Chapter 7: I’m Fine With Being the Second Girlfriend

♥♥♥

On an early August morning, I was on an express train heading to Hakone.

It was for the Mystery Research Club’s training camp.

The participants were club members—me and Tachibana-san; special thanks to Hayasaka-san, Sakai-san, Yanagi-senpai; storyboard and direction by Yamanaka-kun from the manga club; director Maki, the student council president; and our advisor, Miki-sensei. Basically, a group thrown together for numbers.

“Senpai, was it okay?”

Sitting side by side in a two-row seat, I ask Yanagi-senpai.

“With your entrance exam studies and all.”

“Taking a couple of days off is no big deal. I brought my study stuff, too.”

And, senpai says with a slightly shy smile.

“I want to make memories with Hikari-chan.”

Senpai calls Tachibana-san by her first name, “Hikari-chan.”

Tachibana-san is sitting two rows ahead with Hayasaka-san, excitedly discussing the script we’re about to shoot.

“The script you wrote is really good, Tachibana-san.”

“You think so?”

“The opening scene where Kirishima-kun’s a corpse—was that Maki-kun’s idea?”

“No, I just wanted it that way.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh on him?”

“That president’s only good for being a corpse.”

That’s harsh, but it’s nice to see Hayasaka-san and Tachibana-san getting along.

“Kirishima, thanks.”

“Nah, Maki’s the one who planned it.”

“Still.”

The real reason senpai transferred was Tachibana-san.

As fiancés, they meet once a month, but they barely spend time together. So he wanted to share the same daily life before getting married.

“At first, I was just meeting her because my parents told me to. She seemed like a super cold girl.”

Senpai says. I panic a bit, worried Tachibana-san might hear.

But Tachibana-san is thrilled about some snacks she bought at the station, chatting with Hayasaka-san. In moments like this, they’re just normal high school girls.

“After meeting a few times, my impression changed. She’s accepting the engagement for her mom’s sake. She was raised by a single mother and doesn’t want her to struggle. Pretty old-fashioned, right?”

It’s rare for senpai to talk about such personal stuff.

I can guess what he’s about to say next, and I don’t really want to hear it. I wish someone would interrupt, but Sakai and Yamanaka-kun’s seats are a bit far, and Miki-chan and Maki, in the row ahead, have been gone for a while for some reason.

“Then I realized—”

Senpai finally says it.

“I fell in love with her.”

Instinctively, I check on Hayasaka-san up ahead. I didn’t want her to hear this. Luckily, she’s busy stopping the snack cart to buy a ton of treats. How much is she going to eat?

Yanagi-senpai loves Tachibana-san, regardless of their engagement.

Hearing it directly makes it feel so real.

A perfect square relationship is truly complete.

“Senpai, you’re not joining the Mystery Research Club?”

“I’ll pass. I’m already reflecting on how pushy it was to transfer here.”

“But after school, it’ll just be the two of us.”

“I trust you, Kirishima. You’re not the type to do anything weird with girls.”

“Right.”

Senpai doesn’t know about the childhood promise between me and Tachibana-san, the ultimate trump card, or that we were playing some questionable games in the clubroom until recently.

Senpai trusts me unconditionally. But I’m keeping secrets.

“It’s unrequited love. I just want to be close to her, even a little.”

Senpai seems he’s about to say more but falls silent, gazing out the window.

I notice Tachibana-san and Hayasaka-san have quieted down. They’re seriously eating the snacks they bought.

I put in my earphones and listen to music.

A bit later, Hayasaka-san and Tachibana-san stand and walk toward us.

“What’s up?”

I take out my earphones, and Hayasaka-san answers.

“We’re going to find a snack cart. I want ice cream, too.”

“Huh? Didn’t you just eat a ton? If you eat any more, you’ll get fa—”

“Kirishima-kun, did you say something?”

Nope, nothing.

Tachibana-san doesn’t say a word and heads off to find a snack cart.

“I know she doesn’t love me.”

After Tachibana-san and the others move to the next car, senpai says.

“But I’ll wait.”

“Until she loves you?”

“Yeah. If she can’t stand being touched by guys, I’ll wait until she’s okay with me touching her. I’ll stay by her side without being a bother. That’s how much I love her. It’s a bit lame to use my fiancé status, though.”

Senpai and I are opposites.

Senpai loves his number-one girl without compromise. There’s no resignation, no fear of unrequited love going to waste.

Meanwhile, I rejected pure love fantasies and embraced the practical number-two route. I still believe that, but seeing senpai makes me understand why people admire pure love. It’s a bit dazzling.

“It’ll work out, I’m sure.”

I say sincerely.

Knowing Tachibana-san’s fiancé is Yanagi-senpai, I’ve accepted it.

Sure, I’ve felt affection from Tachibana-san. But with her family situation, my bond with Yanagi-senpai, and everything else, it’s too complicated.

So before the camp, Tachibana-san and I talked about our relationship.

Now, we barely speak.

“You and Tachibana-san will make it work.”

“Thanks, Kirishima. You’re a good guy. If you ever need help, just say so. I’ll do anything. We’re life-saving buddies, after all.”

