Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 12 - Chapter 1.3

3

“Fine. We’ll just cancel today’s plans.”

Mai’s answer came the next day, while Sakuta sat in the passenger seat of her car.

They were stopped at a red light during a momentary lull in the hum of traffic, only the two of them on board. They were heading in for second-period classes. Nodoka had a first-period class, so for once she wasn’t hanging around underfoot.

“We’ll have that date some other time.”

Mai’s hand left the wheel and brushed a lock of hair behind her shoulder.

“Aww.”

“You’re the one who changed plans, so I’m not sure why you’re upset.”

“I was really looking forward to it.”

“That’s my line.”

The light turned green, so instead of stomping his foot, she hit the gas a bit hard. The car shot forward.

“I was hoping you’d be disappointed.”

“I am. Very much so.”

She shot him a baleful side-eye. The moment she’d said hello, he’d noticed her makeup game was even more on point than usual.

“All my preparations went for naught.”

Even her clothes had clearly been chosen with the birthday date in mind.

She was wearing gray wide-legged slacks with a center crease that beautifully accentuated her silhouette. The waist portion was tucked in like a drawstring pouch, further enhancing Mai’s figure. And her white blouse was simple but stylish.

All in all, her look today was less “cute” and more “elegant and classy.”

A black coat to wear out and about lay on the back seat.

“I’m always happy to spend time with my gorgeous Mai.”

“Happy isn’t the word I’d use.”

A powerful counter.

Perhaps it’d be best to stop poking that wound.

“It is what it is,” she admitted. There was a good reason for all this. She was actively being targeted.

That was the sole reason she had agreed to cancel the birthday date so readily. Why she’d said “Fine” without a hint of fury.

Part of him was glad, but any sense of relief he felt was far outweighed by his own frustrations.

After the warning they’d received, Mai must have been anxious.

If the other world’s Sakuta had sent a warning, this wasn’t about tripping over a pebble or stubbing her toe on a doorjamb. Nothing so ordinary fit the bill.

It was safe to assume a much bigger threat was bearing down on her.

The two of them had already lived through the worst-case scenario—that day in the snow. Hearing that Mai was in danger just brought back those unpleasant memories.

It might not be this body that had lived through that, but everything that went down on Christmas Eve had been carved into the back of his mind. The horror he felt as the snow turned red was still fresh in his mind. Not that he planned to forget it; this was a pain that must never be forgotten and would always remain in Sakuta’s heart.

And the same was likely true for Mai.

So why did she show no signs of it?

“Be grateful you have an understanding girlfriend.”

“If it means I spend less time with you, I don’t want to be grateful.”

“Should I come along?”

“That won’t fly.”

He said that a bit too forcefully.

Sakuta didn’t think Touko Kirishima personally meant Mai any harm. He didn’t—but there was still a thorn in his heart making him wary, and that had come out in his voice. He’d let it out.

And by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.

Mai’d been painstakingly trying to act like they always did, and one word from him had shattered that mood. In an instant, it became so tense that it was almost palpable.

Sakuta couldn’t see a way to quickly salvage the situation. He regretted everything, and his eyes fled to the side-view mirror.

Then Mai chuckled.

“Don’t sweat it,” she said.

“I am.”

“I know you’re worried.”

Mai’s eyes lighted briefly on the Christmassy colors of a convenience store’s display.

“It’s almost Christmas,” she said.

He really couldn’t get anything past her. Any other time of year, Sakuta probably could have kept it together.

But ever since his memories came back, the arrival of the Christmas season did a number on him. The whole town turned red and green, lights everywhere—and that left him with an indescribable sense of loss and panic.

“I’ll spend as much time with you as I can this month.”

“Right now I want to be together from good morning to good night.”

He didn’t even want to go outside at all. Staying put at home would be just fine by him.

 Mai’s in danger.

Until the meaning of that sentence came to light.

He didn’t want to lose Mai again. Couldn’t bear that happening twice.

But locking Mai up at home was hardly realistic. She had college and work. If a famous actress suddenly dropped out of sight, that would mean only bad news. It’d be a totally different kind of danger.

“Oh? Only right now?”

“Even when right now ends.”

“If you can joke, you’re fine.”

“You aren’t anxious at all, Mai?”

“I’ve got you, so I’m okay.”

That was a real heart-skipper, and she made it sound so obvious.

“Uh, Mai.”

“Mm?”

“Can we pull over at the next store?”

“Why?”

“So I can hug you.”

The seat belts made that hard while driving.

“Absolutely not.”

