"Good evening, Kazunari-san."
"Good evening, Sara-san."
To say I had been pining for this call from Sara-san would be a massive understatement.
"Fufu... you answered rather quickly, didn't you?"
Of course I did.
I had been sitting there with my smartphone in hand, just waiting for the call to come through.
"No, I just happened to be browsing the web."
I couldn't bring myself to say anything as pathetic as how lonely I’d gotten on the very first day.
"I spent the whole day worrying about you, so Mother ended up scolding me. I even had to lie to Father and tell him I was preoccupied with ideas for the Student Council in the second semester."
Sara-san spoke with a sweet, melodic tone.
Even though it was just an ordinary exchange, her voice alone was precious to me.
"Were you really thinking about me that much?"
"Yes. By the way, what did you do for dinner? Please, at least buy a bento at a convenience store or a supermarket. You didn't eat instant ramen, did you?"
"........."
How did she know?
I couldn't tell her... that I’d had cup ramen for both lunch and dinner.
"Honestly, haven't I told you time and again that instant food is no good? It's a no-no, okay?"
"Yes... sorry..."
She caught me.
I’d gotten myself scolded... If I didn't want to cause her unnecessary worry, I should probably switch to a bento starting tomorrow.
"...Forgive me. I didn't mean to lecture you."
"No, it's my fault."
Sara-san hadn't said anything wrong, yet she apologized to me anyway.
If anything, her tone seemed to drop slightly.
"To think that being away from you would make me this anxious... It’s only been a single day, and yet I’m so lonely..."
Sara-san murmured in a low, somber voice.
I felt exactly the same way.
"……When I woke up this morning and realized I wouldn't be able to see you for a while, I was stunned. Even though it's my own house, I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't even remember how I used to spend my time before. And the reason I answered so fast—that part about the internet was a lie. To be honest... I've been holding my smartphone this whole time, just hoping you would call..."
I hadn't intended to say any of that...
But once I started talking, drawn out by her words, I couldn't stop. By the time I finished confessing my true feelings, I was already regretting it.
I wondered if she’d think I was pathetic for a guy...
"……Kazunari-san."
"Yes..."
I braced myself for a scolding.
"………If you were in front of me right now, I would pull you into a deep embrace. It’s so frustrating... Kazunari-san, you’re so cute... You’re just too cute."
The reaction I got was, in a sense, very typical of her.
Her voice was wavering; was she squirming on the other end?
"Kazunari-san..."
"Sara-san..."
I wanted to see her.
It’s just human nature, I suppose—wanting to see someone all the more when you know you can't.
"Oh, honestly, how noisy..."
"? Eh, what is it?"
I panicked when her tone suddenly shifted.
Did I do something wrong?
"My apologies. My father is being nois—it seems he's calling for me."
"Oh, I see. Um... I was really happy to hear your voice..."
If he was calling her, then the call had to end here. It felt too soon... I wanted to keep listening to her voice for much longer.
"Kazunari-san, if we count today as being over, there are only four days left. I will do my best to endure it, so you must too..."
"Yeah, I'll do my best. I was so happy to hear your voice, Sara-san..."
She was just as lonely as I was.
If that was the case, what was I doing acting so pathetic?
I needed to show some backbone and wait for her return with a smile.
"I was happy to hear your voice as well... truly happy. Good night, Kazunari-san. Please get some rest."
Her soft, lingering voice resonated deep in my heart.
"Yeah. Good night, Sara-san."
"I love you, Kazunari-san... mwah..."
Beep
The call ended.
I pictured Sara-san blowing a kiss through the phone.
Good night, Sara-san... I love you too.
And just like that, three days finally passed...
Two more days. In two days, I would see her again.
It was the first time in my life that a mere forty-eight hours had felt like an eternity.
My own feelings aside, Sara-san's loneliness seemed to be reaching a peak as well; we found it incredibly difficult to end today's call.
"Good night, Sara-san."
"Good night, Kazunari-san."
"..."
"..."
"Um... Kazunari-san, could you be the one to hang up?"
"No, I don't mind waiting for you, Sara-san."
"I can't do it. I can't bring myself to end the call... To be honest, I want to listen to your voice forever..."
"I feel the same way. I want to keep hearing your voice too, so I can't find the resolve to do it either..."
"Kazunari-san... I'm so happy..."
"I'm happy too... Sara-san."
We went back and forth like that for a while, eventually deciding to both hit the End Call Button at the exact same time. It was the only way we could finally bring ourselves to do it.
Sara-san... I really want to see you.