I ended up in a group I didn't get along with 

School Trip: Day three

Cold.

 

A shiver ran through my body as I blindly searched for the duvet with my eyes still closed. But no matter where I reached, I couldn’t find the familiar softness of the bedding. Instead, my hand landed against something with a light smack. What was that?

 

It wasn’t my glasses. It wasn’t my phone either. It felt like a person…

 

A person? Once my half-asleep brain had finally processed the situation, I shot upright.

 

“Oh, you’re up early today.”

 

My eyes met Watarai’s. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his phone. Through my blurry vision, I glanced towards the spot I’d just hit. Watarai had his hand resting there.

 

Thank goodness it wasn’t his face. Although hitting his hand wasn’t exactly great either.

 

“…Sorry. I hit your hand…”

 

Fighting against my sleepiness, I forced the words through my dry throat. Watarai tilted his head, then smiled as though he’d just remembered what I was talking about.

 

“Oh, that? It didn’t hurt at all, so don’t worry.”

 

“That’s good… Erm, morning.”

 

“Morning. Your voice sounds terrible, and your bed hair’s a disaster. Go and sort yourself out in the bathroom.”

 

Watarai smiled brightly and handed me my glasses. Leaving the unusually cheerful Watarai behind, I lowered my feet to the floor. Something soft brushed against my skin. Oh, so that’s where the duvet had gone.

 

I’d never thought I was particularly restless in my sleep, but apparently I’d managed to kick it off without realising. At least, that was what I thought until I looked up and noticed the other three beds. Every single duvet was on the floor. Why?

 

It wasn’t even that hot in the room. I stopped on my way to the bathroom and stared at the strange sight. Watarai noticed my expression and, apparently understanding exactly what I wanted to ask, raised the corners of his mouth in a mischievous grin.

 

“I thought everyone might wake up if they got cold.”

 

“Seriously, that’s just cruel.”

 

Morisaki shook his head weakly as we stood in the lift heading towards the large dining hall for breakfast. Hotta and Nakazato nodded beside him, both wearing distant, exhausted expressions.

 

“What’s the problem? Unlike yesterday, you all managed to wake up on your own.”

 

Watarai, the culprit who stole everyone’s duvets, let out a satisfied little snort.

 

“There are better ways to wake people up, you know…”

 

“Bet you woke Hioki up gently, though.”

 

Nakazato’s shoulders drooped, while Hotta gave Watarai a suspicious look.

 

“He woke me up the same way as everyone else.”

 

“Huh? Didn’t he wake you by stroking you or tickling you?”

 

At my reaction, Hotta’s eyes widened. Why on earth would he do that?

 

I turned towards Watarai, hoping he’d back me up, but he immediately looked away. Wait. Did he actually do that while I was asleep?

 

“This guy does whatever he wants because Hioki never tells him no.”

 

Morisaki spoke with a sigh.

 

“Exactly. You need to show a bit of resistance, or you’re going to regret it one day.”

 

“He might even go too far and kiss you.”

 

Hotta and Nakazato continued piling on the warnings.

 

“I haven’t done that yet.”

 

Hang on a minute. What did he mean by yet?

 

I had absolutely no plans to kiss Watarai! I immediately covered my mouth with my hand.

 

“I’m joking, I’m joking.”

 

Watarai laughed. Could he please make jokes that were actually funny?

 

The moment our conversation fell silent, the lift chimed and its doors slid open. A delicious smell that immediately stirred my appetite greeted us as we entered the large dining hall. Breakfast appeared to be a buffet, with all sorts of dishes laid out for us.

 

“Good morning, everyone! Today is the final day of our school trip. Let’s make sure we enjoy ourselves, learn plenty, and stay safe right up until the end.”

 

Today would be the last time we heard the head of year’s morning address. How sad. The moment the microphone switched off, the students rushed towards the tables covered with food.

 

“Come on, let’s go too.”

 

I stood up at Hotta’s suggestion. As I picked up a plate and surveyed the food, my stomach let out a loud rumble. There was bread, rice, and a mixture of Japanese and Western dishes. (Yesterday’s breakfast was Japanese, so I’ll have a Western-style breakfast today.)

 

My hand naturally reached for the tongs, and I picked up a soft, fluffy bread roll. Next, some consommé, scrambled eggs, and dessert…

 

Oh, and vegetables too. A pleased little smile crept onto my face as I admired my beautifully arranged, colourful plate. When I returned to our table, the other four were already sitting down.

