A Normal Trip to the Mall, Almost

The next morning went by without any hang-ups. Katsuo had breakfast with his family, while his sister told their parents about all the shops they were going to stop at. Of course, once the conversation of the mall came up, he also realized he had never made any kind of plan with Kimiko. No, Hayami. Never made a plan with Hayami. He was too embarrassed to say anything to his sister about it because he didn’t have Hayami’s email. He could only imagine how his dad would look at him for that.

Fortunately, no one asked, and shortly after they had finished breakfast, the doorbell rang. Katsuo was practically standing by the door, ready to go when it did. Kanna came running over in jeans and a pullover hoodie. Katsuo himself wore jeans, a white shirt, and a light jacket in black. After Katsuo and Kanna said their goodbyes, and their father slipped Katsuo some money, they both headed out the door to join Hayami.

“Good morning, Kimiko-san!”

“Oh, well good morning Kanna-san. Please, call me Hayami. I would feel so strange if you were the only one not to call me by my given name otherwise.”

“Okay!”

“Good morning, Katsuo-san.”

“Huh, oh good morning.”

Katsuo found himself staring at Hayami once again. She wore a long-sleeved red shirt, cut low to reveal a white undershirt. The shirt itself was slightly longer than average, but fit snug over a pair of black pants and some boots. She really looks good in anything. Hayami unconsciously tucked her loose hair behind her ear, trying not to meet his eyes in obvious embarrassment.

Seemingly ecstatic and determined to get there, Kanna took charge in leading the way to the station. Even though Hayami was there to lead had Kanna not, Katsuo was glad he had someone that actually knew where they were going to lead the way. Had it just been him and his sister, and she hadn’t taken the initiative - Well it would have made for an interesting situation, that’s for certain.

Katsuo took mental note of the route to the station, doing his best to read street signs and remember the stores on street corners for more memorable markers. It was a relatively short trek to the station, in nearly the same spot as in his world. He supposed the general city layout would have to be relatively close, following the same terrain as in his world. That is of course, if the terrain had been the same. There was no telling how different the two could be.

The three of them piled onto the train and found some seats. Katsuo took a seat, with the girls taking one to either side of him. Kanna was practically bouncing in her seat in anticipation.

“I can’t wait, I can’t wait! We’re going to have so much fun! Right, onii-chan?”

“Yep, we sure are. Now sit still, or you won’t have any energy left when we get there.”

“Aww, okay.”

A slight giggle made him turn his head. Hayami was hiding a slight smile with her hand and trying not to make eye contact.

“What’s so funny?”

“What? Oh nothing.”

Okay then. Girls are weird. After a couple of pauses at other stations, they reached their stop. Or so Katsuo learned as the girls stood up. They departed the station, opening into a shopping district. A short distance down the road, stood a huge complex of buildings. On the front of what was obviously the mall, a huge sign read ‘Atakoro Plaza.’

“Woah.”

“Right, isn’t it amazing? Come on, let’s go!”

His sister took off down the road, only to stop and turn back to yell once more for them to catch up. She turned back towards the mall but didn’t get too far ahead of them. Hayami walked beside Katsuo, the two following after Kanna.

“She sure is full of energy.”

“Yeah, she sure is.”

“So, what’s it like having a sister? I mean, you’ve now had two. One older and one younger, right?”

“Uh, I guess you could say that.”

He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Well, it’s good I suppose. My older sister, that is to say older Kanna, is a bum. She mostly just stays around the house drinking and watching tv. But we got along well, I mostly did all the chores though. And younger Kanna. Well, I don’t know yet. I mean she seems nice, and she reminds me a lot of my Kanna. It’s actually kind of sad to think this is what she used to be like.”

“Oh, I see. Well maybe that’s why you’re here then.”

“What?”

“To help your sister. Maybe you need to spend time with her here, so that you learn what she was like before she grew up. Then somehow help her quit being a bum when you go back.”

Katsuo looked up at the sky as they headed through the front doors of the main entrance.

“Maybe. How do you know that I’m even going back?”

“Well, I.. Hmm.”

Hayami looked troubled at this, she made a face as she considered his words.

“We need to figure out if you can go back, and if so, how?”

He looked at her and rolled his eyes.

“What?”

“I’m not walking in front of another truck. At least not on purpose anyway.”

Someone made a frustrated sound, drawing their attention back to the present moment. Kanna stood there, waiting impatiently.

“So, where to?”

“I want a sweet bun!”

