Chapter 8

Every day on his way home, Amane passed the park where he and Mahiru had properly met for the first time. The building where Amane lived was less of a family-use apartment complex and more aimed at single people and couples, so there were few children around, and the surrounding apartment buildings were much the same. Tucked away and out of sight, the little park close to Amane’s building was often deserted. It was in that little park devoid of children, Amane saw Mahiru for the second time. “What are you doing in a place like this?” he asked. “…Nothing.” Mahiru was sitting on a bench with straight posture and didn’t budge at all even after she recognized Amane and looked him over. In contrast to the first time the two had met there, this time they were already acquainted and were on speaking terms. That had made it easier for Amane to call to Mahiru, but the girl’s voice had still been stiff when she answered. It didn’t seem like Mahiru was on guard, as she had been during their first encounter. This was something different. Amane could tell that Mahiru was being careful not to let something show on her face. “Come on, if it was nothing, you wouldn’t be sitting here making that face. Did something happen?” Amane inquired. “…Not really…” Mahiru looked, as she had before when she was on the swing in the rainstorm, like she was lost and didn’t know what to do. Seeing her like that worried Amane, but Mahiru didn’t seem keen to speak on the matter. Though he was bound by their tacit promise not to interact outside their apartments, Amane hadn’t been able to help calling out to Mahiru when he’d seen her all alone in the park again. Mahiru, for her part, probably did not much want to talk to him; her expression was stiff and blank. Amane thought it was fine if the girl wasn’t feeling up to talking, when he noticed that there were a number of white hairs stuck to her blazer. “You have some hair stuck to your uniform; were you playing with a dog or a cat?” he asked. “I wasn’t playing. I just helped a cat that was stranded up a tree get back down,” Mahiru explained. “What a total cliché… Ah, I get it now.” “Hmm?” “Wait right there. Don’t you dare move.” Amane had finally realized just why Mahiru was sitting there alone on the bench. He sighed and dashed off. He was certain that Mahiru would do as he had asked and would not go anywhere. Actually, it would have been more appropriate to say that she couldn’t go anywhere. Muttering to himself about how Mahiru chose the strangest times to act tough, Amane bought a compress and medical tape from the neighborhood drugstore, along with a cup of ice normally used for iced coffee from a convenience store. When Amane at last returned to the park, he found Mahiru sitting on the bench, just as he’d expected. She hadn’t so much as shifted. “Shiina, take off your tights.” “Huh?” He gave a direct order, and she answered in an extremely cold voice. “Yeah, I know it’s kind of sudden… Look, I’ll put my blazer over you and turn around, so take the tights off. We need to ice the injury and put a compress on it.” As expected, Mahiru was none too happy at being ordered to take off her tights, so by way of explanation, Amane waved the bag full of medical supplies. Mahiru’s face understandably tightened. “…How did you know?” “You had one of your loafers off, and that ankle seemed slightly swollen. Plus, you didn’t try to stand up. It really is a total cliché to sprain your ankle while rescuing a cat.” “Oh, be quiet.” “Yeah, yeah. Now, take off your tights and give me your foot.” It was something anyone would have known just from looking, but Mahiru was making a sour face, perhaps because she hadn’t expected him to notice that she was hurt. Obediently, Mahiru accepted Amane’s blazer and put it over her knees, so it seemed like she was going to listen to what he was saying. Amane turned his back to Mahiru, put the ice from the cup he had bought at the convenience store into a plastic bag, and poured water over it. After he tied the top shut so it wouldn’t spill out, he wrapped it loosely in a hand towel that he kept in his backpack, making an impromptu ice pack. Then he turned around slowly. Mahiru had done as he had asked and removed her tights, exposing her bare legs. They were slender and smooth—and looked soft even as she tensed up. The unnatural swelling around her ankle was evident.