3
Yukino Yukinoshita really does love cats.
Saturday is the mightiest day of the week. It’s unshakably, overwhelmingly superior. Not only is it a day off of school, the following day is also a day off, like some kind of Super Saiyan bargain sale. I love Saturday so much, I think in the future I’d like my whole week to be like a bunch of Saturdays. On Sundays, you get depressed, thinking, School again tomorrow, huh…, so that day is no good.
Just out of bed and still feeling groggy, I blearily skimmed the morning newspaper. Kobo was amazing today. Actually, Kobo was the only thing I read. Once I was done catching up on the news, that is to say Kobo, I checked the coupon flyers as per usual. If I found something cheap, I’d circle it in red and hand it to Komachi, and then she’d note it on the shopping list, and either my mom or Komachi would go out to buy it.
But then the particularly sparkly lettering in the flyer caught my eye. Given the amount of light radiating from the page, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn this font had inspired the word photon.
“K-Komachi! Look, look at this! The Tokyo Cat and Dog Show is happening now!” I snatched it up and thrust it high above my head. It was like a scene from some lion-related musical, so I let out an appropriate roar. U-Ra-Ra! Wait, that’s Beetlebomb.
“No way! Really? Yes! Nice work finding that, Bro!”
“Ha-ha-ha! Praise me, praise me more!”
“Eeek, you’re so cool! You’re amazing, Bro!”
“…Cram it, you two. You’re too loud.” Our mother crawled out from her bedroom like a golem and intoned a curse. She had bedhead, her glasses were sliding down her nose, and the bags under her eyes appeared to be permanent residents.
“S-sorry…,” I apologized, and our mother gave a little nod before returning to her room. She was apparently going back to sleep for a while… It must be rough being a career woman. When I find a wife to support me, I’ll treat her with sympathy and kindness. That’s what it means to be a superleech who transcends leechdom.
She rested her hand on the door and then turned back to us. “Hey. You can go out, but be careful of cars. It’s like a sauna out there, and drivers are grumpy, so there’s bound to be more accidents. Don’t ride your bicycle with Komachi on the back.”
“I know. I won’t let Komachi get into any danger.” My parents’ love for my sister is profound. It’s partly because she’s a girl, but she also does a lot of chores, she handles everything like a pro, and she’s even cute to boot, so she’s like their little treasure.
The eldest son of the family, on the other hand, was apparently not. Even then, my mother was sighing wearily at me. “Agh… You dummy. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“…Huh?” I found myself tearing up. I’d never imagined she would spare so much concern for my sake… She doesn’t wake me up in the morning, she only gives me a five-hundred-yen coin for lunch, and sometimes she buys me those weird-looking shirts they sell in the neighborhood, so I thought for sure she didn’t love me. Still, why does she buy me such disappointing clothes? That’s bordering on deliberate harassment.
Still…the bond between mother and child is a wondrous thing. My eyes stung a little. “M-Mom…”
“I really do worry. If you get Komachi hurt, your father will kill you.”
“D-Dad…” I found myself upset.
Speaking of Dad, he would still be deep in torpid slumber, lost in the world of dreams. In his eyes, I really was nothing. I knew quite well how much he loved Komachi, and to me he was practically hostile. All he ever said to me was useless stuff like Watch out for badger games, or If a girl hits on you, she really just wants to make you buy paintings, or Futures trading is generally fraud, or Get a job and you lose. That stuff was mostly based off his own experiences, so I couldn’t ignore his rambling, making the whole thing especially excruciating.
When I left, I’d make sure to slam the door as hard as I could to disturb his sleep.
“We’re taking the bus, don’t worry. Oh, so I need money for it.” Komachi trotted over toward our mom.
“Yeah, yeah. How much is a round trip again?” our mom asked.
“Um…” Komachi began counting on her fingers. Hey, one way is one hundred and fifty yen, and a round trip is three hundred yen. What do you need to use your fingers for?
“It’s three hundred yen.” I ended up replying before Komachi finished her calculations.
