Episode 43 – In Your Own Color

“It smells like a woman.”

When I was moving my textbooks and my notebooks into the drawer, Makabe, who was sitting in front of me, sniffed and then said that it smells like a woman.

“It’s a fresh, sweet woman’s smell.”

“What’s the matter? Are you still half asleep?”

“That smell is coming from you.”

Ba-dump.

I think I have an idea. Just before I came here, I gave Yua a big hug.

“I-it’s  my deodorant, I think.”

“No, it’s a young woman’s body odor.”

“What’s with that strange confidence?”

“This aroma is peculiar to lactone C10 and C11. Moreover, it’s thick. Their secretion peaks in the late teens. In other words, you were with a woman in her late teens just now, and you were so close to her that the smell soaked into your clothes.”

I was horrified. Is he some kind of drug-sniffing dog?

But this might be a good opportunity. I don’t intend to make a big deal about the fact that I’ve officially started dating Yua, but I did want to tell the people who took care of me – this guy, Ishimizu san, and Yua’s brother.

–But still……

I looked at Makabe’s face. If I told him I had a girlfriend, I would have to prepare myself for a month of sarcastic comments.

When I was wondering whether or not to tell him, Makabe wrinkled his brow.

“You, no way……”

That’s a good lead in.

“That ‘no way’ is true. –I’ve got a girlfriend.”

I prepared myself for what kind of sarcasm, jokes, and abuse he was about to give me.

 If you look closely, you can see that he’s trembling like a chihuahua.

“A-are you okay…..?”

“Izuma.”

He looked up. Then he gave his usual wry smile.

“Congratulations.”

“……………..Eh?”

“You got a girlfriend, right?　Congratulations.”

“……Thank you.”

–……Hm?

This may be a lead in to something else. But Makabe refused to open his mouth any further.

“Is that all?”

“More celebration?”

“Curse me more !”

“What are you talking about?”

Makabe let out a sigh of exasperation.

“You think I look like a person who can’t celebrate his friend’s happiness?”

“You are.”

“I guess so.”

He nodded deeply.

“I consider you as a rival.”

“Is that so?”

That’s new to me. I didn’t think so at all.

“It’s a matter of whoever made a girlfriend first. So, although I was frustrated, I had already decided to congratulate you if I lost. It was much sooner than I expected, though.”

Then he looked me firmly in the eye again and said, “Congratulations,”.

“Makabe, you…..”

My heart aches.

“I was–“

I was wrong. I was about to say so, then Makabe said with a serious expression on his face and in a quiet voice.

“So, does this girlfriend have many friends?”

“Eh? I don’t know. I think she has a lot, but……”

Then he began to fidget.

“I-I see. I-if she does, then, you know, invitations for all kinds of things.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Like, you know, blind dates.”

“…….”

I understood what he was trying to say. At the same time, the excitement that had been in my heart just a few minutes ago vanished.

Makabe said while fidgeting.

“If you need a companion, I’d be happy to join you–“

“You goby fish, trashy, human being.”

“Goby fish, trashy, human being !?”

“Give me back my excitement, you son of a bitch.”

“You got a girlfriend. And I get to have a girlfriend, so it’s a win-win.”

“You don’t have anything to do with my win–“

He’s not involved in anything. But he gave me information about Yua, and I was encouraged by his words.

“……”

“That’s why I want you to introduce me to her friends.”

“……Well, if I feel like it.”

Makabe looked surprised.

“What’s the matter with you, you’re suddenly so attentive?”

‘You’re the one who started it.”

The bell rang. Makabe patted me on the shoulder and looked away.

“Well, it’s not like you have to force yourself.”

He then went back to his seat.

–Not a very honest guy.

I shrugged my shoulders.

◇

During lunch break, just as I went downstairs to buy a pack of juice from the vending machine, Ishimizu san was coming up the stairs. She was chatting with two of her friends, just like the other days.

 “Ishimizu san, can I have a word?”

I called out to her, after hesitation for a moment. After looking at my face as if she were inspecting me, she said to her friends, “Go ahead without me.”.

After her friends left, Ishimizu san put her hands on her waist and said, 

“So?”

“I have something to tell you, Ishimizu san”

“I heard that you and Yua have officially started dating.”

Of course she knows that. The two of them are best friends. 

“Then what do you want to report to me–“

Ishimizu san brought her face close to mine and lowered her voice a little.

“Did you do it with her?”

“I didn’t ! ! !”

Students passing by looked at me as if they were startled.

“Who in the world wants to report ‘I did it with your best friend’…..!”

Ishimizu san made a bitter face.

“So indecent.”

