Episode 32: “I’d Never Let You Feel Lonely” Is Just Too Convenient!
The noise of the burger shop suddenly felt far away.
The smell of frying fries, the laughter from the girls at the next table — all of it lost its sense of reality all at once, like it was happening on the other side of a pane of glass.
The lingering weight of that far-too-direct line Ia had just dropped was still stuck at the back of my ears.
“Wh— what’s that supposed to mean, all of a sudden…?”
“Not sudden. Been like this for a while. Probably even before I heard that Yotsuka liked Makina.”
“Ia…”
No way.
Because Ia’s always been the one person who cheers me on while teasing me about my love life — my best understander, my top-tier confidante…
“So, look. If things really do fall apart with Makina — you could come to me, you know… how about it?”
Ia’s voice wasn’t in her usual joking tone.
“Whatever you wanted to do with Makina, whatever you haven’t done yet… I’ll do it with you instead. As much as you want.”
My head went completely blank, the back of my throat drying out painfully.
The hand resting on my knee was trembling, faint enough that even I could feel it.
“I’d never let you feel lonely. Not once.”
The weight of that one line pressed in quietly from across the table.
I needed to say something, but the words stuck in my throat, refusing to come out.
“…Thank you. I didn’t know you felt that seriously about it, Ia.”
After a silence long enough that I forgot to breathe, I clenched my fist tight on my knee.
“But still, I like Makina. That’s not going to change. I can’t change that.”
Ia’s beautifully made-up, double-lidded eyes went wide for just an instant.
“See. Told you. You still can’t give up on her.”
“Obviously not.”
Then, Ia let out a short laugh.
“…Hehe, ahaha, ahahahaha! Sorry, sorry! Kidding, kidding!”
“Huh?!”
“Joke, joke! Come on, don’t take it so seriously~!”
Ia laughed it off, flapping both hands in front of her chest.
I genuinely thought my heart might stop.
Watching her snap back into her usual easygoing self, I felt a relief so overwhelming it was almost embarrassing.
“A joke?!”
A huge sigh of relief escaped somewhere deep inside me.
“What~? Your girlfriend’s pretty strict, huh, lol. I’d never let you feel lonely, though, lol. Been wanting to try that line out for a while!”
“What is wrong with you?! What would you have even done if I’d taken it seriously?!”
“Hmm~, guess I’d have taken responsibility and properly dated you, so forgive me?”
“You little—!”
The tension that had been pulled taut in my chest snapped, and I found myself, a little exasperated, laughing despite myself.
The two of us, back to normal.
Our usual, dumb after-school air, sitting in a burger shop.
“Hey, Yotsuka. You still like Makina, right?”
“That’s… yeah. I like her. Even knowing she might’ve cooled off on me, there’s no way I could ever stop liking her.”
“Then you’ve gotta properly ask her. There’s no time left.”
“Time…?”
“Huh? How are you forgetting this? Your birthday’s tomorrow, right? The deadline’s basically right here.”
That one line hit me like a bucket of ice water straight to the head.
Right.
Our eighteenth birthday.
The day our parents file the paperwork. The day we officially, truly become “sisters.”
There’s not even a single day left before then.
“…Got it. I’ll ask her. I’ll properly talk to Makina.”
“You ready for it?”
“Yeah. Whatever happens… I won’t regret it.”
“Then let’s head home. Makina’s probably already back, right?”
“…Yeah.”
I got up from my seat, together with Ia.
◇◆◇◆◇
Stepping outside the shop, the spring night air blew past, cooling our flushed faces.
On the walk home, Ia went right back to her usual light chatter about nothing much.
Some new shop that opened near the station, how the next test range looked brutal.
I kept up my end too, with my usual “seriously?” and nods along.
Like the mood from earlier had never even happened.
“See ya, Yotsuka. Go talk to her properly, okay?”
At the fork where we split up, under a streetlamp, Ia gave a light wave.
“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll go talk to her properly. …Whatever happens.”
I waved back and took a step toward my apartment.
◇◆◇◆◇
Alone now, Ia stood still on the cooling asphalt for a while, just standing there.
In the darkness of the night, pale pink cherry blossom petals scattered across the asphalt, blown past her feet by the wind, looking somehow lonely.
Well. It’s not like she hadn’t already known.
Of course Yotsuka would choose Makina. Always.
She’d known all along there was never even a single millimeter of space for her to fit into.
Ahh, jeez.
Ia tipped her face up to the night sky and let out a long breath.
Because Yotsuka got so happy, so relieved, laughing it off like that.
Really, genuinely bad at reading the room.
The backs of her eyes started stinging with heat, and she wiped roughly at them with her sleeve.
She tried to laugh. Failed.
“…Haah. Man, why am I such an idiot…”
In her pocket, she laced her own cold fingers together, tight.
On the empty walk home, only that small murmur slipped out.
Carried off on the cold night wind, along with the pale pink petals scattered at her feet.