Hiiragi, her face bright red, shouted at me.
"Hatsukade, get a grip! What about high school?!"
"If you go back to school, the problem's solved."
"That's... I told you I don't want to."
"Then negotiations have broken down. We're at a stalemate until one of us gives in. It'd help if you just gave up sooner."
Hiiragi and I are complete strangers.
Maybe there's no need to help her to this extent.
Still, if she ended up repeating a year over me, no matter the form it took, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Toshiie-san, who had been sitting across from me, rose to his feet.
"I see. So the man Sakura's in love with was you, Subaru."
"I only found out recently myself."
"For Sakura to fall for such a handsome guy, she's got a good eye. I don't know the details of your situation, but I'm rooting for you, Subaru."
"Wh-why, Uncle Toshiie?!"
"Sakura, what kind of uncle would want his cute niece to suffer heartbreak?"
Showing his white teeth, Toshiie-san smiled and gave Hiiragi a thumbs-up.
"Anyway, once you've had breakfast, I'll be working you to the bone."
With just those words, he walked off.
When I stood up as well, Hiiragi—her neck flushed red all the way to her ears—pinched at my sleeve.
"...Hatsukade."
"What?"
"...Ugh, it's nothing, you dummy."
Saying that, she bolted.
Left alone in the shop's lobby, I shrugged.
Honestly, I didn't know what I should do from here either.
What would actually solve this?
How could I get Hiiragi to come back to school?
I had a feeling I was pretty much checkmated, but I figured it would work out somehow.
What I had to do was simple. Until a solution turned up, I just had to think it through together with Hiiragi.
When something goes wrong, I hate the idea of throwing everything away and hitting the reset button.
No matter the situation, there's always a path somewhere.
That's what I believe.
◇
After finishing breakfast, I checked my phone.
Come to think of it, a ton of messages had come in from Amanatsu last night.
Since I'm obligated to report to Hiiragi's parents, I'd been prioritizing that contact and had forgotten all about her.
'...Hatsukade-kun, why aren't you coming to school?'
'Sakura's gone too—is that really a coincidence??'
'Don't tell me you're really with Sakura...'
'Hey, why aren't you replying!?'
I replied with 'caught a cold' and closed my phone.
Gullible as Amanatsu is, that should cover me for a few days.
Even if I told her the truth, it would just leave her needlessly flustered.
After that, my work at the shop began.
My job was preparing and putting away the equipment used for the activities.
Blue Note handles a wide range of marine sports.
From the mainstay scuba diving to snorkeling, SUP, windsurfing, and more.
Having been taught the basic flow of the work, I got through it quietly and steadily.
First, I studied the reservation schedule and calculated what to do when for maximum efficiency.
Hmm, there are windsurfing reservations at this time, so I should line the boards up on the beach well in advance.
Right around when I return to the shop, the snorkeling customers come back, so I'll help them out of their wetsuits and marine shoes, then wash the gear promptly.
Oh, right around here the beginner diving briefing happens, so I'll have some downtime. Come to think of it, when I took my break earlier, the barley tea stock was running low—might as well make some.
Just as I finished refilling the barley tea, Toshiie-san called out to me.
"Subaru, what are you?! You're way too good for your first day. How are you doing things nobody even taught you?!"
"I learned by watching how the others work."
"Your work ethic is straight out of the Showa era. Look, the college girl who started last month is crying."
I looked where he was pointing to see a short-haired woman with tears welling in her eyes, muttering, "So I was incompetent all along..."
"I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention."
I hadn't meant to hurt her over something like this.
My bad. Maybe I should have been a bit more considerate of my senior's pride.
I gave a slight bow.
Then, I met eyes with an elementary school girl.
When had she gotten there?
She planted herself at my feet and looked up at me with pure, wide round eyes.
In her arms was Fujimaru-kun, tail wagging.
"I know all about people like you, Subaru—you're called a 'workplace ace.'"
She was Toshiie-san's daughter, Shizuka-chan.
Apparently quite an adorable child, and she was supposedly the one who begged to have Fujimaru-kun as a pet.
Whenever she had free time, she'd hang around the Blue Note lobby like this.
When I patted her little head, Shizuka-chan squealed with delight.
"I like you, Subaru~. Let's play together tonight, okay?"
"Sure, I'll look forward to it."
Kids really are great.
When you're around such unclouded, pure feelings, it refreshes you too.
All the more so since I'm usually dealing with nothing but weirdos.
My eyes met Hiiragi's, standing at the reception counter.
