Chapter 37: At the Stationery Store on Shirasaki Street

“Mmm… pudding…”

I inhaled sharply, the lingering sensation of a slightly suggestive dream clinging to my senses. I instinctively reached for my chest, then quickly pulled my hand back.

What was wrong with me? Why was I having such adolescent thoughts?! I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to wake up properly. My body felt stiff and sluggish from a restless night.

‘Sigh…’ I needed to get a grip.

Focus, Kurosawa Rina!

My mission was to support Aya! And… to avoid arousing her suspicion by being too proactive.

With renewed determination, I checked my phone. Aya’s LINE message, arriving at the usual time, was already there.

Aya: Ready?
Rina: Yep! Ready to go.
Aya: On my way.
Rina: Okay!

Reading her message eased my anxiety. I shouldn’t overthink things.

I needed to act normal, to not let my flustered state show in front of Aya.

I walked towards our usual meeting spot, the morning sun warm on my face. And there she was, Aya, waiting for me as always.

She stood at the corner, looking at her phone, her profile easily recognizable even from a distance. Her long silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, a picturesque sight.

The same quiet Aya.

The same elegant gait.

The same serene expression.

Outwardly, she seemed unchanged. But…

‘She looks… sad.’ Was it because of yesterday’s revelations? I waved, calling out to her, hoping to distract her.

“Aya! Good morning~”

“Good morning, Rina. You’re here.” Her tone was calm, as always. But I knew…

‘She’s still thinking about yesterday.’ She was trying to act normal, but I could now detect her subtle shifts in mood.

“Did you… sleep well?” I asked cautiously.

Aya paused, then smiled faintly. “Yes. Thanks to you.”

Her words reassured me, but a lingering unease remained. Aya was strong, but even strong people needed support. We walked side by side, the memories of yesterday’s events, thankfully, not making me blush. Being near Aya had a calming effect on me.

“Aya-ring~! Rina~!”

Ah, Mizuki.

“Hee hee, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I slept well,” Aya replied.

“Like always,” I added.

Mizuki, a longtime friend, also seemed to sense Aya’s unusual mood. “Aya-ring~ you seem a bit down today. Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened.”

“No way~ This isn’t the usual Aya-ring! Hee hee.”

Mizuki’s playful banter made the walk to school feel almost normal. I glanced at Aya. She was smiling, her usual self.

She really was strong.

****

It was a student council meeting day. The student council room, as always, was bustling with activity, everyone busy with their assigned tasks. Tachibana-senpai, organizing the meeting materials, looked up.

“Oh, right. We need to buy some supplies.”

“Huh?”
“What?” The student council members looked at her.

“We need materials for making posters, and a few other things.”

“Ah, the vice-president and I can go,” Kamisaka-senpai offered casually.

But Tachibana-senpai crossed her arms and shook her head. “Aya and Rina will go.”

“Huh?! Us?” I asked, surprised. The atmosphere suddenly shifted.

“Shouldn’t… the boys go for this kind of errand?”

“It’s just a few small items, so there’s no need,” Kamisaka-senpai said dismissively.

But Tachibana-senpai calmly handed us a piece of paper. “Here’s the list. Go to the stationery store on Shirasaki Street.”

A sudden silence fell over the room. Shirasaki Street.

The relationship between Takamari Academy and Shirasaki Street wasn’t good. While a few individual shops had partnerships with the academy, and the student council regularly purchased supplies from them…

I glanced at Aya, remembering yesterday’s revelations. The Yukikawa family had played a key role in ousting the Shirasaki Merchants’ Association. Knowing all this…

Would Aya be okay?

But Aya simply nodded calmly. “Yes, we understand,” she replied to Tachibana-senpai in her usual composed voice, then looked at me. “Rina, let’s go.”

I hesitated for a moment, then stood up. “…Okay!”

And so, Aya and I were sent on an errand to Shirasaki Street.

****

Shirasaki Street was bustling with activity, as always. It wasn’t exclusively for Takamari Academy students. While not overly crowded, it wasn’t deserted either.

And there we were, two girls in Takamari Academy uniforms, walking through the crowd. One of us was Aya, tall, with silver hair and blue eyes, her elegant aura drawing attention. We were a noticeable pair.

I glanced at Aya. ‘Will she really be okay?’

I’d seen her falter yesterday, during the conversation with her sister. And I remembered her words: “…After that, Onee-chan gave up on everything.” It had been the first time I’d seen Aya express such raw emotion towards her sister. Perhaps she was still struggling.

