Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko:Volume6 Chapter3

Back to Chapter 2

Return to Main Page

Forward to Chapter 4

Chapter 3 - StaRMan’s Children

I was very hesitant about whether to agree, but in the end I had no choice but to go. Because it’s Meme-san after all.

If they sense I’m not coming, they’ll immediately call for me over the school’s PA system again. And this time, they might even specify “Mako-kun, the one with the scent fetish”, in a really unpleasant way. I’m not a scent fetishist!

The afternoon of the cultural festival will be all about my aunt! Hoping that wouldn’t happen, I put my shoes on by the shoe rack. Ryuushi-san, who ran away, wasn’t back yet. Just how far did she run? I sent her an email asking for her to contact me when she calmed down, but will she even reply?

I pushed open the closed door and stepped outside the school building. As I pushed the door, the sunlight from outside hit my hands one by one, and I could feel the difference in temperature between inside and outside. The midday sun and heat felt like they were pressing down on my skin as they rushed in.

The quality of the sounds changed dramatically. Inside the building, it sounded like the distant sounds of club activities after school, but suddenly they became closer and surrounded me. It was like the rattle of a lottery wheel (is that the right name?) being spun around from the outside. It wouldn’t be surprising if the voices and sounds of people passing by took shape and floated in the air like sound effects in a manga. Was this how noisy it got when all the students walked around the school at once instead of attending classes? It might be even worse because there were guests as well. A stream of people moved from side to side, their voices louder than their footsteps.

I jumped into the flow of the crowd. It was a slightly hesitant feeling, like dipping my ankles into the cold river water and stepping into the unknown. Weaving through people felt like inserting a needle and thread between pieces of cloth. I briefly wished I could run past opponents like this when playing football.

I started walking, then stopped almost immediately. I figured Erio might be in front of Meme-san. I decided to go to the place Maekawa-san told me about in her email. I didn’t expect her to be there anymore, but there was still a possibility. She might be wrapped up in a futon rolling around in a corner. That was the kind of person Erio was.

If I stood still for too long, someone’s shoulder would bump into me and knock me over, so once I took my decision, I started moving my feet immediately. I changed course and headed towards the space between the school buildings… But even if it were the school festival, if Erio were there, I would end up taking care of her anyway. People teased me about being like her guardian, and even if I tried to argue back, it didn’t really mean anything. My Youth Points were steadily declining. Why was that?

I hurried towards the connecting walkway between the school buildings, pretending to be a troubled teenager. On the way, I spotted the baseball team lined up in a row on the field. throwing balls as far as they could. I wondered if it was some kind of traditional ceremony or performance. If they were a passionate baseball team, it could just be practice.

Apparently, our baseball team was pretty weak. In fact, I’ve heard that almost all of our sports clubs had terrible results in tournaments. Come to think of it, at the rural school I went to until last year, they had a dedicated field and even night lighting, but I was always called upon to cheer on the baseball team, which was a regular loser in the first round, and I watched them lose by a mercy rule in the seventh inning under a scorching sun. But after that, my friends and I hit on a girl in the cheering section, and my Youth Points revived. You can probably guess the result from the fact that I wasn’t in a long-distance relationship now. As for the topic of deep-sea fish, it appeared that the fishing hook was a little too deep for it to reach.

Standing between the school buildings, those bitter memories flooded my mind like stomach acid. There was no sign of Smakin nearby. I stood in the middle of the corridor and turned around. “She’s not here,” I said aloud as I crossed my arms.

As I pondered what to do, I looked up towards the art room window and saw Maekawa-san peeking out. Maekawa-san seemed to notice me immediately and glared down at me while giving a small wave. I waved back at her. Maekawa-san must have poor eyesight.

Then, for some reason, Maekawa-san deliberately stretched her long arm out the window and began operating her cell phone. Immediately afterwards, my cell phone rang. Maekawa-san’s name appeared on the screen. I answered the phone.

I also moved to the corner of the school building in order not to obstruct traffic.

“Hey transfer student, from here you look like a mirage.”

“Maekawa-san, why don’t you wear glasses or contact lenses?”

“I feel uneasy if there’s something near my eyes. Was Touwa there?”

“No, there’s no sign of her anywhere. Haven’t you seen her since then?”

“I didn’t have time to look outside because a guest passed by. Oh, and that guess was quite an unusual person. He left as soon as I finished drawing the picture he ordered.”

“Huh, something unusual? Er, like a celebrity?”

“He was Touwa’s father.”

“…Ah, so he came to your place as well.”

So I didn’t misidentify him, and I wasn’t having hallucinations, and it wasn’t Erio in disguise either.

“Oh, you knew?”

“Tch,” Maekawa-san said in a monotone voice, sounding disappointed. He commissioned a drawing? He was the ideal lover, right? Or did he have Meme-san drawn? But Eliott, I believe that’s his name, apparently disappeared from Meme-san’s life without a word, so that was unlikely. His sudden reappearance was also a mystery, though.

“That’s all well and good, but isn’t Ryuushi with you? I don’t see her around you, transfer student.”

“Well, when we were together, Ryuushi-san started running off singing Sanpo.”

It was a huge lie, but it was within the realm of what the naturally innocent Ryuushi-san might actually do.

“Transfer student, I totally thought you had a fight and prioritised finding Touwa.”

“No, not at all. If anything, it was like we were sticking together tightly before separating.”

“Tch,” Maekawa-san said, her voice slightly more emotional than before, expressing her disappointment. She seemed to enjoy watching people get dragged into trouble. I looked up at the art room window. Maekawa-san was probably smiling.

“Um, so, was there anything else you needed to talk about?”

“I don’t really have anything important to say, but are we the kind of people who can’t even call each other unless there’s a specific reason?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s fine then. By the way, transfer student, are you going to the concert?”

“The concert? Ah, the one at 2 o’clock?… No, I haven’t found anyone to tie my thread with.”

“Heh? So Ryuushi-san wasn’t the one? That’s a shame.”

She sounded happy and yet disappointed. She absolutely refused to drop her sarcastic attitude.

“What about you, Maekawa-san? I mean, did you find one?”

“Yeah, they came here. I already promised to go.”

“Heh? That sounds very much like Attraction.”

Apparently, Attraction wasn’t about people doing something but about invisible forces at work to bring people together. But honestly, that didn’t go along well with youth. It wasn’t just pure chance.

“Hmm… Are you curious about who my partner is?”

“Huh? Ah, what kind of person is it?”

“Don’t you sound like that was a bit forced?”

At that point, Maekawa-san, who was leaning out the window, turned to face in as if she had been called.

“…Yes dear guest? Yes, yes, I’ll do it right away.”

“You have to draw again? That’s tough.”

“Ha ha, I have things to do, so I’m not as bored as last year. Transfer student, shouldn’t you hurry up and go to your older new wife?”

“Gyaahhh, you heard it all!”

“How could I not?”

We both softly laughed. Then, I took my phone away from my ears and ended the call.

Maekawa-san left away from the art room window, waving at me as she pulled back in. After making sure I waved back, she completely disappeared into the art room… Well, should I go too?

I kicked off the ground hard with my first step and started running. Not at full speed, but at about 70% of my speed, feeling the autumn breeze. I didn’t know when the music playing from the speakers would stop to call me again. I headed straight for the bicycle parking area where the food stalls were lined up. It felt good to slip through the crowd.