Our mother replied, “Okay,” and pulled the change out of her wallet. “Here you go, then. Three hundred yen.”
“Thanks!” Komachi chirped.
“U-um, Mom… I’m going, too…” I asked meekly, like I was Masuo talking to his mother-in-law.
“Oh, you need some, too?” Reacting like she’d only just realized, our mother took out some more coins.
“Oh, and I’m eating out for lunch, so I need money for food!” Komachi swooped in on the opportunity.
“Huh? I guess I have no choice, then…” As requested, our mother withdrew a couple of bills and handed them to her daughter.
Whoa, nice work, Komachi. But my normal lunch money is five hundred yen, so why does she get a thousand when she asks, Mom?
“Thanks! Let’s go, Bro.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, see you later.” Our mother sleepily sent us off and disappeared back into the bedroom. Good night, Mom.
When I left the house, I rallied all the strength in my body and slammed the door with everything I had. May this thunder reach you! Good morning, Dad!
From our house, it took about fifteen minutes by bus to get to Makuhari Messe for the Tokyo Cat and Dog Show. Even though it’s called the Tokyo Cat and Dog Show, it’s actually held in Chiba, so watch out for that. You’re bound to screw up and end up at the Tokyo Big Sight.
There was a modest horde at the venue, and some of them had brought their pets. It was packed, so Komachi and I reached out to each other to hold hands. We weren’t having a lovey-dovey date or anything; we’d just gone out a lot together since we were kids, so it was an old habit. Komachi hummed and swung my arm back and forth. Hey, you’re gonna dislocate my shoulder.
Maybe it was her clothes, but that day Komachi seemed sunnier and perkier than usual. She had paired a bordered tank top with an off-the-shoulder top made of pink jersey cloth, and she wore low-rise shorts that ended high on the thigh. Along with a carefree, bubbly, first-rate smile. I’m proud to be seen with her wherever we go. Not that anyone’s allowed to look.
Anyway, the Tokyo Cat and Dog Show is basically an exhibition and market for cats, dogs, and other pets. They also have some rarer animals on display, so it can be fun. Admission is free, so it’s an event to be reckoned with. Chiba really is the best.
The moment we set foot in the convention center, Komachi immediately started pointing and bouncing. “Wow, Bro! Penguins! There’s a whole bunch of penguins walking around! They’re so cute!”
“Yeah… That reminds me, the word penguin originates from Latin, and it apparently means ‘obese.’ If you think about it, it kinda looks like a bunch of paunchy salarymen are visiting for business.”
“A-aww… Suddenly, they’re not cute anymore…” Dejected, Komachi lowered her arm and admonished me with a look. “I didn’t need to know that. Now every time I see penguins, the word obese will pop up in my head…,” she muttered.
Complaining to me isn’t gonna help, though. Go whine to the guy who first named penguins.
“Listen, Bro, you can’t say that kind of thing when you’re on a date. If a girl says, ‘That’s so cute!’ you have to answer, ‘Yeah, but you’re cuter.’”
“…That’s stupid.” You’d think all that hot air would be bad for an Antarctic native.
“Whatever, man! I’m not really being serious. I just keep saying the word cute to emphasize how cute I am.”
“Not a very cute ploy, though…” This isn’t a conversation we should be having in such a heartwarming place with all these dogs and cats and penguins around.
“I’m just getting back at you for running your mouth! Anyway, c’mon, c’mon! Let’s hurry up and look around,” Komachi insisted, yanking my arm as she broke into a run.
“Hey, don’t take off all of a sudden—you’ll pull me over.”
This area looked to be the bird zone, and an ostentatious polychrome world of parrots, cockatiels, and more unfurled before us. There was yellow and red and green… The plumage of every single bird was aggressively bedaubed in primary colors, gaudy and vibrant. When they spread their wings, feathers fluttered into the air, catching the light.
