The next day...
Kirie was dreading going to school, agonizing over it until the last minute.
How should I act when I see Kazuki? What if he witnesses Aika and me together again? How will I react?
Just thinking about it scared her.
So she kept delaying her decision, pushing back her departure time.
At least she was determined to avoid leaving the house at her usual time. That was when Kazuki typically left, since their houses were right next to each other and they took the same route to school.
Kirie was adjusting her schedule to avoid the scenario of running into Kazuki by chance as soon as she left home.
Until yesterday, Kirie had been convinced beyond a doubt that Kazuki reciprocated her feelings. She even thought she was being clever by deliberately syncing their schedules.
How stupid...
As she hesitated, holed up in her room, her mother called from outside the door, "Still not leaving? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I know," she replied, managing to shoo her mother away for the moment.
Cutting class is always an option.
Kirie was usually so diligent. If she claimed to be unwell, both her mother and the school would undoubtedly believe her.
She was already dressed, but if she complained of stomach pain, she could stay home. That way, she wouldn't have to see Kazuki.
(...)
Dressed.
Kirie shifted her gaze to the full-length mirror.
There she stood in her uniform.
She'd given up on pigtails.
"..."
For some reason, her vision blurred. Even if it was a childish crush, it had been important to her.
Maybe I should stay home after all.
If she went to school in this state and saw Kazuki, she might start crying again—
I'll laugh if you call in sick tomorrow.
Suddenly, Ryosuke's voice echoed in her mind.
Shito Ryosuke.
That classmate of hers was utterly despicable. His attitude was shallow and overly familiar with girls—exactly the opposite of what Kirie liked in boys.
But she'd shown weakness and now owed him a favor. If she skipped school today—
She'd rather die than be mocked or pitied by that jerk.
"..."
Steeled with resolve, Kirie left home. The sky remained its usual overcast. She grabbed her red umbrella from the entrance and hurried to school.
■ ■ ■
School was a disaster.
As Kirie arrived, her friends in the hallway teased her about her unusual hairstyle.
No wonder. She'd worn a ponytail since elementary school, only letting her hair down in front of them during swimming class or overnight trips.
So naturally, everyone was curious to see her long hair loose first thing in the morning.
If Kirie had shown even a hint of sadness, her friends might have sensed something was wrong and backed off. Or perhaps they would have offered support and listened to her problems.
Unfortunately, Kirie wasn't the type of person who could easily express her true feelings.
Her petty pride manifested as a self-defense mechanism, not just toward Kazuki, but even her girlfriends. Even she thought it was a troublesome personality trait.
...Kazuki...
She sat down and stole a glance at the seat farthest back by the window.
Kazuki, in his summer uniform, was sitting sideways.
He was gazing out the window, not even glancing in Kirie's direction. But Kirie, who had known him for years, noticed the faint shadow of a blush on his profile.
He's probably thinking about his first girlfriend.
Aika was in a different class, but she might have joined him partway through their commute. Maybe remembering her was making him feel happy.
The thought made Kirie's entire body flush hot, and her vision started to blur again.
Just then...
Ryosuke Shito arrived, barely on time.
My friend teased me about being out of breath.
As he settled into his seat, he glanced over at Kirie.
...!
He's going to say something. He's going to tease me.
I braced myself. If anyone mentioned Kazuki right now, I wouldn't be able to take it.
But Ryosuke merely observed Kirie's hair and mouthed silently:
It's fine.
No one else seemed to notice.
Why do I even have to listen to you?
I glared at him, my eyes burning with anger, but he just smiled faintly and took his seat.
What the hell is wrong with him...?!
As I vented my irrational anger on Ryosuke, Kirie didn't realize that her heartbreak tears were already subsiding.
Two uneventful days passed.
The discomfort of no longer wearing her ponytail still lingered, but at least people had stopped commenting on it.
Kirie still couldn't bring herself to look Kazuki or Aika in the eye, but at least superficially, she could say she had calmed down.
On one such day, just before the mobile classroom session:
"Hey, Kirizaki."
