Episode Twenty-Eight: That’s Exactly What Makes You Cute, Though
The whole trip was funded by Yukiya-san, and since this was ostensibly Yui-san’s own birthday celebration, I should really have been the one handling the arrangements — but in the end, Yui-san took care of everything herself, from booking the inn down to the train tickets.
Same as always, really. I just let myself be led along, hand in hand.
By the time I registered it, we were already on the limited express bound for Hakone-Yumoto.
Unlike an ordinary train, the wide, front facing seating made for a wonderfully smooth ride, and I found myself genuinely impressed — this really was a “Romance carriage,” living up to its name.
As if it were only natural, she’d given me the window seat without a second thought. Kind as ever, today too.
*
Once I unwrapped the station bento, the trip finally started to feel real.
“Thank you for handling everything. Even though this is supposed to be your birthday trip, Yui-san.”
“It’s fine, planning it was fun too. Don’t worry about it.”
Lately, I think Yui-san’s been spoiling me a little too much.
All I ever do is pick out what I want — this, or that — and every single time, she makes it happen.
Even right now, without me saying a word, she’d already stuck a straw into my carton of tea and set it down in front of me.
Startled, I wondered — is Yui-san always like this?
I took a sip through the straw. She’d told me once that she was the “devoted, goes-all-in type” — and honestly, at first, I’d taken that with a grain of salt.
But now, I’m starting to believe it.
It wasn’t a lie. If she’s already this endlessly kind without us even dating, I genuinely wonder what she’d be like if we actually were.
*
“…Yui-san, honestly, aside from your terrible track record with women, you really don’t have a single flaw.”
“What’s that, is that a compliment or an insult? I can’t tell.”
Yui-san laughed it off like that, but I couldn’t help thinking — that one flaw alone is a pretty massive one.
It’s easy to forget, swept up in her kindness, but I need to keep reminding myself: that kindness was never pointed only at me.
I’m sure that’s exactly why women are always gathering around Yui-san — because plenty of people out there are fine with that arrangement.
But I’m selfish. There’s no way I could ever be satisfied being just one more face in that crowd.
If I ever actually saw her, right in front of me, doing for some other woman the exact things she does for me — I know, without a doubt, it would hurt.
Being alone together so often makes it easy to forget that, but still.
“Ah… right, Ritsu-san sent in a souvenir request.”
“Eh? She never messaged me about it.”
“She said to buy as many black eggs as I can carry. Says she’s going to eat every single one herself. But if one egg really adds seven years to your life… eating too many can’t be good for you, right?”
“…Is she going for some kind of longevity world record?”
We caught each other’s eyes and burst out laughing.
The sky through the window stretched endlessly blue. Once autumn ends, winter will come, and a whole year will have slipped by in the blink of an eye.
*
The train took an hour and a half to reach our destination. Unable to hold back my excitement, I tugged Yui-san’s hand and pulled her through the ticket gate.
From the house all the way to Shinjuku Station, I’d just let myself be led along by Yui-san’s hand — but once we actually arrived, that was no longer an issue at all.
Honestly, I still can’t remember train transfers to save my life. The London Underground was still less confusing than the Tokyo Metro, by comparison.
“C’mon, Yui-san, hurry up.”
“No need to rush, the hot spring’s not going anywhere.”
“But…”
I’d read through the whole sightseeing guide specifically for today, and I wanted to enjoy every last bit of it.
Nineteen years old, and still acting like this — maybe it’s childish of me.
Wondering if I’d been a bit of a handful, I glanced up at Yui-san, and she narrowed her eyes gently and stroked my head.
“That’s exactly what makes you cute, though.”
Embarrassed, I looked away and pulled her hand forward instead.
Saying things like that so effortlessly is exactly the unfair part about Yui-san.
“So, where do you want to go first?”
“A café first. I’ve already looked up a place, so leave it to me.”
“Got it. Guess I’ll just let you lead the way, then.”
Our hands re-laced together gently, fingers intertwined. My heart gave an unexpected little jump.
I’ve been struggling with this a lot lately. Every little thing Yui-san does keeps stirring up my heart, no matter what.
Please don’t let my feelings leak through this joined hand, I found myself wishing, over something entirely impossible, as I pulled her along.
*
Eating matcha tiramisu, savoring some specially selected tea afterward — the whole time, Yui-san sat across the table, smiling, watching me the whole while.
“Good?”
“Yes, it’s good.”
I love that gentle gaze of hers, but I’m also a little bad at handling it.
That deep black, I sometimes worry, might see straight through to the inside of my heart.
Maybe she already understands everything. Maybe she already knows all the things I keep agonizing over, and just chooses not to say anything.
But real feelings are something you can only learn by actually asking the person.
All I’d need to do is ask, plainly — please tell me the real reason you won’t get a girlfriend — and yet I never have the courage to actually confirm it, and just keep wavering instead, and I know full well that’s entirely my own fault, being this much of a coward.
*
When booking the inn, she’d asked whether I wanted a bed or a futon, and I’d answered “futon” immediately, without hesitation.
