Chikasugiru Karera no, Juunanasai no Tooi Kankei [LN] V1 Chapter 5.8

Chapter 5 - The Taste Of Rain And Sweat

A week passed, and it was the day before the first-semester final exam. 

After returning home, I cooked dinner, ate it with Izumi, and began studying for the next day's exam subjects.

It had not rained today, and it was hot and humid all day. The thermometer on the radio-controlled clock on my desk read over 30 degrees Celsius, so I turned on the air conditioner. A breeze blew with the sound of the outdoor unit running, and the curtains under the air conditioner swayed slightly.

After spending three hours reviewing the next day's three exam subjects, the date changed. Taking a break, I put down my pen and got up from my seat, thinking that I should work hard one more time. I went down the stairs, careful not to disturb my mother or Izumi with my footsteps.

When I went to the living room in the middle of the night, only the kitchen light was on, cutting the darkness in the living room with its white light. At the dining room table sat Izumi, dressed in her loungewear, a thin T-shirt, and soft fabric shorts, drinking water.

"Izumi. You're here?"

She nodded and replied, "I'm taking a break."

I took a glass from the cupboard, too, and poured mineral water from the refrigerator.

"Your test starts tomorrow, right?"

Izumi called out to my back. Yeah, I nodded, sat down across from her, and took a sip from my glass of water.

"Izumi's started today, right? ---How was it?

When I asked her about it, she smiled.

"I did quite well. Kenichi-kun, how about you?"

"Well. I made a lot of progress at the study session the other day."

"It was fun, wasn't it? And the yakiniku afterward was delicious."

Yeah, I nodded, and then I remembered the day of the study session. The first thing that came to mind was Izumi and Nagai exchanging contact information.

"---So, did you hear from Nagai after that?"

When I asked, Izumi nodded without changing her expression.

"Just once. I got an email thanking me for that day."

"I see."

As I replied, I reached into the pocket of my shorts. The hard feel of my phone, which I had left inside, touched my fingertips.

"...... Izumi, can I ask you for your contact information too? Come to think of it, I didn't ask you directly, so......" 

"Yeah. Sure. I'll go get my cell phone, just wait a minute."

Without the slightest awkwardness, Izumi nodded, sat up, and left the living room. 

I could hear her subtle footsteps, going up the stairs, and even the sound of her room door opening and closing.

The room where I sleep and get up every day and her room is only a few meters apart. But I know nothing about how Izumi spends her daily time there. The only thing I can feel is that she is always nearby.

I remembered my brother's advice the other day about not being able to see when you are close. I was sure he was referring to Yuriko, but I was vividly aware of the meaning of his words with regard to Izumi. Even now, I still don't know myself why I asked for Izumi's contact information, and I didn't have a clear reason for it. I just felt bothered by the fact that Nagai knew and I didn't, and I think that's why I acted on it. It's not that I wanted to know.

Huh, I exhaled, a slightly hot breath.

Soon, a firm sound fell. It was the sound of Izumi coming down the stairs. She opened the door to the living room, and in her hand was a smartphone with a red cover case.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Izumi said, and sat down in her seat. 

At the desk, we exchanged profile data, including each other's email addresses. Once that was done, the conversation was somewhat halted and silence descended.

For the past month, since Izumi moved in, we have seen each other every day in this place. I even feel at ease now when I spend time with her in the living room, even if we don't talk.

"Oh, that's right."

When I suddenly thought of a topic and spoke up, Izumi tilted her head and said, "What's up?"

"My brother was on a radio program the other day."

"Really? I've never heard of it before."

"Yeah. He was embarrassed to be listened to. --Here."

I picked up my phone again, played a radio program on a video site that was being hosted by a cultured-looking comedian who also writes novels, and put it on my desk. My brother was on one of the longer segments of the program, so I skipped forward in time to that point by moving the seek bar.

Just as I took my finger off the screen, I heard my brother's refreshing voice.

『Hello, I'm Sakamoto Ryuuichi, a literary critic.』

"Wow. It's true," Izumi smiled and raised her voice in surprise.

『Sakamoto-san is currently studying philosophy at a graduate school and also publishes book reviews and critiques in magazines and other publications......,』 the host, who spoke in a high-pitched tone, introduced my brother. He did not mention our father.

My brother's talk was based on the idea that there are many works of literature these days that manipulate the reader, and he nimbly developed his own theory on the current state of literature and art, including subcultural terms such as character consumption and loops.

"It's amazing. It's totally different from what we learn at school. Kenichi-kun, can you understand what Ryuuichi-san said?"

"About half of it, somehow. I've read his book reviews."

"Hmm." 

After about ten minutes of playback, I touched the screen and stopped the video, saying, "This is about what it looks like."

"You can search for Ryuu-kun's name if you want to know more," I said. 

"Understood. Thanks. It was fun," Izumi replied.

"Somehow, I feel more motivated to study. I'm going back now."

"Yeah."

Izumi left the living room, her red slippers clacking against the floor. Alone, I tipped my glass and slowly drank the rest of the water.

Then I took my phone and looked at her profile data that she had just sent me. I touched the URL of the SNS site written there, and found several pictures of Izumi on the page. There were people I didn't know, and Izumi had a kind of expression on her face that I didn't know.

Looking at them, I felt that she was a distant person. 

But, perhaps that distance is the true distance between Izumi and me. We have never met in 17 years, and although it is more likely that we might have spent the rest of our lives without knowing each other, our lives suddenly crossed paths one month ago.

In the past month, I have become quite comfortable with her. I've never gotten to close to anyone at such a rapid pace before. However, I know nothing about where Izumi has been, with what kind of people, or how she has spent her seventeen years before coming to our house.

There is a long distance between me and her under the same roof that cannot be filled anytime soon.

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