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 - Cultural Festival Final Day ~Gyoza, Tears, and Words Left Unsaid~
The morning classroom already carried a heavy air of exhaustion, even though it was only the second day of the culture festival.
The desks were still arranged the way they'd been left yesterday. Four long tables draped in white cloths lined the windows. On the blackboard, the words "Café" remained, along with the traces of yesterday's sales figures.
Hina sat at a seat by the window, gazing outside. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, bangs falling over her eyes. Her deep, dark-brown eyes stared vaguely toward the rooftops of the shopping district visible beyond the schoolyard.
(You don't have to come anymore.)
The words she'd said yesterday.
They echoed through her mind, over and over. Anzu's face floated up. The moment her smile had frozen. How her eyes had gone just a little red.
(That's not it.)
In her heart, she knew.
(I don't want her to stay away.)
But those words had already reached Anzu. They couldn't be taken back.
Hina let out a small breath. Her face was faintly reflected in the window glass. Expressionless. The same expressionless face as always.
(Why did I say something like that?)
She still couldn't find the answer.
Behind her, classmates had begun their morning preparations. The scent of coffee started drifting through the room.
"Hina."
Hina turned at the voice.
Mishima Hitomi stood there. Her straight black bob was neatly arranged as always, and her sharp, narrow black eyes looked directly at Hina. Despite her small frame, she carried an air of someone who ran the show.
"Wasn't the way you said it yesterday kind of harsh?"
Hitomi spoke without preamble.
"Anzu was so looking forward to it. Telling her 'you don't have to come anymore'—that really hurt her. I was standing right there, and it was awkward as hell."
Hina couldn't say anything.
(I know.)
She thought it in her heart.
(I know. I know it was cruel.)
But no words came out. No rebuttal, no excuse, no apology. Everything caught in the back of her throat.
Hina kept her expression blank and turned her gaze back outside.
In the schoolyard, students were doing the morning cleanup. The dry rustle of gathering fallen leaves drifted faintly through the air.
"You know, Hina, you're really hard to read."
Hitomi said it with a sigh.
"I honestly can't tell what you're thinking. Do you hate Anzu? Or don't you? I wish you'd just make it clear."
(I don't hate her.)
Hina answered in her heart.
(I don't hate her. It's the opposite.)
But she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.
Hitomi watched Hina for a while, then eventually said, "Well, today's the last day anyway. I'll try contacting Anzu," and walked toward the teacher's podium.
Hina stared at Hitomi's retreating back.
(Contact.)
The word stung her chest.
(Hitomi can talk to Anzu like it's nothing.)
What Hina couldn't do, Hitomi could. Whether that was frustrating or sad, Hina still couldn't tell.
Something stirred deep in her chest.
It had been there since yesterday.
What was this restless feeling? Unable to give it a name, time simply passed.
──
Lunch break.
Hina climbed the stairs to the rooftop alone. Being in the classroom made her conscious of her classmates' stares. Some of them probably knew about yesterday. She was afraid of what they might say.
She stopped at the landing.
Through the window, she could see the schoolyard. The clamor of lunch break reached her from far away.
"Hina."
A voice came out of nowhere.
She turned to find Sakura Utako standing there. Black hair swept up, a beauty mark at the outer corner of her left eye giving her a distinctive, grown-up look. Today she wasn't in her bar work clothes but a black cut-and-sew top with slim pants.
"Utako."
Hina said it shortly.
"Finally found you. I went to your classroom and your classmate said 'Hina went somewhere.' I've been looking all over for you."
Utako came and stood beside Hina.
"So? How are things?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb. I mean Anzu. You said something awful to that girl yesterday, didn't you? Nitta told me. 'You don't have to come anymore.' Come on, that's just not okay."
Utako's voice wasn't so much accusatory as exasperated.
"...It's nothing."
Hina said it quietly.
"There it is again. Your 'it's nothing' doesn't communicate anything. You know that, right?"
Utako put a hand on Hina's shoulder.
"Listen, just be honest. Anzu's been down since yesterday. Apparently she's been sighing nonstop while wrapping gyoza at Rairaiken today. Lin-san was worried about her."
Hina couldn't say anything.
(Down.)
The word pressed heavily on her chest.
(It's my fault.)
"Your 'it's nothing' is the least communicative thing in the world."
Utako laughed and gave Hina a light pat on the back.
"But you know, Hina. If words don't get through, you just have to find another way. You're not much for words, so communicate with something other than words. You like eating gyoza, don't you?"
Hina looked at Utako's face.
"...Gyoza."
"Exactly. Anzu's gyoza are delicious, right? You told her 'delicious' before, didn't you? She was so happy when you said that. You have no idea how much your one word means to that girl."
Hina listened in silence.
(Delicious.)
She had said it, back then.
The words that had slipped out when she ate Anzu's gyoza. Hina remembered Anzu's face in that moment. Eyes wide, and then—a smile like a flower blooming.
(That smile.)
Just remembering it made something deep in her chest grow faintly warm.
"...I'll go."
Hina said it quietly.
"Huh?"
"After school. I'll go to Rairaiken."
That was all she said before she started down the stairs.
Behind her, Utako's voice followed.
"Good. You really are an idiot. But that's what makes you cute."
Hina didn't turn around. She kept descending the stairs.
(After school.)
The words repeated in her chest.
(After school, I'll go to Rairaiken.)
She'd decided.
But she still didn't know what she was going to say.
──
After school.
Having finished cleaning up on the final day of the culture festival, Hina left the school.
The sky was beginning to take on the colors of evening. The autumn wind stirred Hina's black hair.
She walked alone toward the shopping district.
