1
.
He was ready to resume his efforts for his goals now that his remedials were completed.
Sara would undoubtedly assist him with everything, from the beginning to the completion of his narrative.
Shouta Kazehaya was set to start writing a narrative about a little boy's everyday existence in the country. He intended to teach the child how to support his family by caring for his family's rice farm.
The small child did everything and anything to gain the answer he desired as he tried to make sense of how enormous the world was. He'd been told since he was a youngster that the world was tiny, that they were the only people, and that the rest of the world lived inside the confines of towering, thick, and unyielding walls.
Shouta's narrative concept piqued Sara's interest, and she requested that he create a short version of the story first, or something similar.
"I'll try to write the first and very last part of this story…"
Little does he know, it would take him around six months to complete his story.
"Are you sure…?"
Sara questioned Shouta's plan for his own narrative.
For her, the concept was ridiculous, but she could understand what Shouta was thinking and where his tale was going.
"Yeah, I'm sure that it'll work"
Shouta smiled and continued to write.
"Even so, you're helping with the backgrounds, right?"
"Yes, and any other aspect with you have a hard time drawing it"
That wasn't all. Sara would help Shouta in many different aspects.
To begin with, Shouta isn't very skilled at writing or anything comparable. Sara, on the other hand, had studied and practiced the world's most widely spoken language. Mastering all aspects of the language: grammar, writing, vocabulary, speaking, and so on.
Knock. Knock. Someone stood and knocked in front of the other side of the door to Shouta's room. It was Yamamoto Kaede, bringing cups of tea for Shouta and Sara.
"Thank you, Miss Yamamoto. You can just put the tea on my desk"
While Kaede put the tea on Shouta's desk beside his bed, Shouta continued to brainstorm ideas.
It was the start of the weekend, so Shouta had nothing to worry about tomorrow. He could even stay up all night and work hard for his story. Kaede would sit beside him and keep him accompanied if he wished for her to do that.
"Sara, could you stay here for the night?"
"H-huh?!"
The world. Space. Time. The three stopped for Sara Fujiwara.
Shouta's [answer] to Sara's love was two days ago. And Sara, even though she doesn't show it, her heart and feelings would melt every time she walked, sat, and or talked to Shouta. On the other hand, Shouta was also the same as Sara but he was able to control the feeling.
—But he still feels regret after many years ignoring Sara's messages.
"I… u-uhmm"
Sara's usual expressionless face disappeared and her eyes couldn't look at Shouta at that moment.
"It's okay"
"H-huh?"
"If you're too embarrassed to sleep with me, you could use Mia's room. She won't be coming home tonight"
——
———
————
—————She won't be coming home tonight.
The day before, Sara was called by Mia to go to the nearest cafe from her school. Sara was not given further explanation than that.
The doors opened as the beautiful brown haired highschooler walked in.
She looked around her to search for Mia but she couldn't find her on any tables.
"—yo! Sara!"
From behind the counter, she was called.
Shouta, dressed in his cafe uniform and holding a cup of macchiato, approached.
Sara blushed as she walked into the location where Shouta was doing his half-time job, and when it came time for Shouta's shift, she met him at such an awkward location.
"Sho—"
"Kazehaya!"
Sara's voice was cut by a fragile voice from around the corner of her shoulder.
When she looked over her shoulder, someone came running past her and went behind the counter, to where Shouta was standing.
"You made the wrong drink for the person in table 3"
"Ahh, I'm so sorry… let me apologize to the per—"
"You don't really need to, I've already apologized"
"Ahh…"
Shouta was about to walk to the table before the girl stopped him from apologizing.
The both of them went back to work after that and not long after it, the two finished their shifts.
"Haah… that was tiring"
Shouta said as he sat down and drank a bottle of water.
"When did you have a half time job?"
"Last summer. sorry I didn't told you"
"It's fine"
"..."
It has been almost two months since Shouta started his half time job. He hated the job at first but it grew on him that it was fun talking to customers that were buying his hand-made drinks.
"Oh yeah, you are here because Mia called you, right?"
"Yes, she did call me. Where is she now?"
"She's probably down at the beach"
"Why is she down there?"
