Kiriyama Yui’s First Date
Two weeks had passed since the end of the body-swap, and for me, it was just another morning... or at least, it should have been.
I got up (ahead of my alarm), checked to make sure I wasn’t body-swapped (something I kept doing out of habit even though I knew I didn’t need to anymore), went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth (don’t forget the moisturizer and the mouthwash), ate breakfast (toast and two glasses of milk), got ready for school (changed my shampoo recently so now my gorgeous long hair was even more glossy than usual), and left the house.
Personally, I was hoping it was just another ordinary day... but when I got to school, those hopes were instantly crushed.
There, in my shoe locker, was a sky-blue envelope the size of a postcard leaning up against my indoor shoes.
I stared at it for a moment... then closed my locker.
“M-Must’ve been, like, seeing things... Y-Yeah, that’s it...” I muttered to myself. Then, after another moment, I opened my locker again.
The blue envelope was still there, decorated with clouds and a cutesy cartoon bird.
My heart pounded in my ears. A letter in my shoe locker could only mean one thing... No, it couldn’t be! Surely that was too old-fashioned in this day and age! I could maybe see a girl doing it, but a boy? No way. Something about this was extremely weird... but what else could the letter be about, if not that? Why bother leaving a letter instead of just, you know, sending an email? What could they possibly—
“Good morning, Yui.”
“Waahhheeeyyyy!” I snatched the envelope out of my locker and stuffed it into my bookbag AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT. Then I spun around to find my good friend from class staring dismally at me. “Um... good morning, Yukina!”
“Could you cool it with the goofy antics first thing in the morning? People are staring at us.”
“Oh, uh... Sorry...”
“It’s fine. So what was that thing you just put in your b—”
“Nothing! Nothing! Nothing at all!” I shook my head vigorously.
“Nice try. I know you put something in there.”
“Wh... N-No I didn’t!”
“Look, if you’re going to deny it, at least try to act a little more convincing, okay?” She ruffled my hair and sighed. “I understand you’re too pure and innocent to be a good liar, but I’m scared for your future... I can’t help but worry that some creep’s going to come along and take advantage of you.”
I opened my mouth to deny it... but the words wouldn’t come.
“Sorry... I don’t mean to get on your case. And you don’t have to show me if you don’t want to. Don’t pout, okay?”
“I’m not pouting!”
“Oh, good grief... You’re so precious sometimes... Now let’s hurry up and get to the classroom.”
“W-Wait. I can’t... I, uh... have somewhere I need to be...”
“Where could you possibly ‘need to be’ first thing in the morning before class?”
She looked at me dubiously, but I waved her off and headed for the most private place I could think of: the spot out behind the East Wing.
I probably could’ve just borrowed a bathroom stall, but somehow it just didn’t feel right, you know, thematically speaking.
I gave the sky-blue envelope another long, hard look. Was this really... one of those? It couldn’t be... could it? My whole body flushed with panic. I flipped it over to find that it was sealed with a red, heart-shaped sticker. Oh god. There’s no doubt about it. This is a love le—no, wait! It’s not set in stone yet! I can’t be sure until I open it! Relax! Maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions!
Reassuring myself, I took a deep breath... then another.
“W-Well, I guess I’ll just have to open it and find out,” I muttered to myself in the hopes of feeling a bit less scared.
I counted to three, then ripped off the sticker and pulled out the contents of the envelope, forcibly humming to myself as I went. Inside was a single sheet of paper.
“Oh god, I’m so nervous...”
Squinting, I slowly unfolded the paper and scanned over the first line.
Dear Kiriyama Yui-san,
I’d been entertaining the possibility that the writer had put it in my locker by mistake, but apparently not.
Willing my heartbeat to stop pounding quite so hard, I shifted my gaze to the next line. Even if it was a love letter, surely they wouldn’t profess their love to me on paper; they’d probably just ask to speak with me in person. Let’s just keep calm and read it slowly—
I have romantic feelings for you. For the next week, starting today, I will wait for you behind the auditorium after club activities end each school day. Feel free to show up on whichever day suits your schedule. Otherwise, I’ll assume you’re not interested. Lastly, if you would keep this between us, I would really appreciate it.
“Oh god, I read the whole thing! Oh god, it’s a love letter! And they confessed their feelings right there on paper! Is that how love letters are supposed to work?!” I was so panicked, I started practicing my karate for some reason. “Hah! Yah! Hyah!”
Okay, now I’m calm... Ugh, no I’m not! I’m not calm at all!
I had been trying my best to avoid this sort of romantic affection, but obviously it didn’t work. Of course, it wasn’t the first time someone had professed their love for me (ahem, Aoki), but... I just couldn’t see myself getting that close to a guy. Not yet, at least. Not until I was completely over my androphobia.
“I guess I should meet with him and turn him down directly... It’s only polite, right...? Ugh, this is so awkward... I feel so bad...”
I can’t just write him off because of his gender. That’s not fair to him. But my heart ached at the thought of having to invent some excuse to turn him down.
“Oh yeah... Who wrote this, anyways?”
I’d forgotten to check, so I hastily scanned down to the bottom of the letter—
Oosawa Misaki, Class 1-C
...Wait, what? I looked up at the sky, blinking to clear my vision, then back at the letter—
Oosawa Misaki, Class 1-C
“It’s... a girl?”
A girl. A girl wrote this love letter. And sent it to me, a fellow girl.
“A GIRL?!”
This was my first-ever love letter... and my first-ever same-sex love confession.
And to think this morning it was just another ordinary autumn day.
◇◆◇
After that, I spent the rest of the day spacing out in the middle of class. I was completely distracted.
Until now, I had never dated anyone in my life. I was at the perfect age to be holding hands with boys, and yet the slightest interaction with one triggered my androphobia. Men seemed so alien to me; at one point, it was so bad that simply being in their presence was enough to make me physically ill. But even after I’d recovered from that phase, I still couldn’t handle them getting too close. To me, they were still monsters.
Naturally, I told myself I couldn’t ever possibly fall in love with one. Romance was just... out of the question for me.
Whenever my friends would tell me about their boyfriends or crushes, I used to feel sad knowing I would never have anything to contribute to the conversation. I felt like it was a world I would never be part of. But a lot had happened recently, and now my androphobia was starting to fade. I had decided to move forward, one day at a time. And thanks to a certain good friend of mine, I had newfound hope for the future.
But this fear had been with me for years now, and I knew it wouldn’t go away overnight. I still wasn’t at a point where I could even think about dating someone...
Or was I?
With a female love interest now in the picture, the possibility suddenly seemed a whole lot more likely.
Talk about a change of perspective! This is revolutionary! If I’m being honest with myself, deep down, I can’t pretend I’m not curious to see what this romance stuff is all about... And if it’s with a girl, then my androphobia won’t even enter the picture—
I shook my head, stopping myself.
Girls aren’t supposed to date each other! It’s... weird! It’s not normal! Girls are supposed to date boys! ...But are we really “supposed” to? Who decided that rule, anyway? Same-sex marriage is legal in a couple countries nowadays—No, I can’t! ...Well, why not? I don’t know... I can’t think of a reason. Because two girls can’t make a baby? But then again, it’s not like I’m looking to get pregnant right now... Maybe there’s no harm in dating a girl while I’m in high school... But what will everyone else think? ...No, stop. Why does it matter what anyone else thinks? Is the point of romance to make everyone ELSE happy? I don’t even know what “romance” really is—
“—Yui! Come on!”
“Ouch!”
I snapped to my senses as something collided with my head. Standing there was Yukina, looking thoroughly fed up with me.
“Homeroom’s over now. Snap out of your little daydream already.”
“Huh? Oh... I guess it is...”
My classmates were all packing up to go home; some of them were already on their way out the door.
Yukina sighed. “You seriously didn’t even hear the bell? I swear, you’ve been zoned out all day today.”
“Nngh... Sorry...”
“No need to apologize for it. Now start packing up and we can walk partway... Actually, hold that thought. My crush is walking this way.”
“C-C-Crush?!”
