Hmm, maybe a kindergartner’s uniform?”

“A big guy like me?!”

“And then…,” Nazuna said, turning her head to gaze across the room.

“Atomu as a bunny girl.”

“Wanna die?! How about I toss you through that window?!”

This interaction caused the whole class to collapse into laughter again.

Nazuna waited for it to die down before looking my way.

“All jokes aside, how about a play?”

“Hmm. Well, it is a classic option.”

The class performance isn’t limited to the classroom.

In previous years, a café or a haunted house booth tends to be set up here in the classroom, but stalls selling food like yakisoba or crepes tend to be set up outdoors in the parking lot.

And we can use the stage as well; we just have to organize timing with the other classes to avoid overlap.

Nazuna continued. “Of course, it depends on what we do, but we can implement cosplay elements for the boys and girls if we’re doing theater. We should divide up the roles based on everyone’s strengths and weaknesses as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, those who don’t mind being onstage can act. Those who prefer not to be in the spotlight can work behind the scenes… Scriptwriting, props, lighting, costumes, et cetera.”

“I see, I see.”

It would be a lot of work to juggle school festival prep for the committee stuff and the class performance at the same time.

No matter what we choose to do as a class, there’s gonna be a bunch of prep work involved, and we’ll have to assign roles. But it’s easier to get everyone working on specific things when it’s something that involves several specific areas, I guess.

“All right. Yuuko, can you jot that down, too?”

“Certainly!”

Her response lacked our usual easy informality, and I turned to look at her, a bit worried. When I saw her writing play on the board, I felt oddly relieved, for some reason.

In the end, the class voted for several humorous suggestions, like “maid café with cute cat ears! Me-OW!”; “tomboy butler café”; “all-female character cosplay”; and so on.

Actually, what we did was vote anonymously, with slips of paper in a box.

Yuuko and I quickly tallied up the responses, and then I cleared my throat.

“Okay, starting in third place.”

I paused, coughed, and went on.

“Third place: maid café with cute cat ears! Me-OW!”

“““““Whaaat?”””””

This time, the boys and the girls groaned together.

The girls were groaning to say, “Seriously, third place?” and the guys were groaning to say, “Seriously, only third place?” Quite a few guys seemed to have capitalized on the anonymous vote aspect for this one.

Incidentally, I felt like I was getting some frosty glares from the girls on Team Chitose, but I was avoiding their eyes out of a healthy sense of fear.

…It’s not all on me, you know…

I gathered my wits and returned my attention to the results paper.

“All right, all right, pipe down.”

I double-checked the results, then forged onward.

“Second place… All-female character cosplay.”

“““““Whaaat?”””””

The guys and the girls groaned again, but their motivations for groaning seemed to be the inverse of last time.

Yikes. Who voted for that?

I glared at the Team Chitose girls, but…they all avoided my eyes. Darn you, ladies.

Still, third place and second place… The options were nicely balanced between what the guys wanted and what the girls wanted.

Incidentally, Kazuki’s proposed tomboy butler café got fourth place. I guess it was the kind of thing only an enthusiast would vote for. Most of the guys went for the maid café.

Well, that brings us to— I lifted my head and scanned the faces of my classmates.

“And in first place, a play. All right, a round of applause!”

“““““Whoo!”””””

Finally, there were some genuine cheers and a round of applause from both the guys and the girls.

Hmm. Well, a fine result in the end, I thought.

Nazuna’s pitch had been pretty persuasive, too.

I glanced at the clock, one eye on the excited ripple going through the class.

Deciding on school festival committee membership and choosing the class performance had gone surprisingly smoothly, and there was actually still a little time left in homeroom.

I looked over at Yuuko, who smiled and nodded.

Right. I cleared my throat again.

“We don’t have to decide today, but let’s throw out some ideas as to what kind of play we’ll put on. Never mind who’s going to be acting or not for now. Is there anything anyone would like to attempt in particular?”

Everyone started to talk noisily then.

“We have a lot of sporty guys in class, so maybe something with a lot of action?”

“Maybe we could act out a popular manga!”

“The two-dimensional in five dimensions?”

“A musical could be fun.”

“But that’s really tough on the actors.”

“Something balanced so the girls and guys have equal roles.”

As various opinions flew back and forth, Nazuna raised her hand.

“Why don’t we come up with our own original play?”

I scratched my cheek as I responded, “We only have two months until the actual performance… I mean, do we have anyone who can write an original script? Or anyone who’d like to try?”

I thought I’d ask, but predictably, no one raised their hand.

Maybe someone in the lit club, I thought, but no dice.

Seeing this, Nazuna seemed to lose a lot of her enthusiasm.

“Hmm, I guess not. Then maybe a popular manga? Or a movie? Something we can riff on?”

At this idea, Kaito immediately spoke up.

“When you think of a school festival play…you’ve gotta do Romeo and Juliet, right?”

Nazuna clapped her hands loudly.

“Aha! A classic! I think everyone knows the gist of that play. We could set a modern version in present-day Fukui! That would be interesting.”

“Oh, hell yeah! We could have everyone talking in thick Fukui accents!”

“Too funny!”

Then Kura piped up from the sides, where he’d been watching the discussion unfold.

“Uh, we had Romeo and Juliet last year. And a few years ago, kids did the whole Fukui version of it. I mean, repetition is fine and all, but I thought you should be aware.”

Nazuna’s shoulders slumped in an “awww…” kinda way.

“Hmm, hearing that makes me want to try something different.”

As moderator, I intervened. “Whether we do it for comedy or play it straight, I like the idea of riffing on a classic with a fresh angle.”

I looked around the classroom and saw everyone nodding enthusiastically.

“Hmm,” Nazuna pondered, rubbing her mouth. “So the question is what to do for the original material.”

I don’t mean to put her down or anything, but I think the reason why she was actually participating in something for once was because it was her idea we were running with here, and she felt duty bound to provide some options.

Having come to the limit of her brainstorming, Nazuna spoke up.

“Yuzuki… Any ideas?”

Nanase’s eyes widened. Apparently, she was surprised to have the conversational ball tossed her way. She thought it over for a few seconds.

“Maybe…Snow White?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. It was unusually soft and pensive, like she was revealing something secret and hidden…

“Oh, I love that idea!”

Nazuna got up and looked around at the class.

“It’s perfect. It’s not as played out at high school festivals as Romeo and Juliet is. And this may just be my personal bias, but I’ve always thought Snow White has more panache than, say, Cinderella.”

The whole class laughed again over Nazuna’s outspoken opinion.

I was a little surprised to hear Nanase talking about Snow White, but I had to agree that it was a perfect fit. Everyone’s heard of it, so it’ll be that much easier to mix it up and play off it.

“Ah!”

Nazuna looked over at me with her eyes wide, like she’d just had a thought.

“Sorry, Chitose. Can I take over for a sec?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I nodded, and she came trotting over.

I took a step back and stood next to Yuuko, offering her my place in front of the lectern.

Nazuna raised her hand casually.

“Don’t be shy, now… Who here feels like acting onstage?”

There was silence in the classroom.

Everyone awkwardly stared at their desks or glanced at how everyone else was reacting.

Did they really not want to act? Or maybe they did, but they were too shy to raise their hands?

We should be more specific, I started thinking, but then Nazuna continued.

“Okay, then how about those who definitely don’t want to act? I mean, a lot of people probably don’t, so you can be honest about it. Don’t hold back.”

I exhaled a little… Guess she had this covered without my input.

Atomu was the first to act—lazily but without hesitation.

This started a slow chain reaction, one by one, until eventually almost all of our classmates had raised their hands.

Only the members of Team Chitose were watching with wry smiles—probably holding back to help us out.

“Okay, then I’ll make a suggestion.”

Nazuna sounded casual, like she’d been expecting this to happen.

“The main characters in Snow White are Snow White, the Evil Queen, the Witch who’s actually the Evil Queen in disguise, the Prince, and the Seven Dwarves, for a total of eleven roles. So why don’t we have Chitose and the other cheer squad members play those roles?”

Oh, right, I thought, as Nazuna turned around and clasped her hands in front of her chest.

“Sorry if that’s overstepping… But what do you think, Chitose? I mean, cheer squad practice is pretty tough, right? So why not keep things nice and simple and have you all stick together for the play as well…?”

Her explanation matched what I’d been expecting, and I nodded a little.

It wasn’t a bad proposal, and it was actually quite considerate of our needs.

Yua and Kenta might be a little hesitant, but they’d have to dance in front of an audience for the cheer performance, too. Anyway, we’d already hashed all that out at Takokyu.

Nazuna opened her mouth to add something.

“Working behind the scenes with props and stuff will mean more time meeting up with the whole class. I’m not saying I’ll take over everything, but if you’re willing to handle the performance part, I’ll act as class representative behind the scenes.”

It certainly sounded like it’d be kinda difficult to balance the cheering squad with prep work for a play.

It might just be a title, but technically I was the class representative, so it occurred to me that I couldn’t just opt out of participating… But still…

I looked around at the others’ faces. “I mean, personally, I think that works.”

Yuuko piped up from beside me. “I agree!”

Nanase scratched her cheek pensively. “If we’re acting…we can learn lines in our own time and even block out scenes together during cheer squad practice breaks. If you add club activities on top… I guess it would be easier to do it that way.”

Haru thrust her hand into the air. “I’m down!”

Kazuki looked at us and nodded briefly, while Kaito gave a big thumbs-up.

Even Yua, who I’d been most worried about, timidly cleared her throat to speak.

“At…at least let me play a dwarf… One with only a few lines…”

Kenta nodded vigorously. “That goes for me, too.”

Nazuna gave everyone a big “thanks!” kind of grin; then she looked around at the class.

“So is everyone cool if we ask Chitose and company to be our actors?”

“““““Yeah!!!”””””

There was a cacophony of applause and cheering to signal the class’s full agreement.

Nazuna really helped out here, I thought.

It’s kinda awkward and tricky to propose something like this on your own.

Speaking of which…, I realized, and I cleared my throat.

“The Evil Queen should play the Witch role as well, but even with that…I think we’re still two people short, aren’t we?”

The magic mirror was just a voice-over. So in terms of actual onstage roles, it was just Snow White, the Evil Queen/Witch, the Prince, and the Seven Dwarves.

We needed at least ten people, but there were only eight of us.

Nazuna answered calmly.

“No problem. We’ll just have Atomu play a role as a nonspeaking dwarf.”

That’s going too far, I was about to tell her, but…

“The hell are you talking about? No way!”

Sure enough, Atomu started complaining.

“Ah-ha-ha,” Nazuna laughed. “Aw, come on. You’ll look cute in a little dwarf hat.”

“Lay off!!!”

I snorted with laughter over them, my shoulders shaking.

Only Nazuna could get away with treating Atomu like this.

“Then I’ll play the dwarf, and you can take care of the props and sets. You literally don’t belong to any after-school clubs, so you can at least do that much.”

Atomu sniffed. “Tch… All right.”

He sounded very reluctant, though.

Still, he must’ve realized that continuing to argue with Nazuna wouldn’t end well for him.

I felt like I’d gotten a little glimpse into what their relationship was like.

Nazuna looked my way with a smug smile on her face.

“So why not just rewrite the script to eliminate one more person?”

I nodded and responded:

“Well, I guess it’s not something we need to be too strict about.”

Nazuna clapped her hands together. “While we’re at it, let’s cast the actors for Snow White, the Evil Queen, the Witch, and the Prince.”

I checked my watch before I responded.

“That might make it easier to write the script.”

“Right?” Nazuna said, looking at Nanase.

“Yuzuki, why don’t you play Snow White?”

“““““Ooh???”””””

Suddenly, our classmates grew all excited.

Still, it was her idea. And she had what it takes. She was definitely leading lady material.

But Yuzuki was shaking her head awkwardly.

“I’m not the Snow White type.”

Oh? I thought, raising my eyebrows.

It was unusual for Nanase to be so self-deprecating.

I was expecting her to just smile confidently and accept.

Nazuna looked a little caught off guard as well.

Picking up on the surprise in the air, Nanase quickly spoke again.

“I’ll play the Evil Queen and Witch roles, though.”

That tracks, Nazuna seemed to be indicating with a smug quirk of her lips.

“Yeah, that role might suit you better.”

“Hmm? What do you mean, Ayase?”

“Ah-ha-ha! Why don’t you ask your magic mirror?”

When did these two get that kind of chemistry? I wondered with a little smile.

Maybe it was on that recent trip to Kanazawa.

I looked over at Yuuko, who was watching them warmly, too.

She’d invited the both of them, like it was a totally normal thing to do, and they’d managed to resolve their differences.

Hmm, well, that kind of thing doesn’t surprise me anymore. That’s just the kinda girl Yuuko is.

“Okay, so then…,” Nanase said.

“…Wouldn’t Yuuko make a great Snow White?”

“““““Ooh!!!”””””

Our classmates were getting all stirred up again.

Yuuko pointed at herself and blinked. “What? Me?”

Nazuna laughed and rolled her eyes. “Well, who else could face off against the Evil Witch onstage?”

Nanase grinned and made a jab of her own. “You are our princess, after all.”

Yuuko giggled, shook her hair, and lifted her chin. “Well, I’m not sure I’m so great at the acting thing… Is that okay?”

Nanase nodded enthusiastically.

“It’s okay. Even if you forget your lines, I’ll cover for you.”

“Well, then…”

Yuuko paused and moved to stand next to Nazuna.

“All righty, then!”

And she happily raised a hand.

“““““Yeah!!!”””””

Now the whole classroom was in an uproar, boys and girls both.

Yuuko as Snow White, and Nanase as the Evil Queen.

Well, who wouldn’t want to see that?

No doubt the fantasies were starting already.

“We have to make a really cute dress for Hiiragi!”

“And a sexy one for Nanase!”

“What about the script?”

“Oh man, I’m gonna end up rooting for them both to find happiness!”

“…Wait a minute! Who’s going to play the Prince?!”

One voice rose louder than the rest…and then Nazuna turned and looked right at me.

“Well, I mean…?”

Kazuki threw up his hands and sighed.

“Saku, obviously.”

Kaito shot me a look of disgust, like I’d just personally wrecked some precious item of his.

“Fine, you can have this… This time.”

Kenta pushed up his glasses with his middle finger.

“Go die, normie.”

Haru had her chin in her hand and her elbow propped on the desk, and one corner of her mouth twitched.

“Hubby, you’re good at saying annoying things, aren’t you?”

Yua was smiling her usual sweet smile, but when she spoke, her words were laced with sarcasm.

“It’ll be fine. After all, Saku’s cool.”

I scratched my cheek.

“…Well, it’s not like I’m going to be the only one to opt out. So I’ll do it. But this is peer pressure, you know?”

When I said that, the classroom got really noisy.

I was being heckled from all sides.

“Hey! Chitose! You’re really not gonna choose Evil Queen Nanase?!”

“Don’t ask me. Blame the scriptwriter.”

“You… You kidnapper! Stealing away sleeping Snow White Hiiragi!”

“You know I’m just playing the Prince, right?!”

“More like playboy prince!!!”

“Keep that up and I’m gonna shut that smart mouth of yours for good!”

Everyone was really excited about the school festival.

Who can sit on the sidelines hugging their knees when everyone else is dancing? You want to get up and dance, too, right?

Me, you, him, her, everyone.

Play the flute, pound the drums.

Wave your hands and spin around.

Nazuna beckoned, and Nanase swiftly stepped behind the lectern.

The Evil Queen and Snow White gazed at the newly minted, probably-not-that-reliable Prince.

Nanase lightly wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and spoke in a sensual, seductive voice.

“Do you like poisoned apples?”

Yuuko softly smiled, the embodiment of pure-white snow, the kind that dissolves at human touch.

“Take me away, my prince.”

If only, I thought. If only there was a magic mirror somewhere.

No doubt it would be currently reflecting the face of the most pathetic guy who ever lived.

If only the Evil Queen wasn’t so charming.

If only Snow White was the only girl the Prince met.

…Then the Prince and his true love could go hand in hand, happily ever after.

But the story ends at an all-too-convenient point.

How can I write the next scene when I’m faced with a blank page and a heart that can’t so easily be linked to another’s?

Maybe what we’re doing is trying to fill up every page in the book, so that no one has to be left out in the cold alone.

Though I know it’s pointless to want these things, I still do, deep inside.

One day, we’re all going to stand in a line, heads bowed low and tears streaming as the final curtain falls.

…I only hope we can all clap for a performance well done, in the very end.

Chapter 2: Our Own Kind of Blue

CHAPTER 2 Our Own Kind of Blue

This place is like a hidden base, I think to myself each time I step inside the Gym 2 building.

Perhaps it’s because the surrounding walls are a deep, dull gray.

Perhaps it’s because it is only about two-thirds the size of Gym 1.

Or maybe it’s the impression I have, every time I go past, that it’s just sitting there, empty and desolate.

Either way, this place is the quietest, stillest part of the whole school, with a sort of closed-up feel to it… And for a day like today, it might actually be the perfect place.

It’s seventh period, about a week after the committees all got decided. Or, more accurately, it’s the break before seventh period.

Present are myself, Yuuko, Yua, Nanase, Haru, Kazuki, Kaito, and Kenta—all the members of Team Chitose and the entire cheer squad for Year Two, Class Five.

Today’s the first time that committee members for Years One, Two, and Three are meeting.

For the sports festival, each of the ten classes in each grade are assigned one of five colors. In other words, classes are grouped into pairs by color, and overall, there’s a total of six teams.

Naturally, it would be the same for the cheer squad, but no one from the science track who got assigned blue this year wanted to join. So it’s us from Class Five who’re the reps for the second-year group.

We mobilized as soon as the break began, so we were the first ones to arrive at the meeting place in Gym 2.

We decided to sit on the floor in a circle near the basketball hoop for starters.

Kaito spoke in a breathless voice, like he just couldn’t wait any longer.

“Man, I’m getting excited already! The festival’s our only chance to do stuff with students from the other years, outside of club activities.”

Haru raised an eyebrow. “Don’t go chasing after the younger girls, now.”

“Heh, sorry to correct you, Haru, but I’m actually pretty popular with the younger girls. And the older girls, too, come to think of it.”

“Because the ones who know you better know you’re a total loser.”

“Hey, that hurts!”

Kazuki spoke next, sitting crisscross with his chin propped in his hand and a detached expression on his face.

“But you know, now that we’re second-years, we have more responsibility. We might actually have a heavier load.”

Yua chuckled. “We’re going to nominate the cheer squad captain and vice captain from among ourselves, right?”

That’s why we came early.

To reduce the burden on the third-year students, who’re just about to take their college entrance exams, the second-year students generally take on most of the committee responsibilities.

For the cheer squad, we’ll be the ones nominating the captain and vice captain, like Yua said, and we’ll also be the ones coming up with the choreography and costumes, and making other executive decisions.

Kazuki nodded.

“I mean, should we just roll with Saku as captain?”

Since I’d been predicting this, I responded without any surprise or element of “Who, me?”

“I mean, if no one else wants to, then I guess I will.”

Of us all, Kenta and I are the only ones who aren’t in any after-school clubs.

So from the start, I was prepared to pick up whatever slack there was.

Still, it would be a bit tough on Kenta to force him to be cheer squad captain.

No one seemed to have any issues with this.

Kazuki nodded and continued…

“So then, as for the vice captain…”

I found myself looking to Yuuko.

Everyone else seemed to have found themselves looking at her, too.

I mean, it’s like when I became class president. Yuuko’s always the first to volunteer for stuff like this.

But the typical pattern didn’t play out this time.

“Here! If Chitose’s going to be the captain, then I’ll be vice captain.”

This time, it was Nanase who’d casually raised her hand.

“““Huh…?”””

Three people grunted in surprise.

Noticing the response, Nanase smiled wryly and scratched her cheek.

She turned to Yuuko and, with a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks, said, “Sorry, were you planning on doing it?”

Yuuko responded smoothly and without hesitation. “Nope.” Then she tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled, a little bashful. “I’ll be so busy with cheer squad choreography and the class play that I’ll just cause more problems for Saku if I do it. I think it’d be better all around if you did it, Yuzuki.”

Nanase raised her eyebrows in surprise, then nodded in understanding.

“All right. You can leave it to me.”

She paused, looked around, and spoke again.

“Is that cool with everyone else?”

Kazuki, who’d been watching them converse, smiled a little bit sadly.

“Well, with Saku and Yuzuki at the helm, there’ll be no issues.”

Everyone nodded in full agreement with him.

There was a lull in the conversation, and I found myself realizing something all over again.

Before now…Yuuko would have volunteered to be vice captain, without a doubt.

Nanase wouldn’t have raised her hand like that. Even if she’d wanted to do it, she would have waited to gauge the others’ reactions first.

Things have changed between us all… They really have.

It was something new—hard to define but not uncomfortable. Just a little melancholy, too.

After we’d been hanging around awhile, about ten or so third-year students walked into Gym 2.

Seeing who was leading the line, Kaito leaped to his feet.

“Whoa! No way! Nishino, you’re gonna be on the cheer squad, too?!”

Asuka came over, blushing a little and waving.

Walking right behind her was Okuno. There were also a few other students I recognized from the future careers counseling sessions and summer study camp. They all seemed close, so they must have decided to join the cheer squad together.

We all got to our feet like Kaito did.

Asuka giggled awkwardly. “Hello. Great to be cheering with you all.”

“Same, same,” everyone said.

Things seemed more chill than they’d been during the future career sessions. Maybe because we’d spent all summer studying together and going to the festival and everything.

Asuka came up close to me and murmured in my ear. “You don’t seem very surprised.”

“I had the feeling you and I might end up the same color,” I said, and Asuka pouted a little.

“Hey, don’t talk like it was that easy.”

“All right, all right. You should know, I’m delighted on the inside.”

That wasn’t just a joke to cover up my embarrassment. I meant it.

Asuka often says stuff like, “It’s sad that we can’t share the same experiences at the same time,” and yeah, I’ve felt it, too.

But now that we were both on the cheer squad, we’d be able to work together toward one of the biggest events in our school life.

Our first and last time working together as classmates and teammates.

Asuka seemed satisfied by my answer. She smiled at me and then strolled off.

Okuno, who had been watching from the sidelines, spoke to me then.

“So we meet again, Chitose.”

I was a little unsure how to respond, but this time, I opted for a casual joke.

“So much for our cool parting of the ways after the summer study camp, huh?”

Okuno snorted with amusement.

“Now, now, don’t be that way. I also want to enjoy my last semester.”

He said he’d confessed his feelings to Asuka in no uncertain terms and gotten shot down, but it didn’t seem to have made things awkward between them at all.

Instead, he seemed refreshed, like he’d been liberated from some kind of burden.

He and I had snarked back and forth at each other during the future careers session, but to be honest, I had nothing against the guy.

While I was mulling that over, the bell for the start of class rang, and at almost the same moment, the first-years started coming in.

All right. Looks like it’s time to start festival prep for real.

I tightened my tie—which is kinda unlike me, I have to say.

The cheer squad was composed of about thirty students, including first-years, second-years, and third-years.

We decided to start with a brief round of self-introductions.

Nanase and I stood at the front, and everyone else sat down side by side in three rows ranked according to grade.

Now that I see them all together, there’s kinda a lot of people here.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.

“Erm… So I’ve been appointed leader of the cheer squad. I’m Saku Chitose from Year Two, Class Five. If we’re doing this, then I sure plan for us to bring home the championship trophy. It’d be great to enjoy this school days experience with everyone. Let’s give it our all together, all right?”

It’s just a basic speech, not like I’m the principal addressing the whole freakin’ school. So there’s no point in rambling on too much right from the start.

Once I wrapped it up, there was a round of applause much louder than anything I’d been expecting.

“Yeah!”

“Nice, Captain!”

“Let’s do this thing.”

“Chitose is so cool, isn’t he?”

“I’m glad I chose to join the cheer squad…!”

I had to smile awkwardly at the reactions of the older and younger students.

We’re talking about folks who’d actually volunteer to join a cheer squad. I’m sure they’re just fundamentally perky people.

Now Nanase stepped forward.

“I’m Yuzuki Nanase, vice captain. Now, I may not look it, but I play to win! I’ll cut the younger students some slack, but the older ones will get no mercy from me. Make sure you’re adequately prepared, okay?”

Her words were kinda strong, but her gestures were playful and a little hammy, and the crowd seemed to love it.

“Excited for the opportunity!”

“Be as harsh as you like!”

“Man, isn’t Nanase gorgeous?!”

“Blue Team is the best!”

After that, we had the third-years, second-years, and then first-years introduce themselves one by one.

Overall, everyone was perky and clear-spoken, and the rest listened attentively, too. Though it was our first time meeting, the atmosphere was jovial and pleasant.

If anything, Kenta was the most reticent of anyone present. But it was still all right, since his banter with Kaito had gotten a few laughs.

Once the self-introductions were over, I took charge again.

“Thanks, everyone. Okay, so the second-years will basically be taking point going forward, but I’d like one representative each from the first-years and third-years. They’ll have to join in on brainstorming sessions with us. So with that in mind…are there any candidates you’d like to nominate now?”

This, too, is like an annual tradition.

It’s difficult to coordinate gathering everyone together for every decision, so the second-years basically serve as the main players, gathering opinions from the students in the other years via a nominated representative, who then reports back to their peers what we’ve all decided to do.

For the dancing, we have everyone memorize the choreography first, then we oversee the main thing, while the representatives focus on the small details and oversee the individual practice sessions for each grade.

“Here!”

It was Asuka who’d put up her hand with zero hesitation. I think she probably came with this as her plan.

“I’ll be representing the third-years.”

The other seniors clapped to signal their approval.

Asuka’s already familiar with a lot of us second-years, so it’s a good choice, I think.

“All right. Nishino will represent the third-year students. How about for first year?”

They’d suddenly have to work with a bunch of second- and third-year students, all on their own.

Frankly, I can see how it’s a tough ask.

“Here! I wanna do it!”

A cheerful voice rang out.

The hand in the air belonged to a quite lovely girl who stood out from her first-year peers.

I probably shouldn’t say it like this, but she was about as pretty as Nanase. And though her uniform was still a little baggy on her, it was clear she had great proportions underneath.

I bet she’s super popular among the kids in her grade, I thought as I addressed her.

“Oh, thanks. You’re… Er, Nozomi, was it?”

I remembered the name from the round of self-intros. The girl nodded politely.

“Yes, I’m Kureha Nozomi from Year One, Class Five. Nice to meet you!”

Maybe they discussed this among themselves beforehand, since the first-years were all clapping with warm approval.

“Then, Nishino, Nozomi… Would you mind stepping forward briefly?”

Asuka came to stand beside Nanase, while Nozomi trotted perkily over to stand right beside me.

I got a hit of a fresh citrus scent.

Nozomi looked my way, tilted her head, and gave me a smile that still had a hint of innocence to it.

Since entering high school, I hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with any of the junior students. So I was blushing a little as I nodded slightly and turned to face the others.

“All right, to reiterate—I’m the captain, Saku Chitose, and the vice captain is Yuzuki Nanase. The third-year representative is Nishino, and the first-year representative is Nozomi here. So, that’s our system in place. Let’s work together until the big day, okay? All right, thanks, everyone.”

““““Thanks!!!””””

Youthful voices rang out to the rafters of Gym 2.

Looking around at the unfamiliar faces, I found myself relaxing a little. Yeah… Things were probably going to go just fine.

After that, we all exchanged contact information, created a LINE group for the Blue Cheer Squad, and called it a day.

Not a bad meeting overall, I thought.

As I watched the other students leave the gym, Nanase came over to speak to me. “Chitose, are you free tonight?”

“Hmm… You mean for what we discussed?”

I recalled the plans we’d made about me cooking for her. But Nanase rolled her eyes at me. “Hey, don’t make me sound desperate.”

“Oh, so it’s not that?”

“I mean, if you wanna cook for me, I’m happy to indulge you. But more importantly, we have stuff to discuss. Maybe we should have a quick meeting, just you and me?”

“Oh yeah…”

Embarrassed, I rubbed my cheek.

Right, we couldn’t move forward until we’d decided what exactly we were gonna do for our performance.

Of course, we were going to be discussing it with the rest of the second-year members—and Asuka and Nozomi—but we should probably have some ideas beforehand.

Since I had no particular objections or alternative plans in mind, I gave her a nod.

“All right… Well, where should we do it?” I asked.

“Your place,” Nanase replied.

“What time?”

“After club practice.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Something you’ve never made for anyone before.”

“So you do want me to feed you after all.”

We were ambling toward the gym exit, chattering away, when I noticed the sound of someone’s footsteps following us.

I stopped and turned to find Nozomi looking at us with a curious expression on her face.

Perhaps she was waiting for the right moment to say something.

If so, then I felt a little bad for not noticing sooner.

“Sorry. I thought we were the last ones left. Do you have a question or something?”

Nozomi just stared blankly, like she hadn’t even heard me.

“Er…Nozomi?”

When I spoke to her again, she seemed to snap out of it and gave me a bright grin.

“Er, I was just thinking… I didn’t get a chance to greet you properly or express my thanks. Anyway…I’m looking forward to working with you!”

Express her thanks…? I’m guessing she means for accepting her as the representative of the first-years.

What a proper young lady, I thought, unable to suppress a smile.

“You don’t have to be so formal.”

Nozomi clutched handfuls of her skirt. “No, no, I wanted to do things properly.”

“Aha,” I said, nodding lightly. “Well, it’s great to be working with you, too. None of us second-years have any experience with cheering. So if you have any ideas, feel free to suggest away.”

“Okay!”

Then Nozomi turned to Nanase and bowed deferentially.

“It’s great to be working with you, too, Nanase!”

I’m sure Nanase was used to chatting to the younger girls on the basketball team. When she responded, her tone was relaxed and casual.

“Sure. Come to me anytime with any issues, big or small. Like if the captain starts hitting on you. Like I said, anything at all.”

“Hey, Vice Captain. Don’t go poisoning the younglings’ minds against me.”

“Don’t worry. You wouldn’t think it looking at him, but he’s actually pretty decent when it comes to the girls.”

“And I’m kind to the boys, too!”

Nozomi sputtered with laughter at this. “You all seem to be such good friends.”

Nanase and I looked at each other, surprised by this earnest assessment of our group.

We’re used to the way we all joke and tease one another, but it’s always a little bit like, “Huh,” when someone else comments on it.

“Come to think of it,” Nozomi said, tilting her head. “I couldn’t help overhearing… You live alone, Senpai?”

Now, if I were to explain about my family situation, it might make things kinda awkward for her. But it’s not like I have anything to hide. So I gave her a fairly casual answer.

“Ah, solo living’s not too bad, once you get used to it.”

Nanase chimed in. “And his place has become kinda like our de facto group hangout spot.”

Nanase probably wanted to mitigate any misunderstandings that a younger student might have.

But either way, Nozomi seemed to accept this explanation without any further questioning.

“Really? Well, I’d love to be invited to hang out sometime!”

“Er, uh…”

I should have just nodded and laughed, taken it for mere polite conversation, but with everything that’s been happening lately, I found myself a bit tongue-tied.

If it was someone I knew better, I’d probably style it out with an obviously absurd joke, like, “Well, make sure you pack some cute undies.” But if I ended up creeping this girl out from day one—well, that wouldn’t be good.

Still, Nozomi clearly knew that Nanase was coming to my place. And flat out turning down her innocent request for an invite would probably really hurt her feelings…

…Think of poor wittle Saku?

I looked to Nanase for help, but she rolled her eyes and sighed.

Then she shrugged and eventually spoke for me.

“Well, Nozomi, once upon a time, there was a hungry wolf. He no longer had the strength to go out hunting. He was all curled up in his den, starving… Then a pure-white little wild rabbit wandered in. Now then, what do you think that nasty wolf’s going to do?”

Nozomi put her pointer finger to her lips, thought for a sec, then answered.

“Um, eat it?”

Nanase nodded with a serious look on her face.

“You’re the rabbit. Captain here is the wolf. Got that?”

“I ain’t no wolf!!!”

I couldn’t stand by any longer and had to protest. But Nozomi chuckled, like this was all just too hilarious.

“Then…Nanase’s going to get eaten, too…?”

Another casual question from her…but again, I was tongue-tied.

Nanase, however, didn’t seem to have a problem with her words.

She poked out her tongue and spoke in a jokey, sultry voice.

“Oh, honey, I’m no rabbit. I’m a well-nourished wolf myself. Ain’t nobody eating me.”

Nozomi sputtered with laughter again, clapping her hands over her mouth.

Then, through attempts to choke back her laughter…

“Sorry. I understand what you’re getting at, Nanase. But when I saw the two of you together, I figured there was nothing to worry about in that regard… I may have stepped out of line a little.”

She bowed her head respectfully, and I felt sort of bad about all this.

Nanase seemed to feel the same.

I’m sure this girl didn’t ask for an invitation just because she was kinda clueless.

It was my first time meeting her, so perhaps I was overly cautious myself.

I mean, going forward, we’d be working closely together as key players on the cheer squad.

And it was totally possible that we’d have team meetings at my place.

Nanase nodded, with the cool smile of an older student.

Right. I nodded back. “You should bring some hearty junk food when you come. No froufrou desserts. That way, the wolf will be able to satisfy his appetite and won’t get up to any mischief.”

Nozomi’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in an “aha” sort of way.

“Understood, Senpai!”

“Also…,” she murmured, looking away, as if embarrassed. “Um… Senpai… Nanase… It’s fine with me if you want to call me Kureha instead of by my last name.”

Nanase and I looked at each other and burst out laughing at her childlike earnestness.

If I had a younger sister, maybe she’d be something like this, I thought, smiling to myself.

I wanted to make things as comfortable for her in our group as possible.

“Well, don’t burn yourself out, okay, Kureha?”

Nanase nodded, still in her reliable older-girl persona.

“If you need anything at all, feel free to reach out to me, Kureha.”

Kureha clenched her fists in front of her.

“Okay! I’ll do my very best!”

Then she giggled, and the sound was as refreshing as ripe citrus.

I was just turning the heat down under the bubbling clay pot when a languid ding-dong came at the door.

“It’s open!” I called out, and Nanase peeked her head around the doorframe.

“’Sup?”

“Hey. I’ve already started dinner. You can feel free to go and freshen up in the shower.”

Wow, I sure suggested that pretty casually, I thought.

I mean…she’d just finished club practice. I’m sure she was sweaty. If I hadn’t suggested it, she would’ve asked to use my shower herself.

I’d decided to stop getting my boxers in a bunch over every little thing lately.

“Thanks.” Nanase dropped her stuff on a kitchen chair and went to grab a bath towel from the closet.

She’s gotten pretty used to making herself at home, I thought.

I wanted to check to make sure I timed dinner right, so…

“You gonna wash your hair, too?”

“No. I only worked up a light sweat today.”

Nanase was on her way to the bathroom when she suddenly swerved and came over my way.

She stood next to me and sniffed.

“Smells even better than usual.”

“I’m cooking in a clay pot. I’ve never done it before, so no complaining if it ends up kinda burnt,” I said.

Nanase grinned and chuckled. “Yay, I’m the first,” she said perkily, then disappeared into the bathroom.

As usual, I turned up the volume on my Tivoli Audio.

I got out the tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and garlic, and grabbed a knife.

I removed the stems from the tomatoes and roughly cubed them, stacked a few lettuce leaves and cut them into thick strips, and finely chopped the onion.

Then I got two cloves of garlic.

I cut off the end pieces, then crushed them with the flat side of the knife to peel off the skins.

I poured a generous glug of oil into a hot cast-iron frying pan, tilted the pan around a bit, then added the garlic.

I cooked the garlic over a low heat to release the aroma, then took it off the heat before it burned, and then roughly chopped it.

Next, I fried the onions to a golden brown before adding ground beef.

The bathroom door clattered open.

The clay pot had started bubbling and chattering while I was busy doing other things, and a nice fragrant smell had begun to fill the air. I reached out and turned off the heat.

I’ll leave it steaming in the pot for a while, I thought, and it should turn out really nice.

Once the minced beef was cooked through, I sprinkled on some salt and pepper, added the finely chopped garlic, then added some sweet chili sauce, some ketchup, and some Worcestershire sauce, eyeing the amounts and tasting as I went.

It was a little too sweet, so I added just a touch of soy sauce.

I scooped up a spoonful, popped it in my mouth, then nodded and turned off the heat.

The curtain separating the living room and bathroom was suddenly tugged aside.

Nanase emerged, looking refreshed.

“All bathed. Or, to be more precise, all showered.”

I grabbed some plates to serve the rice on.

“It’s gonna be too cold soon for just showers.”

“Then I’ll buy you some nice bath salts.”

“You’re planning on soaking in my tub?”

Nanase strolled over and casually rested her hand on the stool parked near the kitchen counter.

As my eyes fixed on that sight…

“Uh…”

I said this without thinking.

Nanase froze, about to pull the stool over and sit down.

“What…?”

She shot me an uneasy look.

There was a tense, tingling silence.

That stool was an expression of my appreciation to Yua.

It’s not like I’d decided from the start that I wasn’t going to let anyone else sit there. But the moment I saw Nanase about to use it, something felt very wrong.

For just a moment, I got a mental image of Yua sadly staring at me.

Of course, Nanase meant no harm. This was my fault for not putting it away beforehand.

Eventually, Nanase was the first to break the silence.

She gently returned the stool to its original spot with both of her hands, handling it like it was precious.

“Maybe I’ll just flop down on the sofa.”

She was acting like that moment of awkwardness had never happened.

I watched as she turned and walked away from the stool. Her steps were overly light somehow.

Sorry, I murmured internally.

When I opened the lid of the clay pot after it spent some time steaming, I was met with the sight of shiny, plump grains of rice.

As worried as I’d been about it, the rice touching the side of the pot was just nicely browned. No burnt bits.

Mentally shoving aside our earlier mishap, I called out to Nanase.

“Nanase, how much you gonna eat?”

“A double helping, duh!”

She sounded like Haru. I had to grin.

“Don’t you want to worry about the calories a little first?”

“Hmm? I thought you weren’t into girls who acted all delicate and dainty in front of guys.”

“Indeed, I am not.”

I whacked some rice onto a plate, topped it with the just-fried ground beef and onions, added some lettuce and some tomatoes, then finished it off with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

I carried the plates to the table, then grabbed the soup I’d made earlier out of the fridge.

I got us a couple of spoons and two glasses of barley tea, then sat down on a chair.

Nanase, across the table, gasped in delight.

“So, Chitose. What are we having this time?”

“Today’s special is taco rice with cold soybean potage. And yes, this is my first time making any of it.”

Nanase clapped her hands together in applause. “Nice!”

“Incidentally…I have no idea if I’m ever gonna be making that potage again, so you’d better try to appreciate every spoonful.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“…It was a lot more work than I expected it to be, that’s why.”

I had to use the hand mixer Yua left, but it still took way too long.

I got a flashback of me frantically popping soybeans out of their pods, and I gave myself a little shake.

“I doubt I’m ever gonna whip up a batch just for myself, at least.”

Nanase rubbed her mouth and giggled.

Then she smiled slightly and spoke in a teasing sort of voice. “So then, this is a special treat just for me?”

I turned away, embarrassed, and mumbled my response.

“…You made me katsudon during summer vacation, right? I wanted to thank you for that, so I thought I’d try making something you might like.” I paused for a second, then tried to laugh it off. “Though taco rice was about all I could manage for the main course afterward.”

When I looked at Nanase, she was frozen, somewhat stunned.

I tipped my head, confused by her reaction, but she just blinked and blinked.

“…Nanase?”

With that verbal nudge, she finally snapped out of it, lowering her gaze to the table.

“Hee-hee. I’m glad to hear that.”

Then she giggled a very un-Nanase-like giggle.

Suddenly awkward, I scratched my neck to try to distract myself.

“Let’s eat, Nanase.”

“Yeah!”

“All right. I’m digging in.”

“Me too!”

Nanase looked around for a moment before picking up the cold soybean potage first.

By the way, I’d served it in a little glass to make it a bit fancier.

Nanase used her wooden spoon to get a small mouthful.

She seemed to have taken my earlier words to heart. She appeared to be rolling the mouthful on her tongue, savoring it before swallowing.

Then she looked at me with surprise in her eyes.

“No way… You made this, Chitose?”

“Hey, what do you mean?”

Nanase stuck out her tongue. “Sorry, sorry. I wasn’t ragging on you. It’s just that you normally cook the way you’d expect boys to do, just kinda tossing things together. But this tastes like something from some fancy restaurant.”

“Well, I may have searched ‘recipes that taste like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant’ as reference.”

“Hee-hee. Well, thanks.”

She smiled a little shyly, then reached for the taco rice.

Now she was probably thinking about how I’d gone to all the trouble of making it in a clay pot.

She avoided the meat at first and took only a spoonful of the white rice.

“It’s so fluffy and sweet. It’s definitely clay-pot rice; I can see the browned parts.”

Seeing her reaction, I snorted with satisfaction. “It’s not just any old rice I threw into a clay pot. I was actually all out of rice, so I bought some ichihomare rice for the occasion.”

I followed Nanase’s example and took just a spoonful of the rice.

I’ve always been a diehard for koshihikari rice, but this stuff was a strong competitor.

Next, Nanase took a big spoonful of the meat and other toppings.

“Delicious! But this one has the comforting taste of the good old Chitose cafeteria.”

“That’s because I exhausted my pretentiousness on the soybean soup,” I said. “I used, like, the first taco rice recipe I found. As for the sauce, I basically just winged it.”

Nanase chuckled, shoulders shaking. Relieved by her rave review, I started in on my own plate of taco rice.

Not bad at all for my first time making it.

You can squeeze some veggies into your diet with this dish as well. I figured I’d probably end up making this again sometime soon.

“I could also put a soft-boiled egg on top. Or add some mayonnaise or Tabasco…”

I was half muttering to myself, but Nanase gasped theatrically.

“I noticed this at Hachiban’s, too… But you really like to switch things up with different toppings, don’t you?”

“I mean, it’s good to be able to enjoy variety, you know…?”

“Actually, I think you’re low-key rubbing off on me. Recently, I’ve been shaking some shichimi spice onto my miso soup.”

“Oh, good idea. Shall we shake together? Three, two…”

“I already added some.”

As we continued our casual conversation, I suddenly blurted out something that had been bothering me.

“You know, you’ve got a major role in the play, and now you’re going to be vice captain of the cheer squad, too… Haven’t you bitten off a bit more than you can chew?”

Nanase shrugged lightly. “Well, what about you?”

“I mean, I don’t have club practice, unlike you.”

And didn’t Haru say something about Winter Cup qualifiers coming up soon?

I didn’t know the details, but it sounded kinda like the regional spring national tournament in baseball.

In that case, how would they have any time to spare for school events?

Nanase stopped eating and muttered to herself, “It’s fine. I’m not neglecting basketball. It’s just that I’ve been watching Umi lately, and it’s got me thinking.”

