Later that day, Kentaro and Haruki lounged in the shade of the bleachers near the sports field, Haru perched a couple of benches above Ken. If they hadn't coincidentally bumped into each other in the corridors, Haru would have already headed home as originally planned.
"Hey, what's up with the glasses?" Haruki couldn't contain his curiosity. Ken's new look had caught him off guard earlier.
After the chaotic encounter with those three seniors, Haruki had regained his usual cheerful self, relieved that Ken's injuries were minor. Thankfully, the school nurse was absent during their visit to her office. It would have been troublesome if they were questioned about Ginger's bruises.
"I thought you would've figured it out," Kentaro responded, his mind seemingly preoccupied. "Especially since you always teased me about my handwriting."
Haruki chuckled.
"I only wrote big words to avoid having to wear glasses all the time," Ginger explained.
"Have you ever considered wearing contacts?"
He hadn't. But setting that aside, Kentaro changed the subject. "Do you enjoy brawling?"
Haruki's smile faltered at the sudden question. He struggled to come up with an immediate response.
"It's okay if you don't want to answer," Kentaro assured him.
Haruki pretended to admire the scenery. "I... I don't know. Not always..."
"Did you really want to beat them all up?" Kentaro asked again.
The other person scratched his head. "Um..."
"If I hadn't stopped you, would you have done it?" Ginger persisted, his hands gripping the straps of his satchel. Haruki remained silent once again, leaving Ken to continue, "It's just that... you seemed so different. And you didn't say a word the entire time we were in the nurse's office."
"Oh, that," Haruki laughed. "But didn't I mention that I knew how to fight before? Don't tell me you're scared of me now."
He meant it as a playful tease, but seeing Ken freeze made Haruki feel a tinge of anxiety.
"Wait, are you really?"
Kentaro was an open book. He quickly denied it. "No, I was just concerned."
"For them?"
"For both sides, including you," Ginger avoided eye contact. "It wouldn't have looked good if everyone ended up injured."
Observing the other's speech and actions, Haruki finally let out a snicker. "Yeah, you're right. It probably would've ended badly."
Kentaro breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, in the end, you decided to attend this school. You could've at least let me know," Haruki changed the subject, much to Kentaro's relief. He took out an apple from his bag and began eating while they conversed. "I was thinking all sorts of negative things."
"I've been busy, that's why I haven't been in touch or visited. I was out of town."
"Really? Where did you go? Back home?" Haru asked between bites.
Kentaro nodded, though his expression didn't reflect much excitement.
"At least now I know you haven't been avoiding me," Haruki felt a wave of relief and prepared to take out his lunch. However, he suddenly noticed that Kentaro sat there without any clear intention of eating. "Aren't you hungry?"
"Mm..." Kentaro hummed, but his grumbling stomach betrayed him. The situation became instantly awkward.
"Are you sure?" Haruki smiled, already aware that his friend was starving.
"I forgot to buy lunch," Ginger finally admitted.
Haruki suppressed his laughter, still amused by the comical expression on Ken's face whenever he was embarrassed.
"Why didn't you mention it earlier? We could've gone to the cafeteria," Haruki suggested as he rummaged through his own bag.
"I didn't know there was one," Kentaro grumbled. He turned his head when he felt something nudging his shoulder, only to find Haruki pressing a black rectangular container against his face.
Haruki was offering him his bento.
"This is yours," Kentaro stated, looking at him.
"And I'm giving it to you," Haruki waved the container around, urging him to take it already. "My hand's getting tired."
After some reluctance, Kentaro finally accepted the lunch box and stared at it. He still seemed hesitant to open it.
Just as he was about to do so, Ginger felt movement next to him and saw Haruki placing a can of grape juice beside him. He glanced at Haruki, who had already returned to his seat, acting as if nothing had happened.
"I'm not thirsty," Kentaro said flatly.
"I never said you were," Haruki carefreely continued enjoying his apple.
Kentaro felt a little helpless. "What about you?"
"Am I not already eating? I have another one."