“Good grief. What’s got you so jittery today? Well, see you tomorrow... No, wait, tomorrow’s Founding Day so we don’t have class. See you the day after that, then! Remember, don’t come to school tomorrow! Oh yeah, and don’t forget, Fujishima-san said the group hangout’s postponed. You do remember what she told us at lunch, right?”
“Huh? Oh, right... Founding Day...”
“...You are seriously off your game today, girl. I’m not sure you actually remember anything we talked about. Well, whatever... I’ll just send you an email or call you later tonight to remind you. Bye!”
And with that, she walked off... only to be replaced by the world’s biggest idiot.
“Yui! Let’s go to the clubroom!” It was Aoki Yoshifumi, tall and lanky, wearing a stupid grin on his face, as usual.
“Oh, it’s you...”
“C’mon, aren’t you happy to see me?! Aren’t you excited to hang out together?!”
“Not in the least, thank you!”
“Ouch... That stings...” He slumped his shoulders, then perked right back up again, his goofy grin back in place.
I wonder how he’d feel if he knew a girl gave me a love letter today, I thought to myself.
After all, he’d professed his own love for me dozens of times by now... but how did it make him feel in the moment?
◇◆◇
After school, as usual, the five friends gathered in the clubroom. However, though they were together physically, they kept themselves quite busy with their own separate activities. This day found Yaegashi Taichi reviewing his coursework and studying ahead, as he did every other day too.
“Alright, that should do it...” He set down his mechanical pencil, stretched, and glanced around the room.
Beside him, Nagase Iori and Aoki Yoshifumi were playing Othello. The game was nearly over, and the board was almost completely covered with white disks.
“Heh heh heh... What’s the matter, Aoki-kun? Are you really going to let me have two perfect games in a row?” Nagase sneered melodramatically like a third-rate villain. She swayed her body to and fro, making her ponytail bounce with her movements.
“You’re too damn good at this, Iori-chan!” Aoki wailed.
(For the record, Taichi himself could also easily defeat Aoki at Othello, though he’d never managed a perfect game.)
Just then, someone tapped on the table, and Taichi looked in their direction.
“Hey. Yui. What the hell are you doing over there? You’re distracting me,” snapped Inaba Himeko, her posture perfectly straight, her laptop idling in front of her as she glared at Kiriyama Yui.
“Huh?! N-Nothing! I’m not doing anything!”
Kiriyama shifted under Inaba’s sharp gaze. The scene was reminiscent of a frightened hamster facing off against a cobra.
“You keep fidgeting. Knock it off.”
Admittedly, Inaba was right. For the past hour or so since Kiriyama had set foot in the clubroom, something about her behavior had been distinctly off. Instead of finding something with which to occupy her time, she’d just... sat there, shifting about restlessly in her chair.
“I... I’m not fidgeting...”
“Yes, you are. And you keep sneaking a look inside your bookbag for some reason.”
“Wh-What are you talking about? No I’m not! Really, I’m not! Totally not!”
As she spoke, she slowly pulled her bookbag away from Inaba and closer to herself.
It was painfully obvious.
“Whatcha got in there?” Nagase asked, peering over curiously.
“D-Don’t look!” Kiriyama shouted, yanking her bag away from the other girl... and at that exact moment, a blue envelope fell out. The bag’s owner didn’t notice this, but unfortunately, Inaba did. She promptly picked it up.
“Aww, c’mon! You’re making me curious! Just tell me, ya little punk!” Nagase teased, eyes glinting mischievously as she prodded Kiriyama.
“What’s goin’ on? I wanna know, too!” Aoki exclaimed eagerly.
Meanwhile, Inaba opened the envelope and pulled out its contents without hesitation—so quick, not even Taichi could stop her.
“Let’s see here... Ahem! ‘Dear Kiriyama Yui-san, I have romantic feelings for you. For the next week, starting today, I will wait for you behind the auditorium after club activities end each school day’—”
“Wh—How did you—Inaba, stop!”
“Yui got a love letter?! Damn, girl! Rock on!”
“Who the heck is tryin’ to make a move on Yui right under my nose?! I respect your taste, sir, but I called dibs!”
All at once, the room flared to life. Frankly, even Taichi himself was a little curious.
“Oh, who cares if we read it? It’s just a stupid love letter! They’re all basically the same! Anyway... ‘Feel free to show up on whichever day suits your schedule. Otherwise, I’ll assume you’re not interested’—”
“Not all love letters are everyone’s business!” Kiriyama shouted as she lunged at Inaba, desperate to snatch the letter back... but Inaba dodged out of the way.
“For fuck’s sake, why are you freaking out over nothing?! ‘Lastly, if you would keep this between us, I would really appreciate it. Oosawa Misaki, Class 1-C’... Oosawa Misaki...?”
Inaba froze. Nagase and Aoki fell silent. It was like the whole room had been put on pause. Even Taichi wasn’t sure what to do.
“I... I told you not to read it...”
“Oosawa Misaki, as in our Misaki-chan? From the track team?” Nagase blinked.
Oosawa Misaki was in Class 1-C with Nagase, Inaba, and Taichi. She was tall, with a pixie cut—the sporty type. As he recalled, she specialized in hurdle races.
“I... I wasn’t expecting it to be so personal... I’m sorry. I promise, I won’t go telling anyone,” Inaba apologized. Normally she was never the type to admit her faults, but this time she knew she had crossed a line. She tucked the letter back into the envelope and quietly returned it to Kiriyama.
The mood in the room was now excruciatingly uncomfortable.
“W-Well, anyway, the cat’s out of the bag now,” Inaba continued in a tone of forced normalcy. “So, are you trying to figure out how to let her down gently? I know it won’t undo what I did, but I want you to know I’ll gladly do anything in my power to help.”
“Huh? Oh... Right...” Kiriyama glanced away, murmuring vaguely.
“C’mon, what’s there to think about? Not like there’s a chance you’d say yes—”
“Huh?!” Kiriyama jumped in surprise.
“Wait... You’re not actually considering it, are you...?”
“N-No... I... Gah!” Kiriyama hid her blushing face in her hands.
Aoki jumped to his feet so fast, he nearly flipped the Othello board. “Hold it right there, Yui! Since when do you date chicks?!”
“I don’t! But... when I ask myself why not, well... I don’t really have an answer for that...”
“Because dating guys is just better! End of story!” Unsurprisingly, Kiriyama’s number one fanboy had started to panic.
“B-But girls understand each other better... It seems like it would be easier... On the other hand, guys are a total mystery...”
“But two girls can’t do you-know-what! And that’s like the whole point of dating!” Aoki shouted.
Instantly, Kiriyama’s expression shifted, first to surprise, then to... grief.
“Oh... Right. I guess that really is all guys care about,” she muttered. “Men are so disgusting.” Her blank expression made it feel all the more harsh.
“No, that’s not what I meant! I...” Aoki stammered for an excuse, but Kiriyama ignored him and put the letter back into her bookbag.
“I’m going home for the day. Bye.” And with that, she walked out of the clubroom, shutting the door behind her.
Aoki moved to go after her, then stopped... and plunked back down into his chair. “Great... Now I’ve done it... Obviously it’s not the only thing I care about...” He dropped his head down onto the table with a thunk.
“Sounds like she took what you said the wrong way,” Nagase muttered with a frown.
“I can see where you’re coming from, Aoki, but your timing was bad and the way you phrased it was far worse,” Inaba sighed. “Keep this up and you might make a lesbian of her yet.”
“Wh... C’mon, it’s hardly my fault! Or is it?! Oh god... That means I’ll have twice the number of possible romantic rivals...!”
“That’s what you’re worried about...?” Taichi muttered under his breath.
“No... There’s no way she’d go full lesbo overnight! She’ll only be bi at worst! And then she’ll come crying back to me eventually!”
“Not to rain on your desperate little parade, but I’m really not sure about that last part,” Taichi retorted, just to be safe.
“Mmm, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I hear things have improved between them lately. That said,” and Inaba glanced at Taichi, “the fact of the matter is, she has androphobia. And after what she’s been through, I wouldn’t blame her for washing her hands of men entirely. Besides, nowadays dumb teenagers question their sexuality all the time. You never know; it might just be a phase.”
