“A wedding? Today? After this?”
“Yeah. My cousin’s.”
Saturday. While the four of us from amane were chatting in the studio, Sako mentioned, “I’ll have to leave a bit early,” and when I asked why, that’s what she told me.
“Heh, a wedding…! Are you going in your uniform?”
Azuma asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“No, they said I can change at the venue. Into something like a dress.”
“I see, a dress… of course…”
For some reason, the President of the Youth Club looked down in disappointment.
“It seems some people do go in their uniforms though. But if only I’m wearing a uniform, I’d stand out in a bad way, right?”
“Well, maybe… But if it were a uniform, it would be just like the music video for ‘March 9th’.”
“Is that so?”
“It is, look.”
Azuma played the music video for ‘March 9th’ on YouTube to show her.
“Who’s this?”
“That’s Maki Horikita-san, obviously…?”
“…Who?”
“Eh, no way…? We’re the same age, right?”
Azuma seemed to be feeling a generation gap within the same age group on her own, but I didn’t really get it either.
“I haven’t attended a wedding since I grew up. I’ve seen photos of myself being a ring girl—is that what it’s called?—when I was little. I think that was around the same time this MV was filmed.”
“What’s a ring girl?”
“It’s a job where you walk down the virgin road at a wedding and carry the wedding rings to the bride and groom. Little kids wear fluffy dresses. Apparently, it’s usually the children of relatives. I guess it’s not always girls though.”
“Heh…”
I tried to imagine it, but it didn’t quite click.
…However, the devotee next to me was looking completely dazed, looking as if she were about to drool.
“Uhehe, loli-Amane is insanely cute…!”
“Eh, right now?! Just from imagination?!”
That’s some incredible imagination. I almost respect it…
“In any case, the wedding is something to look forward to, right?”
When Ichikawa brought the conversation back to Sako, Sako shook her head.
“Not really, I’m not looking forward to it. I’m kind of nervous, and I don’t really know what to do… I’m not good with stiff, formal places.”
“Well, I can understand that…”
“…And while I’m talking, it’s time. I’ll be going now. See you Monday. Bye.”
Sako stood up quickly.
“See you, Sako-san!”
“Sakohasu, I wish you eternal happiness!”
“I’m not the one getting married.”
Azuma’s joke seemed to be a little funny, as the blonde girl’s mouth curled up by a fraction of a millimeter before she left.
…I wonder if she doesn’t need to dye that blonde hair again.
The remaining three of us talked about the songs for a bit and then went home.
Night fell, and a little while after I finished dinner—
“Uwaaaaaa!!”
I heard Yuzu’s scream from the kitchen.
“W-What’s wrong?!”
“Takkun, there’s no ice cream!!”
My sister came into the living room, her lower lip pouting out.
“…You, don’t scream over something like that. Seriously.”
I thought those bugs had appeared again and was already thinking of an excuse to go outside.
“You should have bought some on your way home, Takkun!”
“How was I supposed to know? It’s not like I ate it.”
“Eh— go buy some.”
“No way. Besides, it’s getting cold, right? You don’t need ice cream anymore.”
“Eh—. Hmm…”
Yuzu hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me pleadingly.
“Then, let’s go buy it together?”
“If it’s that, then fine…”
“You’re okay with that…”
…No, wait, do I really need to go?
However, an older brother doesn’t go back on his word, so I threw on a hoodie and headed to the convenience store near the station with Yuzu.
“Welcome—”
When we arrived, there she was.
“Oh, it’s Sako-chan. Good evening—”
“…Ugh.”
“Oh, Taku-chan, Yuzu-chan. You two are so close.”
There was Sako in her uniform and Mama-hasu, who was dressed up beautifully.
“No, Yuzu was about to go buy ice cream, and her brother insisted on coming because it’s dangerous for a girl alone. Seriously, this stupid brother can’t let go of his sister.”
“That’s just a straight-up lie.”
“Sako-chan’s Mom, did you hear that? As you can see, my brother is a tsundere.”
“You’re still close, either way. Ahaha.”
Mama-hasu smiled happily. No, you’ve got it wrong…
It was a hassle to explain, so I turned my attention to Sako, who seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
“On your way back from the wedding? Where’s Sako’s dad?”
“He went home first. Me and Mom just came to buy some drinks.”
Sako answered with her eyes cast down.
Looking at her, I felt a bit of warmth inside, but guessing the reason, I decided to leave her alone.
…But things didn’t go that smoothly.
“Are? Sako-chan, did you cry? Your eyes are swollen!”
“N-No, this is…”
Sako winced at being pointed out by the loud-voiced Yuzu. Oh boy.
“That’s right! Yuzu-chan, you’re very observant. Sako started crying, and the whole family was in an uproar.”
“S-Shut up…”
Not just her eyes, but even her cheeks were turning red now…
“T-That was because the BGM for the slideshow was ‘March 9th’, which we were just talking about today, and then The Beatles’ ‘In My Life’ played after that. As a Beatles fan, it was just, you know, well…”
As she spoke, she must have remembered the scene because her eyes started to get teary again. As her childhood friend, it crossed the line from heartwarming to pitiable.
“Ugh, shut up. I’m going to go check that shelf over there.”
As if to hide it, she left and headed for another shelf.
…That’s the alcohol section, are you okay?
“Even so, I wish Taku-chan could have come to the wedding too.”
Mama-hasu muttered while looking at Sako’s back.
“Me…? Why?”
“Sako always has that sour face, right? Before the reception, when they were taking the family group photo, she stayed like that no matter how many times the photographer said, ‘Please smile!’ We all ended up with forced smiles.”
“Haah, I can imagine that…”
Sako was the same way when taking the graduation photo in middle school.
“If Sako could have at least looked as gentle as she did just now, I could have said, ‘This child is actually smiling!’”
“No, I don’t think she was smiling just now either.”
“No, she’s completely different when Taku-chan is around. Since a long time ago, when she talks to Taku-chan, a happy atmosphere just leaks out of her.”
“H-Haah…”
It was hard to respond to, and I didn’t really feel convinced, so I gave a lukewarm reply.
“Ah, I see.”
Then, Mama-hasu, who seemed to have understood something unlike me, changed to an incredibly gentle expression.
“Taku-chan has only ever seen Sako when she’s with Taku-chan, after all.”
“Wait, Mom, that’s enough. Let’s go to the register.”
At the same time, Sako returned and pulled Mama-hasu’s arm.
And then,
“…Ah, Takuto.”
She called my name as she turned around.
“Hmm?”
“If you tell Ichikawa-san or Yurisuke that I was like this, I’ll be mad.”
“………………Oh.”
“What was that pause for?”
“Alright, alright, I won’t tell them.”
When I raised both hands in surrender, she came back with a grumpy face and grabbed my pinky with hers.
“If you lie, I’ll make you swallow a thousand fireworks.”
“I get it.”
Yuzu tilted her head beside us.
“Fireworks…? Not needles…?”
While watching Sako’s back as she headed to the register after the pinky swear, I wondered if Erina-san, whose name wasn't mentioned, was safe. I thought about such an insensitive thing for just a moment before shaking my head.
“Takkun, what are you grinning for?”
“Nothing.”
“Gross.”
“Hey.”
Yuzu moved toward the ice cream shelf with a mischievous grin.
“Takkun, you look like you’d cry if you attended Yuzu’s wedding too, right?”
“No way, there’s no way I would… be… able to…! *Guh*…!”
“Eh, right now?! Just from imagination?!”