Along the way, I kept an eye out to see if I’d run into Erio, Ryuushi-san, or one of their acquaintances, but I didn’t see anyone who seemed to be getting along with them. Instead, I saw a group of my male classmates going into the school building. Last year, I was one of them, but now I’m heading to my aunt’s place alone. Which was better?

But it looked like fun. There were quite a few people heading towards the grounds. Were they on their way to participate in that target practice competition? If I participated in some event, will I feel like I’m really part of the school festival? The broadcast said the concert was the main event… Hmm.

I ran all the way and arrived in front of the food stalls. Perhaps because it was daytime, the area in front of the stalls was incredibly crowded, like a condensed version of the street. I was a little bewildered by the hustle and bustle, which felt like countless soap bubbles of noise floating and bursting in the air. Where was that person, who was not my wife, newlywed or not? I walked along, looking down at my feet, wondering if he was holding a parasol to protect himself from the sun or if he had perhaps burrowed underground, when a youthful voice called out to me.

“Hey, transfer student. Ha ha.”

A girl who was at the back of the food stall called out to me. In a funny tone, using a full-on falsetto voice. It was Mickey, a girl who had the same last name as Mouse, who lived in Chiba Prefecture. I still didn’t know her real name.

Today, she was wearing a triangular headscarf and an apron. She walked towards the stall, carrying a cabbage before it could be shredded. An apron and a triangular headscarf over her uniform. Hmm, there was something youthful about it.

Did Ryuushi-san wear this outfit when she was minding the shop? I felt regret.

“Isn’t that Miggy?” I’m pretty sure that’s how she introduced herself on the phone today.

“I told ya I’m Mickey, or something like this?’”

Oh, so the phrase “I told ya” has spread even here. Although the crucial first line was missing.

“What was that voice just now? It’s like even your voice sounds like a mouse from paradise.”

As we talked, I glanced at the thread on Mickey’s little finger. A yellowish-brown vertical line was drawn through the white thread. To be connected by the same thread as someone you know was probably an extremely unlikely occurrence unless Attraction was being selective or a miracle was at work… Where was my partner, I wondered?

“So, pretty good, right? I just couldn’t resist showing off the results of all the nightly practice I did at home.”

Did she practice that falsetto voice every night at home in front of a mirror (I was only guessing the location)?… She shouldn’t worry her parents too much. And she shouldn’t become the talk of the neighbourhood either. If she kept doing that, she would end up like Meme-san once she gets older.

“By the way, what happened to Ryuushi, whose basketball skills are third-rate but who’s pretty good at making takoyaki?”

Mickey looked around, praising and criticising the friend she was looking for. Everyone kept asking me where Ryuushi-san was. But unfortunately, that was something I would have liked to know myself.

“We were together for a while, but then something happened and she ran off somewhere.”

I still haven’t received a reply to my email. Hmm, how many times have I seen Ryuushi-san run away from me like this? This made it look as if I were bullying her every time, she couldn’t take it anymore and would run away. That was bound to cause a huge misunderstanding in the public’s eye. This time too, I wasn’t in the wrong… right?

“Ryuushi-chan is as incomprehensible and funny as ever.”

Mickey readily agreed. It was nice to have a friend who understood even the most incomprehensible parts about her.

Mickey, who had been nodding repeatedly, raised her index finger towards me and said, “Oh, by the way.” Her left hand was on her hip, and she had the posture of explaining something to a child.

“Transfer student, if you become her boyfriend, make sure you properly train Ryuushi-chan.”

“T-train her!”

“Well, educating her would be fine too.”

I wasn’t even her boyfriend, so it would be bad if it weren’t education, right! Mickey, her name alone sounded dangerous, and her statements were extreme.

“What do you mean by educating her? Like trying to reform her habit of saying ‘I told ya’?”

“That too.”

Could such a thing exist? But I was against rehabilitation. “I told ya” was what was charming about her.

“But more importantly, she cannot openly be friends with Erio-chan.”

My right eyelid twitched. Mickey, oblivious to my distress, continued speaking with a grim expression.

“Ryuushi-chan is a kind-hearted girl, but she lacks a sense of danger. She’s a bit of an airhead, so those around her need to be considerate of her. Especially you, transfer student!”

“Weeeeh!”

“What kind of goat-like response is that?”

Well, ha ha ha. I bet Ryuushi-san felt the same way when Mickey spotted her. The rightness of not leaving anyone out versus the rightness of behaving within a group. It was a heartache to have to decide which rightness to prioritise and what to gain by upholding it. There was another head next to mine, and I realised it wasn’t turning. And because of that, I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

“Oh, I see. So, transfer student, you don’t know about Erio-chan?”

“…I know her.”

Probably more than Mickey or Ryuushi-san. After all, we were living together.

“Well, that makes things quick. You wouldn’t want Ryuushi to be left out or bullied, would you, transfer student?”

“Well, I guess not.”

I agreed with Mickey on that point. I just hoped Ryuushi-san could live a peaceful life.

…But at the same time. Another feeling began to sprout, like a twin.

I didn’t like the idea of ​​Erio being ostracised either.

I wasn’t an alien. I lived my days with Erio as a grounded and down-to-earth person.

So, unfortunately, I couldn’t just laugh it off with an ambiguous attitude and run away.

“Ah, I should be going now. Someone’s calling for me.”

“OK. By the way, transfer student, who’s that newly-wed bride of yours? Is Ryuushi-chan the mistress, then?”

“That was just my aunt’s joke. Ah, by the way, my aunt’s name is Touwa Meme.”

“Hmm… huh, Touwa?”

“Well then, excuse me.”

I walked away from the stall while Mickey tilted her head in confusion. Even if I took three steps back, I felt no regret.

Then that’s fine!

And within ten metres of walking, I spotted the 40-year-old sitting on a white bench next to the food stall. She greeted me with a satisfied smile, as if she had overheard my entire conversation with Mickey with her keen ears. Next to her was Tamura-san, standing tall and straight.

“Daaaarliiing, over here, come closer!”

“…………”

I wanted a new wife who calls out to her husband with a deep, heavy voice, rolling her tongue to the fullest and beckoning at me with an exaggerated gesture. If anyone’s up for it, just step in and take my place as the husband for a bit.

Since I didn’t decide how far I should run, I ended up running really, really fast.

Niwa-kun’s new wife, Niijiima! Just as I heard the announcement calling for me, and just as the arch of my foot was about to cramp up, I finally brought myself to a halt. I was in a corridor somewhere. I was out of breath and couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. Hmm, I needed to do something about this habit of running away when I get really stressed.

I let out a deep sigh and turned around.

“Could I get a comment from you?”

“Nyowaaaaah!”

She was still following me! I think her name was Okui-san. She was standing behind me, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Her blonde hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and her hairstyle was a mess.

“Wow, Mifune Ryuushi-san, you’re really fast! Are you on the track and field team? You’ve really caused me some trouble!”

She was yelling at me while smiling. T-That person, too, gave off a strong vibe of strangeness. There might be a lot of strange people around me. And I also felt like there were a lot of self-proclaimed aliens. Ahead in the future, multiple star registrations.

“I’m a basketball team’s promising rookie, I told ya.”

“It’s been two years, so you shouldn’t be acting like a rookie anymore.”

“I-It’s fine! I’m a secret weapon that will activate late!”