Sleeping on a futon isn’t something you get to do often, outside of a proper inn like this — and though I had no idea how Yui-san would feel about it, the moment we were shown to our room after I’d pushed my own preference through, I knew right away it had been the right call.
This might be the first time in my life I’ve stayed at a proper, traditional Japanese-style inn like this.
“I-it’s huge…”
“It is. Oh, there’s a terrace too. And an open-air bath attached.”
The envelope of travel vouchers Yukiya-san had given Yui-san had been considerably thick.
Might as well use it properly, Yui-san had said, choosing a genuinely high-end inn — expensive enough that I felt a small pang of guilt, wondering if it was really okay to be benefiting from someone else’s generosity this much.
Evening was starting to settle in. Stepping outside and sitting in the chairs on the terrace, the vividly colored autumn leaves filling my view were genuinely beautiful.
“Ah, you can see Mount Fuji.”
“You really can.”
“Can you see it from the main bathhouse too, I wonder?”
“It might be visible if you go in the morning. Dinner’s from six-thirty, they said earlier, so there’s no time to go right now.”
Yui-san said it, checking her watch. A morning bath sounds nice too. If the two of us could actually go in together, that would be wonderful, I found myself thinking.
*
Back in the room, I slipped into the prepared yukata. Fumbling with it, Yui-san laughed and neatly tied my obi for me.
“Yui-san, are you actually experienced at traveling, by any chance?”
“Not at all. Never really traveled before. Just the occasional company trip as a kid.”
“Huh. That sounds nice, though.”
“Not really. Even calling it a trip, it was work for my dad, so it was never this fun.”
Yui-san pulled me in close, hugging me tight.
“The yukata’s cute. I’m really glad we came. I should thank Yuki-nii properly.”
Cute, cute, she kept saying, kissing my cheek, my eyelid, and it left me flustered with embarrassment.
“Geez, Yui-san, hugging that tight actually hurts.”
I pushed at her shoulder to hide my embarrassment. Her kind eyes were watching me.
What kind of expression was my face wearing, from where Yui-san’s standing?
Maybe I’m doing this too — letting my own gaze overflow, unguarded, with something like fondness, the same way hers does.
*
Dinnertime came after that, and while we enjoyed a leisurely meal in the room, Yui-san, unusually, ordered a local craft beer.
“You drink beer too, Yui-san? I thought it was just highballs.”
“Highball’s my favorite, but I basically only drink that at home. At bars I usually order something different.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“A salty dog, sometimes.”
Eh, a dog? Cocktail names are baffling. What does it even taste like?
“…What’s that?”
“Grapefruit and vodka. There’s salt around the rim of the glass — that’s actually the best part.”
“Grapefruit…”
Hearing that, I found myself remembering the first time Yui-san had kissed me, drunk. I remembered a faint hint of grapefruit that night.
“Kanata? Your face is red.”
“…It’s nothing. More importantly, you’re about to take a bath, Yui-san, so please don’t drink too much.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The sashimi was delicious too, and watching Yui-san in such a good mood made me happy as well.
Ah, traveling really is wonderful, I thought. Of course I already knew — who you go with matters more than anything else.
*
“Kanata, you can go take your bath first.”
Once the dishes had been cleared, Yui-san said it, and it left me feeling strangely guilty.
I’d been the one to insist we go in at staggered times, but now, belatedly, I was starting to feel bad about leaving her alone in the room for over an hour.
“You go first, Yui-san. This is your birthday celebration, after all.”
“Don’t worry about it, there’s a bath right here in the room too.”
She said it, pointing toward the room’s own open-air bath.
“But…”
Since we came all this way for a proper hot spring — I started to say, when Yui-san smiled and leaned in, peering into my face. Her long black hair swayed softly.
“Then, let’s just go in together after all.”
“N-no way. The changing area at the main bathhouse is bright and open…”
“Is it the brightness you don’t like? Then let’s just turn off the lights in the room’s open-air bath. If you don’t want me seeing you change, I can go in first and wait.”
My feelings wavered. It’s true — I really did think it would be wonderful if we could go in together. Belatedly, I was starting to feel it would be a waste to burn through our precious time here going in separately.
“Even so, still no?”
Don’t ask me that so gently. I wish she wouldn’t leave the choice up to me like this.
I already know Yui-san would never force me into anything.
But — my desire to just be with her a little longer was starting to win out over my embarrassment.
“…Fine. In that case, I suppose we can go in together.”
Trying to hide my embarrassment, it came out sounding oddly high-handed.
“Really? Then let’s hurry and go.”
“Eh, are you sure, without waiting to sober up first?”
“That little bit won’t get me drunk, I’m fine.”
Seeing Yui-san smile, so clearly pleased, I suddenly felt embarrassed all over again and turned away sharply.
I’d been so focused on worrying about being seen myself, but thinking about it properly, this also meant I was about to see Yui-san undressed too.
My heart had been pounding, hard, this whole time.
Never mind, forget it, let’s not, I nearly said, taking it all back — but then I caught sight of her, smiling so happily.
I bit down hard on my lip and swallowed the words whole.