They made eye contact. She’d spotted something, and that particular store had caught her attention. What kind of store was it, and why was she interested in it? Sousei had a pretty good idea. If she pointed the store out, it would probably become a topic of discussion among everyone. She might have imagined that kind of a scenario unfolding as well, but she couldn’t say it. Sousei somehow understood that feeling.
“Oh!” Asumi pointed to the store. “Hayashi, it’s a rice ball store! You like rice balls, right?!”
“No way.” Yukisada approached the store as if he was being sucked toward it.
Sousei checked how Kuchina was doing. Her mouth was hidden by her scarf, so he could only see her eyes. What was she thinking? How was she feeling? Her expression wasn’t stern, and she even looked relieved. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to say anything, but Asumi had spotted the store in her place, so they hadn’t missed it as they went past. Maybe that’s why Kuchina was relieved.
“They look sooo gooood.” Yukisada leaned forward and peered into the display case lined with a wide variety of different types of rice balls. Asumi and Moena stood on either side of him.
“Oooo, Hayashi, they have them. Bonito flake and cheese rice balls!”
“Freshly made?! Are these freshly made?!” Moena asked. The lady at the counter told them that they’d just been made and were still warm.
“Tadeshina! Let’s take a look, as well!” Wakkuu urged Iori, and the two of them also crowded around the display case.
Sousei was about to call out to Kuchina, but there was no need for that. She went over to Yukisada, and everyone else crowded around the front of the store. She made sure to leave plenty of distance between herself and everyone else, but she still peered through the gaps between her classmates to check out the contents of the display case.
“Oh no…” Moena pressed her stomach. “My stomach’s started growling. I was planning to eat a lot at the food stalls, but I might not be able to say no to this…”
Asumi sighed deeply.
“Looking at them makes you want to eat them, huh? But each one is so biiig. All of them are. If we eat these, we might not be able to eat anything else. But they look so good…”
“Nah, that won’t be a problem. They’re rice balls. You don’t have to worry.” With a certain calm—or perhaps aloofness—Yukisada began to explain a strange theory he had. “You can eat as many rice balls as you want, you know. They’re easy to digest, so the more you eat, the more it promotes digestion, which actually makes you hungrier. That’s why you can keep eating more and more of them. By the way, do you know why rice balls haven’t spread all across the world despite being so delicious? It’s because it would lead to a food crisis. Once they got a taste for rice balls, everyone would eat them endlessly. Rice balls might be the ultimate weapon that leads the world to ruin. But since they’re so delicious, I think we should eat them whenever we can. There’s no way I can stop eating them now. I think I’ll go with sujiko salmon roe, tuna, and of course, bonito flake and cheese.”
“You’re gonna have three?!” Asumi jumped in surprise.
Yukisada seemed a little distressed. “Yeah. It’s heartbreaking, I know, but I’ll leave it at three. Normally, I’d be able to eat five, ten, or however many, but I’ll make do with three for today. We can come again. And we’ve got the Aurora Light Show soon.”
“…Mmm, I guess I’ll have two, then…” Moena squirmed. “No, no, just one! Two this size would definitely feel like a proper meal. And this is supposed to be a snack. I better just get one…”
“So me, I’m gonna get one with no filling! One salted rice ball, pleeeeeease…!” Wakkuu said, ordering from the lady at the counter. Yukisada’s eyes suddenly opened wide.
“Not bad, Wakkuu. You get it, huh?”
“Heh!” Wakkuu gave a thumbs-up and winked. He quickly paid and took the salted rice ball wrapped in plastic wrap. He immediately peeled off the plastic and sank his teeth into the rice ball.
“So fast…” Iori recoiled and took half a step backward.
“Mmmmm…!” Wakkuu moaned and took a few more big bites, finishing off the rather large rice ball in five mouthfuls. “Yummmmmmmmm…! I’m so glad to be Japanese! The base flavors that transcend deliciousness. It works better than an energy drink, yeeeeeah…!”
