I know some women go to the gym or run in this kind of outfit, and I’ve never really thought anything of it, but when it’s a girl I know, it’s a different story. “Why? Because of your outfit, of course…” Kureha blinked at me in confusion. “Senpai, are you embarrassed?” “I think it’s more like I’m conflicted.” If it was Nanase…I think I’d be able to admit to the way it was getting to me. But Kureha being Kureha, it made it all a lot more complicated. Kureha usually just seems to be a sweet, innocent younger girl. So this contrast when she acts womanly makes me feel…guilty? She continued breezily. “I mean, I run track, so this is pretty standard for me.” Oh, right. I was getting it a little now. “Yeah, that’s the kind of outfit the girls wear during track meets, right?” “Yeah! If anything, our shorts are even a little shorter.” I slowly sat up. Yeah… If I thought of it as a type of track uniform, that made it easier. Although it still weirded me out a bit. “Anyway,” I said, trying not to look too directly at her. “What’s up?” “Here you go, Senpai.” “That’s cold!” She pressed a freezing half of a double Popsicle against my cheek. Kureha beamed. “Please swap Papico halves with me!” “Oh, well, sure.” I split my own Papico in half and gave her the other piece. It had been sitting awhile, and a drop of condensation splashed onto Kureha’s exposed upper chest. I quickly looked away again. “Senpai, thanks for being understanding earlier.” She sounded so serious. “What do you mean?” Kureha smiled apologetically. “That was kind selfish, asking for a one-on-one dance with you.” “Don’t worry about it. As Nanase said, someone had to be the example pair so we could work out the steps as a group.” “Are you sure you wouldn’t have preferred one of the other older girls? Like, say, Nanase?” “I hope you’re not still hung up on the whole ex-boyfriend thing.” “Nope! I’m just asking out of genuine curiosity!” When I replied, I found my real thoughts sort of tumbled out. “Well, maybe you volunteering actually saved my skin somewhat.” Dancing with one of the others might have felt…awkward. I knew I was going to have to make a decision someday. But first, I just wanted to enjoy the school festival in a pure, uncomplicated way. When you think of it that way, partnering with a younger girl I have no history with is just easier. I laughed. “By the way, I hate to lose,” I said, poking at her a little. “If we’re going to be dance partners, then I want us to steal the show during the actual performance, ’kay?” Kureha pulled her Papico out of her mouth with a pop and grinned. “All right, I’ll do you a solid and be your partner, then!” “Hang on. I feel like our positions have reversed somehow!” After our break, we went back to the living room, sat around the low table, and decided to lock down our choice of music. We had a rough idea of how the dance steps would go, and we figured the easiest way to choreograph everything would be to pick a song first. Our performance time was a max of seven minutes. Going over the time limit would result in a deduction of points, but since all we had to do was play a track that fit the time window and choreograph our steps to the track, we didn’t really need to worry about it. Although, we could do more than one song, so basically, each color team could pick a few songs that fit the theme, then splice them together. I was mulling it all over when Asuka spoke. “If our theme’s pirates, then coming up with the music should be pretty simple, right?” Everyone nodded, and she continued. “For example, ‘He’s a Pirate’ and ‘We Are!’ are classics.” The first was a theme song from a hit pirate movie, and the latter was the first theme song to a popular pirate anime. Both were a little before our time, but we were all familiar with their legacy. Actually, those were the first songs I thought of, too. Haru spoke up, sounding a little embarrassed. “Sorry, how does the first one go, again?” I’d been doing some research beforehand, so I knew, but I guess not everyone was familiar with the song just from the title. I hummed it in place of Asuka. “It’s like ‘dada-dun-dun dada-dun-dun dada-dun-dun dada-dun.’” “Okay, got it.” Kenta, watching this exchange, grinned. “King’s favorite group Bump of Chicken has that song ‘Sailing Day,’ which is also the theme song to an anime!” Asuka and I looked at each other. Oh, really? “Now that you mention it…the lyrics are kinda perfect.” Yuuko’s hand shot up into the air. “I know, I know! ‘Yo Ho’…!” ““Ah!”” Asuka and I both spoke in unison. Yeah… That would be the perfect pirate song. Then Yua slowly raised her hand. “I know it’s not pirates, but before the battle, we could play ‘The Imperial March.’” That’s the song from that famous sci-fi movie—basically the theme tune for iconic villains of all kinds. It might be perfect for creating a sense of tension. “I see… Yeah, that works.” I nodded, and Haru piped up again. “Sorry, how does that go again?” “Like dun-dun-dun dun-da-dun dun-da-dun.” “Oh, okay, got it.” Yua smiled a little hesitantly. “But maybe it’s a bit too conventional?” “Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “For school events like this, the crowd gets more fired up over songs they’re all familiar with rather than some weird, obscure selection of tracks. It’s the same with the brass band’s performances at the school festival, right?” “True… This year, we’ll be performing some of the year’s biggest pop hits.” Nanase stopped scribbling down notes and raised her head. “I’ve been thinking about the general blow-by-blow outline of the performance…” She pushed the snacks littering the table aside, spread out her notebook, and continued. “In broad terms, I’m thinking setting sail, sailing, encounter with the enemy, battle, victory dance, then feast. How’s that?” There was a moment of silence while we weighed each other’s responses; then Kureha was the first to speak up. “That’s perfect! You’re a genius, Yuzuki!” Nanase grinned, pleased by Kureha’s open praise, and then Kazuki spoke. “We can mix up the tempo so it’s not all one-note, and it forms a story the audience can easily grasp. I think it’s perfect.” I nodded. “There’s basically four parts. Departure, voyage, conflict, and battle. It’s just the right length for a short performance.” Kaito scratched his head in some confusion. “Can I just say something? Even though we’re playing enemies, it’s only us in the Blue Team doing the dancing, right? If it was just a simple fight to the death, we could all just wade in and start whacking one another, but how do we express who’s our friend and who’s our enemy?” Nanase looked confused. “Hmm, good point. We could always pantomime attacking invisible enemies, but I think it’s better if we actually fight.” Haru munched on a stick of Pocky. “Why not just split up into enemies and allies?” Yuuko tilted her head. “Then the losing fighters won’t be part of the victory dance scene…” “Oh, right.” “I know,” Asuka said, raising her hand modestly. “What if we called it the ‘Dance of Reconciliation’ instead of the ‘Dance of Victory’?” “““Great!””” “Hmm,” said Nanase. “That’s a good idea. For example, we could split the group in two, with Captain Chitose leading one party, and me as the vice captain leading another. Then after the battle, we could settle our differences and reconcile with a dance.” Yua spoke up, as if she’d just thought of something. “We could express that through clothing. After reconciliation, we could all wear the same