When he arrived at Palette and pushed open the door, the wind chime jingled. Afternoon sunlight slanted inside, painting diamond-shaped patches of light across the wooden floor.
Two people were already sitting by the window. Horikita Suzune sat with her back to the door, her posture as straight as a cedar; Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat beside her, expressionless, his gaze as placid as if he were watching leaves fall outside.
Uesugi Hara chose an empty seat one table away and ordered a black coffee.
The porcelain cup had barely touched the table when Ayanokoji spoke, his voice neither loud nor soft, just carrying far enough to reach him. "Just like that, to other people, we look like a couple..."
He didn't even raise his eyelids as he said it, as though discussing the weather. Horikita slowly turned her head, her brows furrowing slightly. Her eyes plainly said, "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" But she didn't speak, merely looking at him as if waiting for a reasonable explanation—or for him to somehow make sense of this ridiculous remark himself.
Ayanokoji met her gaze, paused for two seconds, then actually nodded to himself. "No one would think that."
"Pfft—" Uesugi Hara nearly spat out the black coffee he'd just sipped. He hurriedly covered his mouth with the back of his hand, but a few muffled coughs still escaped his throat.
He lowered his head and coughed, unable to stop himself from grumbling inwardly. How does Ayanokoji manage to say something like that in the same flat tone he'd use to read a textbook—and with logic that only makes sense to himself? If anyone else said that, Horikita would've glared him under the table by now. The anime wasn't this funny when I watched it in my past life, was it?
When he looked up, he happened to catch Horikita glancing his way, her gaze carrying a hint of annoyance at the interruption.
Uesugi Hara immediately lifted his coffee cup to cover half his face, pretending the coffee had burned him. The bitterness of black coffee was perfect for masking the fact that he'd nearly laughed out loud.
Just then, the third main character—Kushida Kikyo—arrived.
Kushida Kikyo stood in the doorway with her backpack in hand, the wind having tousled her curled hair into softer waves. When she spotted the two by the window, her eyes immediately curved into crescents. "Horikita! What a coincidence! Ayanokoji is here too!"
As she spoke, she naturally pulled out the chair beside them and sat down, her cheerful voice seemingly bright with sunshine. "Do you two come here often?"
"Today was a coincidence," Ayanokoji replied, as concise as ever.
"I see..." Kushida Kikyo gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, softening her voice a little. "Actually, I usually come here alone..."
"I'm going back." Horikita abruptly stood, cutting Kushida off. The chair legs scraped softly against the floor.
"But we just got here." Ayanokoji looked up at her. For once, his expressionless face showed a trace of hesitation, as if checking whether she was serious.
Horikita turned sideways, one hand on her hip, her gaze fixed directly on Kushida. "With Kushida here, you don't need me anymore, do you?"
"No," Ayanokoji immediately replied, his tone calm but clear. "Kushida and I are just classmates."
"My relationship with you is the same." Horikita turned back to look at him. Her voice held little emotion, yet it felt like a needle gently pricking something.
Then she turned to Kushida, her brows lifting even more noticeably. "Besides, you really annoy me. Stop pretending. What exactly are you after?"
"D-Don't be mean!" Kushida's smile stiffened for a moment. Her fingers tightened around her backpack strap, and her voice carried a hint of panic at being found out. "It really was just a coincidence, Horikita. Why would you say that...?"
Uesugi Hara's hand paused as he held his coffee cup. He looked at Ayanokoji. His face still showed no expression, his brows and eyes remained level, and his mouth hadn't moved. Yet somehow, from his slightly lowered lashes, Uesugi Hara could make out a trace of speechless exasperation—as if he were thinking, How did things get even more ridiculous?
He lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, suppressing a laugh. Looks like even someone who's good at keeping up appearances can't help cracking under this kind of situation.
After dragging through a long stretch of boring drama, they finally reached the moment of truth.
"Horikita, please be my friend!" Kushida clenched both hands into little fists and held them beneath her chin. Her eyes sparkled, her voice full of desperate sincerity, and even the curve of her hair seemed taut with anticipation.
Horikita didn't even lift her eyelids. Her voice was as cold as if it had just been pulled from icy water. "I wish you'd stop bothering me. I won't cause trouble for the class, and I have no interest in dealing with unnecessary socializing."
"But you're always alone..." Kushida Kikyo slowly lowered her hands, her shoulders slumping as dejection spread across her face like mist. "Don't you feel lonely? When everyone else is making friends, being alone must make you sad, right?"
"I've never thought being alone was lonely." Horikita picked up her backpack strap, her fingers gripping it until they turned white. "On the contrary, dealing with all this is a waste of time. Everything you say makes me very uncomfortable."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and left, her backpack sweeping behind her in a clean arc.
"Do you really think this is for the best?" Ayanokoji suddenly spoke, his voice sounding a little deeper than before. "If you don't plan on making friends with anyone, you'll be on your own for all three years."
Horikita stopped at the doorway. The wind stirred the chime, making it ring softly. With her back to them, her voice carried through the air, even and unwavering. "I've been living like this for nine years. It's fine."
She paused, as though remembering something from much further back. When she started walking again, she added, "If you count the time before that, then it's been even longer."
The door opened and closed. The wind chime's echo had yet to fade, and the only ones left in the shop were Ayanokoji, staring expressionlessly at his coffee, and Kushida, clutching the hem of her clothes with her head bowed for a long while.
"I'm sorry, Ayanokoji," Kushida said. Her fingers, wrapped around her backpack strap, had gone pale, and her voice was quieter. "It's all my fault. I made Horikita upset with you too."
Ayanokoji's fingers paused on the rim of his empty cup. When he looked up, his tone was as calm as ever. "No, don't worry about it."
Kushida stared at the wood grain on the tabletop in silence for several seconds. Suddenly, she looked up, her eyes still tinged with lingering hurt, but also with a trace of unwillingness to give up. "Is there really no way for me to become friends with her? I've tried so hard..."
Seeing that the drama had finally come to an end, and that staying any longer wouldn't stir up anything new, Uesugi Hara drained the last of his black coffee. The dregs settled at the bottom of the cup, like the lingering aftertaste of all the words left unsaid. As he stood, the breeze he stirred made the menu on the table flutter.
He had no intention of saying goodbye to anyone. Ayanokoji had probably noticed him, but wouldn't strike up a conversation; Kushida was still caught up in her emotions and might not even have noticed him; and Horikita had already disappeared.
The wind chime rang again as he pushed open the door, its tune much like the one he'd heard when he arrived. Uesugi Hara looked up at the sky. The sunlight had softened, perfect for a leisurely walk back. He felt around in his pocket; the wrapper from the strawberry candy was still there, warmed by his body heat.
"Finally, something interesting. I hope tonight brings me a few surprises." He spoke softly to the air, then stepped lightly into the flow of people on the road.