《Act III: The Three-Event PDA Showcase 》
It was a Friday in late October, about two weeks after Nanami and I had started living together.
Midterms were over, the results were in, and all that was left was to wait for the official rankings. Today, our sixth-period World History class was replaced by a long homeroom, where we were to hold a student-led discussion.
The topic of conversation was the culture festival.
“Alright, let’s get this meeting about the culture festival started.”
The person running the show, Kondo from the culture committee, called out from the podium in a business-like tone. Beside him stood Komori-san, also on the committee, holding a piece of white chalk.
“First, I’ll go over the schedule for the festival.”
Kondo pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and glanced down at the papers in his hand.
The culture festival was scheduled for Saturday two weeks from now. Students were to arrive at the usual time, with the doors opening to the public at 9:00 AM. It would end at 4:00 PM, but with cleanup, we’d probably be heading home around 5:00.
Apparently, starting today, our sixth-period class would be dedicated to festival preparations. If that wasn’t enough time, we’d have to stay after school as well.
“Next up is what we’re going to do for our class project.”
“Yo, yo! Question!” a gyaru named Ikeda-san piped up, her hand already in the air. “Can we pretty much do whatever we want for our project?”
Kondo read from the handout he’d likely received at a committee meeting.
“First, regarding venues, class projects are restricted to the classrooms. The gym will be used for cultural club performances and other events, and the grounds will be converted into a parking lot for visitors.”
Komori-san, acting as secretary, neatly summarized this on the blackboard: Classrooms Only.
Just the classroom, huh? My last high school held its culture festival in June, and we were able to use the athletic field, which was lined with food stalls. My class ran a shaved ice stand; it happened to be a sweltering summer day even for June, and we made a killing.
Being stuck in the classroom meant that anything involving open water or smoke was probably out. I could hear disappointed murmurs around the room. The girls sitting near me were already getting sidetracked. “That really limits our options, huh?” “Guess goldfish scooping is out.” “Where do you even get goldfish for that, anyway?” “And how much is one fish?” “No clue. And why are they called ‘goldfish’ when they’re red? Nanami, you know?” “Because they’re a symbol of good fortune,” she answered. “Whoa, Nanami, you actually knew!”
“Settle down.”
Our teacher, Yokota-sensei, who had been observing quietly from the corner to respect the students’ autonomy, called for order. Once the room quieted down, Kondo resumed his explanation.
“Before we decide on a project, we need to discuss the budget. Each class has been allotted twenty thousand yen. With that in mind, please raise your hand if you have a suggestion.”
The boys shot their hands up, practically falling over each other.
“Yeah, yeah! How about a shrine maiden café!”
“I’m all in for a maid café!”
“A nurse café would be way better!”
“Don’t forget a nun café!”
“Let’s do a pajama café!”
“Police café! Police café!”
“What about a gyaru café?”
It was basically a fetish showcase. The guys were just shouting out whatever outfits they wanted to see the girls in.
I thought the girls might be put off, but then—
“Sir! The boys are being total freaks!”
Ikeda-san’s teasing tone turned the whole thing into a joke, and the girls started giggling.
“Just make sure you discuss it thoroughly so you don’t have any regrets,” was all the teacher said. Once Komori-san finished listing the litany of fetishes on the board, Kondo scanned the room.
“Any opinions from the girls?”
“I’m fine with a café,” one said.
“Yeah, a café gets my vote! It just feels like a culture festival thing, you know?”
“And if you think about it as getting to wear a cute outfit for free, it’s not a bad deal.”
“But, like, is the budget gonna be enough?”
“A pajama café would be free! Totally free!”
Numabuchi, who had suggested it earlier, seized his chance to promote his idea. But Matsui, a staunch supporter of the maid café, immediately shot him down.
“Maid outfits are cheap, too! You can find them online for under two thousand yen!”
How does he know the price? was a thought that likely crossed everyone’s mind, but nobody was tactless enough to ask. He was a fan, so he’d looked it up. Simple as that.
“Two thousand yen an outfit… So we could buy maybe five of them.”
“We could form teams of five and rotate, sharing the costumes.”
“So we’d have to work for almost two hours? That’s kinda hectic.”
“But the guys would do all the back-of-house stuff, right? If you think of it as working for two hours and then having the rest of the day free, it’s a pretty sweet deal.”
“What are we supposed to do in the back?”
“For a café? Probably get drinks ready, make pancakes, that kinda thing.”
“What about equipment?”
At the question, Kondo consulted his papers again.
“Open flames are prohibited, but each class can be issued one hot plate upon request. However, you can’t serve perishable raw ingredients, like dairy products.”
