Episode Twenty-Eight
Ten minutes later.
Runa and I were sitting opposite each other in the patisserie’s eat-in area.
Before me lay a slice of the seasonal limited-edition Bûche de Noël and jasmine tea.
Before Runa sat a lemon tart and black coffee.
When the jazz playing in the shop fell silent, I spoke.
“It’s been about three years, hasn’t it?”
“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”
Ever since we sat down, Runa had been glancing at my face as if she wanted to say something, only to quickly avert her gaze.
I’d invited her for tea, so if she had something to say, she should just say it. That’s what I found myself thinking.
I don’t remember her being this awkward before.
—Three years.
Neither short nor long, just a rather awkward span of time.
Looking at her now, while she seemed off, she also appeared slightly more grown-up.
Wondering what had changed, I observed her and noticed her lips immediately.
She’d never shown any interest in makeup before, yet now she wore a trendy, spring-like red.
Perhaps it was because she’d started working as an adult, as a member of society.
The pale coral pink suited her lips frustratingly well.
In the end, it must be the raw material. Even after three years, Runa remained a breathtaking beauty.
Her skin, a translucent white, and her slanted eyes, long and narrow with a hint of shadow.
The natural blonde-beige hair she inherited from her father’s side, and her long lashes. A modest, unassuming nose. A small mouth. And yet, a full, ample bosom and a height rather tall for a woman.
Even though her makeup style had changed, the foundation remained the same as when we spent time together.
“I heard from Haru.”
“Eh…?”
“That you’re moving here from Hokkaido. So it was true.”
“Ah, yes. I’m house hunting. Staying in a nearby weekly rental apartment for now.”
“Why go to all that trouble? Your art work’s going well back home, isn’t it? That cover illustration the other day—”
Damn.
I shut my mouth, but it seemed a little too late.
Runa leaned forward, looking delighted.
“Ame. Have you been looking into my work?”
“…Not really. Just coincidence.”
I averted my gaze from Runa.
That was a lie. I regularly check every single one of Runa’s solo exhibitions and her work.
More accurately, it’s more like I “can’t help myself”.
But Runa, who knew nothing of this, slumped her shoulders at my answer.
The sight of her, tall for a woman, hanging her head reminded me somehow of a large dog scolded by its owner.
Combined with her hair colour, she looked just like a golden retriever.
“By chance… Oh, right. That makes sense.”
Ugh.
The bitter guilt welled up, compounded by the fact I’d lied.
Ah, right. That’s why Runa is so cunning.
“Sorry, I lied.”
“Eh?”
“It wasn’t by chance. I check all your work. That cover illustration was really good.”
“Really?”
“…I really do.”
I took a sip of my jasmine tea.
It was already growing lukewarm, but I swallowed it down along with the lump in my throat.
It really was a brilliant cover illustration. The picture of the main girl staring right at you with that intense, almost demonic expression. That sheer power and immediacy. If you saw it in a bookshop, you’d instinctively pick it up.
“That makes me happy,”
Runa murmured.
Holding her coffee mug with both hands, she said it with deep feeling.
“It means so much to hear you say that, Ame.”
“…………It’s not like my opinion matters now anyway…”
“Of course it does!”
Runa placed her mug on the table with a thud.
“That’s not true…”
The earnestness in her eyes left me speechless.
Her hand slid out smoothly.
Her fingertips grasped my right hand, which I’d left resting on the table.
“Then and now, being praised by Ame is what makes me happiest.”
Her smooth fingertips touched the back of my hand.
Runa’s fingers were longer than average, beautifully shaped without knuckles.
Whether unconsciously or out of old habit, she continued stroking between my fingers as she spoke.
“Are you still living in that flat, Ame?”
“…Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. But, I see. So that’s how it is… In that case…”
Runa hesitated for a moment, her gaze wandering, before taking a deep breath.
Was it something terribly difficult to say?
“Well, you know I mentioned I’m looking for a place to live over here, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Actually, I found one really great place. The location’s perfect, it gets loads of sunlight, and the interior’s brand new – absolutely spot on.”
“…That’s good, isn’t it?”
“But it’s just a little over budget. And there are two rooms that could be bedrooms, which I think would be a bit much. I could use one as a storage room, but I’ve got enough storage space already.”
“…And?”
Vaguely sensing where this was heading, I urged her on.
Runa’s fingers slipped smoothly between mine. Like lovers holding hands, our palms pressed together.
Unlike her fingertips, Runa’s palm was slightly damp with sweat.
“Shall we live together?”
She looked straight into my eyes, continuing with cheeks flushed just a little.
“That roommate arrangement that fell through back then… Could you reconsider it?”