"…Hmm."
After school ended, Ryuichi returned home and stared at the screen of his phone. Seeing the new name added to his contacts, Rindo Shizuna, had Ryuichi wondering how this had happened.
"Contact information?"
"Yes. I want to exchange contact information with you, Shishido-kun… Do you not want to?"
Ryuichi didn't particularly mind; he simply hadn't expected her to ask this of him. Yes, she had come over to his place once, but Ryuichi doubted whether that alone had made them close enough for this.
"…What is there to talk about, though…?"
Suddenly, Ryuichi's phone began ringing. It was a call, and the words "Rindo Shizuna" appeared on the screen.
"..."
Speak of the devil. Who would've thought that she would call just as Ryuichi was thinking about her? He pondered for a while whether he should answer it or not, but eventually, he decided to be a good boy and answer the phone because otherwise, who knew what she'd say to him at school tomorrow.
"Hello?"
"Oh! Hello, Shishido-kun? …I actually thought you wouldn't pick up."
"Why?"
"…I just had a feeling."
Although her answer came back hesitantly, Ryuichi bitterly smiled at how perceptive she was, seeing as her guess was entirely true. Ryuichi, however, didn't know what to talk about on the phone, so Shizuna, perhaps anticipating this, started talking about something.
"Have you had dinner yet, Shishido-kun?"
"Yeah…"
"What did you have?"
"..."
Actually, on the day Shizuna came to cook for Ryuichi, she'd told him to at least try cooking a little for his health. But of course, Ryuichi had made cup ramen for dinner today. Shizuna seemed to have guessed this as well from Ryuichi's silence and let out a sigh.
"…Shishido-kun."
"Err, I just didn't have time, you see?"
"..."
In truth, he had lied; he just didn't want to say that he'd found it a pain in the ass. But of course, Shizuna knew that. Still, the reason why she didn't push the matter too aggressively might have been because she thought he would find her annoying for forcing him to do so much.
"…You must have a properly balanced diet, okay?"
"Fine. Geez, what are you, my mom?"
"Oh, was your mother like this, Shishido-kun?"
"Not really. I was just saying that figuratively. My mom's miles apart from you… Actually, forget I said that."
He forcibly put an end to the topic. Shizuna seemed to have guessed his feelings on the matter and did not ask any further questions, which Ryuichi was grateful for. These days, Ryuichi basically spent his time alone unless somebody happened to be around. Ever since he'd regained his memory, he'd dropped his habit of wandering around the city streets at night.
That was why a small thought surfaced in his mind. It felt really warm when Chisa was here. Shizuna, too.
"You know…"
"Yes?"
"…Cup ramen tastes so bland compared to the nikujaga you made that day."
"..."
Ryuichi didn't know how Shizuna reacted to his words, but he had a feeling she was happy because he could hear a flapping noise on the other end of the phone.
"Alright, I'll make some more for you next time. Of course, nikujaga isn't the only thing I can make; I'm pretty confident in my Hamburg steaks too, you know?"
"Hamburg steaks, huh. I've never had one outside restaurants."
"Then that's something you can look forward to when I come over next time… okay?"
Ryuichi could hear the anticipation in Shizuna's voice as he told her, "Sure, if the opportunity arises." Shizuna's voice was practically bouncing with joy, and she was so excited that she was moving forward with plans on her own as to when she would like to visit him.
"Hey, I said when the opportunity arises, okay?"
"Got it! ♪"
She definitely doesn't get it. Ryuichi sighed. Nevertheless, the thought of having her delicious cooking again made him expectant. After all, the meat and potato stew alone had been so good that it was clearly visible from his expression.
"…Well, I'm looking forward to it."
"Yes! ♪"
Well, that was the least Ryuichi could say about the matter. After they talked for a little longer, they came to a good stopping point. However, just seconds before the call ended…
"Ryuichi? I'm comin' in~!"
"…Chisa? Sorry Rindo, I'll see you at school tomorrow."
"W-Wait a minute―"
Beep, beep, beep. The call had cut off.
"Oh, were you on the phone with someone?"
"Yeah, something like that. Anyways, don't just barge into here without warning."
Ryuichi casually threw his phone under the pillow while Chisa waved her hand and said, "Now, now, don't be like that." She sat down next to him and started clinging to him. He could immediately smell the scent of alcohol wafting from her.
