After dealing with Katsuragi, the next person he needed to socialize with was Sakayanagi Arisu—the seemingly harmless little girl. But there was no need to rush.
Uesugi Hara knew exactly what he was doing. When dealing with this sweet-looking little girl whose eyes concealed a calculating mind, he had to tread carefully. Every word and every gesture had to be just right. He couldn't let her see even the slightest flaw.
He glanced at the time. It was five. That was enough for today. He'd been running around taking care of things for the past two days; it was time to treat himself.
With that in mind, Uesugi Hara headed for the food court in the Commercial District.
On the way, he spotted Karuizawa Kei strolling with a friend, chatting and laughing, full of life. A little farther on, he saw Ichinose Honami surrounded by a group of friends, apparently on their way to a gathering. Their excitement practically spilled into the street.
But none of that mattered. It had nothing to do with him.
Uesugi Hara wandered at an easy pace, keeping an eye on the shops around him. As he walked, something caught the corner of his eye: a familiar figure crouched at the entrance to an alley. It was Morishita Ran.
Uesugi Hara walked over. He wanted to see what the girl who had once "stabbed him in the back" was up to now.
When he got closer, he saw her crouched there, gazing intently at the ground. She was watching ants carry things back to their nest.
"Morishita, bored? Is watching ants move really that interesting?" Uesugi Hara's voice was casual.
Morishita Ran glanced back at him but didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Uesugi Hara, do you know why ants move?"
"Maybe the weather's about to change, or they're looking for food—but this is the food court, so probably not that." Uesugi Hara offered his guesses offhandedly, then added after a pause, "Maybe their nest is in danger."
He didn't pay much attention to Morishita Ran's attitude. That was just how she was.
After hearing him out, Morishita Ran lightly tapped a brick at the edge of the pavement with her fingertip, then turned her gaze back to the busy ants. "You could be right. But look at the path they're taking. They're following the wall, and they haven't even missed a turn."
Uesugi Hara followed her gaze. Sure enough, the tiny ants formed a broken line, moving along the shadows at the base of the wall like a thin black thread stirred by the wind. "So?" He raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious now.
"They remember the way." Morishita Ran's voice was soft, as if she didn't want to disturb the ants. "Even if someone steps on them or washes them away, as long as the scent is still there, they won't get separated."
Uesugi Hara didn't reply. He suddenly remembered how she'd acted when she had "stabbed him in the back." She always left things unsaid, with something in her eyes that no one else could understand.
But seeing her crouched on the ground now, with a little dust on the tip of her nose that she hadn't even noticed, she seemed a little different from the girl he remembered.
"Did you always watch things like this?" he asked out of nowhere.
Morishita Ran finally turned to face him. Something new had entered her gaze. "Did you always act like you do now—clearly curious, but pretending you don't care?"
Uesugi Hara was taken aback, as if he hadn't expected her to fire back so suddenly. Then he tugged at the corner of his mouth, his tone deliberately casual. "Who said I was curious? I was just killing time. I saw you crouching here and thought you might be figuring out something important." He paused and glanced toward the alley's entrance. "Morishita, want to take a walk together?"
Morishita Ran shifted her gaze from the ants, stood, and brushed the dust off her pants. She didn't say yes or no, only remarked, "There's a new cake shop up ahead."
Watching her brush herself off, Uesugi Hara suddenly pulled a packet of tissues from his pocket and held it out. He tapped the packet with a fingertip. "Wipe your nose. There's some dust on it. You look like you just crawled out of the dirt."
His words were teasing, but the gesture was natural. Morishita Ran glanced down at the packet, printed with a little bear, then touched the tip of her nose. Her fingertip came away with a bit of dust. She didn't thank him or refuse. She took the packet, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her nose slowly, as if counting the patterns on the paper.
"You carry these around?" After wiping her nose, she folded the tissue and held it in her hand. Her voice had softened a little.
"I'm used to keeping them on hand. They're convenient." Uesugi Hara put his hand back in his pocket and glanced toward the alley entrance. "If we don't get to the cake shop soon, the fresh-baked stuff might be gone."
Morishita Ran said nothing, but started walking first. Her pace was slow enough for him to keep up. Sunlight slanted in through the alley entrance, stretching their shadows long. Beneath the wall where she had crouched, the ants were still carrying things tirelessly, but neither of them looked at them now.
As they reached the alley's entrance, the sweet scent of cream drifted on the breeze. Morishita Ran slowed noticeably, her eyes flicking toward the little shop on the corner, glowing with warm yellow light. Freshly baked strawberry rolls sat in the glass display window, dotted with fresh strawberry pieces on pink-and-white cream.
"Looks like it just opened. Even the balloons on the sign are still inflated." Uesugi Hara glanced at the colorful balloons tied by the door and pushed it open. The bell jingled.
A shop assistant immediately greeted them with a smile, but Morishita Ran headed straight for the display window and pointed at the strawberry roll through the glass. Uesugi Hara went over and saw the rare, open anticipation in her eyes. It struck him as something new. He'd only ever seen her cold or hiding her thoughts; he'd never seen her look like a kid waiting to unwrap candy.
"Two?" He turned to the shop assistant. "And a hot chocolate." Then he looked at Morishita Ran. "What would you like to drink?"
Morishita Ran withdrew her hand, the chill of the glass still on her fingertips. "The same is fine."
When the cake and hot drinks arrived, the cream on the strawberry rolls was still slightly cool. Morishita Ran picked up a small fork and took a strawberry first, her cheeks puffing out just a little as she ate.
Watching her, Uesugi Hara suddenly remembered how she'd been crouching on the ground watching the ants. Whether she was studying ants or eating strawberries, when she was focused, her eyelashes always cast a small shadow.
"I never knew you had a sweet tooth," he said casually, taking a sip of hot chocolate.
"I never knew you handed out tissues, either." Morishita Ran glanced up at him, her fork already holding a piece of cake.
Uesugi Hara was momentarily at a loss, then chuckled. "You've got me there."
The sunlight outside was lovely. The bell rang now and then, and the scent of cream mingled with the warmth of hot chocolate in the air. Neither of them brought up what had happened earlier, and they didn't say much, but the faint tension from the alley seemed to have melted away with the sweetness.
By the time they finished their cake, the sunlight had shifted onto the eaves across the street. Morishita Ran popped the last strawberry into her mouth and wiped the corner of her lips with a tissue. She was quicker than she'd been when wiping her nose.
"Let's go." She stood and headed for the door, walking a little more briskly than before.
Uesugi Hara paid and followed her out. When they reached the corner, Morishita Ran stopped at the intersection and turned to him. "I'm going this way." She pointed left, toward the school.
"Okay. I'm going that way." Uesugi Hara nodded toward the road on the right.
There was no need for a formal goodbye. Morishita Ran turned and disappeared into the crowd. After a couple of steps, though, she looked back. Uesugi Hara was looking her way, and their eyes met. Instead of immediately turning away like she usually did, she paused before turning and vanishing around the corner.
Uesugi Hara touched his pocket. The packet of tissues was still there. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and headed in the opposite direction. A trace of cream still lingered in the air, and suddenly the ants in the alley, the warm light of the cake shop, and Morishita Ran's cheeks puffing out as she ate her strawberry all came back to him with startling clarity.
He stopped thinking about her "stabbing him in the back" and didn't try to figure out what Morishita Ran was thinking. Maybe, just like ants had their reasons for moving, some things only made sense if you took your time and watched them unfold.
The street flowed by around him, and the sunlight fell warmly on the tips of his shoes.