My Childhood Friend And The Family Restaurant

According to my childhood friend, “coming full circle, eating hamburg steak is the more grown-up thing to do,” apparently.

When I asked, “Is that because you’re on your second playthrough of life, Ayu?” it turned out that wasn’t what she meant. Everyone, apparently, hits a phase where hamburg steak starts to feel like kids’ food and they quit eating it, or something to that effect.

Well, in Ayu’s case, rather than declaring, ‘I’m an adult, so I’ll take the steak over the hamburg steak!’, I get the feeling she’s the type to blurt out, in complete earnest, ‘I’m a kid right now, so let’s eat a whole ton!’

And as for what this childhood friend of mine, Sakura Ayuri, is up to these days…

“It’s almost winter now, isn’t it~♪”
“You mean winter break?”
“Won’t you try falling in love~”
“Because Christmas is coming up…?”

It was December, and going by the thermometer, winter had settled in ages ago. Out in the world, Christmas and the New Year holidays were looming right around the corner, and it was the kind of season that leaves a student itching for the long winter break.

Finals were done, school had let out at noon, and the whole group was heading home together.

“Man, I can’t wait for Christmas~ What should we do this year?”
“I mean… it’ll just end up being the usual — everybody gets together, eats something seasonal, snaps some photos, and that’s a wrap… oh, plus a gift exchange this time, I guess.”
“You’ve got zero sense of the moment, Gin.”
“Oh, hush.”

Getting all worked up over Christmas… we’re not little kids anymore. Though if I said that out loud, this one would just go, “A first-year in high school is still totally a kid!” or something.

“You’re in high spirits, Ayuri.”
“’Cause finals are over~”
“I mean, aren’t you all way too chill? We’ve got winter break and Christmas and New Year’s and New Year’s money coming up, you know?”
“Don’t go reducing the New Year to nothing but the cash handout.”

There’s plenty more to it than that. Osechi, the first shrine visit of the year, the rounds of greeting relatives… and honestly, now that I lay it all out, apart from the New Year’s money the New Year is a pretty tiresome pile of events.

“Well, first things first, it’s all about Christmas, Christmas. You guys really don’t have plans? If you did, it’d break big sis’s heart, but I’d choke back my tears and see you off, you know?”
“Who’re you calling ‘big sis’…? Not that I have any.”
“Nope, none here~”
“I don’t either…”

“…I know it’s rich coming from me, but we’re high-school girls in the bloom of youth, you know? You’re all cute, and yet not one of you’s got a boyfriend — what’s up with that?”
“Oi, says the man-hater.”
“That’s nothing but a rumor about me—! I like plenty of the stuff boys like—!”
“Isn’t that a completely separate matter…?”

Which just means she’s got the mentality of a boy; it doesn’t disprove the man-hating in the slightest. Well, whatever the truth is, if she’s got no intention of finding a partner, the outcome’s the same either way.

“Still… the whole world’s gone full-on Christmas, huh. Look — even for a fairly rural station, there are illuminations strung up in the street trees.”
“…So does that mean this place isn’t the sticks? What’s your read, Sumire?”
“Uh… well… moderately, a little bit country… maybe?”
“If that’s the verdict from Sumire, who moved here from somewhere else, then it really is a borderline case, huh~”

Dodging the question that blatantly, honestly. …Well, never mind.

Apparently the definition of “rural” is the kind of thing that sparks flame wars online. Our hometown isn’t a proper city, at least. But call it “the boonies” and it’s not rural enough to earn the label either. A borderline sort of place, is how I’ve always figured it.

Well, dinky or not, the illuminations are a pretty sight, and getting to see something pretty on the regular can’t be a bad deal. Assuming anyone actually bothers to look, that is.

“It must be pretty, huh~”
“Probably.”
“…This is your hometown from way back, and none of you have even seen it?”
“We just don’t come around the station at the hour they light it up. Though these days, after my shift, I could catch it with a little detour.”
“I pass by it now and then, but only from a distance~”

I’d always known the area around the station got dressed up with illuminations this time of year. But since the real thing was only a short car or train ride away, I’d never paid these much mind.

“Well, we’ll get a chance to see it sometime. C’mon, let’s go eat already!”
“Seconded~”
“Sounds good.”

Trailing along in a straggling line, we cut through the station concourse toward the exit on the far side. Today’s outing was a celebratory lunch to mark the end of finals.

◆◆◆

“When you think family restaurant, what comes to mind? That’s right — the drink bar.”
“Riiight.”

Once we’d headed in and taken the seats the waiter showed us to, Ayu settled in directly across from me, took a menu from Hina, and led with exactly that.

Seating-wise, from the aisle in it went Ayu, then Hina; across from them, me, then Sumire.

“Hmm… but the main dish is a tough call… Hina, you go first.”
“Thanks~”
“I’ll… well, mull it over a bit too. Sumire, you want to look first?”
“Sure, thanks.”

Up until a few months ago, Ayu and I were both living on an allowance, but ever since our part-time jobs gave us a source of income, the old reluctance to part with our precious pocket money has faded. Maybe that’s why, now that there’s a little breathing room, choices like this have paradoxically gotten harder to make.

I’ve got a bit to spare; maybe I’ll treat myself?

…or,

It’s money I earned with my own hands, so this is exactly where I should economize.

…that kind of thing.

Well, I suppose this is what they mean by growing up one step at a time, proof I’ve learned a little about the world and grown up some.

“I think I’ll go with pizza~… Ayu, want to split one too?”
“Really?! Yeah, yeah, I’m in!”
“Then I’ll go ahead and put it in on the tablet~”
“I’ve… decided too. Go ahead, Ginko… Hina, could you pass me the tablet as well?”
“Thanks.”
“Sure thing~”

Right. With two of them settled, I’d better hurry and decide too. Then again, Ayu’s usually the one who agonizes longest, so there’s no real rush.

A glance across the table found Ayu locked in a staring contest with her own menu. As for me… I’d waffled, sure, but I’d landed on the thing I’d already half made up my mind about the second “family restaurant” came up.

“Guess I’ll go with the hamburg steak, then.”
“Hamburg steak! …huh?”
“You two matched~”

Well, this was a surprise. Ayu, making up her mind that fast… In that case…

“Then I’ll go with curry.”
“Why?!”

Honestly, the reason I’d gone for the hamburg steak was simple: I’d figured it would be somewhere in the pile of options Ayu was agonizing over. If I ordered it first and offered to share a bite, she wouldn’t have to agonize at all. So now that she’s ordering it herself, I’m free to get something else.

“Would matching really be so bad, though, Ginko?”
“It’s not like I especially wanted the hamburg steak or anything… if anything, matching with Ayu is what kind of bugs me, maybe.”
“Why…?”
“Just ’cause, just ‘cause… look, if everyone’s decided, hurry up and order.”

To dodge having to give a reason, I punched the beef curry into the order list and shoved the tablet at Ayu.

Ayu punched in her own order, looking baffled. Sumire and Hina, sitting beside her, had probably figured me out, though; both of them were smirking a little.

◆◆◆

“Here you are — the hamburg steak and the fries.”
“Huh~? Did somebody order fries~?”
“Oh, that’s me~… thank you very much!”
“You ordered them, Ayuri?”
“Yup — it’s a treat from Ayuri, to celebrate the end of finals!”
“Getting treated by the one who ought to be hitting the books hardest, though…”
“Gin?”
“Yes, yes — thank you kindly.”
“Mm-hm!”

Good grief, what a self-satisfied little thing she is. Well, letting someone who wants to treat you go ahead and do it, within reason, is its own kind of graciousness, I suppose. Not that I’d know.

“Time to dig in!”
“Well then, let’s start right off… Ayu? Say aaah~”
“Eh?! …a-aaah.”
“You’ve gotten better at going along with it too, Ayuri.”
“From where I stand it’s more like ‘about time,’ though.”
“Hmph-hmph! I’m a modern-day JK too, y’know!”
“If you’re gonna cover your mouth anyway, then don’t talk while you chew.”
“One more time… no wait, want to go for one more slice~?”
“I-I’m good.”

Ayu took the rest of the first pizza and polished it off herself. Robbed of her turn, Hina looked put out. But…

“Here, Hina… c’mon, say aaah.”
“!!!…aaah~”

The instant Ayu cut a neat square from her own hamburg steak, speared it on the fork, and held it out, Hina’s eyes went wide, and with a beaming grin she took it into her mouth and chewed.

It might have been the biggest smile I’d gotten out of her in a while. And for some reason, Sumire, beside me, was applauding at the sight. No, really, what is up with that one?

“Ayu, Ayu, one more time… can I?”
“Sure~ here, say aaah.”
“Aaah! …mmmm~!!”

And just what, exactly, am I being made to sit through here?

“One more! One more!!”
“Um, my hamburg steak’s gonna run out…”
“Mgh~! Then let’s just order another plate~!”
“Even you can’t eat that much, Hina — cut it out.”
“Grrrgh~!”
“Hey, glaring at me isn’t gonna help. Just eat your own pizza.”

