Going Out

It’s just before three o’clock.

I was cleaning the bathroom. Normally, Hayashi would snap at me for cleaning these days, but today, there’s none of that.

“You done yet?”

Instead, I’m the one complaining to Hayashi while cleaning.

Just what’s going on here?

“Almost there!”

Well, it’s not like anything major happened or anything.

I’m just waiting for Hayashi to pick out what to wear. She’s been at it for a while now, shoving me into the bathroom to clean while she decides on her outfit. And it’s taking forever, with time just slipping by.

“Isn’t that good enough? Just pick something!”

“No way it’s good enough!”

“Why not? You’re just going out with me, right?”

I mean, it’s just going out with someone like me. Why does she need to obsess over her clothes so much?

“It’s because it’s with you, idiot.”

“Huh? That makes no sense.”

Seriously. I’ll never understand how girls think.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Yeah, you really made me wait!”

“…Just deal with it a little, okay?”

Did I go too far with that?

Seeing Hayashi pout, I’m starting to panic a bit inside. If she’s just sulking out of annoyance, that’s fine, but… lately, she’s been down a lot because of her ex, so I’m a little worried.

“Let’s go.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Looks like she’s not too upset about it.

Relieved, I follow Hayashi out of the room.

…Oh, right.

“Hey, Hayashi.”

“What?”

“That outfit looks great on you. Like, really great.”

I might’ve been harsh earlier, but what I just said is absolutely true.

“…Hmph.”

“H-Hey.”

Hayashi puffs out her cheeks and walks ahead of me.

Yeah, I guess my words were a bit too much. Gotta work hard to get her back in a good mood.

All the way to the station, I desperately try to butter Hayashi up.

I said all sorts of things, though I can only remember about half of it. But I’m pretty sure I didn’t lie.

By the time we reach the station, my flattery seems to have lifted Hayashi’s spirits a bit. Though, is it just me, or are her cheeks a little red?

“So, what’s the plan from here?”

“We’ll take a walk, grab dinner, then head to the theater.”

“Nice. Where are we walking?”

“Honestly, I haven’t decided at all.”

Oh, really?

Now that I think about it, the last time Hayashi and I went on a date, she was pretty passive about planning. Dinner and the theater were probably decided by Kasahara, but the walk? Kasahara didn’t pick that, so Hayashi’s got nothing planned. That’s probably it.

…Hmm.

“Yamamoto, anywhere you wanna go?”

“…Oh, I got it.”

“You do?”

“How about Rainbow Bridge?”

“Wait, you can walk across that?”

“Actually, there’s a promenade.”

Besides the Yurikamome train and the roads for traffic, Rainbow Bridge has a promenade where you can see both Tokyo Bay and the city skyline.

Truth is, I’ve always wanted to walk it alone someday, but this seems like a good chance to check it out.

“I hear the view’s pretty amazing.”

“…The view’s good?”

“Yeah.”

“…Then it might have a nice vibe too, huh?”

“Hm? Yeah.”

“…Interesting.”

Hayashi puts a hand to her chin, lost in thought for a moment.

I’m starting to get the feeling she’s on board with this.

The theater performance is in Odaiba, if I remember right. So, dinner’s probably somewhere around there too.

Which means a walk across Rainbow Bridge is perfect for the location.

“Let’s do it.”

“Cool.”

With Hayashi’s agreement, we hop on a train toward Rainbow Bridge.

From Shibaura Seaside, we weave through factories and a slightly rundown area to reach the path to the Rainbow Bridge promenade. From here, we’ll take an elevator up to the walkway.

Before entering the elevator facility, Hayashi looks up at the towering Rainbow Bridge above us.

“…Hey.”

“Hm?”

“We’re walking up there?”

Just then, a loud rumble echoes from the bridge.

Seems like a truck’s cargo rattled, and the sound reverberated through the bridge, turning into a roar.

“You scared?”

“…Uh, well.”

“If you don’t want to, we can skip it. I didn’t mean to put you through something tough.”

I feel a bit guilty.

I got caught up in the novelty of walking across Rainbow Bridge and didn’t think about how intense it might be.

I mean, I could probably handle it alone, but making a girl walk up there might be a bit much.

“Let’s go.”

Hayashi says.

“Huh?”

“…Let’s go.”

“…You sure you’re okay with heights?”

Hayashi looks down, then shakes her head after a moment.

Yeah, I figured. You can tell just by looking at her uneasy expression.

“Sorry. Let’s call it off. Honestly, I’m kinda freaking out too. It’s scary. No way we can do this.”

It’s obvious she’d dig her heels in if I push.

I figured saying it’s my fault might lighten the load for her.

“You know…”

“What?”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Half in tears, Hayashi grabs me and drags me into the elevator facility.

Spotting the elevator, she pulls me along with trembling hands, and we board. Finally, we step out onto the Rainbow Bridge promenade.

The moment we exit the automatic doors, a truck speeds by on the road right beside us.

A booming roar echoes.

The Rainbow Bridge trembles faintly.

“Eek…!”

Hayashi clings to my arm.

…I’m not scared, but for some reason, my heart’s pounding louder.

“L-Let’s turn back…”

“What!?”

“Let’s turn back!!!”

The sound of cars echoing makes it hard for my normal voice to reach Hayashi right next to me.

When I shout, Hayashi looks up at me with a sulky expression, her eyes glistening with tears.

“If it’s bad enough to make you cry, don’t force yourself.”

With an exasperated look, I wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

“I-I can do this…”

“You’re kinda regressing to a kid right now.”

“Just shut up and let’s go!”

Still clinging to my arm, Hayashi takes one step, then two, forward.

Just a date!!!