Chapter 8

My phone’s alarm woke me up, and I ate Mana’s gyaru breakfast. That was what I called her little set of toast, eggs sunny-side up, and salad. By the way, Mom had just gotten back from her night shift, so she was still sleeping. “Bubby, you’re running late.” Mana hurried me while putting on her heavy gyaru makeup. You’re so lucky, being in middle school. Your school is so close by. I gulped down the toast with milk, and my little sister yelled again with genuine worry in her voice. “No, seriously, you’ll be late!” “Yeah, yeah,” I replied while grabbing my bag, then went outside. “Good morning, Ryou.” There was Fushimi, flashing a smile as warm as the spring sun. “G-g-good morning. Why are you here? Ah, did you leave something at my house?” She tilted her head to the side and laughed softly. “No, that’s not it. Wanna go to school together?” “Huh? Oh… Okay.” But why? I had many questions but no time, and we hurried to the station. I guess her dad couldn’t take her today, either? And she’s traumatized by the groping attempt, so she can’t take the train on her own? “Hey, Fushimi, in case you didn’t know, some of the cars are women-only. You don’t have to worry about gropers there.” “Hee-hee. I know, dummy.” Then why…? “I’m not trying to bring you along as my bodyguard. And I wasn’t yesterday, either, by the way.” Then why? What do you get from going to school and back with me? Fushimi continued, “Plus, you can’t get on the women-only car, right?” “Well, yeah. I’m not a woman.” “Then I won’t get on it, either. I wouldn’t get to go to school together.” I didn’t quite get it, so I gave a vague reply. “Um… Okay…” Fushimi bumped me with her shoulder for being so dense. “Is it wrong to just want to go to school together?” she asked bashfully. Hey, it’s too early in the morning to get my heart pounding with that expression. I tried as hard as I could not to show anything I was thinking on my face. “I—I guess it’s fine.” “Good. Hee-hee. You look happy.” How can you tell? Dammit, this is pathetic. It’s even worse when she realizes I’m trying to hide it. Fushimi seemed eager to live out the childhood-friend clichés. We went through the ticket gate, then entered the train heading to our school. It was packed again—not full to bursting, but there wasn’t enough space to really move around. “Mugh…,” groaned Fushimi from inside the crowd, unsure how even to pass through the masses. She was about to be squashed in between the businesswomen and salarymen, so I reached out to grab her and pull her to my relatively more spacious side. “Th-thanks… I thought I’d be crushed alive…” “You’re welcome.” I took the weight of the crowd behind me, putting both hands on the door to keep some of the pressure off Fushimi. “Is this the legendary wall pin of love?” “Yeah, yeah. What else can I do? Hope you don’t mind.” “No, it’s just a joke. Thanks.” Her face is so close. Unable to look straight at her, I averted my gaze. And she smells so good. Is that her shampoo? I tried to rid my head of worldly thoughts, praying like a monk. Just two more stations…just two more stations… As another form of distraction, I tried looking outside the window, but as soon as I turned my head, the train swayed greatly. Our heads smacked together. A-ah, did my lips…touch her? They did, didn’t they…? It was so instantaneous I didn’t really feel it, but I was sure I— “!” Fushimi was red as a tomato, her mouth curved in an upside-down V shape. Why is she blinking so fast?! What’s going on? Is she trembling? So they really did! I was supposed to make sure no one harassed her, and now here I am! I started blushing, too, as I began to understand the situation. “I-I’m sorry! It wasn’t on purpose, I swea—!” “R-Ryou…don’t kiss me like that…” “I didn’t! I did not! So, um, where was it?” “R-right here.” She pointed at her cheekbone, just below her eye. “G-geez… You made me blush…,” she said with such saccharine sweetness that I could taste the sugar, then she put her head on my chest. “I’m sorry,” I apologized, patting her head a few times. “I-it’s fine… I forgive you…,” she replied softly. She was red to her ears, her head still on my chest. The announcement for the next station played, and the train stopped. Other students wearing our school’s uniform started leaving. Some of them gave us strange looks, though they couldn’t see that this was Hina Fushimi. There was no one left waiting for people to step out, so I told her, “C’mon, we’ve gotta go.” Still unwilling to pull away, she shook her small head and sent her silky hair swaying back and forth. “Huh? …But we’ll be late.” Then she nodded. Even as I urged her to get off, Fushimi grabbed my sleeve tight. “…I want to stay here, with you.” The announcement played, and the doors shut with a thud.