Watching the girl named Nene scratch her head with a bashful grin, I sensed a hint of madness.
A two-day, one-night bullet trip to Shikoku. Traveling all the way from Tokyo by motorcycle, with almost no rest.
Was that really... as Nene claimed, normal for a motorcyclist?
Riders are incredible, I guess... (Not that I particularly cared).
"What kind of bike do you ride?" Yamamoto asked.
"A Suzu* SV650."
"Wait, that's a large-size? I had this unfounded bias that girls usually went for mid-size bikes."
"Well, I was riding a mid-size when I first started university, you know?"
...Large-size? Mid-size? What were they even talking about? I was completely clueless when it came to motorcycles.
"I bought this baby along with my large motorcycle license just the other day," Nene added.
"Wait." Yamamoto drew back slightly. "The license and the bike at the same time?"
"Ahaha, Yamamoto-kun. A license is practically free once you pay the two hundred thousand yen fee, right?"
"That was the exact moment the concept of 'free' collapsed," Yamamoto muttered, looking utterly exasperated.
"Didn't the bike itself cost a fortune, too?"
"Yes! I took out a loan!"
"You're far too casual about this."
"If you're a rider, this much is normal!"
"Stop speaking for every rider on the planet."
Yamamoto let out a heavy sigh. Since the conversation seemed to have reached a natural break, I tugged on his shirt sleeve.
"Hey, Yamamoto? What do 'large' and 'mid-size' mean?"
"Eh? ...Ah, it's the engine displacement. Generally, as the displacement goes up, the bike's acceleration and power increase."
"I see."
"Gliding along the Shuto Expressway late at night on a large bike is pure bliss..."
Nene had an entranced look on her face, lost in some memory. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at her.
"Was your outlook on bikes shaped by the people in that former motorcycle circle of yours?"
"Eh? No... I didn't really talk to those people much."
"Oh, right..."
"Yes. ...To be honest, they were scary."
The two of them, who had been getting excited—albeit one-sidedly—just a moment ago, now looked down awkwardly. It seemed there was some history there.
"...I heard she got caught in a messy love triangle drama," Yamamoto explained to me in a low voice.
A love triangle, huh? From the way he described it, it sounded like some guy in her old circle had tried to force himself on her.
...That’s just pitiful.
Back in high school, I’d been caught in situations that felt like dramas, too. I’d been quite a handful back then, after all. Every time it happened, things got incredibly difficult. There were times when friendships fell apart, and days when I cried in secret where no one could see.
"Hey," I said. "Don't you want to look for a new group of motorcycle friends?"
"That's..."
"I could... help you look for some."
"Eh?"
"Don't get the wrong idea," I said, looking away. "I just can't stand the thought of Yamamoto's friend feeling lonely, that's all."
I-it was nothing more and nothing less than that.
"...Are you sure?"
"Well, I suppose I can manage that much."
"Is someone like me really worth the trouble?"
"Argh, honestly!" I glared at her. "Stop being so timid about everything! You're a cute girl, for goodness' sake! Put on a more cheerful face!"
"C-cu..." Nene blushed and looked down. She seemed genuinely flustered by the compliment, but at least the guilt seemed to have vanished from her expression.
"...Then, um, yes please."
"Mm."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan," Yamamoto suddenly chimed in. "You can make some riding buddies there. Then you can have them help you with your studies and stuff. Yeah, that's perfect."
What was he even talking about? ...Well, whatever.
A small seed of selflessness began to sprout within me. I was remembering everything Yamamoto had done for me. All those times he’d helped me, all those times he’d saved me... I held those memories close.
Even if I told him I wanted to pay him back, Yamamoto would probably only accept the sentiment. If I kept pushing and demanded he let me do something for him... I knew exactly what he would say in the end.
'In that case, go help someone else who's in trouble.'
He’d say it like he was making an excuse. He’d sound like he found it a hassle. I was certain that's what he would say.
...So! Even though he hadn't actually said it yet, I decided to live up to that expectation.
I'm going to do this. I was quietly burning with determination.
"In that case, Yamamoto-kun! Motorcycles! Are you interested?"
The fire was immediately extinguished.
"...Me?"
"Yes! You, Yamamoto-kun!"
"Why me? There are plenty of other people."
"Because... when you think of someone who's smart, seems to have plenty of free time, and has absolutely no friends, there’s no one but you, Yamamoto-kun!"
"Wait a second. Whether I have friends or not is irrelevant."
"It's completely relevant!"
"Why?"
"Do you really think I can hold a normal conversation with a total stranger?"
"...Sorry. I didn't think that through."
"Exactly! ...U-um, so Hayashi-san! You should definitely buy a bike, too—Hieee!"
Nene let out a shriek. She took one look at my face and screamed.
"...Yamamoto is off-limits."
"Y-you're right..." Nene muttered, looking thoroughly defeated.