Chapter 13

The humidity clung to my body. The high temperature in addition to the humidity.

When was the last time I heard the sound of cicadas? Before I knew it, it had become normal to hear the sound of cicadas.

The heat, which makes you break out in a sweat just by standing still, tells you that summer has arrived.

I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and skirt, but even so, I couldn't escape the heat and wiped the sweat from my face with the back of my hand.

After the principal's long speech, I realized that summer vacation had arrived, even though I was still in school.

However, I was not the only one who felt that summer vacation had arrived, and the students around me were also looking a little nervous.

My second summer vacation as a sophomore in high school had begun.

I left the classroom with Ichika while listening to the voice of the homeroom teacher who was angry at the boys running in the hallway.

Ichika was always so mature, but she looked so cute and childish as she smiled with the joy of summer vacation.

Since then, Ichika and Ichinose-kun have made some progress.

When Ichika found out that the manager was just there with Ichinose-kun to pick out a gift for a friend, she called me in tears.

Ichika told me she was relieved. I was also very relieved to hear that.

I was glad that I didn't end up crushing her before I could confess my love to her, even though I had just found love.

Since then, we have been going out together more often, and Ichika was so happy that I promised to go to the summer festival with her. I told her from the bottom of my heart.

I hope that the two of them will continue to go out together and make it to the finish line, like an auntie of my relatives.

After the fourth visit to Toraga's house, I went to his house again the following week.

That time, we spent time together watching a movie. The movie we watched was an action movie. It was a movie that he had been curious about for a while, so he rented it. I was thrilled to watch the movie with Toraga, and after watching it, we talked about our impressions of it. We had a very happy time.

Then we made phone calls, sent e-mails…. The content of our conversations was unimportant.

We talked about how there was a rainbow after the rain today, or how to be careful because a typhoon is coming, or how we heard the sound of cicadas, or other things that were not important to us that day.

But these exchanges are very important to me, and they make me feel happy and special.

Nothing is wasted in talking with Toraga. At first I could remember most of what we talked about, but now I can't even remember the details of what we talked about or what kind of e-mails we exchanged. The fact that I had so many interactions with Toraga that I can't remember is my most precious memory.

I live each and every day with great care. The center of it all is Toraga, the person I need in my life.

I miss Toraga.

I have seen him so many times that it would be impossible for me to see him as I did before, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to see him.

On our way to a famous coffee shop, Ichika spoke up, “Speaking of which,” she said, “what's that?

What is it?

Maeno-kun said we should hang out on the days he doesn't have plans during summer vacation.

I see…I'm a little sorry…”

I know you have someone you like. I know. So I told her it might be a little difficult.

Thanks.

Maeno-kun had been asking me out a little bit before, but I had always turned him down.

I feel sorry every time I decline. Maybe he just wants to talk about anime. You may think I'm a terrible person. But I don't care if other people think I'm a terrible person for the past year. I don't care if they say I don't socialize well. I want to live for Toraga. No matter what.

At that moment, Ichika received a text message on her cell phone.

Ichika quickly took out her cell phone and checked the message, then turned to me and made an apologetic, troubled face.

I looked at Ichika's face and guessed who she was texting.

She said, “Ichinose-kun, is that you?”

She asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her now…”

I'm sure you don't have to worry about me. Ichinose-kun comes first.

I smiled and said to Ichika, she clasped her hands together in front of her face and said, “Sorry! Let's play again next time! and bowed her head.

She bowed her head and said, “Yes, let's play again. Have fun on your date with Ichinose-kun then.”

Ichika's face turned bright red as she giggled and said, “It's just shopping! She turned her back to me and ran away.

Ichika is so cute! I giggled as I looked at Ichika's small back. I laughed.

Now, what should I do?

I moved to the corner so as not to get in the way of people walking on the busy street, put my hands on my hips and thought about what I was going to do.

I had come so close to the coffee shop that it would be a shame to go home without doing anything.

Since I had come all the way here, I might as well have an elegant drink and do my summer vacation project inside the store.

I thought so and went to my original purpose.

I arrived at the restaurant not long after leaving Ichika.

As I expected, there were many people inside, but the rest area was empty. I put my handkerchief on an empty table, made a reservation, and went to order a drink.

The empty tables were occupied by several students studying and a working man with his computer open and keyboard clacking.

I took my drink and sat down at the seat I had reserved. Like them, I took my assignment out of my bag, plugged my earphones into my cell phone, and started to work on it while listening to my favorite song.

I always put my summer vacation assignments in the second half of the summer vacation and always finish them at the end of the summer vacation in tears. I wanted to finish it early so that I could spend the summer vacation with a refreshed mind.