She sounded very convincing. And her gaze was convincing me, too. Okay. I guess I was worrying for nothing.

“All right.”

I shrugged and smiled, but Nanase went for the jugular.

“What, are you not happy having me as your partner?”

“Don’t talk crazy. You’re the most reliable person I know.”

“Okay, then.”

Nanase took a sip of her barley tea, then smacked her lips, as if to say, “Now, down to business.”

“So how should we proceed with cheer squad?”

By the way, like we discussed in homeroom, Nazuna would be working Atomu hard for the play, so we could trust that to keep ticking along.

First, they’d work with the lit club members to draft a rough script.

Then the main actors—i.e., me, Yuuko, and Nanase—would be added to a group chat on the LINE app so we could go over the script and give our opinions.

Until the script was done, in other words, the best thing was for us to focus all our efforts on the sports festival for the time being.

I thought for a second before saying anything. “Well, first, we need to come up with a concept.”

Whatever our performance, our team color would have to be featured prominently. Like how the giant mascot–constructing team uses the color as a theme.

According to Kura, in previous years, the Blue Team worked off of concepts like the sky, mermaids, youth, tears. All things associated with blue.

Anything that could be loosely associated with the color blue was up for grabs.

Nanase nodded enthusiastically.

“For now, I think it’s going to be a discussion between us second-years, Nishino, and Kureha.”

“I’ll set up a brainstorming room, just like in class. Let’s get a concept squared away, and then we can start working on the music, choreography, and costumes.”

“Fine by me. So, Chitose, do you have any ideas at this early stage…?”

I thought for a second before saying anything.

“When I think of blue, I always think of nature… Like the sky, the ocean. But what about…planet Earth?”

“Sounds like that would lead to a pretty elaborate dance routine.”

“Well, how about those bright blue Popsicles?”

“Wow, you went all the way to the mundane.”

“Uh…a pool? Those are blue.”

“What, are we dancing around in swimsuits now?”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t even consider it!”

All jokes aside…

I had no idea what our predecessors did. But I did have a hunch that if our concept was too abstract, the audience would be like, “Okay… What am I even looking at here?”

If only we could hit on one single word, easily associated with the color blue, that could be expressed plainly through the medium of dance…

I finished off my taco rice as I spoke.

“Well, it would probably be quicker if we all discussed it together and hashed out some ideas.”

“Right,” Nanase agreed, slurping the last of her soup. She put the glass down. “That was incredibly delicious. Thank you.”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yeah. My heart’s totally full.”

“I see…so the nutrients go to the chest area.”

“Shut up!”

We both carried the dishes to the sink, then Nanase started washing up.

I grabbed a dish towel.

Splash, splash, squeak.

Splash, splash, splosh.

I took charge of the expertly washed dishes and rubbed them dry as I spoke again.

“Anyway, I don’t even need to mention Asuka, but I’m sure glad that Kureha seems like she’ll be easy to work with.”

Nanase shot me a glance and responded in a playful tone. “She’s certainly pretty enough to get a certain guy drooling.”

“Come on, that’s not what I meant.”

“…Sorry. I was being kinda bitchy there.”

“…But I mean, does Kureha have a boyfriend or what?”

“Hey!”

I was just making conversation, but Nanase took my comment about Kureha more seriously than I’d intended. So I’d decided to tease her, just a little.

We looked at each other, then both burst out laughing.

I thought back to the afternoon, and yeah…Kureha was very pretty. Nanase levels of pretty.

But still… I smiled thinly.

Not only do I basically have my plate full with pretty girls, after the earnest and innocent way Kureha chatted with us this afternoon, I can’t really see her as anything other than a little-sister type.

And anyway, it’s totally disrespectful to even be discussing a younger student in this way.

Nanase finished washing the dishes and grabbed a towel to dry her hands.

“Hey, Chitose…can we move the table a little?”

“Okay, but why?”

We each grabbed one end of the table and maneuvered it to the wall.

Nanase went to the bedroom and came back cradling the crescent moon–shaped nightlight she’d given me for my birthday.

She put it on the table, plugged it in, and then switched it on.

I snapped off the room lights, and a faint crescent moon appeared in the dimness.

Nanase giggled and held out her hand. “I won’t go snooping around, I promise, so…can I borrow your phone?”

“I’m not worried about you snooping.”

I handed her my phone as instructed, then casually looked over her shoulder to make sure I could see the screen.

I really wasn’t worried, though; this was typical Nanase stuff.

She opened a free music app I’d signed up for but barely used, and she started searching for something.

Then, apparently having found the song she was looking for, she shot me a mischievous look.

“Prince, how good are you at dancing?”

“How good do you think?”

“Don’t you think the captain and vice captain should lead the choreography?”

“Am I a prince now, or am I still the captain?”

Nanase tapped the phone screen, and a song with sexy male vocals began to play.

The screen said, Mary Jane.

Aha. I got what Nanase was driving at.

I grinned a little. “You want the cheer squad to dance cheek to cheek to the oldies?”

“Maybe our Snow White will have a ball.”

“In that case, we’ll need to get some glass slippers for props.”

“Just make sure they don’t fit me.”

This was all just pantomime on Nanase’s part, of course.

Nothing she says has any meaning, and yet there’s a deeper overall meaning to all of it.

Calling to mind that long chat one night not so long ago, Nanase said…

“Would you like to dance tonight?”

“Yes, shall we dance?”

All right. I’ll go back to that spring night, too.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hesitant.

But once you taste the slight embarrassment of it, it becomes kinda addictive.

Over and over…and it always ends up like this.

Someone whispering in my ear.

Be quiet. You don’t have to say it. I know.

But if I keep dodging the question, we’ll never get anywhere.

Looking for the answer in things like this.

Someday, I swear I’ll put a name to it.

In the dim light of the crescent moon, a boy and a girl became a fake prince and a fake princess.

I held out my right hand theatrically, my left hand on my hip.

Nanase held my hand in hers, her free hand gently placed on my shoulder.

Our cheeks close together…not touching, but so close…

I wrapped my left arm around Nanase’s waist…

And then we took our first step.

Without any prior discussion, we were perfectly in sync. Two inseparable halves of one whole.

I could practically feel Nanase’s heartbeat in the painful space between us.

The apologetic space between our cheeks, flushed with blood…

We were close enough to hear each other blink, and yet our eyes never met.

We danced random dance steps and spun in unison.

What if in our version, Snow White really did go to a ball?

Though we both knew that a happily ever after wasn’t in the cards, we still continued to act our roles.

Nanase recited the lines, like she was in a play.

“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall.”

She moved her face a little ways away and peered up at me with eyes that were bright and seductive, like those of a witch casting a curse.

“…Who’s the fairest one of all?”

It was like she was asking me that question for real. So to avoid being bewitched, I averted my eyes and pressed my cheek against hers again.

The next day, just after seven PM.

The cheer squad members consisting of us second-years, Asuka, and Kureha had all come to OreBo Station, a local Fukui chain restaurant not far from our school.

It’s kinda like a combination of a typical convenience store, a bento shop, and a restaurant.

Beside the convenience store part, there’s a vast selection of prepared deli and bento boxes that they make in-house, and you can either eat in or take them out.

Also, the cafeteria part has a wide range of set menus you can order for around 550 yen. I often stop by when I don’t feel in the mood for cooking.

We talked about getting something to go and taking it to a nearby park, if the place was super busy, but luckily, the eat-in space was pretty empty.

Preparing for a school festival is like a race against time.

Everyone was involved in school clubs, except for Kenta, Asuka, and me, so we’d probably be getting together later in the evening like this more often for a while.

Incidentally, Kureha turned out to belong to the track-and-field club.

I was surprised to learn that her specialty was the 100-meter dash, and that she’d even competed in the Inter-High School Championships.

We each bought our meals and went into the eat-in area.

The boys chose dishes from the in-house menu, such as katsudon and curry, while all the girls went for the buffet, something this place was known for.

If you go for the buffet, you get a special container that you can fill with whatever you want, like rice, fried rice, pasta, chicken with daikon, meat-and-potato stew, and so on. In other words, it’s basically a make-your-own bento station.

We snagged two four-person booths, with Kazuki, Kenta, Kaito, and Haru in one, and Yuuko, Yua, Asuka, and Kureha in another.

Nanase and I took seats at the nearby counter.

Last night, I’d told everyone to come up with a concept for the performance.

I’m not sure whether one night’s long enough to come up with anything decent, but we need a jumping-off point to begin discussions.

For now, though, everyone started chowing down.

Sitting at the counter meant I had my back to the booth, so I quickly slurped down my char siu ramen and then turned to face the group.

But before we got into it, I took a quick bite of the Spam rice ball I’d also ordered. It’s more like a giant piece of sushi the size of a girl’s fist, and, as the name suggests, it’s topped with a slab of Spam and a rolled omelet.

Just one of these will fill you up for hours, so it’s something guys often swing by OreBo to pick up after club practice.

After swallowing, I began:

“Let’s keep eating as we discuss, but does anyone have any ideas so far…?”

The first to respond was Haru, who was also stuffing a rolled Spam rice ball into her mouth. I hate to call a girl out, but that’s not the kind of thing you order on top of the buffet bento, you know.

“I know! Pocari Sweat! The labels are blue.”

“I see what you’re driving at, but I worry it’d just look like a commercial for Pocari Sweat. You know, a bunch of people dancing in uniforms.”

“Yeah…but it was all I could think of.”

Next, and surprisingly, Asuka raised her hand.

“Yes, Asuka?”

“Erm…like maybe the Bluebird of Happiness…?”

“Ah, yeah… That’s an idea.”

“It’s based on a fairy tale, so we could work off that.”

Not a bad idea, I thought.

No doubt Asuka had given it some thought, wanting to represent as the only third-year.

Nanase, who’d conveniently just finished eating, turned to Asuka and nodded.

“Yeah, I think it’s a good idea. Let’s keep it as a possibility. What about the rest of you?”

The next person to raise their hand was Yua.

“How about an aquarium?”

I nodded a little.

“Nice. It’s more concrete and easier to imagine than something more abstract like the ocean.”

“I thought it would be pretty if we made colorful, fluttery costumes like tropical fish and did a dance representing swimming.”

“Oh yeah. Let’s put that on the list as well.”

Yua blushed and scratched her cheek.

“It’s nothing special… I just remembered Yamazaki’s funny analogy from the other day at Takokyu.”

“I know, I know, I know!” Yuuko raised her hand enthusiastically. “‘Something blue’!”

Nanase nodded. “Interesting. Definitely interesting.”

I scratched my cheek, confused. “That sounds vaguely familiar, but… What’s it mean?”

Nanase chuckled. “It’s like a traditional wedding custom. There’s these four things a bride needs to bring her happiness: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”

“So then your concept is…?”

Yuuko smiled innocently. “Yep! A wedding!”

Suddenly, I felt too awkward to look at her.

It was reassuring to see that this part of Yuuko hasn’t changed… And I was sure there was no deeper meaning to her suggestion… But wasn’t the concept kind of heavy, considering what had happened…?

Maybe I was just overthinking it, I thought, and I looked at the others to gauge their reactions… Everyone except Nanase, who was grinning wryly, looked confused and unsure of how to respond.

Yuuko looked confused, her gaze wandering from one place to another.

“Hmm?”

Then a few seconds later…

“…Nng!!!”

…she suddenly seemed to connect the dots between her suggestion and everyone’s weird reaction.

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down.

Then eventually, she slowly raised her head…

“Sorry, Saku.”

She murmured, looking at me with sad puppy eyes.

For some reason, she struck me as incredibly cute in that moment. So I cleared my throat, hoping to smooth things over.

“No, I think it’s an interesting idea.”

Then I turned to our youngest group member, who didn’t seem to have picked up on anything awkward at all.

“Er…Kureha, have you thought of anything?”

Kureha, who’d been quietly observing the proceedings, pointed at herself in surprise.

“What, me?!”

Sorry, Kureha. I’m not being as cool as your senior should be.

“I thought everyone’s ideas sounded really cool and interesting, but…”

Incidentally, the night of the initial cheer squad meeting, all of us, including myself and Nanase, had gotten polite messages from Kureha. We’d all quickly gotten used to one another and moved to a first-name basis. There was no need to worry about politeness, which meant we could get on with the task at hand much better.

No doubt Kureha had given this a lot of prior thought.

When she spoke her idea, she showed no hesitance.

“If we’re talking about the ocean…how about a pirate theme?”

““““Ooooh!””””

We all responded in unison.

Kureha continued, a breezy smile on her face…

“I’d sure like to see a fight scene between all the older students!”

“…Pirates, eh? That could work.”

After thinking for a second, Nanase spoke up. “We could have swords and such as props. That would be attention-grabbing. And the costumes would be easy to come up with.”

Kureha yelped in delight. “Yes! With Senpai as the captain, and Yuzuki as the first mate!”

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah…a sword fight would translate well to the audience. And it would be exciting to watch, too.”

Kazuki seemed on board with the idea. “Saku, you can do a backflip, right?”

“It’s been a while since I last did one, but with practice I can manage.”

Kureha’s face lit up, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It’d be super exciting if Senpai and Kazuki clashed swords!”

Kaito flexed his arm. “If we do pirates, I’ll be the one swinging around a spear and an ax!”

Kureha clapped with delight. “That would suit you so well, Kaito!”

Kenta muttered to himself as he nudged his glasses up his nose. “Hmm. Me as a pirate? Actually, that might not be so bad.”

“Er… Kenta?”

It was like some weird switch had been flipped, setting events in motion.

Haru chuckled and interlaced her fingers behind her head. “Oh yeah, I’m down. An action scene would be way better than some silly dance with sexy choreography.”

Kureha giggled and scratched her cheek. “I figured the girls would play damsels in distress, but you, Haru… You’d be right at home fighting!”

Asuka smiled a little. “Hee-hee, it sure sounds like an exciting adventure.”

Kureha exhaled loudly with what sounded like relief. “Oh, good… I was worried pirates might be a little barbaric for you, Asuka…”

Yua chuckled, smiling. “Thanks for coming up with such a great idea, Kureha.”

Kureha looked at the floor, embarrassed. “I… I thought your aquarium idea sounded beautiful, too, Yua!”

Now everyone’s eyes turned toward one person.

Of course, she’d gotten past her disappointment with typical Yuuko positivity, and now she raised one fist in the air.

“Yo-ho-ho, me hearties!”

Her shout prompted us all to raise our fists.

“““““Yo-ho-ho!!!”””””

Someone snorted with laughter, and then we were all guffawing.

Kureha’s eyes were wide with shock, her fist floating hesitantly in the air.

“What? You’re sure? Even you, Yuuko?!”

“Of course!”

Following the energy of the moment, we all grabbed our drinks and got to our feet.

Nanase cleared her throat.

She spoke in a low, old-timey sort of voice—I think she was going for a “first mate” kind of vibe…

“Now then, me fellow sea dogs, let us form our pirate crew.”

Nanase looked my way, and, picking up on her intention, I too assumed a pirate persona. I went for the “salty sea captain” sort of voice.

“Aye. Let us sail the seven seas and dye the town in our signature blue!”

Then I raised my bottle of Royal Sawayaka high.

“To sea, me hearties, to sea! Arrr!”

“““““Arrr!!!”””””

Plastic bottles and juice cartons clattered together.

This was our own version of a ship launching ceremony—our signal to go to war with blue as our standard and flag.

Kinda silly, but also kinda fun and refreshing.

There was no rum or champagne on this ship, but we’d make do with lemonade and Pocari Sweat.

The usual gang, one older student, and one younger student.

A one-off, I thought.

The school festival would come around again next year, but Asuka would be long gone.

And unless luck was on our side, Kureha would probably be assigned to a different color team next year.

So for this one and only voyage, I didn’t want to have any regrets.

Hand in hand together with this gang, I was going to paint it all the way blue.

By the time we left the restaurant, it was already past nine.

Man, I still have to go home and do homework, I thought, and then I realized how tough it had to be for those who have club practice and stuff on top of that.

I looked to the younger student beside me.

“You okay? You must be pretty tired.”

Kureha, who’d been slumped over, suddenly perked up.

“Not at all! I may not look like much, but I take pride in how fit I am!”

“That’s fine, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

Nanase, listening nearby, spoke up. “Chitose, can you walk Kureha home?”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

It was getting pretty late, and it seemed scummy to expect a first-year girl to go home alone.

Kureha looked taken aback and flapped her hand in front of her face.

“No, no, there’s no need to worry about me.”

Nanase smiled a little, tickled by Kureha’s reaction. “Hmm, don’t think of it as an obligation he’s fulfilling. Think of it as one of the privileges of being an older student.”

She paused for a second, then shot me a loaded look.

“Be a good girl and let him walk you home. A certain someone wants to play the cool guy in front of his junior.”

Obviously, Nanase was making all this up to help Kureha feel better about accepting.

I backed her up. “Walking a younger student home is the dream every high school boy’s had at least once in his life.”

Kureha giggled. “Including you, Senpai?”

I responded in a playful manner. “Oh, for sure. I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.”

Kureha looked down, embarrassed, then said…

“…Then I’ll make your dream come true, Senpai.”

Then she sputtered with laughter.

Yuuko, Yua, Haru, Asuka, and the guys all looked on, smiling.

Hmm. Kureha really was kinda the MVP of the day. She deserved the royal treatment.

Thanks to her, we’d been able to quickly come to a conclusion about something we could have spent an eternity agonizing about.

Maybe Nanase was thinking the same thing.

She paused in the act of unlocking her cross bike and looked up at me like she’d just thought of something important.

“So how do we go forward from here?”

“I want to get the song, the choreography, and the costumes decided as soon as possible.”

Until that stuff was nailed down, we couldn’t even start rehearsals, let alone run-throughs.

Still, staying after club until this late every day would be a huge burden on everyone.

We all thought it over for a while…

“I know, I know!” Yuuko raised her hand, like she’d thought of something. Then she looked around at us all. “How about we have a sleepover at my place this weekend…?!”

““What…?””

Nanase and I responded at the same time.

It would certainly be more efficient if we could all get together for an extended period of time, but this many people all barging into someone’s house? That could be awkward.

Nanase scratched her cheek warily and glanced at me.

“Won’t we be too much trouble…?”

“Probably…”

I wanted to suggest meeting at my place, but…while I had enough space for everyone to get together and talk, there really wasn’t room for everyone to stay over.

Yuuko shook her head firmly. “No worries! Mom and Dad are away on a trip! Also…,” she continued, blushing a little, “they go away now and then, so it’s not like I’m not used to it, but still…I do get kinda lonely being by myself all weekend…”

Nanase and I looked at each other.

If Kotone and Yuuko’s dad weren’t there, then surely, we wouldn’t be imposing too much, especially if we made sure to tidy up before we left.

As I was wondering how to answer, Yuuko went, “Ah,” and then said, “The only thing is, we’ll have to take care of our own food and stuff. And I’m not sure there’ll be enough futons for everyone…”

I scratched the nape of my neck as I responded.

“Well, with this many people, we could go buy our dinner at Texas Hands or somewhere like that…”

Texas Hands is a pizza chain based in Fukui.

Incidentally, the reason I said “go buy” instead of “order” is because if you go pick up the pizzas yourself, or eat them in-store, then every pizza is half-price. I hear that’s fairly common these days, but Texas Hands was the first place in the country to start offering this kind of deal.

“Um,” Yua said, “I can make us dinner. But with this many of us, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make anything too fancy.”

Nanase sounded a little embarrassed as she cleared her throat. “I can help out, too…as long as I don’t get in Yua’s way.”

I nodded. “And as for the bedding arrangements, this time of year, I think us guys can just sleep on the floor.”

Kazuki and the other guys agreed.

“What about club practice? Everyone cool there?” I asked.

Haru answered my question. “Nana and I only have practice on Saturday mornings, but not this week, ’cause Miss Misaki has something going on.”

The others seemed okay on that front, too.

Asuka and Kureha both looked kinda excited.

Hmm, this kind of thing is a rare event… Kinda like the school festival itself.

“Then…”

I paused for a second, checked out everyone’s expressions, then spoke again.

“Let’s do it, me hearties! An overnight training camp for the Blue Pirate Team, arrr!”

“““““Arrr!!!”””””

And we raised our fists again as one against the sea of the night.

We all parted ways in front of OreBo; then Kureha and I made our way leisurely down the riverside path.

When it gets to this time of evening, it really hits me that summer’s over.

The air brushing my cheeks felt cool and good.

The wheels of the mountain bike I was pushing rolled lazily along.

Kureha spoke up, sounding a little bit apologetic. “Sorry, I should have biked here, too.”

“I don’t mind walking. Don’t worry about it. But you know, in the run-up to the festival, we’ll be rushing around all over the place. It might be good to start bringing your bike next time.”

“Okay… I’ll be more careful!”

“No need to take it so seriously, though. It’s not that big a deal.”

I usually walk to school and back, but today me, Yua, Asuka, and even Yuuko, who usually gets a ride from Kotone, had brought our bicycles.

Kureha had ridden on the back of Kaito’s bike when we headed to OreBo, which he seemed to get a huge kick out of, so it’s not like anyone minded at all.

I could sense Kureha watching me.

“But this way, I get to have a nice long chat with you.”

Years of experience with deciphering this sort of thing had me immediately trying to figure out what exactly she meant.

But then when I saw the sweet, innocent smile she was giving me, I felt bad for going there in my mind.

When she’s not talking, she’s so pretty, she almost seems a bit out of reach. But once she starts chatting, she’s got that earnest, innocent younger-student energy, and I was still struggling with the contrast.

I smiled wryly.

“So why’d you decide to join the cheer squad, Kureha?”

I was just making conversation.

“Because you guys were involved, of course!”

Now, I wasn’t expecting that.

“Uh… Us guys?”

I was so taken aback that my answer sounded kinda stupid.

Kureha continued without a care in the world.

“Yeah! People are really interested in your group, you know? Lots of us first-years are, like, secret fans of yours, and that’s both boys and girls! We really look up to you all!”

I looked away, scratching my cheek with a finger.

“…Wow, you’re making me blush.”

Kureha carried on without shame.

“So when rumors started getting around that your group was gonna be in the Blue Team’s cheer squad, my classmates got all excited and competitive about it!”

Her earnest eyes were boring holes into me, and I decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, thanks for your contribution today. We couldn’t do a thing until we had the concept locked down, so you really helped us all out.”

Kureha’s face lit up.

“Thanks! You know, I never imagined I’d be the one who got to join you…so I’m totally stoked!”

“It’s not tough for you, being the only first-year student?”

“Not at all! You guys are all so kind and caring!”

“I see… Well, good.”

Asuka already knew everyone, but today was Kureha’s first time hanging out with us all.

I figured she’d be fine, since she was super friendly, but I did honestly have some concerns.

We fell into a comfortable silence; the only sound was that of splashing water.

The air smelled like a September night. Not as rich as summer, not as dry as fall.

Suddenly, the younger student beside me seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.

“Hey, Senpai?”

She tugged my sleeve until I stopped, then gazed up at me.

Her long, glossy eyelashes glistened like stardust was trapped in them; her breath as she spoke tickled my lips.

Her own lips were pressed together, the corners of her eyes softening like crescent moon brooches.

“I’ll do my best, okay?”

She was poised and elegant, like cherry blossoms in full bloom after dark.

“…So that I can catch up to the rest of you, and so that you accept me as one of your own…”

I groped for something an older student should say.

Kureha turned away and faced ahead, like nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired at all.

“I’m really looking forward to the training camp, Senpai!”

And back to her usual tone. I was getting whiplash. But I was relieved, and I cleared my throat.

“Right… Yua’s a pretty amazing cook. Brace yourself for something special.”

“Oh, I had a hunch!”

“Also,” I added, “it’s kinda like… Well, we all already think of you as one of us, Kureha.”

“Thank you! I really hope that’s true!”

Me, the older student. Her, the younger.

I had to gently kick myself for still feeling clunky settling into those grooves.

Then Saturday afternoon rolled around.

Here I was, standing in front of Yuuko’s house.

It had a modern design, mostly white with some black trim and wood trim here and there.

She had a big backyard, big enough for ten people to practice some dance choreography. Fukui had a lot of big houses, but this one was probably one of the more impressive ones.

I’d walked Yuuko home to this house a bunch of times since last year, but this would be my first time actually going inside.

If I stood there any longer, I’d start to freak, so instead I pressed the intercom button as casually as I could.

At that exact moment, the door swung open as if whoever was on the other side just couldn’t wait to come out.

“Saku!”

Yuuko was wearing a more casual outfit than she usually did, and she came barreling through the door.

Then she came charging toward me.

“Hey, you’re gonna fall.”

It was like she hadn’t heard me. She opened the gate, came out, then immediately closed it again.

Taking a quick breath, she grabbed my hand tightly with both of hers, and…

“Sorry.”

…like she was about to burst into tears, she gazed up at me.

“I forgot an important promise.”

I knew what she meant right away.

I mean, last night…

…I was thinking the exact same thing.

“Maybe another day, when the timing is…special.”

The words I’d blurted out on the way home in April came back to me.

True, everything between us has changed now. The definition of special as I envisioned it that day is pretty different now.

Yuuko mashed her lips together, then hesitantly spoke.

“Um, you know, Saku, if you—”

“Still,” I said, cutting her off…

“Thanks. You remembered it, too, didn’t you, Yuuko?”

“Huh…?”

If Yuuko hadn’t been the one to bring it up…I was thinking maybe it would’ve been better to pretend like it never happened.

The words that had spilled out in that sentimental moment between day and night could have gone forgotten in a back pocket—for a decade or so, maybe—and no one would be inconvenienced at all.

But despite that…Yuuko had called it an “important promise.”

What if that twilit evening was still here, in both our hearts?

I grinned.

“Let’s make these two days a special memory for everyone. I think it’s okay to leave it at that for now.”

Yuuko pressed her lips together again, like she was tamping down her embarrassment, then beamed at me. It was adorable.

“All righty.”

Then, in her soft voice, with a smile she seemed unable to repress a second longer, she said…

“Until the day I can become your ‘normal.’”

Then she giggled bashfully—“Tee-hee-hee!”

When Yuuko showed me into the living room, the first thing that struck me was how big it was.

I’d thought my own place was a bit too extravagant for one person to live in, but this was easily twice as big.

In stark contrast to the white exterior, the interior had a relaxing vibe of warm wood.

The living room, with its sofa and TV, was one step down from the surrounding area.

They had a high-end-looking audio setup, which almost made me step back in alarm, but the familiar J-pop hit it was playing helped me relax.

Chop chop chop.

Clack clack clack.

All of a sudden, I became aware of a sound I’d gotten pretty used to hearing this summer, and I looked around.

I think they call this an island kitchen.

Yua called out from the space off to the side of the living room, which was kinda cut off from the rest, like an island.

“Hello, Saku.”

I looked at her in her apron.

“Oh, you’re here early. Are you, by any chance, making lunch for us…?”

“I thought some people might be hungry, but we hadn’t made specific plans to eat, so I’m keeping it loose. I figured at least Yuzuki and Haru would be hungry after club practice.”

“Incidentally, I figured it might go down like that, so I made sure to come hungry as well.”

“Hee-hee,” Yua giggled.

“Kotone said to use whatever ingredients are lying around, and that she wouldn’t charge us a single yen for it. So I figured I’d throw together a Japanese-style pasta using whatever I could find.”

Yuuko rolled her eyes.

“Hmph. Mom always buys way too much pasta.”

I smiled wryly.

“Relax. You could boil a whole bucket. With this many people, we’ll make sure it gets eaten.”

The three of us looked at one another and burst out laughing, and then the intercom rang.

“Coming!”

Yuuko headed to the front door and returned a short time later with Asuka.

She was wearing the same white dress and retro leather Boston bag that she’d had when we went to Tokyo together.

It was only a few months ago, but the outfit brought it all back.

Asuka looked at me and Yua and then blushed a little.

“Hello, sorry to intrude.”

She seemed to be talking about our little circle of students from Year Two, Class Five, not about Yuuko’s house itself. I had to smile at that.

Admittedly, it still feels a little strange when I see Asuka around my other friends, since we usually hang out one-on-one.

Asuka was looking around and seemed ill at ease, so I grabbed her Boston bag and put it with my backpack in the living room.

“What’s in the other bag?” I asked, and Asuka held up the plastic bag she was holding.

“Oh, right. Hiiragi… This is nothing special, but it’s kinda like a greeting gift.”

Yuuko lit up. “Oh, yay! What is it?”

Asuka scratched her cheek, looking taken aback by Yuuko’s perky reaction (which she clearly hadn’t expected) and spoke in a somewhat apologetic tone.

“Erm, I brought Papico, Chupet, Choco Monaka Jumbo, all kinds of ice cream.”

“Oh, all Kaito’s favorites! Let’s eat them together later while we’re taking a break!”

Yuuko took the plastic bag with a big grin and bustled off toward the freezer.

Asuka blinked, standing there. I cleared my throat.

“Hey, how about we just take a seat and wait for the others to arrive?”

Asuka glanced at Yua before responding.

“Right… I’m not sure I’d manage to be much help anyway.”

We sat down on the sofa, leaving some room between us. Asuka fidgeted a little.

“So you guys always get together like this…?”

I shook my head slightly while trying not to laugh.

“If you mean here at Yuuko’s house, this is my first time, too. I think Yua’s been here before, but I’m sure she said she’s never stayed overnight.”

Asuka looked pleased. “Oh, I see! I wonder if it’s okay for me to count them as friends, too…”

Asuka, blushing, sneaked a glance at Yua and Yuuko. I smiled a little. Yeah, I kinda knew how she felt.

“Yeah, friends works,” Asuka continued in a small voice, like she was still embarrassed. “This is my first time staying over at a friend’s house.”

Seeing how excited Asuka seemed, I was really glad I’d invited her to join the cheer squad.

I grinned teasingly. “We’ll have a big pillow fight tonight—how about that?”

“I get kinda wild in bed. I’d rather not.”

“Please stop using misleading language.”

While we were chitchatting, someone else seemed to have arrived at the door.

Yuuko soon returned with Kureha in tow.

She wore a baggy, oversize hoodie with a short pleated skirt.

Kureha looked at us in the living room, then at Yuuko beside her.

“Everyone…let’s make this an enjoyable and fruitful training camp!”

Then she bowed her head all formally.

Me, Yua, and Asuka all nodded.

“Yeah, for real.”

“Let’s have fun, Kureha.”

“Thank you for joining us, Nozomi.”

Kureha raised her head, grinning playfully.

She lifted the box she was holding high.

“I brought a gift!”

Yuuko’s face lit up.

“No way! Mister Donut!!!”

I read somewhere or other that Fukui has the highest ratio of Mister Donut stores per every one hundred thousand people in Japan.

Whether that’s true or not, a box of Mister Donut donuts is a staple house-visiting gift, and has been since I was a kid.

At family gatherings, club parties, and other lively celebratory events with people getting together, it’s pretty common to see boxes of Texas Hands pizza and Mister Donut donuts on the tables.

While I was thinking about this, Kureha spoke again. “Which one’s your favorite, Yuuko?”

“Coconut chocolate!”

“Oh good, I picked one of those up!”

“What about you, Kureha?”

“Donut holes, of course! But I’m kinda greedy, so I wanna eat them all!”

The two of them were giggling together.

Once they were done, Kureha put down her stuff and came over.

She stood nearby, looking puzzled and deep in thought.

Asuka and I looked at each other. Then I spoke.

“I know it’s not my place to offer, but why don’t you take a seat?”

Kureha looked conflicted. “It’s the ultimate choice… Do I sit next to Senpai or Asuka…?”

Asuka and I exchanged glances again at this, and this time, we both sputtered with laughter.

So that’s what she was hesitating over.

Asuka’s shoulders shook as I gestured toward the sofa.

“If that’s the case, should we move a little? If you sit in the middle, that’ll solve the problem.”

Kureha thrust out her hand, palm outward.

“Nope! I must not sidestep the ultimate choice! I’m good!”

“Wow.”

Kureha thought about it for a second, then…

“I’ve decided. I’m sitting beside Senpai!”

Then she flopped down beside me.

Her short pleated skirt flared up, and I quickly averted my eyes.

“Kureha, did you bring a change of clothes?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Might be hard to dance in that skirt.”

Kureha stared at me, mouth agape, then hastily smoothed down her skirt.

Then, more apologetic than embarrassed…

“Have I offended your eyes, Senpai?”

“No, I mean, my eyes aren’t offended, ’cause I swear I wasn’t even looking— Ouch, Asuka, stop pinching my side!”

I looked at Asuka, who turned her head aside with a flounce.

“Hey, hold on a sec… Was I not merely doing my duty as a senior? Advising my junior on her choice of gear for this activity?”

“Oh, you know how to act correctly, do you? Hmph!”

“Aren’t you just jealous she didn’t decide to sit next to you?”

“I am not jealous.”

Kureha, who’d been watching this exchange with interest, was starting to panic. “Hold on, Asuka! You’ve got it all wrong!”

Now it was Asuka’s turn to look flustered.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Nozomi. It was just a joke. I really don’t mind that you didn’t choose me.”

Asuka and I don’t usually interact with each other in front of other people… We’d accidentally fallen into our usual jokey banter.

No wonder Kureha had gotten the wrong idea and thought that she’d offended Asuka.

I should really watch how I act, too, I thought, scolding myself.

While I was thinking about that, Kureha piped up again, looking embarrassed rather than apologetic.

“It’s just that you’re so beautiful, Asuka. If I sat beside you, I worried I’d get all tongue-tied…so Senpai seemed the safer choice!”

Oh, right, that’s why she chose me, then.

“…Wait, what’s that supposed to mean, you impudent young upstart?”

I found myself jabbing back at her. The girls on either side of me exchanged glances, then snorted with laughter.

Asuka, shoulders still shaking, said…

“Thanks. But ‘beautiful’… I feel like that’s a word people usually use for girls who look like you, Nozomi.”

“Oh, no, no, no, not at all. It’s like you were born to wear a white dress, Asuka! You’re like an angel…”

The conversation was going back and forth above my head while I was sitting there like a spare part. Then Asuka looked at me.

“Nozomi says she feels safe next to you.”

Kureha beamed. “Yes! I’d love to simply sit by Senpai’s side forever!”

“I don’t wanna hear that!”

The way they were ganging up on me actually made me feel kinda relieved.

When I first met Kureha, I thought she seemed to take things a bit too seriously, maybe, but she seemed much more chilled out now.

If we were going to do this, then I wanted us all to have fun. And I’m not just saying that as an older student or as the cheer squad captain, either.

Kureha stopped giggling with Asuka and glanced at me.

Maybe she thought I was really taking it to heart, I don’t know.

But she braced herself against the sofa with her hands, shifted her hips, and came sliding right over to me.

Then, close enough for us to be aware of each other’s body heat, she said…

“Asuka is your senpai, and you’re mine, Senpai.”

She sounded so earnest. I had to laugh it off and tell her there was no need for concern.

“Well, thanks. Unfortunately, though, I’m nowhere near as beautiful as Asuka.”

“Oh, I get it—you’re teasing me right now. Well, I have an idea.”

And then, suddenly, silence fell.

“Hey, Saku…”

Kureha spoke in a voice so beautiful, so seductive, it was kinda scary.

I looked at Asuka, and she looked at me.

Kureha was totally unbothered as she purred:

“I’m not a kid, so quit treating me like one.”

Her gently narrowed eyes and slightly parted lips left me speechless.

While I was struggling to figure out how to respond, Kureha resumed her normal tone as she continued:

“Hee-hee, I was a bit jealous of you guys’ relationship, so I wanted to try imitating it!”

Asuka and I looked at each other and awkwardly scratched our cheeks.

“Please don’t call me by my first name.”

Man, it was just like walking home the other day. I still couldn’t seem to relax around Kureha.

She looked grown-up, but she acted like one of the younger kids. But every now and then, she would give off a flash of something more glamorous.

Maybe she really was just joking around, like she said. But she kept fluctuating between being a child and being a grown-up.

Either way, it kinda felt like her role was to stir things up for us older kids.

After that, Kazuki, Kaito, Kenta, and the girls from the basketball club trickled in one by one.

Nanase raised a hand lightly in greeting. “Sorry. Someone caused club to run a little long.”

Haru tossed her head. “Hmph. That’s because you got me going at the end there, Nana.”

Hmm, I guess they got heated again and had themselves another battle.

Nanase apologetically handed over a plastic bag.

“Here, Yuuko. All we could manage was to swing by the convenience store and grab some random snacks.”

Yuuko took the bag with a smile.

“Thanks! I just realized I didn’t get anything like this for us, so it really helps.”

Barging past the two of them as they conversed, Haru headed straight to Yua. Seeing that the pasta was just about done, she grinned.

“Yuzuki! You were totally right!”

Nanase smiled, looking laid-back now. “Right? I told you Ucchi would make something for us.”

“Yikes. I am starving. I almost had to stop for a bowl of gyudon on the way.”

“It’s not very ladylike to show up somewhere salivating for food.”

“The ship sailed years ago on me being ladylike. Make mine a double serving, Ucchi!”

Yua smiled and nodded.

“Sure thing. Eat up.”

Then we all worked together to prepare plates, chopsticks, spoons, drinks, et cetera.

We gathered around the large, low table in front of the sofa, with some people sitting on the rug.

I thought back to the baseball club training camps… Man, they were fun.

I see these guys basically every day, but just thinking about being with them until tomorrow morning seemed novel and exciting.

Small training camps seem kinda different from big school events like school trips or the summer study camp.

You sit at the same table with your close friends, eat the same meals, practice together, and sleep together.

We spend a lot of time together, but this feels closer…which can lead to awkwardness…

Some people get more excitable than they usually do. Some try to act normal but end up being a little more reserved. And some just stay their usual selves.

This mix is what makes these intimate training camps so enjoyable.

Still, this particular training camp has more glamour to it than back then… Those surly faces I used to have to stare at.

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.

“Well then, thanks to the bounty of the heavens and the Earth—and to Yua, of course—let’s eat.”

We all put our palms together in front of us.

“““““Let’s eat!!!”””””

Yua cooked up a huge pot of Japanese-style pasta, with pork, shiso leaves, chopped umeboshi, and thinly sliced onion.

I wrapped a forkful of the spaghetti into a tight bundle, then shoved it in my mouth.

Hmm…I think she used mentsuyu as a base for the sauce.

Maybe a little bit of white dashi stock as well.

It was delicious, of course, I forgot to mention, but it was also a nicely balanced flavor mix—rich but also light, something both guys and girls could enjoy equally.

Knowing Yua, she engineered this with perfect precision.

I smiled wryly. You could always count on Yua.

Yuuko, Haru, and Nanase, who had all enjoyed Yua’s cooking before, started murmuring compliments.

“Ucchi, you have to give my mom this recipe!”

“Hey, can I have another serving?”

“Amazing as always, Ucchi.”

Then Asuka smacked her lips.

She’d been savoring her first bite slowly…and for just a moment, she closed her eyes in something like sadness before breaking into a smile.

“It’s really good, Uchida.”

Yua blushed. “Sorry, guys. For this many people, I can’t really manage anything fancy…”

Normally, she’d add a salad and soup, too. She sounded kinda unsatisfied with what she’d served.

Asuka muttered, looking down, “This isn’t fancy? Yikes…”

Then Kaito started rambling over Asuka.

“Oh man!!!”

He continued, mock-crying:

“This is the first time I’ve ever eaten a home-cooked meal made by a girl other than my mom!”

Beside him, Kenta was also on the verge of tears. “I’m glad to be alive…”

Yua blushed and shifted in her seat. “Okay, you guys, calm down…”

Curious, I found myself blurting out a question. “Kenta I get, but Kaito…? You’ve never had Yua’s food before?”

We started being buddy-buddy with Yua like a year ago. Surely, he’d eaten her cooking at some point…?

Kaito shot me a sharp look, like I was his sworn enemy or something. His mouth twisted, and his brows came down. “Excuse me? You wanna take that question back?”

“What is this? The wrath of an incel?” Kazuki snorted with laughter. “Saku, what would you have said if Kaito had ever asked for even one tiny bite of the bento lunch Ucchi made you?”

“I’d say, ‘You want some of my lunch? How about I serve you a knuckle sandwich, huh?’”

“And what if he asked for some of the leftovers Yua made for you when he was at your house?”

“I’d say, ‘You want some of my dinner? How about I serve you—?’ Uh…”

“See?”

“Ah,” I said, finally getting it, and I looked at Kaito while scratching my cheek. “This is a chance you may never get again, so make sure you eat a lot today.”

“Shut up!!!”

Kureha, who’d apparently been impatiently waiting for our conversation to reach its conclusion, spoke up.

“Yua, this is the most delicious pasta I’ve ever had!”

“Ah-ha-ha,” Yua giggled, scratching her cheek. “Thanks, Kureha. If you’d like, I’ll make you something a little fancier someday when I get the chance.”

“Really? You promise?!” Kureha tilted her head. “Oh, incidentally…”

“Is Yua your girlfriend, Senpai?”

““…?!?!?!””

How many points do I get for not snorting spaghetti out of my nose…?

Yua waved her hand frantically in front of her face.

“N-n-no!!!”

Kureha looked puzzled. “But you make his bento lunches. And you cook his dinner. You live alone, didn’t you say, Senpai?”

Ah, right, that’s all true. It’s not surprising that an innocent younger girl would jump to conclusions based on that information.

“Oh, oh, oh!” Kureha continued. “I’ve also seen the two of you walking home from school together.”

Apparently, Kureha had been aware of us for a while. No doubt she’d noticed us.

Yua looked at a loss for how to explain this… So I jumped in.

“I was living like a slob, and Yua couldn’t stand to see it. So she started helping me out. Whenever we walk home together, we stop by the supermarket and do our grocery shopping.”

Kureha looked convinced by this.

“I see… Yua really is kind! The ‘Yu’ in her name even means ‘kind’!

“Oh, and also,” she said…

“You and Yuzuki broke up already, didn’t you?”

Wow, you’re just gonna blurt that out? I wondered, smiling awkwardly.

Still, this time I knew why she’d think that.

I guess the rumors about us during our fake-dating gambit had even reached the first-years.

Nanase, looking my way, nodded.

Leave the excuses to me, she seemed to be saying.

I gave her a silent nod in response, while Nanase looked down and mumbled sadly:

“I’d kinda prefer if you didn’t know this, Kureha, but… My ex dumped me in the most callous way…”

“Seriously?!”

“That’s not what happened, ex-girlfriend!”

I couldn’t stop myself from interjecting. Meanwhile, Kureha was looking at Nanase with confusion all over her face.

“Sorry, sorry.”

My devious ex giggled, covering her mouth before continuing.

“I was being stalked by this guy, and it was really annoying. I asked Chitose here to pretend to be my boyfriend, like a bodyguard kinda thing.”

Kureha lowered her gaze in an apologetic way.

“I see. Of course, that kind of thing must happen all the time when you’re as beautiful as you are, Nanase. I’m sorry for bringing up such unpleasant memories.”

