Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094101424177/episodes/16818622176152772692
“…I’m bored.”
It was a Saturday in the midst of a heat wave.
A lazy holiday with nothing to do.
I felt restless during this rare moment of free time. When I’m busy, I can focus my attention on the task at hand.
Perhaps it was a reaction to that. I felt fidgety.
Even though there was nothing in particular to do.
I tapped away at my smartphone, lazily watching the anime that had accumulated. Information came and went—it was a day filled with nothing but information.
“Well, that’s how it goes.”
But I got used to it.
Idle time was pleasant and peaceful.
The hustle and bustle of weekdays was “wrong,” and this way of spending time was “right.” Yeah, yeah, not bad.
As I was enjoying the boredom,
“…I really don’t want to go out.”
The smartphone screen lit up automatically, indicating an incoming call. The cold vibration and ringtone.
The caller was—what could it be? It was Orimoto.
I didn’t want to go out at all. After all, it was a day off; let me relax alone.
The wall clock showed noon.
Cicadas chirping.
Cumulus clouds.
A heat haze outside the window.
The scene of summer spread out before me.
“There’s no sign of it stopping. Could it be an emergency? Should I answer it?”
For example, a brilliant solution to a problem.
For example, a worsening situation.
The phone continued to ring, no matter how long I waited.
“……Yes?”
“Ah! Finally! I’ve been waiting forever! You took too long to answer!”
The sharp voice vibrates my eardrums.
“Are you somewhere else right now?”
“No, I’m at home.”
“Then why didn’t you answer?”
“I had a bad feeling.”
“…..Whoa. …..Don’t get mad. Kasugai kun is not that kind of guy. —I’m outside, so open the door.”
Anger management.
I’m not even mad.
“Outside? What’s going on? Where are you now?”
“Outside. Just open the door. It’s hot!”
If I listened carefully, I could hear Orimoto’s voice from outside. She really seems to be here.
─────
When I opened the front door, a wave of heat and a faint breeze brushed my cheek. Orimoto was wearing her usual uniform.
Come to think of it, she was also wearing her uniform when we met on the pedestrian bridge.
“…Are you wearing your uniform even on your day off?”
“When I wake up, my outfit resets. Besides, I don’t have anything else to wear.”
What is that, some kind of strange sight?
Orimoto combed her chestnut-colored hair with her fingers, then suddenly frowned and said,
“Hey, if you imagine what I look like when I’m asleep, I’ll hit you. That’s too creepy, so don’t.”
“I won’t! You just showed up on your own.”
I was lucky that my parents were out.
“Well, whatever. So, what do you want?”
“Oh, here. This is for Kasugai kun.”
She handed me a bookmark.
“Wait, what is this?”
“Kasugai kun is on the library committee, right? I thought you might like this. You don’t like it?”
“No, but what about the money?”
Orimoto can’t be seen by others.
She doesn’t have the money to buy things. She has nothing..how is she supposed to do it?
“If you have any savings, you should pay me back for the food I bought for you first.”
“…You’re too realistic. It’s creepy.”
“It’s not creepy. So?”
I looked at the design of the bookmark.
“You didn’t even contact me on the weekend? You just showed up out of the blue with a bookmark. There’s definitely more to it than that, right?”
“No, really. I made it out of leftover craft supplies.”
“Huh? Craft supplies? This bookmark?”
It’s made just as well as a store-bought one.
“Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, it’s the opposite. You’re not only good at cooking, but you’re also skilled with your hands…I’m really surprised.”
“Do you think I’m a clumsy woman?!”
“Yeah. I also think you’re an idiot.”
“An idiot?!”
However, the bookmark is quite well made. The string is neatly tied, and the decoration is simple. If it were sold in a bookstore, some people might stop to look at it.
“You’re an idiot. Are you trying to get me to do something with this bookmark? It’s like the crappy delivery scam.”
“Stop calling me an idiot. …I just wanted to thank you, and I’ve been causing you trouble.”
“So you’re aware that you’ve been causing trouble?”
“That’s where you should be kind!”
She punched me in the chest.
“Well, whatever. I’ll take it.”
“Yeah, take it. But I’m not happy about it!”
“Where did you get the materials?”
Even if it’s homemade, you can’t create something from nothing.
I asked out of pure curiosity.
“My mom goes to a craft class, and I borrowed the leftover materials. You know, the stuff they were going to throw away?”
“I didn’t expect the discarded materials to turn out so well…”
“Right!? You should praise me more!”
I don’t like it. She’s getting cocky.
“Well, I’m going to head home now! Kasugai kun will end up looking like a weirdo standing at the door.”
“Got it. Be careful on your way home.”
“Of course. Since I’m invisible to people, cars speed up without mercy.”
As Orimoto turned around, something fell out of her handbag. It was a black towel.
Are that bag and towel also her own creations?
If so, they’re quite impressive.
“Hey, Orimoto, your towel fell out.”
“Oh no! It’s not damaged, is it?”
Orimoto hurriedly picked up the towel.
She carefully checked for dirt and damage.
It must be a very important towel.
“Oh, this? It’s a present for Keiichi.”
Orimoto folded it neatly and put it away.
I didn’t ask about its purpose, but if it’s a gift for Sera, it’s understandable that he’s anxious.
“Keiichi’s birthday is coming up soon. I can’t afford to buy something ready-made right now, so at least I can make something myself.”
“…But how are you going to give it to him?”
“I don’t know. But I’ll figure something out!”
I was about to offer to do it for her.
It’s a bit better than the previous lunch box.
But it’s fundamentally different. It’s not just any old thing, it’s a birthday present.
And it’s something Orimoto put her heart into.
It’s not my place to get involved.
“I don’t know what Inori and Serina senpai will give, but I made it with the best quality I could.”
“Well, a towel would be nice, I guess.”
“Kasugai kun, you’re not very good at giving compliments, are you?”
Orimoto let out a sigh.
“By the way, when is Kasugai kun’s birthday?”
“Last month.”
At those casual words, Orizono let out a deliberate gasp of surprise. Did I say something weird?
“…Eh, last month? Eh, really?!”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, Orimoto grimaced.
“…I’mma ask you this. Was it before we met last month? Or after we met? Which one?”
“…After we met, but why do you care? It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Haa, no. No, Kasugai kun.”
“A textbook example of a huge sigh.”
Orimoto shook her head from side to side and pointed at herself and me in exaggerated movements.
“Listen, Kasugai kun and I are friends, okay?”
“I don’t remember agreeing to be friends.”
“We talk every day—and you say we’re not friends? …What kind of youth have you had, Kasugai kun?”
“Stop looking at me with pity.”
Having friends doesn’t mean you’re righteous.
If you’re satisfied, that’s what’s right.
But in the eyes of society, I might be the loser.
“Alright, so Kasugai kun and I are friends, and we’re also partners working to resolve the situation.”
“Fine, go ahead and continue.”
“Do you really hate being my friend that much?!”
“No, it’s just a hassle.”
I’ve said it many times.
I hate hassles. I’m a pacifist.
Peace and quiet is best. To be more precise, I want to be lazy in an air-conditioned room. Ice cream would be even better.
“…That’s annoying. Anyway, couldn’t you have at least told me in advance about your birthday?”
“I don’t feel any special about birthdays.”
“I prepared something better than a bookmark. —Oh, I might have thought of something good.”
This situation is going to turn out badly.
It’s similar to when she declared partners. Orimoto smiled smugly and raised her finger.
“I’ll pick out a birthday present for you.”
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !