The next day, my muscles were sore; getting up from bed was a struggle. Though it was the weekend, I couldn’t take it easy and sleep in. Hikari was coming over later, so I needed to get ready. That’s right—today was our at-home date!
“Natsuki? Your girlfriend is visiting, right? Make sure to clean your room,” my mom said.
“I know already. I’m gonna start cleaning now,” I replied.
“That’s what you always say. Now, you listen to me...” she grumbled, unleashing a stream of complaints.
I only half listened as I began tidying my room. I cleaned regularly, so it was already quite orderly, but I wanted to go the extra mile. For the record, Namika was out with her friends today, but my mom would be home.
“I can’t wait to meet her! It wasn’t long ago that I thought you’d never get a girlfriend,” my mom said blithely as she vacuumed the living room.
“Frankly, I wish you’d go out somewhere,” I told her.
“I’ll just take a quick peek, then I’ll go buy groceries.”
Hearing that brought me relief. I was worried about how to handle her if she dropped in at every opportunity.
“Oh! Would it be better to have some snacks prepared? But we just ran out...” Mom paced around the room.
Can you not be more nervous than me?
“All right, this should be good,” I said after making my room spotless. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Right then, my phone vibrated—I’d received a RINE notification.
Hoshimiya Hikari: Almost at the station!
Natsuki: ’Kay, I’ll pick you up. Wait there
I left my house and walked to the train station. The vibrant trees lining the road were beautiful. A ginkgo leaf fluttered in the air; fallen leaves gathered along the path’s edge.
I strolled down the familiar country road that cars seldom frequented and reached my destination in five minutes. Hikari spotted me from the unmanned entryway and waved. Her expression lit up instantly.
The look on her face when she finds me is plain unfair. Obviously, it’s adorable as heck! Argh, my girlfriend is too darn cute.
“Hi! Natsuki-kun!” Hikari rushed over to me and grabbed my hand.
“Hweh.” It was so out of left field that a disgusting noise slipped out of my throat. Please don’t pull out all the stops from the get-go!
She giggled. “What was that sound supposed to be?”
“I’m sorry I’m creepy.”
“No, you’re not. Natsuki-kun,” she said, “you’re cool as always.”
Whoa, what?! Don’t overstimulate me! Someone’s gonna die! And the victim will be me. “O-Onwards we go!”
“Ah! You’re embarrassed! How cute!”
Th-This girl... How dare you tease me! Am I cool, or am I cute? Pick one! I hope I’m cool!
“It’s my second time here, huh?” Hikari remarked.
We left the station and headed to my house. It was the same mundane scenery from moments ago, but this time, I was with Hikari. That was all it took to make the world appear more vivid.
“Yeah, your first time was over summer break,” I said.
It was a story from almost three months ago now. Hikari had come here for my help after fighting with her father and running away from home. It felt like it had just happened yesterday, but time had flown by.
“I’m sorry about all that—for barging in out of the blue,” Hikari said.
“It’s fine. I’m happy you relied on me,” I assured her. Because you depended on me, I came to know the real Hoshimiya Hikari. I was already in love with you, but I fell for you even harder.
“Natsuki-kun, it’s all thanks to you that I’m this happy now.”
“I just lent you a little hand. It’s all the fruits of your own labor.”
She suddenly fell silent.
“Hikari?” I glanced over at her. Her head was facing down for some reason, and she bopped my shoulder with her forehead. Recently, I’d come to understand what she was thinking when she resorted to violence. “Are you...embarrassed?”
“Shush! I don’t want to hear that from Mr. High School Debutant.” Hikari glared at me reproachfully, her cheeks scarlet and puffed up.
“Uh, huh? Uncalled for! That’s rich coming from Miss Self-Proclaimed School Idol,” I retorted without thinking. Hikari wordlessly karate chopped me over and over. That kinda hurts! “Violent heroines aren’t popular nowadays, you know.”
“Still, I won’t give up,” she said.
Sure, you don’t need to give up, but can you stop bringing that behavior into reality?
“Hey, Natsuki-kun, are your old schools nearby?” she suddenly asked as she glanced around the neighborhood.
“If we walk about ten minutes that way, we’ll hit my middle school. My elementary school is around there too.”
“Can we stop by real quick? I’m curious about the places you grew up in.”
“They’re just backwater schools, nothing interesting to see,” I warned her.
But Hikari was determined. “That’s fine. I still want to go.”
We continued down the road for a while until the school in the center of the residential area came into sight. “Here we are. This is my middle school,” I said. Man, haven’t been back here in a long time. There are a bunch of buildings I’ve never seen before.
“Is it under construction?” Hikari questioned.
