MTLNOVEL Chapter 31
At the station platform on my way home from school, I was fiddling with my smartphone as I waited for a girl. Looking back, I feel rather noble for patiently waiting for her, not taking any of the passing trains.
“I’m sorry. I’m late.”
“Hey.”
The person I was waiting for was Akari Kasahara. Ever since the day she was rejected after confessing her feelings to senior Sekine, our strange relationship had continued, even into our third year of high school. I initially resisted this quite a bit. I increased my gym hours, went to the station just in time for the train, that sort of resistance.
I even asked for her contact information as a form of resistance. I’d tell her that I’m going to extend my training full of passion today, so please go home first. I made arrangements like this many times to send her home before me.
However, our relationship continued even after the academic year changed. When it comes to Kasahara, no matter how many times I texted her to go home first, she would send a thumbs-up sticker and stay at the station. Eventually, I gave in, thinking it was dangerous to leave a girl alone at night for a long time, and our relationship continued.
I wondered where she found comfort in spending time with me. I lost count of how many times I was astonished at this in my heart, and I no longer remember how many times I asked her about it.
I asked her, “Don’t you have better things to do than waiting for me? Like studying?”
My twisted way of saying it was due to my twisted personality.
Most girls would be disgusted with me when I say things like this. They either get angry, sulk, or cry.
However, this girl Kasahara does none of that.
She always laughs cheerfully.
“Then, let’s study together next time.”
“No, it’s inefficient.”
By the time we entered the third year, I stopped asking her these twisted questions. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get my sarcasm, and even counters it. That was too much for me to bear.
And so our relationship continues.
Through one fall, winter, and into spring. All this time, we always went home together.
Strangely enough, despite all this time together, we never spoke a word to each other at school, let alone when we went to school. Although we rarely ride the same train when going to school, we should have plenty of opportunities to talk since we’re in the same class at school.
Well, at that time, I didn’t particularly want to talk to Kasahara at school, but considering her character, who casually starts a conversation at the station platform and on the train, it did feel a bit strange.
However, perhaps that’s why… because I only had about 30 minutes a day to interact with her, I didn’t reject her and somehow ended up going home with her for that long.
When did it start?
When did I, who at first did everything to avoid her, start looking forward to the time to talk to her?
Shortest is 15 minutes, longest is 30 minutes. That time, which is less than 1/48 of the 24 hours in a day, has become quite precious to me.
Feelings of wanting to advance our relationship started to sprout.
But when I start to think about such things, I always stumble over my twisted personality. I didn’t dislike this twisted personality. If I did, I wouldn’t live with this personality. But it’s also true that I found this personality a bit annoying at that time.
There was also a part of me that was timid.
Above all, she is very popular with the boys. She has many suitors. I thought there was no way a non-descript guy like me could monopolize her.
And the relationship I had with Kasahara at that time was comfortable. Despite being a person who originally dislikes stagnation, I remember thinking that it would be okay if things stayed the way they were.
It was after school on a summer day.
At my alma mater, preparations for the culture festival began right after the summer break, and the festival was held after a month of preparation. On a hot day with lingering summer heat, we were preparing for the culture festival, sweating profusely.
Kasahara and I were selected to be on the culture festival committee for our class, so we weren’t involved in the preparations for the class event. We were busy with the festival’s work.
Somehow or another, I was elected as the chairman of the culture festival committee. Some stupid teacher who didn’t know my personality leaked to the underclassmen that I had gotten the top score in the end-of-term tests, and I was hoisted up into the role.
Being in charge of the culture festival was a struggle for me, who is not good at group activities.
Still, the reason I was able to perform my duties smoothly was due to the hard work of other earnest culture festival committee members and Kasahara.
I think it was around this time. My personality became a bit more human than before.
And then, after school on that day.
As I was busy with the preparations for the culture festival as usual, Kasahara came to me.
“Hey Yamamoto-kun. Do you want to go home together today?”
“Well, we always go home together.”
“Oh, right. Haha.”
Kasahara was laughing. I couldn’t take my eyes off her smile.
“…I mean, let’s go home together from school once in a while.”
Despite our homecoming times overlapping due to being on the cultural festival executive committee, we were still strictly meeting on the station platform to go home together.
“Is that okay? You’re not going home with Hayashi?”
“Uh-huh. Their preparations seem to be in full swing, and our going-home times don’t match.”
“I see.”
After such a scene, we waved goodbye to our classmates and the cultural festival committee members, and we went home from school together.
“Good work today.”
“You too. It’s tough being the chairman of the cultural festival committee, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. That guy, I swear, he better remember this.”
“Haha. You’re talking bad about Mr. Kakogawa again, aren’t you?”
Ever since I was appointed as the chairman of the cultural festival committee, I had been grumbling to Kasahara about the teacher who had pushed the responsibility onto me whenever I had a moment to spare.
“Despite everything, it seems like the cultural festival will work out somehow.”
“It better. I’ll be crushed by the sense of responsibility, and a hole will open in my stomach.”
“Are you that mentally fragile?”
“Yeah. I’m fighting anxiety every day.”
“…You’ve worked hard.”
Kasahara was smiling wryly.
“So, as a treat for such a hard-working committee chairman, how about we stop by a convenience store?”
“…Yeah, okay.”
That was the first time I went home from school with Kasahara.
Probably, if it had been anyone other than Kasahara, I wouldn’t have accepted such an invitation. At that time, what mattered most to me was my own time.
“Ah, it’s cool.”
“Right? Want some ice cream?”
“That sounds good.”
“Uh-huh. It’s on me.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Eh…”
Looking at Kasahara’s downcast face from behind, we walked to the ice cream corner.
I wanted to maintain an equal relationship with her. That’s why I didn’t like the balance being disturbed by treating or being treated.
We bought ice cream separately and ate it on the way to the station.
“…Do you do this often?”
“Hm?”
“Buy snacks with Hayashi and the others.”
“…Ah. Not really.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. …That’s why I did it with you, Yamamoto-kun.”
“…I see.”
I couldn’t look at Kasahara’s face as she smiled smugly.
She often made suggestive remarks like this one. I wish she would stop because I might misunderstand. I would start thinking that maybe it wasn’t a misunderstanding at all.
…Well, there’s no way that’s true.
Considering Kasahara’s popularity, even the current relationship is more than good enough. To hope for more would probably be too presumptuous.
I hate maintaining the status quo.
But at that time, I was trying to stagnate my relationship with Kasahara, as if I were being blown by a cowardly wind.
“Hey, Yamamoto-kun?”
She probably saw through me.
“…I was confessed to.”
Kasahara saw through me.
“A junior boy. He said he’s liked me for a long time. I was surprised.”
“…And?”
I think my voice was trembling.
I think Kasahara was waiting for my words.
“What was your response?”
“…What do you think I did?”
Kasahara was smiling enchantingly.