[Serina Mikage POV]
On Friday night, after finishing dinner, I sat down on the living room sofa and looked down at the smartphone in my lap for what felt like the hundredth time.
The screen remained dark, showing no new notifications.
If a message came from Aiba-kun, I would know immediately from the sound and vibration. I knew full well there was no point in checking it over and over.
During lunch break, I had reached out once to ask how he was feeling. He replied that he was doing fine and promised to message me again once he got home to let me know how his day went.
I could have asked him again. But I didn't want to rush him when he might have just gotten home and was trying to rest.
Besides, this morning, I had told Aiba-kun, "I'll be waiting."
So right now, I wanted to stay true to my word and wait for him to reach out.
Even so, every time a few minutes passed, my hand would reach out and wake the screen.
After checking the time, before I realized it, I was opening my contact list. In it, a single new name had been added that hadn't been there until this morning.
Aiba-kun
Just seeing those letters brought the words we exchanged at the shopping mall this morning flooding back, along with the vivid scenery.
The building bathed in the morning light. The wind blowing between the two of us. The earnest expression on Aiba-kun's face as he stood before me.
Aiba-kun was the one who offered to fulfill the promise from the day of the fire.
Yet, he hadn't invited me simply out of obligation to an old promise; he told me that after getting to know the me of today, he genuinely wanted to go together out of his own feelings.
So, if you'd like... would you go get crepes with me?
The moment his voice echoed in my chest, the same heat from this morning rushed to my cheeks, filling me to the core with a ticklish kind of joy.
Before I realized it, my lips relaxed into a smile, and my fingertips gently rested over the name "Aiba-kun" on the screen.
I nearly pulled the phone to my chest, only to remember just in time that this wasn't my bedroom.
Flustered, I turned off the screen and placed the phone face down on my lap.
Sitting in the chair opposite me, Dad was watching TV, and Mom was sipping her after-dinner tea. Neither of them seemed to be paying attention to me.
Once I was certain no one was looking, I quietly released the breath I had been holding in.
However, my relief was short-lived as a teacup lightly clinked against the table.
When I looked up, Mom was setting down her cup and turning toward me.
"Serina. You've been staring at your phone for a while now. Did something happen?"
"...Nothing happened."
"Really?"
"I'm just... waiting for a message."
Figuring that dodging the question would only make them worry more, I gave in and answered honestly.
Dad, who had been watching TV, lowered the volume and turned toward me as well.
"Is it a friend?"
"A-Aiba-kun..."
The expressions on both of their faces shifted slightly.
It wasn't to tease me. What surfaced first was the same concern I had been feeling.
"Was Aiba-kun able to go to school today?"
"Yeah. I ran into him this morning on the way there. He said his fever hadn't come back since yesterday and his cough had mostly cleared up, but..."
"You're worried about him, aren't you?"
At Mom's gentle words, I gave a small nod.
"The day before yesterday, he pushed himself even while saying he was fine. When I asked him during lunch break, he said he was okay, but he promised to message me again once he got home to let me know how his day went."
"I see."
Mom didn't press any further, her eyes softening gently.
"I hope he got through the day without any trouble."
"Yeah."
As I replied, I lightly traced the edge of my phone with my fingertip.
Still no vibration.
"Did you get in touch with Aiba-kun's mother today?"
When I asked, Dad nodded.
The other night, before Aiba-kun's mother left, Dad had asked for her contact information so we could arrange a day to formally visit and express our gratitude.
"Yes. I contacted her around noon. We agreed to coordinate a day that works for both of us once Aiba-kun's condition stabilizes."
"I see."
"I want the three of us to visit as soon as possible and thank Aiba-kun properly in person. However, his injury hasn't fully healed, and he's only just recovered from a cold. We have to choose a day that won't burden him or his family."
"We can't rush them just to satisfy our own feelings, after all," Mom agreed.
Dad gave another small nod.
I had already heard that night how much both of them wanted to thank Aiba-kun directly.
When they learned that the person who saved me from the fire was Aiba-kun, Mom and Dad had wanted to head straight to the Aiba household right then and there. Even so, they were prioritizing Aiba-kun's health and waiting patiently for now.
"Once the date is set, I'll let you know right away, Serina."
"Yeah. I want to go with you, too."
"Of course. That's the plan."
His prompt, certain reply warmed my heart.