But within that flood of striking color, the most beguiling of all was the black of a girl’s hair. She held a Tokyo Cat and Dog Show booklet in one hand, and every time she glanced about, her twin pigtails swayed.
“Is that…Yukino?” Apparently, Komachi had noticed, too.
Or rather, few people were as distinctive as she was, so she’d attracted considerable attention. She wore a long cream-colored cardigan unbuttoned over an airy and modest summer dress with a ribbon cinching it just under her bust. It made her look gentler than usual. With each step she took, the simple sandals on her bare feet tapped on the floor with a clear and light sound. She seemed completely oblivious to how many people were staring at her, though, as she was searching around for something with the same chilly expression she always wore in the club. She checked the hall display number and then dropped her gaze to her booklet. She looked around again, then back to the pamphlet, before letting out a short, resigned sigh.
What’s with her? Is she lost?
Yukinoshita snapped the booklet shut, as if she’d made up her mind about something, and briskly marched straight toward a wall.
“Hey. There’s nothing but a wall that way,” I called out to her, unable to just watch.
Yukinoshita met my call with a glare of naked suspicion. Scary! But when she realized it was me, curiosity replaced skepticism, and she walked toward us. “Oh, what a rare animal.”
“Don’t greet me by calling me a Homo sapiens. You’re trying to negate my personhood, aren’t you?”
“But it’s not incorrect to call you that, now is it?”
“Technically, but you can only take that so far…” The first words out of her mouth had identified me as order: primate, species: human. She couldn’t be more correct, biologically speaking, but as a greeting it was of the lowest order. “Why are you heading toward a wall?” I asked.
“…I’m lost.” Her eyes mourned her failure, and her tone suggested admitting that was agony and so she planned to commit ritual suicide right there. With no attempt to hide her annoyance, she studied the booklet she’d opened up once more.
“Uh, I don’t think this place is big enough to get lost in, though…”
I wonder if she just has a poor sense of direction. Well, sometimes you can get lost even with a map. Especially when a building has a sort of samey-looking design everywhere, maps are kind of useless. Like at Comiket, or the Shinjuku subway station. And Umeda Station. That one’s so bad you’ll end up stranded if you don’t carry a sheet of graph paper to map it all out.
“Yukino! Hello!”
“Oh, so Komachi is with you, huh? Hello.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here, though. Did you come to see something?”
“…Yes. Well, um, various things.”
I bet it’s cats… She even has a big red circle around where it says “Cat Corner.”
Yukino detected my gaze and quietly folded the booklet as if nothing had happened. “H-Hyeek… Ahem, Hikigaya, why are you here?” She tried to act calm, but she just stammered all over the place.
Withstanding the urge to mock her mercilessly, I pretended not to notice. ’Cause if I said something, she’d just return it to me fivefold. “I come here every year with my sister.”
“And we got our cat here!” Komachi added.
As Komachi said, we originally got our cat, Kamakura, right here at this show. Though he is quite the feisty feline, he does have a certificate of pedigree. Komachi had said she wanted him, so her wish was instantly granted. I felt sorry for our dad coming all the way to Makuhari Messe just to pay for him.
Yukinoshita looked at Komachi and me and back again with a faint smile. That was the second time. She’d smiled like that once before. “You two seem as close as ever.”
“Not really. This is more of an obligatory annual function,” I replied.
“I see… Good-bye, then.”
“Yeah, see you.” We both avoided escalating the interaction and said our farewells.
“Hey! Wait, hold on, hold on! Yukino. I finally got the chance to see you again, so let’s go check things out together!” Komachi caught Yukinoshita’s sleeve as she started her escape and tugged her back. “When I’m with my brother, all he does is make these downer comments. I’d have more fun with you,” Komachi urged as she continued pulling enthusiastically at Yukinoshita’s sleeve.
“Y-you would?” Yukinoshita replied, taking a step back.
“I would, I would! Come on, come on!”
“Wouldn’t it be a bother? …Hikigaya’s presence, I mean.”
She excluded me as if it was the obvious thing to do.
