Pax

The last week was definitely out of the ordinary for me. I spent school days being dragged off by Kobayashi to her secret club, only to find out over the weekend that Kaede actually likes me.

That gentle smile and a simple "It's all right" were enough for me to find my redemption. Even if Tsuchiya barked loudly or tried to bite me, I would still approach Kaede next Monday.

But once again, it was Kaede who came to me first.

"I'm sorry for being so cold to you, Hikaru. You know it wasn’t my intention."

"It's all right. I was the one who screwed up first."

"Well, can we just pretend none of that happened?"

"Yes, no objections at all!"

That's how I wish things were—just a normal conversation without any worries—but now that’s impossible!

She likes me, doesn’t she? Should I make a move so I don’t fall behind Okada? Or, instead, should I just show her how I’m better than him without pushing her too hard?

Another important point: now that Kaede is here talking to me, does this mean I’m free from Kobayashi’s craziness? She wouldn’t dare approach while Kaede’s around.

Before I realized it, Kaede was bringing up random topics like she used to.

"Hey, Hikaru, did you see the news about that abduction case?
A man was hunting in the forest when he heard strange noises. The moment he fired a shot, the bullet stopped in midair, and then a humanoid figure appeared, dressed in a spacesuit."

"Kaede, please stop right there.
This story is getting way too ridiculous!"

"Huh? But I haven’t even gotten to the part where he goes on an interdimensional trip and comes back with his cancer cured!"

"So aliens discovered the cure for our cancer and decided to give it to some random farmer who will never know how to replicate it?"

"No, they just decided to heal him. They weren’t sharing the recipe!"

"'Recipe'... Oh, do you really believe these kinds of stories?"

"Of course not! Haha!
But isn’t it fun to imagine such absurd scenarios? What if it were true?"

"These kinds of stories are simply impossible.
Martians, reptilians, pororocoans… No alien race exists. UFO delusions have been debunked ages ago."

"But if you told someone fifty years ago that people like me would exist, able to keep their consciousness inside robots even after death, wouldn’t they find that absurd too?"

"Those are completely different things, Kaede."

"Oh, Hikaru, you don’t have to be so skeptical about everything."

"It’s not that I’m being skeptical. I’m just a guy who prefers to think logically and rationally. Reason above emotion!"

"But you also have moments when you let emotion take over, don’t you?
What you did at that party… wasn’t that all driven by emotion?"

"Yeah, well… I’m only human after all."

...

That was a terrible thing to say.

"Kaede, don’t..."

"Don’t be silly. I’m not offended by that kind of comment.
But sometimes, I still wonder: can I even call myself human anymore?"

"Of course you can. What makes you human isn’t your physical body, but your consciousness, your kind heart, your soul—things like that."

"Hikaru, I’m not sure revixits come equipped with anything that could be called a soul."

"You’re overthinking it. Now’s not the time for an existential crisis."

"Oh, don’t worry; I’ve probably had every existential crisis possible by now.
I still reflect on it, but it doesn’t shake me anymore."

"You’ve always had a strong mind."

"Skill issue, bleh!"

Kaede stuck out her tongue while pulling her eyelid with her index finger, like a mischievous child trying to tease me.

I tried to seize the moment to make a move.

"But still, about the party… aren’t you owing me an answer?"

"No, I’m not."

"Heh?"

Kaede’s face turned redder than a tomato, and I could almost see the faint steam from her internal coolers working overtime.

"An answer? I-I don’t know what you mean…"

"Just because you’re cute doesn’t mean you can dodge forever."

"Don’t call me cute so casually; you’ll catch me off guard!"

"So, when can I get my answer?"

"Would you mind waiting a little for it?
I still need to think more about it; I’m a bit confused about my feelings."

By "confused," she means "I haven’t decided between you or Okada yet," right?

"Kaede, sometimes we have tough decisions to make, but one thing I can guarantee you."

“I’m the best choice,” I was about to say when…

"Kaede, let’s go home."

"Oh, little brother."

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Ah, no, never mind."

"Weren’t you about to say something?"

"Maybe now’s not the best time.
But please, think about your answer soon."

Kaede gave me an embarrassed smile.

"I will. I’ll think about it carefully."

"Come on, we’ve got plans tonight."

"Oh, before I go, before I forget—I need to invite Hikaru."

"Invite me?"

The last time she brought me an invitation, it ended in disaster.

"We’re almost out of time, and you still haven’t told him?"

"Ahh… We didn’t talk much last week…
Nana invited us to the beach this weekend."

"The beach? But we’re not on summer vacation."

"Well, I didn’t get to enjoy my last summer vacation. I was a bit busy… being dead."

"Don’t joke about that, sis."

"It wasn’t a joke…"

"So how will this work?"

"Oh, we’ll camp at Nana’s family’s beach house. I’ve never been there, but she’s already given me the location."

It amazes me how easily they decide, "Let's go to the beach on some weekend." Not that it’s hard to go, but whenever I do, I always try to plan everything well in advance.

"The beach isn’t exactly my comfort zone."

"Oh, come on, it’ll be fun."

"Are you going to pass up the chance to see my sister in a bikini?"

My neurons fired the moment he spoke those magic words.

"Koji! Watch what you’re saying!"

"Weren’t you trying to convince him? I just got straight to the point."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"So, are you going?"

"I think the 'beach episode' is a canonical event in every Japanese teen’s life, isn’t it?
If it’s for Kaede, I don’t mind making the effort to go.
But it’s not like I’m only interested in seeing her in a bikini!!"

"Heh, sure." Kaede’s brother replied, a mischievous smile crossing his face.

"Please drop the subject already."

"All right, all right. Let’s go, Kaede."

"Oh, just one more thing."

I knew not everything could be so sweet.

"…Minato will be there too.
I know you two don’t get along, but please, try to make an effort."

"Ah…
I’ll do my best."

"You’ve got this," Kaede said, smiling warmly.

Get along with him? Kaede, you’re asking something utterly impossible. The most I can do is avoid any further trouble.

Kaede and Koji left for home, while I headed to the bathroom. Before going home, I decided to wander around the school, hoping in vain to bump into Sakura.

For safety’s sake, I tried not to go near the student council room.

However, as I walked down a corridor, I came face to face with someone I detest—someone even worse to deal with than Kobayashi.

Okada Minato.

"What’s wrong? Did you lose something on my face?"

"I’d love to say 'my right fist,' but luckily for you, I’m being forced to tolerate your presence a little longer."

"For your luck, I’m being forced to tolerate you too.
Kaede gave me a scolding because of you."

"But you’re the one who started the fight that day!"

"Because you were trying to steal her from me!"

It seems we really are like oil and water.

"Whatever.
She invited me to go to the beach this weekend too."

"Urgh… I figured she’d end up doing that."

"She’s probably planning to keep us both on equal footing while she decides between the two of us."

"I don’t think that’s how it is. Kaede isn’t that kind of girl."

"Hey, I might not have known her for long, but I know her well enough to understand she wouldn’t do something like that.
The problem isn’t ‘choosing a boyfriend,’ it’s ‘not losing a friend.’"

"And what do you suggest? That whoever isn’t chosen simply accepts her decision?"

"I don’t think things are that simple."

"Of course not.
But it seems we’re being forced to put up with each other.
Since that’s the case, how about a truce?"

"You want a peace agreement? What do you mean?"

"I think there’s at least one thing we have in common: we both care about Kaede.
Let’s set aside this friction, at least when she’s around—no unnecessary arguments or insults."

"Fine. It’s a deal."

I extended my hand to Okada, and he shook it shortly after.

The peace agreement was sealed.