Chapter 014 Date with Hiyori / Tough and Easy to Raise
Shiina Hiyori thought about it carefully; it had indeed been a very, very long time since she had been alone with Shimizu Akira.
The most recent time could be traced back to the second semester of their first year. Back then, Shimizu had asked her out because of the matter regarding Kushida Kikyo's alternate account; it was snowing then, in the depths of winter. It wasn't like now, where all things were waking up and the grass was growing tall.
Standing before the mirror, she looked at her reflection, suddenly feeling a bit indecisive.
'What should I wear today?'
She usually wore her uniform at school and rarely went out on weekends. She didn't have many private clothes in her wardrobe to begin with, and after rummaging through them, there were only a few options. She took out a cream-colored shirt to compare, put it down, picked up a light-colored long skirt to look at, and hung it back up.
'Would it be weird if it's too formal?'
After all, they were going to plant trees. If she dressed too elaborately, it would seem intentional. After agonizing for a while, she finally chose a white cardigan paired with a pale green knee-length skirt.
Spinning around in front of the mirror, she let her hair down, returning it to its original straight style, leaving only a few stray strands hanging by her ears.
'This should be fine, right?'
Shiina Hiyori actually knew that she was considered good-looking. Her father said she was the type of "Yamato Nadeshiko" classical beauty, and that when she kept her hair long, she wouldn't lose to any other girl.
But the problem was, among Shimizu Akira's girlfriends, there didn't seem to be anyone of her type. She didn't even have a reference!
Her phone suddenly vibrated. She picked it up and saw it was a message from Shimizu Akira.
10:00 AM, meet at the entrance of Keyaki Mall.
She stared at that line of text for several seconds before slowly typing a reply.
Okay.
After sending it, she tucked her phone into her bag and took one last look in the mirror. Outside the window, the sunlight was just right. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door.
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At the Entrance of Keyaki Mall
Shiina Hiyori arrived ten minutes earlier than the appointed time. She stood in the shadow to one side of the entrance, occasionally looking up at her surroundings before quickly lowering her head, pretending to look at her phone.
In reality, there was nothing on the screen. She just didn't know where to put her hands.
A few couples passed by; the girls were leaning on the boys' arms, chatting and laughing. She looked away the moment she saw them, feeling inexplicably shy.
'What is our relationship today?'
A date? He hadn't said it was a date. He just said they would stroll through the mall and then go plant trees.
After thinking it over, she felt that one specific term was most appropriate:
Book Buddies.
A bit more than friends, a bit less than lovers. If not book buddies, what else could they be?
As she was thinking, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Shiina, you're here quite early."
Shiina Hiyori whipped her head around. Shimizu Akira was standing two steps behind her, wearing a light gray thin jacket over a white T-shirt and black casual pants. It was a very ordinary outfit, but he looked quite pleasing to the eye.
If she could barely be considered a classical, intellectual Yamato Nadeshiko beauty, then Shimizu Akira was probably an irreproachable handsome youth. With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his features were handsome and refined—the kind of person who had no "bad angles" and looked good no matter how a photo was taken.
"I just arrived as well." She instinctively put her phone into her pocket.
Shimizu Akira glanced at her. "Let's go. Shall we wander around first? The tree-planting activity doesn't start until the afternoon."
"Mhm."
The two walked into the shopping center side by side. People were coming and going in the mall, most of them pairs of student couples. Shiina Hiyori walked beside Shimizu, maintaining a distance of about one fist—neither too far nor too close, exactly the standard distance for friends.
But she kept feeling that something was off. She didn't know how to swing her hands, and she didn't know where to place her gaze. Looking at the left window felt too intentional; looking at the right shop also felt too intentional; looking ahead... well, ahead was a couple, the girl holding an ice cream up to the boy's mouth.
She quickly averted her eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Shimizu's voice suddenly rang out beside her.
"No—nothing." She shook her head and asked casually, "Um... Shimizu-kun, why did you suddenly think of asking me out today?"
Shimizu looked at her. "Aren't you interested in environmental protection? There's a free planting event for Greenery Day, so I thought I'd invite you along."
