Date: May 2nd

Time: 10:30 PM

‘’Come on, honey, tell me already!’’

‘’I-I told you, it’s a surprise because I can’t spoil what it is…’’

‘’But I want to know! I want to know I want to know I want to know!’’

‘’What are you, a grade-schooler…? At least show some decency in front of your kids…’’

‘’Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine…’’

‘’Don’t pout over something like that!’’

‘’I’m not pouting. You’re seeing things.’’

‘Why…do we have to suffer like this?’

This is the question that has overtaken my and Saki’s minds.

As far as I’m concerned, neither me nor Saki have done anything wrong to be subjected to this unbearable spectacle. Much like every May 2nd, we go out with our parents to eat at a restaurant, and every single time, this is what happens…

‘Why do we have to see our parents flirt in front of us?’ is the phrase that perfectly describes the one thing no one can handle no matter what, as well as the situation we two are currently trapped in.

Anyway, I’m sure no one gets what’s going on here, so it would be better to elaborate a bit: Shortly after finishing lunch with Saki, we both went to bed to get some rest before heading out with our parents at night —though, it’s redundant to mention that I couldn’t close an eyelid because I slept till noon, so I just relaxed myself by playing a bit of one of my favorite games, The Stanley Parable. It’s a simple single-player game that is really straightforward with its goal, and even though its themes are really deep and thought-provoking, I thoroughly enjoy it for how it delivers them. Every single action in the game matters and each one can unlock unthinkable endings that genuinely blew my mind the first time I played it. There are barely any controls other than the basic ones, which helps the player stay focused on the actual game and not worry about complicated mechanics; truly, I believe it’s an ingenious game that knows how to keep the player hooked.

My parents returned from the store at around 4:30 PM. They weren’t particularly tired or anything, but they too took a nap after they had lunch. If what Mum said about tonight is true, it would make sense why they would want to make sure to fully recharge their batteries.

As for where we are currently, a possibly fancy restaurant in Shimoda is going to be the ultimate answer, and that is because we are here to celebrate my parents’ wedding anniversary. It shouldn’t come as a surprise now that Mum was so excited over this, should it?

Oh, this wasn’t even an argument they were having just a second ago; long story short, Mum got a present for Dad for their anniversary, and she told him exactly what it is before her…um…tantrum, but now that it’s Dad’s turn to say what he got for her.

Let’s just assume this is where the ‘uproar’ started...

This is how they usually play off with each other. While Mum is generally a serious, smiling and kind person, she tends to get really playful around Dad, who has to put up with her childish reactions and mannerisms (which, dare I say, he actually enjoys a lot, even though he has a hopeless and confused look on his face the entire time).

‘Complicated’ or ‘perplexing’ or ‘baffling’ and all synonyms are words that can’t even hold a candle to their relationship…

Two light knocks on our room's door are heard. It is slid softly.

‘’Thank you for waiting!’’ It's our assigned waiter, a middle-aged man, with a tray on his hand. Approaching the table, he folds his legs to rest the tray on it and take out the ‘goods’ one by one. ‘’Exclusively for the parents, a bottle of 2002 Pellegrino Passito! For the children, a light dessert of summer tofu with vanilla ice cream!’’

Being the little kid she is, ‘ice cream’ is Saki’s cue to start drooling. It should happen…

…about now.

‘’Tai-nii!’’ Saki calls out to me with a lot of excitement in her tone. I can guarantee her eyes are twinkling right now.

‘’What is it?’’ I reply monotonously, in comparison.

‘’THE ICE CREAM IS MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE!’’

STOP THE ‘MINE’ CASSETTE RIGHT NOW!

‘’I’LL SAY ‘MINE’ UNTIL YOU STOP CALLING DIBS ON IT!’’

Not that I ever called dibs on who eats what, but it wouldn’t hurt giving this a delectable twist, would it?

‘’In your dreams, shortie.’’

‘’Heh, I figured you’d say that,’’ she puts on a smirk. ‘’You won’t be so confident once you turn away from the plate, though.’’

The waiter lets out a subtle chuckle at Saki’s humorous bon mot.

Mum, who has been staring at the wine bottle with passion for quite some time now, finally breaks her silence: ‘’You said this was a...2002 Pellegrino Passito, right?’’

‘’Of course it is.’’

Hearing that confirmation, her eyes brim with surprise and joy: ‘’How did you know!? I love this wine!’’

‘’Well, there's only one way to find out: The culprit is in this room,’’ the waiter announces.

For your information, my mother and games are two things you would never want to combine, since she gets easily too absorbed…

‘’Dear, was it you?’’

‘’You’re too quick to point fingers!’’ Dad objects instantly.

‘’But it can’t be anyone other than you,’’ she tries to overrule his claim with a playful tone. However, seconds later, her grin widens, becoming a bit suggestive: ‘’I know you’ll try to look cool by telling a little lie.’’

Reasonably, Dad lets out a hopeless laugh, given the uncomfortable position he has found himself in.

'I’M LEGITIMATELY SCARED RIGHT NOW!’ he thinks.