adornments, for example.” Everyone was nodding in agreement, so I decided to sum up what we’d apparently decided on. “So we’ll split into the Chitose Pirates and the Nanase Pirates for the setting sail and sailing scenes. Then we’ll face off against each other during the battle scene. Then we’ll come together for the Dance of Reconciliation, then finish up with the feasting scene.” “““No arguments!””” Asuka tucked her hair gently behind her ear. “So I guess now we know what we’re doing for the music and the basic theme of the choreography. For the setting sail scene, I think I want it to have an exciting feeling, like the adventure is about to begin…” I answered that one. “The songs that have been mentioned so far and would work for that include ‘We Are!,’ ‘Sailing Day,’ and ‘Yo Ho.’” Nanase scribbled notes in her notebook. “Encountering the enemy and launching into battle goes from tense to intense. ‘He’s a Pirate’ or ‘The Imperial March’ would work for that. If we want to include dancing in pairs, the reconciliation dance would be good for that.” Asuka chuckled. “If we go straight into the fight scene with scary music, it’ll seem too heavy. We should lighten it up with something like ‘We Are!’ or ‘Sailing Day’ to create something more reminiscent of a fun pirate manga.” ““Right.”” While everyone responded at once, I decided to bring up something that had been on my mind. “But if we’re going to include dancing in pairs in the battle part, then realistically we’d want to use the same pairing in the reconciliation dance scene.” Nanase frowned and thought for a moment before answering. “Yeah, that would make practice sessions go more smoothly, too.” “Boys and girls whacking each other with swords? Is that going to look right?” “No one cares about boy-on-boy violence, but seeing girls whack each other with swords could definitely be kinda scary…” “Hmm, yeah…” “But then it would be a bit unnatural if the captains—that is, myself and Chitose—didn’t fight. We’ll also have to differentiate our costumes so that we’d be instantly recognizable.” “Um!” Kureha, watching the conversation with enjoyment, suddenly piped up. “This would be a compromise, but…what if we did like a tag-team kinda thing?” ““Interesting.”” “For example, if I paired up with Senpai against Yuzuki and someone else, wouldn’t that fix the problem?” I exchanged looks with Nanase, then spoke. “The dance will probably get a little more complicated, since more people will be involved…” “But it would look really cool if we could pull it off!” “And the girls get weapons, too, right?” “Damsel in distress isn’t a popular trope in this day and age, right?” “Nope.” I looked at Kureha. “All right, you’re hired!” “Yay! Treat me to something good when it’s all done!” she cheered. “Also, also, for the reconciliation scene, I want to change up the tempo a bit and make it a slower, more mature song!” “Oh, oh, oh!” This time, Yuuko raised her hand high. “May I also make a suggestion about the ‘banquet’ part?” She looked around at us all, took a deep breath, and started talking. “…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………” After listening to everything… “It’s an interesting idea,” I mumbled. We needed to get the official green light for the cheer squad’s performance plan, but personally I thought it sounded great… In fact, we might be breaking fresh ground here. I looked at Nanase, who blushed and muttered: “…I think… I think I’d like to try it.” Asuka seemed more on board with the idea than I’d expected, too. “I guess I’ll discuss it with the third-years later.” Yua had probably heard Yuuko’s plan from Yuuko herself earlier. She watched the conversation with a soft smile. Kureha was bubbling with excitement. “I definitely want to see that!” Haru chuckled. “Yeah, I think it’ll probably work.” Kaito and Kenta both nodded, looking interested. I cleared my throat and thrust my fist out. “Since we’re doing this, let’s have a good time!” “““““Aye-aye!!!””””” Then we all bumped our fists together. After that, we all quickly agreed on the costuming. We all pretty much knew what a stereotypical pirate looked like, so it took way less time to decide than I’d expected. Especially because Yuuko took the lead when it came to costume-making. “Okay. I’ll put together some basic patterns and instructions for constructing the costumes. If there’s any parts that are too difficult, we can look up hacks online or ask the girls in the craft club to help.” Unlike with the class play, the cheer squad has to operate as a group, but there’s no specific costume requirement. After deciding on clothing that suits a theme, each person creates their own outfit. But the boys who can’t sew tend to rely on their parents or the girls for help. Yua shot me a glance, like she’d guessed what I was thinking. “Um, Saku, I can—” But Kureha interrupted Yua mid-sentence. “I can make your costume if you like, Senpai!” I guess she remembered I live alone. I can just about sew a button back on myself, but when it comes to sewing an entire outfit, I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to manage. From the start, I’d intended to beg Yua to help me, and I’m sure she was just about to offer the same thing… I scratched my cheek. “Can you sew, then, Kureha?” “I’m not really all that good at it, but if I have a pattern and instructions to follow, then I think I can manage a costume for the sports festival! It’s just…” Kureha paused and looked at Yua. She must have realized that she’d interrupted. Fidgeting and looking apologetic, she continued. “I think if Yua did it instead, she’d do a much better job than I could…” Yua smiled softly. “I planned to offer, but why don’t you do it, Kureha? I mean, I’ll probably end up making Yuuko’s as well as my own anyway.” Yuuko blushed and giggled. “Hee-hee. Thanks, Ucchi.” Looking at Kureha, Yua continued. “And, Kureha… You can always ask me if you get stuck.” “All right, then,” I said, raising my hand. “I know this is a bit pathetic for a senior student to ask, but would you kindly make my costume for me, Kureha?” Kureha leaned forward. “With pleasure!” And she clapped her palms together. After that, we started working out the choreography. First, we decided on our initial tracks and bought them online; then Kenta whipped out his laptop, and we began cutting and splicing the audio. It seemed to fit. While Kenta was editing, Kazuki, Kaito, and I went to Y Plaza—or more precisely, to the home-improvement store next door called Y Home—and bought a bunch of wooden sticks long enough to serve as swords for each of us. After all, a 100-yen toy would likely break easily if we used it in a serious swashbuckling fight scene. We returned to the house in the evening and went outside again, and the sporty ones among us (by which I mean Kazuki, Kaito, Nanase, Haru, Kureha, and myself) went down to the grass with sticks in our hands. Everyone else sat on the wooden deck and started looking for movies or YouTube videos that might be helpful. Incidentally, the first thing we all watched was a performance by the Hokuriku Technical School cheerleading team, JETS. JETS is the team that inspired the movie and TV drama CheerDance. Not only are they number one in Japan, but they also achieved the incredible feat of winning the US Cheerleading Championship five times in a row. I don’t think there’s anyone in Fukui who hasn’t heard of them. Apparently, the consultant is an alum of Fuji High and was part of the cheer squad at the school’s