A Little Too Comfortable, Pt. 4

Once more, we were walking through the massive corridor. While I was carrying the bags, she was holding onto that stuffed capybara as if her life depended on it.

"How about more clothes?" she asked, poking her head toward a store to the left.

"What? But you already bought these, didn't you?"

"Oh. Yeah. You're right. Food?"

"We already ate."

"Ah... We did. But we could eat again!"

"I mean, we could. Are you hungry?"

"Nope."

"...Then why is food even an option?"

"Hey. I'm trying, okay? Despite having so many options, it feels like I'm limited."

"Yeah, that's part of the reason why I don't go to the mall anymore. Definitely isn't as interesting as it was when I was a kid. My little sister would always go on and on about how she wanted this and that. And my parents, who happily spoil us, always bought everything she wanted."

"Pfft~ Sounds like you've got a healthy family."

"As healthy as it can get, that's for sure. What about yours? I bet your parents are proud of the woman you've become."

When I noticed that Megumi was no longer next to me, I turned to see her standing just a few steps behind. Her head was tilted downward, bangs covering her eyes. Even without seeing them, I knew I had brought up something I shouldn't have.

"M-Megumi...?" I called out, approaching her.

"Ah... Sorry, Shohei. I... blanked out for a second. It's nothing."

But it didn't seem like it to me. It's definitely something, and since I'm the cause... I should do my best to fix it.

"I'm sorry, Megumi. I didn't think much of it when I asked that question, but now, I get that I was asking something that wasn't my business."

"What? N-no, don't... There's no need to apologize. I just remembered something unpleasant. That's all. And besides, I'm fine now. I'm famous, I make money, and... right now, with you... I'm free. That's enough for me."

There it is again. That feeling I get whenever I just know that whatever comes out of my mouth next will be worse than incoherent gibberish.

I cleared my throat and gathered my thoughts.

"W-well... I'm glad. And... being with you is also... fun... F-for me."

Megumi tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her cheeks faintly pink.

"Heh... You're so dumb, Shohei."

I was about to say something else — anything, really — when I heard my name... but it wasn't Megumi who said it.

"T-Taka...?"

That voice. I'd recognize it anywhere.

I glanced to my side, and my stomach dropped.

Standing just a few steps away, linking arms with some guy, was the last person I ever expected to see like this.

Chiaki.

Her hair was done up in soft curls, and she was wearing… the jacket I gave to her when I asked her out for the fourth time.

And the guy with her? It was him. The one who's been stopping by our third class lately. The one she lights up for every time he walks in.

The sounds of the mall faded into a dull, distant hum. For a moment, the world shrank to just the four of us.

Of all places...

Chiaki immediately let go of his arm, a flicker of guilt flashing across her face.

"Hey, Taka," she said with an awkward smile. "Fancy seeing you here. You don't usually come to the mall, do you?"

I forced a breath through my lungs.

"Well... Yeah. That's right. I guess you could say that I'm running an errand."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm. Anyway, who's this?"

"Ah! This is Kousuke Haru, a friend. He's the senpai from my literature club I told you about. The one who always pops into our biology class."

"Oh. Yeah, I've seen him around. Nice to meet you, man."

I extended a hand, and he took it with a polite smile.

"Kousuke Haru," he said. "Chiaki has mentioned you a lot. Friends for seven years, huh? That's pretty cool. I wish my high school friends kept in touch like that."

So they're close enough to be referring to each other by their first names? How funny... because it took me a whole year to get to that point.

"That's always the tough part," I replied. "Everyone ends up at different schools."

"Right? Most of my old crew went to Osaka while I stayed here in Tokyo. It's fine, though. I've made some new friends. Like Chiaki."

"Aw, Kousuke~ Quit being so weird. It's your first meeting with my best friend."

"Haha, I'm sorry."

They shared a look, smiling in that way people do when they're caught up in their own little world.

Honestly, I wasn't even sure what I felt at that moment. I should've been pissed. Jealous. At the very least, a little hurt.

Instead... there was nothing.

Kousuke seemed like a decent guy. And if he made Chiaki happy, then maybe that was enough for me.

But why is that? Why am I letting this go so easily?

Chiaki tilted her head, her gaze finally drifting to the girl waiting behind me.

"Oh? And who is this?"

Megumi, who'd been silent this whole time, facing forward like none of this involved her, finally turned her head. The cap and mask seemed to have worked, because even Chiaki — her biggest fan — didn't recognize her.

The warm, awkward glances from earlier were gone. In their place was a flat, unreadable stare. It was the cold, empty look she had the night I met her on that bridge.

"Um... T-this is..." I gulped, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

Then, without warning, Megumi grabbed my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. All the while, she kept her disinterested glare fixed on Chiaki.

"I'm Taka's girlfriend."

My mind went blank.

Wait— Hold on, did I... hear that correctly?

No, I definitely did. I know what she said. I know those words. Still... What the hell did she just say?!

At the same time, Chiaki's smile faltered, her expression twisting into something... off. It was hard to describe because in the seven years I've known her, I've never seen anything quite like this.

"Ah... I see," she mumbled. "Looks like you found the one after all, huh, Taka?"

"Uh... Y-yeah."

"So that's why you've been busy lately."

"...Something like that."

"You could've told me, you know. I wouldn't have been mad."

"It's complicated."

"Is that so? Well then... you two enjoy your date. Come on, Haru. Let's go."

"Oh. Right..."

The crowd swallowed Chiaki and Kousuke, their voices lost in the hum of the mall.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Just stood there, hand in hand, as the world moved around us like we weren't a part of it.

I glanced at Megumi. Her eyes were still fixed in the direction they'd gone, but whatever sharpness was there before had softened into something else.

I cleared my throat.

"...Megumi. What was that all about?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she let out a sigh, loosening her grip on my hand but not letting go fully.

Then, without turning to look at me, she spoke.

"First off... that girl. Chiaki. She's the one you were talking about, right? The one who rejected you seven times in a row."

I blinked, caught a little off guard.

"Yeah. She is."

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"I didn't like it. The way she was acting all lovey-dovey with some other guy right in front of you. Smiling like that, knowing what she did to you, knowing how many times you gave your heart to her — only for her to stomp on it each time."

She finally turned to me then, eyes shimmering with something that wasn't anger. It was more like a frustrated kind of sadness.

"I hated it because she was so blissfully unaware of how much she hurt you. And... Shohei... I wasn't the only one on that bridge that night, you know."

I stared at her, a strange warmth blooming in my chest.

Megumi isn't the type to say things like this. She'll tease, nag, and act tough. But right now… she isn't putting up any walls.

It hit me hard, because I'm only just now realizing... She cares about me. A lot more than she lets on.

Maybe she didn't fully understand it herself, but it was there — clear as day in her voice, her expression, the way her hand was still holding mine.

Her grip tightened only slightly.

"Tell me straight up, Shohei. Should I... not have done that?"

She looked away, her tone softer than I'd ever heard it.

I chuckled, the tension in my shoulders finally breaking away. Slowly, I placed my other hand on top of her head.

To my surprise, she didn't flinch. Didn't pull away, didn't bark at me. She just stood there, letting it happen.

"No. It's fine," I said quietly. "And thanks for having my back. For caring. Even if you have a weird way of showing it sometimes."

She huffed, the faintest tint of red coloring her cheeks.

"It pissed me off. That's all," she mumbled. "I don't have a problem with voicing what I really think, and this just happened to be one of those cases. S-so... As long as you're okay..."

"Don't worry," I scoffed, smiling to myself. "I am."

And still, neither of us let go.