CHAPTER ONE Summer Vacation, Daily Calendar I twisted off a piece of the lonely, dull night, as if it was soft, pull-apart bread, and put it in my mouth. It tasted like a sweet milk caramel candy. When I was really young, I’d always get a box of those candies as a kind of reward for sitting through getting my hair buzzed for sports. I remember the twisting red, blue, and white of the barbershop pole. The orange color of the little box. Twelve candies, rolling around inside. Each day, one by one, I’d slowly peel off the wrapper, chew lightly several times, and then roll it around on my tongue for a while. Each time I shook the box near my ear, that clunky, clattering sound from the box would bring a thrill—or the airy emptiness would sink my spirits. It was the end of July, the day before the closing ceremony for the first semester. After a long time hesitating between chilled Chinese noodles and soba noodles with grated daikon, I started to think I’d regret either choice, so I ended up boiling somen noodles instead. From the FM radio I’d left playing, the voice of a sweet-sounding female DJ rang out, bright like a sunflower field in August. After a simple song introduction, her voice faded away, and mellow jazz began to play, the kind that seems to gently approach and hug you from behind. Somewhere in the distance, through the speakers of my Tivoli Audio, the sound of an alto saxophone danced softly, bringing to mind an alleyway after the rain. I didn’t really feel like doing anything. Trying to find something that felt good in the idleness, I turned off the lights in the room as a sort of test, and then lay down on the sofa with a feeling closer to calm than to loneliness. I don’t mind empty spaces in a time like this. When I closed my eyes, the three months that had passed since spring floated up in my mind like soap bubbles and then disappeared again. Somebody’s white shirt, an unfamiliar city, the hot sports field. Images, reflected in the rainbow-colored bubbles that rose and swirled. The following afternoon would mark the beginning of a long summer vacation, like a flip of a switch. I tried to think—which one was more like sweet caramel candy to me? Everyday school days or vacation? I laughed a little, thinking that if I shook that box now, it would make an empty, airy sound. —Ding, ding. Ding, ding. I must have fallen asleep without realizing it. When I opened my eyes a crack, my phone was vibrating gently, almost hesitantly, from where I’d tossed it beside my head. My ringtone usually sounded crisp and harsh, but on a night like tonight, it felt almost soft. The name Yuuko Hiiragi was displayed on the screen. The time was ten PM. Still too early for a high schooler to head to bed, but it was somewhat unusual for Yuuko to call me up out of the blue like this. Except for when it was my fault, like if I failed to show for a date we had planned. Usually, though, she’d confirm my availability in advance. One by one, I popped the bubbles still floating around in my head with a flick of my index finger. Then I answered the phone. “Hmm? What’s up?” “Oh, did you already go to bed? I’m sorry I woke you up.” “How could you tell?” “Because you sound half asleep. Normally, you’re way more relaxed, almost pretentious, and you answer the phone like, ‘’Sup?’” “First you wake me up, now you’re shaming me?” “Hey, your voice is hoarse. Go drink some water.” “…All right.” Seriously, no one beats Yuuko for sharp perception. I turned off the radio and switched to speakerphone. I washed my face in the bathroom and drank some tap water from a cup I’d filled in the kitchen. When I finally felt more awake, I let out a short breath, but then… “Hey!” For some reason, an accusatory voice floated out from the speaker. “You can’t just drink tap water!” “Maybe not in the big cities, but this is Fukui. Who worries about tap water here?” “I only drink water from the water cooler at home.” “I don’t have a bougie water cooler. Anyway, according to one school of thought on the matter, the tap water in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, is said to be the most delicious in all Japan.” “I mean, Saku, you live in Fukui City. Like, right in it.” “It’s the neighboring city. It’s basically the same thing. Ah, hold on a sec.” I pulled out my turquoise-blue Bluetooth earphones from my Gregory backpack. They had a mic, so if this was going to be a long phone call, it’d be easier with them. “Sorry, I just switched to earphones.” Yuuko’s response to that was odd. “Didn’t you say you haven’t bought any new ones since your previous earphones stopped working?” “Oh, I got them for my birthday the other—” “Ex-CUSE me?” Even before I finished speaking, I knew she was upset. Startled by the realization that I’d said something wrong, I started babbling and making it worse. “Right, they were a gift from, uh, N-Nishino.” “Wow! Whatever! I totally didn’t ask!” “Right, right, of course. Sorry!” I mean, I felt like she wanted an explanation, or maybe an excuse? Hmm, either way, I probably gave too much information. All I could do was apologize. Yuuko had to know it wasn’t a question she should ask directly—so she didn’t. I was the big dumb-dumb just putting it all out there. I could picture her, cheeks puffed out indignantly, on the other end of the phone. I almost burst out laughing, but I didn’t want to invoke her ire any more than I already had, so I decided to quickly change the subject. “More importantly, wasn’t there something you wanted with me?” “Right, yes!” Yuuko had quickly returned to her normal state, placated by my response. Whether it was intentional or natural, I think one of the reasons why everyone likes her is that she never crosses the line when it comes to jokes like this. “Saku, are you gonna do the August summer study camp?” “Ah, right, the application deadline is tomorrow, right?” “Yep!” Summer study camp was a Fuji High institution. The annual event was held at a seaside hotel and ran for four days in early August. Simply put, it’s like a large-scale focus study group. All students except for first-years can participate if they want to. Every year, there seems to be a large proportion of third-years attending, no doubt out of a desire to prep for college entrance exams. Although there’s quite a lot of second-years who do participate. Even though it’s a training camp, the focus of it is actually self-study. Throughout the trip, participants are free to use seminar rooms, meeting rooms, or even their own rooms throughout the facility to study as they see fit. That part of it actually doesn’t seem any different from just going to study at a family restaurant or at the library with friends, but the biggest advantage is that the teachers of the main subjects will be around to help guide students. From what I hear, a lot of students try to power through their summer vacation homework by taking advantage of this opportunity, since they can ask specific questions when there’s something they don’t understand or there’s a certain area they need extra guidance in. In addition, since the camp is run by Fuji High, which values individual student autonomy, no one will bat an eye if you attend but don’t actually study much. In fact, I’ve heard that there’s an unspoken custom in place involving spending the entire third day on the beach, and then there’s a barbecue with the staff on the third night. Get some studying done and make some summer memories at the same time—two birds, one stone. And incidentally, since the school encourages students to participate, we’re exempt from club activities as long as tournaments and stuff aren’t affected. Rumor has it there’s a high participation rate among sports club