“Phew... I’m exhausted.”
“Tell me about it. Those two still look energetic, though.”
We had been walking for about two hours straight, so Asahiko and I were currently resting on a bench in the shopping mall.
“Asahiko, is your physical condition alright?”
“Yes, thanks to you. I would like to rest a little longer, though... but it’s just as the rumors say. When it comes to shopping, a woman’s stamina is infinite.”
You can say that again.
Riran and Hiyori were happily browsing through clothes in a nearby store.
I never thought those two would ever look so happy together... You really never know what life has in store for you.
I moistened my throat with some water I had bought beforehand.
“By the way, Akito-san, I heard from Hiyori-san.”
“About what?”
“Hiyori-san used to like you in the past, didn't she, Akito-san?”
“*Pffft!*”
*Cough! Hack!* W-water went down the wrong pipe...!
“Eh. A-are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine. I’m okay.”
Ah—that startled me.
I can’t believe that Hiyori girl told Asahiko something like that.
“H-how much did you hear?”
“About how you saved Hiyori-san from a groper, how she fell in love with you, and even the part where she confessed.”
“So you heard everything.”
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I looked away from Asahiko. Then, Asahiko opened his mouth as if in a hurry.
“N-no, it’s not like I’m angry or anything. Or rather, it’s not something to be angry about anyway.”
“I guess so, but...”
If I put myself in his shoes, it would be like having the guy Riran used to like standing right in front of me, right? That would definitely be awkward.
Actually, I’m feeling awkward right now.
But Asahiko looked at Hiyori with a refreshing smile on his face. No, not just at Hiyori. It was as if he was looking at something far away through her... He had those kinds of eyes.
“Admittedly, I was surprised at first. But it can’t be helped, can it? You can’t stop human feelings. Even knowing that the ‘Red Thread of Fate’ will appear when you turn sixteen, you can’t suppress the feeling of love. That’s what it means to be human.”
“...You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Yes. I am.”
I suppose that makes sense.
It’s not like Riran was my first love either.
While I love Riran now, I obviously had girls I liked back in elementary school. Though I don’t remember their faces or names anymore.
“Meeting you and talking to you in person, I can see why Hiyori-san fell for you.”
“I’m not that great of a person. You’re overestimating me.”
“I don’t think so. I was born into the Ichijoji family, after all. I have an eye for people.”
“...Is that so.”
“Yes, it is.”
How should I put it... He’s hard to deal with.
It’s a different feeling from Ryūya or Neika.
...Ah, I see. It’s like Rio. Rio also sometimes has eyes that seem to see right through the other person.
This guy is the male version of Rio.
“Once again, thank you for saving Hiyori-san.”
“Stop, stop. That’s an old story now.”
“Even so. The reason I was able to be tied by a red thread to such a cute person is because Akito-san saved her. If she had been left as a victim of that groper, Hiyori-san might have developed a distrust of men.”
“...Well, if you say so, I’ll take it.”
Back then, I couldn’t even see the ‘Red Thread of Fate’ yet.
So it was a complete coincidence.
Coincidence upon coincidence has led to where we are now.
...When I think about it that way, I’m starting to wonder if it really was a coincidence.
As I was feeling a renewed sense of awe toward the ‘Red Thread of Fate,’ I heard Riran and Hiyori calling out to us.
“Hey, Akito—! Could you help me pick something out?”
“Asa-tan, come over here too—!”
Asahiko and I exchanged glances.
Asahiko shrugged his shoulders, stood up, and looked at me once more.
“Akito-san and Riran-san. You two are connected by a red thread, and Hiyori-san and I are connected, and here we are together. Perhaps this, too, is the power of the ‘Red Thread of Fate.’”
Leaving those words behind, he walked toward the two girls.
...The power of the ‘Red Thread of Fate,’ huh?
Maybe he’s not entirely wrong...
“Akito—?”
“...Yeah, I’m coming.”
I finished off the bottled water and stood up from the bench as well.