For a long time, silence hung between us.
I was burning with shame at my own audacity, having just pulled such a blatant about-face.
Nene, on the other hand, had a faint sparkle in her eyes, sensing that the situation might finally be turning in her favor.
"Haaaaaaah..."
Yamamoto let out a long, weary sigh.
I’d been with him long enough to know exactly why he was sighing like that. Or rather, why he couldn't help but let it out.
"I’m not buying one, okay?" Yamamoto said.
He probably had a mountain of things he wanted to say, but he swallowed them all. Those were the only words he uttered, intended solely to make me give up.
"Why not?"
"Weren't you just dead set against it a minute ago?"
"That’s... don't sweat the small stuff. Aren't you a man?"
"Being a man or a woman has nothing to do with it. I'm just pointing out your blatant double standard."
He was perfectly right.
It was a classic Yamamoto response—logical, devoid of any charm, and completely failing to read the room.
Ugh, what is with him?
There was no need for him to hit me with such a Logic Punch.
I was only suggesting he buy a bike for his own sake—or so I told myself, even though it was strictly for mine.
That said, I knew from experience just how stubborn Yamamoto could be once he dug his heels in. Just throwing a tantrum like a child and begging him to buy it wouldn't work; Yamamoto would never be swayed that way.
In that case, I needed to stoke his desire to buy one—make him actually want it, even if just a little.
Fine then!
I’ll tell Yamamoto every single good thing about motorcycles until he caves!
"I heard there are bikes with great fuel efficiency these days, so it might be surprisingly easy on the wallet, you know?"
"I heard that already."
"The idea of slipping and crashing sounds dangerous, but it seems like it’s fine as long as you prioritize safety!"
"I heard that earlier too."
"C-Custom Parts range in price, so the expenses should stay just within the limit of not needing help from Consumer Finance!"
"I told you, I heard that too!"
Damn it!
My entire repertoire of motorcycle knowledge consisted of what I’d overheard from Nene five minutes ago while standing next to Yamamoto!
"Besides, if the cost is right on the verge of needing Consumer Finance, then it’s already a bad idea!"
I’d thought the same thing myself!
This is bad...
This is really bad...
At this rate, Yamamoto will lose all interest in buying a bike! Not that he had any to begin with.
What should I do? What should I do?
I started to panic. In my current state, I couldn't possibly convey the appeal of motorcycles to him. I simply didn't have the knowledge to back it up.
I can't do this. I can't persuade him on my own.
How can I...
Suddenly, something caught the corner of my eye.
It was Nene, watching me with wide eyes, clearly stunned by my sudden change in attitude.
"H-Hey, you help me persuade Yamamoto too!"
I turned to Nene, who wasn't even my friend yet, for help.
"Wait, me!?"
"Please! I need your motorcycle expertise right now!"
"B-But..." Nene looked down. "I couldn't persuade Yamamoto-kun earlier either..."
"It’s okay! He’s surprisingly weak against persistence."
"Hey."
"But... in the end, he’ll just start saying trains are better."
"Liking trains is just the delusional talk of a man who can only move on fixed rails."
"You're saying things that would cause a massive uproar on social media," Yamamoto interjected with an exasperated look.
Well, even I had to admit that was a bit harsh. But right now, I was beyond caring about appearances, shame, or my reputation.
"...Hayashi-san, do you seriously want Yamamoto-kun to buy a motorcycle?"
Suddenly, Nene turned a serious gaze toward me. It was the kind of look that refused to tolerate any lies.
Even though I had been the one intimidating her just a moment ago, I found myself slightly overwhelmed by her intensity.
To be honest, my current desire to make Yamamoto buy a bike was driven by a very selfish motive. Nene’s gaze seemed to be judging those impure feelings.
But I couldn't back down now.
"I do."
Because I want to go Tandem Riding on a motorcycle with Yamamoto at the helm!
"...I see."
"Yeah. I'm dead serious."
"...I’m sorry. It’s probably impossible for the current me."
"...Eh?"
"Persuading Yamamoto-kun is probably impossible for me right now."
"...No way."
I was stunned as Nene looked down in frustration. But she was right. Based on how things had gone earlier, Nene probably couldn't move him.
"However." Nene looked up. "But... maybe you can, Hayashi-san!"
"Me...?"
"Hayashi-san, why don't you try buying a motorcycle?"
"...What?"
"You want to persuade Yamamoto-kun, don't you?"
I was left speechless by her sudden proposal.
"If that's the case, you should learn about motorcycles yourself!"
"..."
Hearing Nene's words, a jolt of electricity ran through me.
"Hayashi-san, let's buy a motorcycle! And then, we'll make Yamamoto-kun buy one too!"
I slowly clenched my fist.
"Yeah!"
"You don't have that kind of money," Yamamoto said.
And just like that, my grand plan collapsed.