Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051603068864073
On Friday after school, the lighting fixtures arrived two days later than scheduled.
A small blue light and a projector to be mounted on the ceiling of the Starry Sky Café. Since we couldn’t wait until the day before the cultural festival to set them up, we decided to finish the installation and test them today.
“We’ll need three people—one to hold the stepladder and one to hand the fixtures over. Tanabe, come over here when you’re done over there.”
“Got it. Give me five minutes.”
As I heard his reply, I opened the box that had just arrived.
If it’s only about five minutes, I might as well get as far as I can on my own. I took out the instruction manual and checked the number of parts: twelve mounting brackets, four power cords, and two replacement light bulbs. After finishing my count, I moved the box to the corner of the classroom and then carried the stepladder over to the window.
“Minato, isn’t that something you’re supposed to do while waiting for Tanabe?”
Shiori, who had been fixing the decoration on the reception desk, grabbed the leg of the stepladder.
“I’m just checking where to install it. I’m not holding the fixture yet.”
“You’ve used that line before to end up with more work.”
“I’m not going to end up with more work today.”
I laughed and climbed up the stepladder.
I reached up toward the bracket on the ceiling to check the mounting position. It was farther than I’d expected. I could reach it if I climbed one more rung, but the box at my feet was in the way. Just as I was about to put one foot down, the connecting part I was holding slipped from my hand.
It hit the floor with a dry thud.
The voices in the classroom seemed to fade for just a moment.
“Minato-kun. Please come down.”
I looked down and saw Shiori picking up the part. She didn’t look angry. She was just blinking less than usual.
“That was just my hand slipping—”
“You checked the same box twice. When I spoke to you earlier, your reply was a little slow, too. Your fingers were even shaking when you were reattaching your name tag.”
I hadn’t realized she’d been watching me that closely.
As I stepped down from the stepladder, my legs suddenly felt heavy. The meeting about cultural festival preparations had dragged on during lunch, so I’d left half my bento uneaten. I’d only had a drink once during the afternoon classes.
Shiori took the instruction manual from my hand and handed it to Tanabe.
“Tanabe and Yamamoto, please handle the lighting. The connection parts are arranged in numerical order. Rino, could you please check the delivery boxes against the inspection sheet?”
Rino, who had been restocking the paper cups, glanced at me for just a moment.
“Got it. If the numbers don’t match, I’ll check with whoever opened the box.”
She replied simply and took the inspection sheet. She didn’t entrust anything to me like she used to, nor did she resist Shiori’s instructions.
“Shiori, I’m not exactly sitting around doing nothing. If it’s cleanup other than the lighting—”
“Please sit down.”
Her voice this time was a little firmer.
A few people still in the classroom looked over at us. Shiori seemed to realize this herself, and her cheeks flushed slightly. Still, she didn’t back down.
“He’s my boyfriend, so if he’s pushing himself too hard, I’ll stop him. It’s not because Minato-kun is weak. It’s because he’s important to me, so I want him to rest.”
Tanabe, who was carrying a stepladder, let out a soft chuckle.
“If Miyahara’s going that far, I guess I’ve got no choice but to sit down.”
“Tanabe, just shut up and set it up.”
“Yeah, yeah. Leave it to me.”
The weight of having caused Shiori to worry was heavier than the embarrassment of being teased.
When he sat down at the window seat, Shiori pulled out the chair next to him. She took a small roll and some sweet milk tea out of her bag.
“Did you prepare this?”
“I had half of my lunchbox left over. I figured if I didn’t eat anything until after school, this would happen.”
“You were paying that much attention, were you?”
“I watch you every day.”
Shiori opened the wrapper and paused just as she was about to hand me the bread. Black dust from the lighting fixture box still clung to my fingers.
“I’ll go wash my hands.”
“Just one bite first. If you stand up now, you’ll end up picking up another task.”
Shiori tore off a small piece of bread and held it to my lips.
We were inside the classroom. Tanabe and the others were there, too. Rino was also examining a box a short distance away.
“I can definitely eat this myself.”
“Your hands are dirty. You’re doing something important right now.”
Shiori’s ears were bright red. Even though she was embarrassed, she was prioritizing letting me rest.
I gave in and ate the piece of bread she offered.
Tanabe laughed from atop the stepladder, saying, “That’s sweet!” Shiori didn’t look in his direction as she opened the lid of her milk tea.
“No self-criticism sessions allowed. Drink this first.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
After I thanked her, Shiori’s expression finally softened.
I took the drink and looked out at the classroom where everyone was working. Tanabe and the others were installing the lighting while reading the manual. Rino was opening the delivered boxes one by one and checking with the executive committee members whenever the number of parts didn’t match.
Even if I didn’t stand up, the preparations were moving forward.
“It makes me uneasy to be the only one sitting here while everyone else is working.”
“In that case, I’ll sit down too.”
“What about your work, Shiori?”
“I’ll be done even if I take a five-minute break. I don’t want it to be a situation where only Minato-kun is working while I’m just watching.”
Shiori took out her own milk tea and began drinking it next to me.
Five minutes later, we both got up from our seats.
I only went back to adjust the angle of the lighting for the shoot—my assigned task. I almost started tidying up the floor, but I asked Tanabe to do it instead.
“Sorry. Could you gather up those boxes over there for me?”
“You should’ve said so from the start. There are three of us here, after all.”
Once I finished checking that the lights were on, a blue star appeared against the black backdrop.
I walked over to the duty roster posted in front of the classroom and drew a line through the slot from 12:40 to 1:00 PM on the day of the cultural festival.
“Segawa, Miyahara: Break”
Shiori peered over my shoulder and wrote the same times in her navy-blue notebook.
“Let’s take a break together on the day of the festival, too, before things get too busy.”
“Okay. Next time, please ask me before you drop any parts.”
“I’ll tell you before it gets that bad.”
Shiori closed her planner and tugged on my sleeve.
“It’s a promise. On the day of the cultural festival, I’ll be right there beside you, keeping an eye on things.”
On the duty roster, we now had not only our work hours but also time set aside for the two of us to take a break together. I looked at that section one more time, then returned with Shiori to the classroom, which glowed blue.
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