sports festival, and the fun memories of those days were what led to JETS being founded. So we kinda feel this sense of affinity, I guess. To be honest, JETS was so elite, I doubted we’d have much luck emulating their moves. But we were still able to get a good sense of how a group of people should move together in unison. Then, with the music track playing, we started coming up with ideas for moves. None of us had any dance experience, except maybe Kenta with his Wotagei dances. So I was expecting it to be pretty hard. Likely, we wouldn’t be able to come up with a complete dance before the sleepover camp was over. But once we got stuck into it, I was surprised at how quickly it went. I’m not bragging, either. It was the others. They were amazing. With zero background in any of this… “Maybe swinging the sword like this would look cool?” “And how about a dodge move like this?” “I think this sort of step looks more graceful?” “Why don’t you just crouch and spin around and slash at his leg?” “Don’t just suggest I get slashed. Oh, I guess I can jump and evade it.” “Jumping straight up to avoid the blade would be fun, but jumping over your opponent would be way more exciting visually!” Ideas just kept spilling out of us. When I actually started thinking about it, I realized, Hey, this is seriously fun. It was like we were having a serious brainstorming session about something every young boy loved to do for fun as a kid. The support from the team on the wooden deck was also reassuring. Asuka mostly looked for moves and steps we could borrow. Yuuko looked up videos of idols and dance-heavy pop groups. Yua looked up videos of other high school students, and Kenta looked for moves we could maybe borrow from anime series. Then the grass team would try these out and incorporate them. Before we knew it, by the time the sun began to set, we had most of it down, except for the reconciliation and feasting dance scenes. I wiped the sweat off my face with my sports towel. “I think we’ve got something here.” Kaito nodded. “This is pretty cool, isn’t it?!” Kazuki slurped the barley tea Yua had prepared for us all. “It’s not the easiest of performances, though.” Kenta snorted. “Ya think?” Yua tipped her head. “…Hmm, yes, it might be a bit tough to memorize the steps.” Asuka stuck her tongue out a little, frowning. “Right, left, right, right, down…?” Yuuko clasped her hands in front of her. “Well, I think it’s amazing!” Haru smiled wryly, scratching at her temple. “Have we bitten off more than we can chew…?” Nanase looked a bit remorseful. “Maybe we got a bit overexcited in the thick of things.” True enough. The performance had morphed into something fairly physical, suited only to the sportiest among us. If Kenta, Yua, Asuka, and Yuuko couldn’t keep up, then the other team members would probably have similar complaints during the big group practice sessions. I looked around at everyone. “If it seems too difficult like this, should we make it a little easier?” The moment those words left my lips… “I’ll do it!” “““We can do it!””” Kenta, Asuka, Yua, and Yuuko all spoke at once. Kureha clapped encouragingly. “I’ll support you guys as best I can!” We all looked at each other and laughed. “Okay, Chitose, could you try to be a touch more elegant?” “Hubby, you’re not holding her tight enough around the waist!” “Saku! You have to make eye contact!” “It doesn’t work if you get all bashful about it.” “Saku, don’t go making poor Kureha blush.” “You guys are really enjoying this, aren’t you?!” So we came to thinking about what to do for the reconciliation dance scene. The feasting idea Yuuko proposed wasn’t something we’d be able to finish overnight. But once we had the reconciliation scene down, the objective of this particular training camp would have been fulfilled. Even so, I thought… Kureha and I were to be the test couple for the dance steps. I got that part. But the others really were making a big fuss about it. The girls in particular seemed to take advantage of Kureha’s obedient nature and were making one unreasonable demand after another. Nanase called out, “Now pick her up, princess-style!” Before I could complain, Kureha gently put her hands around my neck. “Senpai, catch me?” Then she leaped lightly into my arms, and I had no choice but to catch her. Her soft thighs were pressing against my forearm. She clung to me tightly, her chest pressed against mine—and the sports bra was already enhancing things on that front enough as it was. I tried not to think about it—she was a younger student, after all—but up close like this, it was impossible not to see her in a sensual way. Kureha looked up at me, her eyes shining. “Am I too heavy, Senpai?” I tried to ignore her hot breath on my neck and defuse the tension with a joke. “I could carry five more Kurehas easily.” Kureha narrowed her eyes at me impishly. “Hee-hee, well, it’s good to know you have enough stamina for five of me.” As she said that, she released her hands from behind my neck and let her head loll against my chest. Her smooth, sweaty neck and chest were now even more exposed, and I couldn’t help but look away. “Hey, I’m not a comfy hammock, you know.” “Hee-hee! You’re my pillow, Senpai.” “It just looks like a murderer carrying a body.” I realized suddenly that Nanase, Haru, Yua, and Asuka were all staring at me, clearly unimpressed. “That is NOT princess-style.” “…It’s getting into cringe territory.” “Yeah, the secondhand embarrassment is real.” “Uh-huh.” “Then why did you make me do it?!” I growled and let Kureha down as gently as I could. My arms were still warm from her body. “All jokes aside…,” Nanase said. “I think we get the picture, right?” Kureha nodded happily. “Sure do!” Sounding a little apologetic, Nanase said, “I know you two are getting tired, but can we just run through the whole dance again one more time?” I gave a little nod. “Sure.” Kureha still sounded perky and full of energy. “I’d love to!” She really was a peach of a younger student, if you ask me. I knew she was pretty popular in her club—and not only was she a great athlete, she was a really fast learner, too. And she was so earnest and positive. Never complained when we made her repeat the same choreography over and over. And she was super friendly. We only got to know her a week ago, but she had already blended right in with the group. Nanase tapped the laptop, and a mellow dance song began to play. “May I have this dance, Senpai?” I took the hand Kureha held out to me, and we began to dance. We danced together like moonlight and shadows, more fluid even than that time I’d danced with Nanase. We spread our arms wide, and Kureha spun around, close again to my chest. Her slim, delicate back was so hot, it almost burned my skin, and a seductive scent rose from the nape of her neck. She turned suddenly and was in my arms again. I gently put my hands around her waist, and there was a part of me… … searching for the reason behind the sadness that had been haunting me for so long. “Senpai, please look at me.” I felt the softness of her chest that was pressed in a bittersweet way against me, and the answer came to me…an answer that seemed so insignificant. That’s right. I was dancing with a junior girl. I’d been chasing the shadow of someone else for so long. Even that might just be a polite excuse I’d constructed to cover up these ugly feelings. What if it was one of the girls I was dancing with? What if one of the girls danced with another guy? Holding