Chapter 24: Negotiation

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Translator: Soafp

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Hiiragi, now bright red in the face, shouted at me.

“Come on, Hatsukade, calm down. What about high school?!”

“If you come back to school, the problem is solved.”

“That's… that's exactly what I don't want.”

“Then negotiations are broken. We'll stay at an impasse until one of us gives in. I'd appreciate it if you gave up sooner rather than later.”

Hiiragi and I were complete strangers.

Maybe she didn't even need to go this far to help me.

Still, if she ended up repeating a year because of me, in any form whatsoever, I'd feel awful about it.

Toshie, who had been seated across from me, stood up.

“Oh, so Sakura's crush was you, huh, Subaru.”

“I only found that out recently myself.”

“So even a handsome guy like you can get Sakura to fall for you, huh? I don't know all the details, but I'm rooting for Subaru.”

“W-Why, Uncle Toshie!?”

“Come on, Sakura. No uncle wants his precious niece to get her heart broken.”

With a grin showing his white teeth, Toshie gave Hiiragi a thumbs-up and smiled.

“Anyway, once you finish breakfast, I'm going to work you guys hard.”

Leaving only those words behind, he walked away.

I got up too, and Hiiragi, her neck and ears flushed red, tugged at my sleeve.

“…Hatsukade.”

“What?”

“…Ugh, never mind. You idiot.”

And with that, she ran off.

Left alone in the shop lobby, I shrugged.

Truthfully, I had no idea what to do from here either.

What was supposed to solve this?

How could I get Hiiragi to come back to school?

I had a feeling I might be pretty thoroughly screwed, but well, somehow it would work out.

The thing to do was simple: keep thinking about it together with Hiiragi until we found a solution.

I hated the kind of thinking where, the moment something goes wrong, you throw everything away and hit reset out of desperation.

No matter the situation, there's always a path somewhere.

I believe that.

---

After breakfast, I checked my phone.

Come to think of it, Amanatsu had sent me a ton of messages last night.

Because I had a duty to report to Hiiragi's parents, I'd prioritized that and forgotten about Amanatsu.

“…Hatsukade-kun, why aren't you coming to school?”

“Hiiragi not being there too is a coincidence, right??”

“Could it really be that you and Hiiragi are…”

“Hey, why aren't you replyingyy?!”

I replied, “I've caught a cold,” and closed my phone.

It would be easy enough to fool simple Amanatsu with that for a few days.

Even if I told her the truth, she'd just panic for no real reason.

After that, work at the shop began.

My job was to prepare and put away equipment used for the activities.

Blue Note handled a wide range of marine sports.

From the main diving activities to snorkeling, SUP, and windsurfing—there was a lot.

After being taught the basics, I quietly got to work.

First, I read through the reservations and calculated the most efficient timing for each task.

Hmm. There's a windsurfing reservation at this time, so I should line up the boards on the beach ten minutes early.

By the time we get back to the shop, the snorkeling customers will be returning, so I'll help them take off their wetsuits and marine shoes, then wash everything right away after collecting it.

Oh, and at this time there's a beginner diving briefing, so I'll be free for a bit. Come to think of it, when I took my break earlier, the barley tea stock was running low, so I should make more.

Just as I finished replenishing the barley tea, Toshie called out to me.

“Subaru, what are you? You're working way too well for your first day! Why can you do things nobody even taught you?”

“I learned by watching my seniors work.”

“That's way too Showa-era. Look, the university girl who started last month is crying.”

When I looked where he was pointing, a short-haired woman was welling up and sniffing, saying, “So I really was useless…”

“I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention.”

I hadn't expected to hurt someone over something this minor.

That was my mistake. I should have made the seniors look better.

I gave a small bow.

And then I saw a little elementary school girl staring up at me.

When had she gotten there?

She was glued to my feet, looking up with big, innocent eyes. In her arms was Fujimaru, wagging his tail.

“I know! People like Subaru are called shigodeki.”

She was Toshie's daughter, Shizuka-chan.

She was a pretty cute kid, and apparently she had been the one begging to keep Fujimaru.

Whenever she had time, she would wander around the Blue Note lobby like this.

When I patted her little head, Shizuka-chan giggled and bounced around.

“I like Subaru. Let's play together tonight.”

“Sure. I'm looking forward to it.”

Kids are wonderful.

When you interact with pure, unclouded feelings like that, you start to feel cleaner yourself.

Maybe that's because I'm always dealing with such weird people.

My eyes met Hiiragi's at the reception counter.

