Chapter 8: Senpai and Kouhai.

On the way home, after successfully finishing our interaction with the senior, I handed the sweets I bought at the pastry shop to Kaimori-chan. I mean, she had nothing to do with it, yet I dragged her along. Actually, if we’re talking about competing over Takahiro, she’s technically a rival too. No—honestly, I can’t wait to see the two of them fight over him!

"Here you go! A cheese tart for our good girl, Kaimori-chan!"

In the end, Kaimori-chan held back and didn’t buy anything at the shop, so I picked something she liked instead. It’s not like I’ve been repeating dates with her in-game for nothing.

But as she walked beside me and accepted it, she looked slightly puzzled.

"...A cheese tart? Not a cream puff?"

"Yeah. That one’s for Senpai. You like this more, right?"

"...Huh?"

"Wait… you don’t like it?"

…Seriously? Of all people, I messed that up? Or is she just in the mood for cream puffs right now? I guess when you see someone else eating something, you start craving it too. My bad. I’ll make it up to you next time.

Even while thinking it over, Kaimori-chan still accepted it. What a good girl.

Meanwhile, Takahiro happily put his pudding into his bag. Sorry, but the game never mentioned the protagonist’s preferences—that one was just on sale next to the register.

…Alright then, let’s call it a day!

After that, I rushed straight home and immediately started preparing to make tomorrow’s cream puffs.

But right away, I ran into a problem.

I had absolutely no idea what ingredients I needed. …What even goes into custard cream? Chestnuts?

As I sat there thinking, the necessary ingredients suddenly started popping into my head one after another. This must be Shione-chan’s recipe. From what I could tell, I was short on fresh cream…

So, five minutes after getting home, I opened the front door again and hurried off to my next destination—the neighborhood supermarket.

Normally, I wouldn’t be this busy, but right now I’m basically helping with a multi-route playthrough. If Takahiro would just end up with one of the heroines already, all this effort would actually pay off…

"Oh, Shione-senpai. Shopping?"

"Kaimori-chan! We keep running into each other today!"

As I wandered around the supermarket with a basket in hand, I ran into Kaimori-chan again—we had just parted ways earlier. Come to think of it, she does live pretty close by.

Unlike me, though, she was just here for normal shopping.

Her basket made that clear—it was filled with discounted ready-made meals. She’d probably go home and eat those alone.

Hmm… I wonder if there’s a way to ease her loneliness.

At that moment, her earlier words floated back into my mind:

"So I don’t get cream puffs, huh…"

…That’s it. I’ve got an idea.

"Hey, Kaimori-chan. Do you have time after this? There’s something I want your help with."

"I mean, I do… Wait, this isn’t another visit to someone else, is it?"

She was already half-trying to back out. Well, I get it—dealing with Senpai routes takes serious mental energy. But this time was different.

"I’m planning to make cream puffs now. So I’d like to appoint you as the official cream-mixing specialist. It’s an important role."

"…Couldn’t anyone do that?"

"…Even Takahiro-kun?"

"Yeah… he probably couldn’t. Alright, fine. I’m free anyway."

With a wry smile and a small shake of her head, Kaimori-chan accepted my invitation.

"Alright, first task for our mixing specialist—please take me to the fresh cream section."

"That’s where we’re starting?! This is already worrying… You’re the one who makes bentos every day, right? It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend. I won’t be disappointed. Come on, let’s be honest."

"Kaimori-chan is aggressively trying to make me confess something… scary…! Come on, let’s go!"

I tried to pull her basket along, but immediately stopped—I had no idea which way to go.

Seeing that, she let out a soft sigh.

"Honestly… this way, Shione-senpai."

She gently took my hand and led me forward.

We walked through the store hand in hand. Her touch was warm and soft—it felt strangely ticklish.

"It’s like you’re the senpai, Kaimori-chan."

"At least visually, yeah. Even your shopping basket looks huge when you’re carrying it."

"Hey! I’m still growing, you know! I’ve got at least another 40 centimeters in me. I’m a late bloomer!"

"You’re putting way too much faith in the idea of being a late bloomer, Shione-senpai."

…

Butter and water went into a pot over heat, with a pinch of salt sprinkled in. Flour was sifted in, eggs added, and everything mixed until the dough thickened—choux pastry complete.

For the custard cream, egg yolks and sugar were vigorously whisked in a bowl, then warmed milk and more sugar added. It was transferred to a pot and heated until thick, then cooled and combined with fresh cream—done.

The dough went into the oven, and we waited.

…But honestly, just staring at the oven didn’t make it clear whether anything was actually baking. It was so dark inside that it still looked raw.

Behind me, Kaimori-chan peeked into the oven too, muttering under her breath. For some reason, her eyes looked a bit unfocused.

"This is definitely a scam…"

"What’s wrong, Kaimori-chan? Oh, by the way, great mixing. Good job."

"No, Shione-senpai—there’s no way someone who can’t find the fresh cream section moves like that. …You were lying again, weren’t you? I’ve been lured in…"

"No, I seriously didn’t know! It’s treated like milk—it’s off to the side, so I missed it. I thought it’d be in the sweets section."

