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Once Kotonoha and Ren were seated, I set down water and menus in front of them.
“Let me know when you’re ready to order.”
“What do you recommend, Yuto?”
“If you’re in the mood for something sweet, try the seasonal fruit tart. For a drink, I’d go with the blend.”
“Okay, then I’ll have the fruit tart and milk tea.”
“I’ll have the blend.”
“Got it.”
I jotted down their orders and headed back to the counter.
It was just that simple, yet I felt strangely exhausted.
I’d seen the two of them standing side by side countless times at school. There was no way I should be flustered just because they were sitting at the same table like a couple—especially now.
I wanted to believe that.
“Kasugai-kun.”
Himuro called out to me.
“I’ll pass those orders on to the kitchen for you.”
“Himuro, you’re a customer, aren’t you?”
“Then, let me take the note.”
“Why?”
“To reduce the need for you to be near those two.”
“But it’s my job to bring out the orders.”
“I’ll ask the manager to reassign your duties.”
“Don’t go changing the work schedule on your own.”
Just as I was rolling my eyes, Natsume gave me a subtle beckon.
“Kasugai, come here for a sec.”
“What is it now?”
“Just come.”
The moment I approached the table by the window, Natsume grabbed my sleeve.
“Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“The girl you used to like is here with her boyfriend.”
“That’s all in the past.”
“You don’t look like someone who’s moved on.”
“Does my face look that bad?”
“Your smile is creepy.”
“If you’re worried about me, at least choose your words a little better.”
As I touched my cheek, Shiina stared intently at me from across the table.
“Right now, Kasugai-kun looks just like the protagonist of a tragic romance novel.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“No. The way you’re forcing yourself to act calm is really painful to watch.”
“It used to be even worse.”
As far as I was concerned, I was acting just like I always do.
But apparently, I couldn’t hide it from these three.
“It’s part of the job, so what can I do?”
“In that case, we’ll help take your mind off things.”
Himuro said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“How?”
“We’ll keep talking to you.”
“That’ll get in the way of my work, won’t it?”
“Then, every time Kasugai-kun looks this way, I’ll smile at him.”
“What difference will that make?”
“At least you won’t have to look at those two anymore.”
As always, I didn’t quite understand Himuro’s logic.
Still, I could tell she was looking out for me.
“Thanks.”
When I said that, Himuro’s eyes widened.
“…… What do you mean?”
“You’re looking out for me, aren’t you?”
“I was just doing what anyone would do.”
Himuro turned away, and her ears were slightly red.
“Say it to me, too.”
“Thanks, Natsume.”
“That’s so casual!”
“What do you expect?”
“What about me…?”
“Thanks, Shiina, too.”
“I’ve saved it.”
“Saved what?”
“In my memory.”
Being surrounded by the three of them made the heaviness deep in my chest lift just a little.
Kotonoha was watching us from a distance.
When our eyes met, she immediately looked down at the menu.
She prepared our orders and brought them to our table.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Thanks, Yuto.”
Kotonoha smiled at the fruit tart, but immediately turned her gaze behind me.
“Since when have you been getting along with Himuro and the others?”
“Just recently.”
“You guys hang out a lot at school, too, don’t you?”
“We just hit it off as people who’ve both been through a breakup.”
“You said that this morning, too…”
Kotonoha looked up at me, still holding her fork.
“Who was the person you liked, Yuto?”
“Are you still thinking about that?”
“Of course I am. We’re childhood friends, after all.”
Childhood friends.
In the past, just hearing those words would have made me happy.
Now, it sounds like a boundary drawn between us.
“What’s the point of telling you?”
“I might have been able to give you some advice.”
“It’s over now, so there’s no need.”
“But—”
“Kotonoha.”
Ren spoke gently.
“If Yuto doesn’t want to talk about it, let’s not force him.”
“…Okay.”
Kotonoha didn’t seem convinced, but she cut a slice of tart with her fork.
Ren looked at me apologetically.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault, Ren.”
“Yuto’s never been one to talk about himself, you know.”
Even from his best friend’s perspective, I guess that’s just the kind of person I am.
I never said anything, never asked for anything—I just thought that if I stayed close, he’d understand eventually.
