— — — — — —
"Sorry about this."
Yui looked genuinely apologetic. "I did think about using a pet hotel, but I saw a lot of bad reviews online… so I didn't feel safe leaving him there."
"It's fine."
Oikawa waved it off. "You don't have to look like that. I didn't say anything, did I?"
For a moment, he felt like he'd somehow turned into the bad guy.
He'd already agreed, after all.
And honestly, taking care of a dog wasn't that hard for him. Aside from tutoring Kawasaki, he spent most of his time holed up at home anyway. Having a little companion around didn't sound so bad.
As long as the little guy didn't cause trouble.
"What was his name again?"
"Sable!"
Oikawa picked the dog up and held it in his arms, speaking half-jokingly, half-threateningly. "Listen, Sable. We're going to get along just fine these next few days. But if you cause me any trouble, don't blame me for being harsh, got it?"
"Woof!"
"See? He says he'll be good! Absolutely, definitely won't cause you any trouble, Oikawa!"
Yui immediately jumped in as Sable's "translator."
"…You two might actually be the same species."
She froze for a second, then shot him an annoyed glare. But remembering she still needed his help, she held it for all of two seconds before giving up.
The result looked both ridiculous and kind of cute.
"This is his food. These are his toys."
"And this is his leash. Make sure you use it when you take him out for walks, okay? If animal control catches him, that'd be a disaster."
"Oh, and no need to bathe him. I already did that before coming."
"And also—"
The black bag in her hands felt like Doraemon's pocket. It just kept producing more and more things.
And her instructions? They were endless.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Oikawa cut her off, rubbing his temples. "If there's anything I don't understand, I'll just message you on LINE. You don't have to go into this much detail."
He started playing with Sable in his arms. The little guy was surprisingly responsive, almost like he understood everything.
That thought suddenly reminded Oikawa of a certain anime where someone turns into a dog, and he couldn't help but shiver.
When it came to weird stuff, Japan really was on another level.
"Then I'm leaving Sable with you," Yui said, still looking a little worried. "Please take good care of him."
"Sable, Mommy will come back to pick you up soon."
Her eyes looked like they might tear up at any moment.
Girls really did have quick tear ducts. It wasn't just sadness that could make them cry.
…
..
After Yui left, Oikawa scrapped his plan to go to the mall and stayed home to play with Sable instead.
He'd bought new clothes not long ago anyway. No need to rush.
By early afternoon, he brought Sable up to the second-floor bedroom, then grabbed his bag and headed out.
He and Kawasaki had agreed to meet at their usual spot: the café halfway between their homes.
Oikawa still felt a little out of place every time he came here, but he couldn't resist the cappuccinos and always ordered one. Kawasaki, by contrast, stuck firmly to her "freebie or nothing" philosophy.
"I ranked 29th in the whole school! And I got 71 in math!"
The moment Kawasaki saw him, she excitedly blurted it out.
"How do you already know that?"
"I asked Shizuka-sensei this morning."
Oikawa mentally moved "that old woman" a few notches down his internal scale.
Seriously, what kind of double standard was that?
When Kawasaki asked, she got the answer right away. But when it was him, there were always conditions attached.
Unfair!!!
"Nice work."
Oikawa looked at her, his tone soft.
Others might just be surprised by her improvement, but he knew exactly how much effort she'd put in to get there.
Working part-time jobs, staying up late to study.
He'd seen her holding a vocabulary book during almost every break—even when she went to the restroom.
Sobu High was one of the top schools in Chiba.
Ranking in the top 30 there meant she had a shot at most universities in Tokyo.
"Time doesn't betray effort," Oikawa said. "All that hard work pays off in the end."
"Guess I can't call you a 'dumb beauty' anymore."
"Thanks."
Kawasaki smiled sweetly, then walked up to the counter and ordered two of Oikawa's favorite cappuccinos.
"My treat."
One cup had a leaf pattern. The other had a heart.
She handed him the one with the heart.
"Huh. This doesn't really feel like your style," Oikawa said.
Completely oblivious to the small detail, he took a sip—heart and all—without a second thought.
"Idiot."
Kawasaki muttered under her breath, but she was smiling brighter than ever.
"Want to know your ranking?" she suddenly asked.
"What's the condition?"
The question came out of Oikawa's mouth on pure reflex.
"What condition?" Kawasaki blinked. "If you want to know, I'll tell you. Anything you want to know, I'll tell you."
She paused, then said with a smile, "You ranked fourth."
She kept smiling as she spoke, like she planned to use up all her smiles in a single day.
And honestly—
Kawasaki looked really beautiful when she smiled.
Oikawa found himself reaffirming that conclusion all over again.
.
.
.