Chapter 34

“Huh?”
“Oh.”

It happened while Ryuichi and Shizuna were walking through the streets after school.
Right in front of them, an elderly woman dropped a bag of fruit, sending oranges and apples rolling across the ground. The old woman moved slowly as she picked them up, but naturally, given her advanced age, she couldn’t gather them all at once.

“Hold on, I’ll go help.”

Without waiting for Shizuna’s reply, Ryuichi headed over to the elderly woman. Watching his back with a fond, warm smile, Shizuna hurried after him to pitch in as well.

“My, you two…”
“Yo, Granny, looks like you’re having a rough time.”
“Fufu, let us give you a hand.”

With Ryuichi and Shizuna joining in, the scattered fruit was gathered up in no time. Naturally, they were the only ones who stopped to help while other passersby took one look and walked right past.

“Thank you so much, both of you.”

The old woman spoke in a leisurely, unhurried tone, radiating a gentle aura that would probably make her a beloved grandmother to any grandchildren she had. She mentioned she was heading to a nearby bus stop, so Ryuichi and Shizuna decided to walk her the rest of the way.

“Never mind the young lady, I’m surprised a young man like you was willing to help an old woman.”
“Hah, well, I’ve got the face of a delinquent, after all.”
“Oh? And what’s on the inside, pray tell?”
“Nah, the inside’s a genuine, 100-percent certified delinquent.”
“Hahaha, is that so, is that so. You’re a kind delinquent, aren’t you?”

The old woman gestured for Ryuichi to come closer.
Tilting his head in confusion, Ryuichi stepped near, whereupon she told him to sit down right next to her on the bench. The moment he complied, the old woman reached out and gently patted his head.

“Good boy, good boy.”
“…I’m way past the age for that kind of treatment.”
“…Fufu.”

He couldn’t very well snap at an elderly woman to cut it out, so Ryuichi simply resigned himself to it. Watching him from the sidelines, Shizuna murmured how cute he looked. The old woman reached into her purse and pulled out a thousand-yen bill as a token of gratitude.

“Consider this a thank you.”

It was a gesture born entirely of the old woman’s goodwill. Even so, Ryuichi had zero intention of taking money from an elderly stranger, so he told her to keep it safe instead. If he hadn’t, the whole scene would have looked mildly problematic; an old woman shoving cash at a delinquent youth looked like a textbook mugging from a distance.

“Alright, Granny, get home safe.”
“Take care, ma’am.”
“Thank you both so much. Oh, that’s right. Are you two a couple?”

At that direct question, Ryuichi and Shizuna exchanged glances.
While they shared a physical relationship, they weren’t strictly dating in any official capacity; if forced to put a label on it, “friends with benefits” was probably the closest fit. Still, there was no way they could say that straight to an old lady’s face, so both of them shook their heads and denied it.

“I thought you looked awfully well-matched, though. Well, make sure you let this old fossil know when you two finally tie the knot.”

With those parting words, the old woman boarded the bus.
As it pulled away from the curb, she waved back at them through the window. Ryuichi and Shizuna waved back until the bus vanished entirely from view.

“Not like we’ll ever see her again, so letting her know is out of the question.”
“She was a wonderfully energetic grandmother, though. Say, Ryuichi-kun, if we ever run into her again, should we just tell her we finally became a couple?”
“Well, even if it’s a lie, that old lady’d probably be happy to hear it.”
“…Jeez, shouldn’t you just agree with me there?”
“Yeah, yeah.”

Before she could press the issue any further, Ryuichi started walking again.
Shizuna quickly fell into step beside him, slipping her hand through his arm. Walking side by side like this had become second nature to her, and the shy awkwardness she used to show had completely vanished. That was likely because being together like this had simply become her everyday normal.

“…Huh?”
“What is it?”

This time, it was Shizuna who spotted something.
As she came to a halt, Ryuichi followed her gaze to a woman walking down the street carrying shopping bags. The woman’s eyes landed on Shizuna, then shifted to Ryuichi, widening in sudden surprise.

“Who’s that?”
“Souhei-kun’s mom.”
“…Hoh.”

The woman turned out to be Souhei’s mother.
While Shioda Natsume had supposedly made brief appearances in the manga, she hadn’t left enough of an impression for Ryuichi to remember, meaning her screen time must have been minimal. The woman slowly walked over toward the pair.

“Hello, Shizuna-chan.”
“Hello, Natsume-san.”

Shinozaki Natsume, that was this woman’s name.
With a slightly plump figure and kind, gentle eyes, her facial features bore a distinct resemblance to Souhei’s. Seeing the family of the story’s original protagonist up close felt remarkably surreal to Ryuichi.

