Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka Volume 3 Page 2

  >>You can call me Haru.
  >Where should we meet?
  >Edamoto-san?
  >>Whoa, you’re like a steel wall.
  >>Right, where to meet…
  >>At mi casa.
  >Umm.
  >You mean your place?
  >>Oh, not at the one that’s far away, of course.
  >>At my apartment.
  >Well, obviously…
  >>But I thought you said calling it your “house” would be confusing?
  >>Well, yeah, but…
  >>I thought that calling it mi casa instead of my apartment
  >>would be softer and wouldn’t put you on your guard.
  “Aha ha ha.”

  A dry chuckle spilled from my lips as I held my phone. She was honest but also a bit cheeky.

  Still, the word guard caught my attention a bit.

  What did I need to be on my guard about if I was going for a quick visit to a underclassman’s house?

  What is with this girl…? I unintentionally narrowed my eyes.

  >What do you mean about being on guard?
  >Are you planning something devious?
  >>I don’t have the brains to plan anything.
  >>It’s too bad I’m lacking in that regard.
  >>I wonder what kinds of devious things you’d be capable of, Sayaka-senpai.
  >Who knows…
  >So, at your apartment, then?
  >>Yep, yep.
  >I see…
  >>My place is nice and cool.
  >>Plus drinks are on the house.
  >>And the food’s probably tasty.
  >What are we eating?
  >>I haven’t thought of what yet, but…
  >>I’m planning on making something.
  >>That’s why it’s probably tasty.
  >You’re making it yourself?
  >>I’m actually pretty experienced, yeah.
  >>And you can call me Haru.
  >>I like it—my own name, that is.
  >I’ll think about it.
  >>Okay, I can’t wait.
  >>Oh, which thing were you thinking over?
  >>Lunch or my name?
  >Both.
  >>Well, I hope you make a decision soon about lunch…
  >>I’ll make something you want to eat.
  >Right.
  >>…Right?
  >Then I suppose I’ll take you up on that.
  >>Right!
  >>Right, yeah, awesome!
  >Try not to get too excited, hmm?
  >>I’m at my apartment right now, so I’ll head over to you!
  >I’ll be waiting at the gate.
  >Please come get me.
  >>I’ll run over!
  >>I’m running now!
  >I’d rather not run, so please take your time.
  I put away my phone and stood up from my seat. While I was focused on our exchange, most of the other students had left the lecture room.

  After I looked around the room feeling like an overlooked weed, I started walking at what I thought was a quick pace.

  “She’s rather forward…”

  This girl was pressing in on me. A sensation like a strong wave sweeping me away shook me to the core.

  I wondered if she stepped into other people’s lives just as freely. Even if that was just her nature, I didn’t find it very admirable. Most people wouldn’t want someone to encroach on their space with so little restraint, in my opinion.

  She must be prioritizing her own feelings over anyone else’s.

  That might have been the reason she was crying that day.

  Thinking back, the tears streaming down her cheeks were in huge droplets.

  I’m sure they must have been drawing up tons of emotion as they fell.

  And by showing up on the spot where those tears fell, I had unintentionally shook up Edamoto-san’s emotions quite a bit, it seemed.

  “Edamoto-san’s apartment… I wonder if this was a good idea.”

  She had invited me the week before and again today. In the end, I decided to go. There hadn’t been anything to deepen our bond in particular—I hadn’t even seen Edamoto-san’s face this week. Edamoto-san amounted to nothing more than a friend whom I’d just met at college, but somehow she was casually pushing her way into my life.

  Although I had agreed, I still felt a bit reluctant. For one thing, I didn’t have much experience going to friends’ houses, and for another… I tried to continue with that thread, but even when I waited for the next part to come, I couldn’t seem to produce it on my own.

  What exactly was I expecting from Edamoto-san?

  When I left the lecture building, the heat weighed down on me. Summer had spread its wings and set our world ablaze with just a flutter or two. There was no gentleness in the heat wave that brushed my cheek.

  The cicadas had yet to follow on the back of summer. Soon the college and all its trees, abundant in verdure, would be a cacophony of their cries no matter where one went. And the human commotion on campus was not to be outdone. As lunch break began, the students appeared all at once, as though flitting out from a hive. One person, two, three. Even if I followed them with my finger and eyes, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them all.

  These were all people whom I’m sure had lives not so different from my own college student experience.

  As for the few individuals I met from among all these people…

  Perhaps I should be more conscious of that and cherish those connections.

  Breaking away from the crowd as it surged toward lunch, I went to the main gate, where I found Edamoto-san already standing next to the entrance. She noticed me and waved excitedly. That was childlike enough as it was, but when she used her entire body to give me an unrestrained reception, the passing students occasionally shot her strange glances. Eventually, she realized she was in the way and moved farther to the side, but she didn’t stop waving her hand. Just seeing how close it was to smacking into the wall gave me a shudder.

  I hurried over to Edamoto-san. When I got closer, it appeared that she really had run over, considering how sweaty her palms were. Her bangs, too, had become disheveled and were sticking to her forehead.

