Episode 283: Anniversary

After hearing the general explanation from the teacher, we decided to officially sign up for the accessory class. The cost for a simple one was quite reasonable, and she said it wouldn’t take much time as long as we didn’t pick something difficult.

I’d spent quite a bit of money on the ring, so my budget was cutting it pretty close. But Sara-san manages the actual living expenses separately, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

With that in mind… I’m going all out here!

Naturally, I want to give one to Sara-san, but also to Mayumi-san and Masaomi-san, who are always looking after me… and to Hanako-san, too.

And also…

I know. I’ve realized it myself, in a way. I know that since that incident, some kind of lingering resentment toward my parents still remains.

So, I’m not saying this is just an excuse to fix that, but…

I’ve never given my parents a proper present before, and these won’t be anything grand. Still, I’m going to give them these and tell them, if only in a single word, that I’ve managed to move past my old self.

Right now, I have reliable friends.

I have someone I love more than anyone else.

I have someone who loves me more than anyone else.

For the sake of Sara-san, the most important person in the world to me, I can become stronger than ever…

In reality, I probably won’t be able to say something that dramatic.

But I want to tell them, at least in a single sentence, that I’m okay now.

That’s what I thought.

「Now then, please choose whichever items you like.」

The teacher brought a cardboard box out from a shelf and began lining up its contents on the table.

Inside were craft kits with photos of the finished products on the covers. There were the standard bead-based ones, artificial flower types, others shaped like animals, and even wooden furniture? Objects? Anyway, there was a surprisingly large variety.

With this many, it’s hard to choose, but apparently the price is the same for all of them. So we were told we could pick whichever ones we liked.

「Regarding the artificial flowers, those are more like corsages. If you’re thinking of everyday use, the bead-based ones are the standard choice. The animals are popular too, you know?」

Corsage… I’ve heard the word, but I don’t really know the difference.

But if they aren’t for everyday use, does that mean they’re for parties or special occasions?

Hearing that makes me even more torn. But if they’re for special occasions, I think you should wear something more substantial, and it’s only natural that Mayumi-san and the others would already have things like that.

If that’s the case, I should probably think about everyday use.

「This one… and this one…」

「Kazunari, are you really doing that many?」

「It’s Kazunari, after all. I’m sure he’s including ones for Hanako-san and the other people who usually look after him.」

「Indeed. Takanashi-san is that kind of person, after all.」

「Is that supposed to be a compliment?」

「Of course. I like that about you, Takanashi-san, you know?」

「………」

When someone says something like that so casually and without hesitation, I don’t really know what to say… but it’s a little bit…

「Are you blushing, Kazunari?」

「Shut up!」

「Fufu… Sara would scold me if she heard. But it is a fact that I find you quite likeable, Takanashi-san. I think you are a very wonderful man, you know?」

「No, I mean…」

As she says that, I can tell immediately that Nishikawa-san, who is wearing a smile that even feels effortless, doesn’t have any ulterior motives. It doesn’t feel like she’s forcing herself to flatter me, either. I’m sure she’s just purely complimenting me.

But that’s exactly why I’m embarrassed… seriously, stop it!

「I see. Now I understand a bit of why Sara calls Takanashi-san cute. That’s how it is, then.」

「Um, please just give me a break already.」

「…It’s that side of you that is so ticklish.」

「Huh?」

「Fufu, it is nothing. Now then, let me make my selection as well.」

Nishikawa-san offered a somewhat mischievous smile and began browsing the craft kits on the table. What has been going on with everyone today, seriously?

「…Kazunari really is popular with a specific type.」

「…I think he triggers their maternal instincts.」

「…I see. Considering the lineup, that’s way too persuasive.」

The kits I chose were the type where parts already shaped like flowers or stars out of beads are included, and you tie them onto a brooch base called a shower plate. After attaching the main parts, you decorate the surroundings with colorful beads.

It’s easy in the sense that you don’t need to sew with a needle, but the manual work is quite detailed and takes a fair amount of effort.

But as I did the second and third ones, I naturally got used to it.