Senpai grins warmly.

It’s fine. I’ve always accepted I wouldn’t end up with my number one, and whatever the reason, that’s just how it turned out.

Things went as expected, so there’s no reason to be down. I can let go cleanly with no lingering regrets. I’m totally fine—actually, I’m grateful to escape the mess of loving someone with a fiancé.

“By the way, Kirishima, you’ve been eating Pocky nonstop.”

“Oh, these?”

I bought them at the station as a travel snack. The silver wrappers are scattered on my lap.

“Aren’t you eating too much?”

“They don’t taste like anything, so it doesn’t feel like I’m eating.”

Senpai picks up a Pocky and eats it.

“Nah, it tastes like chocolate.”

“Does it? Something’s missing. Maybe the cracker part’s too dry. Yeah, it needs to be moist. Moist. I need more, more……”

“Kirishima?”

Ignoring senpai’s puzzled look, I keep eating the unsatisfying Pocky.

 

♥♥♥

 

“Giving up just because her fiancé’s senpai? That’s too quick.”

Maki says.

“I get it, Yanagi-senpai helped you a lot in middle school, so I understand your feelings, Kirishima. But Tachibana’s your legit first love, right?”

“Yeah, but……”

At night, Maki and I are soaking in the open-air bath.

We didn’t film at all on the first day. We visited a museum, ate hot spring buns, and just enjoyed Hakone sightseeing. After having dinner at the inn, we’re now in the hot spring.

“From what I’ve heard……”

Maki says.

“If you asked Tachibana to break off the engagement, it might work. Have you tried?”

“Haven’t said it, and I don’t plan to.”

“Why not?”

“It feels really irresponsible.”

Sure, Tachibana-san and I have our childhood promise. If I leaned on that, she might choose me in a moment of emotion. But—

“If she breaks the engagement, her family situation won’t stay the same. That could affect her future.”

When Tachibana-san comes to her senses, she might regret it.

“It’s just high school romance. You’re overthinking the future.”

“But it’s important.”

I don’t want to make Tachibana-san unhappy.

“And I can’t betray senpai.”

“If you say so, then that’s that. Plus, Tachibana and senpai seem to be getting along pretty well.”

During Hakone sightseeing, Tachibana-san was always walking beside senpai.

At dinner in the inn’s tatami room, she chose to sit next to him. That’s unthinkable for the usually aloof Tachibana-san, and Yanagi-senpai was surprised, too.

“You didn’t push Tachibana away from you, did you?”

“We decided it together.”

“Oi oi…… that’s way too insane.”

“It’s settled.”

This was about a week ago.

During summer break, the Mystery Research Club hadn’t met once.

But that day, Tachibana-san and I gathered in the clubroom.

It was to plan the short film we’d shoot at the camp.

Seeing Tachibana-san after a while, she looked as good as ever in her uniform—refreshing, like a summer cider girl. I felt an urge to fall in love with the vibe of a Pocari Sweat commercial, but we quickly clashed.

“I think an anagram would be good.”

“No way, Tachibana-san, it’s gotta be a narrative trick.”

It was about the mystery technique for the short film.

Tachibana-san and I share hobbies—late-night radio, mysteries.

But the details differ. For radio, she’s Nippon Broadcasting, I’m Bunka Broadcasting. For mysteries, it’s anagrams versus narrative tricks.

“It’s gotta be an anagram.”

Tachibana-san loves anagrams, wordplay tricks.

A seemingly random string of characters appears, and rearranging them reveals a key fact in the story.

“But Tachibana-san, how do you use an anagram in a video?”

“First, you have a drunkard.”

“Sounds like a bold story.”

“In the film, the drunkard’s always drunk, muttering ‘Eshi uku sayu udon’ like a delirium.”

“Eshi uku sayu udon?”

“Rearrange it, and it’s Endou Shuusaku. The true culprit is Endo Shusaku, and the drunkard knew it from the start. The audience goes, ‘Damn, they got me!’ right?”

“Do they?”

“The title’s Drunken Detective.”

It’s an anagram trick, sure, but Tachibana-san’s kinda a klutz.

“Let’s not do that.”

“Why? The drunkard has a tragic past. He used to work at a top company but lost in the corporate race, got dumped by his lover, and started taking sleeping pills with alcohol—”

Tachibana-san starts rambling about overly detailed settings.

“No, no, Tachibana-san, anagrams lack impact in a visual medium.”

“If you’re saying that, your beloved narrative tricks are only for novels.”

“Sure, if it’s a girl calling herself ‘boku’ or an old man acting young. But films with jumbled timelines have been adapted and hit big.”

The essence of a narrative trick is exploiting the audience’s misconceptions. When the truth is revealed, they go, “Ha?” at their own mistake.

“So, we start with a corpse.”

“Roll out a body first. Classic mystery move.”

“Exactly. Then, it goes like this and that.”

“Humu, humu.”

“And then this happens, and the culprit’s like this.”

“I see, I see.”

“—And that’s the deal.”

“Well, for a short video, that might work.”

Tachibana-san jots down the story outline.