Ryosuke called out from behind as she walked. Kirie didn't stop, shooting him a sideways glare almost reflexively.
"What?"
"Heh. You still hate me, huh?"
"..."
Though she maintained her hostile demeanor, Kirie couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do. She fell silent again. He'd seen her vulnerable, yet he'd also shown her kindness she hadn't expected.
I don't know what the right way to approach her is. Honestly, talking to her throws me off balance.
"Kirizaki, do you have frizzy hair? This time of year must be tough for you."
"That kind of tactless comment... Seriously—"
"You hate it?"
"...I really do."
It's a genuine feeling of revulsion, but it's rare for Kirie to express her emotions so openly to others. Even with her family, she stubbornly maintains her pride, never showing anyone her sad or angry face.
I'll surely be disliked if I show this vulnerable side.
Unconsciously convinced of this, she finds herself frozen in place.
"Want me to tie it for you?"
"...Huh?"
"Your hair."
"I gave up on that—"
"If you're tired of pigtails, you could try something else."
As he spoke, Ryosuke pulled out a brand-new hair elastic.
"...Why do you even carry something like that?"
"Because I want to be popular, of course."
"Huh?"
"You know, like when someone says, 'I want to tie my hair up, but I don't have a hair elastic,' or 'My hair elastic broke! What do I do?' Then I can casually offer—"
"Are you kidding me? No one would wear that! It's gross."
"Really? You think so?"
As they walked, Ryosuke skillfully twirled the elastic around his finger.
"Is that how it works, then?"
"Of course."
Kirie bristled, her thoughts drifting to Aika.
Ever since that incident, Aika had been keeping her hair tied up—styled to Kazuki's preferences.
...Damn it. I need to stop thinking about this.
Kirie forced herself to refocus her thoughts.
Ryosuke seemed oblivious to her attitude, or perhaps he simply ignored it. He continued in an even more casual tone:
"I prepared this because I thought Kirizaki would like it. But I guess it's no good, huh?"
"...Have you lost your mind?"
"Oh. How about a braided hairstyle? I'm pretty good at those. I'm confident in my dexterity."
"...I'm not listening to this."
He was a man who simply didn't understand.
Kirie's cheek twitched.
"You must just spend all your time saying stuff like that, right?" she retorted in a razor-sharp tone.
Yes, that's what it had to be—this guy was undoubtedly the type to endlessly spout such superficial nonsense to his female friends.
"Well, you're half-right. But it's my younger sister I say those things to."
"Younger sister..."
"I can't break my spoiled habits. Even with my older sister before. It's hard to reach the back of your head, so I'd always say, 'Ryosuke, tie my hair.' She used me quite conveniently. Being sandwiched between two older sisters isn't exactly easy, you know."
Ryosuke shrugged dramatically and asked, "Kirizaki, do you have any siblings?"
"No, I don't."
"Have you ever wanted one?"
"–Not particularly."
To Kirie, Kazuki was like a younger brother. Though they were the same age, she was born earlier, and the unreliable Kazuki had always trailed behind her as a child.
"Actually, I wanted one so badly that I ended up with one."
"Huh?"
Confused by his words, Kirie tilted her head.
"Half-sisters. They're the children of my father's second wife."
"Oh, I see..."
The unexpected circumstances piqued my interest.
I wondered if this was territory I shouldn't tread into, but Ryosuke seemed unconcerned.
"At first, we both hesitated, but before we knew it, Older Sister was ordering me around, and Younger Sister was throwing tantrums left and right."
Ryosuke sighed. "Can you believe it? There were days when Mom wasn't home, and I had to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner all by myself."
"You couldn't resist, could you?"
"It was impossible. Absolutely impossible. I'm just a servant, a mere servant."
"Having siblings sure is tough."
"Seriously. After my older sister went to university, she moved out to live with her boyfriend. But that just means my younger sister has become a full-blown tyrant."
"Maybe Shito needs a little more hardship in his life?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"To fix someone with a flippant personality, it might be just what they need to be disciplined by someone else."
"Ugh, that's awful," Ryosuke said with a wry smile.