hands, standing cheek to cheek, looking into each other’s eyes, exchanging that warmth. I was disgusted with myself for thinking about it. Though the face of “one of the girls” was still too blurry for me to define. So I looked into the eyes of my junior and gave her a faint, senior-like smile. As long as I do that, I think, I can postpone all of this…like the colorless month of September itself. I shouldn’t have given up. I’m disgusted with myself for thinking that way. We were supposed to be partners. Why can’t I be the one standing shoulder to shoulder with him? I wish I’d spoken up, like her. Why couldn’t I have spoken up, like her? I really wanted to make it for you. Sitting in your apartment…on my very own seat. By the time we had the dance steps for the partner dance decided, everything was steeped in the color of dusk. After spending a long time tweaking the steps, Kureha and I were both exhausted, lying on the grass. At some point, the sky had become streaked with clouds like tangerine-flavored cotton candy. I stared at them with my mouth hanging open, my stomach grumbling. Beside me, Kureha snorted with laughter. We both seemed to find the humor in it at the same moment. Without saying a word, we both just lay there snickering. After a while… “Good job, Saku. You too, Kureha.” A bottle of Pocari Sweat was set down right beside my head. Yuuko was crouching above us, looking down at us with a smile. Her hair, shorter than my usual image of her, gently swayed in the evening breeze. I found myself gazing at her, struck again by the difference. Kureha sat up before I did. “Thanks for your hard work, Yuuko!” “Hee-hee-hee,” Yuuko giggled mildly. “Your dance with Saku was amazing! You two were perfectly in rhythm together.” “Really?! I’m so happy to hear you say that, Yuuko!” I sat up, too, and took a few gulps of my drink. Yuuko continued, resting her chin on her knees. “Hee-hee, I’m a bit jealous.” “You can beg, Yuuko,” Kureha teased, “but I’ve practiced it way too much to be replaced now!” Yuuko shrugged breezily. “Yep. But please watch out for Saku. He’s the type to overdo things, you see.” Kureha’s eyes widened in surprise. “Understood! If I see him taking on too much by himself, I’ll snatch some of the burden away from him!” I chuckled wryly, scratching my cheek. “Give it a rest, Yuuko. Not in front of the kid.” Yuuko grinned. “Especially in front of the kid!” “Yikes…” Kureha was watching our conversation with interest. As this was going on, Nanase came up and looked at me. “Shall we take a break and have an early dinner?” “Let’s. I’m freakin’ starving.” Yua, listening in, spoke up apologetically. “Since there’s such a big group of us, would something simple like curry be okay?” “Of course. Curry’s a staple for overnight training camps, right?” “And, um, well, I have something to discuss…” Yua came close and whispered in my ear. “Um…” Her breath tickled my neck, and my shoulders twitched involuntarily. “We don’t have enough ingredients. I wish I could go buy some, but it seems like the rice cooker isn’t big enough to make rice for everyone. I was thinking of cooking in a clay pot instead, but I’ll have to keep an eye on that…” “Oh, right,” I said, nodding. “Okay then, I’ll head off to Lpa, then. Can you write me a grocery list?” “Sure, okay. I’d ask one of the others, but I know everyone’s tired…” And yet Kureha and I had danced more than anyone else. “…From now on, can I be a little more selfish?” I suddenly recalled the words Yua had finally voiced to me that evening… I mean, it’s not exactly fair for everyone to just expect Yua to do all the cooking and the grocery shopping herself…but still. If this was Yua making what she thought of as a “selfish request,” then I would gladly oblige her. The change that came over her this summer was great to see. Kureha must have overheard. She tilted her head. “Senpai, are you going to Lpa?” I nodded and smiled. “Yeah, Yua’s gonna make some great curry for us, so I’m going to go buy the ingredients.” Kureha clasped both fists in front of her chest. “Then I’ll accompany you!” “I’m not sure I’ll need help. I’m not getting that much. And it looks like we’ll probably practice even more later, until late at night. You should get some rest now.” “But I’ve gotta go with you!” “Why?” “I’d feel awkward left alone here, with all these cool seniors I look up to so much! How could I possibly rest? I’d feel so much more comfortable helping you, Senpai!” “Geez, you sure speak your mind, don’t you?” Yuuko and Nanase, who’d been listening in, both snickered. Yua tilted her head. “Then thank you very much for helping, Kureha.” “Anytime! Yay!” After shopping for ingredients on the first floor of Lpa, we ended up with fairly full grocery bags. We also bought tea, water, and sports drinks, so in the end it was probably a good thing that Kureha came with me. Holding a plastic bag in either hand, I spoke. “Thanks for coming with, Kureha.” Kureha had one hand preoccupied with a grocery bag. “Not at all!” she said with a grin. “It was fun imagining how you and Yua always go shopping like this.” “If Yua had been with me, it would have all fit into two plastic bags. I got carried away and ended up buying a bunch of stuff we don’t need.” “We sure did!” While this insignificant conversation was going on, we were surrounded by the hustle and bustle typical of Lpa on the weekend. There was a constant stream of people coming and going, including mothers and fathers holding hands with their small children, groups of high school students, stylish couples, and smiling old ladies and old men. The air was filled with the distinct scent of Lpa—a combination of sweet custard from the cream puff shop Beard Papa’s, the tangy takoyaki sauce wafting from Gindaco, the fried scent of McDonald’s and Mister Donut, and the smell of floor cleaner. I heard a cute squeak and looked to my side. Kureha was grasping at her stomach with her free hand and looking up at me shyly. “…Um, Senpai. How about a bite to eat?” I snorted with laughter this time. “Well, don’t tell Yua. She’ll be mad we spoiled our dinner.” “All right, it’ll be our little secret!” “What do you want to eat?” “Taiyaki!” “Oh, a mature choice. Then I guess we’ll head to Sakura-chaya.” “Ooh, yes! You might not think it looking at me, but I’m super close to my grandma. I used to buy snacks for her there whenever I went to visit!” Sakura-chaya is a restaurant that sells Japanese “fast food” like okonomiyaki, taiyaki, and dango. Speaking of taiyaki, people seem to have quite differing preferences, with some preferring the crispy Gindaco style and others the soft and creamy Sakura-chaya style. I chose a cream-filled taiyaki, one of those little fish-shaped stuffed pastries, and Kureha chose one stuffed with red bean paste. After that, we left Lpa. By the way, when I tried to pay for both of us, Kureha was like “absolutely not” and ended up shoving her own coins into my pocket. We ambled along the tranquil rice paddy path. I was pushing my mountain bike with one hand, the grocery bags dangling from the handlebars. I bit into my taiyaki, and the sweet cream inside came squishing out deliciously between my teeth. Dusk was coming on. The sky was faintly purple, as clear as amethyst. The rice plants, fat on the stalk, bowed their heads politely to us and said, “Good evening.” A pickup truck with a plastic yellow container on its bed trundled merrily along, on its own way home. It was a peaceful Saturday night, full