 

“Where are we going today again?”

 

Hotta asked as he peeled the lid off his butter.

 

“Isn’t it that place? Some sort of shrine?”

 

“We’re only going for the morning, right?”

 

Nakazato popped a piece of omelette into his mouth, while Morisaki poked at his French toast.

 

“I think it said we’re going to try wearing kimono as well.”

 

Kimono dressing, huh? Maybe I shouldn’t eat too much. Watarai’s comment made me pause and consider that possibility. Then, without the slightest hesitation, I reached for my food anyway.

 

I’d much rather endure the discomfort of a tightly fastened obi than suffer through the morning feeling weak from hunger.

 

“Hey, let’s see who gets the best fortune when we draw our omikuji.”

 

“Sounds good. Whoever gets the worst one has to buy everyone ice cream over there.”

 

Morisaki immediately jumped on Nakazato’s suggestion. Looking at the four of them, I had a feeling even luck itself would happily take their side. I couldn’t imagine winning. Still, I silently prayed that I’d at least manage to avoid coming last.

 

“That looks nice.”

 

I was happily eating my dessert, a slice of summer orange cake, when Watarai pointed at the half-eaten piece on my plate.

 

“Want some?”

 

I balanced a bite on my fork, making sure there was just the right amount of orange and sponge, then held it out to him. Watarai blinked at the offered cake. Oh. Perhaps he was the sort of person who didn’t like sharing food.

 

I started lowering my fork, but he suddenly caught my wrist.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Pulling my hand towards him, Watarai took the cake into his mouth.

 

“Is it nice?”

 

I tilted my head. He answered with a bright smile. Watching Watarai look so happy, I ate the rest of my cake. At the same moment, the head of year’s voice rang out again. Perhaps because it was the final day, his closing remarks went on a little longer than usual.

 

Back in our room, I settled onto the bed to let my pleasantly full stomach recover.

 

“If we’re wearing kimono today, we should style our hair.”

 

Unlike me, who was relaxing on the bed, Morisaki busily spread hair straighteners, hairspray and other products across the table. Personally, I thought they all looked perfectly fine without styling their hair. But apparently, for these Instagram experts, that simply wasn’t good enough.

 

As I watched them skilfully arrange their hair, Watarai came and sat beside me.

 

“Let’s do yours too, Hioki.”

 

“Ehh… Do I really have to?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“I don’t even know if I’ll be able to do it properly.”

 

“I’ll do it for you… Hair oil and stuff doesn’t make your scalp itch, does it?”

 

Watarai gently touched my hair. It almost felt as though I’d come to a hair salon. When he’d said we should style our hair, I’d imagined something dramatic, like slicking it all back or creating the sort of ridiculously elaborate hairstyle you’d see on a host. But all he did was give the ends a little lift and arrange my hair into a centre parting.

 

It didn’t take very long. Once he was satisfied, he finished by spraying my hair. The hair oil had a fresh, pleasant fragrance that wasn’t overly sweet. I really liked it.

 

“There you go. All finished.”

 

Watarai gave my shoulder a light pat, and I lifted my head. The person reflected in the mirror looked neater and more refined than usual. So this was the power of a handsome guy. Unfortunately, the only thing lacking was the handsomeness of my own face.

 

“Welcome! Come on in and pick whichever one you fancy!”

 

We were greeted by a cheerful older man speaking in a friendly Kansai dialect, then shown into a room filled with rows of colourful kimonos. Wow. I hadn’t realised there were so many different kinds. While I stood there, overwhelmed by the dazzling selection, the other four were already browsing as enthusiastically as though we’d just arrived at a shopping centre.

 

They were practically the embodiment of outgoing personalities. Leaving them to get excited over the more extravagant colours, I picked up a simple chestnut-brown kimono. Playing it safe was always the best option. As I’d feared, the obi was painfully tight.

 

After enduring the discomfort of having it fastened around my waist, I slipped into an unfamiliar pair of zōri sandals and headed outside to the street, where the other four were already waiting. Some of their kimono had intricate embroidery, while others featured stylish two-tone designs. Every single one of them wore theirs effortlessly.

 

Combined with their carefully styled hair, they looked like professional models. While we waited for the girls to finish getting ready, I could feel the gazes of passers-by. Of course, a group of people dressed in kimono was bound to attract attention. But almost all those looks were directed towards Watarai and the others standing beside me.

 

“Are they celebrities?”