“You jerk,” I said. “What’re you talking about? When it comes to group activities, I usually just keep quiet. I won’t be in the way at all.”
“You give new meaning to the phrase blending in with your surroundings. It’s an amazing talent, in a way…” The expression on Yukinoshita’s face was one of neither astonishment nor exasperation. Well, actually, when there’s some quiet guy in the group doing his own inconspicuous thing, everyone acts supercareful around him, though. “…All right. Let’s go around together, then. Is there anything in particular you want to see? And…if there isn’t…”
“Yeah… Since we’re here, let’s go check out something really unusual!” Komachi clapped her hands as if she’d struck gold.
“…I have no idea if you’re perceptive or simply clueless,” I said.
“Huh? What?” Komachi tilted her head, puzzled.
“…I’m fine with that. Haah…” Yukinoshita sighed in resignation.
Well, uh, you know. Sorry about my sister.
Though Komachi had said she wanted to check out something rare, space was obviously limited, so there wouldn’t be anything big. That being the case, the bird zone was the best equipped. It was probably because birds were relatively uncommon and didn’t take up much space.
We walked away from the colorful tropical-themed booth and emerged by a tremendously cool display. Beyond a dramatic metal railing were sharp beaks, sharp claws, and gallant silhouettes with sturdy wings and tails.
“L-look! Komachi! It’s an eagle! A hawk! A falcon! Sweet… I want one…” They’re so cool… I automatically stopped and leaned forward over the railing. If you’ve been plagued by M-2 syndrome even once, then you’re bound to be drawn to their majesty. The American military probably has an especially acute case of this affliction.
But apparently, Komachi couldn’t comprehend how cool they were and just whined. “What? They’re not cute! You sound like an M-2 case.”
“Hey, you idiot. What are you talking about? They’re cute. See how they tilt their heads? C’mon.” I turned around, attempting to persuade her, but Komachi was already halfway to the next area. Meanie.
“They’re not cute…but I think they’re majestic and beautiful.” That reply came not from my stone-hearted sister but from Yukinoshita, surprisingly enough. It seemed she was telling the truth, too, as she touched the railing and moved beside me for a better angle.
“Whoa! So you get how cool they are? They appeal to your inner middle schooler, don’t they?”
“…I cannot fathom what you’re talking about.”
Ngh, so a maiden cannot grasp their glory… Whoops, that was close. I almost turned into Zaimokuza.
M-2 syndrome is
a condition with no cure,
an illness of the mind.
(excess syllable)
A poem from Hachiman’s soul. By the way, the seasonal word there is M-2 syndrome. This term evokes the verdant spring.
We left the bird zone behind in favor of the small-animal area. This section included pets like hamsters, rabbits, and ferrets. This sort of place was right up Komachi’s alley. In the petting corner, she fussed over the little critters, cooing and squeeing and awwing with no indication she would ever leave.
And then there was Yukinoshita. She did try skritching and fluffing them, but after a little bit, her head tilted to a bemused angle. Apparently, the texture wasn’t quite what she’d sought. She’s surprisingly picky about this stuff…
By the way, when I approached the little bundles of fur, they all scurried away. …I can’t believe it. Even these guys hate me. “Komachi, let’s move on.”
“Eeek! I could totally step on them! They’re so cute! Huh? Oh, you can go on ahead. I’m gonna hang out here some more.”
“Okay…” That isn’t a very cute reason to find something cute. Is she okay? But Komachi had given me permission to move on, so I decided to do so. If memory served, the next area had the dogs, and after that would be the cat zone. “Okay, Yukinoshita. The section after the next one is the cats. Sorry, but you keep an eye on Komachi for me.”
“I don’t really mind, but Komachi isn’t that young anymore. Don’t you think such a measure would be excessive?”
“That’s not what I meant—keep an eye on her so she doesn’t smush anything.”
“I’m not gonna smush them! Oh, Yukino, it’s okay if you want to go check out the cats.”
