Extra 2 | This is likely a short tale positioned somewhat like an epilogue.
Ten years after Natsume Sakura and the others graduated high school.
Winter.
The end of the year.
Finishing up independent practice during winter break, Makishima Shinji headed home around dusk.
On his way, as he passed by the confectionery shop Cat Sith, the front door swung open.
A childhood friend, dressed in the shop’s uniform, was taking down the ‘CLOSED’ sign.
“Isn’t that Rin-chan? Done for the day?”
“Oh, Shii-kun.”
Seeing Makishima fresh from club activities, she furrowed her brow.
“Doing all that in this cold? Seriously?”
“To think you’d throw such heartless words at a wholesome club member like me…”
He sighed, remembering how she used to be so reserved.
“Even with those looks, that personality’s gonna scare off any suitors, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah. And you, Shii-kun, shouldn’t you act a bit more mature now that you’re in high school?”
It had been about half a year since he started high school.
It seemed his childhood friend wasn’t entirely thrilled about the unsavory rumors swirling around Shinji’s romantic escapades.
“Haha, can’t exactly fix this part of me. By the way…”
His gaze flicked toward the inside of the confectionery shop.
“Kureha-san still hasn’t come back this year?”
“…”
A dark, ominous aura practically radiated from Rion.
Shinji flinched, quickly plastering on a nervous smile.
“W-Well, I mean, a popular model’s probably super busy, right? No news is good news, or so they say!”
“…Next time she comes back, I’m chaining her up and locking her in.”
“Whoa, Rin-chan, that doesn’t sound like a joke coming from you, so please don’t…”
Realizing he’d stepped on a landmine, Shinji hurriedly turned toward home.
“W-Well, see ya! I’ll swing by to say hi after the new year!”
Turning his back on the shop, he scurried off toward his house.
(Man, Rin-chan’s tsundere act is something else…)
Arriving home, he rubbed his hands against the cold and opened the main house’s door.
At the entrance, he spotted several unfamiliar pairs of shoes.
A polished pair of black leather shoes and two stylish women’s boots.
“…”
A bad feeling crept over him.
Cautiously, Shinji peeked into the lively living room.
…And, as expected, there was Kureha.
No, to be precise, it wasn’t just Kureha.
His sworn enemy, Inuzuka Hibari, and Natsume Sakura were there too.
His older brother, Hidekazu, turned to him with a carefree grin.
“Yo, Shinji. Good work at practice.”
“Uh, yeah. Aniki, you having a drinking party today?”
“Oh? Didn’t I mention?”
“Guess not…”
Ever since they’d all passed twenty, these drinking parties at the Makishima house had become a staple during the Bon festival and year-end.
Let’s be clear—he wasn’t complaining about the drinking party itself.
It’s not like he minded them using his house for it.
It was just the guest list that rubbed him the wrong way.
Sipping sake from a delicate cup, Hibari flashed a charming smile.
“Hey, Shinji-kun. Thanks for having us.”
“Yeah, sure. I thought public servants like you would be busier this time of year.”
“Haha, everyone needs a bit of a break to recharge, you know?”
“As if you don’t spend your days doting on your brother-in-law and goofing off…”
Shinji’s gaze shifted to Kureha.
“Kureha-san, have you even stopped by your place?”
Kureha grinned brightly and answered without missing a beat.
“Nope~♪ ’Cause Rin-chan’s scary~”
“That attitude’s exactly why Rin-chan’s got permanent frown lines, you know?”
“Muu~ But Rin-chan’s always nagging me to help out at home. I can’t do dishwasher stuff~”
“She says next time you come home, she’s gonna chain you up.”
“What?! That’s terrifying~ Guess I’ll stay at a hotel tonight~♪”
Exasperated by her usual antics, Shinji shifted his attention.
“Uh, so…”
There, lounging in the kotatsu, was a stunning woman tilting a beer can with a suspicious glare.
That would be Sakura, radiating an oppressive aura far worse than Rion’s earlier.
Shinji recoiled at the sheer intensity of her menacing vibe.
“Sakura-san, you seem… really pissed off.”
“Huh?”
Her low, threatening tone made him jump.
Right then, Hidekazu chimed in.
“Shinji, the bath’s ready. Hurry up and warm yourself up—you’ll catch a cold otherwise.”
“Y-Yeah, thanks.”
Shinji scurried off in a hurry.
…Once Shinji was gone from the living room.
Hidekazu gave a wry smile and spoke up.
“Sorry about my tactless little brother.”
“Hehe, Shinji-kun’s just like Hibari-kun used to be, right~♪”
“That’s harsh. I like to think I’m always a gentleman.”
They laughed warmly, then let out a collective sigh.
Hibari, looking a bit wistful, poured more sake into his cup.
“No word from Yatarou this year either, huh?”
Kureha, gently swirling her wine glass, added with a touch of loneliness.
“Yeah~ If he’s doing okay, you’d think he’d at least show his face~♪”
Hidekazu took a sip of his shochu hot water mix.
“Well, adults get caught up in their own lives. Can’t be helped.”
The three nodded in agreement.
But at their overly dramatic act, Sakura crushed her empty beer can with a loud crunch.
Slamming her foot on the kotatsu, she roared.
“Shut up already~~~ ! Stop bringing him up like you’re rubbing it in!!”
The trio flinched, scrambling to calm her down.
“N-No, that’s not it! We were just reminiscing about an old friend, that’s all…”
“Exactly~ Sakura-chan, you’re overthinking it~☆”
“Haha, Sakura-san, you’re such a handful.”
