Chapter 14 Cut-in

It was September, and the long summer break for university students was only two weeks away when I received a message from Horita: It’s so hot every day. Let’s go for a drink. Or rather, I had received. I was at the gym and wasn’t checking my phone, and before I realised it, there were two more unread messages in my inbox. It was a picture of Kasukabe and Horita holding beer mugs with delinquent-looking faces and a message that read, we’re splitting the bill.

It seemed like they had already started drinking. It had only been an hour since the first message, and it was still four in the afternoon. I quickly took a shower and took a cab to the bar where the two of them were waiting for me (probably not for long).

Kasukabe and I have been fooling around in the bedroom, but we still get along fine as friends. As long as we don’t talk about dirty things, we can both hold a decent conversation and eat together. We can even watch movies on the projector in my room. Most of the time. It depends what the movie’s about. We do all sorts of sexy things at night, but in the daytime we’re completely clean. The fact that we sleep separately also helps. So it’s not that awkward when the three of us drink like this.

When I arrived at the relatively cheap bar, the two of them were sitting at the back in a tatami room. The bar was about 70% full, which was relatively crowded for this time of day. There were a few people in business shirts here and there. Today was a really hot day – it reached 30ºC outside. Everyone was probably here to get a cold beer.

While apologising for my lateness, I took a seat next to Horita and asked for a draft beer to the waiter, who had come carrying a hand towel. When the beer arrived, we made a toast. I don’t know why I say “otsukare”* when I’m not even tired. The two of them had already downed three jugs, and spirits were high. Horita in particular seemed especially cheerful.

“Doesn’t the word namachuu seem a little erotic?” he laughed.

“What are you, like, fifteen?” Kasukabe butted in.

“No, I’m like, so fresh,” he laughed again.* I didn’t get the joke, but Horita was laughing so I laughed as well.

Things were normal. We laughed at dirty jokes, slowly snacking away at side dishes and quenching our thirst.

But there was something off about this as well. Kasukabe occasionally made a long face, but Horita didn’t notice. Rather, he wouldn’t notice. He was in euphoria.

Kasukabe’s depressed face and Horita’s ecstatic mood. I realised this when I finished my second beer. After Horita had ordered three more draft beers, he cleared his throat and asked: “Machiya, can I tell you something?” He closed the distance between us with his phone in one hand.

“I might have a girlfriend.”

There was a photo on his phone of a selfie of the two. She looked to be older than Horita, and had a gentle, cute vibe. There was a Ferris Wheel in the background of the photo, so it might have been taken when they were on a date.

Horita’s dream was to stay a virgin and marry a virgin.

Was the girl in the photo a virgin?

I don’t know.

I could probably tell if she was gay or straight, but I couldn’t tell if she was a virgin or not. Regardless, Horita seemed happy and kept showing me photos of them together. He told me about how they met at his part-time job and about her personality.

“She’s cute, and she looks like a good person. Good for you, Horita.”

“Well, it’s hard to tell right now. But I have a good feeling about this.”

Horita, who was smiling like an idiot, seemed to be already infatuated with her.

“When’s your next date?” I asked.

“About that… Where do you think we should go? It’s summer, so the pool or the beach? Kasukbe doesn’t know anything about this stuff, so I’m asking you.”

“Hmm. She’d be really brave to get into a swimsuit. Maybe you should go to an aquarium or a museum, when it’s not that hot?”

Horita was relying on me for inspiration, but I’m not as horny as Kasukabe and don’t really care much for dates. So I suggested a safe (maybe too safe) date.

“Ahh, that’s good. An aquarium. I like fish. Should I invite her now? I’m sending a message. I’m so nervous.”

“When were you thinking?”

“I have to ask her about her schedule. She’s probably free next w-”

“Hey, I wanna eat some yakisoba,” Kasukbe cut in.

“Whatever, Kasukbe, just order it if you want. We’re talking about love, something you have no interest in. It’s getting real serious.”

“I was just seeing if you guys wanted any as well. Machiya, you like yakisoba, right? How many should we get? There’s yakisoba with sauce and yakisoba with salt. Should we get two of each?”

“Four yakisobas?” Horita asked.

“I wasn’t talking to you. Machiya, you’ll eat, right? By the way, do you like your yakisoba crispy or soft? I like mine soft.”

“There’s such a thing as soft yakisoba? I thought it was always crispy,” Horita said.

“I like it soft as well. Crispy yakisoba breaks apart in your mouth.”

“You guys are weak.”

The topic of the conversation changed quickly. Did Kasukabe do it for me? So I wouldn’t have to listen to Horita’s endless fawning?

I was touched by Kasukabe’s thoughtfulness. It made me drink too much, and I got drunker than ever.