“All right — now that it’s getting late, let’s do the classic sleepover event.”
I’d been getting drowsy a while after the bath when she said that.
“And by classic event, you mean what exactly?”
“It’s a sleepover, only one option, right?”
”…Stop drawing it out, just tell me already.”
She was going to say something annoying for sure, but I wanted to know up front so I could prepare myself.
“Sleepover nights mean love-talk, of course.”
”…That’s what you’d been dragging this out for? Love-talk?”
I’d been holding my breath for something genuinely outrageous. Hearing something this banal was almost anticlimactic.
“It is not banal.”
“And love-talk at night is, what, school-trip energy? That works because there’s a crowd. Two people doesn’t have the same fun.”
“Aw, come on. We’re already here, let’s do it.”
She wheedled like a child as I tried to refuse.
“Anyway, you’ve known for ages who I like.”
“Right, that’s the point — I want to hear about it in detail.”
“Hard pass.”
“Maybe I’ll let slip a little useful Suzuno-info while we talk?”
”…Fine. It’d be cruel to leave you hanging like this — for a little while.”
The phrase useful info did the trick. I noticed, just for a flash, what looked like an ugly twist in her expression — must have been my imagination.
“So — what do you like about Suzuno?”
“That she’s kind to everyone, for starters…”
I gave the most generic answer because saying anything more specific was embarrassing. It wasn’t a lie — Suzuno has been like that as long as I’ve known her.
“Hmm. Personally, I think she’s just laying on the please-don’t-hate-me charm for everyone — a textbook people-pleaser.”
”…Pretty harsh for your own sister.”
“It’s the truth.”
She did sound a little put-out — like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away. Maybe she’d had a fight with Suzuno.
“That’s it? That’s all you like about her?”
“What — there’s plenty more.”
“So tell big sister.”
I went on listing what I liked about Suzuno, and Kano continued to spin every point negatively.
Petite became shorty. Naturally airheaded became just stupid. Her hits on Suzuno were absurdly cutting. Something must have happened between them.
It would explain why she didn’t want to be home and arranged this overnight on the fly. The reason she’d dragged me along was probably just wanting someone to talk to.
I’d had enough Suzuno-bashing for one night, so I changed the topic.
“You’ve heard plenty about me. Let me hear about yours. You mentioned earlier you have someone you like.”
“Oh? Are you that curious about who I like?”
“Of course I am.”
I genuinely could not picture what kind of person had captured Kano’s heart.
“I won’t tell you who specifically, but he’s incredibly cool.”
“For you to call someone cool, must be something else.”
“To me, he’s literally a prince on a white horse.”
The fact that Kano could fall this hard for someone was honestly remarkable. I would love to lay eyes on this guy, just once.
“If that person didn’t exist, my life would have been very different. I owe him so much.”
“He’s a benefactor to you, then?”
“But there’s one big problem.”
“Which is?”
“I love him this much, and he seems to be in love with some other girl.”
That was a big problem indeed. Beloved by a girl this stunning and still preferring someone else — astonishing waste.
“But I fully intend to make him mine — whatever it takes.”
The look on her face as she said it was that of a predator stalking prey. Watching from the outside I felt a chill.
Whoever this person was, they would not be escaping Kano once she’d resolved to have them. Listening to her sing his virtues, I thought about it.