Chapter 1
I couldn't sleep a single wink last night.
I ended up kissing Hanamori Chisa—my hated junior.
Well, to be precise, she kissed me.
It wasn't a dream. Probably.
Morning arrived. Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, and Hanamori squirmed on the sofa. Her hair stuck up wildly in every direction, and her face was visibly bloated.
Her little-devil persona from last night's drinking party was completely switched off.
“...Ow, ow... My head hurts...”
“Serves you right.”
“Nn... Where am I...?”
“My place.”
“...Huh? Asami-san!? Is this your apartment, Asami-san?”
“Yep.”
While Hanamori struggled to process the situation, I calmly explained as I took a sip of my coffee.
“What!? Why!?”
“Because you were dead drunk. You were collapsed on a bench in front of a convenience store.”
“...Ugh, I don't remember that at all...”
She clutched her head, groaning in a voice at least two octaves lower than her usual high-pitched tone.
No, no, I'm the one who wants to groan here.
“...How much of last night do you actually remember?”
“Huh? Uhhh...”
Hanamori squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to trace back her memories.
“I'm pretty sure I remember up until the second bar... Ah, but halfway through, I think I was talking to some handsome guys... They offered to walk me home, so we went to the convenience store together...”
“...And then those guys ditched you on a bench and went home.”
“Ugh, what trash. I didn't think they were that kind of guys.”
“So, do you remember how you got here?”
“Not at all... My memory is all spotty... I remember feeling sick and sitting down on the bench in front of the convenience store, but after that...”
“So you completely blacked out after that point.”
“Looks like it...”
Uncharacteristically, Hanamori looked completely despondent. I started feeling a tiny bit sorry for her. Just a tiny bit.
“...So, what about that yesterday...?”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Huh? What's ‘that’?”
Hanamori looked at me with a blank, puzzled expression.
“Uh, oh, no, it's nothing...”
I hurriedly looked away, my heart pounding against my ribs. There was no way I could say it. Do you remember kissing me?
Besides, if Hanamori didn't remember, maybe that was for the best. We could pretend it never happened. I could just forget it.
Yeah. Let's pretend it never happened.
“Anyway, why don't you drink some clam soup?”
I set a bowl of instant clam soup made with hot water in front of Hanamori.
“Huh, clam soup...?”
“Supposed to be good for hangovers.”
Hanamori let out a surprised “Oh,” holding the bowl with both hands. She took a sip and let out a relieved breath.
“...Delicious.”
“Is it?”
I answered dryly. But inside, I felt a slight, ticklish flutter in my chest.
“...Um... thank you.”
Hanamori mumbled quietly.
When she looked up, she didn't have her usual cheeky smirk—instead, her expression was honest and a little embarrassed.
“Thanks for saving me. For picking me up.”
“...It was nothing.”
Feeling strangely flustered, I averted my eyes.
Hanamori brought the bowl to her lips again. Watching her sip it like a kitten lapping up water made my chest tighten slightly.
Before I knew it, my gaze was drawn directly to her lips.
Yesterday, with those very lips—
Whoa, stop it right there! You literally just decided to pretend it never happened. Don't start remembering now!
“...What are you staring at?”
“What!? I-I'm not staring!”
“Liar. You were definitely staring just now.”
“I was not...!!”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. What was I getting flustered for? This was the worst.
Hanamori smirked. That look brought back memories of her little-devil mode from last night. The honest, vulnerable atmosphere from a moment ago was completely gone.
“Asami-san, your face is kind of red, isn't it?”
“It's just the heater.”
“The heater isn't even on, though.”
“...Alright, just finish drinking and head home.”
“Meanie.”
Giggling, Hanamori finished off the clam soup. Then, casually glancing at the wall clock, she suddenly panicked.
“Wait, crap! It's already eight o'clock!”
“What about your clothes and bag? Will you make it to work on time?”
“It's tight, but I'm going back home first. I can't go to the office dressed like this.”
Going to work in yesterday's clothes wasn't an option—she was right about that. Especially for someone like Hanamori, who always dressed impeccably. But time-wise, she was cutting it extremely close.