“So we can make pancakes, but we can’t use whipped cream. They won’t be very Insta-worthy.”
“But chocolate syrup should be fine, right? We could write messages or draw pictures with it. The customers might like that.”
“If there are no other suggestions, have we all decided on doing a café? …Yes? Okay, then let’s move on to a vote!”
And so, the sixteen boys and twenty girls—thirty-six of us in total—began to vote by a show of hands.
The results were as follows:
Shrine Maiden Café……6 votes.
Maid Café………………10 votes.
Nurse Café………………2 votes.
Nun Café…………………1 vote.
Pajama Café……………10 votes.
Police Café………………1 vote.
Gyaru Café………………6 votes.
It was a tie between the maid café and the pajama café for first place.
My seat was in the back of the center row, so I had a clear view of who voted for what.
All ten votes for the pajama café came from boys. There were sixteen boys in the class. The other six had each cast a single vote for one of the other six options.
In other words, the pajama café was the overwhelming favorite among the guys, while the maid café was more popular with the girls. Since our class has four more girls than boys, if we went straight to a runoff, the maid café was guaranteed to win.
Perhaps that was why Kondo, the moderator who had himself voted for the pajama café, announced, “Before we move to a final vote, to ensure there are no regrets, we will have a representative from each side give a speech!”
There were no objections. Numabuchi, the original proponent of the pajama café, was the first to take the stand.
“Pajamas are the stuff of dreams! A chance to witness the rare sight of a girl in her pajamas—a glimpse of how she looks right after a bath! All you men out there know what I’m talking about! The romance of pajamas!”
Numabuchi shot a passionate gaze at the other guys. His strategy was clearly to rally all the male votes, save for Matsui, the maid café guy.
The boys looked moved, but the girls just offered tight-lipped smiles.
“Isn’t he romanticizing pajamas a little too much? I just wear sweats.”
“I’m still rocking my junior high gym jersey.”
“I mean, it sounds kinda fun, like a slumber party.”
“But isn’t it just… embarrassing?”
“The guys in the back will be wearing pajamas, too, so the embarrassment is cut in half! In other words, the pajama café offers a sense of unity that the maid café lacks! Furthermore, as I said before, the costume cost for a pajama café is zero! We can use the leftover budget to source higher-quality ingredients and provide our customers with even more delicious food! That is all!”
As a smattering of applause echoed through the room, Numabuchi stepped down, and Matsui took his place.
“Honestly, I think the pajama café is a pretty good idea, too! I found myself nodding along with everything Numabuchi just said!”
Perhaps because he was already in a stronger position, Matsui started by praising his rival. Or was he planning to switch sides? If he did, all the male votes would go to the pajama café, and with just three votes from the girls, the pajama party would be victorious.
“But I want to use this opportunity to ask one simple question. When your parents ask you, ‘So what are you doing for the culture festival?’…can you really look them in the eye and say, ‘A pajama café’?”
That was the nail in the coffin. From where I was sitting, all I could see were the backs of their heads, but I was certain the words That’s too embarrassing to say were written across every single one of the boys’ faces.
We moved to the runoff vote, and the maid café won in a landslide.
Komori-san drew a celebratory circle around Maid Café on the board. I thought the meeting was over, but Kondo brought up a new topic.
“Next, I’d like to discuss the ‘Inter-Grade Contest.’”
The what?
“Yo, yo! What’s this Inter-Grade Contest thing?”
Ikeda-san asked the question on everyone’s mind. Kondo read from his handout.
“The theme of the Inter-Grade Contest changes every year. Last year was the ‘Best Gyaru Contest,’ the year before that was the ‘Best Macho Contest,’ and the year before that was the ‘Best Jeanist Contest.’”
So it was a Hazakura High-exclusive event. A changing theme every year sounded interesting. If it didn’t overlap with my free time, I might check it out.
“So what is it this year?” Ikeda-san asked.
“This year,” Kondo announced, “it’s the ‘Best Couple Contest.’”
“…”
“…”
Nanami and I exchanged glances.
The name alone was enough to fill me with a sense of dread.
Instantly, the entire class turned to look at us. “See, they’re already gazing into each other’s eyes!” “Looks like the first-year reps are decided!” “You guys are a shoo-in for the win!” “You got this, Hayakawa!” The room erupted with excitement.
A wave of panic washed over me as I called out to the class.
“W-Wait, but what if a bunch of other classes have candidates, too? There might be couples who really, really want to enter, and then we’d have to compete for a spot. Nanami and I aren’t big on conflict, so we’d be happy to step aside in that case…”
“Don’t worry. It says here that one couple per class is allowed to enter. Are there any other couples in this class who would like to participate?”
