Her voice was different over the phone.

     In person, it rang with such clarity.

     「Sorry for the wait.」

     「No, not at all. I imagined you’d take longer, but you arrived surprisingly quickly.」

     She ran over to me.

     Her fluttering golden hair made her look as cute as a fairy.

     My heart, too, was fluttering. I felt as if I had lost my sense of reality and my feet had begun to float off the ground.

     「Alright, now let’s get going.」

     「Where?」

     「You’ll find out when we get there!」

     Saying this, she took my hand.

     Before, this sort of physical closeness was rare for us. Maybe it was because we’d already walked around while holding hands like this once, but now she closed the distance without hesitation. I didn’t dislike it, but feeling her hand in mine, I just couldn’t seem to calm down.

     She was a strange person.

     It was strange that she wanted to become a dog, surprising that she enjoyed books, and cute how she was so conscious of her sensitive tongue. The more I learned about her, the happier I became and the more I wanted to know. I’d been feeling a little more relaxed recently, as if I was, little by little, getting closer to solving a difficult problem.

     I gripped her hand a little tighter.

     As we raced through the evening, the sight of her back seemed more reassuring than usual.

     Unlike the area around the station where I lived near, there were tall buildings all around that lit up brightly even at night.

     School was so strange.

     I shared a classroom with people who I never thought I’d ever interact with, and now, by some odd mistake, the two of us had now ended up connected like this. No matter how many more decades passed me by, I was sure I’d never meet someone else as strange as Sorahashi-san.

     The touch of her hand, her gaze, her smile — those were all like bubbles. They would certainly soon disappear from my memory. But as long as I could vividly sense them right now, I was okay with that.

     Seeming familiar with the city’s nightlife, she took me to all sorts of places.

     We went bowling, tried out some of the most expensive cosmetics I’d ever seen, and had a warm drink at a chic cafe.

     「Hey, Kurumi. Could you cool this down for me?」

     「Of course.」

     I took the cup from her.

     I slowly blew on it. I wondered if she preferred having someone else cool her drinks down that much. It was fine, though. I was used to doing it for others.

     When the drink stopped steaming, I handed the cup over to her.

     「Thank you.」

     「You’re very welcome.」

     She brought it up to her mouth.

     「…Hehe.」

     She heartily smiled.

     I tilted my head.

     「What’s up?」

     「Nothing. …Like I thought, it tastes better when you’re the one to cool it down, Kurumi.」

     「Really?」

     「Really! I can feel the emotion you’ve put into it.」

     I didn’t really get it, but I’m glad it made her happy.

     I took a sip from my own cup. For some reason, I had been in the mood for coffee today, but when I tried it, I felt that there was something off. It tasted good, though.

     「I’m getting hungry. Could we get something to eat?」

     She said softly.

     I was a little lost.

     「Ah… what to do?」

     「Have you eaten already?」

     「No, that’s not it…」

     I’d feel bad just leaving the ingredients I’d already prepared as they were. Although, if I stuck them in the fridge, someone else might just use them for a different dish later.

     「I already have food at home.」

     「…I see.」

     「There’s enough food for two people, so I can’t go eat with you. …Sorry.」

     「No, that’s okay…」

     Seeming as if she was lost in deep thought, she stood in silence.

     Maybe this is what it meant to be a wet blanket. To be honest, I didn’t know much about how to socialize. I got along well enough with Yume and Mutsuki, but not enough to say that we were particularly close.

     「Then if it’s alright with you, would you like a helping hand?」

     「A helping hand?」

     「Well, I imagine it must be difficult to eat two peoples’ worth of food all by yourself. How about we share?」

     In other words…

     「There’s no need if it’s too much trouble, though.」

     She was so strange, but…

     She always had this otherworldly charm to her.

     Maybe it was because of times like these when she behaved like a normal girl that I felt a sense of affinity with her.

     「Which would you prefer, croquettes or Hamburg steaks?」

     「Which one are you better at making, Kurumi?」

     「Hamburg steaks, I think. I’ve made a ton of them.」

     「Then I’ll have that.」

     「Gotcha. Then we can head off after we finish these drinks.」

     My heart was slowly warming up. I was worried about what I was going to do about all the ingredients I had bought, but now that Sorahashi-san was coming, I felt a sense of relief. I didn’t know how much she would be eating, but I’m sure she would be having more than Mizuki, a sixth-grader, would.

     Come to think of it, this would be my first time inviting anybody over since I started high school.