They stopped at the first bakery stand they saw, and Katsuo got each of them a sweet bun. They were extremely fresh and tasted perfect. Katsuo couldn’t help but agree that this was the best place to start. Before he or Hayami were halfway through their buns, Kanna was already headed into her first shop.

“I guess we better catch up to her.”

“Yeah I –“

“Hayami-san! Oh, and Katsuo-san too! Crazy running into you two here.”

Katsuo turned to see a guy with brown hair and a strong build approaching them. He felt like the guy looked a little familiar. Thankfully, Hayami came to the rescue.

“Oh, hey Haruto-san. What’re you doing here?”

“Just hanging out with some friends.”

“From school?”

“No, I know these guys from a summer sports club. Speaking of, I’ll catch you guys later.”

“See ya.”

“Bye.”

Katsuo let out a breath as they ventured towards the shop his sister entered.

“I still need to try and teach you who everyone in our class is. Before you run into anyone outside of school without me.”

“Yeah, I guess. I mean that went well.”

“Only because he had somewhere else to be. What if he stayed, and asked questions that you couldn’t answer?”

“What kind of questions?”

She gave him a shrug.

“I don’t know, I’m just mentioning the potential risks.”

He nodded, once again unable to find fault in her logic. But at the same time, he still wasn’t seeing how he could be better prepared for encounters with people who believe they know him. Knowing their names and faces alone, can only go so far. Hayami continued.

“Speaking of, we need to figure out a plan for Kame-san.”

Katsuo walked over to a vending machine and selected a coffee. He extended the coffee to her, and also gestured back at the machine. She chose the offered coffee. He got a second one for himself. He tilted it upside down, then slowly up righted it again, all before cracking it open and letting it sit to breathe.

“Is that normal in your world?”

“What?”

“That thing you did with your coffee.”

“Oh that. Uh, I don’t know. I’ve always done it that way. It’s so you mix it without shaking it, then let the top breath. Otherwise, the first sip is always the worst. This way, it all tastes good.”

She looked at him like he had lost it. But he did notice her try it, and her mildly surprised look at her first taste after was well worth it. He sipped his coffee too, enjoying the taste of perfection.

“Onii-chan! I want this dress, so will you please come buy it for me!”

“Yeah yeah, let’s go.”

He waved her off and followed her into the store to purchase the dress. After wandering a few more shops, they began the search for the cat lounge.

“Hey Kanna, do you know where the cat lounge is?”

His sister pinched her chin in an exaggerated effort to look around suspiciously.

“I think it’s on the 2nd floor.”

They found an elevator and went up to the next level. After walking around for several minutes and not seeing it, Kanna suggested the 3rd floor. With the same result there as they had on the 2nd, Hayami found a map and discovered it was actually back on the first floor. Kanna looked a little embarrassed to learn this. Katsuo walked over to her and gave her a pat on the head.

“It’s alright, it’s not your fault.”

Kanna jumped back, pointing a finger at him.

“I know that, and besides, she’s your friend. Shouldn’t you know where it’s at!”

Katsuo winced and looked away.

“Yeah, I guess so. Sorry.”

“That’s okay onii-chan! We know where it is now, so don’t feel bad.”

She rubbed her head up against him like a cat would on your leg. Was she only pretending to feel bad so that he would apologize? That sounded exactly like something that.. That Kanna would do. He smiled down at her and ruffled her hair.

“Come on, we don’t want to miss Kame-san’s first shift.”

They worked their way across the shopping center until they saw the sign for ‘The Paw Lounge.’ Katsuo noticed several people within.

“Wow, it looks like they’re kind of busy.”

“Well, they did just open recently and it’s the weekend.”

Katsuo shrugged at Hayami’s response and headed for the door. Katsuo entered first, seeing several people his and Hayami’s age within. The closest guy to them was wearing shorts and a striped tank top, with coppery hair similar to Kame’s in color. Just behind him was another guy wearing pants and a sweater, with blonde hair. There was also a girl with long chestnut hair in a short dress. The first guy looked over and pointed right at Katsuo.

“Hey look, it’s Katsuo-san. Oh, and Hayami-san! I didn’t know you two hung out! Oh wait, are you on a date?”

The girl looked their way, and then turned away as if she hadn’t seen them. Clearly the excited guy thought they knew him, so Katsuo stepped aside to reveal his sister and gestured towards her.

“What? Oh, no. My sister is with us, we’re just here to see Kame-san on her first shift.”