I swung my arms wildly. Okui-san dodged it by stepping back, then brought the air microphone (the one where she bends her fingers to look like she’s holding a stick-like object) closer to my mouth.

“So, Ryuushi-san, you were playing poker with your boyfriend, weren’t you? That stupid couple?”

“C-Coup!” I bit my tongue. In the same spot as before. I was bleeding. “I told ya, Niwa-kun isn’t my boyfriend, and I’m Ryuuko!” And who’s that newlywed wife? Could it be his aunt?

“Let’s be blunt, how was it being in a card costume with him?”

“Eh?! Oh, I-I guess it’s like the seven of hearts!”

Wow, what was I even saying? And then Okui-san just responded, “Thanks”, and ran off. What could she possibly have learned from that exchange? I wondered, but I felt it would be even more awkward if she started asking me all sorts of questions, so I let her go without a word. I dramatically slumped my shoulders and let out a sigh.

“…Ugh. N-Niwa-kun, you idiooot.”

I recalled, or rather, I couldn’t forget the time I was rummaging around in the card costume and I felt a chill. It was as if several vertical lines of heat were descending down my face, and I felt a shiver down my spine.

Niwa-kun and I were so close, so close. I recreated the scene by pressing my back against the wall in the slightly dim hallway. “Whoa, what am I doing?” I quickly pulled away. I stroke my back and look around.

The hallway, devoid of any performances or visitors, was dark except for a little sunlight streaming in through the windows. The sound of my footsteps seemed to echo unimpeded, from one end of the corridor to the other. It felt like school on a holiday, completely disconnected from the cultural festival. Thinking about it that way, my adventurous spirit awoke, and I felt a little excited.

I looked up and saw the sign for the staff room above the entrance door and, a little further away, the sign for the infirmary. That was how I figured out where I was. I didn’t come here often because I didn’t have any business there, but for some reason, it conveyed a strong image of being shady, which was just right for my overheated body.

“So, what should I do?”

If I go back to Niwa-kun like this → Uh-uh → Ryuuko-san runs away.

If I show up at the takoyaki stall → Mickey asks me all sorts of questions → Ryuuko-san dash!

“M-Mickey’s an idiot too!”

…I decided to rest in the infirmary for a bit. Right now, I just wanted to sit or lie down. The feeling of Niwa-kun’s back pressed against me in the card costume wouldn’t go away either. As I walked towards the infirmary, I checked my cell phone. Did Niwa-kun email or call me…? Oh, he did. A message came in without me noticing. I opened it.

“Don’t you think it would be nice to get in touch once you’ve calmed down?”

“Whoa, leaving it all up to others!”

Well, when I talk to Niwa-kun on the phone, I’m the one who makes the call.

I also got an email, so I’ll call him once the embarrassing Ryuuko-san is done.

But was this how I was supposed to enjoy a school festival? I mean, it would be nice if there was something big that screamed, “It’s a school festival!” There was no campfire or dancing here.

“Ah, wasn’t there a concert?”

I’d love to attend Nijou Owari’s concert in the arena seats. But I couldn’t find my partner. Hmm. A boy would be a bit… I’d be wary, or maybe it would create a barrier. It wouldn’t be quite right.

I arrived in front of the infirmary, groaning. I sniffed, twitching my nose. There was no smell of medicine yet.

“Excuse me.”

I slid the door open, feeling a little hesitant. There was no reply, so I went inside.

Inside the infirmary, the breeze coming in through the open window caused the thin pink curtains to sway gently. Inside the infirmary, the breeze coming in through the open window caused the thin pink curtains to sway gently. The school nurse’s desk and chair were empty, and the room was filled with a unique silence.

The scent lingering in the air might actually be the smell of medicine.

Apparently, the nurse wasn’t here. If it were the case, why leave the entrance open? How careless.

“…Ah”

There were two beds in the infirmary, and both looked occupied. One was covered by a curtain, so I couldn’t see who was sleeping in it. But I could immediately tell who was sprawled out on the bed closer to the window.

First, Ryuuko-san’s Quiz! Puff, puff, puff, puff.

Who’s that kid sleeping face down with a blanket wrapped around her upper body?

“…Towa-saaaan”

I weakly called out the correct answer. There was no reaction. The blanket didn’t move or anything. The exchange I had this morning made it a bit hard for Ryuuko-san to speak up. But I looked around.

“…No sign of Mickey, good.”

I didn’t know if I wanted to apologise or something, but there was something inside me that I couldn’t just leave like this. So let’s have a little talk with Touwa-san. Without Niwa-kun.

“Wake uuuup~, wake uuuup~!”

I tried dancing around the bed. I intended it as a wake-up ritual. I did light steps with my legs ripped with lactic acid from all the running, or rather, I wobbled with my tangled legs… It didn’t seem to be working, so I stopped.

Next, I moved to the front of the bed and poked the sole of her bare foot. “Kepp!” Her foot jumped up in surprise, and her heel slammed against my chin. It hit me cleanly, and both my knees buckled.

“My jaw, my jaw!” I clutched and thrashed about. It was such a shock that it felt like a clean white line ran all the way up to the top of my head.

“Mofu!”

Touwa-san quickly pulled her legs back, sat up, and knelt on the bed. Ugh, she was intimidating.

“T-Touwa-san, it’s meeee!”

I managed to straighten my knees, which were still twitching, and put my hands on the bed. The blanket bent forward.

“Mofu? (If it isn’t Ryuuko-chan?)”

“May I come in?”

“Mofu (It’s fine).”

I think I got permission, so I’ll get on the bed. She even gave me a little space, so it should be okay.

“So, Touwa-san, um, were you sleeping after that?”

“Mofu (something like that)”

“About earlier, I… Sorry!”

“Mofufu (I don’t mind).”

“R-really?”

“Mofuffu (Of course)”

“Am I translating this correctly?”

“Mofu?”

This wasn’t getting anywhere!

“Take off your futon when you’re talking to someone!”

“Mofuuuu!”

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I pulled it off. Touwa-san rolled off the futon and fell onto the bed. Her hair, which was swirling with particles just from spinning, gently brushed against my face. Ugh, ugh. What a formidable enemy.

The helmet and glasses she was wearing when I saw her this morning were gone. She was just the regular Touwa-san.

Touwa-san collapsed onto the bed with a thud and didn’t get up right away. I tried covering her with the futon I had thrown off. Then Touwa-san’s eyelids began to droop… Hmm, even her sleeping face was amazing. I could understand why the boys fawned over her like she was a festival mikoshi when she was in school last year.

…Ah, come to think of it, what about the thread? Touwa-san’s thread. Surely it couldn’t be purple… I picked up her finger and examined it. It was a light blue, similar to Touwa-san’s hair… and white? Why did she have two threads tied together?

But it appeared that Touwa-san wasn’t wearing the same thread as Niwa-kun. Yup, yup, things don’t always go so smoothly.

“I told ya, don’t sleep,” I was bored.

“Hum? Hmm…”

She got up, slowly and lazily. Why was she more agile when wrapped in a futon? Given the weight of a futon, she should be slower. Touwa sat up and imitated the way I sat. Then she draped her futon over her shoulders and stared at me expressionlessly.

“Ryuushi or something, beh.”

“Ryuuko”, “I told ya”, “Don’t steal my line, I told ya!”

We pat each other’s shoulders, poka poka poka. Come to think of it, there was a time when I used to pat my grandpa’s shoulders like this… Ha. This wasn’t the time to be overcome with melancholyyyyy!

