Himari chuckled softly. “Probably. Since she stood up for me, Akane got bullied too—people scribbled on her desk and everything. But every time, she’d track down the culprit and bark at them full force.”
“Poor thing,” murmured Saito.
Himari nodded. “Yeah, Akane had it rough.”
“No, I meant—I actually feel worse for the culprits,” said Saito.
“What?”
“Knowing Akane, she probably made them regret even being born.”
“Um, yeah, maybe…” Himari chuckled nervously. Apparently Saito’s guess was pretty close.
“In the end, everyone was too scared to bully either of us anymore, so it all stopped. But Akane ended up more isolated than before. All because of what she did for me—she saved me… That’s why I really want Akane to be happy.”
Himari glanced at Akane from afar with the fondness of a younger sister, or perhaps an older one. Saito concluded that Akane must be a truly straightforward girl. She felt things too deeply—anger at bullies, anger at anyone who hurt others—and simply couldn’t mask it. She just charged forward with that energy, guided by the firm belief in her heart.
Akane lived up to her name—she was a reckless dragon, engulfed in a vivid red flame.
“Someone has to be by her side. Akane is the type who’s dangerous when left to her own devices,” muttered Saito.
“…Yeah,” said Himari as she stood beside Saito at the hallway window.
Meanwhile, sitting in the classroom alone, Akane furrowed her brows. Saito and Himari were standing awfully close in the hallway. Chatting, laughing, their shoulders brushing—they looked just like a couple.
What are they talking about…? From where she was, Akane couldn’t hear their conversation, and she didn’t want to interrupt Himari. She couldn’t bring herself to go over.
“Are you curious about Ani-kun and Himari?”
“Wha—?!”
Shisei had suddenly questioned Akane from behind, making Akane nearly fall out of her chair.
Clutching her pounding chest, Akane quickly sat back down. “I-I’m not curious! I just thought…this is the first time I’ve seen Himari make that kind of face,” said Akane.
A face full of longing, blushing with shyness, eyes glistening with warmth—the picture of a girl in love. Himari looked cuter talking to Saito than she ever did when talking with Akane. That must have been the look of love.
“This isn’t the first time. Himari always looks at Ani-kun like that,” said Shisei.
“She does?”
Shisei nodded. “She’s been like that since our first year. Didn’t you notice?”
“W-well…” Akane trailed off, a little bitter that Shisei had noticed a side of her bestie she hadn’t.
“Ani-kun and Himari make a good couple.”
“Th-they really don’t! Himari’s such a nice girl—she’s way too good for him.”
“Himari is kind, so she accepts Ani-kun’s arrogant side. They’re a perfect match. Have you ever seen them argue?” asked Shisei.
“Well, no,” Akane reluctantly admitted.
“Are you upset that Ani-kun and Himari make a good match?”
Shisei stared straight at her, as if seeing through her very being.
“N-not at all!” Akane denied.
“But you look kind of grumpy.”
“I do not!” Akane was genuinely happy that Himari and Saito had grown closer. She had done her part in supporting her bestie Himari and making her happy.
So why…do I feel this way? wondered Akane. That same uneasy feeling of frustration and ambiguity that had surfaced when Akane saw Saito being close to Shisei was back. Could Shisei have been right—could this be jealousy?
N-no way! It’s Saito we’re talking about! My nemesis! The person I hate more than anyone else in the world! There’s no way I’d get jealous over someone I don’t even like! Akane shook her head with all her might.
It must just be my imagination, she told herself. Digging any deeper than that was just too frightening for Akane.
Once Saito was no longer in the classroom after school, Himari came bouncing over and hugged Akane.
“Thanks sooo much! I got to talk with Saito-kun a lot again today!”
“Oh, th-that’s wonderful…” Akane congratulated her, though she felt rather crushed by Himari’s ample bosom. While Akane didn’t mind hugging her on her own terms, when Himari initiated a hug, it could feel suffocating.
Himari gushed, eyes sparkling. “Saito-kun said I was his lifesaver! He said he liked my appearance too! Isn’t that super promising? Right? Right?”
“He said he liked your appearance?” She couldn’t imagine those kinds of words coming out of that infuriating, awkward boy’s mouth.
“Yep! He said that my blonde hair really suits me, and that I have a good sense of style!” replied Himari.
Akane was speechless. Saito had never said anything like that to her before. Not that she wanted him to—but still. Akane cared about style too. She paid attention to her hair and to her entire appearance in general. Even at home, she never let herself look sloppy. She thought she had always presented herself impeccably in front of Saito. After all that, he only complimented Himari? Why not her? That familiar uneasy feeling spread inside her chest.
“Do you think this means I’ve got a chance? What do you think, Akane?”
