The Deliberate Matchmaker???

“Eeeh?! Ishida-kun actually harbors those kinds of feelings for Kazumi?!”

That was the absolute first reaction out of Touko-san when I began detailing our strategic plan.

“Apparently, yes. I only caught wind of it myself just the other day.”

“But looking at Ishida-kun, he completely lacked the aura of someone who viewed Kazumi as a woman…”

“Right?~ From where I was standing, their dynamic looked precisely like a classic comedy duo trading quips and talking trash to each other.”

Touko-san sank into deep thought for a moment. Watching her expression, a wave of anxiety washed over me.

“What’s your actual take on this, Touko-san? Do you think it could work between Ishida and Kazumi-san?…”

“Well, as far as Ishida-kun is concerned, he is a remarkably loyal friend, polite, and highly attentive. On top of that, he possesses a wonderful knack for putting people at ease, so I think he’s a spectacular catch, but…”

“But?”

“I’m just calculating how Kazumi views him. Watching the way those two interact, it’s painfully clear that Kazumi views Ishida-kun strictly as a younger underclassman. I wonder if he could ever cross the boundary into a romantic interest?”

“Yeah, that is a perfectly valid worry…”

As the words slipped from my lips in a heavy sigh, Touko-san frantically revised her statement to offer a burst of encouragement.

“But still… if he genuinely harbors those feelings for her, that is magnificent news! I entirely agree that Ishida-kun is a highly charming person, and if he were to become Kazumi’s boyfriend, it would be absolutely perfect. I’m certain the four of us would have a wonderful time hanging out together. Plus, it would cleanly resolve the current disaster, wouldn’t it?”

“In that case, you’ll cooperate with me?”

“Of course I will!” Touko-san answered, her features instantly melting into a bright smile.

Brilliant. I had fully resolved to press forward with this plan completely on my own if necessary, but with Touko-san’s active cooperation, it felt precisely like having the strength of a hundred men.

Touko-san leaned in closer to peer intently into my face.

“So, what is our absolute first operational step?”

“To begin with, we need to get the two actors out onto the stage. We’ll start by priming Ishida.” I proceeded to meticulously outline our first tactical move to Touko-san.

The moment I returned home, I immediately dialed Ishida’s number. In scenarios like this, a direct phone call is a hundred times better than a text or an email since you can accurately gauge the other party’s emotional reactions in real time.

“Hey Ishida, are you completely free this coming Sunday?”

“Yeah, I’m free. Why?”

“In that case, let’s head out to Lake Sagami together.”

“Lake Sagami? What on earth are we heading all the way out there for?”

“They have that massive, highly talked-about obstacle course facility out there. It’s an attraction where ropes are strung up at extreme heights, and you have to clear a barrage of different trials. It’s frequently featured on television, remember?”

“Ah, that place. It does sound pretty entertaining, actually. By the way, who else is tagging along?”

“Touko-san. So I’m thinking about inviting Kazumi-san to round out the group.”

“A textbook two-and-two double date dynamic, huh?”

“Exactly. It’ll just be me and Touko-san, and you alongside Kazumi-san.”

The exact fraction of a second the words left my mouth, the other end of the line dissolved into a heavy silence.

“What’s the matter?”

As I pressed him, Ishida’s voice carried a distinct edge of pure suspicion. “I desperately hope you aren’t spinning some bizarre, calculated scheme behind my back, Yuu.”

Thump! Wow, talk about an incredibly sharp intuition.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“A calculated scheme to force me and Kazumi-san together, that’s what. Because if that’s the angle here, thanks, but no thanks.”

He saw straight through me.

But I wasn’t executing this plan strictly for his benefit. It was for Kazumi-san’s sake as well.

“I have absolutely no intention of doing anything of the sort, I assure you. The four of us have shared plenty of group outings before, haven’t we? This is simply a natural continuation of that trend.”

“If that’s the truth, fine… But as I explicitly spelled out to you before, I have absolutely no intention of trying to ask Kazumi-san out or anything of the sort.”

Ugh, to think Ishida’s stance remains this intensely passive… I suppose it would be smartest to apply a bit of tactical pressure to fire him up.

“I comprehend that perfectly. Ah, but come to think of it, I remember hearing a rumor lately that some guy has been aggressively circling around Kazumi-san’s perimeter.”

It felt a tiny bit like a dirty trick, but considering she actually possessed a boyfriend, it wasn’t a total fabrication. Describing the man as “circling around her perimeter” was actually a highly accurate reflection of the current reality, in a way.

“Is that a concrete fact?” Ishida’s tone sharpened with a visible wave of panic.

As I thought—even if a guy claims he has “absolutely no intention of delivering a confession,” the absolute second he discovers a potential rival trying to close the distance with the woman he adores, a natural panic is bound to take root.

“Well, nothing is set in stone just yet. It’s merely a case where Touko-san suspects that ‘there might be a shadow of a guy lurking in the background.’”

Hearing that detail, Ishida once again sank into a heavy silence.

“Ultimately, whatever you choose to do has absolutely nothing to do with me, but a relationship can’t just remain stuck in the exact same phase forever, you know. You were the one who explicitly told me that yourself, remember?” I hammered home one final, calculated push.

With this, the guy would surely begin evaluating the situation with a hundred times more initiative.

In the exact same manner, I initiated a call to Kazumi-san.

“Hmm, this coming Sunday, huh?…”

Kazumi-san’s initial reaction was entirely lacking in enthusiasm. However, I had fully anticipated that response. Naturally, I had a countermeasure ready to deploy.