“But why do you always wrap yourself in a futon?”

I’ll ask about it after the warm-up session is over. When I asked about it before, I think she answered that it was a disguise to blend in with the world.

“’Kay”.

Touwa-san gave a short nod in response… And stared. Huh, was it over? No more reactions? …Hmm.

How did Niwa-kun interact with “this” Touwa-san at home?

“What do you usually talk about with Niwa-kun?”

“Hmm.”

Her eyes darted from side to side. It was a slightly different reaction, which was reassuring. The way his light blue eyes wavered and moved was like a water planet travelling, and that alone gave me a feeling of magnificent stars. Touwa-san’s specs were just too high.

…So he was actually living with this girl, huh?

That made it even more necessary for Ryuuko-san to crack down on Niwa-kun’s behaviour!

“About smells.” Touwa-san’s reply was a series of sharp, pointed sounds, like someone stomping their toes on the ground.

“Smells?”

“Cousin has a scent fetish.”

“Whuuuut?!”

“Cousin has a scent fetish.” “Whuuuut?!”

Come to think of it, I heard something like that when we were travelling too… Ah! Could it be that Niwa-kun likes girls who wrap themselves in futons? Wrapped in futons, smelling them… what kind of taste was that, Niwa-kun?

But it was worth trying! Like Ryuuko-san’s fragrance (fruitarian)!

This was no time to rest!

“Touwa-san, could I borrow your futon for a moment?”

“No.”

“……………………………” Squish, squish.

“……………………………” Squishy, squishy.

Muuui! Muuui!

“Mako-chii you’re really amazing; you’re totally brilliant.”

“It’s painful to watch, so please stop pretending to be young when you have no idea what it’s like.”

I pushed back Meme-san’s forehead, who was spouting nonsense like “I’m not acting, I’m really young”, and sat down on the bench. The sitting order was me, Meme-san, and Tamura-san, but I regretted not sitting next to Tamura-san after I had fully settled down. Well, this level of regret was within the realm of normal when one was involved with Meme-san.

“Meeting up for a date at the school festival feels so youthful, doesn’t it?”

“Please don’t imitate my tone of voice as if I were the one saying it.”

As seen on broadcast, Touwa Meme, whom I encountered for the first time today, was holding a pack containing a giant takoyaki in one hand. About 30% of the takoyaki was missing, and it was broken and shaped like a globe with its contents exposed.

“Makoto? Long time no see.”

Tamura-san bowed slightly as she greeted me. Was she feeling well today?

“You say it’s been a while, but we just saw each other last week.” We met when I went to pick up Erio from the candy store.

“You dolt. Don’t compare a kid’s last week to an old hag’s last week.”

“The value of time is different,” said Tamura-san with a laugh. Meme-san glanced at Tamura-san out of the corner of her eye and silently speared a takoyaki with a toothpick. Her expressionless face resembled Erio’s.

Ah, so that was why she was being relatively well-behaved today: because she was spending time with Tamura-san.

I turned my head in understanding and looked around the area near the food stalls. Maybe it was because it was daytime, but I could see several groups of people buying food and eating it with friends. The sounds of their cheerful voices were different from the noise of lunchtime in the classroom.

The food stalls included not only a giant takoyaki stand but also chocolate-covered bananas, yakisoba, crepes, and other items you might expect to find. Among them, the okonomiyaki stand seemed to be the most popular.

I was pretty sure that stall was run by the boys’ basketball team. The one Nakajima belonged to.

“But you don’t have a woman to hang out with? That’s a far cry from your father, who was always chasing after women’s buttocks. Ha ha ha.”

Tamura-san laughed heartily. My father, huh?”

“Grandma, it’s me, it’s me. I’m Mako-kun’s partner.”

“Makoto has a thing for older women? If that’s his type, maybe I should offer myself too?”

“I’m gonna knock you out, you old hag!”

They seemed to get along really well. How would they react if I said they looked like a parent and child?

Come to think of it, I gave the invitation tickets that were assigned to me to Erio and Meme-san, so there weren’t any for Tamura-san. I wonder who gave her one. Maybe she got one from a student who goes to her shop?

“Well then. Mako-kun, let’s eat some takoyaki and be lovey-dovey.”

“Your brain seems incredibly stable today.” Was she doing somersaults or handstands in your head?

“Abbreviated as Tako-Lovely.”

Giving a good thrashing sounded better than this. Meme-san held out a pack of takoyaki in my direction. The aroma of the soy sauce-based sauce filled my nose. It was quite appetising, and I hadn’t eaten anything for lunch yet. Also, Meme-san, you should wipe your mouth. It’s covered with sauce. Are you a child?

“We’ll both hold this takoyaki like a coconut and eat it each from one end!”

She thrust the takoyaki in my hand, urging me to go and eat it. The sauce almost got all over my nose.

“I have no interest in eating something thicker than Meme-san’s skin as if it were a Pocky stick.”

“Lo and behold!” It was as if she wasn’t listening to anything I was saying. Sorry, but she seemed to have a thick skin.

“My hands will get sticky with sauce, I’ll burn my mouth, and my skin will peel off.”

“But in the end, love will blossom.”

“Those kinds of people who can develop feelings for each other over something like that already have a love that doesn’t require eating takoyaki!”

“Eh?! Mako-kun, was that a marriage proposal?”

She fidgeted. She fidgeted while picking up some takoyaki. A marriage proposal? Weren’t you supposedly a newlywed?

My energy to be angry had waned, and I bowed my head, pressing my hand to my forehead. For some reason, the lively voices of the food stall vendors seemed distant.

“If I get involved with Meme-san, my school festival is going to turn sour.”

As I muttered that, it wasn’t the person I said it to who laughed, but Tamura-san. She squinted her eyes and stared at us as if the light were too bright. There wasn’t a single fat spot on her body, her neck, her hands, or her face.

“You’re such a close-knit family. Meme’s been blessed with children, right?”

“No, no, no, I wasn’t adopted into the Touwa family.”

“That’s right. Mako-kun isn’t a child; he’s my darling.”

“Please stop with these predictable comebacks.”

“So, Dawling.”

“You’re not the kind of partner I want to hear “so” from!”

Maybe our exchange was amusing, because Tamura-san parted her thin lips and laughed heartily, showing the depths of her throat. Well, if she was enjoying herself that much, maybe it was better for my mental health to think that being her darling was worthwhile. But I was at an age where I didn’t want to lie to myself.

For a reason or another, I ended up talking to Meme-san while picking up takoyaki with the two toothpicks I’d been given.

I thought I should mention it, just in case. But why was I called here?

“By the way, Meme-san.”

“Here, Darbling.”

“Enough of that. Apparently, Erio is at the school festival.”

“Hoh hoh!”

She didn’t seem particularly surprised. Did she meet with her earlier? Did she already know? What would happen next?

“And Erio also came.”

“Heh, young Elliott? Did he come to meet E. T. or something?”

There was almost no pause before she answered. I thought she might hold her breath for a moment, but that was her reaction.

“Did you know he was coming?”

“Well, I wonder…”

Meme-san was happily stuffing her face with takoyaki. It was as if she knew all along. She wasn’t even flustered.

I completely understand how Maekawa-san felt earlier. Ugh.

“You’ve already met him, didn’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so calm about it. You were always sexually self-aware whenever Eliott was involved.”