“I could lend you some clothes, if you want.”
I offered reluctantly. It wasn't like I wanted to do her a favor. I just didn't want her being late and blaming it on me. Yeah, that was the only reason.
“Hmm, no thanks. I'll still go home and change. If I leave right now, I think I can make it.”
“...I see.”
“Besides, your clothes wouldn't really match my face, Asami-san.”
“...Huh?”
“Well, I mean, your clothes are pretty plain, aren't they? I'm more the type that looks better in something a bit more glamorous.”
And she did it again. Annoyance flared up instantly. Here I was trying to be nice!
I let out two massive sighs in my head. No, make that three.
She just had to drop an unnecessary jab every single time. It was infuriating. This was exactly why I hated her.
Hanamori stood up and walked toward the entrance.
“Ah, but seriously, you really saved me. Thank you so much.”
Right at the door, she spun around gracefully and gave a deep bow. When she looked up, she gave a gentle smile. The sight looked so oddly cute that it threw my mind into chaos all over again.
This is bad. My emotions are bouncing between pissed off and finding her cute—I can't keep up.
***
Arriving at work, I sat at my usual desk and booted up my computer. The white glow of the monitor felt painfully bright. Opening my email, I checked the materials for today's meeting.
The same morning routine, the same work. Yet for some reason, I couldn't focus at all.
Flashbacks of yesterday's kiss kept invading my mind, stalling my fingers over the keyboard.
That distance. That sweet scent. The temperature when our lips touched.
Hanamori's soft, squishy smile right after the kiss.
Ugh, worst timing ever. Stop remembering this stuff at work!
“Good morning, everyone~!”
A high-pitched voice chimed through the room.
I turned around to see Hanamori breezing into the office with poise.
Her hair was impeccably styled, her makeup flawless. Wearing a pink blouse and a white skirt, she certainly looked glamorous—and it suited her. Yesterday's disheveled state felt like a total lie.
Remembering how she had looked with bedhead exploding, a trace of drool, and a swollen face complaining “I feel sick~,” I almost burst out laughing.
Nobody else knew that side of Hanamori.
I was the only one who knew. ...For some reason, thinking that it made me feel a little special made my face warm up slightly.
No! What on earth am I thinking?
“Oh, your tie looks so stylish today! It really suits you~”
“Huh? Did you get a haircut, Chief? You look so much younger~!”
It was her usual routine. Hanamori showered the male staff with flattery, smiled cutely, and captured hearts with subtle gestures.
Hanamori's desk was diagonally across from mine in the same pod, so she was constantly in my line of sight.
Hanamori making phone calls. Hanamori taking notes. Hanamori laughing.
I couldn't help seeing all of it. And before I knew it, my mind wandered back again: (Yesterday, with those lips...)
And occasionally, our eyes would meet.
Every single time, I hastily looked away.
Taking a deep breath, I turned back to my monitor.
Alright, focus, focus. Focus on your work.
Yet my hands on the keyboard were trembling.
Hanamori Chisa.
Because of that woman, my peaceful daily life had completely collapsed.
Seriously, she's the worst.
—And right in the middle of all this, Section Chief Miyashita called me over.
“Asami, Hanamori is making her sales debut in the field. Mind taking her under your wing as her OJT trainer for a while?”
“Huh?”
—Literally the worst possible timing.
***
The next morning at the daily briefing, it was officially announced that Hanamori and I would pair up as part of her OJT to do sales calls together.
After the briefing ended, Hanamori's eyes were completely dead.
With lifeless eyes, she stared off into the distance like a corpse. Even after the meeting dissolved, she didn't make a move to get up.
“...Hanamori-san?”
“............”
“Hello? We need to have a quick sync.”
“...My life is over.”
“Don't be dramatic.”
“It's over. Completely.”
Hanamori slumped her shoulders in defeat.
The direction of her gaze was fixed on Tamura-san and Sasaki-kun, a second-year sales rep, who were having a discussion across the room.
Ah, so that was it.
