Hey, Best Friend. How About A Kiss Today Too? - Chapter 50: “Renji…”
“Renji…”
As the afternoon classes, akin to a casual match, approached the imminent summer break, I finally endured the ordeal and waited eagerly for the long-awaited after-school time.
With the cheers of Kusakabe, Yuzuru, and Hasegawa echoing in my ears, I rushed out of the classroom and made my way to Sagiri’s house. Despite sending messages continuously, there was no indication of them being read. Consequently, my walking pace quickened with each passing moment.
From the bustling main street where students headed towards the station to the tranquil residential area, passing by a small park, I reached the familiar T-junction where we usually part ways. Without hesitation, I turned left, knowing that the destination was Sagiri’s house.
The sparse residential area gradually gave way to a quiet neighborhood. The narrow street beside the temple on the slope, which I found eerie to walk along in the evenings during my childhood, held memories of fear. With those memories in mind, I walked a little further until I reached the splendid two-story house with distinctive red roofing – my destination.
“Ah, Renji-kun?”
Before I could press the intercom, Sagiri’s mother appeared from the entrance. She resembled an adult version of Sagiri, with short, neat white hair.
The shopping bag in her hand complemented her well, and she seemed far different from my mom, who had aged alongside her meddling nature.
“You’ve been visiting quite often lately, huh? Ufufu.”
“Um, thank you for having me… Is it okay today? I’m here not to hang out but to visit Sagiri.”
“It’s fine, not a bother at all. Feel free to come over anytime; Sagiri will be delighted. Oh, and by the way, didn’t you treat Sagiri to dinner last time? As a token of gratitude, why don’t you eat here today? I’ll let her know, ufufu.”
“Huh? But Sagiri has a cold…”
“In that case, I’ll go shopping right away. It would help if you locked the door once you’re inside. What would you like for dinner? Meat? Boys love meat, so eat plenty. Ufufufufu…”
“Um, wait a minute…”
Her nonchalant demeanor was undoubtedly that of Sagiri’s mother.
I never expected to encounter a woman who doesn’t listen to others even here. Rather, she might be the ancestor of women who don’t listen to others.
After inexplicably laughing at me, Sagiri’s mother rode off on her mama-chari to go shopping.
Following her instructions, I locked the door from the inside as I entered the house.
This was for security reasons.
Well, even though I often visited as childhood friends, is this really okay…?
With such thoughts in mind, I visited Sagiri’s house after a week since Friday.
But this time, instead of the living room, I climbed the stairs to the second floor, heading towards Sagiri’s room.
I knocked twice on the door of the room adorned with a wooden handmade name plate we crafted together to commemorate our enrollment in elementary school, reading ‘Sagiri’.
However, there was no response from the room.
“Sagiri, are you okay?”
I called out through the door, but there was still no response.
Even after repeating the knocks, only silence greeted me.
“…I’m coming in.”
In case of any accident, I spoke louder for the final time to ensure it was heard.
With a dramatic “clack,” I turned the doorknob and carefully pushed the door open, cautiously observing the interior. I needed to be prepared to quickly retreat if Sagiri happened to be changing clothes or something similar.
I wasn’t expecting anything; after all, the person inside was supposed to be feeling unwell.
“…zzz…. zzz…”
However, my worries turned out to be unfounded.
A faint ray of sunlight peeked through the cool-toned curtains, casting a gentle glow inside the room. Sagiri was sleeping on the bed, surrounded by a multitude of stuffed animals, resembling a princess from a fairy tale.
The moment I saw her peaceful sleeping face, a sense of relief washed over me, and the tension I had been feeling dissipated.
“This girl, clueless about others’ concerns…”
But then, I noticed something on the edge of my field of vision.
A photo frame placed on the study desk next to the bed caught my attention.
Inside was a photo of me and Sagiri from our childhood, both of us wearing ridiculous expressions.
“…Nostalgic.”
I couldn’t help but murmur softly.
Looking at the photo triggered memories to flood back.
We had some fun moments, some nerve wracking moments, as we worried and helped each other.
Unlike her, my family doesn’t use fancy photo frames like this; instead, we shove everything into a thick album. So, it had been a while since I last saw something like this.
“…Hmm?”
“Sagiri?”
As I reminisced while looking at the photo, Sagiri seemed to notice my presence and turned over, opening her eyes with a drowsy gaze.
Lying on the bed, her soft-colored eyes remained somewhat unfocused as she looked at me.
“Ren-kun?”
In her half-asleep state, she called me by the nickname from our childhood.
The way she rubbed her eyes and her voice were incredibly cute, and it made my heart skip a beat.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Yeah…uh-huh…”
Rowing the boat gently down the stream,
She was about to fall back asleep just like this.
“Come on, wake up. How are you feeling? Do you need something to drink? Shall I get a damp towel?”
“Hmm…?”
Rubbing their eyes again, they stared at me intently.
“Renji…?”
After somewhat clumsily calling my name, she froze.
“Re-Renji!?”
Suddenly, like a startled cat, she sprang up on the bed and backed away.
The towel blanket fell, revealing their usual loose-fitting white t-shirt.
I thought, “You’ve got a cold, you should dress warmer.”
“W-why are you here!?”
“I’m obviously here to visit you.”
Her loud voice made her seem incredibly energetic.