Fourth Period Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

"Pirated goods? I feel like I've heard that name before. I remember that person's surname was Hi, Hiki..."

Note: "Pirated goods" (Pachimon) and "Hachiman" sound similar in Japanese.

"Wait? You weren't referring to me, were you? Not only do you not remember my name, you can't even remember my surname?"

Yukino brushed the hair from her shoulder, acting as though I had wronged her.

"How rude. I remember it perfectly well."

"You're the rude one..."

Well, if she remembered it, then fine... I changed direction pretty quickly.

After all, there were classmates in this world called something-or-other Kawa whose names people never remembered properly! I wondered what that something-or-other Kawa was doing...

(Illustration 010)

× × ×

We headed back along the approach, passed through the great torii gate, and reached the national highway.

A cold wind swept across the broad road. Shivering, Yuihama and I pulled our coat collars tighter.

Meanwhile, Yukino merely adjusted her scarf slightly. She probably wasn't particularly sensitive to the cold. Still, she looked a little tired. Her sigh turned into white mist and dispersed in the air. Well, she didn't like crowded places. Then again, neither did I.

I looked at the road leading toward the station, which had grown even more crowded after midnight, and sighed along with her.

"The Keisei Line is probably going to be packed..."

Yuihama clapped her hands together.

"Ah, then should we walk to the Keiyo Line?"

She looked across the national highway toward the seaside, in the direction of Sobu High School, where we attended. The Keiyo Line station was some distance from the shrine, so it should have fewer people than the nearest station. Besides, it was a familiar route for us, and not far away.

"That sounds good... Is that okay?"

I asked, and Yukino