Once we passed through the school gates, I tried to adjust my pace to Natsukawa’s, but I noticed something was off. I couldn't seem to stay in step with her. Curious, I checked and saw her glancing down at my feet with a restless energy. Wait... was she trying to match my speed?
I watched her in silence as we turned onto a narrow sidewalk. Cars were rushing past us on a road with nothing but a thin white line for a border, forcing us to walk along the very edge. When I tried to take the traffic side just as I always did, Natsukawa made a move I hadn't expected, confirming my suspicions.
"Um... Natsukawa?"
"W-What is it...?"
"I’m not Airi-chan, you know."
"Hah?! What are you talking ab—"
"I mean... matching your walking speed, and trying to shove me aside so you can take the road side..."
"Eh...?"
"Look."
I gently gripped her shoulders and steered her to the opposite side. I'd touched her on a whim, but surely she wouldn't mind? If she swiped my hands away, I’d probably just start crying. But, man... her shoulders were so slender.
I kept a nervous eye on her, but instead of the reaction I'd feared, she just stared at me, looking dazed. Had she not realized what she was doing? Or was I being so childish that her behavior had nothing to do with Airi-chan? If it was the latter, I was being treated like a toddler.
"T-Thanks..."
"Being able to do that naturally is pretty impressive."
It was that "Big Sister Power" of hers. Honestly, she was more of a gentleman than I was. Though there was a difference: a big sister shoved you aside while shouting, "It's dangerous, move over here!" like she just did, whereas a gentleman was supposed to subtly take the road side.
"I wonder if I could've pulled off some cool moves if I had a younger sibling."
"...I can't really see you as a big brother, Wataru."
"Hey, come on. Think of how I am when I play with Airi-chan."
"Instead of being a big brother, wasn't that just you regressing to childhood?"
"Isn't matching a kid's level an adult thing to do?"
"I don't think you need to match their actual age..."
Talk about a total rejection.
It’s not like I play like that because I want to. I just didn't know how else to talk to a little kid, so I figured I had to think like one. Either that or just commit to being a horse or a jungle gym.
"Did you ever interact with small children among your relatives?"
"I’m the youngest in the entire family," I replied.
There was one cousin the same age as me, but since my birthday was a few months later, they used it as an excuse to demand I show them respect as an older sister every time we met. They'd been way too influenced by Nee-chan.
"Oh, I see..."
"What's with the smirk?"
"I-I'm not... smirking!"
I could tell from her voice she was laughing. A quick glance showed her looking all warm and fuzzy. She was definitely thinking this was heartwarming or something.
"Don't underestimate the true youngest child, okay? The amount of New Year's money I got back in elementary school was insane."
"Pfft... is that right—pff, haha!"
"Aren't you laughing a bit too much?"
She was finding the "youngest child" thing way too funny. What was so amusing? Was it just the sight of me bragging about it? Even as the youngest, once you hit high school, the doting stops. You're just another adult. Since every parent has already raised their own kids by then, they never ask things like "How’s school?" or "Got a girlfriend?" It's more of a "we'll leave you be" vibe that makes me feel even more self-conscious. I'm the type people monitor from a distance through New Year's cards.
"Is anyone coming to the Cultural Festival tomorrow?"
"Nah. I was born and raised here, but my parents' hometowns are all over the place, so my relatives are far away."
"Oh, I see."
"How about you, Natsukawa?"
"For me... everyone's close by, I think. Both my dad and mom are only children, so it’s just my grandma's sisters. I don't even have cousins."
"Wait, really?"
I'd never really thought about someone not having cousins or uncles. I had so many I could barely count them. I used to get cards and money from relatives I didn't even recognize.
"But it must be easy to get together when everyone's close."
"Eh? Get together?"
"You know, family gatherings."
"Do families actually gather like that...?"
"They don't?"
"No..."
I wasn't sure which was the norm anymore. I usually got summoned at the start of every year. I missed the third year of middle school because of exams, so my last time showing up was in second year.
"Do yours really gather even though they live so far apart?"