For the record, I’m saving the ones for my main targets, Sara-san, and my secondary targets, Mayumi-san and Hanako-san, for the end. Since I want to make them as well as possible, I plan to wait until I’m used to the process.

Therefore… my very first test-run is for my old man (lol).

Honestly, part of me wants to make something even more elaborate to give as a gift, but it’s physically, budgetarily, and temporally impossible.

In actual fact, because I have so many to make, I’m by far the slowest. The other three have already finished and are currently waiting for me to complete mine.

But if I rush, I’ll just end up making a mistake, so I have to stay as calm as possible… stay calm.

「Kazunari, this includes portions for your father and mother, right?」

「Yeah, it does.」

「I see… Hey, Kazunari. You should talk to them properly when you give these to them.」

「Yuji?」

What’s with that all of a sudden?

I stopped my work and looked at Yuji. He seemed a bit unusual.

He looked even more serious than usual… to be blunt, he looked completely dead-set.

But I’d already planned on talking to them when I gave them the gifts. I thought about it earlier, too. I have things I want to say to both my old man and my mom.

However, it felt like Yuji was stepping in even deeper than that… which means…

「Yeah. I was planning on talking to my parents either way.」

「I see. Then that’s fine. I said something unnecessary. Forget it.」

「It wasn’t unnecessary at all. You were worried about me, weren’t you? Thanks.」

「…」

Since it’s Yuji, who knows about my past better than anyone, I’m sure he’s telling me I should talk about that.

It wouldn’t be strange for Yuji to have noticed that the fact I still haven’t shown my face at my parents’ house is because, in the end, some resentment remains in my heart. So I’m sure he said that because he’s worried.

I’m happy about Yuji’s feelings, of course, and I’d never think it was unnecessary.

「…Honestly… Kazunari is…」

「…Indeed. I truly envy Sara.」

Maybe it’s not just about thanks or telling them not to worry. Maybe I need to at least talk a bit more… and apologize, too.

Maybe it’s finally time to face my parents properly.

「Alright, they’re all done.」

The first one I made had a slightly bad balance because I wasn’t used to it yet.

But well, it’s good enough.

They’re just beads, but because the teacher gave me all sorts of extras, they ended up looking flashier than I expected. Probably. Maybe… most likely.

「Good work, Takanashi-san. You were faster than I thought.」

「No, well, it’s already past the scheduled time…」

「It is fine. I did not have any particular plans for today, anyway.」

「Yeah, it was actually fun watching you work so desperately.」

「Did your expression keep changing because you were thinking about each person while you made them?」

「Ugh…」

Now that he mentions it, it’s true that I was having fun imagining if they’d be happy or not while I was making them…

「Kazunari’s feelings always show on his face, after all.」

「…Is that really true?」

「Yeah. Well, it looks like Satsukawa-senpai and Hanako-san see right through you regardless of that, though.」

「Sara only has eyes for Takanashi-san no matter what she is doing, after all. I am sure she can notice even the smallest changes that we cannot see.」

「Come to think of it, Hanako-san was watching Kazunari often too.」

「That’s true. You really are loved, Kazunari.」

「………」

Praising me, flattering me… what has been going on for a while now?

Or am I just being teased or made fun of… is there something about me?

「Haa… it would make me happy if someone so sincere would appear for me too… yes, truly. Why is it always me… just, always, always, always…」

「「「 …………. 」」」

I can see it. I can see it. Some kind of dark, ominous aura around Nishikawa-san…

Well, jokes aside, Nishikawa-san was muttering something under her breath as if venting her anger at something (or someone) invisible…

I’m sure something happened again.

I think it’s also a form of kindness to leave her alone.

It’s not that I think it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie, or anything.

Since we’d achieved all our objectives, we said our goodbyes once more and returned to the car.

I learned a lot this time, and coming up with a goal for the future was an unexpected result for me.

Once we got in the car, we first talked about what to do for our late lunch.

From Nishikawa-san…

「If you do not have any candidates, shall I reserve a hotel restaurant right now?」

An typical ojou-sama-like suggestion popped out, so I asked to put that on hold for now.

Eating such a full meal at this hour would affect dinner, and besides, eating at a hotel is just impossible for our budgets.

