《Angel Only Drinks Soda》 Volume 1 - Prologue If there¡¯s an end to the pain this love have caused, that would be great. Only if I could be honest to my feelings, it would have been great. The courage to confess my feelings, only if it was that easy. I really wish I had it. Only if that person feels the same way as me. Because I understand these feelings painfully well¡­ There¡¯s something only I am capable of. That¡¯s why I have become it¨C the cupid of love. ¡­No, that was an exaggeration. This might be a bit of a letdown, but it isn¡¯t something that grand, just the sort of relationship advice you¡¯d see everywhere. Yeah, that was what I thought. At first, that is¡ª. Volume 1 - CH 1.1 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Translated by 64990022 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Part 1 Work mode: on. Voice changer: on, camera: off. Call quality: good. Consultant, Makino Kousuke. Second year, class seven. Consultation period: four months. ¡°Well, It¡¯s time.¡± In the dark room, I said to the microphone in front of the PC screen after clearing my throat. My voice would be replaced by an artificial one, my gender unidentifiable. So no matter with how much authority I speak, the other side would only hear an idiotic monotone. ¨C¡°U-Uh, you know¡­¡± said the other side of the phone after a pause. The voice was unaltered Makino¡¯s, he had no need for a voice changer any way. Yeah, I know. You were unsure about this. Good grief. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¨C¡±A-after all, isn¡¯t that impossible¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not confident?¡± ¨C¡°I mean¡­ Me, with that Yuzuki-san?¡± Urgh¨C, really? What a wuss. Well, I do understand how that feels. Painfully well. But if you stop now, it would be all for nothing. I¡¯m sure that was not what you wanted either. ¡°You two had no zero contact in the first place, but now you have come to be able to talk to her regularly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± I used a soothing tone, knowing it would be pointless anyway. ¨C¡°B-But¡­¡± Shallow relationship with target: resolved. Low self-confidence: unresolved. The problem was, changing someone¡¯s fundamental personality is never easy. Just once. Just for one day, just a leap of faith, then all would end well. ¨C¡°Besides¡­ Didn¡¯t Yuzuki-san turn down every confession? She must have had a boyfriend or someone she likes. If that¡¯s so, wouldn¡¯t that mean trouble?¡± Justification for stalling. Subconscious self-preservation. Why must I look after every single one of them? Didn¡¯t you already know that giving up is unacceptable. ¡°So if she already has someone she likes, then you would give up?¡± I pressed. ¨C¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°If you want to give up, then there¡¯s nothing I can do. If not, don¡¯t you remember how hard you have worked? I¡¯m sure it will turn out fine.¡± ¨C¡°But¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No good. He¡¯s totally freaked out. In this situation, being forceful is counterproductive. I guess I¡¯ll just have to do ¡°that¡±¡­ ¡°Understood. Can you give me some time, then?¡± ¨C¡°Eh? W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out whether Yuzuki has a boyfriend or someone she likes, and also why she rejected every confession so far, if possible.¡± ¨C¡°Really?! You can?¡± Hey, hey. Why are you cheery all of the sudden? Just how greedy could you be? ¡°Just don¡¯t get your hopes up. There¡¯s a limit to my investigations, just so you know.¡± ¨C¡°Oh, of course! I¡¯m sorry that you have to do this for me¡­¡± ¡°Nah, I already knew it would come to this since the start. It¡¯s part of the job.¡± Besides, you wouldn¡¯t step up to the plate if I don¡¯t destroy your escape route like this. That, I didn¡¯t say. ¨C¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¨C¡°After all, why don¡¯t you tell me your identity? You¡¯re a student here, aren¡¯t you?¡± I involuntarily narrowed my eyes. Well, there was nothing wrong with that. It¡¯s natural to be curious. But that¡¯s against the rules, Makino. ¡°If it¡¯s by absolute necessity, I would. But now¡¯s not the time. Please understand.¡± ¨C¡°B-but! You have helped me out so much, I just want to thank you personally.¡± ¡°Makino¡± ¨C¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°Your confession, hope it turns out well.¡± ¨C¡°Yeah¡± ¡°That¡¯s it for today. I¡¯ll call you again when I know something.¡± ¨C¡°¡®Kay¡­ Thanks, Angel.¡± At that, I hung up, then removed my earphones. After confirming Makino¡¯s disconnected, I logged out of the chat room as well. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to my investigations,¡± I had said. But to me, that was different. For me, there is no such limit. I took a sip of the cold cola, crossed my arms, then closed my eyes. Well then, let¡¯s go through the plan one more time. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Volume 1 - CH 1.2 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Translated by 64990022 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Part 2 At Kuzeyama High School, there is an angel who will lead your way to love. It has been about a year since such a rumor started to circulate at the school I, Akashi Io, attend. Here¡¯s the gist of it. One day, a person troubled by love suddenly received a letter from the Cupid of love. The Cupid has a supernatural power, if the person followed the Cupid¡¯s words, then their love would bear fruit. An utter nonsense. This unrealistic story should be no more than a made up story. It is natural to think so. To begin with, this kind of urban legend was long out of fashion. With the development of the internet and science, these kinds of stories are extinct. Ghost stories, the Seven wonders, psychic powers and so on. Those were all bullshit, no one takes them seriously. In other words, Probatio Diabolica. You can¡¯t prove something that¡¯s impossible, that in itself, is also impossible. Although there are some people who muse the idea ¡°It would be interesting if it exists,¡± despite everything. But just that. [TN: Just google Probatio Diabolica, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of a brief explanation] That¡¯s why Angel doesn¡¯t exist, letters won¡¯t come. There is no such thing as mysterious power. It¡¯s only natural. ¨CBut if that¡¯s the case, then why has this rumor survived an entire year? Was it because Kuze High students were a bunch of dreamy kids? No, high school students nowadays are not that stupid. On top of that, Kuzeyama High School is one of the top preparatory schools of Shiga Prefecture. Students here are realistic and mature. Then, why? The answer is quite simple. After school, the students were dispersed into two main groups, one going to their respective club and the other heading home. I unceremoniously grabbed my bag and quickly left the classroom. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, I don¡¯t have that many friends to stop me. I¡¯m not unimpressive nor shadowy, but neither do I stand out in a crowd. And such a position is convenient for me in many ways. Reaching the front gate, adjacent to the shoe box, I fiddled with my phone while waiting for the moment to come. Just like a police on a stakeout. Here and there, students from the go home club came and went, only stopping to change their shoes here. I kept my face down, searching for the ¡°target¡± with only my eyes. ¡­No ¡°Well¡­ how could I miss.¡± Seeing her, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder in admiration. Yuzuki Minato is a beautiful girl. Damn beautiful. She has deep, glossy, straight hair, and as black as the night sky itself. Her eyes are as sharp as an icicle. In combo with her voluminous eyelashes, her eyes have an exquisite charm. Her eyes, her proud yet delicate nose, and her small pink lips are in perfect harmony. To add, she is tall for a girl, maybe ten centimeters shorter than me. Despite her height, she has well-defined curves throughout her body. Especially the convexity of her chest. And lastly, her piece de resistance, her otherworldly elegance. How she carried her back high, her skin a white crystal. And her forever melancholy, mature expression. Even in an ordinary school uniform, she reminded me of a high-born lady. I might have praised her too much. What a creep, Io. But Yuzuki¡¯s appearance is just perfect. I could imagine the smug look on the face of the god who created her. What an unfair god. Thank you very much. But still, her grades were top of the class, that was truly amazing. Naturally, she is also very popular with men. She is also one of the ¡°Kuze High¡¯s Top Three¡±, the official ranking by the student body. Just imagine, ¡°Kuze High¡¯s Top Three¡±. You know? Then she walked her way to me¨C more precisely, towards her shoe box, which is right next to me. No time to gawk. Let¡¯s get to work. Yuzuki came close, almost shoulder to shoulder with me. Clack, her shoe hit the floor. The moment she bent down to change her shoes, I lowered my arm. The power to know who the target likes by touching their cheeks, that¡¯s the power I, the Angel of Kuze High, possesses. With this power, I lead my consultant¡¯s love towards a surer and more successful conclusion. Why did the Kuze High students believe this ridiculous rumor? Well, because it is actually happening. No matter how unrealistic, the Angel does indeed exist. That¡¯s why the rumor stuck around. It¡¯s that simple. Timing perfect, my hand brushed Yuzuki¡¯s cheek, just for a moment, but that was enough. Just according to the plan. I felt a soft touch on the back of my left hand. Contact initiated. The contact was no more than an unintentional brush, unaccountable for sexual harassment. Can¡¯t you believe me? It is unavoidable, since it was the trigger condition of my power, so I¡¯m innocent, you know. If the target likes someone, then I will see their face in my mind, like a flashback. I won¡¯t get tired nor be in pain. But I¡¯m only nervous from time to time. It¡¯s something I have gotten used to. ¡°Ugeh?!¡± I¡¯m terribly dizzy. It was as if the world suddenly turned upside down, then back to normal again. At the same time, a torrent of flashbacks hit me. What should normally be a single image, a few at most, floated in and out of view. Dazzling, too many, like a climatic firework display. Familiar faces, unfamiliar ones. Total of twenty¡­? No, even more. What¡¯s this? What the hell?!¨C ¡°Urgh¡­¡± It was like expecting a ping pong ball, but only found a bowling ball thrown at my face instead. My head buckled, my body shook, I felt like throwing up. Wait, calm down. Get a grip. The plan was now completely awry. I was to apologize, and be on my way. Just a normal accident where my hand happened to graze her cheek, nothing out of the ordinary. That was the plan¡­ While trying to stand upright, I forced myself to sort out the situation. However, it seems that I don¡¯t have that luxury. ¡°W-what?¡± Besides me, Yuzuki asked, her face suspicious. Well, it is only natural, I suddenly screamed and staggered, after all. That irregularity is something I should be concerned about, but right now, getting no unwanted attention from Yuzuki is top priority. How to cover this up? For now, I need to run. ¡°Ah¡­ Well, I suddenly have a stomach pain¡­ Ahaha¡­¡± I glanced at her face. I had expected a dumb founded look, troubled look, or even a boubtful look, anything but¨C ¡°Eh?¨C¡± Somehow, her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. As if she had unexpectedly found something she had lost, her face was like that, a mixture of surprise and relief. Why would she make that kind of expression¡­? But that too, I have no time to find out. I shoved my feet into my shoes and hurried out the front gate. Like that, I ran to the station and hopped on the Keihan Line train. Yeah, I had slipped up. The other passengers eyed me warily. ¡°If I had a stomach ache, it would be more natural to go back to the school building, you idiot.¡± Apparently, my head wasn¡¯t working at all. ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Just what exactly is going on. I recalled what happened while trying to calm myself down with the rhythm of the train. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Volume 1 - CH 1.3 The class on the following day was harder to get my head around than usual. Listening to the Japanese history teacher¡¯s chant-like voice, I ran through my thoughts. There are two questions. One, was of course, there were too many people who appeared. Normally, there¡¯s one. Even the irregularities have two to three, that¡¯s it. Yet, that twenty people¡­ to be exact, more than that. I don¡¯t want to criticize other people¡¯s romantic preference, but isn¡¯t that too much? No, Maybe I should question my power first. Maybe something resembling a bug happened. Is that possible? Given that loss of smell during a cold is possible, perhaps¡­? ¡°Nope¡± Unfortunately, from birth until now, there has never been something like this. I couldn¡¯t guess in the slightest. Even when I tested with some people in the class, nothing unusual happened. In short, nothing was wrong with my power. ¡°But¡­¡± Mentioned in the conversation with Makino two days before, Yuzuki has turned down every confession until now. In fact, it was this rigid wall that had doubled her popularity. For her to like that many people¡­ The strangest was one of the faces I saw. Almost all of those faces were gone before I could memorize. It was unexpected, to begin with. But I recognized one of them: Matsumoto from class five. Some time ago, he confessed to Yuzuki, and she rejected his confession. That means Yuzuki rejected Matsumoto even though they both have feelings for each other. Of course, there¡¯s a possibility that she started to like him after rejecting¡­ But that doesn¡¯t seem to add up. [TN: I¡¯m sorry for this interruption, but please read this at Travis translations to support me, the translator. Other sites are aggressor sites] ¡°Hmm¡­ What a mystery.¡± Is this what you call mysterious beauty? As expected from that level of beauty¡­ Wait, no. The saving grace was that this mystery has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s her romantic preferences, not my business. The only problem is how to tell Makino about this. That¡¯s the only question. But yet¡­ ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Class rep., bowing ritual.¡± At the teacher¡¯s words, the chime rang, marking the end of the school day. After bowing, the class was over. I quickly left the class, continuing my thoughts. There¡¯s still one more question: That is, the look on her face yesterday. Neither confunfused nor bewildered, just excitement and relief. Let¡¯s not talk about how that face was also beautiful¡­ ¨CWhy did she make that expression? ¡°Akashi Io-kun.¡± My name was suddenly called from the corner of the school gate. The voice was clear and cold, but stringed with amusement. Before me, Yuzuki stood. ¡°I finally found you, the Angel of Kuze High,¡± she declared. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± The reply was immediate. I was taken by surprise, no doubt. But I have already rehearsed what to do in this kind of situation a thousand times over. As long as my identity remains a secret, I can deny it reflexively and naturally. I don¡¯t know why I was suspected or why I was approached. From where to when, since yesterday, nothing makes sense. Whatever, I¡¯m starting to get tired of this. But I needed to get out of here without an incident first. Keep your head cool and get through this, Io. ¡°Stop coming for me with that weird reason, will you? I have something I need to get done, bye.¡± ¡°By touching my face, what do you know?¡± Silence. This time, I was completely at loss. Farewell, my calm self. Even I can see the grimace on my face. ¡°Wh- what? Don¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°The people I like.¡± ¡°¨C¨C¨C!¡± Cold sweat broke. ¡°You can tell that by touching?¡± ¡­Give me a break. [TN:Yeah, give this poor man a break] ¡°I want to ask you something,¡± said Yuzuki, as if dealing the finishing blow. She turned and walked away briskly. I gave up and silently followed her. A short walk East from Kuze High leads to a large park. The park surrounds ruins of a castle, along the promenade lined with cherry blossoms, painting the scene with diluted red. With Yuzuki on the lead, we walked past a space with large playground equipment. At last, we reached the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa. We walked to the grassy knoll by the lake and sat down on a nice boulder we found. I could see the little kids playing and the old couple on the bench looking at us. ¡°So¡­ here? We stand out here, really?¡± It was a funky sight, with me and Yuzuki facing each other. But despite that, against the dusk sky and the glittering lake, Yuzuki was otherworldly. ¡°The concern is about anyone listening to our conversation, which these waves had already taken care of.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Yup, her logic did make sense. In the worst possible case, there might be a rumor that I tried to confess to her and got rejected. Which is unrelated to the Angel, so whatever. ¡°If it starts to get out of control, I¡¯ll take care of it. How about that?¡± she continued ¡°Yeah¡­ Well, okay.¡± I nodded. There¡¯s no need for that, but if she insists. I¡¯ll just nod along here. I¡¯m in a weaker position. No use in worsening. ¡°Thank you.¡± However, the atmosphere is somewhat different from what I thought. I had expected blackmail, but¡­ ¡°That you came here with me, I take it that you have already accepted it?¡± Yuzuki was unexpectedly nervous, her expression rather tense. Hmm, so straight to the point. Coming to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯m talking to her. She appeared calm and collected, with an air of intellectualism about her. As expected from a top student. Well, she is beauti¨C, (redacted) ¡°No, not like that. I¡¯m here for what you have to say, so I can clear your misunderstanding,¡± I denied. Half lie, half truth. That I¡¯m the Angel, and even about my power, I can¡¯t just let her go. Somehow, I need to convince her. But the situation was undeniably unfavorable. You could say that she has a hold on me. Despite her advantage, she was quite reserved¡­ that¡¯s strange. ¡°October, last year,¡± she began. She said like a detective unveiling the truth behind a horror mystery. No, seriously, it¡¯s too scary. ¡°Nagao-kun from the ping-pong club confessed to Yamabuki. He was rejected. Remember?¡± At her words, those days started playing at the back of my mind. Yeah, that rejection was Angel¡¯s¨C my fault. ¡°Nagao-kun wasn¡¯t into the careful type, nor the flamboyant type of girl. He set his sights on the fashionable, popular Yamabuki. They don¡¯t match in the slightest. She would surely reject him. A daredevil. When someone heard the rumors, these were their thoughts, is that right?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Yeah, she¡¯s right. But Nagao did his best. He believed in my words, and he had the courage to tell Yamabuki how he felt. Being rejected is just the result. But why this story now? ¡°¡®Only if he believed in the Angel¡¯s word,¡¯ some people joked. ¡®If he did that, it would have gone well, what a reckless fellow.¡¯. But I thought¨C¡± She looked at me ¡°¨CThat Nagao-kun was able to confess, that was because of the Angel, wasn¡¯t it?¡± A chill ran down my spine. How do I refute her? ¡°From then, I observed Nagao-kun¡¯s surroundings for a while. Were there any changes? How did he contact the Angel? I needed to find out.¡± As if someone was tightening their hand around my heart, my breath became shallow, my face a painful grimace. So this is how culprits in mysteries felt¡­ Yet her expression doesn¡¯t look like a detective who had cornered the criminal. ¡°That day, Nagao-kun walked past a boy in the hallway. That boy was in a different class, and with no apparent relationship with him. That person patted Nagao, as if to console him. That person was¡ª¡± That was me. Nagao was one of the few people who I, the angel of Kuze High School, exposed my identity to. There was a necessity during the consultation process. So¡­I was too relaxed? No, if there weren¡¯t any suspicions in the first place, that should be seen as a simple joke among the boys, no matter how you look at it. Besides, he was doing his best. But anyway, that action caught the eye of Yuzuki, who was looking for the Angel. Volume 1 - CH 1.4 ¡°So I shift my attention to you,¡± she continued, ¡°There were other suspects, but you are the most likely. I gathered every rumor when someone had confessed to someone, then compared to your behavior. For half a year.¡± ¡°Half a year¡­¡± I repeated. Her suspicion was more deliberate than I thought. This is not some fluke guess, but a more elaborate scheme of unmasking me. I kept my gaze on the tuft of grass at my foot, but she just continued. ¡°I noticed a particular pattern in your behavior, that is, touching other people¡¯s faces. Practically all of them are involved in the confessions, one way or another.¡± Hey, hey. Isn¡¯t that too much? Are you insane? What is this beauty trying¨C ¡°Sometimes accidentally, some by lending an earphone, the rarer one being wiping smudge on the face. Maybe I was just imagining things, but it was still too often.¡± She even noticed my special technique? How perceptive can she be? The smudge wiping was the best method in my arsenal. But due to the suspicion it raised, I haven¡¯t been using it much. ¡°And if the rumors were true, then the Angel of Kuze High would have a mysterious power. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t believe that kind of nonsense. I can¡¯t fully believe something like that¡­¡± My eyes fixed on the grass. ¡°But. If there¡¯s no fire, then there won¡¯t be any smoke. It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ridiculous. That¡¯s why I can just joke it off if I¡¯m wrong,¡± despite her statement, she has no slightest shadow of doubt. What she had said was an investigation based on a rather unreasonable theory. But to think that someone would carry it out¡­ There¡¯s no way I can see this coming. ¡°But what happens when you touch someone¡¯s face? Observation alone wasn¡¯t enough. Information transmission? Knowing something about them? That, I didn¡¯t know. Until yesterday, when you touched my face.¡± The identity of the Angel being known was still manageable, something I had prepared countermeasures already. But my power, it was unrealistic anyway, no one would believe it, was what I thought. That was what I believed. And I don¡¯t think I was that laxed. It was strange to assume that someone would come at me with that persistence and outlandish reasoning in the first place. And at the school gate, she said, ¡°I finally found you.¡± Why would she go that far to get me, no, the Angel to¡­ She ignored my troubled expression and continued yet again. ¡°You seemed to be fine, but yesterday, you were shaken all of the sudden. In short, I am different from other people, a major difference, from your reaction.¡± Yeah, you¡¯re different, completely different. Yeah, I was shaken. ¡°My hypothesis is that, ¡®Akashi Io can tell who the person likes, down to the number of the people they like, by touching their faces.¡¯ The difference between me and other people is there.¡± Yuzuki huffed out a heavy breath. Her brows furrowed, her eyes grim. Is this woman even aware of what she¡¯s doing? But for the final blow to be dealt like this¡­ Honestly, I should just come clean. There was no point in trying to hide it anymore. I have thought a little of what I should do when I come to this. But still, the fact that this is the worst possible situation is still the same. But there¡¯s still one thing I don¡¯t understand. To make sure of that, I asked. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think you already know it,¡± she parotted back. But yeah, I kind of understand what she meant. That Yuzuki was able to arrive at this conclusion was because of her precise deduction, but above all, because of her unusual obsession with the Angel. Moreover, she was aware that she likes several people. For someone like that to come to me and say, ¡°I finally found you.¡±, that means¨C ¡°I want you to cure me from this cruel Falling-in-love Peculiarity.¡± Her determined face and her hopeful request no longer surprises me. In short, this girl was also after Angel¡¯s love advice. That was why she was so desperate. With that in mind, her cautiousness makes sense. ¡°I see¡­ I have a rough idea of your situation.¡± ¡°S-so¡­ you are the Angel, after all,¡± she gulped. ¡°Yeah. And your hypothesis is correct; I have that absurd power you mentioned. I use it for my Angel activities. And the one who started the rumor about the Angel was me.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Yuzuki seemed to be shocked. Well, of course, when someone in front of you admitted that they have a supernatural power, that would be the normal reaction. Rather, she took in quite promptly. I now understand her situation, her purpose. My true identity was also unveiled. But I¡¯m sorry, Yuzuki Minato. ¡°As the Angel of Kuze High, I decline this request.¡± This is the final verdict. ¡°Ha? What? Why?!¡± She stood up, her face anxious. That face was so painful that my resolve wavered. Can you stop that¡­? I¡¯m really sorry about this. ¡°I help my clients in taking the plunge so that they can confess their feelings. That¡¯s the only thing I can do. That¡¯s all I want to do. Who will be my consultant, I decide that by myself. I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Besides, that kind of thing, it¡¯s better to consult with your friends than a complete stranger like me. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t take on this.¡± To make my decision clear, I repeated it one more time. I can¡¯t do everything related to love. I have my own specialty, and I am not going to get involved in something other than that. ¡°What if¡­¡± Yuzuki whispered. I tilted my head. ¡°What if I tell everyone your little secret? About your power, about the Angel. Does that sit well with you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Being hit where it hurts, I leaked out a pitiful voice. Damn, I was cool just a moment before¡­ So you¡¯re using that to the fullest in this negotiation, huh? She¡¯s surprisingly devious¡­ ¡°If you do that, then I¡¯ll too. I will reveal who your crushes are. All of them.¡± I punctuated. ¡°Does that sit well with you? If not, I beg you, turn back now.¡± ¡°Then we are going down together. I don¡¯t really care. If you don¡¯t accept, then I¡¯ll do that for real.¡± Hey, hey. Do you really know the consequences of your actions? No, she was just that desperate¡­ Our eyes locked on each other for a while. Her lips were pressed thin, and were quivering a little. Her will was too firm. That glimmer in her eyes was enough to tell me that she was serious. Mutual destruction, the most foolhardy option. No gain for anyone. This is legit blackmail, she had thought this through. Is every top student this scary? But¡­ Yuzuki. ¡°Okey-dokey. Got it.¡± [TN:What a con man] ¡°T-then I¡­¡± ¡°Yup, do whatever you want. I won¡¯t help you anyway.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Eh?¡± Yuzuki¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. I guess my response was the exact opposite of what she had expected But yeah, seems like none of us can¡¯t back down. ¡°I can¡¯t take on a request with an ambivalent mind. Especially with how serious you are,¡± I explained. ¡°But¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it mean trouble for you if your identity is revealed?¡± ¡°Yep, troubling. Disastrous, even. Do you know how much effort establishing the rumors about the Angel took? And for it to take root?¡± A feat of extreme prudence where you couldn¡¯t be wary enough No, this conversation is for later. ¡°But yeah. If it comes to that, then I¡¯ll be skipping school for a while. When I¡¯m gone, people won¡¯t be interested anymore. And I don¡¯t really have to go to school to continue working as the Angel. This is an online era now, you know?¡± Chat rooms, voice change, and all that civilized stuff. [TN: Change the title to Online Angel please] Volume 1 - CH 1.5 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Translated by 64990022 Chapter 1: When the secret was found out Part 5 ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t keep a secret half-heartedly, not me. Troubles of love are not something to be taken lightly. And the Angel, that¡¯s something I can¡¯t compromise.¡± It was her turn to be silent. I don¡¯t expect her to understand my commitment to be the Angel. Understand or not, my answer to her plea remains the same. ¡°Be assured. Do whatever you want, I won¡¯t tell your secret. I¡¯m going to prepare for the shut-in, bye.¡± She remained silent. ¡°And don¡¯t go around blackmailing others, okay? It¡¯s effective, but so is its risk. And that¡­ that Falling-in-love Peculiarity? Hope you get well soon.¡± With a heave, I stood up. Perhaps it was because I could finally get over this, my tension began to dissipate. It was a nice feeling when you could finally decide on what to do. [TN: I¡¯m sorry for this interruption, but please read at Travis translations to support me, the translator. Other sites are aggressor sites] At any rate, I should go home then review my Angel consultation schedule¡­ ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Her sharp voice made me turn back. Yuzuki casted her eyes downward, her lowered hands clasped tightly. The rippling, glistening surface of the lake, the swaying trees, the setting sun. In front of it all, she looked more an angel than I could ever be. I guess I am a disgrace to my alias. ¡°Is there anything you want to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry that it seemed like a threat. I didn¡¯t mean it. I just¡­ I just really want your help.¡± ¡°Enough with that¡­¡± Don¡¯t say in that quivering voice of yours. ¡°I understand that it¡¯s not your speciality. I understand that it goes against your principles¡­ But I have no one else¡­¡± She walked over, then slowly looked up. I could see my pitiful, troubled face inside her tear-stained eyes. Hey, hey, don¡¯t give in. You¡¯re the Angel of Kuze High, remember? ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Akashi-kun, look at me?¡± Yuzuki suddenly took my right hand. Her hand that touched mine was soft yet terribly cold. She pulled my hand towards her face, then brought it to her cheek. I was taken by surprise. I could only watch as the scene in front of me unfold. My power activates. ¡°Ha? Hey!¡± But I had already braced myself for the impact, so it wasn¡¯t as bad as the first time. But what happened was the same. Faces flickered in and out, in a moment, it was over. ¡°How many did you see?¡± she laughed painfully, ¡°don¡¯t you despise me? Do you think I can tell my friends about this?¡± Her voice rose into a shrill, her face a mess of tears. She wasn¡¯t asking me. It was Yuzuki that despised herself. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being in love with multiple people. But she sure has too many of them. She hate that, she hate herself, more than anything, that¡¯s why she¨C ¡°I want to be cured. I¡¯ll do anything. So, please,¡± she sobbed. Tears flowed down, then stopped as it reached my hand. The way she held herself, even though crying, she looked strong. ¡°I said no blackmail, but tears are just as foul¡­¡± Moreover, tears of a beauty like her¡­ Troubles of love are not something to be taken lightly, I said that¡­ myself? ¡­Hahh. What a stupid Angel. Damn. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± Her eyes flew wide. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re a special case, really,¡± I sighed Yuzuki wrapped her hands around mine. Then lowered her head to her hand, as if praying, her damp breath moisturizing our clasped hands. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything though. It¡¯s still not my expertise. No slightest experience in that area, even. Are you understood?¡± ¡°Um, yep. I understand. Got it,¡± she sputtered. ¡°But I ¡®ll do anything in my power. And the ¡®I¡¯ll do anything¡¯ earlier, don¡¯t forget that,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Yep, yes! Of course. Thank you¡­ really.¡± Relief swept over her. Now that I have taken on this, I¡¯ll just have to do whatever I can. Just so you know, I wasn¡¯t baited by a beautiful girl¡¯s ¡°I¡¯ll do anything¡±, just so you know. Well, I wasn¡¯t baited by that, but I¡¯m gonna use it anyway ¡°Well, the first of that ¡®anything¡¯, here¡¯s my first instruction.¡± ¡°Eh?¡­A-already?¡± ¡°You said that yourself. Going to break your promise right off the bat?¡± ¡°G-got it¡­ So what do you want me to do?¡± said Yuzuki anxiously, her cheeks flushed red. Her arms crossed as if hugging herself as she watched me. Her tear-stained eyes were incredibly amorous. And with that expression that seemed to say, ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± stop it, will you? Don¡¯t be so suggestive. Don¡¯t do that to high school boys, please. ¡°Ah, but¡­ Let¡¯s go somewhere inconspicuous¡­ Here is¡­yeah?¡± she stammered. ¡°What are you thinking, idiot. I was talking about the Angel¡¯s identity and my power. Those are to remain a secret. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Ah. Yup¡­ got it.¡± Good grief. I can¡¯t wait to see where this goes. Volume 1 - CH 2.1 Chapter 2: The embarrassment goes both ways Part 1 ¡°So, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Eh?¡¯ What¡¯s that ¡°Eh?¡± for¡­ After school the next day, at a caf¨¦ called ¡°Caf¨¦ Proof¡±. Yuzuki Minato, who sat across from me, tilted her head in confusion. It¡¯s shockingly cute. But whatever with that. It doesn¡¯t matter, Io. Focus. ¡°You must have some theories you wanted to test with my powers right? That¡¯s why you came for me,¡± I elaborated. ¡°N-no. You see¡­ I¡¯m not sure about your ability, what could you do with it. I can¡¯t fully grasp that.¡± Her voice gradually became muffled. So it seems that she plans to leave that to me. In short, no slightest clue. Yesterday¡¯s hunch is now confirmed to be true. How fast. I chose this place for the consultation because the manager of this cafe is my cousin. It¡¯s a good distance from school, ideal for secret sessions. I also use this place occasionally in my normal Angel activity. That the said cousin likes to get involved was a fly in the ointment. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, your consultant doesn¡¯t have to be me in the first place,¡± I noted. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You can do things other people can¡¯t. Besides, the Angel takes their consultant¡¯s concerns seriously. That¡¯s what the rumors say.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m the one who let out that rumor. It¡¯s a stunt, a stunt.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ B-but! I already believe it so¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Well, now¡¯s too late to back out. And I¡¯m a bit glad that you trusted me. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get to it¡± ¡°Y-yup!¡± she nodded nervously, but her eyes were determined. Okay, this is not my speciality, but that doesn¡¯t mean compromise is acceptable. If you¡¯re doing this, then be serious, Io. Compromise is unacceptable. ¡°First, I¡¯ll explain what I can do.¡± Across me Yuzuki gulped. I took a sip of the cider. The sweetness and the prickling acidity cleared my thoughts. When I¡¯m using my head, this must be the best way to go. ¡°It¡¯s simple, almost the same as your hypothesis yesterday: Touch a person¡¯s face and I¡¯ll see who they like. If multiple, then I see all of them.¡± Clink, the cider¡¯s ice rings. ¡°By ¡®like¡¯, I mean romantic feelings. It doesn¡¯t work for respect, admiration, familial love, nor does frienship,¡± I went on. ¡°That¡¯s quite amazing, hearing it all again.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, not really. I can only see their mental image of that person, no profile, no age, no name, only their face. Identifying is possible only because we¡¯re in the limited space of school.¡± She only raised her beautiful arching eyebrows at that. Well, ¡°not really¡± was an overstatement. Even with these limitations, it¡¯s still a supernatural ability. I have had this power since birth, so I might have taken it for granted. ¡°And if the target doesn¡¯t like anyone, then nothing will happen. ¡®There¡¯s none¡¯ or some notification like that would be better. It¡¯s a bit of a hassle in these cases.¡± Even if I add a negative feature, Yuzuki was still silent. But yeah, discerning between that I had failed to touch them and that they like no one is a pain. ¡°And what about the power, what¡¯s it even? How did you get it?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°Is that necessary? Knowing what I can and what I can¡¯t should be enough.¡± When I answered, she looked away awkwardly. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ But¡­¡± It seems that my voice had inadvertently turned cold. ¡°Sorry, It¡¯s not a pleasant topic. If there¡¯s a need then I¡¯ll tell you then.¡± ¡°No, I asked too much¡­ Sorry.¡± Awkward¡­ No, this is my fault. It¡¯s natural to be curious about such a kitschy superpower. In fact, I should be grateful that she¡¯s this reserved. I closed my eyes for a moment, let out a long breath, and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m not used to having people knowing about my power. There¡¯s many things I don¡¯t want to say, but you can ask me anything, I¡¯ll answer whatever I can.¡± ¡°Okay, got it. I¡¯ll be careful,¡± she nodded slowly a few times. She¡¯s reasonable, and probably able to put herself in other people¡¯s shoes too. That¡¯s what I learned about her character. Our conversation at Lake Biwa yesterday too, was like that. If that¡¯s the case, I shouldn¡¯t be too uptight either. To make the consultation more effective, gaining the other side¡¯s trust is a must. And to achieve that, it¡¯s important for me to trust them first. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s all about my power. Next up is about your situation¡­¡± Yuzuki¡¯s shoulders jerked up at my words. Her expression stiffened. She was extremely agitated. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get grossed out, okay?¡± she muttered, her slight blush hard to notice in the shadow of her downward glance. I have heard that a beautiful girl¡¯s upturned eyes are destructive. But this, this is more than I imagined. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t gross out.¡± ¡°Y-you were hesitating! Is that a lie?!¡± ¡°N-no. I mean, I already know most of it, so I was wondering what¡¯s left¡­¡± I was gawking, I can¡¯t just admit that. Rocking her body, she protested. To evade her blame, I returned my attention to the cider. Save me, cider-chan. ¡°¡­It was from the very beginning,¡± Yuzuki saaid in a whispery, feeble voice. ¡°The very beginning?¡± ¡°Since elementary school, during that time when you start having crushes. My Falling-in-love Peculiarity has been since then¡­ My first crush was five people at the same time¡­¡± ¡°I see. So from the very beginning¡­¡± ¡°I-isn¡¯t that strange? I can¡¯t be earnest¡­insincere¡­¡± Yuzuki cowered in embarrassment and guilt. It was easy to reassure her, but she surely doesn¡¯t want that. She must have told herself that everything¡¯s fine, that she isn¡¯t wrong. But words alone aren¡¯t convincing enough. So she hates herself. I think I could understand that feeling. She was desperate to an extent that she chose to hunt down the Angel from baseless rumors, six month spent at that. Her anguish isn¡¯t anything that can be alleviated by words. ¡°Since then until now?¡± ¡°Yup, and¡­ Perhaps¡­It¡¯s getting worse.¡± ¡°And any idea of what caused it?¡± ¡°¡­No. I have thought about it a lot, but I can¡¯t figure it out,¡± she agonized bitterly. And when all seemed hopeless, she heard the Angel¡¯s rumors, it seems. So all¡¯s on my shoulders, huh? I¡¯m the one who decides her fate¡­? ¡°Then, we need to find out the cause first,¡± To boost our morale, I denoted firmly. ¡°Yeah. Right¡­¡± ¡°And in order to achieve that, I need an assessment of your current situation.¡± There¡¯s a cause to every problem. To solve it, you need to deal with the cause. But to understand the cause, having a good grasp at the problem is necessary. ¡°With that, here.¡± I offered my right hand. ¡°What?¡± She eyed my hand suspiciously What are you ¡°what?¡± about? You¡¯re unexpectedly dull for a top student. ¡°Let me touch one more time¡± ¡°Hii?!¡± Like before, she pulled back and hugged herself tightly. This girl¡­ Is she really determined? ¡°Idiot, I want to see who your crushes are, so I can investigate who they are.¡± ¡°I-if that¡¯s so then say it clearly! You surprised me, you know!¡± ¡°Got it, got it. I¡¯m sorry. Then, come on.¡± I waved my hand, beckoning her. Of course, I don¡¯t just touch her face, I¡¯m a sensible man, you know? She kept silent. ¡°Come on, hurry up.¡± ¡°I-I mean, it¡¯s not necessary, right? I know who my crushes are, so¡­¡± How sugarcoated. Didn¡¯t I say a good grasp. Precision is important, you know! ¡°Can you guarantee that you are aware of all of them?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t falling in love without noticing one of the most common aspects of love?¡± [TN: The right one is this scene] And thanks to this damn aspect, Angel¡¯s work is harder than it should be. ¡°But! We¡¯re in a cafe¡­¡± she fretted. ¡°It¡¯s fine, my cousin knows about my power. And this table is separated from the rest. We¡¯re all set here.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± she moaned. ¡°¡®I¡¯ll do anything!¡¯¡± I reminded her. ¡°Nghh¡± Volume 1 - CH 2.2 Chapter 2: The embarrassment goes both ways Part 2 At my trump card, Yuzuki shrank, eyes downcast. Having that commitment sure is convenient, good thing she said that yesterday. She was the one who said that, so not my fault. By the way, making a beauty like her blush is a guilty pleasure. ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be rude to the Angel.¡± ¡°Perverted Angel!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying Hentai Shinshi?¡± [TN: HENTAI SHINSHI CLUB, a Japanese trio formed in 2017.] [TN: The pun was about the similarity between Tenshi (angel) and Shinshi] ¡°¡­What is that even?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± I looked away So that doesn¡¯t get through, huh? Well, okay, noted. She put her hand on her chest and let out a long breath of resignation. Then she brought my right hand to her face timidly. I too leaned forward and braced for my power to activate. My hand slowly touches her face. It¡¯s a bliss to be able to touch a beautiful girl¡¯s soft skin, but for me, my hand felt nothing while my power worked. I only felt a soft sensation the first millisecond, with the rest blank. Yeah, my disappointment is immeasurable. Once again, for the record, I am not a pervert. But the lips of her pouting profile were damn sexy. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Ah, yup¡­ Nothing out of the ordinary, I can see them just fine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Why do we look like a couple who just started dating¡­ For a moment, I almost forgot the faces. Shoot, what are you doin, Io! ¡°T-then what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Well, just wait,¡± I said while taking out a notebook and a pencil case from my bag. ¡°I¡¯ll note those who I know, and I¡¯m going to draw a portrait for the rest. Then you tell me their names,¡± I explained. ¡°You can draw?¡± ¡°Of course?¡± Although I said that, I don¡¯t think being able to draw was something that normal. All is the result of practice. To make the most use of this power, being able to draw is crucial. I could only see their faces for a second, and it¡¯s not like I can take pictures. It¡¯s better to fill in as much information while I still remember them. I quickly jotted down sixteen whose names I knew, and got on drawing portraits for the rest. ¡°Ah, no good, I forgot.¡± I knew it, I can¡¯t finish in one go. Well, I can just take another look. Target knowing about my power sure has its perks. Usually it was one chance. I offered my hand again. But Yuzuki didn¡¯t grab my hand. Instead, she just rolls her eyes and looks at me blankly. