I could still see the image of Ashida’s retreating back, her shoulders bouncing as she walked away. The emotional whiplash from seeing a side of Natsukawa she rarely showed was enough to make my ears pop, yet Ashida somehow managed to display a level of vitality that made it hard to believe she’d just finished club activities. I had too many questions, reality hadn't quite set in, and I still felt like I was trapped in a dream.
That included the fact that I was now alone with Natsukawa again.
"Kei... she was quite worked up, wasn't she?"
Who do you think's fault that is? My own composure was being chipped away in real-time, you know? As far as I was concerned, I felt like I was walking alone with my favorite idol. Hadn't I used up all my luck for the entire year? Was I even going to be able to live a normal life starting tomorrow?
"Natsukawa, you were something else too. That’s the first time I've ever seen you pounce on Ashida like that."
"Th-that was... I was just imitating Airi."
What was that? How could she be that cute?
I had lost count of how many times she’d been adorable today, but thinking about it calmly, this wasn't exactly a new development. I had simply forgotten because it had been a while since we’d spent time together, but Natsukawa was always cute. That was a law of nature. I’d started to think I was getting used to beautiful women lately, but now I knew the truth.
A man can never truly get used to a beautiful woman.
"...Speaking of Airi-chan, did you let Ashida meet her pretty early on?"
"Yeah, back in May, along with the other girls in the Volleyball Club."
"The Volleyball Club, huh. I don't really have any connection with the rest of them besides Ashida."
"It's quite a sight when they’re all together. Kei is the shortest one there."
"Are you serious...?"
Ashida was about level with my eyes... As expected of the Volleyball Club, that height was an advantage that seemed like it would be a huge asset in matches. Come to think of it, I'd never actually seen Ashida play. It wasn't like I could just waltz in and watch as a guy, anyway. When I’d run into her by chance during a break a while back, she’d shouted, "I'm drenched in sweat and I stink, so don't come near me!" before dashing away.
"That was the first time I ever introduced Airi to anyone I knew," Natsukawa said.
"Was she happy?"
"Everyone took turns holding her, and she just stood there looking dazed. She had this look on her face the whole time like, 'Who are you?' It was so cute..."
"Ugh..."
Whenever the topic turned to Airi-chan, Natsukawa became talkative, even with me. That made me happy and was wonderful—it made me want to toss a coin into a shrine box—but her occasional vocal impressions of Airi-chan during the conversation were foul play. Seeing a beautiful girl imitate a toddler made me feel like I was watching something I wasn't supposed to see. My teenage hormones were going into absolute overdrive!
"? What's wrong?"
"N-no, it's nothing."
It wasn't that Natsukawa lacked self-awareness... or rather, was that why it was so good? It would be a bit annoying if she perfectly grasped the extent of her own cuteness... she might end up with a haughty personality like that blonde girl, Shinonome-something-or-other, from a while back. Or she might start warding off men entirely.
If that happened, wouldn't Airi-chan be a concern? She was probably called cute even more often than Natsukawa was. Would she grow up to be well-adjusted because she was showered with affection, or would she develop a queen-like temperament...? Hmm, I was worried. Not that it was my place to say anything.
"Airi is cute, but... what about your sister, Wataru? She’s pretty, so wasn't she a cute older sister when you were little?"
"Pretty...? By the time I was old enough to know what was going on, she was already the Boss of the kids."
"The... the Boss of the kids?"
Natsukawa let out a little chuckle. From there, the sibling talk truly began. Since Airi-chan had been a trending topic since before summer break, I didn't have many questions left for her. Knowing how much Natsukawa loved her younger sister, I expected her to spend the whole time gushing about Airi-chan, but the conversation shifted toward questions about my Nee-chan instead. I spent the rest of the walk recounting my daily grievances and bitterness like a series of complaints.
Natsukawa broke into a wide, genuine smile. I was so happy she was laughing at my stories that before I knew it, I was proudly recounting one anecdote after another. I had a feeling they were all pathetic stories, but I didn't care.
As we walked, we reached a crossroad. When we hit the familiar path, I suddenly snapped back to reality. Wait, I’m talking normally with Natsukawa...? Before, she would run away almost every time I tried to talk to her. Even when I finally had a chance to speak normally, I would usually stumble over my words and my mind would go blank...
"..."
"Ah... I turn left here."
"Oh... right."
It was truly a dream-like moment. Without a doubt, it was the happiest time I'd ever spent with Natsukawa. It was the kind of moment that made me wish the walk would never end.
As we were about to part ways, Natsukawa walked a few steps, then stopped and turned halfway back toward me. She looked at me as if she were waiting for something. It felt like there was a spark of expectation in her direct gaze.
...What was I supposed to say? "Well, I'm going straight down this road," ...? What would be the point of stating the obvious? Why was I getting this nervous now, of all times...?
