>>I’m actually pretty experienced, yeah.<<
>>And you can call me Haru.<<
>>I like it—my own name, that is.<<
>I’ll think about it.<
>>Okay, I can’t wait.<<
>>Oh, which thing were you thinking over?<<
>>Lunch or my name?<<
>Both.<
>>Well, I hope you make a decision soon about lunch…<<
>>I’ll make something you want to eat.<<
>Right.<
>>…Right?<<
>Then I suppose I’ll take you up on that.<
>>Right!<<
>>Right, yeah, awesome!<<
>Try not to get too excited, hmm?<
>>I’m at my apartment right now, so I’ll head over to you!<<
>I’ll be waiting at the gate.<
>Please come get me.<
>>I’ll run over!<<
>>I’m running now!<<
>I’d rather not run, so please take your time.<
I put away my phone and stood up from my seat. While I was focused on our exchange, most of the other students had left the lecture room.
After I looked around the room feeling like an overlooked weed, I started walking at what I thought was a quick pace.
“She’s rather forward…”
This girl was pressing in on me. A sensation like a strong wave sweeping me away shook me to the core.
I wondered if she stepped into other people’s lives just as freely. Even if that was just her nature, I didn’t find it very admirable. Most people wouldn’t want someone to encroach on their space with so little restraint, in my opinion.
She must be prioritizing her own feelings over anyone else’s.
That might have been the reason she was crying that day.
Thinking back, the tears streaming down her cheeks were in huge droplets.
I’m sure they must have been drawing up tons of emotion as they fell.
And by showing up on the spot where those tears fell, I had unintentionally shook up Edamoto-san’s emotions quite a bit, it seemed.
“Edamoto-san’s apartment… I wonder if this was a good idea.”
She had invited me the week before and again today. In the end, I decided to go. There hadn’t been anything to deepen our bond in particular—I hadn’t even seen Edamoto-san’s face this week. Edamoto-san amounted to nothing more than a friend whom I’d just met at college, but somehow she was casually pushing her way into my life.
Although I had agreed, I still felt a bit reluctant. For one thing, I didn’t have much experience going to friends’ houses, and for another… I tried to continue with that thread, but even when I waited for the next part to come, I couldn’t seem to produce it on my own.
What exactly was I expecting from Edamoto-san?
When I left the lecture building, the heat weighed down on me. Summer had spread its wings and set our world ablaze with just a flutter or two. There was no gentleness in the heat wave that brushed my cheek.
The cicadas had yet to follow on the back of summer. Soon the college and all its trees, abundant in verdure, would be a cacophony of their cries no matter where one went. And the human commotion on campus was not to be outdone. As lunch break began, the students appeared all at once, as though flitting out from a hive. One person, two, three. Even if I followed them with my finger and eyes, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them all.
These were all people whom I’m sure had lives not so different from my own college student experience.
As for the few individuals I met from among all these people…
Perhaps I should be more conscious of that and cherish those connections.
Breaking away from the crowd as it surged toward lunch, I went to the main gate, where I found Edamoto-san already standing next to the entrance. She noticed me and waved excitedly. That was childlike enough as it was, but when she used her entire body to give me an unrestrained reception, the passing students occasionally shot her strange glances. Eventually, she realized she was in the way and moved farther to the side, but she didn’t stop waving her hand. Just seeing how close it was to smacking into the wall gave me a shudder.
I hurried over to Edamoto-san. When I got closer, it appeared that she really had run over, considering how sweaty her palms were. Her bangs, too, had become disheveled and were sticking to her forehead.
“I’m sorry…for making you wait.”
“You don’t need to apologize like that. I ran over because I like to run.”
“You like to run, do you…?”
That was an unfamiliar feeling to me.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t had to run at all lately. It was as though I hadn’t had anything to hurry me.
Was that pleasant, or just boring…? It was probably up to each individual’s interpretation.
I suddenly recalled the relay practices for the athletic festival in high school. In retrospect, I couldn’t help laughing a little at how poorly I had worked with a certain someone.
“Okay, follow me.”
Edamoto-san merrily started moving. I was dragged along behind her, even though she hadn’t actually grabbed my hand.
On the way, my eyes met with the sea otter printed on Edamoto-san’s shirt… An otter?
The otter was looking straight out as it carefully cradled the shell in its paws. Maybe she liked otters.
“First, we cross here.”
We traversed across the road in front of the college. When Edamoto-san tried to cross the moment the signal turned green, I warned her, “It’s dangerous if you don’t look both ways first.”
It sounded like something an elementary school teacher would say.
“Oh, uh, sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me.”
It was plain to see that Edamoto-san was too giddy to pay attention to her surroundings. As for the reason for that, well, I supposed that was me.
I was a little troubled—her restlessness seemed like it could rub off on me.
Once we crossed the road and entered the shadow of a nearby building, I decided to speak to her. “So, Edamoto-san, you cook for yourself?”
“Yeah, I cooked even before I left home. It was just kind of fun.” Edamoto-san smiled, flashing her white teeth. “Do you not like domestic girls?”
“We’ll see. I have high expectations.”
As though in response, her gait widened. She didn’t seem to mind working up a sweat.
Edamoto-san’s apartment really was close to campus; we arrived in just under two minutes. Then again, that short time was also the result of me matching pace with Edamoto-san’s long, quick strides. The apartment building was lightly colored, from its khaki walls to its bluish-white roof, and its cramped bike parking area was piled high with bicycles. I wondered if Edamoto-san’s bike was among them.
I followed behind her as she went up the stairs on the side. Her place turned out to be the first apartment immediately after going up to the second floor. Edamoto-san stopped in front of the door and pulled a key out of her pocket. She put the key in, twisted it, and then likewise cocked her head to the side. After turning the key two or three times, she said, “Ohh, okay, I get it,” then opened the door.