Episode 3

She leads me to the fifty-ninth floor of a large commercial complex. Lunch at this height — I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like it.

It’s a bit of a walk from the station, but we never ran out of things to say, not on the way there, not in the lift. The distance didn’t register at all.

“Here we are! Can we go straight in?”

We’re shown into a restaurant that feels like a luxury hotel in the tropics — refined, but with a brightness to it that keeps it from being stuffy. She’s found us quite the place.

“Yeah, of course. Shall we?”

A well-composed member of staff shows us to a round table by the window. The view is exactly what you’d expect from the fifty-ninth floor. The clear sky blazes.

I watch the staff member bow and withdraw, then turn to face Seriha.

“This place is wonderful. It’s so beautiful — I’ve never been anywhere like this.”

“I’m so glad you think so! It’s mainly Hawaiian food, but there’s a lot of variety, so let’s just order whatever we feel like!”

I nod along and open the menu, and a flood of vibrant photographs rushes at me as if I’ve stepped into another world. Loco moco. Burgers. Garlic shrimp.

Everything looks good and I can’t settle on anything. She did ask beforehand about foods I don’t like — but I never imagined she’d bring me somewhere as lovely as this.

A familiar click of a shutter, and I look up.

“Got one. You were staring at the menu so intently, it was too cute to resist.”

Unplanned photographs of me: this would be I’ve-lost-count. Maybe I really do zone out more than I realise.

“Ask before you take them.”

I half-smile and pass her the menu.

“Everything looks so good, I can’t decide. But — yes. I’ve found it. The one that’s definitely going to be delicious.”

“Ooh, which one? We could order different things and share, maybe.”

We lean over the menu together — that one looks good too, and this one sounds unusual, I want to try it — and let ourselves be carried along.

What do we look like to the people around us, spending time together like this?

Senpai and kouhai. Close friends. Sisters.

Or —

The drinks menu is as unfamiliar as everything else, and we take a long, indulgent time going through it all. We call the staff over, and even after ordering, the conversation keeps drifting on.

◇

When the food arrives, my eyes light up and won’t dim.

Loco moco and guava juice for me. Pork sauté and mango juice for Seriha.

A restaurant this refined leaves nothing to chance — even the plating. The dishes are intricate, arranged in a way that makes them a pleasure to look at before you’ve even started.

“This looks incredible. Seriha, I’m in awe of your taste.”

“High praise! I had a few other candidates, and I mentally took you to all of them first, but this one felt like it would make you happiest.”

“Did it… thank you.”

She mentally took me to all of them. When did she do that, I wonder? At work? On the way somewhere? In the bath? Lying in bed before she fell asleep?

I want to know when she was thinking of me, making these plans. That’s heavy. Somewhere along the way, without realising it, I’ve turned into a heavy woman.

“Senpai. Come a little closer. Oh, and tilt your plate toward me a bit.”

I’m pulled out of my thoughts by a tap on the shoulder and a phone aimed at me.

“This is for the commemorative photo. First date with senpai. A little closer with your face, please.”

We lean in together and take a photo — both our faces, the food, the view outside. It occurs to me that this is the first time we’ve been in a photo together.

“Mmm, this is so good. You’re always cute, senpai, but today — honestly, it’s a lot.”

It’s just flattery. That’s what I keep telling myself, and yet every time she says something like that, my chest makes too much noise. I was genuinely glad I’d made the effort to get ready.

“I can’t compete with you.”

On her large phone screen: Seriha, her expression and pose naturally, flawlessly perfect. And beside her, an awkward peace sign — but a smile that came out of nowhere, that managed to be real.

◇

“That was so good. The atmosphere is amazing, but the lunch prices are pretty reasonable too — I’d want to come back.”

“Right. Next time maybe the risotto — or the steak. Let’s come again.”

The garlic shrimp is the one I actually want most. But when you call something a date, it gets harder to reach for the messy options.

“Yes! I have so many places I want to take senpai, there’s practically a queue forming.”

I watch her scrunch up her face in that expressive way she has — cheerfully pained by the backlog — and feel my cheeks soften. How far is she going to take me?

“So,” she says, drawing a breath and picking up her phone, shifting topics.

“There’s somewhere I want to go next, but we still have some time, so — shall we just wander around nearby for a bit?”

“I’m leaving everything up to you today. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Great! Right then, let’s get going~”

We settle the bill and step into the lift. Just as the doors open at the bottom, a warmth presses into my palm.

“Senpai — today is a date. Don’t go wandering off.”

“…okay.”

She’s so bright I almost have to look away. The building is air-conditioned, but somehow I feel my temperature rise.