Chapter 19: Since She Was Restless, This Would Have to Do

Several days had passed since then.

Youta continued attending classes as usual.

At first, his classmates regarded his with suspicion, but soon Youta’s presence became just another part of the scenery, and they stopped paying him any mind. The teachers felt the same—no one bothered to scold him for his poor attitude anymore. It seemed they’d decided it wasn’t worth interrupting lessons over. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, as they say.

If anyone still cared, it was probably just the female math teacher. But even that had become routine, and peaceful days rolled by as if this were how things had always been.

Yet I couldn’t help feeling a little impatient.

My research on a gift for Youta still wasn’t getting anywhere. The erosion rate had stalled, too—well, it fluctuated by a few percent now and then, but still.

When I asked the two people I’d consulted before, Hoshiko just played dumb:

"You should watch my sister more and figure it out yourself."

Apparently, I’d managed to upset her somehow.

As for my other source—Youta’s mother—she insisted:

"I’m sure she’d be happy with anything you give her, Haruto-kun. She’s been so motivated lately."

…Anything was the most useless answer possible. You don’t say that to someone who knows nothing about the subject.

"Mmm…"

Lunch break.

Youta stretched his arms wide on the rooftop, letting the wind brush past him. The way he moved reminded me of a cat, and I found myself smiling.

When we’d left the classroom earlier, most of the students—especially the girls—had been dragging their feet, worn out from fourth period. But Youta wasn’t even breathing hard.

Fourth period had been P.E.—long-distance running for both boys and girls.

Hagino had been screaming his head off, but personally, I didn’t mind running like that, lost in the moment. With no complicated rules, it was refreshingly simple. Maybe Youta felt the same—he looked pleasantly relieved, as if he’d blown off some steam.

"Running feels good, huh? …Ever since I got this body, I’ve actually started to like long-distance."

Youta’s current physique was closer to Luna’s. Though the magical enhancements were gone, his lithe muscles hadn’t weakened, leaving him with specs that could rival a decent athlete’s.

Still…

"…You’ve gotten used to it?"

"Huh? Used to what?"

Youta blinked in confusion before turning to gaze at me softly.

"P.E. You used to say you hated going into the locker room."

Back when Youta was skipping classes, P.E. had been the one he missed the most—if not outright avoided entirely.

P.E. meant changing clothes. And that, inevitably, meant changing alongside girls. He’d once confessed how much he hated it—the idea of seeing his peers undressed was too much for him at that age. I remembered how crushed he’d been by guilt.

"I-It’s not a big deal anymore."

Youta turned his face away with a huff, his cheeks flushed. It was oddly endearing. He looked more like a cat than ever, and I nearly grinned.

"I’m used to it now. Can’t afford to overthink it. You get me?"

"…Y-Yeah."

But then his tone suddenly sharpened. As if to match it, his sapphire-blue eyes glared at me.

I caved and nodded, but to me, it just sounded like he was putting on a tough act. He seemed embarrassed, but I knew better—he wasn’t, not really.

"Don’t push yourself."

"I’m not… pushing myself."

"I’m glad you’re coming to class more, but your health comes first."

"…Not like you need to worry about me."

Youta answered dismissively, but the corners of his lips twitched. Had something amused him?

"Anyway, you’re hungry, right? Let’s eat."

As if to shut down the conversation, Youta pulled out a set of baskets—three small, woven ones, two of which were apparently for me.

"Thanks, as always."

I took them with a word of gratitude. Youta only needed one for himself.

He’d started handing me lunch about three days ago, and since then, he’d never missed a day. I’d offered to at least cover the cost, but he refused—apparently, this was his way of paying me back for that hotel meal I’d treated him to before. When I told him he didn’t need to, he shot back, "Well, I want to," and I couldn’t argue with that.

The occasional bandage on his fingers made me want to tell him not to overdo it, but…

This must’ve been what her mother meant by "motivated."

If that was the case, maybe I should just let him be. It didn’t seem like a bad influence at all.

"Wanna stop by somewhere after school?"

Youta brought it up while I was mid-bite into a sandwich—one he’d made himself, stuffed with tomatoes and lettuce.

The trick is to remove as much moisture as possible from watery vegetables, he’d explained. Tomatoes especially need prep work the day before—or so he claimed, rattling it off with such pride that I memorized it instantly.

"Sure, but why?"

Normally, Youta suggesting detours was nothing unusual, but this week had been different. He’d been heading straight home, citing some kind of errands.

"…Just wanted you to come shopping with me."

"Hmm…"

I rested a hand on my chin, considering. It wasn’t like I had plans, but I did need to think about Youta’s gift—and Hoshiko’s words echoed in my head.

—"Watch my sister more and figure it out yourself."

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity? Maybe I could even probe for hints.

Even if not, it’d be good for Youta to blow off steam. He tended to bottle up stress easily.

"Alright. I’m in."

"Promise?!"

He practically vibrated with glee, as if he’d just secured a binding contract—and for a second, something warm swelled in my chest before I hurriedly schooled my face back to neutral.