'So it was because of environmental protection.'
Shiina Hiyori nodded, unable to describe the feeling in her heart. She was a bit disappointed, yet she felt this logic was reasonable. After all, they didn't have any special relationship.
"However..." Shimizu spoke again.
She looked up.
"That's not all." He looked ahead. "It's been a long time since I've spoken with you alone. I figured I'd take this opportunity to chat."
Shiina Hiyori blanked for a moment. Then she lowered her head and smiled.
"...Mhm."
The two wandered aimlessly through the mall for a while. Shiina's gaze occasionally drifted toward the shops on both sides, but she didn't actually take anything in. Her mind was filled entirely with that sentence: "It's been a long time since I've spoken with you alone."
'So, he actually remembers? He remembers that we haven't spent time alone for a long time?'
"Are you hungry?" Shimizu suddenly asked.
"Eh?" She snapped back to reality. "I'm... alright..."
"There's a crepe shop over there that's quite good. Honami and I have tried it before," he said, already walking in that direction.
"Come on, my treat."
Shiina Hiyori followed.
'Tried it with Honami? So he and Ichinose-san came here together too?'
Of course they would come together. After all, she was his girlfriend.
There was a moderately long line in front of the crepe shop. Shimizu told her to find a seat first while he stood at the end of the queue. Shiina Hiyori sat by the window, watching his back through the glass. The light gray jacket, the sharp lines of his profile—he occasionally looked down at his phone and then looked back up to continue waiting.
She suddenly remembered last winter. Back then, he had also asked her out, and she had joined him in a snowball fight. The weather was cold then, with snow drifting down; she was wrapped in a thick coat, and back then, he had walked in front to block the wind for her.
"Daydreaming?"
A crepe was already held out in front of her. Shiina Hiyori came to her senses and found that Shimizu was already standing by the table, holding two crepes and looking down at her.
"No—nothing." She hurriedly took one of them. "Thank you."
Shimizu sat down across from her. She took a bite of the crepe—strawberry cream filling, sweet and delicate.
"Is it good?"
"Mhm." She nodded. "It's delicious."
Shimizu also took a bite of his own, which was mango-flavored. They ate quietly for a while.
"Um..." Shiina Hiyori suddenly spoke.
"Mhm?"
"Shimizu-kun, how do you usually... spend your weekends?"
Shimizu thought for a moment. "It varies. Sometimes I spend time with my girlfriends, sometimes I stay alone, and sometimes I handle some business."
"I see!"
'It seems he's not much different from ordinary people.'
She nodded and asked again, "Then... don't you have to accompany them today?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it a bit. But Shimizu just looked at her.
"Today, I have an appointment with you."
Shiina Hiyori was stunned.
'What kind of answer is that?'
Didn't he know that saying such things could easily make a girl overthink? But she didn't dare think too deeply, so she just lowered her head again and took a large bite of her crepe.
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After finishing the crepes, they continued deeper into the mall. They soon found a crowd gathered ahead, very lively. Shiina Hiyori stood on her tiptoes to look; it was a temporary stall with a banner that read "Greenery Day Special: Plant Quiz Competition," with various small potted plants lined up as prizes.
"A quiz?" Shimizu saw it too. "Want to check it out?"
"Mhm."
They squeezed into the crowd. At the stall, a staff member in a mascot costume was shouting loudly: "Come one, come all! Get five questions right to win a succulent! Get ten right for a rare species! There are extra rewards for couples!"
Hearing the word "couples," Shiina Hiyori instinctively glanced at Shimizu. He didn't have much of a reaction, merely looking at the prize plants.
"Want to try?" he asked.
"I..." she thought for a bit. "I know a little bit about plants!"
Because she loved reading and was keen on puzzles, her range of knowledge was actually quite broad.
"Then let's try."
As he spoke, he had already headed toward the registration desk. Shiina Hiyori blanked for a second before quickly following.
"Are you two a couple?" the staff member asked, looking at them.
"No." "No."
The two voices rang out simultaneously.
