Chapter 04

Chapter 04

 

AS SOON AS MY EYES cracked open, I wondered why my alarm clock had not rung yet this morning. Moments after, I realized that in my own fatigue, I had half-consciusly shut off the clock, which had done its duty properly. Still, it was a day off, so I was in no big rush. Plus, for the past several days, Himari diligently helped me out all day.

Still thoroughly groggy, I changed my clothes with some difficulty, and headed to the kitchen, yawning. Penguin No. 3 came running up before me as I did. I patted it on its head, which today was decorated with a blonde wig and three cheap-looking flower barrettes.

“Oh, morning, Sho-chan!” Himari called happily.

“Morning. Sorry, looks like I over…slept?” I looked up to see a cheerful Himari standing in the kitchen, along with Oginome Ringo.

“Why is… she here?”

“You’ve got a case of the bedhead, Sho-chan,” Himari tittered, trotting over and poking my hair.

“Sorry to barge in,” said Oginome Ringo, with a lighthearted nod.

“Welcome,” I returned the greeting, running my hand over my head.

“Hey, hurry up and wash your face, and then show me how to make tamagoyaki,” said Himari, grabbing my arm.

Today, Himari’s loose ponytail was arranged briskly with a hair clip with a flower decoration, maybe just to keep her hair out of her face while preparing the food. She wore denim jeans, with a beige cardigan over a lightly embroidered white dress. Her rumpled socks were a light pink, matching the color of the flower ornaments. A tender pink really did suit our little sister.

“Sure, I can do that, but…” But what was Oginome Ringo doing in our home first thing in the morning? I was suspicious, but instead I wedged myself between the pair, showing off my skills.

I preferred to make rolled omelets that weren’t too sweet. Don’t overbeat it, don’t use too much heat. Don’t pour too much of the egg mixture into the pan at once. Make it fluffy by adding just a little more milk.

“You’re amazing, Sho-chan! It looks so good already, I wanna eat it!” Himari jumped up, No. 3 bouncing around as well.

Oginome Ringo watched my hands eagerly, mumbling the steps in repetition.

Feeling like I had suddenly aged many years, I sipped some warm hojicha, watching as Oginome Ringo and Himari battled it out with the omelets, mimicking my preparations and chattering to each other. “That’s right.” “This looks good.” “Like this? Like this?” “It’s gonna burn!”

How was it that girls could still shine while doing something so childish, conducting themselves as if a music box played? We were all humans, but they seemed like a totally disparate life-form.

“Ta-da! A special deluxe field trip bento!” said Himari, placing an exaggerated, multitiered bento atop the low table. Penguins No. 2 and No. 3 applauded joyfully.

The way that Himari intoned her words was murderously adorable.

“We did it, Ringo-chan!” Himari and the penguins circled around Oginome Ringo, like Snow White and her dwarves.

“Yeah,” Oginome Ringo said happily, her cheeks pinking ever so slightly.

“Are you taking these out somewhere?” I asked with my eyes narrowed, like a sweet old grandfather, holding my teacup.

Himari grinned wide, as though she had been waiting for me to ask, and announced, “Ringo-chan’s got a date!”

“Huh?” The kindly look upon my face suddenly turned serious. Oginome Ringo looked bashful, while Himari muttered, “Sounds nice.”

“She asked me to show her how to make a tasty tamagoyaki, but I’m no good at it, either. Your help really saved us, Sho-chan!”

“Oh, well, that’s good.”

I did not want to dampen the smile blooming over Himari’s face, but the other party involved in said date was likely Tabuki Keiju, and there was a high probability that it was not a date, but another exercise in stalking. None of that sounded good at all.

Kanba, having finally finished his carefree morning routine, appeared from out of the washroom.

“Oho, looks like you did good. That’s our house husband for you,” he said, swiping a piece of the cut-up omelet on my plate and popping it into his mouth.

“Who are you calling a house husband?” I shot a glare at my ill-behaved brother. Kanba, who was terrible at mornings, seemed strangely alert for it being relatively early.

“By the way, Oginome-san, where are you going birdwatching today?” Kanba asked her, without hesitation.

Birdwatching. I could not readily remember where I had heard a discussion of that.