"I don't know… probably playing with the sand?"
Sara walked away from the place where Shouta was taking a break while waiting for his next shift without saying anything further. It was then that she realized Shouta was dressed in a masculine uniform that was really adorable. It had a black and white headband with a white apron on the front.
Sara found herself on top of the shichirigahama dunes after descending the steps and onto the sandy beach below. As the seaside air touched her, her basic teal dress swayed.
On top of that, a lonely girl stood on the same beach as Sara, staring out to the horizon.
"The distance of the horizon that can be seen with the naked eye is four kilometer"
The girl said.
"Yes, that's true"
Sara replied.
"Sara-san"
"Yes?"
"I won't be coming home for a week"
Sara went silent after that.
For someone who knew almost every word there is in the dictionary, it was supposed to be easy to say something. But for that moment, Sara was unable to bring up words.
"I know that this is sudden news for you but I was expecting for you to react composely"
"I'm sorry… It is sudden news for me"
The girl turned around, her dress danced with the wind.
"While I'm gone, I'm sure my brother will feel lonely"
"..."
"T-this might be a crazy favor to ask… but"
"But?"
"Would stay at my room for the moment I'm gone"
"Why is that?"
"Brother usually feels at ease wherever my room has someone using it"
"...."
"So if you don't mind…"
"Wait, I have a question first"
"?"
Mia tilted her head, awaiting for Sara's question.
"Does your brother really get lonely without you?"
"...w-well, yes. Before you two started to date each other, he always sleep on the floor of my room"
"——"
"I was surprised to see him sleeping on the floor, beside my bed. And when I asked him before he goes to school, he always says that he doesn't like being lonely"
"——"
It had happened all day before Sara and Shouta started their relationship a real thing. Before that, Shouta would sometimes walk alone to his school, thinking to himself. Why?
—A junior highschooler would get it. You would prefer being lonely but always thinking to yourself, why you are lonely.
Shouta had been catching glimpses of Sara strolling with another boy since the beginning of junior high school. In his perspective, the boy was having fun with her, whilst Sara was the polar opposite.
That was the case. Sara disliked being friends with someone from her high school. She is known as the goddess of everything at this institution. Acing tests, having the best body for a girl her age, and being capable of doing anything.
Everyday. Every single hour. Every single minute. She was not going to be left alone. From right to left, boys. Sara drew the attention of even the upperclassmen.
Returning to Shouta. It crushed his heart to watch Sara with another boy. Since then, he has always felt lonely and has refused to speak to his peers.
He was at the point of wanting to have someone to talk to other than his parents. And the one that was close to him, other than his parents, was his sister.
.
2
.
"Shouta"
"Sorry sorry… I had to do somethings first"
It was now the day after Sara helped Shouta with his story plans. The night didn't last long, Shouta had to tuck himself into bed because he was too tired to continue. And—
He didn't go to Mia's room.
Yes. Sara was staying for the night there and she followed Shouta's words and she slept in Mia's room. Of course, because she was the guest and stayed in someone else's room, she felt that she had to keep it clean. And keep it clean she did.
"What were you doing?"
The two started walking when Sara asked a question.
"I had to check how Mia is doing"
"Through a call?"
"Yeah"
Shouta smiled as he answered Sara's question.
"So where do you want to go first?"
Shouta asked.
"——"
They were standing in front of the Koshigoe railroad station. They wouldn't need to use the train if they were going anywhere close to Shouta's residence.
Sara's cheeks flushed as she tried to cover it by glancing in the opposite way, which Shouta couldn't notice.
"E—e"
". . ."
At that current moment, Sara was undoubtedly shy. Totally the opposite of her usual dead face demeanor.
"Ice cream"
"Oh… where is that?"
"I-it isn't a shop!"
"Oh sorry, I mean… Where is the store?"
Shouta was holding his phone and using the internet searcher to discover the greatest retailer in his neighborhood. In his search field, he kept entering "ice cream store near me." He found five of the greatest stores around him on the internet.
The two were already seated on top of a bench in front of the station's edge, next to a beverage vending machine.