But he was surprised.
He hadn't realized how family-oriented Ryosuke was, how he couldn't stand up to his sisters, or how relaxed he looked when talking about his family.
"So, when my younger sister pesters me to go shopping with her... Oh, right."
Suddenly, Ryosuke changed the subject with blatant honesty.
"Want to go shopping together next Saturday?"
"Huh?"
"I want to buy new shoes. And Kirizaki, since you just changed your hair, you probably want to find clothes that match, right? Come on, let's go."
I take back what I said earlier.
Conversations with Ryosuke are always stressful.
"I have plans—"
"You have plans?"
"I do... but..."
"What is it?"
"..."
Caught off guard, I couldn't come up with a plausible excuse and stumbled over my words. And Ryosuke wasn't one to let such an opportunity slip by.
"Alright then, that's a yes."
"Hey, wait a minute...!"
"It's fine. It's not like it's a date or anything."
"B-but..."
"Listen, my shoes got totally soaked in the rain the other day. And for some reason, I ended up getting drenched from head to toe."
Was this some kind of threat? If you want to repay me, you'll have to spend the day with me.
"You're such a jerk...!"
"I know. And my stubbornness is another flaw."
Ryosuke grinned cheekily.
"Anyway, it's Saturday."
"I said no—"
"Then just the afternoon is fine."
"This isn't about that—!"
"Okay, just two hours. Really, just shopping. I won't go anywhere else. Please, just accompany me for the shopping."
"...B-but..."
If Kirie thought about it calmly, she'd realize Ryosuke hadn't conceded a single thing—but she was too overwhelmed by his relentless barrage to notice.
Eventually, Kirie gave in.
"You'll really only do that... right?"
Her hesitant reply made Ryosuke's face light up brilliantly.
"Thank you! Promise? I'll contact you again later."
With that, he left, leaving Kirie abandoned, frozen in place, her thoughts in disarray.
*****
The meeting place Ryosuke had chosen was a station in a bustling downtown area. They'd need to take a train from their neighborhood to get there.
The appointed time was 2 PM. Ryosuke had suggested meeting up there, even though they lived in the same neighborhood. It was an oddly roundabout way to meet, but Kirie hadn't questioned it.
Kirie didn't want her acquaintances to see her walking with Ryosuke.
Perhaps Ryosuke had sensed her feelings and was being considerate in his own way.
Still... it's infuriating.
She found both his insensitive attitude and his attempts at consideration equally irritating. Kirie acknowledged her own difficult personality, but she blamed it on Ryosuke's casual demeanor—blaming him to avoid taking responsibility.
After exiting the subway turnstile, she emerged aboveground and headed to the meeting place.
The weather was bright and sunny.
It seemed the rainy season had ended, and summer was looming.
"Kirizaki."
Ryosuke, already there, smiled and waved when he noticed her.
Even his happy face... it annoys me.
More than a genuine thought, it felt like a defense mechanism. If she didn't feel that way, she'd feel like she'd lost somehow, and she hated that feeling.
Ryosuke, tall and slender, had impeccable taste in casual clothing. It wasn't so sophisticated that it made Kirie feel inadequate, which put her slightly at ease.
Kirie considered herself to have average fashion sense, but she tended to gravitate toward more subdued styles. She believed her strong features made it difficult to pull off overly cute outfits, yet she avoided more mature styles for fear they wouldn't suit Kazuki's taste.
"Shall we go?"
Ryosuke led the way into a nearby shopping complex. The building housed many shops catering to young people, offering clothing and accessories that were reasonably priced for students.
As Ryosuke headed straight for the women's fashion floor without a glance sideways, Kirie asked, "What about shoes? Don't you want to look at your own shoes first?"
"Hmm... Oh, no. I've already picked out what I want online."
"...Huh?"
"I know which shop is selling them. It's this one."
Ryosuke pointed at the ceiling, indicating the floor above.
"So all we have to do is try them on and pick the size. That means we have two full hours to spend on Kirizaki."
"...You really are crazy, you know that?"