members, who want to have some summer vacation memories that aren’t about club practice. “Well, what about you, Yuuko?” When I shot her own question back at her, Yuuko responded in a peppy voice. “I’m totally going! It sounds like a ton of fun, and I’m going to get Ucchi to give me some one-on-one tutoring!” “Hey, cool. I bet she’s a better teacher than you’d find at some of those cram schools.” “Yep! So what about you, Saku?” “Hmm, I’m just not sure…” “Aw, come on. Let’s go together!” To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to participate. I’m not in any school clubs, and the only thing I really have to do to pass the time is study anyway. I was planning to just hang out with the gang on an ad hoc basis all summer. My place could be our summer hangout base. Maybe Kazuki and Kaito wouldn’t get an invite, though. I was on the verge of giving a hard no when Yuuko continued in a tone that was kinda embarrassing, a little bit spoiled, and definitely fishing for a reaction from me. “Aw, Saku, you don’t want to see me in my…bikini?” “—Ah. Well, yes, I do want to see that.” No need to hesitate when answering that one. “Then you’ll come, right?” “Oh, for sure. Count me in.” And in the space of a second, my mind was fully changed. There was a moment of silence, then we both spluttered with laughter. “Saku! You creep!” “Hey, you’re the one who invited me!” “All right, then. I’ll make sure to choose a super-cute bikini in time for the summer camp.” “Or something sexy.” “Well, what kind do you prefer, Saku?” “Hey, don’t go asking me my preferences. How am I supposed to respond to that?” After that, we chatted for a bit about nothing in particular, like how sad we’d be to be unable to eat the school cafeteria’s chilled ramen for a while. Then we said a polite good night and ended the call. Whenever I interact with Yuuko, she always takes the reins like this, I thought with a little smile. Our little back-and-forth just now was something like an extension of our usual jokes, but while we were chatting, I can’t deny that I started feeling like going on the trip might not be a bad idea after all. Just as this brief summer vacation would end all too soon, so would my limited time as a high school student. Next year, I’d probably have a lot more on my plate, what with choosing a career path, studying for exams, and all the farewells that would no doubt follow. Maybe I didn’t have all that much time left to just kick back and hang with my friends. I was wide awake now for sure, but for some reason, I felt like there were still bubbles floating around in the air somewhere. I’d somehow broken free of those seven months I’d spent frozen, fixated on the past, then gone through four months of positivity for the future, and now I found myself at the beginning of a brand-new summer. But I’d been taking it for granted. —I won’t get these days back. So I couldn’t avert my eyes, couldn’t turn my back on the present. I wanted to savor every moment, like poring over an early graduation album, like sucking on a milk caramel candy. I mean things like late nights spent alone, fresh summer days, hanging out with my friends, being in my feelings… Being in someone else’s feelings, too. A lukewarm summer breeze blew in through the screen door, swirled playfully around my place, then exited again. The light of the cool, distant moon shone into my pitch-dark room, illuminating it. I could have gone on chatting a little longer. But thoughts like that wouldn’t do me any good, so I put on my running shoes instead and went on out. It was the kind of night where I felt restless, and I knew sleep wouldn’t come easy. “—All rise! Bow! Okay, now…get outta here!” It was the following day and the final homeroom of the first semester. After listening to our teacher Kuranosuke Iwanami, aka Kura, ramble on to us for an annoying amount of time about “how to make the most of summer break,” I finally managed to get a word in edgewise and officially dismissed the class. My command was half-intended to force an end to all the talking, and from the grateful looks shot to me by my fellow students, I’d done good. “Tch.” Hey, don’t do that at a student, you jerk. Kura lowered his head a notch with a truculent expression, then spoke again. “All right, guys, anyone who wants to participate in the summer study camp, hand in your forms before you leave.” With those words as the signal, everyone in the class began to make preparations to go home, and some headed up to the teacher’s lectern where Kura stood. I grabbed my prepared participation form from my own desk and headed over there, too. “All right, here’s mine.” “Hmph, sorry, I’m not accepting forms from ungrateful students who ignore the wise sermons of their teacher.” “Well, sorry, but I don’t listen to the bitter rantings of certain people who are just salty about all the young couples who are going to go all the way this summer.” “What do you need study camp for? You’re obviously only going for the girls in bikinis and the nighttime beach scene.” “—Now, now, remember you’re an educator. Don’t go crossing the line, now.” Tsk, this old fart. Never wavers. After a few more blunt jabs, I shoved my participation form into his hands and returned to my desk, where, for some reason, a familiar crowd was assembled and waiting for me. Kaito Asano was the first to pipe up, extra loud. “Hey, Saku! Let’s have a celebration party, all right?” “To celebrate what?” I answered dryly. Kazuki Mizushino elaborated, in that laid-back way he had. “Why, the first semester being completed, of course.” “Don’t you guys have club stuff?” “We’re all going to be training our brains out from tomorrow, soccer club included. But most club members seem to have today off, at least. Besides, don’t you think at least a few people would be really sad to just break up and say good-bye for the summer like this?” As he spoke, he glanced behind me. Yuzuki Nanase noticed this and brushed her black hair behind her ear with a coquettish sigh. “Leaving aside the question of why you looked at me when you said that, Mizushino, let me inform you that if there’s anyone I want to hang out with during summer vacation, I’m perfectly capable of asking them out myself.” Kazuki gave a crooked grin. “Oh, are you, now? Then should I be expecting a text from you?” “Sure, how about a date to the Tojinbo suicide spot?” Ignoring their problematic interaction, Haru Aomi grabbed my arm and pulled on it. “The girls’ basketball team’s off today, too! Come on, Chitose!” “…Oh. All right.” Startled by the sudden proximity of her face to mine, I tried to pull away, but her little grip was strong, almost as if she wanted me to know escape was futile. “Oh my. Chitose… Are you getting palpitations from the touch of Miss Haru’s hand?” “Perish the thought. I was just distracted by the residual bedhead you clearly neglected to fix this morning.” “Wanna try saying that again, huh?!” I think it was preying on both our minds for a while there. Ever since that day a while back, Haru and I hadn’t been doing our usual thing. I was relieved, then, to see that things were going back to normal. “With Yuuko and Yua, too?” I spoke while Haru was still hanging on to my arm, and this time, Yua Uchida was the one to respond. “Yes. I actually didn’t even bring my usual bento lunch today.” Then Yuuko chimed in. “I’m so down to party! Let’s grab a bite and then all go to karaoke!” “““““““Yeah!””””””” “K-karaoke…” That weak murmuring at the end there came from Kenta Yamazaki, by the way, just in case you needed confirmation. After deliberating between Hachiban Ramen and our second choice, we ended up at Takokyu. As for the former option—well, we’d no doubt frequent