[Creative Award 2024 Entry: Romance Novel Category] Sand Castle, Chapter 7: The Essence Remains Unchanged

After a peck on the lips that still tasted of Marlboro, I snapped back to reality and hurriedly checked my watch. It was already past 8 o'clock.
Seeing Shinobu scratching his head as if to say the mood had been good, I hid my blushing face and changed the subject.

"Shinobu, what about work? Are you okay on time?"

"Hmm...? It's from the evening today, so I'm fine."

Come to think of it, I had heard from Hiroki-san that Shinobu had been in an accident, but I hadn't heard the details about whether he was still working in construction.
But I didn't want to talk about work as much as possible. I was afraid of being asked about my own job.

I started working at a cabaret club to make money quickly, so honestly, I couldn't come up with a daytime job. It might have been easier to just say I was an office worker, but I didn't have a company name to mention, and if they looked it up, it would be exposed immediately.
On the other hand, lying about having a specialized profession was too high a hurdle, and since I didn't have a license, that would be exposed too.
I had dropped out of university, so I couldn't embellish my background any further.

"That's good. I'm off today too, so we can take it easy."

"Is that so? Well, as long as it's not a bother for you, Maki..."

"Not at all, I don't think it's a bother. Because I want to be with you, Shinobu."

It was a lie that I was off work. Since Shinobu also said he had work in the evening, I figured he wouldn't stay that long.
I had a desire to take a nap, but I figured I could get about three hours of sleep in total between the train ride and my place in Shinjuku after Shinobu went home and before my night shift started.

"That's right. Smoking... it's not good if I do it here, right? Sorry, I'll go outside for a bit."

"It's fine, there's an ashtray on the balcony."

I was glad I had bought an ashtray just in case. However, holding that brand-new ashtray, Shinobu looked suspicious.

"This... it's brand new, isn't it? Is it okay to use?"

"It's not new. I just washed it and kept it clean while I couldn't see you, Shinobu. After all, you used it before, didn't you?"

My heart skipped a beat for a moment, but I made up the story on the spot, praying that Shinobu still had no memory of the past. The poker face I had cultivated at work came in handy at times like this.

"I... see. Sorry, I've kept you waiting while I didn't know anything."

Shinobu disappeared onto the balcony, holding the ashtray as if it were precious. I was very concerned about his profile as he seemed lost in thought.
Does he vaguely feel that I am not 'his girlfriend'? But I have no intention of confirming that.
With Shinobu's disappearance, I and my family completely collapsed. My mother would never forgive me for dropping out of university on my own to chase after Shinobu.
I'm afraid to see my mother... no, I don't want to see her, and I have no intention of meeting her.
I've built it up this far. If I lose sight of Shinobu again now, I will truly lose the meaning of living.

After finishing two cigarettes, Shinobu returned to the room. Even though he said he was hungry, he disappeared into the shower while humming, with a bath towel in his hand.
I felt happy seeing Shinobu making himself at home in this house. It reminded me of when I was at my parents' house.
I could tell him where the chest of drawers for his clothes was, and it wouldn't be bad to go buy other necessary things together when our days off align next time.
However, unfortunately, I have never had a boyfriend.
I lived entirely among girls until I graduated from high school, and even after going to university, I remained unsure of the sense of distance to have with the opposite sex.
Although I called him my boyfriend, Shinobu was my first for everything, so I didn't know how couples in the world spent their days.

It seemed like it would be better to ask Hiroki-san about romance, but talking about being a romance novice in that place was impossible.
Shinobu was probably playing around with other women. If I were to go further than the current kiss, wouldn't it be exposed immediately that this relationship was a lie?
We parted ways yesterday because there was no time, but after Shinobu comes out of the shower, eats breakfast, and then—.

"Maki, the rolled omelet is burning."

"Ah... oh no! Wait, what am I doing?"

When did he come out of the shower? I was surprised by Shinobu suddenly standing behind me, but I immediately turned off the heat and turned on the ventilation fan. It was at least fortunate that I didn't drop the frying pan on the floor.
Just as I reached for the plastic bag I had set aside to throw away the burnt omelet, Shinobu stopped me.

"That's a waste, it's not completely charred or anything."

"But to have you eat this, it's really..."

"Haha. Don't underestimate my stomach. Anything Maki makes is definitely fine."

Shinobu's words, spoken with a boyish smile, were the same as when I first started cooking long ago.

Back then, I tried to make a fried egg, but the egg ended up breaking and the bottom was charred. Seeing me look like I was about to cry, Shinobu ate it with a huge smile.

"Don't underestimate my stomach. Anything Mai makes is definitely fine!"

I remember burning the frying pan too and getting scolded by my mother. She said it was too early for Mai to use fire.
And I also remember Shinobu immediately covering for me afterward. He said, 'I was hungry, so I asked Mai to do it'—in the end, Shinobu was the one who got scolded, but I was so happy that he got scolded with me.

"...You really haven't changed, Shinobu."

"Hmm, well, if you add sugar, it's going to burn, isn't it? It's fine without it, and even if it's burnt, it's delicious."

While I was blankly remembering the past, Shinobu snatched the cooking chopsticks and ate the burnt omelet right out of the pan.

"W-wait, it's burnt, so don't eat it so greedily...!"

"Yes, thank you for the meal, Maki-chan."

I was nervous just from his beautiful fingertips touching me slightly; perhaps a romantic relationship with him was impossible for me. I never get flustered at work, yet my heart is so unsettled like this.
Seeing me flustered, Shinobu grinned, leaned in, and kissed my cheek, then immediately noticed something and widened his eyes.

"What happened to that scratch?"

I was surprised by the sudden drop in Shinobu's tone, but I remembered the scratch on my cheek that I had covered with a thick layer of foundation after applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
His face was so close that he must have seen the cut. I was amazed at his powers of observation.

His gentle fingertips stroked the wound. My body stiffened at the sensation, but Shinobu didn't seem to mind and stroked the wound as if to comfort me.

"This is pretty deep. Did you cut it while cooking?"

"Y-yeah. I was a bit clumsy last night. I dropped a bottle and the shards flew at me."

"...With such beautiful skin. Be careful. I want to punch the bottle that hurt Maki's skin."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at Shinobu's words, spoken with a serious face.

"If you punch a bottle, you'll end up covered in blood too, Shinobu."

"That goes without saying. I won't forgive anyone who hurts my precious Maki, even if it's a bottle."

That might have been a joke to comfort me, but Shinobu has always said such reckless things.
Perhaps he started telling jokes to try and make me laugh because I was a child who rarely smiled, burdened by my mother's unreasonable expectations.

Even if he has no memory, the essential Shinobu hasn't changed at all.
We laughed together for a long time in the kitchen, snacking on the burnt omelet.

Previous (Chapter 6)MagazineNext (Chapter 8)

#CreativeAward2024 #RomanceNovelCategory