It's Always Sunny in Kashiwa: Part Two

The two finished their respective first classes. Mayumi had Calculus where she diligently took notes and listened to the professor. While Katsumi nearly instantly dozed off in his creative writing class.

Her class ended thirty minutes before his, so she found her way to the café that she’s seen Katsumi sit at before.

She pulled out her laptop and a notebook and began working on an assignment.

Ten minutes passed.

Twenty minutes.

Then thirty. This is when Katsumi should’ve been off by, but soon forty minutes passed.

Mayumi pulled out her phone and began searching for him in her contacts. After not finding him, she let out a sigh.

Mayumi rested her head on her hand and looked towards the entrance.

“Arata?”

She quickly spun around to see Katsumi standing next to her.

“Did I startle you?”

“A little, yeah… How did you get in here? There is only one entrance.”

Katsumi turned towards the doorway he came through. It was a smaller one on the opposite side of the café.

“That door is closer to my class.”

“Oh… Why were you ten minutes late then?”

I have a feeling Arata already knows why… But I don’t want to admit it.

Mayumi looked at him intently, expecting a response.

“I fell asleep.”

“That’s no good.” Mayumi shook her head. “Are you not getting enough sleep?”

Katsumi sat down at the table, across from her. “I think I—” A large yawn escaped his mouth, “—am.”

“Clearly not.”

Katsumi reached into his backpack, producing his laptop and a few papers. “I go to bed around… two… am.”

“You have to change that. You won’t pass your courses if you keep sleeping through them.”

“...”

“Not to mention all the negative health side-effects that come with a bad sleep schedule.”
Katsumi took his attention away from his laptop and focused it on Mayumi. He raised an eyebrow as she continued.

“Tonight try going to bed at a reasonable time, we have an early class tomorrow.”

“...I don’t get how you act so responsible all the time. I mean, we’re still kids, sorta, right? Don’t you ever do something you're not supposed to, or even stay up late?”

‘Hm? What do you mean?”
“You know, it seems like all you do is follow the rules and what’s recommended. I used to as well so I guess I see the benefits but it can be more fun just relaxing…”
In response, Mayumi raised both of her eyebrows. “You call what you do, simply ‘relaxing’?”

“...Bad phrasing. But my question still stands. Why do you always act so responsible?”
“Wel… I guess in junior high I used to be a lot more carefree.” Mayumi put a finger to her chin.

“So, what changed?”

Mayumi hesitated. As Katsumi was about to ask why, she spoke up.

“My dad always wanted me to go far in education. It’s what he always valued most… So once high school started, I guess I really internalized it.”

Can’t diss her, there’s nothing wrong with that… It feels like it’s been the opposite for me. I used to think that way my whole life then… fell… out of it. I’m not gonna comment on whether that’s a good or bad thing though. But for her at least— “That’s a good thing Arata.”

She looked up, with a slight amount of surprise in her expression. “Thank you.”

“What’s your dad like? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Even though Mayumi was looking directly at Katsumi, it was as if her gaze went right through him.

“Arata?”

“S-sorry. He’s uhm— He’s really kind. He’s adamant about what he thinks is right and is a little strong-headed. And works way too much.” She smiled softly.

Katsumi tried to picture the man she was describing.

He would always be working and very vocal about his opinions? I can see where Arata gets it from… That’s nothing like my dad though.

Katsumi went on a short tangent in his head, thinking about all the times his dad acted like a child or annoyed his mom.

“Is your mom serious like that too?” Katsumi asked.

After having such a distant expression for so long, Mayumi began to smile. This smile soon broke out into a light laughter.

“What? Was that a weird question to ask?”

“My mom is nothing like that.” Her laughter calmed down. “She’s nearly the complete opposite.”

“Really?”

Mayumi nodded. “She’s way too carefree and is always trying to find a way out of work.”

I can’t see that at all.

“For a while she had a plan of ‘becoming a famous author’ so she wouldn’t have to work anymore.”

“And how’d that go?”

“She wanted to write high school romance, but because she was popular in school all the stories she wrote weren’t relatable for the readers.”

“I could see that.”

“She is a very… interesting person.” While saying that, Mayumi shut her laptop and reached into her backpack—taking out her wallet. “I’m going to get a drink, do you want something?”

“It’s alright, you don’t have to. I’ll come with you.”

Katsumi stood up along with Mayumi and the two walked to the service counter.

“Do you know what you’re going to get?” Mayumi asked.

“Mmm… I think just something simple. Maybe a caramel macchiato. How about you?”

Mayumi spent a few seconds studying the menu, looking over each item. She stepped forward to the cashier and ordered. “Could I please get the Strawberry-cream frappuccino with Almond milk and whipped cream.”

As she spoke the man at the register marked a few things on a cup.

Does she like those kinds of drinks? I always took her more as a black coffee drinker. I mean, it’s kinda cute though…

“And for you sir?”

“I’ll just have the caramel macchiato, please.”

“Alright, I’ll call you when those are ready.” The barista said with a smile.

“Murakami, I meant to ask you earlier.”

“Hm?”

“We never exchanged contact information, I think it’d be useful if we did,” Mayumi said, while pulling out her phone.

Katsumi laughed nervously.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t really have a phone right now…”

“What? Why?”

“Because ...I b—”

“Hm? I couldn’t hear you.”

“Because I broke it…”

“Why would you do that?”

“I got angry.”

Mayumi sighed. “You shouldn’t take out your anger on stuff like that. What if there’s an emergency and you need to contact someone?”

Katsumi grumbled.

“You’ll need to get a new one.”

“I know.”

“Arata-san, Murakami-san,” The barista called their names.

The two grabbed the drinks and found their way back to the table.

I was gonna get one at the mall but I never got a chance to… because of what happened.

Katsumi glanced at Mayumi.

She picked up her drink and took a sip through the straw. Some of the whipped-cream from it got on her upper lip. However, she didn’t notice.

“Hey, Arata.”

“Hm?”

“You got something here.” Katsumi put a finger to his face. “I think it’s whipped-cream.”

Mayumi stuck out her tongue just a little and licked the spot on her upper-lip. “Thank you.”

Katsumi averted his gaze.

I feel like that was too cute for me to be allowed to watch.