Commemoration
“Could we take a picture of...the three of us?”
Mizuto Irido
As summer break drew closer to its end, I was forcibly reminded of that day two years ago—August 27th, the day I received my very first love letter. A foolish yet happy memory in which I was still naive and believed in love. But that wasn’t the only August 27th that stuck out in my mind—last year’s did too.
On August 27th last year, I didn’t get any LINE messages or anything, and I realized that the events of the first August 27th had become nothing but a distant memory. I didn’t feel sad or mournful; I was a husk steeped in a lukewarm nostalgia, even though it was supposed to be a day we celebrated together. Our anniversary.
But even so, the two of us were too immature. We had no right to celebrate our anniversary. And thus, last year’s August 27th wasn’t the celebration of our relationship’s beginning, but rather its end. It was the day that I broke free from the romantic daze I’d been in—that my heart stopped beating for someone else.
Yume Irido
August 27th grew closer, as did the end of summer vacation. Looking at my phone’s calendar, I was reminded of both the happiest and saddest memories of my life.
On that day two years ago, I had confessed for the first time—and succeeded. Last year had been a hollow day during which I had done nothing but dwell on the lingering feelings inside me. But not this year. This year was going to be different.
Gone was the cowardly little girl who had prayed for him to miraculously show up. I’d become strong—capable of going on the offensive. I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to come along and do things for me. I’d be the one to make things happen.
It’d be exactly two years after I first confessed to him. I couldn’t imagine a better chance. I’d drag him out of the house he never wanted to leave and make him forget that we were stepsiblings, if only for a little bit. I had to!
“Where should we go, I wonder...” What’d be a good place to hang out? Okay, who am I fooling? What would be a good place to go on a date? I began punching my inquiry into my phone.
Our aquarium date had been pretty fun despite everything that’d happened, but could I replicate that success? For example, if I tried to invite him to an amusement park, I was certain he’d immediately decline. I needed to think of a place that he’d actually be interested in that could double as a date spot. But first...was his schedule even open for a date?
I’d been assuming he wouldn’t have any plans, but I’d completely forgotten about a certain existence that had been taking up his time. He wasn’t the same guy as he was in middle school. He actually had people to hang out with now. Gone were the days when he was always by his lonesome.
I needed to check his availability first so as to not get turned down on the spot. To do that, I opened my LINE chat with him, since we’d agreed to communicate through it at night. I was a little glad we’d made that rule, because it was a lot more discreet than going to his room and asking him.
I took some time to think about what to write.
Yume: Do you have plans to go out any time soon?
I hesitated sending it because it sounded a little off, but I decided to just go with it. After a few seconds, I saw that he read my message, and a reply came not too long after.
Mizuto: Yeah.
Huh? No way...right? I nervously typed back to him.
Yume: When?
Mizuto: The 27th.
I felt so dizzy I couldn’t see straight. Mizuto continued typing.
Mizuto: Higashira wants to see a movie.
A movie?! He was interested in going to the theater and it doubled as a date spot. Why didn’t I think of that?! I shook my head, trying to regain my composure instead of admiring Higashira-san’s idea. She’d beaten me to the punch. How was I supposed to ask him to keep that day open if he already had plans?
I let out a slow, sad, lonely sigh. I felt so hurt. August 27th was special no more. But why would it be? We had no reason to celebrate the day we first started dating when we’d already broken up, so why would he keep that day open?
I spaced out for an indeterminate amount of time, lamenting the truth I’d failed to consider. Mizuto, who was perceptive to these kinds of things, must have realized something was up. I hadn’t responded for a while, so he sent another message.
Mizuto: Should I keep that day open?
Blood rushed to my head as soon as I read his message.
Yume: Why are you asking me?
My fingers moved practically automatically, putting my frustrations in writing.
Yume: You want to hang out with Higashira-san on that day, don’t you? You made that choice. Are you gonna go back on your plans just because I ask you to? Isn’t that unfair to her?!
I wasn’t sure why I was blowing up at him, but one thing was certain: I couldn’t forgive him. I couldn’t forgive him for becoming the kind of guy who would toss away plans with his good friend for his stupid ex-girlfriend. He’s acting nice towards Yume Ayai—not me.
After a few minutes, Mizuto sent a response.