Looking back now, that was a really self-serving way of thinking.
“Yuto.”
Kotonoha lifted a slice of tart with her fork.
“Want a bite?”
“No, I’m working.”
“We used to share all the time, didn’t we?”
“That was back then.”
When I casually declined, Kotonoha’s hand paused.
“…I see.”
She brought the fork to her own mouth.
At that moment.
I heard the sound of a chair being pulled back behind me.
“Kasugai-kun.”
Himuro was walking toward us, holding a slip.
“The manager asked me to have you clear Table 5.”
“Did she?”
“She just asked me.”
I looked at the manager, who was smiling awkwardly from behind the counter.
Apparently, Himuro had taken it upon herself to create this task.
“I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks.”
Himuro stood next to me and cast a quiet glance at Kotonoha.
“Mizuse-san.”
“What?”
“Kasugai-kun is on duty. Could you please refrain from holding him up with personal conversations?”
“I’m sorry. But I’m Yuto’s childhood friend.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“Then it’s okay if we talk for just a little while, right?”
“Just because you’re childhood friends doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”
Himuro’s tone was calm.
But it was slightly sharper than usual.
Kotonoha hadn’t lost her smile, but confusion flickered in her eyes.
“Himuro, that’s enough.”
“But—”
“I’m going back to work.”
When I urged her, Himuro returned to her seat, looking somewhat displeased.
Natsume and Shiina immediately gathered around her and began whispering to each other.
“…Himuro-san, you’re really worried about Yuto, aren’t you?”
“It’s because we’re both going through heartbreak.”
“Is that all?”
“What else could it be?”
Kotonoha didn’t answer.
Ren was also staring at his coffee cup, deep in thought.
I left their table and headed over to clear off an empty one.
After that, Kotonoha tried to call me over several times.
But every time, Himuro would speak to me first, Natsume would place an additional order, and Shiina would ask for my thoughts on her novel.
It was a level of coordination that didn’t seem like a coincidence.
“Are you guys doing this on purpose?”
“What are you talking about?”
Natsume blatantly looked away.
“We’re just having a normal conversation with Kasugai-kun.”
Himuro remained completely unfazed.
“I absolutely needed your thoughts right now on the metaphor on page thirty-eight.”
“You already asked me about that yesterday, didn’t you?”
“I’d like to reevaluate it.”
It seemed they didn’t want me to get close to Kotonoha’s seat.
I thought it was unnecessary consideration.
But, strangely enough, I didn’t mind it.
About an hour later, Kotonoha and Ren got up from their seats.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“Thank you very much.”
After paying the bill, Ren headed out of the restaurant first.
Kotonoha stopped at the entrance and turned back to look at me.
“Yuto.”
“What?”
“Can we talk, just the two of us, sometime?”
“Is there something you need?”
“…I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?”
“But I want to talk.”
Kotonohadidn’t wait for my reply and walked out of the restaurant.
Outside the window, Ren was waiting for her.
Kotonoha immediately walked up beside Ren, and the two of them set off toward the station.
“You should refuse.”
Himuro’s voice came from behind me.
“Refuse what?”
“Meeting her alone.”
“I haven’t even said I’d meet her yet.”
“Then please refuse now.”
“It’s okay to at least hear her out, isn’t it?”
“It’s dishonest for a woman with a boyfriend to ask another man to meet her alone.”
“Kotonoha doesn’t mean anything like that.”
“Kasugai, how long are you going to keep defending her?”
There was an unusual intensity in Himuro’s voice.
When I fell silent, she bit her lip and lowered her head slightly.
“……I’m sorry. I went too far.”
“No.”
“But I don’t like it.”
“What?”
“Seeing you, Kasugai-kun, get hurt again.”
With that, Himuro returned to her seat by the window.
Unusually, neither Natsume nor Shiina said a word.
I gazed out the window.
Kotonoha and Ren were no longer in sight.
My romance was over.
It should have been, yet with just one word from Kotonoha, something resembling hope had sprung up deep within my heart.
And at the same time.
For some reason, Himuro’s sorrowful expression lingered in my mind even more than that.
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