Episode 160: Love and Admiration

「Good morning, Kazunari-san.」

I woke up to find Sara-san sitting next to my bed for some reason.

Her left hand was on my head, and her right hand was holding mine.

Um, did something happen?

I was a bit curious, but looking at Sara-san’s smile, I realized there was no need to worry.

「Good morning, Sara-san.」

「Yes, breakfast is almost ready, so please go wash your face.」

Sara-san let go of my hand, looking a bit reluctant.

She went back to finishing the meal, so I thought about my day while washing my face.

Last night, Hayato had messaged me on RAIN.

「There’s something I want to talk to you about. Can you make some time tomorrow?」

Since he didn’t just barge in but checked with me first, he probably wanted a decent amount of time.

Meaning it was likely a serious topic.

I had a hunch it might be about Natsumi-senpai.

「Sara-san, I’ve got plans with Hayato after school today, so I’ll be a bit late.」

When I spoke up, Sara-san was just finished setting the breakfast table.

「I see. What should we do about dinner?」

「I don’t think I’ll be that late.」

If it’s just a talk, one or two hours should be enough.

「Understood. Then I’ll be waiting for you while I make dinner.」

It’s a bit late for this, but the thought of Sara-san waiting for me while cooking… how do I even describe it?

「At the arcade in front of the station…」

During break, the usual trio gathered at my desk.

Today’s topic was a cute girl Yamakawa saw at the arcade who was exactly his type. He was going on about it with intense passion…

「Your strike zone is way too extreme.」

「Loli types and Onee-san types? At least pick one or the other.」

It really was both ends of the spectrum.

I mean, they’re completely different, so I wondered how he could like both…

While I was thinking about that, the phone in my pocket vibrated.

…It’s probably just an app notification.

Or so I thought, but then it vibrated two, three times in a row.

…What is it??

I pulled out my phone and checked the screen; it was an incoming RAIN message.

「Class is boring.」

「School is boring.」

It turned out to be a string of messages from Hanako-san.

Straight to the point and no filler, exactly like her.

And finally, for some reason, she sent a selfie that didn’t hide her bad mood at all. Seeing it, I almost burst out laughing.

「Focus on class.」

「With my brain, I don’t need tenth-grade lessons.」

「I do.」

「Then I’ll teach you next time.」

Even though it was just text, I could practically hear Hanako-san’s blunt voice, and I struggled not to smile.

「Wha!? Hey, Takanashi, who’s that!?」

Clatter!!

A loud voice suddenly came from behind, making my whole body jump.

「Whoa, Yamakawa, don’t scare me!」

「N-never mind that, let me see!!」

Yamakawa forcefully snatched my phone and stared at the screen.

Apparently, he had circled behind me and seen the screen without me noticing.

「…………」

Kawamura and Tanaka must have been curious too, because they were peeking over his shoulder.

More importantly, the serious look on Yamakawa’s face…

「Takanashi… no, Takanashi-san.」

「Huh?」

「Please, introduce me to this girl—」

「No way.」

Yamakawa made a gesture like he was praying to me, but the refusal slipped out reflexively.

It was a knee-jerk reaction, but I wouldn’t have introduced them anyway.

A lot of the women around me have had a rough time with guys, and Hanako-san is one of them.

I should handle this kind of thing delicately.

「Please, somehow!!」

「Hey, Yamakawa. If you look at this RAIN, you can pretty much guess their relationship.」

「!?」

「So Takanashi had a girlfriend… you traitor.」

Yamakawa looked blatantly disappointed, his shoulders slumping in an easy-to-read way.

Hmm, I think I’ve been misunderstood.

I didn’t think the content was anything that would cause a misunderstanding, though…

Well, whatever. It saved me the trouble of turning him down.

「No, seriously, this girl is cute… you’re already close with Satsukawa-senpai, this is too much to be jealous of. Besides, she’s not from our school, right? Where’d you meet her?」

「She really is cute. I mean, her looks are a total bullseye for Yamakawa.」

…There were plenty of scenes like this in class where the guys would make a fuss about girls being cute, and my old self used to watch them with cold eyes.

