[Serina Mikage POV]
As soon as lunch break started, we headed for our usual bench in the courtyard.
Although the rain had stopped during the night, droplets still clung to the leaves of the shrubbery. Whenever the damp wind shook the branches, drops falling from above left dark marks on the ground.
The four of us sat down and laid out our lunches.
Sitting beside me, Rio opened the lid of her bento box but didn't pick up her chopsticks, turning toward me instead. Across from us, Kotoha and Miu were similarly waiting for me to speak.
"So?"
"...You mean about yesterday, right?"
"Yup. What all that 'a lot of things' was about. You promised you'd tell us properly, remember?"
"I know. But I'm not going to tell you everything, okay?"
"Just whatever you're comfortable sharing is fine, Serina."
Since Rio agreed without fuss, I clasped my hands in my lap.
I had already decided last night just how much to tell the three of them. I had no intention of revealing things Aiba-kun had shared only with me when he wasn't around to speak for himself.
"Yesterday, on my way home from the hospital, I ran into that guy who picked up my mechanical pencil before."
"Before... you mean the guy you accepted it from yourself?"
"Yeah. That guy."
Back then, I had thought he might be the person who saved me on the day of the fire. The three of them, who had been there at the time, also remembered that I had acted differently from usual.
"Did you run into him by chance?"
When Miu asked, I shook my head.
"He saw me leaving school and said he waited until my exam was over."
"Wait. Until your exam was over?"
"Yeah. And then he asked me to walk to the station with him."
The cheerfulness vanished from Rio's expression.
When I explained that he wouldn't let me pass no matter how many times I refused, and that he'd even assumed I wasn't actually uncomfortable, Kotoha and Miu set down their chopsticks as well.
"In the end, he reached out for me... and before he could touch me, Aiba-kun stopped him."
"Aiba-kun did?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he happened to hear my voice and ran over right away."
"Serina, he didn't actually do anything to you, did he?"
Rio peered into my face to make absolutely sure.
"Nothing happened. Because Aiba-kun came."
"I see... Thank goodness. If Aiba-kun hadn't shown up, who knows what would've happened."
"...Yeah. But I was so relieved."
Saying it aloud brought back the image of Aiba-kun's rain-soaked profile as he stood next to that boy.
He had rushed over drenched in the rain and shielded me without hesitation. The relief I felt the moment I laid eyes on him still lingered deep inside me. If he hadn't come, I didn't even know if I would have been able to get away from that spot.
No matter how many times I looked back on it, I couldn't thank him enough.
"That guy might try to approach you again, so you shouldn't walk home alone for a while."
"Yeah. I'll be careful. If anything happens, I'll tell the three of you right away."
When I answered, Rio nodded, looking satisfied for the moment.
"It's just, Aiba-kun wasn't okay either. After that boy left, his balance gave out, and by then, he already had a fever."
"His right shoulder that he injured before hadn't healed yet either, right?"
"Yeah. Even though his right shoulder was hurting, he tried to go home alone without saying anything, so I couldn't just leave him."
I told them how I supported Aiba-kun when he could no longer walk on his own and walked home with him. I also shared that since no one in his family was home at first, I stayed by his side until someone returned.
When I finished explaining that far, Rio slowly let out a breath, her face a mix of surprise and worry.
"...That 'a lot of things' you mentioned was way more intense than I imagined."
"I didn't expect things to turn out like that either."
I caught my breath and looked at the three of them one by one.
"But there's one more thing I want to tell you guys."
Rio and the others waited in silence for me to continue.
"...At Aiba-kun's house, we talked about that day, too."
A quiet pause fell over the three of them.
Then, Kotoha asked as if to confirm:
"...About the mall fire?"
"Yeah. Aiba-kun brought it up himself, saying he realized I'd already figured it out."
I squeezed the fingers clasped in my lap just a little tighter.
"It really was Aiba-kun who saved me that day. There's no mistake."
I was finally able to tell the three of them clearly.
Miu exhaled slowly, and relief seeped into the corners of Rio's eyes. Since all three of them had known for a while that I was convinced it was Aiba-kun, their reaction seemed less about surprise and more about relief that I had received the answer from the person himself.
"So it really was Aiba-kun."
"Yeah."
"You finally got to talk to him directly, huh?"
"...Yeah. I finally did."