“In Wadazuka Park,” Oginome Ringo replied, without a hint of suspicion.

“Whoa, what a coincidence! Shoma had something to do over there today too. Right, Shoma?” said Kanba, flashing me his best smile.

“Huh? N-no. I do not!” I started to say, when I was suddenly gripped in a headlock and dragged to the corner of the room.

“Hang on, what is going on?!” I asked, my voice naturally growing softer.

“Listen. This is our chance to search that chick’s bag.” I followed his glance to see Oginome Ringo’s tote bag. “We gotta find the You-Know-What.”

“By the You-Know-What, you mean the Penguindrum?”

Kanba pressed a finger to his lips with a “Shh!”

Looking around to ensure we hadn’t been heard, he said, “This chick said that things were going, ‘just as written.’”

“So, you’re saying that it’s something written on paper, like a book or a journal?” She mentioned something about things being written, or engraved. We flipped through plenty of books, journals, and other written items in Oginome Ringo’s home, but we wouldn’t have found it if she carried it around with her.

“Yeah, that’s a good assumption. It must have some connection to this Penguindrum we’re after. It’s probably the key to unlocking this mystery.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, glancing at Himari and Oginome Ringo, who were now quietly sipping some freshly brewed hojicha. What a cruel irony in this scene, if the girl sitting next to Himari was the one who held her life in her hands.

“The reason that it hasn’t turned up yet is probably because she keeps it hidden on her at all times. Maybe even somewhere even closer than in that bag.”

“Huh? Somewhere closer than her bag?” I momentarily imagined something improper, and felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“I’m kidding, stupid. Though, we can’t entirely rule that out, either.” As usual, no color appeared on Kanba’s face.

“In that case, why don’t you go? You’re way better at getting close to girls, aren’t you?”

“Hm? I’ve got some stuff to take care of. I’m leaving today’s mission to you. Break a leg out there!” He slapped me on the back heartily.

“Another girl? Aniki, you’re definitely gonna face some divine punishment one of these days.” I pouted, deeply exasperated with him.

“Whatever.” My words had fallen on deaf ears.

Things went rough after that. Oginome Ringo made a dreadful face when I tagged along on her date. The effect of Kanba’s killer smile was lost on Oginome Ringo, who was smitten with Tabuki, and even Himari chided me, but in the end, I followed her along to Wadazuka Park.

 

The train ride was awkward. I sat beside an unhappy Oginome Ringo, my head slightly hung, occasionally looking up at our reflection in the window opposite us. Oginome Ringo, her tote bag on her shoulder, wore a hat down over her eyes and a vest with many pockets, with a pair of binoculars hanging from her neck. She seethed in quiet anger. I was in casual clothes, my back rounded, carrying the heavy, three-tiered bento, a sullen look on my face, looking utterly forlorn.

“Um, so. You’re going to the park to do some birdwatching today?”

“That’s right,” she said, quite curtly. Girls were scary when they were angry.

“Is this also, um, how did you put it, part of your, ‘fate’?”

“Huh?” She did not even spare me a glance.

It was a single word, and yet I felt as though I had been thoroughly redressed.

“Ah, well uh, the other day, you were saying something like that.”

“That’s right,” said Oginome Ringo, though she didn’t seem to be speaking to me. “Everything that happens from now on today is a matter of fate. I’m on a very important mission. There is no room for failure,” she elaborated, as though to herself.

“I… see.”

Her reflection in the dark window seemed like a completely different person from the girl who smiled with Himari this morning. She was obstinate, and it wasn’t that she wasn’t charming, but she exuded an unapproachable standoffishness, truly like a different life-form. Plus, she was a stalker.

Suddenly, Ringo looked up around the car, and I casually followed her gaze. One of the walls displayed an advertisement for an upcoming performance by the “East Ikebukuro Sunshiny Opera Company,” abbreviated to “E.I.S.C.” The title of the performance was “The Tragedy of M.” The actress playing Marie, the titular “M,” was listed as Tokikago Yuri, and there was a large picture of the actress, along with an otokoyaku actress embracing her from behind.