“Fine, we’ll go with a narrative trick. But leave the character names and small details to me.”

“Sure.”

So the script’s direction was settled.

The problem came after.

“President, since we’re here, let’s do this.”

Tachibana-san showed me, of course, the love notebook again.

“I want to try more stuff.”

“No way.”

“President, you’re such a buzzkill.”

“I’m a guy who says no to bad ideas.”

“Fine. I won’t ask you anymore.”

As usual, Tachibana-san starts packing to leave the clubroom.

Normally, I’d stop her, and the game would begin, but I don’t, so she turns at the door and glares at me sharply.

“President, you really won’t do it?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“Is it because I have a fiancé? Who decided that’s a problem?”

“I’m not falling for that.”

Tachibana-san’s not a naive love kid anymore. She understands things.

“……Because my fiancé is your precious senpai?”

“Exactly.”

For a moment, we lock eyes in silence.

We’ve been pretending to be oblivious, enjoying our ambiguous relationship. But we can’t ignore it anymore. Like students going home at dusk, the time for shady play is over.

Tachibana-san can’t betray her mother.

I can’t betray Yanagi-senpai.

That leaves one conclusion.

“I feel bad for Yanagi-kun, too. I’ve thought about how nice it’d be to love him, to let him touch me.”

But, Tachibana-san continues.

“I can only let you touch me, and only you make my heart race. I’d accepted that as the inevitable, but you’re different.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine…… but you liked me when we were kids, right?”

“First loves always end.”

“Right. You won’t sacrifice everything to choose me.”

“Well, I don’t even like you,” Tachibana-san says.

“I was just curious about what love’s like.”

“I’m leaving.” she says, heading out.

But she turns back with a refreshing smile.

“It’s okay. Our childhood promise, the memories we made together—I’ll pretend they never happened.”

“Goodbye, senpai-obsessed Kirishima-kun.”

 

♥♥♥

 

First love’s template includes not coming true. So—

“Maybe that’s how it should be.”

Maki says. Both of us are long bathers.

“But what about Hayasaka?”

“She still hasn’t given up on senpai……”

I’ll keep trying, she said.

“……But, I think it’s impossible.”

Hayasaka-san isn’t the type to steal a guy with a fiancée.

“Yeah, she’s not the homewrecker type.”

So, naturally, it’ll end up with me and Hayasaka-san together.

“Feels kinda like everything’s falling into place as planned.”

“That’s the point. I planned it to turn out this way.”

“Things settle where they belong, huh?”

“The process matters.”

Even if we end up as number twos, we need to do everything we can for our number ones, leave no regrets, and find closure or acceptance.

For me, for Hayasaka-san, and surely for Tachibana-san, too.

“This camp is a rite of passage for that.”

“Experiencing something changes people. An initiation.”

By the end of the camp, the pairings of me and Hayasaka-san, senpai and Tachibana-san, should be neatly set.

But Maki says, “Will it really go that smoothly?”

“People’s emotions aren’t puzzle pieces. They don’t always fit perfectly.”

 

♥♥♥

 

“Alright, let’s do this!”

Maki gives the cue while operating a camcorder.

The morning after arriving in Hakone, we began filming the short film, our main objective.

“No doubt about it, he’s one hundred percent dead.”

Tachibana-san, wearing rubber gloves, says while checking my neck.

I’m playing a corpse in the bathhouse.

“But is he really dead? Ei, ei!”

Tachibana-san plays a dangerous character. She seems to be enjoying herself, but I can’t help feeling her punches carry some personal resentment.

Then I’m doused with scalding water, a setup to obscure the time of death. But since it’s just filming, couldn’t we use cold water?

“Hot? Well, it wouldn’t be, would it? You’re dead, after all. Ufufufu!”

For the finale, I’m stuffed into an industrial rice sack and rolled down the slope behind the inn.

“Cut!!”

Maki’s voice echoes, ending the first scene’s shoot.

“You okay?”

During a break, Hayasaka-san rushes over.

In the inn’s backyard, I’m sitting on a folding chair, checking where I got banged up rolling down the slope. It stings a bit, but no bruises.

“That scene was the narrative trick?”

“Yeah. Starting with that scene, viewers naturally assume Tachibana-san killed me, right?”

But the real culprit is someone else, and Tachibana-san’s just disposing of the body. From there, she commits more murders to protect the true culprit, Yanagi-senpai.

“It’s amazing Tachibana-san can write scripts. Her naming sense is a bit weird, though.”

“My character’s called Kiriyama Kirinji probably because I like the band Kirinji.”

“Then Yanagi-kun’s Ishikura Morishi?”

“Probably the nickname of senpai’s favorite soccer player. He’s retired, but there was a Japan national team player called Morishi.”

Sakai’s Wakui Shiabutter, and Yamanaka-kun’s Tezukayama Beret-bou.

“What’s my Muneko? I don’t have a clue.”

“Come to think of it, Tachibana-san called you the big-chested girl.”

“Just Muneko for me? That’s kinda unfair!”

Hayasaka-san fake-pouts but quickly calms down.

Her gaze lands on Yanagi-senpai, a little ways off with Tachibana-san.