He was able to identify the best one out of the five that were near to the station using his black phone and a subpar internet service that he purchased with his own money.
And so they left the station, even though they had paid for the train. As their foot touched the asphalt that was outside the station, Shouta said to Sara to follow him.
"Is it far?"
"It's a 5 minute walk from here, maybe less"
The ice cream shop they were going to was selling stacked ice creams and waffle ice creams.
"Are they expensive?"
"Well…"
It wasn't to say that the ice cream shop Shouta picked was the best out of the whole Kanagawa prefecture. He chose that shop because it had good reviews and was the cheapest out of the five best ones.
To put it simply, Shouta was trying to save money but get the best taste.
.
3
.
The serene and tranquil neighborhood, where everyone knew and cared about one another. The running water of the river opposite their residences could be heard due to the quiet background. The balance was suddenly disrupted by a scream.
"It hurts!!!!"
A small child, kneeling with his knees near his head and his hands holding his hair, screamed. The youngster moaned in agony while his companion stared at him, saying nothing but offering him water to drink.
"Have you calmed down?"
The young lady inquired.
The situation seemed like something out of a normal romantic story, with the girl assisting the male who was in agony since he ate an ice cream too quickly. His teeth, in addition to his head, were hurting.
The girl then led the boy to the nearest chair, who was still in anguish. Unfortunately for them, there were no empty chairs in front of the ice cream shop; everyone was eating, drinking, talking, and having the time of their lives. They were all smiling, oblivious to the fact that someone was in pain, like if he was being repeatedly stabbed in the head with little needles.
While being unfortunate, the boy pointed at a brick wall that belonged to the ice cream shop.
"Carry me there, I'll just sit on the floor"
With each word he uttered, the boy's voice trembled.
He let out a delighted sigh as he was dragged and sank to the ground with his back against the wall. Even while his head was still hurting, it wasn't as bad as it had been.
"Do you want me to buy you anything other than an ice cream?"
The girl, Sara Fujiwara, asked him.
"I'd rather go home…"
His low voice felt cold. He was giving up on walking.
"Life is miserable"
"What are you saying…?"
"Please, let me die in peace"
"Stop joking, Shouta"
.
4
.
They planned to go on another date the next day after they went to the ice cream store. However, they would have to wait for a bit because it was already the beginning of a new week.
School has started once more.
Sara Fujiwara, sitting alone at her desk in a classroom, gazed out the window to see the sky steadily darkening. The outside world was growing dark and a cool air was settling in, despite the fact that it was the start of the first period.
We won't be able to go on another date…
When Shouta realized the same sky was growing dark, he had the same idea.
Sara and Shouta decided to eat in their individual classrooms during the break using an internet chat app.
So, rather than heading down and dining beneath the tree where the two of them used to dine, Shouta opted to eat alone. That is, until Ichika got closer and closer to his desk, making him feel less "alone."
"Kazehaya, can I eat with you?"
Ichika asked as she sat in front of Shouta, using another student's chair. Without Shouta's answer, she had opened her bento box and started eating without Shouta's consent. Well, she doesn't need it anyways.
Shouta ignored her question as she saw her sitting down and eating in front of him, but he was grateful that someone that he knew was in the same class as him.
Sara was attending a different class beside his classroom, and Yuki Ao was absent because he was sick.
"Kazehaya…"
"Hm?"
"Without Sara's presence, do you feel lonely?"
"Yeah… Why are you asking me this?"
"Without Yuki, you pretty much don't have anyone to talk to in this class"
"Yeah, so?"
"Make more friends, duh"
"..."
"..."
Shouta looked around in silence. Since it was starting to rain outside, the classroom was half full with all of the students talking, eating with each other. Some of them were standing beside their friends, and some moved their desks closer to their friends.
Shouta looked back at Ichika, and down to his lunch.
"Don't want to"
"..."
"..."
The fate of getting the "awkward quiet" fell upon them. Shouta was waiting for Ichika to say something. While on the other hand, Ichika was refusing to say anything and awaits a reason without asking for one.
"..."
"..."
The two were still silent, even after a thunder had struck close by and made everyone jump, both of them stared at each other's souls and not showing a sign of looking away.
