Rio wouldn’t ask his plans without good reason.
“Off the top of my head, school’s the only thing that connects you to Kunimi and me.”
“I see.”
“So I thought school might be the cause of it all.”
“…You might be right.”
Sakuta had just remembered something. Today—well, technically yesterday—shortly after he’d met up with Mai, they’d run into Tomoe Koga, the girl he’d met helping a lost child.
But there at the station, Tomoe had seen Mai just fine. So had her friends.
“Maybe coming out here was a waste of time…,” he said.
He filled Rio in on Tomoe and her friends.
“I wouldn’t call it a complete waste,” Rio said. “The information you gathered gives us a more accurate grasp of her situation. And that helped us establish the hypothesis that the root cause stems from the school.”
“Oh…well, that’s good. I probably won’t make it in before noon tomorrow, but I’ll be at school. Sorry for calling you in the middle of the night.”
“You’d better be.”
Rio yawned and hung up. Sakuta put the phone back on the cradle.
He realized he’d been standing up for no reason and sat down on the bed.
The shower had stopped. He’d been so focused on the call, he hadn’t noticed.
“Augh! Such a waste!” he murmured.
The door to the bathroom opened a crack. Mai poked her head out, a towel wrapped around it. He caught a glimpse of her shoulder, flushed from the bathwater, steam rising from it.
“Underwear!” she said.
“Huh?”
“I can wear the same clothes, but underwear and socks? Ew!”
“Should I wash them for you?”
“I’d rather die.”
“If it was your underwear, I wouldn’t care how filthy it was.”
“They’re not filthy!”
“Shame. That might be more valuable.”
“Stop with the sick fantasies!”
Mai took the towel off her head and threw it at Sakuta. It hit him right in the face. He’d been too busy staring at her glistening wet hair to dodge.
But not dodging had been the right choice. There was a sweet scent clinging to the towel—maybe the shampoo.
“Can I assume you’re totally naked right now?”
“I’ve got a bath towel on!”
“Ohhh!”
“Stop imagining it!”
“I’m free to imagine all I like.”
“Why are you such a sex fiend?!”
“How could I not get turned on when I’m sharing a hotel room with a girl as beautiful as you?”
“You’re blaming me for it?!”
“Even if I round down, at least half the fault lies with you.”
As he spoke, he stood up, checking his wallet.
“I’ll run to the convenience store and buy some underwear. I need a change myself.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’ve got enough.”
He showed her the meager contents of his wallet. Before leaving Fujisawa Station, he’d taken out all the money he’d earned at work. It was only fifty thousand yen or so, but that was more than enough to buy the five-hundred-yen underwear convenience stores carried.
“No, I mean…aren’t boys embarrassed by that sort of thing?”
“Mm? Oh, sure, I guess. I’m used to it, though.”
“You are?” Mai blinked, not sure what he meant.
“After buying stuff for my sister’s periods, I just stopped caring. I even started getting a kick out of the staff’s reactions.”
Since Kaede was a homebody who never went out, he had to buy her clothes and underwear.
“You’re the worst kind of customer.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Wait, I’m coming.”
Mai pulled her head back and closed the door. She locked it again. She was really on her guard. No trust at all.
“I can handle it.”
“I’m afraid of what you’ll pick out.”
“It’s not like they have a wide selection.”
Convenience stores only carried the most basic of stuff.
“The very thought of putting on underwear a boy bought for me is gross!”
She must have been getting dressed in that tiny bathroom. He could hear her grunting slightly between words. That was pretty sexy, too.
After a while, he could hear a dryer running.
He was stuck waiting for over ten minutes before she emerged.
“Come on,” she said.
“Here we gooo.”
Sakuta and Mai left the hotel, taking the back door—mostly to avoid the front desk. A high school student traveling alone stood out like a sore thumb. No point in encouraging any more suspicion than Sakuta’d already drawn during check-in.
The fact that no one could see Mai was definitely a plus here. If they’d checked in as a couple, they’d have raised even more concerns, which might well have led to police involvement. Of course, if people could see her, they’d never have come all the way out here in the first place…
Sakuta looked up and down the street. Fifty yards down the road from the station was a brightly lit green sign—a convenience store.
They made that their destination.
This late at night, there were few people out and about. At first, neither of them spoke.
“It’s such a strange feeling,” Mai said at last. She had her hands clasped behind her back and seemed to be enjoying the sight of the sleeping town around her.
“What is?”
“Being in an unfamiliar city like this.”
Mai was deliberately making her heels click on the pavement like a marching soldier.
“I thought you traveled a lot, filming?”
“I didn’t go anywhere. I was taken.”
“Ahhh, I get that.”