  “I’m sorry…for making you wait.”

  “You don’t need to apologize like that. I ran over because I like to run.”

  “You like to run, do you…?”

  That was an unfamiliar feeling to me.

  Come to think of it, I hadn’t had to run at all lately. It was as though I hadn’t had anything to hurry me.

  Was that pleasant, or just boring…? It was probably up to each individual’s interpretation.

  I suddenly recalled the relay practices for the athletic festival in high school. In retrospect, I couldn’t help laughing a little at how poorly I had worked with a certain someone.

  “Okay, follow me.”

  Edamoto-san merrily started moving. I was dragged along behind her, even though she hadn’t actually grabbed my hand.

  On the way, my eyes met with the sea otter printed on Edamoto-san’s shirt… An otter?

  The otter was looking straight out as it carefully cradled the shell in its paws. Maybe she liked otters.

  “First, we cross here.”

  We traversed across the road in front of the college. When Edamoto-san tried to cross the moment the signal turned green, I warned her, “It’s dangerous if you don’t look both ways first.”

  It sounded like something an elementary school teacher would say.

  “Oh, uh, sorry.”

  “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

  It was plain to see that Edamoto-san was too giddy to pay attention to her surroundings. As for the reason for that, well, I supposed that was me.

  I was a little troubled—her restlessness seemed like it could rub off on me.

  Once we crossed the road and entered the shadow of a nearby building, I decided to speak to her.
“So, Edamoto-san, you cook for yourself?”

  “Yeah, I cooked even before I left home. It was just kind of fun.” Edamoto-san smiled, flashing her white teeth. “Do you not like domestic girls?”

  “We’ll see. I have high expectations.”

  As though in response, her gait widened. She didn’t seem to mind working up a sweat.

  Edamoto-san’s apartment really was close to campus; we arrived in just under two minutes. Then again, that short time was also the result of me matching pace with Edamoto-san’s long, quick strides. The apartment building was lightly colored, from its khaki walls to its bluish-white roof, and its cramped bike parking area was piled high with bicycles. I wondered if Edamoto-san’s bike was among them.

  I followed behind her as she went up the stairs on the side. Her place turned out to be the first apartment immediately after going up to the second floor. Edamoto-san stopped in front of the door and pulled a key out of her pocket. She put the key in, twisted it, and then likewise cocked her head to the side. After turning the key two or three times, she said, “Ohh, okay, I get it,” then opened the door.

  “I forgot to lock it.”

  “You didn’t need to leave in such a rush…”

  “It’s fine, no problem. I love rushing.”

  With that silly excuse, Edamoto-san beckoned me into the room. Being so overly welcoming is actually going to put me even more on my guard, I thought, half-joking. She was just having a friend over—a friend, nothing more.

  “Pardon the intrusion.”

  “Come on in. This is my first time inviting a friend over from college.”

  This was my first time going over to a college friend’s house, too.

  The moment I came in, the presence of Edamoto-san grew stronger. Most likely, it was due to the smell of her clothes and makeup, which I normally sensed only faintly. Obvious though this might be, the room was thick with Edamoto-san’s scent. It seemed to stand out against the scents of summer and was a bit refreshing as it slipped by my nose.

  When I went through the entryway, I saw a toilet and a modular bathtub beyond the door to the right. In that dim interior, I saw my shadowy reflection in the bathroom mirror. Suddenly, I felt self-conscious about my overgrown hair that I had left uncut.

  We passed by the bathroom and into a south-facing room with a bay window and good sun exposure. In other words, it was terribly hot.

  “Your room is pretty warm.”

  “I have the air conditioner on full blast, so if you’ll just wait a few more moments…”

  Edamoto-san bowed jokingly and chuckled a little. Just as she said, the air conditioner set up next to her wall was running loudly, not unlike Edamoto-san herself when she rushed over to meet me.

  Her room was tidy. To be more accurate, she didn’t have much to keep clean: just a small white table, a bed by the wall, and a lamp directly on the floor. Her clothes were folded up and set in a corner—she didn’t have a single shelf of any sort. Her college textbooks and bag were stuffed into what seemed to be a laundry basket.

  “I don’t have any floor cushions, so you can sit on the bed. You can even lie down if you want.”

  “I’m all right, thank you.”

  I chose the carpet and sat down. After I set my bag down next to me, I breathed out slowly.

  It was a curious feeling to leave the college and look up at the ceiling of another person’s apartment, even if it was lunch break. Normally, I just went to the cafeteria instead of going off campus to eat.

  It felt almost as though I’d skipped out on school partway through the day… Maybe I hadn’t completely left behind the feeling of being a high school student. As I glanced around, feeling a bit anxious, I heard Edamoto-san laugh.

  “There isn’t much to see here, is there?”

  “I suppose. I can’t compare it to other apartments, but it does seem very neat and minimalistic.”

  “Well, I figure there’s no point buying more things if I’m just gonna lose interest in them and leave them lying around.”

