"Takanashi-san, do you plan on joining any club activities?"
"Let's see... to be honest, I just haven't found anything I'm particularly interested in doing."
"Are there no clubs that align with your hobbies?"
"No. If I ever find something I want to do, maybe I'll join then."
We walked on, making idle conversation.
The steady roar of the rain and its rhythmic drumming against the umbrella echoed around us. Eventually, we both fell into silence.
It was rare for us to fall into such a mood. It wasn't exactly awkward, but it felt as though Senpai was deep in thought. I continued walking beside her, keeping pace with her quiet steps.
Meanwhile, half of my body was already drenched. It was colder than I had expected; I knew I would have to change the moment I got home.
"Takanashi-san... am I being excessive?"
"Eh?"
Senpai suddenly questioned me, her voice carrying a heavy, serious air.
Excessive...?
"What brought this on so suddenly?"
"No... it's just, lately I feel like I've been acting in ways that aren't like me at all. I feel like I was a bit too forceful earlier as well..."
It was true that she had been looking out for me in many ways.
"Besides, lately, when I see stories in books or dramas, the thought suddenly occurs to me. Between the bento and everything else I've been doing for you, perhaps these are things that are excessive for a friendship... or rather..."
Ah... so that was it.
Certainly, if you looked at it from the perspective of a typical friendship between a boy and a girl, you didn't often hear of friends going this far for one another. But as long as it was what Senpai wanted to do, I had no problem with it. Regardless of what those around us might think, I believed we should just stick to our own stance.
"If it makes you happy, Takanashi-san, then I am happy as well. However, I prioritized that and acted without considering what is 'normal.' As a result, I worried that I might be becoming excessive... and if this has become an imposition on my part..."
"Sara-senpai, I have never once felt that you were being pushy or excessive."
"......"
"If you look at it through the lens of a typical friendship, maybe it is a little different. But I don't think there's any need to care about the rest of the world. This is our stance, and if we—the people actually involved—don't think it's a problem, then it isn't. I haven't been troubled by a single thing you've done for me, Sara-senpai. It's all made me happy. So, please, feel free to keep doing things exactly how you want to."
"...Is that truly alright? To be honest, I feel that the desire to do things for you has only increased. Because of that, I will likely continue to do things on my own initiative that you haven't even requested. I might end up prioritizing my own joy and happiness."
"It's fine. There's no need to worry about what's 'normal.' This is about us, so no one else has any right to complain."
"Yes... thank you very much. In that case, I shall continue to do things in my own stance."
Senpai showed me her usual smile.
"Fufu... I feel relieved. I would hate to cause you any trouble, Takanashi-san."
She was bound to notice eventually. Comparing yourself to the rest of the world and realizing you're being "excessive" is something that can be easily triggered by the smallest thing.
But I thought we were fine just as we were. I was happy with things being exactly as she wished.
We finally arrived at my home—my apartment.
Once we were under the shelter of the roof, I closed the umbrella.
As for Senpai... well, it was impossible for her to be completely dry, but she didn't seem to be in too bad a state.
"Thank you very much. I'm sorry you had to walk me all the way here..."
"No, it's quite alright. Well then, I shall head back now, so you should head inside, Takanashi-san..."
Senpai's eyes fell on my drenched side. She looked at herself, then back at me... Eep.
"Takanashi-san... what is the meaning of this? I am hardly wet at all, yet you are clearly soaking wet. To sacrifice yourself like this..."
"Sara-senpai, you were trying to make sure I didn't get wet, right? Well, I didn't want you to get wet either. Besides, this only happened because I forgot my umbrella in the first place. It's only natural for me to prioritize you. You would have done the same thing if our positions were reversed, wouldn't you?"
I spoke in a rush, pressing the point home before she could argue.
How about that?
"...When you put it that way, I find myself unable to say anything more. It is true that I would have done the same were the roles reversed..."
Phew... I managed to convince her.
"Please take a bath or change quickly and keep yourself warm. Just changing your clothes isn't enough, understood?"
"I will. Well then, Sara-senpai, thank you. Please be careful on your way home."
"Until tomorrow, then."
Senpai began her walk back.
I had ended up having an unexpectedly serious conversation. I told myself that the unusual atmosphere must have brought it on, feeling a bit self-conscious about how dramatic I’d been.
It was freezing, so I needed to get changed fast.