of promise. “Senpai, open wide!” Kureha, pushing a red Trek cross bike beside me, smoothly lifted her taiyaki to my mouth. It was a little embarrassing, since she was my junior and all, but my hands were full, so I had no choice but to take a bite. The sweetness of the azuki bean paste hit my tongue, bringing back memories of childhood. How long had it been? I wondered, sifting back through my memories. I don’t really eat sweet things that much, and I basically never eat red bean paste, not since I started living alone, anyway. Come to think of it, when I was little, I often ate a pack of five anpans as a snack. In the summer, Dad’s favorite azuki bar Popsicles were always in the freezer, and Mom would make azuki bean soup with leftover mochi during the New Year. When we went to Grandma’s house, we often bought some karinto manju, the little baked cakes stuffed with azuki, from the somen noodle shop near Lpa to bring to her as a gift. Azuki was almost a part of my daily life, but it’s a flavor you can easily forget about if you haven’t had it for a while. For some reason, that thought made me feel slightly miserable. “So you’re the type who eats your taiyaki tail-first, huh, Kureha?” I said, and Kureha narrowed her eyes mischievously. “Well, if I eat the tail first, it won’t be able to swim away, hee-hee.” “Yikes, it’s just taiyaki. Here,” I said, handing her my cream-filled pastry in return. Kureha looked back and forth between me and the taiyaki. “No, you have to do the whole ‘open wide’ bit.” “All right, all right. Open wide.” I watched as she took a big bite with relish, and I couldn’t suppress my smile completely. “Sorry about earlier,” I said. I’m sure she immediately knew what I was talking about. Kureha lowered her gaze. “Yeah… I was having a whale of a time dancing with this older boy, but partway through, it was like you were off in another world or something.” She sounded uncharacteristically subdued, and I felt a pang of guilt. “How ’bout another bite of my taiyaki?” “…” Kureha’s eyes seemed to be entreating me for something. “All right, open wide.” “Ahhh!” I watched with relief as she happily stuffed her cheeks with the taiyaki. “I was just in my feels. Well, actually, I think I was finally facing up to something.” “Hmm, to what?” I took my final bite of taiyaki and crumpled the wrapper. “About how pathetic I am, I guess.” I knew I shouldn’t say something like this to a girl who’s my junior. But for some reason, being around Kureha made me unclench a little. Maybe it was because she was an outsider, removed from this issue constantly tormenting me. She must have had no idea what I was talking about. She tipped her head in confusion, then suddenly stopped, lowered the kickstand of her cross bike, and exhaled softly, like she’d done when I’d carried her princess-style earlier. “…Senpai… You can run to me, you know?” “Huh…?” I blinked dumbly at her—at what she’d said. I wasn’t sure if that was something she’d even meant to say. Kureha continued, shrugging like it was NBD. “You know, Yuuko asked me to help you out, right? If you’re shouldering some burden all alone, and it’s dragging you down, I can at least be a sounding board, you know?” Feeling somewhat relieved, I lowered the stand on my mountain bike. “Oh, I see.” “Though I don’t know how much help I can actually be.” “Well, it’s the thought that counts. Thank you.” Kureha lowered her gaze and covered her cheeks in embarrassment. “Like I said before… I’d love to be part of your group of seniors…” “And as I said before, we already think of you as part of the group.” “Really? Well, then…” As she spoke, she laughed and held out her pinkie finger. “It’s a promise, then. Don’t leave me out, okay?” “I promise. I won’t leave you out, Kureha.” I answered without hesitation and gently intertwined my pinkie finger with hers. When we returned to Yuuko’s house, the delicious smell of frying onions filled the living room. Yua and Nanase were standing in the kitchen. Like she’d said earlier, Nanase was helping as much as she could. Apparently, Yua was in charge of the curry and rice, with Nanase in charge of the salad. Kureha and I approached the two of them, carrying our plastic bags. Yua lifted her head and looked this way. “Thanks, Kureha, Saku.” “Sure.” “It was easy-peasy!” Carrots, potatoes, extra onions, and pork. Apparently, today’s curry was a simple homemade style. Incidentally, we went with pork because with this many people, it made economic sense, and because pork curry is my favorite and what I usually make myself. When I eat out, I go for beef curry, but for some reason, when I’m at home, I feel more comfortable with pork. I handed Nanase a half cabbage. “By the way, I’m very particular about my shredded cabbage.” The two standing in the kitchen exchanged looks, then burst out laughing. Yua’s lips parted in a smile as she busily fried the onions. “See, I was sure you would say that, Saku.” Nanase rolled her eyes. “You didn’t complain the other day.” That must have been the time when she made me katsudon. “Well, even I know when to hold my tongue.” “So how was the shredded cabbage that time?” “It was more finely sliced than I’d been expecting, but it was still one rank below a pass on the Saku scale.” “Tsk, what a picky guy.” Yua giggled. “Take it slow, and it’ll come out just fine.” Nanase nodded and began peeling the cabbage leaves off the stalk. “I’ll try to do it more carefully. I don’t want a certain someone to say, ‘It’s still too thick.’” “Thanks. Give it your best shot.” “All right, all right. Go over there and play, Chitose.” “All righty.” When I looked around the living room, everyone seemed to be relaxing in their own way. Yuuko was sitting next to Kaito at the dining table, the two of them staring at a tablet. Kureha went springing across the room to join them. “Yuuko, Kaito, whatcha lookin’ at?” What was all that stuff about the cool seniors making her nervous? She seemed like she’d have been just fine left alone with them. It looked like Kenta was working on the choreography in a corner of open space, with Kazuki instructing. Asuka and Haru were sitting on the sofa, chatting. That’s an unusual pairing, I thought, moseying over to join them. I cleared my throat as the two of them continued to chatter away animatedly. “Seriously?” Asuka turned, saw my face, and snorted with irrepressible laughter. “Huh? What?” She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. “No, it’s nothing… Welcome back.” Haru grinned impishly. “We were just having ourselves a good time smack-talking you, is that okay?” “How would that be okay?” I sat down beside them. “I hope you’re not telling Asuka more than she needs to know about me.” “Hmm, who knows? I was just telling her about the Saku Chitose I personally know.” “Oh, then that’s a relief.” “I’m curious where you get your confidence from…” Asuka had stopped choking with laughter. “I was just asking how you were at school.” Haru nodded, grinning. “And I wanted to know how you are when it’s just you and Nishino.” “…Think I’ll go over and join Kenta and Kazuki…” “Now, now,” Asuka said, smiling. “Still, it’s so cool you’re seriously aiming to compete in nationals. I never had a big passion like that about anything until I started thinking more about my future. You’re really making the most of high school life, Aomi. You’re amazing.” Haru waved her hand in front of her face. “No, no. From my perspective, you’re the amazing one, Nishino. I mean, you’re going