"People who don’t know that don’t crack eggs one-handed. Also, what even is a ‘sweets section’? …I don’t understand you at all…"

"You said that yesterday too. People usually say I’m easy to understand, though."

The harshest thing anyone’s ever said to me was probably, “You’re so straightforward it’s kind of unsettling.”

…Hey, just because someone’s straightforward doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want, you know?

Kaimori-chan gave a slightly stiff smile and changed the subject.

"By the way, thanks for the cheese tart earlier. I like those. Miso ramen too. …Honestly, it feels like you could make anything, Shione-senpai."

"Maybe I can! Got any requests? I’m taking orders."

"…Let’s see… then, simmered pumpkin!"

"Oh, nice! Seasonal choice! Leave tomorrow’s bento to me!"

I think there was pumpkin in the fridge. Not sure if it’s actually in season, but people wear pumpkins on their heads for Halloween, so it must be.

As I nodded to myself, she added something strange:

"And… I’d be happy if there was broccoli too."

…Huh? Since when? You hate broccoli. In the game, you literally said, “It’s a secret, but not liking oysters and broccoli is part of my identity.”

What’s going on? Sudden personality collapse?

"Uh… sure, we can add that sometime…"

"…Now I’m curious how much you actually know."

"H-how much…?"

"…Only about preferences? That can’t be it… but the pendant…"

"Kaimori-chan? Hellooo?"

She started muttering to herself and eventually stopped responding entirely.

I circled around her a few times—completely ignored.

Unable to stand the silence, I went back to the oven.

At least you won’t ignore me…

…Wait—the dough is puffing up! Yes! This is a success!

"Alright! Freshly made cream puffs! This is what you were in the mood for today, right, Kaimori-chan?"

"Eh…? Not really—"

"…Not really…?"

"N-no! I am! Thank you! So don’t look that sad… Ah… yeah, maybe you are easy to read…"

We successfully mass-produced cream puffs, and while we were cleaning up, my mother suddenly peeked in from the doorway.

"Oh? A friend? I’m about to make dinner. Why don’t you stay and eat?"

"Um, I already bought food…"

"You mean those ready-made meals in your basket, Kaimori-chan?"

"Oh my! No, no—you’re staying and eating!"

"Um… I should really head home…"

But the moment she firmly refused, my mother suddenly collapsed dramatically to the floor and covered her face.

"...I see… you don’t want to eat my cooking…"

"N-no! I’d love to! Please don’t—wait… is this hereditary…?"

No, she definitely just saw what happened earlier. She has a playful side like that.

Though… I wonder if Kaimori-chan is okay with this? Some people prefer eating alone, after all.

As I stood there with my arms crossed, wondering how to respond, Kaimori-chan smiled and tugged lightly on my hand. Her expression was strange—somewhere between embarrassed and happy.

"It’s fine, Shione-senpai. You don’t have to worry about me. I don’t dislike eating with someone else. I’m just… not used to it, so sometimes I don’t know what to do."

That evening, Kaimori-chan joined us at our family dinner table. There were moments where she seemed a little restless, but overall, she smiled and looked like she was enjoying herself.

Later, since it was already night, my mother offered to drive her home. Until then, we decided to relax in my room.

Following me inside, Kaimori-chan looked around the room and immediately muttered:

"...This is a pretty fancy room… well, it does suit you, Shione-senpai."

"That stopped being a compliment to me a long time ago, Kaimori-chan."

"What’s wrong with being cute? Then how would you like to be complimented? If I get the chance, I’ll try."

"Hmm… I guess… something like ‘manly’ or ‘mature.’ That would be nice…"

"...That’s way harder than I expected…"

She closed her eyes, furrowed her brow, and looked down in thought.

That hard…? But “mature” isn’t even gender-specific, is it? Am I really that immature…? Well, whatever.

After offering her a cushion, I decided to bring up a topic you can only really talk about in a situation like this.

Two girls alone in a room.

In other words—girl talk about love.

So, how are things looking right now? Has Kaimori-chan started wanting to marry Takahiro yet?

"By the way, Kaimori-chan! This is kind of sudden, but… what do you think about Takahiro-kun?"

"I think he’s kind of a dangerous person. …But I do think he really likes you, Shione-senpai."

"That does absolutely nothing for me, Kaimori-chan! I don’t mean that! I mean—as a boyfriend, what do you think?!"

"...Huh? No thanks."

"Why?! Don’t answer so fast! At least think about it! What about ‘maybe we could start as friends’ or something?!"

Still sitting on the bed, I waved a cushion around wildly in protest. Kaimori-chan looked back at me with a troubled expression.

What’s her problem, exactly?

"I mean… Ryūzōji-senpai already belongs to you, doesn’t he?"

"That is completely wrong, and it is absolutely never going to happen."

"...Are you trying to hide your embarrassment?"

"I’m telling you, if that ever happened, I’d rather die! Keep pushing me and I’ll seriously lose it!"

