I stopped contacting Kawashita, and he did the same until the inevitable happened. On Thursday, Kazuya and I went to lunch outside the university to meet with Nanami. The moment I stepped inside the restaurant, I spotted her and another uninvited person, Sano, her boyfriend.
Without hesitation, I swiveled back, but Kazuya grabbed me in the elbow. "There's no way you're leaving me alone with them."
"Tell me you didn't know about him then I'll stay." I glared at him.
"Would you have come if I told you?" he asked.
I sighed. I wouldn't. Removing Kazuya's hand, I turned around. For Nanami. For friendship. The only friendship I dared keep and maintain.
"I hate that she met him and that she's still with him," I muttered under my breath to Kazuya. "And I hate you for making me suffer through this."
"I know." He smiled. "I also know you like us enough to endure it."
Sano saw us first as we approached the table. He was a lean guy who stood and sat straighter than anyone I knew. His whole aura reeked of privilege and obnoxiousness. He stared at me with the same intensity of disdain I felt for him. It was the same glare he gave me when we met the first time when Nanami introduced him to us. I was wearing heels at that time, and it made all the difference.
Inhaling, I braced myself for an onslaught of underhanded insults, but Sano only gave a nod when Nanami noticed us as well. Everything went well and bearable until Sano finally turned his attention to me.
"Matsumoto," he said with his signature smirk plastered on his face, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I heard someone finally managed to endure your pleasing personality. Some pretty boy from some art school, huh?"
I stopped twirling the pasta with my fork, gritted my teeth, and scowled at Nanami. She put her hands together and raised it up slightly to her face albeit to her boyfriend's knowledge, her eyes pleading. I hadn't even told Nanami about Kawashita. I only gave Kazuya enough details to keep him off my back.
"You should introduce him to us," Sano continued. "Didn't you want to go on a triple date? How about we go see a movie this Saturday? Nanami wants to see that film adapted from the book of her favorite author."
"We'll see that?" Nanami's face lit up. "I thought you were busy this weekend."
"I can always make time." Sano winked at Nanami, and my stomach revolted. I tried to hide my wince, but Sano noticed it. "There is a pretty boy, right? He's not some guy you invented to act as your boyfriend."
Gripping my fork harder and openly glaring at him, I held in my tongue when Nanami patted Sano's shoulders and looked me in the eyes, hopeful. "Please, Reiko. He'll be there, right?"
As stiff as a wood, I nodded.
I messaged Kawashita that night, but his affirmation only came the next morning. But it didn't help my anxiety. What if they noticed we were not really together and that we were faking it? What if this stupid date made things more taut with Kawashita? Why did I ever said yes to Nanami?
When Saturday rolled around, something in my gut told me it was gonna go wrong. My fidgeting had also worsened. I jumped when my cellphone beeped signaling Kazuya's arrival at 8:30 to pick me up so we could go together to the station. I peeked at the veranda doors and saw him standing alone below. He was here, and Kawashita hadn't replied he'd meet us in the station.
I dropped an earring and stomped my foot, going back to the dresser, fumbling for another pair when another beeped came. I grabbed my phone. It was another from Kazuya. Frowning then exhaling, I hurried.
"Where's Nanami?" I asked as soon as Kazuya saw me. They used to go together since they lived next to each other for all of their lives.
"She's waiting at their doorsteps. Sano's picking her up or something."
We arrived first at our meeting place, Hongo-sanchome subway station near the university. After our first can of coffees and several glances at my phone, Nanami and her boyfriend came. Sano glanced around and cocked his head at me, smirking. Nanami's smile waned as she saw me grit my teeth and held a fist.
"Kawashita-san lives close, doesn't he, Reiko?" Nanami stared at me, her eyes pleading.
Inhaling deeply, I tilted my head and looked down on Sano. With Kazuya beside me and my three inches wedge heels, we were towering over them. I said with fake confidence, "Yes, he'll be here."
But that conviction dwindled with five minutes left to our agreed time and Kawashita was still not in sight. I checked my phone again for the nth time as I felt their eyes on me. On edge, I began tapping my foot. When I couldn't take it anymore, I nudged Kazuya. "Where's Tanaka-senpai? Is he meeting us on Shinjuku?"
"Hmm. He said he has to stop by at school first." He shifted his weight on his other foot. "But, seriously, Reiko, where's your boyfriend? Sano's going to make fun of you if he's not going to show up, and it won't be just for today."
I sighed. "Don't remind me. I don't even know what I'm doing here. Maybe I should just leave you with those two." I cocked my head to Nanami and Sano who were currently arguing what to eat for lunch.
"And to think you're the one who said she wanted to go on triple dates." Kazuya chuckled and shook his head. "But I know you wouldn't do that. You like Nanami as much as I do, and it's only one day. You can endure Sano and his antics. You and I can pretend as couples if your new boyfriend bails out on you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Are we going to leave him or are you finally going to call him instead of staring at your phone?"
We stared at each other as I considered the options. Pretending with Kazuya didn't seem bad, but Sano's ridicule and Kazuya's judging eyes got to me. I took out my phone, keyed in the password, and scrolled through the contact list when I heard Nanami.
"There. Isn't that him? Kaori showed me a picture of him last night."