“Wait… Have you actually broken their fingers before?”
“No, but I’ve gotten pretty close.”
“Hmm… That seems…” Himari sounded exasperated. “Well, at least you managed to have a discussion. That’s progress,” added Himari.
“I just hope we’re not progressing toward all-out war…” replied Akane.
Akane couldn’t be too optimistic. It wouldn’t have been this much of a struggle in the first place if two years of clashes could be reconciled that easily.
“I don’t think you’re at risk of war just yet. The fact that the person was willing to talk means they want to get along with you too, right? If you both feel the same way, things will work out,” encouraged Himari.
“They…want to get along with me?” Akane repeated the words to herself, and for some reason, her body temperature started to rise. She tugged at the neckline of her pajamas, letting some air in.
“The rest hinges on whether the both of you continue putting in the effort,” Himari advised.
“Yeah… I’ll do my best… I will…endure being touched…on my butt or my breasts…” Akane trailed off.
“What? Hold on. The person you’re talking about is a girl, right?! Elaborate!”
Himari’s panicked voice rang through the phone speaker. Just then, Akane heard footsteps in the hallway. She quickly ended the call.
Saito walked into the bedroom, fresh from his bath. He must have been exhausted too—he wasn’t even carrying a book for his usual bedtime reading.
Akane took a deep breath and lay down on the bed, steeling herself for what was to come next.
“All right. You can touch me now.”
“Wait, what? I’m not going to touch you on purpose.”
Maybe she hadn’t needed to prepare herself after all.
After school, Saito decided to take a detour.
The shopping district near the school was on a cluttered street lined with department stores, clothing shops, vegetable stands, and udon restaurants. He and Shisei walked through it together, with his cousin happily munching on a steamed meat bun she had bought along the way. For such a small girl, she seemed to need frequent refueling—this cousin of his snacked constantly, much like a little bird.
“It’s been a while since we went out together like this, Ani-kun. I’m happy,” she remarked, though her facial expression remained blank as ever.
“True, things have been hectic with the move and, well…the war,” said Saito.
“Has a ceasefire been reached yet?” Shisei asked.
“Not exactly. I’m here to get a peace offering today,” answered Saito.
“This?”
Shisei formed a circle with her fingers.
“Nah, not money. That’d be too direct,” said Saito.
“Not money—bouncy balls,” Shisei clarified.
“I don’t think Akane is childlike enough that a bouncy ball would make her happy,” Saito pointed out.
“It’d make me happy,” said Shisei.
“I’ll win you a bunch at the festival next time.”
“Yay, promise?!”
Saito quickly snatched away the paper liner from Shisei’s steamed meat bun before she could chomp through it. He would never forget the time she ate too much paper when she was little—though, to be fair, she was still little now. That time, it had been a hundred-sheet pack of origami paper. She had begged Saito to buy it for her at a stationery store. Naturally, he had assumed she would want to play with it, not eat it. That was before he bore witness to the horrifying sight of her munching away on the final piece—the golden sheet of paper. In his panic, Saito had instinctively dragged her into the bathroom, intending to perform an impromptu stomach pumping. Fortunately, relatives had overheard the commotion and stopped him before things could escalate.
It’s about time for Shisei to realize that she’s a human, not a goat.
“I was thinking of buying some cake as a gift for her. I don’t know much about this kind of thing, but is there a sweets shop here that’s popular with girls?” Saito decided to ask Shisei’s opinion on the matter.
“I don’t really understand what girls like,” Shisei replied.
“Didn’t you just lecture me about understanding a girl’s feelings the other day?”
“Sure, but…no one ever really talks to me about sweets,” said Shisei.
Saito sensed the dark clouds looming around her.
“Ah, I see,” Saito nodded. The other girls must have subconsciously decided that talking about sweets or fashion with an alien like Shisei would be pointless.
“That must be hard for you. You’d like to chat with other girls about sweets and stuff, right?” Saito tried to empathize.
“Not at all, actually. I’d much rather talk about the different cannibalistic customs found around the world,” replied Shisei.
“See, that’s exactly why people think you’re an alien.”
Saito immediately regretted feeling sorry for her.
As they moseyed through the shopping district, a sweet aroma drifted toward them from up ahead. Drawn in as if by instinct, the two continued forward until they arrived at a small shop. The entire storefront, from its sign to its walls, was painted in an eye-catching bright yellow. Despite its modest size, there was already a queue outside. The menu posted outside featured pictures of crepes and cakes.
“This place looks perfect. Let’s order something to go,” Saito suggested.
“I want to eat inside,” Shisei said.
“The tables don’t look like they’ll free up anytime soon,” Saito replied.
“But I want to! I want my Ani-kun to treat me too. It’s not fair if Akane’s the only person who gets nice things!” Shisei insisted, tugging Saito’s shirt collar with both hands, almost like a kitten asking for food.
“Fine, fine. What do you want?”
“A cake. A whole one.”
“Whoa, no way! You literally just ate a steamed meat bun!”
Saito tried to stop her, but…thirty minutes later, Shisei was sat at a table, having devoured one whole chocolate cake in record time. Somehow, she had also emptied glasses of fruit punch and bowls of yakisoba noodles.
“All done!” Shisei declared proudly.
“Wait…yakisoba noodles? This is a dessert shop, that wasn’t even on the menu!”
“I really, really wanted some, so I begged the staff, and they made some for me, Ani-kun.”
“I see… They sure spoiled you, huh, Shisei?”
Saito couldn’t blame them for giving in. With her cheeks smudged with chocolate, Shisei looked so adorable and innocent—almost like a tiny angel descending upon the earth.
“Where did you even fit all that cake? Do you have a pocket dimension inside you?” Saito wondered out loud.
Shisei wiped the chocolate from the corner of her mouth with a fingertip and licked it off, then looked up at Saito with a sly gaze. She looked almost predatory.
“Want to be my next course?” Shisei whispered.
“I’ll pass.”
If he had carelessly nodded, he genuinely feared she might have actually devoured him.
By the time Saito returned home, the sun was already starting to set. The glow of their new home’s lights stood out against the dimming residential street. As he stepped into the entryway, the scent of simmering food wafted through the hallway. He could hear the clatter of kitchen utensils and the sound of Akane shuffling around the kitchen. Saito was struck by her diligence.
He lifted the elegantly designed box he was holding and felt a twinge of nervousness. He had bought the cake as a peace offering, hoping it might soften her attitude a little. But now, doubts were creeping in—was a cake too obvious? Would she think he was being weird? Would she reject it outright, finding it creepy? Now that the moment of truth was upon him, the uncertainties hit all at once. He resisted the urge to check whether the cake had shifted during the trip home. The box was sealed neatly with a decorative sticker—it would be a waste to peel it off.
When he reached the kitchen, Saito held the box out to Akane.
“I got you a little present. It’s your favorite—shortcake.”
Akane’s eyes widened.
“Huh? A present? For me?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait… How did you know shortcake was my favorite?” Akane asked.
Saito shrugged casually.
“You wrote it in the class anthology back in our first year.”
Akane accepted the cake box, lowering her gaze as she murmured, “It’s…kinda creepy that you actually remembered something like that.”
“Wait, creepy?”