Yesterday was quite an ordeal.
Where Katsurama found the guts was beyond me, but the bastard actually went and punched me.
Because the police got involved, I was kept until night for questioning. Between that and contacting the school, I hadn't had a single moment to catch my breath.
We'd probably find out what was going to happen to Katsurama on Monday.
I wasn't the one deciding his fate anyway, so whatever happens, happens.
I shared those thoughts with Shinonome.
She gave me an exasperated look.
"...Hey, Hatsukade."
"What?"
"After everything that happened yesterday, how can you just casually come here to eat ramen?"
I paused my chopsticks, which were midway through slurping up tantanmen.
"What's wrong with going to a ramen shop to eat ramen?"
"No, that's not what I mean. I've been thinking about all sorts of things, you know? Like what I should say when I see you on Monday, or what kind of face I should make. You completely ruined all of it. Just what is wrong with your head?"
"If you have a complaint, take it up with your stepdad."
I glanced at the kitchen, but no one was there right now.
It was already past last call, so we were the only customers left in the shop.
"Your parents wouldn't take no for an answer when they said they were bringing a gift box to my house or getting down on their knees to apologize, you know."
Right after the incident with Katsurama yesterday, Shinonome's parents had thanked me to an almost nauseating degree.
And once they found out that Shinonome had pulled a fake confession on me, they turned pale and bowed their heads even lower.
To be honest, dealing with that was far more exhausting for me than anything Katsurama did.
"I thought I managed to talk them out of it, but at that rate, they looked ready to march straight over to my place, so I came to collect my thanks in person. Your family's tantanmen tastes way better and is far more exciting than some random box of sweets. You should be prouder of that."
"I never knew it was possible to feel so unenthusiastic about being praised this much."
As for her stepdad, as soon as he finished making the ramen, he had said, "I'm gonna step out for a smoke," and walked off. Did he think he was leaving Shinonome and me alone together? An unnecessary bit of consideration.
Then, looking somewhat embarrassed, Shinonome began fidgeting and twiddling her fingers.
"...It was just like you said, Hatsukade. When I told them everything, Mom and Dad got super mad and I worried them a lot, but I feel so much better now. And, well..."
Glancing sideways at me, she muttered softly.
"I'm planning to properly apologize to Nakina at school tomorrow. When I apologized the other day, things were left pretty half-baked."
"I see. Do whatever you want."
Having finished my tantanmen, I stood up from my seat.
"Tell your stepdad thanks for the food. I'm heading out."
Shinonome pouted.
"You could at least say a little something... Well, I know you're just like that, so whatever."
Grumbling, she turned away.
Hmm. A lot had happened between us, but I'd already let bygones be bygones.
"Shinonome."
"What?"
"...I hope you two can make up."
"Wha—?!"
I walked out of the shop.
Today's tantanmen was just as delicious as ever.
Her stepdad's skills truly were first-rate.
◇
After leaving the shop, I went to a park a short distance from my house.
Located right in the middle of the city, its spacious grounds were full of greenery and bustling with a weekend crowd.
Even for me, eating tantanmen two days in a row was a bit concerning.
Considering the dietary habits in modern Japan, the risk of lifestyle-related illnesses is immense, even for young people.
Since I want to keep eating delicious food until the day I die, I figured I would go for a longer walk today, but...
"Oh hey, Hatsukade! Yahoo, what a coincidence!"
Hearing that voice instantly gave me a headache.
Looking back, the blonde gal dressed in running gear, Sakura Hiiragi, was smiling and waving at me.
Wearing earphones, I tried to pretend I hadn't heard her and kept walking, but having zero intention of reading the room, she firmly grabbed my arm.
"Helllooo, didn't you hear me?! It's dangerous to walk around with music blasting in your ears!"
"Tch."
She was the one person I truly couldn't handle.
I understood that she wasn't a bad person at heart.
She was just an absolute menace without a single ounce of malice.
In terms of sheer nuisance, she was second to none.
Deeply annoyed, I pulled out my earphones.
"Do you need something?"
"Ehehe, since we're both here, let's take a walk together!"
"I declin—"
—At that moment.
A soft, heavy weight bumped against my hip.
A fluffy Siberian Husky had placed both front paws on me, leaning against my side.
"Ah, hey, Rooney, calm down!"
Rooney-kun wagged his tail furiously. Just when I thought he'd stepped away, he ducked between my legs and came back, sat down right on top of my toes, turned around to face me, and tilted his head with round, bead-like eyes.
What is this...? This throbbing, fluttering excitement racing through my chest...
Seeing me frozen in place, Hiiragi apparently got the wrong idea and forcefully tugged the leash, pulling Rooney-kun away.
"Ah," a pathetic sound slipped out of my mouth.
"Sorry! Are you bad with dogs?! It'd just be a bother if we walked with you, huh."
"...ot."
"Eh, what was that?"
"...I don't dislike them."
◇
Holding the leash, I walked through the park with Rooney-kun, who would occasionally look up to check my face.