Hanamori had been scheming to get paired up with Tamura-san, the handsome sales guy, betting everything on closing the distance between them during sales runs.
Well, when you think about it, management's decision made total sense. Pairing a female employee who wore her ulterior motives on her sleeve with the male colleague she was targeting posed nothing but risk for a supervisor.
If something shady or a romantic entanglement broke out, leading to allegations of sexual or power harassment, it would turn into a corporate headache.
“Why... why am I paired with you for sales, Asami-san...?”
“That's my line.”
“This is the worst. My mood is completely ruined.”
Beside me as I let out a sigh, Hanamori whimpered softly.
Her expression was filled with despair, as if it were literally the end of the world.
Honestly, it was kind of funny.
***
A short while after the morning meeting, just as everyone was heading back to their desks...
An aura so refined it felt entirely out of place flowed into the Sales Department office.
“Excuse me.”
At the sound of that voice, several people looked up.
It was Asakura Misaki-san from the Design Department.
Dressed in a soft beige blouse and tapered trousers, her outfit was simple yet looked as though it were pulled straight from a fashion magazine.
Her elegant, chestnut-brown hair, curled to perfection, swayed gently with every step. A soft smile graced her refined features, and her natural makeup highlighted her luminous, translucent beauty.
She was renowned throughout the company as a gorgeous designer.
“Asami-san, do you have a moment?”
“Ah, yes.”
Asakura-san stepped closer to my desk.
A faint waft of citrus perfume floated through the air.
“Regarding the pamphlet you requested the other day, I put together a design like this.”
Asakura-san pulled out a tablet and showed me the screen.
The distance between us felt subtly close.
Leaning forward toward me, Asakura-san pointed at the screen.
“For this layout, I tried making the product photos a bit larger.”
“I see... In that case, if we trim down the text in this section—”
“But from a sales perspective, you wouldn't want to cut this tagline, right?”
“Right, that's a key point.”
“Thought so. That's why I also came up with an alternative draft.”
Asakura-san swiped the screen.
Even the movement of her fingers was remarkably graceful.
“Wow, this looks great. It's lovely.”
“Isn't it? I created it while imagining your sales pitch, Asami-san.”
“Mine?”
“Yes. You always take a logical approach, Asami-san. So I tried to structure it visually to convince clients through sound logic as well.”
Asakura-san smiled softly.
That saint-like smile made me involuntarily stare in admiration.
“...Thank you so much.”
“Not at all. I'll fine-tune it a bit more from here.”
“Great, I appreciate it.”
Asakura-san stood up, gave a slight wave, and turned to leave.
I couldn't help following her departing figure with my eyes.
Her slender silhouette, her natural stride—everything about her looked picture-perfect.
I couldn't tear my eyes away until she disappeared down the hallway.
“............”
Suddenly, I felt a sharp gaze prickling against me.
Turning in that direction, I saw Hanamori staring intently at me.
Her eyes, which were supposed to be dead, were strangely sharp.
Like a bird of prey sizing up its target—
“...What?”
“Nothing at all.”
After appearing to ponder for a moment, Hanamori let out a smirk.
It was a grin that gave off nothing but bad vibes.
***
In the afternoon, we got into the company sales car. I took the driver's seat while Hanamori sat in the passenger seat. True to form, she didn't say a single word. Glancing out the window now and then, she fiddled with her smartphone. Her side profile looked just as cranky as ever today.
“...Haaah.”
A heavy sigh.
“.........Haaaaah.”
Another sigh.
“...This is literally the absolute worst.”
I could hear her muttering under her breath.
“What is?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Everything! Being paired with you is the worst, and I didn't get to talk to Tamura-san at all today.”
“That again? Why don't you just give it up already?”
I said with a sigh. While stopped at a red light, Hanamori suddenly spoke up without looking away from her phone.
“...Hey, Asami-san.”
“What?”
“What do you actually think of Asakura-san?”
—Wait, what?
My hands involuntarily tightened on the steering wheel.
“Huh!? Wha!? Wh-Wh-Why!? What do you mean...!?”
