Chapter 4

I managed to miraculously accomplish my quota of waking up on time once every three days, changing into my uniform, and leaving my home after eating breakfast. As always, Ayaka was already waiting for me. It was the same scenery I'd grown so accustomed to, and yet—my eyes shot wide open. Something was off about Ayaka, as she stood beneath the bright blue sky.

"Aki…chan…"

Ayaka is always smiling. Whether something good happened, or not. She'd always smile through everything. When she's angry, she'd pout at you, but she always cheers up immediately after eating something sweet, back to her usual grin…And yet, none of that was the case with Ayaka right now.

Her eyes were damp like water would come gushing out with a single touch. She wasn't crying, but it seemed as if she was trying really hard to not let it go that far. It reminded me of a cloudy sky right before a shower. That she would just break if left alone. That the light inside her eyes would soon vanish—That's the empty, but equally dangerous impression her eyes gaze of.

"…What's wrong?! D-Did I do something bad?!"

"N-No…"

"Then what is it?! Are you hurting anywhere?! Should we go to the hospital?"

"It's already too…"

"Too what?!"

"F-Forget it," she said with a face about to break out in tears, almost like she wanted to reassure me. "I just…had a scary dream. Don't worry."

"That's a lie."

"Waaah, you saw through me immediately…"

"Because you suck at lying. So, out with it. What happened?"

"You're like a police officer telling me to confess…"

"…Enough joking around. Tell me. I'll hear you out, and if there's anything I can do, just ask. We can even skip school today if you want, yeah?"

Ayaka's eyes were still wet, but she forced herself to smile. She must be close to breaking out in tears, and she kept it in as if her life depended on it.

"No, I'm okay. Sorry, just forget about it."

Something's definitely not right. But after she wiped her eyes once, she put her hands into fists.

"And also! Seeing you now gave me so much more energy! That's…the truth."

"Sure, sure, but…"

"I'm saying it's okay, so that's enough of this! Let's talk about something more exciting!" Ayaka cut off my words and raised one index finger. "It's almost summer break, right?!"

"Huh? Yeah, I guess?"

"And summer break equals one important part of your youth. Your one and only. Especially this time around because it's our first summer as high school students."

"What are you talking about…?"

"Put simply, you're in high school, Aki-Kun. That's why…"

"That's why?"

"I think you should get yourself a girlfriend!"

"…Huh?"

First she's close to crying, and now this? What is going on here?

"What did you smoke? You're acting as weird as never before."

"But I'm always weird, right?"

"Don't call yourself weird. And compared to the other folks around me, you're clearly more level-headed."

If she was a weirdo, I'd keep a definite wall between us. Like I do with Kazama, Kazama, or even Kazama.

"Why would you try to get me a girlfriend?"

"W-Well…You know…I'm in high school, too! I'm interested in love and all that!"

"Then get yourself a boyfriend first?"

"I…I don't need one! Rather than being a part of it, I much prefer watching it from the sidelines! It's more fun that way!"

"Don't broadly confess that you're just a curious onlooker."

"Anyway! It's what I've decided!" Ayaka puffed out her chest as she proudly declared that. "I'll make sure you get yourself a wonderful girlfriend and live a happy life!"

And with that as the starting point, Ayaka was somehow out of it the whole day. The whole girlfriend talk had me baffled, but I figured she'd just eaten something bad, and assumed she would eventually go back to normal—However, that face was like she was about to break out in tears…I really struggled to just swallow that and move on. If she really is that against telling me, then I wouldn't be right forcing it out of her. I just want to be of help when she really needs it.

"Aki-can! Aki-Kun!"

And while my thoughts drifted around and about this topic, school ended, and Ayaka called out to me.

"What's wrong?"

"It's time to put our plan into motion!"

"…Come again?"

"C'mon! We have to start with our first step of the Lovey-Dovey Honey Acquisition Plan!"

"Riiight. How about we do something about that lame-ass name first?"

"No can do! C'mon, come with me."

Just what has gotten into her? But since I knew something was off, I couldn't just leave her alone either, so I unwillingly tagged along. We then moved to the classroom of class 1-1, where she peeked inside and called out to a certain individual.

"Yumiko-san!"

…Wait, Yumiko?! I mean, we talked with her the other day in front of the sweets store, but that was a one-time thing, and I don't see us as being close enough to talk. This kind of move requires some serious guts, I swear. Even the folks in Yumiko's class were bewildered and talked amongst themselves. They must be surprised that someone would just talk to Yumiko like this.

