“Mizusawa…thanks for before.”
We had left USJ and checked in to the guest house. I was sharing a room with Mizusawa, a dormitory room that had bunk beds plus a little space. We were casually sitting on a bed, where I got straight to expressing my thanks.
“Were you able to have a talk?” he asked.
“…Yeah. Thanks to you.” I nodded.
“Great.” Mizusawa grinned.
“Have you confessed—?” I began, but then I reconsidered and stopped. “There was no time you could’ve done that, huh… Sorry.”
Then Mizusawa laughed. “Ha-ha-ha. I didn’t expect Aoi to get dragged into so much.”
“That’s true… Well, I can’t talk.”
Starting from the happy-birthday stickers and the roller coaster at the beginning to Yontendo World, I felt like Hinami had let us peek under her mask like she never had before, thanks to our goodwill and affection and just a little bit of mischief.
“I think Aoi honestly enjoyed herself more than I expected, so I’m glad,” Mizusawa said.
Thinking back on Hinami’s behavior that day, I nodded. “Well, I can get that.” Then I grinned conspiratorially.
“I’ve been thinking,” Mizusawa said, reflecting. “What Yuzu’s doing is clearly common formalities, right? Picking the most popular ride, getting a surprise cake—that’s totally conventional stuff.” There was a crooked smile on his face, but nothing dark in his words. “…But since we really tried to have fun with it, we got her to smile.”
I sensed nothing like envy.
It was like he’d found a glimpse of what he wanted, and now he was trying to pin down the shape of it. “Even if it started with formalities,” he said slowly, “we genuinely got into it.”
It made me remember a major favor from a little while ago. “Mizusawa.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s probably the same thing.”
“…Same as what?”
His words had done the same thing for me before.
They’d been all formality and bluff, no substance, but they’d helped me.
“The speech you made to Ashigaru-san and Endo-san,” I said with gratitude and respect.
Mizusawa smiled. “…Oh, really?” Enthusiasm lit up his expression—and I was probably the cause. “Yeah. It was like a game, trying to figure out the best way to BS… You’d think it was just the sort of meaningless stuff I’m good at…” He smiled innocently.
✦ ✦ ✦
“But I was able to get your very first sponsor. Gotta say, I’m kinda happy about that.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Mizusawa…”
And then he suddenly stood up, as if whatever had possessed him was gone. “Okay, I get it. I’ll use what I’m good at a little more to forge a way somehow.”
“…Yeah.”
I didn’t really get all of what he’d told me at the end, but I did get that it was constructive.
I should just support him in that. That’s what I figured.
“Come on, is it about time to go?” said Mizusawa.
“Ah, oh yeah.”
When we’d left USJ and arrived at this guest house, Mimimi and Tama-chan had said, “We’re still getting ready. Hold on for about an hour until the party starts.” Looking at the clock, just about an hour had passed.
Then there was a knock, knock on the door.
“Come in,” Mizusawa replied.
The doorknob rattled, and Mimimi cheerily poked her head in. “We’re ready! Come to the first floor with fluttering hearts!”
“Sure thing.”
“Roger.”
And so finally began the real main event for the day.