“Heh, so transparent.”
Hanamori scoffed and glanced at me from the corner of her eye as I blushed furiously and acted completely suspicious.
“I knew it. The way you were looking at Asakura-san when you talked to her today—your eyes were totally creepy. Ulterior motives were practically oozing out.”
“...Hah!? What do you mean, creepy?! I don't have any ulterior motives!”
“Oh yes, you did. 100%. It was totally see-through. To the point where it felt like you weren't even trying to hide it.”
“I really don't want to hear that from you—” I tried to snap back, but the words got stuck in my throat.
...I mean, it wasn't about ulterior motives or anything, it was just—
Asakura-san was beautiful, kind, and on top of that, talented and tasteful at her job.
Just being near her made me nervous, and when she smiled at me, my heart skipped a beat.
I didn't know if this was love.
But I certainly admired her. I wanted to become someone like her, and I wanted to get closer to her.
Having those feelings dismissed under the blanket label of “ulterior motives” felt somehow unfair.
“...Not really.”
“‘Not really,’ my foot. You're way too easy to read.”
Hanamori leaned against the passenger door, resting her cheek on her hand.
Her expression carried a distinctly mischievous grin.
“Besides... considering what happened yesterday and all?”
“Yesterday?”
“You know, taking me back to your place when I was drunk. That made things clear to me. You're surprisingly nice, Asami-san.”
“...‘Surprisingly’? ...So?”
“So, I'm gonna help you out.”
“Huh?”
“I'll help you get closer to Asakura-san.”
Hanamori offered a sweet smile.
That smile was calculated through and through.
“Plus... Asakura-san and Tamura-san seem a little suspicious together, don't they~?”
“...Say what?”
“It's a woman's intuition. So if Asakura-san hooks up with you, Asami-san, then I can naturally get into a good place with Tamura-san, right?”
—Ah. So that's what this is about.
That had been her goal from the very beginning. Hanamori was Hanamori after all.
“In other words, you're using me?”
“Using you makes it sound so bad!”
Hanamori giggled brightly.
“It's what you call a win-win relationship. You get to hit it off with Asakura-san, and I get closer to Tamura-san. Isn't that perfect?”
Beside me as I gave a strained laugh, Hanamori smirked while tapping away on her phone.
“...But we don't even know if Asakura-san is into women.”
“You gotta make a move first to find out. Nothing starts if you give up before trying, right?”
Hanamori stated matter-of-factly.
“............”
“Left to yourself, you won't make any progress, Asami-san. I'll lend a hand. Let's hold a strategy meeting.”
“...No thanks, I don't need one.”
“Let's do it, it's totally gonna work!”
Her overly confident attitude was ridiculously annoying.
The light turned green, and I pressed the gas pedal. Glancing out the window, Hanamori quietly murmured.
“Well, let's both do our best.”
I couldn't say anything back. I could only grip the steering wheel tightly and stare straight ahead.
My love story had been forcibly set in motion.
With a troublesome accomplice named Hanamori Chisa—
***
This morning, Hanamori was chatting with Yokogawa-san, a third-year male employee from the Planning Department.
Yokogawa-san was popular in the office for his athletic build, handsome face, and cheerful, refreshing personality.
“Aww, you're always like that, Yokogawa-san~ Tee-hee!”
Laughing flirtatiously, Hanamori lightly tapped Yokogawa-san's arm. Heavy touchy-feely moves.
“You have to take me out to dinner next time~!”
As Hanamori said this with a sweet, coy expression, Yokogawa-san replied with a flattered smile. His ears were bright red. Wow, Yokogawa was surprisingly easy.
Organizing documents at my desk, I watched the scene out of the corner of my eye.
(There she goes again.)
(And here I thought she was devoted to Tamura-san.)
The male reps in the sales department kept sneaking glances at Hanamori too. An audience for the Hanamori Show. I suppose that made me a spectator stuck in the front row with a deadpan face.
“Hanamori-san, time for our sales run.”
