Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – First Dates are Always Turbulent

1 

It was a beautiful day. Sunday had finally arrived, and it proved to be perfect date weather. 

Sakuta managed to get off work exactly at two, giving him enough time to race back home first. 

A three-minute bicycle ride. 

Kaede came out to greet him, and he patted her once on the head on his way to the bathroom. 

He’d worked up a sweat pedaling home, so he rinsed off with a quick shower and, just to be safe, changed his underwear. Then he noticed Kaede’s questioning look. 

“Men must be prepared for anything,” he declared. “I’m outta here, Kaede!” 

“Uh, okay. Bye.” 

She saw him off, clutching Nasuno. It was now 2:20. He headed for Fujisawa Station on foot. 

His steps felt light. He was walking normally, but in his heart, he was skipping along merrily. Like there were wings on his feet. 

Roads he went down every day looked entirely new. His eyes lit upon flowers peeping through cracks in the pavement. His ears caught the sounds of sparrows on the telephone lines. 

And he loved it all. The spirit of generosity resided within him. 

At the peak of his cheer, he heard a little girl crying. He was maybe a three- or four-minute walk away from home. 

Just ahead was the entrance to a park. The kid was standing in front of it, bawling her eyes out. 

“What’s wrong?” he said, going over to her. 

She looked up and momentarily stopped crying. But a moment later, she wailed again. “You’re not Mommy!” 

“Are you lost?” 

“Mommy’s not here.” 

“So you’re lost.” 

“Mommy’s lost.” 

“A valid interpretation.” 

This girl seemed to have a bright future. 

“Now, now, don’t cry,” he said, kneeling down and putting his hand on her head. “I’ll help you find your mom.” 

“You will?” 

“Yeah.” He nodded, smiling. He was hoping this would get her to smile back, but she just looked confused. “Just come with me.” 

He took her hand, but before he could stand up… 

“Die, pedo creep!” someone shouted behind him. 

What? He tried to turn and look, but before he could see her face, a sharp pain shot through his butt. 

It felt like the tip of a hard boot had landed right on his tailbone. Which was almost certainly what had actually happened… 

“Aughhh!” he roared, rolling across the pavement. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a girl roughly his age. Mid-teens. A high school girl. 

A fluffy short bob. Short skirt, too. Bare legs. Unobtrusive makeup—definitely the fashion of the day. 

“Now’s your chance! Run for it!” she urged, looking dead serious. 

The kid just blinked at her. “Huh? Why?” she asked, totally lost. 

“It’s obvious! Come on!” 

It wasn’t obvious, but she grabbed the kid’s hand and tried to pull her away. 

“Before this pedo creep stands up!” 

“I’m not a pedo creep!” Sakuta said, struggling to his feet and clutching his ass. It hurt too much, and there was no strength in his legs. His legs were shaking, and he looked like a newborn fawn. 

“But he’s helping me find my mommy.” 

“Huh?” The new girl gaped at the kid and then at Sakuta. “You’re really not a pedo creep?” 

“I’m into older women.” 

“So you are a creep?!” 

But her conviction was clearly shaken. Now that he looked, she was pretty cute. A bit of a baby face, big round eyes. The light makeup she wore had a nice, softening effect. He’d seen more than his share of girls at school who went a bit heavy on the cosmetics, but Sakuta thought this girl had definitely applied it well. 

“I just found this kid and was trying to help her find her lost mother.” 

“No way. This kid’s the one who’s lost.” 

“Mommy’s lost,” the little girl said firmly. 

With that, she pulled away from the new girl, moving to Sakuta’s side. She grabbed hold of his sleeve. The tables had turned. 

At this point, the new girl had to admit she’d read things wrong. She smiled awkwardly. 

“Ugh, my butt hurts!” 

“S-sorry. Ah-ha-ha.” 

“I think you split my ass in two!” 

“What? That sounds ba— Wait a second, it already was!” 

“Ow, oww, owwww.” 

“F-fine! All right!” the girl yelled…and then turned around, bracing her hands on a telephone pole. “Go on!” 

And with that spirited cry, she thrust her miniskirt-clad butt in Sakuta’s direction. 

“Go on and what?” 

She clearly wanted him to kick her ass, but kicking a schoolgirl in broad daylight was so not his thing. 

“Just get it over with! I’ve gotta meet a friend!” 

Sakuta had someone to meet, too. A very important date. And the more time he wasted here, the closer his deadline got. And he still had to help the little girl—he was definitely going to be late at this rate. He couldn’t afford to waste time on anything else. 

It might be faster to just kick her in the butt and move on. 

“Right, okay.” 

He gave her a light tap. That would be enough, surely. 

“Stronger!” she yelled, glaring over her shoulder. 

“Really?” 

He kicked her a little stronger. There was a satisfying thwack. 

“More!” 

Still not enough, somehow. 

“Fine, don’t blame me later!” 

She’d left him with no choice. 

Good men had a duty to fulfill women’s wishes. 

Sakuta lowered his center of gravity and pulled his leg back, charging it with power. He locked onto the round target butt, took careful aim, and unleashed the hardest middle kick he could. 

The impact noise was downright unsettling. 

A moment later… 

“O-owieeee!” she yelped. In Hakata dialect. “Unh…” 

She fell to her knees, groaning. Both hands tenderly clutched her backside. The pain was so great she couldn’t even speak. Her mouth flapped uselessly, like a goldfish. 

“My butt split in half…,” she managed at last. 

“Don’t worry! It already was.” 

“Uh, what’s going on here?” 

They both spun around. A man in a police uniform was staring at them, looking very confused. 

“I’m afraid I can’t let you enjoy deviant activities in broad daylight at a public park.” 

“She’s the only deviant here!” Sakuta said, pointing at the high school girl. 

“N-no! I’m not! There’s a good reason for this!” She sounded desperate. 

“You can explain that reason at the station.” 

He grabbed them each with one arm. There was no wriggling out of that. Cops knew how to handle people. This one might be getting on in years, but he was clearly quite strong. The safety of the neighborhood was in good hands. 

“I’m on my way to something important! Please let go!” 

Getting questioned would be a disaster. Even if, by some miracle, it only lasted five or ten minutes, Mai was hardly going to wait that long. After all, she was Mai Sakurajima. 

“Sure, sure. No struggling. This way. You, too, little lost girl. You mother’s waiting at the station.” 

“She is? Yay!” 

As the police officer dragged them away, Sakuta took comfort in the fact that at least the lost child problem was solved. 