Apart from the day our family would visit the Aiba household, there was another plan waiting to be scheduled between Aiba-kun and me.
If Aiba-kun made it through the day without any issues, the two of us would pick a day to go get crepes.
That was the message I was waiting for right now.
As I stared down at the phone in my lap, memories of this morning—when we started walking from the mall toward school—resurfaced in my mind.
◇◇◇
After leaving the mall together, Aiba-kun and I walked side by side along the path leading to school.
To avoid bumping into his still-aching right shoulder, I shifted over to his other side. Aiba-kun might have noticed, but he didn't say a word, simply matching his stride to my pace.
Unlike the busy station area in the morning, there were hardly any students on the street connecting the mall to the school.
Listening to the sound of Aiba-kun's footsteps beside me and the wind rustling the leaves overhead, I casually glanced over at him.
His color was much better than when I saw him at the Aiba household the day before yesterday, and he walked naturally. For now, he wasn't coughing, either.
At first, I only meant to check if he was truly feeling well. But even after seeing he was fine, I couldn't seem to take my eyes off his profile.
The morning light gently caught the outline of his dark hair, and beneath it, his eyes quietly looked ahead at the road to school.
As I stared, pushing down the real reason I couldn't look away, Aiba-kun turned toward me as if sensing my gaze.
Our eyes met unexpectedly, and I realized a second too late that I had been caught staring.
"Hm? What's up?"
"...I just thought your color looked much better than the day before yesterday."
It wasn't a lie.
Still, if I only wanted to check on his health, there had been no need to stare for so long.
I was just happy to have Aiba-kun right beside me, and I simply wanted to keep looking at him a little longer.
"I see. Thanks for worrying about me," Aiba-kun replied in a gentle voice, not probing any further.
Relieved that he hadn't seen through my thoughts, I looked back ahead. Even so, the silhouette of his profile remained etched in my mind for a long while.
"Aiba-kun, is this pace okay for you?"
"Yeah, this is fine. More importantly, how is your leg, Mikage-san?"
"It's all better now. It didn't hurt at all yesterday, and the doctor said there are no problems."
"Then I'm glad."
Aiba-kun glanced briefly down at my right leg before looking back up at my face.
"I'm really doing fine for now, too."
"...Yeah. But I'm still pretty worried."
Aiba-kun didn't tell me I was overreacting, nor did he look troubled; instead, his expression softened gently, accepting my feelings.
"Then feel free to ask as many times as you want whenever you're worried. I'll make sure to give you a straight answer next time."
"...I really might ask you over and over, you know?"
"Yeah. If that gives you peace of mind, Mikage-san, I'd rather you do."
His answer made me so happy that a gentle warmth spread through my chest, and a smile broke across my face before I could stop it.
"Just let me know if anything bothers you too, Mikage-san, like your leg."
"Okay. I'll be sure to tell you, Aiba-kun."
Finding it amusing that we were both just fretting over each other, we shared a quiet laugh.
With just that simple exchange, the lingering tension between us drifted away with the morning breeze.
Just then, a bicycle bell rang behind us.
Before I could turn around, a bicycle speeding down the edge of the sidewalk tried to squeeze past us.
Reflexively, I took half a step closer to Aiba-kun.
The fabric of our uniform sleeves brushed softly against each other.
Even after the bicycle passed, I didn't step back.
Without even realizing it, I kept walking at the exact same pace as Aiba-kun. With every swing of our arms, our sleeves gently touched, parted, and touched again.
Aiba-kun looked down between us once.
Yet, he didn't say anything, nor did he pull away.
Even when the conversation trailed off, I didn't feel the need to fill the silence.
Hearing his footsteps matching mine, all I had to do was look sideways to see Aiba-kun right there. Unlike before, when we could only talk if we ran into each other by chance at school, I now had a direct line to him in my uniform pocket.
Even when silence fell, it didn't mean our time together was over.
That thought made me so happy that my hand almost drifted toward my pocket several times, only for me to pull it back and play it off as nothing.
Before long, the school gates came into view, and more students began merging in from the station path.
Near the shoe lockers, Rio and the others, who had gone ahead to school, were waiting.
All three of them noticed us walking side by side.
Rio looked like she was about to bolt over at any second, but when Kotoha lightly touched her arm, she managed to stay put.
With so little time left before the warning bell, they clearly knew there was no time to chat.
Aiba-kun noticed my friends as well and stopped.