“Aww.”

Mai was laughing happily.

Just being with her did a lot to calm his nerves. The anxiety didn’t exactly go away—but he also couldn’t let it show. He didn’t want to dump this all on Mai.

Today, he’d just have to meet Touko and get some answers.

“So where was it you wanted to take me, Mai?”

“You’ll find out once we’re there.”

“Potential wedding venues?”

“No.”

“Meet and greet with your mom?”

“You did that already.” Mai scoffed. Her eyes were on the road sign above.

The car passed under the blue-and-white guide sign. Like an idea had just struck her, Mai changed the subject.

“Sakuta, what’s your second-period class?”

“Core curriculum.”

“You’re good on attendance?”

“I’m not you.”

“I’m good on that, too.”

The Sekiya Interchange was fast approaching. It wasn’t technically an interchange at all, just an intersection with multiple roads that looked like an interchange.

As they drew close, Mai put her blinker on and turned left. To get to their college, she would have to go straight—onto Loop 4. This was hardly the first time she’d driven them in, so Sakuta was starting to learn the route.

“Mai?”

His question was obvious.

“……”

Mai didn’t answer. She just kept driving down a whole new road. Eventually, it connected to National Route 1. They followed that to the Totsuka Interchange and then merged onto the expressway.

The guide signs were starting to mention places toward Yokohama proper. Sakuta and Mai went to college in Kanazawa-hakkei. That was technically part of Yokohama, but in a very different direction from the places around Yokohama Station these signs referred to. They were a solid twenty minutes away by train.

“Are we playing hooky?”

When Mai was able to attend classes, she always went, however brief a time that might be. This was possibly the first time he’d ever seen her intentionally bail.

“It’s my birthday, so I’ll do what I want.”

Mai seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit as she adjusted her grip on the wheel. It would be a full half hour before Sakuta learned the reason why.

Mai pulled into the basement parking lot below Landmark Tower, the signature building of Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district.

By this point, Sakuta was already sensing trouble. He was the one in danger now.

“Mai, why are we here?”

“Follow me, and you’ll find out.”

They left the car and got on an elevator.

Mai pressed the button for the third floor.

The bell signaled their arrival, and the doors opened. A vast shopping mall stood before them.

The wide-open space gave it a relaxing vibe. Even the people walking around seemed extra chill.

“Here,” Mai said, stopping outside an especially upscale shop.

The name was written in English, yet Sakuta still recognized it.

It was a world-famous jewelry store known for their signature shade of blue.

It had even been used in the title of an old movie.

Sakuta felt his jaw drop.

“A lovely gift from my boyfriend would be the perfect way to celebrate turning twenty. Agreed?”

“…Agreed.”

She had a point, and he had no choice.

“Just…”

But he was already walking it back, his defense mechanisms kicking in.

“Just what?” Mai asked, with her sweetest smile. Her head tilted ever so slightly as she peered into his eyes.

Not fair. Not at all fair, but it completely cut off any avenue of retreat.

“Can it double as a Christmas present?”

That was as far as he could go.

“My mother used to say that when I was young, and I always hated it.”

But despite her words, Mai was smiling. Sakuta’s lips were turned in the exact opposite direction, but she went on ahead and entered the shop.

He just had to commit.

“Good thing I brought cash for this date…”

Grateful for his foresight in withdrawing his wages the day before, Sakuta followed her in.

His first step into the shop was one to remember.

The instant he crossed the threshold, it felt like the very air had changed. Even the smell was different. He was half convinced the ground beneath his feet was not the same.

The graceful interior had a modest number of display cases. It was quite spacious, so they could have put far more on display but chose not to.

It was a luxurious use of space. There was no avoiding the staff’s attention and hiding in the shelves here. Or disappearing into the crowd of customers—there was only one other couple in the store. There were more staff than clients.

Thus, the moment they stepped in, a gracefully composed lady greeted them. She was maybe in her late twenties and came toward them with a smile. That polished business demeanor did not last for very long.

“What brings you here…?!”

She broke off, surprised. She managed to avoid a squeak, but her lips made it clear that it was a very close call. Her entire body froze for a brief second.

The cause was obvious. The Mai Sakurajima stood before her.

She soon recovered her smile. “Pardon me,” she said. “Would you care to use a table in the back?”

She was leaning in, speaking softly so the other couple wouldn’t hear.

“Sorry for the unannounced visit. That would be appreciated.”

Mai had donned her public-figure face.

Sakuta was feeling more and more out of place here. Nothing about this store helped put him at ease.

