Ruka’s school bag fell from her hand with a thud.
“Just kidding, just kidding!” Kamishin said, like he’d been waiting to say that. He smiled awkwardly, both hands up in protest. Ruka was looking down silently and covering her bright red face.
“…What?” Kamishin asked me, sounding confused. I nodded dramatically.
“Huh…?” He still didn’t get it, so he looked at me again. I nodded once more, this time very dramatically.
When it finally clicked for him, he exclaimed, “Whaaaaat?!” and almost fell over.
For a moment, nobody moved. Then, still on the verge of collapsing, he nimbly backed out of the station.
“Hey, wait!!” I yelled, running after him.
When I caught up to him outside, he was freaking out.
“Why are you running away?” I asked.
“No one’s ever said they liked me!”
“Well, you heard her, didn’t you? About how she’ll root for you?”
“…Oh.”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then you should reciprocate.”
“…Right.”
Kamishin toddled back to Ruka.
“I…uh…”
His expression tense, he attempted to talk to her even as she covered her face with her hands.
“Ahhhhh!!”
But then—still nearly bent over backward—he nimbly retreated from the station yet again.
“Wait!!” I yelled, running after him.
I caught up to him outside. He was even more freaked out than before.
“I dunno how to talk to girls!”
“Just say whatever. Like thanks or I’ll do my best.”
“…Oh.”
“Now go say it.”
“…Uh-huh.”
After a minute, he walked awkwardly over to her and stood there, still bent slightly backward.
No one said anything.
“W-Watanabe,” he finally said to Ruka, who was covering her face.
“…Yes?” she said, lowering her hands.
“Um…what sort of things are you into?”
“…Music,” she replied, pointing to her sax case. “What kind of music do you like?”
“B-Belle, and stuff like that.”
“?!”
I nearly jumped at this unexpected development.
Ruka’s face suddenly brightened. “Oh! I listen to Belle all the time!”
Kamishin smiled. “For real? Same here.”
“I so wish I could sing like her… Don’t laugh, but people tell me we look alike.”
“?!?!?!”
I teetered back in shock.
“You totally do,” Kamishin said.
“You must think I’m full of myself.”
“No way, you guys are seriously twins. Wait, are you related? You gotta be,” he said, straight-faced. Ruka attempted to cool her flaming cheek with the back of her hand.
“…I’m so embarrassed.”
I backed slowly out of the station, hoping they wouldn’t notice. Kamishin was talking like his usual self now. Ruka seemed more relaxed, too.
“My grandfather works at a shipyard in Hakodate, and we always go there in the summer. So, um…if it’s okay with you, I can cheer you on at the championships.”
“F-for real? I’ll definitely crush it if you come. Just watch me.”
“…Okay.”
I was through the turnstile and out to the intersection. I looked back at the station, pressing my hand to my chest.
That was close…
I let out a sigh of relief. Whenever I heard Belle mentioned in public, my heart would start beating and I’d get the urge to run and hide. It was even worse when Ruka and Kamishin talked about her.
I hope it works out for them…
Things seemed to be going swimmingly after her little confession. I had high hopes for those two. As long as no one interrupted…
“Suzu!”
I looked back toward the intersection. The light was red; Shinobu was across the street outside the convenience store, staring at me.
“…Oh.”
“Did you see Kamishin?”
I glanced back at the station. I could see the two of them talking.
“Ye…no,” I said, changing my nod to a head shake.
“Which is it?”
“Mm… Mm-mm.”
I really wanted him to leave them alone in this crucial moment.
Several cars passed loudly between us. My hair and clothes fluttered in the dusty wind.
Shinobu changed the subject. “Suzu…there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time.”
“There is?”
“I…”
I could tell he was trying to say something important.
“Oh!” I spluttered, imagining what it might be.
Is it…? No, no way. But maybe? No, definitely not. But still… Still…
I started blushing. Was this the right time? Would I be able to say what I’d been wanting to?
“S-sorry, Shinobu! There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you, too.”
“…Okay.”
“Actually, I—”
“I know.”
“I’m—”
“You’re Belle, right?”
“What?”
I froze.
“Belle is you, right?” he shouted at me across the road.
My whole body was quivering from shock. I felt like the ground was crumbling under my feet.
“Ahhhhhh!” I screamed.
“Suzu.”
Two or three cars passed between us. My hair and clothes fluttered again.
“You’re wr-wr-wrong!!” I shouted.
“Suzu.”
“No!!” I shrieked.
Another string of cars drove by. A gust of wind blew, and Shinobu squinted. By the time all the cars had passed, I was gone. He looked around for me.
“Suzu? Suzu, where’d you go?”
I ran all the way to the bank of the Niyodo. I was panting hard, totally shaken up. My legs trembling and weak, I sank to my knees, gripped my head, and shook it back and forth.
“Ahhhhhh!”
What was going on? How did Shinobu know? Here I was trying so desperately to keep it secret, and the one person I least wanted to know had found out. How mortifying. It was over. Everything was over. Despair overwhelmed me.
“Aaargh, what do I do? I can never let him see me again…”
I covered my face with my hands and sobbed. That was all I could do. Just then, my phone rang.
“Huh?!”
When I answered, I heard Hiro’s frantic voice on the other end:
“Suzu!! The Dragon’s in trouble!!”