 

“Maybe they’re filming something?”

 

A group of girls, who looked to be around secondary-school age, continued staring at the four of them even as they walked past. Their unwavering gazes were so intense that it almost looked like some sort of performance. After a while, the girls from our group finally appeared, dressed in kimono even more colourful and elaborate than the boys’.

 

Perhaps they were excited about getting to wear something so different from their usual clothes, because everywhere I looked, someone was holding up a smartphone and taking commemorative photographs. Once our homeroom teacher had finished checking attendance, we set off towards the shrine. The back of the white kimono worn by our teacher, who was leading the students, featured a beautiful crane design.

 

“All right, everyone! Let’s take a group photo!”

 

When we reached the front of the main shrine building, our teacher raised a hand. At the announcement, everyone hurriedly straightened their clothes and checked their appearance.

 

“Hioki, look this way.”

 

I lifted my head towards the voice beside me. Watarai reached towards my head and skilfully fixed the hair that had been disturbed by the wind. Apparently, he was quite particular about getting it right, because he didn’t overlook even the smallest adjustments. While I waited for him to finish, a gentle breeze drifted past us.

 

The pleasant scent of his hair oil surrounded my face.

 

“I really like the smell of this hair oil.”

 

The words slipped out quietly. Watarai stopped moving his hands. He tilted his head slightly, leaning closer as though he wanted to look directly into my face.

 

“It’s the one I always use… You like it?”

 

“I like it.”

 

When I relaxed into a smile, Watarai’s expression froze. He took his hand away from my hair and abruptly turned his face aside, as though signalling that he was finished. At the photographer’s cue, I turned to face the front again. Just before the photograph was taken, I stole another glance at Watarai. His ears were faintly tinged with red.

 

“Right, everyone! Meet back here in an hour!”

 

After the photograph, our form teacher waved the students off. Some headed off to pray at the shrine, while others went to buy souvenirs from the stalls. Groups of students in kimono scattered in every direction.

 

“Let’s go and draw our fortunes.”

 

Nakazato pointed towards a striking red torii gate. We made our way towards the inner shrine, our sandals crunching against the gravel. It would probably be frightening to visit at night, but during the day, with sunlight filtering through, the shrine had a mysterious atmosphere. Once we reached the inner shrine, we headed straight for the fortune-drawing area.

 

One by one, we shook the cylindrical containers filled with numbered sticks, making them rattle loudly. When my turn came, I clasped my hands tightly together. Please, gods. Even a small blessing will do.

 

I shook the container with all the sincerity I could muster. The number that came out was thirty-one. I opened drawer number thirty-one and, rather than taking the top slip, pulled out the second one.

 

“Wait, don’t look yet. Let’s all open them together.”

 

Hotta, the last to take his turn, turned around with the container in his hands. The waiting was unbearable. I was even starting to feel nervous. Once all five of us had gathered in a circle, Nakazato quietly counted us in.

 

“Reaaady… go!”

 

We all unfolded our fortune slips at once. Future blessing. Average. I wasn’t entirely sure of the correct ranking, but it was probably somewhere around average.

 

“Looks like Hioki got the worst one.”

 

I breathed a sigh of relief at my reasonably decent result, only for Morisaki, who had been checking the fortune rankings on his phone, to look at me with pity. Somehow, I’d had a feeling that would be the case.

 

I gave a wry smile at the prospect of having to treat everyone and carefully examined the fortune slip in my hands. My health and academic fortunes were both fairly ordinary, just as you’d expect from a future blessing. Of course, the most exciting part was the romance section.

 

Someone you’ve been waiting for will appear soon. Seriously?

 

“Watarai, let me see yours.”

 

“Sure.”

 

I leaned over to look at the great blessing fortune Watarai had unfolded beside me. As expected, almost everything written on it was positive. I wondered what his love fortune said. Probably something along the lines of, Nothing to worry about. Your love life will be a bed of roses. Congratulations!

 

My eyes naturally drifted towards the romance section. However, the words written there weren’t anything like what I’d imagined. Believe in yourself and move forward. Surprisingly, it contained a sentence that seemed intended to encourage him.

 

Was there really anyone in the world Watarai would struggle to win over? Apparently, even the gods occasionally decided to give handsome men a challenge. After reading through most of our fortunes, we headed over to the racks where people tied their fortune slips.

 

I carefully tied mine so it wouldn’t tear, then pressed my hands together, just in case, and prayed for peaceful days ahead.

