Ever since the morning I came home with Asanagi, it's become a habit for me to walk her home after we hang out on weekend nights. It's not that her mother, Sora-san, asked me to, or even subtly pressured me into it. I'm doing this entirely on my own, driven by a meddlesome impulse that tells me it's not right to let her walk alone on a dark country road at night.
As usual, we walked side-by-side until we reached her front door, where I rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the door opened revealing Sora-san, her expression gentle and warm.
"──Welcome home, Umi. You cut it pretty close to your curfew, but did you have fun today?"
"It was nothing special… Besides, that has nothing to do with you, Mom. I'm home."
"Oh, how cold. Maki-kun, I'm so sorry for all the trouble our delinquent daughter causes you."
"No, if anything, this was my fault to begin with… And, well, walking with Asanagi… I mean, Umi, at night is surprisingly fun."
"…You hear that, Umi? Isn't that nice?"
"C-Come on! Stop trying to drag me into every little thing!"
At my place, Asanagi acts all high and mighty, but in front of Sora-san, she becomes as meek as a lamb. In that sense, I suppose we're not so different. It's strange how having a parent around a friend can make you feel so self-conscious.
"Um, well, my job here is done, so I'll be on my way—"
"Ah, wait, Maki-kun! A neighbor just shared some fruit with us, so please, take some with you."
"Eh? Ah, no, you really don't have to do that—"
"It's fine, it's fine. It's more than we can eat by ourselves, and it would be a shame to let it go bad. It'd be a great help if you'd take some off our hands, okay?"
"Well, if that's the case…"
After keeping their daughter out so late, being gifted fruit felt a bit much, but I sensed it would be rude to refuse, so I graciously accepted. Sora-san said she'd pack some in a paper bag for me and asked me to wait in the living room.
"Come in. Sorry, it's a little messy."
"E-Excuse me for intruding."
I usually just drop her off at the entrance, so this was my first time inside their living room since the "accidental sleepover" incident. The scent of the Asanagi house, so different from my own, made me feel a little nervous.
"This might take a little while, so feel free to watch some TV while you wait. Oh, is juice okay? Apple or orange?"
"Please don't worry about me… is what I'd like to say, but I'll have apple juice, then."
"You got it."
I sat down on the sofa and looked around. As expected of Sora-san, the room was immaculate. Not a speck of dust was visible, and the hardwood floors gleamed under the light. There were no suits or dress shirts strewn about, and certainly no ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts. It was a world apart from my own house, where my mother's busy schedule and my own laziness often took over. I really need to take a page from Sora-san's book and keep my own room cleaner.
"──Hm?"
My gaze drifted from the sparkling clean furniture to a jacket hanging on the curtain rail. It looked like a school blazer, but it was an unusual pure white, with a crest embroidered in gold thread on the collar and a cute, red-based ribbon tucked into the pocket. I haven't lived here long, but I felt like I'd seen it before.
"This uniform, I'm pretty sure it's…"
"──Yup. It's the Tachibana Girls' uniform. And just so you know, it's mine, of course."
Asanagi appeared, holding a glass of juice. "Here. …What? Is it bothering you that much?"
"Not really… Well, I did think it stands out for a uniform."
"Fufu, right? Until last year, neither I nor Yuu thought much of it, but compared to our current uniforms, it's just so… you know?"
Apparently, a neighborhood girl was about to enter Tachibana Girls', and Asanagi was giving her the old blazer as a spare.
"So, what do you think? Seeing it again, what's your impression?"
"It seems like it'd be a pain to eat curry udon in."
"Ahaha! C'mon, what's that supposed to mean? But I do remember being super careful not to stain it. I'd wear a bib when eating, or sometimes just take the blazer off… Yuu, on the other hand, would get it dirty without a care, and her mom would scold her for having to take it to the cleaners every week."
"I can totally imagine that."
I'd never seen it myself, but the image came to mind instantly: a dejected Amami-san being scolded, with Asanagi watching from the side, a fond, exasperated smile on her face. It sounded like a hassle, but they must have had many more fun memories than that.
"…Ah, I know."
"? What is it, Asanagi?"
"Hm~? Mfufu, I just had a little idea."
With a mischievous grin—the one she always wears before teasing me—she took the white blazer from its hanger. I get a bad feeling whenever she gives me that look… What on earth is she planning?
"C'mon, don't make that face. I'm not going to do anything to you, Maki."
"…Really?"
"Really, really. I'll be parting with this uniform soon, so I thought I'd try it on one last time. Oh, but of course, I'll be asking for your opinion."
"…I knew it was a stupid idea."
She disappeared into her room to change, and a few minutes later, a friend with a completely different vibe emerged.
"──Um, so, what… do you think? My figure hasn't changed much from last year, so I don't think it looks weird, but…"
"Yeah. That… I think it's fine, too."
She had changed into the full uniform—blouse, plaid knee-length skirt, and a large ribbon tied neatly at her neck. The girl standing before me was the very picture of a refined young lady. She must have always worn it so neatly. Honestly, it looked very good on her. As she glanced up at me, her cheeks faintly flushed, my heart couldn't help but pound.
"So, what do you think?"
"What do I think… Well, I think it suits you."
"That's not what I mean. I mean, which version of me is cuter? Me in my old uniform, or me in my current one?"
"…Umm,"
She had asked another impossibly difficult question. The person wearing them is the same, and it hasn't even been a year since she left middle school, so my gut reaction was to say they're both the same, but…
"I'm telling you now, saying 'both look good' is not an option. I went to the trouble of putting this on for you, so you have to pick one."
"I don't remember asking you to, though…"
Still, if she was going to put it that way, I had to give her a real answer. The "refined young lady" Asanagi Umi in front of me, and the "usual" Asanagi Umi in the same uniform as me. She's cute to begin with, so of course both look good on her.
"…After all, I think I like the 'current' Asanagi better. The one in our school's uniform, I mean."
"Hmph, I-I see. But why?"
"Why, you ask… Well, I'm more used to seeing you that way, but, um…"
"? What is it? C'mon, don't be so vague. I won't get mad, so just answer honestly."
"…If you say so."
It was a simple reason, but for some reason, it felt embarrassing to say it out loud.
"Being used to it is the main reason… but I guess it's also because you look more like yourself. It suits you better when you're not acting like an honor student and are just having fun and being a little wild…"
"I-I see. Hmm, so, that's how it is…"
"Wh-What is it? Are you not satisfied with that answer?"
"Eh? Ah, no, it's not that, but… W-Well, I guess it's barely a passing grade?"
"Barely? I put some thought into it, you know. You're a tough critic."
"Fufu, you must strive for greater heights. …Just kidding. Ehehe."
Seeing Asanagi's happy expression, it seems my answer was good enough. Whether she's a refined young lady or a tomboy, the fact remains that Asanagi is a cute girl.
…Anyway, it's been over ten minutes now. I wonder where Sora-san went while preparing the fruit.
I could feel a lukewarm gaze on me, but I couldn't see her anywhere.