“Okay~! Off I go! See you later, Yokogawa-san♡”
Hanamori waved fluttering fingers at Yokogawa-san before trailing behind me. Until we stepped out of the office floor, she maintained that bright smile and high-pitched tone.
The second we stepped into the elevator, Hanamori's expression went dead flat. With a deep sigh. Her tone of voice, her cheerful energy from seconds ago—all gone. It was like an appliance being unplugged. Facing forward, I caught the sudden transition in the edge of my vision.
No matter how many times I saw this instant switch, I had to fight off a giggle.
Just the two of us in the enclosed space. Only the faint sound of the elevator descending resonated around us.
Hanamori crossed her arms, staring fixedly at the panel counting down the floors.
—Suddenly, that night flashed back into my mind. Hanamori's face when we kissed. The softness of her lips.
(Agh, seriously, why am I remembering this NOW...? Forget it! Forget it!)
Yet it wouldn't fade.
Hanamori next to me felt strangely close. Her sweet, peach-like perfume smelled closer than usual. Just your imagination, just your imagination, I desperately told myself.
The elevator reached the first floor, the doors slid open, and outside air rushed in. Hanamori silently stepped out first, and I followed behind. Slipping into the passenger seat of the sales car, Hanamori immediately pulled out her phone. Staring at the screen, she didn't look my way at all. Her thumb swiped frantically across the display. She was probably browsing social media anyway.
Glancing at her, I let out a soft sigh and started the car.
***
During our sales rounds, the sky turned a nasty color. It had been blazing hot until noon, but suddenly a torrential downpour blinded the road. A guerrilla rainstorm, as they call it. The windshield wipers were losing the battle so badly it was pitiful.
“Whoa, this rain is intense.”
“It's the worst.”
Hanamori muttered from the passenger seat. Completely in her natural voice.
“We have some time before our next appointment, so let's wait it out in the car.”
“Okay. ...Though, isn't the thunder kind of crazy? I really hate the sound of thunder...”
“Well, right now you don't have anyone to act sweet for with a ‘Thunder is so scary~♡’ anyway.”
“What? Are you making fun of me?”
When I teased her by mocking her high-pitched voice in falsetto, Hanamori spat out her reply in a flat tone. Then she stared blankly through the windshield.
I parked the car in a lot. The sound of rain was the only thing filling the interior. Opening the canned coffee I'd bought at the convenience store earlier, I took a sip. Mine was black coffee. Hanamori's was cafe au lait. Even in our drink choices, our personalities showed through.
“Come to think of it, Asami-san...”
Hanamori suddenly turned toward me.
“You don't really tell anyone what you're actually feeling, do you?”
“...Eh?”
I looked at Hanamori with a bewildered face.
“Ah, I don't mean it as an insult. It just feels like proper, responsible people are always wearing their ‘public face’.”
“We're working adults... Isn't that just how it goes?”
Stumped for a response, I offered a vague smile.
“See? Right there, brushing it off vaguely. Feels like you've got thick walls around your heart.”
I searched for a comeback, but nothing came out. I wanted to argue back, but Hanamori's gaze was surprisingly earnest, leaving me tongue-tied.
“...What about you, Hanamori-san?”
“I'm the type who says what I want and gets hated for it.”
“At least you're self-aware.”
“Totally self-aware.”
Hanamori took a sip of her cafe au lait and looked out the window.
“Ever since I was little, I was isolated in class.”
“...Huh?”
“Because I was cute.”
(Don't say that about yourself,) I thought, but stayed quiet.
“I was the type to speak bluntly, too. The girls in class probably didn't like that.”
“Hmm.”
“So even now, I pretty much know how to push my way into a guy's good graces.”
Hanamori gave a faint laugh. It sounded self-deprecating.
“How to close the distance with other women, or how to become friends with them... I don't really get how to do that. I'm bad at stuff like that.”
Outside, the rain had eased up a bit, though it continued to drizzle steadily.
I couldn't find anything to say.
It struck me that Hanamori could talk about things like this, too.
Or rather, that she could make an expression like that.
Hanamori's side profile reflected in the window looked strangely quiet and lonely.