that place over summer vacation. But Takokyu is right next to the school, so if we missed the chance to eat here today, we wouldn’t get the convenient opportunity to do so for a long time. The table was soon filled with our orders: okonomiyaki, tonpeiyaki, fried chicken, gyoza, fries, and so on. I always order the same thing, so I didn’t notice it at first, but when I looked at the menu in detail again, I was surprised by the number of variations, like a restaurant that mainly serves set meals or something. “All right, here’s your last order of yakisoba.” The middle-aged proprietress, a woman whose high-spirited voice and short silver hair were her personal trademark, placed a large platter onto the table. “Wait, what’s this…?” I spoke without thinking first. Among school sports club members, it’s like an unwritten rule that you have to polish off the entirety of one of this place’s jumbo yakisoba plates by yourself at least once. I thought I’d ordered the regular size this time because I wanted to share it with everyone, but what had been delivered to our table was clearly the jumbo size. “You kids are done with school today, aren’t you? I won’t be able to see your faces for a while, so I wanted to feed you while I still have the chance.” “You’re too good to us. At this rate, we’re going to eat you out of business. If you’re gonna give us a freebie, make it a small plate!” That was when she whacked me around the back of the head with the round silver tray. There was a dumb sort of comedy sound effect, like dooong. “Exactly how long do you think I’ve been in business here? Giving a few of you buzz-haired sports kids an extra helping of noodles every now and again isn’t going to ruin me, you know.” “I apologize for my words and for the error of my ways! What I meant to say was thank you!” I apologized in a hurry before she could get another whack in, and the lady snorted once before returning behind the counter. Once I was sure she was gone, I cleared my throat in an exaggerated manner, hoping to cut off the giggling happening around me. I picked up my glass of oolong tea. “And so, we come to the end of the semester without major incident. Kenta, why don’t you lead us in a toast?” “What? Why me?!” Kenta, nominated all of a sudden, visibly began to panic. “Come on, Kenta, getting that last word in is kinda your thing. See us off, won’t you?” Yuuko jumped in to back me up. “He’s right, Kentacchi! I can’t just go off and get my summer started without first taking a second to appreciate all the growth you’ve done this semester!” Yua also giggled a little. “Go for it, Yamazaki!” Inspired by their rousing words, Kenta seemed to make up his mind and then got to his feet, glass of cola in hand. “Er, um… I guess it’s like… Honestly, I still can’t quite believe that I’m still here with you all, but for me… This semester has been…” “““““““Cheers!!!””””””” Clink, clink, clink. Cheap glasses collided above the surface of the table. “Oh, guys, come on…” “Kenta, pattern recognition is really a skill you need to learn. Now, cheers.” Everyone raised their glasses to Kenta, who stood there with his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. “Whaaat? You guys, too?!” After we’d devoured our food, Yuuko’s voice registered surprise. We’d been discussing this year’s summer study camp. Once Yuuko, Yua, and I had started talking about how we were going to be attending, it transpired that Kazuki, Kaito, and Kenta had also applied, and that Nanase and Haru were even planning to go, too. “Yeah, Miss Misaki is going to be attending as a supervising teacher, so we wouldn’t have been able to have club practice during that time anyway.” Haru smiled wryly. “She didn’t say it outright, since there’s a participation fee, of course, but she definitely said, ‘Make sure all of you attend.’ She even said she’s going to have us running on the beach first thing in the morning.” Nanase corroborated Haru’s explanation. “Seriously? Doesn’t she have any respect for us sporty girls and the importance of making precious summer memories?!” “Hey, hubby. Whatcha think about that? Delicate maidens, forced to run and get all covered in sweat and sand when they’re meant to be on a trip? That morning breakfast buffet table is going to get raided.” Since she asked, I decided to give her my honest opinion. “Honestly? I think that sounds badass.” ““You know it!”” Nanase and Haru gazed up to the heavens in a theatrical manner, cracking everyone else up. After we were done laughing, Yuuko continued, saying, “But you know…!” “I’m really looking forward to going with everyone here! Barbecue, beach fun, maybe fireworks, maybe even some truth-or-dare?!” “Well, you know, it’s still just a study camp, though.” Yua scratched her cheek as she spoke. “I know, but it’s my first time having an overnight sleepover with you, Ucchi! I wanna go bikini shopping together, and then at night, we’ll have girl talk… Won’t that be fun?” When the two of them came over to my place to cook dinner a while back, I remember them talking about something similar. Though at the time, I got the impression they were being a bit more direct about it and saying it was about the boys they liked. “Oh, are you going to buy a new bikini, too?” Nanase spoke while licking the salt from the fries off her fingers, and Yuuko immediately responded. “Wait, you mean…” “I mean, if I let this opportunity slip, who knows when I’ll get the chance to go to the beach again? So I figured, why not? I mean, my partner here still wears a…” “Shuuuuut up!” Haru, with seaweed flakes stuck to her lips, rushed into the conversation. “Oh, my bad. Right, right, you’re in the middle of late-onset puberty.” “All right, this means war. You’d better be ready, Nana!” “Yes, yes, don’t worry. I won’t let a literal child beat me, Umi.” “Come on, girls,” Yua said, trying to placate the two, who were doing their usual bit. “If you want, you both can come, too.” Haru raised her hand vigorously. “I’m in! Yuzuki tends to lecture on and on when it comes to making selections, so I’d rather pick something out with you, Yuuko. And Yua, of course.” “I can’t help offering advice when I’m forced to witness someone blundering through social interactions when she should have learned her manners by now.” I was watching the spat unfold with a comfortable detachment, when I noticed that the large body sitting beside me was trembling slightly. “Buh… Buh… Bikini!!!” ““Shut up, Kaito.”” Kazuki and I wasted no time responding to that. “But… Yuuko, Ucchi… Yuzuki… In bikinis! Talk about paradise!” “You seem to have forgotten about moi? ” “Oh, Haru. Well, er, do your best, eh?” “All right, prepare to be punched into next week. ” Kazuki grumbled something about us never shutting up before he continued in a normal voice. “Speaking of which, Saku, what are we doing about fireworks this year?” “Right, I guess it’s the season and all.” Fukui Prefecture has several fireworks festivals that are a summer tradition. The most well-known and popular event is the Mikuni Fireworks Festival held around Tojinbo, but for those of us who go to school in Fukui City, the one we’re most familiar with is the Fukui Phoenix Fireworks display that takes place on the banks of Asuwa River. The event marks the first day of the Fukui Phoenix Festival, which takes place over the first three days of August. Approximately ten thousand fireworks are set off every year. Since the fireworks can be seen from anywhere in the city without spectators having to go all the way to the venue, many people enjoy the show from the roofs or balconies of their own homes. Every junior high school boy has scoped out the event at least once, in order to find the best