But even that small respite was immediately ruined when the officer muttered, “Are kids these days into pain?” 

The police officer finally let them leave a good hour and a half after they reached the police station. Sakuta looked at the clock as they left and was horrified to see it pointing at four. Would someone please invent a time machine? 

“Ugh, that sucked,” the girl grumbled. She looked exhausted. 

“That’s my line, stupid.” 

“Who you calling stupid? You being all suspicious was the start of this whole mess!” 

“And you got it all wrong, so you shoulder the bulk of the blame.” 

“Excuses are so not cool.” 

“Not excuses. Just the truth. And it’s totally your fault the lecture lasted that long, Koga.” 

Her shoulders twitched. 

“…How do you know my name?!” 

“Tomoe Koga. It’s a pretty cute name!” 

“You know the whole thing?!” 

Had she forgotten identifying herself to the policeman? He even knew her school. She was actually a student at Minegahara High, like Sakuta. A year below him. Technically, he was her senpai. 

“I know everything about you.” 

“That’s just dumb.” 

“You’re from Fukuoka, right?” 

“How in the heck?!” Her accent popped out again. 

“……” 

“Ack!” Tomoe Koga slapped both hands over her mouth. 

“You slipped into your accent earlier, too.” 

“I—I did not!” 

She refused to look at him. Seemed like she wanted to keep this a secret for some reason. A little late to try to hide it now, though. 

“Well, point is, this is your fault, Koga.” 

“Tell me your name! Not fair only you know.” 

“Ichiro Sato.” 

No reason he should tell her the truth, so he went with an obvious lie, figuring anyone would know that was a fake name. 

“Right, Sato. How is this my fault?” Tomoe insisted, accepting the alias at face value. 

Clearly, she wasn’t prone to suspicion. She might be genuinely nice. Admitting this was a fake name now seemed likely to cause problems, so Sakuta decided he’d better keep quiet. 

“If you don’t know, I’m happy to explain. In the first thirty minutes, we managed to convince the officer it was all a misunderstanding. The rest was all because you were so obsessed with your phone that you never looked up from it and clearly weren’t listening to him.” 

The entire last hour of the lecture had been about not fiddling with your phone when people were talking. Sakuta didn’t even own a phone, so this felt extremely unjustified. 

“That’s true…but you don’t need to spell it out like that!” she sulked. 

“Have you no remorse?” 

“I mean, I kept getting texts! I had no choice.” 

“So what? Ignore them.” 

“If I don’t answer quick, I’ll lose all my friends,” Tomoe admitted, hanging her head. 

“That’s why you were so desperate to answer?” 

“Otherwise, even I’d leave it alone while someone’s yelling at me.” 

She puffed out her cheeks, glaring up at him. 

“Ah-ha.” 

“What’s that attitude? You’re being mean, right?” 

“Not at all.” 

“I know you’re thinking, ‘If you’d lose them that easily, they were never your friends at all.’” 

Had someone told her as much before? It sounded like she was doing an imitation of someone. 

“You clearly think so yourself,” Sakuta said. 

“Sh-shut up!” 

Sakuta put a hand on her head, messing up her hair. 

“Augh! Dumbass! I spent a lot of time on that!” 

She brushed his hand off and hastily started fixing it. 

“Good luck, young girl.” 

“Are you making fun of me?” 

“You’re doing your best to survive those dumb friendship rules, right? So no, I’m not making fun of you. I just think it’s dumb.” 

Whether e-mail or texts, he had no idea who would want rules like that in the first place or who benefited from their creation. Maybe they’d originally been put in place to keep things cordial, and before anyone realized it, they’d become restrictive rules that made everyone suffer. 

But once everyone decided to follow those rules, they were stuck with them. Not adhering meant getting expelled from the group. You could easily lose your friends. And once out of the group, there was no way back in. Sakuta knew that only too well. He knew how much Kaede had suffered because of it. 

Restrictions like that were exhausting. Yet people couldn’t feel safe unless they made rules, binding them, connecting them, creating a place where they belonged. Each e-mail or text sent was a way of checking on each other. “Are you okay?” “I’m okay.” It was difficult for many people to give themselves affirmation, so they needed it from others. This give-and-take was shared, synchronized. That was how people made safe places for themselves. 

Junior high or high school, schools were societies. They were worlds unto themselves. And everyone was desperate to fit in. 

Sakuta only began to understand how these worlds ticked when he started high school and got a job where he spent more time interacting with college students and grown-up staff members. He began to grasp what schools looked like from an outside perspective. Only then did he realize everyone just wanted to belong. 

“So you’re making fun of me.” 

“You seem nice, Koga, so I’ll drop it.” 

“Nice?” 

“It takes guts to step in and save a kid from a creep. I respect that. Maybe next time just call for help instead, though? If you’d been up against a real creep, you might have been in big trouble. You are pretty cute.” 

“D-don’t call me cute!” 

Tomoe turned bright red. Did she somehow not get called that? 

“Keep justice in your heart! Keep fighting the good fight!” 

“Uh, sure. Thanks.” 

He hadn’t expected her to accept it and actually say thanks. Maybe she genuinely was nice. Or blindingly pure of heart. 

A phone rang. Sakuta didn’t have one, so it was definitely Tomoe’s. 

“Oh crap! I promised I’d be there! Bye!” 

Tomoe raced off. At that speed in a skirt as short as hers, Sakuta definitely got an eyeful, but yelling a warning after her would just draw attention to it, so he simply watched her go in silence. 

“White, huh?” he remarked. 

Once Tomoe was completely out of sight, Sakuta turned to go home. 

He took maybe three steps, then stopped. 

He felt like he was forgetting something important. 

“……Ah!” 

Mai’s face had flicked across the back of his mind. Naturally, she was not exactly smiling pleasantly. Or even sulking adorably. This was definitely the face she’d made the one time he’d really made her mad. 

“Craaap…” 

Almost tripping over his own feet, Sakuta burst into a headlong sprint toward their agreed meeting place. 

2 

Sakuta came running into the Enoden Fujisawa Station. Same place he came every day on the way to school. He stopped in front of the ticket gates. 

This was where Mai had said they should meet. 

Trying to catch his breath, he looked right, then left. The entire set of gates was only six or seven yards wide. It didn’t take long to do a thorough search. 

“……” 

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Mai. 

“Y-yeah, of course…” 

Mai Sakurajima would never wait an hour and a half. 

“Yiiikes…I really blew it.” 

