Chapter 1 River's End - part 2

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Tokame woke up at 7 a.m. He washed his face, changed his clothes, folded the futon, and sat on top of it, waiting for Ninomiya to wake up. But Ninomiya showed no signs of stirring. Worried about the time, Tokame checked the clock and saw that the alarm was set for 7:30.

“Mmm… Mom… it’s fine… yeah…”

Still clutching his pillow, Ninomiya mumbled and wriggled around in bed. Finally, the alarm started ringing. He tried to ignore it for a bit but eventually gave in, sitting up with a sour expression, like he’d just eaten something bitter. Then, noticing Tokame sitting next to him, he blurted out, “Whoa! Why are you sitting there?”

“Is it a problem?”

“Well… yeah, it’s kinda creepy.”

Ninomiya got up, shuffled out of the room, and came back with damp bangs, presumably after washing his face. He took off his pajamas.

“See ya,” Tokame said as he headed for the door, but Ninomiya stopped him, buttoning his shirt.

“Where are you going? It’s still early for school. It’s only a ten-minute bike ride from here. Or are you heading home first?”

“…Nah.”

“Wanna grab some breakfast?”

Ninomiya yawned as he pulled on his pants, tugging them down a bit at the waist. He motioned for Tokame to follow him to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, there was a small table for four. Ninomiya pulled out a bag of sliced bread and placed it on the table along with two glasses of milk. He opened the bag, making a crinkling sound, grabbed a slice, and took a big bite before tossing the bag toward Tokame.

“Eat as much as you want.”

Tokame grabbed a slice, finishing it in a few bites. He reached for another, then another, eating slice after slice. When he glanced up, he saw Ninomiya staring at him, wide-eyed.

“Did I eat too much?”

“Oh… no. If you’re still hungry, you can have the rest.”

With permission granted, Tokame ate the remaining two slices. Ninomiya crumpled up the now-empty bag and tossed it into the trash.

“Yorozu, you sure can eat a lot first thing in the morning.”

“Didn’t eat dinner last night.”

Ninomiya raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner? I would’ve made you instant ramen or something! But why didn’t you eat dinner?”

“No money,” Tokame replied, finishing off the last of his milk.

“Running low on allowance? Or did you just leave your wallet at home?”

Tokame felt laughter bubbling up. He’d never received an allowance and didn’t even own a wallet. Ninomiya kept listing off things he’d never had.

When Tokame chuckled, Ninomiya frowned, mouth twisting. “Wh-why are you laughing?”

Tokame stood, wiping his mouth with his hand. “The night was warm, and the bread was good… You were loud, though.”

He considered saying “thanks” but ultimately decided against it. Instead, he walked out, leaving Ninomiya calling after him, “Hey, wait up!” Outside, everything was blanketed in snow.

As he passed the park, he noticed his cardboard shelter by the wall, covered in a fresh, white layer of snow—the bed he’d never used.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Koharu called Tokame’s part-time job at the gas station. The manager passed along the message: “She said to tell you she’s sorry and to please come home.” Since they didn’t have a phone at home, she must have called from a pay phone.

The snow from the morning hadn’t melted, and by night, it was snowing again. Tokame had been planning to ask the manager if he could stay overnight in the break room, so he was genuinely relieved that the misunderstanding was cleared up.

When he got home, the sound of the sliding door must have alerted Koharu, as he heard quick footsteps coming from the back. She greeted him with a slightly embarrassed expression and a quiet “Welcome home.” After being called a thief and kicked out on a snowy day, he still felt a faint trace of irritation. He stepped inside without responding, but Koharu stopped him. “Wait. Stay there.” She disappeared into the back room and returned with her coat and wallet.

“Let’s go outside for a bit.”

It was freezing, with snow falling outside. He had no desire to take a casual stroll. He started to protest but then realized it might be something she didn’t want Shunsuke overhearing.

“…Where are we going?” Shunsuke peeked out from the living room.

Tokame thought Koharu might answer, but she stayed silent.

“We’re just going out for a bit,” Tokame told him instead, though Shunsuke still looked at him anxiously.

“You’re coming back, right?”

After spending the night away, Shunsuke seemed a little worried.

“Of course I am.”

