Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko:Volume5 Chapter4

Chapter 4 - Tomorrow is a Youthful Hangover

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Chapter 4 - Tomorrow is a Youthful Hangover

About thirty minutes after we returned from the sea, there was a knock on the front door. I brushed my teeth and made up Meme-san’s futon (for some reason, I couldn’t find the duvet; had she given it to Erio or something?), so it lay upright against the wall and then remained lying there, lost in thought.

I hadn’t turned off the lights in my room yet. I was sprawled out, gazing at the ceiling, wondering if I should take another bath before going to sleep. The occasional sound of waves in the silence and the ringing in my ears was comforting. Then I chuckled to myself, remembering the commotion at the party and the chanbara during the day, and was enveloped in a little bit of happiness. It was at that moment that I heard a small knock in the room.

“Yes?” I replied, sitting up as I wondered who it could be.

[Yay! You finally let your guard down, Sun! I’ll have the summer sea all to myself!]

I would have expected the forty-year-old to come back shouting something like that, running outside around the beach in a swimsuit at night, but there was no such thing as knocking when it came to Meme-san. She’ll probably come in soaking wet and covered in sand. I had even prepared a towel by the bedside to push her away.

“I haven’t locked the door. Please come in,” I said, even though I thought it was a little careless of me, and then I heard the sound of someone turning the doorknob. I sat cross-legged on the futon and stared at the entrance, and I was able to immediately identify the visitor by her features.

There was only one woman I knew who was that tall. It was Maekawa-san.

“Hey, transfer student. Were you already asleep?”

Maekawa-san was dressed in a yukata, just as she was during dinner, raising her right hand slightly. I took off my slippers on the dirt floor.

“No, I was still awake. What, do you need something? From me, or Meme-san?”

“From you, transfer student. What happened to Meme-san?”

“Hopefully, she’s rolling around on the beach, tossed about by the waves.”

Surely she didn’t try to make contact with that mysterious flying object we saw in the sea earlier, did she?

“Ahahaha.”

Apart from her voice, she wasn’t laughing. Maekawa-san came into my room and approached me with unsteady steps, then sat down facing me. That was when I noticed she was clutching a green liquor bottle in her left hand. She slammed it down on the floor.

“I secretly collected the drinks that the old men were drinking at the party.”

Maekawa-san chuckled mischievously, “Fu fu fu”. She rolled a bottle with a sake label in her palm while using her other hand to adjust the hem of her yukata, which she had rolled up. I tilted my head, not understanding what she was talking about.

“Okay, so what’s about that alcohol?”

“I’m suggesting we have a drink face to face, transfer student.”

Maekawa-san raised the bottle of liquor, and a grin spread across her lips. When I heard the reason for her visit, I, a wholesome high school student with no connection to alcohol, cigarettes, or gambling, was greatly flustered.

“No, no, no, you and I are both minors. Why are you just casually suggesting this?”

“Weeell, if we add our ages up, we’re over 30 years old. Why not cooperate?”

Maekawa-san laughed it off with some nonsensical logic. Then she muttered, “Oops, I almost forgot,” and looked around the room. She checked under the desk and under the futon, and even got up and walked around, opening drawers and checking something. I couldn’t hide my surprise at Maekawa-san’s arrival and the heavy-looking liquor bottle lying on the floor. Maekawa-san always managed to throw me off-balance.

“Err, what are you looking for?”

“Well, since it’s you, transfer student, I figured you might have brought a girl or two with you. And what’s with this vertical futon? It’s like it’s accompanying a ninja.”

She acted nonchalantly but was making incredibly unfair assumptions. Maekawa-san must have completely misunderstood me. What kind of womaniser did she think I was? Ha ha ha.

“Fu fu fu, I just lured Maekawa-san into my room.”

I tried making a random comment. I was waiting for her to retort, “No, no, I’m the one who made the first move,” but Maekawa-san just smiled faintly and remained silent. She sat back down opposite me, just like before. Then she raised the liquor bottle again, blocking both our lines of sight.

We were hiding our expressions from one another.

“That’s right.”

“Hah?”

“So, let’s have a drink. A nightcap, a grown-up’s little indulgence. I heard you can’t drink carbonated drinks, so I came with sake.”

The contents of the bottle slosh around with the movement of her hands.

“We’re still kids… I mean, Maekawa-san, can you even drink?”

“I’m the daughter of an izakaya owner. With curiosity and the right environment, you can adapt to anything.”

