Chapter 18: The Signal Pattern’s Acting Strange

Rio-chan held my hand as we walked through the city after school.
I was worried my heartbeat was so loud, she’d be able to tell just by the pulse in my hand.

My mind was blank—I couldn’t think straight.
But just knowing I was going on a date with Rio-chan made something inside me bounce with excitement, even if it didn’t show on my face.

I kept wondering things like, Why all of a sudden? or Did she really mean it when she said ‘date’?

──But the moment we started walking hand in hand through the after-school streets, all those little questions just drifted out of my head.

Why am I getting so nervous like this?

"Why…?"

I licked the ice cream we bought along the way bit by bit (if I bit into it, my head would freeze up), and muttered under my breath.

It wasn’t even a real question, just me talking to myself.
……But Rio-chan always picks up on the things I say.

“What’s wrong, Tsubasa-chan?”

She stopped licking her ice cream and leaned in to peek at my face.

She felt closer than usual.
Probably not even ten centimeters away.
Since we were holding hands, I couldn’t exactly back away either.

"……Rio, why?"

With nowhere to run, I ended up asking her straight out—Why did you ask me out on a date?

I couldn’t escape. I was flustered. And… I wanted to know.

"……You mean this date?"

"Yeah."

Lately, Rio-chan’s been good at understanding what I want to say. Not everything, but sometimes, like now, she gets it.

……Yeah. That makes me happy.
It feels nice, being understood.

"Well, let’s see…"

Rio-chan, the one who always gets me, glanced away just for a second.

"──Because you told me you loved me."

Her cheeks flushed like apples, but she didn’t avert her eyes like I would.
She kept her gaze fixed on me and murmured in a slightly smaller voice than usual.

……She was so close, I could feel her breath.
It smelled like the ice cream she’d been eating.

"After that… it felt like my chest was being squeezed."

──There was a sweet and tangy orange scent.

"That’s why I thought… I wanted to go on a date. ……It wasn’t fair if just Futaba-san got one."

As if sharing that tight feeling in her chest with me, Rio-chan smiled.

But it wasn’t a natural smile—it looked a little strained, like she was forcing it.
Her face was redder than before, and I could tell she was really embarrassed.

I could feel Rio-chan’s flustered emotions through our joined hands.

……It made my own face start to heat up, too.

"Rio…"

"Yeah?"

"Your ice cream… it’s melting…"

"……You’re right."

Before we knew it, both our hands were sticky with melting ice cream.

We hurriedly let go and wiped our dirty hands with a handkerchief.
……When I licked my fingers, they tasted like sweet strawberry.

After school, eating ice cream with a dear friend.

That alone already made me feel like I was living out my youth—but even now, Rio-chan was still holding my hand.

In the long summer twilight, our shadows stretched out as two figures in the shimmering haze.

Our hands, damp with sweat, were still clasped as we walked together.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at a shrine.
Not that we were headed anywhere in particular—it was just where our wandering feet had led us.
We ended up there purely by chance, simply because our pace happened to match.

It almost felt like we’d been guided there by some divine will.

Even though our school’s a mission school, where we’re taught to fold our hands in prayer, not press them together.

“The shrine office is already closed.”

“We can’t buy any charms.”

“I was kind of curious about one, though. The ‘Ungai Sōten’ charm.”

Huh? What’s that?

They sell something like that?

“Rio, tell me.”

“Yeah. This shrine sometimes sells limited-time charms. ‘Ungai Sōten’… It means that even if bad things happen, good things will eventually come.”

Whoa, that’s a thing?

Limited-edition shrine goods sound kinda... commercial, don’t they?

“What should we do?”

“……Let’s at least offer a prayer.”

Yeah, we might as well.

With that lighthearted feeling, the two of us approached the offertory box.

We each tossed in a few coins and gave a small bow.

Two bows, two claps, one more bow.
The dry ring of the bell echoed clearly.
Clap, clap. Hands together, and then… make a wish.

Ah—! I totally forgot to think of something to pray for!