Tachibana-san struggles to open a water bottle, and senpai opens it for her.

They look really good together.

“You love Yanagi-senpai?”

When I ask, Hayasaka-san nods firmly.

“He’s just like I imagined. So kind, so thoughtful. But Tachibana-san’s the one by his side.”

Tachibana-san’s unfair, Hayasaka-san says.

“She’s loved by both senpai and you, Kirishima-kun. She feels like a born number-one girl.”

“There are lots of people who’d choose you as their number one.”

“Maybe, but next to Tachibana-san, I just can’t compare. She’s special. Hey, do you know Tachibana-san’s birthday?”

“January first.”

“Right, she was born at the start of the year. No one can catch up to her. No one can beat her.”

“But I’ll try,” Hayasaka-san says, clenching her fist in front of her face.

“I’ll make senpai turn to me somehow.”

Until recently, her two loves were tangled, throwing her into a panic. Now, learning Tachibana-san’s fiancé is Yanagi-senpai seems to have shocked her into recovering a bit. But.

“Don’t push yourself. You’re not…… that type, naturally.”

“Don’t worry. Normally, I couldn’t do it. But this time’s different.”

“Why?”

“I’m a little annoyed at Tachibana-san.”

Strong words, rare for Hayasaka-san.

“She’s got no intention of leaving senpai, but she was leading you on, Kirishima-kun.”

It felt like her boyfriend was being undervalued, and she didn’t like it.

“So this time, I’m not holding back. Just a bit of rivalry. Haha, I sound like a mean girl. But it’s fine, I can do it. If senpai leaves Tachibana-san, it’ll be better for you, too, Kirishima-kun. Leave it to me.”

Hayasaka-san’s current feelings seem to revolve around me and Tachibana-san.

I’m a bit worried she’s losing sight of her true feelings.

“Oh, Tachibana-san’s flirting with senpai.”

Looking over, Tachibana-san’s wiping sweat from Yanagi-senpai’s forehead with a towel.

Hayasaka-san watches for a while, then turns to me.

“Hey, Kirishima-kun, let’s kiss.”

“Huh?”

“I want to kiss you right here, right now, where no one will notice.”

That’s a bad idea, I think, but Hayasaka-san’s expression is somehow sultry, and I instinctively know I can’t escape.

“They’re acting like that, so let’s kiss, too.”

Hayasaka-san’s eyes are intense.

Afraid someone might overhear our argument, I quickly kiss her.

“Doing naughty things is fun, huh?”

Hayasaka-san’s expression is strikingly alluring. She’s heading in a bad direction.

But she quickly reverts to her childish face and says brightly.

“I’ll do it. As your number-two girlfriend, I’ll see it through properly.”

 

♥♥♥

 

Filming wrapped up before sunset.

By evening, rough editing was done, and we held a screening for the short film. Maki, true to his student council president reputation, works fast.

It’s projected onto a banquet screen in the large room.

Since then, we shot tons of scenes, and Hayasaka-san tried to get closer to Yanagi-senpai.

I’ll keep trying.

She said that, but she’s clumsy and shy, and couldn’t do much.

Sorry, sorry. she apologized to me.

Now, in the large tatami room, Hayasaka-san’s settled next to me. Senpai’s sitting in front, with Tachibana-san beside him, sitting cross-legged.

“Alright, let’s start!”

Maki says, dimming the room.

Yamanaka-kun operates the laptop, and the short film begins.

Right after the title Roundhouse Kick Detective Q’s Hot Spring Mystery, “Director: Maki Shouta” appears in big letters, sparking laughter.

I don’t watch the screen, just stare at Tachibana-san sitting ahead. Her hair’s up, revealing her pale nape.

“Using the inn as a setting makes it decent for promotion.”

“Yeah.”

Yanagi-senpai and Tachibana-san whisper to each other.

The fifteen-minute film quickly hits its climax. During filming, everyone was captivated by Tachibana-san’s acting in the final scene.

Tachibana-san was shielding the true culprit, Yanagi-senpai. After being exposed by detective Maki, she confesses her love to Yanagi-senpai before turning herself in.

Her acting was so real, everyone felt like Tachibana-san was genuinely confessing to Yanagi-senpai. Even senpai looked moved.

I want to watch that final scene closely on this screen.

Just before it starts—

Hayasaka-san grabs my hand.

I’m here for you.

That’s what it feels like she’s saying.

Taking advantage of the dark room, I squeeze her hand back.

On the screen, Tachibana-san’s face is wistful. Her thin lips move.

“I love Ishikura Morishi. No matter what, I’ll always love you.”

Ishikura Morishi, played by senpai, hears this and tears up, saying, “Thank you.”

Their expressions and lines transcend acting.

It looks like Tachibana-san’s confessing for real, and senpai’s responding.

When the film ends, it leaves the lingering feeling of a romance movie.

That’s Tachibana-san’s answer, huh.

I receive her message from the screen and tuck it deep in my heart.

 

♥♥♥

 

Even with fireworks, people have different tastes.

Hayasaka-san likes colorful ones, Tachibana-san prefers simple ones.

