Chapter 2 - Careful planning, tiny payoff.
Today's a completely ordinary day.
...I mean, it's still barely 7am, so who knows.
Hikari: "Oh, Ta~kun! Morning!"
Yuu: "Hikari? Early as always, huh."
In the station closest to our houses, bustling with the morning rush, there he was -- my childhood friend -- standing in front of the second door of Car 3 on Platform 1.
Hikari: "We're riding the same train so I could tell you the same."
Yuu: "Yeah, but your school is way closer. You could easily leave 30 minutes later, no?"
Ugh, this guy... Well, he's not wrong. I really don't need to take such an early train.
I mean, it's only two stops away for me -- a quick five-minute ride and then a five-minute walk to school.
Meanwhile, he has to get off more than 10 stops away, and then climb a steep hill for 15 minutes to reach his rural... More like, a school that's surrounded by nature.
So, usually, we leave at different times, but every now and then... actually, only once a week, we just happen to run into each other at the station like this.
Hikari: "Actually, I've got a quiz first thing today, and I promised my friend I'd check out their notes before school starts."
Yuu: "Wow, in middle school, you didn't even have to study to be at the top of the class. You've really gone downhill."
Hikari: "Shut up."
Alright, the quiz was, of course, a total lie. Sorry.
Truth is, I got here 15 minutes ago and hid behind the pilar waiting for him to show up, then skillfully went behind him to say hi. The mastermind behind this coincidence? Yep, all me.
What? Are you thinking, why bother waiting at the station when you could just catch him when he leaves his house, or just go pick him up, since you live right next door?
Weeeell, you've got a solid idea, but...
If I did that, wouldn't my feelings for him be too blatantly obvious?
We've always just hung out without thinking too much about it, but if things suddenly got all awkward, and I couldn't just swing by his place anymore... who's going to be responsible for that? I'd hate that!
But, I also don't want to stop this little lie I've been telling.
I mean, come on, if I didn't get to see the boy I like at the start of the day or even have a little chat with him, my whole day would be totally ruined, you know?
So, I'd appreciate it if you could just overlook these little schemes I pull about once a week.
......Unfortunately, I'm starting to run out of excuses.
Ever since I became a second-year, I've been making up excuses pretty much every week, claiming I had class duties or sports festival practices. But honestly, if there was a school that interrupted their students' valuable mornings with that many events, I wouldn't want to go there at all!
Umm, what was I talking about again?
......Well, whatever.
............
............
Hikari: "It's as crowded as always~."
Yuu: "I mean, it is rush hour."
As usual for a weekday morning, the train is packed.
In the midst of the crowd, I squeeze into the usual spot -- leaning against the right-side of the second door in Car 3.
This way, nobody's touching my back, and right in front of me is...
Hikari: "Hey, Ta~kun, stop messing with your phone. It's so cramped in here~."
Yuu: "I can't. I haven't claimed my login bonuses yet..."
He's standing right in front of me, as if he's protecting me from the other passengers.
......Uh, yeah, I know I'm getting lost in my fantasies here.
But this is his usual spot, so if I grab it first, he's kinda stuck standing right in front of me.
See? From the outside, it looks like a brave boy protecting his beloved girlfriend from the evil hands of other men.
Even if he only sees me as a childhood friend, he wouldn't try to put space between us or turn away after we said our morning hellos and hopped on the same train. Honestly, why would he do that?
So I take advantage of his kindness (or rather, his lack of awareness) and manage to get us close enough to where we can feel each other's breath.
Hikari: "Hmmm~..."
Yuu: "What is it, Hikari?"
Hikari: "I was thinking that your face hasn't really changed much, Ta~kun."
Yuu: "Is that something you just had to check right now?"
He has this kinda sleepy vibe, he's always been rated above average, maybe a little bit more.
He's never been hugely popular, but he's had one or two fans every year.
Even now, looking up from this close distance at the face of the boy I'm into, I still can't tell what's changed about him compared to a few months back, when he wasn't all that special to me.
Hikari: "Oh, did you get taller?"
Yuu: "Hehe~, five centimeters this year."
Hmm… Yeah, I do have to tilt my head up a bit more. My neck even gets a bit sore.
But honestly, besides that, it's still that same face I've looked at for the last ten years. I'm almost tired of it by now.
And yet... what is this feeling?
Why do I feel like I could look at him like this forever?
I'm not bored, but I can't quite relax either.
There's a mix of light tension, a touch of excitement, and a sense of comfort... all blending together to make the perfect view to wake up to.
And then......
Yuu: "Hikari? This is your stop."
Hikari: "......Yeah."
Really... two stops just isn’t enough time to soak in this view.
............
............
Hikari: "I'm off!"
Yuu: "Alright, see you back home."
The bonus time that I gained from so much planning and plotting, was over in just 5 short minutes.
He casually waved me goodbye.
I casually waved back. I hope it looked casual.
Hikari: "Well...... see ya."
With the sound of the departure bell, the double doors -- the train door and the platform door -- close between us.
Then, the warning whistle, the train's hum, and the creaking of the tracks follow, and his figure fades out of sight.
......Well, by the time the doors closed, he was already looking away at his phone.
But I'm more relaxed now.
He can't physically see me, so I don't have to worry.
Hikari: "Haaaaaah..."
I can finally make my completely annoyed face.
I can finally let out a disappointed sigh.
And I can finally express with my whole body: I'm lonely, I want to keep talking, tonight's too far away!
Somehow, a line formed behind me, of people waiting for the train.
I scoot over a bit, turn around, and head toward the ticket gate.
Alright, time to snap back to reality... ope, it's not that serious.
It was a great start to my day, I shouldn't stay gloomy.
It's still so early and I've got so much to do.
I'll hang out and chat with my friends, actually get some studying done, and who knows what else.
I can't wait to share all the fun things that went down when he gets home from school.
I'll act all nonchalant and talk about the mundane stuff that happened today.
While I'm reading some manga. While he's messing around on his phone. Chilling around the dinner table. While watching TV. At the door. On the street. In front of my house.
And then, I'll freak out over today's goodnights, which will be way more intense than my current loneliness.
I'm gonna spend the whole night thinking about how to talk to him tomorrow.
............
............
I'm Shirasaka Hikari, sixteen years old......
......and it's a little late, but I've turned into a master strategist!
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