Episode 9: The Blue Room

It’s not like I didn’t have any friends until now.
I was invited to birthday parties when I was in elementary school, and after school, there were times I was invited to play at a classmate’s house with everyone. And in middle school, I was invited to study parties with everyone. ‘When Ryuugazaki is here we actually can make progress’ ‘You’re really good at teaching Ryuugazaki-kun’ ‘What do you think is going to be on the next test?’ Everyone in the class relied on me for it. But this time I was invited somewhere it was a bit different. The first time I went over to Nagisa-kun’s house, I was alone.
This was the first time I could ever remember being invited to a friends house by myself. Whenever I went to friends houses before this, I was always with someone else. But this time I was invited by myself….

The reason was that after the prefectural tournament, Haruka-senpai had been down, and so we wanted to think of ways to make him feel better. Haruka-senpai, who only swims free, had swum in a free race against ‘Rin-chan-san’ who is part of the Samezuka Academy swim club and he was depressed from having lost. Gou-san and secretly entered us in the medley relay, and so we had a chance to recover and swim in a relay with Haruka-senpai and continue to the regional tournament. But Haruka-senpai was still down. Since we’d gotten the chance to go to the regional tournament, we wanted Haruka-senpai in his best condition. And so that’s why this time, just Nagisa-kun and I, the two first years, were going to think of a way to cheer Haruka-senpai up. In Nagisa-kun’s room.
Just being invited over to a friend’s house made me nervous, but this time I was alone. It was also the first time I was going to meet Nagisa-kun’s family. It seemed other than his parents he has three older sisters. I can’t make a mistake with this. You cannot deny the theory of first impressions. They say people judge people in the first 5 seconds they meet them. It’s all decided in those first 5 seconds. Just 5 seconds. I have to leave a perfect impression on Nagisa-kun’s family in those 5 seconds, to make them feel perfectly at ease with Nagisa-kun’s friend Ryuugazaki Rei and accept him.
Of course, I think I’m always perfect, but I’ve learned from experience that some people can get that I come off as cold. ‘Ryuugazaki-kun comes off really cold.’ ‘He seems good at studying, but he seems a bit stubborn.’ ‘Doesn’t he seem like the type who over thinks things?’ These were the things that I was told when I asked how I came off to their families after being invited to my friend’s houses. It might because glasses give off such a strong image. Glasses make it hard to read someone’s face. I sometimes think that it would be a good idea to get contacts, but I’m scared of contacts.The thought of putting something in my eye is too scary. I can’t even imagine it.
When I told my mother that I was going over to Nagisa-kun’s house, she gave me money and told me to buy something for them. My mother is also happy that our swim club had won in the medley relay and continued to the regional tournament. She thought it would be rude to show up at my teammate Nagisa-kun’s house empty-handed. I wanted to use the money my mother had entrusted me with to get the perfect present for them, so I’d been standing in the basement of a department store for nearly an hour looking at their food aisle.
He’s my theory about presents.
First, you have to decide between western snacks or Japanese snacks.
If I go with Japanese snacks, is it better to go with a sweet one or a savory one like senbei or okaki?
I can’t get one that’s too expensive or too cheap. And above all, it has to be delicious.
First I need to figure out if the people in the Hazuki family like sweet things.
Nagisa-kun told me he was the type to eat the strawberry on the shortcake first. He also said that his three older sisters are the type to save it for last. So that at least probably means that his sisters like sweet things. If his sisters all like sweet things, then the probability of his parents liking sweet things is high. I could probably just go for strawberry shortcake. No, but, cakes with fresh fruit on them have a short shelf life. They’d probably have to eat it the day it was bought.
I texted Nagisa-kun to check, and he said that his parents weren’t going to be home until late tonight and the only person at his house was going to be his youngest older sister. So I couldn’t go with a cake that would have to be eaten today. I could just buy something to target Nagisa’s youngest sister. I only have an older brother, so I don’t really get how girls think. What do girls around Nagisa’s sister’s age like? I texted my brother to ask, but he just responded ‘All girls are illogical, so I don’t know.’ I don’t think it’s fair to say ‘All girls’, but in general girls and boys do think differently. I have to say there’s some truth to what my brother said. I should probably ask Gou-san for advice, but I gave up on that thought. Gou is Gou. She’d probably just say ‘Girls all like muscles so, I know! How about you give them pictures of bodybuilders?’ I hesitated as long as I could, but in the end, I went with cookies since they’re safe and headed towards Nagisa-kun’s apartment.

