We talked for about an hour and then left the family restaurant. Yuriko and I got on our bicycles and Nagai and Tachibana walked toward the station. It was already dark, and the road along the national highway was filled with streetlights.

"Does Tachibana like Nagai?"

As I cycled along, I asked Yuriko beside me. I had never talked about this topic with anyone before, though I had suspected it might be so for some time.

"I guess he's in the position of a senior she's interested in."

"What's that?"

"She's not serious enough yet, so that's about it."

"I see."

I don't know whether I understand it or not. I was too lazy to ask for more details and I wasn't interested in Tachibana's love life, so I let the conversation slide.

We drove as usual for about 20 minutes. Cars drove noisily, and our shadows, bathed in numerous streetlights, swayed unsteadily, like algae drifting in the sea.

I parted from Yuriko on my way home, and when I arrived home, the light was on at the front door. Izumi's brown loafers were also placed there, neatly aligned. The light was also leaking from the living room door. When I entered, I found Izumi sitting in the dining chair.

"Welcome home."

"Oh, I'm home..."

She was still in her school uniform. It was just the time when Izumi was coming home.

"I'm sorry. I had to go out with a friend today and I'm running late."

I put my bag down on the floor and apologized.

"No, It's okay..."

"For dinner, I think we could rely on pizza, but is that okay?"

"I'm fine. But is auntie okay with it?"

"Yeah. I've been ordering it from time to time when I don't have time to cook dinner. But there is a limit of three deliveries a month."

"Oh, wait a minute. I think there is a..."

Izumi flipped through the pamphlet that had been set aside on the side of the table and pulled out one, saying, "There it is."

"A discount pamphlet."

"Ooh. As expected."

It was a discount coupon for ten percent off several kinds of pizzas.

We decided on the discounted Margherita and texted my mother, "Can we have pizza for dinner?". She immediately responded with a short "OK,". So we decided to order a large portion for three and a salad and made the call.

A few minutes passed while Izumi and I took turns taking showers and changing into loungewear. Just as I got out of the bath, changed into shorts and a T-shirt, and entered the living room, the intercom rang.

"Yes," Izumi got up and headed for the front door, wearing a gray hoodie over her loungewear, even though no one outside could hear her.

The sound of Izumi's exchange with the overly friendly delivery man could be heard all the way to the living room. When Izumi returned, she put a large flat box on the table and opened it. Seeing a small bag of Tabasco inside, I remembered Yuriko's prank.

"Geez. Tabasco..."

"You don't like it?"

"No, I rather like it when it's used appropriately."

"Appropriately?"

"I've been around people who use it inappropriately..."

"?"

Izumi tilted her head. When I said, "Sorry, it was nothing," Izumi gave a small smile, took off her hoodie, and pulled out a knife. First, she cut it into a Y shape and then further divided it into two equal pieces. The cheese on the knife dripped thickly and clouded the surface of the stainless steel knife.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

I looked at the TV, which had been left on, and saw that a movie was playing. It had just started, and I knew the movie.

"Oh, this movie."

"What's wrong?"

"My brother was raving about it the other day. I think he even posted a review of it on some website."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

I sat down on the sofa with a plate of pizza. As I was watching the movie, I noticed that Izumi was also looking at the TV with interest.

"Isn't it hard to see there? You can sit on the sofa."

"Eh, but it's not good manners..."

"That's okay, don't worry about it too much. You must be tired if you have to be so careful at home."

When I said this, Izumi said, "Then," with a smile on her face, and moved from the table to the sofa with her plate. Even though I was the one who said it, my concentration on watching the movie was taken away by my concern for Izumi sitting beside me. She had her hair, tucked around her chest. Her arms were terribly slender, extending out from the rather short sleeves of her short-sleeved T-shirt.

From the way she was staring at the screen, she didn't seem to be as nervous as I felt. This made me feel relieved, but also somewhat disappointed.