Episode Twenty-Two

In the end, while I was agonising over whether to throw away my old pillow, it turned into Friday.
The day of my appointment with Haru. To leave on time, I had to push ahead with my work as much as possible.

“Waaah, Senpai, help meee! The client’s revision instructions are so incomprehensible, I just don’t know what to do!”

“Right, right. Let me have a look.”

Summoned by Momono-chan, I peered over her shoulder at her terminal to assist. Whoa, seriously, this is incomprehensible?
While deciphering the email, fluffy like festival cotton candy, I somehow managed to get through my own tasks.
During my afternoon email check, my hand suddenly froze.

“Blimey. ‘Rêve’, another retake…”

I couldn’t help groaning.
‘Rêve’ is a small boxed chocolate handled by our ace, Yamauchi-san, for its package renewal. I’m involved as a sub-member.
It’s a chocolate confection with a striking illustration of a pop princess, sold in convenience stores since I was in secondary school.
I’ve eaten it several times myself. It’s properly sweet, melts nicely in the mouth, a comforting flavour.
　However, despite being a long-seller, sales for ‘Rêve’ seem to be gradually declining, pushed by competitors.
Consequently, the client’s request was for the package redesign to appeal to a broader age range – specifically women in their late twenties to thirties – encouraging them to pick it up.

It’s a fairly common request, but precisely because it’s a long-seller and the manufacturer’s flagship product, the client’s approval is proving difficult to secure.
　To me, all of Yamauchi-san’s proposals seem more than adequate…
That said, packaging design is the lifeline for convenience store confectionery. I understand why the manufacturer is cautious.
The schedule is still on track, so there’s no need to push things for now.
And so, I managed to leave work on time that day.
Yes indeed.

　　†

I hopped on the train and hurried to the designated restaurant.
An Italian bar. The interior was casual yet chic, and it was bustling with customers. This promised good food.
Impressive, as always. Since his student days, Haru had never picked a bad spot.

“Hey.”

Haru was already seated in the semi-private booth we were shown to.
　Having just finished work, he wasn’t wearing jeans, thankfully. Smart trousers instead. Though the bold inner colour remained unchanged – perhaps that’s just accepted in his line of work.
Ideally, I’d have savoured the Italian fare while catching up leisurely over old times…
But the glass in Haru’s hand (a mojito) was already more than half empty.
His cheeks flushed slightly as he grinned.

“Right then. Shall we get straight to it? That business you can’t discuss sober.”

“…After one more drink.”

I sighed and ordered a cassis orange from the tablet on the table.

†

“No way that’s possible.”

That was Haru’s first reaction after I’d finished explaining.

“No… yeah. That’s bloody impossible.”

Her second reaction was the same.

“It is possible, so what can you do?”

My throat was parched from talking so much, so I moistened it with the cassis orange. Sweet and delicious.
Just to add, I kept the fact that Ibara was a former idol under wraps. It wasn’t relevant to the main story, and I figured Haru wouldn’t blab about it needlessly, but just in case.
　Haru made a face like “Ugh” and pretended to pull away.

“What the hell, Ame? You’re hitting on a high schooler? That’s a bit much, even for me. Properly grossed out.”

“I’m not! I’m not doing that!”

Thud. I slammed my empty glass down on the table.
It was a misunderstanding. I absolutely had to set the record straight.

“Me and Ibara, we’re not like that.”

“Eh? Not like that, yet you’re letting a schoolgirl stay over every night?”

Ugh.

“…That… yes.”

“Not like that, yet you’re sleeping in the same bed with her?”

“…Yes…”

“That’s actually creepier. Ame, you know…”

“No, I get it. I get it.”

I ordered drinks on the tablet. I couldn’t keep talking without a drink.

“It’s just… how should I put it… I realise it’s a bit much. But I can’t just leave her.”

“Why?”

“…………Why???”

I looked utterly dumbfounded.
　Squeezing lime into a gin and tonic, Haru furrowed her brow.

“Why the blank look? That’s weird, isn’t it?”

“Well, obviously,” Haru continued, her expression saying it all.

“Listen. Normally, you’d leave a weird high school girl with issues like that alone. Unless you’ve got ulterior motives, you definitely wouldn’t invite her into your house. Get it?”

“But Ibara can’t sleep without me, you see? How can I just leave her?”

“You can, perfectly well. She’s a complete stranger. Just tell her to go to hospital and that’s that.”