"I haven't even started calling you Subaru yetwww"
Ignoring Hiiragi as she clutched her head and grumbled to herself, I offered a cold barley tea to the college girl.
"Murata-senpai, my hands are free now, so I'll take over guiding customers. You've been on your feet this whole time—you must be tired. Please rest."
"...Subaru-kyun."
Perhaps she really was exhausted, because my senpai accepted the tea with an enraptured expression.
Phew. Apparently I'd gotten her name right.
There are a lot of college girls and women here on resort work at this job site, so I haven't memorized everyone's names yet.
"Subaru-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No, no one in that kind of relationship."
"Th-then, what's your type?"
"Let's see... I'd say a calm, mature woman."
"An-older woman, huh~~~~~!"
"Yes."
I've said this before, but it's not that I'm uninterested in women.
I do want to fall in love someday.
Mom and Dad have been together for years, and they still look like they're having fun every day.
I just think that dating a high schooler prone to pulling stupid stunts is a bit much for me.
"Hey, Subaru-kun, would it be okay to exchange contact info?"
"Is that a business necessity?"
"Eh, yeah, yeah, exactly. Nothing to worry about at all!"
"Hold it right thereeeeeee!!!!"
The moment I took out my phone, Hiiragi suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me away.
"Hey, what's with the sudden—!"
"There are way too many things to call out! Just come over here!"
As I watched Murata-senpai let out a pitiful "Ahh," I was hauled off to the back room.
◇
Hiiragi, breathing hard, glared at me.
"You okay, Hiiragi? Want me to get you some barley tea?"
"Thanks... no, wait! I-I need you to listen calmly, Hatsukade."
You're the one who needs to calm down first.
"I've realized it. You can't be working at this place, Hatsukade."
"Why not?"
"I have a premonition it'll turn into a total mess!"
"I have no idea what you mean."
"I'm begging you, go home! At this rate, all my various actions will have been pointless, and honestly that's beyond what I expected!"
"I'm not leaving without you. I already told you that."
"...!"
Once again turning bright red and clutching her head, Hiiragi let out an enormous sigh.
"Haaaa~, fine, I surrender. I don't think I can beat you, Hatsukade."
I wasn't competing with you in the first place.
"Hey, what would it take for you to accept this?"
"..."
"If you haven't found an answer, then I intend to think about it with you. I'm sure there's a compromise somewhere."
"...I really can't beat you, Hatsukade."
Saying that, she slapped her own cheeks as if psyching herself up.
"You're right. I haven't been myself at all lately. Okay, I've decided! I'll accept your demand. I'll go home with you, and I'll go to school!"
"Ohh."
"In exchange, I want you to accept my condition too."
"Anything. If it's within my power, I'll cooperate."
"You said it!"
Hiiragi raised her index finger.
"For one week—until this weekend—I want you to be my boyfriend."
"..."
"Just while we're here. We'll make lots of memories, and then on Monday we'll go back to school together again."
"Can you even do that?"
"It's not about can or can't—we're doing it! Otherwise, you'll never give up, right?"
Hiiragi declared in a loud voice.
She was smiling, but there was sweat on her forehead, and her raised fingertip was trembling.
When I fell silent, I could hear the sound of her swallowing.
"...I-I'm not lying. Unless I do at least this much, I probably won't be able to move on. Just one week, and after that I'll absolutely give up."
Accepting here would be easy.
I could just say yes, kill time for a while, and my objective would be accomplished.
But that's probably not what Hiiragi is really asking for.
"If, in exchange, you promise you'll be satisfied and go back to school, I'll accept."
"Y-you're okay with it? I'm not joking, you know."
"I understand everything."
"...I'll get jealous if you get close to other girls."
"Got it."
"I want to hold hands too... and go on dates."
"No experience as a boyfriend, so I can't promise much, but I'll do my best."
"...!"
"Will that satisfy you?"
"I want you to call me Sakura."
"...Is that okay with you, Sakura?"
"Yeah... u, ugh."
A wind carrying the scent of the sea blew in.
Coming through the screen of the wide-open window, it stirred Sakura's hair.
"Thank you, Subaru."
Saying that, her teary eyes glimmered faintly at the corners.
How had it come to this?
I never had the slightest intention of dating anyone in high school.
Personally, this is the worst possible solution.
I keep thinking there must have been a better way.
But if this is what brings Sakura back.
Then I'll do it.
Not as an excuse, not as a pretense.
Literally, as a genuine boyfriend for one week only...
And so, I got the first girlfriend of my life.