Mizuto: You’re right. Sorry.
Though his message was brief, I could sense that he was extremely remorseful. I deeply exhaled, cooling my head. I might’ve messed up. He might’ve left the day open for me if I’d asked. Hadn’t that been my entire plan? I’d wanted to go on a date with him then. No, thinking like that is cowardly.
I’d sworn to myself that I’d surpass Yume Ayai. I’d make him love the current me more than he’d ever loved my old self. If that was my goal, then I had no reason to rely on past anniversaries. Maybe it was good that he had plans. It meant that he didn’t have any lingering attachments to who I used to be. That still kinda rubs me the wrong way, though...
“A movie...”
She’d really thought things through. Actually, no, this was Higashira-san we were talking about. She definitely wasn’t considering this a date. Her only objective was to watch a movie with her friend. But then again, wasn’t this the first time that they’d be doing something date-like?
Sure, they may have hung out together in the school library, walked home together, and visited each others’ houses, but they hadn’t gone somewhere outside those environments.
I opened my chat with Higashira-san. As a former collaborator in her efforts to date him, I figured I should give her some words of encouragement. It would be their first date after all. This had absolutely—absolutely—nothing to do with me feeling bitter about being the odd man out.
Yume: I heard you’re going to see a movie with Mizuto. Good luck!
Look at how effortlessly I typed this message. Look how different I am from the brat who saw red when her boyfriend spent a little time with another girl.
Higashira-san almost immediately replied.
Izanami: Yes, we are! Would you like to join us?
“Uh...” No way...right? Even if she didn’t see it that way, she couldn’t have thought I’d be so socially inept as to insert myself into their first date.
Yume: Yeah, count me in!
Mizuto Irido
I looked up at the blue sky from the bus stop’s bench. Cars passed by in front of me as I waited. There was a new part of the plan that had been shoved in my face. Initially, Higashira and I were going to meet up at the movie theater, but wouldn’t you know it, a certain stepsister had suddenly joined our group. She’d called Higashira over and kicked me out of the house, leaving me to wait here.
I’d be pissed if I weren’t so confused by what’d happened. I wasn’t stupid—I knew the significance of today, but it shouldn’t have meant anything now that we were stepsiblings. That was why I’d accepted Higashira’s invitation.
Never in my wildest dreams had I expected Higashira to invite her, though, nor had I expected her to accept. Apparently, it happened almost immediately after she’d messaged me last night. I was beginning to doubt that the word “shameless” existed in her dictionary. She’d gone on a written tirade, telling me to prioritize Higashira, and then turned around and joined us. But since Higashira was the one who had invited her, neither of us could really say anything.
Still, though, going to the movies with two girls—albeit a friend and my stepsister—was...new. I never would’ve imagined going out with other people a year and a half ago. We were only planning to watch the movie and then go home, at least. I didn’t have to worry about staying on guard all day.
“We’re here.”
I turned my head to see the two girls looking down at me. Yume was wearing pants—a new style for her—with her long black hair tied up in a ponytail. Her shirt sleeves were also shorter than what she usually wore—they just barely covered her shoulders. Overall, her outfit gave off a much more mature look.
Higashira was wearing a loose green shirt with a flowing beige skirt. Her outfit reminded me of that of a villager in some kind of RPG. Usually she’d wear a sweatshirt and pants or a really baggy T-shirt, so I was surprised to see her wearing such a fashionable outfit. She’d said so many times that she didn’t care about her appearance, after all. I could tell from the glint off her lips that she’d even put on some lip gloss. She’d also put something around her eyes that made them pop more than usual.
“I see. You kicked me out of the house so you could dress Higashira up.”
“Of course. Left to her own devices, she’d wear sweats.”
“Would that really be such poor attire? We’re merely viewing a film...” Higashira pouted.
“It would be! You can wear whatever you want at home, but if you’re going out, you have to actually try.”
“That is too heavy a burden...” Higashira dejectedly hung her shoulders.
Girls really have it rough. If Higashira was a guy, nobody would give her any crap if she wore the same clothes in and out of the house.
“Ahem,” Yume snapped at me as I got lost in my thoughts. “Don’t you have anything you want to say?” Yume lightly pushed Higashira forward.