As she reached the entrance of the arcade, it was bustling with evening shoppers. Persimmons and chestnuts were displayed at the greengrocer's, and the smell of roasted sweet potatoes drifted through the air.
(Rairaiken.)
Hina arrived in front of the shop.
The noren curtain swayed in the wind.
Hina stopped in front of it.
(Go in.)
A deep breath.
(I'm going in.)
She told herself in her heart.
Hina pushed through the curtain.
"Welcome!"
Lin's wife emerged from behind the counter.
"Oh, Hina. Welcome. Are you alone today?"
"...Yeah."
Hina looked around the shop.
Eight counter seats, three table seats. Perhaps because it was still early evening, there were no other customers yet.
In the back of the kitchen, Anzu was wrapping gyoza.
Her chestnut ponytail was tied up with a triangular bandana. Her amber eyes were focused on the gyoza wrappers in her hands.
Anzu hadn't noticed Hina.
"Anzu, Hina's here."
Lin's wife called out.
Anzu's hands stopped.
Slowly, she raised her face.
Her amber eyes looked at Hina.
"...Hina."
Anzu's voice was small and trembling.
Hina couldn't say anything.
"...Excuse me for intruding."
She squeezed the words out.
Nothing more would come.
(Sorry.)
In her heart, she was saying it.
(Sorry. Yesterday, that wasn't what I meant.)
But it wouldn't come out.
Lin's wife looked at the two of them and seemed to sense something.
"Oh, that's right. I'm going to run a quick errand. Anzu, watch the shop for me."
With that, Lin's wife took off her apron and left.
Silence fell over the shop.
Anzu stared at the gyoza wrappers in her hands.
Hina stood in front of the counter, unable to move.
Only the ticking of the clock could be heard.
"...Hina."
It was Anzu who spoke first.
"I thought you hated me."
Anzu said it with her head down.
"Yesterday morning, you said 'you don't have to come anymore.' I thought, see, she really does hate me. I tried to kill you in the first place. Of course you'd hate me."
(That's not it.)
Hina screamed it in her heart.
(That's not it. I don't hate you.)
But no voice came out.
"But I... I couldn't bring myself to hate you, Hina. Isn't that strange? I almost got killed by you. And yet, when you said my gyoza were delicious, I was so happy. After that, wrapping gyoza became fun."
Anzu's voice was shaking.
"I didn't want... to be hated by you, Hina."
Tears spilled from Anzu's eyes.
Hina watched Anzu cry.
(She's crying.)
Her chest hurt.
(It's my fault.)
Hina stepped closer to the counter.
And she looked at the plate of gyoza Anzu had been wrapping.
The gyoza were arranged neatly. Each one wrapped carefully by Anzu's hands.
Hina picked one up.
And with the same expressionless face, put it in her mouth.
She chewed.
Silence.
Anzu watched Hina through tear-wet eyes.
Hina swallowed the gyoza.
And in a small voice, she said:
"...Delicious."
The word fell into the quiet shop.
Anzu's eyes went wide.
"...Huh?"
Anzu's voice trembled.
"You said... delicious..."
Anzu tried to smile and failed. Tears overflowed, one after another.
"You said... delicious..."
Wiping her tears with the hem of her apron, Anzu laughed.
"I'm so happy... so, so happy..."
Anzu's smile was a mess with tears.
But to Hina, it looked incredibly beautiful.
(She smiled.)
Something deep in her chest came undone.
(Thank goodness.)
Hina picked up another gyoza.
"...One more."
When Hina said it, Anzu wiped her tears and smiled happily.
"Yeah! Wait, I'll cook them now. Fresh off the griddle is the best!"
With that, Anzu began cooking gyoza in the back of the kitchen.
The sizzling sound filled the shop.
A savory aroma drifted through the air.
Hina sat down at the counter.
(Delicious.)
She said it again in her heart.
(Anzu's gyoza really are delicious.)
That was the most Hina could manage right now.
──
The freshly cooked gyoza came out on a plate.
Hina kept eating, expressionless.
Anzu watched intently from behind the counter as Hina ate.
"...You're staring."
When Hina said it, Anzu hurriedly looked away.
"Oh, sorry. It's just—you look like you're enjoying them so much."
Anzu gave a bashful laugh.
"...It's nothing."
Hina put another gyoza in her mouth.
(Delicious.)
She said it over and over in her heart.
(Delicious. Delicious. Delicious.)
For all the words she couldn't say, she repeated them inside.
"Hina, um..."
Anzu spoke hesitantly.
"Tomorrow... the last day of the culture festival. Is it okay if I come?"
Anzu's voice was still a little shaky.
"Yesterday you said I didn't have to come. But I still want to go. I barely helped at your class café yesterday. And also..."
Anzu trailed off.
"And also, I want... to be with you, Hina."
Anzu's voice was barely audible.
Hina stopped eating.
(Be with me.)
The words resonated in her chest.
(Me too.)
She thought it in her heart.
(I want to be with Anzu too.)
But those words wouldn't come out.
Hina paused a moment, then said:
"...Come if you want."
That was all.
But for Anzu, it was enough.
"Yeah! I'll go! I'll definitely go!"
Anzu's face lit up.
This time, it was a smile without any strain.
Watching Anzu's smile, Hina felt something deep in her chest grow faintly warm.
(Thank goodness.)
She thought it in her heart.
──
When Hina left Rairaiken, it was already dark outside.
The lights of the shopping arcade were on.
Hina passed through the noren and began walking through the arcade.
("Come if you want"—what kind of thing is that to say?)
Remembering her own words, Hina muttered inwardly.
(Come if you want. If you want her to come, just say you want her to come.)
But she couldn't.
(...Did "come if you want" get through?)
She thought of Anzu's smile.
(Did it get through?)
Hina let out a s
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