  “Hmm…”

  I thought of the novels I never reread on the bookshelf in my own room.

  Edamoto-san took a green towel from the folded laundry pile at the far end of the room and wiped her forehead. As I gazed at her profile and mannerisms, I felt vaguely aware that we were alone together in her room. Since it wasn’t a house, there were no family members around, which was an unusual situation to me.

  I wondered if the light blue wallpaper was an attempt at a consolatory reprieve from the inevitable heat. There was a thin curtain, but since it was mercilessly showered in the sunlight, it likely lost effectiveness quickly.

  “The supermarket is close by, and there’s a home improvement store, too, so I think it’s a pretty good location. The modular bathtub is a little small, though.”

  After wiping her face and neck with the towel, Edamoto-san turned toward me.

  “So, Sayaka-senpai, what would you like to eat?”

  “Right…”

  I went into thought for a bit. My body wanted something cold, but I’d just had a variety of somen noodles at home yesterday. In that case… I tried to line up the prospective choices in my thoughts, but I couldn’t picture anything good.

  “Nothing really comes to mind. I don’t have any particularly strong preferences.”

  “That’s the most difficult answer you could give…”

  Edamoto-san smiled awkwardly as she bent down, presumably to open the refrigerator door. Because there was a wall between us, I couldn’t see everything she was doing. But since her face was being showered with light, I thought that must be the case.

  “Hm. Do you have any allergies or foods you can’t stand?”

  “Neither, really.”

  “Wow, you really don’t have any preferences, then. Oh dear…”

  Edamoto-san’s ponytail wiggled fretfully. I didn’t know what ingredients she had in the first place, so it was difficult to request something. When I shifted to take a look, I saw that the refrigerator next to her sink was very compact.

  Edamoto-san pulled out a bottle of tea and poured it in glasses she’d put out in advance.

  “Well, how about some tea for now?”

  “Thank you.”

  “There’s no ice since I don’t have an ice maker, though.”

  “This is plenty. You don’t have to fuss over me.”

  The glass I accepted was so cold that it felt like I was touching the liquid inside it directly. With delicate ridges, the glass encapsulated many colors at its bottom, drawing in the light and glittering. It was a rainbow glass.

  It was so pretty that instead of drinking out of it, I ended up examining it from other angles.

  “Well, I’m going to fuss anyway. Lots and lots.”

  Edamoto-san rejected my politesse, wagging her finger and shaking her head from side to side.

  “I mean, if you don’t like my place, Sayaka-senpai, then you won’t come again.”

  “Hm.”

  It wasn’t as though I was guaranteed to come back even if I did like it, but her earnestness did make a good impression on me.

  It also felt nice to be clearly aware that she was being kind specifically for my sake.

  “So anyway, that’s pretty, right?”

  She pointed at the glass. When I replied, “Very,” Edamoto-san smiled as though she were relieved.

  “I won’t give it to you, but make sure you take a good look at it.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  “And drink what’s inside it, too.”

  “All right, all right.”

  Edamoto-san returned to the front of the refrigerator. She pulled things out one at a time, scrutinizing each one and putting them back over and over.

  “Then can I just make whatever?”

  “I’ll leave it up to you.”

  After putting the ball fully in her court, I finally drank some tea. I quenched my thirst and then closed my eyes. It became difficult to tell ap
art what was left and right. What a quiet room, I thought.

  Unlike the college, there weren’t an abundance of trees close by, such that the cries of the cicadas might never reach here. The air conditioner had also calmed down from its blustery start-up. I peered into the corners of the room.

  “So you don’t have a TV or a bookshelf.”

  “I’m not really the reading type at all. And as long as I have my smartphone, I don’t really need a TV, either.”

  Beneath the sound of Edamoto-san’s voice, I heard running water.

  “Oh, sorry. Are you bored waiting for me?”

  “No. I’m not bad at being patient.”

  Although I wasn’t good at being patient, either. Perhaps I had never gone about waiting for things the right way before.

  “I thought I might pass the time by talking with you, Edamoto-san.”

  “Oh, sounds great.”

  “But will you be all right talking while you work?”

  “I’m fine, no problem. I normally talk to myself tons while I’m cooking.”

  “…You should probably be careful about that.”

  I could imagine Edamoto-san having a lively monologue alone in her room easily enough. At the same time, I pictured a chicken energetically moving around inside a pen.

  “You seem like you read a ton of books, huh, Sayaka-senpai?”

  I was fairly sure someone else had said that to me before. Perhaps that meant I gave off an intellectual impression.

  “Well… I suppose you could say that.”

  “Do you go to the school library a lot?”

  “I go to the library…on occasion. But I mostly just read the newspapers.”

  Edamoto-san didn’t reply; I wasn’t sure whether she could hear my voice over the clamorous sounds of cooking. Even though I had said I would talk to her, I didn’t want to be a distraction, so I tried to make sure I wasn’t initiating the conversation. Just as she had said, as she started cooking, she talked to herself more.