Then she bowed her head low.

Nanase smiled out of the side of her mouth.

“It’s okay. If anything, it’s a good memory.”

With apparent relief, Kureha quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, I went to watch your games, Haru, Yuzuki, Senpai!”

“““You did?”””

Me, Haru, and Nanase all spoke at once.

“Yes! I already told Senpai, but…I’m a big fan of all of you!”

This time I replied in genuine surprise.

“The match you must be referring to was the one in July, at the prefectural stadium, right? What about the others?”

“Well, the practice matches in the gym in May and July.”

I went to see both of those games.

There were quite a few spectators, and I was kinda busy at the time, trying to find Nanase’s basketball shoes.

I was so focused on the game and everything, I didn’t remember seeing Kureha there.

Well, I’m not good at remembering people’s faces anyway, I thought with a sheepish smile.

After all, I didn’t even remember competing with Atomu at the prefecturals in junior high.

Haru’s eyes softened with nostalgia.

“During that May game, Nana was really on fire.”

Kureha looked curious. “Nana…?”

“Oh, sorry. Court nickname. I’m Umi, and Yuzuki’s Nana. It’s a thing we do in girls’ basketball, so our opponents can’t eavesdrop on our strategy discussions or overhear our instructions. Although the nicknames get around before long, so it’s kinda pointless. I guess it’s mainly tradition.”

“But… But that’s so cool!”

“Still, ninety percent of the time, when we use court nicknames off-court, it means we’re picking a fight.”

“The friendship between Umi and Nana is really special, I think. It’s the kind of friendship you can only form in team sports.”

Haru gave a quick nod of agreement. “Well, thanks—oh, I know! Next time, we’ll go to one of your meets, Kureha.”

“Really?! I have so much respect for both you and Nanase as fellow athletic girls, so that’s a real shot of motivation!”

“Great! We’ll cheer you on at the top of our lungs.”

Kureha pressed her lips together and looked down. “I’m sorry! I got a bit excited in front of everyone and ended up talking too much…”

When I looked around, I noticed that everyone was smiling warmly at the junior student.

To borrow Kureha’s words, it’d be weird not to be excited about spending your first overnight training camp with older students you’ve always admired.

I was once one of those junior boys, too.

An older guy who’s usually so strict during practice, beaming away. Another who’s always cool, even during a game, suddenly getting all excited. And the older girl manager who usually does her job so calmly turning out to be more talkative than you’d expected…

One junior student, and two seniors.

It’s like a color spectrum. Light blue to sky blue to ultramarine, cool tones to warm.

I’m sure the hierarchy between juniors and seniors in high school is different from how it is in college or even in the workplace.

I wanted to say something to help her out, but I couldn’t really find the words…

“Hey, Kureha?”

Yuuko finally spoke up, after watching the whole conversation.

“You can feel free to ask us anything you like. Or just talk about anything.”

Like a prayer. A solemn vow. Every word chosen to count.

“We’ll get to know you, and you’ll get to know us, and even after the school festival is over…”

…Like putting memories into a time capsule…

“Let’s become the kind of friends who get together often, even after graduation.”

And Yuuko beamed.

Kureha closed her eyes, like she was mulling over Yuuko’s words. Then she giggled and nodded, beaming as wide as Yuuko.

After lunch, Nanase and I quickly washed the dishes.

We pushed the dining table and chairs to one corner, and everyone sat in a circle.

The training camp had finally begun in earnest.

There were three main points I wanted to get fixed over the course of this overnight camp.

For the performance part, we needed to decide on the dance steps, the music, and the costumes.

But first, we needed to discuss the general direction of the project as a whole.

I stood in the middle of the circle and held up a bulging plastic bag.

“We wanted to incorporate a fight scene, so I went to the hundred-yen store and picked out some props I think would do nicely.”

I upended the bag, and toy swords, knives, bows, spears, scythes, axes, pistols, and shields tumbled out.

I had a few sets of each, just in case.

They were kinda cheap and flimsy, so they wouldn’t do so well for the real performance, but they would help us to get into the zone while we were working out the choreography.

“““Whoa!”””

The boys were the first to react.

I stooped and picked up a toy sword. “Heh, the main character is always the one with the sword.”

Kaito leaped to his feet. “I’m an ax kinda guy!”

Kenta pushed his glasses up and grinned. “Think I’ll go with a scythe.”

Kazuki smiled smoothly. “Dual pistols for me.”

After handing each of them their desired weapon, I said, “Let’s try some light sword fighting to get a better feel for things.”

The boys all nodded in agreement.

The girls watched in annoyance as we grabbed our shoes and exited the living room.

There was a fairly sizable wooden deck outside, with the rest of the garden covered in lush grass.

Sighing, the girls followed us out.

Then they sat down, side by side, all six of them, on the wooden deck.

And then, as I was tying the laces on my Stan Smiths…

“Avast, ye!”

…Kaito attacked me from behind.

I yelped, blocking the ax’s swing with my still-sheathed sword.

“You jerk! That’s not the samurai way!”

Kaito grinned, unperturbed. “Speak for yourself. I’m a pirate.”

“Your name might have the kanji for ‘ocean’ in it, but don’t go getting any ideas.”

I jumped backward, regained my balance, and drew my sword.

I threw the sheath aside and stood at a slight angle, holding the hilt up in front of me.

“I, Cap’n Chitose, will cut ye down, ye scurvy cur.”

I could hear Yua snorting with laughter.

Kaito raised a brow theatrically and stuck out his tongue in a depraved manner.

Bracing the ax handle against his shoulder with his right hand, he pointed the thumb of his left toward the ground.

“Yarrr! ’Tis my time to avenge these long years of disrespect!”

Next to him, Kenta, who had been quietly bowing his head, repositioned his scythe.

His glasses flashed ominously, and he spoke in a low voice.

“Do ye smell it on the sea air, lads? The tang of bloodshed.”

Kazuki twirled his dual pistols before shoving them in his pockets.

He let his arms hang limp, and one side of his mouth quirked up in a cynical manner.

“Now then, let’s begin our afternoon dance party. Best foot forward, everyone.”

Yua began drumming on the wooden deck.

My boyish heart began to stir.

“Arrr ye prepared? Said yer thanks to yer family, yer last sweet words to yer sweetheart? Said yer…final good-byes?”

Kaito readied his ax.

“I like not to think o’ failure.”

Kenta swished his scythe through the air.

“I’m used to the life of the solitary sea dog.”

Kazuki grinned.

“Any dog who ever says such words to me will be enjoyin’ the cool sea breeze on his neck where his head used to be.”

In my peripheral vision, I could see Yua choking with laughter and clinging to Yuuko.

I brandished my sword menacingly.

“Now, away with this talk! Let us duel!”

“““Arrr!!!”””

Swoosh.

But just as we leaped into battle, the air tasting of imminent bloodshed…

“““““Boys!!!”””””

““““…Sorry!””””

And we all got a tongue-lashing from the landlubber lassies.

After we calmed down, we exchanged weapons and practiced a few moves.

Just as I was beginning to get a feel for it, Nanase spoke.

“It might be best to narrow down the types of weapons we use.”

I nodded away.

“Yeah. Having a variety of weapons looks interesting, but it distracts attention from the overall performance.”

“Small weapons like knives and pistols are too hard to see. Long weapons like swords and spears will be easier for the audience to appreciate.”

Haru, who’d come to join the boys partway through, spoke up next.

“Also, I know we said it’s a battle scene, but if it’s too much slashing and jabbing, it won’t really be a dance performance. I think maybe we should pair up guys and girls and perform synchronized steps.”

Hearing this, Kureha raised her hand and looked over at me.

“I wanna pair up with Senpai!”

“If dancing with Kazuki is too nerve-racking for you, I can cut him down where he stands…”

“Oh, no. Please don’t.”

“At least try to sound convincing!”

Nanase chuckled and rubbed her jaw.

“Hmm, sounds good, though? We can hash out the pairings later, after first practicing as a group. But if we are going to do pairs, then we need an example pair. I was going to volunteer, but, Kureha, if you’d like to…?”

“Sure!”

I grinned, waggling my eyebrows. “Think you’ve got what it takes to be my partner?”

“I’ll do my best to keep up!”

“All right. Would ye like to grab ahold of me sword, young lassie?”

“Er, thanks, I think I’ll pass.”

I looked at Kureha, who was blushing a little, and we both laughed.

Hmm, if we’re pairing up, why not pair up across grades?

“Guys, you wanna take a break?”

Yua poked her head out from the living room, carrying a tray of iced barley teas.

Then Yuuko came out onto the deck behind her.

“Let’s eat the ice cream Nishino brought! Kaito, we’ve got Choco Monaka!”

“No way!”

Asuka laughed. “I bought a few extra, so please feel free to eat as much as you like.”

We all grabbed a glass of barley tea and an ice cream each.

The girls all sat on the wooden deck, and the boys sat directly on the grass.

I chugged my barley tea, then lay back, gazing at the cumulonimbus clouds floating in the sky… It still looked like August.

I could smell well-cut grass and rich soil.

Come to think of it… Club training camp was like this, too. We made a huge bucket of cold barley tea and scooped it out in cups.

I was just getting lost in pleasant memories, when…

“Senpai!”

It was Kureha, squatting beside me and peering at me.

Looking up at her like this from below… Wow, she really was pretty.

Incidentally, all the girls were wearing semi-workout gear now. I was glad to see that Kureha had followed suit.

“Hmm? Why are you averting your eyes?”

But as a result of that choice, she was now wearing a lavender sports bra that showed her belly button and some super-short shorts.

I could clearly make out the shape of her bust, which looked to be similar to Nanase’s, and she was showing so much skin, I wasn’t sure where to direct my eyes.

She’d thrown on a light zip-up top after a gentle suggestion by Yua, but the zipper in the front was mostly down. So it wasn’t really doing much good.

It seemed this was all too much for Kaito and Kenta, and though some time had passed, they still didn’t seem able to look directly at her.

I know some women go to the gym or run in this kind of outfit, and I’ve never really thought anything of it, but when it’s a girl I know, it’s a different story.

“Why? Because of your outfit, of course…”

Kureha blinked at me in confusion.

“Senpai, are you embarrassed?”

“I think it’s more like I’m conflicted.”

If it was Nanase…I think I’d be able to admit to the way it was getting to me. But Kureha being Kureha, it made it all a lot more complicated.

Kureha usually just seems to be a sweet, innocent younger girl. So this contrast when she acts womanly makes me feel…guilty?

She continued breezily.

“I mean, I run track, so this is pretty standard for me.”

Oh, right. I was getting it a little now.

“Yeah, that’s the kind of outfit the girls wear during track meets, right?”

“Yeah! If anything, our shorts are even a little shorter.”

I slowly sat up.

Yeah… If I thought of it as a type of track uniform, that made it easier. Although it still weirded me out a bit.

“Anyway,” I said, trying not to look too directly at her. “What’s up?”

“Here you go, Senpai.”

“That’s cold!”

She pressed a freezing half of a double Popsicle against my cheek.

Kureha beamed. “Please swap Papico halves with me!”

“Oh, well, sure.”

I split my own Papico in half and gave her the other piece.

It had been sitting awhile, and a drop of condensation splashed onto Kureha’s exposed upper chest. I quickly looked away again.

“Senpai, thanks for being understanding earlier.”

She sounded so serious.

“What do you mean?”

Kureha smiled apologetically. “That was kind selfish, asking for a one-on-one dance with you.”

“Don’t worry about it. As Nanase said, someone had to be the example pair so we could work out the steps as a group.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t have preferred one of the other older girls? Like, say, Nanase?”

“I hope you’re not still hung up on the whole ex-boyfriend thing.”

“Nope! I’m just asking out of genuine curiosity!”

When I replied, I found my real thoughts sort of tumbled out. “Well, maybe you volunteering actually saved my skin somewhat.”

Dancing with one of the others might have felt…awkward.

I knew I was going to have to make a decision someday. But first, I just wanted to enjoy the school festival in a pure, uncomplicated way.

When you think of it that way, partnering with a younger girl I have no history with is just easier.

I laughed.

“By the way, I hate to lose,” I said, poking at her a little. “If we’re going to be dance partners, then I want us to steal the show during the actual performance, ’kay?”

Kureha pulled her Papico out of her mouth with a pop and grinned.

“All right, I’ll do you a solid and be your partner, then!”

“Hang on. I feel like our positions have reversed somehow!”

After our break, we went back to the living room, sat around the low table, and decided to lock down our choice of music.

We had a rough idea of how the dance steps would go, and we figured the easiest way to choreograph everything would be to pick a song first.

Our performance time was a max of seven minutes.

Going over the time limit would result in a deduction of points, but since all we had to do was play a track that fit the time window and choreograph our steps to the track, we didn’t really need to worry about it.

Although, we could do more than one song, so basically, each color team could pick a few songs that fit the theme, then splice them together.

I was mulling it all over when Asuka spoke.

“If our theme’s pirates, then coming up with the music should be pretty simple, right?”

Everyone nodded, and she continued.

“For example, ‘He’s a Pirate’ and ‘We Are!’ are classics.”

The first was a theme song from a hit pirate movie, and the latter was the first theme song to a popular pirate anime. Both were a little before our time, but we were all familiar with their legacy.

Actually, those were the first songs I thought of, too.

Haru spoke up, sounding a little embarrassed. “Sorry, how does the first one go, again?”

I’d been doing some research beforehand, so I knew, but I guess not everyone was familiar with the song just from the title.

I hummed it in place of Asuka.

“It’s like ‘dada-dun-dun dada-dun-dun dada-dun-dun dada-dun.’”

“Okay, got it.”

Kenta, watching this exchange, grinned.

“King’s favorite group Bump of Chicken has that song ‘Sailing Day,’ which is also the theme song to an anime!”

Asuka and I looked at each other.

Oh, really?

“Now that you mention it…the lyrics are kinda perfect.”

Yuuko’s hand shot up into the air. “I know, I know! ‘Yo Ho’…!”

““Ah!””

Asuka and I both spoke in unison.

Yeah… That would be the perfect pirate song.

Then Yua slowly raised her hand.

“I know it’s not pirates, but before the battle, we could play ‘The Imperial March.’”

That’s the song from that famous sci-fi movie—basically the theme tune for iconic villains of all kinds. It might be perfect for creating a sense of tension.

“I see… Yeah, that works.”

I nodded, and Haru piped up again.

“Sorry, how does that go again?”

“Like dun-dun-dun dun-da-dun dun-da-dun.”

“Oh, okay, got it.”

Yua smiled a little hesitantly. “But maybe it’s a bit too conventional?”

“Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “For school events like this, the crowd gets more fired up over songs they’re all familiar with rather than some weird, obscure selection of tracks. It’s the same with the brass band’s performances at the school festival, right?”

“True… This year, we’ll be performing some of the year’s biggest pop hits.”

Nanase stopped scribbling down notes and raised her head.

“I’ve been thinking about the general blow-by-blow outline of the performance…”

She pushed the snacks littering the table aside, spread out her notebook, and continued.

“In broad terms, I’m thinking setting sail, sailing, encounter with the enemy, battle, victory dance, then feast. How’s that?”

There was a moment of silence while we weighed each other’s responses; then Kureha was the first to speak up.

“That’s perfect! You’re a genius, Yuzuki!”

Nanase grinned, pleased by Kureha’s open praise, and then Kazuki spoke.

“We can mix up the tempo so it’s not all one-note, and it forms a story the audience can easily grasp. I think it’s perfect.”

I nodded.

“There’s basically four parts. Departure, voyage, conflict, and battle. It’s just the right length for a short performance.”

Kaito scratched his head in some confusion.

“Can I just say something? Even though we’re playing enemies, it’s only us in the Blue Team doing the dancing, right? If it was just a simple fight to the death, we could all just wade in and start whacking one another, but how do we express who’s our friend and who’s our enemy?”

Nanase looked confused.

“Hmm, good point. We could always pantomime attacking invisible enemies, but I think it’s better if we actually fight.”

Haru munched on a stick of Pocky. “Why not just split up into enemies and allies?”

Yuuko tilted her head. “Then the losing fighters won’t be part of the victory dance scene…”

“Oh, right.”

“I know,” Asuka said, raising her hand modestly. “What if we called it the ‘Dance of Reconciliation’ instead of the ‘Dance of Victory’?”

“““Great!”””

“Hmm,” said Nanase. “That’s a good idea. For example, we could split the group in two, with Captain Chitose leading one party, and me as the vice captain leading another. Then after the battle, we could settle our differences and reconcile with a dance.”

Yua spoke up, as if she’d just thought of something.

“We could express that through clothing. After reconciliation, we could all wear the same adornments, for example.”

Everyone was nodding in agreement, so I decided to sum up what we’d apparently decided on.

“So we’ll split into the Chitose Pirates and the Nanase Pirates for the setting sail and sailing scenes. Then we’ll face off against each other during the battle scene. Then we’ll come together for the Dance of Reconciliation, then finish up with the feasting scene.”

“““No arguments!”””

Asuka tucked her hair gently behind her ear.

“So I guess now we know what we’re doing for the music and the basic theme of the choreography. For the setting sail scene, I think I want it to have an exciting feeling, like the adventure is about to begin…”

I answered that one. “The songs that have been mentioned so far and would work for that include ‘We Are!,’ ‘Sailing Day,’ and ‘Yo Ho.’”

Nanase scribbled notes in her notebook. “Encountering the enemy and launching into battle goes from tense to intense. ‘He’s a Pirate’ or ‘The Imperial March’ would work for that. If we want to include dancing in pairs, the reconciliation dance would be good for that.”

Asuka chuckled. “If we go straight into the fight scene with scary music, it’ll seem too heavy. We should lighten it up with something like ‘We Are!’ or ‘Sailing Day’ to create something more reminiscent of a fun pirate manga.”

““Right.””

While everyone responded at once, I decided to bring up something that had been on my mind.

“But if we’re going to include dancing in pairs in the battle part, then realistically we’d want to use the same pairing in the reconciliation dance scene.”

Nanase frowned and thought for a moment before answering.

“Yeah, that would make practice sessions go more smoothly, too.”

“Boys and girls whacking each other with swords? Is that going to look right?”

“No one cares about boy-on-boy violence, but seeing girls whack each other with swords could definitely be kinda scary…”

“Hmm, yeah…”

“But then it would be a bit unnatural if the captains—that is, myself and Chitose—didn’t fight. We’ll also have to differentiate our costumes so that we’d be instantly recognizable.”

“Um!”

Kureha, watching the conversation with enjoyment, suddenly piped up.

“This would be a compromise, but…what if we did like a tag-team kinda thing?”

““Interesting.””

“For example, if I paired up with Senpai against Yuzuki and someone else, wouldn’t that fix the problem?”

I exchanged looks with Nanase, then spoke.

“The dance will probably get a little more complicated, since more people will be involved…”

“But it would look really cool if we could pull it off!”

“And the girls get weapons, too, right?”

“Damsel in distress isn’t a popular trope in this day and age, right?”

“Nope.”

I looked at Kureha. “All right, you’re hired!”

“Yay! Treat me to something good when it’s all done!” she cheered. “Also, also, for the reconciliation scene, I want to change up the tempo a bit and make it a slower, more mature song!”

“Oh, oh, oh!” This time, Yuuko raised her hand high. “May I also make a suggestion about the ‘banquet’ part?”

She looked around at us all, took a deep breath, and started talking.

“…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

After listening to everything…

“It’s an interesting idea,” I mumbled.

We needed to get the official green light for the cheer squad’s performance plan, but personally I thought it sounded great… In fact, we might be breaking fresh ground here.

I looked at Nanase, who blushed and muttered:

“…I think… I think I’d like to try it.”

Asuka seemed more on board with the idea than I’d expected, too.

“I guess I’ll discuss it with the third-years later.”

Yua had probably heard Yuuko’s plan from Yuuko herself earlier. She watched the conversation with a soft smile.

Kureha was bubbling with excitement. “I definitely want to see that!”

Haru chuckled. “Yeah, I think it’ll probably work.”

Kaito and Kenta both nodded, looking interested.

I cleared my throat and thrust my fist out.

“Since we’re doing this, let’s have a good time!”

“““““Aye-aye!!!”””””

Then we all bumped our fists together.

After that, we all quickly agreed on the costuming.

We all pretty much knew what a stereotypical pirate looked like, so it took way less time to decide than I’d expected. Especially because Yuuko took the lead when it came to costume-making.

“Okay. I’ll put together some basic patterns and instructions for constructing the costumes. If there’s any parts that are too difficult, we can look up hacks online or ask the girls in the craft club to help.”

Unlike with the class play, the cheer squad has to operate as a group, but there’s no specific costume requirement. After deciding on clothing that suits a theme, each person creates their own outfit. But the boys who can’t sew tend to rely on their parents or the girls for help.

Yua shot me a glance, like she’d guessed what I was thinking.

“Um, Saku, I can—”

But Kureha interrupted Yua mid-sentence. “I can make your costume if you like, Senpai!”

I guess she remembered I live alone.

I can just about sew a button back on myself, but when it comes to sewing an entire outfit, I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to manage.

From the start, I’d intended to beg Yua to help me, and I’m sure she was just about to offer the same thing…

I scratched my cheek.

“Can you sew, then, Kureha?”

“I’m not really all that good at it, but if I have a pattern and instructions to follow, then I think I can manage a costume for the sports festival! It’s just…”

Kureha paused and looked at Yua.

She must have realized that she’d interrupted.

Fidgeting and looking apologetic, she continued.

“I think if Yua did it instead, she’d do a much better job than I could…”

Yua smiled softly. “I planned to offer, but why don’t you do it, Kureha? I mean, I’ll probably end up making Yuuko’s as well as my own anyway.”

Yuuko blushed and giggled.

“Hee-hee. Thanks, Ucchi.”

Looking at Kureha, Yua continued.

“And, Kureha… You can always ask me if you get stuck.”

“All right, then,” I said, raising my hand. “I know this is a bit pathetic for a senior student to ask, but would you kindly make my costume for me, Kureha?”

Kureha leaned forward.

“With pleasure!”

And she clapped her palms together.

After that, we started working out the choreography.

First, we decided on our initial tracks and bought them online; then Kenta whipped out his laptop, and we began cutting and splicing the audio.

It seemed to fit.

While Kenta was editing, Kazuki, Kaito, and I went to Y Plaza—or more precisely, to the home-improvement store next door called Y Home—and bought a bunch of wooden sticks long enough to serve as swords for each of us.

After all, a 100-yen toy would likely break easily if we used it in a serious swashbuckling fight scene.

We returned to the house in the evening and went outside again, and the sporty ones among us (by which I mean Kazuki, Kaito, Nanase, Haru, Kureha, and myself) went down to the grass with sticks in our hands.

Everyone else sat on the wooden deck and started looking for movies or YouTube videos that might be helpful.

Incidentally, the first thing we all watched was a performance by the Hokuriku Technical School cheerleading team, JETS.

JETS is the team that inspired the movie and TV drama CheerDance. Not only are they number one in Japan, but they also achieved the incredible feat of winning the US Cheerleading Championship five times in a row. I don’t think there’s anyone in Fukui who hasn’t heard of them.

Apparently, the consultant is an alum of Fuji High and was part of the cheer squad at the school’s sports festival, and the fun memories of those days were what led to JETS being founded. So we kinda feel this sense of affinity, I guess.

To be honest, JETS was so elite, I doubted we’d have much luck emulating their moves. But we were still able to get a good sense of how a group of people should move together in unison.

Then, with the music track playing, we started coming up with ideas for moves.

None of us had any dance experience, except maybe Kenta with his Wotagei dances. So I was expecting it to be pretty hard. Likely, we wouldn’t be able to come up with a complete dance before the sleepover camp was over.

But once we got stuck into it, I was surprised at how quickly it went.

I’m not bragging, either. It was the others. They were amazing.

With zero background in any of this…

“Maybe swinging the sword like this would look cool?”

“And how about a dodge move like this?”

“I think this sort of step looks more graceful?”

“Why don’t you just crouch and spin around and slash at his leg?”

“Don’t just suggest I get slashed. Oh, I guess I can jump and evade it.”

“Jumping straight up to avoid the blade would be fun, but jumping over your opponent would be way more exciting visually!”

Ideas just kept spilling out of us.

When I actually started thinking about it, I realized, Hey, this is seriously fun.

It was like we were having a serious brainstorming session about something every young boy loved to do for fun as a kid.

The support from the team on the wooden deck was also reassuring.

Asuka mostly looked for moves and steps we could borrow. Yuuko looked up videos of idols and dance-heavy pop groups. Yua looked up videos of other high school students, and Kenta looked for moves we could maybe borrow from anime series.

Then the grass team would try these out and incorporate them.

Before we knew it, by the time the sun began to set, we had most of it down, except for the reconciliation and feasting dance scenes.

I wiped the sweat off my face with my sports towel.

“I think we’ve got something here.”

Kaito nodded. “This is pretty cool, isn’t it?!”

Kazuki slurped the barley tea Yua had prepared for us all. “It’s not the easiest of performances, though.”

Kenta snorted. “Ya think?”

Yua tipped her head. “…Hmm, yes, it might be a bit tough to memorize the steps.”

Asuka stuck her tongue out a little, frowning. “Right, left, right, right, down…?”

Yuuko clasped her hands in front of her. “Well, I think it’s amazing!”

Haru smiled wryly, scratching at her temple. “Have we bitten off more than we can chew…?”

Nanase looked a bit remorseful. “Maybe we got a bit overexcited in the thick of things.”

True enough. The performance had morphed into something fairly physical, suited only to the sportiest among us.

If Kenta, Yua, Asuka, and Yuuko couldn’t keep up, then the other team members would probably have similar complaints during the big group practice sessions.

I looked around at everyone.

“If it seems too difficult like this, should we make it a little easier?”

The moment those words left my lips…

“I’ll do it!”

“““We can do it!”””

Kenta, Asuka, Yua, and Yuuko all spoke at once.

Kureha clapped encouragingly.

“I’ll support you guys as best I can!”

We all looked at each other and laughed.

“Okay, Chitose, could you try to be a touch more elegant?”

“Hubby, you’re not holding her tight enough around the waist!”

“Saku! You have to make eye contact!”

“It doesn’t work if you get all bashful about it.”

“Saku, don’t go making poor Kureha blush.”

“You guys are really enjoying this, aren’t you?!”

So we came to thinking about what to do for the reconciliation dance scene.

The feasting idea Yuuko proposed wasn’t something we’d be able to finish overnight. But once we had the reconciliation scene down, the objective of this particular training camp would have been fulfilled.

Even so, I thought…

Kureha and I were to be the test couple for the dance steps. I got that part. But the others really were making a big fuss about it.

The girls in particular seemed to take advantage of Kureha’s obedient nature and were making one unreasonable demand after another.

Nanase called out, “Now pick her up, princess-style!”

Before I could complain, Kureha gently put her hands around my neck. “Senpai, catch me?”

Then she leaped lightly into my arms, and I had no choice but to catch her.

Her soft thighs were pressing against my forearm.

She clung to me tightly, her chest pressed against mine—and the sports bra was already enhancing things on that front enough as it was.

I tried not to think about it—she was a younger student, after all—but up close like this, it was impossible not to see her in a sensual way.

Kureha looked up at me, her eyes shining.

“Am I too heavy, Senpai?”

I tried to ignore her hot breath on my neck and defuse the tension with a joke.

“I could carry five more Kurehas easily.”

Kureha narrowed her eyes at me impishly. “Hee-hee, well, it’s good to know you have enough stamina for five of me.”

As she said that, she released her hands from behind my neck and let her head loll against my chest.

Her smooth, sweaty neck and chest were now even more exposed, and I couldn’t help but look away.

“Hey, I’m not a comfy hammock, you know.”

“Hee-hee! You’re my pillow, Senpai.”

“It just looks like a murderer carrying a body.”

I realized suddenly that Nanase, Haru, Yua, and Asuka were all staring at me, clearly unimpressed.

“That is NOT princess-style.”

“…It’s getting into cringe territory.”

“Yeah, the secondhand embarrassment is real.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then why did you make me do it?!”

I growled and let Kureha down as gently as I could. My arms were still warm from her body.

“All jokes aside…,” Nanase said. “I think we get the picture, right?”

Kureha nodded happily.

“Sure do!”

Sounding a little apologetic, Nanase said, “I know you two are getting tired, but can we just run through the whole dance again one more time?”

I gave a little nod. “Sure.”

Kureha still sounded perky and full of energy.

“I’d love to!”

She really was a peach of a younger student, if you ask me.

I knew she was pretty popular in her club—and not only was she a great athlete, she was a really fast learner, too.

And she was so earnest and positive. Never complained when we made her repeat the same choreography over and over.

And she was super friendly. We only got to know her a week ago, but she had already blended right in with the group.

Nanase tapped the laptop, and a mellow dance song began to play.

“May I have this dance, Senpai?”

I took the hand Kureha held out to me, and we began to dance.

We danced together like moonlight and shadows, more fluid even than that time I’d danced with Nanase.

We spread our arms wide, and Kureha spun around, close again to my chest.

Her slim, delicate back was so hot, it almost burned my skin, and a seductive scent rose from the nape of her neck.

She turned suddenly and was in my arms again.

I gently put my hands around her waist, and there was a part of me…

… searching for the reason behind the sadness that had been haunting me for so long.

“Senpai, please look at me.”

I felt the softness of her chest that was pressed in a bittersweet way against me, and the answer came to me…an answer that seemed so insignificant.

That’s right. I was dancing with a junior girl.

I’d been chasing the shadow of someone else for so long.

Even that might just be a polite excuse I’d constructed to cover up these ugly feelings.

What if it was one of the girls I was dancing with?

What if one of the girls danced with another guy?

Holding hands, standing cheek to cheek, looking into each other’s eyes, exchanging that warmth.

I was disgusted with myself for thinking about it.

Though the face of “one of the girls” was still too blurry for me to define.

So I looked into the eyes of my junior and gave her a faint, senior-like smile.

As long as I do that, I think, I can postpone all of this…like the colorless month of September itself.

I shouldn’t have given up.

I’m disgusted with myself for thinking that way.

We were supposed to be partners.

Why can’t I be the one standing shoulder to shoulder with him?

I wish I’d spoken up, like her.

Why couldn’t I have spoken up, like her?

I really wanted to make it for you.

Sitting in your apartment…on my very own seat.

By the time we had the dance steps for the partner dance decided, everything was steeped in the color of dusk.

After spending a long time tweaking the steps, Kureha and I were both exhausted, lying on the grass.

At some point, the sky had become streaked with clouds like tangerine-flavored cotton candy. I stared at them with my mouth hanging open, my stomach grumbling.

Beside me, Kureha snorted with laughter.

We both seemed to find the humor in it at the same moment. Without saying a word, we both just lay there snickering.

After a while…

“Good job, Saku. You too, Kureha.”

A bottle of Pocari Sweat was set down right beside my head.

Yuuko was crouching above us, looking down at us with a smile.

Her hair, shorter than my usual image of her, gently swayed in the evening breeze. I found myself gazing at her, struck again by the difference.

Kureha sat up before I did. “Thanks for your hard work, Yuuko!”

“Hee-hee-hee,” Yuuko giggled mildly.

“Your dance with Saku was amazing! You two were perfectly in rhythm together.”

“Really?! I’m so happy to hear you say that, Yuuko!”

I sat up, too, and took a few gulps of my drink.

Yuuko continued, resting her chin on her knees. “Hee-hee, I’m a bit jealous.”

“You can beg, Yuuko,” Kureha teased, “but I’ve practiced it way too much to be replaced now!”

Yuuko shrugged breezily. “Yep. But please watch out for Saku. He’s the type to overdo things, you see.”

Kureha’s eyes widened in surprise. “Understood! If I see him taking on too much by himself, I’ll snatch some of the burden away from him!”

I chuckled wryly, scratching my cheek.

“Give it a rest, Yuuko. Not in front of the kid.”

Yuuko grinned. “Especially in front of the kid!”

“Yikes…”

Kureha was watching our conversation with interest.

As this was going on, Nanase came up and looked at me.

“Shall we take a break and have an early dinner?”

“Let’s. I’m freakin’ starving.”

Yua, listening in, spoke up apologetically. “Since there’s such a big group of us, would something simple like curry be okay?”

“Of course. Curry’s a staple for overnight training camps, right?”

“And, um, well, I have something to discuss…”

Yua came close and whispered in my ear.

“Um…”

Her breath tickled my neck, and my shoulders twitched involuntarily.

“We don’t have enough ingredients. I wish I could go buy some, but it seems like the rice cooker isn’t big enough to make rice for everyone. I was thinking of cooking in a clay pot instead, but I’ll have to keep an eye on that…”

“Oh, right,” I said, nodding. “Okay then, I’ll head off to Lpa, then. Can you write me a grocery list?”

“Sure, okay. I’d ask one of the others, but I know everyone’s tired…”

And yet Kureha and I had danced more than anyone else.

“…From now on, can I be a little more selfish?”

I suddenly recalled the words Yua had finally voiced to me that evening…

I mean, it’s not exactly fair for everyone to just expect Yua to do all the cooking and the grocery shopping herself…but still.

If this was Yua making what she thought of as a “selfish request,” then I would gladly oblige her.

The change that came over her this summer was great to see.

Kureha must have overheard.

She tilted her head.

“Senpai, are you going to Lpa?”

I nodded and smiled. “Yeah, Yua’s gonna make some great curry for us, so I’m going to go buy the ingredients.”

Kureha clasped both fists in front of her chest. “Then I’ll accompany you!”

“I’m not sure I’ll need help. I’m not getting that much. And it looks like we’ll probably practice even more later, until late at night. You should get some rest now.”

“But I’ve gotta go with you!”

“Why?”

“I’d feel awkward left alone here, with all these cool seniors I look up to so much! How could I possibly rest? I’d feel so much more comfortable helping you, Senpai!”

“Geez, you sure speak your mind, don’t you?”

Yuuko and Nanase, who’d been listening in, both snickered.

Yua tilted her head.

“Then thank you very much for helping, Kureha.”

“Anytime! Yay!”

After shopping for ingredients on the first floor of Lpa, we ended up with fairly full grocery bags.

We also bought tea, water, and sports drinks, so in the end it was probably a good thing that Kureha came with me.

Holding a plastic bag in either hand, I spoke.

“Thanks for coming with, Kureha.”

Kureha had one hand preoccupied with a grocery bag.

“Not at all!” she said with a grin. “It was fun imagining how you and Yua always go shopping like this.”

“If Yua had been with me, it would have all fit into two plastic bags. I got carried away and ended up buying a bunch of stuff we don’t need.”

“We sure did!”

While this insignificant conversation was going on, we were surrounded by the hustle and bustle typical of Lpa on the weekend.

There was a constant stream of people coming and going, including mothers and fathers holding hands with their small children, groups of high school students, stylish couples, and smiling old ladies and old men.

The air was filled with the distinct scent of Lpa—a combination of sweet custard from the cream puff shop Beard Papa’s, the tangy takoyaki sauce wafting from Gindaco, the fried scent of McDonald’s and Mister Donut, and the smell of floor cleaner.

I heard a cute squeak and looked to my side.

Kureha was grasping at her stomach with her free hand and looking up at me shyly.

“…Um, Senpai. How about a bite to eat?”

I snorted with laughter this time.

“Well, don’t tell Yua. She’ll be mad we spoiled our dinner.”

“All right, it’ll be our little secret!”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Taiyaki!”

“Oh, a mature choice. Then I guess we’ll head to Sakura-chaya.”

“Ooh, yes! You might not think it looking at me, but I’m super close to my grandma. I used to buy snacks for her there whenever I went to visit!”

Sakura-chaya is a restaurant that sells Japanese “fast food” like okonomiyaki, taiyaki, and dango.

Speaking of taiyaki, people seem to have quite differing preferences, with some preferring the crispy Gindaco style and others the soft and creamy Sakura-chaya style.

I chose a cream-filled taiyaki, one of those little fish-shaped stuffed pastries, and Kureha chose one stuffed with red bean paste. After that, we left Lpa.

By the way, when I tried to pay for both of us, Kureha was like “absolutely not” and ended up shoving her own coins into my pocket.

We ambled along the tranquil rice paddy path. I was pushing my mountain bike with one hand, the grocery bags dangling from the handlebars. I bit into my taiyaki, and the sweet cream inside came squishing out deliciously between my teeth.

Dusk was coming on. The sky was faintly purple, as clear as amethyst.

The rice plants, fat on the stalk, bowed their heads politely to us and said, “Good evening.”

A pickup truck with a plastic yellow container on its bed trundled merrily along, on its own way home.

It was a peaceful Saturday night, full of promise.

“Senpai, open wide!”

Kureha, pushing a red Trek cross bike beside me, smoothly lifted her taiyaki to my mouth.

It was a little embarrassing, since she was my junior and all, but my hands were full, so I had no choice but to take a bite.

The sweetness of the azuki bean paste hit my tongue, bringing back memories of childhood.

How long had it been? I wondered, sifting back through my memories.

I don’t really eat sweet things that much, and I basically never eat red bean paste, not since I started living alone, anyway.

Come to think of it, when I was little, I often ate a pack of five anpans as a snack. In the summer, Dad’s favorite azuki bar Popsicles were always in the freezer, and Mom would make azuki bean soup with leftover mochi during the New Year. When we went to Grandma’s house, we often bought some karinto manju, the little baked cakes stuffed with azuki, from the somen noodle shop near Lpa to bring to her as a gift.

Azuki was almost a part of my daily life, but it’s a flavor you can easily forget about if you haven’t had it for a while. For some reason, that thought made me feel slightly miserable.

“So you’re the type who eats your taiyaki tail-first, huh, Kureha?” I said, and Kureha narrowed her eyes mischievously.

“Well, if I eat the tail first, it won’t be able to swim away, hee-hee.”

“Yikes, it’s just taiyaki. Here,” I said, handing her my cream-filled pastry in return.

Kureha looked back and forth between me and the taiyaki. “No, you have to do the whole ‘open wide’ bit.”

“All right, all right. Open wide.”

I watched as she took a big bite with relish, and I couldn’t suppress my smile completely.

“Sorry about earlier,” I said.

I’m sure she immediately knew what I was talking about.

Kureha lowered her gaze. “Yeah… I was having a whale of a time dancing with this older boy, but partway through, it was like you were off in another world or something.”

She sounded uncharacteristically subdued, and I felt a pang of guilt.

“How ’bout another bite of my taiyaki?”

“…”

Kureha’s eyes seemed to be entreating me for something.

“All right, open wide.”

“Ahhh!”

I watched with relief as she happily stuffed her cheeks with the taiyaki.

“I was just in my feels. Well, actually, I think I was finally facing up to something.”

“Hmm, to what?”

I took my final bite of taiyaki and crumpled the wrapper.

“About how pathetic I am, I guess.”

I knew I shouldn’t say something like this to a girl who’s my junior.

But for some reason, being around Kureha made me unclench a little.

Maybe it was because she was an outsider, removed from this issue constantly tormenting me.

She must have had no idea what I was talking about.

She tipped her head in confusion, then suddenly stopped, lowered the kickstand of her cross bike, and exhaled softly, like she’d done when I’d carried her princess-style earlier.

“…Senpai… You can run to me, you know?”

“Huh…?”

I blinked dumbly at her—at what she’d said. I wasn’t sure if that was something she’d even meant to say.

Kureha continued, shrugging like it was NBD.

“You know, Yuuko asked me to help you out, right? If you’re shouldering some burden all alone, and it’s dragging you down, I can at least be a sounding board, you know?”

Feeling somewhat relieved, I lowered the stand on my mountain bike.

“Oh, I see.”

“Though I don’t know how much help I can actually be.”

“Well, it’s the thought that counts. Thank you.”

Kureha lowered her gaze and covered her cheeks in embarrassment. “Like I said before… I’d love to be part of your group of seniors…”

“And as I said before, we already think of you as part of the group.”

“Really? Well, then…”

As she spoke, she laughed and held out her pinkie finger.

“It’s a promise, then. Don’t leave me out, okay?”

“I promise. I won’t leave you out, Kureha.”

I answered without hesitation and gently intertwined my pinkie finger with hers.

When we returned to Yuuko’s house, the delicious smell of frying onions filled the living room.

Yua and Nanase were standing in the kitchen.

Like she’d said earlier, Nanase was helping as much as she could.

Apparently, Yua was in charge of the curry and rice, with Nanase in charge of the salad.

Kureha and I approached the two of them, carrying our plastic bags.

Yua lifted her head and looked this way.

“Thanks, Kureha, Saku.”

“Sure.”

“It was easy-peasy!”

Carrots, potatoes, extra onions, and pork. Apparently, today’s curry was a simple homemade style.

Incidentally, we went with pork because with this many people, it made economic sense, and because pork curry is my favorite and what I usually make myself.

When I eat out, I go for beef curry, but for some reason, when I’m at home, I feel more comfortable with pork.

I handed Nanase a half cabbage.

“By the way, I’m very particular about my shredded cabbage.”

The two standing in the kitchen exchanged looks, then burst out laughing.

Yua’s lips parted in a smile as she busily fried the onions.

“See, I was sure you would say that, Saku.”

Nanase rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t complain the other day.”

That must have been the time when she made me katsudon.

“Well, even I know when to hold my tongue.”

“So how was the shredded cabbage that time?”

“It was more finely sliced than I’d been expecting, but it was still one rank below a pass on the Saku scale.”

“Tsk, what a picky guy.”

Yua giggled.

“Take it slow, and it’ll come out just fine.”

Nanase nodded and began peeling the cabbage leaves off the stalk.

“I’ll try to do it more carefully. I don’t want a certain someone to say, ‘It’s still too thick.’”

“Thanks. Give it your best shot.”

“All right, all right. Go over there and play, Chitose.”

“All righty.”

When I looked around the living room, everyone seemed to be relaxing in their own way.

Yuuko was sitting next to Kaito at the dining table, the two of them staring at a tablet.

Kureha went springing across the room to join them.

“Yuuko, Kaito, whatcha lookin’ at?”

What was all that stuff about the cool seniors making her nervous? She seemed like she’d have been just fine left alone with them.

It looked like Kenta was working on the choreography in a corner of open space, with Kazuki instructing.

Asuka and Haru were sitting on the sofa, chatting.

That’s an unusual pairing, I thought, moseying over to join them.

I cleared my throat as the two of them continued to chatter away animatedly.

“Seriously?” Asuka turned, saw my face, and snorted with irrepressible laughter.

“Huh? What?”

She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. “No, it’s nothing… Welcome back.”

Haru grinned impishly. “We were just having ourselves a good time smack-talking you, is that okay?”

“How would that be okay?” I sat down beside them. “I hope you’re not telling Asuka more than she needs to know about me.”

“Hmm, who knows? I was just telling her about the Saku Chitose I personally know.”

“Oh, then that’s a relief.”