SAY WHAT?!

‘’I think you know how much I love that about you—’’ Mum gets as close to Dad as a hair’s breadth, ‘’—Saito.’’

‘Mum saying Dad’s name to his face is the beginning of a great happening!’ said Saki once when she was 5 or 6.

In the rare occasion that Mum says Dad’s actual name and not a nickname like the ones she used before, it flags a really…shameless interaction.

Thankfully, I came here prepared for all odds!

Which is why I’m covering Saki’s eyes for what is to come!

Being aware of the situation herself, she tries to cover my eyes too, but her short and small hands can’t even try to reach my face. ‘’I…can’t…find it…!’’ she says amidst her pointless struggle to do so.

I’ll confess, seeing her try so desperately to find my face when her eyes are covered was kind of cute.

‘’Give it up, kiddo, I’ve seen too much to be traumatized by this.’’

''More is always good, they say.''

''Is my mental being a joke to you...?''

''Wait, you have such a thing?''

I SWEAR, BEYOND HER POKER FACE LIES A HUGE SMUG-SMILED DEMON!

The time of the ‘great happening’ is upon us: Mum abruptly grabs Dad’s face tightly and gives him a long kiss on the cheek. ‘’Thank you. You’re the best,’’ she says quietly in his ear, showing him a huge smile afterwards.

As if flirting in front of us —let alone in front of the waiter— wasn’t enough, they’re getting intimate as well…

‘’I'm really glad, but you’re kind of embarrassing me, Mihoko…’’

‘’But you’re so sweet that I can’t hold myself back~!’’

‘’S-Sure, I am…’’

The waiter can’t help but laugh at Dad’s indifferent response to Mum’s over-affection.

And here we are, wondering how he can find this entertaining in the first place…

‘’Sorry for her overexcited attitude, that’s how she acts when she can’t contain herself… Usually, it’s the kids that have to settle down, but in this family, it’s the other way around…’’

"Please don't worry about it, that's how she's always been." An obligatory laugh, you could say.

‘’Wait, who are you two calling a kid?!’’

‘’I’m not calling you a kid. You’re way too hot-blooded to even be deemed one.’’

This comeback was more than enough to leave Mum with an astonished expression on her face, while an asymmetrical, awkward grin formed on it. ‘’…How do I reply to that?’’

Is she a kid or an adult in her early 40s? With what I mentioned previously, it’s something in-between…

My mother is usually a calm and kind person, always smiling for others, and acts like a motherly figure to everyone she cares about. When her excitement takes over, however, it’s a whole new story. It doesn’t really seem like her to act energetically as she does now, but believe me, she has always been like that no matter what she was celebrating.

I’m not really the best psychologist around —not a certified one either—, but I’d say it makes sense. From what I’ve been told, she spent her entire childhood caring about others and barely had time for herself. So, when she moved away from home to go to university, it was her cue to just forget everything and focus on herself, and acted on her instinct. My conclusion is that she fell in love with this weird, exciting, but rejuvenating sensation so much that she feels the need to go all out once in a while; today is one of these days.

If she is already this excited though, what effect will the wine have on her…? Will it do nothing or will it make her even more hyper than ever before…?

‘’Oh, that’s right! Do you want me to open the wine for you?’’

‘’It’s a tradition in the family to have the father commence the celebration, but thank you for your kindness,’’ Dad answers.

‘’It’s my pleasure,’’ the waiter smiles and gets up from the floor. ‘’Well then, I must get going. I’m leaving the corkscrew here, but make sure to not take it with you.’’

‘’You hear that, Mihoko?’’

‘’I think he’s referring to you, sweetheart.’’

‘’No no, he’s referring to the one that will drink the most tonight.’’

‘’…That might be me.’’

The waiter mildly chuckles at their exchange.

‘’Sorry we kept you here for so long, I didn’t realize so much time had passed.’’

‘’There’s no reason to apologize, it’s my break now after all,’’ he comes and kneels behind me and Saki, softly stroking the latter’s hair and lightly patting my shoulder. ‘’I really wish I could stay a bit longer, but thank you for the company, I enjoyed myself a lot here!’’

And as always, Saki having her hair stroked triggers her euphoria mechanisms.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the waiter was Mum’s underclassman in high school, and apparently, he has been living in Shimoda his entire life. They weren’t close friends or something like that, but were kind to each other nonetheless. They kept in contact after high-school too, and one day, when she had come with Dad for the first time to this restaurant, completely coincidentally, it was this same waiter who was assigned to them. What’s even more surprising is that it was his first day of work in the restaurant, so he considers their visits a good luck charm.

By the way, Saki was sobbing the entire time when Mum told us that.

The waiter exits the room, and says before closing the room’s door: ‘’Again, congratulations on your anniversary!’’

The weird thing is that we still don’t know his name. It hasn’t been mentioned at all, even if Mum told us that story I said just a moment ago. Not even Dad has said it out loud…

Maybe they’re keeping it to themselves? Have they actually forgotten it? Or is that how he and Mum are used to talking to each other?