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s a lot left, one more time.¡± ¡°Ehh?!¡± Yuzuki pulled back in an exaggerated manner, shaking the table with a clatter. What a lively fellow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you expected me to finish it in one go¡­¡± ¡°Of course! Why again¡­¡± ¡°Too many faces. To be precise twenty-three people. Most are boys from school, but I want to confirm, there might be some from other places.¡± She looked away. ¡°¡®Anything¡¯¡± The code phrase made her shoulders slump as if she had given up. Her grudging glare was a perfect balance of cute and mature. You¡¯re making me giddy, you know. And you¡¯re not the only one embarrassed. Ugh¡­ From then, I repeated the process. But Yuzuki insisted on being uncooperative, so I had to touch her cheek myself. Time-efficient. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m not enjoying this.¡± I mean, I need to clarify. ¡°I already know!¡± ¡°Then please stop glaring.¡± ¡°Still!¡± But honestly, her cheeks are pleasant to the touch. Hella smooth. Sometimes I even got to feel her smooth silky hair. But it was a separate matter. This is a necessity. Really, I¡¯m speaking the truth, you know. It took us an hour to identify all of them at last. By then, we were both exhausted and decided to call it a day. The cafe was located near the second station from Kuze high, along the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line. This station is also near the JR Zeze Station. Yuzuki seems to use that one. Heading to the station lies the Tokimeki hill, a narrow, bustling inclined street with stores flanking both sides. ¡°Ah, I forgot to mention.¡± I broke the silence. Yuzuki, who had been looking around with interest, suddenly turned to me. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that my cousin from the store or the Angel¡¯s associates might know your situation. Do you still wish to proceed?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Her expression became strained. I could read anxiety, fear, and a hint of curiosity from her ¡°All of them are tight-lipped. They won¡¯t just let out other people¡¯s info just for the fun of it. Of course I¡¯ll lift your name out. Is that okay?¡± I added. ¡°¡­Got it. If you deem it necessary then do it¡­ If you trust them then it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± I nodded. If I don¡¯t get their consent from the start, it could jeopardize my credibility later. Just the same as in normal Angel¡¯s work. Ahead of us, a truck came slowly. I pulled Yuzuki to the side and shielded her. Tokimeki hill could be a bit dangerous if you¡¯re not used to it. ¡°T-thanks.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Her meek reaction is so cute, this girl¡­ She usually looks calm and collected, what a splendid gap. If she showed this side of hers, her popularity would be unprecedented. ¡°By the way, why did you turn down Matsumoto?¡± I suddenly remembered. Matsumoto had confessed to Yuzuki sometime ago, but was turned down. However, he showed up in one of the faces I saw. ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t you two have feelings for each other? Besides, you turned down every confession. Pardon my way of putting it, but have you ever tried dating them?¡± She went silent for a while. Then, self-deprecatingly, she forced herself, ¡°Of course I tried,¡± her voice quivered, ¡°Maybe I could finally be faithful if I dated someone, I wished. Back in middle school. But¡­¡± she grimaced. ¡°But it didn¡¯t get better. No matter who I date, I keep falling in love with other people¡­ and it keeps growing¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that rude? I¡¯m the worst. Maybe I can hide that fact and continue dating, but I just can¡¯t forgive myself. Five times I tried, none worked out. I won¡¯t date anyone until I am cured. I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± ¡°And those five?¡± ¡°I apologized then properly. I broke up soon after dating, I¡¯m sure they were troubled. Of course. They weren¡¯t wrong in the slightest, but I took advantage of them just because of my situation¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really the worst,¡± she finished. Her hand that gripped the hem of her skirt shook. So turning down their confessions is her own style of showing her sincerity¡­ ¡°In short, I¡¯m a selfish JK, the very opposite of being faithful. Aren¡¯t you disgusted?¡­ What an idiot.¡± ¡®I understand¡¯, the word stopped on the tip of my tongue. But her feelings, I could somewhat understand. How frustrated she is, I could understand from her disgusted voice and her pained expression. I understand it painfully well. But she doesn¡¯t know. About me, about herself. And about love. ¡°Am I supposed to be disgusted? With that?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked at me in surprise. Before I knew it, we reached the railway crossing in front of the station, with the boom gate descending in front of us. Deafening clanking of machines rang. A train approached us, followed by a clamor. The sound of rushing wind swallowed us whole. But I could only hear her voice. And surely the same for her. ¡°Love is not something you can control. Even if you don¡¯t want to, you fell in love. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I searched her eyes. ¡°And from our interaction until now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a good person. I don¡¯t regret accepting your request. I will help you, just hang in there.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah¡± Her short reply made me uncontrollably embarrassed. I shook my head to cool down. Ah, there¡¯s no voice change nor closed camera here¡­ I can¡¯t just go around saying corny things¡­ The drain in front of us slowly departed. The warning whirring stopped and the boom gate lifted slowly. ¡°See you later.¡± I walked her to the JR ticket gate and said goodbye. But she stood there, fidgeting. What? ¡°Um¡­ Akashi-kun.¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of what you¡¯ve just said earlier¡­!¡± Her eyes still downward, she continued. Through the gaps in her beautiful black hair, I could see her cheeks. It was as red as cherry fruit. ¡°I¡­um¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I might¡­ I think I like you too¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± [TN: Actually, it was this illust that made me ¡°Alright, Imma buy this book¡±] ¡­ ¡°I think I should apologize now¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°No¡­umm¡­Well, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± She then turned away. Her hair and her skirt swayed. I stared absented-mindly even after her back disappeared behind the ticket gate. ¡°¡­How troubling.¡± I muttered. Still absent-minded, I made my way to a bench and waited for my train. Volume 1 - CH 2.3 Chapter 2: The embarrassment goes both ways Part 2 Work mode: on. Voice changer: on, camera: off. Call quality: decent. ¡°Yusuki isn¡¯t dating anyone right now. I¡¯ve been searching around, I¡¯m pretty certain,¡± I announced. ¨C¡°Really!¡± On the other side of the call, I could hear Makino sigh in relief. But not just pure relief, impatience, nervousness, and foreboding mixed, I suspected. Well, of course, this means that he has no excuse left. ¡°But whether she likes anyone¡­¡± The events of the last few days played at the back of my mind. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell. Sorry¡± ¨C¡°Uu¡­I see¡­¡± Makino grunted, but didn¡¯t say anything else. He¡¯s probably waiting for my response, undecided, stuck in the pre-confession predicament. The most common prelude to a confession. That¡¯s where the Angel brings them to resolution. ¡°Makino¡± ¨C¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. No matter how Yuzuki is, you should confess. Even if it doesn¡¯t seem to go well,¡± I concluded. ¨C¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ easy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. No one wants to be rejected. That¡¯s natural. I know exactly how you feel.¡± ¨C¡°I-if that¡¯s so!¡± ¡°Even so, telling her how you feel is the right call. Definitely.¡± I said firmly. On the other side, Makino inhaled sharply. The Angel¡¯s words were probably more forceful than ever. ¡°Being rejected is painful. Being told that they don¡¯t share your feelings by someone you like is scary. But if you don¡¯t, you will regret it for the rest of your life. ¡®If only I confessed back then¡¯ the possibility that would never come true will haunt you forever.¡± Just like how it haunted me. ¨C¡°Uu¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I want you to just charge in and get rejected. To minimize the possibility of that, you have done your best until now. That, I know the best.¡± [TN: Io slipped a °³, manly version of ¡°I¡±, while until now Io used ¡°Ë½¡±, gender neutral ¡°I¡± (Although a bit inclined to femaline) when being the Angel] ¨C¡°sh¡­hss¡± Soft static voices accompanied his silence. ¡°But there¡¯s no such confession that guarantees success in this world. No matter how confident you are, no matter how promising things seem, the possibility of being rejected is still there. That¡¯s why you need to overcome that fear in the end. That¡¯s what confession is all about.¡± ¨C¡°Angel¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we need to do this right away. Let¡¯s conquer your fear slowly, until then, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¨C¡°Yeah¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°And in some cases, getting rejected isn¡¯t the end of the line, you know? You can confess again. There¡¯s a limit to that, of course.¡± ¨C¡°Haha. Yeah¡­ You¡¯re right. Yeah.¡± His voice had brightened up completely. I let out a long breath and tried to relax. My heart was thumping, my throat was parched. Before I knew it, I got too intense. From my trusty cup, I drank the coke. Prickling pain and chilling cold made my calmness resurface. ¨C¡°Thanks, Angel. Somehow¡­ I feel better.¡± ¡°No, sorry I rattled on.¡± ¨C¡°It¡¯s nothing. But, that. After all, Angel¡¯s a man,¡± beamed Makino. ¡°Eh?¡± What was that now? And why did he know? ¨C¡°Just a moment ago, you called yourself ¡®I¡¯. Usually It would be ¡®I¡¯¡± [TN: The previously stated °³, manly version of ¡°I¡±, and ¡°Ë½¡±, gender neutral ¡°I¡±] [TN: Yeah, it sounds strange, but there¡¯s no equivalent in English. Well, not that I know of. If you have any idea just comment and I¡¯ll fix] ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Aah, what an idiot! It¡¯s been one year already, arghh¡­ ¡°Please forget that¡­¡± ¨C¡°Ahaha. Your identity is a secret and all, I know. But I¡¯m happy I know something more about you, I know practically nothing about you before.¡± He laughed innocently. ¡°¡­I¡¯m hanging up¡± ¨C¡°Oh. Then, I¡¯m in your care.¡± ¡°Aah. If there¡¯s anything I¡¯ll call you.¡± With that, I ended the call myself. Rousing consultant is good, but don¡¯t ever lose your cool, Akashi Io. You¡¯re the Angel, don¡¯t forget that. ¡°¡­¡± I lied to Makino about one thing. Yuzuki likes someone, a lot of them. And one of them is Makino, I confirmed that from the session at the caf¨¦ today. But I won¡¯t stop his confession. Even though I know full well she can¡¯t return his feelings. ¡°Forgive me, Makino¡­¡± From now on too, forgive me, Yuzuki. But a feeling that should be kept in, there¡¯s no such thing. ¡°Ayaha¡­¡± A name I unintentionally whispered. Her face came to my mind. Forcing myself to choke those memories down, I sloshed down the now fizzless cola. Volume 1 - CH 2.4 ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The next day, Yuzuki and I met up at my cousin¡¯s caf¨¦ to decide our next action. At the usual seat, after picking up the drinks we ordered, I touched her cheek again. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this more than last time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At my interrogation, she looked away embarrassedly, her cheeks flushed pink. Seems that she is self aware. So this is why she looked unusually nervous when I was about to touch her cheek today. But still, she¡¯s really easy to fall in love¡­ ¡°N-no, it¡¯s¡­ that¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t have too. Just tell me the reason. That guy¡¯s Aoki, right?¡± I questioned. The latest member of the ¡°Crush List¡±, Aoki, is of class eight like me. Pardon my way of putting it, but he isn¡¯t the most memorable guy around. But if I recall, he¡¯s one of the Yuzuki fan club. ¡°Why¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± She frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t know? Something that you¡¯re attracted to, anything?¡± I continued probing. Her frown deepened, ¡°¡­He picked up my handkerchief for me in the hallway. We chatted a bit then, nothing in particular before that.¡± ¡°His appearance is your type?¡± The probability is low, but I asked anyway. And it¡¯s to protect what¡¯s left of Aoki¡¯s honor. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Among people I¡¯ve come to like, their appearance varied, so¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I noted. That was true. From the twenty three¡­ No, from the twenty four people in this list, none of them have something in common in terms of appearance. Some good-looking, some plain. Some burly, some lanky. In terms of height or body types, the deviation is also high. ¡°So is it okay to assume that appearance has no influence? For all of them, I mean.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ I think so. But if not then what? Why have I come to like them? I don¡¯t have the answer¡­¡± ¡°¡­So you know nothing.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Hoh¡­¡± I let out a breath. This is going to be more troublesome than I imagined. ¡°I-I mean¡­ There¡¯s too many of them¡­ And there¡¯s no definite pattern to liking someone. Besides, the reason I¡¯m asking for your help is precisely because of this.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± Moreover, I did say it myself that romantic feelings aren¡¯t something you can control. She had a point. But just that, the fact that there¡¯s too little data is still there. ¡°Even if there¡¯s no pattern, surely there must be a reason why you like them. Like in this case, being treated kindly.¡± ¡°I have considered that. But if that¡¯s the reason, then I think the number would be absurd. Besides¡­¡± ¡°Besides?¡± I repeated. ¡°If that¡¯s so, then there¡¯s no way that I wouldn¡¯t¡­ like¡­ you.¡± Her voice faded away steadily. [TN: It¡¯s a bit confusing here, in the later chapters, Io said that didn¡¯t see himself when he touched Yuzuki, contrary to Yuzuki¡¯s declaration at the end of chapter 1] Silence. ¡°W-well¡­¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¨Co¡ª!¡± At that moment, a chipper voice suddenly came from beside our table. I turned and saw my jolly cousin. An apron over his shirt and denim, his exuberant grin annoys me to no end. And he dared show up when it¡¯s the embarrassing moment. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Hey, hey. I¡¯m providing the venue for you. Be nice, will you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a caf¨¦? We even ordered.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Are you sure about saying that? I did look out for that seat?¡± He pouted. ¡°Ah¨C, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m forever grateful¨C¡± I pulled my hands up in surrender. This guy¡­I did owe him a favor, but he¡¯s always messing around with me. ¡°So, what are you after?¡± ¡°Nahh¨C, I saw you talking with a girl, so I thought I¡¯d join in,¡± he chortled. ¡°What about going back to work? Work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not that busy now.¡± Don¡¯t ¡°It¡¯s okay¡±, your part timers are complaining¡­ ¡°Ah, um, I¡¯m sorry we stayed here for a long time¡­¡± Yuzuki bowed her head. She¡¯s thorough when it comes to this, huh? As expected. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s totally fine, totally fine. This happens all the time, thanks to Io. Besides, having a cute girl like you like here makes the store seem stylish.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Not that much¡­¡± [TN: In Japan, it is a normal practice to deny the praise in order to show humility] ¡°Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Akashi Yukito, Io¡¯s cousin and CEO of this Caf¨¦ Proof.¡± He flashed another grin. ¡°You¡¯re just a manager,¡± I reminded him. ¡°I had already checked the definition of CEO, I meet qualifications.¡± How convenient of you. You just like how that sounds, don¡¯t you. Yukito is seven years older than me, a cousin from my father¡¯s side. He knew about my activities as the Angel and was willing to lend me his place when I needed it, just like now. To be honest, he helped me out a lot. But it would be great if he stopped these annoying interruptions. ¡°I¡¯m Yuzuki Minato. I¡¯m Akashi¡¯s friend from school,¡± she introduced herself. ¡°Friends. Hmm, friends, huh?¡± Yukito put his hand on his chin and bobbed his head. ¡°Yukito-san?¡± ¡°Whoa. Stop that ¡®Yukito-san¡¯, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing.¡± ¡°Ah, but¡­¡± ¡°Just call by the first name, Yuzuki¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± I cut in. Considering that our surname is the same, the logic¡¯s kinda understandable, though. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to call by first name, do it with Io. Ah, and Io too, call Yuzuki-san by her first name. What a perfect timing.¡± ¡°Eehhh?!¡± ¡°Hey, Yukito¡­¡± That¡¯s unnecessary¡­ ¡°¡®Io¡¯ is just two letters. Besides, there¡¯d be many more occasions to call him, so that makes sense, right? And girls can¡¯t call the guy¡¯s first name one-sidedly.¡± argued Yukito with the smirkiest grin of the day. [TN: Description for this is quite lengthy, you can look up here https://cotoacademy.com/san-sama-kun-and-chan/ if you¡¯re curious] This is what makes this guy so annoying. He looks like he¡¯s joking around, but he¡¯s awfully good at logically validating his pranks. Really¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ We need to talk at school too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that rare nowadays, right? You always call people by their names, you don¡¯t like it when it¡¯s your turn?¡± [TN: If you pay attention, Io never uses honorifics.] ¡°Urgh¡­¡± I groaned. ¡°Listen to what your patron says, Io. I¡¯ll be back to check on you, just so you know.¡± ¡°Ha? Oi!¡± At that, Yukito went back to work. From the counter, he sent us a jovial wink. That guy¡­I¡¯ll remember this! ¡°S-so what next?¡± she asked, baffled. A normal reaction. ¡°It¡¯s a pain¡­ But Yukito¡¯s serious at times like this. Better follow what he says, better than listen to his complaints¡­I guess.¡± He¡¯s good at poking at people¡¯s weak points, and even more at getting people to follow his suggestions. With that in mind, listening to what he says without resistance is the best solution. The part timers here too must be troubled. I can imagine their daily struggles. ¡°But, I think he¡¯d be satisfied with making fun of me. Earlier, you were just used by him in order to achieve that. That¡¯s why it¡¯ll be fine if you let me call me by your first name, you don¡¯t have to call mine.¡± He probably won¡¯t corner Yuzuki like he did with me. He tends to keep his outward appearance good, after all. ¡°But still, if it¡¯s only you it would be strange, right?¡± she noted. ¡°Hm? Nah¡­ Well, it might sound unbalanced, but that¡¯s it. You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± I refuted Even though I said that, Yuzuki was deep in thought. She¡¯s serious, no¡­ upright in a weird way. ¡°Um, yup. After all, I¡¯ll call you too¡­ by your first name,¡± she insisted ¡°U-um, okay¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her face flushed red. I don¡¯t want to stop her as she says so, but isn¡¯t that pushing herself too hard? ¡°Then, what about calling that only when we¡¯re here? Sorry, Minato.¡± [TN: Minato is Yuzuki¡¯s first name] ¡°Hya!¡­Umm. Uhhh¡­I-Io!¡± Just like how people make contracts in anime, we called each other¡¯s names once. Well, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Just change the way we call each other, that¡¯s it. But the thing is, Yuzuki¨C Minato¨C looked squirmy, her cheeks even redder than before. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, you know?¡± ¡°N-no. It¡¯s okay¡­! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve never called a boy by the first name¡­¡± she mumbled in a muffled, fading voice. That reaction, if you can, stop please¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°What are you after?¡± While wiping the dishes at the counter, I glared at Yukito who was closing the register. After that, we discussed our course of action quickly and adjourned. Minato went home, while I went straight to help out the store until the caf¨¦ closed. This was one of the conditions for renting the place. While I do get paid, I was basically called in to fill in shifts as Yukito wanted. ¡°Nothing¨C. I was just trying to support my cute cousin in befriending a beautiful girl,¡± he replied. ¡°What support? Adults don¡¯t play around with high school students. It¡¯s gross.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young, just twenty three. Unfortunately.¡± His voice was somber, his usual glee was nowhere to be found. Whatever meaning lies in those words, that was for later. Yukito¡¯s behavior was worse than usual today. ¡°You¡¯re always helping other people¡¯s love, what about yours? I just want to shine light into Io¡¯s lonely youth, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Yep, totally wrong. You already know that I have yet¨C¡± ¡°Io.¡± Interrupting my argument, Yukito stared at me. With his soft smile still on his face, he continued in an admonishing tone. ¡°You too, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you stop giving that girl special treatment?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Something painful, you¡¯d be better off if you forget it, you know? You still have to live on.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± Just shut up, Yukito. I know. I know this the best. [TN: The feather marks the next part as Ayaha interlude. As I personally like everything about the interlude, I really wanna keep this feather, lol] Volume 1 - CH 2.5 ¡°Say, Io-kun.¡± In my memory, that lass said merrily. Just like the sky and the clouds seen from the rooftop, she was like the breeze. ¡°If, hypothetically, okay? If you had some special power, what would you do?¡± she asked. ¡°What¡¯s with that, out of the blue¡­¡± Just like usual, we talked about a lot of things and nothing in particular, just idle chit-chats. But to me, the time spent on this rooftop was more important than everything else. ¡°The drama I saw the other day was about that. I just wondered what Io-kun would do,¡± she elaborated. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fiction? It¡¯s impossible anyway.¡± The topic for today, however, was a bit unsettling. Because I was the only one who knew that it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say so¨C? I did say ¡®if¡¯. Then, what would you do?¡± ¡°You mean magic?¡± ¡°Um, yep! And supernatural powers! Esper! Psychic!¡± ¡°Childish.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m older here?!¡± ¡°The point is, you¡¯re older but more childish.¡± ¡°Hmm? Even though I can make you this excited?¡± ¡°Na! Oi!¡± I was suddenly pulled by the arms, my heart skipped a beat at the soft sensation and the sweet smell. Even though I struggled desperately, she seemed to be enjoying herself. ¡°Don¡¯t cling to me! You idiot! Hey!¡± ¡°Ahaha. You¡¯re so cute, Io-kun. Good boy, good boy.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Even though she was my Senpai, she was an idiot. But her appearance was mature, her voice high-pitched yet profound, I hopelessly fell for her. ¡°Back to topic, what would you do? Esper Io.¡± ¡°Sounds awfully like Esper Ito.¡± [TN: Esper Ito, Japanese comedian.] [TN: Ahahaaa, I¡¯m wheezing. What¡¯s with Io and his obscure references.] ¡°Old! Gosh, how old! Io-kun, are you really younger than me?¡± ¡°Although you did get it. Besides, it¡¯s just one character difference,¡± I pouted. ¡°Ahh, forget it, forget it. What would you do?¡± ¡°So¡­ Supernatural power, for example?¡± ¡°Hmm. Well, reading people¡¯s minds , for example!¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± My heart skipped another beat. But that lass¨CAyaha didn¡¯t notice my trepidation as she fixed her gaze on me, on her face her usual grin. Volume 1 - CH 3.10 This is no a date Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: This is not a date Ayaha Interlude [TN: Every Ayaha Interlude is a continuation of the one before, and took place on the same day] ¡°¡®Reading people¡¯s minds¡¯¡­ in what condition?¡± I masked my panic with an expression of uninterest. ¡°Hmm¡± She thought out loud for a while. The wind blew and her shiny black semi-long hair fluttered and caught light. That and her serious-looking profile had me ogling before I knew it. ¡°Well, knowing what your target is thinking! What they like, what they don¡¯t, are they enjoying themselves, or in grief. Or what would they like to have for dinner, everything!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that about¡­¡± Isn¡¯t that too much? ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? I mean, it¡¯s a superpower¨C!¡± In reality, there¡¯s no such thing as that. I remembered thinking that well. But because of it, I felt a lot less nervous. [TN: The narrative is quite messy here, not sure if he¡¯s speaking from the present or it¡¯s still in the flashback] ¡°So¡­ What next?¡± ¡°Will you use it for good? Or for yourself?¡± She queried. ¡°Of course, well, I would use it for good, I think.¡± I thought so. And surely, the majority of people would. However, ¡°However¡­ can I do that or not, that¡¯s until the power is in my hand that I understand. I¡¯m not a saint.¡± A good guy¡­ I¡¯m not. Had I shown too much emotion for a hypothetical talk, I wondered. Realizing this, I took a peek at her. She was unexpectedly serious too. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ I see.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. You¡¯ve just said the same thing as the main character in a drama, that¡¯s all. Why don¡¯t you apply for a job as a scriptwriter? It¡¯s your time to shine.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. And that¡¯s just stupid.¡± I flatly rejected. ¡°Oh¡­ I want to see it anyway, the story you wrote.¡± She leaned in and laughed mirthfully. That made me both happy and embarrassed, I couldn¡¯t help but look away. Looking back, what a waste. I should have looked at her to my heart¡¯s content when I still can. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Hn?¡± ¡°What would you do? If you have such powers.¡± Coming to think of it, it was some heavily drama-influenced answer. Was it? But still, I was glad I had asked her properly. Say, Ayaha¨C. Volume 1 - CH 3.1 This is not a date Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 1 School rooftops are, in most cases, restricted. Both in middle school and high school. Kuze High is no exception, usually, students can¡¯t enter. That¡¯s the trick, usually. ¡°Heave-ho!¡± The girl in front of me exclaimed as she unlocked the key. Clang. The door swung open easily. The scenery in front of me spread, dazzling blue sky and the shining sun. The dry wind felt good, and with it, my weariness from classes dissipated. [TN: sorry for the interruption, but it seems that my chapters are stolen again. To support me, please read on Travis Translation.] ¡°As spacious as ever¨C¡± she stretched. ¡°All thanks to the secret key. Could you return it now?¡± ¡°Yup, yup.¡± Click. The key clinked as the short-haired girl, Aki Hiura, tossed the key without turning back to me. I caught it carefully and tucked it into my pocket. [TN: The green themed girl in the introduction illust.] ¡°Hey, be more careful. If it got lost and someone found it, we¡¯d be in trouble,¡± I chided ¡°Nah, you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Hiura assured nonchalantly. She checked around a bit before she sat down. The way she crossed her legs made her short skirt dangerously almost visible. ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± She frowned. ¡°Then don¡¯t let me see.¡± ¡°Sexy, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°More of sensitive¡± [TN: transliteration of ¡°sensitive¡± is used in the raw. If I¡¯m to guess, this ¡°sensitive¡± means to be easily embarrassed.] ¡°Here, a glimpse.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Good grief. If I were to give a short description of my number one friend, Aki Hiura, it would be ¡°Free spirited manly girl¡±. To make it easier to understand, the exact opposite of Yuzuki, no Minato. Outspoken and frank, I respected how her attitude remains the same, no matter who she¡¯s talking to. However, she is also like this in front of teachers and seniors, many were also displeased with her. In short, troublesome. Well there¡¯s nothing left to say unless I repeat again, so that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll try emphasizing her strong points. ¡°But anyway, you¡¯re not going around doing that right?¡± I asked her back. ¡°Nothing to worry about, I have leggings. Here.¡± Her hands reached for her skirt. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say stop?!¡± For a healthy high school boy, just a pair of leggings and thighs are enough! And I¡¯m not saying what¡¯s enough! Normally, she¡¯s a helpful person¡­ But actually, besides her personality, Hiura is quite awesome for a highschool girl. After all, she is extremely athletic. Despite the dainty image, she is the top of the female physical education in the school year. She was the only girl to participate in the boy¡¯s relay race at last year¡¯s sports festival. No, it was her fault the ¡°Male Class Representative¡¯s Serious Relay¡± changed its name to ¡°Male and Female Indiscriminate Class Representative¡¯s Serious Relay¡±. [TN:I did my best to translate the name;-;] Based on her running speed, she is inferior to that of the boys, but her baton pass was another level. In fact, seven men plus Hiura is faster than eight men. ¡°The name says ¡®Serious¡¯ but doesn¡¯t let someone like me play? How is that serious?¡±, the legendary words of wisdom that Hiura uttered at that time are still passed down until today. In addition to her physical abilities, she possesses outstanding athletic skills. That was Aki Hiura. And also, being even more skilled than third year students, she¡¯s the reigning ace of the tennis club. Since the first year, she even won first place in a tournament among tennis club members. She was demanded by many clubs. But, as expected of a free spirit, she brushed them off with a single word, ¡°Troublesome.¡±. As a man, I can¡¯t help but admire her swagger. In addition, she has a pretty figure, girlish eyes and nose, things that didn¡¯t match her personality at all. In short, another beauty. Other than her crudeness, she has no notable flaw. And maybe that¡¯s why she was easily antagonized. From the bag she was carrying, she took out yakisoba bread, cream buns, and strawberry au lait. I followed her suit, arranging my own lunch on the floor. ¡°So, what¡¯s your intel? Anything useful?¡± I asked. ¡°Nahh, nothing,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Hey! I paid in advance!¡± ¡°Ahh, how annoying,¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m joking. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried because it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Oh? Wanna fight?¡± Hiura showed her yaeba teeth as she balled her fists. Since I usually lose anyway, I don¡¯t like where this is going. I¡¯m, after all, against violence. Hiura is one of the few people who knows that I am the Angel of Kuze High. Not only that, she also assists me by providing information through her wide network of connections. Except for my power, I¡¯m an ordinary person, there¡¯s a limit to workload I can handle and time I have. Thus, collaborators are essential to the Angel¡¯s activities. However, the condition was that I buy her an au lait as a payment. She seems to like it a lot. ¡°No extra random gossip today. Forgive me for that,¡± she began her report. ¡°Ah. And what about the person I asked?¡± Hiura would usually investigate love affairs of the entire school. Since she has a diverse circle of acquaintances, her gathering capability is quite impressive. But today was different, I asked her to focus on a single person. I want to respect her privacy, but there are things that you can¡¯t glean from the person herself. ¡°Yuzuki Minato, second year, class seven, go-home club. In the latest examination ranked fourth in overall grades, A in physical education,¡± she listed. ¡°Haa¡­ I kinda expected that, but she sure is high spec.¡± ¡°Times she had been confessed too: twelve confirmed. Boyfriend during highschool: zero. Very popular, she assumed the title of ¡®Kuze High¡¯s Top Three¡¯ this year. Her cup size¨C¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°E¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Yep, serious.¡± I see¡­ So she¡¯s packing¡­ No, stop it, Io. Don¡¯t touch this topic any further. But still, for Hiura to know about such things¡­ By the way, the ¡°Kuze High¡¯s Top Three¡± is just what the name implies, a title for the top three popular girls among the boys, regardless of school year. For some reason, Kuze High has a reputation for having a high percentage of beautiful girls. And those girls are real beauty, no joke. The members are not decided by anyone, and they are referred to in common parlance. Although there are rumors about the rank authorizing body being secretly run by a group of students. Along with the Angel of Kuze High, some students call this ¡°The two urban legends of Kuze High¡±. They are my rivals. Hm¡­ maybe not. [TN:What¡¯s with this school and rumors? And that naming too, lol] ¡°Her closest friend: Fumiya Shiho¡­No, she¡¯s the only one she has a proper relationship with. The rest are more or less shallow, she can talk with them, that¡¯s it. Fujimiya also went to the same middle school, but¡ª¡± she frowned. ¡°But?¡± ¡°They¡¯re from another prefecture. I heard that they went to a middle school in Kyoto. But I haven¡¯t been able to find any more information on this.¡± ¡°Kyoto¡­How strange. We are a public school here right?¡± ¡°Wanna dig further?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­No. I¡¯ll ask you to if necessary, but until then.¡± It should have nothing to do with this case. Besides, she herself doesn¡¯t seem to be fond of that time. If possible, I wanted to avoid this. As if remembering something, she added, ¡°and about the ¡®Kuze High¡¯s Top Three¡¯, she was disliked by a group of people.¡± ¡°Hm? Why is that?¡± From what I know of her, she didn¡¯t seem like the kind of guy to be disliked. Although I did get why she has a few friends. ¡°First is plain envy, and the latter grudges. Grudge against Yuzuki for stealing their crushes. These are from the girl¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ¡°For the guys it¡¯s a bit stupid. They think¨C¡± ¡°Yuzuki-chan was leading them on.¡± From behind, a voice interrupted Hiura. When I turned around, my number two friend, Reiji Miwa, walked in with his hands clasped behind his head. Volume 1 - CH 3.2 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 2 Reiji sat down and pulled out a curry bun from his bag. His brown two block cut hair and his flashy, well-groomed hace was attention grabbing again today. His earrings reflected light at his ear. Since Kuze High is quite liberal, piercings are not prohibited, and thus Reiji¡¯s not a delinquent. Although he¡¯s quite an idiot. By the way, Reji knows the Angel¡¯s true identity, just like Hiura. Though Reiji isn¡¯t a collaborator, he is knowledgeable in love affairs and human relations, so he is of help sometimes. However, I hadn¡¯t told them about my power. If there¡¯s no necessity, then let¡¯s keep things that way. ¡°You finished your business?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°As always¡­¡± He was late today because a junior called him out. And as usual, he was confessed, then accepted easily, everything was over in an impossible speed. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s no point in being judgemental, and I¡¯m not planning to. He¡¯ll probably break up soon, again. It was hopeless the moment I heard the girl¡¯s name. [TN: sorry for the interruption, but my chapters are still stolen, again. To support me, please read on Travis Translation.] ¡°So, ¡®leading them on¡¯?¡± I brought the topic back. For some reason, it sounded like it had more meaning to it. ¡°Well, Yuzuki-chan¡¯s quite cold, right? Or maybe calm and collected? Anyway, you can¡¯t read her feelings and she seems smart.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­Yeah.¡± Her first impression was indeed like that. But now that I know her more, getting immediately flustered or embarrassed like that, she¡¯s quite emotionally expressive. ¡°But when you get to know her, she¡¯s a real dere,¡± Reiji went on. [TN: Dere as in deredere] ¡°D-dere?¡± What¡¯s with that rom-com vocab¡­ ¡°To put it simply, she gives them hope. She¡¯s usually cool, but she would start blushing when talking with them. That gives the boys ¡®Maybe she likes me?¡¯ moment¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Somehow, I could see it happening. That¡¯s an understandable situation¡­ from both Minato¡¯s perspective and the guy¡¯s. ¡°But when it comes to confession, it was a straight no. That, in one move, made them antagonistic. Just like what Hiura said.¡± ¡°A bunch of nonsense, you stupid men. Pushed your own luck and then came back lamenting.¡± Hiura added before chugging her strawberry au lait. ¡°Ahaha,¡± Reiji laughed in response. Yeah, a bunch of nonsense. But in that regard, Minato herself must have liked them. She just couldn¡¯t hide her feelings well, which leads to this. Coming to that conclusion, I did feel sympathetic for those boys. ¡°Hm. You¡¯re strangely knowledgeable about this, Reiji,¡± I commented. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Miwa¡¯s one of those simpletons?¡± ¡°Nah¨Csmart girls are not my type. But I do understand their feelings. With their cheap pride trampled, they become antagonistic. This is the problem with the unpopular guys.¡± [TN:The top left scene] He shook his head as if to say ¡°good grief¡±, then proceeded to chomp down the remaining curry bun. Hiura changed her posture from cross-legged and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all about Yuzuki. Both famous and infamous, if the balance tipped, she might fall back to Plus Four.¡± Please stop that, I could almost see again. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Plus Four¡±, additional ranking of the four most popular girls after Kuze¡¯s Top Three. Just like the Kuze¡¯s Top Three, a common name by the students. And by the way, aren¡¯t you enjoying this too much, Kuze High students? What is this even? Backlash against intense study? [TN:I¡¯m glad someone pointed this out] ¡°Whoah. Then isn¡¯t this interesting? Our Hiura might finally rank up.¡± After swallowing his bread, Reiji mentioned playfully. Nothing to hide, Aki Hiura here is also one of the Flus Four. She¡¯s not in the same league as Minato, but she¡¯s another high-spec beauty nonetheless. ¡°Over my dead body. Don¡¯t.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Want it or not, it¡¯s the end of the line if you¡¯re selected, right?¡± ¡°Yep, yep. You can¡¯t escape your destiny,¡± assented Reiji. ¡°It¡¯s annoying just as it is. Make me a Top Three, I¡¯ll track down that authorizing body and make them pay.¡± Death reflected in her eyes. Kuzu¡¯s Top Three, Plus Four¡­ titles of honor, longed by boys and girls alike¡­ and whatsoever. Well, titles like these are many things, including a pain. I¡¯m not sure whether you exist or not, but I won¡¯t recommend offending Princess Hiura, authorizing body or not. ¡°Anyway, thanks, Hiura. You helped me out. If you found out something new, please let me know.¡± ¡°Hey, hey.¡± I had just finished eating my bread and was collecting Hiura¡¯s and Reiji¡¯s trash into a bag. I did gain more information on her, but still no clue about the cause of the Falling-in-love Peculiarity. So I need to make some assumptions along the way, huh? ¡°By the way, Io. Why¨C are you looking into Yuzuki-chan? Hm?¡± Reiji said with a sly grin. This guy¡­despite already knowing the answer¡­ ¡°It¡¯s my work. Just like always.¡± ¡°Nah¨C. You might be making it seem like that, but actually trying to get her yourself. That¡¯s a power abuse, you know?¡± ¡°Reiji.¡± I pronounced. ¡°Oops. Don¡¯t get angry. If it¡¯s not then just say so.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Hm. How boring.¡± Good grief, this guy¡­ Reiji, as if he had lost interest, lied down. Hiura was already fiddling with her phone while yawning in a surprisingly cute manner. ¡°There¡¯s one thing, of different matter, I wanted to ask.¡± I stressed the ¡°different¡±. They just directed their eyes at me. ¡°Falling in love with multiple people. What do you think it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°Multiple?¡± Reji immediately asked. ¡°Well¡­ Ten to twenty. Unusual number of that magnitude.¡± ¡°Bitch. If male then an ape.¡± That was Hiura. The way she talked was no longer girly. Maybe now is too late to expect that. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t it simple? I mean, it¡¯s just a matter of that guy¡¯s style?¡± ¡°Dunno. Not something a virgin like me would know.¡± Hiura shook her head in resignation. ¡°Wait! You! Idiot! A girl shouldn¡¯t talk like that!¡± ¡°Heh? Hiura, you¡¯re a virgin?¡± ¡°Yup¡± ¡°Oi! Don¡¯t ask! And don¡¯t just answer!¡± Even though I yelled at them, they were deft to my scolding. Gosh¡­It¡¯s as if I¡¯m the crazy one here¡­ ¡°So¡­Your opinion? Reiji.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to it? That guy¡¯s easy to fall in love, just that.¡± ¡°Well¡­Maybe you¡¯re right. But why is it happening?¡± ¡°That kind of thing is happening?¡± he returned a question, a dangerous one, that. ¡°Ah, no¡­ Hypothetical.¡± ¡°Hypothetical, huh?¡± [TN: Give my man a peace of mind. Io¡¯s stress this week increased exponentially, lol] Reiji contemplated the idea a bit more, before shrugging. Dunno, the gesture reminded me of that word. So Reiji too¡­ Well, another thing to add to the list of don¡¯t-knows. Well¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°But there are so many cute girls out there, to choose one out of them, that¡¯s just impossible~. It¡¯s not a bad thing, as long as it¡¯s not an affair.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the only thing that concerns you¡­ Hahh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious about everything~¡± After that, our conversation turned to the afternoon classes. Volume 1 - CH 3.3 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 3 After school, we met up again at Yukito¡¯s caf¨¦. However, the caf¨¦ was filled to the brim with customers that day, so I was called in by Yukito to help until the flood of customers calmed. After an hour of serving and taking orders, I returned to our usual table, Minato was waiting there. ¡°Sorry, but you could have gone home today. I must have wasted your time sitting here.¡± I sat down. ¡°No, I came all the way here. Actually, I¡¯m a bit guilty about using your table the whole time¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, the people today wasn¡¯t that much. There was no waiting line, so nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± When I nodded, Minato let out a small breath of relief. As upright as ever. ¡°You were studying?¡± English textbooks and notes sprawled on the table. Both had a lot of writing on it and pages were worn. ¡°I heard that your grades are good, you¡¯re studying properly after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m not a genius. Besides, everyone at Kuze¡¯s smart.¡± Minato replied somewhat uncomfortably. I suppose that¡¯s true. However, not everyone has the will to work hard to go to the next level. There are many temptations in life, especially in high school. ¡°Akashi¡­ Io, how are yours?¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start today¡¯s session¡± ¡°Somehow¡­ I got the picture.¡± She saw right through me. It¡¯s okay, getting into Kuze high is good enough for me. By the way, she still continues to call me by my name. As expected, it was still embarrassing. Then, just like before, I touched her cheek once to discern any changes. There were no additions this time, but I did discover a new trend. ¡°It decreased.¡± ¡°Eh?¡­ R-really?¡± She said with mixed feelings painted on her face. I checked again, but the result was the same. Comparing the faces to the note, I found the missing one. Matsumoto who was rejected a while before. ¡°Umm¡­ Farewell, Matsumoto. We won¡¯t forget you.¡± I crossed his name out. ¡°W-when¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even aware of this?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­Until now, the number decreases now and then when I¡¯m not paying attention¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Well, it¡¯s not like it could increase endlessly. Besides, pinpointing when affection recedes or disappears, it¡¯s not something a normal person could do too. ¡°Of course, just in case, any idea of what causes it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ No.¡± Of course¨C You don¡¯t even know why you like them in the first place. What am I expecting? In short, no progress. [TN: The ¡°Of course¨C¡± is sassier in the raws] ¡°So that means we don¡¯t know the reason, and even preference in liking someone.¡± ¡°So¡­ What next?¡± ¡°I need more data,¡± I decided. She tilted her head anxiously. ¡°Data¡­?¡± ¡°Yesterday, Aoki¡¯s handkerchief incident told us that the length of the relationship doesn¡¯t matter. You haven¡¯t talked to him before, right?¡± I asked to make sure. ¡°Y-yup¡± she nodded. ¡°Then, when you like more people, we can narrow down the criteria a little more. These samples will lead us the way.¡± It was now difficult to obtain any accurate information from the people she had already liked. With that, this option was the best. This is a game of numbers. ¡°W-wait! That means you want me to increase the number?¡± She fretted in alarm. ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°B-but! Isn¡¯t that a complete turnaround?!¡± She protested, her glare on me. But I quickly cut her off. ¡°No, your logic is the turnaround.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Your goal is not to reduce the number, but to cure the Falling-in-love Peculiarity itself,¡± I state calmly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I know it¡¯s hard to be positive. Falling in love isn¡¯t that convenient. But to move forward, we must make mistakes. But those mistakes are meaningful.¡± Minato seemed troubled, her eyes casted down, her mouth pressed thin. She must have understood what I meant. Even so, she still couldn¡¯t make up her mind. That¡¯s the stage she¡¯s in. ¡°And I do believe that those mistakes are worth it. If you really don¡¯t want to, then it¡¯s your choice. But I¡¯m sure you want to be cured.¡± Silence. Maybe I could have used the ¡°I¡¯ll do anything¡±. But that was something that ties to her feelings directly. If possible, I want her to make her own decision. Otherwise, she might get lost in the process and end up regretting it. I kept quiet and waited for her reply. Around me, I could hear the clattering of dishes and the faint murmurs of the other customers. When the jazz track Yukito put on ended, she finally answered. ¡°Got it¡­ I¡¯ll do as you said.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± She nodded slowly. Having them decide for themselves, that¡¯s the best. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m wondering¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always like this?¡± ¡°Always?¡± Always? What? ¡°You see¡­ During Angel¡¯s consultations.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± So that was what she meant. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯re desperate¡­ no, serious. It¡¯s not even your problem.¡± ¡°Of course. If I¡¯m not, I won¡¯t go as far as playing up the rumors. Romantic feelings aren¡¯t something to be taken lightly. I don¡¯t want to take on something like this with half-hearted determination.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She replied curtly then huffed and turned away. I stared at her profile as she looked around the cafe and blinked two, three times. The conversation took an awkward turn. The itch to cover up the earlier statement was unbearable, so I added, ¡°Well, I usually hide my gender, use voice change, and a tad bit flowery lingo. Respectful and authoritative, that¡¯s what I aim for. And I use gender neutral ¡°Watashi¡± as the first person too.¡± [TN: The aforementioned different versions of ¡°I¡±] ¡°Duh¡­ I can¡¯t care more¡­¡± ¡°Oi, take that back. And don¡¯t sigh.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Is that so, hahh¡­¡± ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t talk between sighs.¡± My gibe got a quick smirk out of her as she shrugged innocently. Volume 1 - CH 3.4 Chapter 3: This is not a date Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 4 The next morning, we got to work right away. ¡°Yo, Machida.¡± ¡°Woah, Akashi. What¡¯s up?¡± First of all, Minato is now trying to approach the boys more actively. Of course, it was to make her like more people. But since she seemed like she could freeze up any moment, and that was even before she began talking, I told her to relax. But I just can¡¯t let her be, so¡­ ¡°Well, there¡¯s a thing¨C¡± ¡°What? What a weird guy.¡± In contrast to her task, mine was simple. In short, to monitor her as she carries out the plan. That was why I¡¯m here, second year class seven, Minato¡¯s class, standing by. Incidentally, this Machida is a fellow who was in the same class with me last year. This time, I intended to use him as a placeholder during the operation. I¡¯m from another class, afterall. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re here for Yuzuki? How cute¨C.¡± His dubious face broke into a grin. ¡°Ah, nope. Well, the truth is¡­ I¡¯m kinda curious.¡± He probably meant it as a joke, but that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m waiting for. He exclaimed in surprise, his eyes shooting sparks all over. ¡°Eeh?! Really? You¡¯re not the type to take interest in a girl. I¡¯m shocked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested¨C, a lot, at that. Besides, she¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Well, I can see why. Hmm¡­ got it, got it.¡± He crossed his arms, satisfied. I¡¯m grateful he believed that, but sometimes, he could be a bit too much. But it¡¯s all thanks to you that I can come here without being suspicious. Sorry for taking advantage of you, Machida ¡°She¡¯s here, Yuzuki. Look, there,¡± he called. When I followed his finger, Minato was already at her seat, radiating her sparkling aura as ever. Wait, why are you there¡­ Then, she slowly turned this way. When our eyes met, her head quickly lurched back to its original position. Compared to a second before, her expression stiffened visibly. ¡°Whoa? Did she just look this way? You might have a chance after all?¡± ¡°Dunno.¡± Nope, she just noticed my presence, then panicked, now that there¡¯s no way back for her now. I scanned people around Minato absentmindedly, while grunting a few responses to Machida¡¯s questions. A few boys looked at her from afar. There were also a few girls too. All the expressions and looks on their faces varied. This might be a bit too hard for her¡­ So this is the normal atmosphere for her, huh? Having good looks could be a bit of a bother. Suddenly, she stood up, then awkwardly approached a group of boys and girls mixed nearby. Both Minato and the group seemed nervous. But after a while, the conversation flowed normally and the atmosphere relaxed. A wave of relief washed over me as I sighed. Why do I feel like a parent watching their kid on their first day of school¡­ ¡°Huh? Yuzuki-san, that¡¯s unusual. She¡¯s usually with Fujimiya-san.¡± ¡°Fujimiya?¡± That said, I already knew her from Hiura yesterday. Fujimiya Shiho, Minato¡¯s best friend. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s here.¡± Following Machida¡¯s gaze, I looked at the entrance. Chestnut-colored medium hair curled loosely inward, under her neatly trimmed bangs, round red-rimmed glasses. Behind them her bright slanted eyes scanned the room quickly. Her round outline and her short height contributed to her cute appearance. She had the impression of a quiet yet gorgeous girl. She was a friend of Minato¡¯s so she was quite noticeable. No, that has nothing to do with this. She dropped her bag at her seat and immediately joined Minato. Like Minato, she joined the conversation. Perhaps because of her arrival, Minato became more relaxed. ¡°Fujimiya-san is kinda cute too¨C. Actually, she¡¯s more of my type,¡± daydreamed Machida. ¡°She¡¯s pretty. And she seems to be strong-willed too.¡± She¡¯s calm and serene, but somehow I feel that way. The quiet fervor type? ¡°That¡¯s the best part?. That plainess was exquisite, ahhh. She¡¯s always next to Yuzuki-san, so she doesn¡¯t stand out, but I think she could rise to Plus Four if she wants to.¡± ¡°Hmm. Flus Four, huh.¡± Well, by popularity, she seems to fare better than Hiura. But if it¡¯s just looks then they¡¯re a good match. ¡°Ahhh. I want to get the Angel¡¯s letter too¨C. And then, you know, with Fijimiya-san¨C¡± his daydream continued. ¡°Machida¡­ do you believe in those rumors?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it interesting! Besides, it seems authentic. By my feeling, that is.¡± ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s unexpected.¡± Thanks, Machida. But well, I don¡¯t plan to send a letter to you. For various reasons. ¡°Hehh¨C. You¡¯re those unbelievers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with those uninterested guys.¡± ¡°The most boring of all choices¨C¡± I¡¯m sorry for being boring. But I¡¯m safest with this stance, as the Angel himself. After that, nothing of note happened and the first period came around. For today, no, for a while, I will continue this kind of monitoring. Heavy footed, I left class seven. Before I duck out, I glanced at Minato. Secretly, we nodded encouragingly to each other. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô The same day, I left my class and visited her during lunch break. While making random responses to Machida¡¯s prattling, I watched her. She was probably aware of me and she was properly interacting with a variety of people. As serious as ever. ¡°Yuzuki-san doesn¡¯t belong to any club, right? So what are you doing at home?¡± One of the boys asked with keen interest. A group of three boys, five including Minato and Fujimiya, were engaging in a small talk. ¡°U-umm¡­ Well, the usual. Reading books, watching TV shows, and so on.¡± ¡°Hm? Watching TV shows? That¡¯s unexpected,¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yup, Yup. You look like the type to only read books¨C¡± Another guy agreed. Yeah, I think the same thing too. And she¡¯s probably studying too, but she¡¯s not saying it. ¡°But, you go out with me often, don¡¯t you?¡± This time, it was Fujimiya. Hugging Minato¡¯s arm, she joined the conversation with a smile on her face. ¡°By the way, you two get along well. You were in the same class last year?¡± ¡°Yup. Minato here doesn¡¯t have many friends, so I¡¯m quite worried about not being together.¡± ¡°Hey, stop it, Shiho!¡± Volume 1 - CH 3.5 This is not a date Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 3 At her sheepish reaction, everyone laughed. Just according to the intel from Machida, Fujimiya was always at Minato¡¯s side, just like now. But it wasn¡¯t that one of them was following the other around, their hearts seemed to connect, their bond was that deep. Whatever she was doing, whoever she talked to, Minato and Fujimiya came in a set. ¡°Eh? Then, let¡¯s be friends, Yuzuki-chan! Tell me your LINE! LINE!¡± [TN: LINE, a popular messaging app in Asia] ¡°Me too, me too¨C¡± ¡°Um¡­ ¡®Kay. Then¡­ here.¡± She hesitated a bit before handing her phone to them. Her commitment sees no end. But of course, this is not something bad. Expanding her connection and getting to know more people would surely increase the number of people she likes. That¡¯s her¨Cour¨C current goal. By the way, the boys whooped and were waving their phones around excitedly. The hollering got the attention of the other guys around. It¡¯s purely my own personal judgment, but this seems to be going well. ¡°Damn, they got it before you.¡± From the side, Machida said with a knowing grin. Too bad, that wasn¡¯t the case. We already had each other¡¯s LINE since the day she discovered me. No, I¡¯m not showing off. ¡°But Yuzuki-san, what¡¯s wrong with her? She hadn¡¯t talked to anyone until now.¡± ¡°That kind of small talk should be normal?¡± Yes, this is a feigned ignorance. ¡°Unn¨C, Maybe¨C¡± He cocked his head curiously while looking at Minato. From the situation, she had probably refrained from interactions with other people to decrease the number. However, her action, and also motive, was the complete opposite from before. So it was inevitable that people would suspect something. In fact, Machida already had. I know you¡¯re not eager to do this, but please, Minato. ¡°Well¨C, compared to the unapproachable version, now¡¯s way better. At least I think so.¡± He threw his body back against the chair. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Fujimiya Fan?¡± ¡°If I have to choose, that is! But cute girls are still cute at the end of the day!¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°Ah! But I¡¯m not going to be your rival, so rest assured, Akashi¨C¡± That knowing grin again. Even though it¡¯s for the sake of the operation, he¡¯s getting more annoying by the day¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô I called her to the cafe after school and checked once. This was to evaluate today¡¯s operation. If there was someone, then we would get to identifying. After that, we would list that guy¡¯s interaction with her. She might have slipped something, so that will be where my observation came in. ¡°S-so?¡± She kept her head down all the while I compared the list. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one.¡± ¡°I knew it¡­¡± So she¡¯s aware of it. ¡°Hahh,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s that guy. The guy that asked you what you usually do at home.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Inada-kun¡­ Nghh¡­¡± She groaned as she plopped down on the table. This was our objective, so this is a complete success. Although I understand how she couldn¡¯t feel happy about it. ¡°At any rate, good job on the first one, Minato.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­ Really¡­¡± ¡°Actually, you¡¯re more compliant than I thought. I¡¯m surprised. And you¡¯re getting results too.¡± ¡°I mean¡­It¡¯s my problem. So it¡¯s my duty to¡­¡± Her head was still plopped down. She really seemed worn out. I wish I could ease things up a little, but until a satisfactory result comes out, we¡¯re stuck with this. ¡°So you don¡¯t understand the reason for this time too?¡± I asked, just in case. ¡°Yup¡­ But we only talked, something must have happened there¡­¡± ¡°Even though you said that, it was just a normal conversation.¡± ¡°We exchanged contacts¡­¡± From the gap of her arms peeked at the phone on the table. ¡°So you liked him because he asked you LINE?¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± she shouted, but then stammered, ¡°I¡¯m not so sure either¡­ But I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Hmm. Well, if that¡¯s the case, then it would probably be too much, wouldn¡¯t it? But we can¡¯t just disregard the idea too. For now, note that down, just in case. ¡°By the way, have you chatted?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ A little.¡± Her face turned red again. Despite that, her lips curled into a smile. I don¡¯t mean to put it this way, but that was certainly an expression of a maiden in love, the only difference being the number of people she fell in love with. ¡°And? What have you talked about?¡± ¡°He invited me to hang out sometime¡­¡± Whoah. That¡¯s a fastball. They seemed to be normies too, being proactive was probably in their nature. That¡¯s a good thing. ¡°Just the two of you?¡± ¡°N-no! Several of us, a get-together.¡± Hmm, a get-together. Definitely sus. Well considering the time of the year, it wasn¡¯t absurd. ¡°So, Io¡­ How should I respond?¡± She said meekly. ¡°Hm? A bit hard for an observation here. So operation-wise I don¡¯t advise you to. Of course, that¡¯s just advice. If it¡¯s really a get-together, then you should go, they¡¯re your classmates.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± She was deep in thought, putting her hand to her well-shaped chin. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Y-yup, got it. I¡¯ll give it a thought¡± Minato opened her phone and started typing. With her eyes on her phone, her expression was quite hard to read. But, hmm, a get-together¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô The next day too, she carried out the plan dutifully. She went on talking with different people, even those who she wasn¡¯t particularly friendly with. That must have been exhausting, since she sometimes returned to slump at her seat. I already know she¡¯s like this, but this is more stoic than I thought. Given my previous consultations, most of them are pretty stubborn. They lacked the courage, froze up from time to time. I really wanted them to learn from her. Needless to say, to make the most of her efforts, I went to class seven as much as allowed. Listened to Machida¡¯s prattle, observed Minato¡¯s surroundings, and memorized events. I couldn¡¯t just slack off, just so you know. ¡°You come here pretty often¨C. To do this much, quite dedicated you are.¡± ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m head over heels for her.¡± At lunch, while munching on the bread I bought, I watched her. Minato and Fujimiya, along with a group of boys and girls, were enjoying their own lunch. Her popularity really shows in times like this, she was welcomed no matter which group she visited. But there was one thing that piques my interest. ¡°Y-Yuzuki-san, have you finished the fifth period¡¯s math assignment?¡± One of the boys asked. He was my consultant, Makino Kousuke. ¡°Yeah. The two pages exercise, right?¡± ¡°Yup, that one. Um¡­ I have something I don¡¯t understand, mind explaining?¡± ¡°Eh? Ok. But I¡¯m not really confident myself¡­¡± ¡°Really? Thanks!¡± And their conversation came to an end. They were both conspicuously blushing. ¡°Ah, that Makino guy there, he¡¯s usually mature and quiet, but he¡¯s like that only when he talks with Yuzuki-san.¡± In front of me, Machida whispered. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± ¡°From my reading, he likes her. And quite serious, by that, you know? Isn¡¯t he your rival?¡± ¡°Maybe¡± I haven¡¯t talked to him much lately, but he¡¯s working hard too, it seems. Besides, he¡¯s on the list too. Strange as it may sound, their affection was mutual. As expected¡­ I can¡¯t just choose one of them. After that, they brought out their books and exchanged notes. No doubt, Makino, and then unexpectedly, Minato too, were bashful. They were on cloud nine, bringing their faces closer and closer. Just like what Reiji said, she was ¡°leading them on¡±. Well, there¡¯s no helping that. But she had no bad intentions, she really felt the same way as them, she was just bad at hiding it. ¡°Hahh¡­ First of all, this is troubling¡± My sigh was too quiet for even Machida to hear. Volume 1 - CH 3.6 One thing came to mind. [Are you free this Sunday?] The moment I sent the message, the ¡°read¡± quickly popped up. Her reply was also fast. [I¡¯m free. But why?] [Wanna go out somewhere together?] The read receipt was there, however, no reply came. Hahh, she¡¯s probably misunderstood. I can¡¯t just leave out the explanation because it¡¯s long, right? [I¡¯ll call you] After sending the message, I called her. The call reang for three¨Cfour times. Didn¡¯t she just chat with me? What¡¯s taking her so long? ¨C¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mornin¡¯¡± ¨C¡°All of the sudden¡­ Two of us? Why¡­?¡± ¡°Something crossed my mind. If we limit the scale to just school, the data would be unbalanced.¡± ¨C¡°Eh?¡± Here¡¯s what I mean. If we limit it to the boys at school, there might be some elements missing. An experiment that satisfies the conditions of her having a brief contact with a variety of people and within my monitoring range. My wording might be rude, but to do so, we needed to go out somewhere. ¡°How is it? What a brilliant idea, isn¡¯t it?¡± By the way, I got the keyword from Inada¡¯s ¡°get-together¡±. Going out might even give us some clue. ¨C¡°I-in theory, I kinda understand¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s a¡­ da¨C¡± ¡°Hn? ¡­ Yup, well, by definition, a date.¡± ¨C¡°Fueh?!¡± [TN:Smoothest date invite ever.] What kind of voice is she making? ¡°Wait, just by definition? If our intention isn¡¯t like that, it shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right? We are gathering data for your case.¡± It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t bothered. But that doesn¡¯t change anything, we¡¯ve got work to do. ¨C¡°G-Got it! But¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¨C¡°It¡¯s my first, so I don¡¯t know how it should go¡­¡± ¡°I told you it¡¯s not a date! Don¡¯t think anything and just come!¡± Good grief¡­ I was trying to not be conscious about it, why won¡¯t you cooperate¡­ I¡¯m nervous too, you know. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô And then the day came. We met up in front of the central ticket gate of JR Kyoto station, the exit with the Kyoto Tower on the side. As I fiddled with my phone, a voice called, ¡°Sorry for the wait¡± ¡°Um, hi.¡± I intentionally moved up one stop and arrived a little earlier than Minato. By the way, it took me only ten minutes from my house to here. Twenty from Kuze High via the Keihan Line. The Kyoto station was just that close to Shiga Prefecture. [TN: I have never been there myself, and using Google Maps didn¡¯t help, so there might be some errors in directories] Shiga Prefecture was secretly amazing. The distance from Kyoto secured its position as a B-class city. It¡¯s a different story if you go to the other side of Lake Biwa though. No, this is not the time. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished my lunch, is that okay?¡± She asked. ¡°Oh, yep, I don¡¯t mind.¡± How do I explain Minato in casual clothes? Well, firstly, beautiful. Gorgeous white blouse with wide cuffs and a large bow at her collar. The long pale green split skirt that gave an occasional glimpse of her calves was dazzling. The black bag across her shoulder also added accent to her overall look. Although simple, her outfit catches people¡¯s attention without being obnoxious. In addition, to avoid being recognized by any familiar faces, she wore a pink mask and stylish glasses. Even with half of her face obscured, she had an overwhelming presence. Indeed, an appearance worthy of Kuze High¡¯s Top Three. By the way, I wore a black mask too. But there was nothing interesting about me, so I¡¯ll leave it at that. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Somewhat awkward, we started walking side by side. Along the main road, we headed north along the main street toward our first destination. ¡°So, nothing to focus in particular, right?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± I replied, ¡°Go shopping normally and go home. The number of people you like, increase or not, it will be a hint anyway. We¡¯re eliminating possibilities one by one here.¡± Yes, the purpose of going out today was to get hints for the Falling-in-love Peculiarity. This isn¡¯t a date. But despite that, we couldn¡¯t just walk around, that would be a waste of time. That was why we decided to accompany each other as we went shopping. First was my turn. My target was earphones. ¡°I¡¯m going all out today, just wait for me, earphones.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an earphone geek?¡± Did I sound that eager? ¡°Kinda, well, mostly it¡¯s for work.¡± As the Yodobashi Camera¡¯s escalator carried us up, she asked. [TN:I think this should be it: https://images.app.goo.gl/ULNjYpsbGTzeg5J68] ¡°¡®Work¡¯? You mean as the Angel?¡± ¡°Yup. Specifically, it¡¯s one of the excuses for touching the target¡¯s face naturally.¡± When we reached the wireless section, I quickly ran my eyes over the displayed earphones. The types of earphone was its own mystery, but I have my own way of choosing. ¡°The expensive and rare ones are easier to lend.¡± I said as I inspected one of them. ¡°Aah, so that¡¯s what you meant.¡± ¡°Yup. I brought up the topic about earphones and steered my way to it. ¡®Wanna try?¡¯, and then when they are satisfied, I reach to take it off. If my hand could graze the slightest of their faces, it¡¯s mission complete.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some creativity¡­¡± ¡°Trial and error. Pretending to brush something from their hair¡¯s convenient too, but that would raise suspicion.¡± Excuses for touching the target¡¯s face, the more the better. I¡¯m carrying a lot of risks here. Well, that Minato found out, that¡¯s a special case. ¡°Bone conduction or noise canceling types are the best. Most people wanted to try them. They¡¯re expensive, though. Thanks to that, whatever¡¯s left of my already little part time wages are gone too.¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re¡­spending all your money on these?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, not all. But a good chunk of it, though. Investment in my work isn¡¯t something I¡¯d regret¡­ Damn, this one¡¯s two thousand yen !¡± ¡°Um¡­Why do you go to such lengths?¡± I was gawking at the price tag when she asked. ¡°To such lengths?¡± I repeated. ¡°I think I had asked once before too. How you spend your money, how serious you are. You¡¯re strangely earnest. I¡¯m curious about that¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I suppose that would be a normal response to my attitude. Well then, how do I answer? ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t expect you to be this serious when I asked for your help. Although I did have high hopes for the Angel and that rumored power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy you think like that. But, well, how do I explain¡­ It¡¯s my policy. Obsession, maybe. No, you just ask why am I so obsessed¡­¡± ¡°Is this¡­ one of the things you don¡¯t want to say?¡± ¡°Well, something like that. I think this is not the place to talk about such things. Please just forget it.¡± That wasn¡¯t even an excuse, just plain refusal to talk. But I think this is better than beating around the bush stubbornly. Besides, if it¡¯s Minato¡­ ¡°Got it. Sorry I asked you something unnecessary.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the one keeping things from you, sorry.¡± Asking about the other side while keeping yours secret. I usually do this in normal cases, but being face to face like this only made it worse. But she didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Instead, she was studying one of the high-quality earphones in the showcase. Her face was unconcerned, as if she had forgotten about the earlier conversation. I¡¯m grateful for your attitude, Minato. Volume 1 - CH 3.7 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 7 ¡°Hmm, my earphones are the one that came with my phone, should I buy a new one?¡± She picked up one of them. ¡°If there¡¯s no problem then you don¡¯t have to. Do you listen to a lot of music or videos?¡± ¡°No. Maybe some music once in a while, but the cords tend to tangle in my hair, so I usually don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hn? So there¡¯s such a disadvantage to long black hair every man yearns for.¡± ¡°Maybe not for everyone with long hair, but at least for me.¡± She then tried on one of the samples. ¡°And what¡¯s that ¡®every man yearns for¡¯¡± she added. The dark red of the earphones suits her well. Although she did seem to have trouble putting it on. ¡°How about I give you one? I have one left.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She turned this way sharply. ¡°I have an out of use wireless earphone. It¡¯s quite cheap, so don¡¯t think much about it.¡± ¡°Is that okay? Really?¡± ¡°Yup. I brought it online, but they don¡¯t quite fit my ears. They¡¯re wireless, so it might be easier to put on.¡± ¡°¡®Kay¡­ Thanks, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Minato nodded, her eyes narrowed a litte. I couldn¡¯t see her mouth because of the mask, but she was probably smiling. Somehow, I felt worse. Sorry for not telling you, hope this could make up for that, sorry, Minato. In the end, I brought the new JBL noise canceling waterproof earphones. It cost me 15,000 yen, my first splurge in a long while. I needed to fill in more shifts again, it seemed. Then we took the elevator to Ogaki Bookstore on the sixth floor. This time, it was her turn. I was glad she chose here, since I have some purchase in mind too. ¡°Ah, by the way, Minato.¡± ¡°Hn?¡± She tilted her head questioningly. There were only the two of us in the elevator. ¡°I don¡¯t have time. Sorry.¡± ¡°Heh? Wait?! Hya!¡± My hand quickly touched the cheek peeking from her mask. She might have killed me if I were to say ¡°You¡¯re wide open¡± or some shojo pickup lines, so I kept silent. Then the door opened and people entered. We acted like nothing happened and went up silently. She pulled me aside as soon as we left the elevator. ¡°Hey, Io! Stop that! You¡¯re scaring me!¡± She hissed. With her cheeks puffed, she scowled. I wanna see her face under the mask. [TN: Me too, bud, me too.] ¡°Well¨C I apologized. I want to see if there¡¯s any change from the station until now. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Even so, tell me before you do it!. Pervert!¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ The door¡¯s opening, and it¡¯s not like we could do it out here. That¡¯s the only private space around here.¡± Of course, I need to make my defenses clear. ¡°S-still! I¡­ I¡¯m not used to it yet. I want you to care about me more-¡± ¡°C-care¡­?¡± Uhhh¡­ I mean, I understand what she wanted to say. But that was starting to sound like an argument between couples¡­ ¡°And? The result?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Ah, um. No, it¡¯s still the same.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ but it¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± ¡°Yup. But, I want to know who it is immediately if you happened to like someone. It would be untraceable if time passes.¡± ¡°Um, ¡®kay¡­ Then, we need to check occasionally¡­ And if I notice, I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± She bent sideways coyly. Duh, don¡¯t she know? In the meantime, we arrived at Ogaki Bookstore. Incidentally, there were two other Ogaki Bookstores, one in the center of Kyoto Station, and the other at the Aeon Mall on the opposite side. [TN: So three Ogakis in total in that area] Even Though the company¡¯s headquarter was in Kyoto, this should be an overpopulation. There¡¯s only one in Shiga. Give us some. I love Ogaki. ¡°So, which do you have your eyes on?¡± ¡°There.¡± She replied curtly and strode to the manga section, I followed at her heels. ¡°So the new volume you said was a manga?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine on my own, you don¡¯t have to follow me. I have already decided what to buy anyway.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll follow. It would be a big deal if anything were to happen when we part ways.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her response felt¡­forced? But the reason became clear the next moment. A pink clad cover. With a group of flashy men and beautiful girls illustrated. The colors were glamorous too. ¡°Hoh? Shoujo manga? That¡¯s unexpected.¡± [TN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Djo_manga ] ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?! It¡¯s fun! Also e-exciting too. The girls are cute.¡± [TN: Why does the back cover looks like Gagaga Bunko¡¯s light novel instead of a manga¡­] Minato glared at me angrily, and somewhere, impishly. I see, so she didn¡¯t want me to see her buying shoujo manga. Hmm, considering her image at school¡­ Understandable. But I¡¯m sorry, Minato. Your concern was misplaced. ¡°Hm? Shoujo manga is the best. I usually read it too.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes widened, her mouth agape under the mask, probably. ¡°It¡¯s exciting, makes your heart wring. The plot is compelling too. Besides, I¡¯m the Angel of Kuze High, remember? These are the sacred textbooks of love.¡± Besides, love advice requires understanding of both male and female mind. Although it was fiction, there¡¯s an inextricable structure. ¡°I-is that so¡­¡± ¡°And also novels and movies too. I like what I like, there¡¯s no helping it. The leftover part-time money from earphones is spent on this.¡± I picked one up myself. Minato joined me as we let out a troubled ¡°Hmm¡± while studying the manga. ¡°Even if it looks interesting, buying the first volume is always a hurdle.¡± ¡°Yup, me too. Can¡¯t really bring myself to buy if I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s well-received or not, or if there¡¯d be a continuation.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¨C But if I buy it later and it¡¯s fun, then I¡¯d feel like ¡®Why haven¡¯t I supported it since the first volume!¡¯. Yeah?¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯d feel so guilty. Why didn¡¯t I choose better, like that.¡± ¡°Really, just like that¨C¡± While having such otaku talk, we browsed the shelves and secured some mangas. With that, we went on to the literacy zone. ¡°Actually, this is the one I had my eyes on for today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look too.¡± When two otaku get together, the purse strings loosen, a saying I just came up with. Should be apt, when you get into a heated conversation, you can¡¯t help but pick more and more items. There was nothing much on my hands right now, maybe that¡¯s a good thing. By the way, Minato had said in one of the conversations that she usually reads at home. So that wasn¡¯t a lie to cover up for shoujo manga, she was really into reading in general, it seems. After notifying Minato, who stopped at a shelf of paperbacks, I went to the hardcover section. The book I was looking for wasn¡¯t hard to find. It was grandly displayed in one corner. ¡°There it is, this time too¡­¡± ¡°So this is what you¡¯re after?¡± She caught up and stood at my side. New and crisp binding, I took the blue book and looked at it curiously. ¡°Hmm, I haven¡¯t brought one of these before. I usually go with paperbacks.¡± She said, running her fingers on the hardcover. ¡°I¡¯m not a frequent buyer either. I only buy this author¡¯s.¡± ¡°Konomi? How do you read the kanji?¡± [TN: Kanji has many different pronunciations, and it could get a bit messy when it comes to kanji for names.] ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Kuchiru¡¯. Konomi Kuchiru. All of his are romances, every one of them is legit good. I can¡¯t wait for the paperback release, so here I am.¡± ¡°Hnn¡­ Never heard of him.¡± ¡°His debut was last year. Heard it¡¯s going to get a paperback soon. Try it, it will rock ya.¡± ¡°Rock? How?¡± ¡°Um, nothing.¡± Yup, just remembered that these kinds of things didn¡¯t get through to her. No matter how much she likes subcultures, there are just simply too much of them. Volume 1 - CH 3.8 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 8 ¡°In Konomi¡¯s work, the mc usually has some strange power.¡± ¡°By that¡­ Like yours?¡± ¡°Yup, and then, if the power really exists, what would they do with it? I think I like his work because he really explores all the probabilities.¡± ¡°Relatable?¡± ¡°You could say that. Well, those in the books are teleports, time-leap, and whatnots. Unlike mine, useful.¡± The kind that could wreak havoc if it falls into wrong hands. Completely different from mine. ¡°But, those are made-up stories, right? Yours are real.¡± She trifled through the pages. ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Her head snapped this way. My hands still on the book, I continued, ¡°I¡¯m hiding mine from everyone but my family, Yukito, and you. There is no knowing whether other powers exist or not. Maybe we just don¡¯t know about them.¡± She looked thoughtful. ¡°Of course, there might not. But when I watch supernatural phenomena or unsolved crimes on television, I can¡¯t help but wonder, no, suspect. ¡®What if those are the work of someone with power?¡¯¡± ¡°Oh¡­Um¡­ Yeah. With you having one, that sounds more plausible.¡± I grunted, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have met one.¡± The conversation cut off there as we paid for our purchases. After this, the plan was to loiter around the Aeon Mall. To gather as much data, changing the location as we go should yield more results. We returned to Kyoto Station and proceeded down one of the grand staircases. In the shadow of a pillar, I took a quick swipe of her cheek. Still the same. When we were past the west ticket gate, from the side, Minato asked. ¡°Do you want to meet them? People with powers.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve mixed feelings.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Well, I might ask them how they regard their power, how they lived their life¡­questions like that.¡± But just ask, I have no idea about anything else. Neither any idea about how to deal with the answers. Besides, I don¡¯t want them to return the question. ¡°But, they might be bad guys. Those who use their power for their own gain.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± What would I do, huh? ¡°If¡­ If everyone is good like you, wouldn¡¯t it be great.¡± Me? ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not necessarily a good guy either.¡± She didn¡¯t reply to my response. After that, we went to the various stores in the mall and chilled out. Midway through, we took a rest on the gigantic cushions at Muji and took another touch of her cheek in the shadowy corner. [TN: Muji, Japanese retail shop] Around six, we ended up at Capricciosa. We had pasta and a drink there. In the end, the number of people she likes remained the same. Since there was one person immediately after we started our operation as school, it should be safe to cross out the probability of her falling in love with someone along the road. Minato herself did say that she had never experienced that kind of love at first sight, so this might be enough of a verification to completely disregard the idea. That¡¯s enough progress for one day. ¡°Figure out anything?¡± ¡°No, I see no pattern from the current data. But we¡¯ll recommence the operation tomorrow. Maybe it would give us something of insight. We¡¯ll understand one day anyway.¡± I hold the straw to my mouth. It has been some time since I last drank ginger ale, but it¡¯s as good as ever. ¡°So, this is all for today?¡± ¡°Yup. And I want to check once before we part. Or, I¡¯m fine with now too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Minato purred cutely and turned away. She was usually calm and collected, but at times like this, her emotions were all written on her face. Teasing her was unexpectedly fun. But that was what made her seem ¡°leading on¡±¡­ ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ve always been wondering.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡± ¡°Back then, at the shoe locker why did you touch my face?¡± Back then, at the shoe locker¡­ That was the first time I had touched her face. To force Makino out, I went on an investigation about Minato. And that was the starting point of¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering when you¡¯d ask,¡± I admitted. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± We were both desperate back then, there was no time to think. But now, it wasn¡¯t strange she noticed that. In the first place, she was the one who sniffed me out. Her suspicion and deduction was on mark. It would be normal that she would connect the dots and arrive at the conclusion that I was doing that for a confession. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ coincidence, right?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I can¡¯t say more. Urgh, why¡¯s there so many things I can¡¯t say¡­¡± I slapped my hands together in apology. This was the second time for today alone. [TN: Japanese people often put their hands together (sometimes with a bow) when they apologize to their friends.] However, I feel no regret. It was either betray Makino or keep silent to Minato. But I do feel sorry. If our positions are switched, I would probably be frustrated as well. However, Minato didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have my guesses. I just want to let you know. I can¡¯t pretend to know nothing, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Thanks.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m asking for your help here. Besides there are things that you don¡¯t want to say and things you can¡¯t say. I understand how that feels.¡± She regarded the caf¨¦ au lait curiously before sipping it. It¡¯s true, I guess. Our positions were quite familiar in this regard. That is why we can keep our secrets from each other without unnecessary inquiry. When she knew about my future, I was worried. But maybe I could say that I¡¯m lucky it was her. ¡°What if I tell you more about what I do as the Angel in compensation? If you¡¯re interested, of course.¡± I offered. ¡°Hn? For example?¡± She was surprisingly interested in the topic. I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. ¡°Rumor has it that there would be a letter, no?¡± ¡°Yep. When you¡¯re anxious about love, an invitation letter would appear. The Angle chooses the students, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Then, in reality, it¡¯s not a letter, but this.¡± I pulled out my phone, and logged in. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the screen. ¡°Twitter?¡± ¡°Yup. And sometimes Instagram. From a private account, I send them a chat room link via direct message. ¡®Access the link if you want a consultation.¡¯¡± ¡°Hmm, digitally¡­¡± ¡°Told you. Everything¡¯s online nowadays. You have to adapt to the times.¡± Although I said letters in the rumors. For urban legends, vibe and ambience is the key. Volume 1 - CH 3.9 Chapter 3: This is not a date Part 9 ¡°But¡­Is that really okay? The link might spread, or someone other than the invited person might join?¡± ¡°Concerning that, I have already checked the personality of the consultant, I have countermeasures ready. And then, I change accounts and addresses every time. Also diversions when I see fit. With this, the secret will never leak. For extreme cases, I have blackmail materials prepared.¡± [TN: So basically, account spammer, internet bully, blackmail¡­] ¡°Scary¡­ Aren¡¯t you a demon rather than an angel?¡± She pulled away. ¡°That¡¯s rude. But, originally, Cupid isn¡¯t exactly an angel.¡± The images were similar, but angels are servants of God, while Cupid is the god of love himself. Well, not like most people would care. ¡°Then, why ¡®Angel¡¯?¡± ¡°Euphony. There¡¯s nothing to call me besides the name. It would be lengthy if it¡¯s Cupid, no?¡± ¡°This is unexpectedly complicated¡­¡± she groaned. Ah, I¡¯ve been called complicated. And she did have a point. It boils down to my personality, those kinds of things are. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Hn? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I just realized. What should I do in return for the consultation?¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re worried about that.¡± Yeah, we hadn¡¯t really settled this properly. Well, it has been like ¡°Anything¡± was our condition, so I completely forgot about it. ¡°Like when or what for the compensation? A gift, money, or¡­¡± ¡°Stupid. If there¡¯s something like that, I¡¯d have told you from the start.