After Umi's birthday party at the Amami residence wrapped up without a hitch, Umi and I said our goodbyes to everyone. The two of us then started walking back to the Asanagi house, taking our time even more so than on the way there.
In the end, Umi spent the rest of the party clinging to me. As someone who'd never had friends before, this first celebration with them was a lot of fun, but it was also incredibly embarrassing, and I feel like I spent most of the time blushing.
While something like this is nice once in a while, I'd really appreciate it if the next opportunity we get is just the two of us.
…Though, seeing how we were acting like a lovey-dovey couple even with everyone else there as a buffer, I get the feeling that if we were alone, I'd need some serious self-control to prevent things from getting out of hand.
"Maki, today was fun, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. Well, it was just as embarrassing as it was fun, though."
"Hehe, you're right. But hey, this probably made everyone see us as a super close couple, don't you think?"
"I have a feeling it was already overkill."
Umi has a strong possessive streak and gets jealous easily, which is another one of her cute traits, but I'm sure it must have been a surprise for people like Nitori-san and Houjou-san, who were seeing us together for the first time.
In front of the usual crowd like Amami-san and Nitta-san, that's just how she normally is, but it felt a little rare to see Umi making such a point of showing off how close we are in a place like today's party.
"…Umi, I'm fine, you know."
"Eh? W-What are you talking about?"
"I'm not going to fall for any other girls. …It's just that when I was talking to the other girls, you had this, well, really anxious look on your face."
"Ugh… H-How did you know?"
"Well, I just kind of did."
I was surrounded by more girls than usual today, so I had a lot of chances to talk with other people, but when I glanced over at Umi, she looked just a little bit grumpy.
Of course, she was the guest of honor today, and the party wasn't even at her own house, so she obviously kept a straight face on the surface. But the grip she had on my sleeve was a little tight, and when everyone's attention was on someone else, she'd puff out her cheeks for just a split second. So for me, who's always watching her, it was pretty easy to tell.
"Because… I just get so anxious."
"Anxious? Like, you're worried I might fall for another girl, or something like that?"
"…Mm."
There's no way I'd ever be attracted to any girl other than Umi, but just like me, she's serious and tends to fall into negative thinking, so I guess she can't help but think about the 'what ifs'.
"Hey, Maki, you might not have noticed, but looking at me now, don't you think something's different?"
"Eh? Different… you mean,"
I looked at Umi, who's right next to me.
The same as ever—a serious girl with clear eyes, silky black hair, and flawless, beautiful white skin. The girl I love and cherish more than anyone.
Since it's her birthday today, she's wearing a brand-new spring outer, though it's a bit chilly, and a knee-length skirt made of a light fabric. She's also had the ends of her hair styled and is wearing a little bit of the perfume she often uses when we go out together.
I noticed all that this morning when she came to the Asanagi house, and she'd already confirmed I was right.
"Hmm, I guess it's hard to tell when we're stuck together like this… Well then, how about this?"
With that, Umi lets go of my hand and stands up straight a little in front of me.
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've seen her standing like this—her figure. While she seems to have filled out just a tiny bit from her previously slender frame, she's still got the same great style.
"…Huh?"
"Maki, you finally noticed?"
"Ah, yeah. I thought it might just be my imagination, but…"
Umi now, and Umi when we first started dating… Setting aside the fact that she's as beautiful and cute as ever, there's one thing that's definitely different from my perspective.
"Umi… wait, have I gotten a little taller?"
"…Yeah, correct. Well, I only sort of noticed it myself around the time you started your part-time job."
Comparing her to my memory, it feels like Umi has gotten about a centimeter or two shorter—of course, at our age, it's impossible for her to be shrinking, which means I must be growing taller.
Lately, Umi and I have been all over each other, so I haven't really looked at her that objectively, making it hard to notice, but thinking back on it, I'm definitely growing.
"You're pretty clueless when it comes to yourself, Maki, so you might not have realized it, but you've gotten a lot cooler than you think, you know? You're not as timid in the classroom anymore, your grades have improved, you've been training with Seki, and since you started your part-time job, your hairstyle has lost that unkempt look… Actually, people started talking about it in class, how you've 'changed recently'. Yuu and Nina praise you a lot, too."
"I see. So, that's how it was."