“Come to think of it, I heard something about a new school building.”
“Then, is that old building your former school?”
“Yeah, that’s where I studied.”
“Wow. I see. So this is where you went...” She stared at the unremarkable old building and its surroundings. The baseball and soccer teams were practicing on the field. While we ambled around the school grounds, she asked, “What were you like in middle school?”
“I didn’t have any friends. I was just an insignificant loner,” I answered. Consequently, I had no stories I could tell her. I truly had nothing. I’d concluded my middle school days all alone.
“But you had friends in elementary school, right? Since you and Miori-chan are childhood friends.”
“Yeah. Besides Miori, I had two other close friends. The four of us were always together.”
“Then... Can I ask how you ended up a loner if you had them?” Hikari asked, taking a peek at my countenance.
“One changed schools, another moved away, and then we just stopped hanging out. To seal the deal, Miori and I got into a fight. It felt like our friendship was over after that. And I didn’t have any other friends either.”
“The two of you fought? Why?”
“It was my fault. I pushed her away.” I’d hurt Miori because of nasty emotions like my stupid jealousy. In all honesty, I didn’t want to delve too deeply into that story.
Hikari seemed to pick up on my feelings and only said, “I see.”
“In the end, I couldn’t make a single friend in middle school,” I said. “I regretted it, so I wanted to start high school with a fresh slate—I wanted to change myself and spend my days having fun.”
As we chatted about my past, we continued on until we’d arrived in front of my elementary school. Nothing had changed here, not the worn-out school building or the disproportionately spacious schoolyard.
“Tell me about your time in elementary school. I’m curious what you and Miori-chan were like when you were little. You called her ‘brat commander’ before, right?” Hikari said.
“Yeah. I can tell you all about those days. It may be hard to believe since you only know what Miori’s like now, but back then, she’d barrel along doing whatever she pleased. Really...”
I selected a few amusing stories from my elementary school days, and Hikari listened with delight, laughing loudly. All of them were just tales of me getting dragged around by Miori, though.
We passed by a park near the elementary school; the four of us had played there often. Hikari went in and sat down on a bench. Some children were playing on the jungle gym and swings. Reminds me of the old days.
“Natsuki-kun, between now and elementary school, which do you think is more fun?” Hikari asked.
I couldn’t reply immediately.
“Sorry,” she said after a beat. “That was a weird question. Those aren’t the kind of things you can compare.”
“Oh no, it’s nothing to apologize for,” I said. Which do I prefer? I really don’t know.
My time as an elementary schooler was already in the far distant past for me. It was highly likely that only memories of the good times remained. Or perhaps those memories had even been glorified.
“We were little kids back then. Unlike now, we were worry-free, and studying wasn’t backbreaking. That’s why it was so fun,” I said. “Still, I enjoy the present more. I pulled off my high school debut, became friends with you guys, and now you’re here by my side. I got to perform in a band like I’ve always wanted, and all my hard work is paying off.” And that’s precisely why I want these fun times to continue. Miori told me not to give up, so I’ve decided to keep struggling.
“Natsuki-kun, are you worried...about Uta-chan and Tatsuya-kun?” Hikari asked.
I nodded. “If possible, I want our relationships to go back to how they used to be.”
“Uta-chan said the same thing. She wants to be friends again. But she can’t let go of her feelings yet, so she needs a little more time. She apologized...even though it’s nothing to be sorry for,” Hikari said. “I think we’ll have to wait for Uta-chan to sort out her feelings. After all, that’s what she said—she’s going to take her affections for you and her jealousy towards me, and jam all those feelings into basketball.”
“You two talked about that? I had no idea.” Well, Uta and Hikari are close friends. Of course she’d talk to Hikari more than me.
“Uta-chan is strong. Way, way stronger than me.” Hikari squeezed my hand as if she were suppressing indescribable emotions. “I don’t know what’s going through Tatsuya-kun’s head, though. It sort of feels like he’s distancing himself from you, right?”
“So it looks that way to you too?”
“Did something happen?”
“We got into an argument of sorts. It was my fault.” I explained what had happened during the school festival to Hikari.
“I had no idea,” she said.
“Well, it’s fine for him to distance himself from me because of that. No, it’s not fine, but the blame’s on me, so what can I do? It’s just, the thing that bothers me the most is...” I recalled how unsettled I’d felt about Tatsuya’s recent behavior. “He seems like... Lately, doesn’t he seem like he’s not having any fun?”
Hikari blinked at me. “Yeah, now that you mention it... It crossed my mind that he’s been more diligent lately, and he’s studying really hard too. But he smiles a lot less than he used to.”
