Hina leads a quiet, solitary life—gaming marathons, school, and the familiar four walls of Nitta Yoshifumi's apartment. She doesn't care about much. She definitely doesn't care that Nitta won't stop talking about Anzu, the former assassin-turned-waitress who smiles too brightly and makes gyoza that are apparently "on another level."
...Except she does. And she has absolutely no idea why.
When the culture festival approaches and her class decides to recruit Anzu for their café, Hina's carefully
Hina and Anzu's Great Misunderstanding Operation - The cultural festival's clamor, and the unspoken "don't come"
The morning classroom was restless with the unreality of the culture festival.
"Kissa" — Café — was written across the blackboard in colorful chalk, with a hand-drawn menu taped beneath it. All the desks had been pushed to the back of the room, replaced by four long tables draped in white tablecloths, lined up along the windows.
Hina wiped down one of the tables with a white cloth, her face blank. Her long black hair spilled carelessly down her back, bangs falling over her eyes. Her deep, dark-brown eyes followed only the movement of the cloth in her hand.
"Hina, the edge of that tablecloth is still crooked."
Mishima Hitomi called out from behind her. Her straight black bob was, as always, perfectly neat, and her narrow black eyes swept across the classroom. Despite her small frame, she somehow carried an air that made people fall in line.
Hina silently set down the cloth and tugged at the edge of the tablecloth.
"Slower. Yes, stop right there. Mm, perfect."
Hitomi gave instructions with practiced efficiency. Hina moved exactly as told. The other classmates, too, were steadily working through the preparations under Hitomi's direction.
"Oh, that's right, Hina."
Hitomi spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
"Anzu-chan says she'll come by after noon. She's bringing us some gyoza."
Hina's hand stopped for just a moment.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cloth.
"...Huh."
Hina gave a short reply and started wiping the table again. As if nothing had happened. But inside, it was different.
(Anzu is coming.)
The words repeated over and over in her head. She remembered yesterday morning. The words she'd said to Anzu in front of the apartment building.
—You don't need to come anymore.
Anzu's face from that moment surfaced behind her eyelids. The instant her smile had frozen.
(No. That's not it.)
She denied it again and again in her mind. But the words had already reached Anzu. They couldn't be taken back.
Hina looked out the window. In the schoolyard, students from other classes were setting up their stalls. Cheerful voices drifted in through the glass.
(Will Anzu really come?)
She wanted her to come. But she didn't want her to come. Even she couldn't tell which.
Something stirred restlessly deep in her chest.
──
Opening time was ten o'clock.
By then, Hina's class café had somehow taken shape. The menu was cookies, tea, and coffee. Paper cups and paper plates. Decorative ribbons were taped along the window frames.
"Welcome!"
A classmate called out energetically. The culture festival had begun.
Hina stood behind the counter, in charge of taking orders. Expressionless, she worked through the customers one by one.
"One tea."
"Two coffees."
"A cookie set, please."
Hina nodded silently, poured drinks into paper cups, placed cookies on paper plates. Her movements weren't clumsy. If anything, they were efficient and precise.
"Hina, you're actually pretty good at customer service."
Hitomi sounded impressed.
"...Not really."
"There you go again with 'not really.' But some of the customers are startled by your deadpan face, you know. Well — I guess that's part of the charm."
Hitomi giggled and took her place at the register.
The turnout exceeded expectations.
Less than an hour after opening, the classroom was nearly full. Hina handled orders, Hitomi ran the register, and the other classmates moved through their stations.
That was when it happened.
"Hello! I brought the snacks!"
A bright voice came from the classroom entrance.
Hina's body gave a small jolt.
She turned. Anzu was standing there. Her chestnut ponytail glowed translucent in the autumn sunlight. Today she wasn't in her Rairai-ken apron but a pale yellow cardigan and a floral skirt. In her arms she held a basket wrapped in a white cloth.
(It's Anzu.)
Something leaped deep in Hina's chest.
