"Akari, have you decided what you’re doing after graduation?"
"Yeah. I want to be a bride, I think. What about you, Megu?"
"Hmm. Well, if I do what my parents say, I guess I’m headed for university. But honestly, I hate the idea."
"I see. Parental pressure is tough, isn't it? I totally get it. My parents were on my case just yesterday. They told me, 'Akari, as soon as you get home, you make sure to gargle and wash your hands!'"
"Well, you really should do that."
It was break time.
Laughter drifted over from the corner of the classroom. The ones talking were Hayashi and Kasahara, who were now completely at ease with one another. It was something I had thought many times before, but ever since we all ended up in the same class in our second year of high school, those two had been inseparable. It was obvious even to someone like me, who wasn't particularly close to them.
During our first year, I had been seated near Hayashi initially, but after that, our desks almost never crossed paths again. It was almost miraculous; we always seemed to end up on opposite sides of the room. I often thought how convenient that arrangement was. It meant I didn't have to worry about Hayashi throwing glares my way or snapping at me for no reason.
However, the sight of those two chatting during every break from their distant seats somehow always managed to catch the corner of my eye.
Only, on that day... during the break on the day after Kasahara had been rejected by that senior named Sekine, I found myself consciously watching her.
When talking to Hayashi, Kasahara was always smiling, spoke in a gentle tone, and had a soft demeanor. Today, she was talking to her friend with that same usual rhythm.
Despite what had happened after school the previous day, Kasahara was living her life as if everything were perfectly normal.
In the end, after she had told me the truth about being rejected, we hadn't exchanged many words. I hadn't known what to say to her anyway, and seeing her looking surprisingly tough and unfazed, I didn't feel like offering words of consolation or encouragement. Well, I was even more warped back then than I am now, so I might not have said anything regardless.
At any rate, at that time, even though I had stumbled upon that scene, I didn't doubt for a second that my relationship with Kasahara would ever deepen.
The turning point came after school that day.
On days when I didn't have garbage duty, I was always the first person in class to head home. At the time, I was obsessed with weight training and used money I got from my parents to go to a gym after school. Working up a sweat before heading home was my set routine. I didn't join any clubs because I was never good at group activities.
That day, too, I headed home after a satisfying workout.
The gym I went to was closer to the school than to my house. To get home from there, I had to take the train for about three stations.
Having arrived at the station, I waited for the next train. In the countryside, it’s common for trains to only come every thirty minutes, and partly due to bad timing, I found myself with a lot of time to kill.
Voices carry well in a rural station at night. There are no people and no buildings to act as obstacles, so it’s only natural.
I was killing time by messing with my smartphone when I looked up, hearing familiar voices coming from the direction of the ticket gate.
"See you!"
"Yeah. See you later."
Beyond the ticket gate, at the entrance of the station building, were several familiar faces. It was a group of about five girls, including Hayashi and Kasahara. Kasahara was waving goodbye to the group. It seemed she was the only one among them who commuted by train.
Hayashi and the others watched Kasahara as she smiled and waved. After a while, once their voices faded into the distance, Kasahara passed through the ticket gate.
To get from the ticket gate to the platform, you have to cross a station footbridge. That was why I could see the group loitering in front of the gate from where I was, but because I had been staring blankly at Kasahara, our eyes met the moment she stepped through.
Crap.
I didn't know exactly why I felt that way.
But I was hit with a sudden sense of awkwardness and quickly dropped my gaze back to my smartphone.
Had Kasahara already crossed the footbridge and reached the platform?
I didn't look up to check, nor did I have any intention to. I was just hoping she didn't think I was a weirdo for staring.
"Heading home late, aren't you?"
"Gyah!"
A voice came from right beside me while I was absorbed in my phone, and I let out a pathetic yelp. My smartphone slipped right out of my hand.
"Whoa, whoa! ...Ah. Good. Looks like the screen is okay."
Kasahara, who was the direct cause of my mini-heart attack and the one who picked up the phone for me, handed it back with a smile.
"Thanks."
I offered my thanks honestly. I usually couldn't say anything but cynical things, but even I wasn't so rotten that I couldn't manage a simple thank you.
"Sorry for freaking out like that."
"No, I don't mind at all."
A moment of silence followed. Honestly, it was awkward.
My mind was racing. Why on earth had Kasahara decided to talk to someone like me?
...Ah, was it because I was looking at her when she passed through the gate?
"Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable earlier."
I apologized. I had assumed the reason Kasahara came over was to call me out for staring.
"Eh?"
However, it seemed I was off the mark.
For a while, we fell silent again, just looking at each other.
"...Um, I just thought I'd ask you to be someone to talk to since I'm bored until the train comes. Is that okay?"
"I see."
"Yeah. ...Was it a bother?"
"Kind of."
"I see. 'Kind of,' huh."
If someone saw her talking to a guy at the bottom of the social hierarchy like me, her reputation might take a hit—that kind of stupid logic was entirely possible. Not wanting to draw any unnecessary resentment, I showed a bit of a rejection response, but Kasahara didn't seem to care. I thought to myself at the time, "Then why did you even ask?"
"So, what were you doing until this hour?"
"I was at the gym."
"Oh, the one next to the cafe called Pablo?"
"That's the one."
"Heh, so you play some kind of sport, Yamamoto-kun?"
"No, not really. I've just been really into weight training lately."
"Hmm. Hey, can I touch your upper arm?"
"...Pfft."
"Oh, did you not want me to?"
"Hardly. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I've been waiting for this moment—to be touched by someone else and have my desire for recognition satisfied."
The reason I, a guy with almost no friends, got into lifting. It was for self-discipline, but more than anything—though it's a bit of a contradiction—it was to satisfy my desire for recognition. I often thought about it while striking poses in front of the full-length mirror in my room.
Someone, please praise me!!!
"Wow, it's so hard!"
Kasahara said happily while squeezing my right bicep. It was irresistible; my inner self felt strangely fulfilled by that kind of reaction.
"...Thanks, Kasahara."
"Eh? For what?"
"My family says that since I'm the type to get obsessed with things, doing weight training is just poison for my body."
Well, basically, they were telling me to stop because it was obvious I would overwork myself.
"You're about the only one who has praised my muscle instead of calling it gross."
"I see. So, I got to be Yamamoto-kun's 'first'."
"That's a misleading way to put it, but it's not wrong."
Akari laughed with a cheerful "Ahaha."
After a while, I felt a sense of incongruity regarding Kasahara's attitude again. Despite being rejected yesterday by someone she liked, she had acted normal at school, during that chat with the group earlier, and now. She wasn't letting the heartbreak linger at all.
"...You're pretty tough."
"You think so?"
"Yesterday... well, after that happened, I'm surprised you can smile like that."
Thinking I had said something a bit lacking in delicacy, I let my voice trail off. Even if Kasahara said she wasn't letting yesterday's incident linger, it wasn't like she wanted it dug up.
"Sorry. I asked something strange. Forget it."
"No, it's fine. Well... it was a shock, but I can't just keep moping forever, right?"
"...I guess so."
That was Kasahara's strength, then.
"...But you know, I haven't told anyone else yet."
"Eh?"
"You're the only one who knows about yesterday."
Kasahara smiled enchantingly.
"...Honestly, it's a bit hard to tell everyone. I mean, they'd all worry unnecessarily, wouldn't they? And I can easily imagine them turning Sekine-senpai into a villain."
"...True."
"So... if you don't mind, Yamamoto-kun, for a little while... won't you comfort me?"
"No way."
I have nothing to do with this, so why should I have to do that?
The words of refusal leaked out of my mouth instinctively.
Kasahara was the one who burst out laughing.
"How mean! Just a little bit would be fine, wouldn't it?"
"No, it sounds like a pain."
"Ehh... Yamamoto-kun, you're so mean. You won't be popular with girls if you're like that, you know?"
"Well, it's not like I want to be popular."
"...I see. Fufu."
Kasahara laughed again. It didn't look like a strained laugh. I didn't know what the punchline was, but she seemed to be stifling a laugh as if she were about to burst.
"...Yamamoto-kun, do you always head home at this time?"
"Pretty much."
"I see."
Just then, the announcement informing us of the train's arrival played inside the station.
"Then, I'll be waiting tomorrow, too."
"...Even if you tell me you're waiting on your own accord..."
"I don't mind, you know?"
"Don't mind what?"
"Even if you're later than this. If you are, I'll just keep waiting on the platform. I might even wait until tomorrow morning."
"That's quite the power play. ...Fine, do what you want."
"Yay!"
Whether it was really for the sake of comfort or if there were other feelings involved, I didn't know.
But from that day on, Kasahara really did start going home with me every day.