Horikita Suzune gradually began to grow accustomed to the hand she was holding with Kitagawa Ryo. At first, it was cold and still, like a smooth pebble at the bottom of a river, reminding her of a stone step on an autumn morning—a presence she could clearly feel.
But after holding it tighter, holding it longer, their joined hands felt as if they had always been connected, weightlessly hanging between them, sharing each other's warmth. Their fingertips occasionally brushed across the backs of each other's hands, like fish lips grazing riverbed weeds.
Horikita Suzune had never thought of herself as the type to realize her feelings gradually over prolonged time spent together. It sounded unbelievable, but she had always hoped for a moment of instinctive, spontaneous love—like the fairy tales or dramas that depicted love at first sight.
It was an embarrassingly sentimental and almost incomprehensible desire, especially for someone like Horikita Suzune.
Ever since childhood, her life had been meticulously planned out, guided by an exceptional sense of discipline and time management that far surpassed others her age. Perhaps it started as a form of imitation of Horikita Manabu, but over time, it had become second nature.
Yet she found herself longing for something completely opposite: a sudden ambush of emotion. Love, after all, was the most unpredictable feeling of all. And she wanted to pursue the most uncertain path within that unpredictability—a fairy tale in real life.
Suzune understood well that uncertainty was something terrifying. It meant plans could fall apart, schedules be disrupted, backup options rendered useless. Chaos would take over.
It was like trying to scoop up a goldfish with a paper net during the cultural festival—no matter how gently or carefully one tried, no one could predict if the fish would suddenly flick its tail and splash water on your face.
But Horikita Suzune still tried, again and again. Just like how he had once scooped her up from the water.
Others had known Kitagawa Ryo before she did.
But that didn't matter. Now she was the one holding his hand. His profile was right there beside her.
The third floor of Keyaki Mall had the highest student traffic, possibly due to the popular rumors about summer vacation travel. Many first-year students had gathered at the numerous clothing stores concentrated on that floor.
Footsteps, laughter, the sound of girls twirling in their new dresses for their friends.
Soft background music played through the mall's speakers. A student tossed an empty can into a trash bin with a crisp clink.
Suzune recalled the question Kitagawa had asked her downstairs. She gently swayed their intertwined hands and turned her head to respond again:
"What I said earlier was why a person might like shopping alone."
"The reason why two people, or more, enjoy shopping together—that's something else entirely."
Kitagawa Ryo played along and asked, "And what might that be?"
"It's a strange, enchanting feeling," Suzune said, searching carefully for the right words to describe her thoughts.
"...It feels like walking among people, believing everything in life can still be arranged however you want—"
"Like, for a fleeting moment, you feel as though life is still wonderfully long."
"That's not a typical Suzune-style answer," Kitagawa Ryo chuckled, watching her wrinkle her nose slightly.
"Alright, it was just a random question anyway. Let's focus on getting you new clothes first."
"Mm. Let's try that shop over there first."
To Suzune, it hadn't been a random question. Now that she had clarified her own thoughts, her mood felt lighter. She picked up her pace, leading the way with a sense of urgency that looked almost like she was dragging Ryo along as they entered a nearby clothing store.
"Welcome. Looking for summer clothes, you two?" the clerk greeted cheerfully. Though it was a casual remark, her eyes quickly zeroed in on Kitagawa Ryo. Beautiful things have a way of healing others, and some people just radiate likability even by simply standing there.
"Which one did you have your eye on earlier? I'll try that one first," Kitagawa offered.
He had always thought he had no sense for fashion and had little experience picking clothes. So he left the entire decision to Horikita Suzune, like a customer at a salon telling the stylist, "Just do whatever you think works."
"Let's start with this one."
Suzune's eyes quickly found the summer outfit she had noticed earlier in the store window. She pointed at it, and the clerk immediately stepped forward to retrieve it.
Since Ryo needed to try on the clothes, Suzune let go of his hand—a hand she had been holding for so long that she had nearly forgotten about it.
She quietly clenched the warmth that still lingered in her palm, hiding her hand behind her back as she waited for Kitagawa Ryo to come out of the fitting room.
Horikita Suzune learned quickly.
Because she always gave her full attention to anything she chose to do.
And that naturally included love.
-------------------------------------
"Excuse me, I'm really sorry, but could I use your fitting room one more time?"
Dressed in the sleeveless pure-white dress, Karuizawa Kei returned to the shop she had just left, apologetically asking the staff for another favor.
"Of course, no problem at all."
The saleswoman recognized Kei immediately as the customer who had just purchased the dress. Since there weren't any other customers around, she readily agreed.
Roughly three minutes later, Kei emerged from the fitting room, now changed back into her regular casual outfit. She held the white dress in her arms and neatly folded it into the shopping bag.
"Was there something wrong with the dress?"
The shop attendant couldn't help but ask. Just earlier, Kei had clearly adored the outfit, smiling with satisfaction in the mirror and even asking to have the tags removed, as if she planned to walk out wearing it.
And from the saleswoman's perspective, the dress suited Kei perfectly. The sight of her in that immaculate white dress would melt not just boys' hearts—even she herself had felt a flutter.
Beautiful things always bring a sense of healing.
"No, no, I really like it. I just... want to save it for later."
Kei caught on to the saleswoman's confusion and gave a convincing enough excuse.