Suddenly, the silence was broken because of not the school bell ringing nor the fact there were multiple thundering sounds outside of their classroom. Both felt a sharp but quick pain in their head. Someone had hit their heads.
"What are you two doing?"
"Huh?"
Shouta asked, looking to his right.
"Hmmm?"
Ichika grinned as she looked towards Shouta and then the presence that was beside her.
"Ichika, can you leave us alone?"
"Hehe…"
Ichika grinned again as she stood up, ready to leave the young couple.
"Sure do, but please don't make a ruckus… it'll be hell to calm down the class if they start to talk about you two"
"Yes, I won't make a scene"
"Thank you very much, Fujiwara"
Ichika left the two alone, heading back to her desk.
Even though they were left alone by Ichika, Shouta could feel her intense gaze from afar.
"So, what do you want?"
Shouta said in a calm tone.
"About our next date… it won't happen until the storm passes us"
"And… How long is the storm going to be here?"
Sara grabbed her phone from her pocket and scrolled through the web to find what she wanted to show to Shouta.
"The forecast predicts that the storm would last only two days, today is the first, so the storm would end on Wednesday morning. But on Wednesday, I have to submit another twenty pages for another chapter…"
"Damn… you're busy now, huh?"
"Yes, I actually have another job now, that is to photograph the thing that you like the most"
"Did you get any good ones?"
"Sadly, no because the thing that I like the most is always conveniently show up at the time I wasn't bringing my camera"
"..."
"..."
"Are you talking about me?"
"Yes. You would show up at time when I'm not holding my camera"
"..."
"..."
The two faces went hot red. Shouta was barely holding on to the grasp of reality and trying so hard not to look away from Sara. Meanwhile Sara was having a hard time trying not to make a scene because in her mind, all she wanted to say was "I love you" to Shouta.
A simple three words but the meaning of it can be very deep.
For almost ten minutes, the two didn't speak a word.
On the other side of the class, the only one audience that was listening to their conversation was starting to get anxious and bored.
Just as I guess… romance is pointless.
With that, the unsatisfied Ichika smiled.
.
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5
.
"We're home!" The two hurriedly said as they entered Shouta's house.
Their clothes were soaked. Shouta lost his tie due to the high winds, and he also fell into a ditch because the winds were too strong and he couldn't see well. For Sara, her clothes were flying everywhere as she was walking with Shouta from the station to his house.
"This is bad, I'll get towels for you two"
Mia said when she caught his brother soaked and was freezing.
Mia had arrived home early, before the storm arrived. She was away for a quick photoshoot with her friends.
Shouta and Sara stood still in front of the front door of the house, to not make the floor inside wet, they waited for Mia to bring them a towel.
Shouta didn't look behind him, nor did he want to. What was behind him was Sara wearing her soaked transparent clothes, revealing what was inside.
"Don't look…"
"I won't. I won't"
Though it was reality, it was weird to hear Sara saying something like that. Before they started dating, she would do any obscene acts to draw Shouta's attention. But that was a back up plan. She knew doing such a thing would not just attract Shouta's attention, but also other people. The most obscene act she already did was the surprise kiss she did in front of the whole school.
"Brother!" Mia called her brother as she ran down the stairs, bringing two clean towels for her brother and Sara. "Close your eyes for a moment, I want to help Sara dry up first"
"Alright"
"Come on Sara-san, miss Yamamoto has prepared a hot bath for you"
"U-uh… but"
"Come on! Or you'll catch a cold!"
Sara was gone by the second Mia pulled her inside the house. Shouta could only smile hearing both of his little sister and his new girlfriend's voice.
"Hehe…"
Shouta let out a small giggle.
Sara was hurriedly brought into the bathroom and her clothes were forcibly taken off by Mia. She yelled at first but then calmed down the next second because of the scent of the bathroom she was in.
"You must be tired, right? I'll wash your back for you"
Mia said as she brought a small stool and held in her left hand a bar of soap and in the other P.H. She was already excited to wash her back, like she was ready for this moment and this moment only.
"N-no… Mia"
"Why?"
Mia asked as a frown formed on her face.