Kondo prompted for a show of hands, and the room fell silent. Not a single person so much as twitched.
“And there you have it. Since there are no other candidates, Hayakawa and Kousaka-san are guaranteed a spot.”
The cheering started up again. “Congrats on getting in!” “We’ll definitely be there to cheer you on!” “Not that you’ll need it! You two are a lock for first place!” “I mean, you’ve been in love for four and a half years!”
I-It’s no use… The path to declining has been completely cut off…
It had been nearly three weeks since I’d transferred to Hazakura High. The way people looked at us had started to calm down. So far, no one had found out we were living together. We’d still get the occasional comment in the hallway— “You two look as close as ever!” or “That happy couple aura is off the charts!”—but it was nothing like the commotion of my first day. We’d held hands on the way to and from school, shared an umbrella in the rain, and snuggled up on a bench in the courtyard… We did everything we could to act like a couple, and thanks to that, our lie hadn't been exposed. I thought we could finally settle into a peaceful school life as just another ordinary couple.
But now this “Best Couple Contest”… If we participated, we’d be thrown right back into the spotlight. And more than anything, it was just mortifyingly embarrassing.
If it were just a matter of getting on stage and saying, “We’re…” “a…” ““Couple!”” I could probably just about stomach it, but…
“What do the contestants in the Best Couple Contest… have to do?”
I asked Kondo hesitantly.
“There are three events: ‘Express Your Love for Each Other,’ ‘Reenact Your Confession Scene,’ and ‘Free-For-All Cuddle Time.’”
It was the worst possible lineup. Every single event was a masterclass in public humiliation.
Having to act all lovey-dovey in front of a huge crowd when we weren’t even really dating… This was just too much.
“Haru-kun, what are we going to do…?”
Nanami looked at me, her face on the verge of tears. She clearly didn’t want to do this.
But Nanami was the one who had spent all this time telling everyone how much she loved me. From an outsider’s perspective, she was one half of a ridiculously love-struck couple. Now that I was here, completing the set, it was only natural for everyone to assume we’d jump at the chance to participate. If we refused now, it would contradict everything she’d said. And since I’d gone along with her lie, I couldn’t refuse to participate in the contest, either. It was almost certain that we were doing this.
Still… clinging to a sliver of hope, I had to make one last attempt at resistance.
“W-Well… whether we participate or not depends on when the event is held… We haven’t decided on our duties yet, but we have to work our shifts for the maid café, you know.”
“Oh, we’ll obviously schedule the shifts so they don’t conflict with the event!”
And just like that, my hope was crushed.
That was all the resistance I had in me.
“B-But are you sure we’re the right choice? No one else raised their hand, but maybe they were just being considerate of us…”
Beside me, Nanami offered her own last-ditch effort, her voice laced with uncertainty.
“Don’t worry about it. You and Hayakawa are the only couple in our class. Right, guys?”
At Ikeda-san’s question, voices from around the room called out, “Not dating anyone!” and “Boyfriend applications are open!”
“But Haru-kun and I have been together since before we can even remember. We had that long-distance period, but we started dating back in elementary school… At this point, I feel like we’re less of a ‘couple’ and more like an old married couple… I just don’t think we can give everyone the kind of cutesy couple reaction they’re expecting…”
Her argument was basically that it wouldn’t be fair for professionals to compete in an amateur tournament. But this was a double-edged sword; if we did participate now, we’d be expected to display a masterful level of romantic chemistry.
So, how would this play out…!
“That’s totally fine! Just be a lovey-dovey married couple!” “I’m definitely coming to cheer you on!” “We’ll be there to soak up some of that happiness!” “Don’t mind us, just do your thing! We’re way past the point of getting jealous!” “Hey, hey, what time is the Best Couple Contest?” “It’s the final event in the gym, so it runs from three to four PM at the latest.” “Okay, then how about we make a last call at our café at two thirty? That way we can all go cheer them on!” “Seconded!” “No objections!”
Ah, this was hopeless. We were completely swept up in an atmosphere where backing out was no longer an option. Putting on the bravest faces we could muster, the two of us said, “I’m looking forward to it,” and “Can’t wait,” as we signed the entry form on the spot.
◆
That afternoon, after school.
Nanami and I stopped by a convenience store on our way back to the apartment.
We’d been doing our best to cook every day, but we had things to take care of tonight, so we opted for frozen food to save time. We put the fried rice and pasta in the freezer, then sat down on the sofa together.
Nanami’s brow furrowed with guilt.
