'Why ...... why the haircut ......'

I said, my mouth trembling in surprise at the sudden change. I've heard that when a girl changes her hair style, it's when she has a big change of heart. If it's about a man, then I'm going to be tasked with a mission. I'm going to kill him once and for all.

I went to the hairdresser!
'Hairdressers are those, like, body modification...'
'Be quiet, people are watching. It's embarrassing.

Ugin doesn't take me seriously and replies in a snippy tone. It looks good on you, but don't be surprised. I've never seen my sister's hair like that before.

So. You're going on a date with Alina?
'You idiot. Alina and I were going to have a heated discussion about dinosaurs in the Cretaceous ......'

Wait a minute.
Alina remembers Ugin? How do you recognize Ugin? How do you handle Comet Sakakiki's sister?
As an only child, it must be difficult to sort out your memories. After all, Ugin is the official sister of the city hall. No, of course not.
He glances at Alina. She's smiling quietly. Hmm, it's hard to tell.

'Uh-huh. That's my brother. ......

Ugin's friends seem to be whispering and asking who I am.
Okay, here it is.

Ugin. Don't be so formal. Just call me 'bro.
'Oh, shut up! Don't talk!
'Okay, okay.

That's it. He holds his head in shame. He must be ashamed to call an unidentified life form "bro" in public. He won't say anything for a while.
I sit down and look at the menu and ask how Alina is doing.

I'll have this one.

It was a pancake topped with a heaping pile of cream. When I saw it, I remembered the aquarium. I had ordered something similar at that time. Back then, Alina was still a prickly little thing.
We each order something, and then we are alone again.
I asked her directly.

Do you remember Ugin?
No. I knew your name and that you existed, but I had never met you before.

I see. The Sakakiki family in general is bad? Or rather, everything about me is bad. It's as if the Sakaki gene has been banned.
The consistent memory retrieval seems to be going well.

Hide it well. He's surprisingly perceptive about this sort of thing.
'Okay. I'm sorry.
'Don't apologize. There's nothing wrong with it.
'You're so sweet. I'm glad.'
'Ugh!

Every word is a weight.
I can't have a decent conversation without invoking jokes. This is melting me down.

'Can you tell me about the day you met?
'Um, it's, uh, it's, uh...'
'The very first day I met you'.

That autumn when I met the poisonous rose.
The day I met her in the library, staring at the bookshelves in discontent after being kidnapped by Mr. Akakusa.
I told her. Since that day, we have been spending time together after school, sometimes abused, sometimes beaten up, and sometimes saved by her smile. I learned Alina's secrets and meddled with her deeply. I experienced a lot, I met a lot.

'It's not natural that I fall in love with you'.
'Yes, wait a minute. Stop saying things that suddenly make my heart stop.
'Because, isn't that right?'
'I wonder about that. ......'

The order arrives, and you immediately start to eat.
I concentrate on the Neapolitan dish, trying not to be distracted by her happy smile. Tomatoes are wonderful, after all.

I wonder if we're going to have a study session during the summer vacation.
'Maybe. Tsuru will take the initiative again.
'Hmm. Let's study so much that you'll love studying.
I'm scared.

I'm going to hell if I don't get someone dumber than me to show up.




Time passes like a muddy stream in this last year.
The long, slow holidays are but a blink of an eye compared to last year. I guess it feels that way because I'm making every day more intense with my studies. The time when Alina and I stopped by a coffee shop was not so long ago, but it feels as if it were in the distant past.
That is why I am in a hurry to do something that I will regret if I do not do it. Maybe I'm getting too attached to the last, but anyone would feel the same way if they were in a process that they would never experience again.

It's so early!

Makoto muttered in a way that sounded like he wanted attention.

'It's certainly too soon.


It's hard to believe that half of the year is already over and summer vacation starts tomorrow.
At this rate, retirement will be here in a flash. I can't wait to enjoy the slow life of old age.

It will hurt if we don't work hard now and invest in the future in order to have a slow life. Everyone has different needs, especially me who has no vision in my mind, but I will be in trouble if I don't work harder than anyone else. The worst thing is to have nothing when you are in a tight spot.
And I have to decide my answer to Alina during this summer vacation. What should I do? What are my options? What does she want?

I didn't have much to say to Alina before the summer break.
It was just a day of passively listening to the usual school assembly, safety instructions before the summer vacation, until what time at night, where not to go, and so on. Last year, I would have set up a starting block in the hallway for a crouching start just to go home, but not this time. I guess this is what I call the calmness of an adult. I've grown up, haven't I?

I'm home.
Welcome home, what's up bro?

Ugin, who now looks like a Hollywood actress, looks at me and has a puzzled expression on her face.

'Nothing wrong with that.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Last year, before the summer vacation, you were so noisy.
'I'm an adult now. You little girls should be taking selfies. And swim around the net.'
'Ugh!

Where the hell do you find a high school girl who shows up at the door with chopsticks and salted fish? There she is! My sister! It's hopeless. Why does Ugin have an old man's tongue? My brother is sad and crying.
I lie down in my room and think about what I'm going to do during my month-long summer vacation.

'Oh, ......'.

He sounds weak and disheveled. The futon is still hot and humid. The sound of cicadas is coming in from outside. The strong sunlight is giving me a slight headache and my head is not working properly, so I stop thinking and close my eyes. The first couple of days are good for nothing. The teachers did not assign much homework for us students, and there is nothing to be done in the course of the day.
It is going to be a hard summer vacation, not only for studying but also for Alina.