April 14th, Wednesday. Light rain turning sunny.
A long-awaited spring rain fell that morning. The fine drizzle was like countless transparent threads that could never be cut, pattering down until around noon before finally coming to a stop. Afterward, the gray clouds gradually dispersed, revealing a clear blue sky.
"So clean."
Sato stopped and looked up at the cloudless sky, lost in thought.
The heavens above were both crystal clear and profound, as unfathomable as the vast ocean.
Chiba was already in the latter half of cherry blossom season. After the gentle rain, the ground was blanketed with pink and pale pink petals, drifting along the roadside gutters with the flowing water.
Skipping club activities today, Sato headed straight back to the apartment. Meanwhile, his phone was constantly being bombarded with messages from Eriri.
Eriri: Have you left yet?
Eriri: Why aren't you replying? You didn't forget, did you?!
Eriri: Reply as soon as you see this!
...
Looking at the messages on his phone, Sato let out a sigh.
Isn't it still way too early?
Sato: Isn't it still early? Didn't you say it was in the evening?
To his surprise, Eriri replied almost instantly, as though she'd been waiting beside her phone the whole time.
Eriri: I'm just worried you'll forget.
Sato: Don't worry. Even if I forgot everyone else, I wouldn't forget your birthday, Eriri.
Eriri: If I hadn't reminded you last time, would you have remembered?!
He couldn't argue with that.
Sato stopped typing and sighed.
Although he and Eriri had always gotten along well, for a very long time they had only known each other online.
He had never attended one of her birthday parties before, so naturally he didn't have much of an impression of the date.
Sato: Relax. I'll definitely be there on time.
Eriri: Remember, you have to come. If you don't...
Sato: Then what?
Eriri: I'll bite you!
Bite me?
Immediately, an image appeared in Sato's mind of the blonde twin-tailed girl baring her two little canine teeth as she pounced at him with a fierce glare.
...That was actually kind of cute.
The thought left him feeling a little amused.
If there was one thing especially adorable about Eriri besides her tsundere personality, it was probably those little fangs.
Fangs really were nice. Though they were a little...
...
After resting at the apartment for a while, Kanna returned home from school.
Eriri lived in Detective Hill, a place famous for its British-style castle, which just so happened to be her family's home.
The Apartment wasn't far from Detective Hill. It only took about twenty minutes on foot.
At around five o'clock, Sato got ready to head out.
"Kanna, I might be home a bit late tonight. If you're hungry, go have dinner with Tohru."
He called out to Kanna, who had already come home.
"Okay."
Kanna's soft, sleepy voice drifted over from the living room.
Sato closed the door and stepped into the hallway. His gaze casually landed on a black sedan parked outside the apartment building.
Whose car is that?
He wondered as he headed downstairs.
Just then, he heard footsteps echoing through the corridor.
Instinctively turning to the right, he soon saw Asuna, dressed in formal attire, gracefully walking toward the stairwell.
She was wearing a pure white evening dress.
Its immaculate white bodice hugged her slender waist perfectly, accentuating her graceful figure. The fabric of the dress was so white it almost seemed translucent, catching the light like an angel's wings, yet without being the slightest bit revealing.
The hem curved elegantly from high to low, flaring out ever so slightly and revealing her long, jade-like legs. Tiny diamonds adorned the skirt, sparkling like countless drops of morning dew.
"Senpai."
A glimmer lit up Asuna's golden eyes when she saw Sato. She greeted him with a gentle smile.
"You look beautiful."
Sato complimented her as naturally as ever before asking,
"Are you heading to a banquet?"
"Yes."
Asuna nodded, then asked curiously,
"Are you going out too, Senpai?"
"Yeah, I'm going to a birthday party."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he noticed Asuna pause slightly. A thoughtful look appeared in her golden eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she looked at him a few times before asking,
"Um... is it Sawamura-san's?"
Sato froze.
"You're going too?"
The words escaped him instinctively.
After saying that, he fell silent and looked at the elegant dress Asuna was wearing.
Asuna returned his gaze with a rather peculiar expression.
Sato pressed a hand against his forehead with a headache.
"Wait... let me process this."
...
"You're saying... this is a birthday banquet?"
"Yes."
Sato slowly raised his head and looked at the clear blue sky.
But... Eriri had told him it was a birthday gathering.
A gathering.
A banquet.
Only one word apart, yet worlds apart in meaning.
He lowered his head and looked at what he was wearing.
A simple casual T-shirt and a pair of casual pants.
He was supposed to attend a banquet dressed like this?!
No wonder Asuna had been looking at him so strangely.
"I'll go back and change. Asuna, you go ahead first."
Asuna immediately shook her head and smiled softly.
"I'll wait and go with you, Senpai. We're heading to the same place anyway. Waiting a little longer doesn't matter."
After thinking for only a moment, Sato nodded.
"Alright. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Mm."
It wasn't long before Sato came back downstairs.
He had changed into a black suit, traditional in style, giving off an air of dignity and formality.
Yet perhaps because of his youthful, handsome face, the suit didn't make him seem old-fashioned. Instead, it added a vibrant, spirited charm that suited his age.
Combined with his tall frame, he stood out no matter where he was.
"Asuna?"
As he straightened his clothes, he looked at Asuna in confusion.
"Ah... Senpai, let's go."
Asuna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she spoke softly, then hurried ahead.