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Scene 6: The End If ‘It’ Is Seen?

“…Hmm.”

As lunch break began, I sat alone at my desk, deep in thought.

The reason was this morning’s incident – Chika’s strange behavior.

It all started with last night’s conversation. Even I’m not dense enough for a rom-com protagonist to miss this cue.

“Promise” – she had said that. She made a promise with me.

But unfortunately, I have no memory of it. When and where did we make such a promise? I have no idea.

Pondering again, Kasumino Matsuri suddenly peeks over from the side.

“Constipated?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then, something’s bothering you? I’m all ears if you have worries, you know?”

I shook my head at her grinning face.

“Really, it’s nothing major. Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not? You’re groaning so much.”

Realizing I’ve been vocalizing my thoughts, I felt a bit embarrassed. Kasumino Matsuri leaned in closer and whispered,

“Could it be about ‘Princess’?”

“What?”

I was taken aback by her whisper and looked directly at her.

“What are you talking about? It’s nothing to do with Kurokawa…”

“I saw it.”

“Saw what?”

Her expression was serious, not the teasing smile she usually had. She stared at me for a while and then whispered so no one else could hear,

“You were at the amusement park yesterday.”

I felt a jolt as if my heart was grasped. Trying to keep my composure, I played dumb.

“No way. Me at an amusement park? I’m not the type for that. Besides, a guy alone at an amusement park…”

“You were with ‘Princess’.”

“…!”

Realizing I had no words left, she probably took it as a confirmation. Kasumino Matsuri stood up quietly and gestured for me to follow.

“Let’s go outside. It’s risky to talk here.”

I had no choice but to follow her suggestion.

Behind the school, in a poorly lit area between the gym and the building, a place so gloomy and rarely traversed that eavesdropping was unlikely. As I looked around, Kasumino Matsuri leaned against the wall and started,

“It’s safe here. I often come here, but I’ve never seen anyone pass by.”

“That’s surprising. What does Kasumino Matsuri do in such a deserted place?”

“Thinking. Being around people tires me out.”

I always thought she was as sociable as Chika, but this was unexpected.

“Anyway, about earlier…”

Kasumino Matsuri continued, staring intently at me.

“You were with Ms. Kurokawa at the amusement park yesterday… right, Ta-kun?”

I glanced at her face, wondering if there was any room to deny it. But her eyes already held conviction.

So, I conceded and nodded.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Her expression shifted to one of slight disturbance, and after a few seconds of silence, she asked,

“Are you dating Ms. Kurokawa?”

“Why would you think that?”

I retorted immediately, and Kasumino Matsuri looked puzzled.

“Well, a boy and a girl at an amusement park together usually means…”

“It doesn’t always mean that. For example…”

“For example?”

“…”

Well, yeah. Anyone would see that as a date from a third-person perspective.

As I reconfirmed this fact and stayed silent, Kasumino Matsuri’s face seemed to say ‘I knew it.’

This was bad. If she misunderstood that Chika and I were a couple, it would be disrespectful to Chika. Kasumino Matsuri isn’t the type to spread rumors, but still, it would be wrong to let such a misunderstanding affect Chika’s reputation.

After some thought, I decided to tell her the truth.

“Wait, Kasumino Matsuri. You’re misunderstanding something crucial.”

“Eh? The idea of you and Ms. Kurokawa going on an amusement park date is a misunderstanding?”

“Exactly that. …Well, I haven’t told anyone and I’d prefer to keep it a secret for Kuro… Ms. Kurokawa’s sake, but I’ll tell you. She’s been staying at my house.”

Kasumino Matsuri blinked in disbelief.

“Ta-kun. Even if you’re going to lie, at least make it more believable.”

“No, it’s true. Listen, I’ll explain from the beginning…”

So I recounted everything, omitting Chika’s fearfulness but including everything else. When I finished, Kasumino Matsuri murmured in astonishment,

“…Is that story true?”

“Yeah, every bit of it. I know it sounds like some cliche rom-com setup.”

Living under the same roof with a childhood friend who’s a beautiful girl – such a setting would be headache-inducing in a modern love comedy, but there’s nothing I can do since it’s happening to me.