Adults can be very weird at times…

‘’Well then, shall we drink our first glass, Mihoko?’’

‘’I say it’s about time we did!’’ Mum’s eyes sate with excitement.

‘’Wait, you’re going to drink all that?!’’

‘’As if, Taichi!’’ Dad chuckles, ‘’We bought the entire bottle, so we can take it home if we want,’’ he takes the cork out of the bottle with the corkscrew, pouring the golden wine into the glasses to start drinking. ‘’Don’t worry, I’ll only drink a glass. Someone has to drive you home, you know.’’

And why am I getting worried now...?

‘’Happy anniversary to us, dear,’’ Mum raises her now half-full glass.

‘’To us, Mihoko,’’ Dad replies as they both clink their glasses together.

An awkward silence fills the room as the two take their first sips off their glasses. To beat the boredom, Saki discreetly whispers to me, ‘’What should we do, Tai-nii?’’

‘’I don’t know… We could stay here and wait for them to finis—’’, but it's not long before I saw that her eyes became emotionless the moment she heard my suggestion, meaning I immediately have to change it, as her frightening look seems to compel me to.

AND I FEEL LIKE MY LIFE IS ON THE LINE RIGHT NOW!

‘’O-Or we could go take a walk or something until then…’’

Silence returns as I wait for a reply from her.

‘Huh… Guess I’ll spare his pitiful existence… For now.’

THAT LAST PART WASN’T REALLY NECESSARY, WAS IT?!

After a second of thinking, she puts on a huge smile and replies, ‘’Preach that second option!’’

One moment is all it takes for her murderous look to change into a delighted one… Just how terrifying is this girl?!

Mum, who has emptied her glass, notices how Saki has suddenly cheered up and looks at both of us with an expression full of curiosity.

‘’My my, you finished your dessert already? Aren’t you two fast!’’

‘’It’s just tofu and ice cream, you shouldn’t be so surpris—’’

No, wait, let me give this some consideration for a moment; what kind of explanation fits an exaggerated reaction like hers right now?

Her face hasn't gotten any redder, so I'm kinda hesitant about this, but...

‘’Tipsy already?’’

‘’I’m not! I only drank a little!’’ Mum instantly complains. ‘’Do you think I can’t handle alcohol, Tai-chan?’’

‘’The point is that you are weak with alcohol, Taichi very well knows what he’s talking about…’’ Dad lets out a strained laugh.

‘’I just wanted to start a fun conversation and you made the plan backfire,’’ she pouts. ‘’It feels like we’re leaving you two out of the fun, or something like that… I feel bad about it…’’

Huh… That’s actually something she would do, I guess.

‘’But you are.’’

‘’YOU’RE TOO BLUNT, SAKI-CHAN!’’

‘’I don’t mean it that way, Mum. Don’t get me wrong, but the day is all about you celebrating your anniversary with Dad. If there’s someone who should prioritize their enjoyment here today over everything else, it’s you; there’s only a handful of days in the year dedicated just to you and Dad alone, after all. A parent-child relationship is built on mutual understanding, so when you take care of us almost all year long, isn’t it for the best to let the two of you just enjoy yourselves when you want? If we truly care about you, then this should be the solution for today. That’s what I think.’’

Saki’s monologue has left all of us gaping. It truly is like Saki’s feelings are being conveyed in such a beautiful way that no one can say anything against them.

And then, there’s Mum…

‘’Saki-chan, you’re so sweet! I’m so glad you grew up to be such a considerate girl!’’

‘’Mihoko, don’t cry all of a sudden!’’

‘’Non non, these are fake tears,’’ her frown turns upside down in a matter of nanoseconds. "High five, Saki-chan!"

Wearing an identical smile to Mum's, Saki accepts her high-five with both hands, celebrating with a cheerful "Yay, we got 'em!".

‘’…Eh?’’

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!

‘’I put up an act with Saki-chan.’’

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‘’EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!’’

Dad won’t ever be looking more confused than he is now. He can’t seem to wrap his head around what sorcery they used to go unnoticed, especially Mum.

‘’I have the bottle for the tears right here.’’

And indeed, she’s holding that tiny bottle they use for fake tears in behind-the-scenes footage in movies.

Now I’m starting to question if anything that’s happening in this room makes any sense anymore or not…

‘’WHEN DID YOU GET THAT OUT?!’’

‘’When you were too focused on Saki-chan, of course. Our cooperation couldn’t have gone better!’’

Troubled, as his expression glaringly gives off, he turns to me: ‘’Taichi, is this some kind of womanly trait we can’t understand…?’’

‘’I hope so…it’d better not be something more sinister…’’

Saki laughs proudly. ‘’It only takes a few looks to be exchanged and some vague pre-planning to pull this off!’’

"What part of it was even vague, my dear sister…?"

"Mum signaled me before she asked us if we finished our desserts. There was barely any time, you know."

"You understood this much from just a signal?! Just how much had you practised for this...?"

"Practised? I told you, there was no time. Mum just signaled me and the plan unfolded."

"So you did this on a whim?"