“Do you like the theater?” The actress, Tokikago Yuri, looked familiar. I’d probably seen her on television or something. But I also felt that I had recently seen her somewhere, far closer up.

“Not really,” Ringo spat coldly, her gaze returning straight ahead, falling silent.

Though we had not even reached our destination yet, still stuck on this train with its rhythmic swaying, I already wanted to go home. I wanted to go home and pass my day off in monotonous bliss, like a little old grandpa.

 

Just as I wished for, Wadazuka Park possessed a peaceful tranquility. It was already ten in the morning by the time we arrived. I followed along with her to the fountain plaza, offering to carry the bento to her meeting place since they were heavy. However, I was not going to find an opportunity to search her bag in so short an amount of time.

Oginome-san sat down on a bench in a gazebo and took out a small mirror, arranging her hair with her index finger, and slathering on lip balm. It was as if I wasn’t even present.

“Hey, sorry to keep you!”

I turned my head to look at the owner of the dull voice, which perfectly suited the laidback park. Oginome-san stood straight up, turning around.

It was, of course, Tabuki standing there. He wore a carefree smile and had a number of wild bird pins fixed to the lapels of his strange shirt, and a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. Even someone like me, who paid little attention to appearances, knew this was a fatally uncool look.

“Hm? Are you with a friend today?” Tabuki smiled, noticing me.

“F-friend? He is definitely not my friend! That man is just a passing acquaintance, but when I started talking about today he started saying that he had to come! I’m so sorry, this is such a bother!” said Oginome-san, bowing her head.

While I was surprised at how sweet her voice sounded, even knowing that she already disliked me, it still hurt a little to hear her say that. Realizing that he would soon figure it out anyway, I reluctantly stood to greet Tabuki.

“Nonsense,” said Tabuki with a smile, “A fellow birdwatcher is always welcome.” His eyes turned to me, beyond her. “Oh? If it isn’t Takakura!”

“Morning, Sensei.” Given how frequently I skipped lately, the greeting came out strangely flat.

“Takakura is a student in my class. Wow! I didn’t realize you two knew each other. What a coincidence.”

As I smiled along numbly with Tabuki’s goofy smile, Oginome-san shot a sharp glare at me. I wondered how long she could keep such a strained face before it froze that way.

She stepped closer to me, asking in a low, sharp voice, “How long are you going to stay here?”

“Umm, j-just a little longer. I’ve got some business around here, too.” I had to say. This was painful.

“Oh my! Looks like you get to be with the fabulous couple again today,” came a lilting, gorgeous voice.

“Oh, this is perfect, I can introduce you both to my old friend, too,” said Tabuki, face relaxing more, stepping to the side. “This is Tokikago Yuri.”

“Pleased to meet you!” I said. Tokikago Yuri was shaded from the sun by a wide-brimmed hat, wearing a refined white dress cinched by a belt of the same color, and carried a large basket. Her soft-looking hair waved in the wind, and every blink of her long eyelashes seemed to make a sound.

“The curry woman,” Oginome-san murmured. I saw that her cutesy false smile had crumbled.

“Oh!” I muttered without thinking. The curry woman. This woman was Tabuki’s girlfriend, who had been at his apartment the night Oginome-san had brought her homemade curry there.

“Isn’t she gorgeous? To be honest, she’s actually an actress. She’s a leading lady with the Sunshiny Opera Company,” Tabuki introduced her proudly, his cheeks deepening.

I felt grateful to this woman, who, beyond being a joy to be around, had drawn Oginome-san’s nervous attention to something other than me. It should have made it easier for me to look inside her bag, but Oginome-san herself made such a dark expression one would think it was the end of the world. I felt a fresh wave of unease.

Across from us, the “fabulous couple” with their dreadful expressions, Tokikago Yuri and Tabuki were casually chatting. “Wasn’t it nice to have such good weather?” and “Thank you for inviting me,” and “What are the names of the birds on your pins? Wasn’t learning all of them difficult?” The two were lost crafting a world of their very own, white lilies abloom.

 

Having walked to the entryway with the penguins to see Shoma and Ringo off, Himari swiftly grew quite listless, and dragged her feet back to the living room.

“They’re gone,” she said, as though this were not some terrible, dreadful event, just mere fact.

