Chapter 19

EPILOGUE GOOD THINGS. Cleaning up after the cultural festival went much faster than setup had. It stung to have to break down what they had worked so hard to build, but the sorrow of taking it apart was, in its own way, part of the experience. That, anyway, was what Kagiura figured he might have been thinking if he’d had a bit more life experience to guide him. Ever since he’d joined the festival committee, things had been a blur as they got ready for the event. He tried to take charge of the breakdown to make up for having stuck Niibashi with most of the paperwork, and his dedication left him with a sore back. Ultimately, he returned to the dorm about the usual time, where he discovered that the Osmanthus in the hedges were blooming. Now, when had that happened? “Yo, welcome back.” “Yeah, I’m here. You’re back early, Hirano.” “Yep! Just making myself at home.” The haunted house had been such a large project that Kagiura had assumed it would take a long time to disassemble, but it looked like things had gone smoothly—and quickly. “Need anything?” “Mm.” Hirano didn’t really answer but handed him something. Kagiura blinked at it. “What’s this? Candy?” “Sorry you didn’t get a chance for a good scare at the haunted house.” Is that what was on his mind? Not only had he knocked Hirano over, but students from another school had seen them! Forget about being scared—Kagiura would have frozen either way. Hirano didn’t seem particularly bothered. “I thought it was plenty scary—that makeup of yours,” Kagiura said, not sure how to feel. “Yeah, I saw that had you going. The whole thing wasn’t very haunted house-y, though. Anyway, think of that as my apology. Your throat’s been bugging you, right?” Kagiura didn’t say anything right away but was struck by Hirano’s offer. He treats me with so much kindness. “Oops, don’t you like candy? Wait, but I saw you eating those molasses candies the other day.” “I like it,” Kagiura said, feeling a rush of heat in his chest, something far beyond the average warm glow. Yes, he did like candy, but what really made him happy was knowing Hirano was thinking of him. “Cool. That’s great.” “I really like it…” How many times would he have to say it before his true meaning, his true feelings, got across? “Sure.” Hirano smiled bashfully, and the expression almost blinded Kagiura. He couldn’t find another word to say. They headed to dinner together a little earlier than usual. They were sitting and eating when someone pulled out the chair next to Hirano. He had an idea of who it was—there weren’t a lot of other students in the dorm who felt comfortable casually approaching him. It turned out to be Hanzawa, the dorm leader. Kagiura didn’t see much of him; what with basketball practice, he tended to eat later than Hanzawa. “Where’s your roommate?” Hirano asked offhandedly, and the word sent a thrill through Kagiura. Do they use the same word for me? he wondered. It sounded so easy, so intimate. “Asleep. Had a bit too much fun at the cultural fest, and now he doesn’t want to get up, so I left him there.” Hanzawa sounded pretty tired himself. Kagiura felt like he was overhearing someone’s secret, and it made him a little uncomfortable. When he finished eating his salad, he busily involved himself in his stir-fry, but soon he froze with his chopsticks in midair. There’s so many green peppers… Hanzawa, ever alert to small things, noticed him. “Aren’t you going to eat that?” he asked. Curse him. At almost the same moment, though, Hirano said, “Just one.” He was so thoughtful. “Right…” Just one. Kagiura could do that. He swallowed a pepper, and Hirano grinned. “Nice work.” “Thanks, it feels like it. But I’m not sure I can do another one…” “You’re hopeless!” Hanzawa watched this friendly exchange wide-eyed, but there was nowhere for him to get a word in. Hirano, usually a stickler for table manners, simply reached over and started picking peppers off Kagiura’s plate with his chopsticks, smiling the whole time. When he had eaten all of them, Kagiura exclaimed, “Thank you, Hirano!” That was when Hanzawa finally found his voice. “There’s nothing…happening between you two, is there?” he asked Hirano, sounding profoundly uncomfortable. “Happening? Don’t know what you mean. This is what a great friendship looks like. Right, Kagi?” “A great friendship… I guess you could call it that…” Transfixed by Hirano’s easy smile, Kagiura found he could hardly nod his agreement, and it made his reaction seem insincere. “You guess? Am I wrong?” Hirano looked completely at ease, while Kagiura seemed to be trying to process what was going on. Hanzawa studied them both. He murmured, “Could it be…?” But then he shook his head as if to dismiss his own question. Kagiura, meanwhile, felt a grin come over his face, a grin of complete agreement with Hirano. Hirano had called them friends. Had called Kagiura a great friend of his. A joyful glow spread through him, and when he spoke, he had never sounded so happy. He knew he must have the biggest smile on his face. “Hirano, I’m so glad I met you!”