I could understand what she was saying. After all, I got used to that alien town and the Touwa family. But, alcohol… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about what it would taste like if I drank it now.

It was the same at the dinner, but I thought, “If the adults are drinking it so happily, then I should too”. However, I had a nasty memory from when I was in second grade of elementary school. I was given a little of my dad’s drink, and it didn’t suit my taste at all, so I threw it all up in the bathroom. That was why I was a little hesitant.

Since then, maybe I’ve become at least enough of an adult to appreciate the taste of alcohol?

“…… Well, underage drinking is youth-like, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll give it a try.”

“What kind of reasoning is that?”

No, no, drinking alcohol with a girl at night. Moreover, we’re underage. That’s definitely a 3-point moment.

Besides, having snuck out of my room in the middle of the night with my friends to go to the public bath during a school trip in middle school, I actually quite enjoyed letting loose like that while travelling.

With a wry smile, Maekawa-san prepared two teacups provided in the room. She tilted the liquor bottle and poured the liquid into the teacups. It was as clear as water, but the strong smell that rose from it was unmistakably that of alcohol. I spontaneously grimaced. Maekawa-san chuckled at my reaction.

“Transfer student, how cute. I want to pat your head.”

“Is that payback for lunch?”

I glanced at the closed door at the entrance with a wry smile. It would be bad if Meme-san, who was technically my guardian, found out about this situation, but then again, it’s her we’re talking about. She’d probably spin around the room saying, “Leeeet meeee joiiiin too!” A forty-year-old wearing a swimsuit in the middle of the night. “Eh, wasn’t that just a dream someone had last night or something?” She would likely react in this manner.

“Hmm…”

I groaned as I stared at the surface of the water in my teacup. This water would significantly boost my Youth Points if I drank it all, but… it appeared it would have side effects. Let’s call it Super Blue Water. It sounded like a name that would kill me instantly if I drank it without any preparation.

“Here, bottoms up.”

Maekawa-san casually tilted the teacup to her lips in the same way she just recommended. Watching her swallow, I was amazed that she was actually drinking it.

“Using a teacup just doesn’t have the same charm, does it?”

said Maekawa-san with a grim expression after drinking about half of it. She looked at me directly as if to say, “Now it’s your turn,” and I made up my mind. I bowed my head slightly, said, “Itadakimasu,” and brought my lips closer to the teacup which was now permeated with the aroma of sake. I sipped it down as if I were drinking hot tea.

It was an incredibly unsophisticated way to drink. Moreover, I inhaled more than I intended, so I choked in a panic, and the alcohol splattered into my mouth and throat. It felt like the alcohol was seeping into my eyes, mouth, and the area below my nose.

My own coughing and choking sounds, along with Maekawa-san’s stifled laughter as she bit her lower lip, echoed in the room.

“Was this perhaps your first time? How did sake taste like?”

“A taste that makes my head spin.”

My throat was burning. I covered my nose and mouth with my hands and waited for the pain to subside. Was that what it felt like to drown in alcohol? It wasn’t much different from when chlorine-laden school swimming pool water got up my nose. No, there was no difference, was there? I licked the inside of my mouth, and it still tasted awful.

After I calmed down, Maekawa-san poured more sake into her teacup. Her skin was slightly flushed, and her eyes were softer than usual. Did alcohol kick in faster for people with good blood circulation?

“Well, let’s have some fun conversation as our snack, shall we?”

said Maekawa-san, kneeling on one knee and sipping slowly from her teacup. She would make a lovely picture, I thought with admiration as I saw her face to face. Basically, she was a cool person as long as she didn’t raise her arms and didn’t stay out in strong sunlight. High temperature and humidity strictly forbidden… Does she need to be preserved using the same methods as paintings?

“I wonder if Touwa and Ryuushi are asleep yet?”

muttered Maekawa-san, looking towards the wall.

“Probably, especially Ryuushi-san. She was practically asleep by the end of the banquet. Maekawa-san, what about your parents?”

“They’re having a walk on the sandy beach at night. They’re such a lovey-dovey couple, even at that age.”

She had a dry smile on her face. The sandy beach, huh? We didn’t notice it when we were there, though. Maybe my clam-digging aunt might come out on a wave from the open sea to ruin their mood. Yeah, that can happen.

“Come on, drink up. Drink up, transfer student,” said Maekawa-san, pouring me more sake. Was she drunk already?