“I’m so sorry, Haru-kun. Because of me, you’re tangled up in another mess…”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. There was no way you could’ve predicted they’d be holding a Best Couple Contest this year.”
“…And you’ll forgive me for that ‘old married couple’ comment?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. I’m not mad. So stop apologizing. Let’s talk about something more constructive.”
With that, I pulled a notebook and pen out of my school bag.
The agenda: How to Handle All Three Events of the Best Couple Contest.
“Express our love for each other, reenact our confession, and then… cuddle time… right?”
Nanami bashfully recited the three events.
To add to that, we’d later learned that we had a three-minute time limit, and the performance order was based on grade and class, youngest first. In other words, as members of Class 1-1, we were the opening act.
When we went to turn in our entry form to the head of the culture committee after homeroom, he’d beamed at us. “With you two as the opening act, the contest is guaranteed to be a hit!” The pressure was immense.
I felt bad for everyone cheering us on, but our ideal outcome was to come in last place. If we got the crowd all riled up and actually won, we’d be back in the spotlight, the center of attention every single day. If that led to someone figuring out our relationship was a sham, it would be a disaster.
Then again, we couldn’t just not act lovey-dovey during the contest. If we hold back, people might get suspicious.
So, the plan was to be moderately affectionate on the day, end up in a respectable last place, and return to our normal lives without drawing any unnecessary attention.
Well, considering every other couple would be the real deal, we probably couldn’t win even if we gave it our all.
“Okay, so now we have to invent a bunch of lovey-dovey stories that never happened… First up, for the ‘love declarations,’ I was thinking we could use your past statements as a reference.”
“My past… statements?”
“Before I transferred here, you were going around telling everyone how much you liked me, right? I want to reuse some of those lines.”
With that, I uncapped my pen.
“Tell me everything you can remember saying.”
“Eh?” Nanami’s eyes went wide. Her smooth, pale skin began to slowly turn crimson.
“You mean… I have to say all the things I told other people I like about you… to you?”
“That’s right. As much as you can remember, tell me everything you said to everyone. I’m gonna take notes, so go slow, word for word.”
“…Do I really have to say everything?”
“You do. Otherwise, we might end up with inconsistencies.”
“Ughh…” she moaned in embarrassment, but as instructed, she began to recount her past declarations.
“What I told people most often was… I like you because you’re kind, Haru-kun. I like that you can be a little mean sometimes, too. I like how you always take the lead. I like when you pat my head like a big brother. I like how you always make me feel so positive. I like that when we split a piece of cake, you always give me the bigger half. I like how well we get along. I like being with you because it’s fun. I like you so much I want to be by your side forever. I just love you so, so much… I think?”
W-What was this? Some new kind of humiliation ritual?
I couldn’t stop my face from getting hot.
Every reason Nanami listed for ‘liking’ me was weirdly realistic. The one about splitting a piece of cake and giving her the bigger half was something I actually did when we were kids. Where was the line between the lies and what she really thought…?
Even if it was all a complete fabrication, hearing her go on and on about how much she liked me… there was no way I wouldn’t blush.
“That’s all I can think of off the top of my head…”
“‘Off the top of your head’…? You mean there’s more? More things you like about me…?”
“Yeah, I think I said a bunch of other stuff, too… So, which ones are we going to use for the contest?”
“Let’s see… We’ll use all of them.”
“Wh-What?! All of them? Wh-Why?”
The thought of using every single one seemed to embarrass her, and she made a face.
“Because we have a three-minute time limit. I want to use up as much time as possible here so we can keep the Cuddle Time as short as we can.”
“Oh, right… You really think things through, Haru-kun.”
It seemed Cuddle Time was just as much of a minefield for her as it was for me. She immediately understood and, blushing slightly, asked a question.
“So, does that mean you’re going to say a bunch of things you like about me, too?”
“Nah, I was just planning on saying, ‘And I love you a hundred times more.’”
“Hey, that’s not fair! Your answer is way too short! I’m the only one who has to be embarrassed!”
“It’s not unfair at all. I have a reason.”
“A reason…?”
“I don’t know every single lie you’ve told people. If I start listing off my own love declarations, there’s no guarantee they won’t contradict something you’ve said in the past. So, for me, shorter is better.”
I steamrolled her objections and scribbled the line, And I love you a hundred times more, in my notebook.
Alright, that took care of the first event.
Next was Reenact Your Confession Scene. The big premise here was that neither of us had ever confessed, so this part would have to be pure fiction…
“Nanami, have you ever told your friends any stories about how I confessed or anything?”