secret spots for cuddling up with a girl to watch the fireworks without being interrupted. Got to start prepping early for the day you finally get a girlfriend, after all. Last summer, I really wasn’t in the mood, but now… “Then shall we all go together?” This summer, I could make that kind of suggestion without any hesitation at all. After Kazuki asked me about the fireworks, Yuuko, who’d been listening intently from across the table, was the first to lean over in enthusiasm. “I’m down! So down! I’m gonna wear my yukata!” I smiled wryly in response to her exuberance and backed her up. “I guess I’ll wear the yukata you gave me, too, then, Yuuko.” “You’d better! I’ll come to your place and help you put it on!” “Huh? It’s just a yukata, but still, I didn’t think you had any skill at traditional Japanese dressing techniques, Yuuko?” “Erm, well… Okay, so maybe Yua can help us both put them on…” “Uh-huh, that’s what I thought. But didn’t you say you wanted to be the first one to see me in it?” “It’s fine if it’s Ucchi!” Yua covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. “All right, all right, I can dress you both.” “Yay!” “Hang on, that might be embarrassing for me, you know?” Then Nanase, who had been listening silently up until this point, lifted one corner of her mouth in a provocative way and gazed right at Yuuko. “I’m pretty sure Chitose can put on a yukata by himself.” “Are you?!” “Remember when he and I went on that date to the festival? Well, I saw it with my own eyes. So you can take it as fact, ‘wifey.’” “Boy, now I’m pissed. All right, you want a fight, here it comes!” Ah, what a lively and spirited time. We were carrying on just the way you were supposed to right after school was out for the summer. We were all excited that summer vacation was starting the following day, but at the same time, no one was keen to head home straightaway. We wanted to make the most of this last bit of school time, this togetherness. “Let’s take a picture,” Yuuko said. We all laughed and agreed. Yua quickly cleared the table, Nanase casually straightened her bangs, and Haru threw the last piece of fried chicken into her mouth. Kazuki brushed off Kaito, who’d tried to throw his arm around his shoulder, and Kenta fidgeted, seeming unsure as to whether he should move positions or stay seated. In the blue sky visible from the window, thunderheads were floating like a child’s chalk drawing on asphalt. Spotting one of them in particular, I started thinking idly about how there really are dinosaurs here in Fukui. A dilapidated electric fan placed in a corner alcove clattered away breathlessly but still rotated its head proudly, as if watching over each person one by one so that no one would be left out. The proprietress took charge of Yuuko’s phone and pointed the lens at us. “Okay. “Say cheese.” “““Yay!!!””” With a snap, this moment of our high school second year was cut out of time, preserved for always, never to fade. —To be looked back upon someday, in a long-distant summer. Whenever I heard the sound of tinkling wind chimes, I would think back on this moment with infinite fondness. Of that, I was certain. In the end, after leaving Takokyu, we all rushed to the karaoke place in front of the station and made good use of the weekday discount to sing our hearts out until the very last minute. To start, we all sang our own signature songs, then paired up for a variety of crowd-pleasing duets. After gradually running out of material, we put in a nice little medley of nostalgic bangers one after another and passed around the mic. Incidentally, when it’s your turn at the mic, if you don’t sing a line, you’ve gotta pay the price. We started with the standard penalty, drinking a mysterious drink made by randomly combining different sodas from the drinks machine. We all ended up getting quite devious about it. Kenta messed up his first round when it came to performing a signature song, but when we changed it to a medley of anime songs, he dominated. He even mastered the character lyrics that weren’t included in the on-screen display. Because of the anime song, we all ended up having to suffer at least one penalty. After leaving the karaoke place, we strolled around the station for a while, and when the sky finally turned to dusk, we broke up. After watching the bicycle group ride away, waving like they were rehearsing for the graduation ceremony, I headed home alongside Yuuko and Yua. Maybe it was my imagination, but the girls seemed to be walking slower than their usual pace. Normally, Yuuko’s parents would pick her up by car, but today she said she wanted to walk as far as Yua’s house with her. I could kinda understand that feeling, so I shortened my stride slightly, too. The shopping street in front of the station was colored a faint nadeshiko pink from the setting sun, the single-car streetcar trundling down the road. It’s odd; even the usually deserted townscape doesn’t look so bad with a little bit of color to it, I thought. Yuuko stretched. “Ah, that was so fun! But I’m beat.” Yua giggled. “It’s the first time I’ve sung like that. I think I’m even more tired out than I get during band practice.” “Come to think of it,” Yuuko continued. “Ucchi, what are you going to do during summer vacation?” “Hmm, I don’t really have any special plans. Probably the usual. Go to club activities, study, and cook.” “You’re still going to work, even after the study camp?” “Yuuko, participating in the camp doesn’t mean you’ll be exempt from studying the rest of summer, you know? And when you think about college entrance exams, we can’t really afford to be wasting a single second.” “More exams?! You must be the only person fretting about that during summer vacation of the second year of high school!” “I… I don’t think that’s true…” Yua scratched her cheek, looking disconcerted. Seemingly unconcerned, Yuuko grabbed her hand. “Then let’s make sure we have a lot of fun this summer!” “Then? I don’t see how this tracks, but…sure!” Listening to their conversation, I felt a little tickled inside. Back then, I’d never have imagined those two would come to be such good friends. “But you know, I see it. Saku, Ucchi, Yuzuki, Haru, Kentacchi. Everyone’s making progress, little by little, without realizing it.” Yuuko muttered, gazing off into the distance. “So I want to join them.” She ran forward a step, and then whirled around. “—This summer, I’ve decided to take a step forward.” Then she beamed. A step forward toward what? No, I wouldn’t ask her that. For some reason, I felt like I could understand her feelings. I think Yua, smiling gently beside me, could, too. So for today, let’s walk home slowly, side by side. We still had a little time left before the sun went down. Then came the first day of summer vacation. To be real, I was thinking that after I’d slept soundly until noon, I’d spend my time lazing around, doing some cleaning, some laundry, and taking care of my baseball equipment. …But then from the early morning phone call that I received, I heard the unmistakable sound of out-of-tune radio calisthenics music. I poured cold water on my sleepy head and sweaty body in the bathroom, put a white T-shirt with a chest pocket on over black Patagonia shorts, then slid my feet into Teva sports sandals and left the house. Now I was standing in front of Fukui Station, watching vaguely as the long neck of the resident Fukuititan moved up and down. Checking my phone, I saw that the time was 8:50. I usually went to school around this time, so it’s not like it felt super early or anything, but I felt like I was still half asleep in bed. How is it that on weekdays when I have to wake up, I usually wake up before the alarm on my