 

“Oh, they’ve got ice cream!”

 

I turned at the sound of Hotta’s voice. There stood a retro-style food van selling soft-serve ice cream and gelato.

 

“What does everyone want?”

 

I took out my wallet and looked at the other four.

 

“Oh, I was only joking about you treating us.”

 

Morisaki shook his head as he studied the menu. I’d been fully prepared to pay for everyone, so I stopped checking how much money I had left and stared at him in surprise. Well… never mind.

 

If I didn’t have to pay, all the better. Still feeling a little thrown off, I approached the serving window. I passed over the classic matcha soft-serve ice cream and ordered fig gelato instead.

 

“Hioki, want some?”

 

As we walked back towards the main shrine, Watarai, who was beside me, held out his matcha soft-serve ice cream. Thankfully, it seemed he was offering to share.

 

“Thanks. You can have some of mine too, if you like.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

I held out my gelato in exchange. When I took a mouthful of his ice cream, the flavours of matcha and vanilla spread through my mouth. It was so delicious that I opened my mouth to take just one more bite. Unfortunately, my foot caught in my sandal, and I nearly stumbled.

 

The sudden movement threw off my aim, and the ice cream smeared against the corner of my mouth. I tried stretching out my tongue to lick it off, but I couldn’t reach. I didn’t have any tissues, and I certainly couldn’t wipe my mouth on the borrowed kimono.

 

As I silently panicked, a hand reached out from beside me and wiped my cheek. My eyes followed the cream-covered finger. Without the slightest hesitation, Watarai put it into his mouth.

 

“…Is that all right?”

 

My brain had malfunctioned, producing a completely ridiculous question.

 

“Ah, sorry. Did you not like that?”

 

Watarai lowered his eyebrows anxiously. Seeing his reaction, I shook my head.

 

Come to think of it, he’d wiped ketchup from the corner of my mouth at the theme park too. He had a younger brother, after all. Perhaps his body just moved instinctively before he even thought about it. I took my gelato back from Watarai, whose expression had relaxed with relief, and handed him his now rather misshapen matcha ice cream.

 

When I tasted the slightly melted gelato, it seemed, for some reason, sweeter than before.

 

“I’m exhausted!”

 

“My feet are killing me!”

 

“I’m so sleepy.”

 

Nakazato, Hotta and Morisaki collapsed into their bus seats, looking utterly drained. They’d long since changed out of their kimonos and were back in their familiar school uniforms. Our long school trip was finally coming to an end. All that remained was to catch the Shinkansen and head home.

 

As I watched the passing streets through the window, a wave of sadness washed over me.

 

“Feeling sad?”

 

Watarai spoke as though he’d read my mind.

 

“A little. I had a really good time.”

 

“That’s… good.”

 

Watarai smiled gently.

 

“Anyone buying souvenirs, please make sure you finish your shopping within the allotted time! And don’t forget to use the toilets! Right, you’re dismissed for now!”

 

At the year leader’s announcement, the orderly lines broke apart, and a wave of students poured into the station.

 

“I’m going to have a look at the souvenirs. What about you lot?”

 

I pointed towards the shops inside the station. Their responses were divided into two groups.

 

Watarai and Hotta raised their hands, saying, “I’ll come too,” while Nakazato and Morisaki headed off, saying they’d join us after going to the toilet. The three of us immediately made our way towards the souvenir shops in the station’s underground shopping area. Yatsuhashi sweets, matcha Baumkuchen, warabi mochi and all sorts of other souvenirs were displayed in the glass cases.

 

As I wandered around trying to decide what to buy, my collection of souvenirs steadily grew. I’d just added another paper bag to my arm when someone called my name from a distance. I looked up from the display case and spotted Watarai and Hotta beckoning me over.

 

“They said we can try a sample.”

 

When I hurried over, Watarai held out a small piece of something resembling dorayaki on a cocktail stick. Hotta, standing beside him, was already chewing away, apparently having eaten his. I wanted to take it, but both my hands were occupied with shopping bags.

 

I was about to put my souvenirs on the floor when Watarai stopped me.

 

“Open your mouth.”

 

Apparently, he intended to feed me. I obediently opened my mouth, and Watarai brought his other hand underneath the sample to catch any crumbs before carefully placing it inside.

 

“Well?”

 

“It’s nice.”

 

It tasted a bit like kinako, roasted soybean flour.

 

“Big Brother Tsukasa, me toooo!”