“Let’s eat the rest of those lunches. Bet you’re hungry, huh, Himari?” said Kanba, unaffected, sitting cross-legged by the table.

“Yeah. I’ll go make some tea then,” Himari said dimly, once more putting the kettle on the stove.

Kanba stood calmly beside Himari as she stared blankly at the kettle, renewing the contents of the little teapot. How could she always take things in stride like this? he wondered. She’d seemed to be having such fun up until now, but she would go flat again in an instant. But there was no mistaking the smile that would jump right back to her face the next time something fun came around.

As his gaze happened to fall upon the flowers decorating her silky, blow-dried hair, Himari muttered to herself, “A date, huh?”

“Are dates fun?” she asked Kanba with a grin.

“Huh? For me? I mean, there’s a lot of different kinds.”

If Yamashita, his classmate, were to ask him the same question, Kanba would have grinned and cracked back, “Well of course they’re fun,” but talking to Himari was another matter.

“Hmm. I wonder if I’ll ever go on a date someday,” said Himari, staring at the kettle, her cheeks puffing out meaninglessly.

“A date? You?” That might be true. She would probably end up dating someone one of these days. Someone just like him. However, he would not say that. He was afraid of speaking such a thing into existence. “Well…”

As he searched for the right words, Himari cut in to say, “But I think I’m fine with just you and Sho-chan for a while. I’m still scrawny, after all. I can’t even go to school yet.”

She did not seem especially distraught about this, but that was precisely why Kanba later regretted not saying something like, “You’ll probably be able to go on plenty of dates pretty soon.”

“You can do it,” he said. “You can go to school, and I bet you’ll be killer at racking up friends. You’re my sister, after all.”

“I can’t wait.” Himari grinned widely.

This was fine, thought Kanba, silently comforting his own aching heart.

“Water’s boiled.”

“That’s not too heavy, is it?” he asked, watching her slender arms as she lifted the kettle.

“I can handle this much.” She poured the water proudly into the teapot. “Let’s eat already, Kan-chan.” She gave a quiet smile. Flat again.

The pair lined up their chopsticks and dishes, prepared the hot hojicha, and sat around the table with their salmon and pickled plum and okaka onigiri and tamagoyaki, and their asparagus and smashed hard-boiled eggs dressed in mayonnaise. Before they partook in their sausage and cherry tomatoes, or their dessert of apples cut in the shape of rabbits, they each said grace.

“Um, so I think this one is salmon and this one is pickled plum, and these ones are probably okaka,” Himari directed, before biting into a plum onigiri. She made sure to give each of the penguins an onigiri as well.

“Mm, this is good. You made these ones, right?” Kanba stuffed his face with onigiri, uneasy at Himari’s too-quiet mood.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Himari’s eyes went round.

“Because they’re smaller than the others. They’re the size of your hands,” Kanba answered proudly.

“Oh, I see! You’re amazing, Kan-chan!” Himari grinned wide.

Her graceful fingers, holding the onigiri. Her tiny mouth, biting into it. Her innocent eyes, casting glances at Kanba. Her long eyelashes. Every part of her looked pale, small, and fragile. Kanba stopped trying to figure why it was that, despite most women looking small and pale, Himari was the only one who stood out to him. He knew there was no reason for this feeling. But that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt him, constantly.

“Was it really okay for Sho-chan to go along on Ringo-chan’s date? She seemed angry,” Himari said nervously. “I wonder if she’ll still want to come over again.”

“It’ll be fine. Shoma actually went with her to help out. He’s her personal cupid,” Kanba said with a smile.

“Really? It’s not a bother for her? She’ll come back again?” Himari stared him in the eye suspiciously.

“She’ll be back. It’s fine.” Kanba wanted to reach out and pat Himari on the head, but she had hair clips in, so he refrained. “It seemed like you two really get along.”

“Yeah. I haven’t had a normal girl friend in a long time, so it’s really fun.” She gave a subtle smile, her long eyelashes lowered.

Himari had been enrolled in the hospital’s tutoring program while she was hospitalized. However, some of the other children had been released from the hospital and lost touch, and others had even passed away. Kanba couldn’t even begin to imagine how Himari must have felt when that happened. But in front of her brothers, Himari always smiled.

