Chapter 17
“Let's call it a day. Good work, you two.”
As soon as class ended, I flopped backward and glanced at Tetsuya.
He'd spent the entire break asking what I thought of his shorter hair, so I figured I should say something nice and score some points with Miyuki.
“You look better now that that awkward hair is gone.”
Tetsuya scratched the back of his head bashfully.
“This is my first time having it cut this short since I was little, so I'm still not used to it.”
I'll give a clueless guy like you a special tip.
Though you'd still look like an idiot no matter what you did...
“Use wax to slick down the hair at your temples.”
“Oh, should I? Is there any product you can recommend?”
“Get one with no shine and strong hold.”
“I'll give it a try.”
“Sure.”
“Can I use your bathroom?”
Go take a dump in the train station restroom.
“Why are you making such a fuss by asking? Just use it.”
“Thanks.”
After Tetsuya got up and headed for the bathroom, I helped Miyuki put her books in her bag.
Miyuki looked at me intently and said,
“Thanks, Matsuda-kun.”
“I only helped so you'd leave sooner.”
“I know that's not true. But, Matsuda-kun, why were you staring at your phone during the break?”
“What, am I not allowed to?”
“It's not that you're not allowed to... I was just curious because it's something you don't normally do.”
So she'd been paying attention to my usual behavior?
Thanks.
“I'm thinking of buying a car. I'll drive it to school once the semester starts.”
So I can touch your thighs and breasts on the way to school.
We'll go on trips, too. Without Tetsuya.
Miyuki blinked her large eyes and gave an awkward smile.
She seemed a little surprised that I was talking so casually about buying an expensive car.
Having money was also one of the elements of attraction.
But if I flaunted my wealth, Miyuki would think I was an obnoxious show-off.
So it was better to let the subject pass naturally.
“A-ah... A car...?”
“Are you going to nag me again? There isn't a school rule saying I can't drive to the academy.”
“I-I'm not going to nag you... But, Matsuda-kun, do you have a driver's license?”
“I do. It just sits in a drawer, though.”
“When did you get it...?”
“I made time to get it before entering the academy.”
“I see...”
After putting all of Miyuki's books in her bag, I glanced toward the bathroom.
Tetsuya had been in there for quite a while.
We'll die if we don't air this place out.
Looking at the calendar, I saw that August was approaching.
That meant it was time to take care of an event.
There was one condition for starting this event.
I had to go on a date with Miyuki.
Something positive must have changed in Miyuki's feelings after we took that photo two days ago.
She had even sent me a personal message first yesterday, Sunday, and we'd spent a long time chatting happily... Might as well take the plunge.
“Hey, Hanazawa.”
“Hmm?”
“Aren't you getting tired of teaching me?”
“I'm not tired of it. Why?”
“It's just... I feel kind of bad.”
The corners of Miyuki's mouth curled upward.
“It feels like I've been seeing lots of new sides of you lately, Matsuda-kun. I'm really fine with it. Since you're working so hard to keep up, teaching you is fun, too.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. So you don't have to worry about it. If you feel that bad, will you buy me an ice cream tomorrow?”
“Ice cream? Is there a flavor you want?”
“Anything's fine.”
That elegant smile of hers was so alluring.
She was such a proper young lady. I wanted her for myself, and soon.
“Then let's watch a movie together after class tomorrow. I'll buy you one when we part.”
“A movie? I don't mind, but let me ask Tetsuya-kun too...”
“What are you talking about...? I said the two of us should go.”
“Huh...?”
Miyuki parted her lips slightly in confusion.
She stared blankly at me, apparently quite surprised.
I flashed her a grin and said,
“There's a movie theater just a little way outside your neighborhood. I'll head there. Go home and rest after class. Is eight okay?”
“Huh...? Eight...? That should be fine, but...”
I held my bag out toward Miyuki before she could say anything else.
Looking dazed, she accepted the bag and slung it over her shoulder.
I got up and headed toward the bathroom as I said,
“Then it's settled. Thanks for the lesson today. I'm going to wash up, so you two can leave on your own once Miura gets back.”
@@
“Phew...!”
After keeping her face buried in her pillow for a long while, Miyuki released the breath she'd been holding and rolled over.
It felt like a huge stone had dropped into calm water, making not only ripples but waves, too.
Lately, Matsuda had been making her feel very strange.
‘He wants to go see a movie...? Tomorrow...? Just the two of us?’
Was this a date invitation?
Given Matsuda's casual attitude, he didn't seem to think of it as a date, but...
Then why had he said ‘the two of us’?
She had never received an invitation like this before, and Matsuda had practically announced it as a fait accompli, making it difficult to figure out his true intentions.
Thinking about it made her inexplicably angry.
‘Would it kill you to ask a little more gently...?’
Miyuki grumbled inwardly and picked up her phone.
She opened her messaging app and tried to start a conversation with Matsuda, but hesitated.
She couldn't think of what to send.
‘What did you mean when you said we should go just the two of us?’—sending that outright would be embarrassing.
But if she beat around the bush, the foolish Matsuda probably wouldn't understand what she meant...
After agonizing over it again and again, she eventually sent a meaningless message, unable to do anything else.
[Sooo hot...]
Even after thirty seconds had passed, the message field remained silent.