     I was a little nervous, but more than that, I felt happy. As if the pain I had felt earlier never existed, my heart was now at ease. Today’s Hamburg steak would surely be my best of the year. To be honest, though, I hadn’t even made any this year yet.

     We drank our coffee while conversing. The coffee that had felt a bit off earlier now tasted great, and a smile naturally appeared on my face. She looked at my smiling expression with interest.

     I continued on smiling as I took her back to my house.

     「So this is what your home looks like.」

     「Sorry. It’s kinda cramped.」

     「No worries. Pardon the intrusion.」

     As she spoke, she neatly arranged her shoes. Each and every one of her movements was refined and ladylike.

     「Oh, so you have diffusers in your house too. What scent is this of?」

     「A flower field, I think?」

     「Hmm. It’s nice.」

     She smiled.

     Her smile was so innocent. The more I learned about her, the more I felt her presence in my mind.

     「The bathroom is over here. Here’s the living room…」

     Even though it was just an ordinary house, she took it in with great interest.

     「You look like you’re enjoying yourself.」

     「Of course. It’s your house after all, Kurumi. Just looking around is plenty fun.」

     「…Is that so?」

     Her straightforwardness made me a little embarrassed.

     I thoroughly washed my hands in the bathroom and then continued preparing dinner.

     「Is there anything I can do to help?」

     「It’s fine. Just have a seat and wait.」

     Today, I felt like making dinner for her all by myself. What had felt like a chore just earlier now felt fun. As I was shaping the Hamburg steaks, I noticed her staring at me. Apparently she had gotten bored of just sitting there and waiting for me, so she had gotten up to watch.

     「You’re good at this.」

     「Maybe. I haven’t even cooked them yet, though.」

     「No, no, I can tell even before you’ve cooked them. My mother is a terrible cook. Once, when she was trying to shape a Hamburg steak, she ended up splattering ground meat all over the kitchen.」

     「What…?」

     I wondered what she did to make that happen.

     As I was thinking that, I noticed that Sorahashi-san seemed to be having fun talking about her family. When someone else smiled, that made me happy too.

     「But, you know, my father’s good at cooking, so he somehow managed to salvage the situation. I guess they’re the sort of great couple that can make up for each other’s shortcomings.」

     「They sound like wonderful parents.」

     「Yeah. My mother may be terrible at cooking, but she has great memory and never forgets things. My father, on the other hand, has awful memory.」

     I put two portions of Hamburg steak on the frying pan and got started on the potato salad. I had been a bit lazy with how much I mashed the potatoes, but maybe it was fine. Next time, I’d ask her in advance how she liked her potatoes.

     I didn’t know if I’d have the chance to cook for her again, though.

     「What about your parents, Kurumi?」

     「I guess they’re like that too.」

     The truth was that I wasn’t sure. I’d been spending more time talking with them lately, but our conversations weren’t particularly lively. It’s not like we didn’t get along, but I didn’t really know what their personalities were like.

     「Then what about your little sister?」

     Our eyes met across the counter.

     The sizzle of meat being fried, and the hum of the ventilation fan. Within the gaps between these familiar sounds, I could hear her voice. It was a strange feeling.

     「Mizuki was… always a bit lonely. In the past, she’d always be “Onee-chan” this, “Onee-chan” that. Recently, though, she’s been on a bit of a rebellious streak, but I think it’s cute in its own way.」

     As I was talking, she suddenly smiled.

     「You sure love her a lot.」

     「Yeah. She’s my little sister. The most important in the world.」

     「I think that’s wonderful. I’m an only child, so I really admire that sort of thing.」

     The Hamburg steaks finished cooking while we conversed. I checked them to make sure they were thoroughly cooked, and then made the sauce and served them up.

     Before I knew it, Sorahashi-san was standing next to me.

     「I’ll help you bring the plates over. Where would you like them?」

     「Let’s see…」

     I asked her to bring the plates to where my mom and dad usually sat.

     These were the seats where Mizuki and I used to sit. I didn’t quite understand why I chose these. We sat together, shoulder to shoulder. I had turned on the heating earlier, so the living room was now quite warm.

     「Thank you for the meal.」

     「…Enjoy.」

     Using the knife and fork, she deftly brought the meat up to her mouth. I got the feeling that she was used to eating with those sorts of manners.

     However, this was my first time cooking for someone outside of my family, so I was a little nervous.

     Even though I hadn’t cooked in a while, it’s something I’d always done, so I didn’t think it would turn out badly. I was just worried that my style of cooking wouldn’t suit her tastes.

