“Um, Irido-san...?” she said in my ear.
“Yeah?”
“I... I’m not very good at this, and...”
“Yeah?”
“And I might say rude things without being able to read the room, and...”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t talk about romance at all, but...”
“Yeah?”
“Will you...still be my friend?”
“Yeah.” I nodded without any hesitation. “Of course!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Mizuto Irido
On the afternoon of the third day, our activity schedule was the same as the first day; we’d split up into our groups and go around the southern part of the main island. Though each group was free to decide where they’d go, most of the groups decided to go to the Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street, and our group was not an exception.
Though it was a shopping district, it wasn’t on the same large scale as ones in Tokyo. It was a street with two car lanes and a mishmash of chain stores, showrooms, and gift shops. It might’ve been closest to the vibe of the Compasso Teramachi shopping arcade in Kyoto. The only difference was that there wasn’t any kind of roof, so you could see the sky, and also the roads were larger.
The biggest tell that this was Okinawa were the palm trees planted on the sides of the street. The reason I thought about this was most likely because I wasn’t usually all that interested in cities. But the first thing on the list was grabbing food, so we went into a café that mainly Kawanami and Minami-san had looked up and had their eyes on.
Opening the menu, I saw a picture of a crepe with a lot of cream and a lot of fruit. Eating the crepe would be like a balancing act between sating one’s desires and getting heartburn.
“Oh god, oh god... The calories...” Isana weirdly mumbled while looking at the menu.
Minami-san gently patted her on the back while talking like a scam artist. “Don’t worry about it. Not today. One day of eating bad isn’t enough to put on weight.”
“Th-That’s right... It’s a mere day...”
“You’ve worked so hard on your diet! You deserve a little treat...”
“That’s right... This is my reward!”
It was like watching an addict rebound. I wasn’t going to say anything, and instead count this as a cheat day. But still, when she got back, I’d have to make her exercise. I wasn’t about to let her live an unhealthy life.
On the other hand, Yume and Asuhain were looking at the menu together.
“I think I’m gonna get this one with all the stuff on it. What about you, Asuhain-san?”
“I think I’ll...”
Yume smiled as she watched Asuhain think about her order at this place that she wasn’t used to being in. They seemed more like siblings than she and I did. Asuhain had really warmed up to Yume and didn’t seem to want to leave her side. It wasn’t as close as Isana stuck to me, but she stayed by her side even when Yume talked to me or Minami-san. Her facial expression didn’t change a bit until Yume spoke to her, and then it loosened up slightly. Yume seemed happy when Asuhain reacted like that.
After we finished our fight with the mountains of whipped cream and fruit, we left the café and walked around. While looking around at the stores, Yume talked to Asuhain actively, and Asuhain did her best to respond, albeit with a little awkwardness and stammering.
Minami-san had some mixed feelings watching them act like a pair of sisters from behind. “That’s... That’s my spot...”
“You’re such a child...” Kogure Kawanami said, exasperatedly sighing. “Irido-san’s usually so reserved, but look at her being all aggressive like that. Just stay back and happily watch over them.”
“I am! I’m lonely and jealous, but Yume-chan acting like a big sister is also cute...”
“So all’s well that ends well, right?”
Behind the pair of childhood friends, Isana and I were watching over all of this.
“Mizuto-kun,” she said suddenly. “Recently, I’ve begun to think that yuri does it for me as well.”
“Why are you coming out to me all of a sudden?”
“But in that case, you’re a huge obstacle. What do you believe I should do?”
“How should I know? Don’t act like I’m the third wheel here. If anything, she’s the one getting in the way.”
“Hm... But both of their boobs are large... I’m not sure if I’m too fond of that. It’s better if there’s some kind of difference between the two of them... It’d be perfect if this was a harem, though.” Isana began tilting her head in deep thought with a worry that most people would not even begin to understand. I decided to ignore her as well.
For me, seeing Yume get a new straitlaced friend made me happy. This had been a connection she’d made with her own two hands, and besides that, her only best friend up till now had been Minami-san, who was kinda...out there.
Asuhain would never stalk someone, nor would she propose to someone she had no feelings for, all just for the sake of being part of Yume’s family. Unlike Minami-san. I was sure that even if we revealed our relationship to her, Asuhain would calmly accept the truth...or at least that’s what I thought at the time.
When we finally entered the arcade shopping district, it was really hard not to think about the Compasso Teramachi shopping arcade in Kyoto. There were mountains of colorful products stacked up. This scenery that drew in the eyes of those walking by really reminded me of the stalls at festivals. One such product that was drawing the attention of Yume and the others was a colorful aloha dress with a flower pattern on it. They were shoulder to shoulder while looking at it, fussing over whether they’d look good in it. I stayed back, watching them.
“I guess...I should thank you,” a voice from nearby said.
Before I knew it, Asuhain was standing next to me. She wasn’t really looking at me, though—instead, she was watching as Yume excitedly browsed. I couldn’t help but smile a little.
“What exactly are you thanking me for?” I asked.
“On the first day...on the bus, you accepted me. I think I felt...comfortable.”
“Happy to hear that.”
“If that had happened maybe two or three times more, I might’ve actually fallen for you.”
I was a little surprised to hear this—not by what she said, but the fact that she said it.
“But that’s not how you actually ended up feeling, right?” I asked.
She nodded. “You’re decent for a guy, but not so much that I’d let you have your way with my body.”
I paused for a second. “And that’s your basis for whether or not you can date someone?”
“What else would I base it on?”
She was similar to how logical Isana was. If she didn’t understand the concept of love, then naturally, she’d end up with that kind of biology-based mindset.
“Well, that works out for me. I can’t have you actually falling for me; it’d be pretty inconvenient.”
“The way you said that’s kinda gross, but I’ll leave it at that. After all, I was rude to both you and Higashira-san.”
Oh, right. She thinks I’m dating Isana. Since she’s gotten so close to Yume, it’s gonna be annoying to keep hiding our relationship, so maybe I’ll come clean. But just as I was thinking that, I was given reason to not.
“However,” Asuhain started, glaring at me with a look so deadly it would’ve easily killed a puppy. “Though you may not be related by blood, I will end your existence if you lay a finger on Irido-san.”
I could feel a cold sweat break out on my back, and in the next moment, Asuhain left without saying a word, returning to Yume and the others. All I could do was watch as her small back became even smaller. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Of course I couldn’t. When animals feel as though they’re in danger, they keep their eyes on the threat until they’re safe.
“Hm? Irido? You good? Hello?”
In comparison, Kawanami called out to me, but I couldn’t even properly respond to him. Well, crap. I’m totally gonna get my shit kicked in.