Tamura-san chimed in nostalgically. Meme-san smiled in response and remained silent. Oh, so they’ve already met? If that were the case, then me reporting on it was really pointless, wasn’t it?

“But what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are all sorts of reasons, you know.”

I hesitated. I didn’t think the number of residents in the Touwa household would increase by one.

With a piece of green onion sticking out from the side of her mouth, Meme-san grinned.

“I get it, I get it. You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

“Hah?”

“Hey now husband! You are jealousy more more!”

“How exactly do your ears process things?!”

“Like this.”

She puckered her lips and thrust both hands out. Those aren’t your ears; they’re your mouth! Hey, don’t come any closer!

What kind of creature was she?! It’s like what happened to humanity if they lived in the deep seas!

“You are definitely perceiving another dimension with your eyes, ears, and nose!”

“If that’s what Mako-kun thinks, then I guess that’s how it is. Inside Meme-chin.”

“…Uh, ah, thank you.” Well, you ol******an… It’s been censored! What the hell even are you?!

“Fu fu fu, it’s like a young girl fighting!”

Who’s the girl?

“So, what are you going to do in the end?”

Seeing our (mostly Meme-san’s) banter, Tamura-san took the helm and steered the conversation. Meme-san responded with a “Hmmmm”, a look that suggested she wasn’t really thinking about anything, and put her hand to her chin.

There was a thread in her hand… I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t purple. Its colour was sea-blue.

Well, I couldn’t be forced as a pair with Meme-san every single time, right? Oh, and I wasn’t making a roundabout sarcastic remark about Meme-san being the Joker, or the Old Maid.

“Well, it’s confirmed that Mako-kun is a jealasic pardon about Elliott.”

“You don’t need to force it to sound like Jurassic Park, because it’s fiction.”

“As for what I should do, well, it’s a bit late to think about Eliott.”

“Are you not planning on seeing him anymore?”

“I mean, that guy probably doesn’t even know what Erio looks like.”

“He could tell it’s her with a single glance. Such hair is rare on planet Earth.”

“That’s true, but that’s not it. He’s a stupid lady’s man.”

Meme-san had a somewhat sulky tone as she spoke about Eliott.

“I wonder, why did he come here out of the blue?”

“I wonder? Meme-chin doesn’t know either.”

She denied it, but in a way that suggested she knew something. I’m sure that even if I asked her directly, she wouldn’t answer. I knew that it’s pointless to easily reveal secrets, but something was lingering in my stomach, and I couldn’t shake off this feeling of unease.

“Erio too probably doesn’t know what her father looks like.”

“Mako-kun is here, so it’s not a problem.”

“…No, I’m not into that kind of thing.”

The roles of acting as a father figure and acting as a husband figure for Meme-san were similar, but the meanings were vastly different.

“I can’t believe even Eli-chan came. Fu fu fu, just as planned.”

“Hah?”

“The first inevitability could have happened. But trying to somehow overcome that inevitability is contradictory, isn’t it?”

With a slightly creepy, muffled chuckle, Meme-san took a bite of the octopus in her takoyaki.

“The first?”

“Yes, that’s how it all began. And hopefully Attraction will take care of the rest.”

Meme-san muttered to herself, as if speaking to someone who wasn’t here. The arrows of her words weren’t directed at me or Tamura-san. That inevitably narrowed down the possible recipients.

Probably the foreigner in light blue who was somewhere in the school during the cultural festival.

Attraction. This city, space, light blue particles. Meteorites and rockets. Was something going to happen again? Or rather, will something happen? Her words were certainly suggestive. It seemed like Meme-san was up to something again this time.

“Is this about some kind of secret or scheming?”

When I peered into her face and asked that question, Meme-san cheerfully denied it again, her mouth once more stained with sauce.

“No, no, Meme-tan doesn’t lie!”

“Oh, really?”

Your very existence reeks of lies.

“My cheeks hurt.”

“’Kay”.

We both nodded. I pulled a little too hard. Touwa-san’s cheeks were bright red, so mine must be the same colour. Niwa-kun seemed to really like my cheeks, so I had to take good care of them.

As I silently rubbed my cheek against hers, my attention was drawn to the faint music playing. Touwa-san’s eyes seemed to follow the sound, circling the ceiling. She looked somewhat puzzled, so I tried to explain.

“It’s a song by Nijou Owari. It’s called ‘Attraction Romanticist’.”

I explained, pointing to the ceiling. Touwa-san tilted her head slightly. Her eyes were wavering. But her lips moved softly, and she hummed the lyrics. Had she memorised some of them just from listening to the broadcast?

“Nijou Owari?”

Niwa-kun didn’t seem to know her either, so maybe Touwa-san’s family didn’t watch TV? As I was wondering about this, a light like a small light bulb flickered in Touwa-san’s eyes. It was like a sudden jolt.

“Ah, that was the name of the dog person.”

“That’s right, she’s a dog lover. Oh, you know her?”

“We met.”

“Huh?! Amazing, amazing, where?”

“At school.”

“Ah, so she’s already here! Wow, I wanted to meet her at the end of the show too!”

I wanted to press her for an autograph. But she’d probably run away. He seemed like the type to run away.

While I was lost in such daydreams, the curtain separating my bed from the next one suddenly swung open. At the same time as that sound, I felt the blood drain from my head.

“Aaaah, you guys are being too noisy. Is there no helping it?”

I instinctively flinched and turned towards him. A boy was sitting on the bed. He was wearing a uniform from another school that I recognised, and his complexion wasn’t very good. That’s probably why he was in the infirmary. I was quite surprised because I hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the infirmary.

Whether Touwa-san knew about it from the beginning or was simply unfazed, she maintained a completely expressionless face.

“Sorry,” I said, apologising immediately. The boy mumbled “Hmm” and scratched his cheek.

“Well, whatever… I really don’t care.”

He collapsed, his head slamming onto the pillow. Then don’t say anything! Ryuuko-san couldn’t bring herself to say something like that so strongly to a boy her age. Though I could probably say it to Niwa-kun in a playful manner.

“Hey, that thread… isn’t it the same as mine?”

The boy quickly sat up. “Huh?” His gaze was fixed on my finger. Hum, the thread on my little finger. A red mesh pattern. I looked at the hand the boy raised. There was a thread there too and a red mesh pattern.

“Whoa, Attraction!”

I instinctively leant back, pointing at the boy’s nose. This time, the boy’s shoulders twitched.

“I’m Attraction…? That’s not my name.”

The boy who looked about my age grumbled, averting his gaze. Then, as if to hide his finger with the knot, he placed his other hand on top of it. I froze, still pointing at him.

A-a boy. A boy I didn’t know had the same thread as me. Th-this was troublesome. A sloppy laugh escaped my lips. Sorry, Niwa-kun! Hmm, I didn’t even know why I apologised!

Touwa-san looked back and forth between my face and the boy’s face, then opened her mouth:

“Ryuushi or something, will you tie the thread?”

“I-it’s troubling!”

I would have loved to attend Nijo Owari’s concert from a good seat, but! W-with a boy? Casually tying my little finger goes against Ryuuko-san’s rules. Even if I actually didn’t have such a rule!

“I don’t really care either way. If you don’t like it, let’s just pretend we didn’t see each other.”