She sheepishly blinked as she looked at me. She was obviously at a loss for what to do, and so was I. Yes, there was something I could have said in this situation, but...
“I’ve already complimented that outfit before.”
“Indeed, he has,” Higashira agreed.
“Compliment her today, then!”
Today? We weren’t talking about constantly changing factors like the weather or temperature. People’s appearances were much more static than that. I could tell that Yume wouldn’t drop this until I said something, though, so I searched inside me for the right words.
“Hmm. Better than your usual sweatshirt.”
“That’s the best you can do?!” Yume screeched.
Higashira happily giggled.
“That was a really bad compliment, Higashira-san! Don’t set the bar so low!”
I can’t put my finger on it, but Yume’s a lot more annoying than usual today.
Just as I thought that, she shifted her eyes back to me. “What about me?”
“Huh?”
“What. About. Me?”
Crap. This entire sequence of events was all for this. If I complimented Higashira on her outfit, then I had to compliment Yume too. You crafty bastard. I looked at Yume in her mature outfit and tried to form words.
“It’s rare...”
“Huh?”
“It’s rare to see your hair tied back.”
Yume lightly touched her hair. “Yeah...true. I try not to copy Akatsuki-san when we’re together.”
“I see.”
“Do you like ponytails?”
Her intentions with that question were so obvious that it caught me off guard. I did have an answer prepared, but I had a feeling that with the way this conversation was going—
Higashira tilted her head. “Haruhi?”
“Pfft!” I couldn’t hold it in.
Yume looked confused. “Huh? What? What was so funny?”
“You really should read some classics from the 2000s.”
“I too am very much a fan of ponytails. Having sight of the nape of the neck is ever so sexy. Heh heh heh.”
“Could you two stop with your inside jokes?!”
Jokes aside, the ponytail really did look good on her. Seriously. There was no way in hell I was ever gonna tell her that, though.
We got onto the bus single file when it arrived.
“Oh, there are some vacancies in the rear.”
“Let’s go.”
Higashira and Yume pointed to the long seat in the back of the bus, leaving me to go with the flow as the last person to board. Okay, so Higashira’ll sit on the inside, Yume will sit next to her, and I’ll sit next to Yume.
“Here we go,” Yume said.
For some reason, Higashira and Yume sat one seat apart from each other, leaving me to sit in the middle. Uh...why? It was hard to refuse when Higashira was happily patting the seat, gesturing for me to sit there.
“You must be quite the happy guy to have a beautiful lady on either side of you.”
“Yeah, isn’t this nice?” Yume giggled teasingly.
“People who are actually beautiful don’t refer to themselves as such.”
“Mizuto-kun, you should fold your arms and puff out your chest triumphantly. I’ll cling to your arm.”
“I get it now. You’re trying to recreate the typical covers of isekai harem light novels.”
“I can’t believe you guessed that...” Yume said.
As the bus began moving, I noticed Higashira peeking at Yume as she swayed with the movements of the bus.
“By the way, how much otaku knowledge do you possess, Yume-san? I understand you hardly consume any light novel content, however, does that apply to manga as well?”
“I’m not too familiar with the culture or references. The most I know comes from the Urazometenma series.”
“Pardon?”
“She’s talking about a mystery series in which an otaku high school detective solves murders as a way to earn money for Blu-rays and anime goods,” I explained.
“Oh. I was unaware such a series existed. How intriguing!”
“It’s pretty much the same vibe as a light novel, just without any illustrations.”
“Do you want to borrow it?” Yume asked. “I like that series.”
“Could I? I’ve yet to really dip more than a toe in the mystery genre.”
Yume and Higashira started getting really into their conversation and began leaning towards each other. As a result, I felt a soft sensation pressing into me on either side. I did my best to shrink my shoulders so as to avoid them.
“Mysteries have always been very character-driven. I think they’d be pretty easy for you to get through,” Yume said.
“But people perish in them, do they not?”
“You don’t like stories where people die?”
“It’s not so much that I’m against them, it’s that I tend to prefer happy endings. I feel that if there are deaths, it’s difficult for everyone to be happy.”
“Ah, I see. But there are mysteries in which people don’t die.”
“Yeah, but even in those kinds of mysteries, there’s usually a bittersweet ending,” I chimed in.