If she had, we’d need to use that to avoid contradictions.
“No. Whenever they asked, I just deflected by saying, ‘It’s a special memory just for me.’ …Oh, but I did tell them that you were the one who confessed to me.”
“So I have to take the lead in the reenactment, then.”
“Sorry…”
“It’s totally fine.”
Since Nanami was taking the lead on the love declarations, this balanced things out. And luckily, or perhaps unluckily, we were supposed to have started dating in elementary school. A confession scene between elementary schoolers wouldn’t require any super-embarrassing lines.
“Give me a little time to think.”
“Okay. Want something to drink?”
“Hot cocoa would be great.”
“I’ll have some, too,” Nanami said as she went to boil some water. Before any brilliant ideas came to me, she returned with two mugs. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I took a sip of the hot cocoa, hoping the sugar would jump-start my brain, but… nothing.
“So? Any flashes of inspiration?”
“Not exactly inspiration, but… how about something safe, like ‘I like you. Please go out with me’?”
Nanami frowned. She clearly wasn’t a fan.
“Hmm… I mean, that’s the classic confession, but it’s so generic it almost sounds made up… and it doesn’t really feel like us.”
“Doesn’t feel like us, huh…?” I had to admit, it felt weird saying it myself. It was unimaginable, but if I were to confess to Nanami, I don’t think it would be so formal.
“Knowing you, Haru-kun, you’d probably just say it casually in the middle of a normal, fun conversation.”
“Ah, that does sound like me.”
She was my childhood friend, after all. She knew me well.
It was true. If I were to actually confess, I’d get all embarrassed and, in an attempt to act like I wasn’t nervous, I’d probably just slip it in while we were hanging out. I’d try to think along those lines.
“Okay, let’s say we’re playing a video game. In the middle of saying something like, ‘I like this character, and this one, too,’ I could just drop in, ‘But the one I like the most is you, Nanami.’ How about that?”
Nanami’s brow furrowed. She didn’t like that one, either. “It’s better than the last one, but…” she said, prefacing her critique.
“I don’t think elementary-school-me would have understood that as a romantic confession. I probably would have just said, ‘Thank you,’ and taken it at face value. I mean, I never even imagined dating someone back then… And you’d be the same way if someone said that to you, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, I probably wouldn’t have thought of it as a confession,” I admitted. “…So it has to be a line that even a romantically oblivious elementary schooler would instantly recognize as a confession…”
Adding something like, “No, no, that’s not what I mean. This is a confession. I like you. I love you. It’s not ‘like,’ it’s ‘love,’” would be way too lame, so I wanted to avoid that.
Knowing my personality, I wouldn’t have tried to force us into a relationship that same day. I would have just resolved to make sure she understood it was a real confession next time, and then we’d have gone on playing as friends for the rest of the day.
“…Sounds tricky?”
“I’ll give it some thought.”
I took another sip of my still-warm cocoa and thought.
A casual confession that would still make her realize in an instant, I’m being confessed to… How could I pull that off?
I was sure that Nanami, just like me, would never in a million years expect a confession from someone she’d grown up with like a sibling. Even if I poured my heart into the words, she might just take them lightly. That meant I needed to make her brace herself for a confession before I even said the words.
The most obvious way would be a kiss. If I said “I like you” after a kiss, she’d definitely understand it was ‘love,’ not ‘like.’
But kissing didn’t feel very elementary-school-like. Plus, kissing someone before you’re even dating has a whiff of criminality to it.
Even though we ended up “dating,” so it worked out fine, I didn’t want the audience thinking, So Hayakawa Haruki is the kind of guy who kisses girls before they’re even going out.
That meant I had no choice but to skillfully set the mood with words. If I could create a “this is a confession” vibe with my lines, Nanami should be able to prepare herself mentally.
“Looks like you’ve thought of something.”
“Yeah. I think this will work.”
I wrote out our lines in the notebook.
With the script finished, Nanami and I decided to do a trial read-through.
…When we finished, silence hung in the living room for a moment. Then, Nanami broke into a satisfied smile.
“…Yeah, this feels real.”
“It instantly sounds like a confession now, right? Did your lines feel natural?”
“They did. The timing is good, too. I think it’s great.”
“I’m glad you like it. Now, all that’s left is to figure out what to do for the third event…”
The third event… I muttered to myself, and a blush crept across Nanami’s cheeks. She looked down, embarrassed.
“We’re going to… be affectionate?”
“If we’re entering the contest, we have to.”
“Right… For how long?”
“A little over a minute. Let’s try for a minute and thirty seconds for now.”
I set my phone’s timer and made sure to clarify things with Nanami.
