The sports festival, which had kept us busy from summer vacation until the start of the second semester, was finally over, and a new week was beginning. We, who had been so preoccupied, could enjoy some peace at last.
Until now, we had been enduring a lingering heat that felt no different from midsummer, but starting this week, the temperature was expected to drop, ushering in more comfortable weather.
The weather forecaster on TV declared it the official start of autumn.
"Yo, I came to pick you up. Hehe, your bed hair is as amazing as ever."
"I just woke up… Umi-san, um, can you fix it for me today too?"
"Mhm, of course. Maki, you're still such a baby."
The seasons may be changing, but my routine with Umi remained the same.
We'd spend the morning together like this until it was time for school. After school, we'd either hang out at one of our houses or occasionally stop by a supermarket or drugstore for some light shopping.
It feels strange for me to say it, but I think we've been a smooth-sailing, lovey-dovey couple without any major fights so far.
"Hmm, it's especially stubborn today… Maki, I'm going to use a little bit of hair wax. And while I'm at it, I'll style it just how I like it."
"That's fine, but please keep it within school regulations."
Thanks to my encounter with Umi, my communication skills have been improving significantly, and recently, my appearance has also been gradually becoming more stylish… or so I like to think.
The dark circles under my eyes from staying up late have been slowly fading, and simply changing my hairstyle to something cleaner has made me look incomparably better than before.
Of course, I know there's still room for improvement in my lifestyle and physical fitness. But considering the sorry state I was in around this time last year, I think I can give myself a passing grade.
…And this is all thanks to the cute girlfriend standing before me.
"? Maki, what's wrong? Staring at me like that. Were you captivated by my cuteness?"
"I wasn't captivated… but, well, it just hit me again how incredibly lucky I am."
"Because I'm your girlfriend?"
"Well, yeah."
"Hmph, that's right. You won't find a girlfriend as responsible, cute, and who loves her boyfriend as much as I do so easily. …Just kidding, hehe."
It was an exchange we'd had countless times since we started dating, but Umi always blushed with a happy expression, as if hearing it for the first time.
I absolutely adored the way her cheeks turned a faint pink and she flashed a mischievous smile to hide her embarrassment.
Even if the day was filled with classes I dreaded, and even if I felt lonely because Umi and I were in different classes, this was enough to get me through the school day.
That's how indispensable the existence of 'Asanagi Umi' had become in my life.
"Just a little touch-up with the dryer… and there. Yeah, this should be good. I'll get the coffee ready, so you go get changed into your uniform, Maki."
"Okay. …But before that."
"? What is it?"
I showed my phone to my girlfriend who tilted her head.
(Maehara) Umi, um…
(Maehara) May I kiss you?
"…Hmph."
Seeing the message I typed, Umi's expression slowly turned mischievous.
"W-What is it?"
"Nothing~? If Maki insists, I'm totally okay with it… but, you know?"
"…But?"
"I want to hear you say it today, Maki. Not whispered in my ear like usual, but face-to-face, loud and clear."
"Well, that's true, but."
We'd kissed more times than I could count, but asking for it directly was always embarrassing.
I thought I had grown internally since meeting Umi… but looking at myself objectively, being so childishly dependent on her, I worried that I might be regressing instead.
…Well, it puts Umi in a really good mood, so unless she tells me to 'stop,' I'll probably stay like this forever.
"Alright, let's continue from where we left off. Maki, what do you want?"
"…Um, just on the cheek is fine, so, a kiss from Umi—"
The moment I said it, Umi's face suddenly drew closer.
Smooch.
Our lips touched for a brief moment, then parted, leaving no time for the afterglow to linger.
"…You know, Umi-san."
"Ehehe, I beat you to it today. Sorry, did I surprise you?"
"…That's fine, but."
However, the pounding in my chest from her surprise attack remained.
She played with me like a toy in the palm of her hand; Umi was as cunning as ever.
…She's cunning, but I find that part of her incredibly endearing.
"Come on, we've kissed, so hurry up and get changed. …Or do you want to be lovey-dovey for a little longer?"
"We don't have much time, so I'll go get ready. …And remember, you owe me after school."
"Hehe, then I'll be waiting looking forward to it."
And so, after being a proper lovey-dovey couple even in the short time we had this morning, we headed to school as usual. Until last month, we sometimes avoided holding hands, conscious of each other's sweat, but for now, that probably wouldn't be an issue anymore.
When I firmly held Umi's hand, she giggled and intertwined her fingers with mine.
"Hey, Umi."
"What is it?"
"Was it around this time? When we first became 'friends'."
"That's right. …It was fun and went by in a flash. What about you, Maki?"
"Same here. It was a fun year that went by in a flash."
Looking back, so many things had happened between us that no amount of time would be enough to recall them all.