“From your perspective, transfer student, wouldn’t it have been more welcoming if Touwa and the others had come to your room instead of me?”

“Pfft”

As I cautiously pressed the edge of the teacup together, more sake spurted out. Drops dripped onto the futon, making a stain. “What a waste, transfer student,” Maekawa-san scolded me teasingly.

“That’s not the case. Especially since Erio and I live together.”

“Weren’t you just bursting with laughter? I know, how about I cosplay as Touwa or Ryuushi?”

She spoke rapidly, as if in a fever, and then Maekawa-san’s shoulders began to slightly tremble. She seemed to be laughing, but it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere that would make me laugh along with her.

“That’s not the point… or rather, do you even have cosplay props that specific?”

“Of course not.”

She narrowed his eyes and spoke in a strangely displeased tone. She took a gulp of alcohol. Then she shook his head as if to say, “No, no, no.” Her cheeks and ears were flushed crimson, and her eyes looked heavy.

“No, that’s not it. This isn’t exactly a fun topic, is it? Yeah. Sorry, sorry.”

“Ugh. Well, whatever you want to talk about.”

If anything, the real challenge right now was the alcohol in front of me. How was I going to finish it?

“Aaaah, that’s it.”

“What?”

With the teacup still at her lips, Maekawa-san’s eyes averted to the side. She seemed unusually hesitant.

“Transfer student, you helped me out during lunchtime today, didn’t you?”

“……? Ah, you mean when I carried you to your room? Well, I guess I got used to these kinds of situations.”

“I was wondering if I was too heavy.”

“On the contrary, I was surprised at how incredibly light you were.”

Her weight was so small that it seemed impossible for someone of her height. I would have believed it if someone told me that it wasn’t because her consciousness had been boiled by heat but because she was knocked down head-on by a faint wave of light.

“If that’s the case, then fine.”

Maekawa-san brushed the hair behind her ear and moved her mouth, looking down slightly.

“Yeah. Nothing to worry about.”

“Yes.”

She gave that simple, unadorned reply, and the conversation came to a halt. A profound silence fell, and the sound of waves became audible again. At this point, there was nothing to focus on but the alcohol. I took small sips again, like a cat licking water. I didn’t put a large amount in my mouth all at once, nor did I take breaks, but I sipped regularly. I believed that was the most efficient way to drink. But somehow, it didn’t feel very youthful. Youth-like, youth-like… How do I do it? If I drank it all at once, it would just seem like I was drowning in my sorrows.

Maekawa-san, on the other hand, was racking his brain, saying, “A fun story, a fun story… hmm”. She didn’t necessarily have to be that dedicated to entertainment as a travelling performer. An interesting story, huh? I wish I could provide one, but I wonder what kind of story would make both Maekawa-san and me excited. I had no idea.

“…Transfer student?”

“Humm?”

“Did you get turned on by seeing Ryushi in her swimsuit during the day?”

“Bwah.”

The alcohol I was drinking splattered outwards in a radial pattern. It created a large stain on the futon. Wiping the alcohol that had spilt from my nose with my finger, I looked up at Maekawa-san, who had a bewildered expression on her face.

“Bwah.”

“What kind of topic is this?”

“I think that for high school boys, the most enjoyable topics are probably those related to sex, right?”

“That’s way too blunt!”

Odd, I thought Maekawa-san was a sensible person. Was it the alcohol? Was it because of the alcohol?

“But you spurted out twice with great force. I wonder if wrapping this blanket around Touwa would get her drunk.”

I tried to imagine Smakin staggering around and bumping into walls everywhere… Just like usual.

“Transfer student, watching your reactions made me feel happy too.”

“Well, Maekawa-san, seeing you having fun made it all worthwhile, even though I ended up spitting out the alcohol through my nose, hahahaha.”

“Well, wekk, let’s forget about our drinking failures.”

She poured more sake into the teacup. The sake, which had been reduced to half due to what we had drunk and spilt, was now back to its original level. It seemed like the teacup would never be empty. In desperation, I gulped it down in one go. I endured the strong smell of sake that filled the air by clenching my molars and swallowed it all down my throat.

I drank about half of what was poured into my cup in one gulp, and suddenly my whole body became incredibly hot. My eyes started to blink, and my vision became strangely clear. It was as if the dark clouds that had been hanging over me moments before had suddenly been dissipated.