“My Yui would never—!”
“She’s not yours, Aoki,” Taichi cut in. “And Inaba, you realize that makes you a ‘dumb teenager’ too, right?”
She had a bad habit of occasionally—no, frequently—talking like a middle-aged man.
“Personally, I don’t really care if Yui ‘goes gay’ or whatever. I’m gonna support her either way,” Nagase piped up.
“Now we’re all just assuming that Yui’s gonna start batting for the other team?! Is that it?!” Aoki howled.
“I gotta say, I didn’t realize Oosawa swung that way,” Inaba mused to herself. “Come to think of it, I feel like she’s been talking to Fujishima in class an awful lot lately...”
At this, Nagase flinched. “What...? F-Fujishima-san’s involved in this?”
Fujishima Maiko was the president of Class 1-C, and as of late, she had become something of a “love guru” among the student body. She was also openly bisexual and had a stated interest in Nagase specifically. At one point something had happened between the two of them—and ever since then, Nagase had mysteriously grown afraid of her.
“Eh, I don’t know that she’s involved. I’ve just seen them together a lot recently, that’s all. That reminds me... Speaking of Fujishima, I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors about her... So if she is involved...”
“...Then Yui might switch teams permanently. Heck, maybe Fujishima-san’s the one who ‘turned’ Misaki-chan...!”
“I’m starting to think Fujishima’s a little too powerful,” Taichi muttered. Truth be told, it was something that had been on his mind a lot lately.
“Noooo... Guys, c’mon! Don’t jinx it!”
“Oh, quit your crying, you baby. Anyway, with the way things are headed, if we take Yui’s personality into consideration... Yeah, this might escalate fast. We should probably keep an eye on her... just in case.” She stroked her chin in contemplation.
Meanwhile, Taichi felt the cold hand of apprehension creep over him. One thing was for certain: nothing good could come from Fujishima’s meddling.
◇◆◇
After I left the clubroom, I headed out to the athletic field and hid behind the gym storage building to watch the track team practice.
I spotted Oosawa Misaki almost immediately. She was someone I recognized from our joint gym classes with 1-C. Truth be told, I learned who she was pretty early into the school year; with her great reflexes, she easily stood out among the crowd.
She was tall, with a pixie cut and a well-sculpted face. Track shorts hung over her slender, toned legs. I watched as she leapt over the hurdles, graceful as a gazelle, her stride long and strong. Honestly, she looked so badass, I could easily see just about anyone falling for her—
“Ack! Whoa!”
But then Oosawa’s foot caught on a hurdle, and she fell flat on her face. Right as I started to worry, however, she sprang up again, seemingly unharmed, and put the hurdle back into position. As she was dusting herself off, another girl from the track team ran over, but Oosawa waved her away. Then she dusted off her hands and started walking.
Compared to her flustered teammate, she seemed so... cool and composed.
“If anything, she should be the one getting love letters in her locker...” I muttered. What would someone like her possibly see in me? She was completely out of my league!
Wait... If she’s “out of my league,” does that mean my “league” includes girls...?
“Ugh, I’m so confused...!” Clutching at my hair, I looked around at the other students on the field.
The boys were all big and bony and... freaky-looking, like a different species altogether. I couldn’t relate to them at all. Obviously I knew they weren’t all bad people... and thanks to a certain good friend of mine, I’d come to realize that I wasn’t entirely powerless against them if it came to that... but I couldn’t think of any reason I’d want to get close to one.
In contrast, girls were soft and cute and totally huggable. Being around them made me feel safe—I wanted to be around them.
...The more I thought about it, the more appealing girls started to sound... No, this can’t be right. It’s too weird—
“Nothing weird about it, you know.”
“WHUH-WHOA!”
The sudden voice behind me made me nearly jump out of my skin. I whirled around to find a girl standing there, looking dignified in her glasses, her hair tied back with her bangs pinned up.
“Um... Aren’t you the president of Class 1-C...?”
“Is this our first time speaking? It’s nice to meet you, Kiriyama-san. My name is Fujishima Maiko, and I am indeed the president of Class 1-C. How do you do?” She bowed politely.
“Right... Nice to meet you. I’m Kiriyama Yui.”
“Yes, I know your name. And I know that you’re feeling chained down by societal norms.”
“Wh... What?!”
“You’ve been going back and forth for a while now, haven’t you?”
“I mean, yeah... but how did you know?! Was I pacing or something?!”
“When you’ve been in this business as long as I have, you start to pick up even the tiniest hints of yearning... It’s a fairly common skill, actually. No big deal.”
“Uh... If mind-reading isn’t a big deal, I don’t know what is...”
Gosh, she’s even weirder than I thought...
“All I can say is this: science and biology don’t matter in the slightest.”
“What are you talking about?”
“All that matters is love. End of story.”
“Love...?” It was a cringeworthy line, and yet somehow it touched my heart. What did it mean to love someone? What was romance, anyway?
“Wherever there’s a girl in love, I’ll be there to lend a hand. So don’t sweat the details—just focus on what matters. Anyway, I’ll be going now. The rest is up to you.” Sliding her glasses up the bridge of her nose, Fujishima-san turned and walked off.
What... just happened?
“How did she find me, anyway...?”
She was an enigma.
Before I could make up my mind one way or the other, the bell rang, signaling the end of club activities and encouraging students to make their way home.
I knew I didn’t have the full picture, so I decided to meet with Oosawa Misaki directly. With my mind finally made up, I headed out behind the auditorium, as she had specified in her letter.
The sun had nearly set, and it was getting dark, but the auditorium lights were on inside, and I could still make out people’s faces in the distance.
“I hope this is the right place... Ugh, what do I do...? I’m pretty sure track practice is over now... She’ll be here any minute... or what if she doesn’t show? What if it was just a prank the whole time and I agonized over nothing?! Oh my god... What if I’m just a gullible m—”
“K-Kiriyama-san?!”
“YES?!” At the sound of my name, I nearly leapt out of my skin. Why does this keep happening to me today?!
Oosawa-san raced over from the track field and came to a stop in front of me. “Sorry I took so long... I kinda didn’t think you’d actually show up...”
“Oh, don’t worry about it! I only just got here, so...” Unable to think of anything else to say, my voice petered out.
Up close, she was every bit as toned and beautiful as I thought. Plus, she was a good ten centimeters taller than me. But now that she was in my presence, the composure I’d seen from her during track practice had gone out the window. Now she was stammering and blushing.
A strange, impalpable ache rose in my chest.
“Y-You got my letter, right?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“I know this is all really sudden... and I’m sorry about that... I know I probably freaked you out...”
“No, don’t apologize! I mean, I can’t pretend I wasn’t a little surprised, obviously...”
“You’re not... annoyed or anything?”
“If it bothered me that much, I wouldn’t be here right now. Relax,” I reassured her, and her tearful expression softened.
Meanwhile, my heart fluttered slightly. Why does my chest feel all weird around her?
“So... Could you tell me what this is all about?”
Normally I would be more flustered right now, but Oosawa-san herself was obviously super nervous, and I knew one of us needed to keep a level head.
“Oh... Right... Um... Well, I... have a c-crush on you... and I’d like to take you out on a date...”
“Wait, so... you have a crush on me... even though we’re both girls...?”
“Yeah. My middle school was an all-girls school, and for whatever reason I’d always get plenty of girls flirting with me... Then one thing led to another, and I realized I was kind of bi-curious.” She averted her gaze shyly.
I was really curious what she meant by “one thing led to another,” but decided not to interrupt.
“Honestly, I thought it was just a phase... that I’d grow out of it once I enrolled in a co-ed school... but here I am in high school, and I took one look at you, and... well...”
She glanced back at me, her eyes damp with emotion, and I felt my chest grow heavy.
“I’ve n-never actually asked someone out before... I always figured, well, I only did that stuff because the other girls made the first move... and so part of me was thinking I should just try to get over you... but then Fujishima-san gave me the encouragement I needed to stop lying to myself.”
