Episode 9: Even a “Bathe Together” Flag Is Just Too Convenient!
It’s hot. Just relentlessly hot.
Why does summer in Japan have to be like this?
The living room, AC running.
I’m sprawled out on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling, completely wiped out.
Set to twenty-five degrees. This should, by all rights, be a perfectly comfortable space.
And yet, somehow — I can’t quite explain it — there’s this strange heat trapped deep in my core, or more like the pit of my chest, and it just keeps throbbing away.
“…Hot.”
“It’s hot.”
Across from me, Makina, sprawled just as limply on the other sofa, weakly agrees.
I fully expected her to say “The AC’s on, there’s no way it’s hot!” — but instead, she’s completely on my side.
“Like, the surface of my body’s cool enough, but there’s this throbbing thing deep in my chest…”
“Right… I get exactly what you mean, Yotsuka…”
“Ahh…”
“I want ice cream.”
We said it in perfect unison. Eerily perfect.
“Wait, seriously?”
“Seriously want some.”
“…………”
We stare at each other.
Then both of us spring up at once, feet thundering across the floor toward the fridge.
But waiting for us when we pull open the freezer drawer is nothing but an empty, frost-covered tray.
“…None left.”
“Yep.”
“Supermarket?”
“The convenience store’s closer, isn’t it?”
“Huh, but isn’t it more expensive there?”
“When it comes to soothing this ache in my chest, I, Uzuide Makina, will spare no expense. Time efficiency over cost efficiency, Yotsuka!”
“Ohh, nice!”
That kind of bold (?) side of her is one of Makina’s charms too.
“Besides, it’s hot out anyway!”
Decision made in three seconds flat. We sprint to change into our sneakers.
◇◆◇◆◇
Walking out of the convenience store, we each tear open our bags, popping the glittering, deep-blue ice pops into our mouths.
Somehow, both of us ended up picking the exact same childish snap-and-split ice bar — proof we’re just that in sync, maybe?
“Yotsuka, Yotsuka! It’ll melt, let’s eat fast!”
Makina takes a big, satisfied bite.
Her eyes squeezing shut at the cold — it’s such a childlike expression, and it’s honestly adorable.
“Is that okay~? The star student, sneaking snacks on the street~?”
“I’m a high schooler before I’m a star student, thank you very much!”
Hot. Yeah, it’s definitely hot out here.
But thanks to the cold running down my throat, the strange throbbing heat inside starts to fade, little by little.
Apparently it’s not good for your health to cool your body down too much, but somehow, in summer, having the outside hot and the inside cold just makes my head feel clearer.
Not minding the slight stickiness on my hands, I keep eating.
Man, ice cream’s got some serious power. And I mean that both physically and, like, mentally-stabilizing-wise.
Somehow the air outside’s suddenly gotten cool too, weirdly fast—
…Wait. Hold on. Isn’t this a little too cool?
“Hey, Makina, it’s suddenly kind of cold, not just cool, like…”
“I was just thinking the same. …The wind’s picked up all of a sudden too.”
—A bad feeling crept in.
This particular, distinct kind of ominous atmosphere.
…No way. There’s no way, right?
“…………“
“…………”
Then, plip — a single cold raindrop passes between us, leaving a dark mark on the asphalt.
Plip.
Plip, plip.
Plip-plip-plip-plip.
“Makina…”
“Yeah…”
“RUN!”
That instant.
SPLAAAASH!!
“WAAAAHHHH?!”
“KYAAAAA?!”
A downpour like an overturned bucket starts hammering mercilessly onto the heat-baked asphalt.
No, this isn’t rain anymore. This is a full-on waterfall!!
“Nobody told me about this!!”
“Did you not check the weather forecast?!”
“I checked it!”
“Then why?!”
“It didn’t say anything about rain like this!”
“So it’s the forecast’s fault?!”
“W-well, maybe it said rain overnight or something!!”
Passing the blame back and forth, we keep running.
The rain shows no mercy the whole time.
Hair soaked.
Clothes plastered to skin.
Shoes squelching.
…Why is this happening to us?!
◇◆◇◆◇
“…We’re drenched.”
“Ugh… what a disaster.”
Having barely made it home alive, we both let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh, my blouse is stuck to my skin, it feels awful…”
The second she’s through the door, Makina starts peeling off her soaked blouse.
“This needs drying off fast, or we’re in trouble — I’ll grab towels.”
I head for the bathroom too, pulling off the thin shirt I’d thrown on over my clothes.
“Here, Makina, towel first!”
“Thanks. You should dry off fast too, Yotsuka, or you’ll catch a cold.”
“Seriously! What even is today?!”
We dry our hair side by side.
Makina scrubs the towel roughly over her head, mussing up her long black hair.
She doesn’t seem to think anything of it, chatting away at our usual easy distance, but—
Standing right next to me now is Makina, down to just a camisole on top.
A thin white camisole. Soaked from the rain, the line of her body is showing through more clearly than usual — faint, but unmistakable.
Her slender neck, slightly flushed from the towel rubbing against it. The delicate line of her collarbone. A drop of rainwater slides down from there and disappears into the neckline of the camisole.
…H-hmph.
If this had happened to me even a little while ago, I might’ve panicked right then and there.
But you know what? I’ve been living with Makina for a decent stretch of time now.
Getting straddled first thing every morning, being reduced to a wreck by a pair of glasses — I’ve built up some serious resistance by now. Something like this isn’t going to rattle me even a little.
Yeah. Totally fine.
I’ve gotten stronger.
I haven’t been shaving years off my life from stress every day for nothing!
◇◆◇◆◇
“Yotsuka, it’s still before evening, but should we go ahead and run the bath? We’re both soaked, and it’d be bad if our bodies got too cold.”
“Ohh, nice! Taking a bath while it’s still bright out has this weirdly indulgent, forbidden feeling to it, you know? Like a hot spring morning bath!”
“Right, right, baths always feel like a nighttime thing! …Though right now it’s pitch black outside because of the rain.”
“Honestly I’d love to at least take a shower in the morning if a full bath’s not realistic~”
“Then maybe you should try waking up earlier? Spare a thought for me, having to wake you up every single morning?”
“Ha, I-I’ll work on it~…”
Trading that kind of easy banter, I bolt toward the bathroom like I’m running away and slam the auto-water-heater button like it personally wronged my family.
…Huh? Was I actually unable to look Makina straight in the eye?
N-no, that’s not it at all!
I just wanted to get the bath heating up fast, it’s not like I ran away or anythi—
There’s no way that’s what happened!!
A little electronic beep sounds, and there’s a ten-some-minute wait for the bath to heat up.
I plant myself on the sofa in the living room, at the end farthest from Makina I can manage.
To avoid Makina’s camisole-clad figure entering my field of vision, I stare fixedly at my phone screen, killing time.
Eventually, with almost suspiciously perfect timing, the water heater chimes its little melody through the living room: “Your bath is ready.”
“Yotsuka! The bath’s finally ready!”
“Finally! Now we can relax a bit!”
“Right, right! So, come on, it’s cold, isn’t it? Let’s just hop in together, quick!”
“Oh, sounds go—”
…wait.
Hold on.
What did she just say??