During the meal I learned two new things.
The first is that Tsukiyomi makes her own bento box, something I didn't expect given what she brought to eat. A varied meal, but with a touch… how to put it? Feminine? Childlike? I can't find a word that perfectly describes it. I'm referring, of course, to the positive connotation of the examples I mentioned. I doubt I could ever come close to what she does.
The second is what Otsuki's mother does for a living. She's a pastry chef and works at a bakery in town. She doesn't own it, but she earns enough to support herself and Otsuki. It's worth noting that no one mentioned Haruka's salary; I'm just clarifying that Otsuki lives a normal life.
The topic of her work came up because Otsuki brought a piece of cake with her bento box, and she even let us try it. I say let us, but I refrained. Although it looked good.
He could have offered us something like that when we went to her house…
"It suits Hina perfectly."
That was the first thing I thought when I heard the second piece of information.
I miraculously remembered that on Saturday Hina described herself as having a 'sweet tooth'. What I didn't remember was the situation in which she said it, which had nothing to do with food.
"Yes, she takes advantage of it every time she comes to our house. Partly because my mother insists on giving her a little something. She spoils her too much."
"But… your mother's vanilla cake is really good."
"Put on a mask, Hina is infecting you."
Tsukiyomi further reinforced the idea that Haruka is an excellent pastry chef. That's to be expected, given that's her job.
The only downside would be the expense of making homemade buns… Unless it's not a high amount.
Now that we had finished eating, I would learn one last thing from both Otsuki and Tsukiyomi thanks to the rebound that the former made.
"Speaking of Hina, are you looking forward to the cultural festival?"
"It's not noticeable ," she let me know with her face. I can't blame her because that's exactly how I felt.
"No, I don't like it. If it were up to me, I'd skip the cultural festival. It's worse than having the day off."
Last year I tried to skip school by pretending to be a bad boy, but my dad caught me and drove me himself before going to work. Making up another excuse would be pointless. At least I had a good time because I wasn't alone.
My attendance at the cultural festival was one of the few things I'd actually thought about, partly because I had to decide what to do during the day, and partly because I couldn't just wander around aimlessly. I initially planned to hide on the fourth floor, but if I got caught or someone decided to go up there, I'd die of shame and humiliation. So I decided to stay in the library, which, besides having its own activities, would still be open for regular use.
However, I put all of this together before Saturday. Given the situation, I would have to be with them all day.
"Come on, just like Natsuki."
"…"
The woman felt hurt by her comment. Otsuki tried to cheer her up a bit by acknowledging her mistake, even though she wasn't sure exactly what she'd said that was rude.
"I don't mean it in a bad way. I understand you might not like it, but I want to know why."
"It's boring. It's always the same every year, and it's only entertaining if you're with people, otherwise it's a drag. The fun part isn't the festival itself."
"What if there were good jobs?"
"I wouldn't change a thing. I'm sure Tsukiyomi thinks the same."
Until then, I hadn't mentioned Tsukiyomi directly. She didn't take it badly, but she certainly hadn't expected it. It took her a moment to reply.
"I don't like it because there are too many people everywhere… And because of the haunted houses."
"There are a lot of people at recess."
"It's not the same…"
Well, we don't think alike, no. It saddens me that two introverts don't understand each other.
Her reasons were much more justified, and perhaps even healthier, than mine. Being shy isn't good—I'm not saying it is—but at least it doesn't drastically alter your way of thinking. It depends on why she's so shy. It's probably just embarrassment.
Otsuki continued the conversation we were having, curious about one of the things I mentioned.
"You said earlier that 'with friends' is fun."
"I can be with friends whenever I want. The festival only happens once a year, and that's not why I enjoy it."
"But you're not alone at the cultural festival."
She reached a basic conclusion, common sense for anyone. I wasn't just anyone. Had I been able, I would have refuted her point.
"You go with your friends to look at the stalls; that's still something you can only do once a year. And although they might be boring on your own, they usually aren't because you're with someone."
An unwanted memory resurfaced without warning.
"It's up to you. I still think it's not worth it."
Otsuki never intended to turn it into a debate. And she never did either. It only became one when I sulked.
"…"
Tsukiyomi wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. Otsuki felt bad for upsetting me.
"Sorry."
"N-nothing's wrong."
"If that's how you think, I'm not going to ask you to change either."
After Otsuki and I finished talking, she continued. About a different topic, of course. No hard feelings. Every now and then Tsukiyomi would add a comment. Otsuki would sometimes ask me something. I decided to stay quiet if she didn't.
I had made another mistake. Yet another one.