“But who’s that girl over there?” the boy muttered, his eyes fixed on Touwa-san. Touwa-san had a strange aura about her, sparkling and fluffy, yet composed entirely of straight lines. She was Niwa-kun’s cousin, so they should be somewhat related by blood, but they didn’t look alike at all.

The idea of Niwa-kun spewing out particles like Touwa-san… Hmm. As I imagined it, it went surprisingly well with him. But right now, I didn’t have the time to be letting Niwa-kun spew out some spore-like stuff into my brain.

“If we can get inside the gym, we can just untie the strings, right? We’ll just tie them when we go in.”

The boy made a gruff suggestion. “Oh, that might be a good idea.” I clap my hands together. Yeah, once we’re inside and more people start to gather around, they wouldn’t be able to tell, surely. Quite the troublemaker that one.

“Do you also want to attend the Nijo Owari concert from a good seat?”

When I asked him that, the boy nodded slightly and said, “Ah”, but then quickly shook his head and said, “Not really.” What a typical high school boy. And for some reason, Touwa-san imitated him and shook her head.

“Well then, then let’s tie them up.”

The boy confirmed, as if to put some emphasis on it. He held up his little finger as if he were making a pinky promise.

“Ok.”

“Then let’s meet in front of the gymnasium around 1:30. Would that be alright?”

“Oh, oh…” It was a little embarrassing to have a date with a guy.

“Roger. See you later then. …Ah, I’m feeling dizzy. I see, so this is what it’s like…”

The boy with the pale complexion got out of bed and stumbled out of the infirmary. If he was feeling unwell, he should have stayed in bed, but somehow it felt like we had chased him away, so we watched him go with a slightly awkward feeling.

But the thought of being able to watch Nijou Owari’s concert from the arena seats made my heart race.

Will Niwa-kun also come? He didn’t seem very interested.

…Anyway, putting my hopes aside for now, I found myself alone with Touwa-san in the infirmary once again. And we were facing each other on the same bed, sitting in the same position (for some reason, Touwa-san imitates people).

“Eliio.”

Touwa-san raised both hands with a blank expression and struck a pose. W-what was that supposed to be? Was she trying to intimidate me?

“Ryuuko.”

In response, I straightened not only my arms but also my back. Don’t underestimate the intimidating presence of Ryuuko-san, who once made a cat run away. I leaned forward slightly, pressing down on Touwa-san. Heh heh, furthermore.

“I told ya!”

I could add an extra layer of intimidation! So, how about that?!

Touwa-san also pushed her forehead to fight back. And at the same time, fluffy particles of light drifted towards me. Ugh, so Touwa-san has that! If I inhaled it, I would get infected with Touwa-san disease too! I held my breath while talking! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………I couldn’t open my mouth! I gave up and inhaled. Sigh. Aah, it tasted like light.

“Touwa-san, how do you usually… play with Niwa-kun?”

I hesitated, wondering if there was anything else I could ask, but since there wasn’t, I decided to ask that. Touwa-san answered without changing her intimidating pose.

“Intro Quiz.”

“Heh, that’s a pretty stylish way to play.”

“Ryuushi or something, want to play too?”

“Uh? Y-Yes.”

I nodded vaguely. Then Touwa-san re-wrapped the futon she had just removed. She was so skilled and quick at it that it was obvious she was used to it. And then Touwa-san with the futon began to sing.

“Mooofufuffuu, mooofufuuu, moooffufuffuu, mooofufufuuufuuufuuu.””

“T-the Raiders March.”

“Moffu, moffu”

Fujiwara-san was bouncing around excitedly… Niwa-kun and Touwa-san must be bored; oh dear, oh dear.

“Mofumofufu (Next question, number 2).”

“Um, well, that’s fine.”

“Mofu…”

Ah, it deflated a little, looking disappointed. I felt a slight feeling of guilt. But this wasn’t the time for that kind of play.

There were other things I wanted to ask her.

“You know what?”

“Mofufufu (What is it?)”

…When she talked, she used the futon, ah, maybe it was easier to hear her if I left it like this. It was embarrassing, after all.

Ahem, ahem. Now, let’s take a courageous step forward.

“Touwa-san, what kind of person do you think Niwa-kun is?”

“Mofu?”

Woooh, she definitely didn’t get the point of my question, which I delivered at point-blank range. Just tilting the futon with a puzzled look on her face and a “Mofu” wasn’t going to cut it. But there was no shortcut any further, and if I took the long way around, she would get it even less. I was stuck on all sides. Touwa-san was also stuck on all sides.

My courage ran out, and I was writhing in despair on my bed when music started playing, as if right on cue for my dance. The song coming out the speakers wasn’t by Nijou Owari but was something else. It was my cell phone’s ringtone.

“Hmmmm”

I sat up and checked my phone’s screen. It was a call from Mickey. I instinctively looked at Touwa-san’s face. Touwa-san didn’t know who was calling, so he was still wrapped up in her futon, looking dazed. I hesitated for a moment, but then I answered the phone:

“Yes, this is Ryuuko.”

“Ryuushi-chan, where are you right now?”

“I introduced myself properly, so don’t just ignore me like that!”

“So, can I call you Mifune-cchin?”

“Mickey, your sense of style is way ahead of its time.”

“Well, I don’t care about nicknames, but where are you now?” I told ya, Ryuuko isn’t a nickname.

“Right now…”

I hesitated. I looked at Touwa-san (the futon). I closed my eyes, exhaled, and bit my lower lip once. Then,

“I’m with a friend.”

After confirming that Touwa-san flinched from deep within the futon, I looked away. Ugh, how embarrassing. Today, Ryuuko-san was acting like a high school girl experiencing her youth, and I was blushing the whole time.

“Oh, Ryuushi-chan has friends?”

“Mickey, so my friendship with you was a lie!”

“No, I mean with someone else than me. Ah, the transfer student can’t be included in the friends category.”

“W-why not? Niwa-kun is a friends even when he’s alone.”

I waved my hands frantically. Touwa-san swayed softly, “mofu mofu”, on the bed.

“Just earlier, the transfer student was eating takoyaki in front of a food stall with an older woman who looked like his guardian.”

“An older woman?” A vague image of Touwa-san’s mother’s face came to my mind. Hmm, a young, older woman.

“So, if you’re free, come and help me out. You’re the only one I can ask to do something like this, Ryuushi-chan.”

“Hmm… Alright. I guess the one you can rely on is Ryuuko-san, the secret weapon of the girls’ basketball team.”

“Yes, yes. The key to a good game is to make good substitutions with the reserves.”

“I’ll get that single-digit jersey number one day, Mickey!”

“I keep telling you, but we’re in different positions. Well then, see you soon!”

She ended the call. After confirming the beep, I let out a sigh.

…Ah, if I minded the shop, I wouldn’t be able to go around the cultural festival with Niwa-kun. Ugh, I messed up. Sorry, Niwa-kun.

As soon as I finished the phone call, Touwa-san’s face popped out from under the rolled-up futon. She looked straight at me, and her well-defined lips softly spoke words as if she were biting into snow. Her eyes were sparkling, and I felt almost overwhelmed in a good way.

“A friend.”

“Y-Yeah. We’re friends.”

I gave a thumbs-up, going along with the mood and a bit of desperation. Touwa-san’s eyes fixed on the pad of my thumb. She was staring. Staring intently, as if savouring the moment, her lips curved into a smile. Ooh, the particles become even more visible when she smiles.

