"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes. Thank you for everything today."
After I finished the dinner Mayumi-san had prepared, Masaomi-san had been kind enough to drive me home.
As I said my goodbyes and stepped out of the car, he gave a short honk of the horn and drove off, his taillights disappearing into the night in an instant.
He had mentioned that tomorrow wouldn't involve any actual labor, but rather just keeping him company for a talk. It felt a bit vague to me. Of course, that was because I was the one who had pushed to finish the physical work early, so while I felt quite guilty, I was mostly just grateful.
I wanted to say I took a breather once I was inside, but I had to prepare for my next shift before Sara-san called.
But before that, I figured it was better than doing nothing, so I pulled the first-aid kit out and applied adhesive bandages over the blisters on my right hand.
Looking closely, they were clearly getting worse... but I only had a few more days left at the liquor store job. They should heal eventually once that was over. I just had to endure until then.
I put the first-aid kit away and reflected on the day’s events while preparing for my next part-time job.
I had really inconvenienced Mayumi-san. I never imagined I’d end up letting Sara-san's mother give me a lap pillow...
But perhaps because I managed to get a nap in, my health felt better than it had yesterday. I didn't feel that strange drowsiness today, so I should be able to make it through the night.
Pi-roro, pi-roro.
The RAIN ringtone echoed through the quiet room.
It was, of course, a call from Sara-san, and it looked like another video call today.
Before pressing 'accept', I took a deep breath to make sure I didn't show any fatigue... Okay.
"Good evening, Sara-san."
"Good evening, Kazunari-san."
This video call, now on its sixth day, would be our last one.
Thanks to the part-time jobs, it had been a week that felt both long and short, but that persistent feeling of loneliness hadn't changed.
Just knowing that Sara-san would be coming home tomorrow made me feel incredibly impatient for her return.
"Fufu... Is something the matter? You look very happy."
"No, it's just that I'm so happy thinking about you coming home tomorrow..."
The truth slipped out before I could stop it.
But I couldn't help it. It was the simple truth.
"...Me too. I want to return to your side as soon as possible, Kazunari-san."
Sara-san gazed at me through the screen with a look of longing. Even though there was only one day left, that final day felt like an eternity.
"Sara-san, what's the schedule for tomorrow?"
"We arrive back at the school in the evening. My parents said they would pick me up by car, so I suppose I'll go home first."
"I see..."
The meaning behind her saying "first" was obvious—she intended to come straight here afterward.
I desperately wanted to see her tomorrow too, but I didn't want her to overextend herself. It was a real dilemma.
"Kazunari-san, would it be alright if I stayed over tomorrow night?"
(!!!!!!)
?
I thought I heard a commotion in the background again.
Since it was the last night of the trip, were they making a scene?
No, more importantly, I had to think about tomorrow.
To be honest, I wanted Sara-san to stay over more than anything. I was practically tempted to beg her to stay.
But...
"...Sara-san, I really want you to stay over, too. But if you're away from home the very moment you get back from your school trip, I think Mayumi-san and your father will feel lonely."
"That's..."
"I'm not the only one waiting to hear your travel stories. Please prioritize your parents for now."
Though I managed to sound composed, saying those words felt like my heart was being torn out.
However, having spent time with both Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san recently, I felt even more strongly that she should cherish her time with them.
Sara-san had been taking care of me from morning until night almost every day, but if I thought about it, that meant she was sacrificing that much time with her parents.
That's why I felt that at a time like this, she should have a proper family gathering.
Unlike last time, I wasn't the only one who had been missing Sara-san for a week...
"......I understand. I believe you are right, Kazunari-san. It is a pity, but I will settle for just seeing you tomorrow."
Sara-san seemed convinced and listened to my reasoning.
Good... It wasn't good for my heart, but it was the right thing.
"You really are kind, Kazunari-san. To even think about my parents like that."
"...No, I mean, I actually..."
"Yes, I know. I feel the same way. I know you said that while swallowing your own true feelings."
Please don't say any more...
I could tell from Sara-san's expression that she was feeling exactly what I was.
I won't go so far as to call it a heart-to-heart, but it made me happy to feel like we understood each other so perfectly. The fact that Sara-san was smiling suggested she felt the same way.
"Fortunately, we have Monday and Tuesday off, so on Monday night, I'll definitely stay—"
"I’d like to be the one to ask for that. Sara-san, please stay at my house on Monday."
(Oooooh!!!!)
"Yes!! Since I've been away for a whole week, there are so many things I want to do for you, Kazunari-san."
Perhaps because I was the one who had asked, a smile so radiant it was like a flower blooming appeared on the smartphone screen.
I could feel my own cheeks heating up.
"Let's talk a lot when I get back. I'll make plenty of your favorite meals, and we'll sleep together at night... Please let me cuddle you, okay?"
(Gaha!!)
"Y-Yes. I'm... uh, happy about that too..."
When she put it into words like that, it was incredibly embarrassing.
In the end, we spent the rest of the call just talking about what we'd do after she got back, and we didn't end up giving each other any actual updates on our day.
That was just how much our desire to see each other had grown...
One thing that bothered me was that while we were talking, I could see Sara-san looking at my face as if she were worried about something.
Maybe she had noticed something... but as long as the most important parts of the surprise were safe, it would be fine.
There was about one week left until Sara-san's birthday.
My life of secret part-time jobs was reaching its climax...
"He-Hey, Sara, you're really just staying over, right?"
Having unintentionally learned the reality of their domestic life during this school trip, I couldn't help but feel anxious hearing such bold plans.