     「Delicious! This is amazing! It’s just as good as my father’s!」

     She exclaimed with a sparkle in her eyes.

     I breathed a sigh of relief. Hamburg steaks were my specialty, so I was glad that she was enjoying it.

     「We had Hamburg steaks the other afternoon as well. Are they one of your favorites, Kurumi?」

     「I think they’re fine. Mizuki loves them, so I have them pretty often too.」

     「Hmm. So you’re good at making them because you used to make them often for Mizuki-chan.」

     「Yeah.」

     「She must appreciate you a lot.」

     「…It’d be nice if that were true.」

     「How could she not be happy to have such a wonderful big sister?」

     She calmly made her assertion. When she stated it so matter-of-factly, it made me feel as if it might be true.

     I smiled.

     「Then I’m sure your parents are happy too, Sorahashi-san.」

     「Hm?」

     「You’re a wonderful person as well.」

     When I said that, her eyes widened.

     They weren’t words I’d usually say, but I couldn’t help myself. It was what I truly thought. Paying little attention to her sudden silence, I ate my Hamburg steak. It had turned out pretty good today. The potato salad, too, seemed to have just the right amount of mayonnaise.

     「That’s 300 more points for you, Master.」

     She mumbled as she smiled.

     So we were still doing this points thing. I imagined I’d accumulated a good amount by now, but I had no idea what good they were for.

     I pondered on that as we continued to eat.

     Our conversation was so lively that I had forgotten all about that invisible line between us that existed in the classroom. Before I knew it, I had become able to speak normally in front of her. She, too, had started to speak to me about more things than before… or at least, that’s the feeling I got.

     And then there was that business about owners and dogs.

     I wasn’t really sure what to make of it, but maybe we could be just normal friends.

     That thought had suddenly appeared in my mind.

     「Thank you for the food. It tasted wonderful.」

     「I’m glad. You’re quite welcome.」

     The meal had passed by in an instant. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on.

     The dishwasher was something my parents had bought for us. I supposed it was a token of appreciation for how I’d washed the dishes by hand up until now, even during the winter. I appreciated the sentiment, but the loss of one of my roles in the household also made me feel sad.

     Perhaps it was because of that sort of negativity of mine that I couldn’t accept my parents’ kindness.

     「I can get us something warm to drink. What would you like?」

     「Water, I suppose? Ah, could you put it in plastic cups?」

     「Sure. We have plastic cups like these… is that fine with you?」

     「Yes. One for each of us, please.」

     The plastic cups I had used when I was younger were still in pretty good shape. But why the insistence on plastic? Was it easier to drink hot things from plastic cups or something?

     I boiled some water and let it cool down a bit before pouring it out.

     I set the cups on the table and sat back down next to her. The feeling of fatigue after a meal and the sense that I’d fall asleep if I let myself relax too much weren’t things I disliked. I figured it was about time to get the bath ready, but I wondered if Sorahashi-san would be taking one too. No, it was already about time for her to head home.

     「Sorahashi-san, thank you for today. I was able to enjoy dinner thanks to you.」

     「You’re very welcome. Your cooking was delicious. I’d like to have it again sometime.」

     「Yeah, if I get the chance.」

     「I’m sure there’ll be plenty in the future.」

     What exactly was she expecting?

     I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t ask and just took a sip of water. It had cooled down a good amount, so it was probably fine for Sorahashi-san to drink too.

     She placed her cup on the table and smiled.

     It wasn’t an innocent smile, but rather… one that seemed inviting. My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

     「―I knew it.」

     Her long, slender fingers approached my cheek. I first felt the hardness of her nails, and then the softness of her fingertips.

     The human body was truly mysterious. It was firm, soft, cold, and warm.

     It felt as if the relaxed atmosphere, along with the world itself, was twisting and bending. My world had slowly begun to encroach upon Sorahashi-san’s world, sending a shiver down my back. The hand that had laid on my cheek gradually moved to my ear, and then touched my hair.

     Her gaze was searing.

     「You’re the best master for me, Kurumi.」

     「…Huh?」

     「So, you see, Master.」

     Her fingers left my hair. She pressed her back against the table. Her body hit the cups, spilling the warm water all over. Before I knew it, the two cups had rolled over and fallen onto the floor.

     A faint thunk rang out.

     I was glad that they weren’t glass or ceramic, because they would have certainly shattered from that height. That thought crossed my mind for a moment, and then I suddenly turned to look at her.

     She softly smiled, like a child whose prank had gone successfully.

     My heart pounded.

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