"Yeah. I was as bored as you were. But Mum knew things would come to this sooner or later, so she wanted to entertain us a bit.’’

And she lured Saki in this because she knows Saki will do everything to get rid of her boredom...

Maybe there's something more sinister going on indeed...

‘’That’s right, Tai-chan! I know you can’t really enjoy yourselves here since children your age want to hang out with friends, but if I can help you have fun at least a tiny bit, then that makes me the happiest person in the world! And I think I’ve succeeded this time!’’

Truth be told, this is always what happens around the table.

The table usually has a conversation or two going, but the overall mood is pretty much calm and quiet. Then, at a completely random moment, Mum decides to pull off an unthinkable stunt to spice things up, taking us all by awe. How absurd these stunts are depends mostly on her mood; regardless, she always manages to deliver.

Basically, this is what happened now as well, and the only difference was that this act was a co-production with Saki, when she usually executes the whole thing by herself.

''You're so unbelievable,'' I accidentally mutter under my breath, referring to how incredible my own mother is.

Seeing how a petite smile has formed on me, she smiles back.

At least my ennui is gone now, thanks to her.

‘’Taichi, can you go pay the bill real quick?’’ Dad asks me, to which I reply with the most conventional, single-worded and easiest to say response possible: ‘’ ‘Kay.’’

I felt like my bottom half was ready to go numb from staying still for so long anyway, so I wanted to find an excuse to go out.

As soon as I exit our room, I’m reminded why this restaurant is an absolutely fantastic choice to dine at.

On the exterior, it is a huge, traditional Japanese household, almost like an inn. With the impressive decorations throughout, it’s no surprise why it would catch anyone’s eye as a fancy restaurant.

On the interior, however, it is unlike normal restaurants, which tend to be very open. Instead, this restaurant offers one small Japanese-styled dining room for every group of people visiting it. (If there’s anything I can compare that too, then compartment train cars must be that thing, the ones that were used until the 1960s.) That way, each group has its privacy and can enjoy their meal without anyone disturbing them other than the waiters.

With dimmed lighting and soft wall colors in each room and the hallway, completed with a variety of decorations, especially colorful and calming paintings from Japan and the rest of the world alike, the pleasing mood steals the impressions of all who enter the restaurant.

On top of that, the staff is actually dressed in a western fashion, contrary to the restaurant’s Japanese attributes. This mix of cultural elements might seem a bit too over the top, but it is actually a really clever idea. By combining them, a sense of freedom and openness goes through all customers, which is what I feel like is the restaurant’s goal. Even the menu has a few international foods, although it’s only the ones you would see in prestigious restaurants, and not something you can buy from a stand on the street. Also, I need to mention that it assigns one waiter or waitress to each room, to allow the customers to be open and accepting with them, as is the restaurant itself.

Surely, this does sounds like the setting of an expensive restaurant; in fact, it is a bit expensive, to say the least, but the food it offers is definitely something worth its money, because it’s actually the real deal when it comes to quality.

For instance, our main dishes were roasted lamb roll and the grilled splendid alfonsino set, which sound quite simplistic and definitely not appetizing on their own, but that’s what I also thought at first, regretfully.

First came the less fancy and lighter main dish, the splendid alfonsino or kinmedai, as it is widely called in Japan.

Each one of us got a plate containing slices of grilled kinmedai, accompanied by fried rice and a mixture of vegetables. We were also given a large bowl of teriyaki sauce to dip the kinmedai in. Eating each of these individually wouldn’t be too satisfying, so the set’s true potential only shows in mixtures.

So, the time had come to taste it. Dipping it in the teriyaki sauce and then the fried rice to give it some extra flavor, I proceeded to take the first bite.

At first, it tasted kind of sweet. Teriyaki sauce tastes somewhere between sour and sweet (maybe leaning a bit to the latter), and kinmedai is slightly sweet, so the combination is somewhat sweet too.

Nevertheless, it was a series of unimaginable combinations, one after another. The unique texture of the kinmedai, which was neither too soft nor too crunchy, became more and more flavorful with every bite, with the teriyaki slowly filling my mouth. The rice added to the terrific experience, its crunchiness beating everything else when combined with the sauce. Overall, while I may have described it in such appetizing detail, I stomached it almost immediately, my mouth completely forgot its taste, even after emptying the plate entirely.

Half an hour after the kinmedai was served, it was time for the second plate; the roasted lamb roll.

This one was served on a dish about two palms wide, so you can already imagine how long the roll was on its own. Despite the length, a slice would easily fit into an adult’s hand, since it was as tall and wide as a poker card put sideways. Its opaque brown color showed how carefully it had been cooked —not that the wonderful, pungent smell it emitted wasn’t already hinting how fulfilling it would feel just taking a bite off of it.

My tension rose.

I was trembling with anticipation to take a bite. As I mentioned a few moments ago, my stomach felt empty, like I hadn’t eaten it that kinmedai at all.

After cutting a sufficient slice for myself, I realized the texture was slightly oilier and more glistening than I expected it to.