“I'm not even on a first-name basis with you yettt…”

She clutched her head and grumbled, but I ignored her and handed a chilled barley tea to the university senior.

“Murata-senpai, I'm free right now, so I'll take over guiding. You've been standing the whole time and must be tired—please take a break.”

“…Subaru-kun.”

The senior looked thrilled as she took the drink.

Huh. Seems like I got her name right after all.

This place had a lot of university girls and women here on resort part-time jobs, so I still hadn't memorized everyone's names.

“Subaru-kun, do you have a girlfriend?”

“No, I don't have anyone like that.”

“Th-Then what kind of girl is your type?”

“Let's see… probably a calm, mature woman?”

“O-Older, huh, wowwww!”

“Yes.”

And to repeat myself: it's not that I have no interest in women.

I do want to have a relationship someday.

Mom and Dad have been together for years and still seem to enjoy each other's company every day.

It's just that I think romantic relationships with stupid high schoolers are a bit impossible.

“Um, Subaru-kun, can I exchange contact info with you?”

“Would that be considered necessary for work purposes?”

“Eh? Y-Yeah, exactly. Nothing to worry about, okay?”

“Hold it right thereeeeeeeee!!!!”

I pulled out my phone, only to suddenly have Hiiragi grab my arm and drag me away.

“What the hell was that for all of a sudden!?”

“There are too many things to complain about! Just come with me!”

While Murata-senpai let out a pitiful “Ah…” behind us, I was dragged into the back area.

---

Hiiragi, panting hard, glared at me.

“Are you okay, Hiiragi? Want some barley tea?”

“Thanks… no, wait! A-ah, c-calm down and listen carefully, Hatsukade.”

You calm down first.

“I realized something. You don't belong in this workplace.”

“Why?”

“I have a bad feeling this is going to turn into a disaster!”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Please, just go home! If this keeps up, all my various actions will end up meaning nothing, and that would really be outside my expectations!”

“I'm going home when you do. I told you that.”

“…!”

Hiiragi's face turned red again, and she buried her head in her hands before letting out a huge sigh.

“Haaah… fine. I give up. I don't think I can beat you.”

I never agreed to any competition in the first place.

“Hey, what would it take for you to accept this?”

“…”

“If you haven't found an answer yet, I'm willing to think it through with you too. I'm sure there's some compromise somewhere.”

“…You really are impossible to beat, Hatsukade.”

With that, she slapped both cheeks lightly as if trying to psych herself up.

“Yeah, you're right. I've been acting unlike myself lately. Okay, I get it! I'll accept your terms. I'll go back with you, and I'll go to school too!”

“Oh.”

“But I want you to accept my condition too.”

“Tell me anything. If it's something I can do, I'll help.”

“You said it!”

Hiiragi raised one finger.

“For one week, until this weekend, I want you to be my boyfriend.”

“…”

“Only while I'm here. We'll make lots of memories, and then on Monday we'll go to school together again.”

“Can you even do that?”

“It's not about whether I can or can't—it's about doing it! If I don't do something like this, you won't give up, will you?”

Hiiragi declared it loudly.

She was smiling, but sweat beaded on her forehead, and the fingertip she held up was trembling.

When I stayed silent, I could hear her swallow.

“It's… it's not a lie. If I don't do this, I probably won't be able to move on. Just for one week—that's all. Then I'll definitely give up.”

Agreeing here would be easy.

I could say yes, kill time however I wanted, and my goal would be achieved.

But that wasn't what Hiiragi actually wanted.

“If agreeing to this means you'll be satisfied and promise to go back to school, then I'll accept.”

“Y-you really mean it? I'm not joking, you know.”

“I understand everything.”

“…I'll get jealous if you get friendly with other girls.”

“Yeah.”

“I want to hold hands too… and go on that date too.”

“I'm not confident since you'd be my first girlfriend, but I'll do my best.”

“…!”

“Is that enough?”

“I want you to call me Sakura.”

“…Sakura, are you okay with that?”

“Yeah… ugh…”

A wind carrying the scent of the sea blew in.

The breeze came through the screen door of the open window and made Sakura's hair sway.

“Thank you, Subaru.”

She said it with tears in her eyes, the corners of her eyes glistening faintly.

How did it end up like this?

I never had any intention of dating someone in high school.

From a personal standpoint, this was the worst possible solution.

I thought there had to be a better way.

But if this would bring Sakura back…

Then I'd do it.

Not as a pretense.

Not as a temporary act.

Literally, as a real boyfriend for one week…

And so, I got my first girlfriend in my life.