A wave of regret washed over him. But there was no way he could have ignored the lost little girl or any way he could have predicted the mess the schoolgirl of justice had caused. He stood by his choices. 

But in this precise moment, he really regretted not owning a phone. He could at least have told her what was going on. Even if he had, she would probably have said, “So this is more important than a date with me?” and canceled their plans, so… 

He would just have to figure out a way to get her to forgive him. Once she realized he wasn’t coming, Mai would have been furious and either gone home or somewhere alone. It wouldn’t be easy to get back on her good side. 

As he slumped, dejected, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. They sounded familiar. But there was a distinct note of irritation in the rhythm. 

“You had the gall to keep me waiting for ninety-eight minutes.” 

“……” 

He turned around, unable to believe his ears. There was Mai. In street clothes. 

“Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” 

“I never took you for the sort of girl who’d wait earnestly and adorably for an hour and a half! You must be an imposter!” 

Her eyes narrowed. He was sure the temperature in the air lowered a few degrees. 

“Clearly, we’re learning what you think of me.” 

He mostly thought she was sexy. Did she know?! 

“Uh, you took that as an insult?” 

“How else would I take it, dear?” 

Mai seemed to intend this last word as an insult, but it felt more like a reward. But if he told her that, she might never say it again, so Sakuta kept his mouth shut. 

“What are you grinning about?” 

“Nothing.” 

He forced himself to look serious. He finally managed to register her outfit. A long-sleeve blouse with a cute knit hooded vest over it. Her skirt went to her knees. It flared out a bit at the hem, very mature-looking. Meanwhile, her boots came all the way up to just below the knees. The whole thing was classy and elegant, but not too polished—all perfectly balanced. A good fit for Mai’s grown-up vibe. 

“……” 

But there was no skin anywhere. Maybe just the bit around her knees. 

A sigh escaped him. 

“That was rude!” 

“Mai, are you sure about this?” 

“Wh-what?” she asked, bracing herself. 

“Date outfits are all about miniskirts and bare legs!” 

“I will punch you,” Mai said, making a fist. 

“Sigh.” 

“Don’t look so disappointed!” 

“I was looking forward to it, though.” 

“Real ballsy when you’re this late.” 

“You always wear black tights with your uniform.” 

“W-well, I put a lot of thought into this…,” she muttered, eyes wavering. 

“And you look absolutely adorable!” 

“……” 

Mai turned her eyes toward him, demanding another helping. 

“You’re super cute, Mai!” 

“Much better.” 

“My heart’s beating so fast, I want to take you home with me! Decorate my walls with you!” 

“Okay, now you’re just being creepy. Knock it off.” 

“Then let’s get going.” 

He gestured toward the gates. 

“Wait. We’re not done here.” 

“What else is there?” 

He’d been hoping to wriggle out of this, so he played dumb. 

“Drop the act.” 

“I would never dare to do such a thing in your presence.” 

“Let’s hear your excuse. You will then sincerely beg my forgiveness.” 

Mai seemed to be enjoying this. Her expression was lively. 

“If it’s not good enough, I’m going home.” 

Had Mai waited the full ninety-eight minutes just to torture him? That theory was starting to sound convincing. 

“On the way here, I found a lost child by the park.” 

“Bye.” 

“I know it sounds fake, but it’s the truth!” 

“There are no parks between your job and here,” she pointed out. 

“I went home first.” 

“Why?” 

“I had time to spare and figured I’d better shower and change my underwear, just in case.” 

“……Gross.” 

She seemed genuinely appalled. 

“But I’ll assume it was the useless flailing of a singularly pathetic younger boy and move on.” 

“Thank you.” 

“But I won’t allow you within three yards of me the rest of the day.” 

That could hardly be called a date. Anyone would assume Sakuta was stalking her. 

“Go on, finish your lie.” 

“I really did take a lost kid to the police station.” 

“Was this kid a girl?” 

“Yes.” 

“You’ve got a lot of nerve making me wait while you spent time with another girl.” 

“You’re counting four-year-olds?!” 

“I am,” she said emphatically. 

It seemed risky to confess the whole story. If he admitted he’d been with a cute high school girl like Tomoe Koga—she was legitimately cute—there was no telling what scorn would be heaped upon him. 

“But the police station’s right over there.” 

Mai pointed to the small station right outside Fujisawa Station. 

“Once I got involved, I had to stick around until we found her parents. She was crying!” 

“Hmm.” She gave him a look of deep suspicion. “I hate lies.” 

“What a coincidence! So do I.” 

“If you’re lying, I’ll make you eat Pocky through your nose.” 

“Just one?” 

“The whole box.” 

This form of torture seemed almost feasible, and the vivid imagery it conjured was definitely not pleasant. 

“I don’t think you should play with your food.” 

“You will be eating it, so that won’t be a problem.” 

“……” 

“……” 

Mai moved closer, studying his face. She was trying to pressure him into spilling the whole story. He could feel her breath on his cheek. She smelled good. 

“You’re so stubborn.” 

“……” 

Now he really couldn’t tell the truth. Not without getting Pocky in his nose. 

“Well, fine. You’re not off the hook, but let’s get this date started.” 

Should he be happy? 

“Thank you,” he said, relief washing over— 

“Oh! It’s the pedo guy!” 

That voice sounded familiar… 

He looked toward the connecting passage to the JR and Odakyu stations and saw Tomoe Koga again. There were three other girls with her, presumably the friends she’d promised to meet. They were a lovely group and seemed pretty close. Probably the most popular girls in their class. 

“The Hakata woman!” Sakuta said. 

Tomoe hurriedly ran over to him, clapping her hands over his mouth. 

“Don’t call me that!” she hissed. 

“Hakata woman?” one of her friends echoed, baffled. 

“Uh, you know, the famous Fukuoka souvenir! The one where they put red bean paste in Baumkuchen. It has the picture of a woman on it, but it’s supposed to be called something different.” 

“Oh, I’ve had that! It’s good!” 

“Whoa, Tomoe!” Another friend grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Sakuta. 

“Wh-what?” 

“That’s the hospitalization guy,” the friend whispered. He could totally hear her. 

“Huh? But that’s Ichiro Sato?” Tomoe said, confused. 

“What? Where’d you get that name? And she’s…you know.” 

All four of them glanced at Mai. Apparently, they could all see her. 

“Come on, let’s go.” 

Her friends led her off through the gates. They were soon out of sight. 