On the inside, it was stuffed with thin spinach and bacon, roasted as much as needed to get sliced and be stuffed, all while maintaining its oiliness at the same time. Finally, what left me wondering the second I saw it was something like a cheese cube, which spread throughout the roll. It was soft but had some thickness to the touch.

Certainly, I was slightly fascinated waiting to taste something like this. Mum makes such complicated foods from time to time, but I definitely had never seen a lamb roll on the table, let alone poultry rolls in general.

I cut it in half so it would fit in my mouth. As I brought it closer, it began to envelop me in its mesmerizing right-out-of-the-oven smell.

Blowing on it to not burn my tongue, I fall victim to its exquisite, heavenly taste. First, the lamb itself didn’t require a lot of effort to bite through, which made it much more enjoyable to chew; of course, that alone would have been too bland. What made this bite unforgettable was the blending of the bacon and lamb oils, creating an intense flavor that swirled in my mouth, feeling there is nothing more pleasing than that in the entire world. The peak of it must have been how I could feel the cheese cube slowly melt thanks to the oils, as every part of it, although a bit sticky, gave me the indescribable desire to want to hold onto this bite forever.

This one bite made me forget about everything else and just enjoy the food currently in front of me.

Aah, I think reminiscing all of this makes me so hungry that I feel like I’ll dro— WELL, I AM DROOLING INDEED!

WHY CAN’T I STOP CRAVING THIS ROLL?!

I know I did say all these wonderful words about these otherworldly plates, but I think it would be best to imagine me wearing a poker face the entire time. The least I might have done...maybe a faint smile of appreciation for getting the chance to enjoy such a jaw-dropping and appetizing meal, but I can’t really remember…

If there’s someone who flat-out confessed the above, it was Saki. Given she’s still just a child, honesty is the first thing that comes to her mind.

When she took her first bites, she stared at Mum opposite of her with wide-open, sparkling eyes and an enormous smile of joy, saying: ‘MUM, WHAT’S THIS!? IT’S SO…SO…SO…TERRIFIC! AND SUMPTUOUS TOO!’

Yeah, she likes using unusual and difficult words…

Mum was wearing her characteristic smile the entire time while Saki was talking to her, and even started a small conversation about the lamb roll. I honestly thought she was doing it out of kindness for Saki, but she seemed really invested into it.

Anyway, I personally wouldn’t mind coming back here for any reason. I think everyone would leave satisfied by the pleasant atmosphere and food it offers.

Will my budget allow for that though, should that day come…?

I reach the counter, where our waiter is, and hand over the bill to him.

I feel really rich holding this stylish, black booklet you only see in top-class restaurants, but it pains me to let 12,000 yen leave my side just like that…!

IT’S SO FRUSTRATING!

After a small talk with him, I begin to head back to our room…

…or so I was planning.

As soon as I take the turn to the hallway, I bump into someone who was coming from that way.

I mean, I’d hope it was just any person, but…

‘’Yanagisawa?’’

As soon as this person locks eyes with me, a sense of familiarity pops up in my mind.

‘’Well well, seems my hunch was right!’’

‘’Fukuda!? Is that you!?’’

‘’Of course! But it doesn’t look like you recognized me right away… Can’t blame you when you’ve only seen me in our school uniform, ahaha…’’

Surely, she looks completely different today, and I didn’t recognize her exactly because of her unusual appearance.

Her wavy purple hair is tied into a ponytail, but the ponytail and her sidebangs are carefully brushed to give them the right waves at the right places. The rest of her hair seems the same as always, only more brushed.

Her semi-formal attire consists of a short, purple blazer over a buttoned, bordeaux colored frill collar shirt. It’s completed with a grey, ankle-length pleated skirt and black tights.

To be honest, I would never expect someone with a personality as wild and easy-going as hers to wear something so formal and feminine. I know she pays less attention to her appearance at school than other girls, usually indicated by her lazily brushed hair and slightly creased uniform, but that doesn’t mean she completely ignores it, much like she didn’t now, because she actually looks great in these right now.

Guess you can’t judge the Fukuda book by its cover…

‘’So, what brings you to Shimoda? You live in Kawazu, right?’’

‘’Well, yeah. I’m here with my family. You too, I assume?’’

‘’A reunion with an old familial friend, actually. Are you leaving as well?’’

‘’I was just here to abandon 12,000 yen…’’

‘’Pffff,’’ Fukuda barely manages to contain her laughter, a smirk appearing on her face as a result, ‘’so that’s what we’re calling ‘running away’ now.’’

‘’As much as I want to go home, that’s not what we’re calling it now!’’

My answer breaks Fukuda’s laughter container and lets it slip out. (Even though I was actually serious about it...)

‘’Anyway,’’ I cough to get her attention, ‘’I hope I can get permission from my parents to go out a bit. My legs want to walk a bit.’’

‘’Sounds like a plan to me!’’

‘’Your ears need some cleaning then. I never said they would agree.’’

Hearing this, Fukuda’s expression becomes as neutral as they get.

‘’Yumeha was right, your jokes are a party-killer.’’

‘’YOU JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, DIDN’T YOU?!’’

