Delivery at Sunset

Finally, our time at the mall came to an end. It was... unusually hectic, at least by my standards. Spending hours at the mall with a girl I'd only met two weeks ago is hardly my idea of a typical day. And while I was more or less coerced into the outing, I have to admit it turned out to be worth it.

Now, we were on our way back to the university, sitting side by side on a train. Just beyond the window behind us was the vibrant city slowly settling under a beautiful sunset.

I felt two light taps on my shoulder and turned to find Chihara grinning at me, her phone already inches from my face. On the screen, a tiny kitten arched in dramatic surprise as a slow, unbothered turtle edged into view.

"Hah. So dumb."

"It is not. It's funny."

"Just like your sense of humor."

"Oh. Thank— Hey! That wasn't a compliment, was it?!"

"Who knows?"

Now that I think about it, it's weird. When I first began talking to Junko, it took us almost two months to reach where Chihara and I are. Friendly banter, nonsensical conversations, and no awkwardness at all when neither of us is talking. Just like right now.

I glanced down at Chihara, who was doom-scrolling through her social media feed. As if she knew she was being watched, she turned to meet my eyes. Before I even had time to react, she gave me a smile that completely disarmed me, then went back to brainrot.

Yeah, this is weird. If this were anyone else, I'd die of social anxiety. Being around people just isn't for me. Even a prolonged hangout session with Haruto is cutting it too close. But this...

"Hah..."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Kinoshita?"

"O-oh. It's nothing. I was just thinking about..."

How I didn't want this day to end yet.

"...Nothing," I mumbled.

"What the... You're weird."

"As if you're one to talk."

The train eventually pulled into a station, but it wasn't ours, so we remained where we were. Some people left, but more came in to replace them. Once the conductor made his announcement, the train took off once again.

Suddenly, another tap landed on my shoulder. I turned, ready to witness yet another random video... but it wasn't that. Instead, it was Chihara's head, fallen and leaning on me.

"Hey," I whispered. "You okay?"

She didn't answer, so I leaned forward just a little, catching a glimpse of her face. Her eyes were fully shut, and her lips were slightly apart.

Asleep.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This isn't the first time she's drifted off beside me. She always naps after her classes, doesn't she? But today is the exception. For me, too.

I told myself not to stare, but I did anyway.

The way she looked so peaceful left me breathless. Even like this, she's cute.

I remember Haruto mentioning how two guys confessed to her at the same time and nearly fought over it. Back then, I laughed it off.

Now... I get it.

With that, I turned my gaze to the window instead, pretending to be interested in the passing scenery. The city blurred by in streaks of color. I kept my eyes there for the rest of the ride.

Watching her sleep feels wrong.

Soon, the train pulled into another station. The screeching sound of wheels braking against the railroad woke Chihara up.

Her eyes fluttered open, but she was still drowsy... and still leaning on my shoulder.

"Oh... Did I fall asleep...?" she muttered.

"Yeah. Sorry to cut it short, but this is our stop."

"Ah... Dammit. I wanted to knock out for a bit longer."

Chihara stood, lifting her arms for a stretch, before grabbing some of our bags and making her way off the train.

There she goes again, caught up in her own little world, totally unaware of what she's doing to me. Or maybe she knows and is pretending not to. If that's the case, I'd rather stay oblivious.

What we are now... is enough for me.

After a long walk, we finally made it back. By now, the campus was empty. Everyone was already off doing their own thing: studying in the library, hanging out in the city, or relaxing in their dorms.

"Should we take these bags home with us and bring them in tomorrow?" Chihara asked.

"That won't be necessary. I texted Haruto on the train, and he said he'd meet us at the Student Building so we can drop them off."

"Oh, smart thinking. Let's hurry. We're almost done for the day."

We carried the bags till we made it to the Student Building. The room that was dedicated to the Festival Committee had its door propped open, and inside was Haruto. He didn't notice us at first, as he was concentrated on a piece of paper.

Chihara knocked on the door.

"Hello, Yoshida-Senpai."

"Ah, Chihara. And... Kazuha," he said, greeting us with a friendly smile. "Welcome back. Seems like you two had quite the adventure today."

"Mhm! It took a bit of work, but I think we got pretty much everything on the list."

"Let's see it."

Chihara and I unloaded the bags one at a time for Haruto to assess.

"Nice," he said. "Very nice. With this much paper, we can set aside a team to make origami and other paper crafts."

"What about the spray paint?" Chihar asked. "Do you think this is enough?"

"Hmm... We might need a lot more, I think. Since we're building the stalls from scratch, we're gonna need enough to paint every single one of them."

"Noted. Anything else?"

"We'll have to see how our supplies last in the next week. Spray paint, for sure. And... Probably a lot more extension cords. There's gonna be a bunch of lights, after all."

Chihara glanced back at me with a cheeky smirk.

"Told you."

"What... I didn't say you were wrong. I said that it'd be too heavy to carry that along with everything else. And if we needed more, then we could just go back."

"Hehe~ I'm kidding, Kinoshita. I just wanted to mess with you."

"Per usual."

Haruto let out a chuckle.

"Looks like I made the right decision in sending Kazuha along with you, Chihara."

"Yeah! It was fun," she grinned. "Thank goodness you suggested it. If I had gone alone, I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much done."

"Well, two hands are better than one. Anyway, I think more spray paint and extension cords will just about do it for now. If we need anything else, I'll let you two know."

"Got it. Are we good to go? I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Go ahead. You two worked hard today. I'm gonna do some final checks before I head out."

"Phew~"

Chihara began walking off, then stopped when she made it out the door.

"Are you also staying, Kinoshita?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna help Haruto out till he's done with whatever he's doing. Don't worry about us and get some rest."

"Alrighty. Then... Good night."

"Good night, Chihara."

With that, she left. Haruto waited a bit longer before letting out an amused chuckle.

"Well, well. The troglodyte makes it back alive. Care to spill the tea?"

"What are you on about this time?"

"Still feigning ignorance, huh? Maybe it would've worked on Kanon, but me? I'm something like a masterclass in the art of romance, and let's just say that you... Hah... I know that look on your face better than anyone. You're head over heels, aren't you?"

"Quit being weird and tell me what to do. I'm trying to go home and nap."

"I ain't the one keeping you here, my guy."

For the next half-hour, Haruto had me move some supplies to the other rooms in the same hallway. Once that was done, we settled into the main room to do inventory.

Suddenly, my phone dinged. I pulled it out, and of course, it was her.

[Chihara]: "Are you still at the Student Building?"

[Kinoshita]: "Yeah. We're just about done, though. What's up?"

[Chihara]: "Nothing. I was just checking. I'm on my bed right now. My eyes feel so heavy. They're closing on their own."

What's this now? Why is she even texting me about something like this?

[Kinoshita]: "Sheesh. At this point, don't even bother taking a nap. Just go to sleep."

[Chihara]: "I can't do that! Or else, I'll miss our midnight meetup."

[Kinoshita]: "Why are you saying that as if it's some kind of ritual? We can just call it off for tonight. You need proper rest, especially after such a busy day."

[Chihara]: "Nope! I refuse. So I'll see you at midnight, right?"

It was small, but I felt it. My heart skipped a beat, and it was enough to stop me from doing anything else. Just for a second.

[Kinoshita]: "Yeah. I'll be there."

[Chihara]: "Yay! Okay, I go nap-nap now. See you later!"

I lowered my phone and dropped onto a chair, letting out a sigh as I stared at the ceiling.

"Hey, Haruto..."

"What's up?"

"I think you might be right."

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me.

"I'm right? About what?"

But I didn't answer.