He’d once traveled with his family all the way to Okinawa, much farther than Ogaki. And his junior high school trip had gone to Kyoto, a little farther out than here. And in elementary school, they’d gone to Nikko. He’d been to plenty of other places as part of school excursions, but none of those times felt like he’d gone there himself.
Like Mai said, he’d simply been taken there.
On some level, Sakuta was enjoying this trip, just like Mai. He’d probably felt a rush encountering a new experience as they hopped on the Tokaido Line at Fujisawa Station.
They’d picked the train with no set destination, just aiming to get as far as they could. Trying to find someone who could see Mai, someone who could remember her…
They’d come here themselves. They’d have to get back by themselves as well. That was stressful but also kind of fun.
It was like they were on an adventure together. Adolescence Syndrome aside, they had completely left their daily routine behind. And that sense of new was enjoyable.
“Whenever I wasn’t filming, I was trapped in a hotel. Even if I had never been to the location before, everyone who lived there knew me, so I didn’t want to walk around much.”
“Is that a brag?”
“You know it isn’t, but you ask anyway. Just craving attention?”
Her eyes were smiling. She saw right through him.
“You got me,” he admitted sheepishly.
“You’re like a little kid,” Mai snorted. “But I suppose the strangest thing about this is that I’m walking through this unknown town with a younger boy.”
“I certainly never thought I’d go someplace this far away with the Mai Sakurajima.”
“You should be honored.”
“It’s an honor I will never forget.”
Sakuta chose his words deliberately, fully aware of their meaning. It wasn’t a concept they could avoid. Mai was definitely vanishing from people’s memories.
“……”
Mai didn’t answer.
That made Sakuta want to emphasize the point again.
/>
“I’ll never forget this.”
“……But if you do?”
“I’ll eat Pocky through my nose.”
“Don’t play with your food.”
“That was your idea!”
There was a smile on Mai’s lips, but that was all.
“Sakuta.”
“What?”
“You swear?”
“……”
“You really won’t forget me?”
Her eyes wavered. Like she was testing him.
“The image of your bunny-girl outfit is seared into my brain.”
Mai let out a long breath. “You still have the outfit, right?” she asked. It sounded like she was absolutely certain he did. It was true, so…
“Of course.”
“Then you’ve done horrifying things with it.”
“Not yet.”
“Throw it out when you get home.”
“Aww.”
“No protests!”
“I was hoping to get you to wear it again.”
“I don’t know how you can say that with a straight face.”
She seemed completely appalled.
Sakuta wasn’t giving up that easily. He kept staring at her.
“Well, maybe once,” she said, folding. There was only a little embarrassment in her voice. “To thank you for all of this.”
“No, thank you!”
“Fulfilling the sexual fantasies of a younger boy is nothing to me,” she said, though she wasn’t looking at him. It was too dark to be sure, but her face seemed pretty red.
“Well, first, we’ve got to get you some underwear.”
“I’m not letting you choose.”
They reached the store before the argument was settled.
The man behind the counter greeted Sakuta unenthusiastically. There were no customers. There was one other employee, seizing the chance to stock the candy aisle during a lull.
They found what they needed on a shelf near the door. Sakuta grabbed a basket and followed Mai over.
Socks, T-shirts, towels, stockings, and of course, the underwear and camisoles they were after.
He’d never really paid much attention before, but there was a better selection than he’d expected. Everything was folded up small in plastic cases, easy to grab and go.
The female underwear section consisted of panties and camisoles, sold separately. They came in S or M sizes, and the only colors available were black and pink.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mai grabbed a pair of black panties and a matching camisole, dropping them in the basket. Then she added a pair of socks.
“Pink would be nice.”
“You’re not going to see them either way.”
“Shame. I’d love to.”
“Talk like an idiot, and you’ll become one.”
Mai stifled a yawn and headed for the beverage cases.
There seemed little point in insisting, so Sakuta grabbed a T-shirt, socks, and a pair of boxers for himself and followed her.
“Black works, too.”
“What did you say?”
“Never mind!”
Back at the hotel, they changed, then filled their bellies with rice balls and sandwiches. They’d eaten once on the way, but that had been over four hours ago—they’d both gotten pretty hungry since.
After that quick meal, Sakuta took a shower. When he emerged…
“Let’s go back first thing tomorrow,” he said.
Mai looked surprised to hear it. “Worried about your sister?” she asked.
“That, too. But I also found someone who remembers you.”
“…You did?”
“Both my friends at Minegahara High.”
“When did you…?”
“I called while you were in the shower.”
He glanced at the phone in the room.
“Calling this late could end a friendship.”
“I said sorry. It’ll be fine.”
“Such confidence.”
“If either of them did the same to me, I’d forgive it.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. But…oh. You weren’t the last person who remembers me.”
“Maybe the cause of this is at school.”
He couldn’t be sure. But it was the only lead he had. They had to place their hopes on it and act accordingly.