Seeing my reaction, Maekawa-san also spoke to me in a slightly more cheerful tone:

“What do you usually talk about with Ryushi on the phone?”

“What? Just normal stuff. Like what we ate for breakfast. That’s all.”

“Heh? That’s like a conversation between boys and girls in elementary school.”

“Yeah, yeah. But it’s really fun.”

I gulped down. I was starting to get used to the taste. Plus, it was hot. The room and I were hot. So I drank cold alcohol to cool down. Was there a problem with that? Nope. Yup, let’s drink, let’s drink.

“Oh, you’re drinking well. Let’s keep going.”

“Ah, thank you very much. You too, Maekawa-san. Don’t hold back.”

I snatched the liquor bottle and poured it into Maekawa-san’s teacup. Ah, woops, some spilt onto the futon. Oh well, I can just swap it with Meme-san’s futon. She’s an adult and I’m a minor, so she’ll probably be considerate enough to avoid a futon that smells of alcohol. Probably.

Maekawa-san’s cheeks seemed to be slightly strained after being served a teacup full of sake. But the surrounding scenery also seemed to be slightly distorted, so it might have been my imagination. Or maybe my eyes were just bad.

“It’s hot again today. It’s a tropical night; I don’t need a futon.”

I kicked the futon away. But it didn’t fly because I was sitting on it. How useless. But Maekawa-san was giggling, so it was worth it. Oh, so it wasn’t useless after all.

“You have fun talking to Ryuushi, but what about me? Let’s talk like this now.”

“Huh? Hmm, I’m actually starting to have fun. Like I’m being liberated? Yeah.”

“Isn’t that because of the alcohol?”

“I wonder. Okay, then let’s try staying away from alcohol for a while.”

I gulped it down, emptying the teacup. Then I laid it on the side and let it roll across the floor. The teacup rolled near the wall, then made a short circular motion before stopping. It was like bowling, kind of fun. So I thought Maekawa-san should try imitating me. It might liven things up.

“Come on, Maekawa-san, you roll it too.”

“Yeah… you’re drunk, aren’t you? Completely.”

Maekawa-san rolled the empty teacup, holding her shoulder as if trying to suppress her laughter. It rolled all the way to where my teacup had been thrown, and they hit each other and stopped. Now it was like a game of billiards.

“So, what kind of conversation do you have with Touwa?”

“Is that an intro quiz? It goes something like ‘mofufufufufuuu, mofuuufufuuufuuufuuu’. Get it?”

“That’s exactly like her.”

“Aah, what a shame. It’s actually pretty interesting, even though it makes no sense.”

I laughed, “Ayahyahyah!” It was higher pitched than I expected, and I ended up laughing loudly without restraint.

“Do you want to watch TV?”

I pointed to a small, old, dilapidated television. Maekawa-san tilted her head, “Hum?” in confusion at the suggestion.

“Well, there might be some interesting TV show on. Wait, wasn’t the purpose of this drinking party to be amusing? Oh, did I get it wrong? This is embarrassing, oh no.”

“You’re not wrong, yeah. But transfer student, the fact that you’re a little eccentric is enough to make it interesting…”

“It’s so hot. It’s incredibly hooot. I can’t cope without something cold to drink. I can’t take it anymore.”

I moved around on all fours, stomping along. I retrieve both teacups. I stomped back. Since I was now separated from it, I kicked the futon aside. Then, I handed one of the teacups to Maekawa-san. “Pour the sake,” perfect.

“Perfect, huh? Well, if you’re going to eat poison, you might as well eat the plate too.”

“Ah, thank you, thank you.”

I asked Maekawa-san to pour me some sake. As soon as the mouth of the sake bottle left the teacup, I drank it. I could barely taste it anymore, but it went down smoothly. It was refreshing, like drinking liquid mint gum.

“Huh? What’s so refreshing about that? Weell, I don’t get it at all. I still prefer muscat-flavoured gum. Or that 20-yen orange gum. The kind where the flavour disappears in two seconds after you chew it, you know? That one.”

“Hey, cheerful transfer student. Don’t get all excited by yourself; listen to what I have to say for a second.”

“Whaaat? A transfer student? Are you telling me to transfer schools… Huh? Déjà vu, déjà vu.”

As I was lost in laughter recalling a past incident, Maekawa-san cleared her throat. I looked over to see what was going on, and she took a deep breath, seemingly waiting for the redness on her cheeks to subside.