phone, but on weekends when I don’t have to wake up, I can sleep forever? Verbalizing it makes it sound like, well duh, but when you really stop and think about it, it’s kind of weird, isn’t it? As I was thinking about that, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I cast a casual glance over my shoulder, as if checking the answers of a piece of homework I knew I’d aced… “Come on, friend. Let’s go on an adventure.” …and it was Asuka Nishino, grinning mischievously at me. Coincidentally, she wore the same Patagonia shorts as I did but in blue, with a white printed T-shirt, a simple black bucket hat, and Chaco sports sandals. On her back, she carried a square Fjallraven Kanken backpack. It was a sporty kind of outfit that gave a very different impression than usual—but the nape of her neck was still only barely tanned, as were her exposed thighs. While I remained silent, Asuka curled her toes in apparent embarrassment. Her toenails were light cherry-blossom pink, the polish carefully applied. “Hey, say something.” “Aren’t you embarrassed to have shown up in matching outfits?” “You beast! You told me I should wear something more like this once!” “Can you stop making me sound like some deranged older brother forcing his little sister into cosplay?” When her lips pursed up, I burst out laughing. “I was just kidding. To be honest, I was just taken aback by the contrast. I mean, that’s not your usual style.” “…Really?” “You’re as charming as Mathilda in Léon: The Professional. I’ll buy you a black choker later.” “Er, that’s not really what I was going for.” Asuka twitched, looking puzzled. I could see the remnants of her childhood self somewhere in that innocent expression. Come to think of it… It was summer vacation back then, so I’d woken up early, like this. It’s a waste of time to oversleep, like trying to fill in a treasure map that you’ve stuffed into your pocket. When we eventually started walking, our happy-looking shadows looked smaller than everything else around us. After riding the train for about twenty minutes from Fukui Station, we got off at a platform where a single sign read: Ichijodani. The countryside station looked like something out of a painting. There was no ticket gate, and only one small waiting area. No one was around. All the eye could see was green rolling rice fields, small mountain ranges, tall steel towers, and old private houses dotted around here and there. The summer sun was still pouring down from the endless sky. When I took a deep breath, I could smell the earth and greenery, along with the scent of stifling heat. “Remind me why we’re here, again?” I said. In the morning, the only thing she told me on the phone was that we were going on a date and where we should meet. I knew Asuka wasn’t really the type to want to go shopping around the station building, but I never thought she’d bring me somewhere so remote. Asuka’s eyes sparkled. “I told you, I wanted to go on an adventure with you, just us two, for the first time in a long while.” “Like in Stand by Me?” I mentioned the name of an old movie. “If anything, it’s more like Black and Tan Fantasy,” she shot back, with the name of a novel I’d also read. I recalled that the story revolved around four middle-aged men and women, former classmates, talking about various things while walking around Y Island, which was probably meant to be Yakushima. A simple story, but it was oddly impactful. “‘After all, we are no longer the young boys and young girls we once were.’” I quoted a line at her, matching her teasing energy. “But we’re not even in the prime of our lives. If you insist on citing a novel by Riku Onda, I’d have expected you to have gone for Night Picnic, the one with a high school protagonist. Actually, that one’s even more fitting for you.” “…I haven’t read that one.” “Oh, that’s why, is it?!” Seeing her turn away with embarrassment, I couldn’t help grinning. She’s usually the one who’s read a book I haven’t. This was the first time it was the other way around. Statistically speaking, it was bound to happen eventually. Even so, I felt like I’d caught a glimpse of a side of Asuka I hadn’t seen before, and that filled me with a small bubble of happiness. “Okay, I’ll lend it to you next time.” “…No thanks. It’s my personal principle to buy the books I want to read for myself.” “Aw, feeling a little bit of FOMO, are you?” “Not even a little bit.” She walked ahead, and I chased after her, unable to keep myself from smiling. This area, called Ichijodani, is known for being the home of the Asakura clan, who ruled over Echizen during the Warring States period. It’s said the ruins of the castle town at that time were excavated in very good condition, and it’d been designated as an important national cultural property. I believe there’s an archaeological museum nearby, but to be honest, it wasn’t really the place I’d want to go for a summer vacation date. Nonetheless, we didn’t have a specific destination in mind, so we decided to head toward Ichijo Falls for the time being. This is also one of Fukui’s modest tourist attractions, and it’s said Sasaki Kojiro, the Japanese swordsman, invented his famous “Turning Swallow Cut” technique here. When I looked up the directions on my phone, it was about an hour and a half on foot from here. If our goal was to walk and talk, the distance was just right. If you go out of the station and continue a little, you’ll soon come to Prefectural Route 18. After that, all we had to do was just follow the road, so I checked the map one last time before putting my phone away. “The Nature House used to be around here, huh?” I commented. Asuka, who was walking next to me, looked at me with a puzzled expression. “You mean the study camp lodge?” “Yeah. Did you go there when you were in elementary, too?” “Yeah. Ah, that takes me back.” Fukui City Youth Nature House is a public social education facility located halfway up a small mountain. There’s a gymnasium, a small plaza, an outdoor cooking area, and a craft area, and elementary school students in the city usually attend for stays of two days and one night. Well, it’s supposed to be a study camp, but it’s more like a fun event where everyone hangs out together making candles and wood-burning art, cooking rice, and making campfires to test their courage. We continued talking about this and that. “Back then, it felt like I’d ended up in the deep, desolate mountains. But it was still only about twenty minutes away from the city by train.” “Maybe I can understand that feeling. Back then, I was reading the Sherlock Holmes series and the Boy Detectives Club series that I borrowed from the school library, so I was actually a little scared that a murder or something would happen.” Picturing Asuka, clutching an old hardcover in terror, I lowkey wished I could have attended the camp with her back then. As we walked, we came across an iron bridge that spanned the Asuwa River, where the road split in two. There wasn’t really a big difference, no matter which one we chose, but while I was debating, she poked me on the shoulder. “Hey, wanna settle it with this?” With a mischievous smile, Asuka held up a sturdy-looking tree branch that she must have picked up off the ground somewhere. “Now, that’s the kind of thing to tickle a man’s boyish spirit.” “Right? Did you used to play with these, too?” “Yeah, I was totally the type to pick up a branch if it was lying by the side of the road.” “Now that you mention it, that’s how you used to be when we played together during summer vacation. Swinging sticks around like swords, giving them names…” “Whoa, stop there, Asuka.” She was about to dig up some dark history there. I had to stop her. All