The Andou and Kushikawa households were very close—close enough to go on a family vacation together every single summer. My parents and hers had known each other since we were in kindergarten...and in a weird way, that closeness made telling them that we’d started dating a ridiculously embarrassing prospect. The fact that everyone in the equation knew each other so well made everything so, so much harder.
“Honestly, though, we might not even have to bother telling them,” I said. “Like, it’d feel just as weird to keep it secret on purpose, and I have a feeling they’ll figure it out on their own pretty soon one way or another.”
“Yeah... Actually, when you put it that way, I think my parents might’ve figured it out already,” said Hatoko.
I gulped. “Seriously?”
“I’m not so sure about my dad, but my mom seems like she’s caught on. She had this big smile on when I told her I was going out today, and... I don’t know, she just gives off this really strong impression that she knows, I guess.”
“I think I get that... Actually, I’m kind of in the same boat. I think my sister’s caught on too.”
“Machi has?”
“Yeah. She’s been, like, weirdly nice to me lately? I’ve caught her smirking at me a bunch of times recently too.”
Up until recently, whenever I talked on the phone in my room, she’d be banging on the wall and telling me to shut up before I knew it. Lately, however, she wouldn’t make so much as a peep when I was chatting with Hatoko. Then, whenever I’d run into her after leaving my room, she’d say something like “Sure was a long call, huh?” to tease me. I didn’t think she was actually eavesdropping on me or anything like that, but I got the sense that she’d sussed out what was going on from the changes in my attitude and tone and stuff. I guess there’s just no pulling the wool over your sibling’s eyes in the end.
“You know, maybe we should go ahead and tell them after all,” I said.
“Yeah, maybe we should,” Hatoko agreed.
“It’s kinda embarrassing and all, but if I’m gonna have to have a really serious conversation with your parents someday anyway, I may as well think of this as a warm-up for the real thing...”
“Huh...? Wh-What do you mean, a serious conversation?”
“Well, like, I have to go through all those formalities if we end up getting married, right? Just because we’ve known each other forever doesn’t mean we can just brush past—”
I slammed on the brakes and cut myself off mid-sentence, but I was very late on the draw, so the damage was done. Hatoko’s face was beet red, and I had a feeling that mine was a similar shade.
“I-If we get married...?”
“No, I mean... I-It was a hypothetical, y’know?! I’m not saying we should get married right now or anything! I was just thinking, hey, maybe things might go in that direction sometime in the future or something...”
“I-I know! I know!” Hatoko said with a frantic nod before giving me a smile. “But also...I’m glad. It’s nice to know that you’re thinking about these things too.”
The gentle smile on her face made me feel so profoundly bashful, all I could do was look away from her. “You’re thinking about these things too,” she’d said.
Agggh, come on! How can a single word make me feel like I’m about to die of cardiac arrest?!
“Hey, Juu?” Hatoko said, stepping a little closer even as I turned away from her. “Can, umm... Can we hold hands?”
“Y-You don’t have to ask every single time,” I muttered. I didn’t turn back toward her, but I did hold out my hand, which she grasped after a moment of awkward hesitation.
“Hee hee!” Hatoko quietly giggled.
I could feel a grin starting to spread across my face, which I tried for dear life to hold back. We’d held hands plenty of times over the course of our long friendship, but now, the heat of her palm felt special in a way it hadn’t before—more special than anything else. I was, without question, the luckiest man in the world to be with such a kind and adorable partner.
It was the summer of my third year in high school...and I had begun a relationship with Kushikawa Hatoko.
The grass of the field before me swayed gently in the summer breeze. There were quite a few people in the park already, possibly since it was summer vacation and all. Parents were playing catch with their kids, pet owners were throwing frisbees for their critters to catch, a few elementary schoolers had apparently come all the way out here to play games on their phones...and a few of what seemed to be couples were around as well.
We found a nice, shady spot beneath a tree, spread a plastic sheet out on the ground, and kicked off our shoes before sitting down on it. At that point, Hatoko opened up the bag she’d brought along for the trip.
“So, umm... I-I made a boxed lunch for us,” said Hatoko.
“H-Huh?! You did?! Really?!”
“Juu...you don’t have to pretend to be surprised. There’s no way you didn’t realize,” Hatoko said with a sigh.
And, I mean, yeah. I sure had. The moment she’d shown up with a bag, I’d assumed that there was a lunch for us inside. In fact, it was pretty obvious that Hatoko would make lunch the moment we decided on having a picnic in the park.