“Yes, indeed. It would be magnificent for all of us to share a fun outing together once in a while, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t particularly mind, but…”

She was likely feeling heavily weighed down by the bitter argument she had shared with Touko-san the other day.

“To be honest, this trip was explicitly requested by Touko-san herself. She’s been reflecting deeply on the situation, feeling she spoke far too harshly to you the other day. But she feels a bit too awkward to firmly initiate the invitation face-to-face, you see. That’s why she explicitly requested that I deliver the message through my channel.”

“Well… I certainly hate the idea of leaving things in a strained, awkward state with Touko myself.”

“Then this represents the absolute perfect window of opportunity, doesn’t it? I utterly loathe seeing the atmosphere between Touko-san and you turning sour. Heading out into nature to blow off some steam on a massive obstacle course is guaranteed to clear the air and help you two patch things up beautifully. Besides, Ishida is joining us as well, so there’s absolutely no reason to feel tense.”

“I see. Ishida-kun is tagging along too? In that case, I suppose I won’t have to feel overly reserved.”

Oh? It seems Kazumi-san harbors quite a highly favorable impression of Ishida to begin with.

“Brilliant! Then please ensure you keep your schedule completely wide open. I’ll broadcast the exact gathering spot and time details to you later.”

With that, the actors were officially positioned on the stage. Now, the only thing left was to ensure their relationship successfully progressed forward.

Thus, when the weekend arrived, the four of us headed out toward the theme park located at Lake Sagami. Uncharacteristically, we opted to travel by train. While the Chuo Line is a route we utilize frequently, this was the absolute first time I had ever traveled this far west.

After riding a ski lift to ascend to the absolute summit of the mountain, the legendary obstacle course—boasting a massive scale equivalent to a five-story building—loomed into view.

“W-We are expected to climb that?…” Touko-san was already trembling with visible panic.

The exact fraction of a second the words left her lips, Kazumi-san stepped right into her space to deliver a playful smirk.

“What’s the matter, Touko? Are you terrified? Would you prefer it if I held your hand to guide you through?”

No, no, no! What on earth are you doing, Kazumi-san?! If you take the lead here, it completely ruins our strategy in two entirely different ways!

“Please wait a moment! Taking the lead and guarding her is explicitly my obligation!” I blurted out frantically.

Faced with my sudden desperation, Kazumi-san could only offer a strained, amused chuckle.

“Ah, right. My bad, my bad. In that case, I shall leave Touko entirely in your hands, Isshiki-kun.”

Suppressing my internal frustration, I firmly delivered our operational declaration to Kazumi-san.

“Since Touko-san is feeling a bit terrified, the two of us are going to take our time navigating from the back. Kazumi-san, please go on ahead alongside Ishida.”

“Fair enough. Come along, Ishida-kun. Let us head out first so we don’t turn into a nuisance to the lovey-dovey couple.”

“To be perfectly honest, I am feeling a significant chunk of panic myself over this height…” Ishida muttered under his breath, yet he fell into step right beside Kazumi-san as they began ascending the massive attraction.

Good grief, Kazumi-san truly is something else… While I am immensely grateful that she is patching things up with Touko-san, she really didn’t need to unleash her inner alpha-tomboy in a scenario like this.

Throughout the rest of the day, the four of us remained firmly divided into designated pairs as we conquered a barrage of different attractions—the pairs being, naturally, myself alongside Touko-san, and Ishida paired up with Kazumi-san.

To bring the day to a grand conclusion, we boarded the giant Ferris wheel, maintaining the exact same pairing arrangement. From our vantage point at the absolute summit of the mountain, the Ferris wheel offered a sweeping view stretching across the entire theme park and the sparkling waters of Lake Sagami.

Staring out at the brilliant crimson sun right on the verge of dipping beneath the horizon toward Mount Fuji, I spoke up.

“Do you think today’s outing managed to deepen the bond between Ishida and Kazumi-san even a tiny bit?”

Resting her chin in her hands, Touko-san kept her eyes locked onto Mount Fuji as she offered her assessment.

“Who can say? I calculate that expecting an absolute transformation after a single day is a bit unrealistic.”

“Though, looking at them, they appeared to be having a wonderfully fun time together.”

Touko-san and I had been observing their dynamic from a slight distance throughout the day, and they both looked precisely like their usual selves—laughing, trading trash talk, and thoroughly enjoying each other’s company.

“But that dynamic operates on the exact same plane as their usual routine, doesn’t it? If you’re asking whether the emotional distance between them as actual lovers has contracted, the reality is a bit subtle.”

“So a romance doesn’t just fall into place that easily after all, huh…”

As the sigh escaped my lips, Touko-san pulled her gaze away from the window to look straight into my eyes.

“However, I refuse to believe our efforts yielded zero consequences. No matter how deeply Kazumi fancies her current boyfriend, if every single encounter with him inflicts severe physical and emotional trauma, her heart is bound to drift away eventually. In stark contrast, even if she currently evaluates Ishida-kun as ‘nothing more than a younger underclassman,’ spending time with a partner who makes her genuinely happy is bound to shift her emotional vector toward him over time.”

“That sounds remarkably like the exact path the two of us walked in the past.”

As I let out a self-deprecating chuckle, Touko-san pouted with a trace of visible dissatisfaction.

“I calculate that the core nature of our relationship is entirely distinct from theirs… but I suppose it is a concrete fact that while we were cooperating to execute a proper retaliation against the partners who betrayed us, the emotional distance between our hearts contracted significantly.”

Having successfully rationalized the point to herself using her own words, Touko-san directed her gaze back toward the landscape outside the glass window.

“Therefore… I highly hope that one day, Kazumi will look up and finally notice the existence of someone who genuinely adores her.”