"Thank you. See you."
After checking the time on her phone, she left the store again.
Like most shopping centers, Keyaki Mall had storage lockers near the stairwells on each floor. Kei jogged over to one, found an empty locker, and stuffed the shopping bag with the dress inside before breathing a sigh of relief.
She had almost forgotten.
"Since I've decided to let go of some thoughts, I should let go completely."
"Coming to terms with your past self is a difficult and exhausting task."
"It makes for a good story, but not one people want to see."
That was what Kitagawa Ryo had said to her the other day, on their way back to the hotel after performing The Human Chair.
Though it seemed like a casual comment about the play, Kei had keenly sensed the emotional shift in Ryo.
She was the one who had been by his side the longest—the one who cared the most, watched him the closest, and understood him best.
The last time Ryo had experienced a shift like this was after Horikita Suzune's appearance. Following that moment, his relationship with Suzune had progressed rapidly, and even Suzune herself seemed to have matured overnight.
Taking into account her own experiences, Kei found it easy to deduce a few things.
And this time, the sudden change had appeared in Sakayanagi Arisu.
Kei had been closely observing Arisu's actions lately, and they gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
Because everything Arisu was doing now—she had done the same things herself when she was seven.
But that path led nowhere.
Dwelling too much on past feelings and memories, trying to use them to prove something or demand validation in the present—it was a definite negative.
Kei had long since realized this.
Maybe it was also because, in the end, in both versions of her dream, she never truly ended up with Kitagawa Ryo.
Ryo didn't act the way he did just to make people fall for him. He acted because he wanted them to be happy.
His personality seemed similar to Ichinose Honami's in that way—but was fundamentally different.
Ryo was the kind of person who would rather see someone grow into a better version of themselves than hear a hundred confessions of "I like you."
That's why Kei worked so hard, kept pushing herself. So she could be a girl whose name showed up in search engines, whose personal bio was maintained by dedicated fans.
Just like how improving yourself is always the best answer to the question of how to pursue someone.
Kei believed, truly believed, that when she became the best version of herself, she could finally confess everything to Kitagawa Ryo.
It wouldn't be a bridge effect.
It wouldn't be Stockholm syndrome.
It wouldn't be gratitude after being saved.
It would be a simple, honest, normal feeling—the kind that glows from deep within the eyes and blooms at the tip of the tongue.
In the story, the short, ugly, insecure chair-maker had to hide himself inside a large armchair to achieve his wish.
But Kei didn't need to wear that sleeveless white dress like armor anymore.
She reached out and shut the locker door, locking the shopping bag away in darkness.
"Kei?"
A voice called out from behind.
She turned to see a silver-haired girl, looking slightly winded and sweaty from the stairs, standing at the entrance.
It was Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C.
"Oh, Hiyori. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Startled for a second—half-expecting to be caught by Horikita or Kitagawa—Kei exhaled in relief when she recognized the girl and quickly walked over with a smile.
The two had known each other for quite a while. They had even auditioned together for the theater troupe. If Hiyori hadn't had to study abroad with her parents, it might have been the two of them who joined the troupe instead.
Thanks to that, their relationship had remained on good terms—even friendly. Kei's tone and gestures were relaxed and intimate.
"Hiyori, you came to the mall today? Did the library lose power or something?"
She teased with a grin, handing a tissue from her bag for Hiyori to wipe her forehead.
"Of course not... Do I really seem like the kind of person who never leaves the library?"
Hiyori took the tissue and muttered a gentle protest as she dabbed at her forehead.
"Didn't someone once say they could live forever in the library? Oh, and don't forget the tea club."
Kei chuckled and reached out to feel the weight of the large bag Hiyori carried, surprised by how heavy it was.
"Why not stash this in a locker for now? Carrying this much stuff, anyone would think you're here to set up a stall instead of shop."
"...I just haven't walked this much in a while."
Though she still resisted a little, Hiyori eventually gave in and locked her heavy bag away in one of the storage lockers. With that burden gone, she strolled beside Kei through the third floor of the mall.
Since Hiyori hadn't answered why she came to the mall, Kei wisely chose not to push. Instead, she kept the conversation light.
"Did you buy a new swimsuit, Hiyori?"
"No, I'm not a big fan of those. Besides, I don't think this so-called summer vacation will actually involve any real vacationing."
Hiyori had picked up on the patterns of Advanced Nurturing High School, shaking her head as she asked:
"Were you here to get a new swimsuit? Or did you already buy one? I thought I saw you putting something in a locker just now."
"Just a summer outfit... haha, nothing like a swimsuit."
"I see."
Hiyori looked thoughtful. After a brief frown, she smiled again.
"Want me to help you pick out a new one? I think the women's swimwear shops are on the fourth floor..."
As she spoke, she started earnestly giving suggestions:
"I think you'd look really good in light tones, maybe..."
Kei had long understood why Kitagawa Ryo cared about Shiina Hiyori so much.
Because she liked her personality, too.
There were no hidden wounds, no tangled past. Her presence was like freshly fallen snow—pure and clean.
Just as Kei was about to accept her offer and forget her original purpose, something caught her eye.
Through the glass wall of a store across from them, she saw a boy who had just stepped out of a fitting room.
A girl reached out naturally and took his hand, guiding him two steps forward to stand before the mirror.
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