"Ah, Shinomiya-san, Yamada -kun."

And yet, the person in question didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, she seemed somewhat delighted. That fact brought even greater disarray to the surrounding classmates.

"She called out to Yumiko-san…?"

"What relationship do they have…?"

"I'm so jealous…"

These were all faint murmurs I could pick up, barely reaching even us out here.

"Hello there. I'm glad we got to meet again."

"Hey hey! Say, do you have time after this?" Ayaka asked, to which Yumiko blinked a few times, seeming surprised.

And honestly, I had a similar reaction. She was so nervous in front of her last time, and yet she's acting like they're best friends.

"Yes. I don't have any particular plans for today."

"Great! I actually found a place you might like, so I wondered if you wanted to tag along."

Yumiko blinked again a few times. I'm not really that familiar with Yumiko as a person, but I don't think she regularly has an expression like this. After all, she usually seems like a flawless beauty that couldn't be thrown off by anything.

"…Really? You're…inviting me?"

"Of course! I'd love you to join us!"

"I-I see…I'm happy, but…won't I just get in the way?"

"Not at all! Isn't that right, Aki-Kun?"

"Huh? Sure…You're not in the way. We're just childhood friends, nothing more."

"Exactly! So no worries, Yumiko-san."

Ayaka kept on reassuring Yumiko, saying stuff like 'We're not dating!' or 'Don't worry!' and so on. With that discussed, I have to wonder if Yumiko will really tag along. Surprisingly enough, she smiled gently and agreed.

"Then…I'll take you up on this kind after and join you."

*

"Over here! Yumiko-san!" Ayaka called out to the girl, acting like a puppy who found something it considered interesting and brought it to the owner.

"Wow…"

Yumiko's eyes lit up, her cheeks colored in a faint pink, as she looked around herself in a daze. It's like she gazed at a beautiful field of flowers—But of course, reality isn't a fairytale. What stood ahead of us was a regular meat shop. After school, we headed to a regular communal business district. And the butcher stood at a regular corner surrounded by a stationery and hardware store.

"Hey, Ayaka. Why'd you drag Yumiko here of all places?"

This isn't a store that would be of interest to a girl if you ask me. In fact, she would have all the right to get angry at Ayaka for being dragged here. Granted, Yumiko might be enjoying this simply for the fact that she hadn't come here before, but still…

"I wanted Yumiko-san to try this right here!" Ayaka said and pointed at a tray of croquettes.

This meat shop actually specialized in croquettes. You could also buy them from regular convenience stores, but they can't beat the ones from an actual butcher…But even so, this really isn't a place where you should bring a delicate girl like her.

"It's a bit cooler today, so let's eat these at the nearby park!"

"Wow…Taking a detour on the way home to eat something at the park…Amazing…It's like the plot of a novel."

"I'm pretty sure that the days you live would provide much more material for a novel than whatever mundane daily lives we live."

We exchanged these few words, as we all bought croquettes for each of us, moving to the public park near here. And because Yumiko was that much of a beauty, the old man at the store even gave us some extra croquettes. Good-looking people really do be living life on easy mode.

"Yumiko-san, should we sit on that beach near that tree?"

"That does Akind wonderful, but…"

"But?"

"…I'd like to sit on the swing, first. I never tried it out before…Or would that be too weird considering my age?"

"Not at all! I think it's cute! Though…there's only two swings. Okay, Aki-Kun! You sit down!"

"No, it's fine. I'm just gonna stand."

"Huh? But…"

"No buts. Down you go."

Ayaka seemed oddly hesitant, as I half-forcefully pushed her down on the swing. I can't sit on the swing while she's standing around. That'd be way too embarrassing. I grabbed two steaming croquettes from the plastic bag and handed them to the girls. Ayaka also took the bag with the extras, placing it on her lap. The croquettes looked absolutely delicious, fried in a strong orange color and perfectly crispy as you love to see them. Yumiko's gaze was practically glued to the food in her hand, as she could barely contain her excitement.

"I can just…eat it like this, right?"