As they spoke, Koharu grabbed his arm and pulled him along, saying, “Let’s go.” Outside, they walked through the biting cold and snow. Koharu didn’t say where they were headed. Midway, they stopped at a convenience store, and she offered, “I’ll treat you. Meat bun or sweet bean bun?”

Koharu was usually frugal, so this gesture felt unusually generous. Perhaps it was her way of apologizing for what happened. Without hesitating, he said, “Meat bun.”

“What about one for Shunsuke?”

But Koharu didn’t respond and only bought enough for the two of them. They walked on, each eating their meat buns. In the cold night, it was the perfect meal for his empty stomach.

“Where did you sleep last night?” she asked.

“At a classmate’s house.”

Koharu turned to him, surprised. “You have friends?”

“He’s not a friend.”

“But he let you stay over, so isn’t he? That’s good. At least it was warm, right? Last night was so cold with the snow.”

She reluctantly popped the last piece of her meat bun into her mouth and murmured softly, “What a treat.” They wandered as they walked, eventually reaching the bridge where she’d slapped him yesterday.

“I’m sorry for calling you a thief yesterday,” Koharu finally apologized.

“You mean it?”

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

Leaning back against the bridge railing, tears slipped down Koharu’s cheeks.

“Why are you crying? You figured out it wasn’t me, right?”

“It wasn’t you, but… the money really is gone. Thirty thousand yen.”

“So then… who?”

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a terrible realization dawned on him. No way…

“Today, when I got home from work, I was cleaning and found a game console box in the trash. I wondered how it had gotten there… At first, I thought it might be yours, but then I thought of Shunsuke and checked his school bag. Sure enough, I found a game console inside. When I asked him about it, he got all flustered and said he borrowed it from a friend. But when I pressed him, he admitted he’d taken my money and bought it himself. He said he couldn’t keep up with his friends or fit in without it. It’s just… the worst.”

Koharu rubbed her red, freezing hands against her eyelids.

“That kid doesn’t understand anything. He doesn’t get how poor we are or how hard it is just to put food on the table. I understood when I was his age. I knew how poor we were.”

“I think Shunsuke understands too, in his way… it’s just—”

Koharu shook her head. “He doesn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t have done it. We have so many things to pay for—the debts, Dad’s hospital bills. I work every weekend at the factory, even when it’s supposed to be my day off. You work after school and on weekends, too. We do it for the family, not for ourselves. I haven’t bought new clothes since I started working; everything I wear is hand-me-downs from my coworkers. Because we don’t have the money… I…”

He hugged her thin frame. As if she’d been waiting for this, Koharu clung tightly to Tokame.

“No, no, no! I trust my family. Because family is all I have to believe in. But what am I supposed to do if even my family betrays me? Why am I working so hard if it’s all for nothing…”

Koharu cried for a while, clinging to Tokame, before finally pulling herself away.

“…I understand how Shunsuke feels, I really do. I wanted to be a normal kid too, a regular elementary or middle schooler. I wanted to have the same things as my friends, to talk about the people I liked, to avoid being bullied or left out. I wanted friends…”

She wiped her tears and lowered her head.

“If Dad hadn’t had all that debt, maybe we could’ve had a more normal life… enough food to fill us up. Why weren’t we just normal? Why, no matter how hard I try, do we have to keep living this miserable life? If Mom were still alive, maybe things would be a little better…”

“It’ll end,” Tokame said.

Koharu looked up at him.

“This won’t last forever. Once I start working, I’ll be able to pay off the debt in no time.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” Koharu replied, her tone ambiguous.

“If I could, I’d just go work in a club or something. We’d pay it all back faster, but I’ve been told straight up that someone like me isn’t good-looking enough to make money. I look like Dad.”

Koharu gripped the snow-covered railing of the bridge with both hands. She seemed so close to letting go and plunging into the dark water that Tokame moved closer to her side. Koharu’s small, intense eyes stared out at the dark water below.

“Looking at the water makes me remember when Dad scattered Mom’s ashes into the sea.”

“…He dumped them, you mean.”

“He scattered them,” she said sharply. “It was better than burying her somewhere. He didn’t have much going for him, but that moment was good.”