to Tokyo to pursue your dreams!” She paused, glanced at me for some reason, then kept talking. “Still, there’s a lot of things you have to leave behind. Your hometown, your family, your friends… Aren’t you scared?” “I am scared. Really scared,” Asuka answered without hesitation. “I feel torn sometimes… Like is this the right choice, or is there another path…?” I wasn’t exactly expecting her to say that. I’d always thought she was chasing her dreams with all her heart. Asuka smiled gently. “What are you going to do after you graduate from high school, Aomi?” Haru lowered her gaze and clenched her fists. “I’m torn, too.” “I see,” Asuka said. “During the future careers talk, you were pretty keen to play basketball in college. Have you found a new dream?” Haru shook her head, then nodded. “Yeah. But it’s like, I want it all, but there’s always something that has to give… Distance, time…” I don’t know this side of them, I thought. Though at one point, we were so in sync, like two halves of a whole… Before I knew it, Haru and Asuka had started becoming girls I didn’t know… “Don’t leave me out, okay?” That was what Kureha had said this evening. I think I know how she feels a little now. Asuka spoke soothingly—the verbal equivalent of offering someone a handkerchief. “It’s tough, isn’t it?” “It really is.” Haru’s voice sounded more mature than usual. For some reason, I just stared at the two of them, feeling like I’d already been left behind. Once Yua’s curry and Nanase’s salad were finished, we all gathered around the low table again. “““““Let’s eat!””””” We all put our hands together in gratitude, then immediately grabbed our spoons and chopsticks. Nanase made a simple green salad consisting of shredded cabbage, wedges of tomatoes, and thinly sliced cucumbers piled on top of lettuce. Ultimately, that stuff is what goes best with curry. I squeezed on some mayo from the thin-stream bottle. Then, since there was no shiso dressing, I added some black vinegar dressing instead. Suddenly, I realized that Nanase was staring at me to see how I was enjoying her salad. I smiled a little awkwardly. I took a big bite of the shredded cabbage, then mm’ed my approval. “Hmm. You pass.” Nanase pumped her fist slightly in the air. “All right!” Next, I scooped up some curry with a spoon and put it in my mouth… The flavor was so rich, more like a curry that had been left to sit overnight. It was the taste of Yua’s homemade curry. Familiar, reassuring. Even though there were ten of us eating, she’d still added a fried egg to the top of every serving. And there was a shaker of shichimi spice by my plate. Nanase raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you just made this from regular curry roux? How come the flavor is so rich?” Yua responded naturally, without any particular sense of humility. “I used a few different things to add dimension to the flavor, but I think the one that makes the biggest difference is the oyster sauce, maybe. Just a little bit can do wonders.” Nanase nodded vigorously. “I see… I’ve never used oyster sauce in anything. The thought would never have occurred to me.” One single taiyaki didn’t seem to have spoiled Kureha’s appetite. She was packing it all away with gusto. “Eating curry together like this makes it feel like a training camp!” Yua beamed. “There’s plenty in the pot for seconds, so feel free to eat as much as you like.” Kaito, already halfway through his curry, lifted his head. “I think the training camp’s been a pretty huge success already, right? We still have to work out the feasting scene, but most of the heavy decisions have already been made.” Kazuki nodded. “At this rate, we should be able to gather the other members and start practicing together next week.” I nodded, too. “Yep. All thanks to Yuuko for suggesting the camp in the first place.” Yuuko smiled and tilted her head. “Oh, my pleasure. This weekend has been so much fun already!” Kenta looked uncertain and cleared his throat. “But first we all have to master the dance, right…?” “Well, enough to demo it for the others.” “That won’t do!” Surprisingly, it was Asuka who spoke up. She held up her fists in an adorable fighting pose. “I’m not that good at sports, either, but let’s try our best together, okay, Yamazaki-kun?” Kenta seemed encouraged by Asuka’s words. He held up his fists, too. “Yes! After coming this far, I want to dance side by side with everyone!” Haru, who seemed much more comfy around Asuka now, spoke up. “We’ll train you both hard! We won’t rest until you’re perfect!” ““P-please be gentle, though…”” Both Asuka and Kenta sounded so weak that we all had to laugh. After dinner, we headed to the park Yuuko and I always stop by. The garden’s big, sure, but not big enough to be safe when we’re all swinging actual sticks of wood around. By this time of night, no one was around, which made it the perfect spot for group practice. First, we ran through the entire routine once quickly. After that, we worked on fine-tuning each part, starting with the opening setting sail and sailing sections. About half an hour into practice, Nanase called out from the top of the short staircase where Yuuko and I usually sat. “One, two, one, two—Nishino, you’re behind!” “Sorry!” “One, two, one, two—Ucchi, put your back into it.” “Okay!” “One, two, one, two—Yamazaki, stop looking around.” “Y-yes!” We were currently practicing the sword fight scene. We all lined up and marched together, swinging our swords together. Nanase was watching the whole performance from a higher vantage point and giving everyone pointers based on what she noticed. Overall, I thought we were making pretty good progress… “Okay, let’s take a break! Everyone rest and rehydrate!” Everyone exhaled at once. Nanase beckoned to me. “Sorry, Chitose, do you have a sec?” “Sure.” I had a good idea of what she wanted, so I went bounding up the stairs. Nanase, somehow sounding more like a captain than like a vice leader, said, “Should we split into two teams?” “Might be a good idea.” “Me and Mizushino will observe Kaito and Yuuko and Yamazaki. You observe Kureha and Haru and Ucchi and Nishino, okay?” “…Right. Sounds like a plan.” We’d been predicting this to some extent, but there was quite a range of discrepancies in how fast everyone was mastering the choreography. The ones who’d picked it up fastest were me, Nanase, Kazuki, and Kureha. Kaito and Haru had all the moves down, but they needed some refining. Yuuko was a little bit behind them but steadily improving. And, just as they themselves had feared, Yua, Kenta, and Asuka were seriously lagging. We trotted down the stairs, and Nanase addressed the group. “From now, we’re going to split into two groups for practice: a team led by me and Mizushino, and another team led by Chitose and Kureha. I’ll have Yuuko, Kaito, and Yamazaki on my side. Chitose will have Haru, Ucchi, and Nishino on his team.” Hearing this, Haru and Kaito protested. “I need to be instructed, too?!” “And me?!!!” Nanase rolled her eyes. “You two are dancing sloppy, ’cause you’re coasting on your natural athletic ability.” ““Gah…”” I grinned at Haru. “I’m going to work you all hard until you’re perfect.” “Ugh, that’s so humiliating…” Too bad, I thought, still smiling to myself. I glanced over at Nanase, and it seemed she was thinking the same thing, ’cause she stuck out her tongue. True, Kaito’s and Haru’s dancing was kinda rough around the edges. But with some pointers, I knew they could both tighten it up. Although