Shimizu glanced at her and said to the staff member, "Friends."
"Alright, alright, friends can participate too!" The staff member smilingly handed over two answer cards. "Five basic questions each; get them right to move to the next round. In the end, your total scores will be added together to determine the prize level!"
They were led to the answering area.
Question 1: Do cherry blossoms belong to the Rosaceae family? Shiina Hiyori wrote "Yes" without hesitation. Question 2: What is the most common method of propagation for succulents? She thought for a bit and wrote "Leaf cutting."
Question 3: What is the flower language of a sunflower? Silent love. She felt a bit shy but still wrote down the answer.
On the other side, Shimizu looked at the question board in his hand with a subtle expression.
Question 1: Are pine trees evergreen? He thought and wrote "Yes." Question 2: What are a cactus's spines, actually? Leaves? He tried writing that down. Question 3: What season do morning glories usually bloom? Summer? No, it seems like autumn... wait, morning glories seem to bloom in the morning. He frowned and finally wrote "The transition between summer and autumn."
Five minutes later, they met at the scoring area. The staff member took their cards and began grading.
"This girl—all correct! That's amazing!"
Shiina Hiyori smiled slightly.
"As for this boy!" The staff member paused. "Three questions correct."
Shimizu put his pen away expressionlessly. He wasn't actually good at riddles, and when it came to plants, he was essentially clueless. Getting three right was already an overperformance.
"It's okay, that's eight questions total," the staff member said with a smile. "You win the second prize—one small green plant! What would you two like to choose?"
Shiina Hiyori looked at Shimizu.
"You choose," he said. "You're the expert."
She nodded and walked to the prize area, her gaze sweeping over the rows of small pots. Finally, she chose a tiny Asparagus Fern; its leaves were fine and dense, and the color was a very gentle green.
The staff member handed her the pot and then a small card.
"This is a special gift for couples. Although you two aren't a couple, since you came to play as friends, I'll give you one too! You can write a wish and hang it on the wishing tree over there!"
Shiina Hiyori looked down at the card; it was a pale green note with a small leaf printed on it. She held the card and looked at Shimizu.
"Should we write something?"
Shimizu glanced at the wishing tree nearby—it was a fake tree, but it was covered in colorful cards and looked quite beautiful.
"Up to you."
Shiina Hiyori thought for a moment, pulled a pen from her bag, and crouched to one side, seriously writing a few lines. Once finished, she stood up, walked to the wishing tree, and tied the card to a branch.
The wind blew, and the card flipped gently. Shimizu caught a glimpse of the words on it:
'I hope we can come out to play together again in the future.'
He withdrew his gaze and said nothing.
"Let's go." Shiina Hiyori walked back, the Asparagus Fern cradled in her arms, a shallow smile on her face.
They left the quiz stall side by side. After walking a short distance, Shimizu suddenly spoke.
"That question about the morning glory—what season does it actually bloom in?"
Shiina Hiyori was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "Summer. Morning glories bloom on summer mornings."
"Oh."
"Shimizu-kun... you don't seem to know much about plants?"
"Mhm."
"Then why did you want to join the quiz?"
Shimizu glanced at her. "Didn't I have you?"
Shiina Hiyori's pace faltered for a second. The Asparagus Fern in her arms swayed slightly, and she felt inexplicably happy.
"So that was it!"
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After the quiz, Shiina Hiyori temporarily left her plant at the mall's front desk, and they followed the event signs to the planting area behind the shopping center.
This was an open space that had been temporarily partitioned off, with dozens of planting boxes arranged neatly. Beside them were piles of nutrient soil, small trowels, and various saplings. Staff members moved among them, guiding the students who had come to experience it.
"Are you two here for the planting activity?" A volunteer wearing a straw hat greeted them. "Each person can take one sapling to plant in their own box. You can come back to look after it anytime!"
Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up. "Can we really come back anytime?"
"Of course! This is a long-term activity specially launched by the school; we hope students can experience the process of caring for a plant."