¡± ¡°Eh? Then¡­?¡± Then, of all things, she embraced herself coyly. The same as last time, her body pulled back, cheeks dyed red. Please, stop that thinking already. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. Normal consultations are like this too.¡± ¡°O-oh? But, why?¡± She looked at me questioningly. ¡°Even though it should be a lot of trouble¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bunch of trouble, yes. But I¡¯m doing this because I want to. Besides, not asking for anything in return is actually convenient, all things considered.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°If I got something in return, we¡¯re even, right? But if I got nothing, then the party will forever be indebted to the Angel. At the very least, they would think twice about telling others about the Angel. If I¡¯m in deep water, I can ask for their help too.¡± For example, if my identity is on the line, or when I need something sorted out. ¡°And hence, people who are indebted to the Angel are quite considerable. The more people the more reassuring, yeah?¡± ¡°Afterall, you¡¯re the devil.¡± She shook her head as if to say ¡°good grief¡±. How insolent. ¡°Well then, are we leaving yet?¡± She asked after we had checked once more time in the Purikura machine. [TN: Purikura, Japanese-styled photo booth] She bickered a bit, but I¡¯ll leave out the details. The result was the same. ¡°Yup, you¡¯re free to go. I still have something to do here, but you can leave here.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m watching a movie.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ A movie.¡± The evening slot of the film I wanted to watch was about to start soon. There was no point in making her wait, so I let her go home first. ¡°Well then, thanks for today. Have a safe trip back.¡± I waved. But she didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I¡­ go with you?¡± She looked at me with pleading upturned eyes. Like before, the destructiveness was interminable. Worse, it was with glasses version. ¡°By that you mean¡­ to the movie?¡± I repeated. ¡°Y-yeah I¡¯ve been all the way here¡­ I haven¡¯t been to a theater for quite some time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s romance¡­¡± ¡°I thought the same¡­ Yup, I want to.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be late. You don¡¯t have a curfew?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t have one anyway.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± That was surprisingly lax. MInato herself was so upright I thought it was because of her family¡­ And with that, the two of us rode the elevator to the floor with the cinema. We got seats next to each other, and watched the previews and advertisements in a daze. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or not, just so you know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°And then, there¡¯s probably those scenes.¡± It¡¯s probably too late, but better warn her. ¡°Ngu! W-whatever. I can¡¯t refund now anyway¡­¡± ¡°¡®Kay¡± ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t look this way, will you?¡± ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°No! Never! Understood?!¡± ¡°Got it. Got it.¡± She¡¯s fun to tease as ever. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± She turned away. In the end, this is just like any date. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô On the station platform. ¡°That was quite good.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed. ¡°You cried,¡± I noted. ¡°Na?! I told you not to look!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I can hear you sniffling.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen too!¡± Is that possible¡­ ¡°By the way, I was thinking¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± she interjected. ¡°Have you fallen in love with actors and celebrities?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Umm. No, I suppose¡­ Yeah, no.¡± Hmm¡­ This might be another important hint. Well, falling in love with someone on TV, that should be too peculiar, even for her. ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s give it our all.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± But, her tone as she replied was somehow gloomy. Volume 1 - CH 4.1 Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Part 1 New week began and I was back to observing Minato at school. If she likes someone, I would write down their interaction and the surrounding at that time, as detailed as possible. All the while trying to deduce the hypothesis by recording her feelings at the time. Slow but sure-fire process. Little by little, we uncovered the Falling-in-love Peculiarity. Or that was the plan. ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas¡± ¡°¡­¡± We came to a complete standstill. At the usual caf¨¦, with her facing me across the table. Around ten days had passed since the start of the operation. The catch was more than I had imagined, an astonishing speed. But I¡¯ve got no clue from them. ¡°Sorry..¡± ¡°No, you did a good job. Rather, sorry¡­¡± I ruffled my hair in frustration. As if synchronized, we both shook our heads and sighed. Honestly, I thought it was going to be easier than this. Or at the very least, hore hint would come to the surface. Unfortunately, the more data there was, the farther we were from the answer. There was nothing resembling consistency in the data. Instead of falling for ikemen whom she talked with several times a day, she would fall for a plain guy she hadn¡¯t even talked to. And yet, she never fell in love at first sight, or that was supposed to be, until she fell for a boy from another school who walked past her on her way to the caf¨¦. It was like I was thrown into the air. The earth was blue, the expanse beyond black. [TN: My poor man¡¯s delusive now¡­] ¡°There¡¯s no helping, I¡¯ll preserve and keep going. In the meantime, I¡¯ll try poking at other possibilities.¡± I leaned back. ¡°Y-yup¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll do something.¡± The atmosphere was heavy. But there¡¯s no helping with that either. Both talking to people she wasn¡¯t familiar with and visiting another class to make observations every break were onerous tasks. And despite the effort, the absence of results could be discouraging. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Fujimiya taking it?¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah¡­ She noticed something was off, but nothing yet,¡± she answered, lacking her usual confidence. According to her, a few days ago, her best friend, Fujimiya Shiho, noticed her unusual behavior. Well, given the length of their friendship, that was to be expected. ¡°You two are sure close,¡± I mused. ¡°Yup¡­She¡¯s, that girl¡¯s important to me. I don¡¯t want to hide anything from her but¡­¡± She screwed her face a little. From her point of view, coming clear of her situation¨C the Peculiarity, the consultation¨C wasn¡¯t a choice for her either. After that, I sent her back by herself and helped out at the cafe. Wait and see, that was the conclusion we had reached. However, the ideal scenario and reality are different, there was no luxury for such things, it appeared. That was, she would get involved in an incident some time later. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Phweee!! The shrill wail of the whistle signaled the end of the match. Students shuffled in and out of the courts as they swapped places. Each of the courts now hosted two students facing each other. The afternoon class was gender-segregated badminton. Two classes were combined then divided into several groups for the matches. This was one of the lighter classes. And class seven and eight were paired in this joint class. Thankfully, the courts we were using were right next to each other. Thanks to this, the observation was way easier. The whistle blew again and the next match started. I, who just switched out, looked sideways at Minato¡¯s court. Minato was dressed in a simple navy blue jersey with her hair in a ponytail. The contrast between her white nape and black hair was dazzling. Even in a plain outfit, she clearly stood out from the rest with her elegant glamor. ¡°I¨C o¡ª¡± Reiji¡¯s calling pulled me out of my stupor. As he sat down beside me, I noted the missing earrings. With that out of the way, his well-shaped face made him look like a proper sportsman. By the way, he was in the basketball club, though not in a good standing due to his tendency to slack off. ¡°Yuzuki-chan again?¡± He nudged his head her way. ¡°What¡¯s with that ¡®again¡¯?¡± ¡°Oi, oi, don¡¯t think you can get away this time. You¡¯re always looking at her lately. No, more of going to see her.¡± He grinned his sly smile. Well¡­ As expected, Reiji can¡¯t be fooled. ¡°Work, like usual. Take a hint,¡± I scowled. ¡°¡®Like usual¡¯, huh? You¡¯re cute, Io.¡± He smirked and asked nothing more, probably because he knew he would get nothing if it¡¯s about the Angel. Then, a sharp cracking sound came from nearby. In succession, the ¡°Oohh¡±s came from the surrounding area. Minato had just released a smash that grazed the corner of the court. ¡°Oooh, nice shot. She¡¯s like someone from the badminton club,¡± commented Reiji. ¡°That court¡¯s getting a lot of attention,¡± I observed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s the matchmaking,¡± he shrugged, ¡°the other side¡¯s Yamabuki.¡± The other side, Yamabuki Karen, was just as attention grabbing as Minato. Short explanation: She¡¯s one of the Plus Four, another beauty. Her eyes were large and almond-shaped, her outline shapely, and her lips thin. Her atmosphere resembled Minato¡¯s a little, they must be in the same lineage. But she didn¡¯t stop there, she armed herself to the fullest with makeup. In terms of image, she was no different from that of idols. In addition, her semi-long hair was around dark blond to light brown, and unlike Reiji, she kept her red earrings on. Combined with her pink jersey on top and bottom, she was a true gal. Her popularity among the boys was different from Minato¡¯s but she was quite popular. Last year, I had a consultant who wished to confess to her. And that was what made Minato hone on me [TN: Callback from Ch1 P3] Yamabuki deftly scooped up the shuttlecock with her racket and glared at Minato at her opposite. Her mouth mounted something. Probably ¡°Sod off¡±. From her serve, the shuttle soared high. Minato also returned with the same ferocity, trying to pin Yamabuki. However, Yamabuki stepped back and jumped, smashing the shuttle back. Bending at almost an impossible angle, Minato barely managed to return. From there, Yamabuki took offense and scored a point. The glee in her eyes was as if to say that this was payback. The other side was also a fine opponent, it seemed. When Minato reached down to grab the shuttle, Yamabuki looked down at her. Her mouth moved again. Maybe ¡°Yuck¡± this time. On the other hand, Minato retained her cool expression as she prepared for the next round. Uhh, what¡¯s with this tension in the air? ¡°Ooh, she¡¯s crackling. Well, she doesn¡¯t want to lose to Yuzuki-chan and all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± When I asked, Reiji only laughed amusedly. It was as if everything was fun and games to this guy. ¡°That girl, she hates Minato. She usually faults her, gossiping behind her back. Well, Yuzuki-chan seems unaffected.¡± ¡°And the reason for it?¡± I urged for more. ¡°Dunno. Maye jealousy. She¡¯s Plus Four, Minato¡¯s Kuze¡¯s Top Three. That doesn¡¯t sit well with the princess-type Yamabuki.¡± ¡°So, she hates her because M¨CYuzuki¡¯s more popular ?¡± ¡°Yup, and better in terms of grades and sports despite Yamabuki being in the sports club. She loses to her all round, so to say.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± So, one-sided jealousy from Yamabuki. You sure had it tough, Minato. ¡°Oh, match point.¡± The match was eleven points to win, and before long, the scores were already ten to nine, with Minato leading and one minute left. With the same composure, Minato hit a long serve. Yamabuki, who was pitching forward, was caught by surprise and her return ball was weak.Minato smashed the shuttle that came to her fore side but Yamabuki returned with tenacity. Minato caught up just in time and raised a lob to buy time. Good strategy. But, Yamabuki jumped, reached out and forced a smash. The sharp strike went straight for her face. ¡°Uwah, body!¡± Too late. I thought so. However, Minato changed her stance, leaped and redirected the shuttle. It was as if she could see it coming The shuttle landed with a thud, even before Yamabuki reached the ground. Just then, the whistle signaled the end of the match. The matches that were still going on were forced to stop and swap places with the rest. With one fluid movement, she left the court quietly. Signaling to Fujimiya, she sat down on the bench. But the Yamabuki on the other side was still glaring at Minato, unbeknownst to the surroundings. Some time later, the chime for the end of the school day rang, students lined up and bowed. At Kuze High, homerooms were held after lunch break, so students were free to go. Volume 1 - CH 4.2 The students listlessly put away the nets and rackets, and the number gradually dwindled. Me too, when I had finished cleaning up, I decided to leave quickly. ¡°You¡¯re a freak, seriously.¡± As I headed for the corridor, someone said that. The voice was heavy with overbearing and malice, a provocation that instantly made me stop in my tracks. When I registered what happened, I quickly searched for the voice. Around the corner, three girls, Yamabuki included, were facing Minato. I hate it when my foreboding comes true. ¡°Stop with that clout chasing, will you? Don¡¯t push your luck just because your face is nice.¡± I hid in one of the shadows within earshot. Yamabuki¡¯s eyes were like that of a snake, the other two were just as bad, their spiteful grin made my skin crawl. Minato just stared at them in disappointment and quickly switched to resignation. However, she didn¡¯t seem to stand tall like usual. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure that the appropriate action was either. I¡¯m the third party here, and I¡¯m not sure I can deal with these three. Unfortunately, highschool feuds were not that simple. But pretending nothing happened was out of the choice. ¡°Really, emo queen, it¡¯s so obvious you look down on everyone. What a psycho.¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s psychologically impossible¨C. I can see why she has no friends¨C.¡± The two cronies closed in on Minato from the side. The crude rant made my head hurt. But the outright hostility was enough to hurt the other party. Put it simply, totally infuriating. Ugh¡­ I could barely stop myself from jumping in. ¡°Do you realize you¡¯re hated? Not just us, everyone else too,¡± The ringleader Yamabuki snarled. But Minato didn¡¯t flinch. Rather, she let out a mournful sigh. ¡°Are you done?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Hah?¡± Dumbfounded faces. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got to say? I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± Yamabuki¡¯s expression darken that instant. ¡°You! You want a fight?!!¡± Her bark went over the corridor. Instead of Minato, the two cronies flinched back instead. A few remaining students came scurrying after the voice. This couldn¡¯t be good¡­ ¡°I see through you! Going around seducing boys!¡± The snide appeared to hit home, Minato paled. It was as if she could burst into tears right away. Even I, too, lost my cool. What¡­ are you¡­ talking about¡­ My teeth were gritting before I knew it. ¡°Smashing around, no cap, disgusting! You wanna be an emoqueen that much?¡± She was visibly shaking, her face pale, her eyes downward. Yamabuki, who had gotten the response she wanted, continued with glee. ¡°Enough with that pretty face! You bitch! I can see through your thinking!¡± [TN:My hands hurt from typing this] Something snapped. Cold rage took over me No, I can¡¯t let this go on. No, never. What do you even understand about her, Yamabuki? ¡°Oi¡± I found myself stepping in. No, I had no plan, just this boiling, seething anger in my chest. The cronies quickly looked away uncomfortably. Minato looked at me in surprise. With her body still facing Minato, Yamabuki turned only her face to me. ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± she demanded. ¡°None with you. Yuzuki, let¡¯s go.¡± [TN: Oohh, the burn] I took her hand and pulled her. Minato followed with powerless, wobbly steps. However, Yamabuki sidestepped, blocking our way. ¡°What are you doing? I don¡¯t have anything to do with you,¡± she demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache listening to your whining. Keep your nonsense to yourself, will you?¡± ¡°Ha? By the way, what? Tryin¡¯ to be cool?¡± Even though I tower over her by ten centimeters, her demeanor remained the same. Appearance and physical power did not determine the ranking in society, it seemed. Whatever, If she wanted to look down on me then she can do it however she likes, just don¡¯t get in my way, it¡¯s a pain. ¡°You¡¯d be better off without butting in, whoever you are.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hey¨C, Akashi¨C¡± Then, from behind Yamabuki, the corner from which I came, a girl appeared out of nowhere. Short, refreshing hair. Large, slanted eyes. Slightly disheveled green jersey. Her yaeba teeth flashing, Aki Hiura made her entrance. ¡°What are you doing¨C. Let¡¯s get back to class¨C¡± she said casually like nothing was happening the moment before. And unlike against me, Yamabuki thought twice before speaking. ¡°Hiura¡­ You¡¯re butting in too?¡± ¡°Hn? What? I¡¯m just picking up this idiot and Yuzuki. They say they¡¯re gonna treat me to ice cream.¡± When did that happen¡­ But thanks to her, things seemed to settle down. That was getting quite dangerous even for me¡­ ¡°Whatever with that dumb guy, but we¡¯re talking, Yuzuki and I,¡± claimed Yamabuki. ¡°That was a talk? I thought you¡¯re barking by yourself.¡± Hiura shook her head. An awkward triangle formed as Hiura took both our hands. ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself my enemy. Do you know the consequences?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s any consequence, it¡¯d be your side. In the first place, assaulting people because you lost a tennis match to them, what are you, a neighborhood brat? That¡¯s precisely why you stop at Plus Four.¡± ¡°Huh!? I-if that¡¯s so then you too!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to anyway. Why would I have any interest in a fancy title that can¡¯t buy me lunch?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Yamabuki finally backed down. We quickly left the place and broke up. Hiura asked me nothing, ¡°Give me ice cream tomorrow¨C¡±, and she was gone. Looking at her slender back, I realized how dependable she was. I can¡¯t just go off without treating her one now. Volume 1 - CH 4.3 Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Part 3 ¡°The other times aren¡¯t rowdy like that, right?¡± Just to be sure, we left the school separately before meeting up at Cafe Proof. The topic was, undoubtedly, the ruckus earlier. Minato seemed to have calmed down and began explaining the situation. ¡°Except for the occasional glare, there¡¯s nothing like this¡­¡± her tone was matter-of-fact. ¡°In short, the confrontation today was because of the operation, with the tennis match as the trigger.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my guess.¡± We both sipped our drinks there. Mine was cider, Minato¡¯s lemon tea. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like this was out of my expectation. The act of widening her human relation to attain more crushes, the surrounding wasn¡¯t aware of that. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if that caused unease to some people. And with the whole Kuze¡¯s Top Three thing to consider¡­ ¡°That things turn out like this, it¡¯s totally my fault. And earlier, I just jumped in without thinking¡­¡± She shook her head weakly. ¡°N-no, we decided to do that together. And for jumping in¡­ you saved me, so thanks.¡± And if the aggression continues, I need to prepare some backup plans for them too. My hands were full as it was, I couldn¡¯t let this spiral out of control. Most importantly, she was already shaken as it was. ¡°I¡¯m just making sure this doesn¡¯t weigh on you.¡± ¡°Hn?¡± She tilted her head slightly in response. I wasn¡¯t sure that she would still hold on to it or not, but better get it out the way. ¡°You¡¯re not a bitch¡± Her eyes widened for a moment, then she muttered, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going around and making people fall for you, it¡¯s the opposite, you¡¯re the one falling for them. You¡¯re just getting to know other people as your classmate, if they¡¯ve come to like you, that¡¯s just the result. No matter what, you¡¯ve got no ill will, you¡¯re not in the wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I know. Understood.¡± As if to convince herself, she nodded several times. She might understand that by logic, she wasn¡¯t wrong, but being condemned like that would make anyone uncomfortable. I couldn¡¯t just turn a blind eye to it, taking responsibility was the least I could do. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I¡¯ve made up my mind, it¡¯s okay. Just¡­¡± A deep, and a bit painful, breath. ¡°Just, it hurted more than I thought. Nothing serious though.¡± She gave me a wry smile. ¡°If you say so. Okay.¡± No point in pushing the matter. Besides, she¡¯s strong. Up until now, she had followed my instructions on her own accord. Only if other consultants could be as compliant as her. ¡°And then, being in the Top Three must be a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± She screwed her face. ¡°Yeah, nothing but a nuisance. I¡¯m not proud of the title, with those demerits, I¡¯d be better off without. That¡¯s not including what happened today.¡± ¡°I heard Hiura saying the same thing,¡± I recalled, ¡°Annoying nuisance or something. And that¡¯s just Plus Four alone.¡± ¡°Coming to school one day and finding out about the entitlement. No chance to refuse, nowhere to resign, just like a cursed item.¡± Hoh, that¡¯s an unusual analogy for a top student. By any chance, she¡¯s a gamer? Then again, Kuze¡¯s Top Three and Plus Four are more troublesome than it seemed. It was a kind of a proof of popularity, and quite prestigious at that, so I thought most of the girls probably longed for it. ¡°By the way, Hiura-san, why did she help us? A friend of yours?¡± ¡°Hn? Yup.¡± Ah, I forgot to mention that. Yeah, this is a good opportunity to tell her. ¡°She knows I¡¯m the Angel. She must have guessed that you¡¯re my consultant.¡± ¡°Eh? Okay¡­¡± Her face flashed with anxiety, and a little of surprise. From then, I explained that she was one of the collaborators and had helped in this case too. Hiura probably thought of Minato as my consultant¡¯s target, but now she must have noticed that Minato herself was the consultant. And hence she came all the way to help us, I suppose. ¡°Also Miwa Reiji from the same class, I ask for his help sometimes. I¡¯m not sure how much he knows about your case, though.¡± ¡°Miwa-kun¡­¡± She muttered and threw her eyes upward, trying to remember. He was quite popular, so his name might have ring some bells. ¡°Why did you tell them? About the Angel thing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve been friends with Reiji for a long time, so hiding things from him isn¡¯t an easy task.¡± He might have looked like he was fooling around, but his guesses were spot on. Better tell him the whole thing than waiting for him to find out. ¡°And Hiura-san?¡± ¡°Hiura? Well¡­ A lot happened. Nothing confidential, just a long story, so next time.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Somehow, you and Hiura-san make quite a strange combo.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡± At first glance, we seemed like the type to live in different worlds. ¡°Ah! Almost forgot. Let¡¯s check today¡¯s catch.¡± ¡°A¡­ Unn. ¡®Kay¡­¡± Seeing that she nodded, I offered my right hand. After a deep breath, she took it to her face. How many times had my palm touched her face, I wondered. And from now, how many more. Distracted by these thoughts, I missed most of the faces I had seen Volume 1 - CH 4.4 Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: Yamabuki Karen and Fujinami Shiho Part 4 Let¡¯s drop the pace, I came to that conclusion, until the tension from the Yamabuki incident cooled down, but she refused, ¡°Then we¡¯ll never get anywhere¡± Thus, I continued to observe her. If that was what she wanted, then I won¡¯t stop her. She had something to do after school today, so the meeting would be a short one on the rooftop. The door clicked effortlessly and Minato pulled me out, the rest was as usual. The number remained the same today. Finishing the business, we headed back down. ¡°Hahh¡­¡± She went down first while I hung around. After a good time had passed, I exited the school. Hmm, unlike at the cafe, touching her face inside school was somewhat agitating¡­ ¡°Akashi-kun, right?¡± From the school gate, the corner of the first block heading to the station, someone called my name. What is this called? Ah, yup, yup. ¡°Dejavu¡± I sighed. ¡°We need to talk. Important one.¡± Soft, yet carried through clearly and confidently. The owner of the voice, Minato¡¯s friend. The red rimmed Fujinami Shiho was scowling with her lovely face. Don¡¯t waste your cute face with me, and, that¡¯s scary, stop please! I managed to ask, ¡°What would it be¡­¡± ¡°You knew. Minato,¡± she pronounced. Of course, damn it¡­ Her eyes darted around cautiously before beckoning me to follow into an alley. Fortunately, it had been a while since school ended, so no students were around. But it also meant that she had gone all the way to wait for me. I took a final glance at the outside world. ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s with Yuzuki?¡± ¡°¡®Yuzuki¡¯? How cold. You were calling her Minato earlier, no?¡± I breathed in sharply. She heard? And by ¡°earlier¡±, when? ¡°Rooftop. I saw you went in. You called her ¡®Minato¡¯ then¡± ¡°Why are you even there? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d happen to be there.¡± There goes my pitiful attempt at parrying. ¡°That girl, she was acting strange, so I¡¯ve been keeping an eye. Besides, the same goes for you, what are you doing there?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± In short, she was keeping watch. And she probably kept her suspicions to herself, since Minato appeared to know nothing. But I hadn¡¯t expected her to go this far. Moreover, I thought she would try to glean from Minato, not from a complete stranger like me. Speaking of thinking outside the box¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve seen what you were doing. Sorry, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Ngh!¡± My heart tightened, just like last time. A wave of nausea hit me, I slowly moved to lean onto the wall. Hahhhh¡­ How far had the Angel fallen? Too much confidential intel leaked. I couldn¡¯t care less about the Angel now, that was my problem alone. My concern was Minato¡¯s situation. ¡°Rest assured, I heard nothing after that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, you two were quite far from the door, and I didn¡¯t intend to listen anyway. But I saw you touching Minaot¡¯s cheek good and clear.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Loud and clear¡­ She wouldn¡¯t think that I was activating a superpower, right? Fijimiya¡¯s expression was grim. On the bright side, she didn¡¯t look like she was angry. Although it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she told me to stay away from Minato, given what she had seen. Rather, I was pretty sure that this was the purpose of this meeting. ¡°Lately, you¡¯ve been to our class on a daily basis,¡± she observed, ¡°And you were looking at Minato. That itself was normal, but your gaze was different from others, you have no feelings for her.¡± ¡°You sure care about her a lot. I don¡¯t think a normal friend would go that far.¡± ¡°Not normal ones,¡± she agreed, ¡°But I¡¯m her best friend, I¡¯ll go that far for her.¡± She faced me, unfazed. HEr eyes were menacing, as if to assimilate me. I¡¯d really like to avoid making this girl my enemy, but I just can¡¯t explain everything¡­ Swoop in and help me, Minato-san¡­ [TN: The ¡°san¡± here made the tone very pleading] ¡°I haven¡¯t done any of the things you might be thinking about. I would never put her in any danger. So, for the time being¨C¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± What was that about? When I remained silent, she looked at me contemplatively, then continued. ¡°You¡¯re not harassing her. She doesn¡¯t mind you touching her cheek, I can see it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t tell me, then it must be something that she doesn¡¯t want anyone to know. I respect her decision, I won¡¯t ask her nor you.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, then why come for me.¡± ¡°But if you hurt her in any way, I won¡¯t let you off the hook. Even if she¡¯s okay with it, I¡¯m not. Don¡¯t expect mercy from me¡­ I¡¯m here only to say that.¡± It was meant to be a warning, but I could only hear pleading in her voice. And was that frustration? I clenched my fists. She came all the way here just for that? For the sake of her friend. Fijimiya was probably worried about Minato, yet still trusted her. And so she called me out to ascertain a liability like me. I could finally begin to understand why they get along so well. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Really, please. Support her in my stead¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I will assist her, but that¡¯s all I can. But you, you can support her feelings. You are her friend. And a good person. So, help her. If she were to act strange, or someone like me poking their nose around her, do like what you have done before, be her friend.¡± She took in the words. I only had this useless power, persistence, and experience. Angel was, in the end, a relationship advice, not the relationship itself. The one who could actually help Minato was Fujinami, not me. Now that I have seen what kind of person Fujinami was, perhaps I could worry less about Minato. ¡°Yesterday, at the gym.¡± ¡°Yup¡± ¡°You were the one who jumped in, right?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Strictly speaking, I did jump in, but the one who got us out wasn¡¯t me.¡± Did Minato tell her? I couldn¡¯t be sure. She had some idea of what happened, not the whole story, so Minato didn¡¯t? ¡°Thank you. And then, sorry for this visit.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. Sorry that I have to keep secrets from you.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what Minato decides, I¡¯ll respect that.¡± Now that I think about it, she sure has guts, ambushing me all by herself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get going now, see you.¡± ¡°Ah, Akashi-kun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I turned. Fijinami stood with her hands to her hips, her legs apart. That pose didn¡¯t suit her at all. But somehow, she looked reliable, and a bit funny too. [TN: Yeah, I want an illust of this ] ¡°I¡¯ll take care of tha I can! The rest I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± ¡°Hoh¡­¡± She gave me a thumbs up with a goofy grin. Well, I suppose the negotiations were successful. Also, her character was a bit different from her image¡­ ¡°There¡¯s more, things happened here¡¯s a secret to Minato, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Eh? But, really?¡± ¡°Yup, better for her this way. Besides, she¡¯s hiding something from me too, this is only fair¨C¡± She puffed her cheeks. ¡°Well¡­ whatever. Okay, got it.¡± People are full of secrets. Although I¡¯m not any better myself, so I¡¯ll stop here. ¡°Ah! And about that, I don¡¯t really understand tho!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± What now¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let you touch somewhere other than her cheeks, be warned, got it?¡± Well, about that¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t¡± ¡°At times like this, answer immediately, will you?¡± Seeing my reaction, she then giggled and waved her hand to indicate that that was a joke. In the end, she doesn¡¯t trust me¡­ I probably won¡¯t anyway. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But if it was hands, we¡¯re holding that quite often. Volume 1 - CH 5.1 Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Part 1 ¡°Oi¨C, the literature lad over there.¡± Konomi Kujiru¡¯s book disappeared, and reappeared in Yukito¡¯s hand. He then began turning the pages. ¡°Hey, give it back.¡± ¡°Just the usual romane story, huh¡± he sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Romance is superb.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more into real life romance though¨C¡± He conceded the book. I did put a bookmark on the page, but it was still annoying. ¡°And? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interrupting your customer without a proper reason.¡± I waved him away. ¡°Uhh, the shop¡¯s closed. Help me clean up or go home, choose one.¡± ¡°Ehh? Aah¡­¡± I switched the phone open and checked the time. It was indeed past the closing time. It seemed that I was completely immersed, as expected of Kujiru¡¯s work. I decided to help with the closing work, partly because of the guilty conscience of staying too long. I cleaned the floor and was now putting the dishes back on the shelves. ¡°Hii¡± I heard the door open and a chirpy voice. The one who enters despite the ¡°close¡± sign could be no one but the inner circle. Yukito perked from the counter. ¡°Oh, Aki-chan, it¡¯s been a while. Back from club?¡± ¡°Just finished my dinner, have nothing to do, and then here. It¡¯s hot outside.¡± Aki Hiura in her green jersey made her way into the cafe. With a thump, she sat down unceremoniously on a nearby chair. Her house was nearby, so it was probably true. ¡°Hey, I just cleaned it. Stop where you are.¡± ¡°Duhh, I cleaned my shoes already.¡± Why was she the one who was exasperated? Why did everyone insist on annoying me lately? Hiura is acquainted with Yukito and visits the store from time to time. Although this was the first time she barged in despite the close sign. As usual, the way she spoke was the same, as if Yukito was her friend. [TN: Japaneses are strict about social hierarchy, so this is quite rude] Even though she said she came here for free air conditioning, she did her share of work. She was crass and sometimes hostile, but this side of her balanced it out. Yukito and Hiura, what a strange combo. They both knew that I was the Angel¡­ I stood. ¡°Can I ask you two something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t slack off¨C¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± As long as I was getting paid, complaining was a no-go. Although Hiura wasn¡¯t getting any pay. ¡°Making someone fall for you despite having no intention of going out¡­ Is that bad?¡± My voice made its way through the deserted cafe. [TN: Remember that TN long ago? Well, it¡¯s here now. Minato said she likes Io since the end of the first chapter, but he never saw his own face when he checked, probably some plot point in later vol.] [TN: The author plans the series to be 10+ vol, so it might be a while before this got mention again] The two of them continued working in silence. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the context. You expect an answer from just that?¡± Hiura was the first to say something. Well, I suppose she had her point. ¡°Umm¡­ Like, to do it for other purposes. Even if I¡¯m successful in doing so, I would never accept the other side¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°Normally, that¡¯s bad. Maybe more on the creepy side.¡± Simple and concise, that¡¯s Hiura for you. In contrast, Yukito kept his pleasant smile. He was not in the mood to talk? ¡°I thought as much¡­¡± ¡°You already know that, but still asked anyway. The situation isn¡¯t ¡®normal¡¯, yeah?¡± ¡°You never fail my expectations.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She snorted. Another one who was sharp despite their fooling around. That was why she was both reliable and scary. She moved to wipe the counter. ¡°Tell me what you can. Else, it¡¯d be just a waste of time.¡± Fortunately, I had already informed Minato of this possibility. This was all for her sake. I filtered through things, omitted the names, and tried my best at explaining the current situation. By the time I was done, the cleaning process was already done. We were slumping at different corners by that time. ¡°I had a pretty good idea of who that playgirl is¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a playgirl.¡± Well, without a name to refer to her by, I guess it was unavoidable. But it wasn¡¯t like they had no idea who that was¡­ ¡°So, how does she has anything to do with ¡®making her fall¡¯¡± ¡°Well, essentially, to cure her of the ailment, getting her to fall for someone who has no intention of dating her. Was that justified?¡± ¡°Stop those unnecessary complications. Who¡¯s making who fall for them?¡± She gestured exasperatedly. I was at a loss for words. Like she said, that was complicating things. But¡­ I just can¡¯t¡­ ¡°¡®Make her fall for you¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Hmm, tell me more.¡± Hahh, she¡¯s sharp. ¡°If she likes me, it¡¯d be the best sample,¡± I conceded. ¡°I see,¡± she said flatly. ¡°We could narrow down things, it¡¯d be better that way. She doesn¡¯t like me yet, so when she does, it would narrow down the margin significantly.¡± ¡°And you think that is your best chance? But the earlier question, you¡¯re unsure, no?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± I let out a long sigh. This was the conclusion I had come to over the last few days. If we were willing to give it our all, then this was irrefutable option. In fact, I should have thought of this earlier. And maybe, Minato too¡­ Hiura suddenly stood. ¡°Well, back to your supposition earlier.¡± Yukito retained his cool smile. ¡°So, you won¡¯t accept her feelings even if that playgirl likes you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Absolutely?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Her look was half-frown, half-scowl. ¡°But ¡®like¡¯ and ¡®wanting to date¡¯ can be separate things?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, but that¡¯s not the point. Is it really okay to do so?¡± I get what she was getting to, but this was about feelings, not reason. You don¡¯t use reason with romantic feelings. I probably wanted an affirmation. Because I couldn¡¯t be confident about the results. ¡°Your events are a mess, so I¡¯ll keep it simple.¡± ¡°Please do¡­¡± She deliberately walked this way, then sat down on the opposite seat. She rested her chin on one hand, the other¡¯s pinky to her eye. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, your plan sucks,¡± she booed. ¡°Eh? Why?¡± I spent days thinking, you know? ¡°Is there any pattern when you like someone in the first place? You must have seen people doing 180¡ã flips when it comes to love more than I do.¡± ¡°You have a point¡­¡± But hearing it from her was quite unexpected. ¡°So even if she likes you, it doesn¡¯t mean anything, or it could mean something. What if you¡¯re a special case? It would only mess up your data even more. You can¡¯t describe irregularity with regularity.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± She was frank, but that was logical. She was harsh, but that was what I needed. ¡°Then, what would you do?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s me, I¡¯d start by setting high probability hypotheses, and then verify them. Although slightest miss might be fatal¡­ Well, it¡¯s not like I have done this before.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re a genius, Hiura.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re the one whose thinking is too narrow. Like this,¡± Volume 1 - CH 5.2 Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Part 2 Hmm¡­ She had a point. Maybe my thinking became constricted by being with her. ¡°And if that¡¯s the case, how do I set hypotheses? If I might be an irregularity, then so are the others. In the end, is there anything reliable?¡± ¡°I thought it was obvious. I mean, your logic until now makes no sense.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Really?¡± I had thought that in order to understand her ailment, crossing out possibilities was the way¡­ ¡°What if the condition was not in others, but herself? Bitches are bitches, the reason isn¡¯t the environment, but themselves. What you should do is to find out more about her, not something else.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­ Hiura-sensei¡± What a revolutionary statement! But, according to her theory, I was completely wrong. Until now, I had never doubted my own method. I had said that this wasn¡¯t my specialty, but how could I be so confident in my ways? What am I doing? ¡°Thanks, Hiura. Give me time to rethink a bit.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t treated me ice cream yet¨C¡± She recalled in annoyance. ¡°¡®Kay, ¡®kay. I¡¯ll buy you two 31 scoops.¡± [TN: short for Baskin Robbins 31] She gave me a dazed, happy smile. Even though it was by conscience, I was glad she came here today. And I should tell Minato to meet tomorrow, things were about to change. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, so I¡¯ll say the obvious one more time in case you haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡± ¡°Hn? There¡¯s one more holy revelation for me?¡± She was usually uninterested in the Angel, I wonder why she went to such lengths today. ¡°There¡¯s still one thing that isn¡¯t quite right.¡± ¡°One thing?¡± ¡°That playgirl, why hasn¡¯t she fallen for you yet?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be strange, people have types¨C¡± ¡°Stop that futile argument. Given her tendency, you know better than that. Or she was hiding it from you, that is.¡± No, she couldn¡¯t. There was nothing to hide, my power told me she doesn¡¯t like me romantically. She couldn¡¯t be. ¡°You helped her?¡± She went on. ¡°With everything I can.¡± ¡°To do so, how many times have you met?¡± ¡°Um, uhh¡­¡± I had lost count. ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t she falled for you yet? You¡¯re a considerably good guy, why wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Heh? ¡°H-Hiura-san? Um¡­¡± ¡°Huh? You really think that I would hang out with some lousy guy? Heck, no.¡± ¡°31¡­ I¡¯ll buy three scoops.¡± ¡°Nah, two scoops, waffle cone.¡± I bowed ¡°Order received.¡± Hiura¡­ You might not be one of Kuze¡¯s Top Three, but you¡¯re my goddess¡­ ¡°In short, Yuzuki¨C oops, the reason why that girl hasn¡¯t fallen for you yet is the key. That¡¯s the best route in my opinion.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ W-well, I see¡­ I¡¯ll try asking, that certain someone.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. That certain someone.¡± [TN: Lmao] ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô A while later, on my way home. I walked to the station with Yukito. In the end, he said nothing throughout the session. I won¡¯t force him to if he doesn¡¯t want to. But the fact that Yukito, of all people, decided to sit out something like this, bothered me. ¡°It¡¯s as if she¡¯s your opposite,¡± he said out of the blue. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°That certain someone, she¡¯s your opposite.¡± ¡°¡®Opposite¡¯?¡± ¡°You who can¡¯t bring himself to like anyone since then, and the girl who falls in love with anyone and everyone. Ironic.¡± A pause. ¡°No, you¡¯re the same,¡± he decided. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. After he cleared his throat, he went on, ¡°Nothing. If you want to help her then do it. If you need my help just say so.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I ask for your advice today. How did that turn out?¡± ¡°Aki-chan was there. By the way, she¡¯s popular, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, about that. She¡¯s unrefined, that girl.