The delinquent girl was named Aizawa Saki-san. She didn't introduce herself, but Rui-san told me so.

I ride on the back of Saki-san's bike.

"Make sure to hold on tight."

Riding her bike, we headed to the nearby supermarket.

It seems like we're going to make vegetable stew, so I bought the ingredients. As I left the store with the shopping bag in hand, Saki-san was waiting at the smoking area in front of the store. She was smoking a cigarette.

"Thank you for waiting."

"Yeah."

After throwing the cigarette into the ashtray, Saki-san walks towards the parked motorcycle. I follow behind and ask.

"You also smoke?"

"Is it bad?"

"No. I just thought, oh, so it gets absorbed."

"What the hell is that? It's not like it's surprising or anything. If I looked like Rui, maybe. But with my appearance, it's obvious I smoke, right?"

"You're in the same department as Rui-san, right?"

"Yeah, the Literature Department."

Saki-san says while putting on her helmet.

"But to be honest, we only really got close at the smoking area."

I've heard that smoking areas tend to bring people closer together. It's because those with the same preferences develop a sense of camaraderie.

"Make sure to hold on tight on the way back, too."

"Yes."

While feeling the wind, we returned to the front of the apartment. She parked the bike in the bicycle parking area, got off the back, and thanked her.

"Thank you."

"It's not like I wanted to take you along, you know."

"But the wind felt really nice."

I honestly express my feelings.

"And the sound of the exhaust was amazing too. Just a layman's opinion, though."

"...You know that, no?"

Holding the shopping bag, we arrived in front of Rui-san's room with Saki-san. This time, Saki-san opened the door without ringing the intercom.

"Hey, I brought it back."

"Welcome back. Did you get along well?"

I can hear a voice coming from the back of the room.

"There's no way we could get used to each other in such a short time."

Saki-san said as she took off her shoes and stepped into the room.

"In fact, it's a blessing that we didn't end up on bad terms."

I also took off my shoes and followed her.

It was my first time entering Rui-san's room.

In the middle of the room, there is a table, and against the wall on her side of the room, there is a small LCD TV. On the opposite wall, there is a single bed. Next to it, there is a clothes drying rack for indoor use.

There are two bookshelves, but books that won't fit are piled up everywhere. The movie DVD packages were the same.

Overall, it's messy. It seems like there's a sense of life, but there isn't. There are many things that aren't necessary for living, but perhaps there aren't many things that are.

"Well then, shall we get started with the cooking right away?"

"I'm the one who will make it."

"Shall I help you?"

"It's fine. You're terrible at cooking. Not just cooking, but all household chores. I can't stand it even if you cut your finger. Just stay there quietly."

"Yeees~"

"I'll help too."

"It's fine. The kitchen is small, and you'll be in the way. Just sit down."

If that's what she said, there's no choice but to comply. I waited while sitting at the table with Rui-san.

She usually lives here. She eats, reads books, watches movies, and sleeps. Thinking about it makes me feel strange.

"Hey, clean up the table."

Saki-san was wearing mittens as she brought over the earthen pot. When Rui-san places the trivet, the bubbling vegetable stew is set on top of it.

Distribute paper plates and disposable chopsticks according to the number of people.

When Rui-san opened the refrigerator, she took out a can of highball. It was barely visible for a moment, but it was mostly filled with alcohol.

"Yes, this is for Saki-chan."

"I'm not drinking. I came here on a bike."

"Why don't you just walk home?"

"No, what am I going to do about the bike?"

"I'll keep it for you. You can come pick it up later."

"It's a hassle."

"But if you can drink it, you want to drink it, right?"

"Well, that's true."

"Then, you have to be honest with your feelings. You'll regret it in life, you know? And..."

"And?"

"Drinking alone is boring."

"...Haa. Got it."

Saki-san let out a sigh and picked up the can of highball. Crack. The sound of the pull tab opening echoed loudly.

After seeing that scene, Rui-san smiles while resting her chin on her hand.

"I like that side of you, Saki-chan."

"Shut up."

Rui-san and Saki-san clink their cans of highball, while I toast with tea in a paper cup. Then the three of us gather around the steaming hot pot.

"Well, it's a bit late to say this, but having hot pot at this time of year, huh?"

The market is probably in winter.

"It's like eating ice cream at a table during winter. Eating hot pot in an air-conditioned room during summer is just as delightful."

Is that how it is?

The ingredients were chicken and meatballs. Cabbage, carrots, fried tofu, long green onions, and shimeji mushrooms. Mochi. All the ingredients were perfectly cooked.

"Rui, make sure you eat your vegetables properly."

"I'm eating, alright?"

"Don't lie. I was watching you, and all you've been eating is chicken and fried tofu. Here, green onions. They're crunchy and delicious."