“Tch…!” Moena’s patience seemed to have reached a limit, because she stretched her back and leaned over the display case. “Pickled plum and— No, just one pickled plum rice ball! Please!”
“I’ll have cod roe!” Asumi raised a finger and made her order, then turned around. “How about you, Miss Hitsujimoto? Do you want a cod roe rice ball? You haven’t had one in a while, right?”
When Yukisada had asked about rice ball fillings in their exchange diary, Kuchina’s answer had been, “I like cod roe rice balls.” Asumi had probably remembered that. Sousei hadn’t forgotten; it just hadn’t come to him straightaway. He was slightly frustrated about that.
Kuchina stood dazed for a couple of seconds, as if she’d been caught off guard. Then, rather than nodding, she lowered her head slightly. It was confirmation—that much was clear—but what was she saying yes to exactly? That she hadn’t had one in a while, or the question before that?
Before Asumi could clarify with another question, Kuchina spoke again.
“I’ll have one.” Her voice was remarkably clear for someone who usually spoke in a breathy, almost whispered tone. “I’ll have a cod roe rice ball.”
“All right!” Asumi turned back to the woman at the counter. “Two cod roe rice balls, please!”
Kuchina started getting flustered. She watched Asumi pay the cost of two cod roe rice balls without hesitation, and she was probably unsure of how to handle it. It seemed she’d brought along some money just in case. Kuchina took a trifold wallet out of her bag, checked the price in the display, and took out a few coins.
“Here you go, Miss Hitsujimoto.” Asumi handed one of the cling-film-wrapped rice balls to Kuchina.
Kuchina looked just like she was standing on the edge of a steep cliff. She was incredibly nervous. It shouldn’t be a problem since she was wearing gloves, but she still seemed to be anxious.
Asumi tilted her head questioningly, and in that moment, Kuchina quickly swiped the rice ball from Asumi’s hand.
“Your hand,” Kuchina said to the dumbfounded Asumi.
“…Huh?” Asumi turned over the hand she’d just been holding the rice ball in, holding it out with her palm up. Kuchina put coins in her hand with a speed that didn’t seem humanly possible.
“Whoa…” Asumi put her face closer to the coins resting on her palm, making herself go cross-eyed.
Kuchina hung her bag from her elbow and held the rice ball up above her head with both hands, as if she’d received a great offering.
“Thank you.”
“…It’s nothing.” Asumi shook her head, then smiled kindly.
Iori didn’t buy a rice ball, claiming she wanted to be hungry for dinner when she got home. Sousei got a red salmon rice ball. Eating while they walked through the underground shopping area would be rude. They could take the rice balls with them to the Greenbelt, but since they were freshly made, it would probably be better to eat them while they were still warm. The rice ball store had a cozy little eat-in area, so they sat there to eat. Wakkuu had already finished his one salted rice ball and chatted with Iori about something, but it seemed watching everyone else eat had made him hungry, too. He ended up buying a bonito flake and cheese rice ball and eating that one in about five bites, as well.
Kuchina opened her mouth slightly and rhythmically pecked at the cod roe rice ball. After doing that a few times, she closed her mouth and chewed.
“Cod roe is delicious, huh?!” Asumi said, hoping someone would agree with her. With a serious expression, Kuchina nodded a few times while chewing her cod roe rice ball.
The group left the rice ball store and entered the underground passage that would take them from near the center of Colorful Town to the road in front of City Hall. Once they’d left the underground passage and gone up a set of stairs to ground level, they saw that it had already become quite dark outside. The temperature had also dropped, and their breaths looked like foggy white soap bubbles as they headed toward the Greenbelt.
As soon as they were able to see the light show ahead of them, Wakkuu started making a ruckus.
“Look! Everyone! Those are the lights we’ve come here to seeee…!”
“You’re getting way too excited! Aren’t you embarrassed?!” Iori whacked Wakkuu on the shoulder, and he danced wildly.