¡± It had been by habit by now, I hid the fact that she was Plus Four, lest he had any weird interest again. ¡°Liar. I¡¯d definitely hit on her if I were you. She seems compatible.¡± ¡°Hey, that sounds illegal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous of your legality to do so~¡± He laughed jokingly and we continued the rest of the way in silence. Volume 1 - CH 5.3 Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Part 3 After school, the day after receiving Hiura¡¯s supreme advice. ¡°So, that¡¯s why¡­ Uh¨C, in short.¡± I called Minato to the school roof. I hadn¡¯t called her to the caf¨¦ solely because I hated the prospect of Yukito hearing this. Now that he knew the gravity of the situation, he probably won¡¯t tease me, but still. ¡°The reason you haven¡¯t liked me yet¡­ Can I find out why?¡± I had told her briefly about what Hiura suspected. The process was more embarrassing than I thought. She crossed her arms. ¡°Hmm¡± The distant calls of the track and field club echoed from below. When mingled with the music club¡¯s music, a lonely background music drifted through the rooftop. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just leave off with ¡®Hmm¡¯!¡± I tried so hard to say that out loud, you know! ¡°I-I mean! I¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well. Yeah¡­ I kinda understand.¡± Silence. Her face was tinged red. A gust of wind swept by and carenessed her hair, sending black hair sifting from white skin. White, black, red. At that moment, this combination seemed to be the most beautiful thing in the world. She was that beautiful. ¡°But¡­ I myself don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ But you might have forgotten, I have told you before that¡­ that I might have liked you.¡± How could I forget? I will never forget that heart pounding event. That was the first time we went to Yukito¡¯s cafe. ¡°So¡­ it would be strange if I haven¡¯t yet.¡± That¡¯s a lot of damage! ¡°Ah! I mean, not like that! But that¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± Only me¡­? ¡°Ahh, I feel like crying.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t overreact¡­¡± ¡°Like, ¡®I¡¯m terribly sorry, I don¡¯t like you¡¯, that¡¯s too pitiful!¡± ¡°Io! Sorry! Yeah?¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m not manly enough¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! ¡­ Maybe¡± ¡°But you still don¡¯t like me¡­¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m joking. I don¡¯t really care.¡± I was starting to feel bad for her, so let¡¯s leave jokes here. I¡¯m not sulking, really, I¡¯m not. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want you to like me or the other way around. Actually, this helps a lot¡± ¡°But¡­ we still don¡¯t know the cause, even though we could have¡­¡± ¡°Well, indeed¡ª¡± That was¡ª Hmm, I think this might be a breakthrough. ¡°Okay, one last time, you have absolutely no idea of why you started liking multiple people, yeah?¡± There was a slight pause. ¡°Yup¡± That pause¡­ It could be from her feeling of helplessness, but what was that wavering in her eyes? ¡°You really think so? No slightest idea?¡± To recite Hiura, bitches are bitches, the reason was with themselves. What I should do now was not to compare samples and data, but to dig deeper into Minato herself. She kept her gaze downward. Behind the curtains of her hair, her expression was¡­ dark. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I told you, right? Can you please understand that?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± she muttered and she shook her head weakly. I wanted to push further, but seeing her like this¡­ Hmph, another deadend. Nah, it¡¯s not like everything would align miraculously by just changing the perspective. ¡°Minato, can I have some time?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I need time to think more about this. Maybe I could see some patterns after clearing my head. That¡¯s the best I can do right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead. Should I do anything in the meantime? Like the operation?¡± ¡°No, thanks. Take a break. But notify me if anything changes.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Thanks.¡± The conversation came to an end, I stretched my arms. Hearing a satisfying pop, my head became lighter. ¡°Io¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. And I want you to know that I appreciate what you did for me.¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s nothing. Besides, thanks like this are saved for the end, no?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yeah, silly me.¡± ¡°Is there¡­¡± anything? I stopped myself before completing the sentence. Maybe this was not the time to ask, she must have felt conflicted. Especially after telling her that what we did was for naught. ¨Cand, ¡°See you¡± She turned her heels and walked off. After watching her disappear from the rooftop, I sat down on the spot. Blew by the winds, the cloud moved and revealed the sun. Ow! Too bright A while passed, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself up again. That was¡ª wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to say something. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to say something, huh¡­¡± Somehow, the sky above compelled me to say it out loud. I never knew that things would get harder one sidedly like this. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô A week passed without meeting Minato. During that time, I made some progress with my Angel work after a long absence. I steered Makino closer to confession and also reached out to another second-year girl. Compared to Minato¡¯s, what I needed to do for them was simple. Not that it was easy though, but I knew what I was doing. But after meeting Minato, everyone seemed like slackers. Well, if it was that simple then the Angel wouldn¡¯t be needed in the first place. ¡°Yeahhh, spare!¡± My head snapped up at the loud strike. Reiji returned from his bowl with a smug look on his face. We high-fived as I switched in. Reiji invited me out for bowling today. I had no plans and was in need of a change of pace. The bowling alley was near Hamaotsu Station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto line. This was the only Round One in the prefecture. As one would expect from Shiga prefecture, only one Round One, the ultimate indicator of rurality. There was a saying that Shiga has only Lake Biwa. Which was true, in fact, Lake Biwa accounted for around one-sixth of the total area. For some reason, Shiga residents were proud of this. And since the establishment was far from Kuze High, most of the people here were from nearby schools. Furthermore, it was still time for club activities, so only people free at this time were the go-home club members. ¡°Wow, what a beautiful split. My victory¡¯s sealed,¡± Reiji jeered. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take them down. And you will miss the next round.¡± No, this was a hollow bluff, I¡¯ll lose for sure. ¡°Hoh¨C, I¡¯ll make sure I get to record this beautiful throw.¡± ¡°Hey, trying a psychological attack? Not fair!¡± I heard a mechanical sound from behind, probably Reiji recording. I shook off all my thoughts, with a mind as clear as the water surface of a zen garden pond, I let go. Hmph, I¡¯ll show you, Reiji. ¡°Damn¡­¡± The ball slipped past the pins without a hitch. With a buzz, the ceiling monitor reaffirmed my pathetic performance. Ahh, I lost. Well, there was still some hope, but better give up now. ¡°I¡¯ll send the video to Hiura.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll send it in class LINE¡± [TN: Class LINE, a chat room for everyone in the class, a place where everyone reveals other¡¯s humiliation. A place wilder than the Wild West.] ¡°That¡¯s more of a reason to stop! And it would definitely become one of those ¡®read, no reply messages¡¯! And what¡¯s the point since Hiura would see anyway!¡± Defeated, I sat down with a thud. In response, Reiji stood and went to the lane. The loser buys a juice, just the right amount of student-like wager. However, considering how good he was, this didn¡¯t seem fair. He¡¯s milking me dry. Unfortunately, there was no progress on Minato¡¯s case. There was no contact from the other side too, so like ever, it was a complete standstill. What if she was hiding something from me? To be honest, that was the only thing I could think of. Even so, that was my speculation. From her expression and discomfort at times. So I would assume that it was true and dig for evidence. But still¡ª ¡°Yeasss, strike!¡± ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Nothing has ever gone my way. Volume 1 - CH 5.4 Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Part 4 ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Nothing has ever gone my way. And even if my intuition was right¡­ If Minato was hiding something from me¡­ Then it would be something she didn¡¯t want to discuss. Unfortunately, I knew that feeling too well. If possible, I wanted her to be the one who broke it to me. Maybe it was my lack of forcefulness that blocked the progress. ¡°What should I do¡­¡± With these brooding thoughts, I ansently tossed the rest of my frames. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Here you go, coffee.¡± ¡°Thanksss¡± He caught the can I threw deftly. I pulled my own tab and took a sip as I sat opposite of him. There was a resting area near the entrance of the buildings. Among the numerous benches, we sit on the outermost ones. Above our heads hung numerous balloon-like decorative balls, some big, some small, some transparent ones with smaller balls inside. It had been here for as long as the building, but I still couldn¡¯t figure out what it was supposed to be. ¡°Still a cola addict,¡± commented Reiji, his eyes on my can. ¡°Still delicious.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. I can¡¯t even force it down.¡± ¡°My condolences. Unable to savor this pleasure. The fizz and the sugar¡¯s gonna make you lucid. Soda¡¯s the best.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re an idiot when not drinking.¡± ¡°Give back my coffee.¡± ¡°Too late~¡± Damn you, stop screwing around for once? ¡°But,¡± something flashed in his eyes, ¡°You haven¡¯t drink once during middle school¡± ¡°I have refined my taste buds. I¡¯ve grown up.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but growl. ¡°Uh, if I have to choose one, I¡¯d say more childish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By the way, Io.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Have you figured it out? The mystery of the playgirl bitch?¡± ¡°Stop calling her ¡®bitch¡¯, and no, I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end.¡± ¡°Huhhh? Boring.¡± And you remembered the details? How is that boring to you? ¡°I thought there would be something interesting for once¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s not boring nor interesting. My work as the Angel isn¡¯t some entertainment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your problem?¡± ¡°Even it¡¯s other¡¯s problem, I care about it as my own¡± I looked up at the hanging spheres and sighed loud enough for him to hear. The smell of baked mund and cheese waffled from Lotteria at the corner. Strangely enough, I didn¡¯t have the appetite. ¡°Maybe you should deal with your own problem before helping others,¡± he said flatly. I was about to snap back, but his tone was unexpectedly mellow, so I bit back my retort. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do with it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do with yours, but you think you could do with hers¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± Something in his eyes switched that instant. I unconsciously recoiled. ¡°You¡¯re not the same. You and that girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you aware of how blind you are to your own shortcomings?¡± ¡°Shutup¡± He pretended to not notice my snarl. His silver earrings gleamed dully. His profile was insufferably handsome. ¡°Speaking of which, what about your side?¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°That kouhai girlfriend.¡± I saw her coming to our class once, she was flashy, Reiji¡¯s type. He threw his head to the side. ¡°Ahh. We broke up.¡± ¡°What even happened? It hasn¡¯t been three weeks.¡± ¡°Long enough to tell that we don¡¯t fit. Thank heavens.¡± Reiji guffawed. Couldn¡¯t expect less from him. I doubt this will make any difference, but, ¡°If you¡¯re gonna break up like that, couldn¡¯t you spare a thought before saying yes?¡± ¡°Huhh? You never know until you date. Not compatible? Just break up. That¡¯s the only way to know whether it would work out or not.¡± Reiji was¡­ carefree, but that didn¡¯t mean he was messing around. His arguments were, to an extent, sound. That didn¡¯t stop the resentment from those he rejected. ¡°Don¡¯t expect everyone to treat dating as some sacred ritual like you. If you got confessed, then go along with it, at least that¡¯s how I think.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sorry.¡± But, sacred ritual? I¡¯m just another dude, no? I¡¯m normal, right? ¡°Maybe you might begin liking them back for their affection. Some people are like that, you know?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Liking them back for¡­their affection? ¡­ ¡°Well, in short, Io, no offense, but get over that senpai¡ª¡± I sprang up. ¡°I see!!¡± My head was working at an unprecedented speed. The more I theorize, the more it makes sense. ¡°What? That ecstatic expression¡­¡± ¡°Reiji!¡± I took him by the shoulders and chook him. ¡°Quiet¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you ice cream too!¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, well, if you insist?¡± I let him go and raced to the door. I couldn¡¯t slow down and ran all the way home, the excitement took away my fatigue for this past month. Finally. I took my shoes off and steadied my breath. [The ice cream, one scoop, ¡®kay?] I sent a message to Reiji and threw it onto the sofa. I ignored the muted vibration of the reply notification and went through the events until now. I recalled the day we met, and what happened even before that Volume 1 - CH 5.5 Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Part 5 That saturday. Minato promptly responded to my call. As usual, we met at Yukito¡¯s cafe. She wore a chic black blouse and tight denim jeans. Unlike our previous outing to Kyoto, her attire was clean and gave the image of maturity. Like usual, it really suited her. Unfortunately though, there was no time for that. ¡°I think I might have figured it out.¡± I began after taking a sip. The Sprite did a good job of blowing off the jittery. ¡°Figured what?¡± ¡°The condition of your ailment.¡± A flicker. For a second, her eyebrows knitted. Her reaction made me wavered a little, but there was no turning back now. ¡°I changed my methods.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The hint was in the people you liked, just not what I thought to be.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a connection?¡± ¡°Yes, there was one thing I looked over. Fortunately, I happened to be the only one who could verify this theory.¡± I looked at my palm. She saw the gesture and her eyes widened in recognition. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but I tried it anyway. There are thirty people you currently like,¡± I spoke silently, ¡°I used my powers on them.¡± Of course, the process was grueling. But that didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t do much in other cases, but I didn¡¯t let any of the Kuze students slip. Well, I could stop halfway if the tendency suggested otherwise. However, well¡­ ¡°Thirty people, I checked on twenty eight. Twenty seven of them¨C¡± Her frown deepened. ¡°¨CLikes you¡± Aoki, who picked up her handkerchief. That plain boy who had never talked to her. Third year senpai who talked with her during lunch break. Angel consultant, Makino. All of them liked her. ¡°I also tried on the ikemen that you haven¡¯t fallen for yet.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°It turns out he already has a girlfriend, so he has zero interest in you. I also tried on the others with conditions similar to his.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a lot of people who don¡¯t like me¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s precisely why.¡± Her face flickered and she suddenly looked relieved. She brought her hand to her chest and closed her eyes. I was curious about her reaction, but I need to conclude first. ¡°Minato, you¡¯re probably liking people back because they liked you. Or more precisely, you are reacting to the affection expressed.¡± That was my theory. All thanks to Reiji. ¡°And that fell in line with the fact that you haven¡¯t fallen for me yet, despite how much we have talked. I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings for you, so you, in return, don¡¯t either.¡± I drank the rest of the soda in one gulp. Because of how much I had drunk, the fizzing in my mouth was faintly audible. Although I smarted at the pain it brought, it did a good job at clearing my head. And I probably couldn¡¯t stand this silence if I hadn¡¯t drunk. Minato¡¯s face continued to shadow as the somber atmosphere fell in between us. Although this was a big step forward, it was still a long way until we can cure the Falling-in-love Peculiarity. I had thought that this would be a small respite for her, but she just looked down painfully. ¡°And the guy from the neighboring school we walked past, it¡¯s probably him falling at first sight and you¡¯ve felt it. I can¡¯t be hundred percent sure yet, and I need some time to test it out under different conditions. Still, when that is finished, we can move on to¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need to check,¡± her tone was weak, filled with resignation. It was as if she had to force it out. ¡°Eh? You said you¡¯d definitely have it cured?¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯d do anything. And you would reach the same conclusion anyway. I had suspected the same thing¡­¡± ¡°You have? What¡­?¡± Since when? And why didn¡¯t she tell me? ¡°Thank you, Io.¡± Pain. Her face contorted in pain. Crying, but no tears came. Her face was like that. Unfathomably poignant. ¡°This is where my consultation ends. I¡¯ll take care of myself from now on.¡± ¡°Hah? Hey!¡± She put down a thousand yen bill and stood. Before she left, she glanced backward once, telling me not to follow her. ¡°We might now know the trigger, but the cause is still unknown! Stick it to the end!¡± She ignored me and closed the door, the bell chimed merrily. My eyes went across the counter and saw Yukito looking uncharacteristically concerned. Somehow, I was glad he looked that way. Pathetically, helplessly, I stood there like a fool for a long time. Volume 1 - CH 5.6 Yuzuki Minato won''t turn back Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: Yuzuki Minato won¡¯t turn back Ayaha Interlude ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Hn?¡± ¡°What would you do? If you have such powers.¡± Coming to think of it, it was some heavily drama-influenced answer. Was it? But still, I was glad I had asked her properly. Say, Ayaha¨C. [TN:From the last interlude, in case anyone forgot] If you have the power to read minds, what would you do¡­ ¡°Hmm¨C, me? I¨C¡­¡± If it was me, I¡¯d have still used it for my own gain. Just like how I used my power until now. Things like ¡°Use it to contribute something to society!¡± could only be spoken by someone who doesn¡¯t have powers. And everyone says that because they do not. Coincidentally, I got this unique power. How do I use it? That was a question I had given up on finding the answer. So I pretend, pretend nothing¡¯s wrong. Coward. And when I finally used it¨C I don¡¯t know what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong. What had I done, I still wondered. That¡¯s why I needed to hear her answer. Ayaha, what would you do? ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ hm. Maybe, I might succumb to greed. Ahaha¡± She smiled sheepishly. ¡°Hm?¡± She was the most beautiful when smiling. Everything seemed to be at peace, the gentle slope of her brows, the warmth radiating from her narrowed eyes. ¡°Exposing secrets of those who I don¡¯t like, reading everyone¡¯s mind during tests, any cheating in general too. Ahh, cheating would be ten times easier like that¡± ¡°You¡¯re no good¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s my ability? Why can¡¯t I use it? Too bad, god gave the power to the wrong person.¡± ¡°God would probably facepalm if he heard that.¡± She bursted into another fit of laughter. Yeah, I¡¯m an idiot, a simpleton. It was as if she understood me, being on my side. I was genuinely happy. ¡°Ah! I would try to balance out though¡± ¡°Balance?¡± ¡°Help people out, well, mostly my family or loved ones. Being able to read minds opens up a lot of possibilities, imagine what I could do. There might be something only I could notice, something like that.¡± ¡°Hm, for example?¡± ¡°Un¨C, here, if you¡¯re feeling down, I would have noticed and done something, right?¡¯ My heart skipped a leap. Even though it was just an assumption, still¡­ ¡°This older sister could give you a tight hug. Head pats too! You¡¯re like my dear brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ah. What is that?¡± she teased, ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed? How cuteee¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I was. My heart was galloping 120 km/h, breathing hurted, this was a torture. But I was also incredibly happy, blissful, I¡­ ¡°So, Io-kun.¡± She smiled again. I hoped she would do that forever. ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, worrying, anxious, just tell me. If you do, I wouldn¡¯t need any power to help you. Without power, yeah?¡± I couldn¡¯t speak, lest these emotions would spill instead. I won¡¯t forget, never, this memory, her face, her gentle voice. ¡°You too,¡± I managed. You¡¯re always too lovely. Would you mind? If I cling to you a bit. Was that selfish, I wonder. ¡°Ayaha, tell me too, yeah?¡± Hey, answer me, please, Ayaha, please. Ayaha. Volume 1 - CH 6.1 The Angel and the girl''s long evening Translated by 64990022 Chapter 6: Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Part 1 Work mode: on. Voice changer: okay, camera: off. Call quality: the worst. ¨C¡±You there, Angel?¡± It was probably either in Wi-Fi condition or site traffic. The voice froze, but well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll manage. We can switch to chat if it gets worse.¡± ¨C¡°¡®Kay¡± ¡°So what brings you here?¡± Makino was the one who asked to have this call today. He didn¡¯t say what, but it was probably¡­ ¨C¡°Um¡­ I will confess to Yuzuki-san¡± ¡°I see¡­ You¡¯ve made up your mind.¡± I tried to emanate a light and cheerful tone, but I guess it could get so far. Good there was voice change, I probably couldn¡¯t do this face to face. ¨C¡±It took time, but I finally got the courage to confess. All thanks to you, Angel¡± ¡°No, you worked hard.¡± I still couldn¡¯t shake off the gloom. Get it together, Kuze High¡¯s Angel! ¨C¡±Is there anything?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m rooting for you, Makino¡± I failed to bit back the bitter thought. She was going to reject him. ¨C¡±Huzzah! Although I¡¯m not sure how to confess¡­ hehe, sorry for relying on you ¡®till the end¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s what my work entails¡± ¨C¡°Hoh? Back to ¡®watashi¡¯? I prefer ¡®ore¡¯ tho¨C.¡± [TN: Yep, those problematic pronouns again] ¡°I¡¯ll pass. The more I use it, the more likely I¡¯ll slip again.¡± ¨C¡°Ahaha. I see, that couldn¡¯t be good.¡± Hmph, this is no laughing matter. I need to keep my identity a secret here. Having a gender neutral image serves better in easing up the atmosphere of consults too. ¨C¡±Ahh¨C How cold. I thought we could have been friends.¡± His tone sombered. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t know that I was in the next class. Or that he just had a tennis match with the Angel a few days prior. But sorry, sorry for urging you on a love that would never come true. Alas, I have no regrets. ¡°Sorry.¡± Of course, he won¡¯t know how many things I¡¯m apologizing for. ¨C¡±It would hinder your work, right? So not your fault.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Thanks.¡± I thought we could have been friends¡­ Makino, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any right to be your friend. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô The next few days passed in a haze. Went to school, took classes, that was it. I hadn¡¯t met Minato ever since. I hadn¡¯t even exchanged a single word with her. I also took a break from my Angel work. I had cleared Makino¡¯s consultation, so what was left was the other new girl, whom I had already sent an apology to. Everything fell into a routine, my thoughts too, were in a circle. Where did it go wrong? Or was it unavoidable from the start? I don¡¯t know¨Ccouldn¡¯t know. She avoided me at school, and my messages were left on read. I even tried going straight for her. It ended with her rebuffing me with the scaries glare I had ever seen. I was rattled. Never tried that again. I had done everything I could think of. ¡°Hahh¡­¡± Just when I thought this might turn out to be okay. I had thought that I might have a chance. It might not be my speciality, but I had the will and determination. Heck, I even have this weird power. Surely, something would work out, or at least, to some acceptable level¡­ ¡°Hah??¡± ¡°Shut up. Your sighs are making my nuggets bland.¡± From the opposite seat, Hiura chided. Afterschool, Hiura skipped her club and dragged me to a McDonalds along the prefectural road. A bit further west from lake Biwa where I first talked with Minato. Also, Shiga people were crazy about McDonalds. Well, we¡¯re in Kansai, that¡¯s how things work here. Hiura crossed her legs dangerously on the chair, her hands busy lobbing nuggets and fries. The last time I reached for one, she quickly slapped my outreached hand. Now, they were on my knees. I am a man of patience. Humans are susceptible to pain. ¡°You¡¯re dying a lot lately.¡± Bits of¡­whatever it was, flew from her mouth. ¡°I want to be reincarnated as a clam.¡± ¡°Agreed. You might finally shut up.¡± ¡°Hiura?¡± How cold¡­ and how kind. Is this the duality of Hiura? By the way, why did I feel refreshed when treated this way? ¡°Well? It¡¯s that certain someone, right? You were rejected?¡± Of course, she would know. ¡°That was on the mark?¡± she continued when my silence prolonged. ¡°Of course you¡¯d care about me?¡± ¡°Gross¡± Okay, got it! I¡¯m gonna turn into a clam! ¡°Complain whatever you want, I¡¯ll be the wall.¡± She waved exasperatedly. ¡°H-Hiura-sama!!¡± ¡°Can you just get done with this quickly?!¡± Yup, yup, she was probably a tsundere¡­ I sorted through my mind, my thoughts a jumble. To admit, I wasn¡¯t sure where to even start. ¡°She was¡­ desperate, you know.¡± Hiura was silently experimenting with the two sauces, dipping the fires and tasting. I don¡¯t reckon any wall doing that, but fine. ¡°I feel like I need to do something, I can¡¯t leave things like this¡­the other times I would respect their choices, but¡­ this time¡¯s different.¡± I said I would do anything to help, yet things turned out like this. ¡°I thought I could build a relationship of trust. I trust her, and I thought the same goes for her. That was the only thing I thought I got right. Consultations rely on trust.¡± ¡°Nothing can beat barbeque sauce.¡± ¡°Even if things are impossible. Even impossible, surely, at least something will work out. I thought we could at least do that if we¡¯re together¡­ I was wrong.¡± ¡°But mustard once in a while is delicious too¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°I thought too lightly of this,¡± I concluded. ¡°Wait wait, what if I mix them?¡± ¡°What I do is just lead people to confession. No, all I could do is that. Still, I want to see this to the end, even if it meant intruding her space¡­¡± A semblance of confidence returned. ¡°There must be something she wanted to keep hidden¡­ Something that is worth the cost of not curing the Peculiarity.¡± I can¡¯t help her without knowing more about her, and she knew it. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can just get her to say. And I perfectly understand how that feels.¡± Just like how I got defensive when Reiji or Yukito mentioned Ayaha. She must have had something like that too. ¨CThere¡¯s nothing you can do with your problem, but you think you could do with hers? Yeah, Reiji, you¡¯re right. ¨CNo, you¡¯re the same. Maybe you were right, Yukito. I can¡¯t do anything. ¡°Why not ask the person in question?¡± ¡°Heh?¡± She was looking at the sauce dispenser hungrily, no indication that what she said was directed to me. Keeping the ¡°wall¡± act, I suppose. ¡°Is it your fault? Or just just don¡¯t want to get involved any further?¡± She shook her head and used the nuget to wipe her sauce tray. ¡°Thinking would only get you so far. Just ask her and decide what to do. Disrespect to her privacy? Hell, you have the right to know, don¡¯t you?¡± Somehow, the sound of her slurping the remaining milkshake sounded lonely. I popped open the lid of my Fanta Grape and swigged the ice, the soda long gone. I chew with a satisfying crunch, and prickling pain at the sudden cold. ¡°Hiura¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I eyed the fries, not daring to reach. ¡°Can I have one?¡± She grunted and the red-yellow bag was held out to me. I took the longest one, glanced up to check her reaction, and stuffed it into my mouth. ¡°Sauce too?¡± ¡°Mustard.¡± ¡°I want barbeque sauce.¡± ¡°Mustard¡± I coated it with the yellow sauce. A lot of it, just to spite her. ¡°Delish¡± She watched me eat expressionlessly. ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll try asking.¡± Her attitude was brash. Yet when it counts, she was unexpectedly helpful. ¡°Hiura.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± A grunt. ¡°Thanks¡± Another grunt. ¡°Hm.¡± Volume 1 - CH 6.2 Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Translated by 64990022 Chapter 6: Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Part 2 A report came in: Makino had confessed and was rejected. He was a bit down, but also somewhat relieved. When I apologized, instead of blaming me, he thanked me over and over. ¨CThanks to you, I could finally get over this. Ahh, it¡¯s like I¡¯m freed. He also said that he would repay me someday. Like that, our counseling ended. I was relieved, yet frustrated, and most of all, ashamed. I steeled my resolve, and, The chime rang and the school day was over. I immediately rushed to class seven. It was time to meet Yuzuki Minato. I was greeted with the current of leaving students and when the crowd thinned, I walked in. Minato was still at her seat, looking outside absentmindedly. In the corner of my vision, I also saw Fujimiya. Today, I won¡¯t back down¨C ¡°Yuzuki,¡± a snicker, ¡°Hmph, I see that you¡¯re behaving.¡± Dyed hair and perfume, Yamabuki Karen stood with her back to me. ¡°Hm? Finally know your place? So ashamed you¡¯ve kept to yourself? Pfft.¡± Her titter still hurted my ear. A disquieting atmosphere seeped through the classroom. Everyone that hadn¡¯t left froze momentarily. Yamabuki sat on the desk next to her. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing. I¡¯m so glad you stopped that, it¡¯s been an eyesore.¡± I gritted my teeth. She was talking about the operation I suggested. But¡­ So she thought that the incident earlier made Minato stop. Unable to resist the urge to brag about her presumed success, like this, she pushed her luck. Oh, Yamabuki, you¡¯ve mistaken. ¡°But you know, Yuzuki? You¡¯re just a bitch, the fact that you¡¯ve stopped means nothing? Hope you remember that.¡± I can¡¯t watch this. This is so, so childish. She thought that those hollow insults would get her the upperhand. Her words, her thoughts, what utter nonsense. She sighed and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re just scared of me, I know. Besides, I know what happened in middle school¨C¡± That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t care about the consequences. Just don¡¯t goddamn mess with other people¡¯s past. But before I could move. Slap! A sharp crack. Minato stood, her hair streaming after as her body twisted at an unbelievable angle. Yamabuki lost balance and fell hard on the floor. The classroom fell silent. ¡°Y-you!! What the hell!!¡± ¡°That has nothing!! To do with you!!!¡± Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her face still in a snarl, Minato left. I was about to go after her when I noticed a grip on my shoulder. ¡°Akashi-kun!¡± ¡°What,¡± I said flatly. Fujimiya looked at me with pleading eyes as she shook her head. ¡°We need to talk.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô I led her to Cafe Proof. It appeared that it was the opposite way to her house, but it was also the only place we could discuss freely. Fujimiya also agreed to that. Yukito patted me on the shoulder silently and gave an encouraging smile. I went for the usual seat, and had Fujimiya sitting at Minato¡¯s seat. ¡°Actually¡­ I knew.¡± ¡°Knew what?¡± ¡°What she¡¯s struggling with,¡± she said, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked her directly, but I¡¯ve seen enough. And that this time, it was about it too.¡± Her voice was¡­pleading. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Yea. but she won¡¯t tell me, so I pretended I didn¡¯t know.¡± This time, her voice was sulky. It was understandable that Minato wouldn¡¯t tell Fujimiya, but from Fujimiya¡¯s point of view¡­ ¡°Minato, she¡¯s not well lately.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried. You don¡¯t seem to be in contact anymore. So, something must have happened between you two, and that¡¯s the cause.¡± Fujimiya turned a questioning eye. Unfortunately, there was nothing to refute. Nor I was planning to. Noting my dour state, she smiled as if to say she wasn¡¯t blaming me. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Then I told her everything. It was easy, since she already knew about the Peculiarity, there was nothing to hide. I told her how I accepted her consultation, and how I ended up with the conclusion. Volume 1 - CH 6.3 Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Translated by 64990022 Chapter 6: Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Part 3 Then I told Fujimiya everything. It was easy, since she already knew about the Peculiarity, there was nothing to hide. I told her how I accepted her consultation, and how I ended up with the conclusion. I told her of Minato¡¯s ending of the consultation. I also revealed about the Angel to her. If not, there wouldn¡¯t be a reason for Minato asking for my help. By the time I finished, Fujimiya was sobbing while nodding. ¡°I see,¡± she said feebly. The fact that Minato went for advice from a stranger insead of her must have been hard to bear. Although I did keep the power to myself. There was no reason in telling her anyway. ¡°I understand now.¡± She looked detached, her words came in between pauses. ¡°Sorry¡­ I should have done something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You told me everything, and by that, I got involved with your secret. I have no right to put any blame on you.¡± She sighed. As if in accordance, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. ¡°She¡­ She must have known the reason she liked them.¡± She closed her eyes in concentration. ¡°I think I understand now.¡± ¡°But¡­ How do I bring this up? she clearly doesn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°She may seem so. However, she must have felt it, somewhere inside, the urge to confide in someone. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said she wanted to get rid of the Peculiarity, I am sure about this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to but¡­¡± Her head jerked up, the remaining tear glimmered. ¡°If¡­ If you haven¡¯t given up on her¡­ Can you please step in? She might not like it, she might hate you for it, but can you try talking to her one more time?¡± She shakily blinked several times. With her pursed lips, she looked like she couldn¡¯t stand the frustration any longer. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with me.¡± I shrugged ruefully. She sighed. ¡°If you can¡¯t, then I¡¯m out of the question.¡± Her smile then was weak, yet cute and resolute. ¡°You know her address?¡± I asked. ¡°Hm? Ah, yes!¡± ¡°¡®Kay, I¡¯ll go. Actually, I was going to go to her anyway, the timing was just bad back there.¡± ¡°Akashi-kun¡­¡± ¡°Since it¡¯d be two days wait with the weekend in between, I¡¯ll update via LINE. You can send her address there too.¡± We went to the cashier and paid our bill. The bell rang softly as we left the cafe and began climbing Tokimeki hill. ¡°Say,¡± she began, her tone was light and teasing, in contrast to her dire tone earlier. ¡°Why did you touch her cheeks?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Nothing, I just want to.¡± ¡°You like her? Minato I mean.¡± She smiled mirthfully. [TN:Bottom left] ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Hehh? I¡¯d recommend you to go for her, you know?¡± Of course, anyone would recommend her, she¡¯s the freaking Kuze¡¯s Top Three. And her good points didn¡¯t just end there. ¡°She¡¯s cute, stylish, and¡­¡± she listed. ¡°Ah! She¡¯s a good girl too, you know.¡± Fujimiya whispered collusively. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re barely acceptable to me too, so you¡¯ve at least cleared a level.¡± ¡°¡®Acceptable¡¯? And what are you, her parents?¡± Fujimiya was heading back to school once more, so we parted at the junction between Keihan Zeze and JR Zeze Station. When I turned my back to her and walked away, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you hug her for today.¡± My feet came to a stop. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a pause,¡± she noted gleefully. ¡°Well, take care of her!¡± she said as she waved. She turned her back to me, I turned to hers. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Minato¡¯s apartment was around South Kusatsu Station, Kusatsu City, the biggest city in Shiga Prefecture. Although this ¡°Kusatsu¡± was not the same as Kusatsu Onsen, the onsen was in Kusatsu Town, Gumna, whilst this was Kusatsu City, Shiga. There was no onsen, just a cold lake here. Sigh. Who named these places? [TN:Agreed] Also, from here to Kyoto was an eighteen minutes ride. That made this area a strangely prosperous commuter town. Yep, strangely. This is Shiga Prefecture, everything defies common sense. [TN:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_town] [TN: And no, I don¡¯t get the Shiga joke.] I got off the train at South Kusatsu, and fiddled with the map application. I could cut straight through smaller roads, but to be sure, I decided to go along the national highway as far as I could. I made my way in silence, all the while making another revision of what I had thought on the train. I reached a gigantic intersection. ¡°Ah¡­¡± On the other side of the road, I saw a familiar figure. Even with the backdrop of a yakiniku place, she was beautiful. She still hadn¡¯t changed out of school uniform. Her back was carried high with confidence. It would have been the usual Minato, only if it wasn¡¯t for the dark frown. ¡°Minato.¡± Miraculously, my greeting came out fine. The frown was taken over by surprise. ¡°Io?¡± She blinked several times successively and removed white earphones from her ears. The wireless ones I gave her. She let out a resigned sigh. ¡°Shopping.¡± I tilted my head questioningly. ¡°Help me carry. We can talk at home later.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô We traced back to a Seiyu at the station building and shopped together. Minato picked up vegetables, instant foods and other groceries with practiced hands. I looked at the basket in my hand, the products here were what most highschool students would let their parents buy for them. [TN: Seiyu, Japanese department store. In case anyone wondering, voice actors are ¡°seiyuu¡±, extra u there.] She paid at the self-checkout and I helped her pack the bags. After that, we went straight to her apartment. Not a single word passed between us, saved for the ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, when she noted my initial dumbfounded expression. Her apartment was the luxurious type. Minato held up her phone and the auto-lock opened with a mechanical buzz. The IC card key was probably hidden inside the phone case. ¡°Wait here.¡± She took the other bag from my hand and disappeared inside. A while passed and she returned. ¡°Come in.¡± Her face flushed a little as she urged me. The front door clicked close and I was led inside. We reached a living room with a low rectangular table with two cushions. There was nothing of note other than that. ¡°You live alone?¡± I broke the silence for the first time. ¡°No, mother¡­ Mom lives here too. Or at least, in the paper, otherwise I couldn¡¯t enroll for Kuze High,¡± she said matter-of-factly. Kuze was a national highschool, so I suppose stipulation along that line exists. However, this is no time for small talk¡­ ¡°So you came.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡± Her face was taunted with anticipation again. ¡°I talked with Fujimiya.¡± ¡°With Shiho?¡± ¡°Yep, and also once before that.¡± And I went on clarifying about what happened. This week was a week of explanations. Or rather, there were simply too many secrets between us, the bill has come due. Her expression was complicated. From shock, to guilt, to disbelief, her face was a mess of emotions. ¡°But I¡¯m not here on her order,¡± I assured, ¡°I¡¯ll be asking later. What is this about? What are you hiding from me? Think up your answer by then.¡± ¡°Later?¡± ¡°You heard right, later. When I finish my story. You don¡¯t need to pay full attention, just listen.¡± She nodded slowly. Thinking back, this was the first time I had told someone this by myself. But it was this or give up. How to make other people reveal a secret to you? You tell them yours. That was the concept of confiding, that was the concept of trust. ¡°This is the story of how I decided to become the Angel of Kuze High.¡± [TN: I¡¯ll take some time and update a few parts at once, not sure how long it will take, but I¡¯ll find where I can end without a cliffhanger.] Volume 1 - CH 6.4 Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Translated by 64990022 Chapter 6: Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Part 4 [TN: This is a one sided dialogue formatting] There was a girl named Shiki Ayaha. She was a year older, a senpai at my middle school. Long hair, she was mature for her age,and of course, beautiful. Even so, inside, she was very childish. I found myself smiling at the memory. She was strange. Not that I have anything to complain about though. She was dear to me. Every one would think like that, she just had the personality that makes you think so. She was always on the off-limits rooftop. She seemed to take her class normally, but I have only met her there. Lunch break, afterschool, I always met her there. We would talk about whatever crossed our minds. We talked about silly things, joked around, we even got into fights sometimes. Hmm. What I did with her is irrelevant to the story, I¡¯ll cut to the important parts. Anyway, the thing was, I liked Ayaha. Of course, romantic feelings, nothing else. Not admiration, familial affection, camaraderie, no. I was hopelessly in love. I considered confessing, I planned to. But I wanted it to be a success, I wanted to move forward in a relationship with a girl I liked. I was a fool, but that was the only admirable thing about me at that time. I¡¯d prepared scripts, what was left was to find the courage to confess. Then, I realized. What if I was rejected? Not that I wasn¡¯t confident. Ayaha was certainly enjoying herself when with me. And the rooftop, I was the only one she let me in. But, a sliver of doubt remained. What does the other party think about me? There was no way of knowing until the confession. No, even if you confess, you might not know their true feelings. You should understand this the best, Minato. In short, I was scared. If I confess, would this blissful everyday disappear? And what if I¡¯m making her uncomfortable with this unrequited love? I was afraid of losing the time we shared. I was afraid of what confession would bring. So, what did I do? Did I say I was a fool? Even more of a fool than now. I was short, my voice was starting to crack, but there was one thing that was the same. I had this power. Touch someone¡¯s face and I¡¯d know who they liked. Did it cross your mind when you asked about my power? That this power would be a cheat item for anyone in that situation. Even a fool could come to that solution. The fourteen-years-old me thought. No, I had been thinking since the moment I knew about my power. Until then, I had never used it on Ayaha. As you would expect, I was lost. Is that okay? I shouldn¡¯t use my power on someone I cared about, or should I? Just a swipe, just to be sure before confessing. Or so I convinced myself. One evening, I managed to use it one her when she was taking a nap. My power activated and¨C No, it should have been activated. I saw no face, none. Remember? The condition for my power, nothing happens meant that the target liked no one. Ayaha Shiki had no romantic feelings towards Akashi Io. I went home right away and bawled my eyes out. I couldn¡¯t confess. But this affection refused to wane. It was painful. I took a break, clearing the haze in my mind with a long deep sigh. Minato was looking blankly at the table, her cheeks resting on her hand. Her lips protrude a little, but not so much as a pout. ¡°It¡¯s ending soon, don¡¯t look so bored.