Watching them go, Sakuta realized he’d made a terrible mistake. He should never have responded to Tomoe’s voice at all. He should have pretended not to know her. That would have been so much better. 

He glanced at Mai. Her face was terrifyingly devoid of expression. 

“Sakuta.” 

“You’ve got the wrong idea.” 

“Her name’s Tomoe?” 

“G-guess so.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.” She put her arms around his. “Let’s go buy some Pocky!” 

“Would you let me off with just the skinny ones?” 

“Noooope.” 

He was way past enjoying the mischief in her voice. Or savoring what he felt pressing against his arm. 

“Mercy?” 

“No can do, pedo.” 

And so Sakuta and Mai’s first date began with a detour to the nearest convenience store. 

3 

There was a snap as a stick of Pocky broke. 

Sakuta and Mai were on the Enoden train. They were sitting side by side on seats facing the ocean. 

There was another snap. Mai was eating the Pocky she’d bought one stick at a time. The sight of her lips parting was awfully cute, and Sakuta couldn’t get enough of it. Mai wasn’t doing this consciously, but the way she gently nibbled on the tip of the Pocky before biting down was bewitching. 

But he was unable to devote himself to the enjoyment of the sight. There was no telling when she might try to jam a stick up his nose, so he remained on guard. 

The moment came even faster than he’d feared. 

Mai held a Pocky in his direction. 

“Here,” she said. 

“I’m so full!” 

“I’ve got to watch my weight. You eat the rest.” 

“Eat them with what?” 

“You may eat them normally,” she sighed, giving him a little side-eye. 

“Then thanks.” 

He took the box from her. 

“You didn’t think I’d really make you eat them through your nose, did you?” 

“You sure seemed to mean it.” 

“That’s called acting.” 

“But of course!” 

“You could have tried eating one that way, though.” 

“You’re a demon!” 

“Your lack of repentance is making me reconsider.” 

“Sorry! I’m kidding! You’re the beautiful Mai Sakurajima! Please show mercy!” 

“You don’t sound at all convincing.” 

Mai turned her eyes back to the window, looking bored. They were only three stops out of Fujisawa Station, not even to the ocean view yet. Almost to the part where the train ran between rows of houses. 

This late in the afternoon, there were few people on the train. Plenty of empty seats. They’d scoped out the reactions of the passengers nearby, but none of them seemed to have noticed Mai—they most likely couldn’t see her. 

“Hey.” 

“Should I get down on my hands and knees?” 

“No. Why do you insist on involving yourself with me? Fess up. Consider it your punishment.” 

“Where’d that come from?” 

“As big a pain as I’ve been, most people would have called it quits by now.” 

“How self-aware.” 

“It’s not like people around me hide it.” 

Mai had never fit into her class or the school. She was treated like the air, and no one voluntarily interacted with her. 

“That grumpy streak is why you can’t make friends, Mai.” 

“You’re one to talk.” 

He ignored her spiteful comment. He was fully aware of this. Yuuma and Rio told him the same thing all the time. 

“But you’re also totally shameless, Sakuta.” 

“I am?” 

“You’re, like, the only one who’s not afraid to talk to me.” 

“You can be kind of unnerving. That definitely keeps people away.” 

Her beauty alone made it hard to strike up a conversation with her, and her celebrity status only made that worse. 

“Oh, be quiet,” she said. 

“Do you like school?” 

“If you mean, ‘Even though I’ve got no friends there,’ it’s been like that since grade school, so it’s not like anything has changed. I’ve never thought of school as a place you ‘like.’” 

That didn’t sound like she was trying to put up a front or be evasive. It sounded like her honest opinion. She had no strong opinion about not fitting in at school. The difference between her and those around her didn’t strike her as strange. She’d given up on it long ago, and Sakuta almost felt like she’d achieved a form of enlightenment about school life. 

“Also, you’re avoiding the subject,” she said, giving him a sidelong glare. “I asked you a question first. You haven’t answered it at all yet!” 

“What was it again?” 

“Why are you so hell-bent on helping me? You even gave that reporter information that could cause trouble for you. You’ve got to have some reason why you’d go to such lengths.” 

She was being even more insistent now. 

“I just can’t ignore someone in trouble.” 

“I’m asking seriously.” 

“Oof.” 

“You’re nice, but you’re not naturally nice.” 

“I’m not?” 

“You’re not nice to everyone. When that college couple tried to take my picture in Shichirigahama Station, you were downright mean.” 

“I think anyone would do the same.” 

“I’m saying you chose a particularly not nice way to go after them. You could have gently nudged instead.” 

“Even though I was mad?” 

“You could have if you wanted to. You were still levelheaded enough to pick exactly the right way to drive him into a corner.” 

“The more you talk, the worse I sound…” 

“You thought you were a good person?” Mai questioned, looking astonished. 

“At the least, you’re worse than me.” 

“Whatever. Just tell me the reason.” 

She wasn’t letting him wriggle out of this. She never did. 

“Then I’ll give you a serious answer. You’d better listen.” 

“Go on.” 

“I thought, here’s my chance to impress a beautiful—” 

“I’m not asking you to confess the raw, unvarnished truth.” 

“You’re the one who demanded a serious answer!” 

“Just give me your current best excuse.” 

Anyone would assume Mai was out to find out how he really felt. Sometimes he really didn’t get her. 

“I know how excruciating it is when you’ve got no one to ask for help,” he said, like he was past caring. 

“……” 

This time she didn’t interrupt. He must have been passing. 

“When Kaede got Adolescence Syndrome, nobody would believe it, even when it happened right in front of them.” 

Sakuta took a bite of Pocky. If he talked with his mouth full, he figured Mai would scold him for bad manners, so he swallowed before continuing. 

“Nobody would listen to us. They all just pulled away. We were telling the truth, but they called us liars.” 

And he didn’t blame them. It was the natural reaction. If it hadn’t been his own sister, Sakuta would never have believed it, either. He’d have closed his eyes and ears, pretending he’d seen and heard nothing. 

That would have been so much easier. Everyone knew as much. 

“Can I ask one thing?” Mai inquired, sounding slightly hesitant. 

He nodded. He had a feeling he knew what was coming. 

“Your parents?” She treaded carefully. 

She had problems with her own mother, so it must have taken a lot for her to risk asking something so intrusive. He felt like her ability to put herself in his shoes was a good thing. She might act the queen a bit, but she could also understand how the commoners felt. 

“They don’t live with us.” 

“I know that. I’ve been in your apartment.” 