“R-really? Th-then, I might as well…,” Yukinoshita said, already partway to her feet. Just how badly do you want to see those cats? “Well then, let’s go.” And then, without a glance to spare for me, she forged ahead to the next area, blind to everything around her. But the moment the letters reading DOG ZONE entered her field of vision, she twitched.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No…” Yukinoshita casually decelerated and slid behind my back, making me walk in front of her.
Oh no, she’s caught me from behind! She’s gonna kill me! I thought, but she made no move to attack. Oh, the dogs. She’s kinda scared of them, isn’t she? “Just so you know, it’s nothing but puppies here.” This event was partly a commercial enterprise, so the sections for common pets like cats and dogs mostly had babies. It was sad, but that’s business.
I didn’t know if my words had any effect on Yukinoshita, but she avoided my eyes anyway. “I guess if it’s puppies… J-just so you know, it’s not like I’m frightened of dogs, you know. Um…I’m just…rather uncomfortable around them.”
“That’s generally called ‘being scared of dogs.’”
“That interpretation is within the margin of error.”
Is that so? Well, if she says she’s okay, then whatever.
“Are you…a dog person, Hikigaya?”
“I’m a nothing person. I don’t affiliate myself with any kind of label.” The truly stalwart don’t run with a group. Being alone is like standing against the whole world. Me versus the world. It’s almost like I’m Steven Seagal. From a Seagal perspective, I’m super-Seagal.
But Yukinoshita refused to endorse my self-identification. “Maybe that’s because no one wants to be affiliated with you.”
“Yeah, you’re right, more or less. And I’m fine with that, so let’s go.” She really was right, so I couldn’t argue. All I’d get from a debate with Yukinoshita was cuts and burns, so I neatly nipped that conversation in the bud.
When I began walking, I heard Yukinoshita mumble behind me, “I thought for sure you were a dog person, though…”
“What? Why?” I turned around to ask.
“…You were so desperate.” Yukinoshita’s reply was elusive.
When did Yukinoshita see me eager to do anything? I could only recall one time, so it was probably that. The tennis match over Totsuka. It was true—I had been burning to win, that time. I’d thrown my heart and soul into helping Totsuka. I mean, he was so cute. He had been trembling like a Chihuahua that day, indeed like a puppy. So I guess it would be correct to say that I’m a Totsuka person. I like Totsuka, you know.
Scratching my head, thinking, I dunno, I felt Yukinoshita nudge my shoulder.
“Could you walk faster?”
“Oh, ’kay.” Thus impelled, I passed through a cheap gate bearing the words DOG ZONE. Inside was an area crowded with a multitude of cages. It was like two or three pet shops fused into one. Dogs were indeed in high demand, and there were a lot of visitors. Aside from the popular small breeds like Chihuahuas, miniature dachshunds, mameshiba dogs, and corgis, a range of standard breeds like labs, retrievers, beagles, and bulldogs could be found. The dogs on display were all top pedigrees raised by breeders, with titles like Grand Champion or Festival Nominee or Monde Selection or Good Design, though how much weight the designations carried was difficult to tell with one glance.
From the moment we’d entered the dog zone, Yukinoshita had clammed up. She was so quiet, I began wondering if she was still breathing. The area around us bustled with so much activity that a single person’s silence stood out as particularly troubling. Actually, everything else was just too boisterous. Particularly that woman squealing and snapping a stream of photos.
…Wait, that’s Miss Hiratsuka. I’ll pretend I didn’t see her. C’mon, Miss H.… You finally got a day off, so go on a date or something… Well, on the other side is the cat zone, so I guess we’ll just head straight through, I thought.
But the moment I did, a tiny gasp escaped Yukinoshita. The apparent cause was an area labeled TRIMMING CORNER, spelled out in English.
“Huh? What? Are they editing photos?” I asked.
“No, it means they’re maintaining the dogs’ coats and grooming them to make their fur glossy. The English word grooming is also commonly used.”
Grooming, huh…? Like Jaja Uma Grooming Up? Totally famous manga.