The number of memorable events in the sixteen years before I met Umi could be counted on one hand, but the year that I spent with her is etched so vividly in my memory that I wouldn't have enough fingers to count them all, no matter how trivial.
I think the reason I never truly understood what 'memories' were until now is because I spent my entire adolescence alone. At home and at school, there was no one around me, just a landscape stretching out before my eyes.
There were no people or things to anchor my memories to.
But now, I have an irreplaceable girlfriend named Umi, and other important friends like Amami-san, Nitta-san, and Nozomu.
Umi in a beautiful dress at the Christmas party, Umi taking my hand in a furisode, Umi blushing to her ears with the birthday present I gave her, Umi in a swimsuit—if she hadn't been there, I'm sure none of this would have happened.
"Thank you, Umi. For becoming my friend… no, my girlfriend."
"Yup. You should be even more grateful. …Just kidding, thank you for becoming my friend… no, my boyfriend."
"Yeah. We have to celebrate properly again on Christmas Eve."
"It'll be our one-year anniversary of dating, huh. But before that, it's our one-year anniversary of becoming friends."
"Yeah. We have to celebrate that properly too."
Should we spend it as usual, or should we go all out and go on a date for a change? For now, it's probably better to do something, even if it's small.
The details will likely be worked out by the two of us from now on… but I'm looking forward to that too, in its own way.
From now on, I'll continue to build memories with Umi.
Bathed in the morning sun, which had softened slightly, we walked side by side along the school route. It was a clear, crisp morning that could be called a perfect autumn day.
"Good morning, senpai."
"Huh?"
As we were walking along the main street leading to the school, someone suddenly called out to us from behind.
When I turned around, I saw two male students. They called me senpai, so they're probably first-years.
"Ah, um…"
"Sorry for suddenly greeting you. Um, we were partners during the three-legged race…"
"! Oh, from that… Good morning. Sorry, I didn't recognize you."
"No, we're the ones who should be sorry for surprising you."
We both apologized profusely, bowing our heads and creating a slightly awkward atmosphere, but I was honestly happy to be greeted by underclassmen like this.
It was a sports festival where strange rumors had spread due to my and Amami-san's carelessness, but thanks to our hard work without giving in to the surrounding noise, we had gained something from it.
"…Maki, that's great."
"Yeah."
After seeing off the two underclassmen who went on ahead, we turned and headed in the opposite direction from the school for a moment. As usual, it was to meet up with Amami-san and Nitta-san, who would be arriving shortly.
Come to think of it, I've known Amami-san and Nitta-san for a long time now. I started talking to them since I was friends with Umi, and while it's understandable with Amami-san, who is Umi's best friend, I never thought I would become friends with Nitta-san and talk to her so casually.
At first, I doubted she even recognized me as a classmate, and my first impression of her was just 'one of Amami-san's followers,' so fate is a strange thing.
Of course, Nitta-san's inherently good personality also played a big part.
As I was pondering this, I saw Nitta-san jogging towards us, her usual ponytail swaying.
She usually arrives with Amami-san, but today, she was unusually alone.
"Yo, Mr. and Mrs. Class Rep. I was thinking it's finally nice weather for a change, but it's still midsummer over here, huh?"
"Nina, you know… more importantly, where's Yuu? Weren't you with her?"
"Hm? Mmm, yeah. I contacted her, but she replied, 'I overslept, so go on ahead.' Here, look."
(Amami) Sorry, Nina-chi.
(Amami) I went back to sleep and overslept.
(Amami) I'm probably going to be cutting it close, so go on ahead.
(Amami) Oh, and could you say hi to Umi and the others for me…
On Nitta-san's phone screen, there was a message like that, accompanied by a sticker of a dog looking apologetic.
"Yuu… She didn't text me."
"She was probably in a hurry, right? So, let's just the three of us go ahead today. If we wait for Yuu-chin, we'll be late too."
"You're right. Well, Amami-san should be fine on her own. Probably."
Even in our second year, Amami-san's habit of oversleeping was still going strong. Although it was less frequent than in our first year, she still had a habit of sliding into the classroom at the last minute about once a month.
…And without breaking a sweat. As always, Amami-san was Amami-san.
Now that we knew her situation, it would be just the three of us walking to school today. Usually, there are four of us, so the normal formation is me and Umi in front, with Amami-san and Nitta-san behind us, but…
"…Nitta-san."
"Hm? What?"
"Well, it's just rare to have you next to me today…"
"I guess so. Without Yuu-chin here, I don't have anyone to talk to. Class rep, you've got a flower on each arm today. I'm so jealous."
"It's not like I wanted it to be this way…"
Even though she could have walked next to Umi, for some reason, Nitta-san chose to walk beside me. So, as she said, I was sandwiched between two girls.
One of them was my girlfriend, Umi, so it wasn't a problem, but with Nitta-san on the other side, I felt strangely restless.