At night, we’re doing fireworks in the inn’s courtyard.

Miki-sensei prepared them to complete our summer memories.

Everyone holds their handheld fireworks, watching the sparks.

The pairings form naturally.

Tachibana-san and Yanagi-senpai, Sakai and Yamanaka-kun, Miki-sensei and Maki, and Hayasaka-san and me.

“It’s great we finished it.”

Hayasaka-san says.

“Roundhouse Kick Detective Q’s Hot Spring Mystery.”

“Oh yeah, that was the title.”

“Tachibana-san’s ‘I love you’ scene stole the show, though.”

Tachibana-san, a bit away, is crouching with senpai, doing sparkler fireworks. They’re playing a game passing the fire ball, looking like a couple.

“Feels like there’s no room to cut in.”

Hayasaka-san says.

“At first, I thought Tachibana-san was trying to make you jealous, Kirishima-kun, acting like that. But during this camp, she hasn’t even made eye contact with you.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s like she’s lost interest in you.”

“Yeah.”

Then it happens.

I overhear Tachibana-san and senpai talking.

“The trash bag’s over here.”

Tachibana-san says, tugging the hem of senpai’s shirt.

She’s not touching his skin.

But for Tachibana-san, that’s huge progress. Senpai gets it, looking surprised yet touched.

“Hikari-chan, wanna take a walk after this? There’s a promenade.”

“Sure.”

They’re getting closer and closer.

I can’t watch anymore and shift my gaze to my own firework.

“Why is it?”

Hayasaka-san, beside me, says.

“Why doesn’t Tachibana-san choose you, Kirishima-kun? Why does she make you suffer right in front of you? Why…… huh?”

Tears spill from Hayasaka-san’s eyes. She’s surprised at herself.

“That’s weird. Am I sad because Tachibana-san isn’t making you happy? Because only she can make you happy? Even though she’s by senpai’s side, you’re still looking at her, and that’s sad…… I don’t know anymore.”

After wiping her tears, Hayasaka-san looks utterly exhausted.

Her hollow eyes can’t even muster a facade.

“But I’ll keep trying. I’ll do it right. Watch me, I’ll try.”

Hayasaka-san repeats it like a mantra.

“I want to be a good girlfriend for you, Kirishima-kun. A good number-two girlfriend. I want to help you, be useful to you, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kirishima-kun.”

“Hey, Hayasaka-san.”

I interrupt her.

“The firework’s out.”

“……Oh, you’re right.”

Light returns to Hayasaka-san’s eyes.

I take the spent firework, light a new one, and hand it to her.

In the dark night, colorful sparks shine. Intense yet somehow poignant, their light feels like our fleeting emotions.

I love Tachibana-san.

I love Hayasaka-san.

I love Yanagi-senpai, too.

I don’t want a love bound by society’s norms.

I don’t want a love that society would condemn.

The emotions surging one after another are all real, yet deeply contradictory.

Not all of them can come true. Yet these inexplicable feelings persist.

But that’s love, that’s being human, I think to myself.

Emotions crackle and pop, changing colors and shapes, burning vividly in each moment. That’s why people in love act inconsistently, lose coherence, and somehow make it work despite the contradictions, leaving them utterly confused.

There’s probably no such thing as a perfectly logical love in this world.

We’re swept along by the raw emotions of each day, hesitating, agonizing, sometimes forgetting our true feelings, or failing to notice how our feelings have changed, leaving us behind.

Hayasaka-san’s like that, too. That’s why she’s so confused.

“Hayasaka-san, I’m sorry. I need to apologize.”

“Why?”

“You weren’t a girl meant to be a number-two lover.”

You were a girl who deserved a pure, honest love.

But I put you through this, made you unstable.

“That’s not true.”

Hayasaka-san shakes her head.

“I’m not a good girl. When you suggested we date as number twos, I was happy because I didn’t want that pure stuff. I’m a bad girl.”

“Even so, you’re really confused right now. I think you know it.”

“Yeah,” Hayasaka-san says, looking down listlessly.

“What should I do?”

“You need to sort out your feelings.”

“Have you sorted yours, Kirishima-kun?”

“……I’ve given up on Tachibana-san.”

The moment I say it, Hayasaka-san looks surprised, then slightly happy, then confused.

“Huh? Am I allowed to be happy? It feels wrong, but I’m kinda glad……”

Her eyes go hollow again.

“Sorry. I’m a mess. I’m heading back to the room.”

She returns to the inn.

I do sparklers alone for a while.

Eventually, we run out of fireworks and start cleaning up.

“Kirishima, I’ll help.”

Senpai comes over with a bucket, his lips relaxed.

“Something good happen?”

I ask, and he scratches his nose shyly.

“I feel like I got a tiny bit closer to Hikari-chan.”

“That’s great.”

“What about you and Hayasaka-chan? You two seemed pretty close.”

As senpai asks, my phone vibrates.

I glance at the screen.

Come to my room.

It’s a message from Hayasaka-san.

Facing senpai but conscious of Tachibana-san nearby, I say.

