After Nayuta got some clothes on, she and Miyako began walking to the rail station. Unlike Miyako, who was going around in a daring miniskirt despite the wintry season, Nayuta was in a long, puffy coat, a scarf, gloves, and earmuffs—the full suit of armor. Seeing her waddle around in these layers reminded Miyako of the cat her family kept back at home.
Ever since they met, Nayuta had acted terribly friendly toward her. Miyako, for her part, found her a little odd…all right, a lot odd, but still nice enough.
“So, Myaa, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Oh…?” Miyako replied, eyes still glazed over.
“Yeah. Itsuki hasn’t done anything sexy with me lately.”
“Huhh?!” Miyako exclaimed, voice half breaking. “So, so that’s where your relationship is, or…? W-wait, but didn’t you say you were ‘at it’ until this morning or whatever…?”
“Yeah. And after I fell asleep, he kept on writing after that, too.”
“Geez, then start with that! But if he hasn’t been doing it ‘lately,’ does that mean you’ve…you know, done it in the…past?”
“From the moment I met him until this very instant, Itsuki hasn’t had sex with me once.”
“Then say that! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Hee-hee! Call it the ‘unreliable narrator.’”
“Can you stop being unreliable for no reason, please?” Miyako complained, even as her heart filled with relief. “…But why didn’t you have any clothes on before, then?”
“I was snuggled up naked next to Itsuki in bed, but then the doorbell rang, so I threw my bra and panties on real quick.”
“Nope, no longer relieved!”
Ignoring Miyako’s sudden panic attack, Nayuta continued. “Well, you’re pretty easy, right, Myaa? With your experience, what do you think I should do to make Itsuki horny for me?”
“‘Horny’…? And I’m not easy, all right?”
“You aren’t? I thought that college girls were all supposed to be walking blow job machines.”
“Ugh! You and Itsuki… Could you even have a more prejudiced view of me? …I mean, all right, I do have a friend or two that likes to play around a…pretty decent amount, but…”
“So are you a virgin, Myaa?” Nayuta asked, tilting her head like an inquisitive puppy.
“What? Of course not! I’ve had a few BFs in my life!”
She hadn’t, but something drove Miyako to pretend otherwise for appearance’s sake.
“Wow, Myaa. I should have known, I guess. You’re so grown-up.”
Miyako broke into a cold sweat at the sight of Nayuta’s reverent eyes.
“I wish I could be doing it with Itsuki all the time, like you have, Myaa.”
“It—it’s not all the time… And stop making it sound like I’ve hooked up with him, too… You think I would?! No way!” She blushed again. “…I have no idea what you see in that sister-obsessed moron…”
“Everything. I love everything about him.”
The instant reply came back like a boomerang and stunned Miyako into silence. In a way, someone like Nayuta, so freely able to talk about exactly who and what she loved, made her jealous. It drove her to say something she normally wouldn’t.
“…Yeah, well… Good luck with that. I’ll be rooting for you.”
Nayuta responded with a sweet, elfin smile. “Thank you very much, Myaa. I never had any friends, so I’m really glad I got to meet you.”
“Oh…? Well, I’m glad I got to be friends with you, too, Nayu…”
The words didn’t exactly form a lie, but Miyako still said them with a terribly guilty conscience.
✦ ✦ ✦
Miyako and Nayuta had first met about half a year ago, on a day just like today. Miyako was visiting Itsuki’s apartment, and Nayuta was already there.
“A college friend who reads my manuscripts sometimes” was how Itsuki chose to introduce Miyako. Nayuta, at first anyway, had trouble hiding her hostility. She wasn’t expecting this incredibly gorgeous college girl enjoying the prime of her life—“I mean, she’s Itsuki’s friend!” as she later put it.
Later, once Itsuki conked out after an all-night writing session, the two of them decided to go out for a bit. Nayuta took the occasion to lob an immediate fastball her way.
“So are you in love with Itsuki, Ms. Shirakawa?”
Miyako instinctively parried. “Wh-what? Of course not! He’s just a friend, is all!”
That made Nayuta breathe a sigh of relief, but she still kept a wary eye on this potential rival. “Well, I am. Itsuki means everything to me,” she declared, making sure it was clear that the words were meant as a warning.
“What could you possibly like about that sister-crazy loon?” Miyako asked, flinching at the show of force.
It was Nayuta’s cue to explain exactly how Itsuki’s novels had saved her life—the bullying she’d faced in middle school and all that. It was an appalling tale, and Nayuta told it virtually unvarnished, detailing the exact level of desperation she’d felt at the time—using all the expressive genius she harnessed for her own novels.
Her hope was that mentioning Itsuki’s enormous presence in her life as a savior would keep Miyako in check before she had any chance to rival her in love.
Instead, it chiefly served to enrage Miyako. Her face was a mess, she shed tears the size of raisins, and her nose ran as her heart swelled at the tale of the cruel misfortunes Nayuta had faced. She cursed the bullies that had tormented her, feeling in full the sadness she must have felt.
“Ugh, if only I was there!” she wailed. “I woulda kicked all of their asses for you—I promise!”
Nayuta stared blankly at her, not anticipating this onrush of emotion. Then, unconsciously, she began to smile. Ooh. This girl’s seriously crying for me. She’s getting all pissed off for me. She’s nice. I like her.
So, without much further encouragement, she took a liking to Miyako. And, even after half a year passed, she still wasn’t exactly sure what Miyako thought about Itsuki.
✦ ✦ ✦