If we did that, it’s obvious the flow would lead to Nishikawa-san treating us again. No, that is definitely a no-go this time.

「What do you want to do?」

「I’m fine with something light.」

「Same here. To be blunt, even MacD would be fine.」

「No, we can’t do that with Nishikawa-san here…」

「Oh, that sounds lovely. Shall we do that, if everyone is alright with it?」

「「「 Eh!? 」」」

Whaaaa, Nishikawa-san at MacD!?

No, it’s not that it’s bad or anything, and of course there isn’t a problem.

It’s just that it doesn’t fit the image, or to be blunt, it’s just way too out of place…

「Um… I feel like I’m being misunderstood, but I am a normal high school girl too, you know?」

「Th-That’s true…」

「Now that you mention it… but still.」

Yeah, I understand how Yuji and Hayato feel. Especially after seeing her heroic figure(?) today, I just can’t connect Nishikawa-san to a scene of her munching on fries and eating a hamburger at MacD.

I mean, I’ve only ever seen her eating elegantly with a fork and knife at a first-class restaurant…

「W-Well, if Nishikawa-san is fine with it, I have no problem.」

「Y-Yeah. It’s fine with me too.」

「Me too. Actually, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a MacD.」

「My, Takanashi-san, is that not rare for a high school boy?」

「No… Sara-san…」

「「「 Ah… 」」」

How should I put it. Just by mentioning Sara-san’s name, they all gave a reaction as if they were completely convinced.

But they’re likely misunderstanding.

They probably think it’s because Sara-san would get mad or scold me, right?

But for the sake of Sara-san’s honor, I’ll say this. Sara-san would never get mad at me for something like that.

Well, she might do a「no-no,」but…

「For the record, it’s not like Sara-san told me I wasn’t allowed, okay?」

「Oh, is that so?」

「I totally thought it was something about her getting mad at you.」

「Me too. Then why?」

「If I go home, Sara-san makes the best food, so why would I choose to go to MacD?」

「「「 ………… 」」」

For the record, we don’t eat out much in the first place.

Even when I go out on a date with Sara-san, unless there’s a reason (like deciding to eat out for a change), she makes me a lunch box. We often eat in places with a good view, especially on sunny days.

「I see… so it was just more bragging.」

「Yes, yes, thanks for the feast.」

「Well… it’s just like you.」

「W-What is that supposed to mean?」

I just told the truth, and yet I was hit with a massive wave of coldness…

But you only say that because you don’t know how delicious Sara-san’s food is. If you knew you could eat that every day, anyone would think they didn’t need to eat out.

「Well… it is true that Sara’s cooking is exceptional.」

「Is it really? Kazunari is always praising it, saying it’s delicious.」

「I see it often during lunch breaks, and it’s all handmade without any frozen foods, right? I think that’s pretty amazing. Though I’ve never eaten any.」

「If you’re eating lunch together, why not just have Kazunari give you a bit?」

「Do you think there’s a man alive who could say that in front of Satsukawa-senpai?」

「「「 …………. 」」」

At Hayato’s word, everyone’s gaze focused on me again.

No… it’s true that even if it were Yuji or Hayato, I don’t think Sara-san would say yes so easily. But for example, if Sara-san made something specifically for everyone from the start, it would probably be fine.

It’s just that the usual lunch box is something Sara-san made just for me, so both I and Sara-san would absolutely say no.

Well, if I said that, they’d probably just call it bragging again, so I’ll keep it to myself.

「Nishikawa-san, thank you so much for today.」

「No, no. It was a pleasure for me as well to be present for such a memorable day for my two precious best friends.」

「Ahaha… w-well, it’s true I thought of today as an anniversary myself.」

Today is the anniversary of buying the first ring I’ll give to Sara-san. Even more, it’s a lifelong memorable anniversary of buying the ring for my official proposal to Sara-san.

「I am looking forward to your heroic figure on the day of the Miss Contest.」

「Yes. Leave it to me.」

「Fufu… I am sure Sara will be so happy she will cry. I am envious.」

「No, well, I mean…」

If I remember that day I gave her the locket, it wouldn’t be strange if that happened.

