Kazami Haru often wandered around the Tamako Market shopping street for no particular reason.
Maybe it was because the dango from the sweet shop was delicious. Or because the lady frying the croquettes was always so enthusiastic. Or perhaps he just wanted to slurp a bowl of 500-yen ran.
But Wakaba Mutsumi was different—she had never even set foot in a place like this before.
Her life followed a strict routine: she left ho at a fixed ti for school, then after class, she would head to the gardening club at Tsukinomori Girls' Academy to water the cucumbers she was growing. After that, she'd go straight ho for her violin training.
(TL Note: Mutsumi loves cucumbers and she even grows them in Tsukinomori's courtyard.)
Maybe, once upon a ti, she used to go to karaoke with friends... practiced with her band...
But now, she'd returned to the most ordinary version of herself.
"What do you feel like eating, Wakaba?"
Kazami Haru walked down the street with the cucumber girl, who always wore the sa blank expression, and took the initiative to ask her.
"I don't know."
The girl with pale green hair carried a brown leather school bag in both hands, her small head gently shaking side to side.
Her voice was soft and slow, giving Haru the feeling that he'd just lured so sheltered noble's daughter into doing sothing wicked.
If he really did corrupt this wooden puppet of a girl... would her family co hunting him down?
"...Jeez. In that case, just follow ."
"There's one thing this street does well, cheap and tasty food."
Ever since he bought his keyboard, Elizabeth, Haru's savings had been burning down to the last yen.
This month, he really needed to find a way to make more money. After all, playing in a band was nothing short of a money pit. If things got desperate, he might even have to resort to so extre thods.
Still, treating the wooden girl to so sweets wasn't a big deal.
"...?"
Wakaba Mutsumi's bright golden eyes widened slightly as she watched Haru confidently approach a nearby stall and buy two crepes from the owner.
He leveraged his familiarity with the vendor and even haggled over a 250-yen street snack.
In the end, under the reluctant gaze of the balding uncle, Haru returned victorious, a smug grin on his face, spoils in hand.
To Wakaba, bargaining like that was a brand new and fascinating phenonon.
"Thanks for waiting, Wakaba."
"That uncle was kind of tough... insisted on giving a discount. I couldn't refuse his generosity."
Haru walked up to her carrying two crepes with different fillings. He handed her the pricier strawberry one and took a bite out of the cheaper cucumber-flavored one.
"Thank you."
Wakaba took the strawberry crepe, but her gaze remained locked on the one in Haru's hand, the one already bitten, with its green cucumber slices clearly visible.
Her intense stare made Haru's spine tingle.
He glanced down at his crepe and imdiately understood.
"Want to try it? I haven't bitten this side yet."
"Can I?"
After Haru gave a silent nod, Wakaba leaned in slightly and, with no expression, gently took a small bite from the untouched side.
As she slowly chewed, a flicker of light passed through her eyes, perhaps the first glimpse of emotion Haru had ever seen on the wooden puppet's face.
"It's good."
She rarely ate snacks like this, since she never went to these kinds of places alone.
So she thanked Haru again, but the way she said thank you for everything made him furrow his brow slightly.
"Wakaba... You're only tagging along because of Togawa, right?"
The sudden question made her lift her head.
It was true. She'd only followed him because she saw Sakiko walking with Haru. And once she did, she didn't know what to do next.
She was confused.
"Togawa and I are just coworkers. It just so happens we take the sa route ho."
No... that wasn't right.
Wakaba knew it wasn't that simple. That smile on Sakiko's face wasn't sothing fake put on to please others.
Their relationship was definitely more than "just coworkers." Wakaba was sure of it.
"You seem troubled lately. Want to talk about it?"
Seeing that she still wore that clouded, withdrawn expression, Haru figured he wouldn't get anything out of her, until his gaze fell to the cucumber crepe in his hand.
And suddenly, sothing occurred to him.
"Actually... I don't really like cucumbers."
"Why?"
Sure enough, Wakaba perked up. For the first ti, so change flickered across her blank face.
"Because the flower language of cucumbers is 'silent love.' I think staying silent and passive won't get you anywhere. If you want sothing, you have to take the first step."
"Like with crepes, you need to tell the vendor what flavor you like. If you want cucumber and don't say anything, they'll probably hand you the default strawberry, and that could ruin your whole mood."
Wakaba didn't know how to respond. All she could do was clutch her crepe a little tighter.
Her life had always been orchestrated by her parents, like a puppet on strings. No opinions of her own, just a decorative "accessory" for their social lives.
Wakaba Mutsumi had no will of her own.
Just like when Haru asked her what she wanted to eat, she had no idea how to answer.
Back at ho, no one ever asked for her opinion. Her parents simply told her what she should and shouldn't do. She beca a rigid, chanical doll.
As she sank deeper into that internal fog, Haru spoke again—
"But cucumber flowers also an freedom—unbound, carefree. I really like that part."
"...Huh?"
Wakaba looked dazedly at Haru's smiling face.
Before she could react, he casually polished off the rest of his crepe in a few quick bites, tossed the wrapper into a trash can, dusted off his hands, and smiled at her.
"Well, I'm heading out. Wakaba, you should head ho soon too, right?"
"Wait."
Wakaba suddenly stood up and called out, before she even realized what she was doing.
Her movents were stiff, and the words seed stuck in her throat.
The girl with green hair and golden eyes looked down at the crepe in her hands, then slowly raised her head.
"Next ti... can we eat together again?"
The once-silent wooden puppet had finally spoken up, catching Haru off guard, but he quickly smiled and waved it off with a casual gesture.
"If you ask first, sure."
Wakaba watched him walk away, her expression unchanged, like a porcelain doll—no sign of what she was thinking.
Buzz.
Her phone vibrated.
It was a ssage from Nagasaki Soyo.
She hesitated, then slowly turned off the screen.
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