¡± She pulled herself from the drooping pose. ¡°N-no! I wasn¡¯t! It¡¯s¡­ not like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just a boring tale of a lame middleschooler¡¯s stupid screw-up.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Well, here comes the climax.¡± She raised her eyebrows. My heart was thunderous inside my chest. I can¡¯t let anything other than words spill here. I took a deep breath and tried to stop the trembling. ¡°Ayaha died.¡± There were no more tears. Should I be relieved, or should I be disappointed? The day I knew she didn¡¯t like me, I cried the entire day. And then a week later, she got into a car accident along with her father. Just like that, she was gone. I heard that their death was immediate, good for her. I shivered. And then, I was a mess. Naturally, I was devastated, I really loved her. I could no longer see her, her voice now no more than a memory. I couldn¡¯t accept it. In response, perhaps, I threw up for heavens know how many times. I skipped school for a while. Of course, I didn¡¯t dare go to the rooftop. There were too many things that reminded me of Ayaha. Besides, I might end up at the wrong side of the fence. I think we had talked about what we would do if our loved ones died. Now that I had the experience for real, I just knew how absurd it was. There was nothing I could do. I wonder whether I should digest it slowly, taking in her death little by little. To forget the pain, but keep the memory. In the end, I did nothing, just¡­be. Hey, why are you crying¡­ You still need to explain your side of the story. Keep it together, please. ¡­This was a story about why I decided to be an Angel, right? You could say that this is the Angel¡¯s martyrdoom, I guess. My grief was not just her death. Well, not grief, more of regret. The chance to tell her that I loved her was now gone forever. Why didn¡¯t I tell her? She didn¡¯t see me that way, but then what? I still liked her. Scared? Scared of what? Scared of being rejected and losing this relationship? We were together practically everyday, why can¡¯t you win her over? Do you really think she would somehow notice you if you don¡¯t tell her how you feel? Because I had this power, because I knew, I should hold the confession off. I was sure, I was sure that this was the right call. That was what I thought. But then, what happened? Ayaha had died. I laughed, derisively, hysterically. Why am I doing this again? Words just kept spilling out. There were so many emotions¡ªtoo many. I can¡¯t think straight anymore. Not just the rooftop, I won¡¯t meet her again anywhere. Like that, she died without knowing that I loved her. I would never see the look on her face when I tell her my feelings. She might not see me that way, but I might be able to convince her a little? ¡°Now that I think of it, he isn¡¯t a bad guy.¡± or something like that. I could even ask her for a trial date. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard to be someone reliable, I¡¯ll show you. I¡¯ll repeat my feelings to you again then.¡± I might get that kind of chance. Say, what would you do now, now that you knew everything. Being rejected was scary, right? The possibility of being shunned by her scared you, huh? You were terrified of that, right? ¡°I never think of you that way. Gross.¡± You would be horrified if she said that, no? But, was that worse than now? You think anything could be any more painful than this? There was nothing to be done now. You can¡¯t tell her your feelings, never. You think there would be anything worse than this?? I burst into another fit of laughter. Even with the worst of rejections, it wasn¡¯t the end of the line. There was a whole world of possibilities had I confessed. Hey, can you forget her? Can you give up on her? I can¡¯t even properly have my heart broken. There was nothing I could do now. Hey, Io, why didn¡¯t you say it? If you know it would turn out like this, would you confess? If she still lives, would you do the same thing? No, right? I should have told her. Should have told her I loved her. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen head over heels for you,¡± I should have said that! No matter the result, I should have confessed! If I had said it, I would have been able to move on! Every moment spent might have been the last. That¡¯s the truth that people never realize until it is too late. ¡°That¡¯s why I became the Angel.¡± I managed to hoarsely choke out the last words. I should have brought soda from Seiyu. ¡°¡®The angel will help people who were troubling about love¡¯ was what spread. Words spread and the saying changed to ¡®Agnel will make your love work out¡¯¡± I licked my dry lips. ¡°I help those who couldn¡¯t take the plunge, even sometimes a little forcefully, so that they won¡¯t regret it like I did. My responsibility is not to make sure their love is fulfilled, but accomplishment of confession. Whether the confession succeeds or fails, whether their love comes true or not, it doesn¡¯t matter either way to me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. But it takes courage to confess. Courage comes from confidence, confidence needs results. I¡¯m more than happy to help their relationship progress.¡± Afterall, there was no such thing as an absolutely successful confession. And at the same time, there was no such thing as a romantic feeling that was better left unspoken. ¡°I¡¯m being selfish, I know. I understand that there are people with special circumstances like you. That¡¯s why I let them choose, whether to follow me or not. And I told them beforehand that I don¡¯t guarantee success. If they grab my outreached hand, then I will help them to the end, that¡¯s it.¡± My limbs were heavy and my heart ached, it was as if I had lost all the strength I had. Minato kept her head down and said nothing. Well, there¡¯s not much to comment on. I get it, it was stupid. ¡°Thank you for telling me,¡± she finally said. ¡°No, rather, I¡¯m sorry for telling you something dark. And it was longer than expected.¡± It must have been a while, since my throat was all but parched. ¡°So¡­ Minato.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Trepidation filled the air. The main issue was now here. ¡°What on earth happened? If you don¡¯t mind, please tell me. Just so you know, you don¡¯t have to. If you really want things to end this way then I¡¯ll respect that.¡± A nod. ¡°Well, personally, I don¡¯t like this ending. I know I¡¯m forcing myself on you but, you know, I¡¯d like to at least end this amicably. I don¡¯t know how you feel about me, but I think of you as a friend.¡± That was all I had to say, the rest was now up to her. Secrets and feelings are yours and yours alone, Minato. As if to steel her resolve, she slowly closed her eyes and sighed. With a nod, she lay her hand over mine. Warm, soft, and trembling hand. ¡°Mine is dark too, okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°My climax might be at the start though.¡± Another sigh. ¡°My parents died when I was little. Their workplace caught fire.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s why you were crying?¡± She went on without answering. This time, she wasn¡¯t crying. I had nowhere else to go, so my aunt took me in. Yes, she¡¯s my ¡°mother¡± now. And no, I¡¯m not left alone in this world. She had a husband and a baby boy. So technically, they¡¯re my father and brother. I was five then, I had just begun my kindergarten. My new mother didn¡¯t get along well with my mom. Ah, rest assured, she didn¡¯t take it out on me. Troubled would be the better word. They can¡¯t figure out how to interact with me, even until now. Their real child was just born, so their attention was there, for the most part. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Babies are hard work. You never knew what would happen if you took your eyes off them. I thought I would know my place and behave. I owe them enough for taking me in, what else could I ask for? Yeah? Originally, my parents were busy people, the professional type. They were hardly at home anyway. Even my babysitter was stoic. I am used to being alone. It was lonely and¡­ sad. But there was nothing to do about it, so I just gave up. Hm? What do you mean by ¡°Since then?¡±? Yeah, it was since then. Maybe I was annoying or not cute¨C no, that are just excuses. It¡¯s not my fault, it¡¯s not theirs too, it was just how things were. They would fawn over my brother while letting me be. But how could you blame them? They were probably celebrating the birth of their baby when I came to their doorstep. They had no memories with me, no fondness, no affection or whatsoever. The difference between me and my brother was just so blatant that I can¡¯t ignore it. So I look after my brother, do anything to erase my existence, so that they can ignore me, so that they have excuses to ignore me. I can¡¯t afford them hating me too, so it was the only viable choice back then. That was probably what I was thinking back then. Like, what kind of kindergartener thinks like that? She laughed feebly But I understood how they felt. I, too, can¡¯t bring myself to love them. But I¡¯m still grateful for what they did. They took the responsibility to raise me, the daughter of a sister whom she despised. Raising a child wasn¡¯t an easy thing. After a few blunders, I learned to take care of myself, to play alone, and to prepare meals. Anything that would contribute to the ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± aura. On the other hand though, the distance between us widened. Synergistic effect, so to say. They were quite wealthy, money was never the problem. They would give me allowances, and bring me things I needed. Still, there¡¯s nothing I wanted, and I felt bad wasting it. In the end, most of the money just ends up at the bank. I had turned down once, saying I don¡¯t need this much. But they said ¡°Please keep it¡±. ¡°Please¡±, in a plea. There was no way I could refuse, so I hadn¡¯t tried again since then. I think it was a way to lessen their guilt, like, ¡°Here¡¯s the money, forgive us.¡± They occasionally ask if I need their help with anything. Sometimes, when I ask them a favor, they would smile as if relieved and go on with the favor. Thinking back, it was like a business deal. We went too deep into the back dealings, and have no choice but to continue. Instead of fulfilling our obligations, we used our rights and let the other side do the same. Telling them it¡¯s fine, and being told the same thing. Ah, sorry, I derailed. Well, the point is, this is how I¡¯m raised. What you want to know is probably from now. Yes, this is how Falling-in-love Peculiarity came to be. I told you that it started during elementary school, that I dated many guys to find the cause, that I don¡¯t know the cause. But sorry, the last one was a lie. I was no longer surprised. She checked my expression once before letting her eyes fall to the table. ¡°I knew the trigger pretty early. I know what kind of people I¡¯m attracted to.¡± She said, ¡°Yes, the same conclusion as yours. It was around two years back, so I had thought a lot about it.¡± So it was right¡­ ¡°The cause too, it was easy from that point on. This Peculiarity was unordinary, then I must be unordinary too. I just need to trace back from there.¡± She shook her head in disgust. The contempt was directed at herself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t loved.¡± ¡°Ah, that way of speaking might be rude,¡± she corrected, ¡°I just can¡¯t feel I¡¯m loved. I¡¯m messed up.¡± Her fists began to curl. She began to pull her hands from me, as if she was afraid of messing me up too. But I didn¡¯t let her, I sought her hand and gripped. ¡°So when I feel like I¡¯m liked.¡± Her eyes still downward, she went on. ¡°I had to like them too. It just feels like I¡¯m obliged to. I mean, they like me, they are giving me what I¡¯ve always longed for. Even though it wasn¡¯t familial love¡­ I still¡­ Still¡± [TN: Gratitude, loyalty and faithfulness matters a lot in Japanese culture, so by Japanese context, liking several men simultaneously, speaking bad of one parents, and so on are bad. Sorry for not clarifying this earlier. ] ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­¡± A droplet spilled from her eye, followed by another, and another. The drops joined into a stream, rolled down her cheeks and fell, disappearing behind the table¡¯s shadow. Before I knew it, my hands intertwined and connected with Minato¡¯s. Which one of us initiated, I couldn¡¯t know. She then wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeve. ¡°But¡­Is there even a way to know? Something like that,¡± she sobbed. ¡°That?¡± I echoed. ¡°I might be wrong. I might look over something. It was like blaming my parents, saying it¡¯s their fault when all they did was take me in. I might just be me. I don¡¯t want to put the blame on anyone¡­ So I needed someone who could find the real reason, that way, I might¡­ I might¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So I found you. If it¡¯s the Angel, then surely, the answer! The reason I¡¯m messed up is me, I want that answer!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not their fault! Not Mom, not Dad, not my brother, not anyone¡¯s fault! It¡¯s mine¡­It¡¯s mine!¡± Her voice cracked and she crumpled, I kicked the table away and caught her. She clung to me like a child. Her voice rose into a shrill. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna, hic, be a bother to anyone!¡± she wailed. I looped my arms around her, patted her head, trying to anchor her, to stop the trembling. I failed. I cried too. Her guilt was immense, it just felt natural to be crying after seeing her crushed like this. She took the lead and I followed. Her sobs continued forever. We didn¡¯t talk, what to do next, we had no idea. I¡¯m sorry, Fujimiya, this is all I could do. ¡°Minato¡± Ah, but¡­ I see. Hugging her was the right choice. Volume 1 - CH 6.5 Chapter 6: The Angel and the girl¡¯s long evening Ayaha Interlude ¡°Say, Ayaha¡± My last memory of her. ¡°Hmm, What?¡± Before we parted for the day, we watched the orange in the sky being swallowed by the purple of the dusk. We were wrapping up the conversation about mind-reading power. ¡°Is it wrong if you don¡¯t use it?¡± We were talking about how we would use it until now. But what I had wanted to ask was this. ¡°You mean the power?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Because I have the power for real. Because I don¡¯t know how to use it. It was a question with no answer in sight. ¡°Why not?¡± She looked at me earnestly. I had expected her to tease, but she looked serious. And thanks to that, I had the courage to speak further. ¡°I can¡¯t see how using it could make you happy. You might know something you shouldn¡¯t and end up feeling bad.¡± Like I did The words died on my lips though. But if I don¡¯t use it, then it is just as good as not having one. And I¡¯d be just another ordinary person. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. You have a point.¡± she pondered, ¡°But still, that¡¯s depending on how you use it, no? It¡¯s all up to skill.¡± ¡°Haha¡­You might manage that.¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s like that, then having the power might not be as good. God must have flunked so badly at the lottery if we happen to get any power.¡± And a terrible coincidence at that. Or perhaps God just couldn¡¯t imagine I would screw up this hard when he gave me this power. ¡°But, good or bad, it¡¯s up to you, right?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She didn¡¯t look this way. I, too, didn¡¯t look her way. And so, I could never know what kind of expression she had. She, too, couldn¡¯t see my expression. ¡°I mean, the topic just happened to be about supernatural powers, so it might look dramatic. Actually, wouldn¡¯t it be the same for other things too? Like how tall you are, how big your chest can grow. Even your gender when you were born. Everyone is born different.¡± She spread her arms. ¡°And that¡¯s what makes us us. How would we perceive ourselves, how would we act. That¡¯s all according to us. No, others can decide for us, but I¡¯d hate it if someone did that to me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I just want to like myself no matter what I am. I want to be someone who can like myself. Everyday¡¯s more fun to me this way.¡± ¡°Yeah, you might be right.¡± Somehow, when she said that, it sounded convincing. ¡°Or I might be wrong¡«¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you be sure to the end.¡± I said despite knowing that it was just how she was. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know the right answer. Maybe I¡¯d die without knowing it, the right way of living, I mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know it before I die though.¡± ¡°Agreed¡± Silence. ¡°Anyway, if you happen to find it one day, make sure you tell me, ¡®kay?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yippee! Well then, I¡¯ll sit back and wait for your answer¡«¡± ¡°You¡¯re the older one here, be a good example.¡± We fell into another silence. Now that I think of it, it was a bit strange , but at the time, I felt like there was no need to say anything. ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Pwah!¡± Suddenly, something cool was pressed against my neck. I jumped back. ¡°Ahaha, what was that? ¡®Pwah¡¯?¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± When I turned around, I saw Ayaha smiling happily, holding up a plastic bottle. She then opened the bottle and proffered. ¡°Wanna drink? Calpis soda.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like soda¡± ¡°Ehh, why not? Try a sip.¡± She held the bottle closer to my mouth. I said I don¡¯t like it¡­ By the way, isn¡¯t this indirect¨C ¡°It¡¯s newly open, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± ¡°Ah, or you¡¯re disappointed you don¡¯t get an indirect kiss from this mature, older sister?¡± ¡°N-no! You idiot!¡± ¡°Ahh, suspicious¡± I ignored her banther and quickly gulped down the soda. My hot, blushing face cooled down. It was much sweeter than I imagined. She waited for my response. ¡°Hey, it tastes good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Not really.¡± ¡°Hehh, why not. Hmph, I¡¯ll make you see the greatness of soda.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Then the chime suddenly rang, signaling the end of the school day. School closes shortly after this chime, we had to go home. This was the very last memory I had that day, with her. ¡°Ayaha.¡± ¡°Hmm, what?¡± ¡°But¡­ the superpowers we talked about were entirely hypothetical, yeah?¡± Enveloped by the ringing chime, lighted by a setting sun, I said, as if to remind myself. ¡°Yeah, hypothetical.¡± And if. If she lived, What would I be doing now? What would we be doing now? [TN: I add a few more pages to the previous part too, a short wrap-up after crying] Volume 1 - CH 7.1 Chapter 7: The Angel¡¯s Wrath Part 1 ¡°Good work, Io.¡± Saturday, the day after the long talk with Minato. I spent the entire day working with Yukito at the store. The influx of customers was more than usual today. But somehow, I welcomed it, being busy was better than the alternative. When the day ended, even the veteran Yukito was tired. Now, from the clinks in the kitchen, he was probably fixing a drink. After a while, he came carrying a tray. I unceremoniously picked the melon soda and took a sip. The prickling in my mouth jolted me awake, and with it, went the fatigue. Soda is supreme. ¡°It¡¯s your fault we¡¯ve got so many soda menus.¡± ¡°Not thanks to me?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s no demand, your sodas are guaranteeing a deficit.¡± And although he said that, he still made it for me. Well, I probably never say this out loud, but he was a good guy. ¡°Also, good work, Io.¡± ¡°You already said that.¡± ¡°Not about today¡¯s work. Yesterday¡¯s, I mean.¡± I grunted in accession. With her permission, I had told him what happened between me and Minato, briefly though. I also skipped the, err¡­ emo parts. She probably won¡¯t frequent here like before, so the explanation was like a courtesy. ¡°So, you¡¯re pulling back¡­ No, looking at the long term, right.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was understandable that she wanted to get over it, however, many problems are impossible in the short term.¡± If the cause of her Falling-in-love Peculiarity was really from how she was raised, if it was from her past, then there was only one solution. The past was the past, the only thing that could be done now was what to think about it, how to face it. And to do that, it would be over a span of a few years, at least. ¡°Because that was what you did?¡± My heart dropped. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you need time to forget that senpai?¡± He stared at me with a calm stare. Still the usual meddlesome cousin. ¡°Going slow is okay, you know. But also, don¡¯t mistake standing still as a slow progress, you¡¯d only waste your time like that.¡± I took a hefty gulp of melon soda, swallowing back down a retort. Fizz, fuzz, the sorrowful fizzing sounded nostalgic and lovely then. The sweet scent, the dreamy sweet, the coolness. All brought back Ayaha¡¯s smile and laughter. Yes, I can¡¯t move on. How can I? Sodas were just so sweet and endearing. Yukito lets out a huff. Then he chuckled softly and stretched his arms. ¡°By the way, if I may be so bold.¡± ¡°I told you¡­¡± My voice came in a snarl. ¡°No, no, this is to Minato-san.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°To solve a problem, you have to address its cause. That¡¯s a way of thinking. The point is, it¡¯s not the only way.¡± A hint of smugness crept across his face. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He held up a finger. The motion was pompous, suited him so infuriatingly well. ¡°No offense, but liking someone back because they like you, affection like that are cheap, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Heh?¡± Her affection was ¡°cheap¡±? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still real affection, and I¡¯m fully aware that sizing someone¡¯s feelings like this is presumptuous, so think of it as an anecdote. She has never fallen head over heels for anyone before.¡± ¡°What does that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°My solution to her problem.¡± His eyes became saturated with childish smugness. Come to think of it. This might be the first time this guy had ever spoken about Minato¡¯s problem. ¡°She just has to be madly in love with someone. The sort of special someone that you love more than anything in the world. If she could do that, then the affections to anyone else would be insignificant, like how stars can¡¯t outshine the sun.¡± ¡°¡®More than anything in the world¡¯?¡± I phrased. ¡°Silly word, eh? But that kind of thing exists, you know? I thought you¡¯d understand this the best.¡± Hmm. That might actually work, then¡­ ¡°It might not work, of course. You don¡¯t just wake up one morning and become madly in love with someone, but there¡¯s a possibility, no matter how slim. So why don¡¯t you tell her that?¡± ¡°Yukito¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re a better adult than I imagined.¡± ¡°Oi, that didn¡¯t make me happy in the slightest.¡± We then lazily did the closing procedures and headed home. [I found something, let¡¯s talk this monday,] I sent a LINE to Minato before bed. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Unease floated in the air. Monday morning. The atmosphere in the classroom¡ªin the whole school, was off. I could see many students whispering in a low hush. It was as if a dark shroud of something dominated the school. I remember this kind of atmosphere well. In elementary school, someone in my class got into a fight during recess, and without any conclusion, entered the afternoon classes. Tension, awkwardness, agitation. It was like this, an atmosphere intense with three equal emotions. I thought I could finally rest¡­ I took stock of the entire classroom. Some clustered together and talked in whispers, some looked as dumbfounded as I was, and other reactions all over the place, observing gave away nothing. I racked my brain, coming up with conjectures, but the more I thought, the more mysterious it was. In time like this¡­ ¡°Hiura.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I went for my confidant, Aki Hura. She was the only one with any sense of normalcy. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡± She clicked her phone and put it to sleep mode. ¡°Agreed,¡± she replied curtly. ¡°You¡¯ve got any idea? I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°Whoah! Really? But just when she lit a spark of hope¨C ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Eeh? Why?¡± How cruel! ¡°I¡¯m verifying the truth. Everything¡¯s a mess, give me until noon. Hold your tongue, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Hiura then returned to her phone. ¡°O-oh¡­¡± To be honest, I didn¡¯t understand why I would do anything rash, but if she said so¡­ It¡¯s frustrating, but for now, I¡¯ll leave it to her. There must have been a reason for her words. Still, am I overly reliant on her? ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô The strange atmosphere persisted well throughout the morning classes. In fact, it was getting worse. Many curious faces changed to that of grimaces and curiosity. And then¨C ¡°Eeh, Yuzuki-san, really?¡± That got my attention. I half listened to that conversation as it went on, but I already knew what to expect. What Hiura said now made sense. But I had to agree, there was nothing I could do now. And I had to admit, I would have been running around, making a fool of myself if she hadn¡¯t said that. My anger rose until it was nauseating, my heart raced. Somehow suppressing it until noon, I went to Hiura. ¡°Rumor, word of mouth and through LINE.¡± ¡°Yeah? Contents?¡± I demanded. She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Hey, calm down. And don¡¯t snap at me, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I took a deep breath, the dry rooftop air went in. Hmph¡­ I got carried away. Focus. ¡°Sit¡± I sat down quietly. We hadn¡¯t brought lunch today. ¡°You should have noticed by now, it¡¯s about Yuzuki, and it wasn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Hiura nodded, ¡°Yuzuki Minato is a bitch who toyed with several men in middle school. She came to Shiga to cover it up.¡± Her mouth twisted in disapproval at every word. ¡°I see¡­¡± A jolt of pain, and then a head splitting headache ¡°Its origin?¡± I urged. ¡°Working on it. Won¡¯t take long, tracing¡¯s still easy in early stages.¡± ¡°¡®Early stages¡¯? So it¡¯s not today?¡± ¡°Two days prior, saturday. It blew up just now because today¡¯s the first day at school, before that just a small circles like clubs and gossip groups¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Another throb of pain. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how she would be. Minato¡­ ¡°I have a question for you too.¡± Question? ¡°Yeah?¡± She furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°If you can, tell me, the rumor, is it for real?¡± Minato went out with a few boys to learn more about her Peculiarity. In that sense, ¡°Toyed with several men¡± was half right. ¡°No, and she didn¡¯t come here to hide. Although it might seem that way¡­ that wasn¡¯t the truth.¡± She nodded a few times, looked up a little, and rested her chin on her hand. With creeping dread, I asked, ¡°Minato, how is she doing?¡± Only when I finished the sentence did I realize that I called her name. If Hiura noticed, she didn¡¯t say so. ¡°Isolated. Everyone kept their distance, even though all they talked about was about her,¡± She chev=cked my expression. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of going.¡± ¡°Damit!¡± Having nowhere else, I let my anger out with the fist that hit my own lap. It hurted, but that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°What would you do if you knew the source?¡± Why did she have to ask? WHat else would I do? ¡°Make them stop.¡± ¡°How? I know you¡¯re blackmailing master and all, but then what? You know how persistent rumors can be, people will gossip.¡± I slammed my fist on the concrete floor hard. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?!¡± She didn¡¯t even flinch. Seeing her like this cooled down my temper. And in its stead, helplessness washed over me. Minato is suffering. And if I mess up, there would be no one left to help her. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll pin down the conspirator, or conspirators, by tomorrow. Remember, don¡¯t. Do. Anything. Rash. If you try to mess this up, I¡¯ll roundhouse kick your ass.¡± ¡°Got it¡­ Thanks, Hiura.¡± I bowed to her. If it weren¡¯t for her, I would have stormed Minato¡¯s class and made a fool of myself, how remiss. The bell rang and the lunch break was over. Through the afternoon classes, I didn¡¯t hear a word. How could I tie this rumor up, how to get rid of a rumor, I racked my brain thinking. By nature, rumors weren¡¯t spread because it was true, but instead the pure amusement of the rumor. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, as long as it was interesting, people would talk. Besides, the Kuze¡¯s Top Three being a bitch, that was a scoop of a lifetime for Kuze High. The fact that Minato didn¡¯t have many friends played in the rumor¡¯s favor. ¡°How¡­?¡± Class ended, but still, nothing came to mind. All I could do was spacing out alone in the deserted classroom. Volume 1 - CH 7.2 [Can I call you?] I ended up sending LINE to Minato. I probably couldn¡¯t mess up if it was through a phone call. Besides, I needed to check on her. But¡­ [No.] The message popped up with a cute, useless, notification sound. [And don¡¯t LINE me.] Came another message. I whipped up a few messages to keep her on the line, but she didn¡¯t read. ¡°Of course¡­¡± I muttered. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want to talk. I drained a glass of cola and began thinking. Contacting Fujimiya might be viable, but that wouldn¡¯t help anything, if she could do anything, she would have done it by now. We were both stuck, there was nothing to be done¡­ ¡°Hey, Angel, what are you gonna do¡­¡± I lay on my back and spoke to the ceiling. Naturally, no answer came. ¡°Damnit, think! There must be something I can do¡­¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô If I were allowed to say anything, the next day was worse. Gone was the confusion and blank faces. Instead, ¡°By the way, her reputation wasn¡¯t that good since before.¡± ¡°Yup, yup. And that she began talking to other people lately, that must be her nature leaking out.¡± ¡°Exactly, I thought so too. Like, back to men hunting business.¡± The whole school was talking about her, labing her as ¡°Bitch¡± or ¡°Cheater¡± without any reservation or decency to use softer words at all. Especially the ¡°Cheater¡± one, that was one of the results of the twisted facts. Already, the rumor got close to saturation. I left my things at my desk and went for Hiura. Without looking, she greeted, ¡°Yo.¡± ¡°Hiura, I need your help.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± she finally looked up. ¡°I¡¯ll go see Minato, come with me, rein me in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she promptly replied. It turned out Hiura took my words literally. With my collar caught by Hiura, we went to class seven. There were a lot of people in class seven for early morning, the reason was obvious enough. No one talked to Minato, but the situation was bizarre on its own. All they talk was about her from a distance that was clearly apart from her, yet close enough for her to hear. And her position at the edge of the class only emphasized the distance. Minato herself was at her desk, staring out the window. I leaned sideways to get a better look at her, Her eyes glistened unshed tears, her lips were pursed into a thin line. The face of a girl in agony. ¡°Minato¡­¡± Yeah, bringing Hiura with me was the right choice. There was nothing to do with this rumor, even if we were to deny the rumor, it would come to the impasse of credibility. To prove her innocence in this case meant revealing her aliment, and I doubt that would convince the curious crowd. So in the end, Minato must have reached the same conclusion as me and decided to accept the reality. That couldn¡¯t be easy on her. Someone sniffled a giggle and then gave up. She burst out laughing as if there was something hilarious. Minato¡¯s shoulders jumped in fright. ¡°Ah¨C what a shock. What a waste of Kuze¡¯s Top Three.¡± My shoulders jumped too, when I realized who it was. My feet took a step, but then Hiura tugged from behind. She yanked my arms firmly and took hold when I didn¡¯t give up. She was being gentle with me, but she had the strength of an athlete. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Let me.¡± ¡°I say no.¡± Of course, this is Hiura. ¡°I guess so.¡± Getting hold of the situation, we headed back to our class. Before leaving, my eyes met Fujimiya, she too, was about to cry. ¡°We found our source.¡± As soon as I sat on the concrete floor, Hiura spoke up. All of the sudden, I felt so, so tired. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°First year kid, anonymous.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°She was from the same middle school as Yuzuki. She provided information, not the one who spread it.¡± ¡°And you know who?¡± I asked, but I couldn¡¯t expect someone else. ¡°Yamabuki Karen¡± [TN: Karen to the end.] ¡°Figures¡± I wouldn¡¯t put this past her. More so, Minato just slapped her last week, right before the rumor. ¡°The first year was threatened by Yamabuki. I¡¯m not sure that he ¡®bitch¡¯ was added by her or just the result of the process¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in finding out how much she exaggerated, people already did that for her.¡± Even the slightest nudge by Yamabuki in the starting stages was enough to steer the masses in the direction. And the operation a while ago only worsened the situation. She did that even though she knew it would turn out like this¡­? ¡°And her goal?¡± ¡°Simply out of spite. Either that or¨C¡± ¡°The Kuze¡¯s Top Three,¡± said a voice from my right spat. Miwa Reiji made his dramatic entrance once again. Although he didn¡¯t look exactly happy this time. He was unusually serious. ¡°Explain, Miwa,¡± urged Hiura. He frowned. ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about. Plus Four didn¡¯t entertain her, so she set her eyes on Top Three. Her beauty had already reached its max, so she just had to pull someone down. The humiliation from the slap didn¡¯t sit well with her either. On the side note, she was the one who added that ¡®bitch¡¯, I checked from her cronies.¡± he puffed up a grin. ¡°Being handsome has its merits.¡± I wondered how he could look so grim even with a grin. Or perhaps, he was mirroring my own horrid expression. I couldn¡¯t look good right now. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± What the heck? Her silent agony I saw this morning. Her crying sobs at her house. Just for the Kuze¡¯s Top Three? How selfish could you be? Since when have you got to decide Minato¡¯s fate, Yamabuki? For the sake of a title that she wasn¡¯t even concerned about. For such a trivial thing? Yamabuki?! ¡°Akashi.¡± A cold voice cut through my thoughts. ¡°You should go home for today.¡± I couldn¡¯t remember what happened well, but I went back home and got in the tub. I remembered screaming from the top of my lungs. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Before I went to bed, I had a short chat with Fujimiya. [You free?] Almost immediately after I sent the message, the read tag popped, and a call came from her. ¨C¡°Akashi-kun¡­¡± She was crying. ¡°Hello.¡± What should I say¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not well,¡± I noted. ¨C¡°It¡¯s nothing, carry on.¡± ¡°You talked with Minato?¡± ¨C¡°By LINE, yes. She told me to stay away from her at school though. She told me she didn¡¯t want to put me through it too¡­ That¡¯s all she said¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± A few moments of silence. I sat back, thinking. Fujimiya must have felt the same thing as me, if not ten times angrier. ¨C¡°Akashi-kun¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡± ¨C¡°I¡­ What should I do?¡± she asked desperately. ¡°How do I help her? How do you get rid of rumors? And why, why are they so happy talking about her! They didn¡¯t even give her the benefit of doubt! Why?!¡± ¡°Fujimiya¡­¡± ¨C¡°They don¡¯t even know her! They don¡¯t know what kind of girl Minato is, what she thinks, or how she was raised! And yet! Hey! Tell me! Why?!¡± I ought to lower the volume, but I found that I didn¡¯t care. ¨C¡°Akashi-kun¡­ What can I do?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer anything. I knew I should say something, I thought I could think something up during the call. I really am an idiot. After that, she cried on the phone for a while. What could I do¡­ Rumors¡­Angel¡­ It was a surprise when something actually clicked into place. ¡°Fujimiya¡± ¨C¡°Yeah?¡± she sniffled a trembling breath. ¡°Can you say ¡®Take care of her¡¯ again?¡± Yeah, I¡¯m an idiot. And this plan is only for an idiot. Volume 1 - CH 7.3 The Angel¡¯s Wrath Translated by 64990022 Chapter 7: The Angel¡¯s Wrath Minato Interlude My first emotion was desolation. The rumor about me was spread across the school in the matter of days. It was so absurd I couldn¡¯t believe the person in question was really me. What have I done to deserve this? Who? Who did this? I had my doubts and anger. Every day would be a trial from now on¡­ I noted absently. There was no getting around this, nothing to stop this terrible rumor. At least, let me steer my best friend Shiho and Io, who saved me, clear from this mess. I could never let these two get involved. I limited my contact with them to bare minimum. I was left alone, but that was for the best. If I sat at my desk, doing nothing, maybe they would even lose interest in me. Until then, I just have to endure this until then. This was nothing, I can get through this¡ª ¡°¨CYuzuki-san, that whole affair was wild¡± ¡°Wild. Who would have confessed to a boy and then dumped him right away?¡± ¡°I heard that it was less than a month! And she came up with another man just as fast. Isn¡¯t that what bitches do?¡± It was true. Whatever my moties, it was the truth. But why? Why am I grieving so much even though it was the truth? Why did everyone look so chipper? Why am I being targeted like this? What have I done to deserve this?! Before I knew it, I was guilty for something I didn¡¯t remember doing. ¡°I heard she also have an affair¡± ¡°Bleh, how could anyone two-time like that?¡± ¡°What a waste of Top Three. I feel betrayed, who chose her? Shouldn¡¯t they consider personality too?¡± How did the Top Three have anything to do with this? When have I ever betrayed you? But that was what rumors are. I had no right to say. No one listened. They believe what they want to, propagate what they find interesting, disregard me all they want. I heard gossiping voices everywhere at school. It might seem normal to other people, but it hurted my ear. I wanted to cover down, close my ears, but to what end? They won¡¯t stop. Every time I heard them, it was like small needles picking at my skin, cold, cruel. Tears welled up, every time I managed to stop them was a miracle. I thought of things to take my mind off the rumor. The rest of my highschool life couldn¡¯t be much fun now, let¡¯s look back on happy memories¡­ There weren¡¯t many. It hadn¡¯t been three minutes. Okay then, about Shiho. She was different from me. She could get along with anyone, yet she still chooses to be there for me, always. When I heard from Io, I had cleared up with her. She got angry, sulked, and cried in relief for me. This time too, she listened and kept her distance. This time, it went on longer. But it still ended. Io¡­ The next thing I knew, I was thinking about him. How couldn¡¯t I? Kind, so kind. Maybe too kind. Even after the loss of the girl he loves, he didn¡¯t give up¨Ccouldn¡¯t give up. How hard must it be for him to be standing like this. How much strength does it take to help others like me, even if he himself was in pain like that? I had lied to him. And yet, he helped me earnestly. He can¡¯t change the past, Ayaha won¡¯t be back no matter how hard he wept, he had said. My past was unchangeable. I was already raised this way, what I did in middle school was already done. The fact that I had dated several boys will never go away. Change how you face it. It will take time, but that¡¯s okay, he told me. I was happy back then, even though nothing was solved, but it did help. He was right, it¡¯d be okay, everything would turn out fine, in due¡¯s time. Still, I¡¯m sorry, Io. ¡°Yuzukii¨C¡± I don¡¯t think anything will turn out fine anymore. ¡°Can I borrow you for a minute?¡± Yamabuki called me out at the school gate. Oh, it¡¯s her again. There was a small shrine next to Kuze High, we went to the playground there. It was surrounded by hedges the height of a grown person. A quick look around told me no one would interrupt. I didn¡¯t think I was in any physical danger, even Yamabuki wouldn¡¯t do anything rash, probably. A part of me didn¡¯t care. What¡¯s worse than this rumor? Perhaps by being beaten by Yamabuki might get me some sympathy, might make the rumor stop. A part of me hoped it would happen. There was no end to this, at the very least, I should get used to it. Alas, her voice lacked her usual arrogance, she seemed subdued, even. ¡°You now understand? Now hand me the Top Three.¡± ¡°Huh??¡± What?! ¡°It kinda got out of hand. The point is, you see, step down, and I¡¯ll be fine with it. Hm.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± No guilt, no remorse¡­ this person doesn¡¯t believe she was wrong¡­ I would be surprised if it wasn¡¯t her, at this point. But what I couldn¡¯t accept was her reason behind it. ¡°I say there¡¯s no hope for you now. I was waiting for you to fall down naturally, but it seemed that it¡¯d be a hassle that way. See? If you step down, nice and clean, people might forget you, I¡¯ll take that attention from you. Win-win?¡± What do you mean by ¡°no hope for you¡±? What¡¯s nice and clean? What¡¯s win-win? What is this person trying to break a deal with me? ¡°You did all that¡­ Just for this?¡± ¡°I said it got out of hand, didn¡¯t I? I get it, I get it, I went a little overboard, but it¡¯s a mutual thing, half my fault, half yours.¡± Wait. Mutual? ¡°Why?¡± The audacity! ¡°Just for this?! I¡­!! Screw you!!!