 

“Me too!”

 

Teasing voices came from behind us. When I turned around, Nakazato and Morisaki were standing there, each carrying bags of souvenirs. It seemed they’d done some shopping before joining us. But more importantly… Tsukasa?

 

“Stop imitating my little brother.”

 

Beside me, Watarai was frowning. Since we all addressed each other by our surnames, hearing someone’s first name occasionally caught me off guard. Come to think of it, if it hadn’t been for what happened that morning, my own name… Ugh. Just remembering it was making me embarrassed again.

 

I turned back towards the shop assistant, determined to banish that unpleasant memory.

 

“Could I have a box of the ones we just sampled, please? And… the chocolate flavour too.”

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

The assistant efficiently packed the boxes into a paper bag. When I paid, she handed me something extra.

 

“This one’s a little free gift!”

 

“Oh, thank you!”

 

Dangling from her hand was a maneki-neko keyring, shaped like a beckoning cat. As it swayed back and forth, its little bell occasionally gave a delicate jingle. Clutching the keyring, I looked down at the mountain of paper bags hanging from my arms. I’d definitely bought too much.

 

“I’ll carry some.”

 

Watarai took several bags from my arms. The way he showed consideration for others so effortlessly never ceased to amaze me. I really couldn’t thank him enough. Seriously, all hail Watarai.

 

As we approached the escalator, I adjusted my rucksack on my shoulders. The little keyring jingled in my hand. An idea suddenly occurred to me, and I gave Watarai’s uniform a gentle tug.

 

“Hold out your hand.”

 

“Eh? What is it?”

 

Although he looked slightly wary, Watarai obediently held out his hand. I lowered the maneki-neko keyring into his palm.

 

“Here. Give this to your little brother.”

 

“Didn’t you get that as a present?”

 

“I’d probably lose it straight away anyway… Would you take it for me, Big Brother Tsukasa?”

 

Remembering the teasing earlier, I gave him a cheerful smile. Watarai blinked, clearly caught off guard. Nevertheless, he quickly slipped the keyring into his pocket and ruffled my hair. Honestly. I’d gone to the trouble of styling it properly.

 

“Call me that normally.”

 

Watarai muttered the words quietly.

 

“Watarai?”

 

“My first name.”

 

“Tsukasa.”

 

I repeated his name exactly as he’d asked. Right before my eyes, his cheeks rapidly turned red.

 

“………Actually, stick to my surname for now.”

 

With those words, he turned his face away. What do you mean, ‘for now’?

 

First there had been the kiss, and now there was the whole name business. Apparently, Watarai had already started making plans for the future without consulting me. As I frowned at his peculiar way of thinking, the year leader’s voice rang out from the concourse.

 

“We’re running behind schedule, so please make your way to the platform quickly!”

 

Hearing the urgency in his voice, I checked my watch. There were only a few minutes left before departure. We hurried towards the platform, where the Shinkansen had already arrived. Our form teacher stood by the carriage entrance, handing tickets to each student.

 

“Sort out your seats once you’re inside. Just get on for now!”

 

Practically being herded onto the train, I made my way towards the seat number printed on my ticket.

 

“Welcome aboard!”

 

“Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve sat next to Hioki.”

 

My assigned seat was between Nakazato and Hotta. I’d spent almost the entire school trip sitting beside Watarai, so it felt strangely refreshing.

 

“If anyone from your group is missing, come and tell me! And don’t forget to collect your lunch boxes!”

 

Our teacher walked through the carriage, pointing at students as he counted them. The train was bustling with noise, but it didn’t look as though anyone had been left behind.

 

“Think it’ll be that Bakumatsu bento again?”

 

Apparently, Hotta had turned his first-day mistake into his own running joke. Seeing the smug expression on his face, I laughed and shook my head.

 

“No, surely not.”

 

“I’ll go and get ours.”

 

Nakazato got up and headed towards the back of the carriage. As I watched him leave, Hotta tapped me on the shoulder.

 

“Did you enjoy the school trip?”

 

“Yeah. To be honest, I thought you lot would make me run errands for you, so I was surprised I actually had such a good time.”

 

“No way! Did we really look like that sort of people?”

 

“Well, we’d never spoken before.”

 

“Hmm… Yeah, I suppose that’s fair.”

 

Hotta scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly. All’s well that ends well. I really was grateful to Hotta for approaching me when we were choosing our groups.