“Is it so wrong for stories to have the victims be revived upon the mystery being solved?” Higashira asked.
“I doubt it’d be a good story, but...I’m sure it exists somewhere,” Yume said.
The next moment, she placed her hand on my arm. What are you doing? I wouldn’t have paid too much attention if this was Higashira, but Yume of all people would never initiate physical contact for no reason. For the time being, I chose to ignore her and continue the conversation as if nothing was happening.
“There are books in which it turns out that the person who supposedly died is alive the entire time too. Plus, there’s some in which the characters go back in time to prevent a crime from happening.”
“Oh, I love time travel!”
“Me too!” Yume agreed.
“I truly believe that the best stories are those in which everyone is happy in the end, and I apply that to both light novels and traditional literature.”
In the meantime, Yume had completely wrapped her arms around mine. Higashira couldn’t really see from where she was sitting, but she was getting closer and closer, to the point where it would be impossible to play it off as a joke if Higashira noticed. Even so, Yume was being careful to keep her breasts from touching my arm. I’m thankful for her ability to do that, at least. A sweet aroma wafted in the air. Is this her usual shampoo, or is she wearing perfume?
Her giggling sounded closer than before. I glanced to the side and saw her looking at me, as if she were trying to send a signal. What are you playing at? Ultimately, I decided to redouble my efforts to ignore her.
Yume Irido
I could hardly contain my laughter. My plan was working! He claimed he’d gotten better at hiding his reactions, but upon close observation it was obvious that I was bothering him, in a sense. His eye movements and stiff expression told the whole story.
Overall, I’d say that joining them on their excursion was the correct choice. I’d been unsuccessful in seducing him the other night, and being alone with him would’ve definitely been awkward. Having Higashira-san as a buffer really smoothed things over. All I had to do was copy her unrestrained actions as a pretense to get closer to Mizuto.
I’ll admit that I felt a little bad using Higashira-san like this, but then again, she’d been the one to invite me, and she was having a good time herself. Overall, it was a win-win.
“So, what kind of movie are we watching today? Anime, right?” I asked.
“It has elements of both sci-fi and coming-of-age stories. It’s received great acclaim so far!”
I began engaging in idle chatter while lightly pressing into Mizuto, teasing him. I’d feel bad for Higashira-san if I took it any further than just casual flirting, but I enjoyed watching him squirm.
If it were just the two of us, he wouldn’t be so reserved with his words. He was clearly holding himself back because Higashira-san was here. What should I do next? Just as I thought that, the bus turned around a corner, flinging my body to the side. As a result, my chest, which I’d been very careful to keep away from him, squished against his arm.
W-Wait! I didn’t mean to go this far! Even after the bus straightened out again, I couldn’t bring myself to immediately pull away. Something told me that if I did, it’d mean I lost. I glanced at Mizuto.
“I’ve viewed other films this director was involved in. They’re very unique, and I believe you’ll enjoy them as well, Mizuto-kun!”
“I’m not too familiar with anime directors, so I appreciate you looking out for me,” he replied, completely unfazed.
Now I really feel like I lost. I stayed pressed against him until we arrived at our stop.
Mizuto Irido
How was I already so drained just from riding a bus?
“There’s a Toranoana over there and a Melon Books across from it,” Higashira pointed out.
“Sure are a lot of otaku shops around here,” Yume remarked.
“Farther down, there’s an arcade popular with the more hardcore crowd,” Higashira continued.
“Do you like games, Higashira-san?”
“I’ve been under the tutelage of my mother since birth. Our house motto is, ‘Those who pussy out and drop Sekiro should drop dead.’”
“Uh-huh. I see...” Yume obviously had no clue what she was talking about.
I walked behind the two of them, silently fuming, as we continued through the shopping district. She was toying with me. Last time I expressed concern at her acting out, she got mad at me. What the hell kind of double standard is this?!
When we got to the movie theater, Higashira went to get the tickets she’d reserved from the kiosk. They had a special rate for high schoolers, which made the price of a ticket about the cost of one book. Pretty economical. After we paid her back, Yume spoke up.
“I’m going to stop by the bathroom real quick. Are you okay, Higashira-san?”
“Yes. I’ll remain here.”