"…Nina, aren't you a little too close to Maki?"
"You think? But if we spread out too much, we'll get in other people's way."
We were walking on the sidewalk along a main road, and it wasn't particularly wide. There were students rushing for their day duty, morning club practice, or other errands, so as a sort of unspoken rule of commuting, we were supposed to always leave one person's width of space open—like a passing lane on a highway.
So, there was nothing strange about what Nitta-san was saying… but.
"Ah, class rep. A bicycle's coming from behind."
"Huh? Ah, uh, yeah…"
To avoid the student on the bicycle, Nitta-san pressed her body against mine.
Instantly, on my other side, Umi's cheeks puffed out just a little.
"Nii-naa?"
"No, no, a bike came from behind, so I just moved to avoid him."
"…Then what's with that hand?"
As Umi pointed out, Nitta-san's hands were currently gripping the sleeve of my uniform firmly.
The bicycle had already passed, so she could let go now.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. It's a habit."
"A habit… but you don't usually do this, Nitta-san. …And Umi-san, could you please stop pinching my side for a moment?"
"…Hmph."
Umi listened to my plea and relaxed her grip, but her fingertips were still pinching the fat on my stomach.
Nitta-san claimed she did it on a whim, but this was the first time she had been this physically close to me.
No matter how you looked at it, she was clearly not her usual self.
"......"
"? What is it, class rep? Staring at my face like that. It's a little creepy, you know."
"Whose fault do you think this is… No, you're acting different from usual, so I was wondering if something happened."
"Oh, well, yeah. I confessed to Takizawa-kun after the sports festival and got rejected."
""Huh?""
Hearing such a bombshell from Nitta-san in the morning, Umi and I froze at almost the same time.
No wonder she was acting differently.
"To Takizawa-kun… Nina, are you serious?"
"Totally serious. I mean, I wouldn't lie about something like this."
"…By the way, does Yuu know about this?"
"Mmm, nope. You two are the first ones I've told."
"You…"
I had seen a few couples like that after the sports festival, but I never imagined that two people we knew so well were among them.
Could it be that because of that, Nitta-san was also feeling lonely in secret?
But it was hard to believe she would approach someone like me for that reason.
As far as I knew, she wasn't that promiscuous.
"Oh, right. Hey, hey, class rep, do you have any plans this Saturday other than hanging out with Asanagi?"
"Huh? I haven't decided anything for that day yet… Nitta-san, are you trying to take me somewhere?"
"Yeah. You know, there's a fireworks festival in the city that day, right? It was canceled last year because of bad weather, so I'd like to go this year."
"Sorry. I've only been here for less than two years… Umi, is that true?"
"Well, yeah. It's a little far from here, but everyone in our hometown knows about it. I think most of the students around here have probably been there at least once."
According to Umi, it was held regularly at a park with a large pond in the city center and was a famous fireworks festival that even local TV stations came to cover.
It would probably be extremely crowded on that day, and I had a feeling we might not even be able to enjoy the fireworks.
"......"
"Class rep, don't worry so much."
"I know, but I'm not good with crowded places…"
It might not be bad to see powerful fireworks exploding in the sky up close, but personally, I was content with the modest ones we did last summer.
"Hey, come on. Think of it as cheering up a heartbroken friend who's unusually down."
"Even if you say that… have you talked to Amami-san or anyone else about it?"
"Nope, not really. The one I'm inviting is you, class rep."
""…Hm?""
Nitta-san answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and Umi and I tilted our heads in unison.
I thought we were all going to the fireworks festival together.
The usual five of us, and if their schedules matched, Nakamura-san, Takizawa-kun, and others—a lively group of people we got along with.
Since it was a place where a lot of people gathered, Nitta-san should have known it was better to go in a group.
"Hey, Nina."
"Yeah?"
"You're not trying to ask my boyfriend out on a date, are you?"
"…Well, it kinda ended up that way."
"Huh? Nitta-san, me?"
"Yeah. For some reason, I feel like I want to talk to you one-on-one, class rep. A fireworks festival is perfect for that, right?"
"…I don't really get it, though."
At Nitta-san's unexpected invitation, neither I nor Umi, who was standing beside me, knew how to respond.
Let's concede, for the sake of argument, that it's okay to take a heartbroken Nitta-san out to cheer her up. She, too, is one of the friends I want to cherish, just like Amami-san and Nozomu.
"…Hey, class rep. I'm sorry to say this with your girlfriend right next to you, but."
"If you think it's bad, I'd rather you didn't…"
"No, I can't really back down on this one."
Without hiding her disgruntled expression, Nitta-san stared at Umi with silent pressure, but she didn't falter and shot a confident remark at me.
"Class rep. You know, will you… go on a date with me?"
I never thought that my and Umi's new year would turn out like this.