“He said he was copying some movie scene, right? I haven’t seen it, but…”

“You did see it with Mom, though. You were just too young to remember. It was called River’s End…”

Her thin fingers, gripping the railing, turned red and trembled from the cold. Tokame took her hand and started walking.

“Where are we going?”

“Home. It’s freezing.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

She walked beside him, her hand in his—so cold it was like holding a block of ice.

“…How much would it cost, I wonder, to skip the funeral and just have a simple cremation?” she asked.

“For Dad?”

“Yeah. Because… it’ll probably happen soon.”

“…Yeah, it will.”

Koharu’s tense fingers tightened around his.

“I just want to grieve normally,” she murmured. “When Dad dies, I want to feel sad. I don’t want to have to think about funeral costs. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to go to high school.”

Tokame turned to look at her.

“I wanted to go to high school, to talk with friends. I don’t like studying, but I wanted to try it. After high school, I wanted to go to beauty school and maybe do celebrity hair.”

“Once the debt’s paid, go for it,” Tokame replied.

Koharu gave a wobbly smile, almost a laugh.

“You’d better stay in school. If you get held back because you skip, I’ll wring your neck.”

Her pace quickened a bit.

“And hey, looks like you’ve even made a friend.”

“For the last time, he’s not a friend.”

“...I’m glad I have you,” she murmured.

“I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad I have a little brother.”

…They walked home, hand in hand. Come to think of it, the last time he’d held Koharu’s hand was probably when they were still in elementary school.

When they opened the sliding door, Shunsuke came rushing down the hallway toward them. But when he saw them, he looked down at the floor. Tokame stepped inside, grabbed Shunsuke by the collar, and gave him a slap on the cheek—though he held back quite a bit. Shunsuke sank to the floor, bursting into tears as though something inside him had finally cracked open.

“H-Hey, stop it!” Koharu hurried over, pulling Shunsuke protectively into her arms. “I’ve already scolded him. I’ve talked to him seriously about it.”

With his face hidden in his hands, Shunsuke kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Tokame knelt down in front of him.

“We’re poor, you know.”

“…I know,” Shunsuke replied, voice trembling, head still down.

“I’m the only one who always wears the same clothes. I’m the only one without any games. I’ve only ever had snacks at other people’s houses.”

The words hit him hard, a painful twist in his chest.

“Shunsuke, do you feel embarrassed borrowing or accepting things from other people?”

His younger brother nodded silently.

“I see. But remember this: stealing from others is far more shameful than accepting help. Don’t ever forget that.”

Holding his sobbing little brother, who was crying like a kindergarten kid, Tokame whispered, “If you do this again, you’re out of the house.” Shunsuke clung tightly to Tokame’s neck, crying and repeating, “I won’t, I swear I won’t.”

The next day at school, Tokame noticed something in his desk. When he reached in, there was the crinkling of plastic and something soft. The sensation brought back unpleasant memories of when classmates had stuffed garbage and leftover food from school lunch into his desk back in elementary school. With a sense of dread, he pulled it out.

It was a loaf of bread. A six-slice bag of bread with four slices remaining. Though someone had already opened it, the expiration date was still good. He could guess who had put it there. He turned around, and sure enough, as soon as their eyes met, Ninomiya quickly looked away.

At lunch, Tokame headed up to the rooftop with the bread in hand. As he ate in a secluded spot, he sensed a shadow moving toward him.

“Is that any good?” Ninomiya asked.

Ignoring him, Tokame took another bite. Ninomiya looked irritated.

“…I was the one who put that bread in your desk, you know.”

Tokame finished the last bite, crumpled up the plastic bag, and stuffed it into Ninomiya’s pocket.

“Thanks for the food.”

As he turned to head back to the classroom, Ninomiya called after him, “Hey, hold up!”

“You’re not going to say anything else to me?”

“Thanks for the food.”

“No, not that. Aren’t you even a little grateful?”

“What, like I’m some stray dog you tossed food to on the street?”

Ninomiya frowned, his mouth tightening.

“I never asked for it, and you’re the one doing it on your own.”

Tokame squinted at him. “Don’t expect anything back from the dog.”

Leaving Ninomiya behind, Tokame returned to the classroom and slumped over his desk, closing his eyes. It was nice to have lunch today. Tomorrow would probably be different. He doubted Ninomiya would put bread in his desk again. He’d never been wrong about things like this before.