As Maekawa-san cupped the teacup in her hands, her eyes changed from dreamy to serious. She seemed to toughen up, and I thought that this was more like Maekawa-san.

“Has anyone told you that the school’s cultural festival is happening around the end of next month?”

“Hmm… I don’t know, wait? Did I hear about that? I forgot, so I don’t know.”

“Yes.”

Oh, Maekawa-san looks happy. It was unusual to see someone happy about a person not knowing or forgetting something.

“What about the school festival? You want to enjoy it with me?”

This time it was Maekawa-san who burst out laughing. A mist-like substance fell onto the futon she kicked. It was a beautiful shower, as if a rainbow might appear. I was so impressed that I couldn’t help but applaud, and Maekawa-san glared at me.

“That’s not the point, transfer student… Awa-kun.”

“Who are you calling a bubble?! Why are you making me out to be a bubble, hey, hey, hey, hey?”

I tried to imitate the fake crying of a woman in her forties. My nose started running, so I inhaled. Then I gulped down. With each sip, my head felt hot, my stomach rumbled, and the corners of my eyes flickered. It felt good.

“So, Sawa-kun, Aaah, so you don’t have any plans for this year’s school festival yet, right?”

“I don’t think Sawa-kun has any plans.”

Seriously, Maekawa-san, you should really try to remember my last name. Ah, but I don’t know Maekawa-san’s first name either, so I guess we’re even. I think I saw it on the class roster a long time ago, but I can’t remember what it was.

“Ugh,” I groan, my eyes darting around. I was swimming in a sea of memories. A sea that smelt of alcohol. I felt like I was going to get seasick just from swimming the crawl. Now that I think about it, in elementary school, we used to put red or black lines on our swimming caps. It was proof that you could swim long distances or fast. I think I only managed to get about three black lines.

“Okay?”

Maekawa-san’s ears, neck, and even the underside of her chin were burning red, and she was staring intently at me.

“Ah, sorry. What was that about the school festival? You said you wanted to have a blast together?”

“That’s enough of that… well, that’s basically it.”

“Huh?”

Then Maekawa-san slammed the liquor bottle down on the floor with a thud. It gave some kind of signal. But Maekawa-san herself seemed unable to keep up with the force of it, her words hesitant and awkward. He seemed restless. Have a drink.

“Well, if you don’t have anyone to hang out with or anything like that, I was wondering if you could help me with my project for the school festival. Ah, when I say my project, I mean the one for the art club.”

She was speaking really fast. Not only was her blood flowing well, but her tongue seemed to be moving smoothly too. That was good. Gulp, gulp. “Mae-chan, you drink too.” “Mae-chan?… huh. No, it’s fine, but Riwa-kun.”

“Riwa-kun, huh? So close, just one letter off,” but that was true for everything so far. How regrettable.

That assessment seemed to apply to the lives of many different people. Damn, I’m not going to end up like that. Gulp, gulp. But well, I’ve never got a perfect score on a regular exam since middle school.

“So, you want my help? Hmm, sure, as long as it doesn’t take all day, no problem.”

“Really? Well, knowing you Iwa-kun, I’m sure Ryuushi or Touwa will ask you out too, but are you okay with that? Are you confident you can turn them down?”

There were so many questions, and they came one after another without any pause, making me dizzy and go “Woups”. Maekawa-san was asking questions as if she were spitting out alcohol, spitting out words, or just flying them out… In other words, she was asking questions as if she were flying something, and I thought about it with my still-dizzy eyes, going “Hmm.” Ryuushi-san and Erio. Aaah, well… but…

“But it won’t last all day, right? So, once I’ve helped out we can just have some fun.”

That was a very reasonable suggestion. Thinking that, I glanced at Maekawa-san’s face to gauge her reaction. With her eyes closed, she had a satisfied smile on her face. The sake must be tasting good for her now, just like it is for me. Gulp, gulp. Pour. Drink. Ah, the bottle is light. There’s not much sake left.

“Yeah, not all day. I won’t be at the stall all the time either.”

“Oh, really? Well, then let’s all go around together afterwards, except for Meme-san.”

I laughed, “Hya hya”. Huh? It felt as if I had just set up some kind of flag for something.

“Ahaha,” Maekawa-san laughed, showing her front teeth. Then she finished the rest of her teacup and shook her head.

“Well, I don’t have any expectations.”

“Huh, why? I’m the type of person who keeps promises and things like that, because I’m a youthful guy.”

