ch1-ch20 · 003-ch3

Chapter 3: Farewell, My Beloved Dashi Maki

"Rokuro, how's the truck runnin'?"

"Ah, Gou-san. Somehow managing to move, I think."

After a quick bath, Ai's father, Shirakawa Rokuro, was taking a breather before work in front of the garage.

The landlord, Tamamushi Gou, came over carrying a plastic bottle.

"Here."

"Thank you."

After handing Rokuro the bottle, Gou sat down beside him and cracked open a can of beer.

"From midday?"

"Look closer, it's non-alcoholic. These days I only drink at night."

Showing off the can, Gou turned his gaze to the food truck inside the garage.

"This thing's been in service near fifteen years now."

"That's right. But it's packed with memories of Ai, so I want to keep driving it as long as I can."

"If ya weren't so stubborn and let me handle it, I'd give it a special tune-up."

When Gou laughed with his white mustache tilting upward, Rokuro shook his head frantically.

"N-no, please don't! There's no way I could handle a vehicle you've worked on, Gou-san."

"Is that so? I'd make ya a star of the mountain passes."

"What do you expect from a food truck..."

At the exasperated Rokuro, Gou leaned back on his hands, looked up at the sky, and laughed heartily.

"...Still, Ai-chan's already a high schooler. Time flies, doesn't it. Just a little while ago she was a baby."

"Back then, you really helped us out. Of course, even now."

Rokuro placed his hands on both knees and bowed deeply.

"Hmph, stop that, stop that. If I'd left a young brat holding a baby and lost in an unfamiliar place, it would've haunted my dreams. That's all there is to it."

Gou scratched his white-haired head bashfully, then stood up and headed back to the main house.

Rokuro watched him leave with a wry smile, then looked up at the clear blue sky.

"Ai's grown up to be a healthy, good child, Princess. ...Ah, crap, it's already 11!"

The food truck's main business was lunchtime. Rokuro hurriedly climbed into the vehicle.

　　―　◆　―

Lunch break.

Time for the wonderful, wonderful bento box.

I'm in charge of breakfast, but Papa makes the bento side dishes in between his prep work.

Not to brag or anything? But he's a pro chef, y'know? Not only is it delicious, but the colors are gorgeous too.

"Ahh, Ai's bento looks so good again today~!"

Sumi leaned over from the neighboring desk pushed against mine.

Prompted by her, Kiri stood up from her seat across from me and stretched forward too. Watch out for the stares around you, your chest is gonna bounce!

"Lemme see, lemme see, wow, it really does look good. Hey, wanna trade my cherry tomatoes for that dashi maki?"

"The exchange rate... the exchange rate is insane!"

"Then~ how 'bout my cream bun (small)?"

"Quantity-wise it might be fair, but I'm loath to part with the dashi maki..."

As the three of us were chattering away like always, a shadow fell over our bentos and bread.

I looked up to find a tall boy standing there.

"Hey, Yamanai, don't stand by the window~. It's getting dark."

Sumi complained to the boy.

His name was Yamanai Sousuke-kun. Since this was our first time in the same class, I hadn't really talked to him much, but apparently in middle school he was the basketball club's ace and got quite a bit of fangirl squealing.

"Arizuki, why didn't you join the basketball club?"

"What, that again? I told you, once I got to high school, I'd be too busy helping at my mom's place to do club activities."

Sumi was pretty athletic too. Since she's tall, she was quite active in the middle school basketball club. Being fundamentally serious, she practiced hard too.

"I didn't hear that!"

"Huh, didn't I tell you? Well, it's not like we're that close anyway, so whatever~"

Hey, hey, I just heard a loud stabbing sound.

Sumi, she kinda knows she's popular but also kinda doesn't.

Looking across from me, Kiri was covering her mouth and grinning "serves you right." Wow, that's mean.

...But I get how Kiri feels. Interrupting our fun bento time, he deserves at least a "serves you right."

Yamanai-kun, doesn't he realize that'd put Sumi in a bad mood? Then there's no way she'd return his feelings. Boys really are childish.

"...tch!"

"Are you done~? If you're finished, hurry up and leave, you're blocking the sunlight."

"W-why's someone like you hanging out with such a shorty and an otaku!?"

...Ah.

At that moment, Kiri and I exchanged glances. What we shared wasn't anger at the insult, but panic.

And the classmates around us who knew us well felt the same.

"—Huh?"

By the time I noticed, Sumi was already standing up, glaring at Yamanai-kun from 30 centimeters away like a vengeful spirit.

"Badmouthing my friends, what's the big idea, Yamanai, you bastard!"

"Hii!?"

Ah, there it is.

The super scary Sumi-san in full rage mode, inherited from her former Yankee aunt and her mom who reformed the aunt through force.

At Sumi's never-before-seen expression and unfamiliar guttural shout, Yamanai-kun paled and backed away.

But he wouldn't escape. Sumi's left hand grabbed the lapel of Yamanai-kun's blazer.

Then she made a fist with her right hand and raised it.

"Bite down, Yamanaiii!"

"Wait, Sumi! Don't!"

"Let's calm down for a moment, Sumi-dono!"

I hugged Sumi's waist, and in the meantime, Kiri stretched her back and wrapped herself around Sumi's right arm. For some reason while using strange speech patterns.

"Let go, Ai, Kirikiri! I'm gonna beat this guy up!"

"I said you can't! Yamanai-kun, run!"

"Everyone, please lend your aid!"

When Kiri called for help, the frozen friends all swarmed toward Sumi at once.

"Sumi, calm down!"

"Even if Yamanai's in the wrong, if you hit him, you'll be the bad guy!"

"I don't care! Let me beat him uuuup!!"

"Hieee!!"

Trying to chase after Yamanai-kun as he fled the classroom with a desperate expression, Sumi attempted to drag the swarm of girls forward with her. What incredible physical ability. Maybe you really should've joined a club?

That's when it happened.

　　CRAAAAASH!!

Catching the aftershocks of Sumi's rampage, a desk fell over. Naturally, the bento spread out on top was completely destroyed.

"Gyaaaaah! My dashi maki!!"

At Kiri's scream, Sumi—and the entire class—froze.

Yeah, nice work, Kiri. But that dashi maki was mine, y'know.