While desperately trying to appease her, their thoughts were pretty much in sync.
((If we didn’t bring him up, she’d get mad about that too…))
After all, no one here was dense enough to miss why Sakura, who usually went bare-faced, showed up to these regular drinking parties with full makeup.
The troublesome woman popped open another beer can with a hiss.
Empty cans were already scattered around her.
“Listen! I don’t care about that guy one bit!”
“Y-Yeah, we know…”
“So don’t even mention his name!”
“Got it, we’ll be careful…”
She chugged the beer in one go, reaching for another…
“Huh?”
She realized they’d already gone through the stash they’d prepared.
With a wobbly, almost demonic stride, she headed for the living room exit.
“I’m grabbing more beer.”
“Oh, sure. Grab some snacks while you’re at it—they’re on the usual shelf.”
“Got it.”
As Sakura left…
The remaining three leaned in close over the kotatsu.
They whispered, careful not to let Sakura hear.
“…So, how’s Yatarou doing?”
“Hmm~ Not sure~☆”
“Didn’t you say during Obon that his next book was looking promising, Kureha-chan?”
Shiiba Yatarou.
Currently a struggling writer.
…Everyone except Sakura knew he was mooching off Kureha, unable to pay his apartment rent.
Kureha took a sip of her wine, looking troubled.
“I liked it, but~ Guess a prologue where the heroine hacks the protagonist to death with a hatchet didn’t go over well~☆”
“Wait, what? What happens after that?”
“The protagonist becomes a ghost~ and takes over the six realms to get revenge on her~♪”
“Why would you pitch something like that for a rom-com? Sounds like he’s reverted to his high school bad habits.”
“It’s wild and fun, right~? Doing the same thing as everyone else just leads to fighting over scraps~”
“That logic might hold, but is there even a market for something like that…?”
All the progress Sakura had made in straightening him out in high school seemed to have vanished.
Hidekazu chuckled gently.
“What was his last book again?”
“Oh~ A famous illustrator was supposed to do the cover, and it was a surefire win with a youth story Wan-chan’s good at, but~”
“Wait, didn’t that one totally flop?”
“Right before release, the illustrator got exposed for having a lover, and the fans started a boycott~☆”
“I’m at a loss for words…”
They couldn’t help but wonder if the guy was cursed.
Hibari and Hidekazu reached for the dried salmon on the plate.
“Those two are something else, huh?”
“In this day and age, selling a million copies is no small feat.”
The otaku guys nodded in agreement.
“I mean, even if he’s not hitting his goals, he could at least show up to the drinking party, right? Kureha-kun, couldn’t you drag him along?”
“Hey~! Don’t make it sound like I’m too cheap to cover his plane ticket~!”
“Heh, isn’t that the case?”
“Mou~! I’ve invited him~ But Wan-chan always comes up with weird excuses to dodge it~”
“Well, he’s always been a bit of a poser. Can’t be helped…”
Then Kureha perked up, raising a finger like she’d had a brilliant idea.
“Oh~! How about we call him up for a video chat right now~?”
“Not a bad idea. Let’s do it.”
“Uh, wait, Kureha-chan? Hibari? That’s a bit much…”
The booze was starting to get to them.
Ignoring Hidekazu’s protests, Kureha dialed Yatarou on her smartphone.
Yatarou’s face and voice appeared almost instantly.
Hey, Kureha? Aren’t you at the drinking party… wait, this is a video call! Sakura-chan’s gonna see me!
“Hehe, it’s fine~☆ Sakura-chan’s off getting more drinks~”
Seeing his face, Hibari let out a rare burst of amused laughter.
“Hahaha! Yatarou, what’s with that beard?! It doesn’t suit you at all!”
Yo, Hibari?!
“Been a while since college graduation. You’ve aged into quite the old man these past five or six years, huh?”
Shut up! How the hell are you looking younger?!
“Heh. I’m surrounded by the vibrant passion of youth every day—it’s like I’m reborn.”
Yatarou muttered, clearly unimpressed.
What’s this about? I told Kureha I wasn’t coming.
“Sakura-kun’s been missing you, so we thought you could at least show your face.”
Dude, quit being such an annoying drunk…
“Rude. I’m not even drunk.”
That’s what all drunks say…
Just as they were getting caught up in the conversation.
The living room door opened, and Sakura walked in, arms full of beer cans and snacks.
“You guys, your voices are echoing down the hall. What’s going on?”
…?!
The video call cut off with a snap.
The speed of it left Hibari and the others stunned, their buzz fading slightly.
Hibari let out a groan.
“…Maybe we took the prank a bit too far?”
Kureha and Hidekazu gave wry smiles, reaching for their drinks.
Sakura, still clueless about the situation, had question marks floating over her head as she popped open another beer can.
—Meanwhile, in Tokyo.
On the balcony of Kureha’s apartment, where he was crashing, Yatarou sat with a cigarette, head bowed.
“Damn those drunks, scaring me like that…”
He muttered, taking a drag.
“…”
Just before he’d cut the call.
For a split second, he’d seen her—Sakura’s face, for the first time in ten years.
“…Sakura-chan. She cut her hair.”
Exhaling smoke, he let a wistful smile slip.
Stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray, he covered his face with both hands and let out a yell.
“Goddamn, she was so cute~~~ !”
…In the dark balcony, the city night gently watched over the man writhing in agony.
This clumsy love, still lingering after ten years, had yet to find its destination.