But if she cries because she’s happy, because she’s blessed, then even those tears of Sara-san’s will be a precious treasure to me.

「…Yuji, when are you going to give yours?」

「…Well, I’m thinking about various things. What about you?」

「…I’m going to start making my appeal clear soon. I don’t think Todo-san will notice unless I go with a direct attack.」

「…Is that right?」

「…As things are, I’m just a good male friend, I guess. Plus, if it’s just being friends, I’m probably losing to Kazunari.」

「…I see. It’s a cliché, but good luck.」

「…Yeah. I’ll do my best to at least get her to notice me by the time of the autumn festival.」

「Was there something about the autumn festival?」

「「 !? 」」

It looked like Yuji and Hayato were consulting about something, but I only caught the part about the「autumn festival.」

I’m guessing they mean that autumn festival held the week after the school festival?

Wait, is Yuji coming too… or has he already made a promise to Natsumi-senpai?

…Sounds likely.

「No, at the shrine near the school…」

「Oh, come to think of it, it’s that time of year. That festival has all sorts of stories behind it, and it’s a good memory now…」

「Is that so?」

「Yes. It’s a large festival, after all. People gather not just from that school, but from the surrounding school areas as well. When the three of us, Sara, Natsumi, and I, went…

the boys were just too much. Sara got legitimately angry, and Natsumi said her foot slipped and ki… no, it is nothing? It was such a chore that I had the execution squad, no, this is also nothing.」

「「「 ………… 」」」

She definitely just tried to say「execution squad.」And Natsumi-senpai kicked someone.

When I heard about the festival before, I’d imagined those kinds of backstories half-jokingly, but did they really eliminate the nuisances in the shadows?

Rich people are…

No, if Sara-san was saved, then this is a moment where I should be honestly grateful.

「Um… thank you?」

「Eh, why is that?」

「No, because it seems Sara-san was saved…」

「…Fufu, you really are consistent, Takanashi-san. In that way, you and Sara are a perfect match.」

「I, is that so?」

Nishikawa-san is looking at my face with a heartwarming expression. For now, should I take that as a compliment?

Well, being told we’re a perfect match makes me purely happy.

「The festival sounds like it would be fun now. Since everyone is gathering for the school festival anyway, it would be great if we could go to the festival together too…」

「That sounds good. Actually, I was planning on consulting everyone at the school festival. And about the trip, too.」

「Indeed, I would love to go on a trip as well.」

「I’m in favor of that too. It sounds like fun.」

「Same here. It sounds much more fun than a school trip.」

Good. Since there had been zero talk about the trip since then, I thought it had just ended as a spur-of-the-moment thing.

But everyone remembered.

We’ll have to make some real plans. I can’t wait.

「Alright, then let’s talk about it at the school festival.」

「Yes, I am truly looking forward to it.」

「Understood!」

「The things to look forward to just keep increasing. Well, I’ll probably have to ask for a schedule that doesn’t interfere with club activities, though.」

That’ll likely be the same for Natsumi-senpai.

I hope we can put together a time that works for everyone’s schedule. Well, that’s something to talk about at the school festival.

「Well then, I shall take my leave for today.」

「Yes, thank you so much for today!」

「You are most welcome. Let us meet again on the day of the pick-up. I shall contact you again.」

With a final polite bow, Nishikawa-san returned to her car.

It was truly a day of nothing but gratitude for Nishikawa-san.

「Now then, I’ll be heading home too. See you on the day of the festival.」

And Yuji waved while disappearing into the crowd toward the station.

The only ones left were naturally Hayato and me.

「Now then, shall we head home too?」

「Yeah. I’m sure your wife is waiting?」

「Listen…」

「But it’s a fact, isn’t it?」

「That’s… well.」

Calling her「wife」instead of「girlfriend」… it feels a bit strange.

But well… it’s the truth.

Anyway, I managed to procure the ring safely. I made presents for the people who look after me.

Actually, I made one for Nishikawa-san too… but the very first person I’ll give one to is Sara-san, and no one else.

So… I’ll give it to her another time.

Now, let’s head home where Sara-san is waiting.

I hope she likes the brooch…