After hearing my explanation, Kasumino Matsuri stared at me and said,

“I see. It’s hard to believe, but you’re not the type to lie about such things. It’s actually more realistic than you dating Ms. Kurokawa.”

“I’m not sure how to feel about that, but I’m glad you believe me.”

Though some doubts lingered, she seemed to accept my story.

Relieved, I was about to relax when Kasumino Matsuri approached me with her usual curiosity and mischief.

“So, what’s the deal?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s the deal’?”

“So, I get that you’re living together, but are you dating Kurokawa?” I blurted out the question without thinking and hurriedly shook my head in denial.

“No way, that’s not happening!”

“Eh? A boy and a girl of your age living together and nothing’s going on? Like accidentally seeing each other’s underwear, or ending up sleeping in the same futon at night, or bumping into each other in the bath?”

“…That’s ridiculous!”

Except for the last one, such incidents were surprisingly frequent.

As I visibly panicked, Kasumino Matsuri watched me with a piercing gaze and muttered, “I see,” relaxing her shoulders.

“So, you’re really not dating.”

“Yeah. Like I said earlier, it’s just because of Kurokawa’s family situation.”

“Hmm, then I guess I can relax.”

I frowned at her murmured words. Relax about what?

Though I had my doubts, she continued to speak to me.

“But still, you’ve been childhood friends and now you’re spending time together after so long. Even if it’s not like a romantic comedy, do you talk about stuff? Like old memories or just regular conversations?”

“Well… we do exchange greetings.”

“Anything else? Like catching up on lots of stuff, talking about old memories?”

Her casual words made me recall the events of the previous night.

“…Not really. It’s mostly things I don’t understand.”

“Ahaha, well, it’s Kurokawa after all.”

She laughed carefreely, and an awkward silence followed.

What was this all about? Was her inquiry into my relationship with Kurokawa just casual curiosity?

Glancing at Kasumino Matsuri, she seemed restless, her gaze wandering.

Should I initiate another topic? Or did she have something else to say and stayed here instead of returning to the classroom?

As I pondered, she finally spoke up.

“Hey, Ta-kun—”

Just as Kasumino Matsuri started speaking, the bell for the next class rang, interrupting her.

“Kasumino Matsuri?”

“…Ah, yeah. We should head back to class soon. Ahaha, sorry, let’s talk some other time.”

Before I could reply, she apologized with her hands together and quickly walked away.

Left alone, I stood there, dumbfounded.

“…Girls are so hard to understand…”

I was intensely aware of that fact.

◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇

That day, it rained in the afternoon.

Despite the weather forecast predicting clear skies all day, it was a downpour that almost seemed impressive.

As school ended, I bumped into Chika at the entrance.

We usually ignored each other to maintain a sense of distance, but today, I felt like speaking up.

“Hey, Kurokawa. …Are you heading home already?”

She turned at my voice, her expression unreadable, and quietly murmured.

“Student council activities are canceled today because of the weather.”

“I see.”

Having initiated the conversation, I fell silent, unsure of what else to say.

I stood a bit away from her, feeling awkward, and then remembered my umbrella in the stand. It wasn’t there because I anticipated bad weather. In fact, it was quite the opposite – I had forgotten to take it home previously and left it at school.

Amid students perplexed by the unexpected rain, I felt lucky as I opened my umbrella and was about to leave the building. That’s when I noticed Chika still under the shelter, seemingly planning to go home but now hesitating.

After a few seconds of thought, I asked her, suspecting the reason.

“Hey, Chika. Don’t tell me… you don’t have an umbrella?”

She silently nodded. I had assumed she’d always be prepared for such situations, but it seemed I was wrong.

After a moment of hesitation, I suggested, “Why don’t we go home together? I have an umbrella.”

She seemed unsure for a moment but then nodded, looking at the relentless rain and then at me.

Holding the umbrella over her, we left the school together. Most students were running home without umbrellas, so fortunately, no one paid much attention to us.

As we hurried home in silence, I was deep in thought.

Should I start a conversation, or is silence better in such situations?

I wanted to ask about her strange behavior this morning, but I was afraid it might lead to an unwanted outcome. What should I do? Just as we reached a crosswalk, the light turned red, and we stopped side by side.