“I’m curious where you get your confidence from…”

Asuka had stopped choking with laughter. “I was just asking how you were at school.”

Haru nodded, grinning. “And I wanted to know how you are when it’s just you and Nishino.”

“…Think I’ll go over and join Kenta and Kazuki…”

“Now, now,” Asuka said, smiling.

“Still, it’s so cool you’re seriously aiming to compete in nationals. I never had a big passion like that about anything until I started thinking more about my future. You’re really making the most of high school life, Aomi. You’re amazing.”

Haru waved her hand in front of her face.

“No, no. From my perspective, you’re the amazing one, Nishino. I mean, you’re going to Tokyo to pursue your dreams!”

She paused, glanced at me for some reason, then kept talking.

“Still, there’s a lot of things you have to leave behind. Your hometown, your family, your friends… Aren’t you scared?”

“I am scared. Really scared,” Asuka answered without hesitation. “I feel torn sometimes… Like is this the right choice, or is there another path…?”

I wasn’t exactly expecting her to say that.

I’d always thought she was chasing her dreams with all her heart.

Asuka smiled gently. “What are you going to do after you graduate from high school, Aomi?”

Haru lowered her gaze and clenched her fists.

“I’m torn, too.”

“I see,” Asuka said. “During the future careers talk, you were pretty keen to play basketball in college. Have you found a new dream?”

Haru shook her head, then nodded.

“Yeah. But it’s like, I want it all, but there’s always something that has to give… Distance, time…”

I don’t know this side of them, I thought.

Though at one point, we were so in sync, like two halves of a whole…

Before I knew it, Haru and Asuka had started becoming girls I didn’t know…

“Don’t leave me out, okay?”

That was what Kureha had said this evening.

I think I know how she feels a little now.

Asuka spoke soothingly—the verbal equivalent of offering someone a handkerchief.

“It’s tough, isn’t it?”

“It really is.”

Haru’s voice sounded more mature than usual.

For some reason, I just stared at the two of them, feeling like I’d already been left behind.

Once Yua’s curry and Nanase’s salad were finished, we all gathered around the low table again.

“““““Let’s eat!”””””

We all put our hands together in gratitude, then immediately grabbed our spoons and chopsticks.

Nanase made a simple green salad consisting of shredded cabbage, wedges of tomatoes, and thinly sliced cucumbers piled on top of lettuce.

Ultimately, that stuff is what goes best with curry.

I squeezed on some mayo from the thin-stream bottle. Then, since there was no shiso dressing, I added some black vinegar dressing instead.

Suddenly, I realized that Nanase was staring at me to see how I was enjoying her salad. I smiled a little awkwardly.

I took a big bite of the shredded cabbage, then mm’ed my approval.

“Hmm. You pass.”

Nanase pumped her fist slightly in the air.

“All right!”

Next, I scooped up some curry with a spoon and put it in my mouth… The flavor was so rich, more like a curry that had been left to sit overnight.

It was the taste of Yua’s homemade curry. Familiar, reassuring.

Even though there were ten of us eating, she’d still added a fried egg to the top of every serving.

And there was a shaker of shichimi spice by my plate.

Nanase raised an eyebrow.

“Wait, you just made this from regular curry roux? How come the flavor is so rich?”

Yua responded naturally, without any particular sense of humility.

“I used a few different things to add dimension to the flavor, but I think the one that makes the biggest difference is the oyster sauce, maybe. Just a little bit can do wonders.”

Nanase nodded vigorously.

“I see… I’ve never used oyster sauce in anything. The thought would never have occurred to me.”

One single taiyaki didn’t seem to have spoiled Kureha’s appetite. She was packing it all away with gusto.

“Eating curry together like this makes it feel like a training camp!”

Yua beamed. “There’s plenty in the pot for seconds, so feel free to eat as much as you like.”

Kaito, already halfway through his curry, lifted his head.

“I think the training camp’s been a pretty huge success already, right? We still have to work out the feasting scene, but most of the heavy decisions have already been made.”

Kazuki nodded.

“At this rate, we should be able to gather the other members and start practicing together next week.”

I nodded, too.

“Yep. All thanks to Yuuko for suggesting the camp in the first place.”

Yuuko smiled and tilted her head. “Oh, my pleasure. This weekend has been so much fun already!”

Kenta looked uncertain and cleared his throat. “But first we all have to master the dance, right…?”

“Well, enough to demo it for the others.”

“That won’t do!” Surprisingly, it was Asuka who spoke up. She held up her fists in an adorable fighting pose. “I’m not that good at sports, either, but let’s try our best together, okay, Yamazaki-kun?”

Kenta seemed encouraged by Asuka’s words. He held up his fists, too.

“Yes! After coming this far, I want to dance side by side with everyone!”

Haru, who seemed much more comfy around Asuka now, spoke up.

“We’ll train you both hard! We won’t rest until you’re perfect!”

““P-please be gentle, though…””

Both Asuka and Kenta sounded so weak that we all had to laugh.

After dinner, we headed to the park Yuuko and I always stop by.

The garden’s big, sure, but not big enough to be safe when we’re all swinging actual sticks of wood around.

By this time of night, no one was around, which made it the perfect spot for group practice.

First, we ran through the entire routine once quickly.

After that, we worked on fine-tuning each part, starting with the opening setting sail and sailing sections.

About half an hour into practice, Nanase called out from the top of the short staircase where Yuuko and I usually sat.

“One, two, one, two—Nishino, you’re behind!”

“Sorry!”

“One, two, one, two—Ucchi, put your back into it.”

“Okay!”

“One, two, one, two—Yamazaki, stop looking around.”

“Y-yes!”

We were currently practicing the sword fight scene.

We all lined up and marched together, swinging our swords together.

Nanase was watching the whole performance from a higher vantage point and giving everyone pointers based on what she noticed.

Overall, I thought we were making pretty good progress…

“Okay, let’s take a break! Everyone rest and rehydrate!”

Everyone exhaled at once.

Nanase beckoned to me. “Sorry, Chitose, do you have a sec?”

“Sure.”

I had a good idea of what she wanted, so I went bounding up the stairs.

Nanase, somehow sounding more like a captain than like a vice leader, said, “Should we split into two teams?”

“Might be a good idea.”

“Me and Mizushino will observe Kaito and Yuuko and Yamazaki. You observe Kureha and Haru and Ucchi and Nishino, okay?”

“…Right. Sounds like a plan.”

We’d been predicting this to some extent, but there was quite a range of discrepancies in how fast everyone was mastering the choreography.

The ones who’d picked it up fastest were me, Nanase, Kazuki, and Kureha.

Kaito and Haru had all the moves down, but they needed some refining.

Yuuko was a little bit behind them but steadily improving.

And, just as they themselves had feared, Yua, Kenta, and Asuka were seriously lagging.

We trotted down the stairs, and Nanase addressed the group.

“From now, we’re going to split into two groups for practice: a team led by me and Mizushino, and another team led by Chitose and Kureha. I’ll have Yuuko, Kaito, and Yamazaki on my side. Chitose will have Haru, Ucchi, and Nishino on his team.”

Hearing this, Haru and Kaito protested.

“I need to be instructed, too?!”

“And me?!!!”

Nanase rolled her eyes.

“You two are dancing sloppy, ’cause you’re coasting on your natural athletic ability.”

““Gah…””

I grinned at Haru. “I’m going to work you all hard until you’re perfect.”

“Ugh, that’s so humiliating…”

Too bad, I thought, still smiling to myself.

I glanced over at Nanase, and it seemed she was thinking the same thing, ’cause she stuck out her tongue.

True, Kaito’s and Haru’s dancing was kinda rough around the edges. But with some pointers, I knew they could both tighten it up.

Although it seemed to me practice would be more efficient if we traded Kenta and Haru and put the three who weren’t improving together. The team that could dance reasonably well could then move on to the next section of the choreography.

But Nanase had made a different choice, no doubt out of kindness.

By putting Haru and Kaito, the sporty ones, into one of the groups receiving instruction, and dividing the unsporty Yua, Kenta, and Asuka into two teams, she was trying to make it so no one would end up feeling responsible for holding the rest back.

Nanase was so good at thinking of this stuff and making sure everyone felt good. It’s one of the things that makes her so wonderful.

After that, we split into two teams and resumed practice.

I clapped my hands to the rhythm and shouted out.

“One, two, one, two—Haru, stop drifting.”

“All right!”

“One, two, one, two—Yua, you need to widen your stance.”

“Okay…!”

“One, two, one, two—Asuka, you need to make your swings bigger.”

“Yep!”

After a few run-throughs, I was beginning to see the parts that needed improvement.

“All right, let’s stop for now.”

When I said that, Yua and Asuka put their hands on their knees and huffed and puffed.

Neither of them are in sports clubs like Haru is, so just doing this much cardio must have been pretty tough on them. And when you start swinging those heavy sticks around…

Noticing the state they were in, I said, “Want to take a break?”

““Nope!””

Yua and Asuka called back in unison, and I had to smile.

Then it was back to business. “First, Haru.”

When I called her name, Haru frowned. “What now?”

I cleared my throat and assumed the attitude of a teacher. “Listen, this isn’t a fight to the death.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Just ’cause you’re not actually going to get sliced doesn’t mean you should just flop around between stances.”

“…I get it!”

Haru slapped her palm on her knee, while Yua, Asuka, and Kureha all seemed lost.

“Tsk,” I said, scratching my cheek.

Like, when I’m practicing my swing, I imagine the opposing pitcher.

In Haru’s case, when she’s practicing shooting, she probably thinks about the opposing team’s defense.

Maybe that’s why I unconsciously imagine what my opponent would be like.

It’s difficult to explain, but it’s like all the choreography should be smoothly connected without any gaps.

I held the stick aloft to demonstrate.

“Each movement looks good, but it’s a dance, so you need to make sure it all flows in sync with the other dancers, okay?”

“All right.”

I think that got the message across to Haru.

I cleared my throat again theatrically.

“Next, Yua.”

“Yes…?”

Yua looked at me with trepidation.

“You need to shake off your feelings of embarrassment.”

I think she knew what I meant; she hung her head, cheeks reddening.

“Sorry, I’m not used to all this prancing around.”

“It’s okay. You’re not in the kendo club. If you were any good at cutting people in half, wittle Saku would be vewy scawed.”

Yua snorted at my attempt at a joke. “…Hmph!”

All jokes aside…

“When you do something embarrassing and you’re in your head the whole time, it just makes it worse. And I mean, in the brass band, or at the school festival musical performance, you kinda move all together, right? Think of it like that.”

“…Hmm, when you put it that way…”

“Also, our theme’s pirates. You need to look like a barbarian. Big movements. Wild slashes.”

Yua gripped her stick tightly and nodded. “Okay. I’ll give it a try.”

I cleared my throat again. “Finally, we come to Asuka.”

“…Mm-hmm.”

“Your steps and your swings are wildly out of sync.”

“Hey!!!”

I smiled and carried on. “Kureha, can we have a demonstration?”

“Sure! With pleasure!” Kureha grabbed her stick.

“Okay? One, two, one, two.”

Kureha stepped lightly in time with my voice and swung her sword gracefully.

Asuka watched her, focused.

Once Kureha had performed one section of the choreography, I said, “Thanks, Kureha. Asuka, that was a good example for you to follow.” As I spoke, I grabbed my own stick. “When you do it, Asuka, you try too hard to swing the sword and forget about your feet. That’s why you’re always a step behind.”

I continued, demonstrating.

“Swing your sword and step at the same time. That way, you can put your weight into it and swing more easily.”

“Oh, right, that makes sense.” Asuka readied her sword and swung it as I’d shown her.

Zwoon.

The sound of her sword slicing through the air sounded much better than before.

Asuka’s face brightened, and she looked at me.

I grinned back at her.

“Do that while you’re dancing, and you’ll be perfect.”

Asuka nodded happily and swung her sword again before she forgot the feel of it.

“Okay, let’s run through it one more time!”

Haru, Yua, Asuka, and Kureha all responded in unison.

““““Yeah!””””

I glanced over at Nanase and her crew. Seemed to be going well.

Kenta was working hard on the choreography with Kazuki’s guidance.

Suddenly, my eyes met Nanase’s, and she gave me a cool wink.

This kind of thing isn’t half bad, I thought.

Dancing with your buddies in the corner of a darkened park at night. Sweat flying. Glances exchanged. Grunts of frustration. Delighted smiles. All of it was seeping into my long-term memories like raindrops.

I think for some people, the school festival is just another event that comes and goes, whether they put in effort or not.

But we were all taking it so seriously… An adult would look at us and laugh.

I mean, if we were going to do it, then I wanted to win—but it was more than that.

Having survived this summer, it was like we’d come to realize just how irreplaceable the time we spent together like this was.

Whether we wanted it to or not, the end was coming.

There would come a time when we had to let go.

So maybe we were trying to capture as many unforgettable moments as possible while we were still together, and secretly bring them along with us to whatever futures await.

“This is so fun, isn’t it, Senpai?!” Kureha exclaimed cheerfully, standing beside me.

“Yeah, it really is.”

And I meant it. Like a prayer from deep in the heart.

We still had tomorrow to practice as well, so we decided to call it a night.

Like Kaito said, it was great that we’d gone from almost zero to being able to do a full practice right from the very first day.

I’d been a little worried about Yua, Asuka, and Kenta, but halfway through, they seemed to get the hang of it, and it seemed like everything would work out fine.

On the short walk back from the park, as I was walking behind everyone else, Yuuko suddenly appeared by my side.

She fanned my face as she spoke. “Good work today, Captain.”

“Stop it; that tickles.”

I smiled dryly at her, and Yuuko continued.

“Thanks to you and Yuzuki, everything’s going really well.”

“We didn’t do anything special. Everyone’s working really hard.”

Yuuko shook her head slowly.

Then, a little embarrassed, she said…

“If I’d been the vice captain like I usually am, things probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. With Yuzuki here, you don’t have to be the only one worrying about everything.” She gazed at me, stuck out her tongue, and bowed her head. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”

“Don’t exaggerate. You never caused trouble.”

“Hee-hee,” Yuuko giggled. “I knew you’d say that, but I still wanted to apologize properly.”

“I see.”

“Yep.”

She looked forward again, and in profile, she looked more mature. Like some girl I didn’t even know.

“Hey, Saku?”

“Yeah?”

“Right now, I’m happy. Really happy.”

“Me too.”

“Thank you, Saku.”

“Thank you, Yuuko.”

“And…”

“‘Thanks, Yua,’ right?”

“That’s weird; we were thinking the same thing.”

“That’s because we watched this summer go together.”

We both chuckled, gazing over at the others.

“Please let me stay with you a little longer, Saku,” Yuuko said quietly, as if she was wrapping up what she had to say.

I swallowed the words I was about to say in response, the left corner of my mouth rising on its own, and I just nodded.

Actually, I wanted to say the same to her as well.

I want you to stay by my side a little longer, Yuuko.

When we got back to Yuuko’s house, and I walked into the living room, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt.

Perhaps after all the fun we’d had, it felt like coming home, even though we’d barely spent a full day here.

Yuuko looked around at everyone.

“I’ve filled the bathtub, so let’s take turns!”

Kazuki and I looked at each other and scratched our cheeks awkwardly.

“The guys should go last… Just showers is fine.”

Kaito looked as awkward as I felt.

“Right.”

Kenta also raised his hand.

“I… I agree!”

Yuuko tipped her head, confused. “Why? We’re all tired, so why don’t you just take a nice long bath?”

Nanase nodded, grinning.

“Well, if they want showers, let them have showers. Boys have their own reasons for stuff.”

She shot me a pointed look.

I ignored that and added:

“Also, could the last girl to bathe remember to pull the plug?”

“““’Kay!”””

Us four guys all exchanged glances and weak smiles.

None of us wanted to see the water after all the girls had bathed in it.

Yuuko shrugged, like she’d given up.

“So who should go in first? It’s pretty big, so I think two people could fit in together.”

“I mean,” said Nanase, “we could save time by having one person in the tub while the next one washes themselves off. Not exactly like a relay, but kinda like a relay.”

“Yeah! Sounds good to me!”

“How about you go first, Hiiragi?” said Asuka, who’d been listening from nearby. “It is your house, after all. The rest of us would feel awkward going first.”

Yuuko waved her hand in front of her face. “Oh, no, I’m totally fine with bathing later!”

Asuka chuckled. “I think we’re all going to end up saying that…”

Yua, Nanase, Haru, and Kureha all nodded in agreement.

“Well, if you insist…”

Yuuko looked around at everyone.

“All righty!”

She chirped, grinning broadly.

Hiiragi headed to the bath while the rest of us relaxed.

Well, they relaxed. I, Asuka Nishino, had been secretly frazzled ever since I got here.

Like I’d told Saku, I’d never stayed over at a friend’s house before. And all of the people here have always shone bright to me…

If only I had been born a year later. If only I was one of you. How many times have I wished for that?

Joining their circle, seeing things their way, working toward a shared goal… Yeah, I’ve always wanted that. But this is the first—and last—time I’m ever going to have it.

I looked around the living room excitedly, like a little girl on her first school trip.

A big sleepover… It’s like that booth with the prizes on strings that I saw with Saku at the temple festival.

All those strings hanging in front of you, but you can only pull one of them, once.

I don’t know where that string leads, or what prize I’ll get.

I feel like if I choose one, I might miss out on other, equally wonderful moments. But at the same time, no matter what I choose, I know it’ll become a treasured memory that I’ll never forget.

How should I spend this time? Who should I talk to?

Chatting with Yamazaki about how tough we’re both finding the dance steps might be fun. And I’d also like to chat with Mizushino or Asano about what Saku’s like when it’s just guys.

I want to ask Uchida about cooking, and I’d like to have a long conversation with Nanase. And I’d like to apologize to Nozomi about holding everyone up during practice.

But, after all…, I thought. I cast my gaze out to the garden.

…When I look back on this sleepover camp one day…I want it to be filled with memories of you, friend.

I noticed that after Hiiragi headed for the bath, Saku went straight outside. He took the case for his bat with him.

He must have been planning to get in his daily swings, even during this training camp.

He had to be tired. All that dancing with Nozomi, then giving us slowpokes pointers in the park. And yet he’s so strict with himself.

I grabbed my shoes from the front hall and headed out to the wooden deck, and then…

“What’s the verdict, Haru?”

“Not your best work.”

“How ’bout this?”

“You’re holding back.”

“Right. I guess maybe more like this?”

“Yep, yep, that’s the trademark Saku form I love to see.”

Saku and Aomi were deep in conversation as he was practicing, like this was a regular thing for them.

My heart suddenly went from soaring high to dropping like a stone. I felt a sharp pain, like a sudden paper cut on my finger.

You and baseball and Aomi.

For me, it’s a bit of a bittersweet combination.

Ever since we met again around this time last year, I’d noticed a change in Saku and wanted to help him.

I soon realized the deepest wound he was living with was having quit the baseball team. In the end, all I could do was offer a bandage. You never would let me get a good look at the wound underneath…

But this girl, out here in the garden—she’d peeled the scab right off and disinfected it.

Saku noticed me watching them.

“Oh, Asuka.”

Aomi, sitting cross-legged on the wooden deck, smiled and patted the space next to her.

“Hey, Nishino. Wanna let off some steam with us?”

Let off some steam… She meant after the harsh criticism I got during practice earlier?

“Hee-hee, well, we are at a training camp. Sounds like a good way to spend the evening.”

And of course I try to play the cool older girl.

To be honest, I didn’t understand any of what was going on just now.

It looked like Saku was just swinging the bat with the same form each time… I had no idea what Aomi was even commenting on.

…But something as simple as baseball swings was enough to have them both fully connected.

You’re always so cynical, but you really listened to Aomi’s input… It’s obvious how much you trust her judgment.

I think… I think I wanted us to be like that.

The way you look at Aomi… I wanted you to look at me like that someday.

“Asuka, if you notice anything, feel free to speak.”

“Nishino… Give it to us straight!”

“Okay. Guess I could watch a little.”

I set it aside and let only those words slip out, carried away into the September night sky.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

A pleasant sound, cutting through my muddy feelings.

Wow, I thought, and I felt my face relaxing.

Maybe even more so, after today’s dance practice.

I think Aomi was thinking the same thing.

Aomi was sitting with her chin in her hands and her elbows braced against her knees. “You know,” she murmured absently, “I’ve really come to appreciate how physical baseball really is as a sport.”

Saku, concentrating hard, didn’t seem to hear her.

I nodded.

“My arms hurt like heck just from swinging that skinny stick around.”

Aomi chuckled. “Same. I’m gonna have sore muscles tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“It’s a totally different set of muscles from what you use for basketball. Yeah, I’m gonna feel it.”

But she sounded oddly cheerful about it. We both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

After laughing together for a while, Aomi spoke again.

“He gets this boyish look on his face when he’s with you, Nishino.”

I tilted my head. “I think, if anything, he looks more like that when he’s practicing sports stuff with you, Aomi.”

Aomi smiled with a hint of resignation.

“He sees me as a teammate. You’re someone he admires.”

“You really think so?” I murmured, shaking my head. “When he looks at me…he sees the past. With rose-colored glasses.”

Aomi let out a short sigh.

“We’re both in a difficult spot, aren’t we?”

“We really are.”

I think maybe she was just trying to spare my feelings.

“Going back in,” Aomi murmured, getting up and turning away.

She took one step, then turned around with a smile, as if she’d just remembered something.

“I won’t give an inch, even if my rival’s an older girl. Just so you know.”

I squinted against the light in her expression.

“I’m pretty good at acting the responsible older girl in front of younger students, you know.”

You might not think it looking at me, but I’m pretty competitive.

Hiiragi, Uchida, Nanase.

Saku’s surrounded by A-tier girls, but of them all…

…it’s Aomi who I don’t want to bring to tears. Because she was the one who brought you back to baseball.

I saw Aomi off as she went back into the living room. I figured I’d grab a stick… No, go for realism and use the sword. I slipped my feet into my shoes and came to join you, just leaving a little bit of space between us.

I can help you, too, you know. She’s not the only one.

Saku stopped swinging, apparently remembering that I was there.

Then, with a soft smile, he said, “Don’t practice too hard, Asuka. You’ll be no good tomorrow.”

“Okay, but just a little longer. I know I’m still behind.”

“All right. Just a little, then.”

Then Saku started practicing with his bat, and I started practicing with my sword.

Whoosh. Phwoosh.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

I seem pretty pathetic next to you.

My palms were red, the skin was broken, and my arm joints were screaming at me.

But the fatigue felt good.

Maybe Saku just sees this as all fun and games.

But I want to get a bit closer to you, to the world where your battles are. I’ve always wanted that, and that won’t change.

More than anything…

Suddenly, I remembered being left out in Higashi Park.

Saku practicing baseball, with all his friends supporting him.

But this time, I was right in the inner circle.

“Hyah!” I took a big step forward and swung my sword as hard as I could…

Swoosh.

I feel like I’ve gotten closer to you. Just a little.

I found myself looking around at Saku, and…

“Nice swing.”

Just that, and a flash of a smile.

Then we continued practicing in silence for a while.

Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.

The sound of his bat. The sound of my sword.

Overlapping, resounding, sucked away into the night sky.

Like holding hands. Like a warm side hug.

We couldn’t be legitimate partners… But this was like a secret dance for two.

I think I’ve been dreaming of a moment like this.

“Asuka?”

Saku looked at me.

“Thanks for joining the cheer squad. I never thought I’d be able to spend an evening like this with you, Asuka. I love it.”

That was unusually straightforward for Saku. Maybe that was why those words seemed to instantly permeate my heart.

Thank me? Thank you.

Before I could find anything clever to say—or anything earnest…

“Hey! No fair just you two seniors practicing! Let me join!”

Nozomi came cheerfully bounding out of the living room.

Uh-oh. Now his real partner is here.

I smiled thinly.

The easy way she had with Saku set me a little on edge.

It was like she’d known him for years. Like he’d known her for years.

I guess part of me took it for granted that only I had that level of ease with Saku. Because of that summer we spent together as children…

“I wanna pair up with Senpai!”

If only I could express myself as easily as this innocent younger girl can.

Would our relationship be different if I could?

In the end, though, there was still a space between us.

Word by word, sentence by sentence, phrase by precious phrase.

No doubt our story would continue, just like this…

I, Haru Aomi, was in the changing room, peeling off my sweat-soaked T-shirt and shorts.

I grabbed the hair tie from my wrist and shook out my hair.

I took off my bra, sighed over how little I’ve got going on up top, then tucked it inside my T-shirt.

I looked up, noticing the contrast between my balled-up clothes and someone else’s tidy pile, as crisp as a store display.

This is where people show you who they really are, I thought with a smile.

I pulled off my shorts, grabbed the towel I’d brought, and opened the bathroom door.

“’Sup?”

Yuzuki was leisurely stretching her legs out and soaking in the bathtub.

I’m used to naked girls from training camps and everything. Basically, neither of us have anything to hide at this point in our relationship.

I raised a hand. “’Sup?”

In the end, we’d decided that after Yuuko took her bath, it’d be Ucchi, Yuzuki, and then me.

Like Yuuko had said, the bathroom was pretty big. Not cramped at all, with plenty of space for two.

The lights were off, but several aromatic candles were flickering. The air was filled with the pleasant scent of bath salts.

The atmosphere was different from what I had imagined, and I couldn’t help chuckling.

“Why so fancy? Kinda extra, isn’t it?”

“Yuuko set it up. Since it’s a special occasion. I take baths like this at home, too.”

“You certainly seem at home. But this isn’t really my style.”

“Imagine the boys enjoying this later. That’s hysterical.”

We both snorted with laughter.

I hung the showerhead on the top bracket and turned on the water.

It took a few seconds for the water to heat up, so while I waited, I let the cold water wash over my face and body.

It was still warm out this time of year, and a cold shower felt good after a full day of physical activity.

I basked in the water as it gradually started warming up…

“You’re in great shape, as always,” Yuzuki commented.

I grinned.

“If you wanted to fight, couldn’t you have saved it for before my relaxing bath?”

I turned my back to the shower spray and looked at Yuzuki.

I’d seen it plenty of times, but it always set my teeth on edge—Yuzuki’s body, I mean. Her proportions were so perfect, it made me sick.

“Not picking a fight,” Yuzuki said with a dry smile. “I’m paying you a compliment.”

“Uh-uh,” I said, turning back to the shower and squirting Yuuko’s shampoo into my hand. “I’m training hard for the Winter Cup, after all.”

“That’s been postponed a month, though.”

“You can never prepare too early.”

Normally the qualifying rounds would be starting around this time, but the tournament period got postponed this year.

Not that it mattered. I always want to be ready for the battles ahead.

I rinsed out the shampoo, hesitated, then grabbed a bottle of deep conditioner that looked a lot more expensive than what I usually used. I squirted it on my palm and started working it into my hair.

“By the way, Yuzuki…how come you volunteered to be vice captain?”

She was a great vice captain, worthy of being captain-captain. So it’s not like I was doubting her capability.

I’m sure she figured she could lighten Saku’s load by volunteering. But that wasn’t why I was asking, either.

Yuzuki tends to avoid the spotlight—like with her being vice captain of the basketball team. The whole team and I wanted her to do it, so she had no choice but to say yes. But she was reluctant.

So it just struck me as odd, is all.

What changed to make her volunteer to be vice captain?

Yuzuki rested her head on the edge of the bathtub and gazed at the ceiling. “Hmm…”

Unusually for my partner, she sounded more like she was mulling it over herself, rather than just putting off answering.

Yuzuki sloshed the water with her hand.

“You know, Haru, you jumped at joining the cheer squad, too.”

Was she talking about the way it would affect our time for basketball practice?

Still, I had my reasons. And no reason to hide them.

“This is so I can get stronger.”

“Uh-huh.” Yuzuki shot me a quick glance and continued absentmindedly. “I guess I’m influenced…consciously or unconsciously.”

It seemed rather obtuse to ask “by who?”

“Well, you’ll get stronger, too, Nana.”

I tied my hair up and started washing my body.

I’d gotten a little carried away swinging the stick around, so my arms felt a bit heavy.

Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with Nishino.

Maybe I was just high on training camp vibes, but I think I blurted out something I shouldn’t have at the end there.

I was totally used to Yuzuki’s beauty, but seeing Nishino up close, I couldn’t stop blushing.

And I never even knew that she and Chitose were childhood friends.

Seriously?

Like, what, is she his first love or something?

If I thought about it too hard, I would bum myself out, so instead I focused on rinsing the body soap off my neck and shoulders.

“Yuzuki, I’m coming in.”

My partner gave me a disgruntled look.

“What? I was just getting nice and relaxed.”

“You always take too long in the bath.”

“Well, you were showering. I figured I could enjoy a few more minutes.”

Sighing, she drew her knees toward her chest.

I got into the bath and sat down facing Yuzuki, making sure to keep my hair with the conditioner still in it out of the water.

Usually I’d have rinsed it off with everything else, but Yuuko told me you needed to let it sit for best results. She also said something about wrapping a hot towel around your head, but I needed my one towel to dry off with.

“Ahhh, that’s the stuff.”

“You sound like some old dude.”

If I stretched out even a little, I’d end up playing footsie with my dear partner’s butt or thigh area.

“Can you scooch?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Communal bathing at training camps aside, I wondered how long it had been since I’d taken a bath in a home with someone else like this.

I felt a wave of nostalgia building inside me.

“Hey, hey, when you were little, did you ever bring a towel into the bathtub and make a jellyfish?”

“This is the topic you choose for this atmospheric candle-lit bath time? Although…” Yuzuki smiled a little. “Yeah, I definitely did that. I still remember how it felt. Kinda hard to put into words, right?”

“You’d dunk it in, and bubbles would come up.”

“Did you ever make shampoo horns?”

“Imagining you with shampoo horns is sending me, Yuzuki.”

My partner gazed absently at the flickering candlelight.

Usually, she’s just Yuzuki, my buddy, but seeing her silhouetted in the candlelight, her skin glistening—it was kinda hot.

I felt a bit awkward for admiring her in that way. I quickly made a water shooter with my hands and shot at Yuzuki.

I was out of practice, though, and my shot went wide.

Yuzuki sighed and rolled her eyes. “Man, you suck. And don’t blow out the candles.”

As she spoke, she made her own water shooter and pointed it at me.

“This is how you do it.”

The hot water spurted out with such force that it hit me directly in the face.

“Urk!”

Wow. She’s not only great at shooting hoops, but she’s a great shot at this silly little thing, too.

All right. Maybe I’ll just splosh her in the face with the jug…

The thought of it tickled me so much, I snorted with laughter.

My partner seemed to find it as funny as I did, and we both sent ripples through the water.

After a good hearty laugh, I regained my composure.

“I wonder when we’ll completely stop doing this kind of thing.”

Yuzuki narrowed her eyes somewhat sadly.

“When we can’t get away with being kids anymore, I guess.”

“That’s unusually profound for you.”

“Hey!”

“Anyway,” I said with a sigh…

“What was with us today? We got really intense about pretend sword fighting.”

Yuzuki scooped up some water in her palms with a splosh.

“But you still want to be a kid for a little while longer, right?”

For some reason, her voice was hushed, like a whispered prayer.

Right, I thought with a lonely smile.

September of the second year of high school.

High school was halfway over already.

Maybe I didn’t have as much time to goof around and enjoy this part of my life with everyone as I thought.

Deep down, I think we were all aware of that sadness. Maybe that was why we’d been getting so fired up about this school festival.

Yuzuki made an “oh, by the way” sort of nonverbal throat noise. “Haru, what do you think of Kureha?”

“Hmm, what do I think of her…?”

I thought about Kureha and what I’d seen of her so far.

“To start, she’s really pretty. But she’s also honest, earnest, straightforward, considerate, smart, and a great athlete. Like, don’t you kinda wanna poach her for the basketball team?”

Yuzuki’s face relaxed. “Yeah. I agree.”

“Why do you ask, all of a sudden?”

“Well,” Yuzuki mumbled, looking away, “just a bit of self-loathing, I guess.”

Immediately, I got an image of Kureha dancing cheek to cheek with Chitose.

We’d egged them on for the fun of it, but seeing how happy Kureha looked in Chitose’s arms…kinda hurt.

“…It’s getting into cringe territory.”

I tried to play it off like a joke, but it was actually unpleasant to witness, somehow.

Thinking about that day when I collapsed in the gym and Chitose scooped me up in his arms… The memory filled me with embarrassment, then joy, then finally sadness.

No. Don’t hold another girl in your arms like that.

If anyone’s cringe, it’s me.

It’d be one thing if it was Yuzuki or one of the others…but to be so jealous and envious of a cute junior student? How pathetic is that?

And the more I watched them…

Both Chitose and Kureha were in perfect sync, like partners who’d been dancing together for years. They were so cool. Graceful. Beautiful. Why wasn’t I the one dancing with him?

“In that case, I won’t be dramatic and ask you to consider me.

“As long as I get to gaze at you all I like…then that’s enough.”

Just the other day, I was thinking that.

Guh! I’m sick of being so emo about all this.

I was about to dunk myself under the water but stopped myself just in time when I remembered that (a) this wasn’t my own bathtub at home, and (b) I still had that hair pack on.

Instead, I glanced at Yuzuki’s face.

I wondered if the beautiful girl opposite me ever felt this confused and pathetic.

I’d do anything to open up to her, of all people. But she’s the one person I can’t talk to about this.

I think we both knew how the other felt. We’d just never verbalized it.

Once we said it, our roles would get all mixed up.

Like in basketball—I cover the inside of the court, and Nana takes care of the outside.

I’d end up hating the idea of winning and losing.

Oblivious to my anguish, Yuzuki commented, “I bet Nishino and Kureha are waiting for their baths, too. We should probably get out.”

“Right.”

I grabbed the showerhead and sprayed my head with cold water.

“Hey!!!”

Hit by the splashback, Yuzuki drummed on my back in mild annoyance.

After doing my simple skin care routine, I returned to the living room, where Kaito looked up at me as if he’d been waiting for me to emerge.

“Huh. You took a longer bath than I would have expected from you, Haru.”

“Don’t act like you know how long my baths are.”

“Oh, I’ve got a pretty good idea.”

Hmm… Well, all right.

With Kaito were Chitose, Mizushino, and Kureha, who seemed to have just finished a bout of practice.

The four of them were apparently discussing something.

Even though I used that hair pack, I’d kinda rushed drying my hair, so it was still a little damp. I was rubbing it with a towel as I spoke to the group.

“So? Did you want something?”

Kaito chuckled. “We were talking about going to Hachiban’s for a midnight snack with the rest of the group, but Saku said we’d better wait for you or you’d tear us a new one when we got back.”

I glanced at the clock.

This definitely wasn’t the appropriate time of night for a delicate girl to get all excited about going out to eat a heavy bowl of ramen.

I mean, I wasn’t worried about late-night calories or anything. As Yuzuki would say, it’s about the optics.

Besides, I’d had a large portion of Ucchi’s curry and even went back for a second helping.

I stared at Chitose. “Excuse me. I am a respectable lady of marriageable age.”

“So you’re not coming with?”

“Oh, I’m coming with.”

“I figured.”

This decidedly non-sexy talk between us still lifted my spirits.

If they’d all gone ahead without me, that would have sucked—but the important thing is that Chitose thought about me.

He thought about me when I wasn’t there.

Right now, that felt like enough.

Speaking of which… I directed my gaze at the younger girl.

“You’re coming, too?”

Kureha’s face lit up. “Yep! Wouldn’t miss it!”

“Maybe I’m not the right one to bring this up, but… You sure you want to eat ramen this late at night?”

“Yep! That way Asuka can take a nice long bath. And anyway, isn’t sneaking off from the main group, like, the thing to do on a high school training camp?!”

I had to smile internally. After all, she was right.

Come to think of it, during last year’s girls’ basketball summer training camp, I’d dragged a reluctant Yuzuki to go eat ramen nearby. Miss Misaki read us the riot act afterward.

She wasn’t mad at us for breaking the rules, just that we didn’t ask her to join us.

Back then, I couldn’t have imagined caring wholeheartedly about anything other than basketball.

The court was where I lived, and my teammates were my whole world.

“Come to think of it,” Kureha said, tilting her head. “Don’t we have to wait for Yuzuki?”

“Even if we ask her, she’ll just raise an eyebrow and say, ‘What are you, crazy?’ I speak from personal experience.”

“I can so see her saying that!”

I watched Kureha giggling, surrounded by (to her) older students, and let my thoughts drift.

There was a time when I was able to be an uncomplicated young girl like that.

Having friends to have fun with was everything back then. I looked at girls who pined after boys and obsessed over romance and couldn’t figure out what they got out of it.

Sorry for who I used to be, I thought, to no one in particular.

But at least tonight, I wanted to be that way again.

I wanted to be that innocent, childhood blue, before another color started to seep in.

It was still a bit too early to call this a midnight snack, but still, Hachiban’s was pretty empty.

I ordered veggie ramen, which I hadn’t had in a while. Mizushino ordered salt veggie ramen. Kaito ordered miso char siu ramen, Chitose had his usual spicy ramen with spring onions and extra noodles, and Kureha ordered the same thing.

There were no other orders in the queue, so our bowls came pretty quickly.

“Watch this, Kureha,” said Chitose. “…See, the right way to eat it is with tons of vinegar and chili oil.”

“Okay!”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t do what he does, Kureha. You’ll burn your tongue right off.”

“It’s okay—I like spicy food!”

“Still,” Kaito said, “there’s something immoral in going out to eat ramen at this time of night.”

Mizushino smiled faintly. “It certainly doesn’t feel like any regular night.”

Chitose spoke as he mixed his noodles. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

The boys also seemed to be in an unusually sentimental mood.

Still, I got it.

It felt a little different when Yuzuki and I would come here on our way home after club practice.

You’re at a different time than usual, with a slightly different crowd than usual, breaking off from the main group to go eat ramen. But what is it that makes it feel so special?

I looked at Chitose slurping down noodles, and I narrowed my eyes.

Yuuko, Ucchi, Yuzuki, Nishino…none of them were here.

So right now, I’m the only one gazing fondly at you as you slurp down your ramen.

Wow, I’m a dork.

What am I doing, sexualizing a guy eating ramen?

While I was distracted with these thoughts, Kureha suddenly began choking.

I chuckled and offered her a glass of water.

“See, I told you so.”

Kureha chugged the water, then smiled.

“Whoops. I forgot how vinegar makes your throat close up.”

Yeah, I felt the same way the first time I tried it.

It was May, I think. Seems like such a long time ago now.

“Oh yeah,” Kaito said.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Kureha?”

Smack.

Whack.

Thwump.

“What’d I do?!!!”

Chitose, Mizushino, and I each spoke in turn.

“Down, boy.”

“Girls don’t like guys who are too pushy.”

“Not a shred of tact.”

“But we’re hanging out at night during a training camp… We have to talk about romance, right?”

His voice cracked. I rolled my eyes.

I was pretty surprised when I’d heard that Kaito had confessed his feelings to Yuuko.

But even I could tell that he wasn’t trying to slide on in there during her moment of vulnerability.

Kaito’s silly, but he’s not that kind of guy.

I don’t really know, but I think he just couldn’t bear to see the girl he liked so upset.

But even though she rejected him, he wasn’t trying to rebound onto Kureha or anything. Like he said, he just wants to chat about romance.

Still, he could have segued more smoothly into the topic.

Kureha flapped her hand in front of her face. “No, no, no, no boyfriend!”

Looking sheepish from all the scolding, Kaito tentatively said, “But I bet you’ve got your pick of guys, huh…?”

“Hmm, you know, I’m not so sure about that…” Kureha scratched her cheek, frowning. “Though guys do often come up to me and ask me out.”

Mizushino spoke in a teasing tone. “On a frequent basis, would you say?”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, duh. She’s like Yuzuki, if you removed her prickliness and air of aloofness.”

“Eep! Haru! Please don’t say that in front of her!”

I grinned, tickled by her reaction. Yeah, this kind of chitchat wasn’t so bad after all.

When Kei was around, we’d often talk about boys in the clubroom. But recently, things in the basketball club had gotten so serious. It’s all about practice sessions and games now.

Besides, after everything that had happened over summer, this was a nice moment of calm. Nothing too serious.

I felt a little bad for Kureha, being teased this way, but on the other hand, chatting about a younger girl’s love life was the perfect thing to make this night nice and light and fun.

Looking back, maybe Kei was trying to foster group harmony by discussing something casual like boys with the team.

…Or maybe she was just kinda boy-crazy. Who knows?

“Don’t you want a boyfriend, Kureha?” Kaito was saying.

Kureha leaned forward. “Oh, I’m definitely in the market.”

Mizushino grinned mischievously. “Interesting. It sounds like you’ve broken a few hearts already.”

“Kazuki! Don’t hound her!”

“Maybe you’ve got high standards. What kind of guys do you go for?”

Wow, he’s really going for it, I thought with a wry smile.

It was easy to forget, because Chitose’s always making dumb jokes, but Mizushino was actually the type to tease people like this, too.

Kureha thought it over for a second, then lowered her gaze. “Erm,” she said, shyly. “I guess I like the kind of guys who’d casually offer you an umbrella on a rainy day.”

Kazuki chuckled. “All right, you pass. Smart answer.”

Chitose didn’t seem interested in chiming in. He just watched Kureha with a calm expression.

I don’t mind a contemplative Chitose, but without your usual jokey banter, the mood isn’t quite there.

I decided I could pull a Chitose myself.

“So, out of these three guys, which one is the best-looking, Kureha?”

“Whaaat?” Kureha looked taken aback. “Just the guys? Not including you, Haru?”

“Huh? Kureha, do you see me as one of the guys?”

“Hmph! Don’t tease me!”

If I asked her for her type, that would be tough to answer, so I thought limiting it to looks might be easier.

I don’t usually take the teasing role in these types of conversations, so I overthought it.

…Still, what’s the big deal? It is an easier question, isn’t it?

Kureha thought deeply for another moment, then lifted her head.

She glanced absently at Kazuki, then quickly averted her eyes.

Then she turned to Chitose.

“I’m your dance partner…so I think I’ll just go with you.”

We all burst out laughing.

Without missing a beat…

“Hey, you were obviously looking at Kazuki just now.”

“Nope. Never happened.”

“You could try to sound more convincing?”

Then Kaito yelped.

“Hey! At least consider me, too!”

We all exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

She’s smart. She’s got the measure of everyone, even after such a short time.

We finished up our ramen and left Hachiban’s.

The breeze was cooler than I expected and felt good on my body, which was still warm from the bath.

Crick, crick, crick.

Ree, ree, ree.

The air was filled with the chirping of insects, heralding the coming of fall.

We took our time cycling along the country roads, which were devoid of cars.

The rice stalks swayed and rippled with the breeze.

Like we were sailboats, cutting through the night.

Kureha was by my side.

Click, click, click. Whirrr.

The sound of the wheels rolling… That sound seemed to be carrying us all along toward the next season to come.