…But contrary to his expectations, the next day he found more bread in his desk. He ate it without hesitation. The next day, and the day after that, he kept finding various kinds of bread stashed in his desk.

It became a continuous, relentless supply. Although having lunch every day was nice, it started to feel strange—like “just having a full stomach” wasn’t the end of it. He couldn’t figure out what Ninomiya was thinking. If he was just feeding a stray dog on a whim, it had gone on far too long.

After three weeks, Tokame ate the bread on the rooftop and then returned to the classroom, where Ninomiya’s usual group—Shibazaki, Itou, and Hamaguchi—were gathered around him. When they saw Tokame standing there, they all looked up at him with wary expressions.

“Come with me.”

The three other guys exchanged glances, unsure who Tokame was addressing.

“Ninomiya, come with me.”

Ninomiya stood up, and Shibazaki, looking concerned, asked, “Hey, are you gonna be okay?” Ninomiya laughed it off, saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine,” and followed Tokame. They ended up heading to the rooftop, a quiet place to talk.

“Stop bringing me bread.”

Ninomiya blinked, tilting his head thoughtfully.

“So… you’d prefer rice instead?”

“I don’t need anything.”

“But without me bringing food, you don’t have lunch, right?”

“That’s fine.”

“But aren’t you hungry? Don’t worry about it; it’s just my leftover breakfast anyway. My mom keeps saying, ‘You sure are going through a lot of bread lately.’”

“I don’t want to get used to it.”

Tokame shrugged. “I’m already used to skipping lunch. I’ve been doing it since middle school. If I get used to eating lunch now, it’ll be tough to go back when it stops. Mentally, it’s hard to go back to that.”

“It’s just leftover bread; I can bring it every day.”

Ninomiya’s face was blank, almost like he didn’t see a problem.

“If you want, I’ll bring it until you graduate. I’m actually pretty good at keeping things up. In elementary school, I fed our class goldfish every day for a whole year.”

This didn’t seem like the right issue, but Tokame couldn’t find the words to explain. An awkward silence settled between them.

“Hey, where do you get your hair cut?”

“My hair?” Tokame was caught off guard by the sudden shift from talking about bread to hair.

“I’ve always thought your hairstyle was kinda cool.”

“My sister cuts it.”

“Your sister?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve got a sister?” Ninomiya looked genuinely surprised.

“Is that a problem?”

“Don’t get all defensive. You just gave off total only-child vibes, that’s all.”

“Want some gum?” Ninomiya asked. Tokame nodded, and Ninomiya tossed him a piece from his pocket. It was a sweet grape-flavored gum, warm from being in his pocket.

Chewing loudly, Ninomiya kept talking. “You know, I’ve kinda wanted to talk to you about stuff. You’re tall, and you’ve got a pretty cool look going on.”

Tokame was taken aback. In elementary school, he’d been bullied, ignored by everyone in middle school, and now he was in a technical high school with a 90% male student body. Nobody had ever complimented his appearance to his face before. The unfamiliar praise made him squirm uncomfortably.

“You’re always acting aloof. Sometimes I wondered if you were just looking down on us. But then you’re eating stuff from the trash, and suddenly you’re homeless. You’re honestly kind of impossible to figure out. You’ve got this huge attitude whenever anyone tries to help you, but the second there’s food involved, you’re all in.”

Even though it wasn’t hot, Tokame felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. If he was so irritating, then why keep talking to him? He muttered it to himself silently.

“Think your sister would cut my hair too?” Ninomiya asked.

“...Ask her yourself.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know her.”

Leaving Ninomiya behind, Tokame walked off the rooftop. On the stairs, he heard Ninomiya catching up.

“Hey, can I come over to your place sometime? I’ll ask her myself if I do.”

“You’re so annoying.”

When Tokame snapped, Ninomiya looked down, mumbling, “Well, my mouth’s for talking, isn’t it?”

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Tokame was working on a report due tomorrow, seated at the low table in the living room, when he noticed Shunsuke come in and sit down across from him. When he looked up, their eyes met.

“Hmm? What’s up?”

Shunsuke averted his gaze, mumbling uncertainly, “Well… it’s sister. She’s acting weird.”

“What do you mean, ‘weird’?”