"...Wow. What an emotionally unstable child… I mean, putting you aside, he’s clearly serious about you, isn’t he?"

"Ah, yeah. That part’s true. That’s exactly the problem."

Kaimori-chan looked a little surprised at that.

After a brief silence, she spoke hesitantly.

"...I thought you hadn’t noticed."

"Do you think I’m blind? I can tell we’re still in the shared route phase right now."

"...Shared route…? Then why are you pretending not to notice?"

"Because it’s a hassle."

"Oh, that’s… unexpectedly blunt. What do you mean by ‘a hassle’?"

"I mean, I just can’t deal with him on a fundamental level, but if I say that outright, I’d probably hurt him."

"Of course you would! There’s no ‘probably’ about it! Please never say something like that with such a straight face! …Honestly, I’m starting to feel a little sorry for him…"

"So?"

"I. Won’t. Date. Him."

"Aw, come on. You’re so stingy, Kaimori-chan. …But Takahiro-kun isn’t that bad of a catch, is he? I mean, sometimes in life, you have to compromise a little. There’s no guarantee your ideal person will ever appear in front of you, after all."

"...Could you not suddenly switch from a child to an adult mid-sentence? It’s honestly kind of creepy."

…Damn. Looks like I failed to convince her.

Still, at least I managed to make it clear that I’m not in that kind of relationship with Takahiro.

"But seriously, you’re amazing, Shione-senpai. Even when you’re trying to push your childhood friend onto someone, you still manage to be cute… Also, stop swinging your legs while sitting on the bed! I can see everything!"

I quickly snapped my legs shut.

Crap. That was unconscious. This is going to damage Shione-chan’s reputation. Is there any way to recover from this…? Probably not.

Even if it’s too late, I quietly averted my eyes and pretended to take an elegant interest in the furniture around the room.

…Oh, that dolphin-shaped alarm clock—I bought that during the aquarium date on Shione-chan’s route. As expected of me.

After watching me stare at the alarm clock with a composed expression for a while, Kaimori-chan let out a long sigh.

"...There’s a lot I want to ask you, but… I understand so little that I don’t even know where to start."

"I don’t really get it, but do you have something on your mind? I can listen."

"I appreciate that… but the source of my worries is you, Shione-senpai."

Hey, don’t make me sound like the root of all your problems.

Still, it seemed like I was troubling my number three favorite girl. That’s not good. I need to reflect.

I closed my eyes and recalled the final conversation from Kaimori-chan’s route.

After overcoming the crisis of her transferring schools, we went to the sea together and shared an important moment while laughing.

Back then, I made a promise—to stand by her side from now on.

In my mind, I recalled the words she said to me:

"...It feels like a dream. I mean… ever since I was little, there’s something I’ve always wished for… something I hoped would happen to me someday. …Here, come closer. I’ll tell you secretly, just to you, Senpai. Don’t laugh, okay—"

"—Someday, with someone… I want us to share the same dream."

"...W-wait! H-h-h-huh?! That line—?!"

Thud-thud!

Startled by the sudden noise, I opened my eyes to see Kaimori-chan standing there, bright red like she’d just been boiled.

…Huh? Thinking it was my imagination, I closed my eyes and opened them again—but she was still just as red.

…What is this…? Isn’t that kind of color change way too fast? Even someone choking on mochi would take longer than that…

"Kaimori-chan, what’s wrong…? A-are you feeling okay?"

"Um, where did you hear that from…?! I mean, I’ve never told anyone that…!"

"—We’re heading out soon! Get ready!"

"Oh, looks like it’s time. …Can you make it? If you’re not feeling well, you could stay over."

"...No, staying here right now is honestly kind of terrifying… I have a lot I need to sort out… so please, just leave me alone for a bit…"

With her shoulders slumped, Kaimori-chan quietly left the room. For some reason, her back looked almost… burned out.

I’d like to believe the things she needs to sort out are about her future with Takahiro, but…

After seeing her off, I immediately began my solo reflection session about that earlier love talk.

It was good that I confirmed how she currently feels about Takahiro, but… once again, getting him a girlfriend is tough.

"I don’t want to"—that’s basically a complete rejection.

I thought her route had the highest chance… was I mistaken?

…Wait.

What if this is… that thing girls do? You know, hiding their true feelings out of embarrassment?

After all, she herself said earlier, “That’s just you being embarrassed.”

People tend to project their own traits onto others without realizing it.

Alright. Kaimori-chan = embarrassed.

Oh… just introducing that idea makes everything fall into place.

Even "I don’t want to" takes on a completely different meaning.

In other words, it actually means, "I love him."

…Incredible.

This must be exactly how mathematicians feel when they discover a new formula.

…Damn it. Calling her stingy earlier was totally off the mark. What was I thinking?

Man… now I’m really looking forward to tomorrow!

Feeling reassured, I went to bed early, full of excitement like an elementary schooler before a field trip.

As I lay down, the dolphin-shaped alarm clock by my pillow seemed to smile at me in approval.