The wanderer's heir

It was Sunday, a few days later.

Takahashi Ren had arranged to meet Ai Morishita at Palette that morning. He arrived twenty minutes early and sat alone by the window, propping his cheek on one hand as he stared absently outside.

"What a coincidence, Takahashi."

He came back to his senses. Shiina Hiyori had appeared beside him at some point, with several girls from her class behind her, looking at him and whispering among themselves.

"Shiina, we meet again. Out having fun with your classmates this weekend?"

"Yes. Are you here alone?"

"I'm meeting someone. I got here a little early, and she hasn't arrived yet."

"I see," Shiina said earnestly. "That's a shame. If you were alone, I could talk about books with you right now."

From her tone, Takahashi Ren thought she sounded genuinely ready to leave her classmates and stay with him.

"I'm going to the library this afternoon. If you're free, would you like to come along?"

"Of course. I'll definitely be there." Shiina's eyes lit up. Then, as though she had noticed the gazes behind her, she said softly, "I'll go, then. See you later."

"Sure." Takahashi Ren nodded and watched her return to her classmates.

The girls immediately crowded around her, giggling as they nudged her toward the exit. Surrounded by them, Shiina seemed to be trying to explain something.

Only when Takahashi Ren looked away did he realize that Ai Morishita had arrived.

Carrying a bowl of strawberry shaved ice from the new summer menu, she sat down opposite him and opened with, "Just what I'd expect from a massive pervert. Chatting up a girl from another class again. Am I not enough for you?"

Long accustomed to her barbs, Takahashi Ren replied without batting an eye, "And you just happened to catch me again. Sometimes I really wonder whether you're secretly keeping an eye on me."

"Ugh, fantasizing again." Ai Morishita gave him a slightly disdainful look. "What did you want to see me about?"

"A few days ago, Sugio, who sits in front of you, came to see me."

Ai Morishita showed little reaction, merely scooping up a spoonful of shaved ice and putting it into her mouth.

"He wants you to stop messing with him."

"Oh." She continued eating her shaved ice, as though she had heard something that had nothing to do with her.

"Of course, I'm only passing along his message. The decision is yours."

"Sure. I'll mess with him less from now on."

"Really?" Takahashi Ren asked to confirm.

Although he had not managed to get Ai Morishita to leave Sugio alone entirely, at least he would have something to tell Sugio Dai when he went back.

She really was not bad at heart, but her nonchalant manner made it all feel a little unreal. Did she have something else in mind?

The answer came soon enough.

"But you have to let me win once." Ai Morishita looked up and stated her condition.

"What? You can't beat me fair and square, so you're resorting to tricks outside the game?"

"You're the one asking me for a favor." Ai Morishita smiled smugly. "Blame yourself for sticking your nose into other people's business."

"Perhaps." Takahashi Ren simply looked at her calmly and said, "But I didn't come to see you just for Sugio. Part of it was for you, too."

Ai Morishita's hand finally stopped moving, and the smile on her face froze for a moment.

Still holding her spoon, she folded her arms across her chest and leaned back slightly, as though erecting a defensive line between them.

She eyed him suspiciously, her gaze full of wariness. "Is this a psychological attack? Don't even think about it."

Takahashi Ren shook his head. "No. I just noticed that you're always alone."

"So you finally discovered it."

Ai Morishita set down her spoon and rested her crossed hands on the table, as though sinking into some distant memory. "My ancestor was a wanderer who pursued the pinnacle of swordsmanship, roaming his entire life, without a home or roots. And I am the twenty-first-generation heir to Fallen Cherry Blossom Swordsmanship."

"What does that have to do with messing with your classmates?"

"It's a test. Only those who pass the test and comprehend the Wanderer's Will can become my companions. Unfortunately, you're the only one who has passed so far." She sighed softly.

"So that's how it works. I thought wanderers met companions and forged bonds along their journeys." Takahashi Ren nodded thoughtfully.

"You've actually comprehended the Wanderer's Will." Ai Morishita stared at him in shock.

Takahashi Ren had actually believed her and even played along. This was an opportunity.

"Huh? You mean what I just said?"

"Exactly. Congratulations. You're qualified to become my companion." Ai Morishita offered her approval with an affected air of maturity.

She struggled to maintain a solemn expression, but inwardly she was delighted.

"Then, as your companion, I'd like to introduce you to another companion."

"Who?"

"Miki Yamamura."

Ai Morishita paused slightly, clearly recognizing the name.

"You remember her?"

"Yes."

"That makes things easier. She has such a weak presence that she's always been alone. I became friends with her, and I want to help her."

Ai Morishita considered this, then asked, "Is this what Miki Yamamura wants?"

"I talked to her about it. She agreed."

"Do you think she can pass my test?"

"We're discussing something serious. Stop messing around."

"...You saw through me?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Right from the start."

"Then why didn't you call me out sooner?"

"That was me letting you win a round, as agreed."

"I thought we were already past that."

"No. I figured that if you were happy, things with Yamamura would be easier to arrange," Takahashi Ren admitted.

"I did have some reservations before, but after spending time with you, I think you know where to draw the line. And Yamamura trusts you, too."

Ai Morishita folded her arms and gave a little huff. "Now you're buttering me up."

But she neither denied it nor refused. After a brief silence, her tone softened, though it still carried her usual awkwardness.

"Still, this does give me a new source of fun. Looks like it'll be hard to turn you down."

Hearing that, Takahashi Ren knew it was settled.

"Thanks. I'll leave you two to talk." Takahashi Ren stood up and waved to someone a short distance away.

"Hm?" Ai Morishita looked over in confusion. A somewhat uneasy figure stood nearby, her hands clasped in front of her, looking a little nervous.

Takahashi Ren smiled and said goodbye to them both.

He had brought the two of them together. How far she and Yamamura would go was up to them.

When Takahashi Ren arrived at the library that afternoon, Shiina was already there. With their books in hand, they went together to a discussion room on the third floor.

Once the door closed, the sounds outside were shut out. This was a world that belonged only to the two of them.

They talked about books, authors, and the scenery and stories hidden within the words. One book after another, one writer after another.

They did not discuss anything personal. They did not talk about their classes or ask about the past, much less mention the girls whispering at Palette that morning.

Takahashi Ren found that sense of distance comfortable.

Only when their stomachs growled with hunger did they snap out of it as though waking from a dream and return to reality.

"Shall we have dinner together?" Shiina asked, still reluctant to stop.

Takahashi Ren closed the book in his hands and nodded. "Sure."

They gathered their books and walked out of the discussion room side by side. Outside the library, dusk had already fallen, and the streetlights came on one after another, bathing the path to the dining hall in warm yellow light.

There were few people left in the dining hall. They found a corner by the window and sat down. Outside lay the campus, gradually quieting in the dusk; inside were steaming dishes and an endless conversation.

On the way back, the evening breeze was slightly cool, dispersing the lingering warmth of their conversation but unable to sweep away that rare sense of having enjoyed themselves to the fullest.