Certainly, seeing his place would make that very clear. There was no hint of anything grown-up. Only Sakuta’s shoes were at the door, and the vibe in the hall and his bedroom was the same. Normally, people’s territories felt different, even if they were family. 

“I’m asking if…” 

“I know.” 

He’d known what she meant from the beginning. How had they handled Kaede’s situation? 

He ate three Pocky at once. The box was empty now. He crumpled it up and shoved it in his pocket. 

“Mom, well… She tried to accept it. In the end, the whole situation was too much for her, and she went… She’s still in the hospital. Her daughter being bullied was hard enough without this insane Adolescence Syndrome stuff on top of it. Dad’s at her side.” 

Sakuta himself still didn’t know how to handle it. Before he did anything, everything around him had changed, and before he knew it, things were the way they were now. 

Only the results remained. 

He hadn’t been able to do a thing, and there was nothing he could do now. 

“Kaede took Mom’s rejection hard, and since she was the cause of it, that was even worse…and now she won’t let anyone come close but me.” 

“How old is she again?” 

“Two years younger than me. She should be a third-year in junior high. Ever since it all went down, she became an extreme homebody and hasn’t been to school at all.” 

Strictly speaking, she couldn’t leave the house. If she put shoes on and stood at the door, her legs refused to take a single step outside. She’d start crying like a toddler throwing a tantrum. 

A counselor came to see her once a month, but so far, there were no signs of improvement. 

“Your mother… Do you hate her for it?” 

“I used to,” Sakuta admitted. “I thought it was her job to help us, to believe Kaede and me.” 

But living away from her had opened his eyes to a few things. How much work she’d done around the house on a daily basis. Cooking meals, doing laundry, cleaning the bath and toilet, taking care of all sorts of problems. And when they’d all lived together, Sakuta had taken that for granted. 

Once he had to do it all himself, there were things he noticed, things he changed. Specifically, he now sat down to pee. 

He knew for a fact his mother had been putting up with a lot. There would certainly have been things she wished the rest of the family were more conscious of. But she never once uttered a single word of complaint in front of Sakuta. It never once showed on her face. She never once demanded anyone thank her for it. 

And he started to feel that he had no right to bear a grudge against her, given all he had to be grateful for. Over the last year, those feelings had only grown. 

The same went for his father. They met once a month to report progress on each side. His father was looking after his wife while also providing enough money for Sakuta and Kaede to live on their own. No matter how many shifts Sakuta took at the restaurant, he’d never earn enough to pay the rent at their current apartment. Sakuta had to admit he was simply not able to sustain his current daily life with nothing but his own power. 

“Dealing with Kaede taught me that I’m just a kid, and being a grown-up doesn’t mean you can solve everything. Pretty obvious, I know.” 

“Wow…that’s quite astute.” 

“You totally think I’m an idiot.” 

“Not really. Most of our classmates still haven’t figured that out yet.” 

“They just haven’t had the chance. Everyone will once they’re forced to face the facts.” 

“So where are we going with this?” Mai asked, glancing toward the windows. The ocean would be coming into view soon. 

He remembered her original question. 

Why did he insist on involving himself? 

That’s how this conversation started. 

“There was one person who listened to me about Kaede’s Adolescence Syndrome.” 

If it hadn’t been for that, Sakuta was sure he’d never have made it through. 

He’d learned some harsh lessons. 

Being lonely wasn’t the worst thing in the world. 

Being genuinely alone was far, far worse. 

This was a truth everyone knew, deep down. And the deep-rooted fear of that led to rules like “answer texts immediately” or “never leave a message unread.” Without realizing how those rules became nooses tied around people’s necks, it simply led to getting permanently ostracized. 

“I found someone who believed me.” 

It hurt to remember her. He found himself biting his lip each time he recalled her name. 

“A girl?” Mai inquired. 

“Huh?” Sakuta jumped. She was right. 

Mai’s cold stare was downright unnerving. 

“I could see it in your face,” she said. Clearly displeased. 

The train stopped at Kamakura High School Station. The next stop was Shichirigahama, where they usually got off. 

The moment the doors opened, Mai stood up. 

“Come on,” she ordered. 

The goal of their date was the last stop on the line. They still had a fifteen-minute ride ahead of them. 

“Not Kamakura proper?” he asked. 

Mai was already off the train. 

“Uh, wait.” He scrambled after. 

The doors closed a second later, and the train slowly rattled off. They watched until it was out of sight, then Mai turned her gaze toward the shore. 

This station was built right on the waterfront. Technically, on a hill above it. There was nothing obstructing the view. You could just stand on the platform waiting for a train and have the view all to yourself. 

It was the kind of location used in movies all the time. Sakuta was pretty sure something actually had filmed things here—he’d definitely seen film crews on the beach. 

“Since you were ninety-eight minutes late, it’s already evening,” Mai explained. 

The sun was hanging low over Enoshima, and the sky was turning red. 

“Let’s walk.” 

She pointed toward the water and left the station without waiting for an answer. 

Sakuta laughed about that but followed her happily. 

Outside the station, Sakuta and Mai had to wait an eternity for a walk light to cross Route 134. On the other side was a twenty-step staircase down to the Shichirigahama beach. 

Keeping Enoshima at their backs, they walked in the direction of Kamakura. 

The sand pulled at their feet, making it hard to walk. 

“Did you know that, despite its name, Shichirigahama isn’t even close to being seven ri long?” 

“One ri is about two and a half miles, but this beach isn’t even two.” 

This was a far cry from the usual exaggeration. 

“How dull,” Mai said. Maybe she’d wanted to be the one to tell him. 

“Kujuukuri Beach in Chiba also isn’t ninety-nine ri.” 

“You know a lot of useless facts,” she remarked, looking very bored. 

“You raised the subject!” 

“So what was she like?” 

“Hmm?” He pretended not to follow. 

“The crazy lady who believed your nonsense.” 

“You’re jealous?” 

“What’s her name?” 

“You are jealous.” 

“Just spit it out!” 

Teasing her further was clearly just going to make her mad. 

“Her name was Shouko Makinohara,” Sakuta said, listening to the sound of the surf. “She’s five foot three. Smaller than you across the board. I dunno how much she weighs.” 

“If you did, I’d want to know why.” 

“She heard me out, listening carefully, but never changed the way she acted or seemed to take pity on me.” 

“Hmm.” 

Mai had asked, but now she didn’t seem to care. 

“Only other distinguishing feature was her Minegahara High uniform.” 

“……” 

Only then did she look at him. 

