Chapter 21

After school, I left the school grounds walking alongside Yuki. Lately, I’ve been pushing my bike more than riding it.  

Walking home with a girl might make others envious. It’s the kind of thing people associate with youth. But the girl beside me kept a watchful eye on my every move, as if to say, “Don’t even think about running away.”  

This school seems to have an unusually high couple rate. That’s not just my impression; even Sumahiko has mentioned it. So walking like this with her doesn’t make us stand out too much. Though, it’s bound to rub some people the wrong way.  

Ahead of us, about 50 meters away, a boy and a girl were holding hands and linking arms, doing as they pleased. From beside me, I hear a faint click of the tongue.  

“Tch, show-offs.”  

“Cut it out. Anyway, you said we’re going on a date, but do you even have a plan for where we’re going?”  

“Of course! I’ve got it all figured out.”  

Unlike yesterday, where she clearly had no plan, Yuki now walked with purpose.  

We turned off the main road leading to the station and headed down a side street. There were fewer and fewer people, and almost no cars passed by.  

The surroundings grew more desolate. Not being from this area, I didn’t know much about it, but it didn’t seem like there’d be any spots to hang out or kill time around here.  

We passed by a hotel with a sign advertising “Rest and Stay.” For a moment, I wondered if this was some kind of stupid joke, and I glanced at Yuki’s face. She raised an eyebrow quizzically, as if to say, “What’s up?” Apparently, I was the one with dumb ideas.  

We arrived at a park with a fairly large area.  

Ah, so this was the place, I thought to myself. Sumahiko had told me to avoid this park after school because it was packed with couples. I’d heard about it, but this was my first time here.  

“I’ve been wanting to come here, you know~”  

Yuki turned around with a cheerful smile.  

A date in the park—surprisingly normal for her. It felt like the epitome of youth, and I couldn’t help but feel a little uplifted.  

I parked my bike in the parking space near the entrance. Nearby, there were vending machines lined up with drinks and ice cream.  

Looking at the park map, it seemed bigger than I’d expected. According to Yuki, the pro move was to buy a drink or something here before heading inside.  

“What drink do you want? Onee-san will buy it for you.”  [Big sister/Older woman]

What’s with her occasional “Onee-san” act? While not wrong, it feels a bit much to hear it over and over just because she’s a year older.  

“I’m not thirsty, so I’m good.”  

“Hmm, then let’s share one together.”  

It felt like she was talking to some invisible third person. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a conversation with me.  

After waiting for Yuki to buy a drink, we started walking through the park.  

The park at dusk had a unique stillness. The wind swept through, making fallen leaves swirl in the air. It wasn’t hot or cold, and the leaves were just starting to change color. It was the perfect time to relax.

As expected, I could see a few couples in school uniforms here and there. Holding hands was practically standard. I even spotted uniforms from other schools. Could that pair sitting close together on the bench, chatting, be middle schoolers?  

For now, I was with a girl, so it was fine, but if I’d accidentally wandered here alone, it would have been a disaster.  

“Man, everyone’s living their youth to the fullest.”  

“What’s with that tone? Are you saying being with me doesn’t count as youth? Oh, I see how it is.”  

“Well, yeah, pretty much.”  

She threw a playful punch at my shoulder. She had a habit of reaching out like this.  

We found an open bench on the edge of the grassy area and sat down. Yuki took off the backpack she was carrying and placed it beside her. It wasn’t her usual tote bag. Whatever was in it, it looked like she was carrying a lot.  

“Why the backpack today?”  

“Had a lot of stuff to bring.”  

I meant why she had so much to carry in the first place, but that line of questioning was shut down immediately.  

Yuki took a small bottle of tea she’d bought from the vending machine and drank some. Then, she held it out to me.  

“Want some?”  

I shook my head.  

“Not drinking? Oh, or do you not want it ‘cause it’s second-hand?”  [TL: second-hand smoking]

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone phrase it like that.”   

Yuki burst out laughing. She has a strange way of teasing people.  

“Hey, do you know why this place is so popular with couples?”  

“Hmm, just like, tradition or something?”  

“Because it has nice restrooms.”  

“Uh-huh, and?”  

“For multipurpose.”  

“That’s gross.”  

My wholesome image of youth was instantly ruined.  

I wanted to believe Yuki was just saying this and it wasn’t true.  

“They’re open right now. Wanna go check them out?”  

“Do you think that’s funny?”  

“You love dumb dirty jokes like that, don’t you?”  

I take it back—she has zero comedic sense.  

Apparently, she was still hung up on yesterday’s “Tenga-san” joke. I’ve learned not to joke around with her the way I do with my guy friends.  

Yuki took out her phone, stood up slightly, and leaned closer to me.  

“Okay, let’s take a photo to commemorate our first date.”  

“What first date?”  

Yuki brought her face closer and pointed her phone at us. I turned my head away, but she snapped a photo of the two of us anyway. She grinned mischievously as she fiddled with her phone.  

“You’re not gonna post that on social media or something, are you?”  

“Huh? Of course not. I don’t use any of that stuff.”  

“Good. You just seem like the type who might.”  

“Social media is scary. Dangerous.”  

“Oh, so you’ve done something in the past, huh?”  

“My mom banned me from it. Back in middle school, some creepy guy almost figured out where we lived, so we had to move… I think that’s when my dad hit me. Miki was doing it too, but she secretly deleted all her accounts.”  

What I’d meant as a joke turned out to be true—and on a whole other level.  

“When my dad hit me, my mom freaked out. I think that was one of the reasons they split up.”  

“No wonder social media freaks you out.”  

“You should be careful too, Naito-kun.”  

“Your words carry a lot of weight.”  

She could probably give a talk about this to everyone. I wish she’d drill this into Sumahiko’s thick skull too.  

While sitting on the bench, I listened to Yuki’s story—or rather, her complaints. She talked a lot and didn’t stop once she got going. Life is too much of a drag, and there are too many annoying people.  

Apparently, she was isolated in her class. She said it was because everyone else was a bunch of idiots, so she kept her distance. Occasionally, she mentioned someone named Kurumi-chan. From the way she talked about her, it seemed like she spoke to her, if only a little. That Kurumi-chan must be a saint.  

The fact that she wasn’t completely cut off from everyone somehow made her isolation seem all the more real.  

When Yuki’s story came to a natural pause, I glanced at the time on my phone.