The sound of the rain and passing cars filled the air. It was noisy around us, but under our umbrella, it was eerily quiet.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, I looked up at the sky and said, “The rain’s pretty heavy.”

It was a weak attempt at conversation.

“Yeah, it is,” she replied, then fell silent again.

Frustrated, I couldn’t even facepalm due to holding the umbrella. I was internally agonizing when suddenly…

“Green.”

Chika pointed at the traffic light and whispered. Startled, I quickly nodded and we began to walk.

I was completely lost in thought. As we walked, I sighed, realizing we were almost home.

I had missed a chance to talk, utterly failing at making conversation. Just as I was reflecting on this…

“Hey, Tak-kun.”

“Hmm?”

I turned to Chika, but she didn’t meet my gaze and looked down as she softly said, “Thanks for the umbrella.”

A bit surprised, I nodded slightly.

“You’re welcome.”

My response was unusually relaxed.

Maybe that’s why I felt like saying something more and was about to speak when suddenly…

A fierce gust of wind blew, flipping my worn-out umbrella inside out, and a torrential rain poured down on us mercilessly.

“Whoa, aahhh!”

“Kyaaahhh!?”

We both cried out in shock. The rain was cold and the drops so large they hurt!

“Tak-kun, let’s run!?”

“Yeah!”

The sentimental atmosphere from earlier was swept away along with the umbrella’s frame, and Chika and I ended up sprinting home, completely unconcerned about getting soaked in the rain.

Fortunately, we were close to home, so it took us about five minutes of running to reach the front door. Soggy to the bone, I fished out my house key from my drenched pocket and we both collapsed in the entranceway.

“What’s with this weather… Achoo!”

Chika sneezed grandly next to me. Her screams were something else, but her sneezes were unexpectedly adorable.

As I was pondering over such trivial thoughts, a chill ran down my spine. It made sense, given that we were completely drenched.

“Chika, are you okay…?”

I regretted asking as soon as I looked at her. We were both soaked through.

Her blouse, drenched and clinging to her, faintly outlined what lay beneath. I was genuinely thankful she had her school jacket on. Without it, it would’ve been a disaster.

“Hey, Tak-kun.”

“Whoa! I’m not looking, not looking!”

“About what…?”

Fortunately, she seemed oblivious. Looking puzzled, she continued.

“Can I… use the bath first? I’m freezing…”

“Ah, yeah, sure. I probably won’t catch a cold even if I air-dry.”

Nodding, I hurriedly headed upstairs.

The gloomy hallway, darkened further by the bad weather, felt eerily strange, even in my own home.

“I’ll go upstairs then—”

Just as I was about to head to my room, I felt a strange pull from behind. Chika, still sitting, was clutching the hem of my jacket.

“…Um?”

She looked down, her expression hidden, but then spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

“…Together… in the bath.”

“Wait, what!?”

Her sudden outburst left me flabbergasted.

“What are you saying all of a sudden…?”

“It’s just… it’s so dark and… the sound of the wind is scary.”

I could hear the wind howling outside, sounding almost like human voices.

I realized that for her, being alone in the bath under these circumstances might be too much. But still…

“Taking a bath together… that’s out of the question for so many reasons.”

“We used to bathe together when we were little.”

“That was when we were kids.”

Sure, we had bathed together as toddlers, playing in the water after getting covered in mud, but that was a different story at seventeen.

Blushing at the thought, I continued.

“Taking a bath together means… we’d be undressing. You realize that, right?”

I avoided saying ‘naked’ directly, opting for a more circumspect expression.

Regardless, my words seemed to finally sink in for Chika.

“Undressing… Tak-kun and me… together!?”

She blushed to her ears, finally grasping the implication. Had she not considered that before? Fear can indeed make one blind.

I hoped this would bring her back to her senses. Shrugging, I said, “If you understand, then stop saying silly things and go take your bath. I’ll wait outside the dressing room if that helps.”

“…Okay.”

She nodded, still red-faced, and began to cautiously make her way down the corridor.

Sighing softly, I followed her to the bath area.

──。

Though it wasn’t a matter of one-upmanship.

Reflecting on it, I felt like this was a colossal mistake.

Leaning against the wall outside the dressing room door, I stood there, struggling with an indescribable sense of agitation.

Sounds of clothing rustling came from inside.