There was still some time before seating started, so I sat down on a bench, with Higashira following suit not too long after. A decent number of people were here either just looking at their phones or chatting. But we just sat there awkwardly. A silence fell.
Higashira restlessly swayed side to side while staring at the trailers playing on the TV. She seemed bored. I’d assumed that she was pretty used to being in a movie theater based on how smoothly she’d gotten the tickets.
Suddenly, she tilted her body forward and looked up at me. “Say, Mizuto-kun...”
“Yeah?”
“Are you perhaps in a sour mood?”
“Huh?” This caught me completely off guard. I found myself narrowing my eyes before I even knew it, which only served to make Higashira even more frantic.
“U-Uh, w-well, your expression seemed quite rigid on the bus. I apologize if this has all been in my head.”
On the bus, huh? I see. She was misinterpreting my effort to remain expressionless in the face of Yume’s teasing as me being in a bad mood. I didn’t realize I’d looked pissed. Sorry, Higashira.
“Don’t worry—I’m fine. I don’t ride buses often, so I felt a little motion sick. That’s all.”
I tried to keep my response gentle and my excuse believable so as to allay her fear, but she still seemed slightly worried.
“Oh, is that so? I’m relieved to hear that. My experience with friendly outings is minimal, so I was worried you were bored.”
Every so often, Higashira would look at me like this. While she normally marched to the beat of her own drum, ignoring her surroundings, she’d sometimes regain her presence of mind. She’d shrink uncomfortably and cautiously peer up at the person she was with. This happened maybe once every three days.
Thinking back, she’d always been like this. Even when we first met in the library, she acted like her existence itself was a sin. She was obviously extremely nervous whenever I would talk to her, but she did her best to respond. Ever since I’d realized this, I’d always done my best to be clear with her and leave no room for misinterpretation.
“Don’t worry.” I’d never been bored. Not once. “No matter how situationally unaware you are, I’ll never get mad at you.”
“Are you certain? You seem quite irate...”
“I’m not mad. I’m scolding you.” Higashira groaned and slumped her shoulders. “Seriously, don’t worry. I remember my promise.” I’ll always be the same Mizuto Irido that you’ve come to know.
Higashira sheepishly played with her bangs as her facial expression loosened. “Ehe heh heh.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I will be a Mizuto stan forever.”
“Am I an idol in your mind now?”
Yume Irido
I stared at Higashira-san and Mizuto as they sat on the bench. His expression was so natural, so soft when he spoke with her. It was a face he made only for her. I was jealous, and I wouldn’t deny it, but at the same time, I was genuinely happy.
Higashira-san was able to do what the two of us weren’t. She could prioritize the simple feeling of wanting to be with the person you like without being bogged down by pride or jealousy. I really respected her for that.
But did I really? Was that all there was to my happiness and relief? Had I felt so calm after seeing Higashira-san laughing because I knew who she really was on the inside?
She would smile at his compliments and sheepishly gush over him. Despite being neither a normal girl nor a whimsical happy-go-lucky girl, there was a side of her she’d never show Mizuto. But I knew that side.
Maybe I was worried for nothing. Higashira-san looked so comfortable with him. She had no reason to hide that part of her—to not be herself.
“Hey, is that...?”
“Wow, it certainly is!”
Hm? I turned around to look at the voices I thought I heard, but the theater was so packed, I couldn’t really see their source.
Mizuto Irido
“So, you were going to reserve the loveseats?” Yume asked Higashira.
“Yes. Initially, I was under the impression it would be cheaper that way. However, after some research, I discovered it was more economical to reserve two separate seats instead and apply the high schooler discount.”
“Those seats are always on the sides of the theater,” I added. “Makes it really hard to see the movie.”
“It does provide better opportunities for shenanigans, though. I assume that’s the reasoning behind their placement.”
“If that’s your goal when seeing a movie, just Netflix and chill,” I said with a smirk.
“I don’t think you two will ever understand the greatness of a movie date...” Yume sighed as we searched the dark theater for our seats.
Higashira ended up getting us some pretty good seats; we were pretty much right in the middle of the theater, not too far nor too close. The only complaint I had was that I once again found myself smack dab in between the two of them.
“You,” I hissed at Yume as she put her belongings in the basket under the chair.
“What?” she asked, looking up at me.
“Hands to yourself during the movie.”
