Damage Control

After the meeting, Kanon, Haruto, and I went to one of the university's many cafés. Having done so much today, it was definitely needed. At least, that's how I saw it. These two, on the other hand, used it as an opportunity to interrogate me.

"Sure," Kanon muttered. "She said 'sure'. I thought I went insane for a second there."

"I didn't," Haruto smirked. "Call me a fortune teller of sorts, but I could see that coming from a mile away."

"For real?"

"I'm telling you, Kanon. If you had taken that modern literature class with us like I told you to, you'd know exactly why she agreed to have Kazuha tag along."

"You're making it seem like they flirt in public."

"Shiii, I mean, they might as well, at this point!"

Leaning back on my chair, I let out a groan while sliding a hand through my hair.

"Count your fucking days, Haruto."

"Eep..."

Kanon rested her arms on the table, chuckling, as she lifted her coffee cup and took a sip.

"Is it that big of an issue, Kazuha?" she asked. "I mean, before anything else, you're just helping a classmate with some heavy lifting."

"It's not that simple..."

"Pfft~ You're way overthinking this, dude. In fact, I've never seen you so tripped up about anything before, much less a cute first-year girl. Just relax. It's not as if you actually like her, right?"

My first mistake was entertaining that idea, even though nothing was ever gonna happen. My second, even bigger mistake... was staying silent.

Now, I have a bigger target on my back than ever before.

"...Kazuha?" Kanon mumbled. "You're kidding, right?"

"Okay, no. Just... Hold on for a second."

"Holding,"—her eyes snapped to Haruto—"And you shut up."

"Wha—?!" Haruto exclaimed. "I didn't even say anything!"

"Anyone can tell just off your face that you were about to spit the most abominable comment known to man."

"...Hmph."

I took a moment to gather my thoughts.

"You're familiar with Chihara, aren't you, Kanon?"

"Very," she replied. "Little Chihara is my lovable kohai."

"Then you know somewhat about the way she is."

"The complete opposite of you."

"Exactly. She approaches me with a smile, and she talks to me in a way she wouldn't do for others. I admit, she is cute, and that cuteness is starting to rub off on me, but at the same time, I don't wanna misunderstand her intentions."

"Hmm... So basically, you do feel some type of way about her, but you don't want to take her kindness the wrong way."

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it lately. I mean, I'm not crazy, am I? When she does something nice, I start to think. When she gets too close, I get nervous. I just... I don't know. I don't know what to do."

Not to mention our late-night rendezvous, which I should probably keep to myself for now.

It all adds up to her having some interest in me, but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense. She just got out of a breakup. I remember the look on her face during that stormy night when we first met — how broken she was.

I didn't think too much about it at the time. Didn't think we'd ever see each other again.

I couldn't have been more wrong, because now, she's half of what I think about every day. Maybe even more than half.

And suddenly, I'm being reminded of her smile again.

"Well, shit..." Haruto sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Now you're making me feel bad about pairing you two up."

"As you should," I mumbled. "But, it's fine. What's done is done. If anything, I'll treat it like what Kanon said. I'm just tagging along to help a classmate carry some stuff around."

Yeah. That's all there is to it. This isn't a hangout or anything. It's an official business trip for the Festival Committee to grab supplies.

Right...?

I guess I'll find out.

That same day, when the moon hung directly overhead, I stepped out into the chilly courtyard. As usual, it was empty. Nothing but a winding path, a few scattered maple trees, and a row of lamp posts that left only a few pockets of shadow.

After a short walk, I found Chihara where I always did, seated on the same bench she had claimed as her spot. Her hair swayed in the wind, but she didn't seem to mind, as a pair of headphones kept most of it tucked back in place.

I approached her from the side, clearing my throat to make my presence known. However, it didn't seem like she noticed. Not even a little. She was still scribbling away at her homework, calm and absentminded, with a smile that made me forget how to breathe.

Only for a second, though.

After collecting myself, I walked over and lightly tapped the headband. She glanced up, her eyes wide and her lips slightly apart. But then, as if on cue, it quickly morphed into a playful pout.

"And here I was thinking you were gonna leave me out here all alone again."

"Why would that matter to you?" I scoffed. "Aren't you already used to being out here all alone? Otherwise, you wouldn't even think of doing it in the first place."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Having some pepper spray really does wonders for my confidence, not that I'll ever need to use it anymore."

"And why is that?"

"Heh. Isn't it obvious?"

Chihara giggled, resting her homework on the bench. Then, she tilted her head back with a grin.

"Because now, I have you to come out and save me."

I froze.

This girl... Does she really not know what saying something like that can mean? How am I expected to keep my composure? And how the hell... am I supposed to not misunderstand?

"Well? What did you think of my answer, Kinoshita? Pretty good, right?"

With a deep breath, I replied, "Absolutely not. What if I decided not to come out for the night?"

"Then I would've screamed loud enough for you to hear."

I put a hand against my head and sighed. Of all the responses, it had to circle back to me. How can I ever hope to win against her?

"Hehe~ I'm just kidding, Kinoshita."

She planted a finger on her chin.

"Hmm... Honestly, I don't know what I would've done," she said. "Obviously, I'd scream, but then what? Maybe they would've already dragged me away by the time someone showed up."

As if she reached an epiphany, she let out a resounding, "Ah!"

"W-what the...? What is it?"

"How about,"—she lifted her phone—"If you ever call a rain check, text me."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Winning? Against her? No... That was never an option, to begin with.

"That's fine and all, but you're the one who has my contact info," I said. "I don't have yours just yet."

"Oh! That's right! Give me a sec..."

True to her words, my phone rang only after a second. I pulled it out and read the message.

[Chihara]: "Kinoshita! I'm in danger! Save meee!"

It was then followed by a bunny emoji with its ears waving.

"Hah... You really are something else, Chihara."

"And what is this 'something else'?"

"Who knows?"

"Pfft~ Anyway, why are you still standing there? Come sit down."

Slowly, we settled into our usual routine. While Chihara finished up the last bit of her homework, I just sat there, relaxing like tomorrow didn't exist.

"Hey, Kinoshita. Take a look."

"Hmm?"

She handed me a list filled with a bunch of materials and supplies.

"Is this what we need for the Festival Committee?" I asked.

"Yeah. We only need to grab the things that I highlighted. The rest are being split among other teams that volunteered to go shopping. Still, it's definitely a lot more than I thought, so I'm glad I have you coming with me. Where should we go?"

"No idea. I'm not really an... outgoing kind of person. You'd sooner see me in the library than somewhere out there, and I don't even like to read."

"Hehe, day by day, I'm learning more about you, Kinoshita. Now I know you're a bum."

"H-hey now..."

"Just kidding."

She leaned back and crossed her arms, letting out a thoughtful, "Hmm... Earlier today, you said you were gonna be busy after classes tomorrow, right?"

"Not necessarily. I said that my plans were spontaneous, but if it's for the Festival Committee thing, then I'll make it my priority. Any ideas?"

"Well... There is one, but you might not like it."

"...What do you have in mind?"