“Huh? She did?” I hadn’t realized Fujishima-san was involved in this. Not that it really mattered, though, so I decided to disregard it. “Well, um... I can tell just how much you care for me, and um, I’m happy that you like me so much... but why me? I feel like we’ve barely ever interacted except in gym class, and even then, it’s not like we really talked much...”
“W-Well...” Oosawa-san fidgeted for a moment... then looked up at me, eyes shining with determination—the same look she’d worn during practice. “Back when we were doing the running long jump in gym class... I’ll never forget your performance that day. You were lightning-fast, and your form was so bold... You blew me away. I thought to myself, she’s the most stunning creature on earth.”
“Oh, please! You’re exaggerating!” I clapped my hands over my burning cheeks.
“No, really, you were incredible! It was such a powerful jump, it made me wonder how you could fit that much strength in such a small body... and ever since then, I started to notice you more and more... I admired you for both your athletic skills and your awesome style... and the next thing I knew... I was just... completely in love with you!” She squeezed her eyes shut, like she just couldn’t hold back any longer. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she began to tremble—
Oh my god, she’s adorable!
“The contrast... I can’t take it...!”
It felt like someone had flipped a switch inside me.
“Um... Why did you do a fist-pump just now...?”
“D-Don’t worry about it! It’s nothing!”
Omigod omigod, she’s so dang CUTE!
The contrast of her boyish looks and cool composure with this girly shyness... No boy could possibly hope to be this cute!
Totally adorbs! I’m dying! She’s so cute! Aaaahhh!!!
“So, um... I won’t ask you to be my girlfriend, because I know you don’t really know me that well, but... Would you consider maybe going on a date with me, and then you could decide from there...?”
“Sure! I’ll go on a date with you, no problem!”
Instantly, Oosawa-san’s face lit up. “R-Really?! You mean it?!”
“How could I say no? You’re so cute!” And cute is justice!
“O-Okay then... How about tomorrow? It’s Founding Day, so we don’t have class... Are you free?”
“Oh, actually, I made plans to hang out with some friends... No, wait, that got canceled for some reason... Something about Fujishima-san...”
That’s weird... For some reason her name keeps cropping up today... Oh well!
Cuteness conquers all!
◇◆◇
Yaegashi Taichi watched as Kiriyama Yui and Oosawa Misaki walked off, chatting excitedly about their plans for tomorrow. Once they were safely gone, the four remaining members of the Cultural Research Club tumbled out of the bushes. They’d all hidden there well before Kiriyama had arrived, and thus had heard everything.
“Well, I dun reckon she said yes! Our girl Yui’s goin’ gayer than a flannel shirt! But I ain’t blame her none, ‘cuz Misaki-chan was rootin’-tootin’ cute as all get out!” Nagase shouted in what was allegedly a Texan accent.
“She did look happy about it,” Taichi mused.
Beside him, Aoki clutched at his hair. “We gotta stop them... We gotta bring Yui back from the dark side...!”
“This might actually work out for them,” Inaba muttered.
“Uh, Inabacchan?! You’re joking, right?!”
“Relax. What’s the harm? Just think of it as learning something new about Yui.”
“It’s really not that simple for me, Inabacchan!”
“Personally, I trust Yui to know what’s right for her.”
“Iori-chan, your selflessness is beautiful! Truly! And I know you’re right... but...!”
“Aw, cheer up, Aoki.”
“Taichi! Don’t talk like that! You make it sound like I’ve already lost her! Anyone ever tell you that your pity hurts?! Well, I haven’t given up! Not yet!”
Nagase laughed. “Maybe you should!”
“Wh... Harsh much, Iori-chan?! You really gonna punch me in the gut with that smile on your face?!”
“Seriously, dude, cheer up,” Taichi repeated.
“Keep coddling me like this and I’m gonna cry! Is that what you want?! You want me to cry?!”
“Alright, that’s enough bullying Aoki.”
“I knew it... My heart is just a toy to you people...” Aoki fell to his knees in despair.
Personally, Taichi had meant every word of what he said, but he decided not to point this out lest Inaba make fun of him for it. By now he was wise to her usual tricks.
“If this is genuinely what they both want, then I have no objections... but if Fujishima’s forcing them together, then that’s another story. I refuse to let her meddle in Yui’s healing process.”
“I... I agree! We should tail them on their date tomorrow!”
“Yeah. Better safe than sorry.”
“You want to tail them? Isn’t that kinda messed up? You know, from an ethical standpoint?”
“Taichi, do you have a brain at all? This date is going to be hilarious. How could we possibly miss out?” She stared at him disdainfully.
“Wait, so... you’re not going to deny that it’s unethical...?” For some reason, despite having the moral high ground, it felt like he was in the wrong.
“Oh, you know how Inaban operates. She’s actually worried sick... She just doesn’t want to admit it,” Nagase grinned playfully.
Inaba clucked her tongue in frustration. “Enough about me! The point is, I’m tailing them on their date tomorrow, and anyone who wants to join me is welcome!”
◇◆◇
Yesterday was a total whirlwind of events. Today, however, was Yamaboshi High School’s Founding Day, and there was no school.
All the other students were probably sleeping in or enjoying their bonus day off, but not me. My brain woke me up early to agonize over everything until I felt like I was going to explode.
“I kinda just agreed to it in the heat of the moment,” I muttered to myself, sitting alone in my room. “I hope I didn’t give her the wrong idea...”
At the time, I didn’t really think too hard about it. It seemed so easy. After all, we’d basically just be hanging out like friends, right?
But I got the feeling that wasn’t how Oosawa-san would see it. To her, it was probably more serious than that—a capital-D Date.
“Oh god, what do I do? I’ve never gone on a date before!” I flailed my limbs in a panic. “Date... date... What, like, makes something a ‘date,’ anyways? Is it just when two people hang out?” I’d said the word so much, it had started to lose all meaning. I knew it probably didn’t matter, but regardless, I pulled out my giant dictionary to look it up. “Let’s see... Date... Here it is!”
1. The day of the month or year as specified by a number.
2. A romantic appointment or engagement; a rendezvous.
I promptly slammed the dictionary shut.
“R-Rendezvous...?”
This was starting to sound a lot more serious than I’d imagined. I wanted to confide in someone... but at the same time, I couldn’t think of who I’d tell or what I’d tell them. Oosawa-san had sworn me to secrecy, so even if I tried to consult someone, I wouldn’t be able to give them the full picture.
I remembered the joyful smile on her face when we parted ways yesterday. How did she feel going into this date? And how was I meant to treat those feelings?
Date... relationship... romance... love...
There were so many things I didn’t understand.
◇◆◇
Just before 1 PM, the CRC (minus Kiriyama) met up at a certain suburban shopping center. According to what they’d overheard yesterday, this was Ground Zero for the Kiriyama-Oosawa date.
This shopping center had it all—a full selection of stores, a movie theater, a bowling alley, and even an entire amusement arcade. Anyone who visited could easily keep themselves entertained for hours. That said, the center was a little too out of the way for most Yamaboshi students to bother making the trek, so it was also ideal in the sense that there was a relatively low chance of running into a familiar face (according to Inaba, queen of information gathering and analysis).
The four friends occupied the landing of the stairs, keeping a careful watch on the area near the fountain where the two girls would be meeting up at 1:30 PM.
“Can’t wait to see how this turns out. What about you, Mr. We Shouldn’t Do This But I’ll Tag Along Anyway?” Inaba sneered.
“If one of us is going to be tailing her regardless, we may as well...” Her glare intensified, and he abandoned his prepared excuse. “Okay, no, I’m sorry. The truth is, I was curious, and also I didn’t want to be left out.”
“You were curious?! Go home, you coward! This is a battlefield!” Aoki shouted as he launched into a series of warm-up exercises. A pair of binoculars hung from his neck.
“You need to calm down,” Taichi retorted.
“Oh, how I long for the day Yui brings Misaki-chan home to meet the family!”
“Iori-chan, have you decided they’re already dating?! Is that it?!”
“Well, they are going on a date. Pretty sure that’s the definition of dating.”
“Rrrrrgh...!”