‘’Well, you know what they say—’’ she begins to walk toward the exit, then suddenly turns her head around to look at me: ‘’—Beats me.’’

Time: 11:15 PM

Following that, both me and Fukuda got permission from our parents to go for a walk. For some reason —though not too surprising—, Saki was eager to come with us.

In reality, Fukuda wanted me to walk her home, which apparently is only a few minutes from here on foot. Lame as it may sound, she didn’t tell me if she was just scared to walk home alone (highly doubtable, given that we’re talking about Fukuda here) or if she just wanted some company on the way there.

So, Fukuda and I are outside now waiting for Saki, so that we begin our walk.

AND IT HAS SUDDENLY GOTTEN TOO COLD OUT HERE! SAKI, HURRY UP!

‘Brrr…’ thinks Fukuda. Hearing this thought was more than redundant, since her shivering gives off most of what I heard anyway. ‘I just want to get out of these clothes as fast as possible…’

ARE YOU TOO HOT OR TOO COLD NOW?! CHOOSE ONE!

‘’Want my jacket? Seems you can’t really bear the cold.’’

''Can’t say you’re wrong,'' she laughs weakly because of her shivering. ''Please do.’’

Upon her request, I take off my jacket and give it to her, placing it over her blazer.

‘’Mmmmm, that's the stuff! That's some nice warmth!''

Whatever 'nice warmth' means...

''Should have worn something that covered my neck like your jacket does! Sorry for making you do this, Yanagisawa, your death won’t be in vain!’’

‘’B-But I’m not dead… I’m not going to drop dead from a breeze either…’’

''Overconfidence is the mother of death, ya know! If you kick the bucket, then who am I gonna poke fun at?!''

''You shouldn't poke fun at people to begin with...''

And there go my hopes of expecting her to sound like a normal, considerate human being…

'‘I kinda get the feeling that sports jackets are so you...for some reason!’’

That last part was said with a lot of unnecessary passion, something that made me laugh a bit.

‘’I like light clothes best. They’re easy to move around and there’s a variety of choices to help stay warm.’’

‘’And you’re wearing a shirt with a high neckline beneath your collar T-shirt to achieve that… Don’t your arms get cold with just that shirt covering you though?’’

‘’It can get a bit cold, but it’s not like they’re bare, so I can put up with it.’’

‘’I see. So you adjust the length of the sleeve depending on how cold or warm it gets, and if it gets too chilly, you wear the jacket over it.’’

‘’Pretty much, yeah.’’

A faint grin forms on her face as she says to herself ‘’Guess we have something in common then, ay?’’, making me smile a bit myself.

Fukuda continues talking: ‘’Outside school, you’ll see me wearing something similar to what you’re wearing. I feel great in light clothes, so I’ve tried giving my own touch to the school uniform!’’

‘’And what might this touch be?’’

I will definitely regret this question later, won’t I…? I can already see a perverted reply from beyond the horizon...

‘’I wear shorts under my skirt all the time! EVERY TIME!"

"..."

‘’What? Is it too anticlimactic seeing shorts under a skirt? I find that…kind of hot,’’ she bites her lower lip to make that seem suggestive, her tone and look already taking that turn.

''...''

‘’No answer, huh… So you do like it.’’

‘’I NEVER SAID THAT!’’

‘’I’ll tell Yukino-senpai to try that. I heard you were too fond of her bare crossed legs.’’

…she has nice legs, I guess…

WAIT, NOW’S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT!

‘’I BET SHE WAS THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH THAT!’’

''Worry not, I'll take the most borderline-risqué-but-legal approach I can so that you can enjoy those sexy legs to the max!''

WHY DID YOU BRING UP LEGALITY NOW?! YOU’RE MAKING ME HOPE YOU DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING WEIRD IN MIND!

‘’What's this about sexy legs?’’

‘’KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!’’

That was me screaming, by the way.

I was too absorbed into my conversation with Fukuda that this completely foreign voice startled me more than it should have. Needless to say it belonged to Saki.

As I make an attempt to look at her to say ‘Oh, it’s just you.’, I realize that my body still can’t calm down from that jumpscare, making me just inhale and exhale deeply in front of her.

‘’I thought I told you to stop screeching like a little girl,’’ Saki maintains an innocent look on her face, only tilting her head a little to show her confusion as to why I’m looking at her like that.

Meanwhile, Fukuda can’t stop finding my deplorable situation hilarious.

‘’Out of…reflex…’’ I object with the little breath I could catch.

‘’That excuse is older than me, any other beans you want to spill?’’

How much fun can someone like her possibly have when she’s teasing someone?! There must be a limit to that!

Fukuda gets Saki’s attention away from me by asking her ‘’You must be Saki-chan, right?’’

Saki nods positively to her question.

‘’I was right then. I’m Fukuda Eva, a friend of your brother’s! Nice to meet you, Saki-chan!’’

For some reason, Saki has been looking at Fukuda enthusiastically. I wonder what's on her mind this time...

'Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, big boobs!'

