Chapter 11: Major Heartbreak Warning

The story moved significantly during the end of the rainy season.

The sweltering heat continued, groaning under the intense sunlight, yet it showed no signs of softening, this was early July.

Maybe saying the story moved significantly is an exaggeration.

In short, everything failed.

Orimoto stimulated Sera with methods and means too numerous to count on both hands, but all of them were meaningless.

「Nothing works anymore!」

Orimoto screams while holding her head.

「Well, we tried various things.」

「Shouldn't at least one thing have caught his attention?! I think I worked really hard!」

Physical attacks. Charging at Sera.

Memory bombing, whispering memories in his ear.

Every strategy──all of them were like pushing against a curtain with one's arm, failing to resonate in Sera's heart.

Orimoto suddenly lets out an "ah".

「──Speaking of which, do you have plans for summer vacation?」

What's "speaking of which" about?

「Summer vacation plans? Do you think I have any?」

「I don't think so. I'm aware I'm forcibly making you go along with me, but I can't imagine Kasugai-kun voluntarily making plans or being invited by friends.」

「Then why did you ask!」

「Just confirming, confirming!」

The after-school path home is deserted.

「You know? If Kasugai-kun happened to have a super busy summer vacation, I'd feel bad.」

「Is the "if!" necessary? It's not needed.」

「Come on, it's just a figure of speech.」

Orimoto laughs artificially.

「Then summer vacation partnership continues too. We're professionals at peeling away the home-wreckers from Keiichi!」

「Home-wreckers. That's strong language...」

「There's no need to coddle them! Inori and Serina-senpai are important friends, but they're also rivals...」

I see, I don't really get it.

Watching love and romance through Orimoto, Michikusa, and Kanzashi-senpai, I can see both harm and benefit.

「When will the partnership be dissolved?」

「That would be, hmm~, when Keiichi remembers me, maybe?」

「What if he doesn't remember you?」

「Forever?」

Orimoto tilts her head cutely.

Permanent partnership with a first-class beautiful girl. It's a tempting phrase, but this woman──has quite a few disappointing points. First, her voice is loud and her emotions are unstable.

「Sera, please remember soon.」

「Let's make summer vacation a fun time!」

「...You should say that to Keiichi.」

Returning this, Orimoto makes a puzzled face.

「Eh, why? Of course with Keiichi, but don't you want to make memories with your friend Kasugai-kun?」

「Friend? Who and who?」

「Me and Kasugai-kun.」

「I don't remember becoming friends.」

「Remember and such. Friendship isn't like that. Good for you, you've escaped being a loner!」

「You're subtly looking down on me, aren't you?」

Orimoto grins.

I can't read the details.

Extroverts and introverts fundamentally don't intersect. Because the premise conditions of their thought processes are different.

「Come on, it's not really like that. It's just playing with a friend, don't you want to have a blast?」

「Home is supreme. I don't want to go out.」

「Even during summer vacation?!」

She should realize that the theory of playing outside during summer vacation is strange to begin with. Summer is for gaming indoors.

Air conditioning is humanity's wisdom.

「First fireworks, right~, karaoke would be good too, ah, bowling seems fun too, doesn't it?」

「If you're going, go by yourself.」

「You're stubborn... too stubborn, Kasugai-kun. To throw away such a precious long vacation...!」

I'm looked at with pitying eyes.

Oi, why? I haven't done anything wrong, but it's like I'm at fault.

「...Ah, it's almost time.」

Orimoto stopped walking and looked at something.

When I looked too, it was the somewhat soot-stained community bulletin board. On the sun-bleached board, a bright, colorful new paper is pinned up.

Summer festival. So there was one.

The existence of a local festival is news to me.

It was probably posted every year, but unfortunately, I was good at shutting out information.

「Summer festival, huh. Do you go every year?」

「Yeah, every year without fail. When I was little, it was just Keiichi and me, but recently Inori and others participated too. But well... yeah. Every year.」

There's a faintly lonely scent.

「This year might be impossible. I'm like this, after all.」

「You can at least go. Just quietly wandering around the venue alone is your limit, though.」

「I'm not that crazy!」

Is that so? I think it's pretty bad.

「Also, I'm not as clever, emotionally dead, and socially awkward as Kasugai-kun!」

「Rapid-fire consecutive attacks.」

「Anyway, there's a high possibility I won't go this year. ──I wanted to go though.」

Her regrets were dripping out.

「You know, Keiichi would swing around candy apples and the apple would fall off the stick. So nostalgic.」

「Hey, no one asked.」

「And then, after dropping it, Keiichi cried. I feel sorry for him, but it was cute...」

Something started up.

I twitched at the negative aura leaking from her back. My attempts to stop her had no effect.

「He liked yakisoba too, you know? When he stuffed his cheeks full, I took a photo.」

「...Come back here soon.」

Orimoto lost in thought, immersed in her own world.

「──At the lottery booth, you know?」

「Listen! Oi! Orimoto?! Daah, this woman won't stop, her monologue is way too long?!」

I hold my head at the endless fantasy.

「...It was a miss, cheap-looking, but the keychain Keiichi won for me. It was my treasure for so long. I kept it with me always.」

「What's with that episode?」

Orimoto let her fingertips wander in empty space.

「I totally haven't accepted it, but after Keiichi rejected me, I was so shocked I fell asleep like that.」

「So you haven't accepted it. Ah, please continue.」

Like a frog stared down by a snake.

I immediately urged her on.

I had gotten used to Orimoto's emotional roller coaster. Rejection, resignation, motivation, then comeback. Her emotional state was wavering between them.

「When I woke up... the things I was wearing, like my uniform and smartphone, were there. You know??」

She uses a spare key from her home.

Her shoes are hand-me-downs.

She takes a quick bath when her family isn't around.

Well, it's civilized but barbaric living that Orimoto is forced into. But, however.

Many things have disappeared.

Money, bank accounts. ──And also.

「The keychain disappeared. …I wonder if he'll give me another one.」

「Stop the heavy development. This is tough, I don't know what face I should make while being forced to listen to this. If I laugh, I'll probably be killed.」

「This year… I wanted to wear a yukata.」

Weather, clear. The evening glow dyes everything crimson.

The cawing of crows echoed from somewhere.

「You don't have to give up yet, do you? ...It's not decided that you'll stay "like this" forever.」

「Encouragement from my partner~??」

「I told you, I didn't acknowledge being partners... well, that argument is fine for now. There's still time until the festival, so look for other things you can do.」

The schedule on the posted paper is still some time away. The situation looks hopeless, but stagnation is a bad move.

That idiot Sera. You should move.

「As expected of my partner. Kasugai-kun has reliable points! Surprisingly.」

「There's an implication there. Just praise me normally.」

「You want to be praised? Fuuh~?」

「──You're annoying.」

「I might get hurt.」

Light banter back and forth.

「──Fuhn!」

Orimoto suddenly slaps her cheeks.

「O-Oi, what are you──」

「I gave myself a pep talk! I'm fine now, Kasugai-kun is cheering for me too, so I have to work hard, right?」

A wink.

It looked good on her, and I was momentarily charmed. But Orimoto and I are just acquaintances. Not friends.

She seems to judge us as friends on her side, though.

「I'll absolutely make him remember! Stupid Keiichi!! He's really annoying~!」

Probably.

Probably.

Probably.

There's no dispute that this was one of the biggest turning points between Orimoto and me, and it was powerful enough to change the flow going forward, to the right or left.

Maybe if Orimoto hadn't noticed the poster.

Maybe if I hadn't gone along with her monologue.

Maybe if we hadn't gone to the festival.

Something like that.