 

“Thanks for inviting me.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t my idea, but you’re welcome!”

 

Wasn’t it his idea? I’d assumed Hotta had invited me because of our connection from secondary school. Was that not the case?

 

“What do you mean by—”

 

“Oi! Look at this! Meat!”

 

My question was drowned out by Nakazato’s excited voice. Oh, well. I’d had a good time, so I supposed it didn’t really matter. Nakazato handed me a grilled meat bento, and I happily filled my empty stomach. Once I’d finished lunch, I opened my messaging app to let my family know what time I’d be arriving.

 

There was already a message waiting for me. Send me those handsome guys’ Instagram accounts. The sender was Ikegaya. I’d expected as much, but still.

 

Maybe I should just tell her they’d refused… Actually, I supposed I ought to ask them first.

 

“An… I mean, that secondary school classmate we met near the deer wants to know your Instagram accounts. Is it all right if I give them to her?”

 

I started by asking Hotta and Nakazato, who were sitting on either side of me.

 

“Ikegaya, right? Fine by me.”

 

“Hmm, I don’t mind you giving her mine, but I probably won’t follow her back. I barely know her.”

 

I nodded to them both, then turned around to ask Morisaki and Watarai, who were sitting behind us.

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

“Ah… Yeah, you can give her mine.”

 

Morisaki refused immediately, while Watarai hesitated for a moment before agreeing. I settled back into my seat and quickly typed a message to Ikegaya. A few minutes later, she sent me a sticker of a cartoon rabbit bowing frantically in gratitude. And with that, I completely forgot to tell my family what time I’d be arriving.

 

“Thank you for all your hard work, everyone! We’re officially dismissing you here, but remember, the school trip isn’t over until you’re safely home. Don’t make any unnecessary stops, and take care on your way back! Right, dismissed!”

 

“Goodbye!”

 

The students’ voices echoed throughout the station. The school trip was over. Somehow, it still didn’t feel real. As I watched the students making their way towards the station exits, Hotta looked up from his phone.

 

“My lift’s here, so I’m heading off. Will you lot be all right?”

 

At Hotta’s question, Morisaki glanced up at the electronic departure board.

 

“I’m getting the train, so I’d better go.”

 

“Ah, me too.”

 

Nakazato, who was taking the same line, raised his hand as well.

 

“My lift won’t be here for a little while, so I’ll wait.”

 

I’d only just remembered to contact my family. I still had another thirty minutes to wait. Finally, everyone’s attention turned towards Watarai. He smiled.

 

“Same here. My train isn’t until later.”

 

After spending three days practically inseparable, it was finally time for us to go our separate ways. Hotta headed towards the station exit, while Nakazato and Morisaki made their way to the platforms. Once we’d seen the three of them off, I looked up at Watarai beside me.

 

“How long until your train?”

 

“About ten minutes, I think.”

 

“Want us to give you a lift?”

 

“Nah, it’s fine. Someone’s picking me up from my nearest station.”

 

“Oh, right.”

 

I nodded and looked around. For now, I wanted to sit down. Three days in an unfamiliar environment had left me more exhausted than I’d realised. Dragging my suitcase behind me, I found an empty bench and sat down. Then I finally said the words of thanks I hadn’t yet managed to tell him properly.

 

“Thanks for helping me with so much stuff on the school trip. Like when I couldn’t get my contact lens out, and at the baths, and when I got lost, and carrying my souvenirs, and…”

 

Once I started listing all the trouble I’d caused over the past three days, there seemed to be no end to it. My voice gradually grew quieter. As I lowered my eyes towards the floor, feeling guilty, a gentle voice reached my ears.

 

“I told you not to worry about it. If anything, I should be thanking you for joining our group.”

 

His smile was bright and refreshing, without the slightest hint of tiredness. Seeing him like that, I naturally found myself smiling too.

 

“I feel like you’re the person I’ve grown closest to, Watarai.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“You were pretty cold towards me at first, though.”

 

“Eh… Ah, that was because I didn’t know how to greet you properly! I was nervous, and…”

 

I laughed at his flustered attempt to explain himself.

 

“I’m joking.”

 

Just then, an announcement echoed through the station. Watarai had said his train was in ten minutes, but considering the distance to the platform, shouldn’t he be heading there already?

 

“Shall we go? Better to have plenty of time. I’ll walk you to the ticket barriers.”

 

I reluctantly hauled myself up from the bench. I’d expected Watarai to immediately fall into step beside me, as he always did. But he didn’t. Just as I was about to turn around, a hand caught my wrist, stopping me.