“If you hadn’t been drinking, sure. But transfer student, you will probably have forgotten a lot by tomorrow. Right now, I’m satisfied just from hearing that kind of response from you.”

“That’s not true! Alright, let’s write it down; let’s write down the promise! Pen! Pen is this!”

My knees were so weak I couldn’t stand up properly. I collapsed onto the floor and then started wriggling like an inchworm. Wriggling, wriggling. Pen, pen. It was on the table with the questionnaire. I grabbed it and scribbled with my right hand. “Ah, I’m right-handed, but oh well.” The letters I wrote with my left hand were almost unrecognisable. But I wrote them down, so it’s fine! I won’t forget! I won’t take a bath!

I rolled over and over and ended up back in front of Maekawa-san. Being in front of Maekawa felt like long before now. “See, I wrote it. Right? This should be fine; it will work,” “Yes, yes,” she replied, nodding. Good. Then Maekawa-san turned to the side and gave a wry smile, saying, “I don’t think I’ve let you drink enough”.

Then we both gulped down. I understood how those middle-aged men felt when they wanted to shout, “There’s not enough sake!”

“But why the school festival? It’s not even next month; this month is almost over. Aah, summer holidays!”

I lamented the end of summer. I wished I had another week of holidays, though I thought that every year.

“A kouhai…or a sempai maybe since she’s older? Hmm, I don’t know? Anyway, a friend from the card game club asked me for help with their school festival project, and that just reminded me of it.”

‘Huuum. What will you be doing? Something erotic? You’ll be doing something erotic?”

“Well. I guess it’ll be gambling poker, with that cartoon-character costume…”

“Heh?… Ah, then why don’t you just take your clothes off? Strip poker! That’ll be a hit!”

“I refuse,” retorted Maekawa-san, making me feel dejected. Maekawa-san then chuckled, shaking her shoulders amusedly, before looking up at the ceiling with a dreamy expression. I looked up too. It was dazzling.

“Besides, it’s pleasant to outrun Ryuushi once in a while, isn’t it?”

“Huh, Ryuushi? Wow, to outrun particles, Maekawa-san you’re seriously at the speed of light.”

Ah, so that’s why she runs out of energy and collapses so quickly: it’s because she’s moving at the speed of light. I see.

“Uwa-kun, you seem to really like Ryuushi. Is there a reason for that?”

“Heh? She’s mega cute! I just want to poke those cheeks of hers; I can’t get enough of them!”

Bam, bam, I slapped my thighs. I also took another sip. “Come on, drink up. You drink too, Mae-chan.” I went on to pour some more, but I realised the bottle was empty. Only a few drops of alcohol fell from the fall from the opening.

“Oh my oh my. Mae-tan, we’ve run out of sake.”

“’Tan’?… Ugh, it doesn’t suit me at all.”

“And you know, she kind of looks like her.”

“Looks like her?”

“Back in middle school, due to special circumstances… I mean, I wasn’t chosen for the sixty. Oh yeah, one of those forty kids had kind of a similar vibe to Ryuushi-san. So I think that might have been the reason I was initially interested in her. But lately, I’ve forgotten about her. That girl, Hosshi.”

Huh? I have absolutely no memory of calling her like that. What was her first name again? Sauce. I think it was something sauce-related. Was it soy sauce? Otafuku? Probably one of those. Hosshi Soy Sauce.

“Where was she from?”

Maybe she was French? But I’ve never been to France. So maybe she was Japanese?… Was this her stage name?

“Is that so?… I see, that kind of thing happens. But I don’t really get the gist of what you’re saying about middle school, though.”

“I wonder? I’ve never met anyone like Erio anywhere else, though.”

“She’s in a league of her own. It’s like the difference between the Sun and the Earth.”

I see, it’s just a difference in stars. I understand, I understand. It’s fun to talk about things I understand. It’s so fun.

It’s not like there was any particular excitement, but it was a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It was the same kind of atmosphere when I went to Maekawa-san’s house during summer vacation. I guess this kind of relationship was the most comfortable for me and Maekawa-san.

We’ve been drinking together and have become like best friends… Ah? The phone’s ringing.

“Oh, another call,” said Maekawa-san, taking her cell phone out of the sleeve of her yukata. She then answered the continuously ringing phone. I was jealous. Nobody has called me today. Well, I didn’t even bring my phone with me in the first place. Since Ryuushi-san and Maekawa-san are with me, there was a good chance it wouldn’t ring. Huh? So nobody’s calling me after all. Wah ha ha, I don’t have many friends. Nakajima and Hanazawa-san are a bit of a mixed bag, too.

