Chapter 3: Unexpected Kindness and Another Call

Friday night. After finishing work, Sayo stood in front of the station where they had agreed to meet.

Amid the stream of people in business suits, her feet naturally stopped when she spotted him.

“Matsubara.”

She looked up at the sound of his low, calm voice. Haruki had his suit jacket draped over one arm and his tie loosened slightly. The fatigue of a long workday showed on his face, yet somehow he still seemed composed.

“Were you waiting long?”

“No, I just got here too.”

They entered a nearby izakaya and sat side by side at the counter.

As soon as their glasses touched, that familiar atmosphere between them returned.

“Still, I was surprised to hear you work at a pharmacy, Matsubara.”

“Hehe. Sounds pretty plain, doesn’t it?”

“No, it suits you. You’re calm and dependable… I bet the patients feel reassured around you.”

He sounded as though he were casually teasing her, yet there was something sincere beneath his words.

A gentle warmth spread through her chest.

Their conversation naturally drifted back to high school—their clubs, the school festival.

And then…

“By the way…”

Haruki slowly rotated his glass between his fingertips and turned his gaze toward her.

“At the reunion, you exchanged contact information with Saito, didn’t you?”

“Huh…?”

Caught completely off guard, her heart jumped.

“I saw it. It’s not like I care or anything… I was just a little curious.”

His expression was calm, but there was something probing in his eyes.

Unsure how to respond, Sayo tightened her grip around her glass.

“…He’s always been a cheerful person. He came over and talked to me, so it just sort of happened.”

“I see.”

After they finished drinking, they parted ways in front of the station.

“Let’s do this again.”

Haruki gave her a casual wave, and Sayo started home, her heartbeat still refusing to settle.

The moment she stepped through her front door, her phone vibrated.

The name on the screen was “Eita Saito.”

<Matsubara, are you free on your next day off? Let’s go get something to eat together!>

Another invitation, arriving while the lingering warmth of her evening with Haruki was still fresh.

Once again, Sayo’s heart began to sway quietly.

On the evening of the day they had arranged to meet, Sayo finished work and headed toward the station where she was meeting Eita.

Among the office workers hurrying past in suits, Eita stood out immediately in sportswear with a jacket thrown over it.

“Hey, Matsubara! Over here!”

The way he waved his large hand was exactly the same as it had been in high school. His build, however, had grown considerably broader and more muscular, giving him a reassuring presence.

The yakitori restaurant he took her to was a cozy hidden spot bustling with regular customers. The rich aroma of charcoal-grilled food filled the lively interior. The moment Sayo stepped through the noren curtain, she couldn’t help smiling.

“This place feels really relaxing.”

“Right? It’s kind of a hidden gem.”

They sat next to each other at the counter, and beer and appetizers were placed in front of them.

“Well then, cheers! It’s been a while!”

“Yeah. Cheers.”

Their glasses clinked, and the sound of the foam fizzing was strangely pleasant.

As Eita ate one of the skewers, he began talking about his work at the gym.

“Lately, a lot of people come in less for serious training and more just to stay healthy. Moving your body really is important, you know?”

“You give dietary advice too, right?”

“Exactly. So if you’re interested, Matsubara, I can put together a program for you. I guarantee it—you’ll feel lighter both physically and mentally.”

Eita smiled, showing his white teeth. He was almost dazzling in how straightforward and positive he was.

Sayo felt a little embarrassed by his enthusiasm, but at the same time, she was genuinely happy.

(…He was always this positive back in high school too.)

As they drank, the conversation naturally shifted to their school days. They laughed about staying up all night preparing for the cultural festival, and about how Eita had gotten too excited during the sports festival and fallen over.

Before they knew it, time had flown by.

On the way home, the night breeze felt pleasant. Eita stopped in front of the station and looked at her with a slightly more serious expression.

“Matsubara, let’s go out for dinner again. Next time, we can go somewhere you like.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

His smile warmed her heart, yet at the same time, Sayo felt the faint shadow of someone else slip quietly into the back of her mind.

A few days later, Sayo had returned home from work and was putting away the dishes when her phone vibrated.

The name on the screen was “Haruki Koyama.”

<Are you free for a little while this weekend? Maybe we could have lunch during a break from work.>

Every time she reread the message, her chest grew warmer.

(…Lunch. Not dinner, but during the day. That’s so like Koyama-kun.)

That weekend, they met at a quiet café with large glass windows.

Haruki had arrived first. He stood and gave her a small wave.

“Matsubara.”

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“No. I just got here too.”

They sat down and ordered coffee and lunch plates.

“What do you usually do on your days off, Matsubara?”

“I go to cafés, laze around at home, watch movies… all sorts of things.”

“Movies, huh… sounds nice.”

The softness in his gaze made Sayo feel her cheeks growing warm.

Haruki told her about his own work—sales at a major trading company. The frequent business trips. The pressure of hitting sales targets.

“Honestly, it can be pretty tough… but talking about it with someone makes it feel a little easier.”

“Then you can talk to me anytime.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Sayo surprised even herself. They had come out completely naturally.

Haruki smiled faintly and took a sip of his coffee.

After lunch, they stepped outside into the spring breeze.

The two walked side by side, matching each other’s pace.

“…Can I ask you out again sometime?”

“Of course.”

That short exchange alone felt like a gift big enough to fill Sayo’s entire heart.

As the train carried her home, Haruki’s profile and the sound of his voice returned to her mind again and again.

(After all… being beside Koyama-kun just feels comfortable.)

Yet even as she savored that feeling, the smiling face of Eita at the yakitori restaurant faintly overlapped with it somewhere deep inside her heart.