“You’re going out now too, aren’t you, Kan-chan?” Himari asked, in that same hazy tone.

“Ah, yeah. It’s nothing huge though.” In fact, he wouldn’t know for certain if what he planned for the day would be huge or not until he got there, but he still fully intended to get back home as quickly as he could.

“I know you don’t have school today, but if you’re gonna be late, be sure and call me.” She intended to sound calm, but when she spoke it sounded lonesome, and she grew embarrassed, suddenly feeling as though she was a small child all over again.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll make sure to get in touch.”

After that, the pair silently ate their meals, finished their apples, and once more drank some hojicha.

When Kanba set out with Penguin No. 1 in tow, Himari once again went to the front door to see them off.

“See you soon! Good luck out there!” She waved innocently.

Kanba waved back, wondering just what she wished him luck with.

As she picked up Penguin No. 3 and returned inside the house, Himari noticed the family photo had been turned face down on the cupboard, and stood it back up. Then, she felt a bit tired, and wished to sleep. The best thing to do, when one felt lonely, was to sleep.

 

I know what you’re searching for. See details below.

Kanba looked once more over the text he received.

There was no doubt that it was referring to the Penguindrum. But how could anyone other than he and Shoma possibly know about it? Maybe they were not the only ones who were after it.

The family restaurant where he had agreed to meet the message’s sender was somewhere that he had made use of many times before. In the nonsmoking section by the window, Kanba sat quietly, running through simulations of a number of scenarios in his head. After some time, he heard a voice.

“Good afternoon.”

He looked up to see Kuho Asami standing there. She wore large, brand name sunglasses, and had her hair in a short cut with lightly teased ends. She wore a casual, pale blue top with ribbons, and lace peeked out like a curtain from the hem of her showy white floral miniskirt. His eyes were especially drawn to her bright red high-heeled shoes.

“Flashy as ever,” he said.

Unflapped by Kanba’s quiet words, Asami removed her sunglasses and smiled brilliantly.

“Been a long time, Kanba-kun.” Her eyes were edged with a thin black line.

Kanba was speechless to see the next two people that arrived after Asami, who sat across from him. Chizuru and Yui sat down beside her cheerfully.

Kuho Asami was one thing, but Chizuru and Yui as well could all be counted among the number of Kanba’s former girlfriends, so to speak.

“Damn it, this is a setup.” He realized now that he had been overthinking this. How could he possibly have thought that Asami would have had any information about the Penguindrum?

“What a rare sight. Are you flustered, Kanba-kun?”

She grinned, her lips shining with a sparkling, iridescent pink gloss. The pale color of Himari’s lips, so smooth from the looks of them, flashed through the back of Kanba’s mind.

“What are you all here for?” Kanba asked, ignoring her question.

“We’ve formed a ‘Takakura Kanba Romantic Casualties Club,’” said Chizuru, as if it were the most obvious thing.

“What?” Just from the assembled party, Kanba suspected nothing good would come from this, but that surpassed anything he anticipated.

“Yep, the ‘Takakura Kanba Romantic Casualties Club.’ Kuho-san was the one who named it.” Yui gleefully explained.

“Asami did?” He glanced at Asami, but she coldly averted her eyes.

Asami had not wanted to break up with Kanba, and Kanba was well aware that she probably still had feelings for him. But Kanba had given the relationship a go, and he knew that women like Asami were no good for him. Particularly, the kind of women who would form a “Victims’ Club” out of some lingering attachment for a man she had broken up with.

“We decided to gather up all the poor girls you’ve deceived and start a protest movement. Isn’t this fun?” Chizuru made a show of smiling with her mouth alone.

“Today, we are going to set the record straight. You’re going to take responsibility for playing with pure maidens’ hearts!” Yui smacked the table loudly.

“It’s divine punishment.”

Kanba suddenly grew worried, thinking of Shoma’s warning that morning.

“This will be a while. Why don’t we order something?” said Asami, perusing the menu. “It’s nice to have some sweets now and then. It’s nice that they have the calorie counts written here,” she continued, without the least bit of apparent interest, her eyes instead trained on Kanba. This former lover, so long apart from her, had left his mark deeper in her heart than any other man who had ever stood before her, and she could not escape him.