When I, Yuzuki Nanase, finished my skin and hair care and reentered the living room, Haru and the others were nowhere to be seen. Instead, I found Yuuko, Ucchi, Nishino, and Yamazaki sitting on the sofa, chatting away happily and eating their snacks.

I smiled wryly. This was the kind of scene you could only see during a training camp.

I walked over to the others. “Nishino, I’m done in the bath. Sorry, I think I took longer than I meant to.”

Nishino turned, and the smile on her face made her look younger, somehow.

“It’s cool. Time flew by while I was chatting with everyone.”

“By the way…where are the others?”

“Ah, they all went to Hachiban’s.”

“…Seriously?”

Chitose, Mizushino, Kaito, and Haru, I could see. But Kureha went with them, too?

After all that curry? How did she maintain her figure…?

Nishino got to her feet. “Hiiragi, I’ll go use your bathroom.”

“Sure! Kureha’s out, so you can feel free to take your time.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I took her place on the sofa. “Oh, Yamazaki… You didn’t go?”

Yamazaki smiled wryly. “After all that dieting I did, I don’t want to just gain it back hanging out with King too much.”

I nodded and spread my arms out toward him in an exaggerated manner.

“Twinsies!”

“…Whaaat?”

Come to think of it, we usually only hang in a group. It’s pretty rare for him and me to have a chance to talk like this.

I grinned impishly, thinking about how this stuff is all part of the fun of an overnight training camp.

“Yamazaki, you’ve really grown as a man recently, haven’t you?”

Yamazaki, who seemed to have misinterpreted my choice of words, visibly preened.

“Well, I’ve been doing strength training. And recently, I’ve started paying more attention to protein and things like that.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean that.” I paused for a second, then continued in a teasing tone. “You’re all alone with four beautiful women, this late at night… You playboy, you.”

Yamazaki suddenly seemed to realize what I was saying, and he looked away, his cheeks blazing red. “C-cut it out, please, Nanase. I’ve been trying really hard not to think about that!”

His reaction was so funny, it made me want to tease him even more.

“Yuuko, Ucchi, and me are all freshly bathed and in our pajamas, you know.”

Yamazaki clapped his hands over his ears, screwed his eyes shut, and started babbling.

“Gaaahhh! Can’t hear you, can’t hear you! I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen, I saw a kitten eating kitchen in the chicken… Gah!!!”

Incidentally, Yuuko was wearing a Gelato Pique T-shirt, a long-sleeved hooded top, striped short-shorts, and a headband.

Ucchi was wearing a set of blue satin pajamas with white stars and a Gelato Pique headband.

I was wearing a Gelato Pique romper and a hooded top.

These were the same pajamas we all wore for the summer study camp.

I often wear shorts this short as regular clothes, but my pajamas are a bit baggier. It’s kinda like revealing a bit of my at-home self.

Even though I am a girl, too, I was kinda stunned by the sight of Yuuko and Ucchi in their pj’s for the first time. I could see how a guy would find it overstimulating.

I chuckled. “I’m just joking with you. Come on, open your eyes.”

Yamazaki got to his feet. He quickly adjusted his glasses and in a mysterious, ominous voice said, “No. I am a man who lives by the way of the sword.”

With that, he picked up his practice stick and walked briskly out into the garden.

Uh-oh. Maybe I teased him a bit too much.

Yuuko, who’d been watching, pouted. “Quit ragging on Kentacchi!”

“Sorry, sorry, my bad.”

Maybe I’d gotten a bit overexcited myself. Of course, I would never usually make jokes like that with any of the other guys from school.

But Yamazaki’s been a friend for a while. I accidentally teased him in the same way I banter back and forth with Chitose.

I’ll have to apologize later, I thought, scratching my cheek.

Ucchi, who’d been watching all this, smiled softly.

“It’s okay, Yuzuki. He probably is embarrassed, but I think he really just wanted some more solo practice time.”

“Maybe,” I said, shaking it off. “Well then, shall we have girls’ night until the others get back?”

Yuuko’s face lit up. “We still have plenty of snacks! Even Mister Donut!”

“It’s a bit late for donuts…,” I said, even as my fingers reached for the chocolate old-fashioned.

Ucchi got up from the sofa. “Yuzuki, would you like a drink? We have coffee, black tea, roasted green tea, hot milk, and Yuuko said we can drink the Welch’s grape juice.”

“Oh, thank you. That’s so kind of you. Hmm, I haven’t had Welch’s in a while.”

“Oh, oh, oh!” Yuuko raised her hand enthusiastically. “I’ll grab it!”

Yuuko headed happily to the kitchen and returned to the sofa with three wineglasses filled with Welch’s grape juice.

She put the glasses down on three coasters, then went to the wall and turned on the lights.

The indirect light spilling out from the floor lamps gave a mellow atmosphere.

Yuuko returned to the sofa. “This is how Mom always drinks her wine,” she said cheerfully.

I had to smile.

“It’s nice. Soothing.”

Ucchi nodded. “So this is what your house is like at night, Yuuko…”

We all held our wineglasses by the stem, like grown-ups.

It was still way too soon to make good on the ten-years-from-now promise we made during our trip. But it still felt pretty good.

Pretending to be grown women, with our glasses of Welch’s. Pretty much perfect.

Yuuko piped up cheerfully.

“Yo-ho!”

““Yo-ho!””

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Our glasses touched and rang.

I licked my lips, expecting bitterness, but the grape juice was sweet. Just like us. Sweet seventeen.

Yuuko suddenly stood up and turned on the stereo, and the soft sounds of folk guitar and harmonica began to play.

Somehow, the sound was melancholy.

“Who’s the artist?” I asked.

Yuuko turned around. “Oh, I just threw on a song. It’s Yousui Inoue’s ‘Itsumanika Shojo wa.’ Sorry, is it too gloomy?”

“No, let’s hear it.”

As I listened to the lyrics, I suddenly started feeling sentimental.

Yuuko, Ucchi, Haru, Nishino.

Witnessing my female peers growing up a little more with each passing season made me feel anxious sometimes.

Like I was still stuck back in May, unable to move forward even a single step.

Like I was going to stay this version of Yuzuki Nanase—no longer a child, but not an adult, either. I’m not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I gazed at the faces of the girls sitting near me, and I ended up blurting something out, like I accidentally forgot to lock the box I keep my heart in.

“Ucchi, have you been cooking at his house lately?”

Ucchi tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face.

“Um, you mean at Saku’s house? The last time we went shopping was at the end of summer vacation, so it must have been then.”

I should have known the answer without actually having to ask. And I knew that asking was only prodding the wound.

Okay, yeah. That stings. Gosh, I’m an idiot.

“Uh…”

I recalled that look on Chitose’s face—confusion, sadness, guilt.

And the words he didn’t say.

That’s Yua’s seat.

I looked away nonchalantly, unsure whether I could maintain a neutral expression.

Ucchi wasn’t like me. She wasn’t the kind of girl to bring along her own bath towel and make herself at home.

So the only explanation could be…

That Chitose set up that seat. Just for her.

I felt like I’d been slapped in the face.

Just when I’d thought I’d closed the gap a little by becoming vice captain, I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet.

Thinking about it rationally, I understood there were several completely reasonable explanations.

For starters, Ucchi cooked at his place on an almost daily basis. So she should at least have her own chair, right? And I think maybe it was sort of a token of gratitude for her help in smoothing things over with Yuuko.

Still, I thought, biting my lip.

What if it was actually a symbol of Chitose’s feelings?

Like, here I am, forcing my company on him, when it’s really her he wants close to him.

I think…I think I might start crying a little.

“Yuzuki?”

Ucchi’s voice snapped me out of it. She sounded worried.

I smiled quickly, trying to hide my welling tears. “Sorry, my bad. I was just mulling over how amazing your pasta and curry were, and I ended up asking a weird question.”

“Oh, right,” Ucchi said, her face relaxing. “Um, well, actually—there’s something I’d like to ask you…”

For some reason, she started fidgeting and averting her eyes.

I looked at her in some confusion. “Sure, what’s up?”

It was odd for Ucchi to be like this with me.

Maybe she was having trouble with the cheer squad dance steps.

“The thing is…!”

Ucchi lifted her chin determinedly.

Her lips wobbled. She folded her hands on her lap.

“…Could you teach me how to make katsudon the way you do it, Yuzuki?”

Her voice was so quiet, I almost couldn’t hear it.

“…”

For a moment, I couldn’t process what she’d said.

The moment stretched out in silence. Then I got it.

“…Pfft!”

Unable to contain myself any longer, I burst out laughing.

“Don’t laugh!”

I felt bad for Ucchi, who was blushing with embarrassment, but…it was so funny.

She’d looked so serious, I was like, yikes, what’s she gonna say? …But it was about katsudon.

Ucchi, of all people, asking me, of all people.

Once I was done laughing, I dramatically wiped my eyes.

Ucchi looked down, pouted, and spoke in a sulky sort of voice. “That was mean. It took so much courage to even say anything.”

“Sorry,” I said, forcing down another bubble of laughter. “Really. It’s just I wasn’t expecting it. But where did that come from?”

Ucchi scratched her cheek, turning even brighter pink. “You made it for Saku, right? He said it was really, really good. Now I don’t feel like I can make it for him. But Saku loves katsudon! I don’t want to be stuck like this forever! That’s all.”

She paused, flapped her hands, and then continued. “Of course, if you don’t want to, I totally understand! I mean, if Saku ever wants katsudon, he can always just ask you to make it for him…”

Ucchi didn’t sound too enthusiastic about that idea, though. And yeah, it made sense now.

Now I saw why she was so hesitant.

I worked really hard to plan that recipe for Chitose.

I fought back a wave of emotion and clenched my fists.

Then I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Ucchi!!!”

I grabbed her and hugged her tight.

“Wh-what?”

“It’s so noble of you! Aren’t you just the perfect traditional Japanese woman?”

“Y-Yuzuki. You can let go.”

“Mmm! You smell good.”

“Don’t sniff my neck?!!!”

After joking with her a little, I finally let go.

“Of course I’ll show you. I mean, you’re always giving me cooking tips and tricks. It would be mean not to repay the favor, right?”

Ucchi smiled with what looked like relief. “Really? Thank you, Yuzuki.” Then she scratched her cheek again, still looking embarrassed. “I don’t know if I could even pull it off, but I thought about making my own version of katsudon. But that felt like appropriating a precious memory you share with him…”

“Oh, Ucchi…”

“So I figured it would be better just to ask you, Yuzuki. Then Saku can still think of you every time he eats it.”

Her thoughtfulness really warmed my heart.

Honestly, this girl was so sweet.

And she was being humble, too. If Ucchi wanted to, she could make a katsudon that would blow mine out of the water.

But if she did that, Chitose wouldn’t be able to help comparing it to my katsudon.

I think Ucchi wanted the most peaceful resolution for my sake, and probably for Chitose’s, too—even if it meant coming to ask me a favor.

I felt bad for being so jealous.

Of course Chitose would want to give this sweet girl a chair in his home.

Gah. I sighed internally. I lose today. Unequivocally.

I shrugged and laughed. “I’ll send you the recipe when I get home, okay?”

“Thanks!”

It was true that I worked hard on that recipe, getting it just right for Chitose.

But if this sweet girl here wanted to keep that memory we shared going with her own cooking… Well, that was an honor.

Also…

Just hearing secondhand what Chitose said to Ucchi… That was more than enough for me.

The three of us chatted for a bit, until I suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, Yuuko, what were you talking to Kureha about after the couples’ dance part?”

“Er…”

Apparently, it hadn’t stuck in her memory. She rubbed her chin and frowned thoughtfully.

Then she slapped her knee.

“Oh, right! I said to take good care of Saku!”

“Huh…?”

I wasn’t expecting that…

I mean, this is Yuuko.

While she might not have gone as far as to tell Kureha that she and Saku were “endgame,” she could have made a cute joke like “Watch your back, little rival!” or something.

Yuuko shrugged airily. “I mean, Saku’s the cheer squad captain, right? Being paired with a junior, he might burn himself out trying to do everything right. Kureha’s the reliable sort, so I asked her to keep an eye on him!”

I felt a sharp pain deep in my chest.

Suddenly, the feeling of being left behind hit me again, and I ended up blurting out something I shouldn’t have said. Again.

“Um, can I ask you a kinda awkward question?”

“Of course!”

“Was it hard, watching Saku and Kureha dance?”

Yuuko tilted her head in confusion. “Why would it be?”

“Why…? I mean…”

I didn’t know what to say.

I looked to Ucchi for help, but she was gazing awkwardly at her knees.

Yuuko continued in a perfectly natural tone.

“Of course Saku would charm her. He’s the best, after all. And their dancing was perfect. I loved watching them both.”

She paused, eyes narrowing warmly.

“I want to dance with Saku like that, too, I thought.”

Then she smiled an earnest smile.

“…Guh…”

I swallowed back a groan.

After that horrible, painful experience… How could I have forgotten?

Yuuko isn’t the same carefree girl I knew before.

After this summer, she’d left me in the dust. Now she was becoming a woman.

Yuuko wasn’t getting sulky or jealous but was earnestly expressing her admiration for Chitose. She was so dazzlingly beautiful, I could hardly bear to look at her.

And here I was.

For just a moment, at the time, a thought had passed my mind…

“I shouldn’t have given up.”

Instead of playing it cool as the older girl and letting the junior have the honor, I should have said something like, “The captain and vice captain should pair up. It’s the most logical choice.”

I pulled another Yuzuki. It’s like I never learn.

“I want to be the kind of girl who can tell Saku that he’s cool.”

I recalled the conversation Yuuko and I had that night…

Right. So that’s the path you’re going down.

But what about me…?

Though I’d made up my mind, again and again, whenever I see the situation in the harsh light of day, I still waver.

As long as Yuzuki Nanase remains Yuzuki Nanase, I’m going to repeat the same regret over and over again.

“I should have stolen his lips, instead of his cheek.”

“I wasted all this time side-eyeing Nishino and Haru.”

“Out on the balcony, that day when Ucchi and Haru were over…I should have dashed back inside and just told him how I felt.”

“I should have told Yuuko when she asked that I love Saku, too, and then we could have duked it out.”

All those choices were right and correct and “beautiful.” Anyone would say so. But that doesn’t mean they were right for me.

Take Ucchi, for example.

She took a step back and chose a form of being in love that prioritized supporting his happiness.

Take Yuuko, for example.

She looks at it head-on and has these uncomplicated romantic feelings for him.

But Yuzuki Nanase sticks to her wretched principles.

She won’t throw it all away for a long shot at love.

I never thought I’d be so devastated twice in one night.

My dear friend.

My formidable rival.

It’s too late for me to be like other girls. But, God, I wish I were.

Because as long as I stay Yuzuki Nanase, you can only ever be the same Saku Chitose you are now.

I, Yua Uchida, fought back a wave of embarrassment as I listened to the others talk.

Yuzuki’s words kept circling in my head.

“Was it hard, watching Saku and Kureha dance?”

You know, Yuuko, it was kinda hard for me.

I’m sure ever since that night, maybe ever since that day in homeroom, I’ve been turning away from my feelings for Saku.

I was afraid to admit that it was love, so I deceived myself with all sorts of words, saying that he was simply someone important, someone like a second family, someone I wanted to be there to support.

“…From now on, can I be a little more selfish?”

I bet I said what I’d said that day because a part of me saw this coming.

If I realized that I had feelings for you…

If I realized I wanted to be your special girl…

…then I would absolutely become a selfish person.

I’d get jealous of Yuuko, who was sitting beside me.

I’d start getting irritated over Yuzuki coming to your place.

I’d burn with the unfairness of it all when I saw you practicing with Haru.

I’d get angry when I saw that open look on your face whenever you were around Nishino.

But oddly, I didn’t feel those dark feelings toward anyone.

Of course, sometimes I’d feel a bit hurt or misunderstood in my relationship with the other girls. But those feelings were internal, not directed at them.

I was a bit relieved, I think, that I wasn’t like that after all.

Maybe Saku giving me that chair gave me a sense of comfort in my place.

But earlier, when those two were dancing…

No, no, that’s not quite it. It was what I was thinking about while they were dancing. About how I’d handed over the task of making Saku’s costume to Kureha.

…That was my job. My place.

Yeah…I regretted it.

Kureha was even kind enough to check that it was okay with me.

I think…

I think I just naturally assumed I’d be the one to make Saku’s costume. I probably even already pictured myself happily working on it, sitting in my special chair. So I was suddenly overcome with anxiety at the thought of handing that role over to another girl.

But when I remembered the sweet, kind look on Kureha’s face as she earnestly praised my cooking, I felt awful.

I knew Saku was being especially kind to her because she was our junior. I was sure everyone else felt that way, too.

But just as Yuuko, Yuzuki, Haru, and Nishino all have a place of their own in your heart…

…at the very least, I want my place to remain only mine.

I’ve become kind of a bitch.

I can’t be strong like Yuuko.

Sure, I decided to be a bit more selfish, but not like this.

I was still letting those thoughts drag me down, when—

“I’m done with my bath.”

Nishino returned to the living room, wearing a pair of smooth satin pajamas.

They were sort of similar to mine, but Nishino’s were simpler in design and had no pattern. And hers were long-sleeved, with full-length trousers.

Despite showing almost no skin, she looked very grown-up.

As always, her beauty made me feel inferior.

I suddenly felt horribly childish in my short-sleeved, shortie pajamas with star patterns on them. And the headband that matched Yuuko’s.

“Uchida, is it okay if I sit next to you?”

As Nishino walked over, she smiled softly in an elegant sort of way.

I realized I’d been staring at her and snapped out of it.

“Sure, of course.”

When Nishino sat down, I smelled lavender.

It wasn’t the same scent as the shampoo and conditioner Yuuko had lent us. It must have been a sleep spray or maybe some kind of body cream.

Sitting next to Nishino made me feel a little uncomfortable, like I was intruding on Saku’s usual spot.

The first time I saw them was toward the end of September last year.

I wasn’t as friendly with everyone as I am now.

This was around the time Chitose had stopped practicing so hard in the corner of the field and quit the baseball team. Around the time we’d stopped talking almost entirely.

Even though I’d treated him coldly during the first semester, I’d been strangely sad and a bit worried about him, but I knew there was nothing I could do. So I pretended not to notice the sadness in him; he didn’t seem to know what to do with it, either.

One day, I saw Chitose and Nishino sitting side by side at the riverbank.

His expression was somehow at ease. Like he was sort of opening himself up to her, accepting her soothing treatment. I’d pictured myself sitting beside him instead, and I’d had to laugh at myself.

Then, this past year…starting with the night you came and found me.

I’d walked past Saku and Nishino sitting and chatting side by side on the riverbank many times.

Because his relationship with that beautiful older girl was like the picture-perfect snapshot of everything I’d imagined for myself.

I think Saku’s feelings for her were more akin to admiration. But whenever something good or bad happened, when he was in pain or confused, or just wanted to talk to someone…Nishino was the first person he looked for.

Like a child coming home and running to his mother as she prepares dinner.

I’m sure that back then, I wanted to be that kind of family figure for Saku.

I remember when he first introduced me to Nishino.

It must have been late fall then.

My club practice was canceled, and we were walking home together.

As we were walking along the riverbank, having a casual conversation, I suddenly noticed Nishino reading a paperback book near the floodgate.

I think Saku noticed her at the same time, or maybe even a little earlier.

For some reason, I remember thinking, No, don’t go to her.

I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I said:

“Oh, by the way, Saku!”

I want you to look only at me right now. That was what I really wanted to say.

…Zoom.

Saku was off running.

I stopped dead in my tracks and watched his back as he receded into the distance.

He came back shortly after, holding Nishino by the hand, innocently saying:

“Let me introduce you, Yua. This is Asuka Nishino, a third-year student. She often hears me out and gives me advice here.”

I’m pretty sure…

…he meant no harm.

He was just introducing me to this older girl he admired. It was a kind gesture.

“And this is Yua Uchida, my friend from my class. She’s very good at helping people out, including me.”

Right. That’s who I am to you.

We’re just good friends in the same class.

I’m just someone who helps you out.

…Yeah, I know. I do try to help him out a lot.

Saku was just introducing us both on equal footing.

But back then, I was a bundle of anxiety and hope, unable to control the feelings that had risen up inside me for the first time ever. I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted you to see me, if not as a potential girlfriend, then as someone you wanted by your side. I wanted you to see me.

Nishino had responded in a laid-back way.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Asuka Nishino. I’ve heard a lot about you, Uchida. Especially about how kind and put-together you are.”

Her voice was so mature. I struggled past my agitation and tried to sound normal, too.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yua Uchida. Um, Saku and I kinda have similar home circumstances, so we often go grocery shopping together and sometimes cook dinner at his place…”

Pathetic.

Nishino was being kind and polite to me. But my motive behind introducing myself was self-serving.

I’m more than just a classmate to Saku.

I was marking my territory, so to speak.

Nishino smiled a beautiful smile.

“That’s such a nice relationship to have. Kinda like having a second family.”

Gently, she handed me the words I wanted.

That was enough to get the message across.

I knew then why Saku sought out Nishino.

I saw how she’d managed to slowly bring him out of his state of depression.

She’d stitched up those wounds slowly, bit by bit, during those riverside conversations of theirs.

I snapped out of those thoughts and sneaked a peek at the girl sitting next to me.

I must have been daydreaming for a while, but she hadn’t tried to force me to talk. She was just calmly gazing out the window.

Like she was listening to the night.

Saku often sat by her side, too, didn’t he?

That teardrop mole. That beautiful profile. That soothing scent. Her very presence could make clocks stop. Could make time itself yield for a moment of sweet relaxation.

Suddenly, Nishino looked at me.

Since I’d been staring at her with fascination, we made direct eye contact.

Before I could panic and look away with a shy and awkward smile, Nishino smiled at me first.

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure,” I said, turning to face her a bit more. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to stare at you.”

Nishino giggled a little. “Hey, don’t confess to that. You’ll make me blush.”

I lowered my gaze in embarrassment.

“You were just so beautiful from the side, I couldn’t help it…”

Nishino gave me an intense look.

“Uchida… Your hair’s so pretty. May I touch it?”

“Um, yes.”

Her porcelain-smooth fingertips reached out and combed through my hair.

I was flustered by that gentle touch and the closeness of her face to mine.

I felt like a small child, being softly stroked on the head.

That lavender scent rose from her décolletage and filled the air as her fingers stroked my earlobe.

“Mm.” I made a noise I didn’t intend to make, and she quickly moved her hand away.

“S-sorry. I got a little lost in stroking your hair.”

Nishino’s lack of composure was nothing like what I’d expect from this cool older girl. I had to grin, despite my own embarrassment.

“No, it’s okay. It just tickled a bit.”

I shook my head, and her face seemed to relax a bit in relief.

Fiddling with the ends of her own hair, she spoke again. “Maybe I’ll try growing mine out again.”

“Was it long before?”

She narrowed her eyes, as if looking back. “Yep. When I was little.”

Her short hair was lovely and gave her this mysterious vibe. But little long-haired Nishino must have been like something out of a fairy tale.

“Huh,” I said. “Why’d you cut it?”

Nishino answered without any hesitation.

“You know how Saku and I met?”

“Yes, you were childhood friends.”

“If you can call seven days one summer being childhood friends.”

She chose her words the same way Saku did.

I wasn’t able to come up with a witty reply. And I was a little sad to think that these two must have lots of conversations like this, conversations like something out of a novel.

“I always just called him by his first name then—Saku. He was the kind of boy who would take one look at you in your favorite pure-white dress and advise wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops the next summer.”

I could picture the scene. It made me laugh.

“So he’s always kinda been like that.”

Nishino smiled. “I figured if I was going to hang around with Saku, this sort of hairstyle might be better. So at the end of summer, I cut it off.”

Just like with Yuuko this summer, I thought. Wow, getting two beautiful girls to cut their hair. He sure is something.

Nishino laughed shyly.

“But after that, we ended up not being able to meet the next summer.”

It must have been then, I think, when Nishino got kinda grown-up and mature like this.

“Maybe I should cut my hair again, too,” I muttered to myself.

Would that help me out of my current funk?

Nishino glanced at me.

“Uchida, your hair was shorter when we first met, right?”

I remembered that awkward, childish self-introduction I’d done, and I looked away in embarrassment.

“Yes, I was just starting to grow my hair out.”

“Well, then…”

Nishino gently ran her fingers through my hair once more.

Then she spoke in a voice that made me think of penning a letter by candlelight.

“When you brush your hair, it’s full of some beautiful idea, isn’t it? Like a prayer, or a wish, or an aspiration.”

“Huh…?”

My hair slid through her fingers.

“That’s what happens when a girl changes her hairstyle, right?”

Nishino smiled, her eyes narrowing.

Right, I thought.

Yuuko and Nishino didn’t cut their hair to get rid of something. They did it for positive, beautiful reasons. Just like the wish that led me to grow my hair long a year ago.

I ran my fingers through my hair myself. It was pretty long.

I’m going to cherish this, I decided.

“Thanks, Nishino.”

Sorry, Saku.

I smiled wryly.

Just for tonight, I think I’m going to enjoy taking your usual spot by her side.

“It’s cool,” Nishino said warmly. “I’ve been hoping for a chance to thank you someday.”

This time it was my turn to tilt my head in confusion. “Me?”

“Yeah.”

As she spoke, Nishino looked around the living room.

I realized that Yuuko and Yuzuki had moved out to the wooden deck to watch Yamazaki practice.

Nishino seemed to be checking they were out of earshot.

“Well, first, there’s the summer festival.”

“Oh…!”

I finally got what she was referring to.

The night before the festival, when Saku and Yuuko had decided to talk.

I’d gotten Nishino’s contact information from a senior in the brass band and called her.

That was what allowed us to make up and return as a group of three.

Because I felt that Nishino surely would have wanted to be there. And that Saku would have probably felt her absence if she wasn’t.

“You’ve gone this far for Saku. Are you sure this is as far as you want to go?”

“I’m doing this for myself.”

I recalled our phone conversation and smiled a little.

I knew the decision I made was the right one.

If, for my own sake, I’d avoided making that call…I might not have been able to reach your heart.

And I’m sure that this unusual night, this chat between me and Nishino, wouldn’t even be happening.

I replied with a chuckle. “It’s okay. You already treated me to a snow cone. Blue Hawaiian flavor.”

Nishino’s eyes widened a little, and she nodded.

“You’re not just kind. You’re strong, too.” She continued with a smile that was a bit sad. “If you hadn’t invited me, I probably would have just been knocking around by myself all summer. I might not even have made that decision to join the cheer squad…”

Well, in that case, I thought, smiling. “Then I’m really glad I did invite you. Let’s make tomorrow a great day of training as well, ’kay?”

“Absolutely! I think both you and I still have some work to do on that front…”

We looked at each other and laughed.

Nishino wiped her eyes, then spoke in a calmer voice. “And there’s one more thing. I know it’s not my place to tell you this, Uchida, and don’t read too much into it, okay?”

“Yes…?”

This time, I had no idea what was coming, so I just waited in silence to hear more.

Nishino gently closed her eyes.

“Thanks for being by his side that night.”

Her words carried the air of the bygone summer.

Of course, I knew what she meant instantly by “that night.”

That moonless evening, when everything suddenly changed.

Oh, right.

This girl is appreciating this September as much as I am, now that she’s made it through August.

I pulled out the awkward truth from inside my heart.

“I’ve always been jealous of you, Nishino. You have that special place by the riverbank that’s just for the two of you.”

“Huh…?” She looked at me in surprise.

I looked down shamefully and brushed my hand along the sofa. “This is the seat Saku always wants to have.”

She chuckled, her face relaxing. “That’s an odd way to look at it. I mean, you’re the one who’s always by his side. Walking to school, walking home, even after he’s home, and then there’s the weekends…”

I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

“That just kinda happened. Or maybe I forced my company on him…”

“Do you know something?” she said in a teasing tone. “Aside from Nozomi, I’m the only one out of all of us who’s never been inside Saku’s house.”

“Oh…”

“So the riverbank was our place, yeah. But the riverbank is all I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, right,” I said, the realization hitting me. Nishino must have been feeling lonely for a long time.

“I was so envious of you, Uchida… You could be by Saku’s side, supporting him and caring for him every day.”

Everyone wants what they don’t have, I thought.

What may have seemed like an insignificant commuter’s pass to me might be the admission ticket to somewhere irreplaceable to someone else.

That’s why we’re trying to cherish the time we have right now, so that none of us has to lose her place.

I sighed. “Can I…thank you for one more thing?”

“Hmm…?”

I folded my hands on my lap.

“Thanks for being there for Chitose that fall.”

As I spoke, the words seemed steeped in nostalgia for a long gone season.

Nishino opened her mouth just a little, before closing her lips again, and then burst out laughing, as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Shoulders shaking with mirth, she said, “Maybe we’re actually pretty similar.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“If we were in the same year, maybe we could’ve been friends.”

“We may be in different years, but I think we can become friends anyway.”

“Can you teach me how to cook?”

“Yes, but only if you recommend a novel in return.”

“You could always ask Saku for novel recommendations, Yua.”

“You could ask Saku for cooking advice, too, Asuka.”

And now we were on a first-name basis. We looked each other in the eye and laughed.

It felt like bubbles floating up from the bottom of the ocean toward the starry sky above us.

Connecting last fall and this summer as the season slowly changed again.

Would I ever look back on this night, when Nishino became Asuka to me?

I, Saku Chitose, returned from Hachiban’s and walked into the living room to find Yuuko, Yua, Yuzuki, Asuka, and Kenta sitting on the sofa, chatting away happily.

The girls all looked defenseless in their pajamas, avoiding eye contact with me and Kazuki and Kaito.

Yua also had her hair down for once.

Kenta seemed right at home in their group. What a guy.

Kureha, the last of the girls in line, hopped off to the bath, but then…

“Senpai, you can go next!”

…she returned in no time at all.

I was taken aback. “Wow, that was faster than Haru.”

“Yep! I don’t want to miss a single moment of the night I’m spending with you all!”

“That’s a good attitude.”

“By the way, I drained the water, but then I was worried it might be dangerous, so I blew out the candles just to be safe!”

“““Good thinking!”””

Then us four remaining guys played rock-paper-scissors, and Kenta, Kaito, and Kazuki all took quick showers in that order.

I was the last to emerge, and by then, it was somehow close to midnight.

Considering tomorrow’s practice, it was probably time to call it a night.

But then I looked at everyone’s faces.

No one seemed to want to stop talking. It was like they were reluctant to part ways…or trying to prolong the night somehow.

Yuuko spoke up in a quiet voice.

“I just don’t want to go to sleep at all.”

Yuzuki chuckled.

“I know, it’s that kind of night.”

Haru grinned.

“Should we just stay up till morning?”

Yua said, with a calm expression:

“It’s been a long day.”

Asuka smiled warmly.

“It really has.”

And then the four of us guys looked at one another with vague, sentimental smiles.

Someone had to be the one to suggest going to bed, but no one on our pirate crew wanted to be such a villain.

It was almost as if we believed we could make this night last forever by refusing to go to sleep.

Like we could all ride the seven seas together forever.

The night was filled with a peaceful silence, a sense of drowsy immobility. Almost like our current situation.

Nothing to wish for, because we were already satisfied.

In the end, the one who gave this bunch of no-good older kids the vital nudge was…

“Well then, let’s all just sleep together!”

…the younger girl we could always rely on.

Seeing us exchange confused glances, Kureha continued.

“We could all just lay our futons out in here?”

Originally, we guys had planned to sleep together in the living room.

I’d heard the girls had gotten futons out in Yuuko’s room.

No big deal, we could just move them down here.

Still, I thought, looking at Nanase. “I don’t think that’s the best idea…”

She was smiling wryly. “Right…”

“What? Why not?” Kureha chirped with confusion. “What’s the difference between us sitting here together and us lying out on futons together?”

Yuzuki sighed. “You see, Kureha. The biggest difference is between being awake and being asleep.”

Kureha shrugged, undaunted. “What do you mean, Yuzuki? You think if we sleep in front of the guys, they’re gonna end up taking advantage?”

Yuzuki shot me a glance.

Then, narrowing her eyes, she said…

“Nope, I don’t think any of them have the guts to do that.”

Her smile was lightly mocking.

“Hey, why are you looking at me?”

Haru nodded.

“We’re talking about the kind of guys here who get all flustered over giving a simple massage.”

“Hey, I did my best to hit the right pressure points on your feet.”

Asuka smiled knowingly.

“Yep, you really are a timid kinda guy, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I just have morals, you know?”

Yua spoke up on my behalf.

“No worries there. Saku is too nice to do that kind of thing.”

“Hey! I can’t tell if you’re complimenting me or breaking my heart!”

Finally, Yuuko turned to Kureha and gently asked:

“You’re not worried at all, Kureha?”

“Nope! Not a bit!”

“So, shall we all have a big sleepover?”

“Yes, yes!!!”

I sighed.

Everyone had to know by now that Kazuki, Kaito, Kenta, and I weren’t the type of guys to pull anything just because we were sleeping in the same room with female friends.

If anything, it was the newbie Kureha who ought to be feeling the most anxious, but she was the one acting like it was totally NBD.

I looked around at the girls, but they were all nodding in agreement.

“…Guess we’ll go get the futons.”

As I got to my feet, the others followed my lead like they’d just been waiting for the go-ahead.

The girls all worked together to bring the futons out of Yuuko’s room, and then the boys brought them into the living room.

We moved the dining table to a corner and laid out futons for five people.

Yuuko was originally going to sleep in her own bed, so we were one futon short. But Yuuko decided to snuggle in with Yua.

The guys got blankets and settled down on the sofas.

The coffee table was pushed against the wall to make floor space, and since the living room was sunken in a step, there was a nice sense of separation between boys and girls.

Yuuko wandered back into the living room. Spotting the cuddly toy she held, I couldn’t keep from commenting.

“Oh, it’s Shibamaro.”

“Yep!” said Yuuko. “I always sleep with him.”

I felt myself smiling.

Asuka, sitting nearby, tilted her head.

“Shibamaro…?”

Yuuko lit up as she held up the cuddly Shiba Inu dog toy, complete with a little scarf, or maybe a bandanna, wrapped around its neck.

“Yeah! Saku won it from a crane game at the game center! I always keep it by my pillow. I just can’t relax without it!”

Asuka watched Yuuko, who was scratching her cheek in embarrassment, then lowered her eyes.

After a moment, she looked up again with a smile, and the two of them went over to the futon area, chatting away.

By the way, we guys were too embarrassed to go into Yuuko’s room or even to peek inside.

I mean, it would be rude to barge into a lady’s room. That privilege was reserved for the special person she chose…whoever such a person may be.

The thought opened up a lonely hollow deep in my chest.

Now, why am I getting so sentimental? The answer was simple.

Whoever such a person may be.

Right…

Who the heck am I to say something like that? What a cliché. That thought belongs in the trash.

A shallow self-loathing attacked me over and over. It was just a self-indulgent escape.

I should try being honest with myself for once.

If I’d been able to accept Yuuko’s feelings, I could be the “special someone” she would one day show her most private bedroom.

But I couldn’t. So I won’t be.

Which means that someday, the guy who would walk into that room was someone whose face I’d never even seen.

That sweet voice I loved, that big smile, that big heart, and her physical self—all the love that she could ever have or ever will offer—

Yeah, the day might come when I let Yuuko go into the arms of another man.

Just thinking about it made my chest so tight, it felt like it might burst.

If I couldn’t call this feeling love, then what could I call love?

I looked down a little and bit my lip, careful that none of the others were watching.

I tried to imagine that kind of future for Yua, for Nanase, for Haru, for Asuka… And I felt the same for each one. Pained and sad.

Suddenly, I lifted my head.

Nanase and Kazuki were chatting away pleasantly, and I remembered a casual comment I’d heard in the school gym.

“Isn’t it better to choose one thing, even if it means you have to give up something else?”

I hated to admit it, but that was right on the money.

Kazuki, what will you choose, and what will you throw away?

Or have you already made your choices?

I made eye contact with Nanase. She cut short her conversation and came over.

Kazuki watched her leave with a sort of tenderness in his eyes.

“What time do you want to wake up tomorrow, Chitose?” asked Nanase.

“Well, it’s pretty late. Maybe even nine would be okay, right?”

Can a fake love ever turn into real love?

“Right. Well, anyone who wakes up early can spend the morning how they like, I guess.”

“I bet you’re the type to wake up at the regular hour.”

Would the day come when Nanase and Chitose would return to being Yuzuki and Saku?

“Don’t say that. I’d be embarrassed to sleep.”

I wish September wouldn’t end.

I wish the trees wouldn’t change color.

I didn’t want the first night of training camp to turn into the last morning of training camp.

I heard someone yawn indistinctly.

The others all started yawning and rubbing their eyes then. Sleepiness was catching.

It was about time to say good night.

We took turns brushing our teeth, then finally all gathered back in the living room.

The sight of futons spread out everywhere really made it look like the night of a training camp.

The girls eagerly crawled into their futons.

After a round of rock-paper-scissors, Kazuki and Kenta ended up sleeping on the sofa, while Kaito and I ended up sleeping on the rug.

I rested my head on a throw pillow and pulled a blanket over me.

It must have been left to dry outside.

It smelled like sunshine, warm and soft.

Yuuko, standing in the middle of the room, cleared her throat.

“Just to check, is there anyone who absolutely can’t sleep if there’s music playing…?”

We all called back in turn, saying things like, “Nope,” “Fine with me,” and “Actually, I prefer it.”

“Okay, I’ll put it on a timer.”

Haruka Kumoi’s “BLUE FRIDAY” began playing from the speakers.

Then, like a candle at midnight, Yuuko spoke in a hushed voice.

“I’ll just leave the small lights on.”

There are certain moments where that feeling of staying at someone else’s house really hits you.

Like the smell when you step through the front door, the time you start eating dinner, the dinner menu and the types of dressing they have for salad, the order in which people take a bath, the scent of their shampoo and conditioner, the temperature of their air conditioner, the music in your ears.

The low lights staying on when you go to sleep.

I generally turn off all the lights so that it’s pitch-dark. But some people don’t feel comfortable unless they leave a small light on.

Because when they wake up alone, they feel alone.

I don’t know what Yuuko does normally.

It could simply be a consideration for people who get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar house, or it could be that she always sleeps with a small light on.

Either way, I don’t mind it.

It’s like a lighthouse beacon to guide you in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, Kaito, who was lying not far from me, spoke in a hushed voice so the girls wouldn’t hear.

“Hey, Saku.”

“Yeah?”

“Yuuko… She really is cute, isn’t she?”

“…No arguments there.”

He didn’t say anything else after that.

He rolled over, his back to me.

I put my hands behind my head and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Though we were in the same room, I couldn’t see anyone’s faces. Not Yuuko’s, Yua’s, Nanase’s, Haru’s, Asuka’s, Kazuki’s, Kaito’s, Kenta’s, or Kureha’s.

Maybe everyone had already closed their eyes. Maybe they were thinking deeply about someone—a guy, or a girl.

The occasional sound of faint breathing and the rustling of sheets was a comfortable distraction from silence.

“Hey, Saku, are you awake?”

Suddenly, Yuuko said my name, too.

A little embarrassed, I responded in my usual joking way.

“I’m already asleep.”

“Hee-hee. It’s weird, you being here.”

“Indeed, I am here.”

“Yes. Here is where you are.”

The Yuuko I know and the Yuuko I don’t know.

It’s like yesterday and today, coming and going.

Nanase sounded mildly exasperated.

“Stop flirting.”

Kazuki sighed heavily.

“It’s time for good children to go to sleep.”

In a rare move, Kenta backed him up.

“Save your yelps for your nightmares.”

Kaito, back still turned, muttered quietly:

“Nobody go nowhere.”

Yua laughed with some embarrassment.

“Yuuko, actually, could you scooch?”

Haru said cheerily:

“Gah! You guys are so noisy, I can’t sleep.”

“Hee-hee,” Asuka chuckled. “I want to bask in the afterglow of the party forever.”

Kureha giggled.

“It’s not over yet. In fact, this is just the beginning.”

The night laughed like a baby’s cradle. Swing, sway.

Drifting to sleep, along with the melody.

On nights like this, everyone wants to keep their eyes open until they’re the last person awake.

We all want to fall asleep secure in the knowledge that nothing more’s going to happen, that we won’t miss even the most insignificant of exchanged words.

If you miss a single thing…someone’s reluctant blinking, a sweet whisper, or someone turning over ticklishly in their sleep…you’ll probably regret it.

But the more I resisted, the more my vision blurred.

Tick, tick, tick.

The sound of the second hand resounded loudly, its regular rhythm lulling me to sleep.

Soon, the sound of soft breathing replaced the whispered good nights.

One by one, I heard each person’s breath turn slow and even.

Zzz. Zzz. Zzz.

Gradually, my eyelids began to feel heavy.

I clung to the edge of consciousness, but it kept slipping away from me.

Why couldn’t we stay like this?

Forget about being boys or girls. Put all our pillows side by side in the same room.

Let our dreams merge into one another, until we’re all dreaming the same one.

One, two, three, like counting sheep.

Just drifting through this night.

…I wish I could be seventeen years old, dyed in the fresh blue color of youth forever.

I awoke to the sensation of someone touching me.

When I cracked open one eye, all was dark and still, indicating it was still night.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was around five.

Unusual for me, I thought.

Generally, once I fall asleep, I can sleep soundly until morning, so it had been a while since I woke up at this time.

Maybe it was all the excitement of training camp.

I thought about going back to sleep, but the moment I rolled over…

“Senpai?”

…a girl whispered, crouching above me.

“Nng…”

I managed to suppress a yelp of surprise and roughly rubbed my eyes. Once I was fully awake, I spoke in a hushed voice so as not to wake the others.

“Kureha…?”

The younger girl appeared to breathe a sigh of relief, her lips curling in a smile.

“Yeah, it’s Kureha.”

I sat up.

“You startled me.”

Kureha scratched her cheek, looking guilty. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up…” She bowed her head a little in remorse. “You were sleeping so comfortably, I got a little carried away and gave you a peck on the cheek.”

I smiled wryly. “You’re up pretty early, huh?”

Kureha looked awkward.

“…Actually, I’ve just been dozing this whole time. Maybe I was too excited to be having a sleepover with a bunch of older students I look up to. Anyway, I thought watching you might help me relax.”

“Don’t try to get me with a smooth line like that. I only just woke up.”

I stretched and yawned.

It must have been lonely lying there, in an unfamiliar home, with unfamiliar older students, with nothing to keep her mind occupied.

Kureha twisted her fingers together, her voice sounding somewhat lonely as she said, “Sorry, Senpai. I’ll go back to my futon. Please, get some rest.”

“It’s all right.”

I stretched out my arms and rolled my shoulders.

“Why don’t we go for a walk? Some fresh air outside might help.”

Kureha’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? You want to take a walk…with me?”

