Shikimori: "Habits really are something."
"No, it should be scary."
Izumi's mom looked a little dejected: "He probably always acts like nothing's wrong, and he's constantly worrying about other people."
In Izumi's mom's memory.
When Izumi came home from elementary school, he had a tree branch stuck in his head, blood spurting out "puff puff," turning his mom's original worry into even greater worry.
(Izumi surviving to this day is honestly a miracle.)
"Here you go."
Izumi's mom absentmindedly handed the last plate to Shikimori.
But in midair, the plate slowly slipped and headed toward the floor. Shikimori caught it nimbly.
"Oh my, thank you so much, Shikimori-san."
Then she put on a troubled expression again while saying: "It really makes me worry. I don't know who this kid takes after."
Shikimori looked at the plate that had almost smashed on the ground and seemed to understand something. [This is really unbelievable.]
(He really takes after you, ma'am.)
Izumi's mom turned her head and earnestly pleaded with Shikimori: "So that's why, I'm really hoping from the bottom of my heart that you and Saiki-kun never get tired of that child. I know it might not be good for me to say this."
"You know, that child's bad-luck constitution might drag you into suffering along with him…"
"That's not the case."
Izumi's mom was cut off mid-sentence by Shikimori.
"What?"
Shikimori picked up the plate, wiped it with a cloth, and said seriously: "I don't know what other people think, but Izumi-kun does have a bit of a tendency to run into bad luck."
"And from an outsider's perspective, he might really seem unlucky, and he might even bring misfortune to the people around him."
"But during the time I've spent with him, I know that Izumi-kun is a very gentle person. It's precisely because he's too gentle that he ends up more unlucky than others."
"But because of that, he understands pain better than anyone else. I won't get tired of him, and I'm sure Saiki-kun feels the same way."
"He met Izumi-kun earlier than I did, but he's always been willing to accept him."
"When other people hear about Izumi-kun's constitution and start to avoid him a little, I've never once seen any boredom or disgust in Saiki-kun's eyes."
"I only see him treating Izumi-kun like a normal person, without the slightest disdain for him or that so-called bad-luck constitution. He even steps in to help Izumi-kun multiple times. It makes me feel like even if the whole world abandoned Izumi-kun, Saiki-kun would never do that—he'd choose to save him instead."
[Hmph (´ｰ`)]
"What's wrong?"
Izumi's dad saw Saiki show a smile for the first time. Was his storytelling really that great? He could hardly believe it himself.
[Nothing, please continue.]
Saiki held his cheek with his hand, as if something happy had happened, and let a faint smile show.
(Yare yare, Shikimori-san, even I would feel embarrassed hearing someone praise me like that. I never thought I was that good to Izumi-kun. Geez~)
Shikimori set the plate down: "So please don't worry anymore, Izumi's mom."
Izumi's mom looked like she had finally gotten a satisfying answer. She subconsciously let out a sigh of relief, then showed a mischievous expression.
"By the way, earlier I was asking if you and Saiki-kun would ever get tired of Yuu, but you were fine at the beginning, and then later you just kept praising Saiki-kun. Is Saiki-kun really that good to our Yuu? Or maybe you…"
Shikimori froze for a moment. Her reaction time kicked in two seconds later, her face turning red as she frantically explained: "What I meant was that Saiki-kun is a really good person, and he treats every classmate well, including Izumi-kun, and also, I'm not specifically praising him that much, and uh… right…"
Izumi's mom looked at Shikimori like this and seemed even more amused, showing an expression that said she understood everything: "Oh my, don't worry, I get it."
"This isn't… ugh, whatever (((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))"
Shikimori had already given up on explaining. Let people think whatever they want. Whatever, it doesn't matter.
...
"Yuu, wake up. It's 8 o'clock." Izumi's mom shook Izumi Yuu.
Izumi Yuu groggily tried to open his eyes, but only halfway before closing them again and continuing to sleep.
[Auntie, it's fine. No need to wake him.]
"Really?"
Izumi's mom bent down and said to Izumi Yuu, who still wanted to keep sleeping: "Then just keep sleeping. Saiki-kun and Shikimori-san are heading home first."
Izumi Yuu, who had been half-asleep, instantly woke up.
"What! What! What happened! What's going on!"
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw his dad and Shikimori-san playing a versus match in a video game.
And Saiki Kusuo was sitting on the sofa next to Izumi Yuu, holding a book in his hands, sipping tea while reading. When he saw Izumi wake up, Saiki greeted him.
[Evening, Izumi. Finally awake.]
"Saiki-kun, Shikimori-san she…"
[Oh, looks like the two of them actually get along pretty well.]
"Did these two form a deep bond while I was sleeping?"
After Izumi's dad and Shikimori tied in their match, they gripped hands tightly.
"You've got some skills, Shikimori-kun."
"Uncle Akiyoshi isn't bad either."
Izumi Akiyoshi looked at the person in front of him appreciatively and laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, Shikimori-kun, you're way too modest. Ah, too bad though—we both can't beat Saiki-kun."
"Well~ it's true there's no competing with Saiki-kun."
Shikimori looked at Saiki.
Izumi Yuu widened his eyes: "Saiki-kun, looks like you get along even better with my dad."
[It's nothing special.]
(Just casually played a dozen or twenty-eight matches or so, didn't lose a single one.)
Izumi Yuu saw the two of them off to the door, then spoke a little apologetically: "Sorry, Saiki-kun, Shikimori-san. Today was full of mishaps while we were out, I invited you over to my house, and then I fell asleep."
[Don't worry about it. I had a lot of fun today.]
"Yeah, your house is really interesting, Izumi-kun."
[Well then, sorry for intruding today.]
"Thanks for having us."
As Saiki and Shikimori stepped out, voices called after them.
"Come back anytime you want next time!"
"We can play games together again then!"
...
Saiki walked ahead, escorting Shikimori home. Shikimori stayed by Saiki's side, feeling a bit shy. [Finally we can be alone together. I wonder if Saiki-kun heard what I said to Izumi's mom this afternoon. Should I… explain it? But what if he didn't hear, and I explain anyway? That would be so weird…]
Shikimori still decided to speak up. "Saiki-kun…"
[What is it?]
Shikimori saw Saiki staring at her and felt like she'd been caught doing something wrong. Her face turned even redder. Finally, she nervously said, "The night sky is so beautiful."
Saiki looked up at the sky. Not a single star, covered in dark clouds.
[But the weather forecast said it would rain tonight.]
"Ah, really?" (๑•́₃ •̀๑)