Hayashi Megumi’s beloved
The next morning, I woke up and waited for Akari to get up before heading home.
Unlike Yamamoto, Akari seems to be weak in the mornings. Even though we’ve been practically inseparable since our second year of high school, I only realized this today.
On my way home, I stopped by a convenience store that happened to be along my route.
I wonder if that guy’s already eaten breakfast.
I’ve been out of the house for nearly half a day. He said he’d eat something casually, but what if he got so caught up in cleaning that he forgot to eat and collapsed from hunger… No, no, no, that wouldn’t happen.
But… I can’t completely rule it out, and that’s what’s scary about him.
Rice balls.
Sandwiches.
Soup and a bento.
Spending nearly two thousand yen at the convenience store, I returned home with a bulging plastic bag.
“I’m back.”
I set the plastic bag in the kitchen and checked on the living room.
…Was it for ventilation?
The windows were wide open. The curtains fluttered in the slightly chilly autumn breeze.
“Hm? Oh, welcome back.”
Yamamoto was cleaning the windows.
Well, cleaning the windows didn’t mean just wiping the glass. He was meticulously clearing out the dirt stuck in the window tracks using all sorts of cleaning tools he owned.
“You’re back early. I thought you’d be out relaxing all day again.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean? Was I in the way?”
“I didn’t say a single word about that, did I?”
I know.
I know that without you saying it.
Still, couldn’t you have said something a bit more considerate?
Like, I was waiting for you, or I was about to cry without you here.
…Realizing I was hoping for words this guy would absolutely never say, I gave a wry smile.
“So, how’d it go? Did you finish writing the speech for your friend’s wedding?”
“…Not at all.”
Last night, right before bed, I was feeling down from exhaustion and the weight of responsibility… but talking to this guy somehow calms my heart.
“Man, this is tough.”
Why is that?
Why do I feel so at ease?
…Oh, I get it.
“Wanna work on it together?”
If I rely on Yamamoto, everything will be fine.
At some point, I’d come to place complete trust in this guy I live with.
It can’t be helped.
It really can’t be helped…
It’s only been about two months since I came here.
In that short time, just how much has this guy filled my life?
He’s given me so much.
He saved me from the nightmare of domestic violence.
He gave me a chance to reconnect with my estranged parents.
He arranged for me to reunite with my best friend.
And then… I fell in love, a love I wouldn’t trade for anything.
…So, it’s only natural that I rely on Yamamoto.
That’s why everything…
Everything is Yamamoto’s fault.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
I smiled.
Surely, without a doubt, if I rely on Yamamoto, everything will be okay.
This guy will definitely help me out again.
This guy will probably solve my problems in an instant.
“Why don’t you talk to Yamamoto-kun about it?”
Suddenly, I remembered what Akari said last night.
When Akari was overwhelmed with helplessness, her advice to me was… to rely on Yamamoto.
I saw myself in the Akari from back then.
And then, I realized.
…I see.
Akari.
You’ve been saved by Yamamoto too, haven’t you?
That’s why Akari… she was certain Yamamoto would figure things out, and that’s how she could give me that advice.
“…You’re a dangerous guy, you know that?”
“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
I decided to prepare lunch while waiting for Yamamoto to finish cleaning.
Glancing over, I noticed the pile of food I’d left in the kitchen.
“Hey… Yamamoto?”
“What’s up?”
“For lunch, how about a katsu bento, a tuna mayo rice ball, an egg sandwich, and some tonjiru?”
“Isn’t that kind of a lot?”
Yamamoto looked utterly bewildered.