"W-well…"
"It's okay! We're close, right?"
"En… yeah, that's true"
"So there's no problem, right?"
"..."
"I'll go slow because I don't know what speed you prefer"
"..."
Returning to Shouta, who had changed clothes and was about to leave and go to the kitchen to cook something warm, he was now inside his room.
As he descended the stairs, he spotted the three adults in the house conversing in the kitchen. The rain made it difficult for him to listen in on their chat. As a result, he made the decision to make tea later.
He only had one window in his room, which faced the city's beach.
—oh, it was a poor idea.
The lighting made the silhouette of Enoshima frightening the instant he laid his eyes on the black abyss that was the horizon. Shouta leapt as if he'd seen a monster, although it wasn't because of Enoshima's shadow, but rather because of the subsequent booming thunder.
"Scared of the thunder?"
He heard a voice behind him.
The silhouette of a man was standing at the door as he turned his eyes around to see who was the person asking him. To no one's surprise, it was his father.
"Is Sara done?"
Shouta asked.
"Nah, I heard the two of them talking about you"
"That's… embarrassing…"
"Hahah, I feel you kid"
"..."
"..."
—
"So how's your manga doing?"
"I haven't draw it yet, not even a panel"
"For real?"
"For real…"
His father—Kado Kazehaya—walked towards his desk that was crowded with sheets of papers that had drawings of Shouta's ideas, of course with the help of Sara.
"Who drew this?"
Kado said as he shuffled through the papers.
"Sara did"
Shouta answered as he grabbed a clean towel from his closet and fresh new clothes from on top of his bed. He had a feeling Sara was already done taking a bath, so why not be ready.
Before leaving his bedroom, Kado complimented his and Sara's work.
"Wow, I like your idea. The main character is just like you"
"How?! Even though I'm the one who wrote the main character, I didn't make him based on me!"
"A wonderful accident"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, first of all—"
—It wasn't like the Shouta now.
The Earth had been devastated, and mankind was fighting for survival. The world has been ruled by giants, and mankind is unable to coexist with them. The giants were irrational and lacked a sophisticated intellect. They moved in a haphazard and unpredictable manner through the plains and into the darkness of the vast forest.
Some attempted to assassinate one of the giants by surprising it from behind, but he was crushed by the giant's hands and devoured the next minute.
The giants shook 80% of the world's inhabitants, with the remaining 20% settling on an island near the mainland's shore. It wasn't quite off the continent's shore; a large body of water separated it from the mainland. The giants, however, continued to swim over to the island.
"—that's the premise of my story… just read ahead to the main character…"
Kado, on the other hand, continued to read it.
The ruler of the island created fortifications to safeguard his island dominion and the people who were moving there.
.
—Slowly entering the bathtub she exhaled a long breath.
The warm water felt like messages on her skin and it was helping her after getting soaked in the storm outside.
"This feels nice…"
Back at her apartment, she doesn't have a water heater, so she needs to use cold water all of the time, even in the winter. As a consequence, she would easily become cold, but would quickly warm herself under her kotatsu. In the winter, she'd sleep under the kotatsu until summer arrived.
Her body was relaxed, and she was gently falling into the bathtub, her nose remaining above the water to breathe.
She started singing the same tune Shouta sang on the beach months earlier out of boredom.
She pictured every message she penned and every idea she had back then as she closed her eyes.
The song was written just for Shouta. Sara wrote the song entirely on her own.
It's title:
"—Pleasure"
"—Pleasure"
"..."
"..."
someone had pushed open the door.
She had previously overheard a conversation outside the restroom doors. It seemed like Shouta was talking about the song she created, so Mia inquired about the title.
It was a coincidence that they stated it at the same moment, and at an inconvenient time as well.
In the next instant, as both laid eyes on eachother, two screams were muffled by the rain outside.
.
.
.
In the dining room, where dinner had already started, Shouta walked downstairs to join in the fun that was the warmth of the kotatsu.
"What took you so long?"
Sara came up to him, holding a small bowl that was filled with hot pot.
"Well… uhh"
"?"
Cutely tilting her head, Sara waited for Shouta's answer.
