Chapter 3: Complicated Emotions

I looked at Kenji, then at Sachi, who sat beside me with the focused determination of someone studying a very interesting patch of wall.

"You're both dating? Since when?" I paused. "I mean — I'm not against it. I'm just surprised it finally happened. Congratulations, both of you!"

Kenji and Sachi finally breathed easier.

"Sorry, bro. I thought someone had told you." Kenji glanced at Sachi.

Sachi returned the look with her tongue out. "You didn't tell me to."

"Did I have to? He's your brother!"

"He's your ‘bro’, isn't he?"

"That's different! Bros don't talk about such stuff!"

I raised both hands. "To be fair, Sachi, we really don't. You should've told me. So — when did it happen?"

"About slightly more than a year ago," Kenji started.

"That long already?!"

Sachi stomped on my foot. Hana winced. I did not.

"Oww! What gives?!"

"Let him talk, onii-chan. And it was exactly sixteen months ago, Kenji."

"Yeah." Kenji gave me an apologetic smile. "It was during her junior high graduation. Sachi was there and… I just decided to confess. I didn't know she liked me too."

"All those years playing together, and you never looked at me," Sachi sighed.

"Hey. I looked. I just never said anything," Kenji said, scratching the back of his head.

"How's your foot, Ryo-kun?" Hana asked quietly.

"Yeah, onii-chan. How is it?" Sachi smirked.

I blinked at the sudden change in topic. "Fine, I guess. You're not heavy enough to do any real damage. What hurts more is not getting any updates about this." I pressed a hand to my heart and arranged my face into a suitably tragic expression.

Sachi rolled her eyes. "Hey, Hana — Ryo's having a heartache. Help him out."

I glanced at Hana. She stared at Sachi like she'd just been handed an unexploded grenade.

"Oi, don't put Hana on the spot," I said. Then, since I was already at it: "Sorry, Kenji. My sister must have been a handful. I fully thank you for taking on that burden —"

Sachi stomped on my foot again. Hard. This one landed. Hana flinched. I glared at Sachi, who returned a smile that could cut glass.

"I meant… I'm glad you're looking after her. At least now I don't have to keep her little crush a secret anymore."

Sachi nodded, somewhat appeased.

I patted Kenji's shoulder. "You've survived a year of this. You're a stronger man than I am."

I dodged the third stomp. Sachi's foot hit the floor hard. She grimaced.

Kenji cleared his throat, wisely choosing neutrality. "Right. Everyone's even. Tea?"

"Ryo-kun… Sachi-chan... does your foot hurt? Do you need medicine?" Hana asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"I'm alright. Thanks for asking, Hana-chan." I straightened up before she could fuss any further. "By the way — where's Yuki?"

A brief silence settled over the room.

Click.

Yuki stepped in through the front door. She noticed the extra shoes at the genkan. "Oh? We have guests?"

My heart skipped. That familiar voice. That last text message. My eyes drifted slowly toward the entryway.

Our eyes met. Silence again.

"Onee-san — Ryo-kun just got back from Sendai," Hana said, breaking it. "He came over to say hi."

Yuki gave me a polite smile. "I see. Welcome back, Ryo-kun."

"Thanks, Yuki-chan. How have you been? I just found out about Sachi and Kenji — apparently I'm the last to know everything."

Yuki's smile faltered, just slightly. "I've been good. You've missed quite a lot. How about you? You still look the same."

"Nothing much has changed on my end. It's good to be back." I smiled at her. "What else did I miss out on?"

The room paused for just a beat too long. "Nothing much. Everything's pretty much the same," Yuki said. Across the table, Kenji, Hana and Sachi exchanged a look that I clocked but couldn't quite read.

"It's been a while, Ryo-kun. Tell us about Sendai." Yuki steered the conversation forward.

And just like that, the room loosened. The conversation flowed, and for a while it felt like no time had passed at all. We exchanged glances a few times — Yuki and I. Easy, familiar ones.

Maybe there's still a chance for me to make good on my promise.

"Hey. Since we're all here — and I'm only back for a month — let's do something before the fireworks and Obon. Camping in the mountains. Overnight, like we used to."

Everyone nodded. I volunteered for cooking and supplies, since Kenji, Sachi and Hana were tied up with Obon preparations. We set the date for two days out.

We finished our tea and headed back home.

* * *

— At the Inoues’ —

The front door had barely closed before Hana spoke. "Onee-san… Ryo-kun still doesn't know about Matsuda-san?"

"And you weren't planning to tell him just now either, were you." Kenji didn't phrase it as a question.

"…I'll tell him during the camping trip. It was too sudden just now. It wasn't the right moment." Yuki's voice was quiet.

Kenji sighed. "Just don't wait for him to confess first. Ryo's been through enough."

Hana's hands were clasped tightly in her pockets. She said nothing.

"He left without a word… and now he comes back without a word," Yuki murmured.

"I'm not saying what he did was right. But you know what he went through. What Daiki Matsuda put him through." Kenji's voice was even.

Yuki had nothing to say to that.

"Nobody here wanted things to turn out this way," Hana said quietly. "He's back. Let's just enjoy the summer."

Yuki looked at her. "Easy for an outsider to say."

"Yuki." Kenji's tone sharpened. "That wasn't fair."

Hana didn't respond. Yuki walked to her room and shut the door.

Kenji looked at Hana. "She didn't mean it. She has a lot weighing on her right now."

"I know." Hana's voice was steady. "I just don't want Ryo-kun to get hurt again."

"He won't. Not if we can help it." Kenji glanced toward the closed door. "It'll be different this time."

Neither of them said anything after that.

* * *

Back in my room, I sat at my desk and turned the visit over in my head.

Was it just me, or was there some tension between Yuki and everyone else? Maybe my homecoming rattled her more than she let on.

Either way. I can’t put this off any longer. I’ll confess to Yuki during the camp. That’s that.