But I just realized for the first time that I was one of them now…

The feeling that I’d been fully accepted as a classmate made me a little happy, but in a way, that realization was also a bit sad…

Slide…

「Kazunari, sorry to keep you waiting.」

I knew it was Hayato’s voice without even turning around.

And as per tradition, all the girls turned their eyes toward the classroom entrance at once.

「Alright, let’s go.」

「Yeah. Where should we talk?」

「I’ve already decided, so follow me.」

「Got it.」

……That group of girls over there is looking at me and Hayato with strangely excited eyes… there’s nothing fun going on, you know?

I led Hayato toward the flowerbed.

I wanted to get today’s watering done, so I figured I’d do it while listening to him.

The crowds thinned out, and by the time we reached the flowerbed, there was no one in sight.

It was the same place as always, but that’s exactly why it was a peaceful spot, and it was convenient for times like this.

「I’m gonna water the plants while we talk, so go ahead and tell me what’s up.」

「Yeah, okay. Well, I’m sure you’ve guessed, but it’s about Natsumi-senpai.」

Just as I thought.

Maybe it’s about how Yuji and Natsumi-senpai seem to be getting along?

While getting the hose ready, I prompted Hayato to continue.

「Actually, the other day, I had some thoughts and really thought about Natsumi-senpai. Like, what exactly I liked about her in the first place.」

…Come to think of it, I’d heard the broad strokes, but since Hayato was holding back, I’d never heard the details.

「Natsumi-senpai’s refreshing personality, how she treats me normally unlike other girls… the biggest trigger was when she scolded me, but…」

Hayato told me how he viewed Natsumi-senpai and how he felt.

But while listening, I noticed something.

This wasn’t like the other women he’d dealt with. He saw a reliable side in Natsumi-senpai… wasn’t it more like a type of admiration for an older person?

If that was the case, it would make sense why Hayato didn’t move proactively even though he seemed to care about her.

He probably was bothered, so he must have had some thoughts about Yuji.

But if that’s the case…

「Hey, Hayato… why did you notice that something felt off? There must’ve been a reason why you realized your feelings for Natsumi-senpai might be different, right?」

「……Well… actually…」

Apparently, when he was feeling conflicted watching Natsumi-senpai and Yuji getting along, Todo-san gave him a piece of candy.

Candy… it’s probably the same kind she always gives to Mio-chan. I’ve received one before, but I didn’t think she had them that day, too…

「I guess you could say I was shocked… I can’t put it well, but it was like this pure kindness with absolutely no ulterior motives…」

I kind of get what he’s trying to say.

Maybe she treated Hayato with the same vibe she usually treats Mio-chan.

Since Todo-san is such a simple, honest person, someone like Hayato who’s constantly being hit on might find comfort or peace in that.

「I see. I think I kind of get what you’re saying, Hayato. Todo-san is definitely the healing type.」

「Yeah, exactly! I don’t have to force a fun conversation, but just being with her feels warm… and her kindness makes me happy…」

It looks like there’s no doubt he’s fallen for Todo-san.

In that case, I want to support him from now on.

Todo-san is always playing with Mio-chan, so she should be at the shrine or the park often.

「Got it. I’ll root for you. You’re at the same school and you’ve met, so why don’t you try talking to her?」

「No, I think it’d be a nuisance if I just barged in out of nowhere…」

Right, Hayato stands out, for better or worse.

If he suddenly went to Todo-san’s class to talk to her or call her out, it might cause a scene.

It seems like I’d better help out…

「Alright, I’ll help with that. For now, should we start by increasing your points of contact and getting a little closer?」

「Thanks, Kazunari. I’m counting on you.」

Being able to support a best friend’s romance… I think that’s happy, or rather, fun in its own way.

I’d like to hear what Yuji has to say next time, too.