During that time, the only thing on my mind was 'I love Umi,' and while my height was just a byproduct, everything she listed were things I did for the girl I love. It was all driven by the desire to not let Umi be made fun of because of my sloppiness, or to cause her any unnecessary worry because of it.
But even if my focus was solely on Umi and I wasn't paying any attention to my surroundings, it seems that those around me, like Amami-san and Nitta-san, were properly watching me, and the number of people who were overturning their previous impressions and re-evaluating me was growing.
"When I saw you talking so normally with Sanae and Manaka today, I just kind of got scared. I thought you were my Maki and mine alone, but as you worked hard for my sake, other girls started to notice what a wonderful guy 'Maehara Maki' is… and I started to wonder if maybe, just like back then, I'd find myself all alone again before I knew it."
"Like what happened with Amami-san… is that it?"
"…Yeah. Ahaha, honestly, what am I even thinking, right? I believe that you're not the kind of guy who would do something like that, yet I'm still dragging around those old, unpleasant memories."
The cheerfulness from just moments ago is gone from Umi's weak smile.
Even though it was what she herself had wished for, when she realized it, the very thing she feared most was happening… Umi, much like me, tends to lean towards negative thoughts when she overthinks things, so the memories of her middle school days must have just flashed through her mind.
Having experienced my parents' discord and divorce, I know that these kinds of emotional scars don't just disappear the moment you settle things. It's a matter of needing more time, and even then, it's a question of whether you can finally manage to overcome them.
So, no matter how much I say 'it's okay,' if Umi doesn't believe it's okay, my encouragement will only be a temporary fix for her.
However, even if that's the case, I can't just leave her be anymore.
"Umi, want to take a little detour? There's a place I'd like to go."
"I don't mind, but… is there something around here?"
"It's nothing that grand… but we always just look at it from afar, so I thought it might be nice to go see it up close for a change."
"? If you say so, Maki…"
Leading a tilting-her-head Umi off the path home, I walk down a narrow residential street toward a certain place.
"…Good. Some have scattered, but about half are still in bloom."
"This place is—"
The moment we cut across the road and came out into an open area, a riverbank spread out before my eyes. The weather had been bad until yesterday, so the river's current was a bit fast, but it seems to have calmed down after a day, and the water is relatively clear and flowing gently.
And a little ways from there, a row of cherry blossom trees are planted… this was my objective.
"Last year, I just stared at them blankly from my apartment window, but I thought I'd try seeing them up close for once. There aren't that many trees, so there aren't many people either."
There are a few people walking their dogs or jogging, but no one seems to be cherry blossom viewing. With no one watching, we should be able to spend some quiet time here.
"They're certainly beautiful, and I was feeling a little unsatisfied with just going home, so I don't mind, but why here?"
"There's no particular reason… but I just had a feeling that this would be a good place to properly express my gratitude to you again. …There's a bench over there, let's sit down."
"O-Okay…"
We sit down side-by-side on the bench that was placed almost as an afterthought beside the row of cherry blossom trees.
It's a bit of an exaggeration to call it cherry blossom viewing, but I think it's enough to feel the arrival of a new season.
"…You know, I used to not really like spring. The days are pleasant, and I don't dislike the cherry blossoms or peaceful scenery like this, but…"
"I see. Was it because of things like self-introductions?"
"Yeah. Embarrassingly enough. For me, there were no meetings or partings, yet I felt like I was just embarrassing myself all alone. All things considered, it might have been the most depressing time of the year for me."
My dad's transfers always happened at the end of the fiscal year for his job, and each time, I'd have to put on the face of an outsider and spend my days in a situation where I knew no one.
At the time, I thought it couldn't be helped because of my parents' work, but with my naturally shy personality, student life with no one around to rely on was pretty tough.
And now, a year has passed, and spring is about to visit in the same way again.
"But this year, I'm actually looking forward to it, in a way. Of course, I'm still anxious that things might turn out the same as last year."
"Is that… because I'm here?"
"Yeah. Of course, there's no guarantee we'll be in the same class, and there's a chance I'll be separated from everyone else, so I might be isolated in class."
Still, unlike before, I'm not all alone.
I have friends who will listen to me if something happens, and a girlfriend who will stay by my side when I feel lonely.
No matter what happens, I'm not alone—it's because I can think that, that I'm starting to find the courage to face my anxieties, little by little.
"…Umi, once again, thank you for becoming my friend, for falling in love with me, and for being my girlfriend. The reason I'm able to grow, even little by little, is all thanks to you."