¡± I screamed until my throat hurt. A wave of dizziness hit me. I can¡¯t take more of this, it was nauseating, driving me insane. All for such a trivial thing. Because of this person, my past¡­ ¡°I hate this¡­¡± What should I do? How? What¡­? Aah, Io. Io. ¡°Help me¡­¡± ¡°Yaa, can you hear me? People of Kuze High.¡± A shadow against the hedge, moving towards her. A voice I had come to get used, pitched lower than usual in an over-the-top manner. The voice of the person I wanted to hear the most, the person I wished he would come. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Fixing the little microphone on his lapel, he entered the playground. ¡°You again?¡± Yamabuki scowled. Io quickly put his hand over the microphone. Tch, tch, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Be careful, okay? We¡¯re in the middle of a live stream, okay? Let¡¯s not mention each other¡¯s name. Well, you can¡¯t possibly know my name though.¡± Yamabuki paused, trying to figure out what he meant. Me too, sagged against something, but I couldn¡¯t care. I might have caught up to what Io was up to in normal circumstances, but now I could only be a mere spectator. He took his hand off the mic and spread his arms as if giving a speech. ¡°Nice to meet you, club people of Kuze High, I suppose the go-home club will have to catch up to this later. No, no, not ¡®nice to meet you¡¯¨C It¡¯s been a while since I have seen some of you. This is the Angel of Kuze High speaking. Hm, thinking back, this is my first time speaking in public, so maybe ¡®Nice to meet you¡¯ was proper.¡± I looked at the school building peeking from the trees. A moment later, an echo of his speech reached her ears. ¡°Either ¡®The Angel was real¡¯, or ¡®Someone¡¯s faking¡¯, think about this however you want, but let me say my piece. Let me borrow the broadcast room for a moment. Sorry for using a voice changer, but it¡¯s my policy. Also, I am not inside the broadcast room, so there¡¯s no point in going there. Think of this as listening to a radio and resume your club activities.¡± He covered the mic again and took a deep breath, once, twice. Sweat beaded his forehead and neck, his knee and fingertips were trembling. He was just as scared. But if that¡¯s so, why was he doing this? ¡°Sorry, Minato. I¡¯m late.¡± He gave me a faint smile. I should be worrying about him getting caught in this mess too, yet¡­ Yet, maybe if he was here, then everything might turn out fine. ¡°And on another record, sorry. I should have asked for your permission, but it¡¯s now or never. Get mad at me all you want when this is all over.¡± He eyed me apologetically before uncovering the mic. ¡°To the remaining teachers, I apologize. I know it¡¯s your duty to stop this unauthorized broadcast, but I can¡¯t stop. You might come across Fujimiya Shiho standing guard, she was there on my order, so please refrain from harsh punishments.¡± Shiho? Even her¡­? And standing guard? ¡°Now, let me tell you a story.¡± It was, by all means, dramatic indeed. He glanced at me once. ¡°There is a rumor going around Kuze High right now. Yuzuki Minato, a student in the seventh class of the second year, was a bitch who switched men in middle school, and to lay low, she came to Kuse High. I am sure you all have heard that.¡± Click. His earlier apology now made sense. ¡°By my honor as the Angel of Kuze High, I declare the rumor falsehood.¡± Yamabuki shifted uncomfortably, but like her, she was lost for words. Interrupting during this broadcast could have never gone well for her, she bit back her retort and watched grudgingly. ¡°No, the truth was according to the rumor, but the context was completely different. This is what happened: I received a plea from Yuzuki Minato, a special case. It wasn¡¯t a normal love consultation but about how she¡­liked too many people, and had trouble being single-minded.¡± Through gritted teeth, he went on, ¡°Of course, it was absurd. ¡®Kuze¡¯s Top Three have such problems?¡¯, I wondered. However, she was truly troubled. That was why she tried having relationships with men, to find a way of being single-minded. That was what happened.¡± He continued speaking, and with it, more of my secrets came to light. But I found that I didn¡¯t care. This was way better than this twisted rumor. This was the only way. And I knew that he did this because he cared for me. ¡°But there was no cure for Yuzuki¡¯s Falling-in-love Peculiarity, so she decided to remain single. She decided that as long as she still liked several people at once, she would never date anyone. That¡¯s the truth behind the rumor.¡± It was as if I had been freed from a chain I never knew existed. Why did I even keep it a secret? What¡¯s wrong with telling people. Like that, I felt¡­ free. ¡°She had repented for her past. She regretted what she had done, she had called herself ¡®the worst¡¯ and ¡®selfish JK¡¯. Well, I thought so too.¡± [TN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JK_business ] ¡­ Shut up, Io. There¡¯s no need for that. ¡°But she also said that she will get it fixed. She will do anything, anything, to become normal.¡± I said that¡­ And you said you would do anything in your power to help me too. ¡°Wuzuki and I tried everything. We met up and thought about it over and over. In the end, we got no clue. She even cried when we concluded that there¡¯s no way.¡± Ah, he cooked that part up. Bad guy. Hm, although I did cry. ¡°In the end, she¡¯s still a ¡®selfish JK¡¯. However, she won¡¯t answer to any confession and won¡¯t date anyone until she gets rid of her condition. Please understand that she never had the intention to play with anyone¡¯s emotions. To Yuzuki fans out there, confess to her all you want, but you stand no chance.¡± A smile touched his lips as he loosened himself. A bit. Idiot, that was unnecessary. ¡°By the way,¡± his relaxed posture disappeared as fast as it had come. He eyed Yamabuki dangerously. ¡°You guys have quite enjoyed that rumor, huh. Have you ever considered her feelings? I know,¡± he then said softly, ¡°I knew people love rumors. All the more if it was in a bad way. How was it? The unseen face of the school beauty? Hilarious, wasn¡¯t it? Amusing, no? Let¡¯s add some spice, let¡¯s assume, why not? It was the person in question¡¯s fault, you¡¯re delivering justice?¡± The earlier whisper rose into a crescendo. His cold rage was overwhelming. How would the students react, I wondered. Even I got goosebumps listening to him. ¡°I heard it from someone else, if it¡¯s false then it¡¯s not my fault. If it¡¯s true then all the more reason to spread the rumor. She can¡¯t resist, so let¡¯s get a peek. She deserved this, so let her hear when she walked past. It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it? Everyone¡¯s doing this. What a pity, but that¡¯s her problem, I don¡¯t care!¡± I had been holding back all along, yet¡­ I thought I had come to terms with this, yet¡­ ¡°You have fun? After listening to me, is it still fun? You still dare call her a bitch? If you still then I won¡¯t say anything, have fun with your club activities. Do anything you want, I don¡¯t want to waste my time on creatures like you. But if you have any feeling of guilt befitting a proper human being, listen¡­¡± When I saw his face. When I heard his indignant cries¡­ [TN: Pardon the language.] ¡°Fuck off!!!!!!!!!!¡± Tears got the better of me. One¡­ two¡­ then a stream of tears. ¡°She had struggled, had been tormented!! She had been blaming herself for who knows how long!!!! She had suffered more than she deserved to, and when she was about to move on!!!! What was done was done!! There¡¯s a punishment, but it¡¯s not your fucking role!!!! It should be between her and those men she dated, not you!!!! Face the truth!! Live with it!! Never say you didn¡¯t know!! I¡¯ll never let you trample on her feelings ever again!!!!!!!!¡± I gasped and blinked repeatedly. Against my will, I started whimpering. I can¡¯t stop¡­ ¡°The past was hers and hers alone!!!! No matter what kind of love it was, it¡¯s not your plaything!!!! Listen with your damn ears, those shits who started this rumor-!!!!¡± Aah, Io¡­ You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re truly¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t sully people¡¯s past and their love with your filthy hands¡ª!!!!¡± I wanted to take a good look at you, yet¡­ Yet the tears blurred your face¡­ Io! I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry out. I wanted to say thank you. But I just sat there dazedly. Not yet, the rational part of me said. The mic was still on. Yamabuki was still there. Io cleared his throat once. ¡°Apologize, I went off track. One last thing,¡± he inserted quickly, ¡° if you really wanted a rumor material, then feel free to use me. The Angel is not an urban legend. I am real, and I have always been looking over your love. When you¡¯re troubling with your romances, please expect my helping hand. However, I am not quite good with special cases like Yuzuki this time, so please be gentle with me. And if possible, I would appreciate it if you don¡¯t search for my true identity, that should be the best for both of us.¡± Silence. Silence of resignation and determination. It couldn¡¯t be easy for him to come to light like that, but for my sake¡­ ¡°And those of you I have met in the past, please take care of the remaining Yuzuki rumors. With that, I¡¯ll consider what you owe me even. Please, do me a favor. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± He unceremoniously took off the microphone and shoved it into his pocket. ¡°Now, Yamabuki,¡± he said. She winced. ¡°Heih?!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you, remember that. This isn¡¯t me letting you go¨C¡± ¡°What?! What¡¯s with that cringe speech! Do you even have any proof that I did?!¡± Didn¡¯t you just admit earlier? She was probab;y rattled by Io, I sighed inwardly. ¡°Proof? Is there any proof needed? Do you, when you spread this rumor? I have no intention of listening to your excuses, so shut up.¡± He took a step closer. ¡°Apologize to her. Grovel to her feet. If you ever dare do this again, and I¡¯ll call the mob on you. Wanna headline? ¡®Yamabuki, bitch who would do anything for the limelight¡¯? I¡¯ll show you a hell you can¡¯t even imagine, and it won¡¯t end. I¡¯ll personally make sure that the label sticks with you until the day you die.¡± Hell¡­die¡­ I knew it, he¡¯s the devil. ¡°W-who do you think you are? Whatever with the Angel, but I already know who you are? I¡¯ll make sure the whole school knows!¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s badd, pleasee, don¡¯t!¡± he burst out laughing. That¡¯s a waste of time, Yamabuki. I tried that once, didn¡¯t work. Not at all. He clutched his sides and laughed as if it was the most hilarious joke he had ever heard. ¡°Ahaha, you can¡¯t even comprehend how much trouble you¡¯re in if you do that! What an idiot!¡± Another fit of laughter. He then continued between wheezes, ¡°Hey, idiot, I don¡¯t care, just apologize, will you?¡± There was a cold menace in his words, it was even more disturbing than plain threats. ¡°Ugh¡± She stared back definitely like a cornered dog, but finally gave in to Io¡¯s pressuring glare. Yamabuki gritted her teeth audibly before she slowly bowed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d forgive you?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I overdid it, maybe. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± I wiped my cheeks, dabbled the corner of my eyes with the blazer¡¯s sleeve. I leaned closer to yamabuki. ¡°Da©¤©¤©¤mn you!!!!¡± It seemed that I was another idiot here. But, I see, it felt good, as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Yamabuki stepped back in surprise and her mouth was half open. She looked a bit like an idiot, as Io would say. Io sniffled approvingly and joined, ¡°Well, I have one more bad news for you.¡± He sucked in a breath. ¡°Even Minato fell from Kuze¡¯s Top Three, it won¡¯t be you who got promoted! Please, know your place!! You probably ranked last in Plus Four!!¡± ¡°Ngh!!¡± Yamabuki¡¯s mouth worked silently, stunned. Her shoulders shook and her cheeks turned bright red. Her lips parted and she cried out, ¡°T-tch! I-I am not! You two¡­!! You¡¯re the idiot here¡ª!!¡± Tears and makeup smudged her face. Seemingly unable to think of a better retort, Yamabuki ran away. ¡°Remember the headline! Don¡¯t try anything silly!!¡± Io shouted after her. ¡°Io¡­¡± ¡°Finally over, I suppose.¡± he gave me a tired grin. Seeing his lopsided smile, my heart skipped a beat. When was the last time I met him? Days? A week? It seemed like ages. ¡°Otsukare, you did great.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s right. I had been holding back ever since then. I¡­!! ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ !!!!!!¡± Sorry. Thank you, Io. Io. Io. Io! ¡°Ow! Minato! You¡¯re strangling me! Don¡¯t bury your face in my chest! Ahh¡­!!¡± ¡°Why did you come here! Why?! Why risk your identity! Why did you use all the favors for me! Why is Shiho even there! Why?! Why did you go to such length¡­ for me¡­!¡± ¡°Oi, oi, don¡¯t ask me all at once. Today was a test run, just checking the broadcasting. Saw you going somewhere with Yamabuki, so I moved up the schedule. I don¡¯t have the manpower, so I asked Fujimiya.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I told your secret to the entire school. But that¡¯s the only way to counter the rumors. You weren¡¯t responding to my calls, so I got the ok from Fujimiya¡­ not that it excuses my actions. You can get angry all you want now, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I know¡­ but what you did. I can¡¯t blame you. And your secret¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve taken precautions. Even if it manages to slip, then I¡¯ll just hole up in my house,¡± he assured, ¡°I have everything planned out.¡± ¡°But! You don¡¯t need to¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d help you? I¡¯m fine.¡± My heart squeezed. Somehow, my arms decided to hold on to him tighter. ¡°Besides, I need something with as much impact as Kuze¡¯s Top Three. A speech from Angel was my only card strong enough to counter it. Like it or not, you¡¯re damn popular.¡± Ahaha, he laughed smugly. ¡°Actually, the favor my consultants owe me, I can¡¯t find a better way of using them anyway. I told you, right? There¡¯s a lot who owed it to me out there,¡± he said amusedly. His secrets, the favors he saved up until now¡­ all for me. He really is an idiot, huh? And¨C ¡°Anyway, this should settle things down. So¡­ cheer up.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yep.¡± Maybe I might not be able to cheer up now, but at least I felt relieved. I can¡¯t be sure if anyone would actually listen to him, but as long as he is here, maybe everything will turn out just fine. This person¨CIo, would surely see me to the end. ¡°Andd¡­ When will you be letting me go?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m still crying.¡± ¡°I have a handkerchief¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see me crying¡± ¡°What a pity. I wanted to see a beauty¡¯s crying face again.¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°I think both of us overused that word today.¡± ¡°Io?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Thank you, really.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He put a hand on my back and began patting. With his motions, more tears came. I buried deeper into his chest and continued sobbing. How embarrassing it would have been, if someone saw us like this, I wondered. Not that I¡¯d pull away from him. Can I stay like this forever? ¡°Also, Minato.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I sent you a message sometime before.¡± ¡°The day before the rumor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk about it, just listen.¡± ¡°Is this really the time?¡± ¡°It should be good news to you. I¡¯ve been waiting to tell you.¡± ¡°With us still hugging?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one clinging to me,¡± he sighed exasperatedly. His hot breath fell on my head, my shoulders jumped. Since a while ago, my body¡¯s been acting weird. ¡°I talked with Yukito. He said that there¡¯s another way of fixing the Peculiarity of yours.¡± ¡°???¡± What? ¡°Uhh¡­ You just have to be¡­¡± An awkward pause, ¡°madly in love¡­ with someone.¡± ¡°Mad in love?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Someone you really, really like, so much that others seem insignificant.¡± Really, really like¡­ ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Just a speculation. Just so you know there might be an alternative. I get it, being mad in love isn¡¯t something you can do just by thinking. It might be a while until you find the guy, but¡­ let¡¯s keep trying until then.¡± ¡°Hahh¡­¡± A sigh escaped my lips. What is this emotion? Why do I feel so happy yet annoyed¡­ ¡°Hehh, you don¡¯t look so happy. We got a new theory though?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to work.¡± ¡°But, why? The theory itself makes sense, it¡¯s probability is also high too, despite the time it might take.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t! We¡¯re done with this theory!¡± I could sense his quizzical look even without looking up. ¡°Eh¡­ Okay?¡± But, sigh, I¡¯m tired. Volume 1 - CH 8.1 Epilogue [Three days¡¯ suspension!] Fujimiya sent me the message as if it was something to be celebrated. Still worried about her, I called. I flopped down on the bed and waited. She picked up soon after and began her tale grudgingly and happily, if those two emotions could coexist. ¨C¡°Whyyy, why only meee¨C. There¡¯s a proprietor right there! Ahhh, I was used, why wouldn¡¯t anyone pity mee.¡± I covered the phone¡¯s microphone and sighed, Fujimiya better not hear that. ¡°You did a good job covering me, thanks¡­¡± ¨C¡°That was rough too, hmph! The interrogating guidance teacher was real scary, like, dude.¡± ¡°How did you even get away¡­¡± Really, this girl amazes me. ¨C¡°That¡¯s where I, Fujimiya, the woman of steel, comes in! Besides, the broadcast got rid of the rumors on their behalf, good for them.¡± I could feel her pouting. ¡°Oh, lucky. God bless their understanding.¡± ¨C¡°I kindly ask you to appreciate my hard work and suspension from school more.¡± ¡°¡®Kay, ¡®kay. Thanks, Fujimiya.¡± In any case, if I got caught too, that would be real pain¡­ Or it could be all for naught if that bitch Yamabuki tattles. Better hope that blackmail was enough. ¡°You talked to Minato?¡± ¨C¡°Already. Another round of crying, ahaha. We¡¯ve made up, maybe?¡± ¡°Hm, good for you.¡± ¨C¡°She¡¯s skipping school to play at my place during suspension. Keep an eye for us, yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said without delay. That way, she could have her long awaited rest. ¨C¡°Thank you, Io¡± ¡°You too.¡± ¨C¡°We¡¯re comrade, right? Minato Elite Guard Squadron.¡± ¡°When did I sign up?¡± ¨C¡°Address your colonel properly.¡± ¡°Will you listen to me¡­¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô I went to school the next day. From the lack of attention, my cover was still up. Hello there, I¡¯m Akashi Io, nobody of import. The damp, stagnant brooding of the rumor completely vanished. There was still gossiping, but none about Minato. ¡°You got to hear the broadcast yesterday? That was crazy!¡± I appreciate your sentiment, but, uh, have you been listening to the contents? ¡°Never thought it would be real. No, not ¡®it¡¯, he, right? I hadn¡¯t imagined that ore in the end, right? If so, then do you think he¡¯s a student or one of the staff?¡± [TN: Yep, the ore and watashi thingy again] F¡­ why are you guys so obsessed with pronouns I use¡­ Hmph, I need to watch my every word, don¡¯t I? Also, didn¡¯t I tell you not to search for my identity? ¡°I can¡¯t tell over the voice change, that cracking the static was awful.¡± Hm? Sorry for your inconvenience, but I need that voice change precisely because of people like you. When I reached the hallway, I noticed another crowd. I stood on my toes and got a better look. On the bulletin board, several sheets of paper were pinned. From a distance, it appeared to be similar to club advertisements¡­ Some strange announcement? Ah¡­ [To Angel. We¡¯ve got this!] [Consider the rumor gone!] [We¡¯re all at your command, Angel.] ¡­ Don¡¯t we all have a secret to keep? Are you guys an idiot¡­? Hmph, but thanks anyway. Thank you. Noticing my own smile, I pressed my lips together and quickly went down the hall. Can¡¯t afford anyone noticing that¡­ Ah, I need to apologize to Makino about the doomed confession, don¡¯t I¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Three days later, Minato send me this message, [I¡¯m at Akashi-san¡¯s cafe] I already had a shift today, so I¡¯d have gone there nonetheless though. I spotted a familiar figure at our usual table, so I headed there first. Minato was wearing the same clothes as the day we went to Kyoto. Bring back memories. ¡°Yo.¡± ¡°Hi¡± Somehow, I felt like she was avoiding looking this way. The pace at which she drank her cider was also fast, as if agitated. Wait, she¡¯s drinking cider? ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°That is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She cleared her throat and turned to the side. Her mouth was twitching a little as she forced her eyes to look my way. She was blushing. ¡°The Falling-in-love Peculiarity, it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Wait, what¡¯s she saying? ¡°I said! It¡¯s gone! The consultation¡¯s over now!¡± ¡°Huh, but, no¡­ Really? That easy? How did you even¨C¡± She cut over me. ¡°Just trust me! It¡¯s my mind, I know it¡¯s really gone!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you love isn¡¯t about conscious thoughts only¡­ I¡¯ll check, give me your cheek.¡± ¡°N-never!! Don¡¯t you ever!!¡± She scrambled away from my reaching hand. ¡°Hey, at least¨C¡± ¡°I said no!! That¡¯s all for today! I¡¯m going! Dummy!¡± She drank the remaining cider in one go and hastily paid the bill. The next moment, she was rushing away from the cafe. I let my still outreached hand drop ¡°What¡­¡± And what¡¯s with the ¡°dummy¡± in the end? Is it really gone? ¡°Io¨C¡± Yukito called out to me with his usual smirk. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Your shift, get to work.¡± ¡°Got it, got it¡± I grudgingly stood up. ¡°And then.¡± He flashed a knowing smile. ¡°You¡¯ve got to move on yourself too.¡± Just the usual nosy cousin. ¡°I know¡­¡± I know¡­ But people have their own pace, right? I just have to go slower. Besides, I¡¯m still busy pushing someone else¡¯s back. That¡¯s what being the Angel of Kuze High means. End of volume 1 Volume 1 - CH 9 Afterword Translated by 64990022 Afterword Hello, Maromi Maroyaka who only drinks milk tea when writing. Nah, I sometimes drink coffee or tea too. Anyway, nice to meet you. Well, this might not be our first meeting as this is my second series. But whether you know me before or not, thank you for picking up this book. It is a pleasure to meet you. [TN: He had another series, Bishojo to kyori wo oku houhou, TLed by my fellow Travis slave, axed at vol2 tho.] First, let me start by how this story came into being. This ¡°Angel Only Drinks Soda¡± came from a message, ¡°Maromi, let¡¯s publish a book (shortened) !¡± Yes, Nakajima-kun came to my house, Katsuo-kun¡¯s house. No, I lied again, my real name¡¯s not Katsuo. Nonetheless, Nakajima-kun is a real person. My dear editor, Nakajima-san, thank you for calling out to me back then. I¡¯ll talk about Nakajima-san. There are two Nakajimas. Really, no cap. They were my editors assigned to me for this series. Both of their names are Nakajima. I was just as surprised when I first knew. It started with a message like this: Nakajima : On behalf of Nakajima-san, I will take care of today¡¯s meeting Of course, several question marks floated in my head. Nakajima-san too must be like, ¡°Why did the higher ups send us together.¡± That was when I began appreciating my pen name. Heavens above, what would happen if I used Nakajima as my pen name too. Ah, no, Nakajima is a good name. On the contrary, Maromi¡¯s kanji is a pain to read. [TN:¡±Maromi¡± kanji has several possible pronunciations] A few words about my work. This is a story about a boy who has been through a lot, and a girl who has been through a lot. The theme is ¡°love counseling,¡± but the content is a little different. The main character, Io-kun, is, not by any means, normal. He loves soda, and is also a psychic. Moreover, he is a bit of a drag. Hmm, I should stop insulting my own character. But he¡¯s a wonder to work with, so I decided to go with him. I like serious people and secrets. Also twisted men like Io or Miwa. But cool and strong girls are the best. (Hiura stan) I like quiet places. I like lively places. I like emotional scenes, I like logical thinking characters. I like soda. I like Shiga, I like Tokyo. I put all these things I like into this book, hoping that you could enjoy it as much as I do. My dear character went through a lot in this volume, and will in the next volumes too. Youth, love, trouble, to name a few. Whether or not I will be able to continue the story depends, frankly speaking, on your response, but I hope to write a lot more. Last but not least, I would like to give my acknowledgements. Thank you very much, Nagu-san, for always drawing stylish, cute, and cool illustrations. I felt like entering Nirvana every time I got to see your illustrations. You¡¯re my reason for living, Nagu-san, a big fan of yours. I can¡¯t thank you enough, Editor Nakajima and Editor Nakajima, for finding me. Thanks to their enthusiastic, sharp, and careful advice, I believe this work has become way better than I could write alone. Above all, I got to learn a lot, thank you. I would like to become a better writer so that one day you can brag about raising this humble Maromi. Also to my beloved friend, Mr. N who accompanied Maromi¡¯s machine-gun idea pitching. I¡¯m counting on you. Thanks. Finally, to every reader. Thanks to all of you, I am able to do my job as a writer. Thank you. I love you all. In return for your time and money spent, I will do my best to write an entertaining story. I would like to see you all again for a long time to come. So, I hope to see you again. January 2022 Maromi Maroyaka ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô [TN:Hmm, I would like to butt in with a thanks of my own too. When I finished the trial reading, I knew that this book would be good. Halfway in, I knew I needed to translate this, I need to show the world this¡­ let¡¯s get rid of the brackets, this should be lengthy.] Anyway, my passion for translating is for you, readers, to enjoy the story as much as I do. I know how much fun reading good, quality writing can be. So, I wanted to share this feeling. I hope I succeed in doing so. I loathe those incomprehensible MTLs, so I TL mine with the best writing I could (Although that might account for slow updates, sorry). I¡¯d be really happy if you¡¯re like, ¡°damn, the writing¡¯s fire¡±. Well¡­sorry again for the eccentric update schedule, hehe. I get almost zero pay for this (besides from TheHypesReal for continued support) and actually consider quitting a few times. Well, seeing that I¡¯m still here, I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s all thanks to short comments here and there saying that you enjoyed reading. So, please enjoy my works from now on too, my predicament is in your hands. No, I¡¯m not pressuring at all(?). Anyway, this is turning into another rant, I¡¯ll stop here. That¡¯s all, thanks for sticking to the end (of vol 1) with me! 64990022 Volume 1 - CH 9.1 SS: The Correct Way to End a Hug Translated by 64990022 SS: The Correct Way to End a Hug [TN: after the broadcast at the end of vol 1] ¡°Um¡­ Minato?¡± When I called her name, the girl in my arm replied with a discontented grunt. Long after our conversation ended, she still clung to me. And I too, couldn¡¯t bring myself to uncoil the arms that looped her back. ¡°Isn¡¯t this like, the time to let go¡­?¡± She didn¡¯t respond this time, letting my brilliant suggestion be in vain. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not supposed to¡­ like, if anyone sees¡­yeah?¡± It might be a bit late, but we were hugging each other, a real, genuine hug. Not that I object to us hugging, it was a natural development of things. I get it that she wanted support after an ordeal with Yamabuki¡­ But, I could no longer ignore her smell, her subsiding sobs, her softness and so on. I have done my best, but after being practically glued to her, this was my limit. So, let¡¯s not go further. ¡°M-Minato¡­see¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°Why?! You¡¯re already done crying, right?¡± ¡°Yes! But¡­¡± She buried her face deeper. ¡°It¡¯s kinda.. Embarrassing¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna look at your face¡­ nor you looking mine¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right, me too.¡± This was my first time hugging someone outside my family. The same probably goes for her¡­ So, what kind of face should I be doing when we part. Smile? Should I smile? ¡°But, we can¡¯t stay like this forever¡­¡± ¡°Right, but¡­¡± After the broadcast ruckus, the neighboring residents might come out to see what happened. If they happened to stumble here¡­ Disengaging now was for the best. ¡°C-close your eyes.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°We both close our eyes, step back, then turn away immediately. Understood?¡± If it was this way, it wouldn¡¯t be¡ª maybe a little embarrassing, but not as much. ¡°R-right¡­ then, at your signal.¡± ¡°¡®Kay.¡± I felt her nod then I squeezed my eyes shut. I slowly pull my arms away from her. It was an awkward posture, but at the moment, I didn¡¯t care. ¡°You free now?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Good, then¡ª¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Hm? ¡°Io¡­ are your eyes really shut?¡± ¡°Of course, why would I look¡­¡± ¡°P-proof? Right! Let me check!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± What is she¡­ ¡°Then you¡¯d see my face! Not fair!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped! I need to check!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you trust me?!¡± ¡°How can I be sure! Are you planning on watching me!¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d do it!¡± I don¡¯t think we can get anywhere with this. I mean, this was a hopeless situation. She should have known that she was asking for too much. ¡°Give up¡­ there¡¯s no choice but to trust each other.¡± She sighed ¡°Don¡¯t sigh¡± Please don¡¯t, your hot breath fell on my neck, and¡­ ¡°Eyes closed?¡± ¡°Yup, okay, here we go.¡± ¡°Hn¡­¡± She nodded. Good grief, why are we still in this position? ¡°Back away at once, then turn around immediately¡­ Three, two, one!¡± But right after, a thought occurred to me. Supposedly, she was indeed closing her eyes, then she¡¯d neve know, right? A glimpse wouldn¡¯t hurt. I don¡¯t know why but¨C ¡°¡­¡± Our bodies parted from each other. Before she could turn away, I opened my eyes. Naturally, I felt guilty. But ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Our eyes met. Her eyes shot wide, her mouth like a goldfish gulping for air. ¡°Y-y-you¡­!¡± ¡°You too! That¡¯s because you did too! If you don¡¯t then this wouldn¡¯t happen!¡± I quickly said my defense. Because I don¡¯t think she¡¯d listen to me anymore. ¡°I say don¡¯t loooooook!!¡± Really, what are we doing¡­ [TN: Actually, this is one of the four SS (cutscenes), the others are limited to bookstores in Japan, so this is the only one I could get my hands on. If anyone happen to have the others, you can send it to my discord and I¡¯d gladly translate.] Volume 2 - CH 1.1 The door to the rooftop swung open, letting the relentless sunlight beat me down mercilessly. Feeling the dull ache behind my eyes, my pupils contracted reflexively. Only when I was shoved forcefully did I realize I had been standing still. ¡°Akashi, speedy, speedy, young man!¡± ¡°Ah, right. Sorry.¡± I staggered forward and turned back to glare accusingly at her, only to be glared even harder. She was snarling a little, showing her yaeba teeth mischievously. From behind, Reiji gave her a look and slipped by her side. He loosened his uniform as usual, silver earrings shinier than usual under the noon sun. We walked to the center and sat in a triangle. We laid out the plastic bag and pulled out our lunch. ¡°Here, strawberry au lait and coffee. We¡¯re even now, understood?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind drinking on your tab, you know?¡± She inspected the au lait pack curiously as if she hadn¡¯t been drinking it everyday for the last week. ¡°Yup, yup. Don¡¯t say like this is the last time. I¡¯m going to miss these free drinks.¡± Brazenly, they took their drinks from my hand. Back to the events of last week. A malicious rumor about Yuzuki Minato spread throughout the school. I, the Angel, couldn¡¯t stand the injustice. With the help of these two, I have successfully carried out my retribution, or in simpler words, settled the manner passive-aggressively. So here I am, repaying these two for their assistance. And that ends here, today. No, I didn¡¯t feel any remorse in ending this at all. ¡°¡®Don¡¯t sully people¡¯s past and their love with your fillllthy handsss!¡¯¡± ¡°Acchhack!¡± I choked. She shrugged slyly. You¡­! Give back my au lait! ¡°¡®I will always look over your love, gentlemen~¡¯¡± ¡°Reiji! Not you too!¡± ¡°¡®When you¡¯re troubling with your romances, please expect my helping hand¡¯¡± ¡°Wha-!! Stop!! Don¡¯t!! Not a single word!!¡± I screamed. Ignoring my cries of despair, their cruel impersonations went on. No, that wasn¡¯t me. Right, the Angel! That was the Angel of Kuze High speaking! Wait, I¡¯m the Angel!! Ahhh!! [TN: kinda unrelated, but a reminder that the school¡¯s full name is Kuzeyama High School] ¡°Reaally, that was hella fine performance.¡± ¡°That was soo sick.¡± ¡°Shut up!! And give back your drinks!¡± ¡°Free coffee. Pwahh. Delicious.¡± ¡°Gwahhhhh!!¡± I despairingly wolf down a cream bun, hoping to swallow it down together with the shame. What¡¯s more was that I meant every word I said. That was my true feelings, raw and unaltered. However, the sheer embarrassment was terrifying. Even when they didn¡¯t mention it, I could feel it hanging in the air. ¡®Kay, forget this, my dear brain. Also, forget this with me, you bullies. ¡°Ah, Akashi-kun¡¯s there!¡± Our heads snapped to the entrance all at once. There was a girl standing in the shaded entrance. ¡°Fujimiya?¡± The intruder, Fujimiya Shiho, waved her hands in wide arcs. Her calm, laid-back atmosphere and unconcealed glamor were still there. When I jogged up to her, she put her hands on her hips and stooped proudly. ¡°Sir, Fujimiya Shiho reporting! I have been pardoned from house arrest, and am back in action!¡± ¡°Right, right. Thank you for your invaluable service.¡± She made a peace sign and resumed her pose. She was caught as my scapegoat and got suspended for three days¡­I imagined a mental calendar. With the weekend in between, yesterday was the last day¡­ If Fujimiya was here then¡­ ¡°You alone?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She pointed her thumb to her back. ¡°Eh? Heyyy, come out already.¡± One, two, three¡­ nothing happened. Just when I was about to give up waiting, Minato¡¯s head poked out from the doorframe. Her cheeks were a little red¡­but probably so did mine, it was hot up here. ¡°Yo, Minato.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­ Io.¡± Her voice gradually lowered until I could barely hear. Reluctantly, she stepped onto the rooftop and took her place beside Fujimiya. She also took a leave for two day, with yesterday at school, we didn¡¯t meet though. So this was our first time meeting in a few days. I found myself unconsciously taking the sight of her in. Even in broad daylight, her hair was as black as the night sky. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness, her long eyelashes flowed naturally as she blinked. Her thin nose, her rosy, pouty lips were all enchanting as ever. But contrary to her usual grace, her eyes darted around awkwardly, as if she couldn¡¯t decide where to look. The hand dropped at her side too, fumbled the fabric of her skirt restlessly. She¡¯s acting strange. Considering our last meeting at the cafe, anyone would be acting like that. I don¡¯t think I could look at her properly in the face either. Anyway, I went to close the door, and while I was at it, locked it too. We were lucky that it was Fujinami and Minato, I thought grimly. ¡°What happened? There¡¯s a reason you¡¯re here, right?¡± I gave the other two a sideways glance. While Hiura looked at us disinterestedly, Reiji looked outright bored with his complacent smile. If you¡¯re faking a smile, can¡¯t you at least make it good? ¡°Now that everything¡¯s cleared, we thought we should thank you properly. You¡¯ve helped us tons.¡± Fujimiya stride past me while Minato followed somewhat submissively ¡°Hiura-san and Reiji-kun, right? I¡¯m Minato¡¯s friend, Fujimiya Shiho, as you must have already known. Thank you for your assistance on her case.¡± Both of them bowed and stilled, waiting for a cue from the other two. By the way, I had told Fujimiya about their involvement in the Minato case. Since everything was over already, and I had deemed them trustworthy, there was no longer a reason to hide anything. ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t mind at all. I¡¯ve lost count of the number of times Io had come crying for my help.¡± Aside from the infuriating content, Reiji¡¯s reply was surprisingly amiable. No, he was acting nice only because they¡¯re cute girls. ¡°I was doing it for H?agen-Dazs.¡± Ice cream as usual¡­ and an expensive one at that. Hmm, come to think of it, this was the first time they met, huh. ¡°I saw you last year! ¡®Male and Female Indiscriminate Serious Relay¡¯! That was so cool!¡± jabbered Fujimiya. In response, Hiura yawned cutely. I guessed she was used to hearing that, afterall, that was the thing she was best known for. Who wouldn¡¯t find a girl who outperformed three men cool. ¡°Hiura-san, Miwa-kun.¡± A clear, piercing voice cut through the chatter. Minato regarded each of us with a nod and said gracefully, ¡°Thank you. It was you all who saved me.¡± She carefully intonated each word. As expected of Minato¡¯s unparalleled manner. At that, I felt slightly embarrassed and sought refuge from Minato¡¯s glance by looking at the others. Fujimiya was all smiles, Hiura sat back, looking half-asleep while Reiji cocked an eyebrow at me. ¡°I really appreciate it,¡± said Minato. And then the conversation shifted to other matters. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 Chapter 1: When She Stepped Down the Train. Part 2 We ended up spending the rest of the break talking about nothing in particular. Fujimiya and Reiji lead the conversation, with the rest of us jumping in occasionally. The rooftop became much livelier than usual. That was a change of pace I could get used to. ¡°And Minato, Fujimiya,¡± I called out before leaving the rooftop. ¡°H-hm?¡± ¡°Just¡­ Can you two keep a distance from me at school?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Minato froze, her face becoming pale. Fujimiya¡¯s eyes darted to Minato then asked, ¡°Hehh? Why?¡± ¡°Everyone knows that you two are in contact with the Angel, right? If we¡¯re seen together, you know.¡± Especially Minato, she knew no male students. If I was seen with Fujimiya, then I might still be able to pass it off. ¡°Hmm, I see¡­ Right, right.¡± ¡°Our case¡¯s finished, and we¡¯re in different classes anyway, so I think there¡¯s no need for this warning, but just to be sure.¡± ¡°Um¡­ B-but!¡± Then the sound of the bell washed over Minato¡¯s protests. With an urging call by Hiura, we hurried through the door. On the stairs down, Minato tugged my sleeves. ¡°Io, can you tell me until when?¡± ¡°Hm? Uhh, long enough to throw people off track? There might be persistent guys like you, so until I can make sure.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­¡± she sounded a little dismayed. Eh, she wants to meet me? But didn¡¯t she say that our consultation was over? Or was there something left? ¡°Remember what I said? I do an aftercare, so if your Peculiarity mutates or something, LINE me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you to the end, I said that, didn¡¯t I?¡± At the ramen we went together that evening. I waved my hand. ¡°I think my power could be of some help.¡± ¡°Will do¡­ Thank you, Io.¡± ¡°The Angel does aftercare, after all. Every business does this nowadays, gotta stay up to the trend.¡± Only when I said it did I hear how corny that joke waas. Well, whenever I said any joke, the only reaction I got was just a soft ¡°Hmph,¡± anyway. And yet she chuckled softly instead this time. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô [To Shida Souta. I am aware of your precarious position with love. If you wish for my assistance. If you wish to move forward with this love¡­ Come see me tomorrow night, here. The usher of love, the Angel of Kuze High.] ¡°No typos¡­ hyperlink functional¡­ ¡®kay¡­ the message was read.¡± I was on twitter, checking the message once more before logging in to the chat room. Yep twitter was the best when it comes to this. I had tried many sites, but twitter was the best of them all. I got into the chat room and patiently waited for my consultant. [TN: Bruh, Discord¡¯s better.] I sat back, sipping the Pepsi in my hand. I usually save Pepsi for special occasions, just like today. ¡°Please, Shida¡­¡± I put my hands together in a praying pose and wished on the screen. I felt exactly like when I was waiting for an entrance exam announcement. Even with Minato¡¯s case over, my work as the Angel continues. I was just returning to the same routine as before, that¡¯s it. To push the backs of those who can¡¯t take the plunge, so that things can end without regrets. That was my passion as the Angel, what I seek to accomplish. Finally, I could be back to my own grounds. ¡°Come to me. Trust the Angel, I will lead your love¡­¡± Since the broadcast, the Angel had changed from an ¡°urban legend¡± to ¡°reality¡± in the eyes of the students. That has its own merits and demerits. Nonetheless, my job remained the same. So now all I could do was to pray for him to accept my invitation. ¡°Come on, come on¡­There!¡± I held my hand in the air in a victory pose when I saw the notification. [A guest has entered the room] I had cleared the first step. [Um¡­ You¡¯re the real one?] came an anxious message. Hmph. No need to be scared, I¡¯m the real Angel. [Do you mind calling?] First message, call suggestion, it was all about tempo. In the past, I preferred text over call, unless there was an absolute necessity. That way, the Angel would be more like an enigmatic being. But I had to throw the procedures away at this stage. Here comes the first advantage of being ¡°real¡± in the eyes of the students: I could call with them right off the bat, no beating around the bush. The guest, Shida, replied with an [OK] Hmm¡­ that¡¯s fast. I took a breath, tested my voice change and proceeded. I know I had been acting high and mighty a moment before, but yes, actually, I¡¯m nervous. Okay, work mode: on. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± After a rustling from the other end. ¨C¡°Ah, um,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I can hear you¡­ woah, you¡¯re real¡­¡± said Shida excitedly, oohing and ahhing. That was¡­ a better reaction than I expected. Shida Souta, third year, second class, male. Vice captain of the basketball club. In reality, he was my senior. Well, as long as I¡¯m the Angel, that doesn¡¯t matter. ¨C¡°I guess it was since last fall¡­ It was love at first sight¡­¡± Naturally, I had every information necessary on him. But the perspective of the person in question is always welcomed. ¨C¡°Ah! But I liked her for real when I got to know her more! Really, I swear!