Episode 18 – On the way home

After enjoying the collaboration café, we decided to visit shops that sell Anfil merchandise.  

Suzukita san filled her shopping cart to the brim with merchandise, then tearfully said, “I don’t have enough money…” and reluctantly narrowed down her purchases to about half. …She looked cute, like a little animal, but I’m sorry, Suzukita san. Thinking about tomorrow’s Windyland trip, I don’t have enough money to treat you.

Before we knew it, time had flown by.  

It was already evening.  

We returned to the nearest station and walked side by side along the riverside under the twilight sky, heading home.

“Hehe, hehehehehe…! I never thought I’d be able to get that Count’s Birthday Commemorative Acrylic Dome…!”

Suzukita san held the spherical item she had purchased at a second-hand store in both hands, gazing at it as she walked.  

It seemed to be something she had really wanted, as she had been holding it tightly even on the train. It was almost like she was treating it like her own child.  

“Suzukita san, you should watch where you’re going. It’s like using your phone while walking.”

…Somehow, I feel like I’m acting like Renka right now.

Come to think of it, I was often scolded by Renka for using my phone while walking. Well, Suzukita san isn’t using her phone; she’s just mesmerized by the item.

“But, but…! This Count’s acrylic dome is the most important thing to me after my life…! I can’t just put it in my bag !”

“Oh, okay. I’m sorry…”

More important than her life, huh.

So if Suzukita san and this acrylic dome were drowning in a river and she could only save one of us, she’d abandon me and save the acrylic dome. ….Thinking about that makes me feel kind of empty.

“But Suzukita san, if that merchandise is so important to you, you should be more careful with it.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Look, there’s a river below that hill, right? If you were to trip here and drop that item—”

I started to say.

Immediately after that, something straight out of a manga happened to Suzukita san.

She stumbled over a small stone at her feet, exclaiming, “Ah !”

And then, she threw her body into the air with all her might—

“—-Kyaaah !?”

Thud. It sounded like a perfect dive onto the ground.  

Luckily, this was a riverbank, and the sidewalk was covered in grass. Although Suzukita san fell in a way that hit her entire body at once, the grass acted as a cushion, so she probably wouldn’t suffer any serious injuries.  

Unfortunately, this was a riverbank, and there was a small slope just to the left. And down that slope, there was, of course, the river flowing.

“Ah…!? Hah, Count sama ! !”

She must have let go of it in the shock of the fall.

As if escaping from Suzukita san’s hands, the acrylic dome rolled down the slope, rolling and rolling…

Plop.

The cruel sound of water and the futile spray.

“……………….”

“……………….”

Suzu and I remained silent, watching the acrylic dome float away on the river.

A few seconds later, Suzu staggered to her feet and said,

“…………….Ayatacchi, I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.”

“No, well…I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“It’s okay, Ayatacchi isn’t at fault. Haha, let’s go home.”

Suzukita san started walking slowly.  

Her back was lifeless, like a zombie.  

After looking back and forth between her and the acrylic dome floating in the river, I…  

“…Hmph. Well, it can’t be helped…”

I think to myself, “How nostalgic.”

It was when I was about nine years old. I was playing soccer with Hideki on the riverbank when his ball fell into the river. I couldn’t stand seeing Hideki crying, “My mom will be mad at me” so I reluctantly went to retrieve the ball.

As a result, I got soaked from head to toe and was scolded by my mother. When I explained the situation, she scolded me again, saying, “Don’t ever do something so dangerous again.” The next day, I had a high fever and had to skip school, and even Renka scolded me, calling me “stupid Akito.”

But…when I think back to Hideki’s smile when I retrieved the ball, such trivial matters don’t matter anymore.

“Eh…A-Ayatacchi !? Hey, what are you doing !?”

“It’s more important than your life, right?”

I know that this river is shallower than it looks.

So now that I’m a high school student, I can walk through the river like this.

“Okay, I got it.”

I retrieved Suzukita san’s acrylic dome and immediately turned back and got out of the river.

Suzukita san ran over to me. I handed her the acrylic dome I had picked up from the river and said,  

“Here you go, Suzukita san. Learn from this and don’t drop it again.”

“Ugh, yeah. Thanks…wait, no, Ayatacchi ! You’re soaking wet ! Look, wipe it off, wipe it off !”

Suzukita san hurriedly took a handkerchief out of her bag and handed it to me.

However…I ended up going into the river, and my clothes were completely dirty. Fortunately, my parents are on a trip and left me at home. If I take them to the dry cleaner before they find out, I won’t get scolded.

“…Achoo ! Ugh, it’s pretty cold…”

“Stop it ! Ayatacchi, you idiot, stupid !”

While wiping my whole body with the handkerchief, I was scolded like that by Suzukita san.  

But she smiled happily and said,  

“But…ehehe. Thanks, Ayatacchi.”

Her smile was so bright and sincere.  

Seeing Suzukita san’s smile like that…..I felt it was worth getting soaked.

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