An Unexpected Encounter

After dealing with Katsuragi, the next person to handle was Sakayanagi Arisu—that seemingly harmless little girl. However, this was not something to be rushed.

Uesugi Hara knew clearly that when facing this girl who looked soft and cute but hid calculations in her eyes, he had to proceed with caution. Every word and every action had to be measured perfectly; he could not afford to show her even the slightest opening.

He checked the time; it was 5:00 PM. That was enough for today. After running around for the past two days, it was time to treat himself properly.

With that thought, Uesugi Hara headed toward the gourmet district.

Along the way, he first caught a glimpse of Karuizawa Kei strolling with her friends, looking exceptionally vibrant as they chatted and laughed. Not far ahead, he saw Ichinose Honami surrounded by a group of friends, seemingly on their way to a party, her enthusiasm practically overflowing.

But none of this mattered; they had nothing to do with him.

Uesugi Hara wandered aimlessly, keeping an eye on the surrounding shops. As he walked, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure crouching at the mouth of an alley—it was Morishita Ran.

Uesugi Hara walked over. He wanted to see what this girl, who had once "backstabbed" him, was doing now.

Only when he got closer did he see her crouching there, staring intently at the ground, observing a line of ants moving house.

"Morishita-san, are you that bored? Is watching ants move really that interesting?" Uesugi Hara's voice carried a hint of nonchalance.

Morishita Ran looked back at him without answering his question, instead asking, "Uesugi Hara, do you know why ants move house?"

"Maybe the weather is changing, or they're looking for food—though since this is the gourmet district, that's probably not it." Uesugi Hara analyzed it casually, then paused to add, "It could also be that their nest is in danger."

He didn't pay much attention to Morishita Ran's attitude. After all, this girl had always been like this.

After listening, Morishita Ran tapped the edge of a brick on the ground with her fingertip, her gaze returning to the busy ants. "All of those are possible. But look at the route they're taking; they're sticking to the base of the wall, not even missing a turn."

Uesugi Hara followed her gaze and saw the tiny line of ants, broken and intermittent, moving along the shadow of the wall like a thread of ink stirred by the wind. "So?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, genuinely curious now.

"They remember the way," Morishita Ran said softly, as if afraid to startle the ants. "Even if they've been stepped on or washed away by water, as long as the scent remains, they won't get lost."

Uesugi Hara didn't respond. He suddenly remembered when she "backstabbed" him; she was the same then—always leaving half her words unsaid, her eyes hiding things others couldn't read.

Yet, seeing her crouching on the ground now, not even minding the dust on the tip of her nose, she seemed different from the girl who hid her thoughts in his memory.

"Did you always watch these things?" he asked out of the blue.

Morishita Ran finally turned her head, a different glint in her eyes this time. "Did you always act like this, pretending to be indifferent when you were actually curious?"

Uesugi Hara was taken aback, not expecting her to counterattack so suddenly. He then tugged at the corner of his mouth, his tone intentionally casual. "Who's curious? I was just bored and saw you crouching here, so I thought you were pondering something important." He paused and glanced toward the alley entrance. "Morishita-san, want to walk together?"

Morishita Ran shifted her gaze from the ants, stood up, and brushed the dust off her pant legs. She didn't answer "yes" or "no" directly, simply saying, "A new cake shop opened up ahead."

Watching her brush off the dust, Uesugi Hara suddenly pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket and tapped the packaging with his fingertip. "Wipe your face. You've got dust on your nose; you look like you just crawled out of the dirt."

The words were teasing, but the gesture of handing over the tissue was natural. Morishita Ran glanced down at the pack with the bear pattern, then touched her nose, finding the dust on her fingertip. She didn't say thank you, nor did she refuse; she took a tissue and wiped slowly, her movements so deliberate it was as if she were counting the texture of the paper.

"You carry these with you?" She folded the tissue and clutched it after wiping, her voice softer than before.

"It's a habit; it's convenient." Uesugi Hara put his hand back into his pocket, his gaze drifting to the alley entrance. "If we don't go to the cake shop now, the fresh ones might be sold out."

Morishita Ran didn't speak again but started walking first. Her pace was slow enough for him to keep up. The sunlight cut diagonally into the alley, stretching their shadows long. Beneath the wall where they had been crouching, the ants were still tirelessly moving their cargo, though no one was watching them anymore.

As they reached the alley entrance, the sweet scent of cream drifted on the breeze. Morishita Ran's steps faltered, her eyes darting toward the small shop with the warm yellow lights on the corner—the glass display case held freshly baked strawberry rolls, the pink-and-white cream topped with fresh strawberry bits.

"Looks like it just opened; even the balloons on the sign aren't deflated yet." Uesugi Hara glanced at the colorful balloons tied to the door, the bell chiming as he pushed it open.

The clerk greeted them with a smile, but Morishita Ran walked straight to the display case, tapping the glass in front of the strawberry roll. Uesugi Hara followed, seeing a rare, straightforward anticipation in her eyes, which felt fresh—he had only ever seen her cold or calculating, never like someone waiting to unwrap a candy.

"Two?" he asked the clerk, turning to her. "And a hot cocoa." He looked at Morishita Ran. "What do you want?"

Morishita Ran pulled her hand back, the chill of the glass still lingering on her fingertips. "The same is fine."

When the cake and hot drinks arrived, the cream on the strawberry roll was still slightly chilled. Morishita Ran picked up a small fork, speared a piece of strawberry, and put it in her mouth, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

Watching her, Uesugi Hara suddenly recalled her crouching on the ground watching the ants—whether observing ants or eating strawberries, her eyelashes would droop into a small shadow when she was focused.

"I've never seen you like sweets before," he said, taking a sip of hot cocoa.

"I've never seen you hand anyone a tissue before, either," Morishita Ran replied, glancing at him while already spearing a piece of cake.

Uesugi Hara choked slightly, then let out a low laugh. "Fair point."

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, the wind chime rang occasionally, and the scent of cream mixed with the warmth of the hot cocoa filled the air. Neither mentioned what happened earlier, nor did they say much, but the subtle tension from the alley seemed to have melted away with the sweetness.

By the time they finished the cake, the sunlight outside had shifted to the eaves across the street. Morishita Ran popped the last piece of strawberry into her mouth and wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue, her movements more brisk than when she had wiped her nose.

"Let's go." She stood up, her steps lighter than when they arrived as she headed for the door.

Uesugi Hara paid and followed her out. Just as they reached the street corner, Morishita Ran stopped and turned to look at him. "I'm going this way." She pointed to the left fork, which led toward the school.

"Right, I'm going that way." Uesugi Hara tilted his chin toward the right path.

Without a formal goodbye, Morishita Ran turned and walked into the crowd. After a few steps, she looked back. Uesugi Hara happened to be looking in her direction, and their eyes met. She didn't look away immediately as she usually did; instead, she paused for a moment before turning and disappearing around the corner.

Uesugi Hara touched his pocket; the remaining tissues were still there. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and turned to walk in the opposite direction. The scent of cream still lingered in the air, and the ants from the alley, the warm light in the cake shop, and Morishita Ran's slightly puffed cheeks while eating the strawberry all suddenly became vivid.

He stopped thinking about the "backstabbing." Perhaps, just as ants have their own reasons for moving house, some things would eventually have answers if he just kept walking and watching.

The streetscape flowed around him, and the sunlight fell on the tips of his shoes, warm and comforting.