Wanting to Return from the Uninhabited Island Sooner

Since it was just a late-night snack, there was no need to visit any grand or famous restaurant. Instead, they simply headed to an izakaya recommended by Masaharu Fukuyama. When getting into the car, Sho conventionally took the front passenger seat, leaving the spacious back seat to the couple.

To ensure they could dine in peace without being disturbed, Masaharu Fukuyama went so far as to reserve the entire izakaya. Including the manager, the four of them occupied a small table set upon the tatami mats.

Yuki Uchida did not look at the menu, placing her full trust in Masaharu Fukuyama to handle the ordering.

Masaharu Fukuyama ordered sweet shrimp sashimi, tamagoyaki, and clear-broth red seabream. Sho requested grilled beef tongue, and noticing how appetizing the restaurant's tamagoyaki looked as the waiter brought it out, he added an extra portion for himself.

The manager only ordered skewered grilled chicken. Since he still had to drive and couldn't drink, he probably didn't find the meal entirely satisfying.

After finishing a glass of beer, the three of them switched to sake. Masaharu Fukuyama recounted to Yuki Uchida the "lofty discourse" Sho had delivered on the car ride over, adding, "...This guy is just that stingy."

Yuki Uchida covered her mouth and smiled. "There's nothing to be done about that. After all, we're the ones who caused trouble for Sho-san."

"I just hope this guy finds a girlfriend soon," Masaharu Fukuyama said with a straight face. "When that happens, whenever the two of them go on a date, I'll definitely use the excuse of my 'wounded soul' to make him treat me."

Sho deliberately said, "Even if I do get a girlfriend, I won't tell Fukuyama-san."

"Why?"

Sho's smile turned slightly mischievous. "Because I am Fukuyama-san's personally certified 'ancestral-grade cheapskate.' To keep my wallet from taking a hit, there is nothing I wouldn't do."

"Haha..." Yuki Uchida couldn't help laughing aloud. "Sho-kun is really interesting."

Masaharu Fukuyama sighed. "Judging purely by his appearance, you would never guess that this guy's actual personality is so detestable."

Sho smilingly reached out with his chopsticks toward the tamagoyaki, picked up a small piece with a look of complete contentment, and wore an expression as relaxed as a large cat basking in the sun. He looked entirely unconcerned, as if he had nothing to do with what the "harmonious couple" opposite him was discussing—even though the absolute center of their conversation was none other than himself.

That being said, the feeling of throwing a firecracker and turning to run away immediately was really quite fun.

...

Since it was just a casual gathering after work, the late-night snack didn't last too long. About an hour later, the group walked out of the izakaya. Sho saw the two of them off to the car, saying, "It's getting late, so I won't trouble the manager-san. I'll just hail a taxi and head back myself."

As they were all acquaintances, Masaharu Fukuyama didn't offer any excessive formalities. The three of them waved goodbye, and shortly after, the black Cadillac pulled out of the quiet street first.

...

"What is your favorite musical instrument?"

"First, of course, is the drums, followed by the bass, then the guitar, and finally the keyboard."

...

"What is your favorite color?"

"It has to be white and blue."

...

"Would you like coffee or a cold drink later?"

"Apple juice is fine."

...

"Next is... is there any perfume you've had your eye on recently?"

"Perfume? That question crosses the line just a little bit." Izumi Sakai raised an eyebrow, returning the flying shuttlecock with a graceful smash.

Asking a woman what perfume she was currently wearing was akin to asking her age—or perhaps even more private than asking her age.

"If it's inconvenient to answer, you can just say 'curry' and flip past this page." Sho stepped back a few paces, caught the shuttlecock, and hit it back. Realizing he had spoken out of turn for a moment, he offered a jesting remark like that.

However, although she noted that the question crossed the line, Izumi Sakai did not simply let the topic slide away following Sho's prompt. Instead, she answered directly, "Lately, the one I've had my eye on is a perfume launched by Versace last year called Blue Jeans."

"Isn't that a men's fragrance?" Along with Sho's words came the descending shuttlecock.

Izumi Sakai made a childlike wave with her racket and smiled, "Next up, the roles are reversed, and I get to ask the questions."

"Please go easy on me and try not to ask anything too close to the bullseye," Sho picked up the shuttlecock from the floor, speaking in a joking tone.

"Well... please prepare yourself to receive my serve." Izumi Sakai blinked. Her bangs were slightly dampened by a light sheen of sweat, and she looked brimming with energy.

...

The afternoon of the weekend following their radio recording, Sho and Izumi Sakai met at a badminton club located in Nerima Ward.

The two of them, whose badminton skills were fairly matched, exchanged hits and chatted idly without any competitive mindset, much like a casual warm-up. That was until Sho, on a whim, suggested adding a slight wager: whoever won each game could ask the other person a question before the next game was decided.

"Questions that cross the line are strictly prohibited." Izumi Sakai paused to think for a moment before putting forward this condition.

Sho nodded readily. "Naturally."

In the first game under these new rules, Izumi Sakai lost to Sho by a margin of two points. Thus began the rapid-fire series of questions at the start, sounding almost like an interview for a magazine feature.

...

"Do you prefer cats or dogs?"

"I like both. If I absolutely have to choose one, I'll pick a little bunny."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to give up either doggies or kitties. If I'm forced to choose just one, I'm left with no choice but to pick neither."

...

"If you were going to a deserted island and could only bring one album, which one would you choose?"

"Can I choose not to go?"

"You cannot. Please answer the question directly."

"If it has to be this way... then I'll choose Izumi-neesan's *Hold Me*."

"Eh?!" Izumi Sakai was slightly startled. The shuttlecock grazed her racket and fell to the ground. Immediately, she "reprimanded" him in a joking tone, "You definitely said that on purpose just now, didn't you?"

Sho smiled sincerely. "How could that be? Although a flurry of names flashed through my mind in an instant—like Takuro Yoshida-san, Kenji Ozawa-san, Yumi Matsutoya-san, and George Harrison-san, among many others—I still felt that choosing *Hold Me* would be the better option."

"Putting *Hold Me* alongside the names you just listed is quite daunting." Izumi Sakai picked up the fallen shuttlecock. "However, I'm a little curious to know—in what way is this 'better option' actually good?"

Watching Izumi Sakai, whose interest had been piqued by his remark, the smile on Sho's face grew even wider. "It's good in the sense that I hope Izumi-neesan, taking into account that I chose this album, will find it in her heart to show mercy and let me return from the deserted island a little sooner."