Summer Vacation (6)
A quiet street. One guy and two girls. Nothing unusual about the lineup, but their dynamic was pretty odd.
One girl had her arm linked with the guy's, chattering nonstop. The guy nodded along agreeably. To anyone watching, they looked like a couple—or something close to it. The problem was the girl trailing silently behind them with her head down.
Unlike the pair up front, she stood out with her striking mint-green hair. It was Mori Yuuya.
"Ayane, hold on a sec."
"Shin-chan?"
Tae-il had been hyper-aware of Yuuya ghosting along behind them, her presence all but erased. But since she showed no sign of speaking up first, he decided to break the ice.
"Yuuya-senpai."
"Yeah?"
Only when she lifted her head at his call did her existence snap back into focus. As Tae-il turned, Ayane tugged lightly at his arm.
"Ayane?"
She shook her head with desperate eyes. Don't go to her. Ignore her. Look only at me right now.
Even under Ayane's pleading gaze, Tae-il just smiled softly, gave their joined hands a gentle shake to soothe her, and turned back to Yuuya.
"Where's your place, senpai?"
"About a twenty-minute walk."
"Let's at least get you to the bus stop two blocks up?"
"Sure."
Her emphasis on walking meant no bus for her. Tae-il checked his smartphone and did some quick math.
"Ayane. Can you head home alone first?"
"I could... but why all of a sudden? You telling Ayane to go ahead?"
"Yeah. I'll walk senpai home myself. That okay?"
"Eeeh...."
She didn't say it outright, but Ayane made her displeasure crystal clear, clutching his arm tight. Tae-il couldn't help chuckling—it was like a kid terrified of losing her favorite toy.
"You hate it?"
"Can't Ayane come too?"
"Didn't you say you'd make dinner for me tonight? Even if you leave now, it'll be tight on time, right?"
"True, but...."
Ayane regretted volunteering to cook for him after so long apart. She shot Yuuya a fierce glare.
"Eek."
Recalling the death stare Ayane had fixed on her in the bathroom, Yuuya instinctively shrank back.
Not willing to give an inch, Ayane gripped Tae-il's arm harder. She looked up at him. He seemed to understand her anxiety, smiling gently as he stroked her hair.
"It's fine. Nothing'll happen."
"...."
Like a cat melting under pets, Ayane slowly loosened her hold.
"Hmph. Just this once, okay?"
In the end, she'd yielded a single step. Tae-il pulled her into a tight hug.
"Thanks."
"I'll have kimchi stew ready. Don't be late?"
"Load it with meat?"
"Tons of meat. And egg rolls too."
"I'll make it back on time."
"Promise?"
Ayane extracted repeated vows from him all the way to the bus stop where their paths would split.
"Got it. I'll be home by dinner."
"For real? If not, Ayane cries. Ayane will bawl."
"Why would I make you cry?"
"'Cause Shin-chan's crazy."
"...."
As Tae-il's face turned serious, Ayane finally flashed a beaming smile and yanked him into a fierce hug.
"But don't rush and hurt yourself. Ayane'll wait at home, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Can I say that line?"
"What line?"
"Dinner or bath first? Or... me?"
"Not embarrassed?"
"Ehehe."
Sure enough, her face flushed as she giggled bashfully.
"Yeah."
Pleased, Tae-il ruffled her hair and hugged her back just as hard before she finally turned and stepped away.
Ayane kept smiling until she passed Yuuya.
"Senpai, don't touch Shin-chan."
Her voice was ice-cold, a far cry from the coquettish tone moments ago. Even in midsummer, the chill made Yuuya shudder.
Ayane waved brightly at Tae-il again.
"Shin-chan, be late and it's punishment! Super scary punishment! Ayane doesn't mind waiting. I believe you can handle it, right?"
"Got it."
With Tae-il's farewell, Ayane departed. The air felt noticeably lighter with one less person, and Yuuya let out a soft sigh.
"Phew. I'm wiped."
"Haha. Not too tired to walk? Want a piggyback?"
"She might come back."
Yuuya eyed the alley where Ayane had vanished, looking utterly drained.
"Her. Scarier than a horror flick."