"Yeah. You don't need a fork or knife. Watch," I said as I bit into my croquette, which created a strong and distinct crunching noise, as the spongy consistency of potatoes mixed with the juicy taste of meat filled my mouth. Yeah, the best ingredients make the absolute best taste. Not satisfied by just one bite, I went for another. Ah, I won't be able to stop myself at this rate. Seeing me munch on my food, Yumiko visibly gulped, pushed her black hair behind one ear, and bit into the croquette. Even just that act alone looked so dignified and graceful, it was getting comical.

"Mm! Mmm…Mmm~!"

Since she had her mouth full of croquettes, she couldn't properly express herself, but her red cheeks and stars in her eyes basically screamed 'Delicious!'

"Hee hee, me time!" Ayaka didn't want to be left out and stuffed her cheeks with her own croquette. "Mhm! Fwhof!"

"Hey! You have a sensitive tongue, so be careful!"

"Am fhine!"

The two thoroughly enjoyed their croquettes, as their cheeks and eyes reflected absolute bliss.

"Ahh…This is wonderful…I could get addicted to this…" Yumiko kept on munching on her croquette as her face melted away.

She's really getting into this. It's honestly…pretty hot.

"You guys are eating this like it's the best food on earth."

"Are you really one to talk? You got me all invested, too, Yamada -kun!"

"Heh! Tastiness is justice!"

"Isn't that right, Shinomiya-san? I have never eaten something like this, so I couldn't help getting emotional."

"I totally get it, Yumiko. Eating this for the first time is just refreshing…But Ayaka, we've eaten these countless times before, what are you getting so engrossed in?"

"Huh? B-Because…I haven't had these in such a long time!"

"We're regularly eating these, right? Even too much, if you ask me."

"Ugh…Sh-Shut up! Croquettes are just potatoes! Potatoes are vegetables! And they're healthy, so shush!"

I was aware that this exchange was very mundane, but I felt relieved. Ayaka was eating the croquettes just fine, getting angry at my retorts, while stuffing her cheeks like a hamster. And yet, the fact that she almost cried this morning really stuck with me. I still don't know why. But even so, I was relieved that we could keep acting this way.

"I have to say, there's a lot of children running around." Yumiko reached for another croquette as she looked at the children with a somewhat jealous gaze.

Just as she stated, I could see a lot of kiddos playing catch now that school was over, or pretending to be characters from the currently running anime. Their shrill voices could be heard all over the park.

"Ah!"

That's when one of the boys, probably in elementary school, fell over while running away. Ayaka shot up from the bench to run toward the boy.

"Are you okay?!"

He had seemingly scratched his knee, and blood appeared from the wound. He tried his best, but you could tell he was about to break out in tears. Ayaka crouched down in front of him and tried to comfort him with a gentle voice.

"Does it hurt? Go and wash it off with some water. I've got disinfectant and a bandaid with me, so we can take care of this quickly." Ayaka smiled at the boy, but he was not having any of that.

Well, I get it. A boy his age is really sensitive when it comes to attention and receiving worry like this. Take it too far, and he might feel like he's getting bullied. Even more so with his friends around. I could already see him bursting out in anger, saying 'This much is no problem!' But, I know that Ayaka will handle this. And around the same time, more of the boys who played with the injured kid came to poke fun at him.

"What the hell? You really just tripped?"

"Ahaha, that's so lame!"

Rather than actual bullying, it felt more like teasing, but the boy in question was already blushing furiously.

"S-Shut up! And you, I don't need your help! This much is nothing!"

As expected, the boy vented his anger at Ayaka, bushing her hand away. However, she just grinned at him.

"Hee hee…Now, this won't do."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Because I…am Anpan Man!" She puffed out her chest to the point I could hear an sound effect fitting along.

Not to mention her smug face.

"Anpan Man is amazing, you know? Because when you eat some of these delicious Anpans, everyone will start smiling!"

"…Huh? Are you stupid? Who the hell is Anpan man?"

The boys were all giving Ayaka cold stares, mixed with disgust and confusion. They were probably wondering what a grown woman (relatively speaking from their view) like her was blurting out. I could almost hear the snowy breeze passing us by. But even so, Ayaka continued to speak with a cheerful tone.

"C-Anpan Man fights for justice! And everything that is tasty is justice! Wanna try a bite?" Ayaka grabbed the bag with the extra Anpans and offered them to the children, who couldn't resist the crunchy goodness.

Their eyes bit into the food as their eyes turned into stars.

"Oh, what is this?!"

