After Tsushima Kagami had finished walking Sayuri through every one of the recently-learned problem types he'd prepared—
Sayuri at last, tearfully, finished the practice problems Tsushima Kagami then assigned her, and handed them over for Tsushima Kagami to mark.
She had already been through several rounds of marking by now. Each time she got a question wrong, not only did she have to redo it,
but Tsushima Kagami would also draft a fresh variant of that same problem type all over again.
The result was that every time Sayuri was on the verge of getting it, the problem would change up its appearance and she'd be completely lost all over again.
Fortunately, under Tsushima Kagami's endlessly patient explanations, and with the problems themselves not being all that difficult,
in the end Sayuri finally, fumblingly, managed to work them all out.
Looking at her last few problems, Sayuri silently prayed that they would be right, please, hurry up and be right.
The bell signaling the end of club activities had rung half an hour ago.
And yet Kagami still wouldn't let her go!
Watching as Tsushima Kagami, brow furrowed, marked his way through every single question, and at last pronounced, "All correct,"
Sayuri finally, as though relieved of some enormous burden, slumped face-down across the table.
"It's finally over."
"Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo, I want to go home so badly."
Tsushima Kagami too was packing up his school bag, and said with a gentle smile—
"You really should be getting home early."
Having said that, he then pulled another practice problem set out of his bag and pushed it across to Sayuri.
"Go home and do these problems too."
"I'll mark them for you before tomorrow's English tutoring."
"Ah! Why is there homework even when I go home!"
"Kagami is a devil!"
"I hate Kagami! And I hate the upperclassmen too!"
"Double the problems."
"Ehehehe, Kagami is my absolute favorite!"
"This humble maiden is in your gracious care~"
"You've worked so hard today!"
Shinjuku Station.
After seeing Sayuri off through the ticket gate, Tsushima Kagami came back out, and only then headed for the convenience store where Yukinoshita Rei usually worked part-time.
When Tsushima Kagami went inside, today's register was being run by a different girl, while Shimizu Nayotake was off to the side doing inventory on the stock.
Yukinoshita Shizuku, since she didn't have her part-time job today, and on top of that had been invited along by Ijichi Seika and the others to go watch their Livehouse tonight—
today, Tsushima Kagami was on his own as far as picking up and dropping off Shimizu Nayotake went.
Ever since Shimizu Nayotake had been discharged from the hospital after that last incident,
whenever she was working her part-time job in Shinjuku Ward, Yukinoshita Shizuku would have Tsushima Kagami see her home in the evening.
Sometimes the two of them would go together.
Tsushima Kagami walked over with practiced familiarity to his exclusive magazine corner.
He picked up an issue of JUMP that he hadn't finished reading earlier in the Manga Research Club, and continued on from where he'd left off.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Tsushima Kagami felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
He turned his head to look.
And saw Shimizu Nayotake — already changed out of her work uniform and back into her school uniform.
"Off work already?"
Shimizu Nayotake nodded.
"Then let's get going."
Tsushima Kagami set the issue of JUMP in his hand back down, and after he and Nayotake said their goodbyes together to the staff coming on for the shift change, they walked out of the store together.
Shimizu Nayotake gave Tsushima Kagami a small bow and said—
"I'm imposing on you again today."
"I've already told you, there's no need to be so formal."
"If anything, with Shizuku forcing us to walk you home, I'm probably the one causing you all this bother."
Shimizu Nayotake shook her head, then turned and walked toward the subway.
Tsushima Kagami simply fell into step behind her.
By now this had already become an utterly familiar, comfortable rhythm between the two of them over the recent stretch of days.
When the two of them boarded the subway, the line back to Adachi Ward wasn't all that crowded at this hour.
But even so, there still weren't going to be any empty seats.
The two of them had long since grown used to standing together, silently and without a word, waiting for the station an hour out.
Tsushima Kagami, too, had no idea what he was supposed to talk about with the girl in front of him.
By now, he'd realized that he really knew very little about this girl.
Every time they were on the subway, the girl was always like this — gazing out at the tunnel walls beyond the window, lost in her own thoughts.
He had no idea what was really going through her mind.
He'd thought that after this whole hospitalization incident, having come to learn more about her family situation, he ought to understand her a little better.
But Tsushima Kagami discovered that — just as had been the case from the very beginning — he still understood nothing at all.
Then again — why did one have to go out of one's way to understand another person's inner heart?
Wasn't it enough that they were friends?
Did being friends mean you had to know more about each other?
Or did being friends mean you ought to keep a certain distance — in every sense of the word?
Thinking, thinking — this brought back to Tsushima Kagami's mind that scene from the Bunkyo Ward apartment, the very first time Shimizu Nayotake had come over to his home.
