Now she could do anything.
She stepped onto the starting blocks.
A gentle breeze ruffled the girl's hair.
The coach's clear voice echoed across the field.
"Ready—"
"Go!"
Yakishio Lemon, at full power, naturally took first place. With all buffs active, she even pulled ahead by a full second, making everyone exclaim at her terrifying strength.
Seeing Lemon fully recovered, Kiyono felt relieved—it hadn't been in vain that he'd used both persuasion and blown through red lights on his bicycle.
After the meet, the track-and-field club went off for a celebratory gathering, while Kiyono pushed his bike and walked back with Yanami Anna.
But he discovered a very serious problem.
Lemon's troubles were solved—yet now another "problem girl" had emerged.
Under the blue sky dotted with cumulus, Yanami Anna walked ahead in silence, her hair swaying gently, only showing him her profile. Most alarming of all: she didn't even buy any street snacks!
Kiyono ventured, "What's wrong, Miss Yanami?"
"Hmph."
Only a soft snort answered him.
The girl's attitude of I'm very angry, come coax me was practically written on her face.
Kiyono felt a headache coming on. Yanami Anna rarely threw a tantrum like this, and he didn't know why she was angry… Was it because of Yakishio Lemon? It shouldn't be—wasn't she the one who instigated it?
Even though he didn't understand, he still knew the correct course of action at this moment:
"Yanami? Want some snacks?"
"Hmph."
Still ignored.
"Anna? Little Apricot?"
Her steps seemed to slow.
Yanami snorted again. "Are we that close, Mr. Flirty Pick-Up Artist?"
This is difficult… Kiyono muttered to himself, then fell silent and simply lengthened his stride, pushing the bike to close the distance.
In the next moment, he suddenly let go of the handlebars, letting the bicycle tilt toward the guardrail. Hearing the sound, Yanami Anna instinctively reached out to steady it—her fingertips brushed his hand.
Only when their eyes met did she realize he'd already braced the frame with his knee.
This guy… Before she could speak, Kiyono looked down at her—then crouched.
"Hold it for me. I'm going to adjust the brake pads."
After a token twist, his fingers moved to her shoe.
Yanami Anna's eyes widened. What was he trying to— It's said some perverts like girls' shoes and feet, but at least pay attention to time and place! This is the street…
Soft words reached her ear and steadied her heart.
"Don't move. Your shoelace is untied."
She looked down—sure enough, it was loose.
As Kiyono crouched to tie the lace, a faint ripple stirred in her eyes. One hand pinched the hem of her skirt; a light blush colored her pretty face.
"Done."
A neat, beautiful bow.
The blue-haired girl tried not to stare at it and continued forward—only now, the distance between them had shrunk.
In the quiet, she snorted again and spoke first. "That junior just now was really cool. I bet all the girls in the track club are going to fall for you."
"More like embarrassing…"
He'd thought he looked cool—until every eye was on him; then it was pure shame. After all, he was in his restaurant uniform, and what an entrance that was.
"Ah, ah—how nice to have someone help when you're in trouble. If I fall into the same predicament two years from now, that junior definitely won't come help me, right?"
She spoke as if it didn't matter, but she still sneaked a glance, secretly gauging his answer.
But—
"Indeed."
Kiyono raised his chin and said, dead serious, "In two years, I'll probably be the most sought-after young writer in Japan. How could I have time for something as boring as counseling a girl!"
This jerk! He could help Lemon when she was in a pinch, but once he's successful he'll forget about me… Yanami's mouth twitched; her steps quickened, about to return to cold-war mode.
"However…"
His next words, tinged with a smile, made her falter.
"I will try my best to arrange my time appropriately." His tone was maddeningly smug.
"What kind of answer is that?"
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After a beat, he added softly, "I'll try my best to arrange my time so I can help a certain silly glutton."
Yanami Anna stopped.
Her eyes lit up, bit by bit.
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and flashed a charming smile.
"Why aren't you walking?" Kiyono glanced back.
"It's nothing. I suddenly want to walk behind you!"
Yanami let out a soft breath, smiling as she followed and gently bumped his shoulder.
"Ah, there's a place selling strawberry daifuku up ahead! Junior, give me a lift!" She hopped onto the rear rack.
The first thing after cheering up is… eating?! Well, fine. As long as she's okay.
Kiyono mounted the bicycle.
