“You know, if you live your life shut away in your room this way, it’s like giving up completely,” she’d told him—words that Rintaro knew were meant out of love. He knew she was right; he couldn’t just hang around the bookshop forever, but he found himself frozen in inaction.
He’d just seen his aunt off when he spotted the class rep on the other side of the street. It felt as if he’d been rescued.
“What a rare sight: a hikikomori spotted in the outdoors.”
She came over, her customary spring in her step.
“On your way home from school?”
“Not exactly. Absent again, weren’t you? What the hell, Natsuki?”
Even though Sayo’s gaze was cold, Rintaro found he didn’t mind being on its receiving end. He quickly changed the subject.
“That was my aunt,” he said, looking up the road. “She came to tell me to get ready for the move. The moving company’s coming the day after tomorrow.”
“Wow. That’s soon!”
Sayo looked genuinely surprised.
“It’s been almost a week since Grandpa died. I guess a poor little high school student like me can’t be left alone forever.”
“And yet you act just as if it’s all happening to someone else. You’re so calm about it.”
“I’m not calm at all.”
“Here you are again, stewing over things all alone as usual. If you don’t stop thinking for a moment, your brain is going to overheat.”
Sayo had pretty much nailed it. Rintaro grimaced.
“Well, at least this is the last time you’ll have to deliver my homework to me.”
“This isn’t your homework, by the way.”
Sayo held up the book she was carrying.
“I really enjoyed it.”
It was Rintaro’s turn to be surprised.
“You already finished it?”
“Yep. Thanks to you I ripped through it in two days. Barely slept.”
She pretended to be annoyed, but there was a trace of a smile around her eyes. She looked toward the bookshop.
“Recommend me something else. If you’re moving in two days, I’d better buy a few of them.”
She went in without waiting for a reply. Rintaro hurried after her, but not two steps beyond the threshold he collided with her. Sayo had stopped in her tracks.
“What’s up?” he asked, but he immediately saw what it was.
“Young love, Mr. Proprietor?”
Waiting inside was a certain large-size tabby cat with ginger fur and eyes of jade green. There was no trace of a smile on its face. It stood there in the central aisle under the bluish-white glow of the light that fell on the bookshelves.
“Good to see you’ve nothing important to do as usual,” it continued.
“It so happens I’m busy getting ready to move.”
“That’s an obvious lie. Clearly you haven’t even started yet.”
Having dismissed Rintaro’s objections, the tabby cat turned to Sayo and bowed its head with great gallantry.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for taking such care of the proprietor here.”
“You’re very welcome,” replied Sayo, obviously rather confused, but enjoying the situation nevertheless. This was the kind of adaptability that made her an excellent class rep.