I had finally been able to exchange words while looking back on the exact same memories with the person I had been searching for all this time.
The words we exchanged amid the fire weren't just remembered by me; Aiba-kun remembered them, too. As I reaffirmed that truth in my heart, the tension in my fingertips gradually faded away.
"Did Aiba-kun know from the very beginning that the person he saved in the fire was you, Serina?"
"Yeah. He said he knew."
"...Did that have something to do with what you mentioned before, about wanting you to choose the distance between you yourself?"
"Yeah. It was mostly just like I told you before. But as for what feelings led Aiba-kun to decide that, I can't share that. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize. I understand."
Kotoha nodded immediately, and Miu didn't press for more either.
Rio looked like she wanted to ask something, but seeing my expression, she kept her mouth shut.
Maybe there would come a day when I could share it with the three of them. Even so, the words Aiba-kun had spoken only to me and the vulnerability he had shown before me weren't things I wanted to reveal on my own when he wasn't there.
"Still, you were able to talk properly, weren't you?"
At Miu's voice, this time I nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah. We talked properly."
"I'm glad for you, Serina."
"You've wanted to talk to him for so long, after all."
"...Yeah."
At Rio's gentle voice, warmth spread through the depths of my chest.
"Was Aiba-kun able to get some rest after that?"
The moment I heard Kotoha's question, the scene from last night came flooding back.
"Yeah. In the end, he fell sound asleep."
As I answered, the heat and weight that had rested against my chest returned inside me.
The gentle breathing reaching my ears. The way Aiba-kun slowly let the tension drain from his body while supported in my arms.
He trusted me and fell asleep looking so relieved.
Just thinking about it filled my heart, and before I realized it, my right hand was touching my chest.
"..."
Noticing that the conversation had cut off, I looked up.
All three of them had frozen as if on cue. Rio's eyes were wide while holding her chopsticks aloft, and Kotoha was resting a hand against her mouth. Even Miu's eyes were open wider than usual.
"...Wh-what?"
Rio's lips softened into an uncontrollable grin.
"...Just now, Serina... you looked totally like a maiden in love."
"A m-maiden in love...?"
"I mean, who wouldn't be shocked? All three of us froze, didn't we?"
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Totally obvious. Just from remembering when Aiba-kun fell asleep..."
Rio placed both hands on her cheeks, deliberately narrowing her eyes with a dreamy expression to imitate me.
"...making a~ face like that."
"Rio."
"Okay, okay, I get it! I won't ask any more."
Admonished by Kotoha, Rio held up both hands slightly. Even so, her amused smile hadn't faded in the slightest.
"You should've done that from the start."
"Still, I'm not taking back that you looked super cute."
"I'm saying that part was unnecessary."
Rio chuckled under her breath, and even Kotoha's lips curled slightly. Miu didn't ask anything further either, and swept along by the mood, I let out a small laugh as I returned the hand on my chest to my lap.
Only the heat in my cheeks refused to fade right away.
"Did you hear if Aiba-kun was taking the day off from school today?"
Kotoha smoothly changed the subject for me.
"Yeah. Yesterday, Aiba-kun's mom said she was going to have him rest today even if his fever went down during the night. She said they'd decide about Friday after seeing how he does today."
"I hope he's feeling even a little better right now."
"Yeah."
Had his cough gotten worse than yesterday? Had the pain in his right shoulder settled down? Was he able to eat and drink fluids?
Even if I wondered, right now I had no way of checking.
"You haven't been able to hear how he's doing today?"
When Rio asked, I shook my head.
"I haven't. I don't know Aiba-kun's contact info."
"Come to think of it, you guys hadn't exchanged it yet, had you?"
"Yesterday, we really weren't in any position for that."
"That's true."
As Rio nodded in understanding, Kotoha lowered her eyes thoughtfully.
"It would put your mind at ease if you could ask him directly at times like this when you can't see him at school, after all."
"Yeah. That's part of it, but... it's not just about his health."
The three of them focused their gazes on me again.
Remembering what had just happened, I made a conscious effort not to touch my chest as I continued speaking.
"I want to talk a little even when we can't see each other at school, and if there's something I want to tell him after getting home, I wish I could say it without having to wait until the next day."
"In other words, you want to talk to Aiba-kun even when you don't have a reason?"
Rio asked playfully.
"...That's what I'm saying."
"You're awfully honest today."