It was just as she’d said. Nagiura Tatsuya was bright, cheerful, loud, and always smiling—he was a man who openly expressed his emotions. And yet, nowadays, he was constantly swathed in a pensive atmosphere. He was definitely taking his studies and basketball much more seriously than before. But could that change truly be called growth?
“I don’t really like the way he is right now,” I admitted. I have an inkling of what’s driving him. I may be thickheaded, and my worldview is narrower than others’, but I’ll strive to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
“So what’ll you do?”
“I’m gonna bring the old Tatsuya back.”
I suddenly remembered how he’d distanced himself from us around the end of spring. He was jealous of me back then. But things are different this time. Now, he’s trying to move forward. However, the way he’s going about it is wrong. In that case, what are friends for if not to stop each other?
“Look at that! You’ve already decided what to do?”
“I’d been stewing over this until yesterday, but I finally made up my mind.” Because Miori gave me the push I needed. It’s stupid to hang my head. In a nutshell, the only thing I can do is look forward and run.
“Because...of Miori-chan, right?”
“How’d you know?”
“No special reason. I just thought, ‘Gosh, that’s gotta be what happened,’” Hikari said in an exasperated tone, staring up at the sky. “All right!” She energetically hopped to her feet. “That was a satisfying walk. Let’s get going!”
I took her outstretched hand and stood up from the bench too.
***
We reached my house, and I led Hikari up to my room. For today, I’d laid out a rug, placed cushions down on top, and set up my collapsible table that I normally kept stored away. I sat down, and she took her seat across the table, facing me.
“It feels comfier in here now,” she remarked.
“You showed up too suddenly last time, but this time I’m fully prepared. Oh, I’ll get us some drinks.” I was about to stand back up, but then a knock came at the door.
“Natsuki, I brought some drinks and snacks. Can I open the door?” Mom opened it before I could answer.
Why’d you even ask? She placed a tray with drinks and snacks on the table.
Hikari gave her a small bow. “Um, thank you for having me over.”
“Aw, it’s nothing! You’re Hoshimiya Hikari-chan, right? Goodness, you’re even cuter than your picture! I can’t believe my little boy has found himself such an adorable girlfriend,” my mom gushed. “Oh, I’m Natsuki’s mother, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Y-Yes. I’m Hoshimiya Hikari.” Hikari looked confused, unable to keep up with my mom’s nonstop bombardment.
“My son’s got nothing going for him, but please don’t dump him. He’s actually been working hard as of recently!”
“We got it already, so go away.” I pushed my mom, forcing her outside my room. Once she starts blabbing, she never stops! If I don’t cut in and drive her out, she’ll never leave us alone, no matter how much time passes.
“Oh my, I must’ve been interrupting. Well, mom here is going to go shopping now, okay? Please make yourself at home. I’ll be back around dinnertime,” she said overeagerly and then left.
The storm’s finally passed... Just as I thought that, my mom beckoned me outside my room.
“What now?” I asked.
“Don’t let such a lovely girl get away. You’ll never catch her twice,” she warned.
“I know. You don’t have to tell me that.”
“Also, you’re still only high school students, so you’d better not do anything that you won’t be able to take responsibility for.”
“Huh? Wait, we’re not going to—”
My mom left without letting me finish my rebuttal. When I returned to my room, Hikari’s cheeks were flushed scarlet, and she was making an awkward expression. Mom... You were trying to be secretive, but your voice was too loud.
“Oh, your guitar is here.” Perhaps searching for a topic, or purely out of genuine interest, Hikari turned her gaze to the corner of my room where my guitar hung on its stand. “Will you play me something if I ask you to?”
I-It’s heeere! The ultimate conundrum that every guitarist goes through: what am I—a novice—supposed to play when someone makes a request? I can’t believe the day is finally here... But I’ve already come up with the correct answer!
“Okay!” I replied with a smug grin. When I had first picked up the guitar, I’d fantasized about this exact situation many times. I had even practiced for this very moment. I connected it to my mini-amp for home use, tweaked its settings, and tuned up.
That was enough to make Hikari applaud. “Ohhh! Very cool!”
“I haven’t even played anything yet,” I said.
“But you look so cool when you’re holding a guitar!”
“Thanks. I’ll play something short,” I said, and then began strumming the strings with a pick.
Using alternate picking, I strummed out a heartfelt and rhythmical melody of sixteenth notes—Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” After I’d spent years mulling over the “What do I play when someone asks?” dilemma, this was my conclusion. It was the coolest song to throw out.
I finished at a convenient spot and sneaked a peek at Hikari’s face.
“O-Oooh.” She seemed to be at a loss as she clapped.