ON SECOND THOUGHT, I DIDN'T NEED MY ABILITY TO TRANSMIT THAT!

‘’Nice to meet you too, Eva-san!’’ she gives Fukuda a huge smile.

Fukuda also responds with a smile. ‘’I live nearby, so how about you and your brother walk me home? You up for that?’’

‘’Sure!’’

SHE SURE IS TOO FAST AT REPLYING!

‘’Let’s get going then!’’ she declares with a determined voice, starting to walk with Saki beside her. I begin a couple of seconds later to catch up to them after being lost in the thought of how worried I should be about these two getting along.

‘’Erm… E-Eva-san…’’ Saki fidgets mildly as she attempts to look at Fukuda in the eye.

‘’What is it, Saki-chan?’’

‘’Can I…h-hold your hand…?’’ she puts on her cutesy, adorableness overload face.

At first, Fukuda seems a bit taken aback with what Saki said, but she quickly replies joyfully, ‘’Of course you can!’’ and gently places Saki’s palm in her hand's grasp.

I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!

Every time Saki meets someone who takes a liking to her, she always asks to get a bit closer to them, usually indirectly. Using her cunning methods and cute, childish looks, combined with her desire to get spoiled every few moments or so, she almost always ends up having it her way.

''I can’t wait to spoil you, Saki-chan!''

I’D MUCH RATHER HOLD YOUR HAND INTIMATELY THAN HAVE YOU SPOIL HER!

‘’You know, Yanagisawa, I have two hands.’’

CAN YOU READ MY MIND OR SOMETHING?!

‘’S-Saki gets in the middle and that's final.’’

‘’Tsundere much?’’ both of them say simultaneously.

‘’ ‘Pragmatist’ is the righter word here!’’ I finally catch up to the both of them, holding Saki’s other hand.

''Uh-huh...'' the both of them reply, disinterestedly.

Fukuda changes the topic almost instantly. ‘’Saki-chan, how old are you?’’

‘’11!’’

‘’5 YEARS YOUNGER?!’’ Fukuda gasps, flabbergasted.

‘’It’s not that surprising…’’ I say to myself.

‘’It is! I’ve seen siblings born a couple years apart or 3, but it’s the first time meeting siblings born 5 years apart!’’

Wait, why do I feel uncomfortable having Saki in the middle all of a sudden?!

DO WE LOOK LIKE A COUPLE WITH A CHILD OR SOMETHING HERE?!

‘’Certainly, it’s an obvious gap. But, I don’t think I could bear a little sibling older than her. Then again, maybe I’m too biased thanks to remembering all of my memories with Saki clearly ever since she was born.’’

‘’In all seriousness, despite how lame he is, he’s a really good brother!’’ Saki adds.

‘’Hey, take that back!’’

‘’I was trying to praise you this once and you want me to take it back? You make no sense sometimes...’’

‘’YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!’’

‘’That’s it that’s it!’’ Fukuda lets out a loud laugh. ‘’I love these passionate reactions of yours!’’

Seeing Fukuda laugh, me and Saki exchange a glance and a smile with each other.

‘’Speaking of, do you have any siblings, Eva-san?’’

‘’For better or worse, I think I don’t!’’ she answers to Saki, full of confidence and certainty.

"Y-You think…?"

Mind you, this was quite the ambiguous reply!

‘’It’s good to add some mystery to things, ain’t it!’’

DEPENDS ON WHO IS MAKING THAT ADDITION!

‘’Speaking of mysteries…’’ Saki wonders, Fukuda being obviously filled with curiosity: ‘’Why is Eva-san wearing your jacket, Tai-nii?’’

SAKI, WHERE DID YOUR PUPILS DISAPPEAR TO?!

‘’It’s not what you think it is! She was cold, so I gave it to her till she got home! Don’t start misunderstanding!’’

‘’If you really had a genuine reason for me to believe, you wouldn’t have avoided my question,’’ Saki murmurs in a kind of creepy, emotionless tone. ‘’What is the meaning of this, Tai-nii? Do I have to take someone out again tonight, Tai-nii?’’

‘’AGAIN?!’’ Saki’s statement shocks Fukuda.

Of course, she doesn’t know that Saki is currently in her acting prime again…

Oh well, only one thing brings Saki back to reality.

‘’Fukuda, please pat her head, will ya?’’

‘’I have a couple doubts about this, but okay…’’ she lets go of Saki’s hand and places it gently on top of her head, stroking it softly. ‘’There there, who’s a good lil’ yandere?’’

I don’t even know if patting her head and calling her a yandere amounts to something good or bad, ultimately… To be honest, I don’t know if she’s taking this seriously either…

Well, since Saki is our focus here, anything is possible…

Fukuda’s hand continues to caress Saki’s hair, but to no avail, because no response from her is given.

‘’Just this much always works though…’’ I mutter to myself, and hearing me, Fukuda announces, ‘’There’s nothing the great Fukuda Eva can’t achieve!’’

After curling up her fingers a couple times, she places her hand on Saki’s head, like before; only this time, it’s getting more intense.

