“What is it?”
“If you wouldn’t mind…”
“Hm?”
“Wanna…get coffee or something while we’re at it?”
Obviously, this felt like a tremendous and bizarre request to make of a book character…but it felt just as much like her one and only chance to do so. She wanted this encounter to continue for as long as her emotions would allow. Her invitation was a mix of teenage social skills and childlike presumption toward a first-time acquaintance, plus a tiny hint of natural curiosity toward a man in women’s clothing, as if trying but failing to hide it.
Hearing her own voice, she realized for the first time that, while reading Girl’s March, she had planned out exactly what expression and tone she would use to make Ai like her. It made her want to die.
As she gently bit her tongue, Ai looked away for a moment, down at his wristwatch.
“Sure, looks like I’ve got some time.”
But it was still too early to celebrate.
“I’ll go as long as there’s a smoking area.”
This, too—
“You got it!”
—was a scene in Girl’s March. After the two met, The Girl joined Ai for a smoke break in order to talk to him. This had to be the best dream ever, letting Akane act out the events of her favorite story!
The cafe Ai recommended was less than three minutes away by foot. When they opened the door and scanned around, they found the tables fairly full, save for one near the entrance. Akane promptly set her bag down on it and pulled out her wallet.
“Go ahead and order without me. I’m gonna smoke first.”
“Oh, okay then. Be right back.”
“Hey, you!”
Behind her, she heard a low growl that she never imagined an acquaintance would ever direct at her, especially one who seemed otherwise reasonable. She conveyed her alarm by flinching her shoulders, then whirled around. “Yeah?!”
“Uh…what’s your name?”
“I-Itobayashi Akane…?”
“Itobayashi Akane, huh. Well, take your bag with you. What if I’m the kind of creep who’d dig through your stuff?”
“Are you?”
“I’m being hypothetical!”
Grabbing her bag by the sturdy handle, he held it out to her. As she took it with one hand, she used the other to give a cheeky salute. “Roger that, captain!”
But he might not have been looking, for he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his coat pocket and slapped them down on the table.
For the second time, Akane turned away from him and headed to the counter. Internally, she was wrestling with an uncommon problem: how long had it been since she last had to fight to keep her nerves from showing more than necessary?
Briefly, she wondered why he had suddenly asked for her name, but considering his personality, quickly struck upon the answer. Most likely, he’d felt bad calling her “hey, you” and wanted to rectify it. His use of an “uh” prior to the question was something she, too, employed in her day-to-day life.
She had inadvertently accepted his kind warning, but as she ordered a hot lemon tea, she couldn’t help but question: what exactly was the endgame? The question was directed not at Ai himself, but at whatever forces had brought the two of them together. What if they hit it off and became friends? What if she woke up tomorrow and he was still real?
Wouldn’t that make me the protagonist?
When Akane returned to the table, Ai offered her a simple “Welcome back” before moving to the smoking area. She had a great view of its interior from where she sat, allowing her to observe him as he lit up a cig, took a drag, and exhaled—but only because he didn’t afford her a single glance.
She had previously tried cigarettes at the suggestion of an ex-boyfriend, but as a novice, she had no way of knowing how long a smoke break was “supposed” to take. Either way, when he was finished, he bought a coffee and walked back to their table.
“Sorry I took so long. I thought of a question for you, though,” he said as soon as he was seated. The flutter of his skirt blew the lingering smell of tobacco to her nose. “You didn’t bring me here to make me join a cult or trick me into some kind of badger game, did you?”
He spoke as though he was focused completely and exclusively on her. It made her swoon.
“What? No!” she exclaimed loudly in a blend of surprise, amusement, and the slightest offense. She withdrew her wallet from her bookbag and showed him her student ID card. “I’m a high school student—I don’t do crimes! I work right over there at that bookstore, so you know I’m legit!”
“Oho. I see you go to one of those hoity-toity schools. All right, I’m sorry.”
She accepted his honest apology and tucked it away with far more care than some silly ID card. “It’s fine, but…I’m surprised you’d give me your spare ticket if you thought I was sus.”
“No, it didn’t even cross my mind until just now, when I was like, ‘She’s not bait, is she?’ Also, for the record, I’m a grown-up and I don’t do crimes either. That includes getting handsy with minors.”
“Bait? Oh my god!” Akane purposely burst out laughing. “I mean, there are plenty of adults who say they’re safe to be around until it turns out they aren’t, Ai-san. Not that I’m saying you’re one of them, of course.”
For the first time, she had found the courage to use his name. But he didn’t seem to notice this momentous decision. Instead, the corner of his lip curled in a half-smirk. “Yeah, too many shitty people in this world. Hell, I might just be using this getup to get you to lower your guard. Always be careful, no matter who you’re with.”
He commented on his fashion choices matter-of-factly, without pride or guilt. That was just the sort of person she knew Ai to be.
“As it happens, I work at the live music venue up the hill from here. Ever been?”
“Wow, really? I haven’t.”
Working at a music venue seemed like something out of an anime. When she frowned in confusion, he told her its name.
While the location was never named in Girl’s March, Ai was said to work “at a place where music is played.” How deep did this rabbit hole go?