Chapter 4: The Shadow of Coincidence

One afternoon on a day off.

Sayo sat across from Haruki at a café in front of the station, a lunch plate set before them as they laughed together naturally.

At something Haruki said, a faint warmth spread across Sayo’s cheeks.

――There was a man watching the scene through the glass.

Eita Saito.

He had been walking with some friends after leaving the gym, looking for a place to have lunch, when he happened to pass by the café.

In his line of sight were Sayo and Haruki.

The smiles on their faces.

The ease between them that looked far too natural.

“…Huh?”

He stopped without thinking.

Even when his friend called out to him, his reply came late.

“Sorry. Just remembered something I need to do.”

With that, he parted ways with the others and left.

As he walked, an uneasy feeling stirred deep inside his chest.

(Matsubara… She’s with Haruki. And she’s making that kind of face…)

Logically, he understood.

It would not be strange if Sayo already had someone she liked.

But the happy smile she had shown when they exchanged contact information at the reunion.

The cheerful voice she had used while talking to him at the yakitori restaurant.

Had those things――not been meant only for him?

Eita stopped walking and let out a deep breath.

“…Can’t afford to lose.”

What rose inside him first was not frustration, but competitiveness.

If Haruki was the one he was up against, then all the more reason not to lose.

Back in high school, Haruki had always been the “quietly popular” type.

He was smart, calm, and naturally drew the attention of the girls around him.

Was he really going to let a guy like that take her now?

A week had passed since the day of their lunch.

Haruki had not contacted Sayo very often.

《I’m in Osaka on a business trip right now. Looks like I won’t be back for a while.》

Sayo replied to the short message with only:

《Do your best.》

She could not deny that a small sense of loneliness had settled in her chest.

Then, one afternoon after work.

When she stepped out of the pharmacy, a familiar large figure was standing there, waving at her.

“Hey, Matsubara! Good work today!”

“Huh? Saito…?”

“I happened to be nearby, so I thought I’d stop by. Hope I’m not bothering you?”

“No, not at all.”

Almost pushed along by his smile, she began walking beside him.

On the way to the station, Eita chatted with her in his usual carefree manner.

“So when are you coming to the gym? Even just moving your body a little can really change your mood.”

“…Hmm, I’m not good at exercise.”

“That’s exactly why I’m here! I’ll put together a routine that won’t push you too hard.”

When he said it so brightly and confidently, it became difficult to refuse.

“…Well, if it’s just to look around.”

“All right, it’s settled!”

His immediate answer made her laugh despite herself.

(He really does push forward without hesitation…)

And yet, remembering the cheerful smile he had shown at the yakitori restaurant, Sayo felt her heart soften just a little.

Just before they parted ways, Eita looked at her with an unusually serious expression.

“Matsubara, I’m… really happy that we can see each other again like this. So I want to get to know you better.”

Before she could reply, they had already reached the ticket gates.

“…I’ll message you again.”

With that, Sayo passed through the gates.

Her heart was beating faster than usual.

When she got home, a notification was glowing on her phone.

《Still in Osaka. Work’s been crazy and I can’t seem to finish up. I’ll message you again once things calm down.》

It was from Haruki.

Sayo stared at the message and bit her lip.

(…Which one am I really being drawn toward?)

One afternoon on another day off.

As promised, Sayo visited the gym where Eita worked.

“Welcome!”

Eita puffed out his chest and grinned.

“Thanks for coming!”

Guided by his cheerful voice, she walked through the gym.

The sound of treadmills.

The metallic clank of dumbbells.

Sayo felt slightly overwhelmed by the lively atmosphere.

“This is the free-weight area. See? This is where I usually coach people.”

As he spoke, Eita explained the equipment and gave her a quick demonstration.

“Want to try it, Matsubara?”

“What? No way, no way!”

Sayo hurriedly shook her head, and Eita burst out laughing.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But… I’m glad I got to show you around like this.”

At those words, a faint warmth rose to Sayo’s cheeks.

By the time they finished looking around and left the gym, sunset had already painted the city.

As Sayo walked toward the station, Eita spoke beside her.

“Hey, want to go have a drink after this?”

“Today… I think I’m just going to head home.”

“Come on, since we’re already out! We’ve still got time, right?”

He said it casually, but Sayo kept walking, and a troubled expression appeared on her face.

“…Sorry. I’m really tired today.”

“Then how about just some tea?”

“Saito…”

His persistent invitations were making it difficult for her to even keep smiling.

And then――

“Matsubara.”

A low, calm voice came from behind them.

Sayo turned around.

Haruki was standing there in a suit.

“Koyama…!?”

“I just got back from my business trip. …What a coincidence.”

His gaze shifted from Sayo to Eita.

Even without saying anything to one another, the tension in the air immediately sharpened.

Eita frowned slightly.

“Haruki…”

“Matsubara clearly doesn’t want to go.”

Haruki stepped forward and came to stand beside Sayo.

Just having him there made the tension ease naturally from her shoulders.

For a moment, Eita looked as though he were about to say something.

But then he bit his lip and looked away.

“…See you later, Matsubara.”

Leaving only those words behind, he walked away.

Sayo watched his retreating figure with complicated feelings swirling deep inside her chest.

Beside her, Haruki let out a small sigh.

“You don’t have to force yourself to go along with something you don’t want to do. …If you’re ever in trouble, tell me.”

At those words, Sayo nodded without thinking.

Wrapped in the reassurance and warmth of his presence, emotions she still could not sort out continued to swirl deep within her heart.