A few days had passed since Ishida’s wedding.
Hayashi and I were still living together in my apartment, same as always.
"Hayashi, the pot."
"Eh? Oh...!"
She hurriedly turned off the burner under the noisily simmering pot. I was just glad she hadn't burned herself like she had in the past.
As that thought crossed my mind, I realized something.
Lately—specifically, ever since we attended Ishida’s wedding—Hayashi had been acting a bit off.
How should I put it? She was always spacing out, her reactions were sluggish when I spoke to her, and more than anything, she just seemed drained.
"You okay?" I asked.
There was no reply.
She was completely lost in thought. To an impressive degree, really.
Well, it wasn't exactly a rare occurrence for her to be in a daze since she’d moved into this room, but that didn't mean it was okay to just leave her be.
I sat there racking my brain as I ate dinner.
Why exactly was she in such a slump right now?
...I had no idea.
It was only natural. We’d known each other since high school, but back then, we’d been on terrible terms. We’d hardly even spoken. Even after living under the same roof for a little over two months, there was no way I could divine her true intentions.
Then again, it’s not like knowing someone for a long time suddenly grants you the ability to read their mind.
"Did something happen?"
I’d grown tired of overthinking it, so I decided to just ask her the cause of her recent funk. I should have done this from the start. If there’s something you don't know, just ask—that's the most straightforward way to handle things.
"...Not really."
Or so I thought. If she won't answer, the direct approach is meaningless.
"I see."
I didn't pry any further. If I were in her shoes, I’d hate being forced to talk about something I wanted to keep to myself. You shouldn't do things to others that you wouldn't want done to you.
"You’re not going to keep asking?"
...Damn it, this girl. Even though I’d been considerate of her feelings and let the subject drop, she had the nerve to pout and act sullen.
"If I ask, are you actually going to tell me?"
"That’s... that’s not the point right now."
I’m pretty sure that’s exactly the point. It might end up being a total waste of effort, or I might offend her by being persistent. Was she literally asking me to step on a landmine?
I felt a flash of irritation, but... compared to how she was back in high school, she was at least being somewhat reasonable.
I exhaled, trying to keep my cool.
"I didn't pry because you looked like you didn't want to talk. If you actually want to tell me, then go ahead."
At this point, I figured I might as well just be honest about what I was thinking.
"...Sorry. I guess I don't really want to talk about it."
"Fair enough."
"Yeah."
"...Is it something about me?"
Since she’d flatly refused to talk, I’d grown conversely curious, and the question just slipped out.
Hayashi’s shoulders twitched. It was a very easy reaction to read.
"My bad. Did I cause you trouble again without realizing it?"
The moment it became about me, my previous logic went out the window. I hurriedly offered an apology.
"S-Stop it... It’s not your fault."
"I doubt that. I’ve got a stubborn streak, and I’m terrible at reading the room."
"Don't say that about yourself. ...Though, given the current situation, I can’t exactly disagree."
"See? So I must have done something to bother you, right?"
"...I told you, that’s not it."
Then what was it?
As I gave her a serious look, her eyes met mine for a split second before she immediately jerked her head away. She looked incredibly awkward as she stared off into space.
"...Bookkeeping," she muttered. "My bookkeeping study isn't going well."
Bookkeeping.
A while back, Hayashi had declared her decision to seek employment rather than return to university. Since then, she’d been spending every spare moment between chores and rest buried in her books, studying for the qualification.
...But her expression didn't clear up.
Most likely, bookkeeping wasn't her real problem. It seemed my current trust level with her wasn't high enough for her to share her true feelings.
Well, it couldn't be helped. If that was the case, I’d just have to build that trust up bit by bit from here on out.
"I’ll help you study."
Once I made up my mind, I figured helping her with her current struggle was the best way to increase her trust in me. I bit immediately at the lure she’d dangled.
"...Huh?"
"What, you don't think I can do it?"
"It’s not that. I just feel bad making you do that."
"Don't be stupid. We’re living together. We’re supposed to help each other out when things get tough."
"...You really are something."
Hayashi narrowed her eyes as she said that, but she didn't say anything more. Instead, she let out a long sigh that felt like it was directed right at me.
"Fine. I’m counting on you."
"Leave it to me."
As soon as we finished dinner and the dishwashing was done, we sat down to begin her lessons.