"Well, I'll head to my classroom."
"Yeah."
"Once I get home, I'll message you about how the day went."
"Yeah. I'll be waiting."
"Feel free to message me first if you get worried, though."
"...Yeah. I will."
After our eyes met for a moment, we started walking in different directions inside the school building.
A few steps in, I turned back just once.
When I did, I saw Aiba-kun turning around to look at me, too.
As our eyes unexpectedly met, Aiba-kun's eyes widened slightly before he offered me a small smile.
Just seeing that smile sent a warm wave of happiness through me. Without holding back, I smiled back at him.
Without a word, we exchanged a small nod. Then, facing forward for real, I walked over to where my three friends were waiting.
The closer I got, the broader Rio's grin became.
"Thanks for waiting....What is it, Rio?"
"Hey, I haven't even said anything yet."
"Your face is already saying everything."
"How mean. But that goes for you too, Serina."
As I stood there at a loss for words, Rio glanced toward the direction Aiba-kun had gone.
"Besides, when you were walking over, you two were close enough that your sleeves were practically touching... Did you notice?"
"...Wait, were we that close?"
When I asked, not just Rio, but Kotoha and Miu nodded as well.
"From where we were standing, you looked very close," Kotoha said.
At Kotoha's words, I thought back to our walk from the mall.
To dodge the bicycle coming from behind, I had taken half a step toward Aiba-kun. After that, I kept walking without stepping back, our uniform sleeves brushing against each other over and over.
Yet, at the time, it hadn't crossed my mind even once that we were too close.
"...I didn't notice."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Now that you mention it, our sleeves did touch a few times. But I didn't think we were close at all back then."
Without showing any surprise, Rio simply watched me, waiting for me to go on.
Whenever a guy was near me, my body used to freeze up automatically.
My heart still raced when Aiba-kun was close. But that wasn't out of fear or discomfort.
"When I'm around Aiba-kun, I get nervous, but... I don't feel like pulling away, I guess."
The moment the words left my mouth, the expressions on all three of their faces softened.
"...W-what? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"We're just happy for you," Rio answered with a smile completely devoid of teasing. Kotoha and Miu were looking at me with the same gentle warmth.
To the three who had come with me all the way to that place and given me that final push, I felt there was no need to hide anything anymore.
"...Yeah. I guess I can't really hide it anymore."
When I admitted it, Rio broke into a truly joyful grin.
"I knew it."
"Let's save the rest for lunch break. If we don't head to class right now, all four of us are going to be late," Kotoha urged.
Looking up at the clock in the entryway, I saw there was barely any time left before the warning bell.
Exchanging glances, we hurried through the shoe lockers.
◇◇◇
When lunch break arrived and I headed to our usual bench in the courtyard, the three of them turned toward me before I could even sit down.
"So?"
The first to speak, as expected, was Rio.
"The continuation from this morning. What did you two talk about after that?"
I knew Rio wanted to hear about what happened after parting with them in front of the mall.
Accepting that there was no getting out of it, I placed my bento on my lap.
Kotoha and Miu also opened their lunches while waiting for me to speak.
"At first, I asked if Aiba-kun was really feeling okay. Then, the two of us looked at the mall and talked."
Kotoha gave a small nod, while Miu and Rio listened quietly without interrupting.
"That the mall wasn't just a scary place, but also the place where we first met and made our promise."
Having said that much, my words trailed off.
The three didn't rush me, each looking back down at their food.
I could have kept the rest to myself. Still, it felt wrong to keep everything from the three who had quietly watched over me since this morning without prying.
"...We exchanged contact info."
When I brought it up myself, all three paused and turned their full attention back to me.
"And Aiba-kun was the one who asked me to go get those crepes we promised that day."
The instant the words left my mouth, their eyes locked onto me in unison.
Rio froze with her chopsticks mid-air, and Kotoha looked at me in mild surprise. Even Miu, who rarely showed much emotion, widened her eyes slightly.
Under their gazes, I voiced the feelings I had shared with him this morning.
"I told him that I wanted to go with him, too."
Rio's lips curved into a grin she couldn't suppress.
"What?"
"I didn't say a thing."
"Your face is already saying everything."
"H-huh? Déjà vu?"
"You said the exact same thing this morning."
"You're so meeean~"
Clutching her chest, Rio leaned back as if dramatically wounded by having her own words thrown back at her.