“We don’t want to bother them,” Mai said, taking Sakuta’s elbow.

“This way,” the staff lady said, ushering them into a space that was less a “table” than a private room. There was a table in it, so she hadn’t technically been wrong.

In lieu of chairs, they had an upright couch.

He and Mai sat down together.

The lady introduced herself and explained her role at the store. Sakuta certainly got the impression that if they’d come this far, leaving empty-handed was no longer an option.

“What are you looking for?” the lady asked, looking at Mai.

Mai glanced at Sakuta, so that business smile turned his way.

“Today’s Mai’s birthday,” he said. “Her twentieth.”

“Well, happy birthday.”

Mai acknowledged this with a nod.

“And I wanted to get her a present.”

The lady was nodding enthusiastically, which made him squirm.

“Do you have anything one can buy on a college student’s part-time wages?”

There was no point playing games about it, so he put forth the vital info right away. He’d caught a glimpse of those display cases out front, and the price tags had been downright shocking.

“We have many lovely pieces to choose from. Why don’t I pick out a few for you to look at?”

“Please.”

“I’ll be right back.”

She bowed her head and took her leave.

Only when the door closed did Sakuta let himself lean back against the seat.

“Haaah…” The sigh escaped him.

Before he had a chance to take another breath, there was a knock, and another lady came in. Two seconds after he’d leaned back, Sakuta was bolt upright again.

“Here you are,” she said, placing steaming-hot teacups before them. Inside was clear liquid the color of brand-new bricks. Even from here, it smelled good.

“Thank you,” Mai said.

“Enjoy,” the lady said, and she bowed herself out.

The first lady came in as the second one left.

She returned holding two trays.

“Thank you for waiting,” she said.

Not enough time had passed for it to really be called a wait. If anything, Sakuta would’ve actually preferred she take a bit longer, giving him a moment to settle down.

She smoothly shifted the teacups to the sides of the table and placed the first tray between them.

There were three necklaces laid out in gray felt cases. One had a heart shape dangling from it. One ran through a ring. And one featured a four-leaf clover motif.

“Oh,” Mai said, reaching for one.

She picked up the necklace with the four-leaf clover.

“You wore that in a movie last year,” the lady said. “Quite a few customers came here after seeing that, hoping to own the same piece.”

She put the other tray down.

This one had three rings on it.

One looked like linked leaves, one had two rings crossed, and the last matched the heart on the first necklace.

All of them gleamed a beautiful shade of silver.

“Try on anything you like.”

Mai reached right for the heart-shaped ring.

It fit perfectly on her right ring finger.

One look at it, and her eyes softened. A smile spilled out onto her face.

“Well?” she asked, showing Sakuta her finger, clearly pleased.

The heart-shaped ring inarguably looked great on Mai’s long, slender finger. It fit so perfectly it seemed like it had always been there.

“It looks amazing,” he said. There was no other possible response.

“It absolutely does,” the lady said, catching the ball. She started telling Mai more about the ring, but Sakuta heard none of it.

His eyes were locked on the unobtrusive price tag.

Gallingly, it was significantly more reasonable than what he’d imagined. As ordered, she’d brought something he could afford on his earnings.

“What do you think?”

Mai passed the look from the lady to Sakuta.

The present was from him, so clearly the choice was his—and he was pressed to make one.

“I definitely like the heart motif,” he said. “Both types.”

There was a necklace and a ring, and they matched.

The lady shifted things around so both pieces were on the same tray. Everything else was on the other.

The ring on the right.

The necklace on the left.

A binary choice, laid out visually.

All he had to do was choose.

He looked at the ring again.

It gleamed.

He checked out the necklace.

It was shiny.

The ring’s price tag was noticeably higher.

He quietly took a deep breath.

Then another.

Then he said, “I’ll go with this one,” and pointed at his choice.

“Please come again!”

The lady escorted Sakuta and Mai through the shop and bowed them out the door.

They moved away, walking toward the elevator together.

Mai’s hand was in his, and on it was the heart-shaped silver ring.

They’d had her size in stock, so she’d worn it out.

“You heard the lady,” Mai said, teasing him.

“I guess the next one’ll be our engagement ring.”

“I suppose I can look forward to that.”

He would probably have to add a zero to the price tag.

“Oh, Mai…”

“Mm?”

“Happy birthday.”

“Sakuta…”

“Mm?”

“You always say that too late.”

“Next year I wanna say it to your face the moment the date changes.”

“That’ll depend on my work schedule.”

But Mai gave their clasped hands a little swing.