{Satou-san’s Call Log}

“Sorry for calling so suddenly.”

On the other end of the phone, Satou-san’s voice sounded suppressed and tense.

I could hear her breathing against the receiver, and it made me sit up straight.

“I really wanted to talk to you, Yamaguchi-kun… I just had to call. I’m sorry for doing this so late.”

“No, it’s fine.”

I smiled slightly, knowing she couldn’t see me, and nodded.

“It’s not that late. I usually stay up until around midnight anyway.”

“Yeah… Thanks.”

It sounded like Satou-san also smiled a little. At least, that’s how it seemed.

After that, there was a long silence.

The other end of the phone was quiet. It was as if there was nothing but Satou-san’s presence there. Sometimes I could hear a faint sigh, making it clear she was hesitating about something.

Honestly, it was a bit torturous, as if I was being strung along.

But I just waited. I didn’t want to rush her.

How long had we been like this?

“…Hey.”

Satou-san finally inhaled deeply and spoke.

“Hey, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I want to tell you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I… I confessed to him.”

Satou-san said, and I swallowed hard, trying not to let it show.

“And…”

“And?”

“He said… He said he likes me too.”

“Is that so…”

The chair at my study desk creaked.

I felt a chill run down my neck, and I looked up at the ceiling.

I couldn’t bring myself to say any congratulatory words, even though that’s what I should have said in this situation.

“He told me he likes me…”

I could hear the emotion in her voice, as if she was savoring the words.

The other end of the phone felt incredibly far away.

Stay calm. I kept repeating that phrase to myself as I finally managed to speak.

“Congratulations.”

When I said that, Satou-san let out a small laugh.

“Thank you… But, you know.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure how things will turn out yet.”

Her faint words left me puzzled.

“So, I asked him. I asked him how he could say he liked me even though he doesn’t know what I look like and we’ve never met. And then…”

She struggled to continue.

“And then, he said even though he hasn’t seen me, he’s confident that he’ll still like me no matter what I look like… That he’ll come see me, and that we should meet properly.”

“Yeah?”

“He just happens to have a reason to come here.”

She spoke slowly, as if reflecting on the conversation.

“He said a lot of things. Like how he doesn’t care about looks, and how he’ll still like me no matter what… Last time, he didn’t have time to meet, but this time, he promised he would come to see me.”

Satou-san sighed again after saying that.

“But I’m scared. I feel like once we meet, he might end up hating me…”

I stayed silent. I couldn’t find any words to say.

I had a bad feeling. I couldn’t fully believe the sweet words Satou-san had received.

He just happens to have a reason to come here—The timing seemed too convenient. From Hokkaido to our town, it’s not a distance you can just travel on a whim. Of course, it might be an overreaction to doubt it just because of that, but still, it felt too perfectly timed.

I tried to remain rational, but honestly, I wasn’t confident. Maybe jealousy was fueling my doubts. Maybe I just wanted to believe that Satou-san was being deceived.

Satou-san’s voice revealed hints of her own anxiety.

“I’m fine with it. No matter what he looks like or what kind of person he is, I’m confident that my feelings won’t change. But, on his side…”

“You’re worried?”

When I asked directly, she responded with a sigh.

“Yeah… Because he’s making such an effort to come see me, and I don’t want to disappoint him.”

“So, when is he supposed to come?”

“This Saturday. He said he’d come see me while he’s here for something else, but there’s not much time left, so I can’t afford to hesitate.”

“Saturday, huh.”

“Yeah. It’s not that I don’t want to meet him, and I’m prepared, but… I’m still scared.”

Satou-san added, sounding apologetic.

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you, Yamaguchi-kun. I thought you’d be more rational than I am and could think through things better. I wanted to ask for your advice… But sorry. This isn’t really advice, it’s just me being indecisive.”

As she said, this wasn’t really a consultation.

The answer was probably already decided.

If someone she likes asked to meet her, she wouldn’t say no. Satou-san is sincere and earnest, with a pure-heartedness that makes her long to meet him.

Whether Satou-san’s worries were unfounded or not, I couldn’t tell. I wasn’t as calm as she thought. There was an emotion inside me I was desperately trying to suppress. A desire to confess my feelings to her, despite knowing she had already made up her mind. My hand trembled as I held the phone, and it felt terrible.

I hoped my own fears were also unfounded. I didn’t actually believe that her love would work out, but if it would bring her happiness, then I had to hope her worries would be resolved. That’s what I had to focus on right now.

Still, I couldn’t help but speak up.

“Satou-san, where and what time are you supposed to meet on Saturday?”

“Huh? At the airport, after five… But why?”

She responded innocently, then questioned me.

Her straightforwardness, bordering on naivety, made me feel uneasy. What would she do if I planned to interfere? It wasn’t out of the question.

“I’ll keep that day free. If anything happens, call me.”

I said, pretending to be a dependable friend.

“I hope nothing happens, of course. But if it does, I’ll come right away, so just let me know.”

“Yamaguchi-kun…”

I could hear her softly sobbing on the other end of the line. Then she said,

“Thank you. I’m sorry for making you worry too.”

“It’s okay.”

I laughed, and she seemed to take it positively.

“Really, thank you.”

She repeated her gratitude to me several times.

There wasn’t much time left before Saturday. I wasn’t given any time to cool my head.

I had to make a decision.

Knowing Satou-san’s sincere feelings, what should I do about my own?