"You're the one who made me say it, Rio."
"Because when I asked, you actually gave a straight answer."
Rio's voice bounced with delight.
If it had been me a little while ago, I might have deflected with vaguer words. Even so, right now I didn't want to deny these feelings.
"That's why... I want Aiba-kun's contact info."
Saying it out loud once more made my cheeks burn again.
"Then you should just ask him the next time you see him."
At Miu's words, I gave a small nod.
"...That's the plan. The next time we meet, I'll ask him myself."
"You already decided!"
Rio's face lit up instantly.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not bad at all! In fact, I'm kind of happy."
"Why are you the one getting happy, Rio?"
"I mean, you decided you want to ask him on your own initiative, Serina. It makes me want to cheer you on, you know?"
"...I don't need that. It'll just make me more nervous."
"I haven't even done anything yet!"
Rio laughed as she picked up her chopsticks again.
"You're going to ask Aiba-kun himself rather than having someone else give it to you, right?"
"Yeah. I want him to give it to me himself."
There was no hesitation in my voice as I answered Miu.
Rather than having someone else tell me without his permission, I wanted to ask him myself. On top of that, I wanted Aiba-kun to decide for himself whether to share it.
"Still, this is the first time you've ever asked a boy for his contact info, right, Serina?"
"...Yeah. The first time."
"So Aiba-kun is your first."
"...You're definitely phrasing that on purpose."
"Am I wrong, though?"
"You're not wrong, but still..."
Even as I retorted, I had no desire to deny it.
Aiba-kun was my first.
Thinking that felt embarrassing, yet a small flicker of joy was also born deep in my chest.
"Come to think of it, did you manage to ask for his given name?"
At the question Rio suddenly threw out, my fingertips stiffened slightly.
"...Don't ask about that."
"Ah, so you didn't get to—"
"Rio."
"Understood. I'll drop it."
With Kotoha calling her name, Rio backed off obediently.
On the day of the fire, Aiba-kun told me he would tell me his name once we got outside.
I wanted to receive the continuation of that day's promise from Aiba-kun's own voice.
That was why, even now, I wanted to keep that treasured deep within my heart.
While we were talking, lunch break drew to a close, and we hurriedly finished our meals.
Before the warning chime rang, the four of us stood up from the bench. On our way back to the school building, Rio reminded me, "Make sure you don't run away before asking, okay?" but not wanting any extra nervousness added, I pretended not to hear.
Even so, whenever I thought about the next time I would see Aiba-kun, the depths of my chest grew restless.
Asking for his contact info.
Put into words, it was such a simple thing.
◇◇◇
That night, I picked up my smartphone in my room.
Even when I opened my contact list, Aiba-kun's name wasn't there.
I knew he was taking the day off from school today. I had heard that whether he could attend tomorrow depended on his condition throughout today.
If his body felt terrible, I wanted him to rest without pushing himself. While that feeling was completely genuine, just thinking about when I might see him next made me feel lonely.
If I had his contact info, I could ask how he was doing directly.
Not only that, but we could exchange words even on days we couldn't meet at school. After coming home, when some trivial thought popped into my head, I could send it to him without having to wait until the next day.
From Aiba-kun, the first reply would surely be, "I'm fine."
If I texted back telling him not to dodge the question with just text, would he give a troubled smile? Or would he send the exact same words back?
Even though we hadn't even exchanged info yet, finding myself imagining such an exchange felt so amusing that my lips softened slightly.
During lunch break, I had been able to tell the three of them that I would ask the next time we met.
However, once I actually stood in front of Aiba-kun, I would surely be far more nervous than I was now. I didn't even know myself whether I'd be able to talk to him with a casual face, or if I'd get embarrassed halfway through and give up.
Even so, I wanted to take things just a little step further from a relationship where we only spoke when we happened to meet at school.
The promise we exchanged on the day of the fire still had a continuation, too.
Rather than demanding everything all at once, starting with just one thing was fine.
The next time we meet, I'll look Aiba-kun in the face and ask for his contact info myself.
Turning off the screen, as if to make sure I wouldn't run away this time, I pulled my smartphone along with that resolve close to my chest.
◇◇◇
[Naoki Aiba POV]
By Thursday night, my fever had gone down considerably.
While a slight cough still remained, the sluggishness in my body was lighter than in the morning. Even if it wasn't as much as usual, I was able to eat dinner, so as long as my fever didn't return tomorrow morning, I might be able to go to school.