While my train of thought took a detour to the four sisters of the Watarai ranch, Yukinoshita continued her explanation with some impatience. “Basically, it’s a dog beauty parlor.”
“Huh? Is that a thing? Sounds fancy. Does Tsunayoshi have a hand in this, too?”
“And it seems there’s not only grooming but obedience classes as well. Why don’t you sign up?” She casually branded me as a dog as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Whatever, I was used to it.
As we exchanged our petty repartee, one particular long-haired miniature dachshund finished up its brushing session and trotted out, yawning. Hey, where’s its owner?
“Hey, hey! Sablé! Wait, you’ve ruined your collar!”
The leashless mini dachshund acknowledged the yell and then insouciantly ignored it. And then it scampered toward the exit—that is to say, us—like a frightened rabbit. Though it was a dog.
“H-Hikigaya…th-that dog…,” Yukinoshita stammered, rattled and bewildered. Her eyes darted around the room, her hands fidgeting and flailing in the air.
…This didn’t happen every day. I was kind of getting a kick out of it, so I was tempted to just brush her off, but it’d be a pain if she made a scene.
“C’mere.” I grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck. My cat despises me and is always running away from me, so I’m practiced in nabbing pets. My training had not been in vain.
The dog implored me with sad eyes at first, but then it suddenly raised its head and started sniffing and vigorously licking my fingers.
Startled, I instinctively released it. “Waagh! It slobbered all over me…”
“Oh, you idiot. If you let go…,” Yukinoshita said, disconcerted.
But the dog didn’t break for the exit and instead gallivanted around my ankles before abruptly rolling onto its back. It showed its tummy and panted, tongue lolling.
What’s with this dog? Isn’t it being a little too friendly with me?
“This dog is…” Yukinoshita took cover behind my back, quietly peeking around at the dog.
Come on, I don’t think the animal is that scary.
“S-Sablé! Sorry he’s bothering you.” The owner rushed over to us and scooped up the dog in a flash with a rapid-fire bow. The bun on the girl’s head flopped a little.
“Oh, Yuigahama,” Yukinoshita said.
“Hwa?” came the owner’s reply, raising her head with a baffled expression. The hairstyle, the voice, the mannerisms… It was indubitably Yui Yuigahama. “Huh? Y-Yukinon?” Her head mechanically rotated on its axis to me at Yukinoshita’s side. “H-huh? What? Hikki? And Yukinon?” Yuigahama looked from Yukinoshita to me and back again, utterly mystified. “Huh? Huh?”
“’Sup,” I greeted.
“Oh. H-hi…,” she replied. A very odd silence descended upon the two of us. Whoa, this is uncomfortable…
While this peculiar atmosphere hovered over us, the dog in Yuigahama’s arms yipped. Yukinoshita twitched, and while she didn’t hide in my shadow, she did close the distance between us very slightly. She apparently intended to use me as a meat shield should there be any danger.
“…U-uh…um…” Yuigahama gently stroked her dog’s head as her gaze wandered around the area between me and Yukinoshita—as if she were measuring just what was between us.
“What a coincidence, running into you here,” Yukinoshita said, and Yuigahama jumped a little.
“Y-yeah. Why are you and Hikki…together? Um…it’s kinda…unusual to see you two together, like…”
Maybe it was because we hadn’t interacted in a few days, but Yuigahama seemed distant, somehow, even with Yukinoshita. Avoiding eye contact with Yukinoshita, she squeezed the dog in her arms tight.
She could ask why all she wanted, but really we’d just happened to bump into each other, so there was nothing going on. Yukinoshita and I just sort of looked at each other, and we both ended up saying the same thing.
“No reason.”