Back then she had been standing on the balcony in the night, a faintly glowing firefly perched on her finger.
She had seemed an entirely different person from the Nayotake he saw in the daytime, and from the Nayotake he usually saw at night.
What was that question she had asked him back then?
He couldn't quite remember — something about fireflies, life, meaning, that sort of thing?
Probably, at that point, she'd been musing on the brevity of her own remaining lifespan.
Still — soon enough, I'll be able to save you all.
Whatever it takes — just hold on.
Can't have me running all this around for nothing, after all!
Tsushima Kagami's thoughts gradually pulled back to the present.
It was only at this moment that he realized — Nayotake, who normally spent the ride staring blankly out the window, was now looking at him.
Tsushima Kagami likewise smiled and said—
"Nayotake, you're peeking at me!"
At this, Shimizu Nayotake neither flinched away nor showed any sign of embarrassment.
She simply gave Tsushima Kagami an easy, calm little smile.
And then shook her head.
It was only now that Tsushima Kagami realized — over this stretch of time, after coming into contact with everyone more often, Nayotake's
whole person had visibly grown a great deal more outgoing.
Although she was still often the silent, taciturn type, her usual answers being nothing more than nods or shakes of the head,
she was clearly smiling far more.
She had grown a bit more confident as a person, too.
In any case — it was all a good start.
Tsushima Kagami wanted to say something to liven up the atmosphere.
But he genuinely had no idea what to say.
In the end he gave up — and as usual, the two of them in the end stood in silence the entire way through to the final station.
By the time he had walked Shimizu Nayotake to her front door, Nayotake's mother was already standing in the doorway waiting.
Just as Tsushima Kagami had finished exchanging greetings with Shimizu's mother and was preparing to leave,
Shimizu's mother insisted on dragging Tsushima Kagami in to stay for dinner before he could go.
Tsushima Kagami thought about it and decided he really was a bit hungry, so he stayed and was treated to a meal.
They chatted for a while longer, and only then did he say his goodbyes to mother and daughter, and walk slowly back to the subway, riding it back to Shinjuku Station.
Once he had gotten back to Shinjuku Station, Tsushima Kagami checked the time — it was already nearly eleven o'clock.
Thinking that Yukinoshita Rei and the others' Livehouse ought to be just about wrapping up,
and that Yukinoshita Shizuku should already be home waiting for him by now—
just as he was about to head straight back, he caught sight of Hiratsuka Shizuka walking toward him.
"Kagami, what are you doing here?"
Looking at the Tsushima Kagami before her, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't disguise the delight in her eyes.
"I just got done seeing Nayotake home, then had a meal at her place and chatted for a while — only just got back."
"I see."
"Did you just finish your Livehouse performance with Seika and the others?"
Tsushima Kagami asked in turn.
"Mm-hm. Though the others all either live nearby, or get on at other stations."
"I'm the only one taking the train from here."
Hiratsuka Shizuka went on with a smile.
"Then I won't keep you from getting home."
"Shizuku should be home waiting for you already."
"I should be heading back too."
With that, Hiratsuka Shizuka waved at Tsushima Kagami.
Then she scanned her monthly pass at the ticket gate.
Tsushima Kagami nodded back, took out his own monthly pass, scanned through, and walked out through the ticket gate.
And just as the two of them passed by one another, Tsushima Kagami clearly caught a faintly forlorn look in Hiraya Shizuka's eyes.
He thought back over the recent stretch of time — though Hiratsuka Shizuka had been getting along quite well with Ijichi Seika and the others,
on the other hand, it seemed she had hardly been speaking much with him at all.
And she wasn't quite as casual with him as she had been back when they had first gotten to know each other, either.
He just couldn't shake the feeling that...
The time the two of them spent meeting had increased, but their relationship had slowly grown more distant?
Or rather — was it perhaps that he himself had been somewhat neglecting her of late?
After all, as her supposed good buddy, he really felt like he was the one she was in contact with the least.
So in the end, was it really my fault — for being such a lousy buddy?
Having thought this far, as if guided by some unseen hand, he came to a stop.
He turned to look at Hiratsuka Shizuka as she walked onto the platform.
At that very moment, in perfect, intuitive synchrony, Hiratsuka Shizuka likewise stopped, turned, and looked back at him.
"How about we..."
"How about we..."
The two of them said it in perfect unison.
Then they exchanged a smile.
"You first."
Hiratsuka Shizuka tilted her head and said with a smile.
"It's so late — how about I see you home?"
On hearing Tsushima Kagami say this, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked a bit surprised.
"Your turn now."
Tsushima Kagami said with a smile.
"How about you come with me to a ramen place and get a bite to eat?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka, too, said it with a smile.
____
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