“Uh, well… I don’t really know much about romance, but if it’s a matter of like or dislike, I think he probably likes you more than he dislikes you,” answered Akane.
“Right?! I thought so too! Aahh, I love him! I love Saito-kun so very much!” Himari hugged herself and wriggled in excitement.
“Hey, keep your voice down! People will hear you,” Akane warned.
“Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away,” said Himari, giving an embarrassed laugh and lowering her voice. For someone so wholesome, it was rare for Himari to lose her composure like that.
“You helped me out so much, Akane—I’ve gotta do something to pay you back.”
“No need. I didn’t do all that much.”
“No, really! This is all thanks to you! I’ll go get one of those strawberry tarts from Philia, and we can hang out at your place for a nice long chat!” Philia was Akane’s favorite sweets shop, and their strawberry tarts were out-of-this-world exquisite.
She responded instinctively. “Sounds good! I’ve been wanting to hang out with you too, Himari—oh—” Akane slapped a hand over her mouth. No good—she lived with Saito, after all. Maybe Akane could ask him to take a walk outside while Himari was there, but if Himari saw his belongings, it’d all be over. Inviting Himari to Akane’s parents’ house wasn’t an option either—there was no trace that she lived there. If Himari saw the empty room, she’d definitely suspect something.
Wh-what do I do?! Akane panicked. When her emotions ran high, her usual logic crumbled away. All her scholarly wit became inaccessible under pressure.
Backed into a corner, Akane blurted out the first excuse she could think of. “Um… My place is a bottomless swamp right now, so I can’t possibly have anyone over…”
Himari was stunned. “How do you even live like that?!”
Akane hadn’t thought that far ahead. She desperately racked her brain. “A…barrel…” blurted Akane.
“A barrel?”
“I split a barrel in half and I float on it like a boat…” said Akane in a faint voice.
“Okay, you’re going a little too far now!”
Akane’s head was spinning. “It’s true. When it rains, water collects inside the barrel and I almost sink.”
“You don’t even have a roof?! You should really think about moving!” said Himari.
“I’ve grown attached to it over the years…even if I’m forced out, I won’t ever give up…” Akane muttered. She had obviously completely lost the plot.
Himari looked down sadly. “It breaks my heart to hear that it seems like you really don’t want me to come over. Even Shisei-chan was bragging about how she got to visit your place…”
Akane’s face paled. “Wait, what?! S-so did she tell you about him, too…?”
“Him?” asked Himari.
“That is…um…”
“What Shisei-chan told me was that you moved to a new place, and that she had a really delicious meal there.”
Akane let out a sigh of relief. At least even Shisei, for all her antics, hadn’t spilled the beans about her and Saito being married.
“I’m really sorry. It’s not that I don’t want to invite you. It’s just…the house is still really messy, and the living room is the only place that’s decent. We’ve been redecorating the rest, so it’s a bit embarrassing,” said Akane.
“I’m not being a burden, am I?” asked Himari, looking worriedly at Akane. At this rate, their friendship could end up strained.
“You’re not a burden at all! I’d love to hang out with you! The kitchen and living room really are the only usable rooms right now, but if you’re okay with that…” said Akane.
Himari’s face lit up. “Of course! Let’s go grab the strawberry tart on the way over!”
“Um, I’ll send you my address by phone. Is it okay if I head home first?”
“Sure, no prob,” replied Himari.
“Thanks, that really helps!” It was imperative that Akane get home before Himari, explain the situation to Saito, and conceal everything. If Akane ordered Saito to hole up in his study, he and Himari wouldn’t run into each other.
It’ll be fine. I can make this work, somehow.
Akane clenched her fist and tried to gather her resolve.
“What?! Himari is coming over to our place?!”
When Akane got home and told Saito the news, he looked like he couldn’t believe his ears.
“I couldn’t turn her down… Himari and I haven’t hung out much since the marriage, and I don’t want her to think I’m avoiding her or that I hate her or something…” Akane explained.
“Do you even realize how much of a risk you are about to take on? You could trigger the apocalypse,” said Saito.
“It’s not that big of a deal, right?!”
“To our world, it is,” said Saito. “Himari has a ton of friends. If even a whisper of our marriage slips, the rumor will spread all over the school instantly, like wildfire.” Saito didn’t think Himari would go blabbing—she wasn’t the gossiping type—but people make mistakes. If she accidentally let something slip, there’d be no taking it back.
Akane clutched the hem of her school skirt tightly. “Himari looked so jealous after Shisei-san bragged about coming to our place… I can’t treat Shisei-san specially and not do the same for my bestie…”
Saito let out a sigh. “If this all started with Shise, then I’m responsible too. I should’ve done a better job silencing her.”