Yuigahama cut off any further explanation. “Oh, never mind, actually! Forget it—it’s okay. It’s nothing… You’re out together on a weekend, so it’s obvious what’s going on, isn’t it? I see… I wonder why I never noticed? I thought picking up on social cues was the only thing I was good at…” She forced a smile to her eyes and struggled to make her lips follow suit with a slightly hoarse “Ah-ha-ha…”
Is she making some kind of weird assumption here? Like, does she think Yukinoshita and I are going out or something? Well, if you gave it even a moment’s thought, you’d recognize immediately that would never happen. But claiming We’re not going out would sound kinda, well, dumb, and sorta self-conscious, and just against my sense of aesthetics.
A misunderstanding is a misunderstanding. It is not the truth. And as long as I know the truth, that’s enough for me. I don’t care what anyone else believes… The more you try to correct a mix-up, the more people misinterpret it and make things worse. I’d given up on that.
The dog in Yuigahama’s arms whined a sad Hween? up at its owner. Yuigahama muttered, “It’s okay…” as she petted its head. “S-see you then. I’ll be going…” Yuigahama wilted and, still downcast, began walking away.
Yukinoshita stopped her. “Yuigahama.” Her voice resounded loud and clear within the bustle of the hall. That sound was the only thing that reached my ears, as if all other activity around us was behind an invisible barrier.
Yuigahama lifted her head and automatically turned toward Yukinoshita.
“I need to talk to you about us, so could you come to the clubroom on Monday?” the twin-tailed girl asked.
“Oh… Ah-ha-ha… I don’t know…if I really want to hear it… Um, like, it’d be kinda meaningless at this point, since, like, I can’t do anything, anyway…,” Yuigahama said as if she were embarrassed. Beneath her gentle tone and troubled smile was a clear no.
Faltering in the face of Yuigahama’s rejection, Yukinoshita’s gaze lowered slightly. For a moment, I imagined the volume of the din around us had increased. Yukinoshita spoke hesitantly into the tumultuous racket, as if the words were escaping her. “…I’m not the kind of person who can say things like this without some effort, but…I do want to say this properly.”
“…Yeah.” Yuigahama’s dull response was neither refusal nor acceptance. She momentarily regarded Yukinoshita with some doubt but found something else to look at almost immediately. Then she spun on her heel and strode away. Yukinoshita and I silently watched her leave as her tiny, hunched frame disappeared into the surging throng.
I asked Yukinoshita next to me, “Hey. What do you want to talk to Yuigahama about?”
“Do you know what the eighteenth of June is?” Yukinoshita scrutinized me as if this was a test. Her face approached mine so suddenly, I reflexively retreated a step.
“…Well, I know it’s not a holiday.”
Upon discovering I had no idea, she puffed out her chest just a little proudly and replied, “It’s Yuigahama’s birthday… I think.”
“Really? …Huh? You ‘think’?”
“I haven’t confirmed it from the source.” No surprise there, with her communication skills. “So I want to celebrate her birthday. Even if she will no longer come to the Service Club…I want to express my sincere gratitude for everything she’s done for us,” Yukinoshita announced as she delicately dropped her gaze, clearly self-conscious.
“I see.” Thanks to her personality and general perfection, Yukinoshita had been incessantly victimized by the flames of jealousy. Yuigahama was most certainly the first friend she’d ever had. I think she was being honest when she said she was thankful. Though her voice was tinged with resignation, she probably didn’t want to lose that friendship.
Agh… This is probably because of something I said to Yuigahama after all, huh? Mildly guilty, I glanced at Yukinoshita. She noticed and squirmed with some discomfort. Oh, she’s probably gonna go, Don’t look, you’re creeping me out or something, I thought, shifting my attention elsewhere before she could say anything.
She cleared her throat, her cheeks slightly red. “Hey, Hikigaya…”
“Uh-huh?” When I turned around to face her, Yukinoshita was clenching her hands to her chest. I guess that audible gulp meant she was anxious. As if trying to redirect attention from her flushed cheeks, she looked through her lashes at me with moist eyes. This was enough to unnerve even me.
Yukinoshita whispered faintly, thinly, as if the words were struggling to leave her throat. “U-um…would you go out with me?”
“…Huh?”
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