I contacted Hiiragi's parents every night.
It was to give them regular status updates.
That said, I kept the fact that we were dating a secret.
Telling them I had become her boyfriend for a strictly limited one-week period would only invite needless misunderstandings.
In the worst case, they might suspect some kind of improper relationship.
So while keeping certain details deliberately vague, I simply told them that there was a good chance she would return to school.
Today was Sunday, the third day of my stay.
If we spent another full week without any issues, our normal high school lives would probably return.
Ah, that reminded me.
I had received a message from Amanatsu.
She had bombarded me with questions asking if we would be able to see each other again on Monday.
Naturally, there was no way I could, but I simply replied that I would go if I could make it.
If I told her on Monday that my cold had flared up again, that should buy me a few more days.
Now then, this afternoon was my date with Sakura.
My shift at Blue Note wrapped up in the morning.
I felt bad about the sudden hole in the schedule caused by Murata-senpai taking time off, but Toshiie-san had encouraged me, telling me not to worry and to go make the most of my youth, so I decided to take him up on the offer.
Well, from my perspective, there wasn't a single shred of youth to be found in any of this.
"Must be nice, going on a date! I wanna play with Subaru too!"
"Woof!"
I took turns patting the heads of a pouting Shizuka-chan and Fujimaru-kun.
"I'll play with you tonight. I'll buy you a souvenir, too."
"Yay, thank you!"
Since I spent time with Shizuka-chan every day while playing with Fujimaru-kun, we had grown quite close. I truly hoped she would keep growing up pure and healthy just like this.
"S-Subaru, sorry to keep you waiting!"
As I waited in the lobby of Blue Note, which was steeped in the scent of the sea breeze, Sakura appeared in casual clothes.
Her long hair was styled in neat curls.
She wore a tucked-in outfit, with a white T-shirt paired with a short skirt.
It accentuated her beautiful silhouette, suiting Sakura's model-like figure perfectly.
"You look lovely."
"!?"
When I complimented her, Sakura looked away and quickly lowered her head.
Looking up at her, Shizuka-chan pointed right at Sakura's face.
"Ah~ Big Sis is blushing!"
"H-Hey, stop that already!"
With flushed cheeks, Hiiragi glanced sideways at me with a pout.
Unfortunately, since I had no particular interest in fashion, I was just wearing a standard pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
"You look just like I expected, Subaru... I mean, it suits you."
Even so, Sakura still gave me a compliment.
Exchanges like this were probably important when dating someone.
"Is that so? Thank you. Well, I made a reservation, so shall we get going?"
"Yeah!"
I had handled the reservation myself.
The place was located about three train stations away.
We rode the train to the nearest station and walked from there.
At times like this, it was probably best for me to walk on the side closer to the road.
I also matched my pace to Sakura's, shortening my stride.
"Aren't you hot, Sakura? It's supposed to get above thirty degrees today, so make sure you drink plenty of water."
"Will do."
"If it gets too tough, we'll take a break, so tell me right away."
"...Thank you."
As we walked side by side, Sakura muttered quietly.
"...Aren't you, like, way too good at handling girls?"
"Is that a compliment?"
"Hmm, barely."
"Where are you deducting points?"
"It makes me picture other girls, wondering if you do things like this for anyone else."
"I see..."
So this was the thought process of a jealous girl.
Whether it was because I was a guy or just my innate nature, I couldn't understand that feeling... but precisely when you don't understand, a boyfriend is expected to make an effort to try... presumably.
"Rest assured, this is genuinely my first date."
It was true that growing up around a female childhood friend might have made me somewhat accustomed to the opposite sex.
However, that didn't mean every single thing I did came from past experience.
"I spent yesterday thinking about all sorts of things for our date, Sakura. Trying to imagine what would make you happy."
"For me...?"
"If you enjoyed it, that's because I was thinking of you. So please don't take it the wrong way."
When I looked at Sakura's face, her lips were pursed, and the corners of her mouth were curving upward into a grin.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"Right now, I am at maximum happiness!"
What a complete turnaround.
Where did that "barely a compliment" remark go?
Come to think of it, she had just been intimidated by everything that had happened; originally, she was a girl overflowing with cheerful energy.
"Fufufu♪"
Leaping ahead with a light, graceful step, Sakura clasped her hands behind her back and looked up at me.
"I can't wait to see the place Subaru reserved for me~"
"I have absolute confidence in it."
"Ooh, raising your own bar, are we?!"
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I have discerning taste when it comes to picking places. Expect great things."
This wasn't just my subjective opinion, either.
Online, the shop's rating was an astounding 4-plus stars.
The reviews were brimming with gratitude and delight.
Naturally, I had done my research to ensure Sakura would have a good time.
I looked into the things she liked, eliminated all personal bias, and carefully selected the spot that would bring her the greatest joy.
And finally, we arrived at our destination.
"Here it is."
Beside a Sakura brimming with anticipation, I looked up at the sign of the shop inside the building.
'Bow-Wow Mame Shiba Cafe Nikuq!!'
"..."