Dappled light filtered through the canopy.
For some reason, all the girl's worry and grievance melted away—transformed into equal parts joy that mingled with the sunlight and flowed through her heart.
---
The day after the competition.
At nine in the evening at the family restaurant, the waiter—Kiyono—welcomed a special guest.
"Kiyono." The athletic girl with beautiful violet eyes smiled and waved. "I'm about to meet Mitsuki, so I came to tell you specifically!"
—Don't use such misleading phrasing! It sounds like I gave you some weird quest!
Kiyono's eye twitched; he silently chanted pure love, pure love. That said, the girl's initiative was impressive: having made up her mind, she acted immediately.
Now, a determined Lemon's combat power was at least T0-tier!
Unfortunately, she was already out of the game.
Kiyono sighed inwardly and asked, "Aren't you going to prepare a bit more?"
"What's there to prepare?"
Lemon's lips curved. Hands behind her back, she stepped closer and looked straight into his eyes. Her expression grew serious, and she enunciated each word:
"This isn't a confession, you know."
Kiyono nodded. She seemed to understand she had no chance of winning—so it might hurt less…
"I'm just going to bring closure to the past—like you said. The important thing isn't the ceremony, but the resolve."
Yakishio Lemon tilted her head slightly; her smile was bright.
"So… tonight, you have to keep your promise and watch me from the closest place!" She bumped his shoulder with a light fist.
"If you're not afraid of seeing a pathetic defeated dog."
"Hey! The weak me of the past was saved by you. The current me won't show that sort of demeanor anymore."
As she finished, Lemon inexplicably glanced at a corner behind her, then withdrew her gaze, winked, and rose on tiptoe to whisper an address.
"I'll wait outside. Remember to bring Anna with you."
She jogged off.
Kiyono watched her back disappear, then turned toward the break room—just as a flash of blue hair slipped out the door.
He flung it open, deliberately crinkling a snack bag with exaggerated noise. "Ah, it seems Ono-senpai brought someone a limited-edition caramel pudding today. I remember it's in the locker. She's not here right now…"
"No stealing!"
A wild otter appeared at once.
Their eyes met. A blush climbed Yanami Anna's pale cheeks; embarrassment flickered in her expression. She coughed and turned away.
"A-at most, I can only share half with you!"
"That's not the point, is it?" Kiyono set the snacks down and shot her a look. "Why hide on purpose? Wouldn't it be better to come together?"
Yanami twirled a lock of hair and mumbled, "Because… I feel like I'm not really suited to be there."
This was Lemon and Kiyono's story. Unknowingly, they already had a time she couldn't intrude upon.
Though Yanami and Lemon seemed as close as sisters—and truly were—girl friendships were subtle. Even as friends, they couldn't bare everything; they couldn't truly enter each other's hearts. She was careful with boundaries.
That's why she'd said before she couldn't help Lemon. Only a fool like Kiyono could stomp straight into the softest part of someone's heart.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Let's go." Kiyono ignored her waffling. Afraid they'd miss the time, he simply grabbed her wrist.
…Honestly. The girl's body relaxed.
Night had draped the sky; dark clouds obscured the moon.
The shopping-street lanterns winked out one by one; only the warm yellow of a second-hand bookstore still breathed in the window. Bicycles drifted past; their shadows overlapped for a moment in the pharmacy's glass.
"This is… an elementary school?"
Yanami peered ahead in surprise. Under the soft streetlights, withered wisteria tangled in the rust of the school gate's iron fence; inside, old playground equipment loomed.
As a girl with the childhood-friend attribute herself, she quickly understood, pursed her lips, and felt a swell of emotion.
"The rest is up to her."
Kiyono parked his bicycle. Unlike Yanami Anna, he didn't try to peek inside—he just tilted his head to study a corner of the moon.
Neither of them noticed the dark figure approaching from not far away…
Inside the school, it was pitch-black. No stars; no moon.
Tap. Tap-tap-tap. Light footsteps sounded.
Yakishio Lemon strolled across the elementary campus, her expression nostalgic and joyful—as if she'd found the X on a childhood treasure map. Beside her, the intellectual boy with glasses wore a complicated look.
This was their elementary school, the place that held six years of their lives. Now, walking it again with her childhood friend, emotions surged.
Memories slowly resurfaced.
What is a childhood friend? Yakishio Lemon suddenly pondered the question.