“Transfer student, which is right and which is left?”

Maekawa-san, who had moved her face slightly away from the phone, asked me a familiar choice between two options.

“Hey, didn’t you hear that on the bus too?”

“I was just asked that again. Apparently, this choice will determine the outcome of the space war.”

“Okay, right. Riiiiight.”

After all, the promise I made to Mae-tan was written on my right arm.

“Right?… Okay then.”

Maekawa-san quickly hung up the phone. She immediately tossed it into her yukata.

“So, what was that conversation about?”

“I wonder? Something nonsensical about believing in coincidences.”

“Oh, really? What a coincidence! How wonderful.” That’s what the old man said earlier today.

Maekawa-san nodded deeply in agreement to the praise, which was more like regurgitation or plagiarism.

“That’s right, coincidences are important. You should cherish them.”

“Yes?”

“Why start a conversation and then ask a question? For example, like this.”

Maekawa-san snatched my empty teacup. She placed it next to her own. They were lined in a row, “By order of height?” “No, no. Like this,” said Maekawa-san, pressing on one of the teacups with her finger.

The teacup lost its balance, tilted, and fell over. In the process, it pushed hard against the other teacup that was in the direction it was falling. The pushed teacup didn’t fall over, but it slid across the tatami mat. After watching it stop moving, Maekawa-san said:

“Even if the cause of the teacup tipping over wasn’t my finger and was purely accidental, it was inevitable from the moment it fell that the fallen teacup would knock over another one. Wasn’t that just a coincidence?”

“Yeah, that’s true. You have to plan carefully when you knock down dominoes; otherwise it’ll fail.”

“One teacup simply falling over is a coincidence, but if it touches the second teacup, it becomes a domino. The impact was predetermined. A series of coincidences can shape inevitability.”

“Ah, yeah, I guess so. Domino is a good novel, isn’t it?”

“So, love isn’t accidental; that’s what the book said… the book I read the other day. And, yeah, I thought it might be a good saying, so I should better tell it to you, transfer student… or at least I thought I had thought it.”

“Oh, oh, thanks. It’s love, love, right? Love is the best! But Meme-tan’s love is a bit too intense!”

I span my arms around and around, singing of love. Love is love. Is Maekawa-san in love?

Right now, I was in love with spinning. Everything in front of me and my eyeballs was spinning around together, like in an amusement park.

“So, what did you come here to talk about today? Is it just going to end with the school festival, love, and coincidences?”

“That’s the second one.”

With her mouth covered by a teacup, Maekawa-san thrust out a peace sign. I thrust mine back. The fingers of the peace sign push against her toenails, then pull back, repeating this playful interaction like tropical fish.

Then, without revealing her mouth, Maekawa-san explained the main reason she came here:

“I couldn’t really have fun with transfer students during the day, so I wanted to have fun at night. That’s all.”

“Oh, really… huh?”

The teacup rolled over. No, I’m the one falling over. I flopped face down. On the futon I’ve laid out ? ? ? A series of question marks appeared, and then I recoiled at the smell of alcohol in my own breath.

“Oh, Ooh? Wow wow, Maekawa-san, are you pressing down from above?”

“No, Chiwa-kun, you’re at your limit.”

She waved her arms from a distance. “I see,” I responded, but what? What’s my limit? I tried to stand up; I tried to stand up, but my body was tossed about by the waves, and I couldn’t move even my fingertips. Everything I saw was distorted and warped.

Maekawa-san, with unsteady steps, brought the futon and draped it over me. It should have made me even hotter, but it felt incredibly good. It was warm. It felt like it had instantly become a part of my back.

Maekawa-san was like my mother.

“Maekawa-san, want to sleep together?” When I offered, she responded with a wry smile. Her face was bright red, though.

“You and I are both children who need to be accompanied by a guardian,” she told me.

And as she was leaving, Maekawa-san revealed the truth, almost as if to spoil the whole thing:

“Actually, transfer student… This is the first time I’ve ever had alcohol.”

I didn’t even have the energy to joke around and say, “What?!”

I sank into the darkness of my pillow.

The moment the light hit my eyes, I felt like my brain was burning. A sharp headache shot through me, making me instinctively clutch my forehead. It swept away all my drowsiness and lethargy. All I felt was pain. I didn’t even have the energy to groan.

