Chapter 17 – On Our Way Home

After leaving the arcade, I immediately left the building and headed toward the ticket gate.

The time was 10 pm, so the station was filled with mostly adults, as the students had gone home earlier.

As I finished buying my ticket and passed through the gate, I noticed Asanagi hiding behind a pillar.

"…Yo."

"Yo."

We both lightly waved before walking toward the station platform together.

"Just to make sure, did you bump into Amami-san…?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be here."

"Ah, right…"

"Mhm…"

If that was the case, it would be fine even if we take the same train home.

We boarded the train heading for the next station, which arrived shortly after we arrived at the platform.

It was a weekend night, the train was crowded with businessmen and college students coming back home after finishing their work.

"…Whoops."

The moment I got inside the train and tried to take a breather, my feet felt wobbly.

It was my first time playing in the arcade, then there was that batting game and the encounter with Amami-san. I guess my physical and mental exhaustion came rushing in, replacing the tension I had previously felt.

"Maehara, are you okay? There's an empty seat over there, you should sit."

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy. You're the one who should sit, Asanagi."

"I'm physically stronger than you, I'm fine… C'mon, just sit down, don't think too much about it."

"W-wait… Ugh, jeez, fine, I got it, so stop pushing me!"

I sat at the only vacant seat and Asanagi followed me and stood right in front of me.

The distance to the next station was short and the ride would only take a few minutes, so, I guess it would be fine to let her stand like this.

"…What?"

"No, nothing…"

I couldn't bring myself to say anything to Asanagi, who was looking down at me, so I gave up on doing that and glanced away.

Asanagi and I were supposed to be equal, but at this moment I felt like a frog being stared down by a snake.

"…Sorry, Maehara. You had to go through all that because of me…"

The rattling noise in the background served as a BGM as Asanagi, who was holding the train's hanging strap, blurted those words out of her mouth while staring at me, looking apologetic.

"You mean… The thing with Amami-san back in the arcade?"

"Mhm… I heard most of it."

I didn't tell her in detail what was going on, but it seemed like my phone picked up everything for her to hear. I knew it was an old model, but, seriously, I don't need such an unnecessary feature.

"You don't need to concern yourself about it, Asanagi. It's true that aside from Amami-san, the others dislike my presence there."

I said that out of consideration to Asanagi, but honestly, I didn't think what Amami-san did back then was right.

If Asanagi was there, she would definitely stop her, but she wasn't there. That was the reason why the situation devolved as quickly as it did.

"Still, there was no need for you to be so hostile to them, you know? If you said something like that right to their faces, they would treat you even worse."

"…That's true, but still…"

Of course I was aware that Amami-san had no ill intention when she invited me. She probably did that because she saw me alone at school often and was worried about me. So, to make me not feel isolated from the rest of the class, she invited me.

However, I refused her.

To me, eating dinner with Asanagi, playing games at the arcade, holding that unfamiliar bat… Being together with my friend who I could truly be myself around was more than enough. I didn't want that pleasant feeling to be ruined by hanging out with those people who clearly didn't want to be around me.

That was why I lashed out back then… and it was much too late to regret what I had done. I've made my bed, so now I have to sleep in it.

Not only would they label me as a loner, but from now on, they would also label me as someone who couldn't read the room.

"Well, I'll follow up with Yuu later. That child is a worrywart, so I'm sure that she'll call me… Ah, here comes her text."

"That's quick… What did Amami-san say?"

"'Umi, what should I do, I think I did something bad to Maehara-kun', she said."

As expected, I made her worry about me.

I should have done a better job back then, but I was too preoccupied with keeping Asanagi away from her to pay any attention toward anything else.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to cause you any trouble…"

"It's fine. Helping you out when you're in trouble is what 'friends' are for, right?"

"…Friends, huh…?"

"Mhm."

Said Asanagi as she reached for my head and began to stroke it gently.

"…What are you doing?"

"Mmm? Nothing much, your head is just in the perfect position for patting."

"…Is that so?"

"Mhm."

She was totally treating me like a child, wasn't she? Still, I was too exhausted to bother with this, so I let her do whatever she wanted.

The train's shaking, the warm atmosphere, and the warmth of Asanagi's hand…

Slowly, my eyelids started to feel heavy.

"If you feel sleepy, just sleep, I'll wake you up when we are near our stop."

"…Then, I'll leave it to you…"

Unable to resist the drowsiness, I slowly closed my eyelids while Asanagi was still patting my head.

…'Thank you, Maki.'

As my consciousness was slowly leaving me, I heard a soft whisper in my ears.