At the entrance of the game store.
"Thanks, Saiki-kun."
Shiraishi Junta came out slowly carrying two bags and thanked the Saiki beside him.
[No problem, but it's pretty unexpected. You actually took the initiative to ask me to come all this way to buy sneakers and a game console.]
"No, it's mainly because I didn't know who else to ask. The first person I thought of was Saiki-kun. Thanks for today, otherwise even if I did street dance in front of the clerk, they wouldn't see me."
[No problem.]
(It's probably not that exaggerated. The commotion from street dancing would still be pretty noticeable.)
Saiki thought about it. During summer vacation, this was the first time he'd seen Shiraishi in a while. It really had been quite long. He and Shiraishi were the type who just did their own thing during breaks and basically rarely contacted each other.
Saiki held a large lollipop, peeled open the plastic wrapper, and walked while licking it.
[Then let's head back.]
"Oh."
The two walked leisurely like that until Saiki randomly brought it up first, breaking the calm.
[How's it been since joining the basketball club?]
"…"
Shiraishi froze. His expression stayed the same as he glanced at Saiki, then his eyes darted away a bit as he said,
"How should I put it… it's, uh… pretty good."
Shiraishi [How should I explain this? As expected of the basketball club, the pressure is really intense. That training could literally tire someone to death. After playing basketball for a bit, my presence suddenly shot up.
But as long as I have the basketball in my hands, a lot of people really notice me. The moment the basketball leaves, sometimes even my teammates forget I exist.]
(Shiraishi's still going strong as usual. I was actually hoping for something like him dribbling and dunking on his own!)
Saiki had thought something even more ridiculous might happen—like everyone failing to notice Shiraishi, so the basketball would just move and jump by itself. That scene would actually be pretty amusing.
Saiki and Shiraishi walked one in front and one behind, with Saiki ahead and Shiraishi trailing.
Passersby would at least shift a little to avoid Saiki, but when they saw Shiraishi, it was like seeing thin air and they'd walk straight through, forcing Shiraishi to dodge the pedestrians.
But they were both used to it and didn't pay much attention, as if this had already become routine. If it didn't happen this way, it might actually feel off or strange.
(Today's outing is surprisingly free of running into acquaintances. That's pretty novel.)
Even during summer vacation, whenever Saiki went out for a walk, strolled the streets, or took a walk in the park, he'd bump into someone he knew.
Just in this past month, Saiki had gone out seven times.
The first time, he went to the supermarket and ran into Akazawa Itsuki, who was yelling about how his family had a cat that could do somersaults and inviting Saiki over.
But just one glance at his inner thoughts and Saiki knew—he'd only come out because there was a party at home, so he was buying stuff. Running into Saiki was just a coincidence, and he invited him on the spot. After some persistent pestering, Saiki still managed to escape.
The second time, Saiki went to a dessert restaurant and encountered Kubo and Shikimori Miyako. That combo surprised him.
But since Saiki had arrived first and was sitting at the table behind them, he didn't dare move and just sat there listening as they stayed in the dessert place all afternoon. The scarier part was that they kept talking about Saiki the whole time.
It wasn't until they were about to leave that a server knocked over Saiki's water glass, and that's when they finally noticed him.
The group instantly felt super awkward. They'd been openly discussing someone for so long right in front of them, only to realize the person had been sitting right behind them the entire time.
And he'd heard everything. Kubo and Shikimori Miyako felt mortified. Kubo Nagisa was the first to break the awkwardness, inviting Saiki to join them for dessert and quietly asking by his side what exactly he'd overheard.
Saiki had no way to answer, and they pestered him for a long while…
The rest didn't need mentioning. Every single time he went out, he'd run into someone—Inuzuka Shu, Umaru, Izumi…
Out of so many outings, only once had Saiki gone through it completely peacefully on his own.
That time was when Saiki went to a deserted island to cool off and reflect in seclusion, but it seemed like there were other humanoid animals nearby constantly making excited noises, as if thrilled to see him. So Saiki came back quickly and didn't pay it much mind.
(Hmph, looks like going a bit farther really makes things peaceful. Today with Shiraishi has been super relaxed. When I get home, I'll watch TV, eat snacks, and just take it easy for the day.)
Saiki walked while licking his lollipop until they passed an unfamiliar park.
"Oh oh, isn't this Saiki-kun?"
"Saiki-kun, long time no see."
"Sa… Saiki, how are you here?"
"Good afternoon…"
(Yosh, I take back what I just said.)
Saiki heard the familiar voices. With just one glance, he recognized them—this was the familiar band quartet, right?
(Why do I run into them even here? And I just saw Gotoh yesterday.)
Gotoh Hitori: "Saiki, how are you here?"
[That's what I want to know.]
Ijichi Nijika came bouncing over with a smile and said, "Saiki! Perfect timing, I actually have something I need your help with. Are you free?"
[Right now? No, I'm not. I'm out shopping with a friend.]
"Really? Where?"
She looked around left and right, but it only seemed like Saiki was alone.
[Can't you see the big person right here?!]
Saiki placed his hand on Shiraishi's shoulder, and finally the group noticed and jumped in surprise.
Shiraishi: "H… Hello, everyone!"
"Wow, that scared me! Hi there. Oh man, I didn't notice you at all earlier. Sorry about that."
"Hi, classmate. I'm Kita Ikuyo. Are you Saiki's classmate? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
[He's my classmate. We're out shopping together today, so we're pretty busy. Ahem, you know how it is.]
Shiraishi [Saiki-kun looks really troubled. Since he's out with me shopping, I should help him out too.]
(Shiraishi, you're surprisingly good at reading the situation.)
"I… I'm Shiraishi Junta. Nice to meet you."
Shiraishi glanced at Saiki, who seemed really troubled. "U-Um, we've already finished shopping, so you guys chat. I'll head out first. Bye!!"
[Wait, hold on!]
Shiraishi didn't listen to any of it. He thought he'd interrupted Saiki and needed to leave right away. As a considerate friend, he couldn't let Saiki feel bothered, so he took off running at full speed, clutching his sneakers and toy.
Saiki watched Shiraishi's direction as he vanished after barely saying a few words.
[You misunderstood.]
Ijichi Nijika put her hand on Saiki's shoulder. "Great, now you're free. Come help us out and give us some advice."
[Tch.]
…