"Well, I guess we’ve checked that off the list."
After we stepped out of the variety shop, Hayashi spoke with a faint trace of lingering regret.
"What should we do now?"
"Well, it’s still a bit early to head home."
I checked my watch; it wasn't even 2:00 PM yet. It had taken an hour to get here on the train. Considering we’d have to spend just as much time swaying in a carriage on the way back, it felt like a waste to start the return trip already.
"That’s unexpected."
"What is?"
"You seem like such a lazy guy that I figured you’d be the first to suggest heading back."
"What kind of person do you think I am, exactly?"
Honestly, wasn't that a bit harsh? If the time and place were right, I might just cause a scene myself. And by "cause a scene," I mean throw a tantrum. A man my age wailing and screaming is quite a sight, you know. Mostly because it's a pathetic, unseemly thing to do at this stage of life.
"Sorry, sorry. So, what’s the plan from here?" Hayashi asked.
"Let’s see. Come to think of it, we haven't actually gone anywhere you wanted to go today."
"Wait, really?"
"The beef tongue place and the variety shop were both things I wanted."
"……Ah. Right."
Hayashi gave a noncommittal nod. Judging by her lackluster attitude, it seemed she’d had no intention of suggesting a destination of her own as long as the day passed without incident.
"So, is there anywhere you actually want to go?"
"……Hmm."
"Nothing?"
I regretted the prompting tone the moment the word left my mouth. We still had plenty of time, so there was no real reason to rush her.
"……Well, let's just think while we walk."
"Sorry."
"There’s no need to apologize. I’m just a little surprised. I figured you’d like this kind of thing."
"……I mean, I don’t dislike it. It’s just that I hit all the major spots right after I moved to Tokyo."
Come to think of it, Hayashi’s ex-lover had been a working adult. Dating someone with a career meant he likely footed the bill, and they probably could have traveled quite a distance for their outings. If that were the case, it made sense that a trip to Yokohama wouldn't hold much novelty for her now.
"Should we just head for the typical tourist spots for now?"
"Like the Red Brick Warehouse or Yamashita Park?"
"Sounds good."
"……Now that I mention it, you like the sea, don't you?" Hayashi said.
I was the one who tilted my head in confusion this time. It wasn't that I hated the sea, I was just curious as to where she’d managed to dig up that particular piece of information.
"The history on your tablet. You fall asleep listening to videos of waves to help you sleep, right?"
Lately, if you search for "sleep aid, wave sounds" on video sites, you can find videos that play the sound of ripples for hours on end. I’d started listening to those sounds to fall asleep around the time I started university. There wasn't any one specific reason. If I had to pin it down…… it was the anxiety about whether I could survive life as a working adult in the future. The anxiety about whether I’d make friends at university. The anxiety about whether I’d fail my classes. Whenever I started spiraling into those countless worries, I’d find myself unable to sleep.
……Actually, I had plenty of reasons.
Regardless, that was why I’d looked for ways to get a decent night's rest despite my anxious mind, and those videos were the solution I’d found. For the record, the sound of waves is just the entry level. My personal recommendation is the ambient noise of a sleeper express train while it’s in motion. It gives you the feeling of a light trip, and it’s surprisingly quiet—soothing enough to drift off into a very pleasant sleep. Throwing on a hot eye mask makes the experience perfect.
"……I can't believe you went through my history."
Then again, that was a risk I’d accepted the moment I lent her the tablet. I wasn't going to complain about it now; my comment was just for the sake of the conversation.
"It’s fine, isn't it? It’s not like I’m calling you out for watching dirty videos or something."
"Fair point."
I would definitely appreciate it if she kept any findings on that front to herself.
"Well, anyway, let's go look at the ocean. You like it, don't you?"
"You're naive, Hayashi. It’s true that I like the sea, but—"
I put on a smug expression. Hayashi’s aura was already broadcasting her thoughts: Oh boy, here comes the annoying part.
"But what?"
"A sea with an opposite shore isn't a real sea."
"Yep, there’s the annoying part."
"The sea isn't just about the sound of the waves; it's about the scale. Half the fun is gazing out at the horizon. On a windy winter day, you can actually see the horizon shimmering and swaying. Of course, the trade-off is the sand blowing into your eyes, but still. Point is, any sea where you can see the opposite shore gets a deduction. In other words, Tokyo Bay is a no-go. It’s dirty and it smells."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Come on, let's go."
Hayashi didn't even bother listening to the rest of my argument as she grabbed me and started walking. What a woman, completely ignoring me. Even I have a breaking point, you know. ……Well, since this falls into the category of things I don't actually care about, it isn't really a problem.
"Wow, it’s beautiful."
We reached Yamashita Park. Gripping the railing, Hayashi gazed out at the water, looking refreshed by the breeze. Since it was the middle of summer, the cool air likely made the view all the more exhilarating.
"Look, you too."
"……Yeah."
"What? Are you still hung up on the opposite shore?"
"Whether there’s an opposite shore or not is just a point of criticism. I never said I hated everything about it."
In other words, I was enjoying myself. The only reason I didn't sound like it was because of my "not honest" personality.
"You really are a contrarian, aren't you?"
"My bad."
"No. ……I just tried to imagine you being honest for a second, and it felt a little gross."
"I see, I see. Good to know."
Come to think of it, Hayashi was unusually talkative today.
I wondered why. She hadn't visited a single place she actually wanted to go.
……Maybe she was the type of person who found enjoyment more in who she was with than where she was going.
No, that couldn't be it.
If that were the case, it would mean she was enjoying herself today…… right now, because she was spending time with me.
Back in high school, she’d probably hated my guts.
Sure, she might have revised her opinion of me a little through this whole ordeal…… but there was no way that feelings built up over three years could completely flip in just a few weeks.
"……Hey, Yamamoto?"
"Yeah?"
"……Want to go on a boat?"
Hayashi was smiling.