“Aya… are you alright?” I asked cautiously.

Aya turned to look at me. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Yesterday…”

She didn’t stop walking, her pace steady and unhurried. “It was… a bit of a shock, but I’m okay.”

“So, are you still planning to revive the night market?” I asked directly. There was no point in beating around the bush with Aya.

Her shoulders tensed slightly at my question. “…Hmm,” she hesitated. “I’m thinking about it. There are things I need to ask… and it’s my sister’s story, after all.”

“Your sister…” I murmured.

It seemed the Shirasaki Merchants’ Association had played a role in Reina-senpai’s accident, the incident that had led her to relinquish everything to Aya.

The internet knew everything. Back at home, I’d searched for information about the incident. And I’d found a few old news articles and blog posts, faint traces of that day.

Pictures of police cars, crowds of people… But strangely, there were few details about the incident itself. For an accident of that scale, there should have been more information available. It was as if someone had deliberately erased the details.

Scrolling through the search results, I’d come to a single, chilling conclusion.

‘This… wasn’t just an accident…’

The head of the Merchants’ Association had been arrested, and the Yukikawa family had pressed charges. The extent of their anger was palpable even through the fragmented online records.

And now… Aya was the heir to the Yukikawa family. Reviving the night market meant reversing her family’s decision.

It wouldn’t be easy for her.

“I hope she’s okay,” I said softly.

“Yeah…” Aya’s expression flickered.

After a moment of silence, I asked another question. “Did you… used to fight with your sister?”

The strained relationship depicted in the novel, the tension between them yesterday… I knew the answer, but I still wanted to ask.

“…I apologized to her yesterday,” Aya replied quietly, looking away. I was stunned. The proud Aya… had apologized?

“You… apologized…?”

“Yes,” she replied, her voice lower than usual. I looked at her. Her face was calm, but her ears were slightly pink. She looked… cute.

Well… there must have been a lot of unresolved issues between them. While their reconciliation had been one of my goals, I hadn’t expected it to happen like this.

I smiled slightly. “Aya… I’m glad.”

“…” Aya didn’t respond.

We walked in silence, finally arriving at the stationery store on Shirasaki Street.

“This is it, right?”

“Yes.” Aya pushed the door open and entered. I followed, the familiar scent of ink and paper filling the air. It was a comforting scent from my childhood, but being here with Aya… it felt strangely different.

‘Is it just me, or does Rina have a better sense of smell than my past self…?’

I stood there for a moment, lost in thought, then turned to watch Aya browsing the shelves. Her neatly arranged silver hair, the gold student council insignia peeking out from under her blazer collar, her profile as she tapped her fingers against the pens, contemplating her choices…

‘Even in a stationery store… Aya looks beautiful…’ I realized I’d been staring.

“Rina.”

“Ah! Yes! What is it?”

Aya glanced at me, then picked up two small notepads, one pink, one light blue, both with cute designs. I tilted my head, curious.

“These are notepads for the student council. Which one do you think is better?”

“Hmm…” I looked at them both, then pointed at the light blue one, similar to Aya’s eye color. “This one’s cuter!”

Aya chuckled. “You like blue?”

“Huh?”

“You confessed your love for blue eyes the other day, didn’t you?” she said with a knowing smile. I coughed awkwardly, flustered.

“W-Well, I don’t dislike it! What about you, Aya?”

Aya tapped the light blue notepad. “I like this one too. It’s more calming.”

“Then let’s get one of each!” I said cheerfully.

Aya blinked, looking at me, then a slow smile spread across her lips. “Okay.” She picked up another light blue notepad and held it out to me. “Here, you can have this one.”

“…Huh?” I stared at her, dumbfounded.

“We’re buying these for the student council, aren’t we?”

“Yes. But you chose it, so you should use it.” She turned and walked towards the next aisle.

I followed, chuckling awkwardly. “Aya, I’m not the student council secretary.”

“That’s why you need it even more.”

“What kind of logic is that?!” I exclaimed, but I couldn’t help but smile.

‘This is… the playful Aya only the protagonist got to see.’

Her expression was still calm and composed, but that subtle playfulness… she was definitely teasing me! I took the notepad, playing along. Aya smiled faintly and moved on to the next item on the list. I watched her, scratching my cheek.

“What was that, Aya? I feel like I’m being played…”

The smooth texture of the notepad in my hand made my face burn. …We were just here to buy student council supplies, right?