“Besides, they look good together, if you ask me.”
“Grrraaaahhh...!”
“Ease up on him, Nagase. Otherwise he’s gonna have an aneurysm.”
“Yes, sir! What Taichi says, goes!” Nagase raised both hands in surrender, a mischievous grin on her face.
Still, if these little jabs were all it took to bring Aoki to his knees, Taichi couldn’t help but wonder how he’d react when reality swooped in to deliver its megaton punch.
“Back on topic, I was wondering... Won’t it be kinda hard to stalk her in a group without getting caught?” Nagase asked.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it,” Inaba smirked confidently.
Knowing her, she probably had some sort of clever plan—
“Love is blind, after all.”
—or not.
“Uhhh, I feel like they’ll notice eventually,” Taichi retorted again, since she’d made it all too easy to do so.
“You’re so right! You’re a genius, Inaban!”
“...So we’re all just going to go along with this...?”
At this point, Taichi started to worry that he and the others weren’t on the same page.
◇◆◇
I continued to agonize over my date right up until noon. Then, ultimately, I decided to lean into it completely.
I didn’t want to break my promise, so that meant I was going on the date. As for the rest of my worries, well, I decided I’d cross each bridge as I came to it. Sure, a small voice in the back of my mind told me that it’d come back to bite me eventually! But I ignored it!
Now my biggest problem was what to wear. After all, this was a date—with a girl. I couldn’t just throw on whatever and call it a day... but at the same time, I didn’t want her to think I was trying too hard, either. Ultimately I decided on a simple, no-frills outfit: a shirt with a plaid-patterned collar and cuffs paired with a pleated skirt. Perfect.
Once again, that small voice in the back of my mind had told me I should just grab the first things I saw, now that I was running low on time! But I ignored that, too!
At 1:10 PM, I arrived on location—20 minutes ahead of our agreed meetup time. It was the middle of a weekday, and so while the place wasn’t completely dead, the crowds were on the thin side.
“Okay... I’m looking for a plaza with a fountain... Oh my gosh, I’ve got butterflies like crazy...”
I looked up, glanced around... and locked eyes with none other than Oosawa-san herself.
“Oh... Uhhh...” we said in unison. Neither of us had been prepared for this, and instantly both of us began to panic.
Then Oosawa-san took two deep breaths, turned back to me, and smiled. “Hi there, Kiriyama-san. Let’s have fun today.” Her eyes twinkled as her smile brightened.
She was wearing a light gray jacket over a jersey-knit shirt and rolled-up jeans. It was a pretty cuul (“cute” + “cool”) look, and I felt my enthusiasm swell considerably.
“Scoring points already... You’re pretty good...”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, nothing! Don’t worry about it. Just... good job!” I giggled. Nothing put me in a good mood like a cute girl!
“You know, Kiriyama-san, sometimes it’s like you go off into your own little world... It’s pretty cute, actually.”
“Wh... Stop! You’re embarrassing me!” I held my hands up in front of my face. My cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“It’s pretty hilarious that we got here at the same time. And here I was hoping we’d get to do the ‘Hey, I’m here! Were you waiting long?’ ‘Oh, no, I just got here!’ bit.” She stuck her tongue out and grinned.
Her nervous energy from yesterday had lessened; now she seemed like she was back to her usual self. Actually, no... At school she was more aloof. By comparison, this seemed like the real her... and my heart fluttered at the thought that she was opening herself up just for me. This was a feeling unfamiliar to me, and it felt brand new.
“Actually... Maybe it was fate that brought us here at the same time.”
“F-Fate...? Oh gosh...” I could practically feel steam rising from my scalp.
Oosawa-san laughed. “I’m just messing with you. Otherwise pretty much anything could be fate, y’know?”
“Huh? Oh... Right...”
“Anyway, no point in just standing around here. Let’s get going!”
“O-Okay!”
She started walking, and I followed after her. Internally, I heaved a sigh of relief. I really appreciated her willingness to take the lead, because otherwise I wouldn’t have known what I was doing, like, at all.
And so excitement sparked in my chest as I wondered where this date would take us...
◇◆◇
As Oosawa and Kiriyama carried on with their date, Taichi and the rest of the CRC followed after them, concealing themselves behind various objects as they went.
Window shopping was the first activity on the girls’ agenda. Currently they were exploring a trendy department store. At first, Taichi was worried about tailing them all the way inside, but in practice it wasn’t actually all that difficult; it probably helped that the girls were off in their own little world.
“I still think we’re way too close,” he muttered, careful to keep his voice down.
The four of them had gone into this with the understanding that their main priority was to avoid getting caught... but now here they were, hiding just one aisle away from their marks. They were so close, in fact, they could overhear the girls’ conversation.
“Well, obviously we need to see how they’re interacting so we can get a sense of things,” Inaba replied smugly, and Taichi found he was dying to know where she got her confidence.
“But... do we really need all four of us for this?”
“If you’re so worried about it, just go home.”
“N-No! It’s my duty to keep you three in line!”
“Wow. Doesn’t it make you cringe to talk like a cookie-cutter tsundere love interest?”
“I-It’s not that cringey!” Or so he hoped.
“Will you two be quiet?!” Nagase hissed, then stopped and tilted her head. “Whoa... Déjà vu...”
“Real talk, we should all just be quiet,” Aoki muttered, his hand cupped behind his ear, his expression dead serious.
“...Any more bickering and I’ll shut this whole thing down. I mean it...”
Just then, Taichi thought he heard a faint voice. It was feminine in tone, but it definitely wasn’t Nagase or Inaba.
“Wh-Who was that?!” He glanced around, but didn’t see anyone nearby. Was he just hearing things?
“Ooh, look at these glasses, Kiriyama-san! Aren’t they cute?”
“Oh my gosh, you look so good in them! Like, super sophisticated!”
“You think so? Thanks! You try them on, too!”
“Who, me? I don’t think I’d look good in glasses...”
“It can’t hurt, can it? Go on, try it!”
“Hmmm... Well, okay... How do I look?”
“Just as cute as I thought you would! Here, look in the mirror.”
“Oh, wow... I’m actually pulling it off better than I thought I would...”
“Want me to take a picture for you?”
“No, no, that’s okay. Oh, look at those cute mugs! Let’s go check them out!”
And so Oosawa and Kiriyama headed over to another aisle in an open area where the CRC couldn’t follow them.
“That was quite possibly the girliest conversation I’ve ever overheard,” Inaba muttered.
Nagase nodded. “For sure. Honestly, they just seem like they’re having a good time.”
“I’m still safe... They just seem like perfectly platonic friends...!”
“Relax, Aoki. I’ll help you brainstorm ways to win her back.”
“You think I’ve already lost this fight, don’t you, Inabacchan?!”
“It’s not really a fight to begin with,” Taichi muttered to no one in particular.
“Misaki-chan is such a nice girl... Oh, I know! Why don’t we have her join the CRC? She can just visit whenever she doesn’t have track practice!”
As usual, Nagase hadn’t taken Aoki’s feelings into consideration in the least.
◇◆◇
Before we headed over to the arcade, we decided to rest for a bit.
“I’ll go buy us some drinks.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said as I sat down on a bench. I could have offered to tag along with her, but I wanted to have a moment to myself to think.
As I watched her go, I reminded myself that I was on a date with her, and my heart felt... conflicted, somehow.
“What is this feeling...?” I mumbled to myself, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart was beating, slow and strong.
It felt like I was just hanging out with a female friend—something I’d done countless times before, and this wasn’t much different at all. For a “date,” it wasn’t notably special; we weren’t doing anything I wouldn’t do with anyone else. So why did I get so nervous whenever I reminded myself that this was, in fact, a date?
Strangely enough, the world felt so different when I was with someone who professed to be in love with me. Was I... falling in love with her...?
“No, no, no! Definitely not!”
No, I wasn’t in love just yet. Obviously she was a total sweetheart, and I liked her as a person, but... not in a romantic sort of way, most likely.
Would the day ever come that I felt romantic attraction to someone? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that for now, I was optimistic about romance in general.