“Okay. Then let’s get some sleep.”
“Uh…so where should I sleep?”
Mai had already staked out a claim on the bed. She was wearing a bathrobe in lieu of pajamas. She looked up at him, not answering.
“The floor? The bathtub? I think the hotel will get mad if I sleep in the hall.”
She stared at him for another long minute, then glanced down at the single bed.
She thought for a long time.
Then she asked, “Promise not to do anything?”
“I swear,” he answered immediately.
“Liar.” Not an ounce of trust. “But I guess I’m the one who let you lure me into a hotel.”
“Don’t make it sound like I tricked you!”
“I’ll allow you to lie next to me. Only to sleep, mind.”
“Really?”
“Would you prefer the hall?”
“I’d love to sleep with you.”
Given the circumstances, that sounded like something else entirely.
“……”
It definitely seemed to arouse her suspicion. He hastily rephrased.
“I’d love to sleep next to you.”
“……Fine.”
Mai made room. Sakuta slipped into the space. The spot where she’d been sitting was still warm.
“……”
“……”
He tried to sleep. But…
“Sakuta…,” Mai said.
“Yes?”
“This is really cramped.”
The single bed was definitely not designed for two. Didn’t seem like they’d be able to move around in their sleep.
“Should I move?” he asked, turning toward her.
She did the same, and their eyes met. Her face was inches from his. Even in the dim light, he could almost count her eyelashes.
“Say something.”
“What?”
“Something fun.”
“That’s a high bar. Do you enjoy tormenting me?”
Sarcasm was his escape mechanism.
“Maybe,” she said, her expression unchanged.
“If you don’t enjoy it, why do you do it?”
“Because you enjoy me tormenting you.”
“And so you toy with me in full knowledge of that! You’re a born queen.”
“Your masochistic streak is so obvious that I have to offer you some small reward.”
“No man alive would be unmoved if a beautiful senpai tormented them.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“A glowing one.”
“Hmph.”
The conversation petered out.
Without their voices to fill the space, the only sounds were the noise of the air conditioner and the ventilation fan in the bathroom. No cars passed on the street outside. Nothing came from the neighboring rooms.
It was just the two of them.
Sakuta was alone with Mai in a tiny single room.
He made no effort to take his eyes off her.
Mai made no effort to take her eyes off him.
“……”
“……”
A long silence passed between them.
Occasional blinks. The sound of her breath.
With no warning, her lips parted.
“We should kiss,” she said.
He was surprised. But not rattled.
“Feeling frisky, Mai?”
“You’re an idiot.”
She didn’t get mad at his joke. She didn’t get flustered or look embarrassed, either. Her only reaction was to smile like it was funny.
“We should sleep. Good night.”
She turned over
, facing away from him.
Her hair flowed down. He could see the nape of her neck. If he kept staring, he was sure he’d put his arms around her, so he turned over, too, lying back-to-back.
“Sakuta.”
“I thought we were sleeping?”
“If I started shaking like a leaf and, through my sobs, said, ‘I don’t want to disappear!’ what would you do?”
“I’d put my arms around you from behind and whisper, ‘It’ll be okay.’”
“Then I’ll never say it.”
“Not enough?”
“I feel like you’d just ‘accidentally’ grab my breasts.”
“What about your butt?”
“Obviously off-limits,” she said, like she was brushing off a pest. “……I’ve made up my mind to go back to work. I can’t disappear now.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“That’s right.”
“I definitely want to do TV and movies. I’d love to try stage acting, too. I want to work with amazing directors, costars, staff. Do great work. Feel like I’m alive again.”
“Then it’s off to Hollywood!”
“Ha-ha, that would be nice.”
“I’d better get your autograph now.”
“They’re already worth quite a bit, you know.”
“I suppose they would be.”
“I really…can’t disappear now.”
“……”
“Not when I just got to know this sassy young boy who makes me actually look forward to school.”
“I won’t forget you.”
They lay back-to-back.
“……”
She didn’t answer.
“I promise I won’t forget you, Mai.”
“How can you be sure?”
Sakuta ignored the question.
“So we can kiss anytime. Doesn’t have to be now. We don’t have to rush. It doesn’t even have to be me. I know you can make it to Hollywood. You can do anything you want. I’m sure of it.”
Mai was silent for a moment.
“…You’re right,” she said. “Shame. You blew your one and only chance to take my first kiss.”
“You should have warned me!”
“Too late now.”
He could hear her giggling.
But it soon died down.
“Thank you,” she said. “For not giving up on me. Thank you.”
“……”
Sakuta didn’t answer. He was pretending to be asleep. If they talked any longer, he would definitely wind up with his arms around her.
After a while, her breathing slowed. Mai was asleep.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Volume 1 Page 13