The karaage set meal had lost its flavor. It had tasted fine a moment ago. I wondered why. The timing coincided perfectly with Kasahara dropping into the seat across from me.
"It’s hard to eat with you sitting there, you know?"
"Sorry. But doesn't this bring back memories of high school?"
"Could you please not dodge the subject?"
Sighing, I poked some shredded cabbage into my mouth. It was true that on our days off back in high school—days when Hayashi and Kasahara weren't hanging out—the two of us would often go on dates. Back then, the places we went were usually just ordinary family restaurants. Even though couples were supposed to sit next to each other, I would always nonchalantly take the seat directly across from her.
...Wait, was her trying to make me remember that right now some kind of pointed jab?
"Yamamoto-kun, you really are a heartbreaker."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
"That girl from before... her name is Irie-chan. I think she’s interested in you."
"No way."
"Well, I figured you’d say that. You have no idea how jealous I used to get back in high school."
"Because you never told me. Not once."
So she wasn't just making me nervous; she was making me feel wretched, too. She really was a cruel person.
"Is that what you stayed behind to talk about?"
"No. It’s not."
"Oh?"
Then why was she telling me this now? Was it really just a spiteful remark?
"How is Megu?"
"Yeah, she’s fine."
Hearing Kasahara speak with a hint of awkwardness, I finally understood why she had stayed.
That day at the bookstore, Kasahara and Hayashi had run into each other. At that time, Kasahara had likely told Hayashi about the relationship she and I had back in high school. The two of them hadn't met again since.
Despite how close they had been in high school, an awkward atmosphere now stood between them.
"Sorry. It’s my fault."
Without thinking, I found myself apologizing to Kasahara.
"What are you apologizing for?"
"For everything. If things were going to end up like this, I should have properly told her that we used to date."
"And after telling her, would you just be apologizing again like you are now?"
I fell silent.
"Yamamoto-kun, you don't really need to apologize. An apology is something you only need when you fail or do something wrong. There was nothing wrong with the time we spent together."
"I suppose so."
Kasahara was surprisingly analytical. And when it came to her personal convictions, she was unyielding. In that regard, I thought she was a bit like Hayashi.
Or perhaps she’d been molded into that likeness.
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure you support Megu. We’re in an awkward spot right now, but I think time will solve that. I’m not pessimistic about it at all."
"I see."
I gave a wry smile.
"Well, if there's anything you want to know about Hayashi, just reach out. I'll answer as best as I can."
"That makes it sound like the two of you are already perfectly in sync."
"Don't tease me. I'm actually trying to be serious for once."
"I know. I understand you way better than Megu does."
If that were true...
If that were true, then why, back then...
I shook my head. There was no point in harboring resentment over things that had already passed.
Besides, I had been more than a little depressed when we broke up. I didn't have the confidence that I could recover. But surprisingly, time had smoothed things over.
A lot had happened between then and today. As a result, I had come to realize that I didn't have time to brood over the past. Those nostalgic memories now remained as irreplaceable treasures within me. If that was the case, I should be grateful to Kasahara for giving me such wonderful memories; it would be wrong to resent her.
"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something related to that today."
Just as I had found closure in my heart, Kasahara smiled. It seemed the main topic was finally on the table.
"What is it?"
"Well, you know. It’s about Megu."
"About Hayashi?"
"Yeah. It’s like you said, Megu and I have a bit of a delicate relationship right now, right? But I was asked for a favor."
"By whom? To do what?"
"Megu’s mother asked me to bring Megu back home."
I understood exactly what Kasahara was getting at.
Because of the influence of her previous boyfriend, Hayashi was currently disowned by her parents. That was why she had lost her place to go when her ex was arrested and ended up being sheltered in my apartment. Just as Kasahara had lost contact with Hayashi, her parents were likely unable to get in touch with her either.
No matter how much they claimed to have disowned her, they couldn't just throw away their affection for their daughter that easily. Even afterward, Hayashi’s parents must have been worried about her all this time.
The reason Hayashi’s mother had called Kasahara was likely because she thought that as her best friend, Kasahara would have some idea of where she was. She must have been grasping at straws.
"I see."
"Yeah. Well, regardless of that call, I had been looking for Megu all along. And now, I’ve finally found her."
"Right."
If that were the case, Kasahara had probably already told Hayashi’s parents where she was.
"I haven't told them where Megu is yet."
"Why not?"
"It would cause trouble for you, wouldn't it?"
I wondered if Hayashi had ever introduced her previous boyfriend to her parents. If not, if she had only told them she was living with a boyfriend... No, it wasn't just that; in the end, I was the one who had offered to shelter her. We were living together now.
Even if they knew the circumstances, from a parent's perspective, there probably wasn't much difference between her ex-boyfriend and me.
"And that’s not the only reason, you know?"
Kasahara was looking at me with a pained expression unlike anything I’d seen from her before.
"Megu really should go back home."
"Kasahara..."
"That house... the house where her parents are, is the only place she has."
Understanding her point, I looked down for a moment.
"You really care about Hayashi too much."
I gave a self-deprecating chuckle. It wasn't that I thought Kasahara’s devotion was strange. I was just exasperated with myself for feeling a faint, ugly spark of jealousy toward Hayashi.
It seemed I really was still trailing some lingering feelings from my relationship with Kasahara.
"Yamamoto-kun, you never did grant my wishes, did you?"
"That’s true. I did nothing but complain."
"Even though I properly accepted your feelings when you confessed to me."
"Could you please stop saying that like you're reading a list of my failures?"
You were the one who dumped me, remember?
I held back the words just as they were about to leak out, and we shared a small, wry laugh.
"I get it. I’ll grant your wish for once."
"Thank you."
I had phrased it in a way that was totally out of character, but because it was Kasahara, the drive to follow through felt stronger than any embarrassment.
"I’ll get Hayashi to go back to her parents’ house. I promise."
"Yeah. Please."
Kasahara nodded, looking just a little bit lonely.