◇
Ah, so this was where paradise was located.
To the right, Mame Shibas. To the left, Mame Shibas as well.
And on my lap, yet another Mame Shiba.
"Now, now, take turns. I'll give treats to all of you~"
When I stroked its chin, it tilted its head with a melting expression.
Even though I knew it was only after the treats, I could almost fool myself into thinking it genuinely liked me...
"Aren't you a cutie~"
"Hey, isn't this weird?"
Sakura was knitting her brows.
"What is?"
"First of all, shouldn't you be making that kind of face at your girlfriend, me?!"
That was a hundred times more ridiculous, making me let out a short scoff.
"Are you trying to say you're cuter than these little guys?"
"...Ugh, well, that's..."
Time taken to completely shut her down: a mere two seconds.
It wasn't even an argument worth having.
For a human to think they could beat dogs was utterly presumptuous.
"Putting the Mame Shibas aside for a second... You definitely didn't pick this place for me, Subaru. You just wanted to come here yourself!"
"That hurts. I used the information I was given as a reference. We both like dogs, and your absolute favorite food is omurice, Sakura."
I pointed toward the cafe section, which was partitioned off from the petting area.
"This dog cafe takes its food seriously, and they serve meals in a separate area."
I loved eggs as well.
I regularly bought my favorite egg sandwiches, and I loved the egg tarts from the bakery near Amanatsu's house.
Whenever I ate tantanmen at Shinonome's family restaurant, I always ordered a seasoned egg as a topping.
"A date should be enjoyed by both parties, shouldn't it? If your partner looks bored, can you truly laugh from the bottom of your heart? I certainly can't."
Haaah~ Chappy-chan the Mame Shiba was licking my hand.
"No, your girlfriend right next to you is totally complaining, yet you're smiling from ear to ear!"
How noisy.
It was just that pursuing what we both liked had naturally led us here.
Well, if I had to make excuses...
The role model I looked to when acting like a boyfriend was my father.
After all, the only couple close to me was my parents.
As a result, it couldn't be helped that our tastes in picking places overlapped a bit.
"Nnnngh, at this rate, I'm going to end up completely defeated!"
With that, Sakura dropped onto all fours and lowered her posture.
"Woof."
"............What are you doing?"
"I thought maybe Subaru would dote on me if I did this."
"That kind of calculated cuteness is a privilege reserved strictly for animals, you know."
"Tehehe, that was obviously a joke..."
Even so, if I was going to act like a boyfriend, making my girlfriend sad wouldn't be right.
"Here."
"...!?"
I reached out and stroked Sakura under the chin.
The sensation of smooth, unblemished, fair skin registered against my fingertips.
Her body jerked as if jolted by electricity, and she looked up at me with her mouth hanging open.
"A-Ah, augh..."
Sakura scrambled to her feet and squeezed out a trembling voice.
"I-I'll go order some drinks!"
As she walked away, she muttered under her breath.
"Uwaaaah, I lost again!"
◇
Dusk had completely fallen.
Time really flew when you were having fun.
Arriving back at our station, the two of us walked side by side on the road back to Blue Note.
"Did you enjoy our first date?"
"Hmm, for me personally, 120 points. For a maiden's heart, 15 points."
"You really shouldn't put a score on someone's feelings like that."
"I have no comeback for that!"
Letting out a soft breath, Sakura chuckled.
"But you know, it was the second happiest thing that's happened to me recently."
"What was the happiest, then?"
"That would be you staying behind at Blue Note for my sake, Subaru."
Saying that, she swung the Mame Shiba keychain we had bought as a souvenir for Shizuka-chan, gazing down at it.
"You were against it when I said I was staying, weren't you?"
"Emotions and actions are sometimes contradictory things..."
Those words hit the nail on the head better than anything else to describe Sakura Hiiragi.
Giving up on her long-held crush for the sake of her friend.
Enjoying our date despite having claimed she didn't want to be with me.
Choosing to date me, even in a temporary relationship, just to give up on falling in love with me.
This girl was full of contradictions.
When she suddenly stopped in her tracks, I turned around.
Sakura was fidgeting, clenching and unclenching her right hand.
"Thank you for taking me out on a date. It was really fun."
"I see."
I answered and turned to keep walking, but Sakura didn't move.
"?"
When I tilted my head in confusion, she hurriedly fell into step beside me.
As we walked down the long, straight slope, the back of my left hand occasionally brushed against her right.
Recalling that this was also part of the deal, I took her hand.
"...!"
In an unfamiliar town,
Skipping school, I was holding hands and walking with a female classmate I had hated even being around until just recently.
It was a strange feeling.
It was a sensation that made something deep inside my chest stir, just a tiny bit.
"Hey, for the next date, can I decide where we go?"
"Did you hate my plan that much?"
"No, I just thought I'd like to put some thought into doing something for your sake, too."
"..."
I looked up at the sky.
A beautiful twilight sky stretched out between the scattered, wispy clouds, and looking at it reminded me.
According to the forecast, a typhoon was supposed to arrive over the weekend.