H-Huh? That’s weird... According to my estimations, she should be cheering loudly. “H-How was it?”
“Ummm... You were cool, but I guess I didn’t really know it?” She forced an unsure-sounding laugh.
Th-The answer that took me years of rumination! No, I had a feeling this would happen. She’s a music casual, after all. I should’ve played something from a more recent popular song rather than an oldie. I just believed that this riff would reach people of all ages and places.
“But I think I might’ve heard it before?” she added.
“Y-Yeah, right? It’s old but it’s a super famous classic.” I gave her the rundown on Aerosmith. Hikari followed along, commenting in a way that made it easy for me to talk. She’s probably not very interested... My girlfriend is so kind!
“I want to hear other songs too. What about the ones you played at the school festival?”
At her request, I played the songs we’d performed at the concert, as well as ones she liked. I wasn’t a great entertainer by any means, but she looked over the moon.
“Thanks, Natsuki-kun!”
After that, we watched YouTube videos together, read and discussed Hikari’s latest manuscript, played some DVDs of my favorite bands performing live, and all in all spent our time peacefully. The relaxed atmosphere was very comfy.
“Huh? It’s evening already,” Hikari said.
I looked out the window; the sky had been dyed crimson before I knew it. Now that we’d done pretty much everything we wanted to, our chatter died down. However, it didn’t feel awkward.
The cozy silence was suddenly broken by Hikari; she patted the floor next to where she sat. “Come here.”
I moved my cushion from across the table beside her. She gently placed her head on my shoulder. Thrown into turmoil by what was happening, I stiffened. Hikari stayed there, putting her weight on me. It felt like we were about to fall over so, flustered, I wrapped my arm around her waist to hold her up.
“Eh heh heh... My plan was a success!” Her blissful voice rose up from my chest. She placed her arm around me as well and squeezed me tightly.
“D-Don’t you think this is too sudden?” I questioned.
“I figured you wouldn’t hug me if I didn’t do this.” She pressed her body into me even more. Her cuteness was boundless, there were all sorts of soft sensations on me, and she smelled kinda nice—if we stayed like this, I didn’t know what I would do next.
Ah, forget it! Whatever happens, happens! I tightened my embrace. “I’m sorry I’m such a wimp.”
“It’s fine. I can tell you cherish me,” she said.
I never initiate anything. Hikari’s always the one encouraging me to be brave. It’s pretty pathetic, but I’ll just need to work hard going forward. Right now, I’ll savor this happy moment. The evening sun shone through the window, faintly illuminating Hikari in my arms.
“Say,” she began. “Natsuki-kun?”
“Yeah?”
She burrowed her face into my chest before speaking. “I... I might be a little more lewd...than other girls.”
Huh? What did she just say? I couldn’t even reply. I only froze, trying to process this outrageous information.
Hikari turned bright red all the way up to her ears, embarrassed by her admission.
“Really?” I barely managed to utter.
She nodded. “Because...when we’re like this, I want to touch you more,” she said slowly.
The beast called “instinct” is roaring inside of my heart! And the chains called “reason” that have been restraining it until now are creaking loudly! “Hikari...”
“Natsuki-kun...” Her expression spellbound, she raised her face. Our gazes locked. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. We leaned towards each other, closing the distance between—
“Onii-chan! I heard Hoshimiya-senpai is over! Is that...true?” The door flew open, and Namika energetically barged in.
For a few seconds, there was a void. Everybody needed time to digest the situation. For some reason, I was strangely calm. Namika’s sudden appearance had snapped me back to reality.
All things aside, this is a very bad picture. Not gonna lie, no matter how you look at us, Hikari and I look like we’re about to...you know.
Namika’s face flushed red in the blink of an eye.
“U-Um! Namika-chan! Well, it’s not what you think...!” Hikari said.
In one cranny of my calm (not that it helped) mind, thoughts like You sure it’s not? floated around.
“S-Sorryyy! Pardon the intrusion!” Namika slammed the door shut. We could hear her rapidly stomp down the stairs.
Wearing a mortified expression, Hikari pulled away from me and straightened out her clothes and hair. In all honesty, I felt conflicted—the beast of instinct had been about to run wild, so I was actually relieved Namika had interrupted, but at the same time, I felt disappointed.
“Um, Natsuki-kun... You’d better give her a proper explanation, okay? It wasn’t what it looked like. We weren’t going to do that sort of thing; it was just—you know—just that,” Hikari said incoherently.
I had no idea what she was going for, but I nodded along. Even if she hadn’t told me to, I’d been planning to give Namika a harsh lesson later.
Knock before you enter someone else’s room. Okay?
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