Glancing at Rio, Miu asked quietly, "Did Aiba-kun ask you out because of the promise from the day of the fire?"
At that question, my heart gave another heavy thud.
The words Aiba-kun had spoken to me this morning came flooding back, carrying the exact warmth of his voice and expression.
Those were words meant directly for me. It wasn't that I didn't trust my friends. Even so, I didn't want to recount all of it behind his back.
"Sorry. I'd rather keep the details to myself. Those were words Aiba-kun gave directly to me."
Miu lowered her eyes for a second, then gave a quiet nod.
"Yeah. I think that's best."
Rio and Kotoha didn't try to press any further, either.
I was grateful that they respected my feelings.
Still, I didn't want them thinking Aiba-kun had only invited me out of a sense of obligation to a past promise.
"But the one thing I can say is that the promise from that day wasn't the only reason."
I didn't say anything more.
None of them tried to pry, and Rio looked at me with soft, caring eyes.
"I see. I'm really glad, Serina."
Her voice held nothing but genuine happiness.
Kotoha and Miu gave small nods as well.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Replying to them, the joy I had felt this morning bloomed in my chest all over again.
"Have you decided on a day to go?"
"Not yet. If Aiba-kun feels okay through the rest of the day, he said he'd message me once he gets home."
Answering Miu's question, I remembered what Aiba-kun had told me this morning.
Whenever you're worried, feel free to ask as many times as you want.
His words lingered warmly in my heart.
Once lunch break ended and I parted with the three of them to return to my classroom, I pulled out my smartphone at my desk.
Selecting "Aiba-kun" from my contact list, I typed out a short message.
Are you feeling okay so far?
Right before hitting send, my finger froze.
It had only been a few hours since we parted this morning. He might think I was worrying too much.
Still, Aiba-kun had told me it was okay to ask as many times as I wanted.
Trusting his words, I brushed away my hesitation and tapped send.
Shortly after, the phone in my hand gave a brief vibration.
I'm fine. No coughing, either. Thanks for checking on me.
Reading his reply, the tension coiled in my chest melted away.
Right after that, another message popped up.
Once I get home, I'll message you properly about how the day went.
Aiba-kun remembered our morning promise, too.
That made me so happy that my lips naturally curled into a smile.
Okay. Don't push yourself.
When I sent that, Aiba-kun quickly replied with a simple, Okay.
It was only a brief exchange.
Even so, when we couldn't see each other at school, I could reach out to him myself and receive a reply.
That was a brand-new connection between us that hadn't existed until this morning.
Knowing I held that connection right in my hands filled my chest with a gentle warmth.
◇◇◇
As the voices from the TV filtered back into my ears, my thoughts drifted away from the day's memories and back to the nighttime living room.
It happened right as I looked down at my lap.
My phone gave a short buzz.
Startled, I almost dropped it, frantically catching it with both hands.
At the top of the screen, a new notification appeared.
Aiba-kun
Just seeing the sender's name made my heart leap.
"...Aiba-kun."
Without realizing it, I must have spoken his name out loud.
When I looked up, my eyes met Mom's. Dad had also shifted his gaze from the TV over to me.
Without the composure to care about them watching, I immediately opened the notification.
Sorry for the late message. I was fine all day today. I barely coughed, and my right shoulder feels about the same as it did this morning.
The moment I finished reading the text, the anxiety that had lingered in the back of my mind all day finally dissolved.
His fever hadn't spiked, and his cough hadn't gotten worse. His right shoulder wasn't hurting any more than it had this morning, either.
Knowing he had gotten through the day safely, I found myself smiling before I could stop it.
"That's a relief, isn't it?"
At Mom's voice, I looked up reflexively.
Her gaze was soft, a gentle smile resting on her lips.
"...I haven't even said anything yet."
"I can tell just by looking at your face, Serina."
By the time I frantically covered my mouth, it was already too late.
Dad also let out a relieved breath.
"Aiba-kun didn't get any worse?"
"Yeah. He said he barely coughed, and his right shoulder feels about the same as this morning."
"I see. That's good to hear."
Dad gave an earnest nod and reached for the remote to turn the TV volume back up.
Just then, the phone in my hands vibrated once more.
Before I could even reply to his first text, a follow-up arrived.
Feeling my pulse quicken, I looked down at the screen.
If you're free tomorrow, Mikage-san, would you like to go eat the crepes we promised together?