“She usually tells us to turn off the faucet right away, but she’s leaving it running.”

“So why don’t you just turn it off yourself?”

Tokame scratched his temple with the end of his mechanical pencil.

“But sister was just standing there by the faucet. I asked if something was wrong, but she wouldn’t answer me.”

Seeing how worried Shunsuke looked, Tokame sighed and went to the kitchen. There he found Koharu washing dishes, but her hands were still, and the water was running.

“Hey,” he called, but she didn’t respond. He walked closer and touched her shoulder.

“Ah! What?” She jumped as if startled out of a trance, seemingly unaware that he was there behind her.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that—you scared me.”

“I’ve been calling you.”

“Huh? Really? I must have zoned out. I didn’t notice,” she said, moving in an almost robotic way as she resumed washing dishes.

“You okay? Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?” she replied, still not meeting his eyes.

“Is it Dad? Is he doing worse? I’ve been working so much that I haven’t had time to go see him.”

The clinking and clattering of dishes grew louder.

“Dad’s the same as always. Just lying in bed, yelling for us to bring him booze.”

Finishing up the dishes, she turned off the faucet. As she dried her hands on her apron, she sighed, “Maybe I’m just tired.”

She’d cut her hair again; now her sideburns were trimmed short above her ears, almost boyish. Tokame tugged at his own overgrown bangs.

“So, are you just cutting my hair randomly every time?”

“Well… I guess it’s kind of random. Right now, it’s styled like Nemoto-kun.”

“Who’s Nemoto?”

Koharu frowned. “You don’t know him? He’s a rising actor. I really like his face.”

Tokame scratched his head. “Someone said this hairstyle looked cool. He even said he wanted you to cut his hair…”

Koharu’s previously gloomy expression brightened like a light had been switched on.

“Really! I thought I did a pretty good job on your hair this time. I guess people who notice can really tell! Sure, bring him over. I’ll cut his hair.”

“What? No way.” Tokame tried to step back, but she grabbed his arm. Even through his shirt, her hand was as cold as ever.

“Oh, come on! I’d like to try cutting another guy’s hair for a change. But I’m working all weekend, so… right, your gas station’s closed the day after tomorrow, isn’t it? Let’s do it then, at night. Tell him to eat before he comes, though—we don’t have extra rice to spare.”

Tokame stepped back slightly from the eager Koharu and muttered under his breath, “Seriously…?”

◇:-:◆:-:◇

At eight in the evening, Tokame met Ninomiya in front of the convenience store and brought him home.

“Whoa, your house is really run-down,” Ninomiya said bluntly as soon as he saw the full extent of Tokame’s home illuminated by the streetlight.

“It’s better than sleeping outside,” Tokame replied, unlocking the sliding door. Ninomiya muttered, “You know, your comparisons are always so extreme.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Everything with you is all or nothing, like life or death.”

“Whatever.”

Tokame opened the door, and Koharu appeared in the hallway to greet them.

“Welcome, Ninomiya-kun. I’m Shunji’s sister, Koharu.”

When she smiled, Ninomiya’s face immediately turned red.

“Oh, uh… n-nice to meet you. I mean, thanks for having me over. And, um, here… this is for you.”

He handed her a convenience store bag, which seemed to be a gift.

“Well, uh… I can’t really pay for the haircut, so this is my offering.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to bring anything!” Koharu, who had been oddly cheerful since morning, seemed even more delighted by the snacks. She led Ninomiya to the living room, where a temporary setup of newspapers and a chair awaited him.

“Well, um, I was hoping for something like Tokame’s hairstyle…” Ninomiya explained. Koharu frowned thoughtfully.

“Hmm… Shunji has more of an inverted triangle face, which is why I gave him the ‘Nemoto-kun’ look, but your face is longer. I think it would suit you better if we left the bangs a bit longer and added volume on the sides. Kind of like Mihara-kun from RAYS, for example.”

“Y-yes, please do that.”

Koharu smiled and began cutting Ninomiya’s hair. Ninomiya was so tense it was amusing, so Tokame and Shunsuke sat nearby, watching the process. Locks of hair fell in bundles onto the newspaper. Koharu had always cut Tokame’s hair, using an ordinary pair of household scissors. But ever since she’d received an old pair of professional scissors from a coworker at the factory, whose daughter was a hairdresser, she had been thrilled and had even cut their father’s hair that same day.