As I got out of bed and sat in front of my desk, a light knock sounded on the door.
"Naoki, are you awake?"
"I'm awake."
Mom opened the door slightly and peeked inside the room.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better."
"I see. Your complexion looks better than yesterday, too."
Mom's eyes softened in relief, but her expression quickly returned to one of warning.
"Still, we'll decide whether you go to school tomorrow morning, okay? If your fever spikes again tonight, I'm making you stay home."
"I know."
"Your 'I know' and 'I'm fine' aren't very trustworthy, you know."
"Wait, both of them are no good?"
"Try reflecting on your past behavior."
When I fell silent, unable to argue back, Mom chuckled softly.
"You must have worried Koharu and Serina-san quite a bit. This time, listen properly to what the people around you say."
"...I'll be careful."
"Please do."
Mom checked my complexion once more and quietly closed the door.
Alone in the room, I returned my gaze to the top of the desk.
Lying there was the letter I had received from Mikage.
Last night, after waking up, I heard from Mom that she had driven Mikage home. Apparently, she had also told Mikage's parents that I was the one who saved her on the day of the fire.
Having even been told that they wished to thank me formally in person, I hadn't known how to respond.
On that day, I had simply done what I could.
There was someone left behind right in front of me, and I wanted to bring that person outside. As a result, a scar remained on my right shoulder, but compared to Mikage being safe, it wasn't any reason to feel regret.
However, I supposed that for Mikage, it wasn't something that could just end there.
She had searched for me, written a letter, and continued to remember the promise made with someone who hadn't even told her his name.
If you remember too.
I don't want the promise from that time to be something only I remember.
I had reread the words written in the letter just moments ago.
If she knew I was her rescuer from the fire, a sense of debt might mix into Mikage's choices. Even if she wanted to pull away, there was a possibility she wouldn't be able to refuse simply because I was the person who saved her.
Thinking that, I had kept my identity hidden until now.
Even now, I didn't think that judgment had been a mistake.
While I kept my identity hidden, Mikage had gradually exchanged words with me—not as a person from the fire, but as the me at school.
Getting to know me as Koharu's brother, stopping when we crossed paths in the hallway, listening to what I had to say, and choosing her own distance by her own will.
And yesterday, even after we confirmed to each other that I was the person from that day, Mikage hadn't gone home.
She had supported my wet body, taken my temperature, and stayed by my side until my coughing settled down.
Mikage had already given me the answer to the anxiety I hadn't been able to voice.
Not because I had saved her, nor for the sake of a promise or obligation. She was here because she hated the thought of leaving me alone and going home.
I didn't want to doubt words given to me so straightforwardly with my own anxieties.
She had told me to speak up if there was something I couldn't do, and she had waited until I could rely on her. Staying by my side yesterday and supporting my body were choices Mikage had made herself.
And in the end, when I was racked with coughing, she embraced me and let me sleep with my forehead resting against her chest.
When my thoughts reached that point, part of the memory suddenly took on a completely different outline.
I slept on her chest.
"..."
Resting my forehead there was something I remembered from the moment I woke up. Even so, with a head clouded by fever and fatigue, my awareness apparently hadn't registered what that place actually meant.
Now that my body felt better and I had finally regained my composure, the realization came rushing in late.
And it hadn't been a fleeting touch just to check a fever, either. Listening to her heartbeat right by my ear, supported by the arms wrapped around my back, I had completely let all the tension drain from my body.
My partner in that was Mikage, a girl my age. The instant that fact abruptly took on a sense of reality, my face burned up in an instant for a reason entirely unrelated to the fever, and I covered it with one hand.
"Wh-where in the world did I end up sleeping...?"
My memories right before falling asleep were fragmented.
Even so, the warmth of the arms wrapped around my back and the heartbeat thumping beside my ear remained strangely vivid.
Being told I didn't need to hide it if it hurt, having her repeat that it was okay to feel safe, I had truly let all the strength leave my body.
I didn't know how much Mikage would remember the next time we met face-to-face.
No, being that close, there was no way she'd forgotten.
It felt awkward to act like I was the only one conscious of it, but I had zero confidence I could act as if nothing had happened either.
Thinking about all this made me feel even more embarrassed, and for a while, I couldn't pull my hand away from my face.
