Chapter 11: The Unease in My Everyday Life Called a Date
The Unease in My Everyday Life Called a Date
“Kanae-san, I have a close childhood friend. That childhood friend of mine…”
Kanae-san listened quietly without interrupting me once. As I spoke about my relationship with Ayane and Minato, my gaze wandered between the glass in my hand, the café’s clock, and back to her again. Just as I looked toward her, the master arrived with the coffee she had ordered.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
After the master placed the cup on the table and left, Kanae-san took a sip of her café au lait and sighed softly. Then, I found myself quietly confessing how I had discovered that my two childhood friends were physically involved.
“So that day, Ryouta-kun, the look in your eyes was from when you found out about their relationship.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The background music in the café played softly, just loud enough not to disturb the customers’ conversations. When our talk fell silent, the melody filled my ears and deepened the quiet between us. Feeling bad for letting the silence linger, I lifted my eyes from the table. That was when Kanae-san spoke first.
“Ryouta-kun…”
“Yes?”
“What are you going to do about your girlfriend and your childhood friend from now on?”
“With my girlfriend, Ayane, I’m going to break up. Though she might dump me first. As for Minato, who slept with her, I’ll hit him once and then cut ties completely.”
“But you all go to the same school, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Still, whether it’s good or bad luck, we’re not in the same class, so that helps a bit.”
“I see. Ryouta-kun, you were betrayed by both of them, but aren’t you going to take revenge or anything like that?”
Kanae-san’s gaze, once filled with sadness, now carried a trace of anger as she looked at me, waiting for my answer.
“Not at the moment. Or maybe… the part of my heart that cared about them has already broken.”
“Y-your heart broke?”
“Yes. When I first learned about their relationship, I couldn’t believe it. It hurt so much that I cried. But then, all those feelings just disappeared. I couldn’t feel anything anymore.”
“That’s… Ryouta-kun…”
“But what saved me was when you held me that day, Kanae-san. The warmth you gave me was so gentle. Like I said before, it’s thanks to you that I can still hold myself together now.”
“Ryouta-kun… I…”
Kanae-san gently took my cold hands, which had been wrapped around the chilled glass, and held them between hers to warm them.
“Kanae-san, thank you for taking the time to meet me tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it, Ryouta-kun. I wanted to see you too. And even though it was painful, I’m glad I could listen.”
After we left the café, we talked for a while in a corner of the parking lot. Then I watched as Kanae-san drove off first.
“Please be careful on your way home.”
“I will. You too, Ryouta-kun.”
“Yeah. My house is nearby. Oh, and Kanae-san.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you for listening to me today. Because of that, I finally feel ready to tell her it’s over tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
Just like when we parted after work, Kanae-san waved goodbye as she ran off. When her taillights disappeared, I headed home, got ready to meet Ayane for our planned date tomorrow, and went to bed.
The next morning, I left home a bit early. Since it was the second day of the long weekend, the west exit of Misaka Station was filled with cheerful groups of middle and high school students heading through the ticket gates. Watching them go off together, I walked alone.
There were still thirty minutes left before nine, the time I was supposed to meet Ayane. To kill time, I stood in a convenience store near the station reading magazines. That was when I spotted a familiar side profile that looked like Minato’s. When I looked up, I saw him walking alone toward the west exit.
“So he’s going somewhere too…”
Since he wasn’t with Ayane, I stayed where I was, watching him disappear into the crowd before lowering my eyes back to the magazine. But then, I saw Ayane walking along the street outside.
“She’s early, huh?”
Checking my watch, it was still only 8:50. Ayane was usually a few minutes late, so it was unusual. I put the magazine back on the shelf, bought a bottle of café au lait at the self-checkout, and stepped outside to follow her, but she was already gone.
“Oh well.”
Since we were supposed to meet soon anyway, I stopped looking for her. Drinking my café au lait as I walked, I reached the west exit and leaned against a nearby pillar to wait.
It felt normal for Ayane to be late, so I didn’t check the time and just watched people come and go. When I finally did, it was already 10:30.
“That’s way too late.”
I took my phone from my pocket and called her. After two rings, she answered, immediately starting with an excuse.
[Ryou-chan, I’m sorry! I overslept! I’m getting ready right now, I’ll be there soon!]
“What… you overslept?”
She was lying. The girl I’d seen earlier outside the convenience store wasn’t someone else. It was definitely Ayane.
[Yeah, really, I’m sorry. I’ll be there in about ten minutes, okay? Wait for me!]
“Alright. I’ll wait at the station.”
[Okay, got it.]
Just as I was about to lower my phone, I heard another voice in the background that didn’t belong to Ayane.
[Ayane, I finished paying, so let’s get going.]
Beep… beep… beep…
The call ended, leaving only the monotonous electronic tone repeating in my ear. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and muttered to myself while watching the flow of people pass by.
“I should just go home. That voice must have been Minato’s.”
Even if I broke things off with Minato and went on this date with Ayane, it would be meaningless. I thought about telling her it was over right here and heading home, but I gave up and let myself be carried by the crowd toward the ticket gate.
Beep.
When I held my phone up to the gate sensor, a chime sounded, and the gates opened to let me through.
As I walked through the station, I looked up at the electronic signboard hanging from the ceiling. It showed that a rapid train bound for Shikigaoka would arrive at platform 4 in five minutes.
Moving with the crowd, I followed a man up the stairs to platform 4. Once there, I sat down on a bench I’d never used before and absentmindedly gazed at platform 3 across the tracks. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn’t feel like answering.
After a while, the buzzing stopped. Then, a young man’s voice echoed from the station speakers.
[The six-car rapid train bound for Shikigaoka will soon arrive on platform 4. Please stand behind the yellow line.]
The familiar announcement reminded passengers to be careful. I watched them follow the instruction as a train with its headlights on glided into the station and stopped at its designated spot.
With a rush of air, several doors opened at once, welcoming the waiting passengers inside.
“The doors are closing. Please do not rush onto the train.”
I remembered that this was the train I was supposed to take, so I stood up from the bench, but it was too late. The doors had already closed, and the train departed to pick up passengers at the next station.
As I watched the next trains arrive and leave, my phone began buzzing again and wouldn’t stop. Reluctantly, I picked it up and saw Ayane’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
[Ryou-chan!? Where are you? I’ve been waiting at the west exit this whole time. Are you inside the station?]
From the background noise my phone picked up, Ayane must have realized I was on the platform.
“Yeah, I’m on the platform.”
[I thought so. Which one?]
“Platform 4.”
[I’m coming now!]
Without waiting for my reply, Ayane hung up.
“Ryou-chan!”
A few minutes later, I heard her voice. When I turned my head, I saw her coming down the stairs.
“Ayane, over here.”
I waved the empty bottle in my hand as I sat on the bench to signal her. She came over and sat down beside me on my left.
“You said the west exit, so why did you come in first… Oh, right, it’s my fault for being late. I’m sorry, Ryou-chan.”
Her long hair, still slightly damp, brushed against my shoulder as she sat.
“It’s fine. You came, after all.”
As I was saying it’s fine, a breeze blew through, carrying a faint scent of shampoo that was clearly different from the one Ayane usually used.
“Hey, Ayane…”
“What is it?”
“You changed your shampoo, didn’t you?”
“Huh? No, I didn’t.”
“Really? It just smells different from usual. Oh, the train’s here.”
“…”
Without looking at Ayane’s silent profile, I stood up from the bench. The left hand I offered to her was never taken, so I let it fall limply at my side as I stepped onto the train alone.