“A friend!”

Touwa-san spoke up again with great energy. Then she happily got out of bed and started walking briskly towards the entrance of the infirmary. Where was she going to next? Her steps were bouncy and swaying quite a bit. As if she were leaping with each step. She was excited, or rather, I made her happy.

She sang a song she wrote herself, “I got closer to being a youthful woman”, with a “pa-para-pa” melody.

…Watching her didn’t make me feel that bad, actually. Rather, it made me feel a little cheerful. I also got out of bed and deliberately disrupted my perfectly regular breathing by taking a deep breath and then exhaling.

Mickey would probably describe me as someone who tried to please everyone or someone indecisive; that’s how she would see me right now. Yeah, I thought so. Maybe I said I was friends with Touwa-san just to look good and not to feel inferior. There was definitely some truth to that, but…

“Nothing I can do about it.”

It seems that Touwa-san and I were destined to be connected. Though invisible, some kind of thread must have bound us together.

I was greedy and stingy, so I picked things up for now. I couldn’t bring myself to throw everything away. I kept picking things up, and when it got too heavy and I couldn’t move anymore, then…

…Before throwing it away I always end up looking for someone to take it; I was such a hopeless kid.

But now I knew who that person might be, so it was okay, right?

I followed Touwa-san out of the infirmary. Was it okay to just roll up the futon in the infirmary without permission?… Well, whatever. I was a bit of a troublemaker myself, fu fu fu. Sneaking snacks from my friends’ lunchboxes was an everyday occurrence for me. Nobody got angry even when I stole their vegetables.

Touwa-san and I kept a little distance from each other and faced each other in the hallway. We started walking in completely opposite directions.

Because that would make us seem like rivals. Friends and rivals at the same time. Wah, flexible.

But I know that where I’m walking is the end of the corridor, in other words, a wall.

Still, I couldn’t walk in the same direction as Touwa-san.

High school girls had their own share of difficulties, I told ya.

Fujiwara-san was stroking the futon as she sang “mofu mofu” rhythmically. Looks like she was singing “Attraction Romanticist”.

“Mofu mofu (goodbye)”

“I told ya!”

“Moffufuuu, moffufuuu”

I was doing great.

“It’s a big takoyaki, but it only has one octopus in it, so the balance is off, isn’t it?”

“Meme-san, it’s like your balance between your feminine appearance and your childlike side.”

“In other words, I look like a child, but I have the mind of an adult. My name is the famous Meme-chin!”

The way she introduced herself had too many overlapping kanji characters that made it difficult to read.

Heh heh, the overly optimistic Meme-san was her usual self today. She wouldn’t respond at all unless I said OO directly… but why is it censored? Moreover, her territory was expanding.

Could this be related to the fact that the wrinkles on Meme-san’s face were decreasing day by day (though I didn’t want to admit it)?

Could it be that in my mind, Meme-san was starting to fall outside the OOO category…? I-I was getting chills.

“Have they started selling mermaid meat in supermarkets or something?”

“Huh, what?”

“No, nevermind.”

I kept sitting on the bench, snacking on takoyaki. It felt like sitting on land between two fast-flowing rivers. If the hustle and bustle of people constituted culture, then this cultural festival could be said to be a success.

The students and the broadcasting staff were working hard to liven up the school. They made the ordinary feel extraordinary. The liveliness is fine. Very fine. In truth, Touwa Erio should have been there too, amidst this atmosphere.

“…………”

She was admirable for not continuing to curse her absurd past.

But where were they all heading, smiling as they walked off? The school buildings, the grounds, the school grounds, all places I should be familiar with. There were food stalls that smelt a little dusty and a blood donation van that inexplicably appeared near the school gate only during the school festival. The touts in front of the stalls were getting increasingly annoyed, and their attitude was turning dismissive.

There was a giant takoyaki stall with Mickey, and from time to time she would look at me curiously. When our eyes met, all I could do was give an awkward smile. If she finds out that I am Erio’s cousin, would she warn Ryuushi-san to stay away from me too? Hmm, that would be troublesome. But Ryuushi-san told me she would be on my side. Those words made me happy and reassured, so I wasn’t too anxious.

“So, Meme, why did you bring me to a place like this? You even made me close my 24/7 shop for the day.”

Tamura-san asked Meme-san with a displeased expression. Though, Tamura-san always seemed to be in a bad mood.

In response, Meme-san smiled and picked off the seaweed stuck to her lips with her fingers.

“It’s lively and fun, right?”

“I have nothing to do and I’m bored.”

Tamura-san snorted. She then straightened her back again and adjusted her reading glasses with her fingers. Apparently, since the 6th of June, Tamura-san had been spending less time sleeping in the back of the shop all day.

“Well, even if I had something to do, I don’t think I could do anything with this body.”

She let out a straight-faced laugh. “Hi hi hi.” Meme-san puffed up like a takoyaki in response.

“Grandma, you’re always so negative.”

“I don’t know where you’re looking when you’re walking. You’re such an idiot after all.”

As one could expect from someone who knew her for so long, she acutely described Meme-san. I was impressed as I was listening to her.

“Well, school festivals are usually like this. The high school festival I took you to with Shouji back when you were a little brat was like this too. No, it was even more gloomy and pointless.”

Tamura-san gave her comments in a clear, loud voice. As if she were addressing everyone around her. Her sudden outburst caused a few students to turn towards her, but they quickly shifted their attention and returned to chatting with their friends.

Meme-san narrowed her eyes and gave an ambiguous response: “Well, I guess.” Her tone was such that it seemed she was putting off both affirmation and denial and leaving the conversation unresolved. She continued to gloss over the matter, giving the impression that she might suddenly continue the conversation hours later. She loved to be ambiguous, after all.

“That’s all well and good, but there’s one thing that bothered me. Isn’t the expression ‘little brat’ redundant?”

“Can’t help it, you’re just a big brat now.”

“Oh dear,” Tamura-san said, shaking her head slightly. Meme-san seemed pleased. “If I look younger, that’s great!” It seemed that not only were her wrinkles disappearing, but her positive attitude was also becoming more deeply rooted.

Well, I understood what Tamura-san was saying.

It’s definitely far more lively and fun than the school festival I participated in in my previous school last year.

But it felt like something was missing. That feeling had been bothering me all morning. It was just how it was, I thought. Real-life school festivals weren’t as exciting as those in manga or novels. There was nothing dramatic about them.

However, there was a unique atmosphere at school festivals that makes one hope that something special might happen.

To obtain +4 Youth Points, I had no choice but to make the most of this limited situation and space. I understood that much, but I couldn’t figure out how to act or what actions to take to get there.

Why was that? Putting on a card costume with a great classmate was a good idea, but it only got me a +3. Maybe it was lacking something organic? I didn’t even know what “organic” meant in the first place. Was it an evolved word for onion?

“Having a man around is really helpful. The takoyaki is disappearing so fast since Mako-kun arrived.”

The takoyaki, which was half-destroyed and resembled a globe, had already the lost two-thirds of its original size. It looked like a jellyfish with its head badly bitten off, and the octopus that was in the centre was gone. Now it was just a flour-based takoyaki with green onions.

“Meme-san, you’re the one who ate the largest part, though.”

“When Mako-kun is by my side, I feel a hundred times more courageous, and I can do anything!”

“Uh… uhh”

I pressed my hand to my forehead and averted my eyes. It hurt that for a split second I felt more embarrassed about the opinion that eating takoyaki had nothing to do with courage than by the idea that other girls would say things like that to make me feel needed. Ouch. No wonder my aunt was my first hug and first kiss, ha ha ha… sigh.

At the food stall, the blonde girl from the newspaper club reappeared and began taking pictures of Mickey, who was making a giant takoyaki. Mickey responded to the photo shoot with a smile and her signature high-pitched “Ha-ha!”

Sound wasn’t captured in a photograph, though.

“Aahh, so what will you do after you finish eating?”

Determined not to despair over the state of my youth, I lifted my head, trying to regain my composure. Meme-san stopped lifting the takoyaki she was about to put in her mouth and muttered the same response as before, “Well, I guess.”

“Maybe I should look for Erio. And then I’ll have a great time with Eri-chan and Tako-Lovely!”

“I can’t believe there are humans who would ask for seconds of this… Ah, should I join you in your searching?”

I still hadn’t heard from Ryuushi-san yet. I couldn’t help but think that this was the kind of thing a guardian would suggest, and a sarcastic smile played on my lips. But Meme-san held her palm out in front of my face and shook her head vigorously. The ends of her hair follow suit.

“No way. Mako-kun, I’m giving you homework.”

“Huh? Homework?”

“Go find someone to tie your thread with before the concert starts at 2 PM.”

Meme-san raised her right hand, her little finger extended, to my eye level. The blue, or rather, indigo-coloured thread swayed with her movements. It looked as if she had braided her hair into the thread.

“Mako-kun, I know you’re disappointed that your partner isn’t Meme-tan, I really do. But you can’t just mope around! Now’s the time to swallow your tears, shake off your lingering feelings for Meme-tan, and fly out into the wild!” “Excuse me, but could you please get to the point and leave out your daydreams?” “…” “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Meme-san smiled brightly, gazing at me with full-blown affection. She definitely looked younger, both in appearance and demeanour, than when we first met and she handed me her 39-year-old business card. Perhaps because her stress related to Erio had been relieved. But even so, I couldn’t simply accept that she was getting younger every day, defying the passage of time. Was she an alien too?

“Why do you want me to search for this?”

“Oh no, I’m not asking you on a date just because I’m going to the concert too. Kyaaah, I said it.”

My heart was pounding. Despite her embarrassing words, she didn’t stop stuffing her face with takoyaki. As if she had grown tired of making gestures. Tamura-san, who was behind Meme-san, was staring intently at her profile.

“Are you going to the concert?” Maekawa-san said she was going too.

“Well, I’ve already found someone. So, since I’ve been offered the opportunity, I’ll go.”

“Heh?” I sighed. Did she search for her partner sometime this morning?

“What kind of person is it?”

“Mako-kun, if you’re jealous of Meme-chin, I’ll let you know.”

“As I’ve said before, I can’t grant wishes that are beyond my power.”

I wanted to ask myself if I even need to fulfil Meme-san’s requests in the first place. It was time I stopped letting myself be swept along and started to have my own will. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be too late.

“If you have nothing else to do, you might as well take a cue from Shouji and chase after women.”

Tamura-san intervened, offering a helping hand to Meme-san. Follow in my father’s footsteps? I didn’t like that.

“…If I have nothing else to do, I’ll consider looking for someone.”

I had options, like going back to the art room with Maekawa-san or calling Ryuushi-san. I didn’t have to spend my time sleeping in the darkness on the second floor of the gym anymore. Yet, I dared to choose a third option: wandering around the school in search of my soulmate (lol). Was that even possible?

Speaking of which, did Ryuushi-san still not calm down? I hadn’t heard back from her. I couldn’t help but recall the feeling of sweat on the back of my thigh, and Ryuushi-san’s scent came vividly to mind, making me blush greatly.

“That might be okay. The important thing today is the ‘it might happen’ aspect. It’s bound to happen, right?”

Meme-san didn’t press me any further. A soft giggle formed on her lips, as if she were laughing at someone. Maintaining that soft lip shape, she continued to eat the takoyaki at the same pace. She was really the kind of person whose actions were mostly contradictory but still managed to function. In a way, it was astonishing.

Then, after Meme-san and I finished eating the takoyaki and threw the container in the trash can outside, Meme-san knelt down in front of Tamura-san. She turned her back to her and beckoned her over. It looked like she intended to carry her on her back. She must have been doing that all morning. Tamura-san glanced at me and snorted. Was she feeling embarrassed?

“By the way, why did you call me here?”

“Huh? I just wanted to see your face.”

…Shit. I wished Meme-san wasn’t my aunt but a 17-year-old classmate with the exact opposite personality. I would be so happy.

Meme-san hoisted Tamura-san onto her back, looking somewhat pleased, and stretched her knees, groaning, “Fungiiiii.” She stood up, stumbling a few steps, before her feet became steady. Her back straightened, and she glared at the gymnasium in the distance.

“Well then. Now, we just have to find Grandma’s soulmate along with Eri-tan!”

“Huh? My what…? The old man has long since passed away and gone up to heaven.”

“Love shouldn’t be tied down to just one person! You have to find someone new, like me!”

“Wait a minute, you’re not talking about me, are you?”

“Keeeen!”

Interrupting what we were saying, Meme-san started running, mimicking the sound of wind rushing past with her mouth. Even with Tamura-san on her back, her 40-year-old leg strength was not to be underestimated. As I watched, her back got smaller and smaller.

I saw them off with pity, thinking, “She’ll be sore in two or three days.”

Left alone on the bench, I propped my chin on my hand and grumbled the rest of what I had left unsaid.

“Can’t be, right?”

There were all sorts of things.

She didn’t invite me just to eat takoyaki, right? That was just her ostensible motive.

The real reason was to find someone to tie the thread with. Did she call me here to order me to do that particular feature of this school festival?… But what kind of connection was that?

I couldn’t imagine any connection between Meme-san and a famous singer’s concert. Or tying a knot with her thread either. It was also unlikely that Meme-san was involved behind the scenes this time. This was school after all.

“…………”

Regardless of whether Meme-san had any ulterior motives or not, I was alone again.

Today, people kept coming and going around me. Would I run into Erio next? I sat on the bench for a while, basking in the sun and waiting to see if anything would happen. No phone calls, no emails either.

My phone was connected to the network, and it sounded like Mickey was on the phone with someone. Perhaps she was talking with Ryuushi-san. I watched her blankly, waiting a little longer until I was certain.

This time, it seemed no one would call out to me anymore.

“In that case…”

Next, there were no roadmaps. I had to decide the direction of the school festival by myself.

Where would I go? What awaited me? Did I seek peace, stability, or adventure?

…Just kidding.

The very fact that adventure was an option meant that the outcome was practically predetermined.

A heart yearning for something that could only be done here, on this day, at this very moment.

I became aware of that feeling budding within me, and I clenched my fist.

The +4 Youth Points didn’t come from stability and peace.

Having made that decision, I naturally pushed the bench with my fingers and stood up.

“Well then…”

I was betting on the fact that my Youth Points lay at the concert.

Should I take a walk in the direction where the separated threads were drawn to one other?

---

• Newlywed wife tricked, broadcast over the whole school. −2
• Off on my journey to find the threads of fate. +1

Total current Youth Points: +21

---

Back to Chapter 2

Return to Main Page

Forward to Chapter 4