“Well then, let’s start the meeting!”
We were facing each other in Nagisa-kun’s room. Then Nagisa-kun just suddenly declared we were having a meeting. He just left the cookies I had brought as a gift sitting there.
Even though I spent the whole way to Nagisa-kun’s house worrying about it, in the end, his youngest older sister had gone out shopping, and so she wasn’t there. Though I was a bit disappointed I looked around Nagisa-kun’s room. It was a room with an American pop style and blue walls. It really suited him.
“What is it, Rei-chan? Are you that interested in my room?”
“No, I was just thinking the room really suits you. Normally I’d imagine yellow or orange for you, but the blue of your room is really wonderful……”
This might be the same principle about how normally cool colors are associated with me and yet I picked red frames, I was thinking when Nagisa-kun smiled straight at me and said,
“When I visited your room before I thought it really suited you, Rei-chan.”
Like the blue behind this angelic smile.
While feeling like he could see into my soul, I said back to him,
“Anyway, let’s think of ways we can cheer Haruka-senpai up.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ve thought of a lot of things, but when thinking of ways to cheer Haru-chan up, it really does have to be THAT……”
“By THAT, do you mean, water?”
“That’s right. Somewhere with tons of water. So how about we have a poolside party? Of course, we’d reserve it with the school.”
“But wouldn’t that be same as our normal practice? Rather than something that Haruka-senpai would enjoy it would just make him think of competitive swimming more……”
“So that’s no good? Then how about we do the opposite?”
“What do you mean?”
“We remove all the water from Haru-chan! So that he can forget all about the water for a bit!”
“And how would we do that……?”
“Like…… karaoke?”
“Karaoke!?”
I can’t even imagine Haruka-senpai and karaoke in the same sentence.
“Is that no good? You know, where me and you went to karaoke before? The karaoke place in front of the station. There Haru-chan can sing to his heart’s content!”
“Does Haruka-senpai even sing? I wonder what kind of songs he’d sing……”
I tried to picture it.
Maybe a pop song, Something uptempo and easy to listen to.
“………”
A rock song. With soulful shouting.
“………”
A love song. With his voice full of longing……
“………”
An anime song. From an old hero anime. Super transformer doppelganger.
“………”
Maybe an enka song. With wobbling vibrato.
“………”
Nope. I really can’t imagine any of those.
Just as I was about to say so, it seems Nagisa-kun came to the same conclusion.
“Hmmm. I can’t really picture Haru-chan singing though……”
“Rather than something to remove it all, how about we go for something more warm?”
“Warm?”
“Yeah, like how about an onsen?”
“Eh, an onsen in the middle of summer!?”
“According to onsen logic, when it’s it is the time to go to onsens. You sweat out the impurities from your body, and it’s a really good time for detoxing.”
“That’s so hot! We’ll get dizzy!”
“Of course we’d have to stay very hydrated to avoid heat exhaustion. It’s not that weird if you think of it like eating ice cream under the kotatsu during winter.”
“I see. So it’s like eating ice cream under the kotatsu in the middle of winter, it’s so good.
“And onsens have water. That’s perfect for Haruka-senpai.”
“But we used all of our club budget to go do the deserted island training before. We don’t have money to go to an onsen…… Ah, should we all get part-time jobs?”
“With the regional tournament so close we don’t have time to get part-time jobs. There’s a fairly cheap place we could go to as a day trip. There’s a health spa just a train ride from Iwatobi station. It’s a family-oriented place that you have to wear swimsuits in. So rather than an onsen, it’s more like a pool. Of course, swimming in it would be bad manners though……”
“Ah…… Rei-chan, unfortunately, that health spa closed down.
“Eh? Really!?”
“It seems like Haru-chan liked it and went there sometimes. Before you join the club, Rei-chan, the three of us went there together.”
“Why didn’t you invite me!?”
“Because at that time you were still in the track club, Rei-chan.”
“But that’s a bad omen. For me of all people to think to go to a shutdown health spa in the important time before the regional tournament….”
