Chapter 24: Childhood Stories
“What’s wrong, Hinata? Why aren’t you lying down?”
As she lay rolling around on the futon, Sayaka noticed me standing there and asked with concern.
“Ah, no… I was just waiting to calm down a bit.”
“Hmm?”
Sayaka didn’t quite understand my response, but instead of pressing further, she gently snuggled up to me as I finally lay down beside her.
Her soft embrace instantly threw my previously calm state into turmoil once again.
(Can I even keep my composure…? I feel like I’m about to snap at any moment.)
“I feel like I’ll sleep soundly next to you, Hinata… but at the same time, my heart’s pounding, so maybe I won’t be able to fall asleep.”
“Yeah, I get that… I feel the same. How about we talk a little until we get sleepy?”
“That sounds nice… Let’s talk about when we were kids. I want to know more about the Hinata I don’t know yet.”
Talking about childhood, huh…? I don’t think I’ve changed much since then, but if Sayaka wants to know, I’ll tell her a little.
“When I was a kid, I wasn’t that different from now. I wasn’t really the type to talk to people much… just a normal kid, I guess.”
I wasn’t anything special. I didn’t do anything particularly outstanding, so there’s not much to talk about…
I don’t know what kind of expression I was making, but Sayaka must have sensed something. She suddenly gave me a soft, reassuring hug.
“Being normal is fine… It’s exhausting trying to be above average all the time.”
“Sayaka…?”
She loosened her grip and moved back a little, starting to talk about her own childhood.
“I was always expected to succeed because both my parents are so talented. People around me assumed I’d be the same… because I’m their daughter.”
I imagine the pressure must have come from everyone, not just her parents.
I remember overhearing some students talking when Sayaka came first in a test: “Of course, it’s Koga-san. She’s amazing,” and “Well, she’s the daughter of the Koga family, after all.”
Seeing how Sayaka reacted to those comments, she probably thought she had to keep pushing herself to meet those expectations.
“But maybe I pushed myself too hard… When I got to middle school, I got tired of trying to live up to everyone’s hopes. I just wanted to be alone.”
At home, at school—there was no place for her to be alone. That’s why she decided to live by herself when she started high school.
But it turns out living alone was lonelier than she had expected. It made her realize how much she craved companionship.
“So I gave up trying to meet those expectations. I told myself I didn’t need to work so hard just because I’m a Koga… But old habits die hard, and sometimes I still feel like I have to push myself.”
Even though Sayaka tries to take it easy now, there are still moments when she unconsciously feels the need to overexert herself.
“Yeah, it’s important to pace yourself. If it ever looks like you’re pushing too hard, I’ll stop you.”
“That’s reassuring. Back in middle school, I studied so hard to stay at the top that I ended up collapsing… Haha.”
Uh, that’s not exactly something to laugh about, though…
“You should focus on taking better care of yourself rather than pushing yourself too hard.”
“You’re right… I don’t want you to worry about me, so I’ll try to pace myself from now on… Hehe, talking to you always makes me feel better, Hinata.”
She turned to face me, smiling sweetly. I couldn’t take my eyes off her angelic expression and beautiful eyes.
“Yeah, talking with you is always fun for me too.”
When I smiled back at her, Sayaka’s face lit up even more, and she gently squeezed my hand.
“Tomorrow’s a day off, right? What are you planning to do, Hinata?”
“I usually play basketball with Asahi every Sunday. Do you want to join us?”
“Basketball? That sounds fun, but I don’t want to get in the way…”
Sayaka worried that she’d be a burden to me and Asahi, both of us being more experienced players.
“You won’t be in the way at all. I’m sure Asahi would be cool with it. Want me to ask him?”
“Yeah, could you ask for me?”
She nodded with a shy smile, looking sleepy as she let out a small yawn.
“Let’s get some rest, then.”
“Okay… Goodnight, Hinata…”
“Goodnight, Sayaka.”
I tucked her in and then turned off the lights. The room fell into a quiet calm, with only the soft sound of her gentle breathing filling the space.
(She must’ve been really tired from all the fun today…)
Even though I was lying down, I still wasn’t feeling sleepy.
(Maybe I’ll go grab some water before bed.)
Being careful not to wake her, I grabbed my phone from the desk and quietly left the room.
The house was silent, and I figured Dad had probably gone to bed while Mom was still in the bath since the bathroom light was on. After filling a glass with water in the kitchen, I sat down in the living room and checked my phone. That’s when I noticed a message from Shiina.
“Thanks for today. I’ve been struggling alone for so long, so it meant a lot to me. I owe you one. If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“You can’t say you didn’t do anything. Just having lunch with me today was more than enough.”
I was about to reply saying, “I didn’t really do much,” but it seemed like she anticipated that and sent a follow-up message.
Just as I was engrossed in the text exchange, I suddenly felt someone hug me from behind.
I turned around to see Sayaka, who had sneaked up on me while I was distracted.
“Hinata, what are you doing?”
“Uh, I was just replying to a message from Shiina-san.”
I answered truthfully, but Sayaka puffed out her cheeks in an adorable pout. I couldn’t help but ruffle her hair gently.
Sayaka’s expression softened as she smiled, and then she asked something on her mind.
“If I asked you to stop messaging other girls, would you?”
“You mean Shiina-san or Maruyama-san?”
“Yeah… anyone other than me.”
“Hmm, if it made you uncomfortable, I probably would. I couldn’t just ignore a message someone sent me, but I wouldn’t initiate conversations.”
Sayaka is, of course, the most important person to me, but I also want to maintain my relationships with others.
I wasn’t sure if that was the right answer, but Sayaka smiled softly.
“Hinata, I love you… If you’re not tired, I’ll stay up with you.”
She sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to her, motioning for me to join her.
When I sat beside her, Sayaka reminisced about her childhood.
“When I was little, whenever my parents came home late and I couldn’t sleep, our housekeeper, Fujimura-san, would sit with me until I fell asleep…”
“That sounds comforting. Do you like your parents, Sayaka?”
Looking into her eyes, I asked. Sayaka paused, gazing downward in thought before answering.
“I do… but I don’t really want to see them. Whenever we meet, all they talk about is school and my future—like which university I should aim for.”
She leaned against me, resting her hand on mine.
“Sayaka…”
I softly called her name, and she closed her eyes. I knew exactly what I should do next. Slowly, I leaned closer to her.
But just as we were about to kiss, my mom appeared, fresh out of the bath, and walked into the living room. I quickly pulled back from Sayaka.
She looked slightly disappointed, her cheeks puffed out in a cute pout again.
(Sorry, Sayaka… But wow, Mom, your timing!)