My gaze has lifted, my posture has straightened, my height has started to increase again, and the scenery that was once gray has begun to color—all of it.
"…So, Umi. If you have even the slightest worry, I want you to tell me anytime. You don't have to hold back thinking it'd be bad for me or anything like that."
"Is it okay? If I'm honest, you won't hate me, Maki? I was surprised myself, but I'm a pretty clingy girl, you know? I get jealous right away, and I'm a total attention-seeker."
"It's fine. Being clingy is also proof of how much you like me. …Of course, I'm not just going to be a yes-man; I'll make sure to properly state my own thoughts, too."
"…So, things like this too?"
With that, Umi taps away on her phone and sends me a message.
(Asanagi) Don't get any cooler. Stay as my Maki and mine alone.
(Asanagi) You don't have to work part-time, so spend that time with me instead.
(Asanagi) I don't want you to be friendly with Nakata-san either.
After checking them, I look over at Umi, who is blushing, looking down, and averting her gaze from me.
Looking at just this, she seems clingy and like she wants to tie me down, but she knows that's not a good thing, so she never says it out loud, nor does she try to force it.
Seeing Umi peeking at me while looking away, right now, to me, she seems incredibly endearing and cute.
"Umi, come here."
"…Mm."
When I open my arms, Umi hesitates slightly before jumping into my chest and burying her face.
"No matter what anyone says, Maki is mine… Your kind side, your slightly pathetic side, all of it, every single part is my Maki and mine alone…"
"Yeah. From now on and forever, I'm yours, Umi."
Just as she did for me, I accept Umi's selfishness.
Even if this is only a temporary comfort, I believe that if we have the reassurance that 'I (Maki)' am here for her and 'she (Umi)' is here for me whenever something happens, one day, the scars will no longer hurt.
For a while after that, I completely ignored the surrounding scenery and continued to stroke Umi's soft, silky black hair. Occasionally, I feel the gazes of people passing by turn towards us, but right now, my hands are full with Umi, and I don't have the time to feel embarrassed.
My friends like Amami-san, Nitta-san, and Nozomu are good people, and of course they're important to me, but if I were told to choose one or the other, I would undoubtedly choose only my girlfriend, Umi.
"Maki's scent is so calming… though right now, it's mixed with the scent of other girls, so it's a little irritating."
"Is that how it is… Well then, you can cover me in your scent until everyone is put off by it. I don't really mind."
"You say the sweetest things… When you say stuff like that, I'm going to become completely irreparable."
"Irreparable… like what, for example?"
"First, I'll become a yandere."
"Right off the bat with something I absolutely don't want."
Perhaps feeling a little more at ease and relaxed, she's started to make occasional jokes.
Knowing Umi, I don't think things will become a joke… but I want to continue to cherish her.
"…It's getting dark, so shall we head back soon? Sora-san will probably worry if we're too late."
"Yeah. …Thank you for comforting me, Maki. I feel completely at ease now, thanks to you."
"I see. Well then, I'm glad."
"Mhm. I'm glad."
After being a little more lovey-dovey at the end, we got up from the bench and, this time for sure, made our way back to drop Umi off at the Asanagi house.
On the way, Umi, whose mood had completely recovered, clung to my arm as if to dote on me, and while it was incredibly difficult to walk, it also meant we could go back slowly, which was convenient in its own way.
"Hey, Maki, there's one more thing I want to do, is that okay?"
"Again? Well, if it's what you want, Umi, I'll go along with you all the way… What should I do this time?"
"Just like before, just stand normally. I'll do the rest."
"? Roger."
And so, just like before, Umi steps a little in front of me and turns to face me.
As our eyes meet, now at a slight angle due to my increased height,
"…Maki, excuse me for a moment."
"Eh?"
—Chu.
The next moment, Umi, standing on her tiptoes, presses her soft lips against my forehead.
"…Yeah, even though you've gotten taller, you're still far from my ideal, I guess."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I like our eye levels being about the same right now, Maki, but I also kind of want a height difference where I have to stand on my tiptoes to kiss you."
"I don't think I'll grow that much taller… but I'll do my best with that in mind from now on."
"Mhm. Do your best, Maki."
Being cheered on like that by the girl I love, I have no choice but to keep doing my best.
With my future goals vaguely decided, we take another step forward into a new season.