"Seriously, how much did you have to drink…"
"Hmmm? I had quite a few cups… So, I was about to make my way home from a party, but the guys wouldn't stop fussing about sending me home!"
"Then why didn't you just go with one of them?"
"Hell no. Why do I have to walk with those losers?"
"…Don't go snapping at me."
I turned my gaze away from Chisa's pouting face. She'd likely heard a fragment of Chisa's voice during the phone call earlier. The subtle panicked tone in her voice bothered him, but he decided to put Shizuna aside for the moment, thinking, "Well, whatever."
"Damn, this place's gotten really clean, huh? Surely you couldn't have done this all by yourself."
"You got that right."
"Who was it? I know… It must've been a woman, huh?"
"Right again."
He didn't feel like it was something he had to hide, so he answered honestly. Chisa didn't have any particular reaction, but she did look somewhat stunned that he had brought home yet another girl.
"Who did you sink your fangs into this time?"
"Why do you make it sound like I'm a criminal or something? She's just a classmate."
"Wow, so you fucked your classmate!"
"…Damn it, Chisa!"
"Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry. ♪"
Despite being a girl, Chisa spoke of sex and the like so freely. Her common sense was truly lacking. Of course, most of the people Ryuichi associated with were like that, so there was no point in him brooding about it now.
"Hey, Ryuichi. I'm gonna stay the night here, 'kay?"
"Whatever."
"Yup. I like that part of you that never says no."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
"…There are a lot of other parts that aren't cute about you, though."
Ryuichi felt humiliated to be called 'cute' despite being a man. After receiving permission to stay the night, Chisa immediately laid down on the bed and started fiddling with her phone, perhaps messaging her friend.
"…Your panties are out there for the world to see, y'know."
Chisa continued to play with her phone silently, paying no heed to the fact that her short skirt was rolled up. When Ryuichi pointed this out to her, she only glanced at him and made no attempt to fix it. Of course, it wasn't like it would be a fatal blow to her as a woman, but Ryuichi still wanted to show this image of her to all the boys in her university who were in love with her.
"Wonder what the boys would say if they saw you now."
"I won't show this to them. I know I play around a lot, but I'm very selective when it comes to who I entrust my body to."
"Oh, really? First time I've heard of that."
"That's just cos I never told you. Just so you know, you're the only one I've been doing it with lately."
Hearing that didn't really make Ryuichi happy. He was not really interested in what kind of relationship Chisa had with others; plus, regardless of whether he'd regained his memory or not, their relationship would only amount to that: sex friends.
"Gonna wash yourself up?"
"Yeah, I think I'll take a shower."
"Then do it before you sleep."
"Okaaay~."
Chisa sluggishly got up, went to the closet, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom.
After a while, Chisa came back. True to her words, she didn't seem to have soaked in the bathtub; she'd only used the shower. Thanks to the shower, she seemed somewhat more awake now, but her eyelids still looked heavy, likely because of all the alcohol she'd had.
"Well, it's getting late now, so let's hit the sack."
"Not gonna fuck me?"
"Not today."
"Alright. I'm also pretty sleepy right now, to be honest."
Since Ryuichi lived alone, all he had was a single futon; thus, the two of them had to sleep in the same futon together.
"Doesn't feel bad to sleep on a futon every once in a while. It feels really… Japanese."
"But a bed is definitely better."
"Agreed. ♪"
Nevertheless, the sheets were quite soft, so it was pleasant enough to fall asleep right away. Chisa's expression was very much adult-like as she used Ryuichi's arm as a pillow, but her gesture of leaning in close to seek his body heat almost gave him the impression that they were about the same age.
"Hey, Ryuichi. Is there anything bothering you?"
"No?"
"…Nothing stressful happening?"
"Do I look stressed?"
"No… But I'm just worried for you since you're younger than me."
"Really, now? Anyways, you have college tomorrow, don't you? I've got school too, so let's leave it there."
"Okaay~. G'night, Ryuichi."
Chisa immediately conked out and fell asleep. Her regular breathing elicited a wry smile from Ryuichi, who quietly whispered.
"Well, it ain't like that old man or hag would give a crap about whatever was happening to me."
And with that, Ryuichi, too, closed his eyes.
"…That…was a woman's voice just now…wasn't it?"
Somewhere else, another girl was thinking about Ryuichi with gloomy feelings.