Even so, I never once wished to forget that time.
Mikage staying by my side, being able to lean my weight on her, and the relief I felt back then had all become precious things to me.
Once the heat in my face settled down a bit, I placed my hand over the letter on the desk.
Mikage already knew I was the person from the day of the fire.
She had listened to my words, and even so, had stayed by my side of her own will.
If that was the case, there was no longer any reason to hold back on the promise from that day just to hide my identity.
In the midst of the smoke, I had told her I would tell her my name once we got outside.
We had also promised to go eat crepes.
However, I didn't want to fulfill that promise simply as her rescuer.
I had gotten to know Mikage at school and gradually exchanged words with her.
Though she looked tough, she was surprisingly sensitive to the pain of others, and even when carrying fears of her own, I learned that she was someone who would reach out on her own initiative for someone else's sake.
Yesterday, without making assumptions about my suffering, she asked what was needed. Rather than blaming me for what I couldn't do, she continued to wait beside me until I could rely on her.
It wasn't because of the promise from the day of the fire.
I wanted to talk with the Mikage of today outside of school as well.
This time, because the me who went to school with her wanted to go together, I wanted to invite her for crepes.
"As Naoki Aiba, huh?"
Saying it aloud felt strangely embarrassing.
First, I'd invite her to go eat crepes.
And then, just like the promise from that day, I'd tell her my name with my own voice.
Of course, if Mikage didn't want to, she was free to turn me down. Just because she knew my identity didn't mean I had the right to close the distance on my own whim.
Inviting her and letting her choose were two different things.
That was the one thing I never wanted to get wrong going forward.
"Mikage-san, if you'd like—"
Just as I started speaking aloud, a knock coincided on the door.
"Onii-chan, I brought some water."
"...Ah."
The door opened, and my eyes met Koharu's as she held a glass.
After stepping into the room, Koharu tilted her head slightly.
"Didn't you just say 'Mikage-san' all by yourself?"
"—No, I didn't."
"I heard you, though."
"You're imagining things."
Koharu's gaze dropped from my face down to the top of the desk.
My hand was still resting right on top of the letter from Mikage.
"Plus, you even have your hand on the letter."
"This is... I was just putting it away."
"Hmm."
"..."
Koharu tilted her head curiously as she set down the glass, staring intently at my face. Before long, as if realizing something, her lips relaxed into a smile.
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"It's all over your face."
"Same for you, Onii-chan."
I felt like Mikage had told me something similar yesterday.
While I struggled to find the words to deny it right away, Koharu let out an amused giggle.
"Were you practicing saying something to Mikage-senpai?"
"...I wasn't."
"It took you even longer to answer that time."
"Thanks for the water. You can head back now."
"You're trying to kick me out so conspicuously."
"Weren't sick people supposed to get some rest?"
"Oh, right. Well then, make sure you rest properly, okay?"
Leaving her laughter behind, Koharu headed for the door, looking back just once right before stepping out into the hallway.
"I hope you can go to school tomorrow."
"...Yeah."
"Don't push yourself, though."
"I know."
"I don't think Mom trusts that 'I know,' either."
Leaving only that parting jab, Koharu left the room.
After staring at the closed door, I returned my gaze to the letter once more.
Whether I could go to school tomorrow wouldn't be known until morning arrived.
Even so, what I was going to do the next time I saw Mikage was already decided.
I would start the promise from that day over again, initiated by the me of today.
And this time, I would tell her my name with my own voice.
◇◇◇
A damp night wind blew through the residential neighborhood after the rain.
Beyond the wet rooftops stood a second-floor window with its light still on.
In a room of the Mikage household, Serina hugged her smartphone to her chest on top of her bed. The faint night light filtering through the gap in the curtains illuminated her closed eyelids and the slight tension in her fingertips.
The rain clouds that had blanketed the neighborhood were pushed by the wind, slowly drifting toward the east.
From a narrow rift that eventually opened up, a single star peeked through.
Beneath that light, on the second floor of the Aiba household a short distance away, Naoki sat in front of his desk, his hand resting over the letter received from Serina.
Between the two windows, the nocturnal residential district lay quietly.
Their gazes did not meet.
Neither yet knew what the other had resolved to do.
Even so, in their two separate rooms, both of them drew in a small breath at almost the exact same moment.
The next time we meet, on my own initiative.