“Things are going well with Hayasaka-san. I’m planning to have an important talk tonight.”

My voice is loud. But Tachibana-san, with a composed face, focuses on cleaning up.

Even though I said I gave up on Tachibana-san, I’m still hoping for some reaction. That alone shows I’m still harboring contradictory feelings. That’s the power of love.

But I want to settle things where they belong.

 

♥♥♥

 

Since it’s the off-season with no other guests, the inn gave us one room per pair.

The room assignments are me and senpai, Maki and Yamanaka-kun, Hayasaka-san and Tachibana-san, Sakai and Miki-sensei.

So, the room Hayasaka-san called me to is shared with Tachibana-san.

But Tachibana-san’s out walking with senpai, so she’s not here.

“Hayasaka-san.”

“……Come in.”

Hayasaka-san, in a yukata, is sitting alone on a cushion.

“I’ll make tea.”

Hayasaka-san pours hot water from a thermos to make green tea.

I sit across from her, silently sipping the tea.

“This is kinda calming.”

Hayasaka-san says.

“Let’s continue our earlier talk.”

“Yeah.”

I nod and say what I meant to earlier.

“I’ve given up on Tachibana-san. So.”

Let’s be official lovers.

That’s where things should settle. Tachibana-san and senpai, me and Hayasaka-san. That’s the pairing.

But just before I say it, Hayasaka-san cuts me off.

“—No way.”

Her tone is gentle but carries strong resolve.

“That’s just kindness.”

“But it’s true that I love you, Hayasaka-san.”

“I know. But no. That kind of love won’t do.”

She thought about it while in the room, she says.

“The usual Kirishima-kun wouldn’t give up yet. Senpai and Tachibana-san are only engaged, they haven’t even held hands.”

Hayasaka-san’s right. Rationally, it’s not time to give up.

Giving up now would be dramatic but self-indulgent. Holding out and waiting for the next chance is far more honest to love.

Getting reckless in tough times isn’t good.

Happiness should lie beyond patience and calm.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?”

Hayasaka-san says.

“Because I’m like this, you’re trying to give up on Tachibana-san.”

Yes. Watching Hayasaka-san break down, I can’t stand it anymore.

“But it’s your fault, Kirishima-kun.”

“My fault?”

“My heart’s breaking because of you. But not because we’re number twos. That’s not it.”

“Then what’s wrong with me?”

“We’re supposed to be together if our number-one loves don’t work out, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But if your love with Tachibana-san doesn’t work out, it feels like you’ll just disappear somewhere.”

That’s what made her anxious, she says.

“Even if we became official lovers, it feels like you’d keep thinking of Tachibana-san in your heart.”

“You felt that way, huh?”

“……Yeah.”

I don’t know how I’ll feel about Tachibana-san after giving her up.

Dealing with a finished love is another tough question.

“I feel like I’ll end up alone. You, senpai, everyone’s being taken by Tachibana-san.”

“I love you, Hayasaka-san.”

“Then make me believe it.”

Hayasaka-san stands up.

She moves to the futon laid out on the tatami and sits again.

“Make me believe that if my number-one love fails, you’ll come to me. Make me feel safe that if my love fails, you’ll be my insurance. Then I can keep going. I can chase my number-one person properly.”

She spreads her arms, beckoning me over.

Her expression is so lonely that I go to the futon and hug her.

Since Hayasaka-san’s used to being held, I thought it would calm her emotions.

But.

Clinging to me, Hayasaka-san pulls herself back.

It ends up looking like I’m pinning her down.

“Hayasaka-san?”

“Hey, Kirishima-kun, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Proper boyfriend and girlfriend, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s do what everyone else does.”

That’s probably beyond just kissing.

“……I want to be a proper girlfriend.”

Her yukata’s chest is open, but she doesn’t bother fixing it.

“I can lose my rationality sometimes, too.”

“I want you to. Show me you’re serious about loving me.”

I swallow hard.

Number two is precious, but there’s a number one above it. That’s why we set the rule to stop at kissing.

But now I think maybe not going further made Hayasaka-san anxious. Facing a girl seriously might mean this, and maybe I was avoiding it.

“Is it okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Doing this might change something permanently.”

“Yeah. I’m an idiot, so you might become my number one.”

Hayasaka-san says with a troubled smile.

Indeed, crossing that line could shuffle the order of our loves.

It could happen to me, too. Thinking back, maybe I unconsciously avoided this because I was afraid of Tachibana-san not being my number one.

“If that happens, can I lean on your kindness?”

“Sure.”

“If I become your number-one girlfriend, I might be pretty clingy.”

“That’s fine.”

“……Kirishima-kun.”

She closes her eyes and tilts her chin up.

I lean toward her, about to kiss her, ready to pour all my pent-up feelings into her. I feel her warmth, her heartbeat, her softness.

That’s when it happens.

The room’s door suddenly slides open.

We freeze and look over. I try to explain, but Tachibana-san speaks first.

“What are you doing?”

She says with a slightly troubled expression.

“That’s my futon.”

 

♥♥♥

 

Hayasaka-san and I are sitting formally on the futon.