I nodded. “Go get changed, but try not to wake the others. Pajamas aren’t the right thing to wear for a midnight walk.”

“…Okay!”

Kureha replied in a hushed but happy tone, then carefully sneaked out of the living room.

I chuckled and let out a sigh.

She’d startled me completely awake.

How could I just abandon her and go back to sleep when I’d woken to see her gazing at me so hopefully?

I’d had a similar experience myself, after all.

It was back when I was in elementary school, the first time I went to a baseball club training camp.

The location was, I believe, a sort of public lodging facility called Otaiko Hills.

One night, all the club members stayed in the same room—by which I mean two connecting Japanese-style rooms.

Though the others were all snoozing away, I just couldn’t sleep, for some reason. I tried clearing my throat, tossing off the covers, going to the bathroom, until I ran out of ideas to try to get someone to wake up. But I still wished they would.

Perhaps Kureha, in tapping me on the cheek, had a similar vague wish in mind.

Anyway, I thought, throwing off the blanket.

This is the kind of thing that can only happen at a training camp.

I waited for Kureha to come back, and then we sneaked out of the house, careful not to wake anyone else.

Although the night was beginning to fade away, it was still dark outside.

Stars twinkled in the sky.

I wouldn’t say I was chilly in a T-shirt and shorts, but it was cooler than I expected at this time of night.

Beside me, Kureha was wearing her short pleated skirt, but she had a baggy Adidas nylon jacket on top.

I stretched in front of the house, took a deep breath, and filled my lungs with fresh predawn air.

It was so clear. So pure.

There was not a soul in sight.

Only the rumbling and slamming sounds of the newspaper delivery van gave us a hint that dawn wasn’t far off.

It’s not like I want to do it every day, but waking up early is pretty refreshing.

As the two of us started walking aimlessly…

“Senpai, mind if we stop by the park where we were practicing yesterday?” Kureha looked up at me.

“Hmm, sure…”

It’s not like I had a destination in mind anyway.

After I finished buying us some cans of coffee from a nearby vending machine, I found Kureha waiting for me in the park, looking happy.

“It’s only been one night, but it feels like such a long time ago.”

“Maybe because you haven’t slept, Kureha.”

“Hey! Don’t make it sound so mundane!”

I was just joking, but I actually kinda got how she felt.

All of us excited, running around having fun—it was like a condensed version of summer vacation.

When I woke up, I felt somewhat relieved to find it wasn’t all just a pleasant dream.

Maybe it was because Kureha’s face was the first thing I saw.

Right. Today’s picking up where yesterday left off.

Perhaps the presence of a younger girl for once was what made me appreciate that.

As I was thinking about this, Kureha suddenly dashed off, her nylon jacket rustling.

“Senpai, over here!”

I followed, and we stopped by the short staircase that connected the open park to the area with the swings and slides and stuff.

She sat, and…

“Senpai, right here.”

…she patted the space beside her.

This was the place I always sit when Yuuko and I stop by the park.

I almost found myself saying, Wouldn’t the bench be better?

Kureha seemed to read my mind, though.

“You always sit here with Yuuko, don’t you? I wanted to see what that feels like… So let’s sit here a little, okay?”

She blushed and scratched her cheek, and I felt a bit relieved somehow.

“Oh, so you heard about that from Yuuko?”

“Yep! ‘Saku and I always sit here and chat,’ she said!”

I smiled wryly. Well, how was I supposed to refuse her after hearing that?

I mean, if she was just another girl, it might be a different story. But she was my junior.

Recently I’ve been paying way too much attention to this sort of thing, I thought wryly.

I sat down beside Kureha, offering her a can of iced black coffee in one hand and a caffe latte in the other.

“Which one do you want?”

Kureha thought hard. “Well, which one do you want, Senpai?”

“It’s morning, so I’m in the mood for black.”

“Then I’ll have that one!”

“Hey!”

I mock-frowned and handed her the can.

Clink.

Kureha smoothly put her hand in my pocket.

Judging from the sound, it was likely some coins for the can of coffee.

I sighed.

“This is one of those times it’s okay to let someone buy something for you, you know.”

Kureha grinned impishly. “Hee-hee. Your pocket’s warm, Senpai.”

“Hey, hands out. That tickles.”

She pulled out her hand, popped the tab on her can, and looked me in the eye.

“Cheers!”

“It’s not even daytime yet.”

But I clunked my can against hers anyway.

When I took a sip of the caffe latte, it was sweet and delicious. I realized I was actually pretty thirsty.

Probably because I fell asleep after all that talking.

At home, I keep water by my bed. And when I’m up, I go grab some cold water from the fridge. But staying at someone else’s house, you tend to forget your daily habits.

That made sense, since I was trying not to wake anyone up today. If I’d been staying at a hotel or something, no doubt I would’ve tried to re-create my usual routine.

But it’s like you don’t want to intrude when you’re in someone else’s space.

I think maybe I’m still partially half-asleep. I’m thinking endlessly about things that aren’t really worth thinking about.

Yesterday, Yuuko said, “Feel free to drink whatever’s in the fridge.”

Kotone would have been totally cool with it.

But I still felt awkward just going to the fridge and grabbing whatever I wanted. Even Yua checked with Yuuko before using any of the ingredients in the house for her cooking.

Hotels and inns, on the other hand, are considered communal spaces, so to an extent, you can do what you like there.

Just like us, I thought.

A place for everyone. A special place for someone.

We draw lines in the sand and take care not to cross them.

For example, the cheering squad itself is a place where we can spend time together, and these stairs are a place I think of as belonging to me and Yuuko.

Kureha took a sip of her black coffee and scrunched up her face a little.

“Senpai, what do you and Yuuko talk about here?”

I narrowed my eyes vaguely. “All kinds of things.”

“Since when?”

“Almost a year and a half.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

Kureha laughed, sounding frustrated for some reason.

“You guys are all so nice and friendly.”

I’ll take it.

“And now you’re one of us, Kureha.”

But to my casual remark, she said…

“…That’s not true.”

Kureha said in a firm, cutting voice:

“I can’t be part of your circle. I won’t.”

I said nothing. I wasn’t sure how to respond to the sudden rejection.

Kureha’s expression softened, maybe because she sensed that.

She braced her palms on the step, shifted her butt, and came closer.

Close enough for our elbows to touch.

“I want to stay everyone’s junior.”

She looked up at me with a mischievous sort of expression.

“I see,” I said.

“Shall we take a walk?”

“I’d like that.”

I stood up and threw my crushed, empty can into the trash.

A morning spent with a junior girl.

A private moment while everyone is asleep.

Only the tiny stardust particles were watching over us before they disappeared.

Huh? Chitose and…Kureha?

So Kureha and I walked along the nearby rice paddy path.

The night was slowly coming to an end.

The sky changed from the color of damp feathers to a deep blue, with autumnal clouds floating high above.

The number of headlights rushing impatiently along the national highway gradually increased, and we could see that the town was waking up.

The mountain ranges in the distance emerged clearly, like a dividing line between yesterday and today.

Before we knew it, the cool air had started to feel more comfortable, and the scent of dirt and rice grew stronger.

“Oh yeah, Senpai,” said Kureha, walking beside me. “Were you thinking about something last night?”

I tilted my head, unable to think of anything in particular, but she carried on.

“You know, after everyone was finished carrying the futons. You looked a bit depressed—or sad, maybe.”

Then it finally dawned on me.

That was probably when I was thinking about Yuuko’s room, when I started to think about complicated things like love.

I was surprised to realize that Kureha had noticed. I felt a bit ashamed. It’s embarrassing to have a younger girl see through you so easily.

I shrugged and answered honestly.

“Well, for better or worse, things have been stagnant lately.”

“Stagnant…?”

I messed up my hair as I replied.

“This summer… It settled a lot of things. That’s good, because everything’s as it should be now, but at the same time, it’s sort of a deadlock.”

What am I doing, discussing this with a girl the year below me?

But Kureha made me realize something.

It’s true that this September is calm and content, and that’s why it feels a little depressing.

I want to stay like this. Yeah. But is that really the right thing to do?

I think I’ve been thinking about that for a long time now.

Kureha tilted her head and peered at me with a somewhat serious look in her eyes.

“Senpai, do you want to break out of this stagnation? Or depression, whatever it is?”

I clenched my fists, gazing out at the distant sky and answering quietly.

“I don’t really want to break out, but I guess at some point I’ll have to.”

It was clear from the beginning.

September can’t be anything other than itself.

If I settle down in that gap between summer and autumn, I feel like I’ll never be able to come out again.

“Hey, Senpai?”

Suddenly, Kureha’s pinkie finger gently intertwined with mine, like she was making a promise.

“Your wish is my wish, too.”

Saying that, she smoothly untwined our fingers, took one step, two steps, three steps, and then spun around.

“So don’t worry about all your troubles…”

With the eastern sky behind her, she held her index finger high.

“…because I’ll blow them all away!”

And she burst out laughing.

In that moment…

…the red sun broke over the horizon behind her.

The greenery, the rice paddy, the waterway, the buildings, the pylons, the clouds.

Everything was dyed a bright crimson, like painting over the night.

The hands of the clock awoke and began to tick.

The seasons change, we change.

Will the next season be truly autumn, or will it be a return to summer, or perhaps…?

It’s a kind of magic, I thought, captivated by the sight.

Standing in the center of this vista was a vibrantly beautiful junior girl.

When one person’s wishes come true, someone else’s wishes get left behind.

Kureha has brought me the dawn.

For whatever reason, that’s the thought that came to my mind.

We returned to Yuuko’s house, burrowed under our futons and blankets, and fell into a deep sleep once more.

Kureha eventually did drift off, it seems. When I woke up, lured awake by the scent of miso soup, I saw her curled up in a ball, sleeping deeply, as Yuuko and the others watched over her.

While we waited for Kureha to wake up, we ate the rice balls and miso soup Yua had made for breakfast. Some of the rice balls were a bit misshapen, but they were nice and chunky and appetizing. It turned out that Haru had lent a hand making them.

At the park in the morning, we reviewed what we learned yesterday.

We came back to Yuuko’s for a lunch of soba noodles with grated daikon radish, then practiced as hard as we could in the afternoon.

And by the time the sun went down, everyone, including Yua, Asuka, and Kenta, had mastered the choreography almost perfectly.

When we finished dancing through the final act, Nanase and I looked at each other.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

Nanase nodded confidently.

“Yeah, let’s aim to win!”

Kenta fell to his knees.

“I… I thought I was gonna die during that last bit!”

Yua smiled wryly as she swung her arms.

“I might not be able to make dinner today.”

Asuka shook her hands, as if her muscles were sore, too.

“I doubt I could even lift a paperback right now.”

Even Kazuki had sweat running down his forehead.

“But, well, we made it.”

Kaito laughed and rubbed his nose.

“All of us together, we can’t fail to bring our A game, huh?”

Haru finished her gulp of Pocari Sweat and piped up.

“Well, we still have the feasting scene to do.”

Yuuko raised both fists in front of her chest.

“We can do it! We can do anything!”

Naturally, we all turned to look at our junior student.

Kureha rose to the occasion, lifting her clenched fists.

“Okay, everyone together!!!”

Her yell was like a cannon salute signaling the start of a sea voyage.

“Ahoy!!!”

“““““Ahoy!!!”””””

Despite our exhaustion, we filled the park with the sound of our cheerful voices.

The warm western sun shone down on us like a spotlight.

We overlaid our swords one by one in the middle of our circle, and I let my thoughts run.

Right—the current status quo in our group was warm and comfortable, as warm as the evening air.

We were all standing companionably together, only our toes in the ocean.

Still, I thought, relaxing my shoulders…

When I thought back to August, how we were suddenly all yanked out of our comfort zone…

…it felt like spending September being exactly who we were was the best way to be.

Chapter 3: Our Rightful Places

CHAPTER 3 Our Rightful Places

Monday, the start of the week.

When final homeroom was done, my classmates and I quickly pushed our chairs back.

Preparations for the school festival play were underway in earnest.

Nazuna was in the center, barking out instructions. I tapped her on the shoulder.

“Sorry for bothering you when you seem so busy, but is there anything I can help you with?”

We practiced hard on the weekend, so the cheerleading squad was able to sit this one out.

Yua, Asuka, and Kenta seemed especially tired. But we’d made a week’s worth of progress in our training camp, so they could take a day off easily enough.

Nazuna put her hands together, looking apologetic.

“The script’s giving us some trouble. We can’t really even start practicing yet.”

“It’s cool,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s fine. The way you set everything up, it really helped the cheer squad get ahead.”

Nazuna looked relieved. “That’s good, then. Oh, hey, carry that over to the podium!”

“Okay,” said the student Nazuna had just called out to, looking pleased.

Nazuna turned her gaze back to me. “Sorry, it’s a bit hectic right now.”

I chuckled. “It looks like you’ve got it all under control.”

In fact, Nazuna seemed to be taking the lead and keeping the class working together well.

I was worried it’d be too much work, but she was proving to be much more efficient an operator than I’d thought.

Nazuna suddenly gave me an impish grin.

“Surprised, aren’t you?”

“I mean, you can’t blame anyone for thinking you’re the kind of person who’d say something like, ‘The school festival? Super boring!’” I teased.

“Hey! That’s mean!”

“I was worried the class would get all tense, and then we’d have a bunch of conflicts. Then you’d be all, ‘Why is everyone losing their minds over this dumb festival anyway?!’ and run out of the classroom screaming and tear your costume off. Then you’d have to come back with your tail between your legs because you made a commitment after all, and…”

“What are you talking about? I’m not that terrible!”

The two of us looked at each other and burst out laughing.

After a minute, Nazuna continued. “If there was anyone else halfway capable around, I never would’ve volunteered. I’m as excited about the festival as anyone. Leaving it all to you and the others would leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Nazuna.”

Nazuna tilted her head exaggeratedly and looked askance at me. “Aha! Did you just swoon over me a tiny bit?”

I lifted one corner of my mouth.

“Yeah, I almost fell in love with you.”

“Ah-ha-ha,” Nazuna laughed. “I’m not one of those clingy girls like Yuuko or Yuzuki.”

“Careful. I’ll tell them you said that.”

“Don’t. They’ve got swords.”

“You’re just realizing this now?”

We looked at each other again and shared another laugh.

“All jokes aside,” Nazuna said. “About the script…when I started working on it, I realized rewriting Snow White was more difficult than I’d expected.”

I thought for a second before replying. “Well, if you think about it, the heroine is basically asleep the whole time.”

“Yeah, but we can’t get rid of the poison apple stuff, can we?”

“Snow White is all about the magic mirror and the poison apple.”

Nazuna shrugged with frustration. “Anyway, I think you should just focus on the cheer squad for now. But if you or your gang has any good ideas, be sure to come let me know.”

“Okay. I’ll pass along the message.”

“Yeah, and use the LINE group to communicate for now.”

I looked around at the lively, bustling classroom.

“Can I help you with carrying stuff or doing heavy lifting or anything?”

Nazuna raised an eyebrow.

“That’s fine, let Atomu handle that. Your crew’s like our flagship production. You should really get rest whenever you can.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll check in again before I head out.”

“Yep, yep. See you tomorrow, Chitose!”

I raised a hand to say good-bye to Nazuna, and just then, I spotted Atomu carrying a massive plywood board into the classroom.

“Wow, you’re really putting in the work.”

I wandered over to say hey, and he gave me a look of intense displeasure.

“Tch, she wouldn’t shut up, so…”

He was indicating Nazuna with his eyes.

I smirked.

“You like to be dominated, then, do you?”

“C’mere where I can hit you and try saying that again!”

Taking advantage of the fact that Atomu had his hands full, I carried on.

“If you insist on using such vulgar language, I’ll tell Nazuna on you.”

“All right, you’re dead!”

“Whoa, watch out!”

Don’t swing that huge board around here.

What’s more, he checked his surroundings before targeting me, specifically.

“Anyway,” I said, trying to change tack. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Ha, who wants your help?”

“Well, there’s no need to be mean about it.”

“If you have that much free time, go home and swing a bat, why don’t you?”

“Aw, so concerned about my swing. Wittle Saku is all fwustered.”

“Dealing with you is making my job ten times harder!”

Well, if he insisted.

“Okay, I can see I’m just in the way here.”

As I was about to leave—

“Hey!” Atomu yelled out to me. “How’s it going with the cheer squad?”

That was an unexpected question. I chuckled wryly. “Look forward to it. I’ll show you a really cool performance.”

Atomu snorted softly.

“If you’re going to do it, then just don’t bore me.”

“Hmm…so you’re the type who needs a happily-ever-after ending, are you?”

…Pwhoosh.

I dodged the board that came swinging full-force at my head and slipped out of the classroom.

As I walked through the school building toward the entrance, I found that the whole school was in a festive mood.

For example, everyone had one or two more buttons undone on their shirts than usual. Skirts seemed tugged up a little shorter, hair was decorated with colorful accessories, and some were even showing off the class T-shirts that they’d already finished decorating…

The whole place was alive with the feeling of celebration.

There were signs still being painted, the sweet smell of pancakes wafting from one of the classrooms, and a group of five students practicing a cappella in the corridor.

In the parking lot, which I could see from the windows, various projects were under construction, and it all appeared to be progressing smoothly.

The brass band practicing on the floor above was playing familiar, crowd-pleasing hits, a stark change from their usual classical music.

I wondered how Yua’s saxophone playing was going these days.

At this rate, I doubt she’d be making much progress.

I suddenly remembered the brass band that came to the baseball tournament when I was in junior high school.

When your team makes it to the top four, they play music to support you when you’re batting.

Each player had a different theme song, and when I was up to bat, it was Whiteberry’s “Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival).”

I remember it was all so exciting, like watching a professional game or the Koshien tournament on TV.

I changed my shoes at the entrance, losing myself in nostalgic memories.

At some point, I’d regained the ability to reminisce about baseball without feeling bad.

Last year was a blur for me, but this was what the prep period for a school festival was supposed to be like.

An extraordinary place where the past, present, and future intertwine.

That pre-festival anticipation feeling that seems to last forever and be over in an instant.

They say the most fun part of a trip is planning it, and the same goes for school festivals.

The off-campus festival. The sports festival. And the cultural festival.

Almost two months of prep for just three days of the real thing. Everyone running around, trying to make sure everything goes perfectly.

Once the day arrives, it’ll be over before we know it.

So I think ten years from now, these prep days are what we’ll look back on most fondly.

I probably won’t remember much about the school festival, the sports festival, the cultural festival, but I’ll remember this time I spent with my friends.

It’s not about pulling off the performance on the day, getting the audience excited, or attaining a high score.

…It’s not about that at all.

It’s the training camp at Yuuko’s house. Ucchi’s delicious cooking. The park at night. Everyone in their pajamas. The next day when Chitose and Kureha slept way later than everyone else. The way our muscles were so sore, we could barely lift our arms.

Remind me again. What songs were playing back then?

Heh. Like that.

I lifted my face, the sound of my Stan Smiths smacking against the ground as I walked.

I wanted to cherish it all as much as I could.

I wanted to take mental snapshots of everything, even the insignificant things that the passage of time tends to wash out of your memory.

Thinking about that, I headed out the school entrance, and…

“Senpai!”

Kureha pushed off from the pillar she’d been leaning against and came running over with a flutter of excitement.

I was a little taken aback.

“What, was track team practice canceled or something?”

Kureha clutched the straps of her backpack. “Yep!”

Somehow, I doubted we were just running into each other.

“Hey, were you waiting for me?”

“Yep, yep!”

Yep this, yep that. I smiled a little.

“So, uh… Why, exactly?”

Kureha answered honestly without any embarrassment.

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to practice our pair dance again before the whole group practices together.”

“Ahhh…”

I got it then.

Everyone had learned the choreography by now, but it was down to Kureha and me to demonstrate to the larger group.

Kureha was pretty much perfect already, but she still seemed a little nervous.

“Well then, let’s stop by the park on the way home and practice.”

“Yep, yep! Thanks!”

For now, we walked side by side along the usual riverbank.

The cheerleading squad was free today, so none of us had our bikes.

Incidentally, Kureha’s house was in my direction, too.

As we approached the sluice gate, Kureha went, “Oh,” like something had just occurred to her.

“Senpai, why don’t we practice over there?”

As she spoke, she pointed to the spot where I’d usually chat with Asuka.

Before I could reply, Kureha continued.

“You talk with Asuka there, don’t you, Senpai? You two always make such a nice picture, I’ve thought!”

Oh yeah, I thought. If this is along Kureha’s route to school, she must have seen us here before.

I scratched my cheek, a touch embarrassed.

“Still, it’s a bit narrow there. We put one foot wrong, and we could fall into the river.”

Maybe I was overthinking things again, but considering that it was the spot where Asuka and I had our chats…I couldn’t help hesitating.

With the exception of the evening when Yua chased after me, I’ve never sat in that place with anyone other than Asuka.

Perhaps reading what I was thinking from my expression, Kureha seemed to get a little more subdued.

“…Oh, sorry.” She gripped her sleeves with her fingers, and her face was apologetic. “I thought if we hung out here, we might run into Asuka.”

Kureha lifted her head, suddenly forcing a smile.

“Should we go to a park or something, then, Senpai?”

Uh-oh, I thought, feeling guilty.

Now I’d gone and made my junior feel uncomfortable again.

Although what Kureha was saying made sense.

If we practiced here, we probably would encounter Asuka. It’d be easier to say okay if I saw it as Kureha wanting to see her cool senior.

Also, I was kinda worried that Asuka might be in pain. She wasn’t used to all this dance practice.

All right, I thought, shaking off my doubts.

“Let’s practice here and wait for Asuka.”

Kureha’s face lit up, and she grinned from ear to ear.

“Yay!”

We went down to the middle of the embankment.

It was still too early in the day to call it dusk, but the sun was beginning to set.

The breeze blowing across the water’s surface was growing cooler and cooler each day, steadily ushering in fall.

We put our backpacks down side by side, and Kureha set the music playing from her phone’s speaker.

Splosh.

There was a splash on the water somewhere. Then silence.

Cars, people, cats, crows… All the sounds that meant time was passing suddenly ceased. A void like the gap between seasons opened up.

“Hey, Senpai?”

Kureha held out her hand and smiled softly. The mature expression on her face was somewhat unnerving.

“Let’s start here.”

I realized I’d been captivated, holding my breath. I glanced up at the embankment, at the students walking past… Like I was checking to make sure that time was still flowing.

“It’s embarrassing with so many people around, and—”

Kureha took my hand gently, cutting off my offhand response.

With shining eyes, she spoke in a voice that seemed to caress my ears.

“If they’re watching, why don’t we put on a show?”

Then she took a step closer, almost like an invitation.

I, Asuka Nishino, was feeling light in spirit but heavy in body as I stood in front of the shoe cubbies.

When was the last time I had muscle pains this bad? I wondered.

I could barely get out of bed this morning. It was so funny, I almost had to laugh.

Almost a shame there was no practice today.

I’m sure that was out of consideration for me, Yua, and Yamazaki, but I feel like I could have handled another practice already.

While thinking about that, I reached for my shoes in the top cubby.

“Nng!”

I yelped through clenched teeth.

…Um, sorry. Pretend you didn’t hear that.

I rubbed my right arm, wincing.

Yeah, I couldn’t exactly practice in this condition. I wondered if you went right home and started swinging that baseball bat again, friend.

Heh. The sporty ones are something else, I thought.

Carefully, I reached for and removed my shoes from the cubby, put them on, and left school.

Yesterday, I was with everyone, but today I’m alone.

Still, starting tomorrow, I could return to the group.

I silently giggled, covering my mouth.

When I thought back on that short yet long two-day training camp, I couldn’t help but smile.

Of course I was happy I could be with you, but what made me happiest of all was that I was able to share an unforgettable time with Aomi, Yua, and the rest.

At last, my name had been added to your story.

I looked up at the sky.

I think I understood why Saku was having so much trouble making up his mind.

You were all trying not to hurt one another, respecting each other’s spaces without neglecting your own.

I’d realized something, talking to Yua.

She’d been walking the riverbed path to school for the past year at least, too.

When you and I were chatting, she never once came to interrupt.

Maybe she just felt awkward about it.

But after my chat with her, it made sense.

She’s a kindhearted girl, and I was certain she was actually respecting “our” place and “our” time.

A thought that once crossed my mind came back to me in a slightly different form.

The more we reach for, the more we touch, the more we want to take.

I mean…can’t we all just stay like this?

Do we really need to reach a conclusion as boys and as girls?

I mean, I know we’re just delaying the inevitable. Maybe it’s selfish—a fear of being hurt, maybe.

No matter how painful it may be, someday a decision will have to be made.

In my case, I have to make some kind of choice within the next six months.

But for just a little longer, at least until this school festival is over…

…I want to be one of the gang.

Deep in thought about that, I reached the riverbed path.

I couldn’t help but hold on to a vague hope that maybe, just maybe…

…I might meet you today.

Saku’s the kind of guy who’s always looking out for others.

He had to be worried about me, since I’m not exactly the sporty type.

But he has trouble being honest. He might make a joke out of it. “Did you manage to dress yourself without help this morning?” he might say. “Did you manage to get through the ticket gate without throwing out your back?” …Something like that.

Sure, I could pout, like I always do. Or…

Or if I looked at you with the honesty I had back on that summer’s day, and asked you, maybe you would…

“Huh?”

Maybe…you would have helped me…with the partner dance…

There was a loud thud as my bag fell to my feet.

Suddenly, I lost all sensation from the knees down, and I had to put my hands out to catch myself against the guardrail of the bridge.

Thump.

No… Why…?

I blinked repeatedly, unable to accept what I was seeing.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

I knew what I was seeing. But my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

My breathing was shallow, and my chest was tight… I was increasingly aware of my body’s reaction. My heart was thundering away.

Why…? Why there?

Why were you dancing with Nozomi in our place…?

They were like a pair made of moonlight and darkness, overlapping, right next to each other…

Were you walking all over our special place?

I clutched my chest. Who was this girl?

I couldn’t see her face from here.

But the one holding Saku’s hand was definitely not the innocent junior girl I thought I knew.

That expression, those eyes, that body.

She was a woman, radiating an aura of sex appeal.

For some reason, in that moment…

Please don’t take him, I cried out silently, like a desperate strangled prayer.

It felt like she was leading you away somewhere unfamiliar, before we were even aware it was happening.

Sakubou—the word formed when you put their names side by side. The day of the full moon, and the day of the new moon.

As I watched the two of them dancing gracefully, the word suddenly pierced my heart.

Like the phases of the moon, waxing and waning…

It was as if the time we’d spent together, the words we’d exchanged, and even the tears we’d shed were all suddenly rushing together.

Then Nozomi noticed me and stopped dancing, waving her hand wildly in the air.

“Asuka!!!”

The chilling, bewitching seductiveness vanished like an illusion, and suddenly, she was once again an innocent junior girl I’d spent the past two days with.

Right. I was just imagining things.

Disaster hadn’t occurred, at least not yet.

I guess…I guess I was just tired.

I picked up my bag and walked down to join them, waving slightly.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Nozomi laughed happily.

“Senpai and I were waiting for you, Asuka!”

Oh, right.

What was I doing, standing here all solemn and stone-faced?

You looked a little embarrassed.

“Kureha said she wanted to practice the pair dance a bit more. And we thought if we practiced here, we could run into you.”

Yeah…I thought I might see you again, today.

I’m glad you feel the same way.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.

Nozomi seemed excited.

“This place feels so nice!”

She started walking toward me, her feet sinking into the ground… Squidge, squidge, squidge.

“Hey, Asuka? Is it cool if I come hang out here after school with you guys from now on?”

“…No.”

Who was talking? Was it me?

“No, it’s not!!!”

Before I even realized it was me speaking, I’d started shouting, my voice strained and nearly cracking, my fists clenched.

““Huh…?””

I could see the confusion on your face, and on Nozomi’s.

“Oh…”

What…? What am I doing?

Saku’s and Nozomi’s faces fell.

No… Wait… I didn’t mean that…

Saku bit his lip, and his expression made me think of a scolded child.

“Sorry, Asuka. We didn’t mean—”

Nozomi stepped forward, bowing her head low, cutting Saku off.

Then she spoke, and it was clear she was trying hard to keep her voice steady.

“Asuka, I’m so sorry. I got carried away. I knew this was a special place for the two of you.”

Please don’t apologize like that… Just now, that wasn’t really me…

Nozomi continued, her head bowed.

“But don’t blame him. I’m the one who insisted. I basically gave him no choice. So if you’re going to blame someone, it should be me.”

I couldn’t breathe… I couldn’t think… My heart wouldn’t stop thundering.

How do you breathe normally, again?

I needed to say the right thing.

Apologize for my mistake, try to lighten the mood with a carefree remark… Just like you always do…

Saku’s voice was raspy and tight.

“You’ve got it wrong. I wasn’t ignoring your feelings, Asuka. It’s just that—”

I couldn’t bear to see how sad you were…

“…I’m sorry!”

I interrupted him, mid-sentence.

“I swear, I’ll apologize properly to you both tomorrow! But for now… Please… Just pretend this never happened!”

I flung myself into a bow, then straightened up and ran for it.

“Asuka!”

This is horrible. This is awful.

I ignored their cries, my thoughts spiraling.

I was so naive, thinking about how I wanted us to avoid coming to conclusions…

Thinking about how I wanted things to stay like this, just a little while longer…

I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face. Instead, I ran, hoping the wind alone would dry them.

Am I not, after all, a woman hopelessly in love?

How shameful, getting jealous like that and hurting an innocent first-year. I’m not fit to be a senior.

That place doesn’t belong to us.

It’s just a riverbank where anyone can sit and relax.

What the heck was I thinking?

It’s not my special place, reserved for me alone. I don’t have one.

Gah. Ack. My lungs were screaming for oxygen.

It hurts. It’s unbearable. I’m so angry! I want to evaporate like a mirage.

I’m never going to be anything more than this, am I?

…Even though I wanted to be “your” Asuka.

I, Yuzuki Nanase, placed a phone call to Chitose Monday night.

I wanted to make some adjustments to the cheerleading squad’s full practice starting tomorrow.

It took him a little longer than usual to answer.

“’Sup?”

“…Uh-huh… Yeah?”

With just that one comment, I realized something was wrong.

His reactions were slower than usual, and his voice was sort of dull and low.

“What happened?”

Chitose was silent for a moment, then spoke sort of distractedly.

“…No, sorry, it’s nothing.”

“Just spit it out.”

There was another short silence.

Then he muttered, sounding somewhat hesitant:

“I…did something thoughtless.”

“That’s ’cause you never think.”

Finally, we were communicating. I found myself sort of sighing and chuckling at the same time.

Chitose continued, his voice miserable. “I made Asuka mad.”

“You what?”

I paused. I wasn’t expecting that.

From the way Chitose was acting, it was clear she wasn’t just sulking over something.

It was hard to imagine calm and intelligent Nishino getting genuinely angry, though.

“Chitose, just making sure, but you started with a nice kiss, didn’t you? Nothing too handsy?”

“What? Don’t be gross.”

Phew. Chitose finally seemed to relax.

“But thanks, Nanase. That helped take my mind off things a little.”

“Someone once told me that serious matters should be reduced to silly jokes.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll have to thank that someone later.”

“So,” I prompted, “what happened?”

“It’s dumb, but…”

Chitose slowly told me what happened after school today.

I could understand both sides of the situation. Yeah—this was tough.

Both Kureha and Chitose had good intentions toward Asuka, but they just weren’t all seeing eye to eye.

After hearing everything, I spoke.

“Just my opinion, but there was no one to blame. It was just a big misunderstanding.”

I could understand how Nishino felt, getting mad without meaning to.

Just like when I saw Chitose and Kureha dancing together. I guess Asuka felt like her spot had been stolen.

Even if Kureha was just an innocent younger girl… In fact, I think that was the whole reason why.

Asuka must have had a moment of panic.

She was worried that Kureha’s innocence would be enough to destroy her bond with Chitose.

Worried that our state of temporary peace would be destroyed by some outsider taking the initiative and ignoring the unspoken rules.

“Hah.” I sighed.

I was almost annoyed with myself for finding all this so relatable.

“I’m sure she’s regretting it now that she’s calmed down.”

“I’m the one with the regrets…”

It was true; Kureha had grown very fond of Chitose.

But she liked the rest of us, too. And she seemed especially nervous when talking to Mizushino.

Maybe she was used to guys being flirty with her.

From my perspective, Kureha’s attitude toward Chitose, with some minor exceptions, seemed to be completely appropriate for a younger girl and an older guy in her school.

“Anyway.” I sighed again.

There was no way this guy, my mirror, would be oblivious to the implications.

Even when I asked him to be my fake boyfriend, he had to look at it from all the angles first.

He would’ve drawn a firm line in the sand if Kureha started making lovey-dovey eyes at him.

But that hadn’t happened. So Chitose wasn’t able to be too curt with Kureha.

“I’m sure Nishino will just apologize tomorrow. Then you and Kureha apologize, too, and that’ll be that. You shouldn’t take it all so seriously.”

“I was thinking of calling or texting her and apologizing, but…”

“No, that’ll only pressure her. Better not.”

If it were me, I’d be even more upset if it seemed like I’d made someone apologize when I was the one in the wrong.

“…I see.”

“Uh-huh.”

We then quickly went over our plans for the following day.

Finally, Chitose wrapped things up, sounding quite a bit lighter.

“Thanks a lot, Nanase.”

“Good night, Chitose.”

It was all right. Our September wasn’t over yet.

The next day after school, all the after-school clubs were canceled so that we could prepare for the school festival.

The entire Blue Team cheer squad, including me, Saku Chitose, were now gathered in Gym 2.

This was the first time all the first-, second-, and third-year students were getting together since that initial meeting.

I was a little anxious about seeing Asuka, but it turned out that Nanase was right.

As soon as she entered the gym, she came right over to me and Kureha.

“I’m so sorry about yesterday! …I really don’t know what got into me.”

She bowed her head low.

Kureha and I quickly apologized, too, all three of us in a circle with our heads bowed.

Anyway, I’m just glad it wasn’t awkward.

I breathed a sigh of relief to see Asuka chatting happily with Kureha.

Then us second-years, plus Asuka and Kureha, demonstrated the choreography for the others.

Once the pair dance section was finished, the first- and third-years erupted in excitement.

Everyone was making comments and clapping.

“So cool!”

“The seniors are so good at dancing!”

“Kureha’s so lucky, being paired with Chitose!”

“It looks hard to memorize, but if we can pull it off, we’ll win for sure!”

I looked at Nanase, and we both grinned.

Everyone seemed on board.

After that, we explained the key points of the choreography step by step, then split into several teams for individual practice.

It was easy with Kureha, Asuka, and us second-years there to guide the others.

I realized all over again how great the training camp was.

If we kept up the pace, everyone should be ready in time for the big day.

We continued practicing until just before sunset, then decided to end the day early.

As everyone started to file out of the gym, Haru came over and said, “Hey, Chitose, why don’t we stop by Higashi Park?”

“Okay, but why?”

“Let’s play catch. It’s been a while.”

“Right. Today we’ve been doing nonstop instruction, I guess.”

Without club practice, Haru seemed a little antsy for some physical movement.

Haru looked at her partner.

“You’re coming, too, right, Yuzuki? Then we can grab katsudon on the way home.”

Nanase readily agreed. “Sounds good.”

Then Haru turned to the junior girl who’d been listening intently to our conversation from nearby.

“If you’re not too tired, Kureha, why don’t you come with?”

Kureha’s face brightened instantly. “Really?”

Haru puffed out her chest. “Hee-hee. We’ll show you the secret technique to playing catch.”

“You’re still a rookie, too, you know.”

But despite my jab at Haru, I was grinning.

After that unpleasantness with Asuka, I’d been a little anxious. But the others really did seem to have taken Kureha under their wing.

I, Haru Aomi, think the current state of everyone’s relationships is A-OK.

My partner, my junior, and the you who I adore.

The four of us rode our bicycles side by side along the road at dusk.

Just like Yuzuki has her own important place, and Nishino has hers, I have the past summer… The one we arrived at together.

Although the season has passed, the heat remains in my heart.

And even though Chitose’s baseball career is over for now, I still want to invite him to play catch every once in a while. Just to make sure.

Like…this is where I belong. Or at least, I’m the only one who can connect with you in this way.

Not long after, we arrived at Higashi Park, and that’s when I turned to my partner, having just remembered something.

“By the way, Nana, Mai’s coming to practice the day after tomorrow.”

Yuzuki frowned suspiciously. “What for?”

“…Not sure. For fun?”

“She thinks she can just come and go to our home court anytime she wants, hmm?”

I laughed at this, pulling on my glove.

Despite being so stiff and serious at first, she’s really become much softer and kinder lately.

It’s just like him and me, I thought, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Yuzuki and Kureha sat down on a nearby bench.

Always the same, I thought as I looked at my partner.

She’d had plenty of chances, but Yuzuki had never once tried to join in our game of catch.

She’s got the athletic prowess, of course, and though we’re in the same sports club, she’s way more dexterous and adaptable than I am. I know she’d pick it up quickly once she gave it a try.

Obviously, it’s got to be boring just watching. And who would miss the chance to dip a toe into Chitose’s world this way?

But, I thought, gripping the ball, Yuzuki isn’t the type to go crossing the line.

I guess she thought of playing catch as “my” territory.

And even though Yuzuki often visited Saku’s place, I would stay away. We were each maintaining our own positions. Defending our own zones.

That’s how we all manage to maintain such a good balance between romance and friendship.

“Here we go!”

I wound up and tossed the ball.

My form had a ways to go, but my control had really improved.

Phwump.

The ball landed neatly in Chitose’s glove.

“Nice.”

He threw the ball back.

His pitches have gotten a little faster recently. That makes me happy, ’cause it’s like he’s saying I can handle it.

Excited, I stuck out my glove, but I guess I was a bit overeager. The ball bounced off my thumb.

Kureha ran to grab the ball and brought it back to me.

“Here, Haru.”

“Thanks, Kureha.”

Watching us, Chitose said:

“You’re still trying to anticipate the ball too much. You need to let it come to you.”

“All right.”

Whoosh. Phwump.

Zwoosh. Thump.

What started as a game of catch meant to cheer on Chitose had ended up being something I cherished, too.

On the first day of school, I was annoyed at hearing about Yuzuki’s secret. But actually, it was cool.

You, Yuuko, Ucchi, nor Nishino—none of you can do this.

It’s a secret between him and me.

When he’s in a good mood, he gets cocky and throws curveballs and high fly balls.

When he’s in a bad mood, the ball seems to be a little more erratic.

Whenever he looks at me, I feel it in the chest, like a direct hit.

This is something none of the other girls know about…something that belongs only to me.

I think right now, that alone is enough to satisfy me.

After we played catch for a while, I suddenly remembered the presence of our junior.

Uh-oh, I accidentally left both Yuzuki and Kureha sitting alone.

I yelled over to them.

“Kureha!”

“Coming!”

Kureha came running eagerly over, and I peeled off my glove.

“Wanna give it a try?”

“Can I?!!!”

I wouldn’t encourage her if she was a normal, unsporty kinda girl… That could get dangerous. But watching her at the training camp, I realized she’s athletic and adaptable, too, like Yuzuki.

Chitose would go easy on her, too, so there was no problem.

Kureha put on the glove excitedly.

She rolled the firm baseball around in it curiously.

Thinking about myself when I was younger, I smiled.

“Okay, Kureha. Most girls instinctively try to chuck the ball like it’s the shot put or something. But actually, you should kinda twist your body like this, and when you throw, you pull back with your other hand, see?”

Kureha lifted her head, eager to try.

“Got it!”

Chitose, standing a ways off, snorted.

“That’s an explanation I’ve heard somewhere before.”

The three of us laughed, and then Kureha got into position.

Wow, she’s really prepared…

She took a big swing like a pro pitcher, raised one leg high, spread out her whole body like a fan, bent her arm back like she was drawing a bow, then released the ball like she was loosing an arrow.

Swooosh.

Thunk.

Chitose’s glove produced a clean, pleasant sound.

“Huh…?”

I was shocked by the scene I’d just witnessed.

Seems Chitose felt the same way.

“Huh…?”

He was frozen in place, staring at the ball in his glove.

Though I wouldn’t go as far as to say Kureha’s form or throw were on par with those of an actual professional baseball player…it certainly reminded me of something you might see during a pro-level warm-up.

Thud.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Suddenly, my heart started pounding hard in my chest.

Chitose rolled the ball around his glove as he spoke.

“Kureha, you’ve got some experience, it seems?”

Kureha flapped her hands no.

“Not at all. My older brother played Little League baseball, so I’d often play catch with him or act as the batting pitcher, see.”

…What the heck? That’s cheating.

“Huh? That was impressive, considering you haven’t even received any proper training.”

Don’t praise her. Please. Not like that.

“My brother liked to teach. And I like sports. I guess I learned fast.”

Right… She picked up the dance steps faster than me, too…

Chitose looked excited.

“So is this your first time actually playing with a hardball?”

“Yeees,” Kureha answered hesitantly.

“It’s harder than I thought it would be, and a little scary. It’s amazing how easily you handle the hardball, Haru!”

I don’t need your pity.

I felt like an idiot, giving her advice like I was sooo superior to her.

Chitose gave her a lopsided smile.

“Well, let’s start with something light.”

He threw the ball back to Kureha.

Zwoosh.

You said light! That’s not light.

Thump. Thump. Thud.

He’s throwing the ball just as hard as he was throwing it to me earlier…

Phwump.

Kureha caught the ball easily.

“It’s fine! I can handle this much, no probs.”

This much…? I thought, gnashing my teeth.

Kureha returned the ball easily.

The ball smacked into his glove, and Chitose grinned impishly.

“Wanna go harder?”

“Yeah! Gimme what you got!”

Chitose threw a harder and faster ball than before, and…

Zwoosh. Phwump.

…Kureha caught it gracefully, then threw it back smoothly.

Shwoosh. Phwack.

Chitose grinned.

“Looks like you can handle a little harder.”

“I can handle whatever you got!”

This… This is…

Shwoop. Phwack.

Zoom. Crack.

Chitose looked overjoyed…

“How ’bout this?”

“Bring it!”

Whoosh. Thwap.

“You’ve got good control, Kureha.”

“I won’t let you get bored, Senpai.”

Our secret thing? There’s nothing secret or sacred here…

Kureha gently caught Chitose’s ball and threw it back with a smooth motion.

Swoosh.

Perhaps Kureha got too cocky, but her throw was way off target.

I smirked nastily—and I actually saw myself, from the outside, like an observer.

Chitose dashed to the side, like he was running to catch the girl herself from falling, if she’d been falling.

He grabbed the ball with the tips of his glove and whirled. He went down on his knees, but he still threw it back.

This time, he was the one with a wild throw, sending Kureha dashing after it.

An elegant but passionate pitched battle just for the two of them.