Wh-what do I do?! At this rate, I’ve just thrown a fifty-yen coin at the gods for no reason!

That’s not what I meant to do, God.
I swear, I’m not here to play ding-dong ditch with the divine!

“──I wish I can stay with Tsubasa-chan forever.”

“────”

Right in the middle of my mental panic, I heard her small murmur.

A whisper so warm, it made me feel like I might melt.
The seriousness in her voice told me she was truly, wholeheartedly praying.

My thoughts, selfish and frantic just moments ago, cleared all at once.
From that blank slate, words rose straight from my heart and slipped out of my mouth.

“──I hope something good happens to Rio.”

I just wanted to return the feelings she gave me.
I prayed to the gods for Rio-chan to be showered in happiness.

She had filled my chest with so much warmth that I couldn’t return it all on my own.

While I prayed with all my heart, I thought only of her happiness.
And when I finally raised my head after the most earnest prayer I’d ever given, my eyes met hers.

A quiet moment. A silent world, where our gazes locked.

The sun had dipped low, shadows creeping in, and I stared straight into Rio-chan’s trembling eyes.

Hey, Rio-chan.

That prayer you made just now… I’m sure it’ll come true.

Because I’ll always be your friend.

So please, let my prayer reach you too.

God, I’m counting on you.

A still, sacred moment in the presence of the gods.

A world that belonged only to us—and the divine.

And then, the cawing of a crow scattered it all,
As if to say, That’s enough for today.

Sensing that, I gave one final, deep bow.

Thank you for listening, God.
I’ll do my best too—but if that’s not enough, I’ll be counting on you.

"……Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

After our final farewell, we held hands once more.

Even though our palms were damp with sweat, neither of us minded.

"Um, hey, Rio."

"Yeah?"

"……Thank you."

"I should be the one saying thank you."

Right before the curtain of night fully fell,
Right before we had to part ways,
We walked home together, sharing the thought: Today was fun.

It had been a different kind of day, one where we wandered to all sorts of places together.

So yeah—I was a little tired.

But it was the kind of tired that made me happy.

That’s why… I didn’t want it to end just yet.

"Hey, Tsubasa-chan."

That moment—the moment that told me the day was coming to a close.
It had grown dark enough that I could hardly see Rio-chan’s face anymore.

"──I love you too, Tsubasa-chan."

As she said it, Rio-chan gave my hand a firm squeeze—without a hint of hesitation,
As naturally as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

──My heart pounded so hard, I thought it might burst.

──I couldn’t help but squeeze her hand back just as tightly.

"It’s something important, so remember it, okay?"

"──Ah…"

With one final, slightly firmer squeeze,
Rio-chan let go of my hand.

My hand felt… lonely.

"See you tomorrow, Tsubasa-chan."

The farewell I always say—
Today, it was Rio-chan who said it instead.

Unlike me, frozen in place, she walked away with light steps, like a wild rabbit disappearing into the evening.

……The surroundings had grown dark.
Streetlights were beginning to flicker on.
The first star, the only one visible from the city, blinked faintly in the sky.

And there I stood—
For a long while, unable to move from that spot.

──With my heart still pounding loudly in my chest.

Rio-chan is a precious friend.
My one and only best friend.
The one I told the gods I’d always stay beside, the person I truly want to be with.

That’s why…
I absolutely don’t want her to hate me—
And that’s why I can’t let myself feel this way.

Back when I couldn’t talk to anyone,
When I spent all my time alone on the rooftop,
She was the one who spoke to me.

Even after learning about my weird hobbies,
She never avoided me—she kept being my friend.

When we had that falling out, I thought we’d never make up.
I’m so bad at talking, I was sure we’d drift apart for good.
But even then, she’s the only girl I’ve ever been able to properly reconcile with.

That’s why—
I don’t want to do something I can’t take back.

To me, Rio-chan was the first person who ever showed me kindness,
The first warmth I’d ever known.

I don’t want to misunderstand.
Don’t let me…
Don’t let me misunderstand, Rio-chan…!