I understood that Mayumi-san had officially sanctioned their relationship, and since it concerned the two of them, I knew logically that I shouldn't interfere.
But Sara was my best friend, and I considered Takanashi-kun a precious friend too, so please forgive me for having complicated feelings when I thought about what "sleeping together" implied...
"Of course. Why? Is there something bothering you?"
"No, that’s fine then. I’m just... happy that you two have become that close, that's all."
Of course, this was how I truly felt.
As someone who had been worried about them for a long time, I was honestly happy that their relationship was going so well.
"Natsumi... thank you. You've been such a help with Kazunari-san, so if anything comes up with Tachibana-san, please don't hesitate to consult me. Kazunari-san will help too."
"No, I told you, as for me..."
The conversation flew back to me and things started getting noisy... then I realized those three had been quiet for a while.
When I checked our surroundings, I saw that the other three girls were collapsed face-down on the floor.
Had they just drained their souls after overhearing the previous conversation?
"C-Cuddling and sleeping together..."
"I can't imagine it... I seriously can't picture it."
"Satsukawa-san must have a twin... The Satsukawa-san at school is definitely a different person..."
"What kind of life does she lead at Takanashi-kun's house? My image of her as a 'Goddess' has been completely obliterated by this trip..."
"But whenever a boy talks to her, she's still the usual cold Satsukawa-san, isn't she?"
The three of them still hadn't recovered from the shock, muttering to each other while supporting one another.
It seemed they hadn't heard the very last part of the call... That was a relief.
"Takanashi-kun, good work today."
Just as I loaded the last box into the car and let out a long breath, a voice called out from behind me.
I didn't even need to turn around to know the voice belonged to Todo-san.
"Good work. What's up, Todo-san?"
Ever since I started this part-time job at the shop, Todo-san had made a habit of coming to check on me.
Apparently, her house was nearby, so it was easy for her to drop by. If that weren't the case, I wouldn't have felt comfortable with a girl wandering around alone at night.
I had told her she didn't need to come every time because it was a lot of trouble, but she just said, "It's fine, don't worry about it," and I couldn't bring myself to turn her away any more than that.
"Here, a refreshment!"
Todo-san flashed her usual healing-type smile and held something out from behind her back.
In her hand was a canned coffee... no, a canned cafe au lait. It seemed she had brought it for me.
"Thanks... tsu!"
I tried to take it and instinctively reached out with my right hand. I ended up with a strange grip, and the top rim of the can dug right into a blister. The sharp pain made me recoil and let go.
Clang!!
The cafe au lait can hit the ground with a loud noise and rolled away.
"S-Sorry!"
I quickly leaned forward and picked the can up with my left hand. Todo-san had leaned forward to help, and as I straightened up, our eyes met.
"S-Sorry, I didn't hand it to you properly."
"No, I just grabbed it awkwardly."
"No... By the way, let me see your hand for a second."
Todo-san somewhat forcefully took my right hand and pulled off the work glove I was wearing. There, plain as day, were the blisters that had worsened since this morning, along with two newly formed ones.
"Eh!? What is this... Takanashi-kun, what happened?"
"No, they were there from the start..."
"Don't lie! To let them get like this..."
It was a lie told on impulse, but she saw right through it. I had been working on the flowerbeds with Todo-san recently; there was no way she'd believe that blisters painful enough to make me drop a can had been there all along.
"Ah, so that's why you didn't use your right hand at the flowerbed yesterday... Honestly, you have to tell me these things!"
It seemed she had already sensed something was wrong.
Still... I never expected the day would come when Todo-san would scold me.
Todo-san stared intently at my right hand, occasionally checking the blisters by lightly poking them with her finger. Then she looked up at me with a deeply worried expression.
"Takanashi-kun, you really should stop this part-time job..."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Besides, it's almost over, so I'll be fine."
"But..."
"Thanks for worrying about me. I'm really okay."
To make her understand that I had no intention of quitting, I ended the conversation and turned back to my cleanup work.
"...Honestly, you're hopeless..."
Leaving those words behind, I heard the sound of Todo-san's footsteps walking away. She had probably gone home. Even though she had gone out of her way to worry about me, I felt bad for turning her down so bluntly.
I’d have to apologize properly next time.
A short while after I resumed my work, I heard footsteps approaching again at a hurried pace. I continued working without turning around, but the person came right beside me and grabbed my right hand.
"Takanashi-kun, stop what you're doing for a minute."
"Todo-san?"
The person who grabbed my hand was Todo-san, whom I thought had gone home in a huff.
Looking closely, she was holding a first-aid kit.
She had actually gone home just to get this?
"Now, sit here."
She placed an empty P-box vertically to serve as a stool and instructed me to sit.
I obediently sat down, and she placed the first-aid kit on the cargo bed at the back of the kei car. She began pulling out bandages and antiseptic.
"It'll sting a bit, but be a good boy and hold still, okay?"
I felt like I was being treated like a child, but she was probably looking after me the same way she did for Mio-chan.
She seemed very experienced. She took my right hand, quickly disinfected it, and applied a large adhesive bandage. Then she smoothly wrapped the bandage around my palm and secured it with a bandage clip.
"There, finished! At least keep it like this until tomorrow morning."
"T-Thanks."
"I really want you to stop working already, but..."
"...I'm sorry."
"It's okay. A friend is working hard for someone precious to them, so it's only natural for me to support that!"
Todo-san really was a good girl.
It would be best if she could find happiness with Hayato, but even if that didn't happen, I wanted to help her in any way I could.
It was a moment where I felt that from the bottom of my heart.