Asami was unsure that what they’d shared had really been love, but it didn’t matter. She merely wished to have him before her again. That was what mattered most. Chizuru and Yui and this Romantic Casualties Club were nothing more than a charade she concocted for that purpose. She was only following that person’s advice.

“What would you like, Kanba-kun? Since you came all this way here. Today’s my treat,” said Asami, so placidly that one might wonder if she might become an actress one day.

“Coffee,” Kanba said dismissively. “I’ve got a headache, so just black coffee.” He swiftly crossed his legs.

The three women sitting across from Kanba felt their hearts skip, just a beat.

 

When Himari finished diligently washing the dishes and cleaning out the bath, she took up embroidering the edges of the curtains. She was going to increase the area of the flower patterning.

“I hear dates are fun,” muttered Himari. She could have as easily been talking to herself as to Penguin No. 3. “What do people do on dates?”

First, people would meet up, Himari imagined. On a day off, they would put on their favorite clothes and wait for a lover, maybe in front of a train station. When their lover finally arrived, they would walk, arms linked or hand in hand, making frivolous conversation.

“I wonder where they go. Maybe to see a movie? Ringo said she was going to the park for some birdwatching. I wonder if Kan-chan goes to the cinema or something.” She stopped her embroidery as her hands tired, suddenly growing quite bored.

“People kiss on dates, too.” Finally, Himari smiled, and kissed No. 3 on the head. No. 3’s eyes popped open, and its cheeks flushed.

Though she had grown healthier, the idea that she was sick still lingered, and it was impossible for her to imagine a future where she herself might fall in love with someone, and have them fall in love with her, and go on dates, and get married. The very idea of it was so surreal its seeming impossibility did not even make her sad.

When her first period had arrived, Himari was in the hospital. One evening, when she awoke and shifted in bed, she felt something strange. She scowled, peeling back the covers to see blood staining the sheets. She’d had a general understanding of menstruation, but she’d had no idea there would be this much blood.

It was embarrassing, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she called a nurse. She did not tell her mother or friends about it. They were all gone, after all.

Her stomach had hurt, and she felt helpless. When she wondered if she was just unlucky, she became even more forlorn, even sadder. Even sick, even lonesome as she felt, time would continue to pass, and her body would continue to grow, eventually transforming into something approaching adulthood. All on its own, without consulting her. Thinking this left her dumbfounded for some time, but eventually she changed her clothes, put a pad on, and got a change of sheets.

Having a body that might one day birth a child seemed utterly detached from her reality.

That day, her brothers received an explanation from the nurse. She hardly ever spoke to them about her period. Though naturally, they had to purchase menstrual products for her plenty of times, so she did have to speak to them about it directly at those points, at least.

Himari clutched No. 3 to her, overtaken with a formless anxiety.

She wished everyone didn’t have to go out all at once. At the very least, they could have left Penguins 1 and 2 with her.

Everyone really did always disappear.

“San-chan, do you like picture books?”

The penguin cradled in her arms opened its eyes wide.

“I’ll read you a picture book. Let’s go.” She headed back to her room, urging No. 3 along. In there, Himari could feel at ease, immersed in a place of her own design.

She considered going out to buy some kind of seeds to plant alongside the house, but she decided to wait until she could consult Shoma first. Perhaps she would make dinner tonight. It was getting brisk out, and she wanted to eat Shoma’s hot udon. She loved tsukimi udon. The name alone, conjuring images of watching the full moon, gave her a warm feeling.

Himari and No. 3 sat side by side on the bed as she opened the picture book.

“Now listen carefully, okay?” Himari said with a smile. No. 3’s eyes sparkled, and it gave a firm nod.

Though Himari was young, she knew instinctively that loneliness meant not being able to share things with others. Still, she began reading with “Once upon a time,” and praying that her brothers would come home early tonight.

Himari’s high, sweet voice echoed strangely throughout the empty Takakura home, and the house itself passed along just like the events within the storybook.