“Did you enroll here to chase after her?” 

“With everything that happened with Kaede, staying where we were was too hard—that was the deciding factor. We talked about going someplace even farther, but info spreads online no matter where you go, so we figured distance wouldn’t really matter. But, well…the reason I picked this school was basically what you said.” 

He might as well admit it. After everything else he’d divulged, there was no point hiding it. 

“But she rejected you,” Mai said, seemingly enjoying his misfortune. 

“The outcome’s the same, but…I never actually asked her out.” 

“Even though you chose her school?” 

There was an accusatory look in her eyes, as if she were saying, “What was the point of coming to Minegahara High, then?” 

“She wasn’t here.” 

He picked a rock off the beach and threw it at the ocean. He felt like this was the same spot where he’d gotten rid of his phone. 

“She graduated?” 

“I was in third year of junior high when we met. She said she was in second year of high school, so I doubt that’s it.” 

“Then she transferred?” 

“That would have been preferable.” 

“Then it was something else?” 

“I went around to all the third-year classes, asking all the students.” 

“And?” 

Sakuta shook his head. 

“Nobody’d ever heard of a student named Shouko Makinohara.” 

“……” 

Mai appeared unsure how to take that. 

“I checked the class lists for the entire school, wondered if she’d been held back a year…even went through the last three yearbooks.” 

But he’d found no sign of her. 

There were no records of any Shouko Makinohara ever attending Minegahara High. 

“I don’t know what it means, either. All I know is that I met someone named Shouko Makinohara, and she was there for me when I needed her.” 

“Yeah.” 

“And since I can’t pay her back for that…maybe I’m trying to help you instead.” 

On your own, the anxiety would never go away. Just having someone there with you could be enough to get you through it. That had been Sakuta’s experience two years ago. 

“Also, I’m just curious.” 

“About what?” 

“Why does Adolescence Syndrome happen? If I could crack that…” 

His hand drifted to his chest. 

“The scars bother you?” 

“A bit, yeah.” 

Summer was coming, and swimming class was going to suck. If there was a way to get rid of his scars, he’d love to know how. 

“And if we can crack it, maybe I can help Kaede.” 

“Right.” 

It would be a tragedy if she could never leave the house again. A real waste to spend the rest of her life reading and playing with their cat. 

Sakuta wanted to bring Kaede to this beach someday. But to do that, he had to learn more about Adolescence Syndrome and find a way to apply that knowledge to her case. That was the real reason he’d first gotten interested in Mai… 

He didn’t need to spell it out. One glance at the smile on her face made it clear she understood. 

Sakuta picked up another rock and flung it at the water. It traced an arc through the air and sank with a plop. 

“Hey.” 

“……” 

He waited silently for her next question. 

“Are you still in love with her?” 

“……” 

He couldn’t confirm or deny. All he could do was cover it over with a smile. 

“Are you in love with Shouko Makinohara?” Mai asked. 

Once again, he turned it over in his mind. 

Did he still love her? 

Maybe he’d been avoiding that question all along. 

Did he love Shouko Makinohara? 

Once, the very thought of her had sent stabbing pains through his chest. If he dwelled on thoughts of her, the tightness inside would get so bad he couldn’t sleep. 

But a year had gone by. It wasn’t like that now. Not anymore. 

Maybe he’d found his answer a long time back and had just been avoiding putting his feelings in words. Maybe this was the time to say it. 

“I really did love her.” 

He let the words drift toward the ocean. That alone felt like a huge weight off his chest. 

Without there ever being a specific trigger for it, time had turned his feelings into memories. But a scab had formed on the wound of his broken heart, and before he knew it, that had peeled away, too. That was simply how human beings moved on with their lives. 

“If you’re going to say it, might as well say it louder.” 

“I feel like you’d never let me hear the end of it.” 

“I could film it for you,” Mai offered, holding up her phone. “Come on! Say it again!” 

He thought he heard a definite edge to her tone. 

“Are you, like, actually mad?” 

“Huh? Why would I be?” 

She was definitely fuming. Her irritation was obvious. There was a sharpness to her glare, and Sakuta could feel it stabbing into him. 

“That’s why I’m asking…” 

“Who would be happy having her date interrupted by an admission of love for some other girl?” 

“I used the past tense! Important detail!” 

“Hmph.” 

Mai really did not seem convinced. This might take a while to get past. But while Sakuta was considering his approach… 

“The sea!” a cheery voice called. 

They looked up and saw a couple standing on the stairs to the beach. 

The man had curly hair and a big pair of headphones around his neck. 

The woman was smaller, with glasses. When her boyfriend ran off excitedly toward the water, she looked after him, sulking. Her heels were sinking into the sand, and she wasn’t making much progress. 

They looked a few years older than Mai and Sakuta. Probably college students. 

Seeing her struggle, her boyfriend ran back toward her. 

“N-no, don’t!” she yelped. 

But he swept her off her feet, carrying her in his arms to the water’s edge. 

“I can’t believe you!” she complained. He put her down. Her face was red. She was clearly conscious of Sakuta’s gaze. “The nerve!” 

While she grumbled, he was standing in the surf, yelling, “Whoa! The waves!” Not listening to her at all. Kind of an odd couple. 

“It’s cold! I’m leaving,” the woman said, turning around. But he just threw his arms around her from behind. 

Sakuta let out an impressed “Wow.” 

Fortunately, they were too busy flirting to hear him. 

“You’re so warm!” 

“……” 

She seemed to be cursing under her breath. Still, she didn’t try to shake him off. The way she buried her face in his arms was kinda cute. 

Sakuta glanced at Mai. 

“I’m not cold,” she said, sticking a nail in that plan. 

“Wow, I’m sooo cold,” he tried, staring at the water. She just glared at him. 

The college couple was walking away along the surf, hand in hand. 

Like something out of a movie. 

“Looks nice,” he said. 

“Yeah.” 

“Mm?” 

“N-never mind.” 

Had the truth slipped out? Mai seemed to be hastily covering her tracks. 

“I could hold your hand.” 

“Why does it sound like you’re doing me the favor?” she asked. 

But when he held his hand out, she took it. Not so they could hold hands, though. 

When Mai pulled her hand away, her phone was left on his palm. A smartphone with a red bunny-ear cover. 

“Is this for me?” 

“No.” 

“Then…” 

But then his eyes caught what was on-screen. 

She’d left it open to an e-mail. 

He glanced up to see if he could read it, and she nodded, looking tense. 