The pain gradually changed shape, losing its sharpness as if melting away in the sun. Losing its original form, it slowly spreads throughout the entire head, creating a soft, spongy cavity between the scalp and bone, where something seems to be bouncing around. A throbbing, regular pain, gan gan gan gan, like a pulse, flattening my brain.

“Is this… a hangover?”

My throat was parched, and my voice was cracking. My hands and feet felt heavy, as if filled with water. I twisted my body to escape the morning sun streaming in through the open window, and Meme-san was lying down. “……………………………” In the same futon as mine. Wearing a sarong over her swimsuit, just as I last saw her yesterday. With an innocent, snoring face. Right beside me. Sand had gotten into both her hands, not just her fingertips but even under her nails. The sand crumbled onto the sheets. For the time being, I calmly put my fingers under Meme-san’s body and rolled her over with a thud. “Gyaaa!” Meme-san cried out in a monotone voice and jumped out of the futon. Then, with a quick, unnecessarily annoying, swift movement, Meme-san recovered from her fall and slid into my side with a speed that was unbelievable for someone who had just woken up. Unable to bear the shadow cast upon me and her smiling face peering down at me, I braced my creaking body and sat up. I wobbled precariously, my eyeballs rolling restlessly.

I woke up in the morning to find a woman in my bed… And I’m certain that that moment was incredibly dull grey.

“Oooh, Mako-kun, you’re so energetic in the morning. Auntie’s aching all over from being worked over too hard last night.”

“Your futon is right there!”

I pointed to the futon still hanging vertically against the wall. Shit, she’s an upright person. By the way, Maekawa-san obviously wasn’t in the room. It looked like she had collected the liquor bottles too.

“Huh? Mako-kun, wasn’t that your way to try to get me to sleep with you?”

“Your attitude is so optimistic; it’s like your right and left brains are arranged vertically!”

When I raised my voice, the area between my throat and the back of my head throbbed with intense pain. I couldn’t lift my head and collapsed onto the futon. Somehow, the futon smelt like alcohol. I felt nauseous. How much did I drink yesterday? My memory was hazy from a certain point onwards, and I could barely remember anything. I think we talked about the school festival, though.

Was Maekawa-san okay? I mean, why did she even come here last night? Did she just want to try drinking and drag me along as if we were all in this together? Yeah, knowing her, that seems plausible.

“…… Huh?”

There was something written on my right hand that was pressing against my forehead. The lines were crooked; it looks like hijiki. “Help Mae-chan”… Who is Mae-chan? Maekawa-san? Help her, err, to do what?

Shit, I couldn’t remember anything, no matter how much I scratched my forehead.

“Here’s some Pocari. You’ll feel better after drinking it.”

“Ah, thanks…”

I took the plastic bottle that Meme-san held out in front of me as if I were grasping at a straw. I didn’t care that it was half-empty, and I put it straight to my lips. Glug, glug, glug, I gulped it down, pouring the lukewarm liquid into my parched throat. The sickly sweet liquid seemed to burn my throat even more, but I couldn’t stop tilting the bottle. I drank it all in one go, let out a long sigh, and stroked my chest as I calmed down.

Then, I suddenly realised something.

…Huh? What did she mean by “feel better”? Did she perhaps realise the symptoms I was experiencing? I instinctively turned to face Meme-san, and she was still smiling. Her eyes were like slits, revealing nothing and giving no insight.

That person… I wonder how much she really saw through me. I’ve never underestimated her, but my aunt was unsettling because I couldn’t see her depth. Usually, she just came across as childish or something, but sometimes she gave off a surprisingly mature vibe. And that image of maturity was exactly the same as the inexplicable awe I felt towards the adults who filled the streets when I was in elementary school and the admirable longing I felt for their attitude of knowing everything about the world.

To feel such things about a forty-year-old woman who was clearly in a swimsuit for no reason was nothing but humiliating.

“How are you feeling?”

“… Yeah, it seems I’m suffering from a bit of youth intoxication.”

For the time being, I never want to drink alcohol again, while I was still a young, carefree kid.

I was fine not being an adult yet.

• Drinking alcohol with Maegawa-san at night for the first time: +3
• The next morning, sleeping in the same futon as my aunt who was in a swimsuit: −3
• Drunken hangover: −1

Total current Youth Points: +9

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