“This is just an act. Purely an act. The last thing I want is for this to make things awkward between us.”
“I know,” Nanami nodded. “We’ve just gotten used to living together, and things have been so much fun. I’d hate for it to get weird now.”
“Exactly. So, let’s just say that our Cuddle Time is something that happens in a dream.”
“In a dream…?”
“Right. For the next ninety seconds, you and I are going to be all over each other. But once that time is up, we’ll just say it was a dream we had while we were napping. It didn’t happen in reality. We just had the same, very realistic dream. And since it was a dream, we’ll forget it right away… See? Aren’t you getting sleepy already?”
Nanami let out a small giggle.
“Haru-kun, are you trying to hypnotize me?”
“Did it sound like it?”
“It did. This is nostalgic. Remember when we used to make a pendulum with a five-yen coin and a piece of string and play hypnotist?”
“Oh yeah, we did do that. You were swinging the pendulum, saying, ‘You are getting sleeeepy,’ and I pretended to actually be hypnotized. You got scared and started crying.”
“Well, you wouldn’t wake up! I even tickled you and you didn’t even flinch…”
“I was trying really hard not to.”
“If you were trying that hard, you should’ve just woken up…”
“My mischievous side took over. I know it was mean. But you like that part of me, too, don’t you?”
My own playful side kicking in, I brought up her earlier love declaration. Nanami’s cheeks turned red. “I don’t like it when you’re mean in an embarrassing way…”
“Alright, alright,” I said, getting us back on track. “Before we start, I need you to hypnotize yourself.”
“R-Right… I am getting sleepy. For ninety seconds, this is a dream world. A dream world I will forget as soon as I wake up. When the alarm goes off, it’ll all be gone, just like that…”
“…You ready? In the dream, we can do whatever we want. Nothing will be awkward. Because we’re going to forget.”
“Forget… Forget… Forget…”
“If we’re only half-hearted about it, it’ll just feel weirdly real. It’ll feel more like a dream if we really go for it.”
“Really go for it…”
Her eyes glazed over, and she repeated my words in a sleepy voice. I gave her a look that said, Let’s do this, and she gave a slow, deliberate nod.
I tapped my phone screen, and the countdown began—
“Hey. Hey, you.”
Nanami was the first to move.
She climbed onto my lap to face me, placing her hands on my shoulders. She gave them a little shake.
“Hey, Haru-kun, pay attention to me~”
“In a minute. I’ll pay attention to you in a minute.”
Instantly grasping the scenario, I improvised a response. Nanami pouted.
“Aww, but you said that a minute ago~”
“It’s almost over. The TV show is almost over.”
“Watch me instead of the show~”
Still on my lap, she threw her arms around my neck and buried her face against mine.
Something soft pressed against my cheek, and the sweet scent of her laundry detergent filled my nostrils.
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I gently tapped her on the back.
“Alright, alright, I get it. You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Ehehe, thanks~”
Nanami plopped down on the sofa next to me. I wrapped an arm around her delicate shoulders and pulled her close. As I stroked her silky black hair, she rested her cheek against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist.
Beep, beep, beep. The alarm went off, and we instantly sprang apart. My heart was pounding in my ears. My face felt like it was on fire, and a delayed wave of sweat broke out on my skin. I used to be able to handle her hugging me without a problem, but to get this worked up over Nanami…
Looking at her was awkward, but… it was all a dream. Just a dream. The alarm went off, which meant I had to wipe it from my memory.
“…So, how was it? Do you think that dream will work, Haru-kun?”
“Hmm… I don’t really remember it, but I feel like I had a properly affectionate dream, so I think it’ll be fine… What do you think, Nanami?”
“Me too… I think it was super embarrassing, but I think that dream will work.”
I was mortified, too. I was the one who said we should go all out, but I never expected her to be so bold… I don’t think I’ll ever forget the soft feeling of her pressed against my face.
“Um, Haru-kun…”
“What’s up?”
“Would you… hate it… if you had the same dream every day?”
“…Every day? Not just on the day of the festival, but every single day?”
“Y-Yeah. I’m nervous about doing this for real without more practice, so I thought maybe it’d be better if we had the same dream every day starting today. It’s embarrassing, but… it’s not like I hate being affectionate with you… Ah, of course, that’s not to say I want to be affectionate, it’s just—I-I mean, it’s not like I genuinely hate it, either…!”
Regretting her embarrassing admission, Nanami’s face turned bright red as she completely lost her composure.
She probably didn’t even know what she was saying anymore, but her point was perfectly valid.
