"What's wrong, Takagi-san?" Shouko asked, noticing her hesitating.
"It's nothing, really," Takagi Sana said, waving her hand with a sheepish smile.
Shouko didn't press further. The two girls returned to the classroom and chatted briefly with Akira and Nishikata Naoto. Mostly, the girls did the talking while the boys listened in silence. Still, Akira noticed something curious: Naoto seemed a little shy around Takagi-san today—hesitant to meet her eyes or speak.
Probably just imagining things, Akira figured.
After moving his desk back to its original spot, Akira dozed off for about twenty minutes before Shouko gently shook him awake for the next class. The afternoon slipped by uneventfully.
"Dong… dong… dong…!"
"Class dismissed," said Nobe-sensei from the front.
Everyone stayed relatively quiet until she exited the room—then it erupted into casual chatter. Akira and Shouko packed up and said goodbye to Naoto and Takagi before heading home side by side.
"I'm home!" ×2
"Welcome home…"
"Mom, where are Dad and Hachiko?" Akira asked as he and Shouko stepped into the living room, seeing Miyamura Shizuka watching a drama.
"They went fishing. Said they'd bring back a big catch. Hachiko's at Yuzuru's place, as usual," she said without looking up.
Akira glanced at the wall clock—just before 4 p.m. Daiki would probably be back by five. And of course, Hachiko was likely sprawled somewhere near Yuzuru.
With nothing else to do, Akira reluctantly joined Shouko and his mom in watching the overly dramatic romance show. While Shouko and Shizuka seemed engrossed, Akira watched with a deadpan face.
He thought about taking out his phone—only for Shizuka to snatch it away.
"You're disturbing the atmosphere," she said calmly. "You'll get it back when we're done."
"Auntie, I'm heading back now," Shouko said later, waving as she got a call from Yuzuru and made her way out the door.
Click.
With the door closed, Shizuka paused the TV and nudged Akira. "So? How was it? The bento Shouko made?"
"Not bad… The pork cutlet was a little salty," he admitted.
"She's just starting out. Don't expect miracles yet," Shizuka chuckled. "Honestly, she's doing pretty well."
Akira nodded. "By the way, I didn't touch the bento you packed me this morning."
"Oh, good. It'll be an extra side for dinner." She waved it off, then smirked. "Think she noticed I secretly packed you one?"
"Nope. I hid it well."
"Heh. Not bad, you're learning," Shizuka grinned and returned to her show. She eventually tossed his phone back to him.
By the time the gate opened again at 5:30, Akira's father, Miyamura Daiki, walked in holding two freshly caught fish—though Akira had his doubts about their "freshness." He got the usual light praise from Shizuka and Akira.
Shizuka took one fish to prepare in the kitchen and told Akira, "Take this one to Shouko's house."
Click.
"Mom? You're back so early?" came Yuzuru's voice from inside the Nishimiya home.
"Woof!"
Akira opened the gate and entered—only to hear Yuzuru's voice go cold once she recognized him.
"Oh, it's you. Sis is in the kitchen with Grandma," she said flatly, already walking off with Hachiko.
"Hey, hey!" Akira called out, half-exasperated. "Why the tone? Can't I just be here to see you?"
Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. "With a fish in your hands? Yeah, sure. I totally buy that," she replied, sarcastically.
She disappeared into the living room while Akira made his way to the kitchen. After dropping off the fish, politely declining the offer to stay for dinner, he headed home.
Later that evening, just after dinner, Akira was playing a game in his room when Shouko came upstairs and entered without knocking.
"Akira, how about going to that new water park on Futaba Street this Saturday?" she asked, sitting casually on his bed.
"Huh? That's sudden. Why the water park?"
"Well, Miu and Chika invited me. I thought it'd be fun," she said, then leaned toward him with a bright smile. "And since I don't know how to swim… will you teach me?"
Akira raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure I can swim?"
Shouko crossed her arms with a slight pout. "If you're not going, then I won't go either. It's no fun without you."
He chuckled and reached out to stop her from calling Matsuoka Miu to cancel. "Alright, alright, I'll go. I'll teach you."
"Hehe, I knew you would!" she grinned.
"Oh, is it just us going? What about Yuzuru?"
Shouko pulled out her homework and replied while flipping through it: "She said Hachiko isn't allowed at the water park, so she's skipping it."
Akira sighed. "Figures."
"She also said your mom's okay with going if you're going. She wants at least one adult around."
Akira nodded. "That makes sense."
And with that, the weekend plan was set—summer, swimsuits, and possibly a salty fried cutlet or two.
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