The next morning, I immediately left my house and headed to the address Kasumi had sent me via email the night before.
As I reminisced about the previous night...
I was engrossed in a search for something on my computer when my phone suddenly beeped with a new message notification.
Curious, I opened it to see who had messaged me, and to my surprise, it was Kasumi.
"Nakasone-kun, let's meet up at this address!" she had written.
The email contained the full address, but I was puzzled.
I mean who wouldn't be puzzled?
"Huh? Where is this?"
"To Arisa's house! We'll all meet up there and then head down to the basement to grab the instruments too!" Kasumi replied.
"Hm? To Ichigaya-san's basement?"
I asked, trying to picture what her basement might look like.
"Yeah!~" she confirmed.
I stayed silent for a moment, pondering what I'd gotten myself into.
"Wait, basement!? Why?!"
"Hehe~ Nope~ I'm too excited right now! So See ya tomorrow~ ☆"
"Wait! Listen to me, will ya!?" I typed in vain as she left unread my message, indicating that she must've turned off her phone.
I sighed in resignation, placing my phone back on the desk.
I started searching online for tips on composing a song with a perfect summer theme.
"Haahhh... Same vague advice."
"It's about feelings... huh," I mumbled, looking up at the ceiling as I tried to fathom what that really meant.
Back in the present, I arrived at the address, although I hadn't noticed that I was already standing in front of the house.
As I stood at the entrance of the address, I began to wonder if I had come to the right house. The gate was open, which made me assume that Toyama-san and the others had already arrived.
Slowly, I entered the gate, trying to calm my nerves. My heart was racing, and I couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension.
Is this the right place?
My doubts were interrupted when I spotted Arisa sitting in front of a potted plant. She seemed to be deeply engrossed in what she was doing.
What's she doing?
With a gentle and caring tone, she spoke to the plant as she watered it. "There~ There~ I'll be gone for now, but I'll give you some water before I go. Keep growing, you guys are so cute as always."
What...?
"Huh? You don't look too good." Arisa sighed and watered the other bonsai plant. "It's summer after all; don't worry, I'll give you lots of water."
That's a bonsai tree... Why is she talking to a tree? Does she perhaps believe that talking to them will make them grow?
Wait, Wait... For some reason, watching her is kind of giving me a warning vibe.
I began to take a step back, but before I could retreat too far, Kasumi entered the scene.
"Oh? Good morning, Arisa!" Kasumi greeted cheerfully. Then, she noticed me. "Oh? And you're early today, Nakasone-kun!"
Arisa jolted and straightened up as she heard my name.
Ah.
Arisa slowly turned around, facing Kasumi first, and then her gaze landed on me.
"Y-You were... already here?" She asked.
Oh god.
"Haha... I just got here, actually."
"Hey... Be honest with me." She grabbed the gardening scissors beside the bonsai tree and began playing with them in a way that sent shivers down my spine, as if she were plotting something sinister. "Since when did you get here? Huh?"
I gulped nervously. "S-Sorry... Actually, I watched everything."
Arisa's face slowly turned red, and she approached me, whispering into my ear, "Forget what you saw... Okay?"
Eeek!!
"Did you hear me?"
"Y-Yes ma'am."
"Did you hear me?" Arisa asked, her tone still firm.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," I stammered.
She then turned around, putting the gardening scissors back beside the bonsai tree, and flashed me a smile. It was a complete shift in demeanor.
Arisa then turned to Kasumi and pulled her arm. "Right, Kasumi, let's go now."
"E-Eh? O-okay!" Kasumi replied as she was getting pulled away by Arisa.
The two of them headed inside Arisa's house, leaving me standing there, wondering what I had just witnessed.
It was probably the first time I had ever felt such a chilling presence.