The train ride home.
Frowning, I had a staring contest with my smartphone.
On the screen, the words:
『Please enter the password』
Throughout the journey, all this time.
I had been thinking only about Azuma.
“I’ll cast a special ‘charm’ on you.”
“A charm?”
When I asked back, Azuma took out her smartphone and started operating it.
I watched her with my head tilted, and eventually, she stopped her fingers and closed her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, “Phew—...” she nodded a few times as if confirming something, then said, “Alright,” and opened her eyes. In that same motion, she said, “Ei!” and tapped the screen.
Almost at the same time, the contents of my pocket vibrated.
“Eh, did you send something?”
“Mm.”
Seeing her nod, I took out my phone to find a LINE message from Azuma.
The content was a mysterious URL.
“What’s this?”
When I tapped and accessed it...
『Please enter the password』
The words and a white square input field appeared.
“A password?”
As I tilted my head in confusion,
“Y-You don't have to look at it yet!”
She slapped her palm flat against my smartphone screen.
Azuma fiddled with her hair with her other hand and said restlessly,
“I’ll give you a hint, so solve it on the train home.”
“A hint...? I mean, what kind of site is this anyway?”
Azuma ignored my comment and stated the hint.
“Please enter something I cherish very much in Romaji.”
I furrowed my brows.
“Something Azuma cherishes very much? In Romaji?”
“Yes, exactly. ...Alright then, let’s go home.”
With that, Azuma made a quick turn and entered the ticket gates. I followed after her.
“Hey, so what is this site in the first place?”
“...”
Whether it was a quiz, a riddle, or a puzzle, the game-like thing seemed to have already started. Even after we got on the escalator and went up to the platform, Azuma wouldn’t answer my questions.
I gave up after the third attempt, but I still told her what I felt I needed to say today.
“Azuma.”
“...”
“I said some weak things earlier... but let's do our best at the live tomorrow.”
“...Of course we will. amane is going to give the greatest performance tomorrow. It’ll definitely happen, so it's okay.”
“I see...?”
Is that what this strategy is about?
“So, no matter what happens, play it through to the end.”
She whispered that with a strangely meaningful air, and just then, the outbound train arrived, and Azuma hopped on.
“See ya.”
As I said that through the doors that hadn't closed yet,
“Konuma,”
Azuma went out of her way to emphasize my name, gently placing down something important, and smiled sadly.
“See you again.”
With those words, the doors closed, and the train headed west.
And so.
Inside the train heading toward my hometown of Ichinatsu Town, I held my head in my hands.
On the screen, the words:
『Please enter the password』
were still standing there as stiffly as a government official.
No, seriously, what kind of site is this? Did Azuma go out of her way to make this? Is she good with technology?
Moreover, 'something Azuma cherishes very much' is one thing, but is 'Romaji' even a hint? All I know is that it’s not English.
Well, of course, right after I got on the train, I was feeling quite confident.
I thought there was only one thing in Romaji that Azuma would cherish.
I was so excited that I was practically humming in the train (though I didn't actually sing), thinking I could enter it with my eyes closed. I entered it triumphantly.
【 a m a n e 】
The result: Error.
In that instant, I was completely deadlocked.
What the heck, then I have no idea...
Fortunately, it didn't seem like the type to lock me out for security reasons no matter how many times I got it wrong, so I could try as many times as I wanted.
I had no choice but to enter everything I could think of that Azuma might cherish.
First, I tried the band members' names one by one.
【 i c h i k a w a 】
【 h a s u 】
【 s a k o 】
All errors. I tried full names and swapping the surname and first name, but it still didn't work.
...And though it was embarrassing to type it myself.
'I'll just put it in just in case... just in case.'
I muttered clearly in my mind, making excuses for myself. I typed it while praying, 'Don't open, don't open...'
【 o n u m a 】
Then.
『The password is incorrect』
Hooooooo!
It's embarrassing that it's wrong, and it's embarrassing that I tried! But if this had been the correct answer, I really wouldn't have known what to do!!
Just in case, I also tried 【 t a k u t o 】 with my eyes half-closed, but of course, that wasn't the correct answer either.
If that's the case, I really just have to tackle the prompt 'something Azuma cherishes very much' head-on.
I recalled 'things Azuma seemed to cherish very much' and typed them in one by one.
'Konuma, thanks. I'll treat you to a Calpis.'
【 c a l p i s 】
【 k a r u p i s u 】
...Error.
'Was this lyric written with some intention!?'
【 k a s h i 】
...Error.
'I might not look it, but I’ve staked my youth on the Instrumental Club!'
【 k i g a k u b u 】
【 k i g a k u 】
...Error.
'Don't look away from your "true feelings," Konuma.'
【 h o n t o u 】
...Error.
'I didn't have a single friend in middle school, but now, I have this many. I’m spending a youth that those two would envy, with the best friends those two would envy.'
【 t o m o d a c h i 】
...Error.
'Ahaha, true. I love youth so much that I've come all this way, sweating and crying and feeling bitter.'
'Thank you very much! This was our youth itself!'
【 s e i s h u n 】
...Error.
'I'll make Konuma happy, so make me happy in that form.'
【 s h i a w a s e 】
...Error.
I was reaching a dead end.
However.
Each time I squeezed out a word, I visualized the things Azuma had said one by one.
The countless memories we had built up in just four short months came back vividly, one after another.
It was actually backfiring as the hint wasn't helping, but as I looked back, I was impressed by how fulfilling that period had been, as if it were someone else's business.
'Hey, Konuma. Is school fun?'
'I was wondering if Konuma is experiencing youth. How is it? Is daily life good?'
I answered that question from a few days ago once more in my heart, this time with real feeling.
It really has become fun, I thought.
And surely, the one who made me realize that I was having fun was none other than Azuma.
To the old me who used to mock things like 'Daily life is good' as if I knew everything, acting like a bystander, being objective, and acting cool... Azuma.
'No, these are truly precious days.'
She rewrote my pathetic lyrics and taught me that. ...Well, being cool wasn't the only reason they were pathetic.
But since then, I clearly began to feel 'fun.' I began to recognize the identity of that emotion as 'fun.'
Really, it's enough to make me laugh, but 'daily life is good.'
Just as I was playing with those silly words.
“Oh...”
A small voice escaped me in the train, and I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand.
A flash of inspiration struck me.
...I see.
It was that day.
That day when Azuma threw the question 'Is school fun?' at me.
I remember the way home from that day.
'There's a lot going on over here too. Foreshadowing, or maybe laying the groundwork... Well, whether it's foreshadowing or groundwork, it might be better if I don't have to use it.'
'Please remember today properly, at least until the live performance.'
That day when I finally felt like Erina-san and Sako had made up, and Erina-san's confession had turned in a good direction.
'It's not that I want to eat a Papico. I just want to buy ice cream and split the cost.'
'Ah, the convenience store on the way back. Let’s buy ice cream.'
'Ah, the sunset bench.'
'See you again.'
...Man, so that's what it was.
If that's the case, I won't get it wrong this time.
With a trembling thumb, softly.
I entered the eight-letter word.