What was Natsukawa looking for...? The person who had created this situation wasn't me or Ashida, it was Natsukawa. What Natsukawa wanted... she must have mentioned it at some point. What did she say?
───Ah, that's it.
"...Well then, I'll message you later."
"Yeah, see you later."
That was it. That was the right answer. Natsukawa was smiling. It wasn't that hesitant, forced smile from when I'd pestered her into letting me walk her home before. This was entirely different—the difference between fake and real. The way our gazes met... everything I sensed with my five senses told me this was the correct path.
Natsukawa turned her back to me. The moment I could no longer see her face, a wave of relief welled up in my chest, as if I’d finally been allowed to breathe again. It was so contradictory to my feelings for her that I couldn't make sense of it.
However, the lingering sense of regret was exactly the same as it had been back then.
◆
After I got out of the bath, a notification popped up on my phone saying I’d been invited to a group. Thinking, "No way," I hurriedly checked, and it turned out Ashida had created a group with me and Natsukawa. It already had a name.
'K and the Siscons'
Was she trying to start a fight?
Hoh, siscon? Of all things, she was calling me a siscon? Natsukawa aside, me? Hmph, don't make me laugh... I can stay perfectly composed even if I see Nee-chan in a state of total disarray.
I accepted the invitation and joined the group.
【Who's a siscon?】
【Aichi admitted it, you know?】
【I was a siscon.】
Yeah, I forgot, I was a total siscon. It was bad; I couldn't even look Nee-chan in the eye. My knees would literally start shaking if we made eye contact. Before I knew it, I’d be bowing my head in submission; I was just a walking bundle of complexes.
Wait, was Natsukawa watching this exchange right now? Could I actually exchange messages with Natsukawa legitimately? "Legitimately" sounded so intense. Just how much of a special existence did I think Natsukawa was?
【Wataru, you get along well with your sister, don't you?】
"Sister-in-law" is—wait, no, she wrote "older sister." It was an optical illusion; I was definitely tired. Was it my imagination, or was Natsukawa acting a bit more casual? Was she like this over text...? Oh man, this was irresistible; my excitement was through the roof.
【We get along well enough that I'll give up my hamburger steak at dinner for her.】
【I saw that dynamic in an instant, Sajocchi...】
【(´꒳`)】
Natsukawa-san, I'd been vaguely noticing since before we parted ways, but you really like stories about me and my Nee-chan, don't you? And what was with that cute emoticon? Did she go out of her way to pick that out? Man, my imagination was running wild. The possibilities of social media were infinite. And dear Older Sister, I look forward to your continued support in making me look interesting.
【You were the same way with Airi, weren't you?】
【Tell me more about that! Aichi, tell me more!】
【Wait, Natsukawa, I really want you to wait.】
【No.】
Guh... what was with this slightly childish vibe! For a girl who wasn't usually very selfish to act a bit spoiled behind the scenes... there was a limit to how much you could tug at a man's heartstrings! I needed to go to my bed. I felt more like kicking my legs around than I ever had in my life.
While I was doing that, Natsukawa went on to describe the day I played with Airi-chan. Apparently, the sight of me bowing and scraping while acting as a horse for her had really hit her funny bone.
Wait, wait, back then you were worried about whether I was tired or not...! Does that mean you were laughing on the inside the whole time!? That's cruel... Why!? Why was that...!? Why did I suddenly feel a desperate urge to play the horse again...?
【Hoh... combined with what happened today, I wonder if Sajocchi likes younger girls?】
【Eh, Airi...?】
Like hell I do.
Whoa, this was a dangerous turn... No, wait, let's actually think about this seriously. How was I, really? Setting Airi-chan aside for a moment, did I like younger girls or not?
In the first place, what kind of younger girls were even in my orbit? Recently, there was Sasaki-san. I had thought she was much older the entire time... but after seeing her in that middle school uniform, the "college girl" impression had definitely faded. It had such a strong impact that I couldn't get the image out of my head.
But really, how did I feel? Now that I knew she was younger, she had that vibe of a girl trying to act more mature, but even ignoring that, she was just way too sophisticated. She was so refined. Even if I understood it logically, she didn't feel like a "younger girl" to me. To begin with, it felt like we lived in different worlds, so it felt wrong to categorize her as a "typical younger girl."
Who else...? That's weird, why did Inatomi-senpai's face just pop into my head? She was a senior, wasn't she? Wow, she was becoming more prominent in my mind than anyone else I knew. I’ll just pat her head in my imagination... Hey, Mita-senpai, could you please get out of the way?
Who else? Sasaki's sister, Yuki-chan-san...? Was it Yuki-chan-san? What about her? She was incredibly devoted, wasn't she? I won't say toward whom. I wondered if I'd be like that if I had a little sister.
...
【What constitutes a 'younger' type again?】
【Huh?】
【Huh?】
...Huh?
Huh?