“Hmph. Why don’t you just ignore it? You’re so good at that, right?”
“I’m gonna make you pay for my ticket if you do anything.”
“F-Fine! I get it, okay? Relax!” Apparently, my face was starting to scare her.
Either way, I’d accomplished my goal. I leaned back in my seat, now completely relaxed as I watched the trailers begin to play. I enjoyed watching them more than I’d anticipated. They really stimulated the imagination—or at least, I had fun reading between the lines. Well, I rarely ever wanted to watch the actual movie they were advertising. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t exactly used to how loud a movie theater was. Even the trailers boomed in my ear.
Hm? I felt someone’s gaze on me, but it wasn’t Yume’s. Higashira was staring at me.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“N-No...” she quickly looked away.
Is there something on my face? I felt my face, but didn’t really feel anything out of the ordinary. I wondered why she was looking at me, but before I could ask her, the theater began playing the video asking the audience to not talk during the movie. I turned off my phone and looked back at the screen. A guy with a camera for a head got arrested for pirating a movie. After it finished playing, the screen went dark and the movie started.
The screen was flooded with vivid colors and fluid animation, something you could never get from reading. There wasn’t really much I could say about it besides that it looked visually stunning. It was one thing for a book to have vivid descriptions and another to see it with your own eyes.
As I was admiring the visuals, I felt a hand on top of mine. Then, I heard Higashira gasp before the hand quickly retreated. Hands accidentally touching in a movie theater wasn’t anything new. It was kinda strange that the same person who’d nonchalantly rest her head on my lap was freaking out from our hands touching, though. I glanced over to her out of curiosity.
“Apologies...” Higashira whispered, shrinking her shoulders.
“No problem.” I tilted my head in confusion before returning to looking at the screen.
Is it just me, or is her face red? No way...right? Higashira was no Ayai.
Yume Irido
“That was pretty good,” Mizuto said.
“It was, wasn’t it? Especially the latter half,” Higashira-san agreed.
“I thought it was kind of hard to follow. Would this be considered ‘abstract,’ maybe?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure. Only an anime movie could make you feel like this,” Mizuto said.
We exchanged our impressions while walking out of the theater. I had a pretty good time. Maybe it was just because I didn’t watch anime that much, but I thought there were a lot of confusing parts. Well, that actually made it all the more interesting to me. Higashira-san and Mizuto certainly seemed to like that aspect of the movie. They kept going back and forth about their interpretations.
“What’s next?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“I suppose we go our separate ways.”
“That feels like such a waste. It’s still early in the day. How about we grab something to eat?” I suggested.
“R-Really? I-Is that all right?” Higashira-san asked excitedly.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be? Just make sure to call home, okay?” I said.
“Yes, of course!” she said, whipping out her phone.
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom, then,” Mizuto said.
“Okay. What about you, Higashira-san?”
“I’m okay!”
After he left, Higashira-san stared at her phone screen.
“Is there something wrong, Higashira-san?”
“Oh, yes. It’s just that... A thought crossed my mind when I looked at Mizuto-kun in the theater.” She was wearing a soft smile. “It was...like a date.”
I felt myself wince in pain. This innocence... It was as painful to me as sunlight was to a vampire. There was a stark difference between Higashira-san, who was flustered by something so pure, and I, who was straight up trying to seduce him. I began lamenting the innocence that I’d lost when Higashira-san gasped.
“Perchance, when you said ‘good luck’ during our message exchanges, were you referring to this being a date?!”
“You just got that?”
“A-Ah... I... My apologies! I’m so very sorry!”
“N-No worries. It’s not like I explained my intentions.” I felt a tinge of guilt for using a girl this innocent for my own selfish purposes.
I felt myself getting more and more depressed, but Higashira-san was practically beaming. “When he rejected me, I thought I’d never be able to go on a date with him, but...surprisingly, that wasn’t true.”
“Yeah... Makes you wonder what it really means to date someone.”
Was it to stop other girls from having the ability to do so? If so, then I couldn’t believe how shallow dating was.
“I suppose the difference is that a couple could visit a hotel after their movie experience,” Higashira said seriously.
“Higashira-san... That’s minus one point for vulgarity.”
“Huh? Points? What happens if I continue to lose points?”
