Chapter 14
There was a saying that you shouldn't think the past was more enjoyable than now, but thinking back on it, if I feel that the present is the happiest, I wonder if that would be allowed.
Standing alone in front of the station, I thought about such things as I read a book, reflecting on the lines that appeared in it.
"Chinatsu: I really want this first date without disguises to be perfect, but I'm running late because the last set didn't go well, sorry!"
"Hajime: It's fine, thank you, I'll be waiting eagerly."
Since Chinatsu said that she wanted to experience a "meeting date" rather than joining me on the train, I had been waiting here for the past thirty minutes at the nearest station. After all, if we took the train separately to the destination and met there, we'd spend less time together, so we agreed to meet at the station near my high school.
I arrived a little earlier, so I was about 20 minutes late for the agreed time. However, perhaps because Chinatsu had sent me a message that made me look forward to seeing her, or maybe it was the weakness that comes with being in love, waiting wasn't difficult at all.
As January drew to a close, the first month of the year ended in the blink of an eye.
I saw several students from my high school in their uniforms, likely heading to practice for soccer, basketball, and volleyball clubs. They were practicing even on holidays, just like I did in middle school. Though I once felt nostalgic about that, now it no longer feels the same.
As I stood there, watching people pass by, I felt a brief moment where the eyes of those waiting or standing nearby, like me, suddenly shifted to one point.
I too turned my gaze to follow.
Unbelievably, the girl caught my eye and gave me the brightest smile.
"Did you wait long?"
"Honestly, I've been waiting quite a while."
When I honestly replied, Chinatsu pouted and said, "You’re supposed to say 'I just got here!'"
"But, if my girlfriend is going to look this beautiful and show up after even a short wait, I'd be happy to wait for her on any date in the future. Thank you, Chinatsu."
I said it from the bottom of my heart.
To be honest, I’m not that knowledgeable about fashion or makeup, but I could tell Chinatsu had spent a lot of time and effort to look great for today.
And I felt incredibly lucky, realizing that I had the privilege of thanking her.
"……Well, that line gets a pass."
She smiled and wrapped her arm around mine.
At the same time, I felt like we were being watched by various people, but I figured it didn’t matter.
"Now, let’s head off on a date, like a proper couple!"
Because, as long as I had this wonderfully attractive girl beside me, smiling so happily, that was all I needed.
I must be hopelessly smitten with her.
---
Today, more than ever, I spent extra time and effort on my outfit, put on just enough makeup so it wasn’t too heavy, and had my mom check everything before leaving.
"To be honest, it's amazing how you can maintain that charm even after spending so much time together. But you're still so cute, so be confident and go have fun. Say hi to Hajime for me."
After being sent off with that encouragement, I tried out the classic "Did you wait?" line when I met Hajime.
Well, Hajime didn’t follow the script, but I was happy with the compliment he gave me.
He probably didn’t realize it, but he always said "cute," which made me happy, but when I put in extra effort like today, he would call me "beautiful." That word always made me feel like I’d succeeded.
"Today, as planned, we’ll meet up, take the train, go to the aquarium, have lunch there, and ride the Ferris wheel. I wanted to experience a proper date, you know?"
"Yeah, I’ve never done anything like that before, so I’m really excited. Plus, it's my first time going to this aquarium, so I can’t wait."
"We’ll visit other places too! Hajime, is there anywhere you want to go?"
"Hmm, since we’re at it, I'd love to visit an amusement park sometime."
"...An amusement park, huh? I heard that couples often break up there because of long waits and awkward silences. I was a bit nervous, so I thought we should try the aquarium this time. But I guess you don’t care about that, right?"
"Oh, really? I didn’t know there were rumors like that. But, honestly, we could easily pass the time anywhere."
"Like what?"
"Well, even if we’re together, I don’t think we’ve ever run out of things to talk about. And even if we’re silent, I wouldn’t mind. Honestly, it’s like when we’re at home together. I could be reading, and you could be playing a game, and it wouldn’t make things awkward between us, right?"
"……That’s true! Well, then maybe next time we should go to Disneyland? Oh, and I’ve been thinking about taking a trip too. I’m saving up for it. Don’t worry, I remember what you said before. How about we go to that all-girls cake shop?"
"...You figured me out without me saying a word, it’s so embarrassing. But thanks for all the ideas."
I loved seeing Hajime, who is usually so calm, get flustered like this.
Sitting side by side on the train, we casually talked about the future, and in the middle of it all, I felt a deep sense of happiness. I didn’t know why it was happening now, but it felt like a declaration to no one in particular: "Look, Hajime and I have come this far, little by little."
At first, I was careful with the distance when I entered Hajime’s house, and at that time, there was no reason other than that small white kitten being there. That was when we had just started calling each other by our first names.
Then, after touching on Hajime’s past, and having him touch on mine, we started meeting up even without any particular reason. Like a jealous mother, I became more involved with Hajime and Chinatsu.
When Hajime told me he didn’t treat me like someone else’s problem, but truly wanted to help, I couldn’t take it anymore and started naming my feelings and the relationship.
In the freezing cold city, I was warmed by Hajime’s care, and realized once again that I had fallen in love. I wanted to give him everything and, day by day, I learned that there is no limit to happiness.
"Hey, Hajime."
"Hm? What’s up?"
"Well, I, Chinatsu Minamino... I just want to say this now... I love you more than anything in the world, Sato Hajime."
"Eh? ...Wha—! Why are you suddenly saying that on the train?"
"Hmm, I don’t know, I just felt like saying it."
Without thinking, I let the words slip out.
Hajime blushed and seemed a bit flustered, but his smile was enough to make me feel even more content.
As we continued on our date, with everything so calm and peaceful, I couldn’t help but feel completely surrounded by happiness.