Ryosuke had already abandoned the excuse of "wanting to pick out shoes," and now a headache was starting to develop.
"Do you really find that kind of thing fun?"
"I get to see Kirizaki try on all sorts of clothes. How could that not be fun?"
His ear-to-ear grin made my headache worse. Still, we'd come too far to turn back now.
"...I swear I'm not buying anything."
"Hmm?"
"Like you'd even pick out clothes she'd actually wear—"
"Ah, that doesn't matter. I'll just choose the stores. You can pick out the clothes yourself. If you find something you like, we'll buy it."
With Ryosuke's compromise, Kirie might be able to choose a style she liked, even if it wasn't among her usual variations.
"Shito... you'd probably make a great con artist."
"I hear that a lot."
Ryosuke seemed impervious to her sarcasm. Resigned, Kirie decided to endure the next two hours, satisfy him, and get this over with as quickly as possible.
*****
Once they started shopping, even Kirie's stubborn pride began to crumble. She was browsing brands she normally wouldn't touch. While few items truly appealed to her, she did discover some interesting new things.
Ryosuke, perhaps accustomed to these kinds of shopping trips, didn't seem out of place in the women's store. True to his word, he didn't comment on her choices, maintaining a comfortable distance.
Maybe he's used to shopping with his sisters.
The mental image of Ryosuke, laden with women's shopping bags, being forced to carry her purchases, was somehow amusing.
"Want to try this on?"
In the latest shop they'd entered, Kirie had spotted a skirt that caught her eye, and Ryosuke spoke up.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
It was a cute long skirt, but she thought it might actually match some of the clothes she already owned. She'd just been thinking that.
Ryosuke approached the salesperson.
"Can we try this on?"
"Absolutely! The fitting room is right this way."
A salesperson around twenty answered with a beaming smile.
They slipped off their shoes and entered the fitting room. Then, from behind the curtain came a voice:
"While you're waiting, why not take a look at these? We have a few men's items too. They might suit your boyfriend."
Kirie, who was trying to unfasten the skirt's hook, heard the words. She nearly shouted from inside the curtain, but Ryosuke cut in:
"No, no, we're just friends."
"Oh, I see."
"She already rejected me."
"Really?"
Ryosuke's half-joking reply was met with a similarly lighthearted response from the salesperson.
"Still, it's fine. I'll wait."
"Alright then. If you want to try on other sizes, just let me know."
I almost felt relieved that we weren't being treated as a couple, but...
No... We're not even friends...!
I shook my head, reconsidering.
As I removed my own skirt and reached for the fitting room skirt, I suddenly met my own gaze in the mirror.
...Looking at it again, the situation was strangely surreal.
Why was I even shopping with Ryosuke? And here I was, practically naked, separated from him by just a curtain.
"..."
Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed through my entire body.
Even though he wasn't actually watching, I felt as if Ryosuke's eyes were on my exposed white legs, and I flushed with embarrassment.
Strangely, even as these wild fantasies ran through my mind, I didn't feel any disgust.
Kirizaki, you've got some pretty thick legs, don't you?
That's the kind of sexual harassment I figured that guy would say.
In that way, I let my imagination run wild again, getting indignant and trying to make myself hate Ryosuke.
When the fitting was done, I reluctantly opened the curtain. Ryosuke, who had been leaning against the wall a short distance away, fiddling with his phone, noticed and approached.
"Wow, you look cute!"
"...No way."
It doesn't suit me, I thought.
"Really? Hmm. Maybe it's the balance with the top?"
"Maybe... I'm not confident."
"You were looking at that blouse earlier, right? Should I bring that over? And I'll have the salesperson pick out some clothes that suit you. Wait here a sec."
"Huh? Wait—!"
Before I could stop him, Ryosuke came back with the salesperson, bringing in outfit after outfit.
Tops. Bottoms. Hats. Shoes.
Even accessories and bags.
I was forced to try on all sorts of combinations, each one critiqued by Ryosuke and the salesperson.
"The last one was good, but don't you think this looks even better?"
"Hmm, you're right. How about we try this with it?"
