“This is… well… how should I put it. Thank you.”
Looking a little bewildered, Arisa took the paper bag.
It was rare to see her this shaken—she who normally maintained perfect composure.
In fact, the last time she’d been this flustered might have been… when Yuzuru first praised her cooking.
“Even if it’s just for the sake of keeping up appearances… I’m happy.”
Arisa narrowed her eyes slightly.
It wasn’t the carefully crafted, art-like smile she wore at school.
It was a natural smile.
Just a little.
Just for a moment—
Yuzuru’s heart skipped a beat.
(…Good for the eyes, bad for the heart.)
He didn’t like Arisa’s lifeless eyes or those artificial, museum-piece smiles she showed everyone.
But her natural smile was truly beautiful.
Elegant.
Lovely.
“It’s not really an act though. Even if we weren’t engaged, we’re still close. So I prepared a gift.”
“…Is that how that works?”
“We’re friends, aren’t we? …Or was I the only one who thought that?”
Yuzuru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
If that was just his one-sided feeling—of friendship, not romance—it would be pretty embarrassing.
Arisa hurriedly shook her head.
“N-no. I’m sorry. I just… don’t really understand these things. If you’re asking whether we’re friends…”
“…You’re not about to say you don’t have any friends, are you?”
“Well… if eating lunch together and nodding along to conversations counts as friendship, then I have plenty.”
Her tone was strangely detached.
Her green eyes looked dark and murky.
“I won’t say I’ve never visited a classmate’s house before. But… you’re the first person who’s treated me this warmly, Takasegawa-san.”
Arisa treated all her classmates equally.
She had no particular enemies, but at the same time, no particularly close friends either.
She treated everyone the same—
Yet built an invisible, sturdy wall between herself and others.
That was how Yukishiro Arisa interacted with people.
Which explained why she wasn’t interested in birthdays.
There was no one who would celebrate them with her.
“So I’m the first, huh… Should I feel honoured?”
Thinking it would be too heavy to treat seriously, Yuzuru joked.
Arisa seemed to relax and replied lightly.
“I suppose so. It’s a great honour. You should feel privileged.”
Then Arisa gently stroked the paper bag Yuzuru had given her, almost affectionately.
Then she looked up at him.
Her eyes—normally like a frozen lake, cold and lifeless—seemed a little warmer.
At least, it felt that way.
“In October, I’ll prepare something for you as well.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Yuzuru answered.
Arisa nodded, then set the paper bag on the floor.
But she quickly started fidgeting again… picked it up… and placed it on her lap.
Then she asked—
“May I look inside?”
“Why shouldnt’t you? Actually, I’d like to hear your thoughts. For future reference.”
Since they would supposedly maintain this “engagement” until graduation, understanding Arisa’s tastes was important.
“Then I’ll be honest with my thoughts. …Is this soap?”
What Yuzuru had given her was a gift set.
Scented bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a hand towel.
He had considered lotion, hand cream, and lip balm as well…
But with summer approaching, he decided soap products would be more suitable.
“This is from a famous brand, isn’t it? It must have been fairly expensive.”
Her voice carried both happiness and confusion.
Like she was pleased to receive something nice… but also felt guilty about its cost.
“So? What do you think? Feel free to be harsh.”
“I can’t evaluate a gift someone gave me. That would be rude. …But if I had to say…”
Her voice grew a little brighter.
“It’s much nicer than I expected. I never imagined I’d receive something this wonderful.”
Her expression remained calm, but her cheeks were faintly flushed.
“I’ve never received anything like this before. I’ve never bought it either. I was never even allowed to use it. So truly… I’m very happy.”
After saying that, Arisa let out a small sigh.
The light slowly faded from her emerald eyes.
“They all have things like this. My step-sister, my classmates… everyone.”
Her eyes slowly began to moisten.
Her voice wavered.
Her body trembled faintly.
Suddenly she lowered her head.
Her amber hair hid her expression.
“I pretended not to care. But I really did want them. I envied everyone… but I could never ask to buy them. …Sorry. I got a little emotional.”
After saying that, she turned her back to Yuzuru.
Her shoulders trembled faintly.
A moment later, he heard her take a deep breath.
When she finally turned back around—
her face had returned to its usual calm composure.
Though her eyes were slightly red.
“Please pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.”
“Right… Then I will.”
Yuzuru had almost said that he would always listen if she needed to vent.
But instead, he respected her wishes and said nothing.
He had already told her before—
that if she ever asked for help, he would give it.
And that he would respect her choices.
Now she asked him to forget.
So he would.
“Well then… I guess something like this will be fine for next year too?”
“Yes. …Please.”
Still—
If he could grant her small wishes under some convenient pretext…
If he could at least give her a place to escape—
surely that would be acceptable.
That was what Yuzuru thought.
Later that night.
As usual, Yuzuru was walking Arisa home.
“Takasegawa-san, I’ve been wondering about something for a while.”
“What is it?”
“When we’re in your room, you wear a T-shirt. But whenever we go outside, you put on a jacket. …Isn’t it hotter outside than inside this time of year?”
There was a slight edge to her voice.
Yuzuru believed that if he was walking outside beside Arisa, he should dress properly.
So he put on a jacket.
However, this seemed to annoy her slightly.
After all, no one would want the person walking beside them to look sloppy.
“So what you’re saying is… you want me to dress nicely even when it’s just the two of us?”
“Yes. You care about other people’s eyes, but not mine. It makes me feel like I’m not being taken seriously.”
Yuzuru understood what she meant.
In short—
she was annoyed that he didn’t treat her like a woman.
“But I don’t quite get it. You don’t like me that way, right? …So why do you care?”
“Let me ask you something, Takasegawa-san. What would you think if I showed up with messy bed hair and a tracksuit?”
“I mean… yeah, I wouldn’t like that. But isn’t that a bit extreme? I’m wearing normal clothes… and just putting on a jacket makes it look presentable. …Wait. Is this outfit bad? Is it as bad as a full tracksuit?”
Yuzuru didn’t think he had great fashion sense.
But he didn’t think it was terrible either.
Still, hearing her say that made him uneasy.
“You can relax. I think your fashion sense is good.”
“Then why…—”
“If you wore a full tracksuit confidently, I might actually accept it. What bothers me isn’t your fashion sense—it’s your attitude. You fix your hair and wear a jacket only when going outside. Around me you’re at sixty percent, but outside you’re at eighty. That’s what annoys me.”
Now that she mentioned it…—
maybe she was right.
Yuzuru had been the one who told her at the beginning:
(If something bothers you, say it.)
He preferred that to her bottling things up.
So honestly, he appreciated her saying it.
As he considered that, Arisa suddenly softened her tone.
Her voice softened.
“I’m sorry. I went too far. I do understand that it’s your room, and you have the right to relax there. I’m the one intruding. It’s just… well… I do think about you a little, Takasegawa-san.”
“…You think about me?”
He had always assumed that to Arisa, Yuzuru was merely a convenient partner in their arrangement.
Certainly not someone she saw as a man.
So her words surprised him.
“Don’t misunderstand. You’re not a romantic interest. But… I do recognise you as a man. …Or am I wrong?”
“No, I’m definitely a man. …You make jokes like that too?”
“Please don’t tease me. I’m serious. If I treat you as a man, but you don’t treat me as a woman, isn’t that a little unfair?”
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
In the evening sunset, her face was faintly red.
Yuzuru nodded firmly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I got careless because of your kindness. I’ll be more mindful from now on.”
“That would help.”
That day—
Yuzuru felt like the distance between them had grown much smaller.