“I’m surprised you’d think like that, Rei-chan. It’s not logical.”
“It has a psychological effect. It’s like eating katsu before an important race. The katsu is connected to winning*, so that’s self-suggestion, and the pork itself contains good protein and vitamin B1. And just the act of filling your stomach causes a euphoria that your brain to secrete beta-endorphins and dopamine so…”

*Katsu is short for tonkatsu which is pork cutlet. People eat it since “katsu” means to win.
“Well, I guess that means the onsen is out.”
Nagisa-kun just cut off my important explanation.
“Are there any other warm places……?
“That’s right, Then how about we all go see a heartwarming movie together?”
“That’s good. There is a movie I’ve been wanting to see.”
“Hmm, what movie is that?”
“‘A Mouse’s Life’”
“What’s with that simple, or rather, uninterpretable title!?”
“I hear it’s really a moving story?”
“What’s it about?”
“Umm, it seems that a genius scientist is merged with a mouse in a transporter accident and become a mouse-human.”
“What is warm about that!?”
“It seems to be a deeply moving love story.”
“Rather than warm, that’s surprising.”
“Then what about ‘A day of a cicada’”
“They’re turned into a cicada this time?”
“No. It’s a day in the life of a cicada larva during the seven years it spends in the ground made with the latest computer graphics. It’s even in 3D.”
“Is there a point in showing that in 3D? Rather than warm isn’t that kinda flat?!”
“Then let’s give up on movies…… How about we go do something with everyone where we can be excited and have a good time.”
“Please be more specific. Rather than warm that seems jarring.”
“Then how about we all make food and eat it? Haru-chan usually just eats mackerel, so we should make food with lots of vegetables. If they’re raw, then it would cool the body so for vegetables we could do eggplant and……”
“And make them supple? Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Hehe. You figured it out?”
Nagisa-kun said amusedly and stuck out his tongue.
“Let’s think about this seriously.”
When I said my honest opinion, Nagisa-kun smiled and said right away,
“Sorry. It’s the first time I’ve had a friend a friend at my house in a while, so I was just having fun.”
For a moment I was a loss for words.
It’s the first time he’s ad a friend at his house in a while.Just what was Nagisa-kun like in middle school? The Nagisa-kun I didn’t know. The Nagisa-kun with his blue room.
“Nagisa-kun……”
I swallowed down the words I was going to say.
I won’t ask him right now. That’s just part of being a friend.
I want Nagisa-kun to keep being happy.
“Then how about we all go relax at a festival?? Every year in Iwatobi harbor around this time of year they have one called the squid festival.”
“Squid festival……”
“That’s right, squid.”
“Rather than ‘relaxed’ I feel like that seems ‘lazy,’ but a festival doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
“Right? And at the stands, you can eat grilled squid, or fried squid, or squid ink yakisoba, or squid somen.”
“Isn’t that all just eating?”
“I know! Let’s wear yukata!”
When it comes to summer festivals, it’s yukata. But I’ve never worn a yukata before.
“Rei-chan, do you own a yukata? If you don’t, I can loan you one. It’s my dad’s, but I don’t think the design would look weird on you. Wait a sec.”
“He-hey Nagisa-kun! Don’t just decide that……”
Nagisa-kun didn’t even wait for an answer and just fluttered out of the room and returned with his father’s yukata in hand.
I figured it was pointless to argue and so I’d try it on. I took off my clothes and stripped down to my underwear.
When I put on the yukata, it was obviously too short. It only went down to my shins. It was even shorter than Makoto-senpai’s swimsuit……
“……Nagisa-kun, isn’t this, too short?”
“Yeah, I thought the design would be perfect for you Rei-chan, but I guess the size is no good.”
“It’s fine. I don’t have one, but if I remember correctly, my older brother has a yukata. My brother is the same height as me so the size should be right.”
“I see. Then let’s go with that. But, Rei-chan, SInce you’d never won a yukata before shouldn’t you practice wearing once while you have a chance now? Like how to tie an obi, it’s hard for first timers, you know?”
“That’s fine. I’ve never tied and obi before, but I’m sure once I’ve seen it once and learned the theory of it I’ll be able to do it by myself easily.”
“Then let’s try it right now!”
“Can you tie one Nagisa-kun?