Stripped of her usual calculated charm, it was her genuine face.
More than her words, that expression left a far deeper impression on me.
“...Ah, it stopped. The rain.”
Hanamori's voice snapped me back to reality. Looking outside, the rain had weakened significantly.
“You're right. Well, shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
As I started the car, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
—It feels like the distance between Hanamori and me is closer than before.
I wanted to tell myself it was just my imagination. But my heart felt strangely restless.
***
The next morning, Hanamori was in an unnervingly good mood.
“Asami-san, good morning~♪”
While I was brewing coffee, Hanamori slid in right beside me.
“We have a meeting with the Design Department today, right?”
“Yeah, starting at ten.”
“Which means Asakura-san will be there too, right?”
“...Yeah, well, probably.”
“Fufu, leave it to me!”
How should I put it... it was a wicked smile. A face that practically screamed, “I'm scheming something.” I had nothing but bad feelings about this.
When we entered the conference room, Asakura-san was already waiting, spread out with project files.
“Good morning,” I exchanged greetings with Asakura-san. Right then, Hanamori barged in.
“Ah! Wait, Asami-san, don't sit there—sit next to Asakura-san!”
“Huh?”
“Come on, it's easier to see the documents that way. You can talk while looking at the same screen!”
Hanamori grabbed my shoulders and forcibly shoved me into the seat right beside Asakura-san.
“I mean, sitting across is totally fine—”
“No way! It has to be right next to her!”
Asakura-san let out a fond, amused laugh. I was thoroughly embarrassed.
And as for Hanamori, she had cleverly snagged the seat right next to Tamura-san.
(Ah. Right, so that was her angle.)
I couldn't help letting out a wry smile.
Once the meeting started, Hanamori's antics escalated even further. Naturally, with Tamura-san sitting right next to her, she was in full-throttle cute mode.
“Asakura-san, this concept is so wonderful! ♡”
“Thank you so much.”
“Actually, though, it's the exact same concept Asami-san suggested when she asked, ‘How about something like this?’ earlier!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! You two have such similar sensibilities~ Don't you think they make a great match? Right, Tamura-san?”
Suddenly dragged into the conversation, Tamura-san put on a flustered, awkward smile.
Asakura-san looked at me, slightly surprised.
“Is that true?”
“No, I mean...”
I reflexively looked away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hanamori grinning smugly. My silent plea of please stop was completely ignored. And then Hanamori doubled down.
“Ah, that's right! Asakura-san, Asami-san is actually a super funny person~”
“Huh?”
“Just the other day—”
“Hey, wait a second—”
I tried to cut her off, but Hanamori was unstoppable.
“She was rattling a door handle complaining, ‘Why won't this open?!’ When you look closely, she was desperately pushing a door marked ‘PULL’~!”
“You don't need to bring that up!”
“She kept muttering, ‘That's strange...’ over and over back then!”
“I did not mutter that!”
“She looks so composed, but she's surprisingly airheaded, isn't she~?”
“...Alright, that's enough.”
“It was so adorable~!”
Asakura-san burst into a soft giggle.
“You two really get along well, don't you?”
““No, we do NOT get along at all!!””
Hanamori and I blurted out in exact unison. Word for word, synchronized. It was utterly humiliating.
Asakura-san giggled even harder.
“See? You're completely in sync!”
Hanamori smirked and gave me a wink.
What's with that wink?! Don't get cocky!
***
The moment the meeting wrapped up, I grabbed Hanamori's wrist without hesitation.
Giving a quick bow to the colleagues left in the conference room, I dragged Hanamori into the kitchenette.
“What was that back there? That was completely unnatural!”
I pressed her in a hushed whisper, but Hanamori just looked blankly back at me.
“Unnatural? What do you mean?”
“Making me sit next to her, saying our tastes are similar, bringing up embarrassing blunders—all of it was way too forced!”
“What's forced about it? We had a fun conversation, didn't we?”
“No, no, Asakura-san was clearly flustered! It was completely unnatural.”