Shuffling, rustling, and the sound of something being put into the laundry basket. My mind unwillingly wandered, and I desperately tried to think of something else.

Like my interaction with Kasumino Matsuri today. Or Chika’s aloof demeanor this morning.

I tried to focus on other thoughts, but each sound from the dressing room drew my attention back. Ah, humans are indeed creatures who can’t escape their instincts.

As I was grappling with these thoughts, Chika called out from inside.

“Hey, Tak-kun… you’re still there, right?”

Her voice sounded anxious. Even now, it surprised me to hear such a frail voice from her.

Chika at school and Chika at home were like two different people. The perfect “princess” at school seemed like a joke compared to her free-spirited and timorous nature at home. But given the current situation, this was undeniably a reality.

“I’m here. I’ll stay until you come out.”

“Okay… But wait.”

“Hmm?”

“If I’m in the bath and you’re there, it’ll feel a bit far away.”

“It’s fine, that distance is…”

“No way, it’s scary,” Chika firmly yet timidly protested. I asked her, mixed with confusion, “Then what do you suggest? Once you’re in the changing room… well, your clothes and everything will be there. You wouldn’t want me to see all that, right?”

“A desperate situation calls for desperate measures,” she said with unexpected resolve.

I heard the sound of the bath door opening from inside and her echoing voice, “Okay, then, I’ve closed the bath door. Come in.”

“Seriously…?”

Despite my strong reluctance, I felt somewhat responsible for causing her trauma, so I couldn’t just refuse. I cautiously opened the changing room door, confirmed that Chika had entered the bath area, and then moved into the changing room myself.

The sound of the shower came from the bath area. The frosted glass meant I couldn’t see inside, but I could faintly make out Chika’s silhouette. I quickly averted my gaze, only to have my eyes fall on the laundry basket containing her blouse, skirt, and everything else neatly folded inside. I had no choice but to close my eyes.

“Why is this happening?” I wondered in frustration, but then another assault came, this time on my hearing.

With my eyes closed, my ears became even more sensitive. I could clearly hear every small sound from the bath area – Chika’s faint footsteps, the droplets of water, the sound of her washing herself.

As I endured this situation, the sound of the shower eventually stopped, indicating she had probably started soaking in the bathtub. A sensual sigh escaped her lips, followed by a period of silence until…

“Hey, Tak-kun,” came her voice from inside.

“What is it? I’m here.”

“Okay,” she replied, sounding relieved, and then continued, “Tak-kun, you know…”

“What?”

I replied in a brusque tone, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“I’m sorry for everything up till now. This will be the last time for this kind of thing.”

“…Eh?”

I was about to ask what she meant when suddenly, a flash of light outside the window was followed by a rumbling sound, and then all the lights went out, plunging us into darkness.

“…What the!?”

I was taken aback. Naturally, Chika let out a scream that echoed through the bath area, loud enough to possibly be heard by neighbors.

Without thinking, I groped my way to the bath door, swung it open, and called out to her. I was worried she might panic and drown.

“Are you okay, Chika?”

“T-Tak-kun…”

Her feeble voice came from the bath area. I reassured her, “It’s okay, probably just a temporary power outage due to the lightning. I’ll check the circuit breaker, but it should come back on soon.”

“No, stay here with me…”

Unable to leave her in that state, I waited, hoping for the power to restore itself. Fortunately, the lights came back on after a few minutes.

“Good, it looks like the breaker didn’t trip,” I said, glancing inadvertently at Chika.

I had seen her.

Let me clarify that I didn’t stare directly due to the steam from the bath.

But still, the glimpse of her – her pale neck, waist, and the damp contours of her chest – was burned into my retina.

“…Um.”

I should have left immediately, but instinctively, I kept looking at her.

After a few seconds of this, Chika finally spoke up.

“Tak-kun…”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry, but could you go outside?”

With that request from Chika, I hastily made my exit.

Outside the changing room, Chika emerged a few minutes later, drying her damp hair with a towel. She looked at me intently, her cheeks slightly flushed, and muttered, “Did you see?”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”

“How much did you see?”

“Just about what you’d find in a shōnen magazine…”

Silence fell between us.

For the rest of the day, until our parents came home, there was an awkward tension between us for a completely different reason.