With that, Hayami stepped forward to take over the conversation. She gave a slight bow of her head in greeting. She looked at them in the same order that Katsuo had seen them.

“Hello Toshihiro-san, Tosou-san, Harui-san.”

The one she identified as Tosou gave her an odd look, likely at the use of all of their names, but didn’t comment. Harui gave some kind of greeting, still only barely looking their way. Tosou smiled at them as he stepped forward.

“It seems everyone is here today.”

“Can I assume that you saw Haruto-san as well then?”

“Yes, we did, he was with some friends, so we didn’t stop to talk. And of course, Kame-san is here too, as you already know.”

Tosou looked to Harui, clearly taking note of her dismissive stance and nodded.

“Well, we were actually just on our way out of here. It was good seeing you guys!”

As he passed Katsuo by the door, he rest a hand on Katsuo’s shoulder and whispered to him.

“Sorry about that, you know how she can be. Especially since, well you know. I’m sure having Hayami-san here only made it a little more awkward is all.”

He smiled at him and gave him a meaningful look.

“Good seeing you Katsuo-san, enjoy your date!”

And with that, the three of them were out the door. Katsuo turned to Hayami in a bit of confusion.

“What was that about do you thi-“

He stopped as he saw her face, she was attempting not to make eye contact with him, but he could still see the color lit up across her cheeks. He shrugged, trying to act unconcerned by the misunderstanding.

“Well, I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. We can correct people at school, not a big deal.”

“Right, of course. Just a misunderstanding, that’s all.”

Katsuo noticed his sister was already playing with the cats in the next room, also talking with Kame. He approached the counter where a middle-aged woman was working.

“Hello, and welcome to the Paw Lounge! All three of you, and how long will you be staying?”

Katsuo took note of the price by time sheet on the counter.

“Uh yes, three of us. And I guess an hour?”

He looked to Hayami as he asked, to be sure that was okay. She nodded her approval. He paid for their time and then the lady led them into the next room. There was a long couch on one wall, with a chair on each end, and a long rectangular coffee table in the middle. There were scattered cushions and cat toys throughout the room. And then of course, the cats. Katsuo counted at least seven, no, eight, of all different colors and sizes.

“Go ahead, make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll be right out with some tea.”

Katsuo and Hayami sat down on a couch, careful not to sit on any of the cats, while Kanna continued playing with one on the floor. A black one sauntered over and made itself comfortable in Hayami’s lap. She appeared startled at first, but quickly took to petting the purring feline. Kame walked in with the tea.

“Oh, he really likes you.”

“It seems so.”

Katsuo made an attempt to catch a cat’s attention, but none paid him any mind until he had a steaming cup of tea in his hand. Of course, it seemed within the nature of cats to only bother someone who was busy. He did his best to pet the purring monster while also enjoying his tea.

“So, Kame-san. Have you seen any other classmates today?”

“I did actually, a couple of girls from my class were here earlier. And then you already saw Tosou-san and the others of course. We’ve been really busy today, which is great! I’ll be right back; I need to go finish grooming a couple of the others.”

Kame made her way back into the other room, leaving them with the sounds of Kanna giggling at the cat who was chasing the hanging toy she dangled, and the purrs of the cats in Katsuo and Hayami’s laps. Katsuo looked over at her, she was smiling down at the black cat, stroking his back. He seemed quite pleased to be there.

“Did you hear what Tosou whispered to me on his way out?”

“Something about Harui being uncomfortable around you?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“It is a little concerning, perhaps she also doesn’t remember you?”

He hadn’t considered that.

“Oh, I was just thinking she might have a bad memory.”

Hayami pursed her lips and then put a finger to her chin.

“I hadn’t considered people having different experiences such as this. So far it appeared, with the exception of Kame-san, that everyone had neutral or at least not bad memories with you. If these are all constructed within each person, it would make more sense if someone did have a memory of you that no one else shared. It would make it.. Well, more real.”

“Hayami-san?”

“What?”

“Have you considered that I just traded places with myself?”

“Like an alternate you?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

She looked down at the cat she was petting and took a sip of tea. She set her cup down and looked at the cat a moment longer.

“To be honest I haven’t given it much thought. If there is another you, why don’t I remember him?”

She bit her lip, appearing to be a little uncomfortable.

“And if there isn’t... Well, then how come I’m the only one who didn’t have their memories changed? It honestly scares me a little.”

He reached over, hesitating for a second, before putting his hand on hers. She flinched at his touch but didn’t pull her hand away. She leaned a little into him, just enough that their shoulders touched.

