Volume 1 - CH 18

“Well, we’ve accomplished our goal, huh?”

After leaving the general store, Hayashi said with a hint of nostalgia.

“What should we do now?”

“Well, it’s still too early to go home.”

Checking the time, it was just before 2 pm. It takes an hour on the train, and considering another hour on the train back, it feels like a waste to head home now.

“That’s surprising.”

“What is?”

“I thought you’d be lazy and want to go home already.”

“What do you think of me?”

Isn’t that assumption a bit harsh? If the situation were different, I might cause a scene, you know? Like throwing a tantrum. A wailing me would be quite a sight, and above all, it would be an ugly display for someone my age.

“Sorry, sorry. So, what should we do from here?”

Hayashi asked.

“Right. Come to think of it, we haven’t gone to a place you wanted to visit today.”

“Eh, is that so?”

“The beef tongue restaurant and the general store were my requests, right?”

“…Ah. Yeah.”

Hayashi nodded reluctantly. From her attitude, it seemed that she didn’t have any intention of going to a place she wanted to visit if she could avoid it.

“So, do you have any place you want to go?”

“…Hmm.”

“Don’t you?”

After pressing her, I regretted it a bit. There’s still plenty of time, and there’s no need to rush her.

“…Well, let’s think about it while we walk.”

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. It’s just a bit surprising. I thought you’d like this kind of place.”

“…Well, I don’t dislike it. It’s just that I’ve been to most of these places right after moving to Tokyo.”

Come to think of it, Hayashi’s ex-boyfriend was a working adult. If she was dating someone with a job, he would likely have paid for their expenses, and they could have gone on trips further away. In that case, it might indeed feel less exciting to visit Yokohama now.

“Shall we just try going to some famous spots?”

“Like the Red Brick Warehouse or Yamashita Park?”

“Yeah, that’s the idea.”

“…Speaking of which, you like the sea, don’t you?”

Hayashi said. I tilted my head, not because I disliked the sea, but because I was curious about where she got that information from.

“No, I saw it in your video site history. You watch videos of gentle waves to help you sleep, don’t you?”

Recently, if you search for “sleep aid ocean sounds” on video sites, you can find videos with hours of gentle waves. I started listening to those sounds when I entered college. There’s no particular reason why. If I had to say, it’s probably due to anxiety about my future as a working adult, making friends in college, or worrying about failing a year. In any case, thinking about all these anxieties made it harder for me to fall asleep at night.

…I guess I do have a reason.

Anyway, that’s how I found those videos as a way to help me sleep soundly on anxious nights. By the way, the sound of gentle waves is just the beginning. Personally, I recommend the sound of a sleeper train in motion. It gives you a light travel vibe, and it’s so quiet that you wouldn’t believe it’s a train, making it perfect for a good night’s sleep. Adding a heated eye mask makes it even better.

“…Snooping through someone’s history, huh?”

Well, that’s what I was worried about when lending my tablet. I don’t feel like complaining about it now. My remark was just for the sake of banter.

“It’s fine. It’s not like I exposed you for watching naughty videos.”

“Yeah, right.”

I’d appreciate it if you could keep that to yourself.

“Anyway, let’s go see the ocean. You like the sea, don’t you?”

“You’re being naive, Hayashi. I do like the sea.”

I said with a smug expression. Hayashi’s aura was already telling me, “Ah, this guy is going to be a pain.”

“What?”

“A sea with the opposite shore in sight isn’t really the sea.”

“Ah, this guy is a pain.”

“What I mean is, the sea is not only about the gentle waves but also about gazing far into the horizon. On windy days in winter, you can see the horizon swaying. Well, it’s a trade-off with the sand blowing around and getting into your eyes. Anyway, a sea where you can see the opposite shore is a minus point. So, Tokyo Bay is out of the question. It’s dirty and smelly.”

“Ah, yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s go.”

Ignoring my objections, Hayashi grabbed my arm and started walking. How could she not listen to what I was saying? Even I can get angry sometimes. …Well, this falls into the category of not getting angry, so it’s not a problem at all.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”

Yamashita Park. Holding the handrail, Hayashi gazed at the sea with a refreshing expression. It’s midsummer now, and that probably adds to the invigorating feeling.

“Hey, you too.”

“…Yeah.”

“What? Are you still worried about seeing the opposite shore or something?”

“It’s not that I think it’s completely ruined just because there’s an opposite shore in sight, it’s just a minus point.”

In other words, I can still enjoy it. The reason it doesn’t sound like that is because of my contrary personality.

“You’re really not honest with yourself, are you?”

“Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. …I just tried to imagine an honest version of you, and it seems kind of creepy.”

“Is that so? Is that so?”

Come to think of it, Hayashi is quite talkative today.

I wonder why. Today, she hasn’t gone to any of the places she wanted to visit.

…Perhaps for her, it’s not about where she goes, but who she goes with. She might be the type of person who finds enjoyment in that.

No, that can’t be it.

If that were the case, then she would be enjoying today… this moment because she went around various places with me.

In high school, she probably didn’t like me.

Of course, through this recent incident, her opinion of me may have changed somewhat… but there’s no way the feelings that were formed over three years could completely change in just a few weeks.

“…Hey, Yamamoto?”

“Hmm?”

“…Do you want to go on a boat?”

Hayashi was smiling.