"... Fine," Ken took the can and stuffed it into his bag before turning back to Haru with the bento box in hand. He handed it over. "Here, take it back."
"I gave it to you," Haruki refused.
"I don't want it."
Haruki's expression turned pitiful. "Don't you like my cooking anymore?"
"That's not it—"
"You hate me?"
Ah? Kentaro finally dropped the issue and accepted both items. Muttering a quick "Thank you for the food," he opened the box, grabbed the chopsticks, and began eating quietly.
Haruki relinquished his pitiful charade with a satisfied sigh, leaning back against the bench. Observing Ken devour his meal with the hunger of someone who had skipped breakfast, a thought crossed Haru's mind. Casually, he inquired, "Do you always order takeout?"
Kentaro nodded absentmindedly.
"All the time?"
The ginger-haired boy nodded once more.
"Hmm," Haruki's curiosity was piqued, "Then the nanny isn't doing her job."
Only then did Kentaro recall his previous admission and froze.
Haruki pretended not to notice and pressed on, "Is she taking care of you properly?"
"...Yeah."
"But she doesn't cook for you?" he raised an inquisitive brow.
"She doesn't need to," Ginger's tone was rigid.
Oh really? "I'd like to meet her someday," Haru expressed suddenly.
"Why?"
"Just curious to know what she's like."
"There's no need," Kentaro continued eating, but he chose his next words carefully.
"Come on."
"It doesn't concern you."
Now Haruki was genuinely concerned.
"Ginger, be honest, is that housekeeper mistreating y—"
"Drop it," Ken interrupted with a suppressed voice. "I already told you it's none of your business."
"This again," Haruki furrowed his brow, "You always get so cold and clam up whenever we talk about you."
"Since it's nothing new, you should have gotten used to it by now," Kentaro said, his voice icy.
This ungrateful brat; Haru felt genuinely annoyed by that response. "What's that supposed to mean, Nomura?"
"Lay off me," Ken placed the empty box on the bench and stood up to leave. "Thanks anyway."
And with that, he left Haruki sitting alone on the bleachers, half-baffled and half-irritated.
What the hell?
Haruki grew increasingly annoyed as he watched Kentaro's retreating figure, but he couldn't bring himself to stop him.
As soon as Ginger was out of earshot, Haruki scoffed in displeasure and grumbled a string of complaints to himself.
I understand that you're secretive, but how much longer do you plan on keeping it up? It's not like you're alone anymore.
***
Following that confrontation, the days that followed were filled with profound discomfort and awkwardness between the two boys.
Haruki couldn't shake off the events of that day on the bleachers, feeling as if there were countless unspoken words hanging between them.
Although Kentaro acted as if nothing had happened, he had become slightly more withdrawn, even more so than before. Their separation worsened by being assigned to different classes, they rarely spent time together. Whenever they did meet, it was only for a brief few minutes during lunch before parting ways again.
In the end, Haruki grew suspicious that Ginger was intentionally keeping his distance. He still seemed interested in interacting with Maki and Akashi Fukuda, even paying them visits after school before heading home.
At least that was one positive thing.
"Hey, did something happen between you and Ken-chan?" Maki intercepted her son one day as he made his way to his room after returning home from school. Akashi wasn't present during this mother-son confrontation, as he had been delayed at work.
Haruki already knew the implications behind his mother's words. "Did Ginger drop by again?"
Nodding, Maki's face reflected her concern. "I hardly see the two of you together these days. He only stops by to say hello before leaving again."
"It's understandable," Haruki replied, clearly avoiding the topic. "I have after-school activities, but he hasn't joined any clubs yet, so he leaves much earlier than I do. By the time I get home, it's already late," he added with a nonchalant shrug.
Maki's lips tightened, revealing her doubts.
"We see each other every day at school," Haruki defended himself.
"But you don't even meet up on weekends anymore," the woman pointed out. "During the vacation, you two were inseparable. You met up every day."
"We're both really busy these days."
Maki remained unconvinced. "Then why don't you invite him over for dinner tonight? I'm sure he'd appreciate that."