A moment ago, Nanami had put on a flawless performance, but she could only do that because it was just the two of us.
The real thing would be in front of a huge crowd. Just imagining it sent a wave of monumental embarrassment through me. If we went in this anxious, we were bound to mess up—and people might think we were fakes. To convince the audience that we were a bona fide couple, we needed to practice.
“I have no memory of what dream I had, but I have a feeling I’ll be having it again every day. You’re okay with that?”
“Y-Yeah. I don’t remember the dream either, but I have a feeling I’ll have the same one at the same time as you… B-But maybe from now on, I’d like to have the dream after my bath.”
“After your bath…? Why?”
“Because… I think I was sweating in the dream… and because of that, I feel like I couldn’t hug you as tightly as I wanted to…”
“Huh?”
Did that mean if we practiced after our baths, she was going to hug me even tighter than before?! She was already so soft, but if I felt any more of that, I might get so flustered I’d forget my lines!
But… if we practiced, maybe I’d get used to it by the time the festival rolled around, and I didn’t want her to worry about her scent.
“I have a feeling I didn’t notice any sweat, but I also have a feeling we’ll be having that same dream after our baths from now on.”
“Thank you…”
“You’re welcome… though it’s weird to be thanked for a dream. Anyway, we’ve figured out all three events. Looks like we’ll be able to get through this somehow.”
“Yeah. I’m still nervous, but now I’m actually looking forward to the culture festival.”
“Me too. We’re going to walk around together, right?”
“Of course… But do you think our breaks will line up?”
“I’m sure everyone in class will be considerate and arrange it for us. They’re all rooting for our relationship, after all.”
“That’s true. When I think about it that way, I’m glad I decided to pretend we were dating. It means we get to be together every day.”
Nanami was looking at the situation positively. Whether we cried or laughed, the way people saw us wasn’t going to change. And we’d be living together until we were third-years. It would be hard on me, too, if she was always weighed down by guilt, so it was a huge help that she was able to approach this pretend relationship with a positive attitude.
Ping. My phone chimed.
It was a message from my mom.
“She says they’ll be here a little after eight.”
We’d known for a few days that my parents were coming.
My allowance day was approaching, and when I asked if they could just transfer it to me like they did with our living expenses, they said they wanted to see my face and would give it to me in person.
Today was that day.
“Can I grab a quick dinner and take a bath first?”
“Of course,” I told her, and we both got to work. While Nanami brought in the laundry and started filling the tub, I got the fried rice and pasta ready.
◆
A little after 8:00 PM.
The doorbell rang. When I opened the door, my mom and dad were standing there.
“It’s been a while,” Dad said.
“Haruki, have you been doing well?” Mom asked.
“As you can see, I’m doing great.”
I invited them inside.
Nanami stood up from the sofa. “Good evening,” she said with a smile.
She was in her pajamas, but I was still in my school uniform. I wanted to take my time in the bath, so I’d decided to wait until after they left.
“Good evening. You’re as lovely as ever, Nanami-chan.”
“And the apartment is so tidy,” Dad added. “Are you two cleaning it together?”
“I do the laundry, and Haru-kun does the cleaning in exchange. We take out the trash together on our way to school.”
“Are you cooking?” Mom asked.
“Yeah, pretty much. We were busy today so we just had frozen food, but we usually cook together. Right?”
“Yep,” Nanami chirped. “We started with keema curry, then meat udon, fried rice, yakisoba, stir-fried vegetables, pork belly and cabbage hot pot…”
“We were just talking about trying to make hamburger steaks soon,” I added.
“We want to eat some heartier stuff, too. And once we get used to cooking, we’ll tackle tonkatsu!”
“Deep-frying is a little intimidating, though.”
My parents smiled warmly.
“I’m glad to see you’re both having such a good time.”
“Are you going on dates?”
“Dates… We’ve only been to the local mall, I guess.”
“Every day is a date at home, right?”
“True,” Mom said. “But while dates at home are nice, you should take her out somewhere once in a while.”
With that, she pulled an envelope out of her handbag. I took it with a “thanks” and checked the contents…
“Is this right?”
My allowance was supposed to be five thousand yen, but there was twenty thousand in the envelope. They’d been paying for my phone bill, but maybe this meant I was supposed to pay it myself from now on? Even so, twenty thousand was way too much…
“Your father and I discussed it. We were worried that with only five thousand yen, you wouldn’t be able to take Nanami-chan out on proper dates. So, from now on, your allowance will be twenty thousand yen a month.”
“Twenty thousand a month?! A-Are you sure?”
“Don’t hesitate. Use that money to show Nanami-chan a good time.”
