未来

"I kinda hate summer."

She was still annoyed.

‘Maybe you should just go home.

She doesn’t. She’s feeling merciful.

‘Are you always dumb and clumsy?’

A couple of members of the Dan had swapped places, trying to keep enough of the animals happy at once to prevent the party from getting (even more) out of hand. Most were resigned to the sudden increase in population and deciding to just enjoy all their many-legged friends for as long as they were around.

Purposefully, in contrast to the rest of the room, Hiyori made her way there and back, placing Tono in his care as soon as the last of the disgruntled animals had returned to a less agitated state. Before he could do much with the bunny, though, Hiyori was on the move again - this time indicating that she should follow and join her on the recently vacated couch.

He did so, heedful of her guidance about how to handle Tono. Bringing the two of them as close to eye-level as was possible for one average-sized rabbit and one taller android, he spent a little while simply staring at her without a word. Naturally, she didn’t break the quiet. Though, if she could, the mostly disinterested way in which she sat peaceably in his lap suggested that she likely wouldn’t.

He’d never seen her up-close before and, as the first rabbit he’d met, his interest was a little like a child finally being allowed to look at pets for adoption after asking their parents for long enough that the excitement had built up. Gingerly - remembering Hiyori’s mention of softness - he found that Tono was much softer than the cat he had pet earlier, if one could believe that things could be so soft.

It was such an unusual change from how Hiyori normally acted: with Konoha’s admission that Tono was cute, the girl positively lit up, excitement thrumming in her veins as her eyes widened. She didn’t gasp, but she came pretty close -- and the smile that took over her expression was nearly blinding, bright and lively and everything a girl like her should be.

This was special.

Konoha was special.

‘... not yet,’ the girl said, some of the usual assertiveness in her voice lost as Konoha made his offer. The bunny once again changed hands, soft and pliable, and -- for a second, their fingers brushed. 

Hiyori bit her tongue to keep from screaming.

‘Y-yeah! Tono’s super soft, right? E... even though Shintaro-ojii-chan ignores her all the time, she’s really nice.’ Too loud for her own ears, she suddenly began to ramble, drawing the rabbit towards herself. Her eyes felt glued to the poor thing, and though the entire point was for her to pet her, she couldn’t move a muscle. She was still in shock. ‘I never got to ask -- but -- I-I think Momo-chan must take care of her! That’s the only explanation, right? You think so too, right?’

It didn’t matter if Konoha agreed, really. The brief nervousness that struck her slowly washed away, leaving unbelievable happiness in its wake. Konoha hadn’t even done anything... and yet...

This was seriously the best day ever. She couldn’t believe it.

‘... Konoha-san,’ she muttered next, finally mustering the courage to look at him from the corner of her eye. He was the same as always... and that was what made him so perfect. ‘You’ll -- someday, you’ll get to pet a million rabbits. And a billion cats. And a trillion other animals. No matter what!

‘I’ll make it happen.’

It was all a little dramatic for the promise of future animal interactions, and yet -- it was most Hiyori could do. She meant what she said and more: she’d make sure nothing stood in his way. He was too kind and too shy to get the things he wanted himself, which was why she’d champion whatever cause he had. She’d be there for him. No matter what.

... so it’d begin with animals. You had to start small.

It’s like knives are cutting into him. Hiyori’s words are barbed spikes, made to create unpleasant wounds that twist and burrow and don’t quite heal properly. It’s too much for his fragile confidence and he just follows her in defeat.

(He wonders if the restaurant is upset about their soda fountain. It’s too late, now.)

Shintaro has a bad feeling in the pit of his wallet but he complies with her wishes as most everyone does, casting her a grumpy look before entering the store.

First step is looking at Shintaro like he’s stupid, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. Shuuya had called him the “resident genius,” at one point -- but that’s clearly not true.

‘Have you even ever gone shopping?’ she tells him, giving him a well-deserved kick to the shoe that says “mush.” She leads him forward into the unknown, and the moment they hit the clothing racks, she starts pulling things out. Suit jackets, graphic tees, and inexplicably, a shirt that says “Superstar (Rawr)” all get foisted on the annoying NEET.

‘You can pick something too, you know,’ she reminds him, and in the same breath, turning away --

If she was more perceptive or up-front, Sheena may have questioned Hiyori further about what she meant. Instead, she glanced from the girl’s half-eaten cake and then down the last bite of her chocolate mousse. Would she look like a pig if she ate that remaining bite instead of leaving it? …Oh, who cares. Sheena put that last spoonful of mousse in her mouth. She ran around this city for three hours trying to figure out where she was, she was allowed to indulge. 

Though she was unable to focus on savoring the chocolate flavor, caught a little off-guard by the other girl’s words. Scam people? Sheena may have done some horrible things—like volunteered to be an assassin—but cheating peo- 

Her eyes widened as she realized it and looked at the desserts Hiyori nodded to. Lie to get things for free…. Sheena reddened. She forgot; this entire thing was paid for because of a trick. And she just accepted. Clearly, she didn’t have the higher ground or even try to argue with Hiyori’s point. The spoon was set down with a small clatter and Sheena kept her thoughts to herself about Hiyori’s suggestion—unable to condemn or approve. 

The girl looked away, scuffed her sandal against the floor.

‘I live with my family,’ she said simply, and that almost seemed like the end of that... but in a rare moment of talkativeness, she elaborated. ‘I’m the sensible one, you know. My nephews are really dumb. I dunno where they’d be without me.’ She wore this admission as a badge of pride, crossing her arms and giving a smug little hmph. But it made her point: no, she didn’t live with adults, but that didn’t matter. She was one of the only people who could really hold the fort down.

Compared to being there, getting home was a piece of cake.

‘We should try this again sometime.’ Now, Hiyori’s smile softened; she met Sheena’s gaze head-on, wearing a look that was finally fitting for someone like her. Open, friendly. Not the rude, self-centred little girl she’d turned out to be. ‘For fun. I like you.’

And so she moved in, closing the distance between them. It was fast, it was abrupt, and in the end, it was nothing at all -- she was just offering her hand for the woman to shake. Sheena was pretty. Sheena was nice. Sheena was a little too honest for her, the type of woman who had idealistic principles, but she was decent and stood up for herself. There weren’t many people like that.

She wasn’t annoying. And that, for Hiyori, was an amazing achievement.