“Huh? I smell something spicy...” Suddenly, I sneezed. Then I caught myself feeling overly relieved that Oosawa-san wasn’t here to see me sneeze... and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
◇◆◇
Oosawa walked off, leaving Kiriyama alone on the bench. Meanwhile, Taichi and the others were situated on the second-floor balcony, watching them from above.
The girls had finished their window shopping, and based on where Kiriyama was waiting, they were on their way to the arcade next.
“Get a load of that dreamy look on her face,” Inaba commented as she watched Kiriyama watch Oosawa go.
“Dreamy...? I can’t... I can’t take this anymore...!” Aoki stormed off towards the stairs.
“Wh-What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Don’t stop me, Taichi. Call me a sore loser, but I can’t let it end like this!”
“Just relax, Aoki,” Nagase chided.
But Aoki ignored them and took off running. “I gotta give it one more try! Otherwise I’d rather die than—OUCH!” He promptly tripped and fell flat on his face. “Ow ow ow... Wh-What the heck?! There’s a foot sticking out from behind that pillar!”
“I understand how you feel about her, but this is a crucial moment, and I’d appreciate it if you would stay out of their love affair.”
Her glasses glinted in the sunlight. Sure enough, it was none other than Fujishima Maiko, president of Class 1-C, presumed to be the true mastermind behind this incident.
“F-Fujishima-san?!” Nagase squeaked in alarm.
“So you finally decided to show yourself, eh?” Inaba smirked defiantly.
“Fujishima...? Wait...” Something about Inaba’s statement caught his attention, so he changed tack. “Inaba, you saw this coming?”
“What? Obviously. I mean, the main reason I wanted to tail Yui was to keep Fujishima in check, you know, make sure she doesn’t push the girls in a weird direction.”
“I didn’t know that... Why didn’t you tell me...?”
“Excuse you. ‘Weird’? It’s the correct direction.”
“I don’t know about that... Sounds pretty subjective to me... y’know, going by conventional wisdom... Hahaha...” Nagase laughed nervously, and it was obvious she was trying to discourage Fujishima’s interest in her.
“Conventional wisdom doesn’t stand a chance in the face of love, I’m afraid.”
“Nngh... It’s no use... Orthodox tactics don’t work on her...!” Nagase clapped a hand to her forehead and stared at the ceiling.
“Now then,” Fujishima continued, raising her voice, “I refuse to let you people interfere with Oosawa-san and Kiriyama-san.”
“But... but what about my love affair...?!”
“You’re... Aoki-kun, correct? Let me ask you this: Does Kiriyama-san love you?”
“Uhhh... Well...”
“Then you have no right to speak.”
“Wh... What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Aoki’s right,” Inaba cut in. “If he has ‘no right to speak,’ then neither do you, Fujishima.”
“Y-Yeah! You tell her, Inabacchan! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go talk to—”
But before he could finish, Fujishima blocked his path. “I said no, and that’s final.”
“What are you doing, Aoki?! You can push past her! Be a man!”
“Go for a feint! Feint left, then go right! You can do it, Aoki!”
“Inaba... Nagase... Have you two forgotten the entire reason we’re here?” Taichi muttered.
“You people don’t know how to listen, do you? Then I’ll have to play my final card...” Fujishima pulled something out of the bag hanging from her shoulder. “Take this! It’s a low-intensity black pepper bomb I made last night in anticipation of your antics! It won’t cause you physical harm or damage your clothes, but it’ll take a while to wash it off, thus making it the perfect method to buy time! Hyah!”
“GAH!” The pepper bomb hit Aoki square in the chest. Instantly he began to cough and sneeze.
“And here’s some for the rest of you!” She pitched a second bomb in the direction of Taichi, Inaba, and Nagase.
“Wh... What the fuck are you doing?! M-My eyes...!”
“Wh-What did we do wrong?!”
Inaba and Nagase burst into coughing fits.
“That’s strange... I thought I made sure these were low-intensity. Did I get the ingredient ratio wrong...? Achoo!” Now even Fujishima was sneezing.
“Ghhcck...! If you have the sense to lower the intensity, then don’t freaking make pepper bombs in the first place!” Taichi choked out.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’ve succeeded in slowing you down. Now the girls will have time to disappear into the crowd... Oh, no! I just remembered they’re taking a break right now!”
...Sometimes Fujishima could be an incredible ditz.
◇◆◇
At the Amusement Zone, Oosawa-san and I were in the arcade, playing a reflex game where we pressed glowing buttons the images on the screen told us to.
“Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! HYAH!” The electronic buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the round, and I pulled my hands away from the button pad. Fanfare played; we’d achieved a new high score for co-op on this particular arcade cabinet.
“Yesss! Not too bad, am I right?”
“I think you’re understating it, Kiriyama-san. Your reflexes must be crazy good! I mean, you were covering seven out of ten buttons on your own, and you didn’t miss once!” Oosawa-san sounded not just surprised, but downright baffled.
Meanwhile, I could hear the murmurs of the crowd around us.
“Those girls are incredible...”
“Whoaaa... Get a load of that high score!”
“I didn’t know a score like that was even possible...”
“We were just watching them. That little long-haired girl is nuts, dude. She’s inhuman!”
Apparently we’d attracted some attention.
“Wanna go over there?” Oosawa-san suggested.
“S-Sure,” I nodded, and together we quickly made our escape from all the curious stares. Soon the sign for the women’s restroom came into view.
“Mind if I run to the bathroom real quick?” she asked.
“Okay! I’ll wait around here.”
Alone, I stretched my arms wide. So far, I’d been having a total blast.
“If all dates are this fun, I might just make a habit of this... Hee hee...”
I was just joking, obviously... but then I started to wonder.
I didn’t understand the significance of dating someone. Of dating a girl. All I knew was that Oosawa-san had feelings for me, and I enjoyed being around someone who cared about me. So if “dating someone” really just meant being around them a lot—no weirdness, just fun—maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Plus, it would make Oosawa-san happy, too... Maybe there was no real need to overthink it—
“...Huh?”
Just then, I heard voices I thought I recognized. I really didn’t want my friends from school finding me here... so I decided to investigate.
◇◆◇
“You people again... I was afraid that wouldn’t be enough to deter you, and it seems I was right. Indeed, it would appear you are all determined to interfere in their romance.”
“Oh, fuck off, Fujishima! You attacked us!”
Surrounded by arcade cabinets, ping-pong tables, pool tables, and dart boards, Fujishima and Inaba glared daggers at each other. The CRC had been forced to spend a lot of time washing up after those black pepper bombs. From there, Taichi and Nagase attempted to mollify Inaba’s fury; then Aoki started whimpering things like “My life is over...” and they had to mollify him, too; after all that, just as they’d finally located the arcade, they once again ran into Fujishima. Evidently she had been waiting to ambush them.
“Why do you care so much? Let’s just let them do as they please!”
“Oh, I’d be more than happy to... but the way I see it, the person in control here is you, not them. What do you say to that, Fujishima?”
“You wound me with these accusations. Surely I respect their wishes more than anyone here.”
“So you say, and yet your priority is to get Yui to date a girl at any cost? You call that respectful? Pretty sure the normal thing to do would be to let her make her own decision.”
“Normal, indeed... Who decided such things, I wonder? But I digress; if we go down that road, this conversation will never get anywhere.” Fujishima sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“You have a valid point. Then there’s just one thing left to do... We settle this in a fair fight!” Inaba declared, pointing her finger in Fujishima’s face.
“Whoa... This really reminds me of pro wrestling! If you can’t talk it out, fight it out!”
“Taichi, you know nobody understands pro wrestling. Just keep that stuff to yourself,” Nagase scolded him.
But as a hot-blooded male, he would not be silenced!
“Very well. Name your game, I don’t mind.”
“I see you underestimate me, fucker... In that case, how about a game of ping-pong? The true test of skill!”
“Fine by me. So, if I win, you’ll accept Kiriyama-san’s relationship with Oosawa-san, correct?”
“And if we win—er, if Inabacchan wins—then Yui will date me instead!” Aoki shouted, having suddenly regained his vigor.