Saki-san scoops the long green onions with a ladle and puts them on Rui-san's paper plate.

When she said, "I'm not good with green onions," Rui-san deftly picked up a long green onion with her chopsticks and placed it on my paper plate.

"Then eat the cabbage. The broth is well-soaked."

Saki-san scoops up the cabbage again and puts it on Rui-san's paper plate.

"They say the broth is really flavorful."

Rui-san also takes some cabbage with her chopsticks and dumps it onto my paper plate. Before I knew it, my paper plate was piled high with vegetables.

"You have way too many likes and dislikes."

Saki-san says with an exasperated tone.

"But I do like enoki mushrooms."

Rui-san said. I was taken aback. Enoki mushrooms. It took me a moment to realize she was talking about the ingredient.

"No way, you can't cover all your daily nutrition just by eating enoki mushrooms."

Saki-san says while watching Rui-san eat the enoki mushrooms on her paper plate.

"Drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating nothing but sweets. You're going to collapse eventually."

"I was told the same thing by Yuito-kun."

"Then at least make some improvements."

"Well, my story isn't that important, is it? Today is your first meeting, after all. Let's make it a time for you two to get to know each other."

Rui-san put her hands together and then turned to face me.

"Saki-chan is in a band."

"A band?"

"A four-member girls' band. Saki-chan is the vocalist and guitarist. They're quite popular in the indie scene."

"I see."

Now that she mentions it, there is that kind of atmosphere. Should I call it allure? It had something that attracted people.

"I've been to a live concert before, but seeing Saki-chan playing the guitar and singing is really cool."

"Not at all. I still have a long way to go in attracting customers. My skills are lacking, too."

Saki-san says brusquely while poking at the hot pot.

"There are plenty of bands with more popularity and talent than us who still can't make a living. We need to aim higher."

"Isn't Saki-chan so humble?"

Rui-san is asking for my agreement. Indeed.

"While working a night shift part-time job, being in a band, and attending university. That's impressive, isn't it? I wish I could boil down your nail clippings and drink them."

"Even though you don't feel that way at all."

Saki-san says while sipping from a can of highball.

"But I also think you're cool, Saki-san."

"Huh?"

Even though she has a certain level of popularity in the community, Saki-san doesn't show any signs of arrogance. She faces her music with complete sincerity. That was clear just from the earlier conversation.

She has something to pour her life's passion into with all her might. I've always admired people like that. It's something I don't have.

"Are you drunk?"

"It's oolong tea."

"Then, is it just painful?"

Saki-san said that, then scooped up the ingredients that had sunk to the bottom of the pot with a ladle. She then placed them on my paper plate.

"Huh?"

"Meatballs. Big ones. I saved them for you, here."

That was probably Saki-san's way of reaching out to me. And she probably did it because she likes meatballs.

But.

"Excuse me. I don't really like meatballs."

It's not necessarily the same here.

"Also, I'm already full."

Saki-san widened her eyes and then gave a wry smile.

"You're not cute, you know."

☆

While the two of them opened cans of highball and I drank my oolong tea from a paper cup, the pot was emptied as we chatted about trivial things.

Since Rui-san had a small appetite, almost all of it was finished off by me and Saki-san.

"The ingredients might have been enough for two people."

Indeed. Still, it might have been enough.

"Can I smoke a cigarette?"

"That's fine, but please do it under the exhaust fan."

Rui-san pointed towards the kitchen.

"Sure."

Saki-san said as she got up and walked casually towards the kitchen. She turned on the exhaust fan and lit a cigarette.

After taking a deep breath of smoke, she slowly exhaled as if savoring it. It felt like coming up for air from underwater.

While watching that scene, I suddenly became curious.

"Is it okay to smoke in the room?"

"Yes. It's also written in the contract."

I didn't know. But it's probably because I don't smoke.

"Huh? But then, isn't that strange?"

"Hmm?"

"If you can smoke in the room, there's no need to go out of your way to smoke on the balcony, right?"

That's right. If she can smoke in her room, then she will smoke in her room.

And yet.

Rui-san has always been smoking on the balcony. From the day we first met until now.

If she dislikes the room getting dirty or smelling like smoke, she should have encouraged Saki-san to go to the balcony as well.

"Smoking while feeling the night breeze has an exceptional taste."

It's better to smoke outside than inside the room. It feels more liberating.

I don't smoke, but I kind of understand that feeling.

Moreover, Rui-san continued.

With a faint smile, tilting the small chin resting on the backs of her clasped hands, elbows on the table.

"If I smoke in the room, I won't be able to chat with Yuito-kun, right?"

Chapter 22: Everyone Shares a Hot Pot