“Thanks, Hayami, for everything. We’ll figure this out, somehow.”

She nodded but didn’t look up. Neither of them noticed Kame standing in the hall, frozen as she saw Hayami lean against Katsuo. She couldn’t see their hands, so she was unaware of Katsuo’s comforting touch. She cleared her throat as she entered, trying to act as if she hadn’t just seen them. But also failing to cover her flustered tone.

“So, Katsuo-san, your sister told me that you got her a dress. That was nice of you.”

Hayami and Katsuo both practically jumped apart on the couch. Hayami attempted to cover her embarrassment by taking a sip of tea. Katsuo struggled more as he nearly landed on one of the cats in his attempt to scoot away.

“What? Oh yeah, I mean dad gave me the money, so I didn’t technically buy it.”

“Oh, I see, but that was still nice!”

“Onii-chan is the best! It’s a great dress, the best dress! I can’t wait to wear it!”

“I-I’m glad you like it then.”

Katsuo made a grab for some tea as well. Kame joined them for the rest of their time at the lounge. Telling them the names of all of the cats and about what her job consisted of. There was surprisingly a lot more to it than Katsuo had expected. As they reached the end of their hour, they thanked the shop manager, and waited by the door to say goodbye to Kame.

“Thank you, for coming to see me, I’m really glad you could come by. I know the lounge also appreciates it.”

Hayami gave a bow in return.

“Of course, Kame-san. Thank you for having us.”

Kanna bounced forward.

“Yeah, thank you! I had a lot of fun!”

“You’ll have to come back again sometime.”

“Oh yes! Can we, please?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Katsuo ruffled Kanna’s hair.

“We’ll see you later Kame-san.”

“See you Monday!”

With that, they left the mall and headed for the train station. The ride back to their own stop was rather quiet. Kanna slept most of the ride, and eventually Hayami drifted off as well. Both girls slipped their heads on each shoulder. For their sake, Katsuo stayed awake. At one point he did notice an older woman smile at them, he awkwardly smiled back to her. He was nearly certain which stop was theirs, but he still doubted himself enough to not make a guess.

Just before he needed her to, Hayami woke up. She seemed a little surprised at first to see where her head had ended up, but he pretended not to notice, and she quickly got over her embarrassment. She looked up to the digitized name of the next stop scrolling through the display screen and nodded. He gently pushed Kanna awake, just in time for the train to come to a complete stop.

They exited the train and then the platform, remaining together until they reached the familiar intersection where Katsuo and Hayami usually parted their ways. Katsuo cleared his throat.

“So, will I see you tomorrow?”

“No, I need to help my mom with something. So, I’ll see you at school on Monday.”

“Right, school. Well, I guess I’ll see you on Monday.”

As Katsuo started to turn, he noticed Hayami hadn’t yet moved. She was squirming a little, not making eye contact.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothings wrong. I just thought… Well, maybe… Perhaps it would be a good idea if we exchanged emails. You know, in case you needed me or if there was some kind of cross-world emergency. That’s all.”

“Oh, I see. I mean, sure.”

“Just for important stuff you understand, nothing weird.”

Her cheeks were colored as he handed her his phone, his contact card opened. She added him to her phone, and then handed his back. She then typed away quickly at something, before putting her own phone away.

“There, I sent you a message so that you’ll have my contact.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“It was a pleasure Kanna-san.”

Kanna looked up blearily, covering a yawn.

“Wha? Oh, it was fun. I’m glad you joined us. Goodbye, Hayami-san.”

Hayami bowed to them, and then turned up the little hill that Katsuo was growing familiar with seeing her walk up. He turned, taking the bag back from his sister.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

“Will you carry me, onii-chan?”

“Uh, sure.”

He crouched down in front of her.

“Come on, up you go.”

She lazily grabbed hold, and he lifted her up. He wrapped his arms around her legs, and then began the walk home with a fast asleep Kanna on his back. A short while later, he came in through the front door. His mother greeted them, and he could see his father sitting on the couch as well.

“We’re home.”

“Welcome home you two. Oh, is she asleep?”

“Yeah, I’ll just carry her upstairs.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I can manage.”

He slipped off his shoes, and his mom helped him with Kanna’s. Then he carried her up the stairs, dropped her shopping bag inside her door, and laid her down on her bed. He then headed to his own room to change. He pulled out his phone and couldn’t help but to smile and exhale a breath through his nose as he read the message from Hayami.

‘Greetings, outworlder.’