Haruki knew Ken wouldn't agree if he asked directly, so he quickly fabricated a plausible lie. "I already asked him earlier, but he said he'd be eating out with his mom since she's visiting."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, what a bummer."
"All right then," Maki turned to head back to the kitchen, leaving Haru to continue up the stairs. However, he froze when she unexpectedly expressed, "I know you're hiding something from me, Rue-Rue, and it's not just you. Ken-chan is acting just as strange as you are."
Haruki was about to brush it off with a joke, but when he turned to face his mother again, he saw her expression. She had crossed her arms over her apron, holding a wooden spoon, and she looked genuinely disappointed. It was rare for him to witness his mother so visibly bothered.
In the end, he remained silent.
"You won't talk to Ayame, and now you won't even try to mend things with your friend."
Haruki couldn't find the right words to respond.
"Am I mistaken?"
"No..." But how could help Kentaro if the guy didn't let him? Haruki's grip on the staircase railing tightened subconsciously.
Seeing that her son had nothing more to say, Maki sighed. "Fine, I won't say anything more." With that, she finally retreated into the kitchen, leaving Haru alone to contemplate on the staircase.
*
Haruki slumped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mother's words echoing in his mind. She had once told him she liked Ken, and he felt the same way.
But their current relationship was enigmatic, impossible to decipher. He had no idea what was going on inside that kid's head.
Did Ginger even still want to be his friend? Suddenly, Haruki wasn't so sure.
Sitting up, he fished out his phone from his jacket pocket and checked his emails, hoping to find something from Ken. To his disappointment, he found no such message.
Switching to his messenger app, he scrolled through his messages and chats, searching for something of interest.
His thumb paused when he came across a chat box with a familiar name. He found himself fixated on the screen, unable to look away.
Mei.
He hadn't spoken to Ayame in ages. Their conversations only occurred when his mother unexpectedly tossed her phone at him, forcing Haruki to respond while his sister chatted away on the other end.
He never took the initiative to reach out.
With a sigh, he opened Ayame's unread messages and skimmed through them.
Her words were brief, expressing her experiences at her new college and lamenting his lack of communication. They were supposed to be close, after all.
Had he truly chosen to ignore her just because she'd left without a word? She was still his sister. He couldn't hold onto resentment forever.
After much contemplation, he finally dialed her number and patiently awaited her answer.
"Hello? Haru?" she picked up almost immediately.
"Hey... Mei."
Ayame Fukuda's tone held a hint of smugness. "Took you long enough to decide whether or not to call me first."
... This infuriating witch.
Haruki, initially unsure how to begin their conversation, found himself grinning wryly at his sister's snide remark. "You know, I could just hang up."
"No, no, no! I was kidding, don't do it!"
She's still the same, he realized. There was no need to feel awkward about talking to her; nothing had changed between them. "I thought university would have matured you at least a little."
"I don't need lectures from the kid who bawled his eyes out when I—"
"Yeah? Have a good day, then," Haru threatened, ready to end the call.
"I'm sorry, okay? Can't take a joke anymore...?" Ayame huffed and muttered something under her breath.
Despite his slight annoyance, Haruki had to admit he had missed this side of his sister. It would have been better if she were actually here.
"So, what's up?" she finally delved into the topic, well aware that there was more to her younger brother's sudden call. "Did something bad happen?"
"Not... really. I mean," Haruki took a deep breath, debating whether to share his troubles honestly. "It's more like I need to ask you something."
"Need my help with something?"
"No, I—" he had planned to deny it, but ultimately decided against it. "Yes, you're right."
Ayame was about to burst with excitement, but then remembered she had to maintain her cool older sister facade. She cleared her throat and encouraged him, "Go on, big sis is listening."
Urgh. "So, I have this friend..."
"Kentaro Nomura?"
"How did—" Haruki was genuinely taken aback by her knowledge of Ginger, considering he had never mentioned him to her. Then he remembered their oversharing mother. "—never mind. Yes, it's about Ken."
"Tell me everything."
And so, for the first time in a while, Haruki shared everything with his sister.
~~~~~~