"Huh?! Gimme one, too!"

"This is seriously good."

All their cold attitudes had vanished elsewhere, as they were fully engrossed in their food. Granted, boys their age could be simple, and who could blame them for not winning against Anpan? Anpans are justice.

"Hey! Gimme some more!"

"Wah, wait a second! There won't be enough for me left! Let's go buy some—"

Seeing Ayaka panic, Yumiko let out a snicker, got up from the swing, and walked toward the boys.

"You can have some of mine."

"Woooooah?! Such a beauty!"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Anpan Man No. 2, at your service."

Hearing Yumiko's self-introduction, I almost spit out the food in my mouth. What does No. 2 even mean? But the boys didn't mind, as they continued to happily munch on their Anpans. By the time they were done eating, they were grinning happily. And while they were busy with that, Ayaka finished treating the injured child using the disinfectant and bandaid she had on her. Then again, the Anpans must be so delicious he had already forgotten all about the pain.

"Phew, that was delicious. Thanks, beautiful lady!"

"And you too, weird but kinda cool Anpan Man!"

"You're welcome! Everyone's happy, so Anpan Man is happy, too!" Ayaka grinned, only to realize she'd forgotten something.

"Ah, but! You actually shouldn't accept random things from strangers! So be careful, okay?! And it's not good to eat too much before dinner, so keep it to a minimum, yeah?"

"She gave us the Anpans and now she's scolding us?"

"We know that already, duh!"

"But you're wearing the same uniform as my older sister!"

"Also, these are the Anpans that are being sold in the business district, right?"

Ayaka was simply worried as the older person in the situation, but the boys absolutely ripped her apart. Sometimes, small brats aren't just small brats, I guess.

"Anyway, our favoriyte anime is gonna start, so we gotta beat it!"

"That makes sense! Anyway, see you around!"

"Bye bye!" Ayaka didn't mind being made fun of and just saw them off with a smile.

Yumiko watched this happen with a warm gaze and gently rubbed Ayaka's head.

"W-What are you doing?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to do this because you're such a wonderful person."

"H-Huh?"

"And I have to say, walking around with not only a bandaid but even disinfectant…You are so well-prepared, Shinomiya-san."

"She always keeps them with her. When we hung out all these years ago, we'd usually play outside."

"Oh my…So you were caring for Yamada -kun? How admirable…"

"Nope! I tend to fall over a lot, so it was all for my personal use!"

"…You are just adorable, Shinomiya-san."

Watching Ayaka blurt out a line that you'd normally be way too embarrassed to admit, Yumiko couldn't help but smile.

"Hehe! I figured that a boy like him wouldn't like any cute band aids, so I used one with a plane design, but I actually have a lot of cute ones, too! Look, flowers, or even water drops."

"Oh, you're right. Where do they even sell this?"

"I found a really good general store! Wanna go there together sometime?"

"I'd love to. I bet it'd be really fun with you, Shinomiya-san."

"O-Oh man, you're gonna make me blush. But we might as well, sometime…" She spoke that far, only for her back to stretch straight. "W-Wait, that's not what I wanted!"

"Huh?"

"Ah, um, well…Sorry, Yumiko-san, I just remembered something urgent that I had to take care of."

"Something urgent? What exactly?"

"Huh? Um…Well, I promised to help someone from our neighborhood look for a lost cat! You two just have fun without me!"

"Wait, let me help you. It'll be more efficient than running around all by yourself."

"N-No need for that! I can't let you do such a thing, Yumiko-san!"

"Then I'll help you," I jumped in.

"Huh?! Um…Um…I'm fine! I love searching for cats! It's my hobby!"

"I see, I see. But don't worry, I like cats, too. And I like dogs and goldfish, too."

"Huh? Um…Well…" Ayaka grew more flustered by the minute.

She just continued stuttering and repeating words like "Um" and "Well" to no end, until she eventually lowered her head.

"Um…I'm sorry, I was lying."

"I figured."

She's just so obvious. And judging from what she said this morning, she probably wants me and Yumiko to end up alone together.

"I won't stop you if you really have something to take care of…But if not, then could we stay here a bit longer?"

"Well, there's not much to do, though," I commented.

"We can just talk. Taking a detour on the way home to talk like this…It feels like a dream."

I'm pretty sure she's exaggerating quite a bit there. But, she smiled brightly as she lowered her eyes and continued.