"Ooh, that's cute too! You're a pro! This hat might look good too. See? Cute!"
"Yeah, but... Hey, Ryosuke, don't you just call everything 'cute'?"
"Well, it's true. What can I say? And I'm not his boyfriend, by the way."
"Heh heh. Right..."
...What the hell is going on here?!
I wanted to protest, but they didn't give me a chance to speak, forcing me to try on countless outfits. At first, I was uncomfortable changing behind a single curtain, but...
Agh, this is...!
In the end, I stopped caring and just stripped off without a second thought.
I was so worked up that I wouldn't have been embarrassed showing my underwear!
*****
"Man, what a great shopping trip."
"...Yeah. That's good."
Before we knew it, two hours had flown by.
In the end, Kirie bought a blouse at the same shop, and Ryosuke, ever the opportunist, purchased the sneakers he'd had his eye on from the start. The two of us then headed to a café in the same building.
It was already past our time limit, but—
"Today was just so much fun! Let me at least say thanks. My treat for the café. ...No, I'm not trying to create another favor here. Just thanking you for trying on all those clothes. Consider it even."
After being worn down by Ryosuke's wheedling, Kirie ended up sitting across from him, sipping a café latte through a straw.
To be honest, it was sweltering outside, and even in the air-conditioned café, I'd just endured the ordeal of trying on clothes one after another. So being able to finally have something cold to drink was a blessing. The cake was delicious, too.
"Ugh. Kirizaki just won't let me take any photos of her," Ryosuke grumbled, propping his cheek in his hand.
"Your manners are terrible."
"Yep, yep."
Ryosuke obediently straightened his posture.
"...If I let you take a photo, you'd show it to everyone right away."
"I won't, I won't! I'll treasure it as my own secret."
"Disgusting."
Kirie cut him off bluntly, but he refused to be deterred.
"Is it disgusting to want to save a photo of someone you like?"
"Everything you do is disgusting."
"Ouch, harsh."
He chuckled again.
Sighing at his grin, Kirie suddenly remembered that she, too, had carefully saved a photo of Kazuki on her phone.
Just now, the words I'd spoken pierced my heart.
I...
Today really felt like a date. Whether Kirie felt the same or not, from the outside, we must have looked like a couple shopping together.
This was Kirie's first date.
Of course, Kazuki and I had gone out before. But those were just neighborhood outings when we were elementary school kids, and it always felt more like Kirie was dragging me around than us going out together.
Kazuki is probably...
Is he with Aika right now? Are they on a date like this? The thought made my chest ache dully.
"Kirizaki..."
"Huh?"
Startled by the sudden address, Kirie looked up. Ryosuke was staring intently at her.
"You're really, really clumsy, aren't you?"
"Ugh, shut up. Why even bring that up?"
"Just felt like it. Heh. No, I found it interesting, actually."
"Huh? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm a fool, the worst kind of person."
"You know yourself pretty well, don't you?"
Kirie muttered, though she added inwardly:
Still, he's probably better than me...
The ice in her glass clinked dryly.
*****
"See you at school."
They parted at the same spot where they'd met for their rendezvous.
He said he had "other business" and was taking a train in a different direction.
"Right. Well then..."
Kirie gave a small wave back.
He's probably off to see another girl.
With his personality—well, and his looks, too. Not Kirie's type, but he was certainly well-groomed.
Even if she had a proper boyfriend or a large number of casual partners, it wouldn't be surprising; in fact, it would be quite normal.
"..."
Kirie slung her shopping bag containing her day's haul over her shoulder and headed home. It was only 5 PM. Even if she took her time, she'd still make it home in plenty of time for dinner.
Spoils of the day.
For Kirie, there was a fresh, adorable white blouse. And while returning from the café, she casually stopped by a shop and scored a pouch in exactly the size she'd been wanting.
But the greatest gain of all was that she'd repaid Ryosuke.
Now he had no reason to pester her. Even if he tried to bother her again, she could firmly rebuff him.
"..."
It should have been a perfectly satisfactory day, yet as Kirie walked home alone, she felt inexplicably lonely.