Interpersonal communication is merely the seasoning of life, while daily needs are its true essence.
You can go an entire day without speaking to anyone, but not a day without eating—so your needs must be met.
Fried pork cutlet, potato pancakes, tempura, and a bowl of hot miso soup: all the necessary ingredients were ready. Not even an angel could blame him, right?
At most, they might scold him for not eating vegetables, but there was nothing they could do—he was a carnivore.
Should we buy something to eat? But if Shiina finds out…
"…"
"So, more pastries? Consider it a bribe…"
"…"
"I still have to buy them—whether it's fries or the water of happiness."
Now that you've decided to enjoy life, you have to reclaim what you once threw away. The same goes for games. Isn't it a complete waste to buy them and never play?
"…"
"What a nice smell…" Natsukawa Kanade wrinkled his nose and murmured.
Then he turned around and saw a girl as lovely as a cherry blossom appear beside him, her cute face so close it seemed like she might touch his nose in the next second.
Kanade took a slight step back before greeting her.
"Good afternoon, Kato."
"Good afternoon, Natsukawa-kun."
"Hmm… Kato, when did you get here?"
"Hmm, it looked like Natsukawa-kun was thinking about buying something to eat?"
The girl lightly touched her cheek with her fingers, tilted her head, and looked thoughtful.
Kanade: "…"
Wasn't she there from the start?
"Since you seemed deep in thought, I didn't want to interrupt."
She placed her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and looked at him with curiosity.
"Are you scared?"
"That's not it…" Kanade shook his head.
Even though he hadn't seen her in person before, her youthful aura already enveloped him. He had stepped back simply because she felt too close.
"Did Kato come shopping too? Running errands for your mom?"
It would be embarrassing to be overheard talking to himself, but as long as he didn't mind, the understanding Mrs. Kato probably wouldn't bring it up.
"I was just passing by."
Kato pointed toward the side window. From there, you could see the place from outside.
Kanade looked in the direction she pointed and nodded slightly.
After chatting for a while, they paid and left the supermarket side by side.
How was your weekend?
There had to be something to talk about. As a guy, he couldn't always leave the initiative to the girl.
"I went back to my hometown with my family. What about you, Natsukawa-kun?"
"Uh… I did some creative work. And went to Saitama for a bit of fun."
Saying that, Kanade suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
He set the bag down and pulled a pouch of chocolate cookies from his tote.
"This is for you."
It wasn't a Saitama specialty, but it was a small token of thoughtfulness.
There were a few more like it, but he'd been so busy today that he'd forgotten. He only remembered while chatting with Kato.
As for the rest, he'd hand them out when he saw the others.
"Thank you, Natsukawa-kun."
Kato Megumi took it, held it in her hand, and gently twirled the ends of her hair with her slender fingers, the corners of her lips slightly lifted.
"But I don't have anything to give you in return right now…"
"I didn't bring it expecting anything."
Kanade shook his head and chuckled.
Every conversation with Kato made him feel at ease, and the image of the girl next door was etched into his heart, never to fade.
"I always feel like you're in a good mood today, Natsukawa-kun. Did something nice happen?"
Why do you say that? Am I that obvious?
Kato Megumi nodded.
"Well… if there's something good, I guess it's that I can keep getting along with everyone in the student council."
Kanade thought for a moment and spoke honestly.
"Kato, you know I'm the student council president, right?"
"Mhm."
It was probably last Monday. For personal reasons, he had temporarily stepped down. Kanade tried to speak calmly, as if explaining something unrelated to himself.
He wouldn't go into detail about what happened. The main point was that today, he had successfully resumed his duties. As for the reason… naturally, he couldn't bear to leave everyone in the student council behind.
Everyone's joys and sorrows are different. Kato was a very understanding girl, but that's precisely why there were things he couldn't tell her.
If it were someone like Hachiman, he might've let it all out.
"…" Kato Megumi nodded silently.
Though Kanade spoke lightly, she could clearly see the complex emotions behind his words. More importantly, she remembered the scene when she reunited with Natsukawa-kun that day.
Just as she had said, he looked like a poor abandoned puppy, licking his wounds alone in the rain.
If she left him like that, who knew what might happen. Most of all, it would make her sad.
"Natsukawa-kun, do you still remember what I said that day?"
"…You mean, that you want me to be more willful?"
"Don't you want to be?"
"Kato loves spoiling others."
Kanade shook his head and then changed the subject with a teasing tone.
"But maybe I'm just being willful right now?"
Kato Megumi was stunned for a moment, then puffed her cheeks slightly. That wasn't the kind of "willfulness" she meant.
"Now that I think about it, there's something I've always wanted to ask… Kato, would you be willing to listen?"
"I don't want to talk to Natsukawa-kun right now."
Huh? You really don't want to hear it?
"…I'll decide whether to listen after you finish."
"Then you've already heard it," Kanade grumbled, then said slowly, "Did Kato ever do something that made her parents mad when she was little?"
Kato Megumi looked puzzled but still answered seriously.
"Yes. Once, when I was out with my parents, I lost sight of them because I got too absorbed in a TV show nearby."
Kato's cheeks flushed.
No matter who you are, talking about embarrassing childhood memories makes you feel shy. Even someone as composed as her wasn't immune.
If Kanade hadn't asked, she never would've brought it up.
"Dad was really angry at the time."
"Um… did Kato apologize properly?"
"Yes. Not only that, I helped with house chores for several days afterward."
Helping with chores? Was that enough?
"I was just an elementary schooler back then. I couldn't do much more, Natsukawa-kun."
"I see…"
Kanade nodded thoughtfully.
It's not about what you do—it's about whether you do it.
Is it enough? An apology and a gesture of atonement?
If we had to say which life experience was more useful, it would undoubtedly be Kato Megumi's—growing up in a normal environment, her perspective aligned most with that of ordinary people.
That's right. Whether intentional or not, Kato had helped him resolve many doubts. When it came to human relationships, he trusted her experience completely.
"It shouldn't be called atonement, Natsukawa-kun. It should be called… a way to find peace of mind."
It's not about fully considering others' feelings, but about being at peace with yourself. If you don't understand that, big misunderstandings can arise.
The first is more like compassionate charity, while the second is a form of personal comfort. Though they serve the same function, misunderstanding their essence can make people seem more arrogant.
"I see. Thank you, Kato."
Kato Megumi looked at him and gently shook her head. Even if Kanade wasn't ready to share everything with her, asking for help like this still showed something.
Of course, he still had a lot of growing to do…
The cool evening breeze brushed against them.