"Anzu-chan!"
Hitomi's face lit up as she hurried over.
"Yay, thank you! Gyoza, right? It smells amazing!"
"Yeah, from the shop. My uncle specially wrapped them for me this morning. Everyone dig in."
Anzu untied the cloth with a smile. Inside were several clear containers packed with gyoza.
"Anzu-chan, thank you so much. Hey, let's walk around the festival together later, okay? We promised."
"Yeah, I've been looking forward to it!"
The two of them laughed together, happily.
Hina watched from behind the counter.
She wanted to call out. But the words caught in the back of her throat.
(I have to apologize for yesterday.)
She knew that. And yet her feet wouldn't move.
Anzu didn't seem to notice Hina's gaze. She was absorbed in talking with Hitomi, not looking this way at all.
Hina gripped the paper cup in her hand tighter.
──
Early afternoon.
The café was even busier than it had been all morning.
Hina kept working through orders, face blank. But somewhere in her heart, she was thinking about Anzu the whole time.
Anzu had been handing out gyoza in the corner of the classroom since opening. Smiling at every customer, offering them "here you go." That smile looked unbearably bright.
(Anzu's smiling.)
Not the frozen smile from yesterday morning.
(Good.)
She thought that. But at the same time, something deep in her chest gave a small, sharp ache.
Anzu's smile wasn't for her. It was for Hitomi, for the other customers.
"Oh — Anzu-chan!"
At the sound of a familiar voice, Hina looked up.
Nitta Yoshifumi stood in the classroom doorway. His blond hair was slicked back as neatly as ever, and his narrow black eyes softened as they found Anzu. He was in a suit, a large paper bag in hand.
"Nitta-san! Welcome."
Anzu bowed politely.
"Anzu-chan, you're cute as ever today. I brought snacks. Here, you guys eat up."
Nitta held out the paper bag. Inside were several boxes of what looked like expensive Japanese sweets.
"Wow, thank you so much! Nitta-san, you're so generous."
Anzu accepted them happily.
"For Anzu-chan, that's the least I can do. Right, Hina?"
Nitta called out to Hina behind the counter.
Hina stared at him, expressionless.
"...Nitta, you're loud."
"Huh? What for? I brought you snacks."
Nitta sounded put out. But a moment later he turned back to Anzu, grinning dopily.
"Anzu-chan, want to walk around the festival with me later? I'll show you around."
"Eh? Oh, um... I promised Hitomi-chan I'd go with her, so..."
Anzu said apologetically.
"Is that so. That's a shame. But it can't be helped. As long as you have fun, Anzu-chan, that's all that matters."
Nitta said it without a trace of resentment.
"Hey, Anzu-chan."
Hitomi cut into their conversation.
"Once my afternoon shift is over, I'm walking around with Anzu-chan. I can't wait."
"Yeah, me too! Where should we go? Is there a haunted house or something?"
"There is. The third-years are running one. I hear it's pretty elaborate."
"Ooh, I can't wait! But I might be bad with ghosts..."
"Don't worry. I'll be right there with you."
The two of them started chatting happily again.
Hina felt her grip tighten on the cup she was setting down.
(Hitomi and Anzu, walking around together.)
The fact pressed heavily on her chest.
(I wasn't invited.)
Of course not. She was the one who'd said "don't come anymore."
But it didn't sit well.
And the fact that it didn't sit well made her feel even worse.
"Hina, you want to come along later too?"
Nitta asked casually.
Hina looked at his face.
"...Not really."
"'Not really,' she says. Come on, it's the culture festival. Have a little fun."
"...It's not fun."
Her voice came out lower than even she expected.
"Huh? Why not? It's only just started."
Nitta tilted his head.
Hina said nothing more. She couldn't.
(It's not fun. Because Anzu looks so happy with Hitomi.)
She could never say that out loud.
──
Two in the afternoon.
Hitomi's shift ended, and she left the classroom with Anzu.
