Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051603068864073
In the classroom after school, numerous decorations for the cultural festival hung from the ceiling.
Paper garlands, folded stars, and a sign meant to be hung at the entrance. None of them were finished yet, but it was fun to watch the classroom gradually transform into a place different from its usual self.
I spread out a garland that was starting to fray on my desk and was reinforcing it with tape.
“Minato kun, wouldn’t it be faster to just make a new one for that part?”
Shiori, who was writing the text for the sign at the desk next to mine, peered over at me, still holding her brush. She was wearing a navy-blue apron over her uniform to keep her sleeves from getting dirty. Her hair was tied up higher than usual, revealing a little bit of her neck.
“It’s still connected all the way through—it’d be a waste to throw it away, right? If I just remove the two torn sections, we can still use it.”
“That’ll take more work, though.”
“But I think I can fix it.”
As I removed the rings one by one, Shiori watched my hands in silence for a while.
“I like that about you.”
My hand, which had been pulling the tape, stopped.
“That’s sudden.”
“I just thought of it, so I said it. Instead of throwing it away just because it’s broken, you’re looking for the parts that still work. It takes a little time, but I thought that was just like you, Minato-kun.”
As soon as Shiori finished speaking, she turned her gaze back to the sign as if nothing had happened.
I was the only one who couldn’t keep a straight face. Tanabe, who had been cutting cardboard nearby, must have heard us, because his shoulders were shaking.
“Segawa, your face is red.”
“You just keep your hands moving.”
“I am moving them. Miyahara-san, why don’t you tell him that again?”
At Tanabe’s teasing remark, Shiori set down her brush and looked at me. I thought she’d surely be flustered, but after a moment’s thought, she spoke up.
“I also like how Minato-kun doesn’t stop working even when he’s embarrassed.”
“Shiori, you don’t have to jump on the bandwagon too!”
This time, even a few people in the classroom laughed.
Shiori’s ears were red too, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of taking back what she said. She turned back to the signboard and began moving her brush just a little faster than before.
I went back to repairing the wreath. It’s embarrassing. But I don’t mind. If anything, my heart feels restless, and the corners of my mouth threaten to curl up on their own.
When someone used to compliment me, I’d wait for the favor that would follow.
“You’re so kind. You’re so dependable. So, could you do this for me?”
Shiori’s words didn’t have that follow-up.
She just said, “I like you,” and that was it. She wasn’t saying it to get me to do something; she was just expressing her feelings.
After finishing the wreath, I picked up Shiori’s sign.
“Are you done over here too?”
“Yes. All that’s left is to let it dry. Please don’t touch it.”
“I know.”
Right after I replied, I noticed black paint on Shiori’s cheek. She didn’t seem to realize it and was putting away her brushes with a serious expression.
“Shiori, wait a second.”
“What is it?”
I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and wiped the smudge off her cheek. Shiori’s body tensed slightly. Looking closely, I could see that not only her ears but her cheeks were turning red as well.
“You had paint on your cheek.”
“……You should’ve told me sooner.”
“If I’d told you, you would’ve wiped it off yourself, right?”
“Of course.”
“I wanted to wipe it off for you.”
This time, it was Shiori’s turn to fall silent.
She averted her gaze and idly fiddled with the paint-washing container. Even though she’s always the one calmly saying sweet things, she seems to be at a loss when she’s on the receiving end.
“You’re blushing too, Shiori.”
“It’s paint.”
“I just wiped it off.”
“Then it must be the temperature.”
With the windows open, the October classroom was a bit chilly.
When I laughed, Shiori let out a small sigh, as if she’d given up.
“I actually really like you just the way you are right now, Minato-kun. So please, don’t tease me any more.”
“Don’t you think you can get me to stop anything just by saying you like me?”
“Did I stop?”
“Now I’m even more flustered.”
“Then I guess it wasn’t a success.”
The corners of Shiori’s mouth curled up slightly as she replied.
Just as we were finishing up, Mikoto came back to the classroom. It seemed she’d come to return the scissors she’d borrowed. After glancing at the sign placed between Shiori and me and the wreath we’d fixed, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
“You two were still here?”
“We’re done. Are you getting ready too, Mikoto?”
“Yeah. I’d lent some supplies to the class next door, so I was just picking them up.”
Mikoto put the scissors back in the box and looked at Shiori.
“Miyahara-san, you actually say ‘I like you,’ don’t you? I could hear you all the way out in the hallway earlier.”
Shiori looked embarrassed, but she didn’t turn away.
“If you don’t say it, sometimes the other person won’t get the message. So I try to say it when I feel it.”
“I see.”
Mikoto replied briefly and looked at me.
It wasn’t the kind of gaze that sought to continue the conversation, as it had been before. It was the look of someone who had confirmed something and realized it no longer concerned her.
“Segawa-kun, you look happy.”
“Well, yeah.”
“So that’s the kind of face you make.”
Mikoto smiled. It wasn’t a smile meant to appear cheerful; it was one that held a hint of loneliness.
“Well, I’ll head home before I get in the way. Thanks for your hard work.”
She didn’t come any closer and walked out of the classroom.
Shiori and I finished cleaning up and headed toward the entrance. It was already starting to get dark outside. As we stepped out of the school gate, Shiori pinched my sleeve with her fingertips.
“Did I say too much today?”
“About ‘I like you’?”
“Yes. Because you seemed troubled, Minato-kun.”
I thought for a moment, then slipped Shiori’s hand off my sleeve. I intertwined my fingers with hers, and she looked up, seeming surprised.
“It does trouble me, but I don’t mind. Actually, I’m happy.”
“Then I’ll keep saying it.”
“So you’re not going to hold back, huh?”
“If it makes you happy, Minato-kun, there’s no reason for me to hold back.”
Shiori squeezed my hand in return and took a small step closer.
“I like you, Minato-kun.”
There was no reason, no preamble.
She said it because she wanted to say it right then. That was probably all there was to it.
Though I felt a bit embarrassed, this time I didn’t look away.
“I like you, too, Shiori.”
Shiori stopped in her tracks.
She froze for a few seconds, her face still showing surprise, then leaned her shoulder slightly against my arm. Her ears were red again.
“……That just made me really happy.”
The traffic light in front of the station turned green.
We crossed the crosswalk, still holding hands, and headed toward the station while talking about what we’d see at the aquarium next Saturday.
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