boys go through a phase like that. If you’re born in Fukui, you’d swear it was true that the Kuzuryu River had a legendary nine-headed dragon sealed within it somewhere. Asuka set the tree branch down on the ground and gently let it go. The tip rolled around, until the end was pointing directly straight, indicating that we should continue rather than taking the other fork. It would be impolite to leave it lying around on the path, so I picked it up. Once we started walking again, Asuka spoke. “Speaking of study camp…” This was a continuation of the previous topic, right? “Do you remember what the bath was like over there?” I couldn’t figure out why she was asking, but for the time being I decided to answer honestly. “Nothing really stands out in my memory about it…” Asuka continued with a smile. “When I was in the bath…” “Don’t tell me someone came to take a look?” “Why is that the first thing that comes to mind?” “Because it’s a given! Any red-blooded male would expect that kind of story.” “…Did you peek?” Her gaze was searching, but I responded with my usual breezy air. “I didn’t have the guts to do it myself. And if I couldn’t, I couldn’t let the other guys get away with peeping at that cute girl I liked. I was the boy who told on them to the teacher.” “Doing the right thing for extremely wrong reasons.” “Incidentally, what you’ve got to do is give them just enough rope for them to hang themselves with it—then it’ll be too late for them to make excuses, see? The girls all thought I was some kind of hero.” “And you’re bragging about it, too. Totally evil.” Asuka shook her head in amazement, then smiled teasingly at me. “So what would you do if you caught some boy peeping at me?” “I’d bake him in the oven, sprinkle some salt and pepper on him, then feed him to the Fukuiraptor.” “Hee-hee, sounds like something my dad would say.” “…Wow, I don’t like that.” The two of us looked at each other and burst out laughing over this silly conversation. “So, as I was saying, I was in the bath…” After walking for a few moments more, Asuka started over. “It was the first time for a lot of us, including myself, to have a sleepover with friends from school, and everyone was really excited.” Suddenly, the tone of her voice changed, as if a cork had been pulled. “There were chairs and buckets piled up there.” I didn’t mean to interrupt the conversation again, but I spoke up, hoping to prompt her to continue. “I mean, it was a bathroom, right?” “Of course. But normally when you go to a public bath or a hot spring, there are already other customers there, and they’re washing their bodies, aren’t they? We were the first ones there on that day… “It was all in a triangle,” Asuka said. “The chairs and the buckets were each stacked in neat triangles in the corner of the room. Evening sunlight was streaming in from the big window in the back.” I tried picturing the scene. The fogged-up mirrors, the aged tiles, and the undulating waters of the bathtub, all dyed an evening red. The two triangle shapes, and the group of girls staring at them… Well, I was trying not to picture that part too clearly. But I could see the scene, like some kind of dreamlike painting. “And what do you think we were doing?” “Um, maybe playing Jenga?” Asuka chuckled, then shook her head. “We couldn’t do anything. Everyone stood there staring at it for a while, and eventually, we all just started washing our bodies without using the chairs or the buckets. It was just a very weird moment. And I still remember it vividly now, as a high school student.” That seemed to be the end of the story. Without even looking at my reaction, Asuka muttered casually, “You can see fireflies around here.” “There’s something a little mystical about triangles, isn’t there?” I commented, and Asuka looked at me with a little surprise in her eyes. “You know, pyramids, Mount Fuji. Hexagrams are odd, too. They induce this feeling of awe. It’s like, they’re somehow untouchable? …You know, like a girl’s shorts!” “You can try to hide your embarrassment by finishing on a perverted note, but I can see right through you, you know?” Darn, she caught me. I was just expressing a thought I’d had, but before I’d even finished saying it, I got embarrassed by how pretentious it sounded. “Heh.” Asuka exhaled. “Now that you mention it, it might have felt a little like that. Do you think that’s why we didn’t want to mess with it?” “I mean, it’s not like I’m trying to solve a riddle here. Just spitballing. But when I pictured the scene, that’s what came to mind.” “You…pictured the scene?” “Hey, I made sure to censor my mental image, you know?!” I cleared my throat and continued, not even knowing myself how much of this was just joking around and how much was serious. “The triangle you all saw was like youth, I think.” A brief silence passed, “So what does that mean, exactly?” Asuka sounded lost. “I don’t know if it was a previous bather or a member of staff, but…it must have been made by someone. There would have been little quirks, tiny imperfections and gaps. If you’d knocked it down, then tried to rebuild it—you’d still never see quite the same thing again…” I stopped there, tapping the stick I was holding against the ground. “—So you girls visualized that moment of youth, a moment you never wanted to end, as a perfect triangle.” The stick tapped out a muted rhythm. Thonk. Thonk. Thonk. Was this because we talked about novels earlier? Or was it just excitement over being able to spend the summer with you again? I was thinking of ways to cover up my embarrassment over the conjecture I’d just presented, when… “—That’s a beautiful way to interpret it.” Asuka grinned. Right, I thought, smiling too. After meeting in high school, we always shared moments like this. As ephemeral as a mirage on a summer’s day, like water sprinkled on hot pavement, imbuing every word she spoke with deep meaning… How many times had I fumbled inside myself for the right words that would help me connect to this girl? The silence rolled and rattled around between us. I was happy, just talking to her. That’s how I felt about her. My first love. I, Asuka Nishino, sneaked a glance at the side profile of the boy walking beside me. Usually, during a tale like that, you’d expect the other person to say, “What happened then?” or, “What’s the punch line?” or, “What is it exactly that you’re trying to say?” But Saku didn’t do any of that. I loved these casual chats of ours, the time we spent together. The distant footpath of summer shimmered ahead of us. Back then, like now, the two of us would wander through our shared imaginations. “Speaking of murders…” Saku still had the stick. Seemed like he’d taken a shine to it. