"It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Walking together like this at night."
I walked along the dark street with Kasahara on my back. Her breathy voice tickled my ear as she spoke.
Suddenly, I looked up at the night sky.
Unlike the countryside, the residential areas in the city center don't offer much of a view of the stars. Back when I lived in the country, I’d never once appreciated the starry sky, but I was struck by the quiet realization that people only notice how precious things are once they've lost them.
"I guess so," I replied.
"Wow, how cold. You’re saying things the Yamamoto of our high school days never would have said."
"Well, we aren’t dating anymore."
"...Ahaha. You’re heartless. Back when we were a couple, you used to wait for me on the station platform until I arrived, even when you didn't have to."
"I suppose I did. Now that you mention it, you sprained your ankle in physical education once, didn’t you? You dragged your leg all the way to the school’s nearest station by yourself."
"I did, I did. You turned pale as a ghost back then, Yamamoto-kun. It made the whole thing worth it."
"You put yourself through that pain just to mess with me? That’s more than a little crazy."
"Isn’t it? I just wanted to see you as soon as possible, so I pushed through."
I fell silent.
Was that the only time she’d ever felt like she couldn’t wait to see me?
Or was it...
Deciding I shouldn't dwell on it any further, I looked down at my feet for a moment before lifting my head again.
"Aren’t you hungry?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You didn't eat a thing earlier."
"It was a mixer, you know? I didn't want to look unrefined."
"Even so, you cut the first party short. I feel a bit bad for the other guys."
"It’s fine. I just didn't want you to think I was unrefined."
I lowered my gaze again. I probably looked pathetic right now—not a face I could ever let Kasahara see.
"...Let’s go get some food somewhere."
"Oh! In that case, I want ramen."
"Hey."
What happened to all that talk about not wanting to look unrefined?
"It’s fine, isn't it? It’s hard for a girl to walk into a ramen shop alone. It’s a lot easier if I’m with someone who looks like a boyfriend."
"Is that so?" I gave a curt reply.
...Wait.
"Do you still need to pretend to be drunk?"
"Nope. I’m fine now."
"Even if you wanted to leave early, was there really any need to go as far as faking being drunk?"
"Oh? Don't tell me you wanted to stay at the first party longer?"
"I didn't say that."
"Liar. You were talking so closely with Irie-chan, after all."
"That’s one thing. This is another."
"...Heh, is that how it is?"
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"That’s not true at all."
"You definitely don't believe me."
Kasahara was the type of woman who always spoke with a pleasant air. You couldn't trust a word she said. I knew that better than anyone because I was the one who had dated her, even if it was only for three months.
"It’s the truth. Right now, I’m heartbroken because of someone. I have no intention of starting a new romance."
Now that I thought about it, Kasahara’s "drunken" act had actually been perfectly timed. If things had kept going and the others had suggested an after-party, I might have actually agreed just for the sake of talking more about weight training.
"...I wonder who that 'someone' is."
"Who knows."
Silence settled between us for a while.
Only the sound of my footsteps echoed through the quiet residential streets.
"If you aren’t drunk anymore, hurry up and get down."
"No."
"...Is that so?"
"Yup."
"...Come to think of it, there was a ramen shop in front of the station."
"Then let’s go there."
"Fine."
I continued down the road with Kasahara still on my back.
We reached the university's nearest station ten minutes later. It took another five minutes after we arrived at the ramen shop before I was finally able to set her down.
Unlike her, I’d eaten quite a bit at the izakaya.
My stomach was already fairly full, but having her standing right next to me made that feeling of fullness seem to fade away.
"Can you even finish a regular serving?" I asked as she bought her food ticket.
"Yeah. Oh, but... if I can’t finish it, will you eat the rest?"
"...Seriously?"
"Please?"
"...Fine."
"Yay. If I leave some, it’ll count as an indirect kiss."
"I guess so."
Feeling flustered, we settled onto the stools at the narrow counter, sitting side by side.