A bit away, Tachibana-san sits casually with her legs relaxed.

It’s awkward.

Tachibana-san came back at the worst time, and now we’re in this situation.

“Didn’t you say you were going for a walk with senpai?”

“Someone was saying something loud enough for me to hear.”

Tachibana-san says with a straight face.

“More importantly, are you and Hayasaka-san in that kind of relationship?”

“No way.”

Hayasaka-san answers instantly.

“Hmm.”

“……I mean, I have someone else I love.”

“Then shouldn’t you avoid doing stuff like that? You were about to kiss, right?”

At Tachibana-san’s words, Hayasaka-san falls silent.

After a pause, she answers, “Practice.”

“I’m practicing with Kirishima-kun.”

“Sounds like you do it all the time.”

“Yeah, we do. It’s practice. Over and over, always.”

Her provocative words make Tachibana-san go quiet.

“Unbelievable.” she says, clearly annoyed.

In this room, a sharp, unique tension is forming, unlike our usual dynamic.

Hayasaka-san’s excuse of being my practice boyfriend isn’t bad. It feels like she’s protecting my number-one love, softening the blow of being caught kissing.

But she’s clearly directing piercing emotions at Tachibana-san.

Tachibana-san isn’t her usual calm self, either.

“Well, I don’t care who the president kisses.”

“Right. You’ve got Yanagi-senpai, after all.”

Behind their words, their locked gazes clash with raw emotion.

“Still, Hayasaka-san, kissing for practice, huh?”

“Yup.”

“I wouldn’t kiss for practice.”

“You’re kinda childish, Tachibana-san.”

Hayasaka-san’s more belligerent than usual. Maybe feeling like Tachibana-san’s taking both senpai and me is making her aggressive.

But Tachibana-san doesn’t stay quiet.

“Then show me.”

She says abruptly.

“Huh?”

“Show me you kissing the president. You can do it, right?”

Even Hayasaka-san falters at this.

I don’t want to show anyone us kissing, so I’m thrown off, too.

“Tachibana-san, you’re okay watching us kiss?”

Hayasaka-san asks, flustered.

“I’m fine. Like you said, I have a fiancé. It’s like studying.”

And, Tachibana-san continues.

“My ‘love’ is just one. Not two or three. So watching others kiss doesn’t stir anything in me. I don’t do frivolous love.”

A slightly sarcastic line.

Hayasaka-san’s expression doesn’t change, but she seems ticked off.

“Kirishima-kun, let’s do it.”

She says, kneeling and leaning close to my face.

“Hold on, Hayasaka-san.”

“Tachibana-san wants to see, so let’s show her.”

“No, that’s a bit—”

I glance at Tachibana-san. Her expression is colder than usual.

“President, show me. You do it all the time, right?”

She says.

There’s no room for a guy to butt into this clash of two girls’ emotions.

Before I can say more, Hayasaka-san grabs my collar with both hands.

No escaping now.

“Tachibana-san, watch closely.”

Hayasaka-san presses her lips to mine.

At first, it’s a restrained kiss, aware of being watched. But when she glances at Tachibana-san and sees no change in her expression, she presses her lips harder, shifting angles.

It’s not a kiss for someone watching—it’s a kiss to show off.

No, that’s not it either.

It’s a kiss to flaunt at Tachibana-san.

I respond. I pull Hayasaka-san close, slipping my tongue into her mouth. She seems surprised but soon reciprocates.

“Kirishima-kun, give me your saliva.”

Hayasaka-san’s completely switched on, her expression ecstatic.

I glance at Tachibana-san.

I wanted her to be jealous.

I’m thinking that while kissing Hayasaka-san.

Tachibana-san’s face remains cold. But.

“Show me more.”

Her eyes say that. And I realize.

Tachibana-san wants to be jealous. Like I was, watching SNS—

This kiss embodies the emotions of all three of us here.

I want Tachibana-san to feel what I did. To be jealous like I was, to want to steal me like I wanted to steal from her boyfriend.

In this moment, Hayasaka-san isn’t number two. As my girlfriend, she’s showing off to Tachibana-san, claiming me, venting her pent-up frustrations. Maybe even getting back at Tachibana-san for having her number-one, senpai, as her fiancé.

Tachibana-san asked to see the kiss to test her own emotions. It’s twisted. She’s watching us calmly, but she’s twirling her hair—a rare habit when she’s unsettled.

We spend this storm of emotions in a feverish haze.

The first to snap out of it is Hayasaka-san.

“……I’m such an idiot.”

Embarrassed about kissing in front of someone, or hating herself for targeting Tachibana-san.

Hayasaka-san blushes, fixing her disheveled yukata.

“I’m going to cool off.”

As she leaves, she speaks to Tachibana-san.

“……This was all my asking. Kirishima-kun’s just going along with my practice. I’m the one pushing him, so he’s not at fault.”

Tachibana-san says nothing.

Hayasaka-san looks down, unable to lift her face.

“……You shouldn’t practice this, Tachibana-san. This is what bad girls do.”

She hurries out of the room.

Tachibana-san and I are left alone.

As if nothing happened, Tachibana-san starts making tea with the teapot.

