One day, after repeated practice sessions and occasional outings, summer vacation was well into its latter half.
“It’s hooooot...”
Roused by the lingering summer heat-senpai, I left my room in search of cool air. (I’m of the camp that catches a cold if I turn on the AC.)
Opening the living room door—
“Morning, Takuto.”
Sako, dressed in her uniform and sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, gave me a morning greeting.
“Oh, morning.”
I replied and headed toward the kitchen, rubbing my eyes and thinking about brewing some coffee to wake myself up—whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?
“Huh!? Sako, why are you here!?”
“Ah, Takuto, you have bedhead in the back.”
“Oh really? Thanks... No, no, that’s not it!!”
The shock was enough to wake me up instantly, no coffee required.
I mean, sure, we’re childhood friends, but this didn’t happen that often! Is this an Adachi Mitsuru manga!? Well, Sako did come over on the day the song was finished too, but still...!
“Ah, Tak-kun is up. Morning!”
As I stood there confused, a voice called out from behind me.
Turning around, I saw Yuzu standing there with wet hair. It looked like she had just taken a shower.
“Oh, morning...”
“I called Sako-chan over. Apparently Hinata-san’s older sister is going to be on TV today, so we thought we’d watch it together.”
“Ah, is that so...?”
Please tell me those things in advance... Also, stop taking showers after the guests arrive.
“So, how was the newlywed experience?”
Yuzu grinned mischievously.
““Hey, Yuzu, you dummy.””
The two of us spoke in perfect unison in our panic, then became even more flustered with an ““Ah, wa-wa.””
Ahem... I need to reset things.
I cleared my throat lightly and turned back to Yuzu.
“So, what kind of show is Mizusawa-san’s sister going to be on? Like a street interview or something?”
“Well, she’s going to be in a CM.”
“Eh? Is Mizusawa-san’s sister a celebrity?”
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t really know either. Maybe something like an extra?”
“Hmm...”
Well, I guess that happens. But did we really need to gather everyone to watch that?
Then Sako shared some new information from the sofa.
“The director is Nishiyama Aoba.”
“What!? Nishiyama Aoba, as in *that* Nishiyama?”
My voice cracked at that revelation.
“Yeah, that Nishiyama Aoba who was our classmate in middle school.”
“No way...”
In other words, Nishiyama, who was the same age as us, was directing a CM airing on TV. (The amount of information didn't actually increase, but the impact did.)
“Ah, look, look! It’s starting!”
Leaving my shaken self behind, the CM began on the TV.
The video flowed along with a light, youthful rock track.
A girl climbed onto a tetrapod and flashed a peace sign at the camera, stood at a bus stop talking to the viewer, and smiled toward the camera with a face that looked ready to cry at a sunset station.
I intuitively understood that the protagonist of this video wasn't this girl, but the 'someone' filming her.
And that the protagonist was likely a teenage boy harboring a strong admiration for the girl being filmed.
“Puh-ha!”
On the screen, the girl drank a carbonated beverage, and a large, handwritten catchphrase appeared.
『Before summer ends, before we become adults, there’s something we have to do.』
““Wow...””
Sako and Yuzu let out a breath in unison. I bit my lip tight.
This was made by Nishiyama, someone the same age as me who grew up just like me...?
First Ichikawa, now Nishiyama—why are the people my age around me all so...?
“That was amazing!”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, Hinata-san’s sister wasn't an extra at all. When did she debut as an actress?”
“Who knows.”
The two girls on the sofa were chatting away. Well, only Yuzu was really doing the 'chattering' part.
I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed.
“Takuto.”
Noticing that I hadn't joined the conversation at all despite the time passing, Sako turned to look at me.
“Ah, sorry.”
Sako tilted her head slightly.
“Why don’t you go take a shower? Let’s leave the house together. We have practice today, right?”
“O-Oh.”
That’s right, today was a practice day.
“‘Let’s leave the house together!’ You really are like newlyweds!”
““Hey, Yuzu, you dummy.””
I took a quick shower, and we truly left the house together. (Sako had apparently brought her bass, probably intending to do this from the start.)
On the train, we hardly spoke, yet it wasn't awkward. A strange time flowed between us.
We got off at Shin-Koganai Station and walked side-by-side down the road paved with reflecting heat.
Cicadas shrieked. Heat haze shimmered in the distance. The sun carved out the asphalt.
Summer was clinging to its end, refusing to let go of the lingering heat.
In short, it was incredibly hot.
“Takuto, are you thinking about that CM?”
“Mmm, well...”
I stammered at Sako’s question.
Then, Sako changed the way she asked.
“Takuto, what did you think of that CM?”
I gave a bitter smile, realizing that Sako really understood me by the way she phrased that.
I exhaled sharply and said,
“I didn't think that CM was all that great. Maybe they had connections with the production company or something. In that sense, they were just lucky. To think Nishiyama’s poem could become a commercial product... the Japanese video industry is quite generous.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing the words I strung together,
Sako waited for me to continue.
“...I was desperately biting back the urge to say things like that.”
“I see.”
At Sako's acknowledgment, I let out a sigh, feeling like I couldn't win against her.
In reality, that CM was probably wonderful.
I don’t know much about professional details like whether it fulfilled its function as a commercial, but as a video, I think it was amazing.
Truth be told, I might have even been moved by it.
However, I just can’t bring myself to accept it. I can’t simply raise both hands in honest approval.
I can’t look at it the same way I look at something made by a famous person from a distant world.
Why am I not there? Was there no possibility that I could have been the one to create the music for that CM?
Despite not even doing musical activities under my own name, I grumble about such things.
And I try to balance that muddy, unpleasant emotion by attacking the other person.
I didn't want to see that pathetic side of myself.
The name of that emotion is—
“I’m just jealous...”
“I suppose so.”
Sako walked slowly, matching her pace to mine.
“But if you realize that, you’ll be fine.”
Sako said this with an unusually enlightened tone.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. Jealousy depends on how you use it. What we need to do isn't to try to drag down successful people to secure our own position, but to work hard to close the gap so we can reach that same level.”
“You’re right...”
I nodded and swallowed that sound argument.
“...Coming from me, it’s quite persuasive, isn't it?”
Raising the corners of her mouth by a fraction of a millimeter, Sako smirked.
“Yeah, it is...”
I laughed along with her.
That was likely a lesson learned from her own regret of throwing abusive words into the anonymous world to drag someone down out of jealousy.
And I truly think it's good that she can make a joke out of it now.
Effortfully converting my previous feelings of jealousy into a fighting spirit, we arrived at school, and then—
“Ah! Konuma-senpai and Hasu-senpai! Are you two cheating even though you have a Master? You’re quite the dark horse! Nudge nudge!”
I was forced to realize that not everyone was yet able to turn that incident into a joke.