Not only did they get me a new place, but now they were funding my dates, too. If we were actually in love, I’d be almost too blessed.
We weren’t actually dating, but I was still happy to get twenty thousand yen a month. Midterms were over, so maybe Nanami and I could go out somewhere tomorrow.
“Thanks. I’ll use it wisely.”
“Thank you very much. Haru-kun and I will have a wonderful time.”
“You’re very welcome,” they said, smiling.
“Well, we’ve seen your faces, so we should probably get going,” Dad said. “But if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“If you’re ever short on money, tell us right away. You don’t need to hold back. Alright then, Haruki, Nanami-chan, we’ll see you again.”
They started to head out, but I felt bad just taking the money and saying goodbye. It wasn’t exactly a sign of gratitude, but we decided to walk them to the parking lot.
Still… Mom and Dad were being unusually nice today. I mean, they were always kind parents, but still.
We waved as their car drove off, and on the way back to the apartment, I asked Nanami, “Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“Anywhere at all?”
“Anywhere we can have fun for fifteen thousand yen.”
I wouldn’t mind spending the whole amount on her, but there were quite a few manga I wanted to buy next month. I also had to pay for stationery and haircuts out of my allowance, so I wanted to keep at least five thousand in reserve.
“In that case… I think I’d like to go to a maid café.”
“A maid café?”
“I’ve always been curious, and I thought it might be good for research on customer service… Is that okay?”
“Of course. As an otaku myself, I’ve always been interested in maid cafés. And it’s the kind of place that’s hard to go to alone.”
My enthusiastic response made Nanami’s face light up.
“I know, right! That’s why I wanted to go with you, Haru-kun~”
“Alright, it’s settled. We’ll go to a maid café tomorrow… I want to take a bath, so would you mind looking up a few interesting ones for me?”
“You got it! I’ll find a good one!”
Nanami cheerfully picked up her phone.
Just then, an electronic tone sounded. It was coming from my phone.
I picked it up. A message from my mom. Given the timing, she probably forgot to tell me something earlier.
“…Huh?”
The moment I opened the messaging app and read the text, a surprised sound escaped my lips.
Nanami peered at my face, concerned.
“What’s wrong?”
“…This.”
I showed Nanami my phone screen.
Displayed there was an apology from my mom.
Haruki, I’m so sorry. There’s something I have to tell you. Your father was supposed to be able to stay in this town until April of your third year, but the schedule has been moved up, and it looks like he’ll have to return to his old job next April… I was planning to tell you earlier, but seeing you and Nanami-chan looking so happy, I just couldn’t bring myself to say it to your faces… It means your time living together might end sooner than planned, and I’m truly sorry. We’ll come by to apologize properly another day.
After she finished reading, Nanami looked up at me, her expression sad.
“Haru-kun, you’re moving again next April…?”
“Yeah… looks like it.”
“I… see…”
Seeing her face fall even further, I forced a cheerful tone into my voice.
“But… maybe it’s for the best.”
“Huh? Why…?”
“If I’m moving next April, it means the time we have to pretend to be a couple has been shortened by a whole year, right? A shorter period means less chance of anyone getting suspicious about us being a fake couple. If we just stick it out for another five months, we can use the excuse that we’re back to being long-distance lovers—and get our peaceful school lives back. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“I guess so, but…”
Nanami looked down, looking like she wanted to say something but holding the words back.
Even so, I could guess what she was thinking.
Just like me, she had probably started to see this fake relationship in a positive light. She was probably just starting to enjoy the simple, everyday routine of seeing her best friend, who was practically family, just like in the old days.
I could understand not wanting to lose that.
But the most important thing was to make sure Nanami’s lie was never exposed—to keep the secret until the very end and return to our “long-distance relationship” without anyone getting hurt or saddened.
That’s why I had to interpret Mom’s message as good news.
“For now, I’ll just reply to my mom and say, ‘I’m sad about leaving Nanami, but given the circumstances, you don’t have to apologize.’”
“Yeah, please do that. It’s not your parents’ fault. Please tell them that Nanami isn’t worried about it either.”
“Got it,” I nodded, and replied to my mom.
After a few more back-and-forths of “I’m really so sorry” and “Don’t worry about it at all,” I ended the conversation and tried to rally my spirits.
“Alright, I’m gonna go take a bath. After that, we’ll talk about maid cafés. We’ll pick the best one from your list of candidates, and tomorrow, we’ll have an amazing time!”
“Yeah, you’re right! Let’s have a ton of fun tomorrow!”
Nanami’s voice was just as energetic as mine. I gave her a smile and headed for the bathroom.
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