Koharu’s expression was completely focused as she worked. Normally chatty, Ninomiya sat as silent as a cat borrowed for the day while she cut his hair. In less than thirty minutes, she’d given him a clean, stylish cut that suited his face. Even from an outsider’s perspective, it looked great. To Ninomiya, who hadn’t been allowed to look in the mirror, the final result was stunning.

“Wow… Koharu-san, you’re amazing! It looks so professional! I actually feel… kinda cool now.”

Listening to his enthusiasm, Tokame thought he sounded foolish, but Ninomiya kept repeating “Amazing!” in awe, clearly making Koharu happy.

After they cleaned up, the four of them shared the snacks and juice Ninomiya had brought. Since they rarely bought sweets, Shunsuke stuffed his cheeks with snacks, looking like a chipmunk preparing for winter.

At first, Ninomiya seemed nervous in front of Koharu, but he gradually got comfortable and began chatting as usual.

“To be honest, I was a little scared of Tokame at first. He never talked to anyone, and with that expressionless face, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.”

Koharu laughed, and said, “The reason he doesn’t talk is because there’s nothing going on in his head.”

“But I feel like I’d go crazy if I didn’t talk, so I kind of envy Tokame. You know, quiet guys seem cool, don’t they?”

“Cool? Him?”

Tokame gave a half-hearted nod to avoid further conversation.

“No, I’m serious! It’s like his back just speaks for him or something.”

Koharu burst out laughing and playfully slapped Tokame’s back.

“Hey, Shunji, did you hear that? You’re apparently something amazing.”

Only Koharu and Ninomiya were talking, but the atmosphere was good. Above all, Koharu seemed happy, and that was what mattered most. When Ninomiya started imitating their teacher, “Bald Tora,” Koharu laughed so hard she was holding her stomach, even though she had never met him.

“Oh, Ninomiya-kun, it’s getting late. Won’t your parents be worried?” Koharu said, glancing at the clock. It was already past eleven.

“Oh, don’t worry. My parents are both at work, so it’s fine for me to be out late,” Ninomiya said.

Koharu put her hands on her hips. “That’s not okay. You’re still a minor, Ninomiya-kun. You shouldn’t be staying up so late.”

With a reluctant sigh, Ninomiya finally stood up. “Alright, then…”

Koharu walked him to the entryway. Smiling, she said, “I had a really great time today. Come visit again sometime.”

Just before stepping outside, Ninomiya shifted nervously and turned to Tokame. “Hey, could you walk me part of the way?”

“What a pain.”

“It doesn’t have to be far, just a bit.”

With no other choice, Tokame went out with him. Ninomiya walked beside him, pushing his bike along.

“Today was really fun,” he murmured.

“Seriously, it was great. I don’t even want to go home. I’ll just be alone anyway… You’re lucky, having siblings.”

“I could let you have one.”

“Yeah, coming from you, that doesn’t sound like a joke.”

Ninomiya chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. His chuckles turned into quiet, fading laughter.

“Can I come over again? I’ll make sure my parents know next time, so let me stay over.”

“There’s no extra futon.”

“Then I’ll just sleep next to you.”

Despite Tokame’s short replies, Ninomiya kept chatting. Before he realized it, the familiar company housing building came into view. Noticing, Ninomiya let out a satisfied “heh” and grinned, pleased with himself.

“Heh, got you to walk me all the way home.”

With that, he mounted his bike.

“See you at school on Monday.”

Ninomiya rode off, and Tokame turned to head back. The wind blowing on his way home felt especially cold, much more than when he had walked out.

When he got back, he found Koharu sitting at the low table, idly propping her chin in her hand, watching TV.

“You’re back. You were out pretty late.”

“He made me walk him all the way home.”

Koharu chuckled. “You two are getting along.”

“...Not really.”

“Yet you brought him all the way over here.”

“Only because you told me to,” he muttered irritably. Koharu sighed. “You really can’t be honest, huh?”

“Still, Ninomiya-kun’s so upbeat and a good kid. Friends like him are worth keeping around.”

Tokame didn’t reply. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. The tap water had a faint taste of chlorine.

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