"Ehh…"
Suddenly, his eyes caught someone with long black hair laughing from the kotatsu where everyone, except the two of them, were sitting.
"Do you want a moment with her?"
It was Tohru, now asking Shouta if he would want to be left alone. Or maybe, she was suggesting they would wait for them to finish talking before eating.
"Y-yeah… sure"
Inside Shouta's bedroom, where it was clean and private. Plus, the sound of the rain will help reduce the sound they were making.
"What do you want to talk about, Shouta?"
"Look, Sara… over here"
Sara was standing near the door and Shouta stood behind his desk, pointing his finger on a paper about his story.
"—well… this isn't what I want to tell you, but you should see it for yourself"
"What is it?"
Sara's eyes were already fixed onto the paper when she realized what was on it, so Shouta picked it up and showed it to her. Her face lit up with a wide grin.
It was a letter from a well-known publishing house called Chichona, which has produced masterpieces in the past.
"It's a big step…"
However, when she saw what was on Shouta's face, her wide grin was dimmed.
It was a shaky smile. One that one may notice on someone who is undecided about their worth. And that was precisely what was going on. Shouta wasn't sure if he was ready or deserving of this opportunity. He was afraid that his efforts might disappoint others. But what he feared most was———
"—Shouta, it's okay!"
"Huh?"
That once unsure face disappeared when Sara held his hand.
"I will help!"
"..."
Shouta, despite still having all of those negative thoughts in his head, forcefully smiled at Sara.
—Which didn't work to deceive her.
"If there's something wrong, please tell me"
"—"
"If you think your drawing isn't good, I'll help you!"
"——"
"——don't feel like you're unworthy…"
"—"
"Shouta—"
"I know! I know!"
"...huh?"
"I know that you're going to help me with the illustrations. I know you're going to help me with the writing. I know you're going to help me if I make any mistakes ever imaginable!!!"
"T-then why are you still faking your smile!"
"—!!"
Shouta turned around furiously and was ready to shout the moment his eyes made contact with Sara's.
"It's just… too soon!!!"
Six months haven't passed. Three months has passed, Shouta managed, with the help from his father and Sara, to write his characters. With the help of his father, he was able to make the world building not dull. With the help of Sara, he was able to learn to keep his art consistent.
And when Kado gave him a chance to make his story into a real, physical book, Shouta was exceedingly happy. He was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling for the next five minutes.
Until, he realized just how fast he had progressed. For him, it was too fast. For someone who had just made the idea of an almost extinct human race, and their most feared foe are giants, he felt like it was still too little.
—He wasn't ready, yet.
Then, why did he not say it to Kado?
Because—
"——If I were to give the chance to make my story into a book, I'd take it, no matter what"
That was his old mindset. He said that because he didn't think that it would actually be made into a real book. He was unsure if he was ready for his work to become public, and for people to buy and read.
—He wasn't ready to get criticized by people other than the ones who are close to him.
But should he turn down this opportunity?
"No"
Exactly.
.
.
.
It was well after everyone had eaten the hot pot, and the storm outside was starting to calm down. It looked like the storm was about to pass them earlier than the weather forecast had predicted.
While everyone went to their room to go to bed, Shouta stayed in the living room to watch another episode of an anime about a highschooler's ordinary life. It was just a generic slice-of-life anime, adapting it from the light novel. Shouta had two copies of the story and he enjoyed it quite well.
When the opening started, Shouta left to get a glass of juice. Then, suddenly, he heard a furious knocking on the door as he was about to sit down on the couch again.
Before deciding whether to open the door or not, he walked to the intercom of the house and checked who was outside through the screen. Through the screen, it was connected to a camera in front of his front door. To no one's surprise, it was pitch black and only raindrops could be seen.
But, incase there was someone in front of the door, he walked to the front door and opened it so that it would make a small crack for him to look outside—
"——!!"
Someone rushed out of the shadows and closed Shouta's mouth, stopping him from speaking or yelling.
The individual's clothing was moist, and Shouta's mind had already made up its mind that the person had been standing and waiting in front of the door for a long time. It was either that or the person—Shouta had figured out it was a girl—who was wandering through the rain with no one willing to open their doors for her.