“I always have my sister do it for me……. But it’s ok. There’s a paper here with instructions on how to tie it.”
On the paper Nagisa-kun was holding there was a diagram along with instructions on how to tie an obi.
First, you need fold about a 30cm length of it from the end in half and hold it in your right hand. Take the folded part with the folded side down and place it in your right armpit and wrap it once around your waist, then wrap it once again, then with the remaining length fold about a shoulder’s width……
Even though there’s a diagram, it’s very hard to understand.
“Are you ok, Rei-chan?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine….. Ah! You don’t do it like that, here. You do it like this don’t you?”
“Hey don’t just start doing it on your own! I won’t know where I am anymore……”
“Huh? Is this wrong? Then what about putting this through here?”
“That’s not right. It says so right here. You’re supposed to start from the right.”
“But which right? Your right or mine?”
“According to this…… Ah, wait not yet. It doesn’t go there!”
Our first time tying an obi had turned into chaos, and the resulting knot was a huge bow sitting right around my solar plexus. On a short yukata. It was such an unbelievable appearance that if I had to say anything, it was almost like a child character from the Edo period.
“This isn’t beautiful……”
“Then how about we do this?
Nagisa-kun was holding lipstick in his hand.
“Wai-…… what is that!?”
“My sister’s lipstick? I want to try drawing whorls on your cheeks with it.”
“Don’t draw that sort of thing!”
“Come on, just for a bit? I’ll take it right off. I’m sure it will look good on you. If I take a picture and send it to Haru-chan, I’m sure it will make him happy!”
“Even if it makes Haruka-senpai happy, it will make me sad!”
I was wearing a yukata shorter than my shins with an obi tied in a bow on the front. I was desperately trying to run away from Nagisa holding lipstick in his hand when my glasses slipped down my face.
And just then the door suddenly opened.
“Nagisa. You’re so loud. What are you doing?”
Nagisa-kun’s older sister was standing there.

It seems she’d gotten back at some point.
It’s my first time meeting Nagisa-kun’s family. Nagisa-kun’s older sister.
First impressions are very important. People make judgments in the first 5 seconds.
One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds……
My glasses were falling off. Wearing a shin-length yukata. With an obi tied in a bow. With me looking like a complete fool the first 5-second match passed.
At the 6th second, Nagisa-kun’s sister burst out in a fit of laughter
Despair filled my head.
“N-, No! There’s a reason for this! If I might say this myself, I’m normally a much more serious and logical person. I absolutely wouldn’t do these sorts of stupid things and fool around……”
Perhaps because I was desperately trying to seriously explain while looking like a fool was hilarious, Nagisa’s sister couldn’t stop laughing. I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t just take off the yukata in front of a girl, so I just fixed my glasses, and looked over to Nagisa at my side who had also burst out into laughter and said,
“Don’t laugh! Nagisa-kun you say something too, please.”
“Sorry, Rei-chan. Sis, don’t laugh. This is my friend. This is Rei-chan who is in the same class as me, and we swam in a relay together in the swim club.”
“Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Ryuugazaki Rei. This isn’t really anything much but,”
I greeted her while looking like a fool and held out the cookies I had brought as a present.
After Nagisa-kun’s sister laughed for a while, she took the cookie box and even though she seemed like she was going to break into laughter again, she said happily,
“Thank you. Ryuugazaki-kun. Please take care of Nagisa. I don’t think he’s ever had a friend like you before. Just from looking at you, you seem to have a completely opposite personality from Nagisa. But I think that might mean you’ll get along quite well.”
Even though the first 5 seconds were a disaster, I was able to recover in the next 10 seconds, or maybe Nagisa-kun’s sister is just good at judging people. Despite this first impression, it seems she actually understood me and accepted me. I stroked down my chest in relief.
“I’ll teach you how to tie an obi later alright? I’ll go make some tea first.”
Nagisa-kun’s sister said as if she was going to break out into laughter again as she happily left the room.
“Isn’t that great, Rei-chan? It seems like my sister likes you.”
Nagisa-kun smiled while blushing a bit.
Seeing that smiling face, I was really happy. Being able to be friends with Nagisa-kun like this, not just Nagisa-kun, but Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai too.
I quietly prayed in my heart that these happy times would continue.