“Set whatever terms you wish. After all, I won’t be losing.”
“Oh HELLS yeah! Kick some ass, Inabacchan! Or should I fight her for you?!”
“I don’t need your help, thanks. I’ll crush her with my own two hands!”
“At last... a battle between the queen of the overworld Fujishima-san and the queen of the underworld Inaban! I can’t wait to tell everyone at school tomorrow!”
With nothing of importance riding on this fight, Nagase had transformed into a total spectator.
Indeed, the five of them had gotten so carried away, they completely forgot their true purpose in coming here—
“What the hell are you people doing?” a voice asked, shaking with rage.
Taichi turned to find none other than Kiriyama Yui, looking positively livid. Their antics had escalated to the point that they’d inadvertently been spotted by their own mark.
“I’m guessing you didn’t come by coincidence,” Kiriyama continued, her cheek twitching with barely suppressed fury.
“Oh... Hiya, Yui... Um... Where’s Misaki-chan?” Nagase asked, trying to conceal her trepidation with forced cheer.
“In the bathroom. I knew I recognized your voices...!” she spat. Evidently not even Nagase was safe from Kiriyama’s wrath... which meant she was most likely beyond furious. “WHAT THE HECK DO YOU PEOPLE THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” she roared, and her voice seemed to shake the air itself, almost as though one of the nearby arcade cabinets had started vibrating.
“K-Kiriyama... Just because it’s loud in here doesn’t mean you can scream like that. You’ll bother the other—”
“You shut the hell up, Taichi! Look at you! All of you! What the heck are you doing right now?!”
“I... I was tryin’ to make sure you wouldn’t get pulled into some alternative lifestyle...”
“Alternative lifestyle?! What’s that supposed to mean?! Aren’t I allowed to live my own life?! I don’t take orders, least of all from you, Aoki!”
“Guh! I’m not a fan of the ‘least of all’ part...!”
“So if you win I date Oosawa-san, and if you win I date Aoki?! You think you can just decide my relationship for me?!”
“I was merely trying to eliminate any obstacles between the two of you—”
“I don’t care how little you were involved. You need to start taking this seriously or I’m gonna kick your ass, Fujishima-san!”
“She sounds like she means it... You’d better apologize, Yaegashi-kun.”
“Don’t dump all the heavy lifting on me! Do it yourself!”
“Enough bickering! All of you GET LOST AND LEAVE ME ALONE!” Kiriyama stomped her foot. “I can make my own decisions!”
When they saw the tears in her eyes, everyone fell silent. They knew they had taken things too far, and they all regretted it—or so Taichi thought.
But just then, Inaba snapped her fingers into finger-guns, pointed at Kiriyama. “Exactly. You tell them, Yui,” she declared.
“Wh-What are you talking about?” Kiriyama fidgeted. That statement, heavy with implications, had made her nervous.
“This is your decision to make, and you need to make it.” Inaba took a step forward, placing herself directly in front of Kiriyama. “No matter which road you take, I’ll support you with everything I’ve got... but you’re the one behind the wheel here. You’re the one who carries that weight.”
“What are you... talking about...?” Kiriyama muttered in a shaky voice. She pursed her lips.
“That’s all I can say. Oh, and... I concede we probably shouldn’t have followed you here. Sorry. We’ll be going now. That’s what you wanted, right, Fujishima?” She turned to look at the girl in glasses.
“Perhaps I got a little over-emotional myself... For that, I sincerely apologize... to everyone.” She bowed her head. “I’ll see you all at school tomorrow.” And with that, she turned and strode off in the direction of the exit like a good sport. She always knew how to take a hint when it mattered most, and that was why Taichi found he could never hate her.
“We should get going, too. Quick, before Oosawa gets back!”
And so, at Inaba’s prompting, the rest of the CRC headed off, apologizing as they went.
Taichi glanced back one last time. Kiriyama’s expression was hard to read—a weird mix of angry, conflicted, and... lonely, like a lost puppy.
“You sure we made the right call?” he asked Inaba.
“Yeah, she’ll be fine. You realize I was intentionally making a scene so I could have the chance to make things clear to her, right?”
“What? How do you always manage to think that far ahead...?”
As usual, Inaba had surpassed his every expectation. She was on another level entirely.
But then Nagase shot Inaba a withering look. “‘Fess up, Inaban. You were just winging it back there.”
“Nngh...” Inaba turned away and started to whistle in a show of feigned innocence.
“Wait, what? Is that true?” Taichi stared at her dubiously.
“Wh-What does it matter?! Anyway, you two have a decision to make yourselves! I don’t know if you’re both too shy or what, but you’ve been avoiding each other!”
“Th-That’s not true!” Taichi and Nagase blurted out in unison, then flinched and turned to look at each other.
They were both blushing.
◇◆◇
Together, Oosawa-san and I left the building. The red rays of the setting sun dyed the town scarlet.
“Whew! I sure had a great time today. Thank you, Kiriyama-san.” She shot me a dazzling grin.
“Oh... Yeah... No problem...”
“You seem kinda down all of a sudden. Did it get boring near the end there?”
“No, no! Not at all! I had a blast!” I insisted. “I’m just... kinda tired, that’s all.” But truth be told, it was Inaba’s speech back there that was weighing on me more than anything else.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have dragged you around like that!”
“No, no, it’s fine! I’m not mad or anything! Please, don’t apologize.”
“Oh, okay then... Thanks.” She smiled softly. Ordinarily she was the sort of girl who gave off a “badass” impression more than anything, but in that moment, she was adorably feminine. Once again, I was reminded of what a sweet and innocent girl she was.
Deep down, I’d been prejudiced against her. Part of me had assumed she was some kind of weirdo purely because she liked girls. But now I knew better. She was a perfectly normal girl... A normal girl who had feelings for me.
“Hey, um...” I stopped short.
“Hmm?”
“Didn’t this, like... take a lot of courage? To confess your feelings to another girl, I mean.”
At this, Oosawa-san froze perfectly still, like a statue. I couldn’t tell if she was even breathing.
Then that frozen statue began to melt from the eyes.
“Yeah... I was really scared. I know it’s not normal... and if everyone found out, they’d probably think I was a freak... and I was pretty sure you’d reject me... but I was just so in love with you... so I talked to Fujishima-san and some of my friends from middle school, and they helped me.” She smiled, her tears sparkling in the light. She was still so beautiful, even when she was crying... Then she laughed. “Oh gosh, why am I crying?! Sorry, I gotta run to the restroom. Wait here!”
And with that, she dashed off before I could say another word. Gone in a blink... That’s a track star for you, I guess.
I debated going after her, but decided against it. Instead, I would wait right here like she asked. So I sat down on the iron railing.
A pleasant breeze brushed past, carrying a hint of warmth from the sunset.
“She was so brave to tell me how she felt...”
Especially since I was a girl. Or maybe all love confessions took the same crazy amount of guts. Was that the true meaning of “love”? To want someone so badly, you summon up everything you have?
Just then, my cell phone started to buzz. I’d received an email... from Aoki.
No matter what you choose, I’ll respect your decision... but I’m still in love with you. I want to hang out and have lots of fun with you... and not in a pervy way! (Seriously!) I know it might be “cheating” to send this while you’re still on your date, but I really needed to get it off my chest. Sorry.
He didn’t even use any emojis.
I quietly read it over, then a second time, then a third. Aoki had confessed his feelings for me dozens of times. No matter how much I shot him down, he never gave up...
Then a response occurred to me, so I hit the Reply button and started pressing numbers. Obviously I felt guilty for talking to someone else during my date with Oosawa-san, but nevertheless, I hit the Call button.
“Yui?! What’s goin’ on?! What happened to the date?!” Aoki shouted on the other end of the line, obnoxious as always.
“I want to ask you a question. A really weird question. Is that okay?”
“Are you kiddin’? I’ll always help you out, anytime, anywhere, 24/7/365!”
I could just picture the chivalrous smile on his face as he said it.
“How does it make you feel when you... tell me you love me? Sorry, I know it’s personal...”
There was a brief pause. “You really wanna know?”
“Yeah.”