“You know how when people go on dates in manga and TV shows, there’s usually a scene where the girl surprises the guy by revealing that she brought a boxed lunch with her? Well, when you really think about it, it’s weird that the guy wouldn’t notice, right?” I said.
“It sure is. A lunch for two takes up an awful lot of space, and it’d be pretty hard to carry one around without anyone noticing,” Hatoko said as she pulled the container out of the bag and opened it up for us. Well, containers, really—there were actually two of them.
One of Hatoko’s lunch boxes contained sandwiches—at a glance, I saw some made with eggs, some with ham and lettuce, and some with potato salad in them—while the other box was filled with an assortment of side dishes. Besides the standard lunch box fare like rolled omelets, fried chicken, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and so on, the second box included a portion of Hatoko’s signature meat and potato stew (heavy on the meat), which was one of my favorite dishes she made on a regular basis.
“Oh, dang! This all looks really good!” I said.
“Hee hee!” Hatoko giggled. “All right, Juu! Let’s dig in!”
I was more than happy to do just that. The two of us said our thanks and started eating.
“Oh, here, Juu! I brought some barley tea for us too.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“So...wh-what do you think?”
“Of the food? It’s great! As tasty as always.”
“Really? Oh, good.”
“Especially the meat and potato stew. It’s weird—that’s supposed to be the most homey dish there is, right? But lately, your version of it’s started feeling more familiar than my mom’s. It’s homier than the food I literally eat at home.”
“I-I’m not quite sure if I should take that as a compliment...”
We kept chatting away, and eventually, we finished our meal. Hatoko had packed plenty of food, but it was all so tasty that we polished it off in no time.
“Ahh, I’m stuffed! Think I might’ve had a bit too much,” I said.
“I’m glad! Seeing you enjoy it makes all that cooking feel worth the effort,” replied Hatoko.
“All right! Seems like a good time for an after-meal break,” I said.
Hatoko poured us each another helping of barley tea, and we sat back to relax for a moment. I ended up idly glancing around the area, and my gaze soon fell on another couple sitting on a sheet they’d laid out on the grass just like we were. I didn’t know if they felt emboldened because there weren’t that many people nearby or what, but they were very flagrantly flirting it up without regard to the fact that they were outdoors. Then, the next thing I knew, the guy lay down, resting his head in his girlfriend’s lap. I was witnessing a real-world lap pillow.
I took in a sharp breath, tearing my eyes away from them out of pure awkwardness—and I met Hatoko’s gaze in the process. She seemed to have been watching the same couple I was, and she’d looked away at the same moment.
Uncomfortable silence followed until, finally, Hatoko seemed to gather her resolve and opened her mouth. “H-Hey, Juu?” she said. “Do you, umm...want to try that too?”
“Th-That? You mean, like, resting my head in your lap?”
Hatoko gave me a bashful nod.
“Well, umm... I’m not not interested, I guess...”
“Then...go ahead,” said Hatoko, pushing through the embarrassment that her vivid blush was making all too obvious. She turned toward me and sat up straight, almost like she was putting her thighs on display. “If you want to try it...you can lie down on my lap, Juu.”
“Wha...? F-For real?” I stammered. My heart was pounding out of my chest. This borderline irresistible temptation had come from so far out of left field, it was making my head spin. I gulped, wavered, and gave in. “Okay... H-Here goes.”
I slowly, carefully approached Hatoko, hoping all the while that my heart wouldn’t literally explode. I lay down on the sheet, then rested my head atop her thighs.
Holy crap, they’re so soft! What the heck?! I mean, like, crazy soft! This is what Hatoko’s thighs feel like? She may have always been slender, but, like, it was in a way where certain parts of her end up actually having a surprising amount of volume when it comes down to it, not to mention she’s always felt soft in terms of, like, her whole general vibe, so I always sort of figured that she’d be soft to the touch as well...and now her thighs are proving me right!
The seconds ticked by in utter mutual silence. I was lying on the most comfortable pillow I’d ever experienced, but there was no way in hell I’d feel even the slightest bit sleepy given the circumstances—far from it, I was as awake and alert as I’d ever been. Hatoko, meanwhile, was fidgeting restlessly from what I assume must’ve been nervousness, shame, or both. Every time her thighs moved, I could feel their softness on my head more clearly than ever.