Snack Break

After leaving Junko on her own, I spent the rest of the day thinking about what I'd said. It was harsh, I know. At the same time, there wasn't a better way for me to make her understand that I didn't want anything to do with her anymore.

Never in my life have I felt so free, and what's even more surprising is that I'm actually looking forward to the future.

Why is that?

Immediately, Chihara's face appeared in my head. That was a dumb question. Of course, I knew all along.

While rotting on my bed, my phone dinged. I picked it up and read the text.

[Chihara]: "Kinoshita! I'm not gonna be able to make it out tonight. With the festival in just a week, it's hard trying to balance that and schoolwork, and I've been so tired recently because of it. I'm sorry."

[Kinoshita]: "No reason to apologize, Chihara, and you certainly don't need to explain yourself either."

[Chihara]: "Yeah. Thanks for understanding. Will you still be going outside?"

[Kinoshita]: "Probably. There's something I need to get off my mind, and what better way to do that than to walk around past midnight?"

[Chihara]: "Oh no. Is something bothering you? Should I come out, after all?"

I couldn't help but chuckle.

[Kinoshita]: "No need to do that for me, Chihara. I'll be fine."

[Chihara]: "Are you sure?"

[Kinoshita]: "Yeah. Don't worry."

Later, I went outside, plopping down on the same bench past midnight. For a while, I just sat there, all alone.

I didn't mind, though. It was always such a peaceful time. A nice courtyard, brightly lit, with no one else in sight. At some point, I had gotten used to it.

But right now... I'm starting to miss having a certain someone around, so much that I could literally hear her voice whispering in my ear.

"Psst... Kinoshita."

I almost believed it, too.

"Kinoshita? Are you asleep?"

That one sounded uncannily real. It was only then that I thought... No way, right?

Slowly, I twisted my head around. There she was with those massive pink eyes and a smile that was akin to looking directly at the Sun.

"Hey!"

"What the—?!"

I flinched, but I was able to maintain my balance. With the ground still damp from yesterday's rain, I definitely didn't wanna fall.

"Ta-da~! Surprise, Kinoshita!" she exclaimed. "I'm here!"

"Y-yeah... I can see that. But why? Didn't you say you were staying in tonight?"

"I did, and I thought about it, but I also thought about how I'd be leaving you out here on your own, which I didn't wanna do."

"What? Hah... You didn't have to go that far."

"It's no big deal. I was just gonna snuggle up in bed and watch a show while munching on snacks. Didn't feel like going out because I was lazy."

I chuckled.

"I mean, that sounds like a good time. What kept you from doing that?"

"Well, I figured, if I'm gonna laze around anyway, I might as well come out here to laze around with you. Plus!"—she ripped open her school bag—"I brought along the snacks for you to try, too!"

She began lifting the items one by one, reading out the names and telling me what they were. A bag of chicken-flavored potato chips, a small box of biscuit sticks covered in matcha, and a few more I couldn't be asked to name.

At some point, her voice was lost to me. All I could hear were incoherent mumbles, but what I saw...

Chihara lifted yet another bag.

"This one's weird," I said. "It's an edamame-flavored one, but... It doesn't really taste like edamame. It tastes more like... bitter peas drowning in salt."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah! I don't even know why I brought it. You wouldn't even like it. But! You know what you would like?"

"What?"

She pulled out a plastic bag filled with random lollipops.

"This! To help with your smoking addiction."

"What the... I'm not even addicted. I do it sometimes, but I can stop whenever I want."

"Uh-huh... That's what every addict says, and the moment you tell them to put their cigarette down, they tweak."

"Haha, I can assure you that I'm not that."

"Totally believe you. Let's see..."—she began rummaging through her bag again—"Anything else in here?"

She was just sitting there and blabbering about snacks, yet I found myself completely entranced.

"Hmm... Maybe we can try the chicken-flavored chips first," she said, opening the bag. "We gotta start strong before getting into the questionable stuff, you know?"

She pulled out a chip coated in shimmering orange seasoning. Her eyes widened with anticipation as she bit into it.

"Ohh~ That's pretty good!" she exclaimed. "Here, Kinoshita! Try one."

"You're setting the bar pretty high there," I chuckled, reaching into the bag. "If it's any less than what I'm expecting, I'll be pretty disappointed."

"Trust me. You're gonna love it."

"We'll see."

I slipped out a chip. Just from the touch alone, I could tell it was very crunchy. Unlike Chihara, I ate the whole thing in one go.

"Whoa..." I said. "You can really taste the fried chicken."

"Right?! Isn't it so good?"

"You know what? I thought about saying no just to mess with you."

"W-wha—?!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Anyway, you're right. It is good."

"You suck, Kinoshita..."

"Pfft, haha!"

Chihara immediately moved the bag away from me, holding it as if she were protecting a baby.

"No more for you," she muttered with a pout.

"Oh, come on. I was just kidding."

"Hmph!"

I was about to reply until something fell in between us, catching our attention. It was a pink blossom, and it wasn't the only one. When we looked up, dozens more were falling from the flowering cherry tree hanging over us.

"The autumn blossoms are starting to fall..." Chihara mumbled softly. "It's beautiful."

"...It is."

But as beautiful as it was, my eyes were fixed on something else entirely.

While the cherry blossoms slowly descended, the world beyond them faded away, leaving only Chihara Ouka. Her eyes caught the soft light, quiet yet radiant. When she smiled, it made the moment feel impossibly still, so warm and effortless that I just couldn't help but want to take her hand.

But I didn't. I stopped myself right as I was about to. I had told myself that I wouldn't take advantage of her when she might still be vulnerable.

I plan to stick to that.

Even then, Chihara noticed. Of course, she did. Before I could pull my hand back, she took it, wrapping her fingers around mine.

For a moment, we locked eyes. A while ago, I used to think nothing of it. I'd look at her, she'd look at me, and that was the end of it.

Now, it's difficult... because I can't look at her anymore without this weird feeling in my chest.

"Chihara... I—?!"

Suddenly, she leaned forward, hovering a small piece of chip in front of my lips. 

"You said you had something you wanted to tell me, didn't you?" she whispered. "Is this... about that?"

My voice was lost, but I managed a small, "...Yeah."

"Then don't say it. At least... not yet. The festival's coming up. Isn't that why you asked me to go with you in the first place? Well, I'd like to go with you first. So, Kinoshita... Save it. When you find me and take me away... Tell me then."

The last of the blossoms drifted past us, carried by the wind. Still, she was holding the chip in front of my face, so I did what any sensible person would do.

I leaned forward and bit into it.

"In that case, I guess I have no choice. See you at the festival, Chihara."