Higashira-san might not have been wrong, actually. Maybe there wasn’t any need for me to actually become his girlfriend. At the very least, that thought crossed my mind.
Mizuto Irido
“Party of three?” the hostess of the family restaurant asked. We nodded, and she showed us to our booth. “Let me know when you’re ready to order.”
“Okay,” Yume replied.
I picked up the menu. “What’re you two thinking?”
“It might be nice to get at least one thing we can all share,” Yume suggested.
“Pizza or fries then, I guess.”
“Hm, pizza...” Yume said pensively.
“What? Don’t like pizza?”
“No, I do, but...”
“Ah, finally counting calories? I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“N-No! Fat goes to my boobs anyway...”
“You’re nearing the end of that golden time when you can write off weight gain as part of a growth spurt.”
“Oh, shut up, you stick insect! Do you not have a tactful bone in your body?!”
Higashira seemed restless as Yume and I bickered about what to order.
“Something wrong, Higashira?” I asked.
“N-No, it’s just that...” She swayed nervously. “This is my first time having dinner with friends in a restaurant. I’m...a tad emotional.”
“I totally get that! Eating out with your family feels completely different than eating out with your friends,” Yume excitedly agreed.
“Precisely! And it possesses a different quality compared to stopping by somewhere after school ends.”
It was nice to see the two loners coming alive by talking about their shared experience. In the end, we decided to get fries for the table. I ordered a pilaf, Yume got pasta, and Higashira got hamburger steak. It went without saying that we all added the drink bar to our order.
“Higashira-san... Are you a real-life example of everything you eat going to your chest?” Yume asked as Higashira began filling her cup with Coke.
“Perhaps? The last time I weighed myself was during the school physical.”
“You don’t weigh yourself regularly?!”
“Even if I do, the numbers never really stay in my head.”
“Maybe instead of jumping to teaching you how to dress, we should’ve started with the basics for girls...”
Sounds nice. Would’ve saved me a lot of trouble.
“Truth be told, today was the first time I’ve gone to a movie theater with anyone else. I must say, it was quite enjoyable to have others to discuss the movie with immediately after it concluded,” Higashira mused nonchalantly as she munched on the fries.
“I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that you’re okay with going to the theater solo...” Yume weakly laughed.
“Is watching a film by oneself not the standard practice?”
“Yeah, it’s normal.”
“Well... I guess it’s not too rare nowadays,” Yume agreed reluctantly.
Watching a movie with anyone else meant that you had to find a time that worked for everyone. Planning all that sounded like a pain in the ass. If anybody else but Higashira had invited me, I would’ve flat-out refused.
“We should watch another movie sometime!” Higashira said excitedly.
“I don’t really have my finger on the pulse of what’s popular, but are there any other must-see movies?” Yume asked.
“I’m only aware of anime movies. Summer vacation is coming to a close as well, so it’s possible that there might not be many new releases.”
“Then let’s see a live-action movie next time. Nothin’ wrong with that, right?” I suggested.
“Sure! I’m interested in anything besides romantic movies,” Higashira said.
“Why not?” Yume asked.
“They upset me for some reason.”
“I get that,” I agreed.
“You do?” Yume asked.
I pulled out my phone and turned it on so I could see if anything interesting was coming out soon. When I unlocked it, Higashira’s eyes widened as she saw my wallpaper.
“Oh, you use the default wallpaper, Mizuto-kun?”
“Eyes to yourself.”
“Allow me to use your phone for a moment,” she said, swiping it from my hands.
“H-Hey!”
In the next moment, she went to the camera. At first, I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but then she switched the camera to the front-facing one and squeezed herself next to me.
Yume looked incredibly flustered. “W-Wai—”
“Say cheese!”
Suddenly, I had a picture of the two of us on my phone.
“Here you go,” she said, giving it back to me.
“What was that for?”
“You can use that as your wallpaper.”
“Why would I? You’re not my girlfriend.”
In the picture, Higashira was holding up a peace sign with her usual expressionless face while I gave the camera a dubious look. The picture was fairly innocuous, but the fact that it was just the two of us made it feel like we were dating. I wasn’t about to use this as my wallpaper.
“Hmph. In that case...” Higashira snatched my phone away from me again, moved to the other side, and squeezed herself next to Yume.