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Then I realized he was referring to something I’d said earlier. “During the sleepaway study camp, there were maybe three staff members who acted kind of like camp counselors. Each of them had a nickname.” “Oh, I think I remember that.” In my vague memory, I saw something like a name tag, worn on a chest. “One of them called himself Calimero.” “Calimero… The black chick wearing half an eggshell?” It’s a pretty famous character from an anime or something like that. Saku looked confused for a moment, then smiled and continued. “I’m pretty sure that’s what he was referring to. I think he was trying to make it look like an eggshell? Anyway, he was wearing a cheap white top hat with a jagged brim. But he wasn’t dressed in black; he was wearing yellow from head to toe. And he had on a feather boa, for some reason. Hot pink, like something you’d wear to a party.” Maybe he didn’t have any black clothes and just went for yellow. Hmm, but that sounded kinda implausible. Maybe he thought yellow would be more cheerful and chick-like for the kids. Maybe he wore the feather boa for the same reason. “Sounds like a crazy getup, but kids would love it.” “That’s true. They did all love him.” Then the tone of his voice suddenly dropped. “I was terrified of him.” “You were afraid of Calimero?” I was surprised. Saku was always like some kind of hero. The thought of him being afraid of anything was a little unexpected, not to mention adorable. I wanted to get into big sister mode, put him to bed, and pat him reassuringly on the back until— Ahem. Let’s put a lid on that feeling for now. I managed to calm myself down. Honestly, I’ve been on a high all morning. Anyway, Saku nodded. “I didn’t know the character Calimero.” Hmm, well, a lot of people would have seen it before without knowing what it was called. So I could understand him saying that. But why be afraid of it? I stayed silent, willing him to continue. “Without the backstory, don’t you think Calimero looks kind of creepy?” “Calimero,” I muttered to myself. I put myself in Saku’s shoes, tried to imagine seeing it without knowing it was a cartoon character originally. Calimero, Calimero. Ka-li-me-ro. …Oh, yeah. I could see it now. Inorganic, constructed nonsense words rendered in Japanese katakana script could mean anything, either serious or playful. It felt almost as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees. I shook my head quickly. “When you don’t know the original story, seeing a guy dressed like that made him seem like some kind of crazy person. No doubt it was all just an act he was putting on for the children, but his words and his actions were off, too. Overblown. Exaggerated.” A mysterious strange man who suddenly appeared during a fun study sleepaway camp, talking away with exaggerated, pantomime motions. “Hey, everyone, call me Calimero.” “Hey, let me teach you a fun game.” “Hey, kids, c’mere.” Yeah, that might be quite scary. Saku sighed. “My classmates were drawn to this guy, one after another. To me, he looked like a murderous clown that had appeared deep in the mountains. Before everyone knew it, they’d be hoodwinked, lured away into the depths of the pitch-black forest.” At night, the campfire light distorts the faces of children. A yellow clown with a jagged top hat sits there, grinning away. “Calimero, let’s play.” “Calimero, what will you teach us next?” “Calimero, take us somewhere even more fun.” Calimero, Calimero, Calimero, Calimero, Calimero… A chill ran down my spine, and I found myself reaching out to clap Saku on the back. “Hey!” Slap! What a satisfying sound. “You jerk, you made me picture it. I got really scared just then.” “Right? I knew you’d appreciate it, Asuka.” Saku’s grin had this “gotcha!” quality to it. “Looking back on it now, it’s kind of a funny story. At the time, I tried to stay as far away from him as possible, but then I heard him call out to me from behind, and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.” No doubt there was nothing sinister to it. Probably, the counselor saw Saku sitting alone and was worried he was feeling left out. Still…, I thought, as I spoke again. “It’s the fear of the unknown, isn’t it? Even a kind camp counselor who just wants to make kids smile can become a terrifying clown depending on how you see him.” Saku scratched his cheek bashfully before continuing. “Things aren’t as scary as they seem, you’re saying?” “Summing up the mystery with a cliché… That’s kind of unsatisfying.” “Hmm, but sometimes, the knowing is what makes it scary.” “Really?” I gripped the hem of my T-shirt tightly. “—Like, for example, a second love that comes after a first love.” I couldn’t look him in the eye as I spoke. I know, I know, this kind of thing isn’t quite fair. But I don’t have much time left. After a short chuckle, Saku responded. “Or maybe like getting a yearly flu shot?” Seriously? I’m not laughing at that. I turned away, pouting pointedly. Hey, have you realized? The only place I can talk like this…like how people in novels talk…is when I’m with you. Because you listen to my words with such sincerity. Because you try so hard to meet me at my level. I find that so adorable. It fills me with joy. Sometimes, you make me realize things I never noticed before. That’s why I want to be with you. I want to listen to your voice, not just sometimes, but always and forever. I was happy, just talking to him. That’s how I felt about him. My first love. The river that flowed to one side of us rippled gently. A drop of sweat trickled down the nape of my neck. Even though my skin had been heavily sunscreened, I was still getting tan. Slap, slap. My sandals seemed ready to melt as I walked. Oh right, I suddenly realized. —This was going to be the last summer that I could spend with Saku. “Asuka?” Hearing him say my name with such unease in his voice, I turned to him and stuck my tongue out. As we loitered on the path, it took about two hours for Asuka and me to finally reach the parking lot of Ichijo Falls. It was almost noon already. The place was usually bustling with quite a few people in the summer, but perhaps because it was a weekday at the end of July, there weren’t any other visitors ahead of us. “Man, it’s hot,” I said, wiping my sweat off with my T-shirt, which was already soaking wet. “Hey, why are we doing this?” Asuka said. “I was just wondering the same thing. Why don’t you look inside for the answer, hmm?” Even Asuka, normally so cool-looking, was fanning her face by flapping her bucket hat. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. The chorus of cicadas in the surrounding area served to make it seem even hotter still. After we continued for a while longer, the bronze statue of Sasaki Kojiro came into view. I stood in front of it with a feeling of exhausted accomplishment over our long-awaited arrival—and a feeling of relief over having nothing left to strive for. Looking over at Asuka, I grinned. With both hands holding the wooden stick aloft, I… “Secret sword! Turning Swallow Cut!” I swung it down and then flung it back up again without even a pause. “…” “………” “………” “…………” “Hey, make fun of me, at the very least?!” “Er, well, is that what you’ve been dragging that stick around all this time for?” “I didn’t ask for detached observations!” “Th-that was really cool, Saku…?” “Stop it, my heart hurts.” “Kojiro is defeated.” “Please, send assistance.” After that short back-and-forth, we both burst out laughing. I finally deposited the stick I’d been holding in a nearby bush. One side of our surroundings was covered with deep greenery, and a clear river and narrow gravel road ran down the middle. As we passed a gazebo with a dark-green, moss-covered roof, I heard something that sounded like rushing water, and we soon came within sight of a waterfall about thirty-three feet high. It wasn’t like a roaring waterfall or anything, but it had a nice atmosphere to it, somehow peaceful. The water that formed the basin was shallow enough for elementary school students to play, making it the perfect spot for kids on summer vacation. In just a few more days, their excited yelling and the sloshing of their water fights would be reverberating all around. “Ah, it feels so good here.” Asuka, walking next to me, raised both hands and stretched. I followed suit and took a deep breath. Every droplet of moisture in the air seemed to intermingle with the sweat on our skin. “Asuka, if you stick around here, your skin will be looking great in no time at all.” “Er, it’s already as pure as the driven snow, you know?” “You’re turning eighteen this year, right? It’s time to start preparing for the future.” “Hey! That’s totally