"I get that vibe. Chills down the spine and all. You felt it too, senpai."
Tae-il nodded vigorously, remembering his own Gunma encounter. Yuuya stared at him like he was some rare breed.
"Seriously, what did you do to make her that terrifying?"
"Long story. Shall we head out?"
"Yeah."
As Tae-il escorted her, Yuuya stepped up beside him. A piggyback might haunt her dreams, but walking side-by-side? Ayane would probably allow it.
She gradually closed the gap, matching his pace.
Yuuya felt uneasy. Ayane's absence eased the pressure, but Tae-il going out of his way to see her home—ditching Ayane for it—gnawed at her.
"Taechi, you okay...?"
"If you're asking about Ayane, yeah. Tough soothing her pouts, but I manage."
"Why...?"
"You looked uncomfortable, senpai."
As Yuuya blinked in a daze, Tae-il chuckled.
"Your mouth's open, senpai."
"Eek."
She clapped her hands over her lips, cheeks burning at his tease.
It was strange. Being alone with Tae-il felt awkward. Back at the Animal Husbandry Club, it had been so comfortable.
She realized it was Ayane's lingering shadow—and her own guilt.
"Sorry."
The sudden apology made Tae-il glance sideways.
"For what?"
"Said I'd help, but I wasn't much use."
"YouTube?"
"Yeah."
Tae-il gave a wry smile.
"It's fine. Honestly, managing your own channel's plenty tough, right? You said it's not as easy as it looks."
"No. I just edit and upload. Sensei Asakura handles management."
"Don't sell yourself short. Editing alone's a ton of work. They say it's the longest part at broadcast stations."
Editing wasn't foreign to Tae-il. Composing and arranging meant endless scratching and tweaking in DAW software. No matter how user-friendly, polishing tracks was a hassle. Video editing—with visuals on top? Even worse.
Idol fans didn't hype clean uploads for nothing, nor did big YouTubers shell out for pro producers from TV.
Tae-il got it. But Yuuya still felt deep regret.
"I wanted you to feel it too."
"Feel what?"
"Loved by lots of people."
Yuuya was poor. But her heart was always full—from bonds with her animal family, from the affection of fellow animal lovers.
"You don't seem to have that."
"Senpai, I get plenty of love. More than I deserve."
"Katsuragi?"
"Mm."
Tae-il smiled awkwardly, dodging a real answer.
They walked on. Yuuya dragged her feet, not wanting him to leave soon. Tae-il matched her slower stride.
Even with time on green lights, they waited idly for the next one, skipping crosswalks.
Tae-il didn't question it. But her house drew nearer, their parting imminent.
Yuuya grew anxious. Logically, they'd meet again soon enough—Animal Husbandry Club was Ayane-proof. Even if she showed, Yuuya could invoke club rights to boot her.
Three blocks left. Past that distant crosswalk, her home would come into view.
She pressed her thumb hard, then licked her dry lips.
"I've been thinking. And no, it won't work. I... "
"What kind of thoughts?"
Yuuya stopped. Tae-il halted a step later, turning to her.
"Taechi. Let's film a video together."
"Senpai?"
He hadn't expected her to still be hung up on YouTube.
"Don't you regret it?"
"Well...."
He scratched his nose, pondering.
"Not sure. Maybe 'cause right now, it doesn't feel that important. Later, who knows."
"Because of the band?"
"Yeah. Band over solo, you know."
Lots loved bands, but few fixated on individual members enough for personal fandoms. Bands once rivaled idols, but now they were distinct. Even music fans or players connected more to skill than faces. Casual listeners? Less so.
Vocalists or flashy guitarists got fans; others, not like idols.
So Tae-il didn't obsess over personal fame. Band success was his success.
But Yuuya was different. A band member, yet not quite.
Even if it became black history later, she wanted to achieve something with Tae-il before the band revved up.
As Ayane said, she might not help his dreams much. Just a dumb animal obsessive.
Which was why YouTube was her rare shot, her one tool.
Yuuya mustered courage.
"Crossdressing... wanna try?"
"Huh?"
Great she spoke up, but... crossdressing? The absurd pitch deflated him; his face fell before he could stop it.