“W-Wai—”
“Cheese!” After taking the picture, she moved back to my side and gave me my phone back. “How about this?”
“I...have no words.”
“It’s like you’re a dad,” Yume said.
“Sugar daddy?!” Higashira exclaimed.
“No!” Yume and I immediately shouted, shutting her down before she got too out of hand.
“That’s another point gone,” Yume said.
“Point”? What?
“Hm...” Higashira concentrated on the picture. “How about...” she nervously looked at me. “Could we take a picture of...the three of us?”
Yume and I tilted our heads and looked at Higashira.
She frantically waved her hands. “W-Well, u-um, I was thinking about how this was the first time that the three of us have gone out together. We certainly hang out in your domicile, however, perhaps as a commemoration of today... Uh...”
Yume and I naturally looked at each other at the word “commemoration.” We weren’t trying to send each other silent signals about the secret we were keeping from Higashira—we were both surprised but united in our response.
There was no doubt that Yume and I both had a certain haze in our hearts stemming from today, August 27th. There were a lot of complicated emotions surrounding this date, but we were doing our best to not show any of them in front of Higashira.
Neither of us could deny that we had some conflicting feelings about spending this particular day with Higashira. Last year was our anniversary. The year before that was the start of everything. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if today was the start of something new that we commemorated. We might be able to overwrite the memories from our youth.
Higashira looked at us worriedly. “I-Is that a no?”
“Of course not,” I said emphatically. “Why are you acting so reserved now? Where’d your boldness when you forcefully took selfies with both of us go?”
“Exactly,” Yume agreed. “Let’s take a selfie of the three of us as a commemoration of today.”
We moved to one side of the table and took a picture with me in the middle again. Then it hit me: I messed up two years ago. I messed up last year. But maybe not this year. As long as I had this picture, I would be able to have hope that I’d done things right.
“Doesn’t this picture feel like the kind where one of us will perish?”
“Pfft.”
“Higashira-san!”
“Huh? But, this looks exactly like the kind of photos that families who’ve lost their child share.”
“Yeah, the kind they keep in lockets.”
“Yes! Precisely!”
“I get it, but I’m not looking to get cursed!” Yume said.
After our food came, we talked about stories in which the only thing left of the deceased was their picture in a locket.
Yume Irido
“I had a spectacular time today!”
“Me too.”
“Please contact me if there are any other interesting movies you wish to see!”
“Of course! See you later!”
Higashira happily waved before disappearing into her apartment building. We’d completely lost track of time after chatting away the evening. We felt bad making Higashira-san walk all the way back by herself, so we’d walked her home.
After making sure that she’d gotten in okay, the two of us turned around and left. The streets were illuminated by the faint light of the surrounding buildings as well as the lights from cars passing by. We walked side by side in silence for a while until...
“You’re done clinging to me?” Mizuto asked, shooting me a look.
I jumped. “I-I changed my mind.”
“Uh-huh...” he replied, uninterested, looking straight ahead.
Trying to cozy up to him after Higashira-san was gone didn’t sit right with me. It made me feel like I was being sneaky. Sure, my initial plan had been to use Higashira-san today to further my own plans—but that was when I wanted to keep today special for me and Irido-kun. Things were different now. Today was the first time that Higashira-san, Mizuto, and I went out together. I didn’t need to do anything extra. I was satisfied with the movie being good.
“Hey,” I called out to him, without looking at him.
“What?” Mizuto responded without looking at me.
“I’ll be mad if you ever make Higashira-san cry.”
“That’ll never happen, so long as you don’t do anything extra.”
“I can’t guarantee that.”
“Seriously?” Mizuto turned to me.
My shoulders began shaking with laughter. Maybe I couldn’t be as single-minded about him as I used to be, but even so, that didn’t mean that our bond was lost. It felt like Higashira-san had taught me that. That’s why I wanted Higashira-san and Mizuto to be on good terms—to be together forever.
Mizuto’s phone rang all of a sudden. “Hm? Kawanami?” Mizuto pulled it out and answered. “Yeah?”
At almost the same exact time, I got a LINE notification from Akatsuki-san.
Akatsuki☆: Yume-chan, did something happen?
Akatsuki☆: People at school seem to think that Irido-kun and Higashira-san are dating.
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