Come to Shichirigahama Beach at 5 PM on May 25 (Sunday). 

Today’s date. Five minutes from now. 

He wasn’t sure why Mai had shown him this. 

Until he saw to whom it was addressed. 

Her manager. 

Mai had written this e-mail to her mother. And the screen showed she’d already sent it. Sent it the day they’d agreed to this date. The day Mai had announced she was going back to work. Right after they’d parted ways. 

It was almost five. 

“You’re really meeting her?” he asked, handing the phone back. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“Then you don’t have to.” 

He knew she’d had no contact with her mother since they’d argued about the photo book she had put out in her third year of junior high. She’d already made up her mind to find new management, so there didn’t seem to be any need to meet her mother in person now. 

“Oh, is there some agency contract in the way?” 

“I ended the contract with her office when I went on hiatus. Don’t worry.” 

That meant this had to be for personal reasons. It was a way to settle things. 

Mai stared into the surf, looking unhappy. She’d made up her mind but was obviously still reluctant to do this. 

“I’m a big believer in not doing anything you don’t want to,” Sakuta said, like he was thinking out loud. 

“Is there a part two?” 

“It kinda goes hand in hand with ‘If you have to do something, then go out and get it done.’” 

Sakuta stretched his arms out toward the water. 

Some things were best avoided. 

Some things couldn’t be. 

Everything was one of the two. 

If something could be avoided, there was no need to do it. But when something couldn’t be avoided, no progress could be made by ignoring it. 

And in this case, Mai seemed to think talking to her mother was the latter. 

“Are you okay?” Sakuta asked, deciding it was best to be direct. 

“I chose this myself, and…she’s already here.” 

A distant figure was approaching from the Enoshima end of the beach. 

“She’s always been punctual.” 

She was still so far off, Sakuta could never have identified her. But Mai was sure—they were family, after all. 

“Go away,” Mai insisted, waving a hand like she was shooing a stray dog. 

“I was gonna introduce myself!” 

“……” 

Sakuta threw his hands up, surrendering before her glare. 

“We’ll continue the date once this is over. Keep your distance until then.” 

“Got it.” 

He moved away from the surf and sat down on a piece of driftwood. 

The figure in the distance drew closer. Sakuta could see her clearly now. 

Like Mai, she was a spirited beauty. Technically, it was Mai who took after her… 

Slim, tall, still seemed pretty young—at the least, not old enough to have a daughter Mai’s age. Seeing her reminded Sakuta that he’d overheard a classmate gossiping, saying she’d only been twenty when she had Mai. 

If that was true, she was still in her thirties. That still seemed old to Sakuta, but nothing about her seemed like a mom. The light-colored suit only reinforced that impression. 

Mai stood still, watching her mother approach. They were maybe ten paces apart now. 

Sakuta saw Mai say something. A greeting of some kind. It was drowned out by the wind and the surf. From this distance, he couldn’t make out a word. 

Mai’s mother slowed a little but didn’t stop. She didn’t respond to Mai’s words. 

Mai spoke again, leaning forward, looking desperate. 

“……” 

That’s when Sakuta realized something was wrong. 

The mother’s gaze was all over the place. Looking left and right, like she was searching for the person she was here to meet. 

Mai was standing right there, but she never looked directly at her. 

“……Oh shit,” he said, a sinking feeling in his chest. Please, not this, he screamed inside. 

And then Mai’s mother walked straight past her. 

Like she couldn’t see Mai at all. 

Like she couldn’t hear her daughter’s voice. 

She just walked on by. 

Sakuta knew what was happening already. A chill ran down his spine. 

He watched in horror, fear washing over him. 

Mai moved back in front of her mother, waving her arms, begging, “Can’t you see me?” 

Loud enough for Sakuta to hear. 

But Mai’s mother walked right past her again. Behind her, Mai’s arms fell limply to her sides. 

Sakuta found himself on his feet, headed right toward Mai—and her mother. 

When he was about ten yards out, she saw him. 

When he was five yards out, she seemed sure. 

“Was it you?” she asked. She seemed cross. This reminded him of Mai and caught him off guard. “Why’d you call me to a place like this? Who are you? You look like you’re in high school, but I don’t believe we’ve met.” 

The questions just kept coming. 

“I’m Sakuta Azusagawa. Yeah, I’m in high school. That one.” He waved in the direction of Minegahara High, up Route 134. 

“Well, what do you want with me, Sakuta Azusagawa? I’m a very busy woman.” 

“I’m not the one who wants something.” 

He caught Mai’s eye over her mother’s shoulder. 

She hesitated for a moment but then nodded slowly. He felt like she’d known this might happen and brought Sakuta with her to prepare for the worst. Using the “date” as bait. 

“Then who does?” 

Weird question, he thought. 

“Mai. You know that already, right?” 

She was only here because she’d read the e-mail. That fact shouldn’t have changed even if she couldn’t see Mai. 

“……” 

Mai’s mother looked him over, as if evaluating him. 

“Who called me here? Say that again.” 

“Mai.” 

“Right.” 

“Yes.” 

The wind caught her hair, and she brushed it back. 

“Who’s that?” she asked. 

“?!” Mai’s eyes went wide. Shock and horror fought for dominance behind them. What kind of mother talked like that? 

“She’s your daughter!” Sakuta yelled, letting his emotions get the better of him. 

They might not be talking, but this was no way for a mother to behave. 

“I don’t have a daughter. You think this is funny?” 

“Do you?!” 

The more worked up Sakuta got, the colder she became. 

“What’s this really about? You want me to manage you or something?” 

“Of course not! What are you…?” 

His eyes met hers, and the words died on his lips. There was a look of pity in them. And at last, he realized that she’d said “Who’s that?” because she genuinely had no idea who Mai Sakurajima was. 

This woman’s eyes proved she wasn’t lying. 

“Right, the e-mail! You got an e-mail from Mai saying she’d meet you here?” 

“If I show it to you, will that bring an end to this farce?” 

She pulled a phone from her purse, holding it out for him to see. 

“…Why?” Mai wondered. Leaning in to look. 

Naturally, her mother couldn’t hear or see her. 

The body of the e-mail was the same as what Mai had shown him a few minutes before. 

Come to Shichirigahama Beach at 5 PM on May 25 (Sunday). 

And the sender field said Mai. Nothing strange about it. 

But her mother was saying, “Sender unknown. But I added it to my calendar, and I remember clearing my schedule to be here. Can’t imagine why.” 

