Sakura repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, looking just like a goldfish gasping for air.
"H-Huh? Hatsukade, does that mean..."
"Stop using that overly formal name. Subaru is fine."
"...Subaru."
She gave the sleeve of my rain jacket a tight little tug.
"...I'm really gonna take you at your word, you know?"
"I'm being completely serious."
"You're the one who made me fall for you in the first place. I'm definitely not giving up, and I will make you look my way."
"If you can pull it off, sure."
"I'm gonna explain everything to Nakina, too. Don't blame me when I declare war and things turn into a total disaster."
"I'm fully prepared for that..."
For a fleeting second, an image of Amanatsu's despairing face crossed my mind, but... well, this was strictly a fair contest.
To me, Amanatsu, Shinonome, and Sakura were all standing on the exact same starting line.
Framing it like that sounded kind of arrogant and gave off a bad impression, admittedly.
Still, seeing as I didn't have feelings for anyone right now, it couldn't be helped.
"Look, romance is a fickle thing. Even after everything we've said, you might get sick of me in a few months, Sakura, or I might end up falling for someone else entirely."
"That might happen for you, Subaru, but definitely not for me! After all, I've got seven whole years of unrequited love under my belt!"
Careful not to startle Fujimaru-kun, she pumped her right fist lightly and flashed a bright smile.
"That being said, though, there's no real guarantee you aren't lying to me, Subaru."
"I suppose that's true. On that front, you'll just have to take my word for it."
"Which is why I think I'll test the waters just a little."
With that, she took hold of my arm.
She smoothly slipped into my space, naturally ending up in my embrace.
We locked eyes, so close I could hear the faint sound of her breathing.
"..."
"..."
She gently rested her head against my chest.
Then, her eyes narrowed into a deadpan glare as she puffed out her cheeks.
"Your heart isn't racing at all! You liar."
"I took back my refusal to fall in love, but I never promised I definitely would."
"You're a total fraud."
"If that's what you think, then hurry up and teach me what love feels like."
"Don't go dropping lines like some tragic anime monster in real life."
She rubbed her head against my chest.
Glancing down, I saw that her ears were burning a bright, fiery red.
"Aren't you just finding excuses to drag out our cuddle time?"
When I called her out, Sakura playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Ehehe, caught me, huh?"
Despite admitting it, she only clung to me tighter.
I see... She had completely abandoned any sense of shame.
Well, our temporary boyfriend contract was still technically active, so I decided to let it slide.
Shifting the arm resting on her shoulder, I lightly patted her head.
"...Ngh."
Having buried her face shyly in my chest, she now looked up at me through her lashes.
"W-Wait. It's supposed to be my turn right now..."
Right then, a pair of headlights swept across us.
Blinded by the glare, I quickly turned my head away.
"!?!?!?"
By pure coincidence, Sakura had lifted herself up at that exact second, leaving our faces barely a pinky finger's width apart.
"~~~~~?!"
"Are you two okay?!"
Toshiie-san's panicked voice echoed as he came rushing toward us from behind.
The moment he saw us, he froze, stammering in shock.
"S-Sorry! Did I show up too early?"
"No, we were just wrapping up. Perfect timing, actually."
"I-Is that so? You're pretty bold for how quiet you look, Subaru."
"Uh, right, I guess."
Was it just my imagination, or were our conversations entirely out of sync?
I gave Sakura's arm a light pull.
She was utterly frozen, her entire face flushed bright red.
With no other choice, I scooped up top-priority Fujimaru-kun and headed back toward the car.
Phew. What an exhausting day.
◇
Back at Blue Note, Shizuka-chan thanked me endlessly.
While I tried to reassure her that everything had turned out fine, things escalated until she finally declared, "When I get to middle school, I'm gonna marry Subaru!"
Toshiie-san glared at me with a complicated scowl.
I offered a gentle letdown, saying, "You can't get married in middle school, you know."
Collapsing onto my bed with an utterly drained body, I drifted off to sleep almost instantly.
The next morning.
The pleasant chirping of birds and crisp sunlight filtered through the window.
The typhoon had cleared out far quicker than anticipated.
At this rate, the trains would be running on schedule from the morning.
I headed down to the living room to grab my morning coffee.
There, I found Sakura wearing an apron, happily cooking alongside Toshiie-san's wife.
"Oh, 'mornin', Subaru! Today's special is Sakura-chan's love-infused 'Darling Special' breakfast set!"
Sakura flashed a finger heart using her thumb and index finger.
"That menu name sounds like it's going to give me a headache this early in the morning."
"What's wrong with it? Ehehe, after everything that happened, I never got a single chance to cook for you, after all~"
Beside her, Toshiie-san's wife covered her eyes with both hands and murmured, "Ah, youth is so dazzling..."
Since I had free hands, I helped set the table with dishware.
Just then, Sakura picked up a piece of kinpira burdock with her chopsticks and held it out toward me.
"Here, taste test!"
When I took a bite, Sakura leaned in eagerly.
"Is it good?!"
"Yeah, I really like the seasoning."
"Yes! That definitely earned me some girlfriend points. Hehehe, maybe you'll end up dating me way sooner than you think, Subaru!"
She cheered with carefree optimism.
What was this girl's mental resilience made of...? She had been in the depths of despair just yesterday, yet her recovery was frighteningly fast.
"Wait, you two weren't already dating?!"
Seeing the wife's eyes widen in utter shock, I scratched my cheek, unsure of how to phrase it.
"Well, it's a bit complicated."
"I see, is that how it is? Oh, I completely understand. The tangled webs of romance... Yes, that man and I once had... Ah, youth is so blinding..."
Was it just my imagination, or was she harboring some massive, absurd misunderstanding?
Before I could correct her, however, Toshiie-san and Shizuka-chan walked in after waking up, leaving the confusion unresolved.
Well, it probably didn't matter.
After finishing breakfast, I went back to my room to pack up.
Sakura and I had already agreed the night before to leave as soon as the weather cleared up post-typhoon.
At long last, it was time to say goodbye to Blue Note.
"Subaru, you ready?!"
Sakura barged into the room without even knocking.
"Yeah, ready whenever you are."
"Um, hey, would it be okay if we explored the town a bit before heading home? I want to pick up some souvenirs for my family, and besides..."
"Besides what?"
"Our boyfriend contract isn't officially over yet. As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to waste a single minute or second of this bonus time."
"..."
Well, I was the one who challenged her to make me fall for her.
If she wanted to milk this opportunity for all it was worth, I couldn't really complain.
From there, Sakura and I finished saying our goodbyes to Toshiie-san and his family, and I played with Fujimaru-kun to my heart's content.
Parting with Fujimaru-kun was tough, but since I had exchanged contact info with Shizuka-chan, she promised to send me regular photo updates.
I'd settle for that.
And so, seen off by everyone, Sakura and I left Blue Note behind.
"...I wanna hold hands."
"Sure."
Indulging her spoiled request, I held hands with her as we walked through the shopping district near the station.
I supposed this would be the last time I'd see this town for a while.
A strange wave of nostalgia washed over me.
Come to think of it, I felt like I was forgetting something...
Oh, right.
I had completely forgotten to reply to Amanatsu, which was normally part of my daily routine.
With all the chaos, I hadn't checked my notifications at all.
Unlocking my phone, I opened the messaging app, when...
A sudden clatter sounded from behind us.
When I turned around, broad daylight though it was, two ghosts were standing there.
Wait, no—looking closer, it was Amanatsu and Shinonome.
What in the world were they doing here?
The moment their eyes locked onto our held hands, they both shrieked.
"Fueh?!"
"W-Whaaat?!"
I was the one who wanted an explanation.