it seemed to me practice would be more efficient if we traded Kenta and Haru and put the three who weren’t improving together. The team that could dance reasonably well could then move on to the next section of the choreography. But Nanase had made a different choice, no doubt out of kindness. By putting Haru and Kaito, the sporty ones, into one of the groups receiving instruction, and dividing the unsporty Yua, Kenta, and Asuka into two teams, she was trying to make it so no one would end up feeling responsible for holding the rest back. Nanase was so good at thinking of this stuff and making sure everyone felt good. It’s one of the things that makes her so wonderful. After that, we split into two teams and resumed practice. I clapped my hands to the rhythm and shouted out. “One, two, one, two—Haru, stop drifting.” “All right!” “One, two, one, two—Yua, you need to widen your stance.” “Okay…!” “One, two, one, two—Asuka, you need to make your swings bigger.” “Yep!” After a few run-throughs, I was beginning to see the parts that needed improvement. “All right, let’s stop for now.” When I said that, Yua and Asuka put their hands on their knees and huffed and puffed. Neither of them are in sports clubs like Haru is, so just doing this much cardio must have been pretty tough on them. And when you start swinging those heavy sticks around… Noticing the state they were in, I said, “Want to take a break?” ““Nope!”” Yua and Asuka called back in unison, and I had to smile. Then it was back to business. “First, Haru.” When I called her name, Haru frowned. “What now?” I cleared my throat and assumed the attitude of a teacher. “Listen, this isn’t a fight to the death.” “…What do you mean?” “Just ’cause you’re not actually going to get sliced doesn’t mean you should just flop around between stances.” “…I get it!” Haru slapped her palm on her knee, while Yua, Asuka, and Kureha all seemed lost. “Tsk,” I said, scratching my cheek. Like, when I’m practicing my swing, I imagine the opposing pitcher. In Haru’s case, when she’s practicing shooting, she probably thinks about the opposing team’s defense. Maybe that’s why I unconsciously imagine what my opponent would be like. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s like all the choreography should be smoothly connected without any gaps. I held the stick aloft to demonstrate. “Each movement looks good, but it’s a dance, so you need to make sure it all flows in sync with the other dancers, okay?” “All right.” I think that got the message across to Haru. I cleared my throat again theatrically. “Next, Yua.” “Yes…?” Yua looked at me with trepidation. “You need to shake off your feelings of embarrassment.” I think she knew what I meant; she hung her head, cheeks reddening. “Sorry, I’m not used to all this prancing around.” “It’s okay. You’re not in the kendo club. If you were any good at cutting people in half, wittle Saku would be vewy scawed.” Yua snorted at my attempt at a joke. “…Hmph!” All jokes aside… “When you do something embarrassing and you’re in your head the whole time, it just makes it worse. And I mean, in the brass band, or at the school festival musical performance, you kinda move all together, right? Think of it like that.” “…Hmm, when you put it that way…” “Also, our theme’s pirates. You need to look like a barbarian. Big movements. Wild slashes.” Yua gripped her stick tightly and nodded. “Okay. I’ll give it a try.” I cleared my throat again. “Finally, we come to Asuka.” “…Mm-hmm.” “Your steps and your swings are wildly out of sync.” “Hey!!!” I smiled and carried on. “Kureha, can we have a demonstration?” “Sure! With pleasure!” Kureha grabbed her stick. “Okay? One, two, one, two.” Kureha stepped lightly in time with my voice and swung her sword gracefully. Asuka watched her, focused. Once Kureha had performed one section of the choreography, I said, “Thanks, Kureha. Asuka, that was a good example for you to follow.” As I spoke, I grabbed my own stick. “When you do it, Asuka, you try too hard to swing the sword and forget about your feet. That’s why you’re always a step behind.” I continued, demonstrating. “Swing your sword and step at the same time. That way, you can put your weight into it and swing more easily.” “Oh, right, that makes sense.” Asuka readied her sword and swung it as I’d shown her. Zwoon. The sound of her sword slicing through the air sounded much better than before. Asuka’s face brightened, and she looked at me. I grinned back at her. “Do that while you’re dancing, and you’ll be perfect.” Asuka nodded happily and swung her sword again before she forgot the feel of it. “Okay, let’s run through it one more time!” Haru, Yua, Asuka, and Kureha all responded in unison. ““““Yeah!”””” I glanced over at Nanase and her crew. Seemed to be going well. Kenta was working hard on the choreography with Kazuki’s guidance. Suddenly, my eyes met Nanase’s, and she gave me a cool wink. This kind of thing isn’t half bad, I thought. Dancing with your buddies in the corner of a darkened park at night. Sweat flying. Glances exchanged. Grunts of frustration. Delighted smiles. All of it was seeping into my long-term memories like raindrops. I think for some people, the school festival is just another event that comes and goes, whether they put in effort or not. But we were all taking it so seriously… An adult would look at us and laugh. I mean, if we were going to do it, then I wanted to win—but it was more than that. Having survived this summer, it was like we’d come to realize just how irreplaceable the time we spent together like this was. Whether we wanted it to or not, the end was coming. There would come a time when we had to let go. So maybe we were trying to capture as many unforgettable moments as possible while we were still together, and secretly bring them along with us to whatever futures await. “This is so fun, isn’t it, Senpai?!” Kureha exclaimed cheerfully, standing beside me. “Yeah, it really is.” And I meant it. Like a prayer from deep in the heart. We still had tomorrow to practice as well, so we decided to call it a night. Like Kaito said, it was great that we’d gone from almost zero to being able to do a full practice right from the very first day. I’d been a little worried about Yua, Asuka, and Kenta, but halfway through, they seemed to get the hang of it, and it seemed like everything would work out fine. On the short walk back from the park, as I was walking behind everyone else, Yuuko suddenly appeared by my side. She fanned my face as she spoke. “Good work today, Captain.” “Stop it; that tickles.” I smiled dryly at her, and Yuuko continued. “Thanks to you and Yuzuki, everything’s going really well.” “We didn’t do anything special. Everyone’s working really hard.” Yuuko shook her head slowly. Then, a little embarrassed, she said… “If I’d been the vice captain like I usually am, things probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. With Yuzuki here, you don’t have to be the only one worrying about everything.” She gazed at me, stuck out her tongue, and bowed her head. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.” “Don’t exaggerate. You never caused trouble.” “Hee-hee,” Yuuko giggled. “I knew you’d say that, but I still wanted to apologize properly.” “I see.” “Yep.” She looked forward again, and in profile, she looked more mature. Like some girl I didn’t even know. “Hey, Saku?” “Yeah?” “Right now, I’m happy. Really happy.” “Me too.” “Thank you, Saku.” “Thank you, Yuuko.” “And…” “‘Thanks, Yua,’ right?” “That’s weird; we were thinking the same thing.” “That’s because we watched this summer go together.” We both chuckled, gazing over at the others. “Please let me stay with you a little longer, Saku,” Yuuko said quietly, as if she was wrapping up what she had to say. I swallowed the words I was about to say in response, the left corner of my mouth rising on its own, and I just nodded. Actually, I wanted to say the same to her as well. I want you to stay by my side a little longer, Yuuko. When we got back to Yuuko’s house, and I walked into the living room, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. Perhaps after all the fun we’d had, it felt like coming home, even though we’d barely spent a full day here. Yuuko looked around at everyone. “I’ve filled the bathtub, so let’s take turns!” Kazuki and I looked at each other and scratched our cheeks awkwardly. “The guys should go last… Just showers is fine.” Kaito looked as awkward as I felt. “Right.” Kenta also raised his hand. “I… I agree!” Yuuko tipped her head, confused. “Why? We’re all tired, so why don’t you just take a nice long bath?” Nanase nodded, grinning. “Well, if they want showers, let them have showers. Boys have their own reasons for stuff.” She shot me a pointed look. I ignored that and added: “Also, could the last girl to bathe remember to pull the plug?” “““’Kay!””” Us four guys all exchanged glances and weak smiles. None of us wanted to see the water after all the girls had bathed in it. Yuuko shrugged, like she’d given up. “So who should go in first? It’s pretty big, so I think two people could fit in together.” “I mean,” said Nanase, “we could save time by having one person in the tub while the next one washes themselves off. Not exactly like a relay, but kinda like a relay.” “Yeah! Sounds good to me!” “How about you go first, Hiiragi?” said Asuka, who’d been listening from nearby. “It is your house, after all. The rest of us would feel awkward going first.” Yuuko waved her hand in front of her face. “Oh, no, I’m totally fine with bathing later!” Asuka chuckled. “I think we’re all going to end up saying that…” Yua, Nanase, Haru, and Kureha all nodded in agreement. “Well, if you insist…” Yuuko looked around at everyone. “All righty!” She chirped, grinning broadly. Hiiragi headed to the bath while the rest of us relaxed. Well, they relaxed. I, Asuka Nishino, had been secretly frazzled ever since I got here. Like I’d told Saku, I’d never stayed over at a friend’s house before. And all of the people here have always shone bright to me… If only I had been born a year later. If only I was one of you. How many times have I wished for that? Joining their circle, seeing things their way, working toward a shared goal… Yeah, I’ve always wanted that. But this is the first—and last—time I’m ever going to have it. I looked around the living room excitedly, like a little girl on her first school trip. A big sleepover… It’s like that booth with the prizes on strings that I saw with Saku at the temple festival. All those strings hanging in front of you, but you can only pull one of them, once. I don’t know where that string leads, or what prize I’ll get. I feel like if I choose one, I might miss out on other, equally wonderful moments. But at the same time, no matter what I choose, I know it’ll become a treasured memory that I’ll never forget. How should I spend this time? Who should I talk to? Chatting with Yamazaki about how tough we’re both finding the dance steps might be fun. And I’d also like to chat with Mizushino or Asano about what Saku’s like when it’s just guys. I want to ask Uchida about cooking, and I’d like to have a long conversation with Nanase. And I’d like to apologize to Nozomi about holding everyone up during practice. But, after all…, I thought. I cast my gaze out to the garden. …When I look back on this sleepover camp one day…I want it to be filled with memories of you, friend. I noticed that after Hiiragi headed for the bath, Saku went straight outside. He took the case for his bat with him. He must have been planning to get in his daily swings, even during this training camp. He had to be tired. All that dancing with Nozomi, then giving us slowpokes pointers in the park. And yet he’s so strict with himself. I grabbed my shoes from the front hall and headed out to the wooden deck, and then… “What’s the verdict, Haru?” “Not your best work.” “How ’bout this?” “You’re holding back.” “Right. I guess maybe more like this?” “Yep, yep, that’s the trademark Saku form I love to see.” Saku and Aomi were deep in conversation as he was practicing, like this was a regular thing for them. My heart suddenly went from soaring high to dropping like a stone. I felt a sharp pain, like a sudden paper cut on my finger. You and baseball and Aomi. For me, it’s a bit of a bittersweet combination. Ever since we met again around this time last year, I’d noticed a change in Saku and wanted to help him. I soon realized the deepest wound he was living with was having quit the baseball team. In the end, all I could do was offer a bandage. You never would let me get a good look at the wound underneath… But this girl, out here in the garden—she’d peeled the scab right off and disinfected it. Saku noticed me watching them. “Oh, Asuka.” Aomi, sitting cross-legged on the wooden deck, smiled and patted the space next to her. “Hey, Nishino. Wanna let off some steam with us?” Let off some steam… She meant after the harsh criticism I got during practice earlier? “Hee-hee, well, we are at a training camp. Sounds like a good way to spend the evening.” And of course I try to play the cool older girl. To be honest, I didn’t understand any of what was going on just now. It looked like Saku was just swinging the bat with the same form each time… I had no idea what Aomi was even commenting on. …But something as simple as baseball swings was enough to have them both fully connected. You’re always so cynical, but you really listened to Aomi’s input… It’s obvious how much you trust her judgment. I think… I think I wanted us to be like that. The way you look at Aomi… I wanted you to look at me like that someday. “Asuka, if you notice anything, feel free to speak.” “Nishino… Give it to us straight!” “Okay. Guess I could watch a little.” I set it aside and let only those words slip out, carried away into the September night sky. Swoosh. Swoosh. A pleasant sound, cutting through my muddy feelings. Wow, I thought, and I felt my face relaxing. Maybe even more so, after today’s dance practice. I think Aomi was thinking the same thing. Aomi was sitting with her chin in her hands and her elbows braced against her knees. “You know,” she murmured absently, “I’ve really come to appreciate how physical baseball really is as a sport.” Saku, concentrating hard, didn’t seem to hear her. I nodded. “My arms hurt like heck just from swinging that skinny stick around.” Aomi chuckled. “Same. I’m gonna have sore muscles tomorrow.” “Really?” “It’s a totally different set of muscles from what you use for basketball. Yeah, I’m gonna feel it.” But she sounded oddly cheerful about it. We both looked at each other and burst out laughing. After laughing together for a while, Aomi spoke again. “He gets this boyish look on his face when he’s with you, Nishino.” I tilted my head. “I think, if anything, he looks more like that when he’s practicing sports stuff with you, Aomi.” Aomi smiled with a hint of resignation.
Chapter 114
54 min read