 

When she came to again, Himari found herself and No. 3 wrapped up in the blanket, having fallen asleep. She heard an, “I’m home!” from the front door. She quickly sat up; the room had already grown completely dim.

Himari flew out of bed and ran to the entryway.

“Welcome home! Sho-chan, what happened?” asked Himari, looking her brother over again as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Did it rain?”

Shoma was soaked from head to toe, gripping a towel she had never seen before.

“Nothing major. I just accidentally fell into the pond at the park.” No sooner had he said this than Shoma let out a big sneeze.

“You’re gonna catch a cold! I cleaned out the bath. I’ll go heat the tub!”

She retrieved a large towel from the washroom by the entryway, and handed it to Shoma, who still stood on the landing. “Here, Sho-chan.”

He accepted the towel, thanking her.

“Did you really just fall into the pond? That seems kind of weird.” Beside Shoma, No. 2’s face went red. “Did something happen with Ringo-chan?”

“Nothing! Why would something happen? Though, Oginome-san was pulling a lot of weird faces and seemed like she had a lot to work through. Tabuki brought—you’ll never believe this—that actress, Tokikago Yuri, with him! She was seriously pretty. There were all these fans wanting to shake her hand, and Tabuki was being all gushy over her.” Forcing out the string of words, Shoma flew into the washroom and shut the door. “Anyway, I’m just gonna take a shower. I’ll go ahead and heat the bath while I’m at it. I’m fine though—nothing happened, really.”

“Well, I’ll make you something warm to drink,” said Himari, fixing her hair as she headed to the kitchen with Nos. 2 and 3 in tow, and pulled out the tin of cocoa powder.

From Sho-chan’s face and the way he talked, something had definitely happened, but he must not have been able to say what. She would ask Ringo covertly about it later, Himari thought.

“You know what happened, right?” she asked, crouching before Penguin No. 2 with a smile.

No. 2 rolled on the floor, its face growing redder and redder, steam rising from its flanks.

“Man. Everyone has so much fun,” Himari muttered, sniffing at the sweet smell of the cocoa powder.

 

On the grounds of Akasaka Mitsuki Station, Kuho Asami was having a few regrets. She wanted to see Takakura Kanba, and succeeded in getting some pointless girls involved in order to draw his attention and calling him here, but she was still nothing more than the poor little girl that he had rejected, and Chizuru and Yui were so irritating, with all their loud prattling about trivial things.

On the other side of the phone, Asami’s advisor listened to her report and laughed casually.

“But is this really alright? It seems like now he thinks I’m just some troublesome ex-girlfriend.” Still, she had gotten to be with him. She had gotten to see his face up close once more.

“Goodness, we need to hurry up and crush him,” her advisor laughed enthusiastically.

“Huh?” Asami asked back. Crush him. That was definitely what her advisor had said.

“It’s fine. That’s part of the plan, too. After today, I understand the shape of your love. Don’t you worry, the next step is already underway.” And with that, the advisor hung up the phone.

Just what did it mean for her and Chizuru and Yui’s love to be understood? She hadn’t been there with them. Thinking this, Asami looked back, shivering. She felt something grip her heart, but she couldn’t quite puzzle out what this feeling meant.

There was no way her advisor could have had a view of that entire place; that was impossible. Asami invited Kanba, just as she advised, but she couldn’t have known where Kanba met them, nor what seats they would have sat in, so how could she have observed them?

“No, I’m overthinking this,” Asami said, climbing onto the escalator. She let out a sigh and muttered, “Still, what was that ‘next step’ about?”

As if to drown out her whisper, someone’s hand shoved her from behind.

“Huh?!” In an instant, Asami’s body tumbled down the escalator.

Asami loved the way that Kanba’s eyes glinted like a wild animal’s sometimes. When he looked at her with those eyes, her heart raced violently, a thrilling pain; in those moments, she wouldn’t have cared if he gripped her throat and strangled her to death. When he seized her arms with his angular hands and drew her to him, she felt as if nothing else in the world mattered.

It was all horribly childish, but perhaps a true, childish love that had been there. And now, all she wanted was for Takakura Kanba to look her way again.

A red shoe went flying, and the same shade of red soon began to spread across the brown tiled floor.

This incident occurred at precisely 9 P.M.