The volunteer led them to the sapling area. Dozens of small saplings were arranged neatly on the ground, with name tags stuck beside them: Maple, Cherry Blossom, Ginkgo, Osmanthus, Crape Myrtle...
Shiina Hiyori crouched down, looking at them one by one. Shimizu stood to the side, having no intention of making a move.
"Aren't you choosing?" Shiina Hiyori looked up.
"You choose first, I'm fine with anything."
She thought for a bit and pointed at one of them. "This one... can I choose this one?"
It was a small Crape Myrtle; the trunk was only as thick as a finger, but several tender green leaves had already sprouted at the top.
"Crape Myrtle?" The volunteer looked. "Good eye! It blooms in summer, and the flowering period is very long."
Shiina Hiyori nodded and carefully picked up the Crape Myrtle.
Only then did Shimizu step forward and casually pick up the one next to it: a Maple.
"Are you sure you want that one?" Shiina asked.
"Mhm."
They took their tools and box numbers and went to their assigned spot. The two planting boxes were side by side, separated by only half a meter. Shiina Hiyori set the Crape Myrtle aside and began to read the planting instructions seriously.
"First spread a layer of small pebbles, then put in the nutrient soil, then put the sapling in, and finally fill with soil and press down..." she whispered to herself, then picked up a small trowel and began shoveling pebbles into the box.
Shimizu stood by, watching her work.
"Aren't you planting?" She stopped and looked up at him.
"In a bit."
"Oh." She lowered her head and continued shoveling.
Shimizu watched for a while, then suddenly crouched down, picked up his own trowel, and began shoveling pebbles into his own box. Shiina Hiyori caught his movement out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile.
They worked quietly, with the occasional breeze bringing the scent of earth. After the pebbles were laid, they began filling the nutrient soil.
Shiina Hiyori was exceptionally serious; she carefully leveled every trowel of soil, fearing she might miss something. Shimizu's side was much more casual; he dumped the soil in with a few strokes and then tapped it flat haphazardly with his trowel.
"That won't do," Shiina Hiyori suddenly said.
Shimizu was startled. She walked over, crouched beside his planting box, and used her hands to break up the clumps of soil bit by bit, leveling it again.
"It needs to be loose so the roots can grow out," she explained. "If it's too packed, the roots will suffocate."
Shimizu watched her slender fingers moving gently through the black earth and didn't speak for a moment. Her nails were trimmed neatly; they were stained with a bit of dirt, and her clothes were a bit messy, but she didn't seem to care at all.
"There." She looked up, meeting his eyes.
They were very close. So close that Shimizu could see the curve of her eyelashes and the small patch of bright sky reflected in her eyes.
Shiina Hiyori froze, her ears turning a bit red. She quickly stood up and returned to her own box.
"U-um... it's time to plant the sapling."
She picked up the Crape Myrtle, carefully placed it into the hole she had dug, and then filled it in bit by bit. Shimizu also planted his maple, his movements much faster than hers.
After they finished, the volunteer brought over two buckets of water. "The first watering must be thorough!"
Shiina Hiyori took the bucket and slowly poured water around the Crape Myrtle in circles. Shimizu poured the entire bucket straight down, the water splashing and spreading instantly.
Shiina Hiyori glanced over, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
'Does this person expect every tree to be as tough and easy to raise as he is?'
The planting was finished. The two crouched in front of their respective boxes, looking at the two small saplings.
"The Crape Myrtle will bloom in summer," Shiina Hiyori said softly. "We can come to see it then."
"Mhm."
"The maple leaves will turn red in autumn," she added. "That will be beautiful too."
"Mhm."
There was a moment of silence.
"Um..." Shiina Hiyori suddenly spoke. "Shimizu-kun, thank you for asking me out today."
Shimizu turned to look at her. She was looking down at the Crape Myrtle.
"I had a lot of fun today."
The sunlight fell on her, making her entire being seem soft. It took Shimizu about two or three seconds to snap back.
"That's good then." He finally stood up. "Let's go, it's time to head back."
Shiina Hiyori nodded and stood up as well. Before leaving, she looked back once more at the two small saplings standing side by side.
'They're planted together.'
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