"I never would have imagined you would invite me like this. And just being here…makes me incredibly happy."

"Hehe, I'm glad you feel that way. And we'll only invite you more from now on, okay? We're friends, after all."

Listening to Ayaka's words paired with her bright smile, Yumiko's face froze up for a moment, only for her cheeks to turn faintly red.

"And also…I kinda want you and Aki-Kun to be more than just friends…!"

"…More than just friends? Like, best friends? Because then, I'd love for you and me to become best friends, too, Shinomiya-san…"

"Welp, don't mind her, Yumiko. She's just a bit crazy in the head, so don't take her too seriously."

Before she could run her mouth any further, I opted to silence her forcefully by placing my hand over her mouth. She seemingly didn't like that, because she growled in a voice that was intangible. Watching us fight, Yumiko's expression softened. Since it was still summer, the sky was blue, and the sun was high. And her smile, illuminated by the sun, was stunningly beautiful.

"Hee hee…Then, let's be good friends, Shinomiya-san, Yamada -kun."

"Hehehe…Today sure was fun, right, Aki-Kun?"

"Yeah. It was something else, Anpan Man."

"S-Stop calling me that already!"

"You started it. And you seemed pretty excited about it, too."

"Th-That was just…I wanted everyone to smile, so…!"

"Ah, right. You're a kind Akil, after all."

"…!"

I gently caressed Ayaka's head. As always, it was like a small animal's, which made rubbing it so much more enjoyable.

"Ah…Ugh…I'm…not…" Ayaka tried to say something with a quivering voice, as she formed fists with both her hands.

"M-More importantly! Do you think this was enough for the starting point of the Lovey-Dovey Honey Acquisition Plan I cooked up for you?"

"Seriously, can you do something about that name already?"

"Well, you got to the starting line as friends…But it doesn't seem like there was much going on romantically. No clue if her affection for you went up because of today."

"Hey, hey, hey…"

"But, you at least have a chance to see her again, right? And we just have to show Yumiko-san how charming you can be!"

"Hey, Ayaka! Wait a second!"

"Hm?"

"Are you…seriously trying to get me and Yumiko together?"

"Yep. I bet you'd be happy to have such a great girlfriend, right?"

"Now hold on. Do you really think Yumiko of all people would fall for me?"

"Of course."

Don't respond to my question with zero delay. How am I supposed to react to that?

"Now listen here…You'd need a rich and handsome but also kind man if you want to match with her. She's loved by everyone, how would I stand a chance?"

"You're exaggerating! You're really cool, too! And you're kind…I think you'd be a good match with Yumiko-san!"

"…O-Oh? Wait, pause! You're just biased as my childhood friend! Wake up! I'm as average as it gets! And Yumiko's the unattainable flower!"

"Not true, not true! And…I think it's exactly because she's regarded as the unattainable flower that she's easier to bring down."

"…Huh?"

"I mean, she's almost too perfect, like she came from a different world, which makes it hard for people to approach her, no? There are a lot of people who have a crush on her, but they're all just watching from afar. And from what I heard, nobody has even tried confessing to her."

"Well, that's true. I haven't heard any stories about that either."

Everybody felt admiration toward her, but nobody would selfishly assume that they could keep her to themselves. Talking to her like this, you realize how friendly and open-minded she is. However, it takes a lot of effort to even get that first step started.

"So, Aki-Kun! You have to take that as an opportunity and approach Yumiko-san as aggressively as possible! Because if everything works out, you will—"

"Before that!"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you want us both to get together, anyway?"

My love life isn't anything of Ayaka's concern, and I just don't get where that even came from.

"That's…because…"

"Because?"

"Your happiness…is my happiness."

That makes no sense. But Ayaka didn't seem like she was lying. She just looked me in the eyes.

"You know…I want you to become the happiest person in the world."

"…The happiest in the whole world? That's some insane scale, there."

"That's right. You're my precious childhood friend, so you have to become the happiest in the entire world."

"I have to?"

"You have to," Ayaka puffed out her chest.

Can you really…be so proud while saying that? I think it's utterly ridiculous, but I couldn't say that. Because when she uttered her wish, I could see her eyes growing wet once more. It's like she had decided to do the best she could in this very situation…It was a very complicated smile. I wonder why? I was scared to take the next step and cross the line to ask, so I simply stayed silent.