The skirt of her uniform fluttered up gently, revealing Kureha’s smooth, youthful thighs.

Suddenly, horribly, I was aware of how womanly she looked.

Her soft-looking lips; plump, jiggling breasts; a slim waist; a perky, high butt; and slender legs.

The sight of her, facing off against Chitose under the setting sun, made me want to cry.

That’s cheating.

I suddenly realized I was clenching my fists so hard, my nails were eating into my palms.

Don’t take my special place on top of everything else…

Chitose grinned like an excited Little Leaguer.

“I think you could actually pull off batter-pitcher practice, too.”

No… Don’t show that smile to another girl.

“I’ll bat and pitch with you anytime, Senpai!”

If you want to bat and pitch…then do it with me.

“Great! Then I won’t have to deal with Atomu anymore.”

Hey! I’m right here!

“Okay, I’ll step up, then!”

I thought I was the only girl you practiced baseball with!

The summer we’d discovered together was fading away…and becoming fall.

Just like the trees bloom little by little and then their leaves fall.

“Our” season was receding.

Don’t go. Don’t leave me behind. Look, I’m right here.

“…Give…”

Before I realized what I was doing, I found myself marching over to Kureha.

“Give it back!!!”

I snatched the glove from her beautiful, delicate hands.

““…?””

I realized they were both staring at me, holding their breath, and I snapped out of whatever had taken hold of me.

What? Just now, did I…?

Kureha looked at me with frightened eyes.

It must have hurt her, the way I yanked the glove off so forcefully.

She was rubbing her left wrist very subtly, low by her side.

Her concern for my feelings crystallized into a sharp sensation of regret that made me want to run away… Or maybe just throw up on the ground right then and there.

…Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Kureha lowered her gaze sadly and spoke in a weak voice that made her sound like a different person.

“Um, Haru…? Was I being too rough with your glove or something?”

No, that’s not it.

You haven’t done anything wrong.

So please don’t make that face.

Thump, thump, THUMP.

My heart was pounding, and my chest felt tight.

I needed to apologize fast…and hopefully turn it into a joke.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I couldn’t find the words.

I’m sure he was trying to dispel the bad vibes…

…That’s why he went out of his way to sound amused.

“What’s the problem, Haru? Jealous ’cause Kureha was too good?”

I get what you’re doing.

I know what you’re trying to do for me.

I should get on board and laugh and pout, the usual routine.

But I’m sorry… I can’t.

“Shut up!!!”

Because it’s not a joke if it’s true.

I hugged the glove to my chest and hightailed it out of there.

“Haru!”

Sorry, Chitose.

Sorry, Kureha.

Once I’m myself again, I’ll apologize… Later…

I caught a glimpse of Yuzuki’s face in my peripheral vision… I could tell she wanted to say something.

I know.

You don’t need to tell me off. I know I suck.

I grabbed my sports bag, shoved my glove inside, and straddled my GIOS.

I pushed down on the pedals, trying to shake off my blurred vision.

What am I doing?

I was the one who invited Kureha to join.

I was overconfident, thinking no other girl would be a match for Chitose.

How childish and pathetic to throw a tantrum just because another girl was better at baseball.

But… I mean…

I just didn’t want to give up my place. Not to anyone else.

Gasping for air, I suddenly realized the truth.

No relationship stays the same forever.

An unspoken love can’t be sustained indefinitely.

I want the best of both worlds? What a stupid, naive thing to think.

Everything…was just by chance.

Back then, that July, I just happened to be close to Chitose.

But what if Kureha was in the same grade, or in the same class?

“Gaaah!!!”

I wanted to be the one and only one. Your only special partner…

Ah, you big dum-dum.

I, Yuzuki Nanase, clucked my tongue in frustration and stood up.

I ran over to Kureha, reaching her the same moment Chitose did.

I put a hand on her shoulder, just as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. She was the one in the wrong just then.”

Kureha looked at me with wide, anxious eyes.

“Yuzuki, I…”

“It’s okay. She just needs to cool down. I’ll give her a talking-to later.”

I thought of my partner as I tried to soothe the younger girl.

Tch. That’s not the way to act.

I understand feeling anxious.

Okay. So you had a little meltdown. It happens.

But the time you’ve built with Chitose isn’t so fragile it can be destroyed by a simple slipup over a game of catch.

Still, I thought, shrugging.

I thought we’d returned to a peaceful state after August, but now it was clear that it was just an uneasy ceasefire.

And like with Nishino yesterday, all it took was an innocent junior girl, a girl we’d only just gotten to know, to set sparks flying again.

I sighed again. “Chitose.”

When I said his name, he turned toward me with an awkward look on his face.

“You don’t have to worry about it, either.”

Chitose still looked anxious. “I think I got a bit carried away, though…”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head slowly. “It’s not your fault, or Kureha’s. I’m sure she knows that, too. She’ll probably apologize soon, so don’t take it too seriously. And don’t be too hard on her. Kureha…could you help out?”

The two of them looked at each other and nodded.

“…All right.”

“…Yes, of course.”

Ah, my partner’s a real handful, I thought, frowning.

The next day after school.

I, Saku Chitose, was walking to the exit along with Yua.

By the way, Haru apologized profusely first thing in the morning.

In accordance with Nanase’s advice, I tried to keep it chill.

“You’ll need to train hard so you don’t let Kureha beat you, you know.”

“Right!”

Like I said…chill.

When lunchtime came around, Haru wolfed down her lunch, grabbed my glove, and made a beeline for Kureha’s classroom.

I tagged along—a bit worried, I guess—but Haru ended up dragging our panicked-looking junior out to the field and giving her a heartfelt apology.

This was Haru’s way of reconciling.

After that, we played catch together until the end of lunch break.

I was relieved to see the two sporty girls settle their differences with some physical activity.

But marching her out of her classroom is better for giving a cheeky younger student a lecture or something, if you ask me.

“What’s on your mind, Saku?” Yua looked up from beside me.

I shook my head briefly. “No, it’s all right. This particular issue’s already been resolved.”

Yua had no club practice, and there were no cheerleading squad activities today, so we’d agreed to go do our usual grocery shopping.

We changed our shoes and walked outside, encountering Nanase and Kureha. They were both in their sports practice clothes, chatting.

Maybe it was a follow-up after yesterday.

After Haru’s outburst, it didn’t really seem like the right time for us all to eat katsudon, so we’d ended up just disbanding at Higashi Park.

I’d taken Kureha home at Nanase’s request, but after what happened with Asuka, and now Haru, I’d been worried that Kureha might be feeling a bit down.

Kureha looked up and spotted us then, calling out as perkily as ever.

“Senpai! Yua!” As we went over to join her and Nanase, she said, “Are you two going somewhere?”

“Yep,” said Yua. “Shopping for daily necessities and ingredients, and then I’m going to prepare some side dishes for meal prep.”

“Oh, I see! Umm…”

Kureha started to say something but then fell silent, looking awkward.

Then, with an unnaturally bright smile, she waved both hands wildly in the air and said, “Sorry, it’s nothing!”

Maybe she was going to ask if she could come, too.

But then she remembered how Asuka and Haru had acted and decided not to go there.

She’d said before that she wanted to come over to my place, and I would’ve liked to invite her, but I really didn’t know how to do that while making it feel normal.

As I was thinking about that, Yua said, “Would you like to come, too, Kureha?”

Kureha looked hesitant. “Um, well, are you sure…?”

Yua glanced over at me. “It’s cool, isn’t it, Saku?”

I felt the tension drain from my face.

“No problems here.”

“In that case,” Kureha said, smiling with her eyes, “I’ll be there as soon as club practice is done! Please send me your address, Senpai!”

Yua nodded with a gentle smile.

“We’ll wait until you get there for dinner, then.”

Nanase, who’d been watching the exchange silently, suddenly raised her hand.

“Uh… Can I come, too?”

Yua and I made eye contact, and…

““Of course!””

…we both responded with the exact same words.

After finishing the shopping, I, Yua Uchida, stepped into Saku’s apartment and carefully lined up my shoes.

“I’m home,” I muttered to myself.

Clutching my shopping tote bag in both hands, I headed to the kitchen.

When I saw my little stool sitting there, I couldn’t help smiling.

It had been a while since that day, but it was still there.

My very own spot, prepared for me by Saku himself.

Even though the shopping needed to go in the fridge, I couldn’t stop myself from perching on my stool.

It wasn’t particularly comfortable, and I wasn’t really used to sitting on it yet.

But it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

What shall we make today?

What about tomorrow?

What about the day after tomorrow?

I like spending time in this room thinking about potential dinner menus.

It makes me feel like I’m writing my schedule on Saku’s calendar.

So that even when you’re on a date with Yuuko, or going to a fancy café with Yuzuki, or practicing with Haru, or having deep chats with Asuka…

…you’ll come back here to eat…and think of me.

I want to be special, yeah. But I also don’t want to give up this pleasant, ordinary life that we’ve found our way back to.

Especially so if everyone else is also cherishing this September as much as I am.

Just a little longer. Until the day “someday” becomes “now,” and we have to face everything…

…This is good. This is how I want it to be.

Saku saw that I hadn’t started cleaning up or bustling around the way I usually do, and he chuckled.

“How about some barley tea?”

I got embarrassed all of a sudden and stood up.

I looked away, flustered.

“Sorry, it’s okay. I’ll do it myself.”

“All right. I’ll just be reading a book, then. Call me if you need some help.”

Saku set his Tivoli Audio playing and headed to the sofa in his usual way.

Hanaregumi’s “Family Landscape” began to play through the speakers.

Yep, everywhere I looked, I saw this familiar apartment.

Feeling somehow soothed, I started putting the shopping away.

I organized it all in my usual efficient style—stuff we’d use today, stuff to freeze, stuff to split between his place and my own…

Suddenly, Saku spoke up. “Yua, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What do you think of Kureha?”

That’s unusual, I thought, tilting my head.

Usually, he wouldn’t come to me for advice about interpersonal relationships. He’s the type to decide for himself who he’d rather associate with.

I thought for a second before responding.

“What do I think of her? I think she’s a sweet, earnest first-year girl…”

“Right,” Saku said. “Sorry, weird question. Forget it.”

Something on your mind?

Come to think of it, wouldn’t Saku normally have invited Kureha to his place without any hesitation?

Instead, I was the one to invite her. Isn’t that a bit weird?

Maybe he was still worried about being overly nice to girls.

Still, I doubt he had to worry when it came to Kureha. She was our junior, after all.

Anyway, I thought, smiling wryly.

This kind of thing is just classic Saku.

…Thock thock thock.

I got the cucumbers for pickling out and cut them diagonally down the length.

“Sorry, Saku, could you roll up my shirtsleeves?”

I always forget. Or maybe…I forget on purpose.

“Sure.”

Without showing any sign of being put-upon, Saku came behind me and rolled my shirtsleeves back for me.

Suddenly, I got a whiff of his scent.

It made me shiver, my shoulders shaking just a little.

Saku spoke, casually, close to my ear…

“Yua, give me a bit of cucumber.”

I twitched but tried not to let it show.

“I haven’t even flavored them yet.”

“Just a little mayo and shichimi on top, then a drop of soy sauce.”

“All right, all right.”

I cut the cucumber briskly into rounds and topped one with the mayonnaise, shichimi pepper, and soy sauce.

“Here.”

I picked up a piece of cucumber and, without looking, lifted it to shoulder level.

Owp.

When Saku took it into his mouth, his moist lips touched my fingertips lightly.

Crunch, crunch.

Oblivious to my flustered state… The sound of his jaw munching cucumber softly receded.

This guy.

Smiling a little, I grabbed the knife once more.

All in all, it took about two hours to prep all the food.

Usually, he’d be coming over around this time to help with the dishes, but…

I looked over at the sofa and saw Saku sleeping comfortably on his side, his fingers sandwiched inside the paperback book he was reading.

The warm sunlight streaming in through the window covered him like a blanket.

I approached the sofa and quietly crouched to look at his sleeping face.

Gently, I pushed his bangs out of his eyes with my pinkie.

“Mmn…”

Saku mashed his lips together, looking ticklish.

His eyelashes, long for a boy’s, cast faint shadows on his cheeks.

This is the only time, I thought.

He always tries to look so cool and do everything right, but this is the only time he shows his vulnerability.

No matter where Saku is, no matter who he’s with, no matter how he spends his time…

I want this moment—him napping peacefully to the sound of chopping knives and clanging pans—to be a moment that exists for me alone.

Yuzuki and Kureha arrived a little after seven.

Apparently, the two of them had arranged to meet up after their club practices.

Yuzuki pressed her hands together apologetically.

“Sorry for showing up empty-handed.”

Saku answered from the sofa. “We’ve bought the ingredients for dinner, and we have drinks, so it’s cool.”

Kureha looked around the apartment with great interest. “So this is your place! Wow.”

Yuzuki put her sports bag down casually and took a seat on the sofa.

Saku turned to Kureha.

“Please make yourself at home. If you’re thirsty, feel free to drink whatever you like from the fridge.”

“Okay! Thanks!”

Looking at the two of them, I chuckled. “Well then, I’ll start preparing dinner.”

When I was about to put my apron back on again…

“Um…”

Kureha put down her bag and spoke up hesitantly. “Yua, aren’t you tired after cooking for so long?”

I wasn’t sure what she meant. “I always cook like this… I think I’m fine?”

Kureha fidgeted, lacing her fingers together in front of her.

“Um, but you made so much stuff for us during the training camp… I know I can’t really hope to repay the favor to the same extent, but…”

She lifted her chin determinedly.

“May I cook dinner for everyone tonight?”

She looked earnestly at me.

Now her nervousness made sense.

During the training camp, and today, too, I had naturally assumed the role of cook. Saku and Yuzuki must have expected it, too. No doubt it was difficult for Kureha to make this suggestion.

I chuckled. “Kureha, do you cook often?”

Kureha covered her cheeks with embarrassment.

“Well, it’s kind of a hobby of mine. Although it’s certainly nothing special to show off in front of a pro chef like you, Yua…”

“Well, the other day I promised to treat you to a more authentic pasta meal, right? So today, I bought the ingredients to make pescatore…”

“I think I can make it if I just follow the recipe!”

“I see,” I said, smiling.

It was a bit time-consuming for a pasta dish… But maybe Kureha really did like cooking.

I felt a little guilty about taking over during the training camp, when maybe Kureha wanted to cook, too.

And maybe I could kick back and enjoy someone else cooking me dinner for once.

Besides, if she got stuck, I could always jump in to help out.

I looked over at Saku, who shrugged, as if to say, “Up to you.” Yuzuki, however, was gazing at Kureha, seemingly deep in thought, for some reason.

“Well, sure,” I said, nodding.

“May I use your apron, if you don’t mind?”

“Sure! Here you go!”

When I handed her the apron, Kureha quickly slipped it on with ease.

Super casually, she took out a hair tie and pulled back her hair.

“Senpai, Yua, is it okay if I use the leftover vegetables?”

We replied at the same time.

“Sure.”

“Fine by me.”

Still, I thought as I watched Kureha immediately take out the cabbage, it feels strange not being the one in the kitchen in this apartment.

I wasn’t sure if I should go sit on the sofa or hang out at the dinner table in case my help was needed.

Thinking about it, ever since Mom left, I don’t think anyone has ever cooked dinner for me…

Saku came over, as if to observe. He started making his usual silly remarks, teasing his junior.

“Wow? I’m a big fan of shredded cabbage.”

I rolled my eyes and tapped him playfully on the back. “Don’t start that with Kureha.”

He laughed, as if realizing it might be an imposition to closely observe.

It had to be difficult with two seniors watching you like hawks from behind.

But Kureha didn’t seem worried at all.

“Okay! Got it!”

She cut off the core of the remaining cabbage, about a quarter of it, and split it in half down the middle.

Huh?

When you try to shred a quarter-size cabbage as is, as I did at first, it can be a bit difficult because of the height.

Dividing it into two was clearly the gesture of someone with experience.

Kureha then quickly readied her knife, and…

Thock thock thock thock.

A pleasant staccato beat.

The thinly shredded cabbage spread out like fluffy cotton candy.

““Huh…?””

Saku and I both muttered in surprise.

Kureha grinned.

“Senpais, are you both surprised?!”

Without waiting for our response, she continued speaking.

“My parents both work late, so I make dinner a lot.”

After she finished slicing the cabbage, Kureha turned around.

Eyes twinkling, she said…

“What’s my score, Senpai?”

Saku answered immediately, like he didn’t even need to give it a second thought.

“Perfect score. No notes.”

…Nng.

For some reason, that throwaway remark made something twinge inside my chest.

How many times did it take me to get a passing grade from Saku? I wondered.

I know it’s pointless to make comparisons.

It took Yuzuki a lot of practice, but she managed to get a pass from Saku on her second effort. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it.

Maybe Kureha’s family just really loves shredded cabbage.

This junior girl was able to meet Saku’s standards in one go…but for me, it took a while.

There was no point in getting competitive over something like this…but still…

Thump.

Suddenly, an indescribable fear rose inside me.

Up until now, there was no girl my age as good at cooking as I was.

Saku could make a meal for himself, and of course Yuzuki had her own culinary skills.

But the difference was in the experience. I’d been cooking almost every day since I was in elementary school, so I knew how to use all kinds of ingredients and make all kinds of dishes.

I knew which dishes I could whip up even at busy times, the best way to reduce cleanup, the best way to make use of leftover ingredients, and so on.

I thought I was probably the only high school girl around who knew how to cook that way… The most optimal way, I mean.

I watched as Kureha set the cabbage to soak in ice water and started boiling a pot on the stove.

I’ve never been proud of my cooking, exactly. Not like some people.

It was more like I was forced to learn how out of necessity. I don’t think I’d ever have cooked this much if I’d had a mother.

It makes sense that I can cook better than kids who only have to worry about going to school.

And although everyone compliments me, I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly good cook.

I mean, the nicest thing you could say is that I make good, hearty fare. But you could also call it plain. Bland. Bog-standard home cooking.

It’s not that I’m good at cooking. I’m just used to doing it.

It was the only thing I had to be remotely proud of.

It’s the type of cooking that doesn’t require a lot of prep or fancy embellishments. The type that fits nicely around a life as a support.

But suppose I’m not the only one?

Right now, Kureha appeared to be making consommé soup with whatever vegetables she had on hand. She probably wanted to get it done first, since the pasta would use up two burners on the stove.

Without asking me or even looking at a recipe, she took out shrimp, squid, clams that had been de-shelled, and mussels from the fridge and began preparing them.

Remove the veins, pull off the legs, and clean with a scrubbing brush…

Suddenly, Kureha stopped what she was doing and looked up, startled.

“Sorry, Senpai. Could you come roll my sleeves back?”

Huh…?

…Wait a minute.

No… Stop. I’ll do it.

I felt like there was a part of me inside that had just burst into noisy, sobbing tears.

Because…

…Saku, who I always ask to do that for me, came up behind Kureha without any hesitation.

“Sure.”

One arm at a time, he rolled up her sleeves with the ease that comes with practice.

“Thanks!”

“Welcome.”

Kureha continued with her food prep without showing any particular signs of embarrassment.

Could that junior girl smell Saku’s scent just now?

Did she feel his warmth against her back?

Feel his ticklish breath caress her ear?

Would she be able to recall those precious moments anytime she wanted to?

What if there was someone else? I kept thinking.

What if there was another girl besides me who was just as good at cooking?

Done with the seafood prep, Kureha washed her hands and then started counting shrimp.

She nodded to herself and turned on the gas under the cast-iron frying pan.

While it was heating up, she de-shelled and de-headed four shrimp.

Then she combined olive oil, tube garlic, sake, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

She popped in the shrimp and mixed it well.

When white smoke began to rise from the cast-iron pan, she added the olive oil from the bowl and swirled it gently.

As the four shrimp began to fry, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.

She let them cook for a moment, then flipped the pan, to cook the other side.

Once they were cooked through, Kureha sprinkled some dried parsley on top and said…

“We had a few extra, so I whipped up some garlic shrimp! Though it actually tastes better if you let it marinate for a little longer.”

She picked up a shrimp and beckoned.

“Here, Senpai. Try one.”

Saku went over obediently.

Kureha blew on it to cool it down, then…

“Here.”

…she held up the shrimp, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Saku hesitated, frowning.

“It’s okay, I can hold it by myself. You go ahead and eat one, Kureha.”

Part of me felt reassured by his response.

Though he had no problem eating cucumber from my fingers earlier, he wouldn’t do that with Kureha.

What a stupid thing to be getting all relieved over, though. Gosh, I’m starting to hate myself.

But Kureha would not be deterred.

“No, come on. Open wide.”

“Tsk,” Saku said, scratching the back of his head.

Maybe he gave up. Or maybe he really wanted Kureha’s shrimp. Either way, he opened wide and snapped it up off her fingers.

After munching for a second, he muttered:

“Yeah. That’s really good.”

This… This girl…

…Did she just…touch his lips?

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

I was frozen. The only part of me moving was my heart, thumping away inside me.

Kureha, in the kitchen.

Cooking a delicious meal just for Saku.

A scene completely alien to this apartment.

Kureha came over to me with the remaining shrimp on a small plate.

She picked one up and offered it, just as she’d done with Saku.

“Here, Yua. Open up!”

I ate the shrimp mechanically, unable to crack a smile.

Each chew made me feel more and more aggravated.

It’s not like it was some time-consuming dish. Just something she whipped up using whatever ingredients and seasonings came to mind, resulting in a simple, comforting, home-cooked taste.

Right. It’s official. I’m not the only one. Not anymore.

“Yes… It’s very good, isn’t it?”

I’m not the only one who can make this kind of food for you…

Kureha went to Yuzuki next. After eating her own shrimp, she quickly washed the frying pan.

Saku casually spoke up:

“You’re good. I had no idea how to cook until Yua took me under her wing.”

Stop. Don’t say that.

I know you mean no harm, but you make it sound like I’m replaceable.

But… It’s the truth, isn’t it? I am.

Kureha put the pasta pot in the sink and turned on the water forcefully.

Splosh. Like she was washing away everything of mine.

“Maybe I can come cook for you whenever Yua’s busy?”

That was it—she’d said the thing I was most afraid of.

Slosh, slosh, bang.

“Oh, no way. I could never ask a younger girl to come cook for me. I’m not helpless, actually. I generally manage to feed myself.”

It’s okay. Saku politely declined.

“Aw, that’s too bad.”

It’s okay. Kureha backed off. No issues.

It’s okay, it’s okay.

But I still felt all messed up inside.

That wasn’t a definite no. Just a no for now.

It was a casual chat. No one would complain if either of them took it back.

Would this really be the first and last time Kureha cooked here?

The innocent junior girl, so fond of Saku—she might start coming here every day. Just come right over. Like she did today.

Maybe she’d stay in her lane if I was there. But what if I wasn’t, and it was just her and him?

If she completely forgot about today’s conversation and enthusiastically went shopping for dinner ingredients, it would be hard for even Saku to refuse.

No…I was still trying to ignore the truth.

It’s not that it would be hard for him to refuse. It’s more like, what possible reason would he have to refuse?

He usually eats my food, and he’s even eaten Yuzuki’s cooking before, so it was really selfish of me to hope that he wouldn’t ever eat Kureha’s.

Besides, just now he only refused her offer to cook for him on a regular basis. There shouldn’t be any problem if it was just every once in a while.

And then, little by little…

…he’d start to crave home cooking that wasn’t mine.

I don’t want that, I thought, watching Kureha put the pasta pot on the stove as I clutched my chest.

Would he get used to the rhythm of knives chopping other than mine?

Would he eat my food but think of hers?

Would it become like a daily routine?

Would he begin to take naps while she was over?

Would Kureha notice you sleeping, come over, squat down, gently brush your bangs aside, and smile softly at the sight of your sleeping face?

I don’t want that, I thought, biting my lip so hard, I tasted blood.

…Those were scenes from an ordinary, comfortable life. Those were my scenes.

Kureha tested the soup and tilted her head slightly.

I guess the vegetables weren’t cooked through. It looked like they needed to be simmered a bit more.

But before I knew it, all the other preparations were complete.

The gas stove had two burners, and right now it was full with the soup and pasta pots.

Kureha looked around, and suddenly her eyes stopped on one spot.

There, in front of her, was the little chair that Saku gave me as a gift.

In the perfect spot for someone to sit and wait for the soup to be done.

Kureha started walking over, her slippers slapping innocently against the floor.

Thump, thump, thump, THUMP.

My heart was going faster and faster and faster.

“…Don’t.”

I murmured this almost inaudibly.

Kureha reached for my chair and pulled it toward her…

At the edge of my blurry vision, Saku opened his mouth to say something in a panic, but before he could speak…

“Don’t sit there!!!”

…I nearly screamed, my throat tight.

There was a moment of intense silence.

Suddenly, a fat tear splashed down Kureha’s cheek.

Time…stopped.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just done.

Saku had his head hanging low.

Yuzuki, on the sofa, made no sound.

Only Kureha spoke.

“The…the onions in the soup are starting to sting my eyes.”

She laughed it off heartily.

And in that moment…

…I was swallowed by a guilt that felt indescribably intense.

Kureha casually wiped away her tears, keeping her voice bright.

“Don’t tell me this is your chair, Yua? If so, I’m really sorry!”

Suddenly, Saku seemed to snap out of it and came to step right in between us.

“Sorry, that was my fault! I assumed that Yua would cook dinner today like always and…”

The two of them were both desperately concerned about me… Their reactions bore down on me until I couldn’t do or say anything.

Gradually, I felt my eyeballs growing hot.

My vision was getting blurry. I couldn’t see you…or my chair.

Even so, I thought, shutting my eyes tight.

The worst thing I could possibly do in this moment is cry.

I turned my back to Saku and Kureha and rubbed my eyes hard.

Then I picked up my bag and ran to the front door.

“Yua!”

Don’t come after me. Don’t call out to me. I’m the one who got her own feelings hurt.

I shoved my feet in my shoes and bowed low, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“Sorry, I’m going home for today. Kureha, please take care of dinner.”

I babbled something that was meant to be an apology but ended up sounding snotty, and I ran out of the apartment that had finally started to feel like a home.

I ran down the stairs, tripping, using my fingers to roughly swipe away the tears that were spilling like water from a burst dam.

Why? How? I mean…

Thump, thump, thump… The heavy footsteps didn’t sound like mine.

Like I was kicking the stairs with my angry feet.

I’m awful.

I’m horrible.

So I guess that’s why I got punished.

The toe of my loafer got caught on the second-to-last step, and I went flying.

I skinned my knees and palms, and a sharp, burning pain shot through me.

Like oozing muck, my true self had seeped out.

When did I get so conceited?

Even though I’m average at best, I convinced myself that I was the only one who could cook for Saku. I thought this place was somewhere I belonged.

But Kureha’s mere presence had called everything into question.

“Guh… Gah…”

I choked, gasping for the breath that had gotten knocked out of me.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling, my thoughts spiraling.

In the end, I was still clinging to that word normal.

If our peaceful daily lives continued like this, we wouldn’t hurt each other or be hurt in any way.

I was afraid to face love. I couldn’t be the kind of girl my close friend was.

Without the courage to take a step forward or the resolve to give up, I just stayed where I was, accepting a convenient form of kindness.

But the kind of normal everyday happiness I wanted…was something I could only ever have by becoming someone special to you.

The following day, after school.

I, Yuzuki Nanase, was headed to the exit, still wearing my uniform.

After that scene yesterday, I stepped in to finish cooking the pasta in place of my clearly shaken junior.

We three all ate in silence, and then I walked Kureha home.

In the middle of the night, I received a long LINE message from Ucchi, apologizing.

I was sure she wrote much longer messages to Chitose and Kureha, too. Maybe he even called her afterward.

Though I’d hardly say she was business as normal this morning, she spoke to both me and Chitose as if she was her usual Ucchi self.

And, as a token of apology, she brought out homemade bento lunches.

She said that if we’d already brought lunch, then maybe we could have it as a snack after practice.

One for Chitose, one for me, and one for Kureha.

I’m sure she was up early. Maybe she couldn’t sleep.

Apparently, she went to deliver Kureha’s at the first-year classroom at lunchtime.

I was surprised to see Ucchi, always so gentle and laid-back, show such an outburst of emotion.

She must have really treasured Chitose’s apartment and her place there.

I knew all too well how she was feeling—in pain, suffering, and unable to act.

Still, I thought.

We weren’t team partners, so I wouldn’t feel right saying this to her face, but Ucchi was definitely out of line yesterday.

Kureha had asked for permission at every step, and Chitose had left the final say to Ucchi.

Slap, slap, slap. I drew nearer to the exit.

Something hadn’t been quite right with us all lately.

It was a bit hazy and indistinct, like we were all happily wandering about in a daydream.

Maybe…, I thought.

Maybe September was beckoning to us.

We were stuck here, between summer and fall.

Trying to take as much time as we can before we have to face up to the reality of our romantic feelings.

I couldn’t help smiling wanly as I spotted the one I sort of expected, leaning against the shoe cubbies.

And in all of our Septembers…

“Oh, Yuzuki!”

…there had appeared a beautiful junior girl.

Kureha dashed over, an earnest look on her face.

“Chitose’s gone home already,” I said. “And we’re not going to the café near the station.”

“Huh…?”

Last night, when Kureha was going home, I’d told her a little white lie.

I told her that Chitose and I were going to meet at the café in front of the station to discuss cheer squad things.

I was sure that she’d make an appearance.

Of course, we’d actually made no such plans.

Today was the day Todo was coming to watch us. I’d told Haru to go ahead, that I’d be a little late, but I was totally on my way to club practice after this.

As for Chitose, I’d sent him on some insignificant errand and made sure he left school early.

Kureha smiled earnestly.

“That’s too bad. I was thinking of stopping by, too.”

I know what this is, I thought.

I think Chitose and the others also…

“Kureha, I need to talk to you about something. Have you got a moment?”

“Oh, yes! Of course!”

So we turned around and headed up the stairs inside the school building.

I emerged onto the roof, using the key I’d borrowed from Chitose beforehand.

The sky above was blue and clear like midsummer, but there were dark, turbulent storm clouds to the west.

A heavy shower brewing, maybe.

The kind of rain that forces the seasons to change.

Slowly but surely, we’re proceeding toward autumn.

But first, I thought, narrowing my eyes with determination.

We need to put an end to this September.

Kureha was holding on to the fence and seemingly enjoying the view.

“I didn’t know we could get out onto the roof.”

I went to stand beside her.

“Chitose has a spare key.”

I faced away from her, resting my back against the fence.

“Do you guys come here often, Yuzuki?”

“Now and then. Chitose and Nishino seem to be regulars, though.”

“Is that so? I’d love to eat lunch up here!”

“I bet if you asked, Chitose would lend you the key.”

“No, not that! What I mean is I’d love to eat with all of you!”

We were having a casual conversation, not making eye contact. It was a peaceful after-school scene.

This moment, in isolation, was a perfect adorable scene between an older and younger girl.

Like a page out of my youth that I bet I’ll remember someday.

“But still,” I said, cutting to the chase.

“I guess it’s my turn now, huh?”

Kureha looked at me, tilting her head in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

Despite my abrupt and cryptic change of subject, her tone and face were completely calm.

Maybe she’d already braced for this.

I continued, trying to figure out what exactly I was up against.

“Just so you know, showing up at a café that holds memories for me with him isn’t going to throw me.”

Nishino’s riverbed. Haru’s Higashi Park.

At first, I thought these were all just simple misunderstandings.

But when Kureha asked to go to Chitose’s place, right in front of me, I started getting suspicious.

A little alarm bell went off, so I invited myself along, too.

And it played out just like I’d expected.

Even Ucchi got all rattled by this girl.

When the same thing keeps happening, you can’t help getting suspicious, right?

But to be honest, I couldn’t draw my conclusion until right at the end.

I felt bad for Chitose, but I had to let it all play out. I had to remain an impartial bystander, calmly evaluating the situation.

Even I, Yuzuki Nanase, was unable to see what Kureha was up to for the longest time.

Considering the fact that she and Chitose had sneaked off early together that morning during the training camp, the waters were definitely muddy.

Was she just an innocent junior, or did she have some ulterior motive?

So I fed her my little lie.

If she behaved as I expected her to, then I’d have my answer.

I narrowed my eyes at Kureha.

I did indeed have my answer.

This girl…was intentionally barging in on our spaces.

I took a step closer, clearing my throat.

“What’s your big plan, messing with us, anyway?”

I saw Kureha’s eyes waver for just a moment.

“Us?”

Then it was like she couldn’t pretend anymore. She smirked, her face suddenly adultlike.

She took a step back, then met my eyes.

“Messing with Chitose, you mean? See, the reason Yuuko is so far ahead of you is because none of you can be honest.”

She narrowed her eyes seductively, teasingly.

…Nng.

For some reason, she’d gotten under my skin.

I was ready to confront her, but she’d moved in smoothly and landed the first blow.

Without even checking for my reaction, Kureha put her hands casually behind her head.

“Aw, man. Of course you’re the one who figured it out first, Yuzuki.”

She smiled faintly, looking at me.

“Still, you took longer than I expected.”

“Huh,” I said, regaining my composure.

“So this is who you really are?”

Kureha opened her eyes wide in shock, then giggled and shook her shoulders playfully.

“Hey, don’t go saying such mean things to me. I’m a sporty type, too, you know. I’ll take on any challenge anyone dangles in front of me.”

Well, that makes sense.

It was true—I was the one who picked this fight.

No point in berating her just for saying her piece.

“I’ll ask again.”

Kureha stared at me.

“What exactly are you playing at, messing with…?”

Us, I was about to say, but then I stopped myself.

…What was I accusing her of, exactly?

Realizing I wasn’t going to finish my sentence, Kureha spoke instead.

“I’ll answer your previous question. I don’t have any particular intention of messing with you, Yuzuki, or the others.”

What I wanted to know was whether she had some ulterior motive, but I already had the answer.

At the very least, it was obvious now that she wasn’t some earnestly naive junior girl.

So what else was I trying to ask here?

Kureha spoke again, sounding bored.

“If you’re telling me not to get any closer to Chitose, then okay, I get it—whether I actually accept it or not. But do you have any right to ask that of me anyway, Yuzuki?”

…No.

I’m not Chitose’s girlfriend, for sure, nor am I a family member or anyone, really.

I mean, that’s obvious.

She doesn’t have to point it out.

But, I thought, frowning,

Seeing Nishino hurt, and Haru, and Ucchi—it hurt me, too.

I couldn’t just let that slide.

I knew when I glared at her and said my piece…

“If you keep trying to take advantage of his kindness, I’m not going to just sit here and let you get away with it, you know!”

“And you’re one to talk, are you, Yuzuki?”

…she’d swipe away my jab like she was swatting a fly.

“Yuzuki, you were being stalked by a creep, so you asked Senpai to pretend to be your boyfriend to keep you safe, right? You knew he wouldn’t say no. But doing that would put him in danger, too, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t your stalker’s anger just transfer onto him?”

“In fact,” Kureha said, rolling her eyes.

“You’re way more devious than I am, aren’t you?”

…Nng.

I felt like she’d just dealt me a critical blow.

Everything she’d said was true. The facts couldn’t be denied in any way.

I was the one who took advantage of his kindness more than anyone else.

Kureha continued, like she was determined to rub salt in the wound.

“Asuka, Haru, Yua, too. Is there anyone who hasn’t taken advantage of Senpai’s kindness in some way?”

She gave me a bewitching, soft sort of a smile.

“Why am I the only one who doesn’t get to join in?”

…She had a point.

I didn’t know how much Kureha knew, but Nishino had Chitose go with her to Tokyo. Haru had him support her when things weren’t going well with our teammates. And Ucchi… I know he did something important for Ucchi, too, in the past.

Of course, there might be more that not everyone else knows about. Like with me and him.

We’ve all indulged ourselves in Chitose’s kindness.

I bit my lip hard and gazed into my junior’s eyes.

“Why are you trying to get close to Chitose?”

Kureha didn’t hesitate.

“Because I’m crazy about him, obviously.”

And she burst out laughing.

I thought so. I frowned. Yeah, I had a sense.

I scrawled a big fat check mark on my mental question sheet.

“Since before you joined the cheer squad, right?”

“What?” Kureha finally looked taken aback. “What…makes you think that?”

I shrugged airily.

“I knew it was odd from the beginning. We’re all older than you, but Chitose’s the only one you keep calling ‘Senpai.’ Obviously, you see him as special.”

I paused for a breath.

“Especially when there’s a third-year around.”

Kureha seemed to get who I meant, clapping her hands. “Right, Asuka!”

She continued, chuckling.

“Okay, I knew I was being obvious, but I just couldn’t give in on that one. After all,” Kureha said, rubbing her own cheek.

“It’s a junior’s special privilege to call the older boys ‘Senpai,’ now, isn’t it?”

Though she and I were both girls, I couldn’t help being captivated by that look in her eyes.

I wonder why I didn’t notice.

The girl before me was no innocent junior girl.

She was a woman in love, a woman with an aura of bewitching sensuality that gave you goose bumps.

I tried to regain ground. “Can I ask you something?”

Kureha nodded earnestly. “Sure!”

“What made you fall for Chitose?”

It may have been pure curiosity.

Maybe he’d been playing a sort of hero role in Kureha’s life, too, while the rest of us were unaware. If so, then I felt like I might be able to understand Kureha’s feelings a little.

But the younger girl smiled fearlessly and licked her lips.

“…I just saw him and thought he was cute. What, you got a problem with that?”

She jutted out her jaw.

Her straightforward gaze made me feel a little intimidated, I must admit.

She’s tough, I thought, feeling a heaviness in my chest.

I used to be a lot feistier.

Before I knew it, that fire in me had mellowed to a toasty warmth.

But I wasn’t backing down now.

“Then why go about it in such a roundabout way?”

Even Chitose hadn’t picked up on it yet.

Kureha always acted like an innocent junior.

But buddying up to him like that—even if she managed to get closer—that didn’t mean she’d be able to get over the ultimate hurdle and get him to see her as a romantic prospect.

“You know why, Yuzuki. Wow, you’re actually kind of a mean girl, aren’t you?”

Kureha began walking slowly along the fence, running her hand along it.

“Yuuko. Yua. Yuzuki. Haru. Asuka. Senpai is surrounded by girls. There’s no room for anyone else. That’s obvious.”

She looked at me standing next to her and smiled.

“So I had to stay an innocent junior. I knew that if I did that, Senpai would let me into your group.”

Right, I thought, biting my lip.

“Don’t get mad at him. For now, he still only sees me as a junior. That’s why he couldn’t draw a firm line in the sand like he would with any other girl trying to get close.”

“Don’t patronize me. I know that much, at least.”

This is Chitose we’re talking about. He always overcomplicates things.

Maybe it sounds like I’m bragging, but I’m sure if any girl not already a member of our group tried to get close to him right now, he’d turn her down firmly.

But Chitose would gladly accept the affections of an innocent, earnest junior girl.

So if someone wanted to get close to Chitose right now…Kureha’s method might actually be the only feasible way.

I sneaked a glance at her side profile. Darn. She was one step ahead of us.

I fought the urge to click my tongue angrily, but I couldn’t say nothing.

I poured the cold anger that had been swirling inside me into my words.

“So that’s how you managed to barge into our spaces with such an innocent look on your face.”

Kureha looked at me with a puzzled expression, then spoke in an innocent junior’s voice.

“Hey! Don’t make me sound like a bad person!”

She stopped wandering along the roof and gazed at me, her eyes sincere.

“Yuzuki, have I really been that sneaky?”

“You… I…”

I was suddenly at a loss for words.

“I volunteered to be Senpai’s dance partner… We practiced our dance on the riverbank… We played catch in the park… We cooked dinner at his place…”

Kureha looked me dead in the eye and repeated herself.

“Have I done anything sneaky?”

…No. No, you haven’t.

That’s why I’ve been unsure for so long.

There’s no law against trying to get close to him as an innocent junior.

There’s no rule that says you can’t hide feelings of love.

“Hey, Yuzuki?”

Kureha spoke in an earnest sort of voice, and I felt I could see right through to her heart…

“You’re all so kind and caring.”

Then she chuckled, almost mockingly.

“If any of you wanted to be his dance partner, you could have said. If you wanted to sit on the riverbank, you could have just sat there. You could have played catch with him. You could have cooked for him.”

“But,” Kureha said, narrowing her eyes.

“You didn’t. None of you did. Because you’re all so kind and caring toward each other.”

Thump.

Suddenly, I felt a dull thump inside my chest.

The back of my throat hurt, like someone had stabbed me in the neck.

I hardened my voice, trying to conceal how upset I was.

“You’re suggesting our friendships are…what? Superficial?”

Kureha shook her head.

“No, I think your friendships are wonderful. Sparkling. Beautiful. Soft, warm, dazzling. You might not believe it, but it’s no lie that I admire you all. I was watching you all, enviously, from the outside. None of you wants to hurt any of the others. Not Nishino, not Haru, not Yua. Not you. The tears I shed were real. ‘Oh no, I like these girls a lot, and I crossed a line for them.’ That hurt. I felt genuinely sad.”

To my surprise, I found that I believed what she was saying.

What would be the point of trying to deceive me about that now? And more than anything else, Kureha’s expression was one of true envy and regret.

“But,” she said again, as if pointing a knife’s blade at me again…

“You’re all just going ahead and making an assumption.”

I knew what she was about to say next, and sure enough…

“‘I’m not his girlfriend…but at least I have this special place that’s all my own.’”

Wow. Okay, that hurt.

Thump. Thump, thump, thump.

It was getting louder.

Be still, be calm, be still.

I took several breaths to calm myself as Kureha kept talking.

“But your special spot, Yuzuki… It’s kinda undefined, isn’t it?”

Gah… Kureha… She’s about to say something fatal…

“Yuuko’s, like, the obvious choice to be with Senpai. Yua’s the one who cooks every night at his place. Haru has sports to bond with him over. And Asuka is definitely the girl he admires.”

Like she was laying bare a weakness I’d been trying hard not to see…

“But what do you have, Yuzuki?”

THUMP.

“Apart from that time he saved your butt, what other connection do you even have with him?”

“Ngk!”

I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I growled angrily.

She’d seen right through me.

I barely even knew this girl, and she’d seen right through me.

“He saved me, but I…I have nothing to give Chitose in return.”

Actually, I’d been aware of it for a long time.

I tried to gloss over the situation by thinking that he and I were so similar, but a part of me was screaming, “So what, Yuzuki?”

Right, so what if we were similar?

What’s the point in choosing to date someone just like you?

My whole thing about us bonding over not having any one specific bonding thing… That was a ridiculous, self-serving excuse!

Of us all, I’m the one whose love was the most one-sided and baseless.

Kureha looked bored now, like she wasn’t interested in sparring with an older girl who couldn’t even keep up with a first-year.

“Well, whatever.”

She waved aside the whole topic, the thing that had gotten me so upset, and said:

“Like I said, you’re all super kind and caring. You make compromises for each other and try not to touch anything sacred.”