"We're off, Hina. Take care of the shop."
"Hina-chan, see you later."
Anzu smiled at Hina.
The instant she saw that smile, something burst deep in Hina's chest.
(Later?)
(I told you not to come anymore.)
(Why are you smiling?)
(Why are you acting like everything's normal?)
A swirl of incomprehensible emotions churned inside her.
"...You don't need to come anymore."
Before she knew it, the words had left her mouth.
The air in the classroom froze in an instant.
Anzu's smile stiffened.
"...What?"
Anzu's voice was trembling.
"Hina, what did you just mean by that?"
Hitomi furrowed her brow and looked at Hina.
"Hey, Hina. What the hell are you saying?"
Nitta was staring at her too, shocked.
But Hina couldn't stop.
"...I don't need the gyoza either. Just don't come anymore."
She said it while looking at the container of gyoza on the counter.
Even she didn't understand why she was saying this.
But she couldn't stop.
(No. That's not it.)
Someone was screaming inside her.
(I want you to come. I want to eat the gyoza. I want Anzu to come.)
But what came out of her mouth was the exact opposite.
"...Okay. I understand."
Anzu answered quietly.
Her voice sounded like it might vanish.
Anzu slowly gathered the basket back into her arms and started walking toward the classroom entrance.
"Anzu-chan, wait!"
Hitomi tried to go after her.
But Anzu didn't turn around.
"...I'm sorry, Hitomi-chan. I'm going home today."
Anzu's voice came from behind her back.
It sounded like she was crying.
Anzu's figure disappeared down the hallway.
A heavy silence settled over the classroom.
"Hina, wasn't that a horrible thing to say?"
Hitomi spoke in a quiet voice.
There was no malice in it — but it cut straight through.
"...Not really."
That was all Hina could say.
"Hey, Hina. What were you thinking, saying that to Anzu-chan? That girl was about to cry."
Nitta said it with a troubled look.
Hina looked at the counter.
The container of gyoza Anzu had brought was still sitting there.
(Don't need it — what a thing to say.)
(I actually wanted to eat them.)
Hina opened the lid of the container.
The gyoza were arranged neatly inside. The gyoza Anzu had woken up early to wrap, one by one.
Hina picked one up and put it in her mouth.
It was delicious.
It was delicious, and her chest ached.
(Why did I say something like that?)
No tears came. But deep in her chest, something squeezed tight and painful.
──
The after-festival bonfire ended a little past eight at night.
In the schoolyard, the embers of the campfire still smoldered red. The students' cheers dissolved into the night air.
Hina left the school gate alone.
The autumn night wind brushed cold against her cheeks.
She walked toward the shopping arcade. Most of the arcade lights were already out. Between the shuttered shops, Hina walked in silence.
(What's Anzu doing right now?)
That was all she could think about.
She reached the front of Rairai-ken.
The shop lights were off. The Hayashi couple must have gone to bed already.
Hina looked up, almost by accident.
There was a figure on the roof of Rairai-ken.
Someone was sitting beside the water tower.
A chestnut ponytail.
(It's Anzu.)
Hina hid herself in the shadow of a utility pole.
Her heart was pounding.
Anzu was gazing up at the starry sky.
Her profile, lit by the moonlight, floated pale blue in the darkness.
"...Hina-chan. I guess she really does hate me after all."
Anzu's voice carried on the wind.
It was small, barely there.
"She told me not to come anymore. ...So she really does hate me. I did try to kill her, after all. Of course she'd hate me."
Anzu hugged her knees.
"But I... I don't hate Hina-chan. I want us to be closer, if anything."
In the shadow of the pole, Hina clenched her fists.
(No.)
She screamed it inside.
(No. I don't hate you. I never thought I didn't want you to come.)
But no voice came out.
Her feet stuck to the ground as if nailed there.
"...Why can't I ever get it right?"
Anzu murmured, still gazing up at the sky.
"I just want to be friends with Hina-chan.
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