{Satou-san is}

Satou-san is helping me choose souvenirs.

She’s picking out a few items and looking for the price tags.

Even though I found some before she did, I decided to stay silent about it.

“Do Yamaguchi-kun’s parents like sweets?”

“Y-yeah, I guess so.”

“Well then, how about this corn chocolate? I’ve heard it’s delicious.”

“Hmm…”

I responded vaguely.

I couldn’t focus on selecting souvenirs because my mind was preoccupied. I didn’t want to waste Satou-san’s kindness.

I felt I needed to apologize.

I had been waiting for the right moment to do so. I thought I shouldn’t take too long. I wanted to apologize before the end of the trip. It felt like this was my only chance.

Calmly, and as Satou-san wished, I needed to say something.

“Or, maybe take this butter sandwich, it is recommended too. I bought one myself,” Satou-san said, holding up a box with a red label.

At that moment, I took a deep breath and spoke up.

“Ah, um, Satou-san. About the other day…”

But my words came out without any force or naturalness.

The awkwardly started sentence lost momentum and was quickly drowned out by the airport announcements. I was left with my mouth open, unable to find the words I needed.

And then, Satou-san’s expression tensed.

She wiped away the faint smile that had remained and started to lower her gaze.

Though she looked up at me again, her expression lacked softness.

Her lips hesitated for a moment before she carefully spoke.

“Wait, let me say something first.”

She put the butter sandwich box back on the shelf and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for what happened the other night.”

She apologized, her gaze lowered and hands tightly clasped together.

“I was rude and argued back even though you listened to me so kindly…”

I hurriedly shook my head.

“No, it’s not like that. Satou-san, you did nothing wrong. The one who’s at fault is…”

But Satou-san interrupted me.

“But I understand what you said. I knew you were right. I knew it, but I couldn’t accept it, and ended up saying things like that… I’m really sorry.”

“Satou-san…”

Her downcast expression was painful, and I felt suffocated.

I had really done something wrong.

“I…”

Satou-san continued in a small voice.

“When I made plans to meet that person, I was very anxious. I was afraid that if they saw my face, they’d dislike me immediately and leave. And then…”

Her voice trailed off sadly.

“And then, they really didn’t come. Even though I waited, they never showed up. Later, I was told, ‘Something urgent came up,’ but there was no contact after that. I thought maybe they came to the meeting place, saw me, and didn’t like me, so the anxiety grew.”

Could such a thing really happen?

I hoped it was just her overthinking.

“There was also a time when we talked about exchanging photos. they asked me to take and send photos using my phone’s camera, but I couldn’t do it.”

I wanted to see their face.

Perhaps it’s something both of us thought about.

Even though we don’t fall for someone just based on their appearance, there are many things you can’t understand without seeing someone’s face. And it’s natural to want to know more about someone you like.

“If I sent a photo, they’d be disappointed because… I’m not cute.”

Satou-san sighed.

“I thought it might be better not to meet if it only causes trouble. Even though there’s anxiety and I can’t fully trust them, I thought it might be fine to just like them. But…”

Her voice was faintly trembling.

“But still, because I like them…”

Hearing that, I silently raised my gaze.

There was a look of determination on her face.

“I realized after what you said, that I don’t want to be apart. I don’t want to stay anxious. There’s a chance I could be disliked if I show my face, but I want another chance to meet. I want to meet, confirm my feelings, and even if they end up disliking me, I want to clearly tell them.”

That was the expression of a girl in love.

I didn’t know that Satou-san could have such a sincere expression.

I never imagined feeling this painful knowing she had feelings for someone else.

Satou-san truly liked that person. She felt deeply and earnestly about them. And she was trying to express her feelings.

“So, I’m sorry.”

She bowed her head to me.

“I understand that you took this seriously. I also plan to think about it a bit more. But—”

“Yeah.”

I nodded. Satou-san gave a small smile.

“I want to clarify my feelings too. If my feelings make me anxious and confused, I feel like it’s not genuine.”

“…Yeah. I understand.”

Now, I affirmed Satou-san’s words. I affirmed her feelings.

There were many things on my mind. But if Satou-san truly liked that person, I thought my role was to support her. I wanted to encourage her, even a little, to lift her anxious and wavering heart.

Satou-san let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I’m the one who should apologize.”

I bowed my head as well. I knew Satou-san wasn’t angry, but I wanted to make amends.

Then, I lifted my head and tried to smile as much as possible.

“And also, thank you. For forgiving me despite what I said.”

“No, I think Yamaguchi-kun has a proper way of thinking.”

Satou-san said with a smile that was almost wry, and awkwardly touched her cheek.

“I didn’t want to stop talking to you. I actually wanted to apologize sooner, but I couldn’t find the right moment.”

“I felt the same way.”

I could nod honestly now.

Satou-san also nodded in response.

“Yamaguchi-kun is amazing. You think about so many things, not just for yourself but for others too. You really can do anything.”

Is that so? I didn’t think I was as remarkable as Satou-san thought.

I was just an ordinary high school student, with nothing special or serious about me.

There’s no significant difference from Satou-san. We’re in the same class, sitting next to each other, spending each day the same way. There’s no boundary drawn between those two desks by the window in the last row.

Being seen as special in that way doesn’t feel good.

Why couldn’t she see me as just the same?

But before I could say that it wasn’t true, Satou-san said,

“Let’s choose the souvenirs. We’re running out of time.”

Her voice had turned bright.

And she helped me choose a few sweets. Despite being a bit slow, she put a lot of effort into thinking about which ones were delicious, the right number, and reasonably priced, and helped me search.

The time with the smiling Satou-san right next to me was very enjoyable.

So when we finished buying the souvenirs and she returned to her group of friends, I suddenly felt lonely.

Seeing Satou-san laughing and chatting with the other girls, even though just a moment ago she was smiling next to me, felt so distant.

Is this the distance between us?

If I seem like someone from another world to Satou-san, then this distance might be impossible to bridge.

But I—

I finally realized.

Even if it’s too late now, even if it might be hopeless.

I like Satou-san.