“I don’t want to hear it from you…….!”

“Eh, so it’s purely a report that you confessed your feelings and started dating?”

“Yes, but……”

Ishimizu san let out a sigh.

“You’re just started to stand in the starting line.”

“B-but, we, how do I say it, we have a special relationship. So far there have been twists and obstacles–“

“Are you saying that you’re withholding Yua’s confession or something like that?”

–She’s 80% right……!

“But there’s a misunderstanding in the way you put it ! I didn’t withholding it because I’m a coward, but because I was thinking about Yua–“

“Ah, enough about that. I don’t really understand. I’ve never been in a relationship.”

“………..Eh?

“What’s with that face?”

“Well, you said before that it’s normal to date for fun……”

“I was acting.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me……”

“Boys won’t make eye contact with me. I don’t know why.

–I want to say, ‘Because they’re scared.’……!

I swallowed the words that were about to come out of my throat.

“Besides, I never understood what was so great about being in love.”

–Well, there must be people who don’t have that kind of desire.

“…..Hm? ‘I never understood’?”

“When I saw you guys, you know.”

She turned her face away.

“Anyway, this isn’t the finish line, so don’t get too carried away.”

“Y-yeah.”

“And, you know. Make me know more about love.”

Ishimizu san smiled. It was the first time I had ever seen her smile.

“Then…”

But her face immediately returned to a straight expression, and she walked slowly up the stairs.

As I watched her back, I thought to myself.

–If she shows that kind of face, I think boys would immediately come to her……

I wonder when Ishimizu san will realize that.

◇ 

On the way home from school, Yua walked next to me and exhaled into her hand. Winter is approaching, and at the time of daylight, the temperature drops drastically.

I looked at Yua again.

–Mufflers are nice ……

Why are uniforms and mufflers so attractive? Even though she wears a muffler and other warm clothes, she’s not wearing tights and her bare legs were exposed.

Yua looked around and breathed into her hands again.

–Oh, I see.

I realized what Yua was trying to say.

“Okay.”

I took a glove from my pocket and gave it to Yua.

“Use these.”

“That’s not it ! !”

“I’m fine with it.”

“I’m not holding back.”

“Do you want to go buy some warmer clothes?”

“No ! …Geez !”

And Yua shook my hand like she was trying to snatch it.

“Like this.”

“Oh, I-I see.”

I’m still stuck in the habit of avoiding touching each other in public. I’m not sure I have the guts to flirt openly with her.  I was embarrassed and changed the subject.

“B-by the way, I told my friend that we started dating. I also told Ishimizu san. If it’s possible, I’d like to tell Yua’s brother, as well.”

“Well, it’s fine. Or rather, you’re too serious, Seita kun.”

“Because I owed him……”

“Well then–“

And looked into my face.

“Will you say hi to my parents?”

She has a mischievous, playful expression on her face. She was trying to play a joke on me.

I thought about it for a moment, then I said, 

“Someday.”

“….Eh?”

My reply was so unexpected that Yua’s eyes widened.

“A-are you okay with that?”

I want to say it myself.

“I have no intention to break up, so it’ll happen eventually.”

“……”

Yua’s face turned bright red and she slumped down.

“T-too serious–no, too freaking serious.”

Yua is surprisingly weak against counterattacks. As proof, she could only say in a whisper.

“C-come to think of it, what are you going to do for winter break?”

And now Yua changed the subject.

“What do you want to do, Yua?”

“I’m going to……change my hair color for now.”

“……Eh?”

I, who had been swayed by Yua’s sudden image change so many times, looked at her without thinking.

Yua was dumbfounded for a moment, and hurried changed the subject.

“I-it’s not like that, okay? It’s not that there was something wrong, it’s just that my brother said he would do it for free.”

“I was surprised……”

I was relieved.

“What color are you going to get?”

“Hmm…… It’s a holiday, so I think it’s a good idea to go for a more aggressive look. Blue ash, or maybe pink for the inner color. Lavender beige would be nice too. Oh my God, my dreams are expanding !”

Yua’s eyes sparkled. She doesn’t seem to be looking at other people’s expressions as she used to do.

I couldn’t help but admire her bubbling smile.

“Eh? What?”

Yua tilted her head.

“N-no, nothing.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll show it to you first when I’m done coloring it, Seita kun.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

I said.

“Any color will look good on you.”

“Yeah. ….!”

Yua held my hand tightly. I squeezed her hand back.

I’m sure Yua will tease me a lot in the future, and I’m sure I’ll be flustered.

But I can say this with confidence. No matter how much she changes her look, my feelings will never change.