The next morning.
Since I was going out alone for the first time in a while, I put a bit of effort into dressing up and headed out.
“Huh…?”
Right after leaving the house, I heard a small voice from behind and instinctively turned around.
There was Kaori, her lips still curled in a grin as if she’d been smirking just moments ago, now staring at me with wide eyes.
“Morning, Kaori. Heading to Kohaku’s place again today?”
“Oh… uh, yeah… that’s the plan, but… what about you, Ao-kun?”
“Just going out.”
“Oh, wow…”
I was in a pretty good mood today, so I answered without hiding it, but Kaori seemed a bit taken aback.
What’s her deal? It’s summer vacation, so obviously I’d dress up a bit and go out to blow off some steam.
Not that I’m all that stressed or anything.
“Wanna come along, Kaori?”
“Wha—!?”
“?”
What’s with her today? She should know by now that I dress up when I go out alone.
If I’m in a good mood, inviting her along isn’t that weird, right?
“Oh, but you’re helping Kohaku study, aren’t you?”
“Um… where are you going?”
“Hmm? It’s a secret.”
Feeling a bit playful, I flashed her a grin. Kaori’s face instantly flushed bright red.
She looked like she’d have a hard time just walking next to me like this, so I turned on my heel, gave a light wave, and walked away.
My destination was the station.
A while back, Kaname took me on a local train ride to lift my spirits.
Last month, there was still a hint of the rainy season, but now it’s fully summer scenery.
Beyond the tunnel, the pale blue sea sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight.
The beach was crowded with people, adding to the summery vibe.
But today, the sea wasn’t my goal.
I arrived at a small coastal town.
After gazing at the ocean for a while, I stepped into a café near the station.
There, I caught sight of a female employee cleaning near the register.
She had an undeniably cute face, with neatly trimmed short black hair and a figure that filled out her apron in a way that rivaled even Tomo’s.
For some reason, she felt familiar, and I found myself wondering where I’d seen her before…
“Oh, welcome! Table for one?”
“Yeah. Um, haven’t we met somewhere before?”
I couldn’t recall her name, but I was almost certain she was someone I knew, so I asked.
“Huh!? Is this, like, a pickup line or something?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I just genuinely feel like we’re acquaintances.”
“Acquaintances…? I’m pretty sure I’d remember someone like you…”
Someone like me… Oh, right.
With my hair styled and earrings on, even if we knew each other, she might not recognize me.
“…My name’s Himura Aoi.”
When I quietly introduced myself, the employee’s eyes widened in surprise.
That reaction… Yeah, I’m right.
“Wait… Himura-kun?”
“Knew it. We do know each other, don’t we?”
But sorry, I can’t for the life of me remember your name.
“Oh, um, I’m Jushinin… Ruri!”
Jushinin…?
That’s it. It clicked.
That familiar last name and her use of “boku” for herself.
She was my classmate in second year of middle school.
Back when we were in the same class, for some reason, she didn’t know I was being bullied and just talked to me like it was the most normal thing.
After some classmates said stuff to her, she stopped approaching me before Golden Week, but our chat history still has the greeting stickers we exchanged right after swapping contacts.
“Wow… You actually remembered me?”
“No, I was just surprised. Your face felt so familiar. You weren’t here the last time I came to this place.”
“I’m not here on weekdays. I only work the floor on school holidays.”
“It’s summer vacation, and you’re working like that? You good?”
“Yeah, this is my cousin’s shop. Oh, right! Ahem, um… let me show you to your seat.”
With that, she smiled happily and led me to a terrace seat in the back.
After I placed my order, she brought me some water and sat down across from me.
“Still, I’m shocked. You’ve gotten so cool, Himura-kun.”
“Nah, I don’t usually look like this. We barely saw each other in third year, so… two and a half years, maybe?”
“Yeah, sounds about right. Um… are you doing okay now, Him指標
She was one of the few classmates who didn’t join in on the bullying, so she’s worried about me.
“Yeah, I’m doing fine in high school.”
“That’s good to hear. I know it’s not my place, but I’ve been worried about you for a long time.”
“Then you could’ve sent me a message or something.”
“As if I could! Not after how things ended!”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re making it sound like we were dating or something.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Teasing her lightly, I recalled our first meeting.
“Man, it’s been a while, but thinking back, you talking to me so casually back then, not knowing anything, was kind of a lifesaver for me.”
“Haha, you’re exaggerating. I didn’t do anything after that.”
“Not doing anything was better than what some people did, at least from my perspective.”
Still, being able to talk about old memories with someone without any bad blood—it really makes going out alone on a day like this feel great.
“Oh, by the way, why’d you come here alone today, Himura-kun?”
“Just needed a change of pace. Wanted to see some nice scenery and clear my head.”
“Hehe, I’m kinda happy to hear that. This place belongs to my cousin now, but it used to be my grandfather’s house. It’s got a great view of the sea. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and I love it.”
“I get that. The location’s amazing, seriously.”
From there, Jushinin and I kept digging up faint memories from the past, chatting away happily until evening.
☆Afterword──────────────────
Not a new heroine…
I just wanted to touch a bit on Aoi-kun’s refresh and his past.
She might show up later at the summer festival, maybe.
Jushinin-sensei, the homeroom teacher, and Ruri-chan are just a regular parent and child.