Just as Miyuki was beginning to feel a little hurt while staring fixedly at the darkened screen,
Ding-!
Matsuda sent a reply.
[I'm cold.]
It was teasing, but it suited Matsuda perfectly.
Miyuki let out a small laugh at the concise message and tapped away at her phone's keyboard.
[If you sleep with the air conditioner on, you might catch a cold.]
[A thick blanket will keep me warm. What are you doing, anyway?]
[I'm just at home. Have you picked out a car?]
[I've been looking, but I don't know what kind to buy. Let's pick one out together before the movie tomorrow.]
Now that the subject of the movie had come up, should she ask?
No. Matsuda might feel pressured, so it was probably better to let it go.
[Okay. But what movie are we going to see?]
[Something fun.]
[You haven't decided yet, have you?]
[I can pick one now. Do you have a favorite genre?]
[I don't particularly have any preferences. I'll leave it to you, Matsuda-kun. Did you review today's lesson?]
[I'm going to sleep.]
Seeing him avoid the subject, she figured he clearly hadn't reviewed.
If his grade was low on a surprise quiz tomorrow, she would lecture him in the prim, proper tone Matsuda hated.
[You said you'd work hard before we started studying together. Review.]
[Give me a break today. Why are you so cruel?]
[It's all for your sake, Matsuda-kun.]
[Don't I need days when I let my brain cool down, too?]
[Didn't you let it cool down all weekend?]
[.... Should I really review?]
He sounded like he might actually do it if she told him to.
She wanted to make him do it as punishment for confusing her, but... She would let him off today.
[You don't have to. Just focus tomorrow.]
[You keep playing with me, but I've had enough. Come out to that playground. Let's settle this.]
[Sure. I'm always ready, so call me when you get to my neighborhood.]
Miyuki spent a long time joking around with Matsuda.
Even trivial conversations were fun when she had them with him.
Time flew by, to the point that she felt sorry to see it end.
After ending her conversation with him, Miyuki looked up at the ceiling of her room, which was covered in little star stickers.
The stickers she and Tetsuya had put up together as children showed no sign of falling off.
Miyuki suddenly found herself wondering what Tetsuya would be like if he had a personality with no brakes, like Matsuda.
Tetsuya inviting her to see a movie without even asking... It didn't suit him.
Then what if Matsuda had an innocent personality like Tetsuya?
That didn't suit him, either.
Thinking about it made her realize anew how opposite the two of them were.
Even though they were like oil and water, she felt happy that they were unexpectedly getting along so well.
It must all be because Matsuda had approached him sincerely.
Just as her assessment of Matsuda was changing, Tetsuya's must be changing, too.
She hoped they would grow even closer as they gradually worked through their lingering hard feelings.
As Miyuki imagined that happy future, she suddenly remembered what had happened yesterday and opened her gallery.
The most recent photo she'd taken with Matsuda was right there.
She tapped the photo to enlarge it and stared intently at Matsuda's face.
‘He's handsome...’
It wasn't a joke. He really was handsome.
The corners of Matsuda's full lips were faintly raised.
It was a picture worthy of being called a once-in-a-lifetime shot, and his face seemed to glow.
If he could make an expression like this, why did he usually go around scowling...?
Without realizing it, Miyuki twitched the corners of her mouth and swiped to the next photo.
A photo taken with Tetsuya at the hair salon appeared.
He was handsome enough, though not as handsome as Matsuda.
But just as she'd thought before, his old hairstyle suited him better.
She flicked through the gallery and found that, apart from a few photos with male friends, every single one had Tetsuya in it.
We took this many?
Next time, maybe she should take one with Matsuda, the three of them together.
‘I'm sleepy...’
Miyuki's eyes slowly closed as she silently looked through the photos.
The only sound in the room was the fan.
Using that sound as a lullaby, Miyuki drifted off to sleep.
**
“Miyuki, want to play some games at the arcade before you go home?”
The next afternoon, after class ended, Tetsuya made that suggestion to Miyuki.
Miyuki checked the time, glanced at me to gauge my reaction, and answered,
“Then... just for about an hour. Shall we hang out before we go?”
She was keeping our appointment in mind.
From the way the two were acting, Miyuki apparently hadn't told him that she was going to see a movie with me.
Miyuki and Tetsuya had always been the kind of friends who kept no secrets from each other.
But lately, several secrets had begun to appear.
For instance, what I'd done at the festival...
In the past, Miyuki would have confided in Tetsuya, asking what it meant, and discussed it with him.
But she hadn't.
Even now, she'd hidden the fact that she had a movie date with me.
It was proof that Miyuki vaguely sensed our relationship wasn't an ordinary friendship.
Since she had no dating experience, she hadn't realized it yet, but once school resumed, she'd know for sure.
“Then... I'll go, Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki's goodbye was awkward.
I flashed her a grin and said,
“Yeah, go on. You too, Miura.”
After seeing the two of them off, I went inside.
I was about to head to the bathroom to take a shower when my pocket began to vibrate.
When I checked my phone, I couldn't suppress the smile rising to my lips.
It was because Miyuki had sent me a message.
[I'll be there before it gets late. Don't worry.]
She must have sent it in a hurry. Not that she had to—I trusted her...
Our Miyuki really is such a sweet girl.