Kureha’s words hurt to hear.

I don’t sit on the riverbank. I don’t join in when Haru and Chitose play catch. And, unless there are special circumstances, I don’t go whipping up meals in his kitchen.

Because that’s not the Yuzuki Nanase I want to be.

It goes against my aesthetic sense to barge in and trample on someone’s memories just because I’m jealous of their place.

But Kureha seemed contemptuous of that as she kept talking.

“You’re all the same. You just sit there, making no progress at all.”

Hold on.

No. You’d better stop right there.

You don’t know what we’ve been through. The April, May, June, July, and August that got us here. The ceasefire we all conveniently try not to acknowledge.

Don’t you come barging in here with your dirty shoes, you outsider!

Kureha took a step closer, as if declaring war, or perhaps finishing off the fight. She had no intention of fighting fair, that much was obvious.

“All holding hands, playing nice in your little stagnant circle.”

Her verbal blade slid right in between my ribs.

…Nnng!!!

Stagnant, I thought, biting my lip.

I pressed my fist against my chest, trying to quell the thumping sensation that wouldn’t stop.

That one word, stagnant—that was us, right now.

“Yuuko’s confession and the fallout put us all into a state of stasis, for better or worse.”

It was the September we predicted.

We were all patting each other on the back for a job well done. Praising each other’s efforts, surrendering to momentary satisfaction.

Yuzuki Nanase could never be so rude as to ruin a precious moment like that.

“But that’s not all,” Kureha Nozomi continued.

“It’s not enough for any of you. You still want what you want.”

Staring sadly at the ground, she looked every inch the innocent younger girl.

“‘Oh, I don’t want another girl to have the main spot with Senpai. I want to paint everything in my color.’”

Laying bare her honest selfishness.

“I mean, it’s a junior’s job to indulge herself in the kindness of her senpai, right?”

It was beautiful… For a second, I was captivated.

This junior girl was so earnest, I almost couldn’t bear it.

She was willing to throw everything else away for the guy she loved…

…Just giving herself over to love wholeheartedly.

I strung some words together to make a reply, like I was trying to sew up a ragged, bleeding wound.

“I get how you feel now, Kureha.”

“You do? Oh, I’m glad!”

“But if Chitose knew the truth, he’d be hurt.”

“Maybe.”

“If you keep up this sneaky act of yours, everyone’s going to end up hating you.”

“That’s cool. I don’t mind.”

Kureha shrugged off my words with a childish swing of her sword.

“When I fall in love, I’m prepared for the reality of hurting someone.”

Not being hurt herself, but hurting someone else.

That unwavering gaze of hers was intimidating me.

I think every girl in love is prepared to get hurt in at least one way, but how many are prepared to hurt the very person they love?

…I was afraid of that.

I didn’t mind him hurting me, but I didn’t want to hurt him.

“Plus,” Kureha continued.

“It’s much better to have someone hate you than be totally indifferent to you.”

With a tremblingly beautiful determination in her eyes, she continued…

“Like, how great would it be if that kind older boy still has you living rent-free in his mind?”

She smiled an innocent little smile.

She’d got me good now.

My own weaknesses, my own impotence, my misery, my grief.

Thump, thump, thump.

“But I don’t want to lie. So when Yuuko asked me to be her friend, and when Senpai told me I was a part of your group, I made sure not to nod. I wanted to be accepted as a member, but I can’t be friends with you. I can’t be a true part of your circle. When my wish comes true, then the time will have come for me to hurt you all.”

Kureha stared at her hand, muttering:

“If I join hands with you all, then I’ll get stagnant, too.”

She lifted her head.

“If you’re wishing for this nowhere state to continue forever…”

She pointed her verbal sword right at my throat.

“…That’s not real love, in my mind.”

“Ghk!!!”

There was a rumbling in the western sky.

Black clouds repainting the blue sky.

“How…?”

My breath caught in my throat.

“How can you be so…?”

But I couldn’t squeeze out the word strong.

Kureha rested her hands on the fence, gazing at the gathering storm clouds.

“Have you ever thought about what would happen if you’d met in a different order?”

Suddenly, her profile seemed somewhat ephemeral and fleeting.

“Like if you’d been in the same class since first year, if you’d been childhood friends…”

She continued calmly, almost like she was talking to herself.

“But when you fall for him, there’s already other girls present in his heart. And you wonder what would have happened if you’d met him first.”

I’d be lying if I said I’ve never thought about it.

If I could have shared the same things with him that Yuuko, Ucchi, or Nishino shared, maybe I could have gotten closer to him.

Kureha turned her gentle gaze toward me.

She spoke without any pretense, simply stating facts.

“I’m just as beautiful as you, Yuzuki. I can cook as well as Yua. I’m just as sporty as Haru. And I can give pretty good advice, just like Asuka.”

Plop, plop, plop.

Raindrops began to fall, wetting our cheeks.

“But I can’t accept being left out in the cold just because I met him last. I can only ever be myself. I can’t fight against circumstances like that. So…”

The clouds cracked and rumbled.

Silhouetted against the turbulent sky behind her, trapped between sunlight and darkness, Kureha said…

“I want to rewind right back to spring and start over.”

The sky lit up with a lightning flash.

“Nana, I’m not going to lose to a girl who can’t even get real.”

She pushed back her wet hair, her eyes flashing, and I shuddered.

“I’m going to be the one to break through those storm clouds inside of Senpai.”

Then she burst out laughing.

Raindrops slid down my cheeks.

…It’s useless.

The Yuzuki Nanase I am right now…cannot defeat this enemy.

One day, Kureha will steal Chitose and take him far away from us.

All our memories with him will be instantly overwritten.

Our places will be usurped.

Kureha’s desire was a deadly bullet…

…piercing right through the heart of Yuzuki Nanase.

Chapter 4: When I Get Real

CHAPTER 4 When I Get Real

Ah, I’m losing my mind.

I feel like my chest’s gonna burst with anger.

Here I am, Yuzuki Nanase, drenched in rain.

Even after Kureha left the rooftop, I just stood there in a daze, like I was trying to wash away the tears that were still flowing.

Frustrating, pathetic, embarrassing.

I started this fight and was thoroughly defeated, and now here I was, crying in shame.

“Hic… Sob… Hic…”

It was as if I was clinging to the idea that if I could just get it all out, I’d feel better.

But sobbing wasn’t helping. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I couldn’t say anything in response to my junior.

I was blown away by the strength and beauty of this girl who had such straightforward feelings for the guy she liked.

I felt small and insignificant, trying to act like an all-knowing senior and interfering in someone else’s love life.

It’s just as Kureha said.

“What’s your big plan, messing with us, anyway?”

Who the hell did I think I was?

“If you keep trying to take advantage of his kindness, I’m not going to just sit here and let you get away with it, you know!”

He wasn’t even my boyfriend. So what gave me the right to act so high-and-mighty?

Actually, even that might be a flimsy excuse.

Maybe I was afraid, without realizing it.

Of the presence of a girl who might change our relationship.

Of the end of the comfortable state of stagnation in which no one gets hurt.

If that’s the case…

Who is this pathetic girl?

Is it really Yuzuki Nanase?

Of all the girls, surely I was the one best positioned to get close to him in a balanced manner, right? Hadn’t we been having more and more cute moments together? Way more than when we were a fake couple?

Why was I just sitting back, satisfied with how things were?

If my emotions were so tepid, there was no way I’d be able to compete against Kureha and her iron will.

I think I… I think we all…

Somewhere deep inside us… We all believed that our feelings were the special ones.

We all felt that we were the only one who could carve out a special spot in Chitose’s heart.

But the truth was…

…we just happened to be in his circle. We just happened to be saved by him. We just happened to fall in love with him.

It wasn’t unusual to think there could be someone else. And it wouldn’t be surprising at all if someone like that showed up in the future.

“Right now, these are the five girls in Chitose’s heart, I think.”

Just remembering my naive idea left me so embarrassed, I wanted to wring my own neck.

I wanted the status quo to remain stable, so I tried to attack the girl who had earnest feelings for him. The girl who was just trying to make up for the advantage we’ve all got with him.

Pathetic, right?

I’m sure Kureha was quick to identify her feelings as love, and she hit the ground running.

But what about me?

I’d watched in astonishment as Yuuko confessed her feelings to Chitose, while I myself was praying for a little more time.

Was I just going to let the same thing happen again?

Wasn’t this my love story?

Wasn’t I supposed to shoot for the moon?

Ugh, I’m losing my mind.

“Goddammit!!!”

I’m furious with the girl known as Yuzuki Nanase.

I, Haru Aomi, had just started team practice.

Mai arrived on schedule and did the same warm-up routine as us.

I looked at the clock and saw that about half an hour had gone by.

What the heck was Nana up to?

She’d said she might be late, and I’d explained that to Miss Misaki, but she’d never been this late before.

She’s the type of person who hates the thought of wasting other people’s time.

I was still thinking about this as I did some light shooting practice.

Clatter.

The door rolled open.

I was standing with Mai near the basket, and I called out.

“Hey, where do you think you’ve…?”

I was about to give her a piece of my mind, when I suddenly lost my grip on my words.

“Huh…?”

Her hair was soaked, but that wasn’t it.

My partner was standing there, head bowed, and the aura aound her sent a chill down my spine.

Her expression was mostly hidden by her hanging hair, but something was definitely off.

Hesitantly, I asked:

“Nana, what happened…?”

“Todo…”

Nana ignored me.

“Would you like to have a one-on-one with me?”

“You stroll in late, and now you—!”

Mai put out her arm quickly to quiet me.

She seemed almost amused as she replied:

“I’m not really interested in your sloppy playing style.”

I thought I heard the sound of teeth gnashing.

Slowly, Nana raised her head.

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure to keep you entertained.”

She brushed her wet hair off her cheeks, opened her eyes, and gazed straight at Mai.

In that moment…

Zing.

I got goose bumps all over my body.

My shoulders twitched.

She’s scary.

That was the thought that immediately came to mind.

Nana’s eyes were like an unsheathed Japanese sword. Cold enough to give you chills, and hot enough to burn.

It was as if blue flames were erupting from her entire body.

It was the first time I’d seen my partner like this.

I took a step back, overwhelmed.

What was the emotion in her eyes?

Joy, sadness, excitement, anticipation, anxiety, curiosity, fear, hesitation, determination?

Or was it simply pure anger?

Mai also seemed to sense that something was off.

“Wow, you’ve got your game face on, huh?”

Nana licked her lips glamorously.

“Call it the frustration that comes with lovesickness.”

Mai narrowed her eyes, and I could tell she was loving what she was seeing.

“You want a hug from me, Yuzuki?”

“Sorry, but,” Nana said with an enchanting look on her face.

“I’d rather take it out on you instead.”

“Careful who you challenge like that. You might regret it.”

I looked at Miss Misaki, to see what she’d say.

Personally, I wanted to see it—a one-on-one battle between Nana and Mai.

I wanted to see how my partner fared against her.

Miss Misaki stared at Nana for a second, then…

“Okay, I’ll allow it. Everyone, let’s observe and take this as a learning experience.”

She was smiling, eyes shining with expectation.

Mai grinned, like a child who’s just been handed a new toy.

“First to twenty, playing with three-pointers? If the offensive side loses the ball, they switch to defense.”

The first time I played one-on-one with Mai, we decided to play a ten-point game, where every shot was worth one point no matter where you shot from, because I didn’t have a three-point shot. It was a concession to me.

But with Nana and Mai, of course three-pointers were on the table.

In that case, a normal shot would be worth two points, meaning you play to twenty instead of to ten.

We often use these rules when Nana and I play together, too. Still ten shots to win, unless you shorten it with three-pointers.

“That’s not enough.”

My partner said this fearlessly.

“Twenty would be too quick. Let’s play to thirty.”

Mai seemed to find this hilarious.

“Okay, but are you saying you’re not confident you can make a comeback if we only go to twenty?”

“You’ve got it backward.”

Nana pushed back her wet bangs.

“I would end the game in only seven baskets.”

It was like she’d unsheathed and brandished a sword.

“If you’re half the girl you claim to be, you should have challenged me to a game before this.”

Mai smiled, just like she did when she and I had battled.

“You’ll find I’m sharper than you thought.”

Nana picked up a ball that was lying nearby.

“You shoot first.”

“All right. You’re on.”

Then the two of them faced each other over the center line.

“Sorry about this, Todo.”

“Save the apologies for after you lose, Yuzuki.”

They both smiled slightly, and Nana passed her the ball.

Mai narrowed her eyes when she received it.

She lowered her hips, flexing her knees.

The tension was getting thick.

Mai bounced on the balls of her feet, like she was waiting for the right moment, and the white letters engraved on her black Ashi High team T-shirt begin to undulate wildly.

A flash of lightning.

The sky suddenly lit up.

Screek.

Mai jumped, driving forward like a streak of black lightning.

…She’s fast.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Shwoosh.

“Huh?”

Before any of us knew what was happening…

“That’s all you got?”

…the ball was in Nana’s hands.

Our team erupted in cheers.

Mai looked at her hands in disbelief.

“Whoa.”

What was that just now? I swallowed hard.

Nana barely even took a step.

That wasn’t just a steal; that was a robbery.

It was like she’d just moved her hands into the natural path of the ball.

She’d snatched it away with minimal movement, barely even moving her arms. Like she could see the trajectory from the beginning and just waited for it to come.

It sounds easy when you put it like that, but this was Mai Todo of Ashi High she was playing against here.

Nana casually handed the ball back to her.

Like she was saying, “This is no big deal for me.”

Mai grabbed it and spoke, sounding spellbound.

“Nice one, Yuzuki. You could turn a girl’s head.”

…

For some reason, that short sentence struck me.

You were crazy about me up until now, so don’t just give all your attention to her.

For a moment, the embarrassing scene I’d pulled at Higashi Park came back to me.

Him, innocently enjoying a game of catch with Kureha.

Everyone always gets bored of me and…

But before I could stand there moping, Nana spoke up.

“Unfortunately, there’s this one guy whose heart I need to shoot down and claim.”

Incredible that my partner would declare this so openly on the court.

What the heck happened after school?

“So,” Nana said fearlessly.

“I’m going to start with you.”

Mai whistled.

“Well, watch out. I’m no warm-up act.”

As she spoke, she passed the ball to Nana and then lowered her hips just before the three-point line.

“Ready?”

Shwoop.

“I’m no Umi, you know, but…”

Schwip.

““Huh…?””

The ball quietly fell through the net, and both Mai and I grunted in surprise.

It was all over in seconds.

There was a short silence before our teammates erupted in cheers.

You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought, smiling thinly.

I could barely believe my eyes.

Nana had taken a very slight run-up from her starting position, which was around the center line, and then took her shot from just before the three-point line. And she sank her first shot.

There was no way even Mai could handle it—or at least, there was no way she could have anticipated it.

We sometimes do this during practice breaks, just messing around, but it’s a real gamble.

She wasn’t shooting from beyond the center line or anything, but still, scoring from there was crazy. My partner’s really something else.

Nana usually only ever takes her shots from sure-bet positions. What’s gotten into her?

Or, I thought…

…how come you were so confident you’d manage it?

Nana retrieved the ball and spoke.

“I told you, I’m just taking out my anger on you.”

Mai grinned.

“And I told you, expect to be thrashed.”

She grabbed the ball from Nana on the center line and began to dribble softly.

Tunk, tunk, tunk.

It felt like the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees.

Mai wasn’t pulling her punches by any means, but it was obvious she liked to have fun.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say she underestimated Nana’s abilities, but she clearly thought she wasn’t much of a threat.

Mai only becomes truly scary once she’s acknowledged her opponent’s skill.

Then black flames seemed to erupt from her entire body.

Tunk, tunk, tunk.

Here she comes.

Skreek.

Mai took a well-practiced step forward.

Nana immediately went on the defensive.

Weaving inside and out, Mai kept on coming.

Nana kept her center of gravity steady and calmly maintained a close distance.

Screek.

Mai tried to get past her from the left, but…

Stamp.

…she switched the ball to her right hand, dribbling between her legs.

Seeing Nana’s quick reaction, she…

Stamp.

This time, she dribbled the ball to her other hand behind her back and then continued forward again, down the left side.

She moved with mesmerizing speed.

How strong does her core have to be to keep her center of gravity steady like that, even when she’s changing directions so much?

Even Nana was caught off guard, but she quickly recovered and caught back up with Mai.

Now Mai was close to the three-point line.

There’s still time.

Mai went in for a layup, and Nana jumped to block.

Just then…

Slap.

…Mai shot underhand to send the ball up high.

Swoosh.

The ball easily flew over Nana’s hand and almost seemed to be sucked into the net.

A scoop shot.

It’s a technique that allows a small player like me to get around bigger defenders, but I was surprised to see Mai use it against someone who was the same height.

We’d practiced a lot together, and I’d gotten used to her play style to an extent, but now that I was watching her from the sidelines like this—she was a true court demon.

She wasn’t the top-ranked player in the Hokuriku region for nothing.

Mai retrieved the ball and grinned.

“Come on, let’s dance.”

Nana tied her hair back with a hair tie, preparing to face the challenge head-on.

“Sorry, I’ve already got a slow dance partner in mind.”

That three-pointer must have put her guard up.

As soon as Mai grabbed the ball, she immediately closed the distance.

Nana wasn’t really the type to compete on the inside.

Because she was a point guard, her play style involved getting around others and shooting from the outside whenever an opportunity arose.

That was why, when she played against me (and I’m good on the inside), the outcome’s usually a close contest.

It would be interesting to see how she could create an opening against Mai, who could do both.

“Huh…?”

Nana went right for the basket.

She was weaving from the inside to the outside with each step and bounce of the ball.

She started to pull out from the left, then moved the ball through her legs to the right, then made a smooth change behind her back to the left again.

She was pushing her opponent back one step at a time as she headed to the basket.

Nana went in for her shot.

Mai went straight to block.

Pop.

Swoosh.

Wait, that’s…

Right, she must have realized the same thing.

Mai seemed elated.

“The Evil Queen in the mirror, huh?”

It was the exact same play.

Against the number one player.

“Hee-hee,” Nana chuckled, smiling adorably.

“Who’s the strongest one of all?”

Thump, thump, thump.

It made the same feelings swirl up inside me as when I saw Kureha playing with him.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t.

Nana was dominating Mai.

I chewed my lip. Why?

I thought it was going to be me blowing Mai away someday.

Of course, I wasn’t underestimating Nana’s abilities.

She was my partner. I trusted her with my whole heart.

But still, somewhere deep inside me…

…I wanted the top spot in basketball…to belong to me.

Hey, Nana… Is this the real you?

Is this Yuzuki Nanase when she gets real?

Somehow, I got basketball and romance all tangled up together.

Stop it. Wait. Don’t go off into a world that belongs to just the two of you.

Everyone always leaves me…

Don’t leave me behind here!

The sound of rain. The smell of wet asphalt. The flow of the air. The blue sky coming in from far off. The sweat running down my neck. The rhythm of my breathing. The slowing beat of my heart. The faces of my teammates watching. Miss Misaki’s faint smile. The anxious eyes of my partner. Todo’s steps. My eyeline. My center of gravity. The distance to the ring, the sensation of the ball on my fingertips.

All of it is within my reach without me having to try.

A clear blue world, just for me.

No matter where I hit it from or what position I’m in, I feel like I can’t miss.

There’s something I’ve been turning a blind eye to for a long time.

…A locked room, hidden deep within Yuzuki Nanase.

Ever since I was little, I’ve lived my life trying not to show any weaknesses that others could exploit.

I put in the effort needed, I get the results, and I do it all again.

These efforts steadily bore fruit. That’s how I became who I am today.

Basketball, studying, personal grooming, fashion, and love.

I had no intention of cutting corners on any of them.

But sometimes I felt uneasy.

Like I was hiding a poison apple under my cloak without realizing I’m doing it.

Was there a part of me that’s dark, a part I didn’t want to step into?

The night after we got back from Kanazawa, after seeing Yuuko get into her mother’s car and go home, I recalled what Nazuna had said to me.

“Is that really you being real?”

“Is that you being real, Yuzuki Nanase? Toward either basketball or love? Hey, I’m asking you a question here.”

Was it?

Was I giving it my all?

“I personally think that an unchecked Yuzuki Nanase could easily beat both Aomi and Mai Todo.”

Is that true? Is Yuzuki Nanase really better than Umi? Than Mai Todo?

“And it’s the same when it comes to romance, right?”

“If you really wanted to, you could probably shoot down the moon.”

It’s easy enough to speculate, I’d thought at the time, but a part of me didn’t want to go ahead and deny it, either.

…There was a room inside of me that was still locked up.

I think it was because I didn’t want anyone seeing my weakness.

It was because I didn’t want to see my own true potential.

If I gave it my all and still failed, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be Yuzuki Nanase any longer.

So I sealed it away as a last resort—as a source of comfort.

I still hadn’t gotten real yet.

Clinging to my cheap excuses.

I talked to Haru about this once.

“Maybe it’s about being afraid. Afraid to take it too seriously.”

“It’s a matter of course, but still, if you take something seriously, then there’s a chance you might hit your limit at some point. You might throw up because you practiced too hard, or you might get beaten easily even though you played your heart out… There might be someone who comes along and snatches away the dreams that you could never reach despite your best efforts. And maybe they don’t want to have to see themselves fail like that.”

“If you draw a line in the sand from the beginning, saying, ‘This is how it is,’ then you won’t get hurt, even after giving it your all.”

Oh, I see.

My heart was crying out at that moment.

I was locked in a room, alone, hugging my knees, shivering, and desperately calling for help.

…The real Yuzuki Nanase is right here. Please come and get me soon.

I’m sorry, Yuzuki. I’m sorry, me.

I thought I was taking a step back from love, from basketball, from so many things—viewing them from a safe distance. But I was just running away, afraid of getting hurt.

He’s not the kind of guy you can win that easily.

If you want to shoot down the moon, you have to put in more effort than that.

Suddenly, I remembered what Haru had said back then.

“But if you don’t get serious about it, you won’t even know your own limits. Won’t ever see beyond those limits, limits that you might even be able to overcome.”

You’re right, partner.

So I’m going to try to face things.

To face getting real.

Even though it might mean getting my hands dirty and acting pathetic.

Maybe I still won’t get there. Maybe I’ll fail and cry.

But I need to unlock the door and go and find the real Yuzuki Nanase.

…Schwoop.

My three-pointer fell through the net almost without a sound.

The score was now 27 to 24.

I knew Todo wasn’t going to be easy, but she still hadn’t caught me after that first three-pointer.

But my body felt light, my vision wide, and I felt as if I’d been reborn.

There are plays I might actually be able to pull off.

There are shots I might actually be able to land.

When I was watching Umi, there were moments when I thought I could have scored if it were me.

And there were moments when, watching Todo, I thought that I could have thwarted her if it were me.

I could actually beat this opponent, I thought.

The me I envisioned seemed to slot perfectly into my present self.

Right. I’m Yuzuki Nanase. Of course I can do this.

Without another word, I handed Todo the ball.

Thanks. I’m glad you came along today.

If it had been Haru, I don’t think I would have been able to break out of my shell.

The inside’s Haru’s territory, so I don’t cross that line. I know basketball is Haru’s main battleground. The status quo always gets maintained.

So I was glad to have the region’s number one player in front of me today.

If I could demolish Mai Todo, then that would prove I’d finally gotten real.

Mai Todo wore an expression I’d never seen before on her face, not even in official games.

I’m not giving up my spot.

I refuse to accept there’s anyone better than me.

Especially not someone who just popped up out of nowhere at the eleventh hour.

I know, I know. I’ve been vague and uncommitted, refusing to give anything away.

It makes sense to think, Why not Umi, then?

No doubt my partner herself is wondering why it has to be you.

But I’m sorry.

This is Yuzuki Nanase.

Todo’s gnashing teeth, her murderous glare, her precious pride… Oh, she can’t lose, not even a friendly game.

Skreek.

Smack.

I can read her every step, her every move.

I spun the stolen ball around between my fingertips before passing it to Todo.

I stood on the center line and took a deep breath.

I love you.

Okay, so I happened to encounter basketball first.

So I just happened to fall in love with you.

You don’t know it yet, but I’m going to be the one to change your fate.

…And I still don’t quite get why it was that little upstart who opened my eyes to all this. But…

Todo passed back to me.

Stamp.

I took the first step.

Running through the rain, running through the twilight, running through the present, running through who I thought I was.

Ah, I’m losing my mind.

“So until the day you put a name to this feeling…”

Someday, someday, someday. So when will that be?

If you can’t name it aloud, then write it down.

“…I just want this fake time to go on and on and on…”

I don’t want a fake. Give me the real thing.

“Nana, I’m not going to lose to a girl who can’t even get real.”

The fact that Kureha challenged me using my court name means she meant business.

My shot, taken from far behind the three-point line, drew a beautiful arc.

Like the emotion I gave a name to that day, like the eternal moon I longed for that day.

Confident that the ball was going through, I turned away.

Ah, I’m losing my mind.

Hey, Haru. Hey, Todo. Hey, Kureha.

And hey, Saku.

Swoosh.

I’m gonna show you all.

I’ve lost my mind. I’m so in love.

And my name is Yuzuki Nanase.

Prologue: Encountering a Hero

PROLOGUE

Encountering a Hero

There was one step I couldn’t take.

One kindness I was unable to repay.

A spring season I let slip away.

So now this time…

On your marks.

I stood ready on the start line.

Set.

I raised my hips, steeled my legs.

The gun fired.

I kicked off the block hard, like a hammer blow.

So now this time…I’m going to run.

Rewind the time I’ve lost, reclaim the future that could have been, shake off the person I was back then, say good-bye to my pathetic past.

I pray, because I don’t ever want to stop running again…

I want to leave everything behind and run for the goal. I want to go so fast that anxiety, hesitation, regret, can’t slow me down.

To fulfill a single wish.

To run toward the moon.

Just like that hero who appeared and casually stopped my cold tears that day.

I want to cut through the stagnation, shoot through the gloom.

This time…I want to be my own hero.

Afterword

AFTERWORD

Long time no see. Hiromu here.

First of all, I have an announcement. There will be a “second season” of the Chiramune × Fukui collaboration, the first round of which ended with great success! It will be from Friday, August 19 to Sunday, October 30, 2022. It’s set to be even more exciting than the last time, so please check the Fukui City Tourism official website Fukuiro for details and the latest information.

Also, if you found yourself wondering, “What are they talking about?” in Volume 7, please read Volume 6.5. I’m sure there are some people who don’t usually buy short story collections, but this is a volume that I wrote as part of the main story, so it’s deeply connected to the latter half of the series. For example, important episodes such as Yuuko’s growth, Yuzuki’s Snow White metaphor, Asuka’s visit to URALA (the publishing company), Yua’s special seat in Saku’s place, and Haru and the big basketball alumni match are all included in Volume 6.5. It’s a must-read to enjoy the latter half, so please do pick it up.

Now, to begin with, I’m not very good at writing afterwords, so normally I’d just add some more detail about the special collaboration mentioned above (hey!), or I’d just gloss over the issue by avoiding any emotional anecdotes or fun little behind-the-scenes facts.

So, to be honest, I was worried until the very end about whether to include the following content in the afterword. Even now that I’ve started writing, I’m still a bit worried about it. I guess I’ll consult with my editor, Iwaasa, about it once I finish writing.

That’s because, whether on social media or in the afterword, I basically don’t explain my work, share behind-the-scenes stories, or talk about myself in relation to the work. I discuss what I want to talk about in the story, and I want readers to take away only what they can gain from it. I don’t think it’s necessary to link up the work with the author. (I’m not saying my stance is good or bad, and I have no intention of dismissing other authors who take a different stance. Please understand that this is just my personal belief.)

Also, I almost never make negative comments in public that go beyond the scope of joking.

I believe that my personal negative feelings will end up interfering with the work.

But just this once, I’m going to bend that rule and tell you a little bit about the behind-the-scenes goings-on of the series and about myself.

I’ll be venting some negative feelings (although there’s a positive ending), but I swear that I’m not just ranting here, and I’m not trying to force others to understand my suffering.

I always prioritize Chiramune over my own personal feelings, and if I felt that discussing this sort of thing would reflect negatively on the work, then I would have never brought it up.

But with Volume 7 this time around, I had this ongoing feeling of, Let me get it all out, and then it will be done.

This is the first time I’ve experienced this, so it might end up being a superfluous addition, or a kind of distraction from the work itself.

To reiterate, from here on, I will be sharing a behind-the-scenes story about the production of Volume 7 and talking about myself personally regarding the work, and this may include some personal, negative feelings that readers would rather not read about.

Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether to read it.

If you don’t want to know about that sort of thing (I’m normally the type who absolutely doesn’t), I’d appreciate it if you skipped past the next section after the asterisk, read just the final thank-yous, and close the book.

By the way, there are spoilers, so be sure to read it after the main story.

Okay then, I’ll start talking a little. (From now on, I’ll dispense with formal language as well.)

This seventh volume put me into a slump like I’d never experienced before.

I’ve had a mountain of difficult moments since debuting, but they were all just the natural sort of snags that come with creating something out of nothing, like, “What if there was a better metaphor I could have used?” or “Shouldn’t I be able to convey this thought with more intensity?” or “This should be much more emotionally impactful than it is.”

It’s common for me to struggle to find the right words, and I’ve gotten used to it.

But this slump was totally different from previous ones, in both nature and degree.

I can’t write this novel.

That may sound like an exaggeration, but I think that’s the closest way to explain how I felt.

When I sat down to write, no words would come. I couldn’t get into the world of Chiramune. It got so bad, I even questioned how on earth I’d made it to book seven as a writer.

I mean, I could plug some of the gaps with a bit of force.

But adding pages bit by bit… Well…

This just isn’t Chiramune.

That was what the voice in my head kept saying.

I’ve said this before, but I believe I’m the biggest fan of this series that exists. Since the first volume, I’ve been writing Chiramune, more than anything, as exactly the sort of book I myself would want to read. Of course, nothing makes me happier than when my story resonates with the hearts of readers, though.

So as the person who expects the most out of Chiramune and at the same time is its biggest critic, I couldn’t stomach the bland, tasteless words I’d been churning out.

It had no passion. It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t sad or painful.

It was like I was stomping all over the world of Chiramune, and that made my heart ache.

The reason was clear enough.

In Volume 6, after getting through that fateful August and making it to September, the boys and girls were all looking for a moment of rest. They wanted to indulge themselves fully in the return to their normal, comfortable lives.

None of them was going to act of their own will, but at the same time, an author can’t force his characters to act when that’s clearly not what they want to do.

I’ve said this before, but all I can do is sit back and let the story unfold and then get it down in words on paper. I can’t manipulate what’s meant to happen, though.

The current state of stagnation was right for the story.

I should just let it be and write that peaceful time in their lives.

I knew that logically.

But at the same time, and apart from the story, I had real-world issues to deal with.

Specifically, the first thing that comes to mind is the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! ranking.

I know that the people who have helped me get this far, and all my passionate fans, are inevitably expecting a third consecutive victory.

Moreover, it’s more of a “Surely you can do it” rather than a “Can I really do it?” Like, there was a natural innocent expectation that Chiramune could pull off the hat trick.

I’d love to have fooled myself into thinking that I didn’t care either way, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And at the same time, I knew better than anyone else how it just wasn’t that simple.

I knew I couldn’t compete with just Volume 6.5, the short story collection, so if I wanted to take the challenge head-on, I had to somehow release Volume 7, which would be the start of the second half of the series, in August, when the voting was to take place.

And it had to be a book that I put my entire heart and soul into, too.

If Volume 7 had been about the group’s ordinary, peaceful lives, it wouldn’t have stood a chance at winning the prize.

But Team Chitose wanted to stand still for a bit. They refused to move forward.

I’m the type of person who can’t write a thing unless I feel deeply connected to the story and characters. Their emotions affect me in every volume. For example, Volume 4 was full of burning passion, and Volume 6 was full of deep sadness and despair, followed by scenes of salvation.

The emotions of the characters always reflect the emotions I feel when I write.

And what came next, in Volume 7, was…stagnation.

Their stagnation was mine.

The only difference was that while the characters would be enjoying a moment of peace, for me, the stagnation was a source of unbearable frustration.

There were two more things weighing heavily on my shoulders.

One was, naturally, the expectations of the readers for the second half of the series.

The other was the fact that I was directly challenging myself, having written the first six volumes.

Like I’ve said many times, I’ve given my all in every volume so far and held nothing back.

So the further we get into the second half of the series, the fewer aces I have left to play.

If I wanted to reignite the fire, there was one quick solution.

Introduce a new heroine, give her a problem to solve, and have Chitose save the day with coolness and style once again.

But the reality of it is that the characters are all growing throughout the story, their relationships progressing. I can’t do the same things I’ve done before.

Also, resorting to methods that have worked in the past would be like conceding defeat to my past self.

I want to keep constantly growing, and if possible, with each new volume I want to offer my readers fresh surprises, new encounters, joy, love, sadness, and pain.

…Can I really write a second half to the series that tops the first half?

I think a part of me has been feeling anxious about this for a long time, and yes… Here I was, faced with the stagnation of Volume 7.

There was a long, confusing battle ahead, like groping my way through a dark maze with no exit in sight.

As someone who doesn’t normally write with plot in mind, I often find it difficult to predict how a story will unfold, but I always had a belief that it would get interesting in the end.

But this time, I really had zero vision.

No matter how many times I tried to create something, I always felt like I had nothing, and though I tried to portray the characters living in harmony with one another and preparing for the school festival, I felt an anxiety slowly building up from the foundations beneath me, along with a crushing pressure.

There’s one thing I always bear in mind when writing for the series.

It’s only natural that readers have favorite volumes. Actually, I welcome that.

But I always vowed to never write any volumes that could be called filler—connective stories, or throwaway stories.

No matter what role a book plays in the overall series, I want to write a story every time that will leave its own impression on readers.

But at this rate, Volume 7 would end up nothing more than connective tissue. I would fail to reach the expectation of readers who were excited about the second half. I would fail to surpass my previous self.

I’m not exaggerating here, but it felt like I was trying to jump-start an idling heart with every word.

I have a habit of running ten kilometers every day, and I was like, “I don’t want to call it yet. I want to keep running. I don’t want to end my run right here.” And so I kept returning to my writing.

I wrote in the hope that if I kept at it, something would happen, even if I ended up having to scrap everything later.

I wrote all day long, from when I woke up until I went to bed, except for one meal and my daily run.

Honestly, if I could have just given up on the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! prize, everything would have been a lot easier.

If I give up now, I can walk away a two-time winner forever.

This was the first time in history that a debut work has won the award twice in a row, and surely that was more than enough of an honor.

I received positive feedback from the public, and I also received the gift of support from all my fans.

If I quit, saying I was already satisfied, no one would say anything about it.

But if I wanted to aim for the next rung on the ladder—if that was what I really wanted—then I would have to do battle with myself and put my pride on the line.

But once I took that step, I would have to face the fear that maybe my previous self was just better than I am right now.

…I’ve done enough, right? I wrote 6.5. There’s my excuse.

I should postpone the release date for 7 and just take my time with the story. It would be dishonest to my readers to rush something out and have it not be very good.

I don’t know how many times I almost gave in to that temptation.

But what kept me going was this:

Reach for the moon.

That’s what Chiramune taught me.

No one knows what the outcome might be. If you do your best and still fail… Well, all right. Too bad.

But making excuses and running away before the fight even begins is not the right way to go.

I don’t want to turn away. I don’t want to give up on myself or Chiramune and just say it’s good enough.

I haven’t gotten there yet. Maybe I can’t get there. But I have to reach out and try.

That’s what I’ve always believed.

Getting passionate about something is the coolest way to be. You have to seize the opportunity in front of you. Even if you falter, you’re still trying. You have to believe in endless possibility. You have to keep looking forward. You have to chase your dreams.

If that’s my philosophy, then I, of all people, have to embody it. Otherwise, I’d feel endless guilt toward the world of Chiramune, toward everyone who’s read the story and believed in it and followed it.

I had one shining hope.

And her name was Kureha Nozomi.

I’d already decided to introduce a younger female character here, and I figured her presence might spark the story and move it forward.

But I’d only gotten as far as deciding on her name and appearance. Until she actually appeared on the page, I had no idea what her personality would be like, what kind of things she’d say, what kind of emotions she might have.

Then I got to the scene where the cheer squad assembled.

But at this point, I was in deep despair.

Okay, I’d added a cute new female character, but we were still stagnant. The clock wasn’t ticking forward at all.

I think that’s what tipped me over the edge.

When I came back from my evening run, I couldn’t write another word.

My head was swirling with impatience and terrible anxiety, and I couldn’t come up with a single word. When I touched the keyboard, my fingers trembled like crazy. Usually, I would’ve cooled right down after my run, but now my heart was pounding.

For the first time, I didn’t want to write. I was afraid to write.

I was certain that I would ruin Chiramune with my own hands.

Oh, man. That’s it. It’s over.

It was time to contact Iwaasa and request an indefinite postponement of the next release.

I’d been going flat out since I debuted, with a single-minded determination.

I could take a nice rest for half a year, then continue the journey again.

My mind mostly made up, only vaguely aware of what I was doing, my hand groped for my phone to do an online search.

“Anxiety over-the-counter meds Chinese herbal medicine.”

I think writing every day is similar to running every day.

I feel like if I ever stop and think, “Not today,” I’ll never be able to go running ever again.

So if I gave up now… If I said, “Not right now,” then I would never again be able to write the Chiramune series that I love.

I got in the car, unconsciously clutching my chest, to head to the drugstore.

Just to be clear, I’ve always considered myself to be a mentally robust sort of person, and this was the first time in my life that I’d thought of trying to blunt my feelings with medication.

I started the engine and rolled down the windows, in the hope that fresh air would blow away some of my cobwebs.

I connected my phone to the car’s audio system via Bluetooth, set my songs to play on random, and cranked up the volume.

It was almost dusk.

As I drove, the wind blowing in through the window had me asking myself over and over if I should hold out just a little longer or go ahead and quit now after all. I had a premonition that if there was just one more small thing that went wrong, like not being able to find the medicine or herbal medicine I was looking for at the drugstore, I would break down completely.

On the drive, I came to an overpass.

The western sky was burning red.

Suddenly, the lyrics of the song playing from the speakers seemed to reach right to my heart and soul.

“Don’t kill that heart of yours

that finds the sunset sky so beautiful.”

I realized tears were streaming down my face.

Bump of Chicken’s “You Saw the Bright Red Sunset, Didn’t You?”

To be honest, up until this moment, I thought it was a nice song and all, but it wasn’t anything special to me.

But those few words enveloped my heart, which was on the verge of giving up, in the warm colors of the sunset.

It sounds like a made-up story, but it’s completely true.

The reason I decided to write an afterword, even though that goes against my beliefs, wasn’t because I want people to know about my suffering, but because I want to share with everyone this miraculous event that shows that if you keep struggling without giving up, you can actually find the way forward in the most unexpected of places.

The song ended before my tears, so I quickly set it to play on repeat.

“When I was most desperate for words,

that’s when I finally remembered.”

“Whenever I look into different worlds,

I became embarrassed about a lot of things.”

“I’m nothing but a brat, standing on his tiptoes,

realizing that to stay a child forever is pitiful.”

“Don’t make fun of me

for being this honest.”

“I want to sing a song for someone that counts

I’m not sure if they’re even listening,

but I want to keep singing

even if I don’t know the meaning why.”

Each and every lyric that had previously gone completely unnoticed by me suddenly seemed to permeate my heart.

I used to listen to Bump when I was younger, fervently reading novels. That’s what inspired me to try writing my own stories, and I’ve been barrelling ahead ever since I debuted.

The reason why I continue writing Chiramune.

A lot of things came to mind, but putting them into words sounds cheap, so I’ll stop here.

I want to write on.

The thought came to me naturally.

Afterward, I went to a drugstore to buy some medicine and Chinese herbal medicines as sort of lucky charms, and then I headed home.

It really seems like fiction, but strange things happened one after another.

First, I sat in my car in the drugstore parking lot. Bump seemed like the right band to listen to, so I set their stuff playing on random.

The first song that started playing was, of course, “You Saw the Bright Red Sunset, Didn’t You?”

Like someone was saying, “You need this song right now, listen to this one today.”

So on my way home, I kept playing “You Saw the Bright Red Sunset, Didn’t You?”

Thanks to that, I felt a lot more at ease.

Still, the stagnation remained what it was, and nothing had actually been resolved.

The anxiety of whether I could really still write, whether I could keep going, remained.

Then, when I returned to that same overpass again…

“…”

…for the first time, Kureha Nozomi spoke to me.

I’ll leave out what she actually said here, but if you want to know, it’s the last thing she said on the rooftop at the climax of the story.

As if a dam had burst, the words she wanted to convey came pouring out one after another.

I finally understood why this younger girl had appeared before Saku and the others, why she’d appeared before me.

Ah, I get it now.

Kureha wants to fight. She wants to resist the sway of fate.

So I have an obligation to see it all through to the end.

Once I made up my mind, I was able to continue writing as if the stagnation that had almost wrecked me had never been there.

Looking back, all the sentences that I thought weren’t really Chiramune actually were.

I’ve always been able to find the story that these boys and girls needed to live through.

By simply removing the obvious flaws and polishing up the vaguest of the words, new meaning was born.

I had to help Kureha, who had started running on her own, get to the starting line of the race.

With just that thought in mind, I was able to finish writing the book.

As a result, no matter what anyone else says, I truly believe that Volume 7 is a fitting launchpad for the second half of Chiramune.

So thank you for bearing with me as I tell you this long story about myself. Just as Kureha was a hero to me, my heroes of Volume 7 are Bump and Kureha.

Since then, this book has reminded me that we have all been saved by words and stories in our lives.

Having shaken off the stagnation of Volume 7 to keep on running, I’m sure I’ll be able to keep going until the very end.

I really hope all of you readers will stay with me until the end, too.

Let’s move on to the acknowledgments.

To raemz, the illustrator. I’d already written the draft, so I was a little worried about whether the character design of Kureha, to whom I have a deep attachment, would turn out as the way I’d imagined her. But you blasted away my fears with ease and created the best Kureha ever. Thank you so much, raemz. Your illustration really brought this girl to life.

To my editor, Iwaasa. In more ways than one, this volume was one I wrote with determination, but I’d like to thank you for working with me with the same level of enthusiasm. It was the first time I’d felt this fired up since Volume 4, and I feel like I got it all across. I was unsure until the very end whether to include this afterword, but you said, “This is also a part of Chiramune. It would be a shame if this story was never born into the world,” and that helped me make up my mind.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with Chiramune, for example, to those helping with promotion and proofreading and so on, and above all to all the readers who continue to follow along as the series continues.

I hope that this story, and the words it contains, will help to lift any gloom you may be experiencing as well.

HIROMU