“Ehh? You're so picky. I was being perfectly natural!”
“Where?!”
Hanamori let out a long sigh.
“Well then, Asami-san, can you actually talk to Asakura-san on your own?”
“That's...”
I choked on my words.
“See? That's why I'm doing it for you.”
“But doing it like that is just gonna make Asakura-san think I'm weird.”
“She didn't think you were weird at all. She was laughing, wasn't she?”
It was true that Asakura-san was laughing.
“You really don't seem enthusiastic at all. Asami-san, do you actually like Asakura-san?”
Hanamori sighed and glared at me with a serious face.
“...I respect her. She's great at her job, and she has a wonderful personality.”
“Doesn't that mean you like her?”
“...I don't know.”
Hanamori stared at me with a suspicious, skeptical look.
“Haaah. Good grief, Asami-san, you really are... Fine, whatever.”
With a deep, exasperated sigh, Hanamori turned on her heel and left the break room.
“...‘I don't know,’ huh?”
Left alone, I stared down into my coffee cup and muttered to myself.
***
In the afternoon, Hanamori and I were back to being alone together for our sales calls.
Hanamori was slouched lazily in the passenger seat, tapping on her phone. The usual sight.
“We still have a little time before our appointment, right? Can I play some music?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Hanamori connected her phone to the car speaker via Bluetooth and started playing a track.
The instant the intro played, my hands gripped the steering wheel tight.
“...Is this The Hollow Echos?”
“Wait, you know them!?”
Hanamori turned to me in surprise.
“Yeah, I listen to them all the time. They're such a super indie band, I'm surprised you know them, Hanamori-san.”
“You too, Asami-san? That's unexpected.”
Surprised by each other, we both let out a small laugh.
“shizuku's vocals are so good.”
“I know, right? That crystal-clear voice is to die for.”
Hanamori leaned forward, beaming excitedly.
“Though for me, haruto on guitar is so dreamy, I love him.”
“...So you're just in it for the handsome guy after all.”
A dry laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
“Hey, what's with that reaction?!”
“Nothing, just felt very typical of you.”
“Asami-san, you're totally judging by looks too! The only reason you like Asakura-san is because she's pretty, right?”
That hit a nerve.
“...That's completely different.”
“How is it different?”
I couldn't answer.
Giggling, Hanamori put on the next song. Another song by a different indie band.
“Ah, speaking of which, The Hollow Echos have a live show next month.”
Hanamori mentioned as if suddenly recalling.
“Ah, the one in Shimokita, right? I know.”
“Are you going?”
“Yeah, I already got my ticket. ...I think it's on the twenty-fourth.”
“Wait, really?! I'm going that day too!”
In an instant, Hanamori's face lit up bright.
Her eyes opened wide, the corners of her mouth curved upward—it was like a switch had been flipped.
(Wait... what was that just now?)
Her expression was so completely defenseless and adorable that I involuntarily looked away.
Deep inside my chest, something fluttered restlessly.
“Guess we might run into each other at the venue, then.”
“...Well, it's not a huge venue anyway.”
From there, we launched into a full music debate, talking about our favorite artists. Unexpectedly, our tastes aligned surprisingly well.
It was frustrating to admit, but it was a strangely comfortable time.
***
That night after getting home, for some reason, I found myself reminiscing about my conversation with Hanamori.
“...It's not a big deal. We just happen to have similar music taste.”
Who was I even making excuses to?
Tossing and turning on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling.
The look Hanamori had shown in the car suddenly flashed across my mind. That face that lit up so brightly. That innocent, unguarded smile the moment she realized we were going to the same concert on the same day.
(...That was actually kind of cute.)
Caught in that thought, I immediately called myself out: Whoa, hold on, hold on!
I shook my head vigorously. Maybe thinking her expression had changed was just my imagination anyway.
(There's no way I'd find a cheeky junior like her cute. I must be exhausted. She's calculated, and she's obsessed with guys...)
Chanting those words like a mantra in my heart, I closed my eyes. But for some reason tonight, it took me much longer than usual to fall asleep.
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