That doesn't explain why she'd assault Shouta, though.
"—oh, it's just you…?"
"Eh?"
With a more clear sight of the girl's face, Shouta noticed her face as someone he knew since starting highschool.
"Shouta"
"—!"
Shouta, startled, turned to face the source of the voice. He knew who it was, but he needed to double-check his supposition.
"Can you tell me who this girl is?"
Shouta's gaze returned to the girl perched on top of him. He could see the girl's grin as she revealed her true identity.
The girl introduced herself as soon as she stood up.
"Well… I got a little carried away there…"
"Ichika"
"Yeah, it's me!"
Takanashi Ichika, dressed in a black sweatshirt and black shorts, was going through the streets when it began to rain fiercely. The Koshigoe train station was the closest spot for her to take refuge.
"I thought I could ride the train back home… hehe"
So she sat on a chair near the vending machine that sold hot and cold beverages while waiting for the train.
"And then, I saw you both running across the street. I didn't think too much about it though, until about an hour later"
Ichika held her chin, her other hand holding the other, her face then became red as she sneezed.
"Sara, could you grab a towel for her?"
"Yeah, of course"
"Thank you very much you two!"
"What were you doing anyways? Didn't you see the forecast?"
Shouta asked Ichika as he went to the kitchen to make a hot cup of tea for her. Well, he was about to grab the jar that had the tea in it but it was at that second, Yamamoto decided that she would be the one who would brew the tea. And again, Shouta had to sit down and wait because it was a maid's job to service their masters.
Ichika had to wait where Shouta had to when he was soaked in rain water. It was her first time inside of his house. The room near the front door was a bit bigger than she had expected. Before they became friends, she imagined Shouta to be a normal boy that lived in a normal house. One was correct, but the other was wrong.
"—Ichika, didn't you see the forecast today?"
"Huh? What forecast?"
"Wait, didn't you get a notification on your phone?"
"Oh"
"Oh?"
"I forgot to bring my phone…"
So that explains how she didn't know about the rain. But wasn't it obvious it was going to rain? The sky turned dark and cold winds came in from the beach. It was clear that it was going to rain. Then, it was for a fact that Ichika wasn't stupid enough to forget about her phone. She was also there when Sara talked about the forecast. So how did she forget about it?
"..."
Despite knowing all the above, Shouta decided to stay silent and waited for Sara to bring Ichika the towel.
Not long after that, Sara ran down the stairs and brought the towels Shouta requested for Ichika.
"Thank you, Sara"
"No problem, Shouta did this to me too"
"...? So are you going to do the same to Shouta?"
"..."
"..."
"I wish I could"
So, how should Shouta get drenched in water once more? Should he just tell Sara that she doesn't have to do the same sort of thing for him because there are other ways to make him happy?
—Maybe later, when they're alone.
.
6
.
The giants roamed the land where humanity once stood. Those who are left outside the walls would perish.
"So is that how you want the story to be?"
Sara asked as she leaned in to get a good look at the paper.
"Hmm… but I feel that there's something missing here"
"Like what?"
"I, don't know"
"..."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Sorry, I would like to help but I have no ideas right now"
"Ah, it's okay…"
It was the day after Ichika came to stay at Shouta's house because she can't go back to her own house. She had to use Shouta's phone to call her mother and tell her that she wouldn't be back home until the storm passed.
"You can use my room, I'll sleep on the couch"
Shouta said as he was about to move all of his work down to the living room. Sara and Ichika watched him as he left the room, stumbling on his pen as it fell down from his hand.
"Shouta, why don't you go sleep with Mia, and I'll sleep with Ichika in you room"
"I can't sleep with Mia…"
"?"
Shouta's response to her proposition was a little strange. Mia had told her that her brother was lonely at times and that he would go to her room every night to feel less lonely. What had transpired, though?
—He had stopped for some time since you and him started dating. He does, however, visit my room—
Oh, yes. Mia said the same thing to her. He had nearly entirely stopped due to Sara's proximity to Shouta.
"Alright then, I'll sleep with you!"
"—hey! Wait!"