Heheh, this boy seemed a bit mischievous. Whenever he spotted other dogs or friendly people, he happily tried to dash over to them, which made him quite a handful.
"Ahaha, I guess pets really do take after their owners. People tell me all the time that Rooney's personality is just like mine!"
Who on earth gave him such an insulting evaluation?
Go get on your knees and apologize to Rooney-kun.
If only Hiiragi weren't here, this would have been the ultimate day off.
"He's got so much energy it's crazy. Every single day, I take him on a one-hour walk before school and another one at night."
"...That's unexpected."
I totally figured she was the type to dote on a pet at first and then dump all the chores onto her parents once she got bored.
"Right? I actually love exercising quite a bit!"
"Ah..."
Please, just be quiet.
Don't interrupt my time with Rooney-kun any further.
Suddenly, Hiiragi hugged Rooney-kun and rubbed her cheek against his.
"Who's a good boy? You're so cute today too!"
"Woof!"
Not fair. I want to do that too...
"Oh yeah, Hatsukade, do you know where Shii-chan lives? During the trek, you said you knew her dad, right?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Because she won't really tell me. You know how Shii-chan's been down lately, right? She's been super distant whenever I message her these past few days, so I was thinking I could drag her out of the house, do something fun, and listen to whatever's bothering her."
"I'm sure she'll perk up on her own eventually."
"Ehh~, you're as cold as ever. Well, I guess there's no way you'd know, considering how poorly you and Shii-chan get along."
Standing back up, Hiiragi grinned.
"So, how are things going with Nakina? You two look pretty cozy at school every day."
"There's nothing going on."
"There you go again~ Are you just trying to hide your embarrassment?"
"Hey, you really never learn, do you? Didn't Amanatsu tell you to cut that out?"
"I mean, Nakina keeps saying she's fine just being friends with Hatsukade-kun. But that's a lie, right? She already told you how she feels, but since she doesn't have a chance, she's staying by your side as a friend. To me, that just sounds like running away. Keeping that up will only hurt Nakina more."
"..."
She might not be wrong about that.
Well, this girl was the one who exposed Amanatsu's true feelings in the first place, though.
Clenching both fists in front of her chest, Hiiragi put on a radiant smile.
"I want my friends to be happy, so I'm gonna keep cheering Nakina on!"
"...Do whatever you want."
"I mean, I wish everyone would just be more upfront about who they like. Both Nakina and Shii-chan are way too roundabout. Nowadays, it's all about going all-in with pure devotion!"
"That's your business, but I personally think your meddling is going to blow up in your face one of these days."
"Ahaha, I'd like to say I'll be fine, but I did already cause trouble for Nakina. Hearing you say that kinda makes me lose confidence, though."
Chuckling, Hiiragi rummaged through her pouch.
"Ah, I forgot Rooney's treats."
Sigh, this is why I can't deal with her.
"I know a place that sells ice cream for dogs. Follow me. My treat."
"You're the best, Hatsukade!"
◇
I watched Rooney-kun happily devouring his ice cream on the terrace, my expression softening.
Sitting across from me, a visibly dejected Hiiragi muttered.
"When you said treat, you meant just Rooney's ice cream...?"
Well, obviously.
Why on earth would I buy anything for you?
I did owe her for the discount coupon on the trekking gear a while back, but that was strictly compensation for the trouble she caused me.
Therefore, I had no obligation to be nice to her.
I took a bite of my own ice cream.
I savored the refreshing chill, the vibrant citrus flavor, and the silky-smooth richness of the milk.
I had come here to burn off the excess sodium from the tantanmen, only to end up consuming a mountain of sugar instead. But seeing Rooney-kun's utterly sweet smile, worrying about sugar intake felt pointless now.
Suddenly, a question crossed my mind, and I voiced it.
"Hey, from the outside, this looks like a date, doesn't it? You have a boyfriend; is this really okay?"
"Eh? Ah, it's totally fine, totally fine! I make my love for darling crystal clear on social media every single day!"
Social media has gotten impressive lately; when did they add a feature like that?
"Besides, the whole reason I made that account in the first place was to express my love to darling!"
"You don't need to go out of your way to announce it to the world. Why not just tell him directly?"
"There are unavoidable circumstances surrounding that, you see, Hatsukade. It's a bit of a long story, but wanna hear it?"
"No. I'm busy feeding ice cream to my Rooney-kun."
"He's my dog, excuse you!"
When Rooney-kun finished licking up the ice cream, I held out my hand, and he looked up at me with wide eyes before resting his chin on my palm.
"Heheh."
"Creepy... Hatsukade, you actually laugh?"
Just what kind of person does she think I am?
It had been a truly blissful moment and I was reluctant to leave, but it was about time to head home.
Thinking that, I looked up—and locked eyes with a familiar face.
"No way... You're kidding..."
Amanatsu was standing there, looking pale as a sheet.
When the leash slipped from her hand, her German Shepherd, Hulk, took it in his mouth with an exasperated look and nudged it back into her palm.
Thinking this was about to get complicated, I turned toward the shop for the time being to order an ice cream for Hulk.