"My Great-grandmother on Dad's side is the Big Boss. She's been an immovable force since before I could remember."
"Great-grandmother?"
"Yeah, Great-grandma. She's a powerful lady over eighty. And the sheer number of people under her is massive."
"Huh... I see."
Come to think of it, we never really gathered on Mom's side. There aren't many relatives there, just some individual greetings.
"I'm kind of jealous..."
"Nah, it's just a hassle when there are that many. They make me write a ton of New Year's cards."
"I think it sounds nice. Writing cards is fun."
"Nee-chan seems to enjoy that part too... It really is a girl thing."
"I don't think that's the reason..."
Girls always seemed to enjoy stationery. Even during her blonde gal Era, my sister would sit there all arrogant with her legs crossed while she wrote. Seeing her with a postcard was a total mismatch. Seriously, if she wasn't a delinquent, why was she blonde?
"What about your side, Natsukawa? No gathering, but maybe for the festival?"
"Hmm... it's not really that kind of relationship... I only see them at certain milestones."
"Ah... yeah, that's how most people I know seem to be. I guess I'm the same, really, seeing people for Obon or New Year's. It's just that with more people, the milestones happen more often. Weddings, funerals, that sort of thing."
"Oh, but my dad and mom were planning to bring Airi."
"Wait!!"
"I reflexively told them not to come... Since I'm on the committee, I won't have much free time anyway."
That gave me a heart attack. I almost imagined her parents showing up in my classroom. I'd only ever caught a glimpse of her mother once at their house, and I haven't given her a proper greeting. It would've been incredibly awkward. Especially since Natsukawa might have told them about how I used to follow her around.
"Oh, right. Since you're an Executive Committee Member, you'll be busy... Is that why you're going around with Ashida?"
"Yeah, Kei and I coordinated our schedules for the second day. I don't want to do this again next year..."
"I'm sure you'll feel differently by the time you're a third-year, but being on the committee as a freshman is rough. You want to enjoy the festival first."
"Yeah."
I recalled that Hasegawa-senpai, the president, had volunteered. People like her must have a completely different level of school spirit than we do.
"Wataru...? Um, on the second day... do you have plans with someone?"
"Eh? Oh... not really."
I had my role as a plant for the Riddle Contest, but since it was during the peak hours, I hadn't made any specific plans. Oh, but I did have a more important job on the first day: guiding Sasaki-san with Ichinose-san. I had to make sure I didn't forget that.
"Nothing specific on the second day."
"I see... in that case..."
She looked up at me with a trace of anxiety. Natsukawa, who was already going around with Ashida, was asking about my plans. I wasn't so dense that I couldn't catch that hint, especially when it was her. Who could call themselves the Grandmaster of the Natsukawa Religion if they stayed quiet here?
"I'd hate to be bored at the festival. Mind if I tag along?"
"...! Yes!"
My eyes—wait, she's so bright!
She's giving me a smile like that? Something inside me just went thump and vanished. My left shoulder actually felt a little lighter. I'd been feeling like someone was watching me in the middle of the night lately; maybe that ghost just passed on.
I looked at her cautiously. Her carefree smile lacked her usual "honor student" mask; she looked as innocent as a child. It was a glimpse of pure youthfulness peeking through a gap in her subtle charm, something different from Airi-chan.
"Crap..."
I'm so used to being in love with her that I almost forgot! I just remembered the exact moment I fell for her back in middle school! That feeling where my whole world instantly bursts into color... yeah, this is definitely love. There’s no doubt about it.
I slipped my hand into my blazer and tapped my chest. I didn't think I could keep my heart from racing while just standing here. I probably had the worst arrhythmia of any high schooler on the planet.
Man... I'm losing it.
"W-Well... if it makes you that happy, I'm glad I asked."
"............Hey."
"Oh, that reminds me, we got the handbooks. Have you and Ashida decided where you're going?"
"Hey, Wataru."
"Yeah?"
"When you say you have nothing specific on the second day... does that mean you have a promise with someone on the first?"
...Wait. Huh?