Episode 161: Sara-san and Hanako-san’s Secret

The talk with Hayato finished in about an hour, so I sent Sara-san a message saying I was on my way back.

Since she was waiting at home, I hurried back, but…

「Welcome home, Kazunari-san.」

When I opened the door, Sara-san was right there, greeting me immediately.

Did she wait near the entrance ever since that message?

If so, I feel bad…

「Sorry Sara-san, did you…」

「Kazunari-san, welcome home?」

「…I’m home, Sara-san.」

「Yes!」

My guess that she was demanding a redo was right, and when I honestly complied, she gave me a smile in return.

「Would you like to rest first? Or would you like to have dinner?」

………

I knew it wasn’t what she meant, but it reflexively sounded like the cliché「Dinner, a bath, or…?」line.

Looking at Sara-san’s expression, she obviously didn’t have that intention; she was likely just asking what I wanted to do…

But I felt a bit of a mischievous urge, or rather, I wanted to see what kind of reaction I’d get if I said it, so I decided to give it a try.

「Then, I’ll have Sara-san.」

I waited excitedly to see what kind of reaction she’d show…

「Eh? Me? Um… what does that…」

Rather than being surprised, her reaction was more of a「what do I do?」since she’d received such an unexpected answer.

I saw her looking a bit troubled and felt a little guilty, so I was about to tell her it was a joke, but she seemed to read it from my face.

「Yes, I understand.」

Sara-san seemed to have come up with something. She gave me a clear, sudden reply and then approached me.

She reached out her arms, pulled my head into a hug, and whispered「Welcome home, Kazunari-san」in my ear.

Then she shifted her face slightly…

Chu………

She gave me a slightly long kiss.

While I was frozen in surprise, Sara-san pulled back a bit and stared into my eyes.

「How was that?」

「Y-yes, thank you very much.」

When the words of thanks slipped out reflexively, Sara-san wore a mischievous expression of her own.

「Fufu… may I claim my victory, then?」

「I’m sorry…」

I promptly raised the white flag at Sara-san’s declaration of victory…

Putting the talk on hold for a second, I went to change out of my uniform.

Since a fresh shirt and everything were already laid out, I changed right there. Sara-san prepared cold barley tea on the table, the ice clinking against the glass.

After the two of us took a breather while drinking, I started today’s report.

The main topic was, of course, Hayato realizing the difference in his feelings toward Natsumi-senpai and Todo-san.

Listening to my story, Sara-san seemed to have some thoughts of her own, looking lost in reflection for a bit.

「Is something wrong?」

「No… people’s feelings are a difficult thing. As someone who didn’t understand the difference in types of ‘like’ and struggled to realize my own love, I can relate a bit. Admiration and love can feel quite similar, after all…」

「You mean it’s hard to notice they’re different without a clear trigger, right?」

「Yes. And whether you can notice that or not is truly important… I felt that especially deeply.」

With that, Sara-san gave a happy smile. Since the result of her realization was our current relationship, she must feel strongly about how vital it was.

「So, the fact that Yokogawa-san noticed is a wonderful thing. If you’re going to help him, Kazunari-san, I’ll cooperate with anything I can do as well.」

If Sara-san is going to help, I had a vague thought that maybe inviting Todo-san along for a double date might be an option.

After dinner, while the two of us were relaxing, my phone vibrated again.

I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the screen; it was from Hayato.

『Thanks for today. You really helped me out.』

『No problem. Sara-san said she’ll help too, so want to go out with the four of us next time?』

『That sounds great. I’d definitely like to consult with you more.』

『Got it.』

That settled that.

When I finished the exchange and looked up, Sara-san was watching me with a grin.

「What is it?」

「No, you looked like you were having fun, so I couldn’t help but…」

Apparently, she’d been watching me the whole time I was messaging Hayato. Did I really look that happy?

Well, it’s my first time being consulted for romance by a friend or helping out with it, so I guess it is fun in a way.

Right, speaking of messages…

「Come to think of it, I got a RAIN from Hanako-san today too.」

「Ah, I got one as well.」

「Was it a complaint?」

「Yes. I was a bit unsure how to reply, but I helped her out with a consultation.」

I wonder if she’s sending complaining RAINs to everyone besides us?

Is she really that dissatisfied… or is she having some kind of trouble at school?

I’m a little worried…

Wait. Did she say consultation?

「A consultation?」

「Yes. However, Hanako-san asked me not to tell Kazunari-san about it, so I’ll keep it a secret.」

What’s that about!?

I’m so curious.

The fact that it’s a secret specifically from me makes me even more curious…

「Hanako-san is a mysterious person. To be honest, I had some thoughts about how she treated you, Kazunari-san…」

Apparently, those two had some kind of talk without me knowing. But she said she「had」thoughts in the past tense, so does that mean things are different now?

Sara-san noticed how much I wanted to hear it, but she just wore a meaningful smile and didn’t look like she had any intention of talking.

「Fufu… I’m sorry, but this is a talk between women, so it’s a secret even from you, Kazunari-san. But I think you’ll eventually understand the part she didn’t want me to say. So please, wait until then.」

Since she put it that way, I couldn’t ask any more.

Judging by Sara-san’s wording, she just wants to keep it a secret「for now.」In that case, I’ll just have to quietly wait for the time to come… even if it’s frustrating.

Still… to think she managed to reconcile(?) with Sara-san. Hanako-san is something else…