A clean cut.
With the sharpness of a finely honed Japanese sword, Haru declared it.

“But… but…”

“The photo.”

“Eh?”

“Show me that photo.”

“This is all I’ve got…”

I displayed Ibara’s photo on my phone and handed it to Haru.
It was a shot I’d taken earlier, trying to photograph a parfait, but she’d ended up in the frame.
Haru probably cared even less about idols than I did, so that part should be fine.
She glanced at it and groaned, “Blimey.”
　Her gaze darted back and forth between Ibara on the screen and my face.

“…You fancy her, don’t you~…”

“Huh⁉︎”

“I get it now. Basically, you’re smitten by her face.”

“That’s not it⁉︎”

It’s not like that at all!
I wanted to be a witch for that girl who couldn’t sleep, no, that sounds a bit creepy when I say it out loud. That’s not it.
　I just couldn’t leave her be.
Haru let out a long sigh.

“Ame. You might not realise it, but you’re weak for pretty girls. Especially the cute type over the beauty type. Don’t you have one at work? The junior colleague who comes in with her hair curled inward, wearing a smart dress, and calls you ‘Senpai’ with a face like this (๑>◡<๑).”

“…There is.”

Momono-chan is exactly that type.

“You look after her loads, don’t you?”

“How did you know⁉︎”

Scary. It’s scary how well my old friend understands me.
Eh, is that so? I’m weak for pretty girls… Eeeeeh.

“Ah, but I’m not weak for Haru, am I?”

“As you can see, I’m the beauty type.”

“Eh, really?”

“Are you picking a fight? I’ll take you on.”

Not that, but if anything, Haru’s looks are more cute… I won’t say it because she’ll get angry.

“Anyway. What I’m trying to say is, don’t get too involved. You might not mean anything by it, but who knows about the other side?”

“The other side?”

“That schoolgirl.”

“…Huh?”

I genuinely couldn’t grasp what Haru was getting at.
What about the other side? Does that mean… Ibara feels something for me?
In that sense?……

No, no, no.

“Haru, that’s not happening. She’s a girl, and a high schooler to boot?”

“This girl really is…”

Haru pulled an indescribable face. Her facial muscles were as strong as ever.

“Even if you’re insomniac, you wouldn’t just crawl into bed with someone you have absolutely no feelings for, would you?”

“N-no. I mean, I don’t think she hates me or anything—”

I am certainly aware that I am liked.
But it’s closer to the affection one feels for a sister or friend, nothing more, I think.

“You can say that for sure?”

“…Probably.”

Haru flashed a ferocious grin, cupping both hands beside her face.
She curled her five fingers, striking a pose like a threatening feline.

“You might get attacked in your sleep. Sooner or later.”

“I told you, Ibara isn’t that sort of person.”

“Huh.”

Haru tilted her glass, her reply half-hearted.
Matching her gesture, I took a sip of my drink. The cassis orange was sweet and delicious.

“What would you do? If someone confessed to you?”

“I told you, it won’t happen.”

I do get flustered by the closeness sometimes, but that’s all.
　Ibara probably doesn’t feel anything either.

“It’s hypothetical. Would Ame sleep in the same bed with someone who had ulterior motives towards her? That’s the question.”

“Well, that’s—”

I want Ibara to sleep soundly. I promised her that.
But if Ibara were to look at me like that, no, she probably wouldn’t.
But hypothetically, if she did.

“…That wouldn’t be right. If I’m not interested, I can’t sleep with them.”

“Well, yeah.”

Hare nodded as if it were obvious.
As a friend, or a sister figure, I could sleep with them anytime.
But if they wanted more, and I had no intention of reciprocating, I don’t think I should share a bed with them.
It just feels… dishonest, somehow.

“Well, that’s not the case, so it’s fine.”

“Well, do as you please. You’re an adult now. And you’ve always been a bit of a busybody, Ame.”

Haru dipped Shintama’s roast beef in rock salt and stuffed it into her mouth with a satisfying munch.

“You were like this back in Yomimi too, weren’t you?”

A sharp, grating sound rang out.
　Startled by the familiar name, my fork had clattered against the cutlery.

“…That was… because that girl was utterly incapable of looking after herself. I couldn’t stand by and watch.”

“Even so, normally you wouldn’t put someone up, cook for them, or buy them a pillow.”

Is that so?
No, perhaps it is.
If someone else had been doing those things, she probably wouldn’t have deliberately come to my house.