I shut down the sounds around me with a love song playing in my earphones and created a space of my own, and then I just kept moving my pencil and solved the thick stack of assignments.

I couldn't study, so I looked them up in my textbook or on my cell phone as I wrote. My drink was running low, and the students sitting next to me were putting away their notebooks and textbooks and getting ready to leave.

I looked at the time on my cell phone and saw that it was almost six o'clock.

As I was getting ready to leave, my eyes suddenly fell on someone sitting diagonally next to me.

–There sat Toraga, whom I had been longing to meet.

I was so surprised that I couldn't even hear the music that had been playing in my earphones.

Toraga was doing the same school assignment as I was.

The smooth and effortless movement of the mechanical pencil confirmed how smart Toraya was.

Toramasa looked so cool as he faced the assignment with a serious expression on his face that I couldn't believe he was a delinquent feared by others.

I like his big, manly hands holding the pencil.

I love the muscles on his arms, the muscles on his arms, the veins on the back of his hands, and everything else that I can see through his short-sleeved shirt. I can't take my eyes off of them.

The way he sits and studies is just so cool. I feel as if my heart had stopped beating just by looking at him.

Oh, I want to capture this image on my camera. Then I will enlarge the photo and hang it in my room. In my previous life, I had a poster of Toramasa, but here it is a three-dimensional live photo of him, and since he is here, I can take any kind of photo I want… No, I won't take a photo of him without his permission, and I won't put it up in my room, but I do want to put it up. I want to look at them and worship them every day and make offerings…. I want a collection of live photos of Toraga…. Oh no, I'm so greedy… You look really nice…. I want you to tell me later what you're drinking… cheers to your eyes.

Anyway, why is Toraga here? I've met Toraga at karaoke before, and to meet him here as well, I may have spent a lifetime's worth of luck in the past year. Still, it's okay. Great, how is this possible….

At that moment, I had stopped moving and Toraya suddenly noticed me.

When his eyes met mine, the corner of his mouth turned up in a grin and he twirled the mechanical pencil in his hand with his finger.

I like you.

Just by saying that, my heart ached as if it was being squeezed tightly. I feel like crying.

I know this is outside the school, but there are still many students here, and I don't know who is watching, so we can't exchange words, but just seeing her makes me happy. I love it, I love it. And the words overflow.

So, I don't say it out loud, just with the movement of my lips, “I love you. I told him “I love you” with just the movement of my lips.

Toraga seemed to see the movement of my lips and immediately understood what I said.

He laughed again and said, “I know. I know,” Toraga replied with just a movement of his lips.

Oh, I love it. I'm happy. That's all I can say. I want to tell him I love him more. I can't help but tell him, even if he tells me I'm being too insistent. I love you.

At that moment, Toramasa starts to play with his cell phone on his cheekbones.

A few seconds later, I received a text message from Toraga on my phone.

When I opened it, it said, “You finally noticed. I opened the text message and read, “Finally noticed.

I blushed with embarrassment at the sentence. I wondered how long Toraga had been noticing me, whether he was not making a stupid face…whether he was not making a funny face….

I responded with a flick of my finger.

'Text me when you notice me! I wasn't making a stupid face!'

I sent a text message while glancing at Toraga, and he looked at his phone and raised the corner of his mouth.

'You didn't look stupid, but you did look dumb.

'They're both the same, aren't they! Aaahhhh, embarrassing!

'You look the same as always.'

'…… Yes… You certainly do look like an idiot…

“You admit it yourself?

I admit it! I am dumb face! If there was a dumbface championship, I'd take first place.

“Well, I lied about my dumb face.

“You're lying! You're lying!

“That's a lie.”

Which is it? Which is it? A lie, a lie…? I'm still a dumbass! Oh, sad… my maiden's heart is broken.

“You were a maiden…”

“What…

I've never heard of her.

“I…uh…uh…uh…”

I texted her as if I was having a conversation with her while she was nearby.

I was afraid to think about it, but I was afraid to think about it, because there were so many people around us, and we were alone in this space …….

I always check Toraga's reaction every time I send him a text message. I was curious to know how he always texts with me.

When Toraga sees my e-mails, he raises the corners of his mouth just a little. Does he think it's fun to text with me? I wonder if it's unconscious. I'd be happy if he was unconsciously smiling at me. ……

I held the cell phone that was connected to Toraga's phone close to my chest as I thought about this.

–The time passes quickly when you're with Toraga.

I realized that it was around seven o'clock.