Fukuda’s hand slowly moves to Saki’s side, running her fingers through that place a few times; now, Saki has started losing her stoic expression, barely able to resist smiling. Seeing how Saki still hasn’t fully succumbed though, she goes even further beyond, stroking the hair on Saki’s neck now gently in circles.

I’m getting some major déjà vu from all the times Saki has been spoiled in front of me… I’ve even lost count of how many it has been…

Saki starts giggling while wearing a silly smile on her face that downright shows how much she’s enjoying Fukuda’s gesture.

‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YOU’RE SO CUTE, SAKI-CHAN! I WISH I HAD A LITTLE SISTER LIKE YOU!’

AND I WISH YOU’D STOP THINKING SO LOUD!

I swear, my head hurts a bit right now, so if she ever speaks so loud while I’m next to he—

‘’YANAGISAWA!’’ Fukuda startles me with her sudden (battle)cry.

‘’W-What is it, Fukuda?’’

YOU BARELY GAVE ME TIME TO SAY YOU SHOULDN’T SCREAM, AND YET YOU’RE SCREAMING IN MY EAR!

Okay, Taichi, okay. It happened just once. Once doesn’t mean anything, right? It’s just a simple coincidence she screamed right at that moment. All I need is a deep breath and I’ll feel all bette—

‘’PROTECT HER SMILE WITH YOUR LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT!’’

ARE YOU DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, FUKUDA?!

‘’See, Saki-chan?'' Fukuda continues to caress Saki's hair. ''There’s nothing between us. I just enjoy finding ways to tease your I-so-want-to-sleep-for-another-37-hours brother.’’

Both her and Akiya-senpai…

Wait…

‘’What’s that nickname supposed to mean?!’’

‘’What? You always look like you’d fancy some more sleep, so I thought you were that kind of guy.’’

‘’I’M SECRETLY QUITE LIVELY, THANK YOU!’’

‘’Yeah, but what about me?’’ Saki pouts. ‘’I’m between you two!’’

Really…? Again with that…?

‘’In a literal sense, you aren’t wrong, haha…hahaha…’’

‘’That could be metaphorical too, Eva-san!’’

‘’So you’re really a yandere!?’’ Fukuda’s eyes start to sparkle.

‘’Sorry to kill your delight, Fukuda, but she’s just great at acting. She took that after our mother.’’

Saki’s smile returns once more: ‘’Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, I think you’re praising me too much, hehehe…’’

You just want to be praised, admit it already…

Suddenly, Saki’s phone vibrates in her coat’s pocket, and she takes it out to check it.

‘’It’s Mum. She says they’re getting ready to leave, so we should go back too.’’

‘’But what about Fukuda?’’

‘’My house it’s just around this corner, don’t worry about it! Thanks for your company, guys!’’

‘’Is that so… Then I guess this is where we say—‘’

‘’Eva-san!’’ Saki startlingly cuts me off, her voice trembling, but has a tiny bit of confidence to it. ‘’Can we please exchange contact info!?’’

A dozen minutes later, me and Saki started walking back to the restaurant, Fukuda having already returned to her house.

Saki has been wearing a huge smile since.

‘’What do you think of her, Saki?’’

Whilst in deep thought, she mutters her answer: ‘’Hmm...she’s ripe enough for the picking.’’

‘’I WAS TALKING ABOUT HER PERSONALITY, NOT HER…UM…OTHER ASPECTS!’’

"But I'm just an innocent 11-year-old, what are those other aspects~~?"

"I-Innocent kids shouldn't be so curious about grown-up stuff, ahaha..."

Yeah, totally innocent.

"But I want to know!" she insists. Not seeing any reply from me, her smug smile emerges again. ‘’Say it clearly, Tai-nii.’’

‘’WHY SHOULD I?!’’

Her grin widens vastly. ‘’I dare you.’’

‘’Just how fun is it torturing me…?’’

‘’If I answer that, then you’ll have a way to make it backfire. I’m not stupid, you know.’’

No one can outsmart you, huh…

‘’I like her. She’s relaxed, kind, playful, cute, lovable… I’d ask her out, if I were you.’’

That's because you haven't seen her run rampant across the school!

Wait, did she describe Fukuda as 'cute'?!

‘’S-Speak for yourself! Being a teen is more complicated than you think! I can’t possibly date someone because you want me to!’’

‘’I personally think you’d make a cute couple, but if you say so, then I’m not going to question. Though, you just got her number, so you have nothing to lose.’’

‘’And is that something I should be delighted about…?’’

Saki heaves a huge sigh in front of my face. ‘’And you’re still wondering why you haven’t scored a single girlfriend yet…’’

‘’It’s kind of ironic hearing that from you, you boyfriend-less being.’’

‘’…Touché.’’

Silence befalls for a few seconds. Saki doesn’t seem to have anything to say, and I can’t think of a way to pick up the conversation from there.

I suppose this conversation is as good as ove—

‘’I’m 5 years younger though! I still have a junior high life ahead of me, unlike you!’’

‘’STOP MAKING ME FEEL SO OLD!’’