“It feels like it’s been forever since I last ran into you, Shizuna-chan.”
“It really has. I haven’t visited your place lately, after all.”
“It gets a bit lonely… but I suppose that’s just how it goes with kids your age?”

With that, Natsume shifted her gaze to Ryuichi.
Unlike the affectionate warmth she had directed at Shizuna moments earlier, the look she pinned on Ryuichi carried a distinct shade of suspicion.

“And who might this be?”
“Someone important to me. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I called him the most important person in my life.”

Natsume’s suspicious glare deepened visibly.
As Souhei’s mother, she was someone who had watched Shizuna grow up over the years. The sight of Shizuna hanging around with a guy like Ryuichi was probably beyond her comprehension. Even so, Natsume didn’t lash out or try to lecture Ryuichi the way the school teachers did.
Instead, she returned her attention to Shizuna and continued.

“Souhei’s been looking awfully down lately. Do you happen to know anything about that, Shizuna-chan?”
“I’m afraid I don’t really know. We haven’t had many chances to talk at school lately.”
“I see… That’s a shame. He just sits around staring into space at home, so I thought you might know something, Shizuna-chan.”

The two people primarily responsible for that exact slump were standing right in front of her, but since Natsume didn’t know the full story, there was no need to spell it out. Ryuichi aside, Shizuna viewed Souhei as nothing more than a childhood friend by this point anyway.

“Well then, Natsume-san, we should be heading along.”
“Yes. See you around, Shizuna-chan.”

And with that, they parted ways with Natsume.
While talking with Shizuna, Natsume had clearly radiated an aura of wanting nothing to do with Ryuichi, but that was to be expected. Ryuichi led Shizuna forward as they resumed walking, though thoughts of Natsume had already completely faded from his mind.

“Oh, that’s right. We’re all gathering at Satsuki’s place this weekend. You coming too, Shizuna?”
“Is that alright? I’ve never actually met Satsuki-san before…”
“Shouldn’t be a problem. Satsuki’s been saying she wanted to meet you for a while now, and Chisa said bringing you along is totally fine by her.”
“I see. Then I suppose I’ll tag along.”

Shizuna’s attendance was officially locked in.
The moment Ryuichi sent a quick message to Satsuki, she replied telling him to make sure Shizuna came. Chisa would undoubtedly be thrilled when she found out, though Ryuichi decided to keep it as a surprise for the day of the gathering and tucked his phone away.

“Guess I’ll be letting you and Sakie cook me dinner tonight, then.”
“My… Aren’t you full of yourself today, Ryuichi-kun?”

When he gave her shoulder a slightly firmer squeeze, Shizuna responded with a delightfully conflicted, pleased expression. Whenever Ryuichi touched her, her body instinctively reacted as if craving him. That quiet, simmering pheromone spilled over into the surrounding air; even amidst the steady stream of admiring glances thrown her way by strangers, Shizuna had eyes for no one else in the world.

“Ryuichi-kun, mind if I try something new today?”
“New?”
“Mhm.”

What that “new thing” was became abundantly clear the moment they stepped into Shizuna’s house.
After passing the time quietly with Shizuna until Sakie returned, they were told that Ryuichi should go ahead and take his bath right there tonight. Since boiling water at his own apartment afterward sounded like a hassle, Ryuichi readily agreed… though he quickly learned he wouldn’t be the only one in the bathroom.

“Fufu, taking a bath together with Ryuichi-kun like this is a first, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. Such a strong, powerful physique, though. Seeing it up close makes my heart race every single time.”

Flanking Ryuichi on either side were a completely naked Shizuna and Sakie.
The “new thing” Shizuna had mentioned was joining Ryuichi in the bath. Well, since Sakie happened to be right there when the proposal was made, she had chimed in with a pout that she didn’t want to feel left out, resulting in both of them joining him to finish their baths together.

Naturally, with three naked bodies crammed into the same space, things didn’t stay platonic for long… and a considerable amount of time passed before the three of them finally emerged from the bathroom.

“Ryuichi-kun, did something happen with Shizuna?”
“Huh? Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”

That was the question Sakie threw his way once they had finished bathing.
Even when asked if something had happened between him and Shizuna, he couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary to report.

“The way you were looking at Shizuna just now was softer than usual. I can’t really explain it well, but it felt different.”
“…Hoh?”
“So it made me wonder if something took place.”

For the second time, he figured nothing special had occurred, but a specific memory from earlier that day flashed unbidden through Ryuichi’s mind; the event from the school lunch break.

“He’s the most important person in my life.”
“Tch…”

Recalling Shizuna’s repeated words sent a sharp, unexpected jolt straight through his heart.
That’s strange, Ryuichi thought, tilting his head as he tried to trace the source of the lingering warmth he had felt ever since the afternoon. He still hadn’t fully recognized or labeled that rising emotion, but the moment of realization was steadily closing in.