He was every bit as confused. It clearly said Mai, but it sounded like her mother couldn’t even see the name. 

From what she’d just said, it seemed clear that when she’d received the e-mail three days earlier, she had been well aware it was from her daughter. That’s why she’d cleared her schedule and taken the time to come here. 

But before the day in question, she had completely forgotten Mai. It wasn’t a matter of just not seeing or hearing her—she didn’t even remember her daughter at all. 

This was hard to believe, but it was the only explanation for her behavior. 

“Is that even possible?!” His mouth was running of its own accord. There was a hollow rasp in his voice that sounded horrifying even to his ears. “I can’t just accept that!” He hurled his shock at Mai’s mother. 

“Certainly an interesting way to sell yourself, but a bit too crazy for me. Learn a thing or two about the world before you try again.” 

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked back the way she came. 

“You’re her mother!” 

“……” 

She didn’t look back. Her stride didn’t break even once. 

“How can you forget your own daughter?” 

“…That’s enough,” Mai said softly. 

“But she…!” 

“Enough.” 

“We’re not done here!” Sakuta roared, unable to stop himself. 

“……Please. No more,” Mai pleaded, sounding like she was about to cry. 

A shudder ran through him. It dawned on Sakuta that he was just making this even worse for her. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

“……” 

“Really sorry.” 

“……No, it’s fine.” 

“……” 

What on earth was happening to Mai? 

All along, Sakuta had thought it was a matter of being unseen and unheard. He’d assumed as much. Mai probably had, too. 

But now it seemed like they’d been very wrong. 

Neither of them had grasped the full scope. 

Not only had her mother not seen her or heard her voice…she’d completely forgotten that Mai ever existed. 

“……” 

The more he thought about that, the worse it seemed. 

“Sakuta,” Mai said, eyes wavering anxiously. 

He knew she was worried about the same thing. 

Her mother might not be the only one. Everyone else may have forgotten her, too. 

When had this started? Maybe the moment they stopped seeing her. Maybe not. 

If she was really disappearing from people’s memories… 

Alas, it would not take them long to confirm that was exactly what was happening. 

4 

Sakuta and Mai walked the rest of the beach to the station they used for school. Neither had suggested it aloud; their feet just naturally carried them toward their usual route home. 

Along the way, Sakuta spoke to middle-aged tourists and local children and grandparents, asking them about Mai Sakurajima. It was the same question a dozen times, which was met by the same answer every time. 

“Never heard of her.” 

Not one person knew who she was. Not one of them could see her. 

Part of Sakuta was still hoping against hope. He wanted to believe they’d just coincidentally spoken to a string of people who didn’t know her. But that faint hope soon faded. 

When they got to Fujisawa Station, Sakuta used a pay phone to call the reporter Fumika Nanjou. He was glad he’d kept her business card in his pocket. 

“Yes?” she answered, her tone professional. 

“This is Sakuta Azusagawa.” 

“Oh!” Her tone brightened immediately. “A love call from you? Today is special.” 

“No love here.” 

“No interest in a risky relationship with an older woman? I do so love playing with fire.” 

“You’re a bit too old for me.” 

“So what do you want?” 

She was good at ignoring anything not in her favor. 

“It’s about Mai Sakurajima.” 

“Where’d that come from?” 

Oh, Sakuta thought. 

That sounded promising. 

But her next words instantly shattered that hope. 

“And who might that be?” 

“……” 

“Hello?” 

“You’ve never heard of Mai Sakurajima?” One more try. 

“Never! Who is she?” 

“Then…uh, the photo…?” 

A photo of the scars on his chest had been part of their deal. Fumika still had it. And she’d promised Mai she wouldn’t make it public in return for exclusive rights to the story about Mai’s return to work. 

“I promised not to use it, right? I remember. I’ll keep my word.” 

“Who did you promise?” 

“You, obviously. What’s going on? Are you okay?” 

She sounded half-worried, half-curious. Sakuta decided it was better not to talk further. Didn’t want her getting wind of anything. 

“I’m fine. Sorry. I just started fretting about the photo… Guess I wasn’t making sense.” 

“Trust meee!” 

“Sorry if I interrupted anything. Thanks.” 

Sakuta hung up while he still sounded calm. 

After replacing the receiver in its cradle, he continued holding on to the phone for a long time. 

Then, he slowly turned around, met Mai’s eye, and shook his head. 

She seemed like she hadn’t entertained any hope to the contrary. She just nodded. No emotion on her face. 

“Thanks for today,” she said, turning to leave. 

No hesitation. No indecision. She just walked off in the direction of home. 

The same confident gait as usual. 

Sakuta looked after her, his heart aching. 

A wave of panic hit him. He was afraid he’d never see her again. 

His body moved on its own. 

“Mai, wait.” 

He ran after her and grabbed her wrist. 

She stopped but didn’t turn around. She just stared at the ground in front of her. 

“Let’s go.” 

“……” Her head lifted slightly. “Go where?” 

“Maybe there’s still someone out there who remembers you.” 

“You sound like everyone but you has forgotten me,” Mai said with a forced laugh. 

“……” 

He didn’t deny it. He couldn’t. That was the only explanation. And Mai was thinking the same thing. Otherwise, she never would’ve said that. 

But he wanted to believe. Believe that if they went far enough, everyone would know her, see her, point and say, “Isn’t that Mai Sakurajima?” He wanted to believe there was still a chance. 

“Let’s make sure.” 

“What’s the point? What if we find out you are the only one who remembers me? What good would that do?” 

“Then at the very least, I’ll be with you till we do.” 

“?!” 

There was no way she wasn’t scared. That was impossible. The fear had to be crushing her. She barely understood what was happening to her, and she definitely had no idea why it was happening. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring, so going home alone, with no one waiting for her there—that would’ve been nothing short of terrifying. 

He saw her shoulders shaking. That was proof enough. 

“…How conceited of you,” she said. 

“And it is a date.” 

“I’ve got a whole year on you, you know.” 

“Sorry.” 

“My hand hurts. Let go.” 

He realized he was squeezing pretty hard. He released her wrist. 

“Sorry.” 

“Sorry won’t cut it.” 

“Sorry.” 

And with that, both of them fell silent. 

A full minute passed without another word. 

“…Fine,” Mai finally whispered. 

“Mm?” 

“If you don’t want to let me go home yet, then I’ll allow you to continue this date.” 

Mai looked up, and with an impish grin, she pinched Sakuta’s nose. 

At some point, she had stopped trembling.