Honestly, what are they doing, in public no less; close friends or not, kicking up a fuss this big is a little…

“Then let’s share some with Gin too, for giving up her hamburg steak.”

…Huh?

“Just hang on a sec~”
“Wh— hey— wait— I don’t really need—!”

Just as she’d done for Hina a moment ago, Ayu cut a piece of hamburg steak down to a quarter of its size. Then she speared it on the fork…

“Okay, here it comes~”
“Wait, you’re actually doing this…?! …!”

The speared piece of hamburg steak started toward my mouth… only it never arrived. Instead, with a little plop, it was deposited onto my plate of curry. …Huh?

“…”
“A little bit of hamburg curry! Heh, gotcha.”
“Wowww…”
“Ayuri… that was uncalled for.”
“Huh, why?! Everyone always says hamburg plus curry is the ultimate combo!”
“No, that’s not the part we mean…”
“…Ayu.”
“Oh, what’s up, Gin? Choking up over my thoughtfulness, are we?”
“Foisting your food off on me the second you can’t finish it — that’s banned, effective now.”
“Why?!”

It’s not as if I wanted the “aaah” treatment the way Hina got it; that much is honestly true. But having thought, even for a second, that that was what was coming, having braced myself for it only for nothing to come of it… that’s the part that gets to me. At Ayu, and at myself both, for jumping to conclusions.

◆◆◆

“Ahh, stuffed, stuffed—”
“Don’t talk like some middle-aged dude.”
“Well, it’s not like I don’t have a bit of a middle-aged-guy side to me.”
“Switching between old geezer and JK whenever it suits you, this one.”

After we finished eating, we knocked around for a bit and then went our separate ways. Though by “knocked around” I mean… a little crane game, some sweets, that level of thing.

“Man, I was so surprised! Who’d have thought you actually wanted the ‘aaah’ treatment, Gin!”
“Huh? …Haaah?????”
“J-just kidding…”
“Honestly…”

How does she even get there?

…How do I put it. After the crane game we drifted over for ice cream, and there Hina begged for the “aaah” thing again, until somehow, going with the flow, it turned into Ayu doing it for Sumire and me too. That was the whole of it. I never said one word asking for it.

“…”
“…Speaking of Christmas, though.”
“Hm?”

As the two of us walked home in a vague, wordless quiet, my childhood friend beside me brought it up just like that. Maybe she wanted to pin down the plans for the Christmas party.

“So what kind of birthday present do you want this year, Gin?”
“Ahh…”

So that was where this was headed… It wasn’t that I’d forgotten, exactly; it had just slipped my mind somehow. Same as every year, the whole world was drenched in Christmas mood.

That’s right… Christmas, December 25th. That day also happens to be my own birthday. Fujino Ginko’s, to be precise.

“Whatever’s fine, really.”
“You never had your mom tell you ‘whatever’s fine’ is the hardest one to deal with?”
“A game console, then.”
“That’s a bit much, even for me…”
“Right? So just — all of you, pick out something decent for me, whatever works.”
“Ehh—”

For starters, if it were my parents asking, fine, but these are my classmates. Most of what I actually want right now sits too far out of reach price-wise, and anything mid-range I’ve already bought for myself.

“…Oh, if I had to name one thing — no surprises.”
“You say that every year…”
“Did you forget what you pulled in first grade?”
“I get told that every year too… I haven’t forgotten, though.”

Back in first grade… this one roped our parents, Hina, and Senior Hotaru into it and made a handmade cake as a surprise. Except, by every account but Ayu’s own, she racked up an endless tally of knife nicks on her fingers, was hopelessly bad at whipping the cream, burned herself outright, and plenty more besides. A total disaster, apparently.

To her credit, Ayu apparently begged her parents to supervise her and put in some serious cooking practice after that, though Hina and the senior still can’t quite shake the old impression. And I’ll admit, back then I pieced the whole thing together myself from the mountain of bandages plastered across Ayu’s fingers.

“…Well, I’ll keep my expectations low while I wait, so knock yourself out agonizing over it.”
“Aye-aye~”
“And you already know this, I’m sure, but…”
“Yes, yes — the Christmas party and the birthday celebration can be combined… right?”
“See, you get it.”
“Well, obviously.”

Soon, very soon, the second term would be over too.

The year is winding down, and with it comes that end-of-term, end-of-year sense of finality; Christmas is right there, filling everyone around me with a giddy buzz; and, for me personally, my own birthday is drawing close. All these different moods soak into me and blend together, turning into a chaos that leaves something deep in my chest itching and restless. It’s a feeling, part dread and part delight all tangled together, and one I actually quite like.