7 January.
It had been nearly two weeks since she came to my house at Christmas.
Though she still became transparent in front of my parents, lately she’d been showing me her smile more and more often.
It was a very welcome development.

　We’ve shared many conversations, just the two of us in my room.
Observing her closely, I realise that while Amamiya Tōru still has some way to go before she’s a typical high school girl, she’s steadily getting closer. She enjoys herself when she’s having fun. She laughs when something’s amusing. She furrows her brow when frustrated, and gets sulky when annoyed. When she wants to be affectionate with me, she silently moves until her shoulder brushes mine, making her intentions clear. When she feels flustered, she tempts me by gently nibbling my ear.
　If asked whether this is typical adolescence, even I wouldn’t know.
But I think she’s clumsily regaining ordinary values.

Just like this.

……….

If she were to stop being transparent, just like this.

I should be happy. I should celebrate gladly.
Yet somehow, lately, every time I think of it, a loneliness burrows into my chest.

　……….

For now, I should keep making more memories.
Lately, I’ve been going on ‘dates’ with Amamiya Tōru in all sorts of places.
We started with nearby family restaurants. Once we got used to it, we took public transport to the outlet mall a bit further away. We went to the town’s small amusement park. To the aquarium too. At the cinema, I even saw the rare sight of Amamiya Tōru getting teary-eyed from being moved. Her sensitivity is growing.
It’s a very good thing.

“Mashiro, fancy going somewhere today?”

My room. Morning. After eating breakfast and brushing my teeth, I returned to my room and lay on the bed, thinking about “these things”.
Amamiya Tōru, sitting cross-legged on the carpet playing Reversi on her new smartphone, called out to me.

“Hmm…”

I got up from the bed and pulled back the lace curtains in front of the window.
　Rainy weather.
Perhaps because it had been sunny for so long, the dimness of the morning felt strangely nostalgic.

“Shall we just laze around at home today?”
“Ooh!”

Looking up at me as I suggested it, her eyes somehow lit up.
Yes, she’d acquired a hobby.
And a very human, ordinary one at that.

“Right then, let’s play loads of games today. Mashiro.”

Amamiya Tōru came to my house and started staying in my room.
She got hooked on games.
Her particular favourites were ‘Minecraft’ and ‘Donkey Kong Country’. Apparently, she loved the creative aspect of designing things like houses herself.
She also seemed to enjoy ‘Puyo Puyo Tetris’, challenging me to a few matches before bed.

　Even so, her utterly adorable trait was how incredibly clumsy she was with her hands, how rubbish she was at games. And seeing her right beside me, completely absorbed, eyes shining, enjoying herself despite being rubbish – I felt incredibly lucky.

So, well, to sum it up.
Spending a whole day just playing games with her every now and then wasn’t so bad.

“Fine by me. What shall we do?”
“Dig out some games we haven’t played yet.”

　With a determined grunt, Amamiya Toru opened the drawer built into the TV stand.
Inside were far more game cartridges than one could have imagined just a short while ago.

It was fortunate that Dad’s hobby on his days off was gaming.

Every single game console in my room now is Dad’s hand-me-down. I’d discovered the fun through mobile games and, wanting to get into gaming, asked Dad to lend me his. He ended up giving them to me instead.
　Even for someone like me who never played games and only read books, once I actually tried them, I found them all enjoyable. Just looking at the games in that drawer made my heart race.

“This one looks interesting.”

Amamiya Tōru pulled out one game cartridge.
It was a famous racing game, one even I knew.
You know, the one where you use items like mushrooms and shells to aim for first place.

“Sounds good. Let’s give it a go.”

We sit side by side, controllers in hand, watching the television screen.
The distance between us is barely a fist’s width.
Even at such close quarters, we concentrate on the game as if accustomed to it.

The race began.

As with every game we’ve played so far, Amamiya Tōru isn’t the only novice here. I’m just as green.
She and I should be starting from the same point in this game.
Yet perhaps I’m unexpectedly dexterous with my hands.

　I usually beat her at competitive games.

It seems that hasn’t changed in this game either.

The screen shows my character’s car currently in “3rd place”.
Amemiya Tōru, on the other hand, is in “12th place”.

The gap between us is so vast that, even during the race, I find myself stealing glances at her playing intently.

　Her mouth hangs open, utterly absorbed.
Cute.
Her body swaying with every curve the car takes in-game.
Cute.
Her body tilts and leans towards me.
Very cute.

No, wait!

“Hey, Amamiya-san! Physically obstructing me like that is underhand!”
“I-I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“Then move away!”

She remains leaning against my shoulder, focused on the screen, showing no sign of returning to her normal posture.
Her head rests right beside my face. Though we use the same shampoo and conditioner, a sweet scent tickles my nostrils.

Oh, for goodness’ sake.

　My heart starts racing.
And I start feeling rather naughty.

Even though we’re used to each other and the distance between us has closed, I still can’t get used to this clammy, romantic atmosphere.

“Yes! I just about beat Mashiro!”

Distracted by Amamiya Tōru, the match had ended. The result: she came 10th, I came 11th.

She glances over, delighted.
And our eyes meet at point-blank range.

　Ah.

We both fell silent.

This atmosphere…

It was something we’d done countless times in my room since she started coming over.
Releasing sexual tension.

I let go of the controller.
The next race was about to start on the TV screen.
But the interest and focus we’d had moments ago wasn’t on the game anymore. It was on the girl sitting next to me.

　When we gaze at each other at such close quarters our lashes almost touch.
Just a little more movement of the jaw and our lips would meet.

I tilted my head.

With a practised kiss that avoided touching noses.
It was decided that today would be spent in mutual affection.