NOVPUBShimizu-san and the Cultural Festival Tour 4
“Maybe something safe, like whether you’ll last as a couple?”
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about!”
“Wait, aren’t you two a couple?”
“No, we’re not.”
Why does Shimizu-san glare at me, I wonder.
“Sorry, you looked so well-matched I just assumed.”
“Well, I’ll let it slide.”
“Thank you. So, what will you do?”
Hearing the word “couple,” an idea popped into my head.
“Today, we’re putting on a play, but can you tell if it will be successful or not?”
“That’s an interesting one.”
Is there such a thing as an interesting or uninteresting fortune-telling?
“Can you do it?”
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing impossible for me and this crystal ball. Let’s begin!”
With that, the female student held her hands over the crystal ball, closed her eyes, and began to murmur something in a voice so low that we couldn’t hear what she was saying.
After about a minute, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and raised her hands in the air.
“Here it is! The fortune-telling is complete!”
“That was unexpectedly loud.”
“So, what’s the result?”
“Well...”
I swallow my saliva.
I don’t completely believe in fortune-telling, but I’m a bit nervous.
“Hurry up and tell me.”
“Don’t rush me. You wanted to know if the play you’re participating in will be successful, right?”
“Yes.”
“The answer is that the success of the play depends on the two of you.”
My heart skips a beat.
Indeed, the most uncertain part at this stage is the final scene with Shimizu-san and me.
“That’s something anyone could say.”
“The fortune-telling continues. For the play to succeed, it’s necessary for the two of you to confront something.”
“What do we need to confront?”
“The person you are both thinking about in your minds right now.”
Kaho-san’s words from earlier flash through my mind.
『It would be better for Hondō-kun to figure out how he feels about Kei-chan before the play starts. If you can settle that, I’m sure the play will be a success.』
Could the fortune-telling be trying to convey the same message as Kaho-san?
“It seems like Onii-san might have an idea.”
“...Yes.”
“I won’t ask for details. Doesn’t Onee-san have some thoughts as well?”
Shimizu-san neither affirms nor denies.
“How much time is there until the play?”
“About an hour or so.”
“Then it would be wise to use that time to confront it. I’m rooting for the success of your play as well.”
The female student seemed satisfied with her fortune-telling and said nothing more.
Shimizu-san and I left the place and headed to our original destination, the clubroom.
**
Opening the door to the Astronomy Club’s clubroom, we found no one inside. Both Shimizu-san and I sat down in our usual chairs.
What kind of person is Shimizu-san to me?
It’s something I’ve thought about over and over in my head.
No matter how many times I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.
I’m certain she’s an important presence. But I felt that she was different from important people like family or friends.
If only I could explain how it’s different, I might get closer to an answer.
“Hey, Hondō.”
Startled by Shimizu-san’s call, I check the time on my smartphone and realize more time has passed than I thought.
“Sorry, I was lost in thought. What’s the matter?”
“You’re worried about what the fortune-teller said earlier?”
Is what I’m thinking that obvious?
“...Yeah.”
“She said it too, but fortune-telling doesn’t always come true, so don’t worry about it too much.”
“I know, but what was said is kind of stuck in my mind.”
“About confronting or facing the person you’re thinking about?”
“Yeah.”
“...I’m going to ask you something now, but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“Okay, what do you want to ask?”
The fact that she’s prefacing it with permission not to answer suggests it might be a difficult question.
“...Who were you thinking about?”
Shimizu-san’s question was simpler than I expected.
After a bit of hesitation, I decided to tell her exactly what I was thinking.
“I was thinking about you, Shimizu-san.”
“Is that so...”
“What about you, Shimizu-san? What were you thinking about?”
Silence flowed through the clubroom. It was about ten seconds later that Shimizu-san spoke.
“...I was thinking about you.”
When I heard those words, for some reason, it felt like my heart warmed up a bit.
“Heh.”
“What are you laughing at!”
“Sorry, I’m just happy.”
“Sorry, it just made me happy.”
“Am I?”
“It’s not like you gain anything from it.”
“Isn’t it happiness enough to know that someone important to you is thinking about you?”
“Don’t just use those words lightly.”
“Okay.”
Shimizu-san’s voice seemed a bit lower than usual.
“After all this time... you don’t need to face me now.”
“What do you mean?”
“...You’ve been facing me all along. You talked to me normally even when I had blonde hair, and you didn’t blatantly change your attitude after I dyed it back to black.”
“Isn’t that just normal?”
“That’s not the point.”
“Ouch!”
I received a light chop on the head from Shimizu-san.
“You’ve always faced me directly, and that’s why we’re here now. So you don’t need to worry more than necessary.”
Maybe I had been thinking too deeply about what it means to face and confront someone.
Looking into their eyes when speaking must surely be part of facing that person.
“...Thank you, Shimizu-san.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“But if that’s the case, why were you thinking about me, Shimizu-san? If you say I’ve been facing you all this time, then you’ve been facing me too, right?”
It’s possible to face someone unilaterally, but I didn’t feel that way.
“That’s because...”
“Because?”
“Because even if I succeed in the final scene of the play, it’s no good unless you succeed too, so I was worried about you!”
“...I see. Thank you for that.”
“Y-Yeah, sure.”
Why does Shimizu-san seem a little flustered?
After that, we spent the time until the preparation for the play chatting casually as we always did.
