[Warning 15+]
Part Five
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 187
Reach Out, and It's Right There
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 187
Reach Out, and It's Right There
On the way back from the convenience store.
Unlike on the way there, the convo with Saki was way more lively.
"Convenience stores sell so many things, it's totally overwhelmin'!"
"Before y'know it, you're buyin' stuff you don't even need, right?"
"I totally get that! The other day I just went along to keep company, but seein' Hime-chan happily pickin' out ice cream made me buy one too!"
"The other day I saw the boy in front of me gettin' fried chicken skewers, and I ended up impulse-buyin' one too."
"My goodness! So even you do stuff like that, Big Bro!"
"Haha, yeah, pretty much."
Even if they'd been a bit distant until now, they were from the same rural town where everyone knew everyone, plus Saki was Hayato's little sis' buddy. Her name came up all the time in convos, so they both already knew what the other was like.
Their back-and-forth was totally effortless. The gears of their convo mesh together so smoothly it almost gave the illusion that they'd always been like this.
On top of that, talkin' at such an unusually close distance was bringin' out sides of the girl named Saki that Hayato'd never seen before.
Laughin', gettin' mad, lookin' surprised, sulkin'—Saki's expressions shifted constantly, and that emotionally expressive face was surely the same one she'd always shown Himeko.
And now, Saki was showin' it right in front of Hayato too.
It felt kind of surreal.
What's more, this was a change Saki herself had wanted and brought about.
That day. After the Festival.
How dazzlin' Saki looked when she proudly declared her feelin's to both Hayato and Haruki was so vivid, it didn't feel like somethin' he'd ever forget.
As Hayato narrowed his eyes reminiscin' about that moment, he noticed Saki peekin' up at his face with a puzzled look.
"Big Bro?"
"Hmm? Oh, it just feels kinda surreal bein' out here with you like this, Saki-san."
"...Yeah, you're right. Back in Tsukinose, we barely ever talked."
"And now here we are, walkin' shoulder to shoulder shoppin' at a late-night convenience store. I couldn't have pictured this before Summer Break."
"Me neither."
Saki let out a soft giggle and took a step forward.
Then Saki clasped her hands behind her back, interlacin' her fingers, and looked up toward the apartment buildin'.
"It's definitely thanks to Haruki-san."
"Thanks to Haruki?"
"Haruki-san invited me to the group chat, came all the way to Tsukinose, and took me to so many places by the hand... ...That's why my world, which had been completely shut away until then, suddenly opened wide, and I remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"That if you change yourself, the world changes too. That's why, see? I'm right here right now."
"..."
Saki spun around and flashed a soft, gentle smile.
Saki's face was undeniably breathtakin'. Starin' into her earnest gaze, Hayato couldn't help narrowin' his eyes.
Then Saki spun out her words in a sing-song, playfully cheerful tone.
"Well, since movin' here was so sudden, it's been nothin' but a struggle! I have a hard time crawlin' out of bed every mornin', I accidentally forget to take out the trash so it piles up, and the other day I ran the washin' machine, got distracted with somethin' else, and forgot to hang the laundry until evenin'!"
"Haha, what a scatterbrain."
"Studyin' is tough, I'm surrounded by strangers, and there's so much to learn that my head is constantly spinnin'... ...But over here, Hime-chan, Haruki-san, and Big Bro are right nearby. And on top of that—"
Sayin' that, Saki bashfully reached out her hand toward Hayato.
"Reach out, and it's right there."
"..."
Saki's voice was crisp and clear, backed by a strong sense of resolve.
Hayato involuntarily caught his breath, his eyes widenin'.
Saki's casual gesture somehow overlapped with the sight of her dancin' the Kagura at the Festival, renderin' Hayato unable to look away.
Unlike the Kagura, however, this dance was performed not for a Deity, but for Hayato—and they were standin' on the exact same stage.
So, as if it were the most natural thing to do, Hayato grabbed Saki's hand, drawn to her like a magnet.
It was a small hand, slightly cool and soft, small enough to be completely wrapped up in Hayato's own.
It hit Hayato hard that Saki was a girl—a member of the opposite sex.
Hayato's heart skipped a beat.
Considerin' how Saki usually was, it was a totally unexpected move.
As for Saki herself, she was blinkin' in surprise.
Almost as if Saki's own actions had caught her off guard.
Their eyes locked for only a split second.
Saki spun around, yanked Hayato's hand with all her might, and took off runnin'.
"L-Let's go, Big Bro!"
"S-Saki-san!?"
Hayato called out to Saki's back. A quick glance revealed that her ears were bright red.
And to cover up her embarrassment, Saki started rattlin' off words at rapid fire.
"Big Bro, do you come to convenience stores in the middle of the night like this often!?"
"Not like, all the time!, but when I forget milk, or run out of trash bags!"
"Together with Hime-chan or Haruki-san!?"
"Sometimes together, sometimes not, sometimes I ask those two to run errands for me!"
"Aha! So it's a part of daily life then!"
"Yeah, pretty much!"
"Then from now on, please count me in as part of your regular, everyday routine too, okay!?"
"...Yeah!"
Then a pedestrian crossin' came into view.
The signal had only just started blinkin' green.
There was plenty of time to cross before it turned red.
The apartment buildin' was right in front of them—normally a spot where Hayato'd sprint straight across.
Yet as if tryin' to stretch out this magical moment, as if reluctant to let it end, both of them came to a stop without a word.
Standin' side by side, they caught their ragged, heavy breaths.
Starin' straight ahead, Saki softly muttered.
"You were the first one, Big Bro."
Sayin' that, Saki squeezed the hand clasped between them tightly.
With a firm pressure, as if assertin' 'I'm right here'.
"You were the one who taught me that if we change ourselves, the world changes too."
"...Huh? What do you mean by...?"
Saki's voice was dead serious.
Yet all Hayato could offer in response was a dumbfounded noise.
Wonderin' what Saki meant, Hayato snuck a glance at her side profile. Her eyes, gazin' off into the distance as if confirmin' somethin' deeply precious or reminiscin' about the past, completely captivated him.
So the only thing Hayato knew for sure was that whatever it was, it meant the world to Saki.
Hayato racked his brain, desperately diggin' through his memory.
No matter how hard Hayato thought, though, nothin' rang a bell.
Seein' Hayato furrow his brows and tilt his head in confusion, Saki let out a soft giggle as if his reaction was the most natural thing in the world.
"Fufu, it's a secret."
"Oh, wait up!"
Then, the second the light turned green, Saki took off runnin'.
Hayato'd been totally led by the nose by Saki the whole time.
When Hayato let out a sulky, "What's that supposed to mean, geez," Saki's teasin' "Ahaha" echoed back at him.
So as a little protest of his own, Hayato squeezed Saki's clasped hand back, just a little tighter.