ageist!” Asuka grabbed my hand, placed it against her cheek, and said, “See?” with pride in her voice. Her skin felt like freshly made mochi, as smooth as an afternoon breeze. It felt so nice, I almost found myself sliding my fingertips across her cheek. “Mmn…,” Asuka murmured, like she was ticklish. We faced each other, so close our noses almost touched. The boy gently caressed the cheek of the girl, who was gazing up at him with shining eyes. The boy ran his tongue across his lips, then said… “What’s this all about?” He kept his hand on her cheek, but his voice was weary. Was there anything else to do now, except kiss? She must have sensed it, too. Asuka looked away, her face red. “Are you saying it’s my fault?” “You’re the one who created this little opportunity.” “Well, the way you touched my skin made it weird.” “Huh? Then I guess we’re both at fault, so—” This time, I grabbed her hand. “Huh? Wh-what?” “Isn’t it obvious? We have to shake off our worldly desires.” “Then you mean…” “Let’s waterfall it!!!” I pulled Asuka, squealing, into the river. ““Yeeeah!”” The two of us both yelled at once. Ice-cold water chilled my hot legs and feet. A cool breeze blew across us, like when you open the refrigerator. The fine spray of the waterfall enveloped us, like a natural mist shower. “Hmph! It seems like all we do is flail around in bodies of water!” Asuka splashed me vigorously. “Didn’t I tell you once? When it gets hot, jump into the river and play in the water!” I splashed her right back. “Lend me your sweaty gym clothes later!” “If you really want a sweaty T-shirt, would you like to strip right here and swap?” “Nah, I actually brought a change of clothes.” “Hey, that’s no fair!” I could see Asuka’s mint-green underwear through her transparent clothes, but for today, I’d let go of my ulterior motives and think of her as an out-of-season young leaf. Because I felt it, so strongly I almost couldn’t stand it. —This was going to be the last summer that I could spend with you. If only I really could shake off these thoughts so easily, I thought, smiling a little, then dunked my head under the waterfall, which cascaded down from above like a pool with a cracked bottom. After enjoying ourselves for a while, we rolled on into the gazebo. Both of us took sports towels out of our bags. I hadn’t thought as far as bringing a change of clothes, but I was glad I had my towel, at least. Our T-shirts aside, fortunately both of us were wearing waterproof shorts, the kind that dry quickly and can also be used as swimwear. They’d soon dry in this heat, without us needing to do anything. “Asuka, go into the back and change your T-shirt before you catch a cold. I won’t be able to see from this angle.” There was a toilet block back at the parking lot, but it was kinda far. Anyway, it was a one-way road to the waterfall, so if someone else came along, we could just ask them to wait a sec. There was something like a promenade up top, but there didn’t seem to be anyone up there. And here, under the canopy of trees, we were in a blind spot. People would probably wonder what was going on in here, though. Asuka spoke timidly. “…Promise you won’t peek?” “If someone tries to peek, I’ll let the teacher know.” “Oh, you’re an idiot.” Asuka returned after changing so quickly, she barely even needed a lookout. She looked refreshed, wearing a cool, mint-green light top layered on top of a plain white vest. It was a familiar color, somehow, but I couldn’t think about that too deeply. Asuka made her way to the bench, sat down, and took off her sandals. She must have been about to wipe off the backs of her thighs. She raised her left leg and stretched it high, pointing her toes. The pure-white soles of her feet were as smooth and beautiful as the inside of a seashell, and the slightly wet parts seemed to shimmer with pale-rainbow colors in the sunlight. When the fabric of her soft shorts looked like it was about to be peeled off, I turned my back and took off my T-shirt, so as to cover my eyes. “Yeek?!” I heard a small scream, and when I looked back, Asuka was covering her eyes. Ah yes, even Nanase had a similar kind of reaction at first. But in her case, she quickly adapted and then got straight to staring. When I was still in the baseball club, it was a daily occurrence for me to change my undershirt on the field, so I somehow lost my sense of concern over this sort of thing. “You’ve seen the top half of the male body in swimming classes and before gym, surely? Guys just change clothes anywhere, after all.” “Right, but they usually stopped around junior high. And those boys weren’t so…rugged.” “Er, is it okay if I point out that you’re still peeking through your fingers?” “—?!” I wiped my body with a towel, squeezed my T-shirt lightly, and reluctantly put it back on. I really would have preferred to dry it in a sunny place, but oh well. “All right, it’s safe now.” When I said that, Asuka looked this way extremely cautiously. “S-sorry. I’m supposed to be the older one, but I just made a big fuss.” “It’d be more upsetting if you acted like it was no big deal, so it’s fine.” “…Hmph, that just isn’t fair.” Looking at her glistening eyes, I thought, no, that’s not fair, and smiled a little. “More importantly…” I sat down on the bench and stretched out my legs. “…I’m so hungry I think my stomach’s about to shrivel up.” Thinking back, I hadn’t eaten anything since that morning, after being awoken by Asuka’s call and scrambling to get ready. We’d walked under the scorching sun for two hours and played in the water. My gas tank was running on empty. I didn’t see a single supermarket or convenience store along the way, so getting lunch anytime soon seemed unlikely, unless we headed back to the little souvenir shop by the station. I was mulling over our options, when Asuka smiled and lifted her light-gray square Kanken backpack up in front of her chest. “I thought you’d say that, so…” She rummaged around inside and brought out an aluminum foil package. “I made omusubi!” “Will you marry me?” Asuka chuckled, then handed me a rice ball and a disposable wipe. “What’s inside?” “Pickled plum! And, if that’s not enough, I also have salted kelp and salmon, too.” “You like umeboshi, don’t you? You ate it in Tokyo, too.” “Yeah, the flavor reminds me of good times.” We sat side by side on the bench, and I cleared my throat. “The aluminum foil is a nice touch. I like it better than plastic wrap.” “It’s ’cause your grandmother always used aluminum foil, Saku.” “Grandma used to call it silver paper.” “There’s boiled pickled radish in this one, so eat up.” “Amazing.” It never occurred to me, since I’d always just eaten it ever since I was a kid, but boiled pickled radish was a local Fukui specialty. As the name suggests, it’s made by simmering pickled daikon radish with soy sauce, sake, mirin, chili peppers, and dashi. Cleaning my hands with the disposable wipe, I continued, “It’s all about how they’re referred to as well.” “It’s been a long time since I heard someone say ‘omusubi’ for rice balls.” “I always used to call them onigiri, too. Maybe I was influenced by your grandmother.” “Ah yeah, she always called them ‘omusubi.’” Asuka turned to me, saying, “You know… “That day formed a bond between you and me, Saku. And ‘omusubi’ as a word has strong connotations of connectedness, of togetherness.” And she smiled, so innocent and pure. It was hard, somehow, to look her in the face as I peeled off the wrapping and bit into the pure-white rice ball. Plump and sweet, then by degrees salty and sour. “Hey, Saku?” my friend said, in a voice that made me want to cry for no reason. “Rice balls are triangular, too, aren’t they?”
Chapter 68
56 min read