 

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

 

Unable to understand what Watarai was doing, I froze. When I turned to face him, he was wearing a troubled expression.

 

“Hioki… Do you remember what happened when you went to get your glasses at the inn?”

 

Glasses? I searched through my memories. I’d gone to get my glasses. Nearly fallen over.

 

Watarai had caught me. And then I’d blurted out that I’d do anything he wanted.

 

“…Y-yeah, I remember.”

 

My voice trembled with fear at not knowing what he would say next. What could it be?

 

Was he about to reveal that being nice to me throughout the school trip had all been some elaborate prank? Or was he going to demand that I obey his every command from next week onwards? My mind raced as I stared at Watarai. I’d enjoyed these past three days so much that if I found out all his kindness had been fake, I’d probably become a complete shut-in.

 

For about three years.

 

“Actually, I’m the one who suggested inviting you into our group.”

 

Whether he knew what I was worrying about or not, Watarai finally spoke. The answer to the question I hadn’t managed to ask Hotta earlier had come from Watarai himself.

 

“…O-oh. Really?”

 

“It wasn’t because I felt sorry for you being on your own or anything… Well, maybe a little.”

 

Watarai’s gaze slipped sideways.

 

“I just thought that if we were in the same group, I might get to know you better.”

 

His grip on my wrist tightened.

 

“During the school trip, I got to discover all sorts of things about you, Hioki. Like how funny you are, and how considerate you can be… and, um, how cute you are too. I’m really glad I got to know all those sides of you.”

 

Watarai’s cheeks and ears were turning redder by the second. Wait. Isn’t this conversation taking a strange turn?

 

The atmosphere was growing increasingly sweet, leaving my thoughts floating somewhere in the clouds.

 

“I hadn’t intended to touch you so much, but… I know it’s a bit late now. I’m sorry.”

 

“No, it’s not like I disliked it either, so I just sort of let you…”

 

My voice trailed off. Watarai looked into my eyes and smiled gently. The atmosphere between us grew even sweeter, to the point where I felt as though I might drown in it. Hang on.

 

Does this mean…? Is this actually going where I think it’s going…?

 

“If you’re all right with it, Hioki…”

 

All I could do was wait for his next words.

 

“I want you to be my friend.”

 

Huh?

 

“F-f…

 

“Friends?”

 

I sounded like an alien who’d just managed to communicate with humanity for the first time. But seriously!

 

That was the lead-up to a confession, wasn’t it? I didn’t know why part of me had been expecting one, but the atmosphere had absolutely screamed romantic confession. If you asked a hundred people, all a hundred would have agreed. So this was the true power of Watarai, the boy people had apparently described as being dangerously good at giving others the wrong idea.

 

Right. What was it again?

 

Friends. Friends…

 

“Sorry…”

 

The word slipped out before I could stop it. Watarai’s eyebrows drooped sadly.

 

“No! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean sorry like that! Um, I just… already thought we were friends, so I was apologising for assuming!”

 

I no longer had any idea what I was saying. Actually, at what point did people officially become friends?

 

I’d never become friends with anyone by declaring, Let’s be friends! So how was I supposed to know?

 

As an unpleasant sweat broke out across my skin, Watarai took my hand and squeezed it. That large, reassuring hand I’d held so many times before. Some of the confusion in my mind began to settle.

 

“I’m happy you think that, but…”

 

“…Yeah?”

 

“It’s hard to explain… For example, whenever you want to hang out with someone, I want you to invite me first. And whenever you’re having trouble, I want to be the first person you turn to.”

 

“Ah, I see…”

 

Right. So that’s what being friends means. I took a breath and calmed myself.

 

“Um… Then, I look forward to being friends with you.”

 

“Yeah. Me too.”

 

Watarai gave me the brightest smile I’d ever seen from him. I smiled back in response. Another announcement echoed throughout the station. The flow of people heading towards the platforms was growing steadily busier.

 

“Well, see you later.”

 

“Yeah. See you.”

 

Watarai reluctantly released my hand and began pulling his suitcase towards the ticket barriers. Even after passing through, he kept glancing back at me, waving cheerfully every now and then. I waved back, remaining where I was until he disappeared from sight.

 

There were still twenty minutes until my lift arrived. I decided to head outside to cool down. It had been about three months since I’d moved up into my second year. And now, I’d made a new friend.