L'aveu fut le début du gage — 第一章 香菜与伞

Chapter 1: Cilantro and an Umbrella

Nanjo remembered that she hated cilantro. He also remembered that, in the rain, she disliked the road lined with trees, because water gathered on the leaves and came down in hard drops.

When he held the umbrella out to her, Aoi did not take it. The umbrella stayed between them, like a transparent border.

“What if this isn’t a game?” she heard herself ask.

“Then I would have stood at the school gate sooner,” he said. “Only no one spun the wheel that time.”

The rain grew heavier. Aoi reached out and took the handle. Her fingers touched his. The weight of the penalty suddenly became concrete—so concrete she did not want to give it back.