Another pause.
“I try not to let it show, but... I actually get really nervous. ‘Cuz I mean, I’m tellin’ my favorite girl that I love her, y’know? I’m always scared, like... what if she thinks I’m a creep? Not like I can read your mind, so...”
“Oh...”
Apparently guys felt the same way... even Aoki.
Of course they did. It was so obvious. Nobody was a mind-reader; gender had nothing to do with it. Anybody would be scared to confess their feelings... and yet those same people would summon up the courage to do it anyway, because that was just how love worked.
I still had a lot more to learn, but at least now I finally felt like I was approaching an epiphany.
“But on the other hand,” Aoki continued, his tone more cheerful, “the good totally outweighs the bad, y’know? It’s kinda fun, like, getting all flustered and jittery and stuff! How else will I know I’m alive unless my heart’s pounding out of control? That kinda thing.”
I had a feeling he was trying to make me laugh, so I did. “Gotcha. Thanks.”
I wasn’t really sure what I was thanking him for, but maybe I didn’t need to be specific. Maybe I could thank him for everything all at once and he’d understand.
“Not sure what I helped you with, but you’re very welcome!”
...He doesn’t understand at all! Ugh! Pay attention, dummy!
“Anyway, sorry for the dumb question. Bye... I’m almost ready, I promise.”
“Huh? Wait, what was that last p—”
I hung up, then powered my phone off so he couldn’t call back and stuffed it into my pocket.
A short while later, Oosawa-san came jogging back over to me, and I got to my feet. Her eyes were red and puffy; my chest tightened.
“Sorry for, you know... bringing on the waterworks like that... Haha...”
“Oh, no, it’s my fault! I’m sorry I asked you that stupid question!” There was a lull in the conversation, so I pressed on. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Her face stiffened... but then her eyes hardened with resolve, and she nodded.
“I, um... used to have androphobia.”
It was something no one at school knew except for my friends in the CRC, but I’d decided I wanted to tell Oosawa-san about it, too.
“Huh...?” She looked back at me in shock.
“I had a traumatic experience a few years ago, and after that, I’d get sick to my stomach anytime a guy touched me or got too close.”
“Oh, wow... I’m so sorry that happened to you...”
“No, no, it’s okay! I’m better now. One of my guy friends has really helped me through it, and thanks to him, I consider myself officially over it... though boys still aren’t my favorite.”
It was the truth. As far as I was concerned, I was basically over my androphobia.
“Which is why I’ve never dated anyone. Never fallen in love. I thought it was impossible for me since I couldn’t stand men, so... I avoided it. I ran away.”
For years.
“I never even stopped to think about what ‘love’ or ‘romance’ really meant.”
In spite of the fact that I’d spent all that time side by side with someone who told me he loved me.
“I never tried to accept someone’s love... because I’d convinced myself I couldn’t. I used it as like a get-out-of-jail-free card so I didn’t have to try.”
Oosawa-san listened quietly as I spoke.
“And I never stopped to consider anyone else’s feelings in the process.”
Now that my androphobia had faded, I’d told myself I wanted to move past it... and yet there I was, still spinning my wheels the same way I did before.
“But after today, it finally hit me... and without you, I never would’ve put those pieces together. Thank you, Oosawa-san.”
She smiled softly.
“I still don’t know what it means to love someone... to fall in love... or what ‘romance’ is all about... but starting now, I want to try. I want to put myself out there. I want to start taking it seriously.”
No more dodging the question or running away. From now on, I wanted to give those feelings the respect they deserved.
“And once I catch up to everyone else... once I understand how it feels to be in love with someone, then maybe I can... see what it’s like to date someone.” I bowed my head. “The point is... I’m sorry, but I’m not in a position where I can accept your feelings right now, and I don’t want to make any big decisions until I’ve figured myself out. It might be selfish of me, but I hope you can forgive me for this.”
With this, I’d (hopefully) said everything I’d wanted to say—an important first step in actually confronting the issue. I raised my head once more, waiting for her response.
“Uh... Did I just get shot down?” Oosawa-san asked, tilting her head and smiling sheepishly.
“Huh? Um, I mean, not technically... It’s not a yes or a no exactly... Wait...” It occurred to me just what a crappy answer that was. “Look, um... I’m sorry. You’re right. The truth is, I can’t date you, so yes, I have to turn you down. B-But it’s not because I don’t like you! I just, um...!”
As I scrambled for a better explanation, Oosawa-san giggled. “Sorry, I was just messing with you. Don’t worry! I know you can’t give me an answer right now... so I’ll just have to wait until you can. A-Anyways!” she blurted, then faltered. “Does that mean you’re cool with... you know... me being a girl?” she finished in a weak, wavery voice.
“...Can I be totally honest with you?” I asked.
A few seconds of silence passed.
“Go for it,” she replied finally.
“I’m actually not sure yet.”
There was so much I had yet to understand... but I didn’t want to use that as an excuse to run away from it.
Oosawa-san stared at me for a moment, mouth agape. “I wasn’t expecting that... I was pretty sure you’d say no.”
“Guess I’m pretty weird, huh?”
We both burst out laughing.
“You know... It really means a lot to me that you’re taking my feelings this seriously. I was afraid you’d laugh at me or call me gross...” Oosawa-san sighed, then smiled. “I’m glad I fell in love with you, Kiriyama-san.”
“Wh... In love...? With me...?! Oh gosh...!”
She’d already said it before this point, but somehow I still wasn’t used to it, and I couldn’t help but get all bashful. At the same time, however, I also felt kind of... happy about it...?
“I’m going to wait for you, Kiriyama-san. I’ll wait until you find your answer.”
“Thank you... I appreciate that. And... thank you for... telling me how you feel.”
Before I knew it, we had clasped our hands together in a firm handshake. Her hand was so warm and soft... It lit a fire deep in my chest, and I vowed to myself that I would never forget this moment for as long as I lived.
◇◆◇
Gingerly, I opened my shoe locker.
Just shoes.
I heaved a sigh of relief. I mean, obviously I wasn’t going to get another love letter. I knew that. The first one was basically just a fluke, if anything—
“Morning, Yui.”
“Whuh-ho?!” I jumped out of my skin and whirled around to find Yukina standing there, staring dismally back at me. “Oh... um... Like, good morning, Yukina...”
“Is this some kind of new fad? Making weird noises at people who say hello to you in the morning?”
“N-No!”
Together, the two of us headed for Class 1-A. On the way, as we passed Class 1-C, I glanced through the open door.
There she was. Oosawa Misaki. She was chatting with their class president, Fujishima Maiko, and she had a big smile on her face.
“Hey, Yukina?”
“Hmm?”
“Could you tell me about your boyfriend sometime? Like, during lunch or something?”
“What?”
“Don’t give me that look! I’m just asking!”
“I can’t help it! You never want to talk about that kind of stuff!”
“W-Well, true... but I mean, surely it can’t hurt, like just once, right?!”
“Wait... I know what this is...” Yukina cupped a hand to her chin with a knowing smirk. “Yui... You’re in love, aren’t you?”
“N-N-No I’m not—”
At just the worst time, our girl talk was interrupted by an unwanted intruder: Aoki Yoshifumi.
“What?! Yui?! In love?! These are two things I’m afraid I can’t let slide!”
“Mind your own business!” I swung my bookbag up and slammed it into his chin.
“Gwagh!” He toppled backwards.
“God! It’s too early in the morning for you to be this annoying!”
“I see you two haven’t changed a bit... So, you’re in love! Admit it!”
“No I’m NOOOT!”
“Someone’s blushing...”
“Grrrrr!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll drop it! Quit throwing a tantrum! You’re not in love... but you’re totally somewhere in that zone, right?”
“I said no and I mean it!”
“Says the girl who asked me for mushy stories... Fine, whatever. Fair warning, though: I’m gonna gush like crazy! Just the other day, he and I—”
Yukina was so giddy, she apparently couldn’t even wait until lunchtime to tell me all about her boyfriend.
As for me, well... I still hadn’t learned the true meaning of love, but whatever it was, I had a feeling it was something magical.