“Want some, President?”

“Uh, yeah.”

It’s so normal, it feels like the earlier moment was a lie.

Maybe it was a midsummer night’s dream.

Without much more talk, I finish my tea and head back to my room.

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

Maybe it’ll all be like it never happened. That’s what I thought.

I wanted it to be a mistake, just for tonight.

But as I stand, Tachibana-san grabs me.

I lose balance, falling backward. She falls with me, straddling me, grabbing my collar with both hands.

“I’m so pissed off.”

Tachibana-san says, dead serious.

Rare raw emotion—she’s furious.

Then she kisses me. It’s forceful, my teeth cut the inside of my lip, and I pull back.

The taste of blood spreads in my mouth.

“Sorry. I don’t know how to hold back. It’s my first time, so I have no practice.”

She presses her lips to mine again. Over and over.

The kiss comes with pain.

After a flurry of rough kisses, Tachibana-san sits up.

“It seems like I’m a bad girl.”

She looks satisfied.

“Tachibana-san, this isn’t right. Yanagi-senpai—”

“Enough.”

Tachibana-san cuts me off.

“If you really cared about Yanagi-kun, if you wanted to keep me away, you wouldn’t have made that film.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. You noticed.”

Her commanding tone silences me.

Tachibana-san stares into my eyes, saying nothing.

The clock ticks.

In this frozen moment, I give in.

“……You used an anagram trick.”

Tachibana-san laughs like a kid caught pranking. “See, you got it.”

Yes, that short film has another message.

A confession from Tachibana-san to me.

Not to senpai.

 

♥♥♥

 

The character names in Tachibana-san’s script are all a bit odd.

Kiriyama Kirinji, Wakui Shiabutter, Tezukayama Beret-bou.

Hide a leaf in a forest.

Only one name had real intent.

Ishikura Morishi.

Rearrange the letters—

Kirishima Shirou.

In the film, Tachibana-san confesses to Ishikura Morishi, played by senpai.

“I love Ishikura Morishi. No matter what, I’ll always love you.”

It was so earnest, everyone thought it was Tachibana-san’s real feelings for Yanagi-senpai. But I heard it differently.

I love Kirishima Shirou. No matter what, I’ll always love you.

While acting like she was confessing to senpai, she was confessing to me.

Tachibana-san might be a love genius.

 

♥♥♥

 

Tachibana-san’s still straddling me, her expression somehow amused.

“Shirou-kun, you really love me, don’t you?”

She’s read all my emotions.

“I love you to death, Shirou-kun. You know that, right? No matter how cold I was, how close I got to Yanagi-kun, you were confident. You never doubted me, did you?”

Tachibana-san runs her hands over my body.

“You shouldn’t do this with a fiancé.”

“Still trying to be the good kouhai, huh?”

“But it’s too late,” Tachibana-san says.

“If you really cared about Yanagi-kun, if you wanted to reject my feelings, you shouldn’t have made that film. At least you should’ve changed the character names. You didn’t because deep down, you wanted me. You wanted me to keep loving you. Right? Were you happy watching that scene? Did it feel good knowing you’re loved more than senpai?”

It felt incredible.

Man, Tachibana-san’s trouble. She peels away all my pretenses, exposing the selfish desires I hide. And she accepts that weak me as is.

In that moment, I was overwhelmed by her extraordinary affection, so much that everyone else felt irrelevant.

“Sorry for being rough earlier.”

Tachibana-san traces my lips with her finger.

“I was pissed, so I did it on purpose.”

“I figured.”

“Can I do it again?”

Before I answer, she kisses me.

This time, it’s a gentle kiss. Starting with a featherlight touch, our lips meet, and her tongue slowly enters.

My mind goes numb.

She carefully licks the cut where my teeth grazed.

“Tastes like blood.”

“Not very wholesome.”

“How many times did you kiss Hayasaka-san?”

“Too many to count.”

“That pisses me off.”

We kiss again and again.

It leaves us breathless.

When we part, Tachibana-san looks somehow satisfied.

“Hey, Shirou-kun, do you love Hayasaka-san?”

For some reason, she’s facing the door to the hallway, her gaze seeming to extend beyond it. I can’t say anything.

“Whatever,” Tachibana-san says, turning back to me.

“It’s fine. I’ll make it how you want.”

Tachibana-san says.

“I’ll stay Yanagi-kun’s fiancée.”

—You don’t want to betray your beloved senpai or take responsibility for wrecking my family, right?

“You can stay as you are with Hayasaka-san.”

—Otherwise, she’ll break, and you don’t want to be the guy who hurts a girl, right?

“You want to stay close to your beloved senpai, be kind to the girl who loves you, and still have your first love. Right? No need to hide it.”

My selfish, unspeakable desires.

“I’ll make it all come true. Keep looking good for senpai, flirt with Hayasaka-san. I’ll still be your girl. I’ll keep it a secret.”

That’s why—

“Let’s do lots of bad things in secret.”

And with a refreshing smile, Tachibana-san holds up two fingers.

“I’m fine being your number-two girlfriend.”

To be continued