I had told my parents that I might be home late because I had planned to play with Ichika, but I had to get home soon. Besides, it would cause trouble for Toraya if I came home too late. So I sent a text message to Toraya saying, “I'm going home soon. I sent a text message to Toramasa saying, “I'm going home soon.

I really want to spend a little more time with Toramasa. I want to spend time together without worrying about time.

When I looked at Toramasa, he was wrinkling his brow as he read my e-mail.

I wish he felt the same way as me. I waited for Toramasa's email with this thought in mind.

I'm sending you.

That's what he wrote in his e-mail.

I was very happy with the content of the message, but I was a little sad that he wanted to keep me from going home, which was an absurd idea.

It was dimly lit outside, but not so dark as to be pitch-black.

There were a lot of students there because of the location of the school. If I sent him home in such a situation, someone would see me.

So I replied, “Someone might see me, so I can go home alone. I replied.

After sending the e-mail, I looked at Toraga and saw that he was looking at me.

His expression was his usual angry face with wrinkles between his eyebrows. I don't think he was angry. I didn't feel that kind of mood from Toraga. But Toramasa is so kind that I think he is worried about leaving me alone.

I looked at the returned e-mail and smiled, squinting.

I'll call you until I get home.

I knew Toramasa was kind …….

I left the restaurant first, and a while later, I received a phone call from Toramasa.

I pressed the call button on the cell phone in my hand and put it to my ear. I heard Toramasa's voice saying, “Are you okay?

Tears were slowly welling up in my eyes from loneliness.

I'm fine. Toramasa-san is very kind after all.

“I'm not being nice…”

I never thought I would be so happy on the way home.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing that I'm not in the same situation as you, but I'm sure it's not a bad thing. I think I'm going to get addicted to it….

We talked again.

We talked about how summer is all about watermelon and shaved ice, and Toramasa told me I was all about food.

We started talking about summer, and we started associating summer with things like Nagashi Somen, playing in the river, and fireworks, and then the word horror came up.

I was the one who said it. I love ghost shows.

In the summer, I always check out the ghost shows. I like them so much that I record them and watch them over and over again.

Two days later, I'm looking forward to watching “Ghost Stories: Midsummer Horror Stories that Will Chill Your Back,” but even though I love scary things, I'm too timid to watch it alone.

My parents will be home late that day, so I'll have to watch it the next day! As I was talking to Toraga, he opened his mouth and said, “Then….

Do you want to watch it with me at my place?”

I said, “Yes…but it's late at night and I'll be bothering Toramasa when I go home…”

Why don't you stay at my place?”

Toramasa's words startled me so much that I stopped walking involuntarily.

To ……?”

I'm going to vomit.

The most important thing to remember is that you are not the only one who can help. Do you really remember that I like you? Sometimes I worry that you've forgotten? I'm telling you right now, right? What is this guy talking about, is he insane!

Haaaa, you invite other women to your house like that, don't you? Oh, but Ki-kun said he invited a woman for the first time, so he goes to women's houses? Isn't that right? Hey, isn't that right? Huh, wait, I can't calm down. What should I do… He said he's using me and that I'm expected when he says things like that. Like I can stay over…Oh, so they don't see me as a woman to begin with…. That's why he can say such things so carelessly…bahahaha, that makes me sad…. Ubeee, ugh, guuuuuh. I can only make strange voices.

Isn't …… annoying?”

The words that finally came out as if I was squeezing them out were the best I could do.

I'd love to stay over. Of course I want to be with him all the time. I want to stay with her until she wakes up from sleep. ……

But I'm sure Toramasa thinks of me as a pet, like a dog or a cat…. Oh, my eyes are running… Tears from my nose….

I'm telling you this because I'm not bothered.

Peeeeeeeeeeeee! Ho, are you sure it's okay! Aren't you disturbing me? Isn't it bothering you? Eh, really? You're not lying? If you say it's a lie, I'll cry as hard as I can, but I don't care! Because what Toraga says is absolute!

“Ugggghh, then, I'm sorry to disturb you…”

“Ah…”

Oh no, I can stay over at Toramasa's house. No way….

I pinched my cheek, but it hurt. It was real.

I already have a feeling I'm going to die.

Isn't that always the case?

Every time I see Toraga-san, I die and come back to life.

You're a monster, huh?

Please call me the Phoenix!

I'll never say it.

That's terrible…”

While I was talking about these things, my mind was occupied with the day after tomorrow.

Because I'm staying over at Toraga's house, right? What? I'll say it one more time. It's a sleepover, right?

I was so nervous to go over to his house, I needed courage, and I was so happy just to be able to spend time with him, but a sleepover?

This time, I might seriously die.

–I'll make it home alive.

I vowed so strongly.