Ichika attempted to reach Sara with her hands, preventing her from leaving herself alone in a boy's room. Sara was too fast at the moment, and the doors were closing so quickly that she missed it in a blink.
"Ugh… those two"
Accepting defeat, Ichika sat down right where she stood. It was near Shouta's bed and his work desk, where he would keep his papers and work utensils for doing homework or drawing.
She looked around at the big room. It was rather large in comparison to her own room. The room managed to fit in a wide desk, a single bed, a closet, another desk and on top of that desk was a plant.
"Hm, didn't know Kazehaya was a plant type of kid…"
In front of the plant was a paper, or more of a tag. It had the name of the plant and when it was purchased by him.
"Oh, he had been doing it for a while"
It was a bonsai tree. It looked like it was still in healthy shape and, for Ichika, it smelled good.
"Hehe… it looks like one of those trees you would find in time travel story"
She smiled humorously as she rubbed her fingertips against the tree's bark and slowly crawled up one of the branches. The branch was little, yet it may be powerful enough to shatter with a modest amount of force.
"I wonder what he's like in the past?"
Now, she was curious.
For her, someone like Shouta would just live alone and have no friends. In her eyes, Shouta was no more than a determined child with no clue what the real world has inhold for him. To her, Shouta would let his feelings control rather than his brains.
One of her expectations was met when they first met at the beach. Shouta was trembling, but it wasn't his body, but his voice was trembling. Slipping one or two words.
But then, once hearing the story of his little sister, Sara had a change of thoughts about him.
"You know, Kazehaya"
"Hm? What is it?"
It was the day before the presentation, and they both needed to go out and get what they required. They were both standing in front of a type three train that was travelling to Fujisawa, where they would acquire the materials for the presentation.
They entered the train as the doors opened and opted to stand up while traveling. It wasn't exhausting at first, but thankfully, there was a holder to cling onto if Shouta became fatigued.
They didn't say much on the train, and the remainder of the trip was silent; even their classmates, who used to be rowdy during class and breaks, are now quiet and don't even speak to one another.
The train's bells rang and the doors opened. The passengers were to go out first before the ones who wanted to get in.
"So where to go first?"
"We gotta buy some papers, high quality ones"
"Isn't that too much?"
"No"
"You got the money, right?"
"Oh, we're going to combine our money"
"..."
"..."
"Wait… combine?"
"Yeah! Your money and my money for the paper!"
"..."
How do I say this… I can't just say "NO!", that's going to make me look like a meany!
Shouta was overthinking the situation. And on the opposite side, Ichika was anticipating Shouta to say no but as they arrived in front of the store, Ichika had a second thought.
"Wait, Kazehaya"
"What is it?"
Shouta was about to enter the store but his uniform was getting tugged by Ichika.
"I… uhh… what about buying a cheaper one…?"
"Huh? I thought you wanted high quality ones?"
"Well… uhh…. Maybe there are other high quality papers that are not expensive?"
"Well, there must be one or two"
"Let's go there instead"
"Oh, okay"
Ichika turned around and walked back to the station. Shouta followed behind her, admiring her back.
Ichika was wearing her uniform but, for Shouta, it seemed that her uniform looked different from the others. Sara's back looked normal like any other girls in the school but, something about Ichika made his mind think hard.
But quickly, Shouta shook his head and forgot what he saw just then and continued to walk, now beside Ichika to try and stop staring at her back.
.
.
.
Mia Kazehaya took her phone from the drawer beside her bed where it was charged, inside her room, with the lights turned off.
She perched on the side of her bed as she carefully got out of bed and turned on her phone, where she received three texts she had been waiting for.
Nee-san: Hey, you said that tomorrow is your brother's birthday, right? Say, could you tell me what he likes the most?
It was Koizumi's message, which she had sent an hour before.
Mia had spoken to her about her brother two hours prior. And, when she was talking about her brother, she mentioned his birthday and how eager she was for the occasion.
You: Books! Novels! Mangas!
Mia sent the message with cheerfulness. She was smiling even though she had just woken up. The clock in her phone had only hit five in the morning.
Nee-san: Alright! Thank you for telling me!