¡± ¡°Why are you trying to excuse yourself¡­¡± ¨C¡°Ukuk..! R-right. But, don¡¯t you think people who fell in love just for the looks feel wrong¡­ you get that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± So¡­ he¡¯s mad in love. He¡¯s a communication monster at heart, he can hit it off with literally everyone and be compassionate at the same time. However, he was unassertive and easily bended. That amounts to his popularity with the quieter girls. But unfortunately for him, he had no girlfriends throughout high school. End of the report by Reiji. That lackadaisical guy¡­ he¡¯s way more observative than anyone would give him credit for. ¨C¡°I know, she¡¯s one of the Kuze¡¯s Top Three, supre cute, but that¡¯s not all to her¡­¡± Kuze¡¯s Top Three. As the name goes, the top three girls in Kuze High. At the keyword, my head habitually referred to Minato. But it wasn¡¯t Minato this time. ¨C¡°Waah¡­ Mikage-san. Just by thinking about her¡­¡± Second year, room ten, Mikage Saeka. She was my¨C our target this time. ¡°Tell me the exact reason or event that made you like her when you finish fantasizing, then,¡± I sighed. ¨C¡°O-oh¡­ Okay. be back in a sec.¡± As soon as he said this, I heard a rustling. What was he even doing? Meditate? That¡¯s¡­ by any standards, over the top. But well, he might have liked her just that much. While waiting for Shida¡¯s return, I ran over Mikage¡¯s profile. Her looks alone would prove to be a good match for Minato. I saw her in the hallway today. Her long braided light brown hair looked smooth and silky. It was said that her skin was so pale that you could see the veins underneath if you looked hard enough. Even from a distance, it seemed soft enough for me. Her eyes were almond-shaped, the bridge of her nose high, and her lips plump and thicker than most people, all contributed to her unique charm. She was neither cute nor beautiful, but rather, she had her own unique type of beauty. She was tall, perhaps not as tall as Minato, but remarkably tall nonetheless. Her shape was sleek and slender, ideal in its own way. Unlike Minato¡¯s regal and poised image, Mikage Saeka was a well-rounded beauty without any dominant attribute. Ah, maybe I¡¯m saying too much here. To justify, her appearance did indeed deserve my every praise. Kuze¡¯s Top Three are really a different breed. ¨C¡°Fuu¡­,¡± he breathed, ¡°What was it again?¡± ¡°How did you fall for her,¡± I prompted. ¨C¡°Yep, yep, that.¡± Aside from her looks, her real charm was elsewhere. ¡°She got down a train just to help a lost child.¡± ¡°Lost child?¡± ¨C¡°It was around the final exam that time, so there was no club act. I had nothing better to do and decided to go home, at the Zezehonmachi Station.¡± Zezehonmachi, a Keihan Line station near Kuze High. Almost all students who commute by train use this station. ¡°Because of that, I got there at the same time as Mikage-san. We¡¯re going the same way, so we waited at the same platform. That might not mean much since it was packed back then though.¡± ¡°But she stood out among the rest?¡± I suggested. ¨C¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t she. People from the opposite platform were looking at her, station staff, everyone. Me included.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be better than that.¡± Well, that¡¯s creepy but I probably do so myself. How could you not look at her? ¨C¡°When the train came, well, I kinda thought, gotting on the same car as her wouldn¡¯t hurt. Ah, no, no, don¡¯t say I¡¯m disgusting! Not just me, everyone thought the same thing! That car was the only one crowded.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°¡®Kay, ¡®kay. Just get on with your story.¡± Really, I¡¯m waiting for this lost child of yours to appear. ¨C¡°Just before the door could close, Mikage-san jumped out of the train.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¨C¡°I was in a daze, kind of, but I got down too, and was stunned there, not knowing where to go. She knew where she was going, though. She went out the ticket gate and out of the station, there was a boy crying there.¡± Hmm, I see¡­ With a sudden burst of excitement, Shida went on. ¨C¡°That was amazing. Every one of us saw the child, but who would go down? There¡¯s people on the other platform too, or even the station staff. Besides, it was so far that we can¡¯t really see if the boy¡¯s parents were there or not. Perhaps everyone thought the same thing¡­ At least I think so, there¡¯s nothing I can do. We might have felt a little concerned, but that was it. We¡¯re already on the train, someone will probably help him anyway. No one would have thought of jumping down a train that¡¯s about to depart and help a lost boy¡± And yet¡­ Mikage-san, she got down the train without any hesitation, ran out, and comforted the boy. She threw her bag on the ground and crouched down, patted his head and gave him the cutest smile in the world. While I stood there, staring at her.¡± He ended the story with a note of bitterness at himself, and an evident admiration toward Mikage. ¡°And then?¡± ¨C¡°At last, a lady appeared. From the looks of it, she¡¯s the kid¡¯s mom, she came running not long after. So the child wasn¡¯t lost, not actually, but it was dangerous enough. There was a railroad crossing there too. She got thanked again and again, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when you fell for her?¡± ¨C¡°Not actually, but that has quite the damage, so almost.¡± ¡°Then the exact reason¡­¡± ¨C¡°She got back to the station. I was still there, my eyes were glued on to her, afterall, our eyes met. Hehe, she remembered me as the one that got on the train, then she blushed, her mouth quivering shyly. Ahhh, that was the cutest thing I¡¯ve ever seeeeen, ahhhhhhhh.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the smile earlier the cutest?¡± ¨C¡°Update, update! Even the world record must be updated, right?!¡± Is that so, Shida-san. ¡°Then, she said, I still remember her exact words!¡± ¨CThank the stars, he wasn¡¯t lost, I¡¯m just an oaf. And she smiled. Volume 2 - CH 1.3 When She Stepped Down the Train. Translated by 64990022 Chapter 1: When She Stepped Down the Train. Part 3 ¡°Oh¡­ ¡®kay.¡± ¨C¡°That was it for me. Not just cute, but cool too. Mikage-san¡­ she¡¯s my goddess.¡± Shida sighed audibly. Since a while before, his actions were like that of someone drunk. As a boy, praiseworthy actions like that have a lot of points to begin with, double if the girl doing it was cute. Quadruple if it was Mikage-level, essentially a cheat technique. But to tell the truth, Shida¡¯s story wasn¡¯t all too surprising. Next to her looks, she was known for another thing. And that was what reinforced her ¡°popularity¡±, making her stand out over the other Kuze¡¯s Top Three. I believed that was what all Kuze High students could agree upon, her ever present aura of charisma. She was always surrounded by people, as if she had her own centripetal force. She treated everyone equally and did not belong to any specific friends or group. She was like a saint amid the mundane populace. ¡°Okay, I get why you have a crush on her.¡± ¨C¡°Yep, a perfect one-sided love¡± Why do you sound so proud of it¡­ ¡°Then, why haven¡¯t you confessed, I wonder.¡± ¨C¡°Uuk! Do you really need to ask¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my work.¡± That might be an unpleasant way of asking, but I needed to get him to face the reality of the situation. ¨C¡°For starters, I¡¯m scared, Isn¡¯t she sooo popular?¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± ¨C¡°And¡­ I heard she¡¯s already got someone she likes¡­¡± Hm¡­ So he had done his research. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the same thing.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s always a perfect no in her track record¡­¡± He sighed sullenly. Mikage Saeka has a crush. That was a well-known fact in Kuze High. As far as rumors go, this one¡¯s reliable, Mikage was the one who told everyone in the first place. ¨C¡°Do you know who that person is? If it¡¯s the Angel then you might know..?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not dating as of yet, for all I know. Or that was what she said, all the information came from her.¡± ¨C¡°O-oh¡­ I think I¡¯ve heard of that somewhere.¡± From my speculation, it was one-sided love for Mikage too. Even a beautiful saintess like her has her own trouble, it seems. However, that amounted to the endless confessions from the boys. As long as she¡¯s single, then there¡¯s a chance, or so I¡¯ve heard. Well, that way of thinking was valid in its own ways. Better do like that then ending up like me¡­ Shida, never choose the same thing as me¡­Let me be the only one who regrets not confessing. ¨C¡°Last thing¡­ We¡¯re in different years, see?¡± He said anxiously¡ªguiltily ¡°Year?¡± ¨C¡°Ehh, like¡­ Well, it depends on the person, but wouldn¡¯t it be troubling if a random senpai confessed to you¡­heh heh¡­¡± Senpai¡­ ¡ªHey! I¡¯m the older one here?! ¡ªThis older sister here will give you an affectionate hug! ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± I shook my head at the unnecessary memory. ¨C¡°Angel?¡± ¡°Forget about grades, about age gaps. You¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± ¨C¡°O-oh¡­ okay¡­ yep, thanks!¡± Shida returned to his cheerful self. Being cheerful in itself wasn¡¯t bad, but.. Uh, this is getting annoying. ¡°Whoahh! I feel sooo much more confident!¡± ¡°My ear. I¡¯m wearing earphones!¡± ¨C¡°Ah, soz. But aren¡¯t you the same? That broadcast, the whole neighborhood heard it, not to mention the crackling! Bzz, pzzhh, sss! What about our ears!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Shida¡­ even you¡­? ¨C¡°All good though, that was so heated. I was moved.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get mad, I¡¯m complimenting. You really care about us, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m really glad you mailed me. I¡¯ve got a feeling that you¡¯d be serious even for me.¡± Not knowing what to say, I searched for a harmless injection. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Hm, this could merit consultations from now on. Note, note¡­ But can you refrain from the broadcast, Shida, no please do so. Next, I explained to him about what my counseling entails. Never discuss this with others. Do not find out about me. When deemed necessary, I may disclose his situation to my collaborators. And finally, the last item. ¡°My role is to counsel your love, up until confession. I never guarantee success. Are you okay with these terms?¡± ¨C¡°No objections. Almost forgot that you¡¯re human too. Besides, about the last one, it would¡¯ve been absurd if you guaranteed success with Mikage-san¡± He chuckled. ¡°Great.¡± That was fast. ¡°But rest assured, I¡¯ll help you with everything even if I don¡¯t guarantee.¡± ¨C¡°Oooh, okay. If you don¡¯t mind this klutz who can¡¯t confess, glad I could work with you¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Thus, my next consultation began. Whether Shida could confess or not, half of it was now on my shoulders. But our target would be Mikage Saeka. She¡¯d probably¡ªcertainly not an easy opponent. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Shida.¡± ¨C¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it, the confession.¡± ¨C¡°Oooh! I could feel your heat even from here¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get off track¡­¡± ¨C¡°Just joking, just joking.¡± A few seconds of silence before our first call ended. The next time would be laying out the details, and¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being passionate about my work¡­¡± I¡¯m not joking around here, that¡¯s why I¡¯m passionate. And we¡¯re talking about love, isn¡¯t that what it¡¯s all about? Volume 2 - CH 1.4 After school the next day. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Minato, we are in your debt.¡± At an inconspicuous corner of Cafe Proof, Fujimiya bowed to my cousin, Yukito, politely. The receiving end, Yukito, dressed in his usual attire of denim, t-shirt, with an apron over, replied breezily, ¡°No, don¡¯t be. We are grateful to have a cute regular at our cafe. You¡¯re welcome anytime.¡± Like always, he kept his outward appearance immaculate. By Fujimiya¡¯s request, I introduced Yukito to her. Another person to thank for the Minato case, she said. The two went on about other things. The university students working part-time glared at them while quickly changing positions, filling in for their slacking manager. As one of the part-timers, we were already accustomed to this. Tearing my gaze from them, I returned my attention to the beauty in front of me. ¡°So, what¡¯s this about?¡± I was here for three purposes today. Fujimiya, part-time slot this evening, and¡­ ¡°There¡¯s this¡­ read it.¡± And Minato¡¯s mysterious request for audience. She LINEd to me this morning, saying we need to meet, face to face. ¡°A letter¡­?¡± Minato held out a simple, elegantly designed letterhead. The seal was not yet torn. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yup, I was asked to pass this,¡± she explained, ¡°But not to Io¡­¡± ¡°But to the Angel¡± I finished for her. She nodded uncomfortably. ¡°Sorry¡­ I know you¡¯re hiding your identity. I had planned on refusing¡­¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯ve been expecting this, more or less.¡± Minato and Fijimiya were in contact with the Angel. I couldn¡¯t do the broadcast without exposing a contact to me. If anyone wanted to contact the Angel, now they could have just gone to these two. ¡°Rather, sorry for the attention.¡± ¡°N-no. It¡¯s not something you can control.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take this and figure out the rest. Leave this to me.¡± Hmph, now¡­ I flip the letter and back. After playing with it, I set the letter down, eying the seal, exasperated. There wasn¡¯t much to guess. When it comes to the Angel, all people want is love advice. But I prefer to choose who to take myself. There were many things to consider, such as how tight-lipped they were, how long they were stuck in the confession limbo. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°U-um¡­ Io?¡± She tested. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°May I ask something?¡± with an earnest preamble, much to my surprise, she began talking. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Io, did you change the garbage bag?¡± A little past eight in the evening, some time after the last customer left the cafe. Yukito took care of the register, while giving me a cursory review. ¡°Already.¡± ¡°The dishes?¡± ¡°Washing¡± ¡°Cleaning the tables¡± ¡°When I finish this.¡± Yukito grunted curtly and moved on to clean the counter area. It has been more than a year since I¡¯ve started working here. I have memorized most things and can function on my own. Frankly speaking, I was a pretty nice source of income. The only complaint I have was¡­ ¡°But still, Io.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, having all the cute girls.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He said to himself, ¡°Fujimiya-san¡¯s a really gooood girl. She¡¯s probably popular¡­¡± Then he turned back to me. ¡°She is, right?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Ahh, of course, why not. I wanna go back to high schooool, enjoying my days with all the cute girls,¡± Yukito lamented mournfully. I gave him a sidelong glance. If he ever gets caught, I¡¯ll gladly testify. ¡°Yes, I firmly believe he¡¯d do it¡± Like that. ¡°So, who¡¯s your endgame?¡±Fujimiya? Aki-chan? Or is it Yuzuki-san?¡± ¡°Shut up. Do your work¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing¡« Multitasking, you know¡« Wait, aren¡¯t I the manager here?¡± ¡°Wow, power harassment. Say something, I¡¯m recording¡± ¡°Nope¡« This is just me a my cousin vibin¡¯¡± Good grief¡­ ¡°But, what¡¯s wrong with discussing girl type. Isn¡¯t it a healthy small talk topic for boy like us?¡± ¡°You know full well I don¡¯t want to. That¡¯s just creepy, if you¡¯d ask.¡± ¡°Haaahh¡­ That¡¯s my loyal cousin for you. Good grief¡± That¡¯s my line. Good grief. ¡°Even so, Io, what¡¯s that chitter-chatter in low voice with Yuzuki? Hmm? A date promise?¡± ¡°Why would we. Angel¡¯s work, nothing for you.¡± ¡°Hmph. What a let down.¡± Yukito lost interest and began stretching. ¡°Ah, but if it comes to a date, tell me, ¡®kay? I¡¯ll tell you some good spots.¡± ¡°Unneeded.¡± Even at my refusal, Yukito still grinned while humming happily. Volume 2 - CH 1.5 Minato interlude Translated by 64990022 Minato Interlude [TN: to weekly readers, I add a few pages to the last chapter, so you might wanna check that first] The night of the same day I gave Io the letter. ¨C¡°Say, Minato, you like Akashi-kun?¡± Over the phone, my best friend said such a thing. ¡°Eh?!¡± With a soft crack, the thin lead of my mechanical pencil snapped mid sentence. I clicked the button for more lead. After quelling my beating heart, I parried. ¡°What are you saying, Shiho? I don¡¯t have Falling-in-love Peculiarity anymore.¡± ¡°Yup, last I checked. So, you like him?¡± ¡°Fumya!¡± I shouted. [TN: Dunno what this is supposed to mean. A muffled ¡°Fujimiya¡±?] Then I realized how loud I was, and that the new lead broke, again. Really¡­ this girl¡­ ¨C¡°This has nothing to do with the Peculiarity. No more excuses, please,¡± she said mockingly. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s time for a bath.¡± ¨C¡°If I reckon, I gave you a waterproof phone case,¡± said Shiho innocently. ¡°Shihooo¡­¡± I moaned. With a sigh, I closed my notebook and took my phone. On the call screen, Shiho was wearing yellow Gelato Pique pajamas. My best friend was still as cute as ever. [TN: Gelato Pique, Japanese clothing brand, known for those comfy-looking pajamas.] Although she was very mean on the inside. ¨C¡°Come on, come on, Minato-san, there¡¯s only ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯. If you would?¡± I took the phone to the bath. The camera was, obviously, turned off on my side. Just for today, I set the temperature a little higher. Yes, or no¡­ That I¡­ and Io¡­ l-lik¡ª ¡°How could I know¡­¡± ¨C¡°Hmm. I see, I see.¡± I had expected a pursuit from Shiho, but her soft response was anything but anticipated. ¨C¡°Repeat, not a ¡®no¡¯ but ¡®not sure¡¯ right, miss contestant?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± [TN: warning, NSFW illust coming up] Now that I thought of it, there was a difference between the two. I suck in a deep breath and let my head spin. I dipped my face into the water and said. ¡°Du¨Cblop, blop, blop¡± I gurgled. ¨C¡°Eh? What did you say?¡± I lifted my face. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I thought I heard a faint giggle from Shiho¡¯s side¡­ ¡°S-see¡­!¡± ¨C¡°Right, see?¡± ¡°See¡­ it¡¯s completely different from the ones up until now.¡± Different from my past crushes. Ever-present anxiety, impatience, I had never felt something like this before. ¨C¡°Right, raight, serr¡± she drawled. ¡°You seem to be enjoying this.¡± ¨C¡°How can I? Just appreciating your cuteness, ehehe¡± ¡°Shiho¡± I gave my smartphone a glare, but of course, to no effect, the camera was turned off. ¨C¡±fufufu¡± her amused giggle leaked through the speaker. Hmph, while I¡¯m struggling with this feeling¡­ ¨C¡°Weeelll, to you, it¡¯s always been like that, that must be a sudden change, I get it.¡± ¡°How kind of you, considering the moment before¡­¡± ¨C¡°Hey, I¡¯ve always been kind.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you are a few seconds back.¡± ¨C¡°Wha? Really?¡± She deadpanned, then burst out laughing when I didn¡¯t react. ¡°But you¡¯ve got to find out for yourself whether it¡¯s love or not, yeah?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¨C¡°The Peculiarity that has plage you since forever¡¯s cured, there¡¯s no need to rush things this time around, got it?¡± ¡°Shiho¡­¡± ¨C¡°Hmph, if you have any worries, let me help you,¡± said Shiho smugly. I take that back, Shiho¡¯s always kind. ¨C¡°Ah, and you two are my main ship, and I intend to stay that way, thanks¡«¡± ¡°¡®Main ship¡¯¡­?¡± What¡¯s with that smutty word choice¡­ ¨C¡°Why not? Akashi-kun¡¯s actually kind under his cold exterior, if there¡¯s anyone I would trust to take care of my Minato, it¡¯d be him. I think he¡¯d be a good match for you.¡± ¡°G-good match¡­¡± Shiho¡¯s voice was oddly serious. Then, the picture of me walking side-by-side with Io came to my mind. My chest tightened while the corners of my mouth twitched up. The tepid bathwater was suddenly scalding. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like that¡­¡± ¨C¡°Reaaally? Your height difference is just perfect though. Not to mention your hobby.¡± ¡°S-stop! Enough of that! That¡¯s all for this talk!¡± ¨C¡°Ehhh, thought we¡¯re getting lively.¡± Haah¡­ Oh, dear. I cut my call with her at that, and took a long shower. I stepped out and dried my body with a towel, put on a light loungewear and went to dry my hair. The low, dry roar of the dryer and the surging heat directed at my head made me a little fuzzy. While enduring the process, I recalled. ¡ª¡°I said no!! That¡¯s all for today! I¡¯m going! Dummy!¡± That was what I said. And then¡­ ¡ª¡°I¡¯ll check, give me your cheek¡± ¡ª¡°N-never!! Don¡¯t you ever!!¡± I mean, if he touched, his power would have activated. And the only thing he¡¯d see would be¡­ ¡°Haahh¡­¡± Whether this feeling is love or not, I can¡¯t understand. What I said to Shoho was my honest thoughts. But if it wasn¡¯t love, then what could it be, how did I get rid of the Peculiarity? ¡°¡­¡± To be madly in love with someone, that was what Io¨Cno, Io¡¯s cousin, Akashi Yukito¡¯s, theory. It would¡¯ve meant that his theory was incorrect, and my Peculiarity was gone by pure chance, without any supporting reason, just precisely that timing. That was, of course, too absurd. I shook my head, turned off the hair dryer, and combed my hair with my fingers. When all was done, I staggered to the living room, then fell straight to bed, buried my face into the soft pillow, and groaned. If this is love. If Io knows of this. I¡¯d be causing him even more trouble. ¡°No good.¡± I flipped and faced the ceiling. I closed my eyes and sighed. That¡¯s enough for today. Like Shiho said, I can now finally take it slow, right? Volume 2 - CH 2.1 The Angel in Plight Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 1 ¨C¡°My relationship with Hibiki-kun¡¯s what you¡¯d call a childhood friend.¡± I sipped my cola without making any noise as she went on. ¡°He¡¯s three years older than me, now a second year uni student. Our places are close by.¡± her voice dropped. ¡°He¡¯s moving there though, the university¡¯s in Osaka, quite far from here.¡± ¡°And hence the rush?¡± ¨C¡°Yeah. Less time to meet, if it¡¯s when, it needs to be now.¡± If anything, Mikage¡¯s request was rather a mundane one. She has a crush, can¡¯t confess yet, simple. Anyway, an older childhood friend, huh. I had never thought such a cliche romance would belong to Saeka Mikage. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising at this point if the Kuze¡¯s Top Three, Minato excluded, were to be girls in love. But to be honest, I didn¡¯t think someone of Mikage¡¯s caliber had anything to be concerned about. Unless there¡¯s something missing in the equation, I¡¯d say that the other party will readily say yes¡­ Even better yet, there was a really high chance of their feelings being mutual. That she might not know it. ¡°To start with, why haven¡¯t you confessed yet? If you¡¯re on good terms, then there¡¯s plenty of chances?¡± ¨C¡°Not like that, Hibiki-kun¡¯s a celebrity.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Isn¡¯t that applicable for you too¡­? Hmm, better not say that. ¨C¡°he¡¯s fashionable enough to be a magazine model. His university¡¯s also prestigious, he¡¯s also really kind.¡± She said as if his spec was that of an electrical product. Love blinds people, so of course, that¡¯s what this Hibiki-kun was with a filter on. Although he was someone Mikage fell for, so that in itself means something. ¡°So you¡¯re not confident enough to face him?¡± ¡°It sounds a little pathetic, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Hoh¡­¡± That¡¯s surprisingly timid, Kuze¡¯s Top Three. No, no, it wasn¡¯t my palace to judge, if she felt unconfident, then that¡¯s it, she¡¯s the one who was with him, while I don¡¯t even know this Hibiki-kun. ¨C¡°He¡¯s always treating me like a friend, y¡¯see. He doesn¡¯t like our relationship changing. I¡¯d only be bothering him if he didn¡¯t have the same idea.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The closer, the trickier, or so the saying goes¡­ ¡°So, you¡¯re worried about what¡¯d happen after the confession in case of a no. You¡¯re unsure and feel guilty to the other party. That¡¯s what¡¯s holding you back, am I correct?¡± ¨C¡°Whoa¡­ Exactly. I should expect no less from the Angel of Kuze High.¡± I smirked. I¡¯ve told you, this was completely in my turf, unlike with Minato. Ah, back to topic at hand. Next¡­ ¨C¡°So, if only I could have your help, I have a feeling that all¡¯d go well. What do you think? Can you lend me your strength?¡± All at once, her tone became fervent. I sucked in a breath and rested my chin on my propped hand. This¡­wasn¡¯t a situation where I can take her plea lightly. True, the contents was nothing out of the ordinary; to make Mikage confident enough to confess before he moved away. If she wasn¡¯t confident, then make her be, if she felt guilty to the guy, then take that from her. I¡¯ve had everything planned out. But this consult request in itself was in conflict with Shida Souta, whom I had already promised to support him. I can¡¯t help but wonder about the inevitability of the situation. Naturally, I felt bad for Shida, but I would feel just as uncomfortable refusing Mikage¡¯s request on that basis. No matter the scenario, one of them will ultimately fail, and there was no way I could help them equally mechanically like that. But¡­ ¡°Tell me, how long do you have before he moves?¡± ¨C¡°Actually¡­ It¡¯s less than a month away. I¡¯m running out of time.¡± ¡°Mmm¡± Hey, isn¡¯t that too short of a notice¡­ and don¡¯t sound so desperate, I¡¯m feeling guilty. ¨C¡°I know. I wanted to talk to you earlier, though? Can¡¯t help but wonder when will the letter come every time I open the shoe locker. Not like I can walk up to you either.¡± She said apologetically and¡­ resentingly. On that part¡­ well I¡¯m sorry, ¡®kay? If it¡¯s any solace, you¡¯re on the list too, albeit of less priority. With Shida¡¯s consultation underway, hers was postponed for the time being. Though, I try not to pick favorites when it comes to this. But this was certainly a dilemma, there were only so many consultations I could do at once, and then I needed to manage all the schedules so that it wouldn¡¯t interfere with the other¡¯s. Actually, that was one of the hardest decisions I needed to make as the Angel. ¨C¡°but then there¡¯s the broadcast. I feel sorry for Yuzuki-san, but that was my only chance of contacting you.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± That¡¯s her only chance of contacting me¡­ What should I put upon the scales, on which criteria should I use to decide¡­ Both sides seemed just as equal in importance. To help Shida, aid his confession, if possible, make it a ¡°yes.¡± Or to support Mikage in her last desperate scramble before her crush moves away, significantly lowering Shida¡¯s chance of success. However, taking a step back, the Angel shouldn¡¯t be worrying about who to support. The Angel¡¯s duty was to help people confess, in the form of counseling. That said, there was one thing that set the Angel apart from friend¡¯s love counseling; fair judgment without personal feelings. And so, if I treat these two confessions equally, then there was no reason for me to refuse Mikage¡¯s plea. I muted the microphone, exhaled and closed my eyes. As an afterthought, I drank the rest of the cola. The miniature hiss-fizz exploded at once in my mouth, and then regrettably faded away to oblivion. There was no answer for me in the soda. Without any regrets. A choice that I wouldn¡¯t hate myself later for. My goal wasn¡¯t to make their love come true, but to bring forth a conclusion, be it good or bad. To not lose the chance to say it forever like me. ¡°And if¡­ if I don¡¯t accept your request, what¡¯s your plan,¡± I tested. ¨C¡°I¡¯ll confess on my own¡­ I have to, no matter what. I don¡¯t know what will happen, tho.¡± Oh¡­you just have to say that¡­ I can¡¯t let her go alone, after all. ¡°Got it.¡± Forgive me, Shida. ¨C¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°Yep, I¡¯m taking on. If you agree to my terms, that is.¡± ¨C¡°Really¡­?! Thanks¡­ thanks a bunch,¡± said Mikage, her relief obvious over the phone. On the contrary, I slumped back on my chair, in my chest bubbled an odd mix of distress and determination. I considered a single consultation to be quite exhausting, but I guess I would need to keep up even more in the next coming weeks if I were to be in a dilemma like this. Volume 2 - CH 2.2 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 2 In the end, Mikage readily agreed to the number of conditions I said, and became my consultant. From the following day, I proceeded to consult with Shida and Mikage on an almost daily basis. ¡°Given her ability, the high competition, lack of confidence, without any defined relationship, and the final nail being that Mikage already likes someone contributes to your slim winning chances and hesitancy towards confessing. We¡¯ll go over all of these during the course of the consultation, understood?¡± ¨C¡°Oh¡­ wow, that sounds even more hopeless when you said it all together at once like that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same for every other consultant.¡± And me too, back then. ¡°But, saying it out loud like this has its uses. You need to face your own feelings to conquer your own fears.¡± My eyes ran through the note I wrote once more. ¨C¡°Aahh¡± precedence brimmed Shida¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s just like that time when we have to face off against the high ranking schools. But when we had a fair share of grumbling, it did feel better¡± ¡°Hmm, something like that.¡± What a matching metaphor from a sports man. ¡°Anyway, the point is, how do we solve those points? Or at least work around it. And then there comes the steps of actualizing those, of course.¡± ¨C¡°R-right¡­ actualizing.¡± He gulped. Yes, Shida, there are exercises in store for you. ¡°But that¡¯s unexpectedly¡­ systematic.¡± ¡°You prefer me to go spiritual? I have things to consider upon, dedication, motivation, but that¡¯s not in the picture, for now. What we need to do depends on the situation.¡± ¨C¡°Whoaa¡­ How persuasive¡­! No doubt you¡¯ve become an urban legend.¡± As a matter of fact, I was aiming to be an urban legend. ¡°Back to matters at hand. From the said issues, the easiest one is¡­¡± ¨C¡°Is¡­?¡± ¡°Your contact with Mikage.¡± ¨C¡°Uguu¡­¡± Hey, hey, what¡¯s with the groaning? We¡¯re just getting started. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you two practically haven¡¯t talked. Do you know that she has any friends or groups?¡± ¨C¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Then make one.¡± ¨C¡°Is that the only way¡­?¡± Yes, it is. Actualizing, actualizing please. ¡°Having a small talk, or getting opportunities to talk regularly, you¡¯ve done that before, right?¡± ¨C¡°Actually, no¡« I¡¯m always watching her from afar¡­ Bleh, I¡¯m disappointed in myself, that¡¯s plain creepy¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense, that¡¯s what one-sided love is, afterall.¡± Although this would prove to be an obstacle, he had no contact with her¡­ ¨C¡°But she doesn¡¯t seem to have any friends in the first place?¡± ¡°I suppose. But it doesn¡¯t have to be close friends, we can get to her through her acquaintances.¡± ¨C¡°¡®Kay¡­ Still, there¡¯s the image of ¡°our Mikage.¡± She¡¯s friendly to everyone, but not more than that.¡± Hmp, so he noticed that too. For this case, building a relationship was certainly a challenge. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°There¡¯s two things we need to do. Right now, you¡¯re afraid you¡¯d be troubling Hibiki, and you¡¯re not confident of the result. So before you confess, you would like to make sure of these two?¡± I summed up the session. ¨C¡°Yep.¡± If I¡¯m allowed to comment, her voice, even over the phone, was beautiful. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ask, why are you so unsure? Does he have someone he likes?¡± I had forgotten to ask the first time around, so this was my chance. Whether there is a rival or not generally has a significant impact on the course of consultations, the odds of winning the confession and reluctance to do so would fluctuate quite wildly in cases like that. ¨C¡°Ngggh¡­? How do I put it? He hasn¡¯t talked much about romances. Pretty embarrassing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Unexpectedly, Mikage said nonchalantly, like it did not concern her at all. ¡°That¡¯s unignorable,¡± I stressed, ¡±Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s popular? What¡¯s more important than that is whether he has taken a liking to someone or not?¡± ¨C¡°Hm, see your point. Still and all, he¡¯s single despite the approaches.¡± Her voice was even, almost disinterested. That¡¯s¡­ since a while before, her strangely composed intonation prickled me oddly. ¨C¡°Ahh, and then. Hey, Angel?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¨C¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, you have some powers, right? Curious if that¡¯s true or not.¡± Contrary to the moment before, she sounded excited. Ehh¡­ She¡¯s so direct. But more or less, I¡¯ve become used to this. ¨C¡°Like, y¡¯know? Mind-reading, knowing who likes who, stuff like that¡ª¡± ¡°No, unfortunately. And naturally, that¡¯s a made up story¡± Apologies, Mikage, but you¡¯d have to make do with my template reply. At times like this, I once again appreciated the practice that went in so that I could deliver a smooth denial. Be prepared, always. Although I did squirm a little when her analogy was almost on point. Then again, nothing compared to that time with Minao. ¡°You could say it¡¯s an exaggeration. My hunches and predictions are usually correct, not actual supernatural power. If anything, it¡¯s a necessary lie to get the rumors going.¡± And that¡¯s a lie. I had a hundred percent authentic supernatural power. I could see who the person liked by touching their face, that¡¯d certainly earn me a laugh in the face, no merits, and tons of risks. Better keep things like this. ¨C¡°Hmm, I see, I see¡­¡± ¡°Disappointed?¡± ¨C¡°Yep, I¡¯ve been hoping somewhere, silly, but well.¡± She giggled jokingly. I needed to admit, it was cute. Though, sorry for lying. And if possible, pray I won¡¯t have to use it this time. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, I¡¯ll ask. Can¡¯t you ask him directly? Like, does he like anyone?¡± ¡°Wah, didn¡¯t I just say? That¡¯s freaking awkward. If it¡¯s not then I¡¯d have asked him long ago.¡± On that behalf, you don¡¯t sound embarrassed in the least, though. Argh, I can¡¯t read her emotions at all. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨C¡°Angeeel¡­ hear me out~¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± As soon as the call connected, Shida cried feebly. ¨C¡°She¡¯s¡­ Mikage-san¡¯s confessed again¡­¡± ¡°Hoh, as popular as ever.¡± ¨C¡°Why are you so nonchalant! Angel!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s left to be surprised? And the result?¡± Well, the question was more of a rhetoric than anything else. ¨C¡°Rejection¡­¡± ¡°Hm. Then good.¡± Again, I said for the sake of the conversation. ¨C¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I want to quit, goodbye, everyone¡­¡± It took no more to tell that Shida¡¯s spirits had been shattered. This was to be expected, more or less. Your emotions would be up for a swing when the confession date closes up. ¡°You can take a leave today,¡± I offered. ¨C¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°This is not the time to push forward. Take some time, give your mentality a rest, rushing now would only be counterproductive.¡± ¨C¡°A-Angeeeelll¡­!¡± Shida cried out in tears. U-um¡­ However, there was a limit to taking it slow. There were two ways of taking it slow: taking it slow so that you can continue in the long run, or procrastinating and ending up at nowhere. I would need to make sure Shida won¡¯t fall into the latter one, that was my role as the Angel. ¡°But,¡± I added, ¡°Even Mikage has someone she likes. Make sure you don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¨C¡°Geh¡­t-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Just like how you¡¯re trying to confess, Mikage herself might be trying to make some developments of her own too. You can never know what will happen.¡± That¡¯s right. Besides¡­ what, when, and who fate decides to take is beyond human capacity. So, tell her, Shida. No matter what, don¡¯t get stuck in what-ifs like me. I had my responsibilities to her privy, this was the most I could tell you. Be warned, please. ¡°In the end, what¡¯s important is how you match your pace with your feelings. So, if you¡¯d like to, we can call this off today.¡± ¨C¡°No¡­ I¡¯m doing this! You¡¯ve restored my spirits! Let¡¯s gooo! Rawrrr!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­energetic.¡± ¨C¡°Rawrr!! I¡¯m doing this, let¡¯s gooo!! I love you, Mikage-san!!¡± ¡°No offense intended, but that¡¯s creepy as hell. And you sounded like an ape.¡± ¨C¡°Shut your trap!¡± His gaiety hooting made me wonder if the sulking was an act or not. Well, if he¡¯s ready to continue then this will save me a few days. ¨C¡°Say, Angel.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¨C¡°Today, the guy who got rejected¡­¡± His voice dropped a tone. ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s expecting.¡± ¡°How could I know¡­¡± Learn more Pause Unmute ¨C¡°Did he feel afraid?¡± Oh, so that¡¯s what this is about. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he? But despite his fears, he chose to confess, right?¡± ¨C¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Well, or the alternative. He might not be that committed, so it was a half-hearted gamble of no great loss. Something like that.¡± ¨C¡°Okay¡­¡± I feel you, Shida. She has someone she likes, and you¡¯re well aware of that fact. There is no way you can avoid this fear. ¡°Shida¡± ¨C¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re great enough just by wishing to move forward. I promise you.¡± [TN: Another Ore (°³) here.] ¨C¡°Angel¡­¡± Another emotional breakdown? ¨C¡°Did you just call yourself ¡®ore¡¯?¡± ¡°Nngh?!¡± Again?! Get yourself together, idiot! Volume 2 - CH 2.3 The Angel in Plight Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 3 ¡°So, you can¡¯t be certain whether Hibiki has someone he likes or not. Then what about him with a girl, alone?¡± I started our third call with the question. Mikage paused for a moment, then sniffed endearingly, ¨C¡±Hmmm¡­Not that I remember. But there¡¯s no way of being sure either. He might be keeping secrets.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not that close?¡± ¨C¡°Remember, we¡¯re three years apart, when he¡¯s in highschool, I¡¯m in middle, when I¡¯m in high, he¡¯s at university.¡± ¡°Aah, that.¡± That said, childhood friends with three years apart were a rarity, they weren¡¯t even in the same kindergarten. Well, reality is full of surprises. ¨C¡±But, does Hibiki-kun¡¯s romantic experience have anything to do with my confession?¡± Mikage asked the obvious in a doubtful manner. Of course, why won¡¯t it¡­ ¡°If he¡¯s had a girlfriend before, then there¡¯s a lot more to take into account. It might be that he¡¯s not interested in romance, needs time to heal, etc. Besides¡­¡± ¨C¡°Besides..?¡± ¡°He might have someone he likes, but can¡¯t confess, just like you are.¡± ¨C¡°Hm¡­I guess so. Not sure I¡¯d like that.¡± Again, her tone didn¡¯t match the meaning. Don¡¯t you ought to feel anxious, even a little? Or was she just dense? ¡°Think like this, it might be you. Each liked each other, but the other side didn¡¯t know it. Double one-sided love.¡± ¨C¡°Aah, that. That¡¯s my first time hearing ¡®double one-sided love¡¯ though, but you have a point.¡± Hmm, you don¡¯t? That¡¯s the trending romance genre nowadays though. No, work first. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy? If that¡¯s the case, when you confess, everything¡¯s as good as resolved.¡± Optimistically, that may be the end of the case. And it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch either, with Mikage-level, it was easy for Hibiki to fall for her. At least my judgment as the third party said so. ¨C¡°Umm¡­ but I think, unfortunately, the chance¡¯s slim.¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¨C¡°From our interactions. He didn¡¯t even seem upset about moving away.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± ¨C¡°Pretty devastating for me though. Seeing him like that didn¡¯t help, either.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± ¨C¡°I don¡¯t mind, it¡¯s within your rights¡± Hmm, sp this was the reason for her lack of confidence. If so, then this talk was necessary¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll say this clearly.¡± ¨C¡°Go ahead.¡± Again with the unconcerned voice. Now that I had been with expressive Shida, Mikage was different in every way. How can you be so calm! ¡°We have three weeks left until Hibiki leaves, during that time, it will be hard to improve your image. Understood?¡± ¨C¡°So¡­?¡± This time, as expected, Mikage stiffened a little. ¡°You¡¯ve known each other since childhood, your relationship has already been solidified to a certain extent too. You know him well and likewise. In short, there¡¯s no much use in trying to appeal to him.¡± Worse, from what she said, Hibiki was a model, and was already busy as he was. Consequently, they didn¡¯t get to see each other often. That lessened the opportunity for approaches. ¨C¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true. But still, I¨C¡± ¡°But¡± ¨C¡°Hn¡­¡± ¡°But, confidence has nothing to do with the result of the confession. You might succeed even if you don¡¯t think you will. No, you will succeed, that¡¯s what my personal judgment says at least.¡± ¨C¡°Thanks¡­ Anything else?¡± As if she knew that I was going to continue. ¡°I¡¯ve thought a lot. However, in the end, the only thing I can do in your case is to encourage you to take the next step. We¡¯ll find a good way to confess your feelings.¡± ¨C¡°Right. Hm¡­¡± Naturally, I did feel apologetic to her. The moment I knew about her time limit, I knew that I couldn¡¯t give her a full consultation course. Nonetheless, I felt that she made the right choice in coming to me. And I too, made the right choice of accepting her request. That might be selfish of me, but that was my genuine feelings. ¨C¡°So¡­no getting around it, confessing head-on. And whether I can do that or not depends on my courage.¡± ¡°Yes. Although I might not be able to help much¡­¡± ¨C¡°No, I¡¯m the one who made absurd demands in the first place. It¡¯s like what you¡¯ve said, that¡¯s the only way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I ran out of things to say, but Mikage seemed to have a different idea. ¡°Huh?¡± I asked, still not believing the laughter from my earphones. ¨C¡°haha. Sorry lots. But I think you shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¨C¡°Say, what if I got scared? Even the Angel of Kuze High told me there¡¯s nothing to do, isn¡¯t that something to be panicked about? Haha, really¡­¡± Ah¡­ that¡¯s how it is. Wait, for that matter, aren¡¯t you laughing way too much for someone who¡¯s scared? ¡°I get it that this is now too late to increase the chance of success, but other than that, you can talk to me any time. Better talk it out with me than getting cold feet there.¡± ¨C¡°Yep, yep. Roger.¡± She said after giggling, her breath still came in gasps. Hey, I¡¯m being serious here¡­ ¨C¡°Ahh,¡± she yawned. ¡°You¡¯re so serious. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d do this much¡± ¡°Likewise, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be this laidback.¡± ¨C¡°Heh? I¡¯m not, though, I¡¯m anxious in my own way.¡± Really¡­? Well, I had to admit it was a lot smoother and more helpful than the emotional ups and downs type, though. Volume 2 - CH 2.4 The Angel in Plight Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 4 ¡°Ahhhh¡« I¡¯m beat¡«¡± I reached the rooftop, fell down, and cried out at the top of my lungs. Even so, my voice was sucked into the sky and faded away. Nonetheless, I felt the strain lifting, just a little. ¡°Just say it, what¡¯s bothering you. You¡¯ve been going on for quite a while,¡± saying such a heartless thing, Hiura shooed me away from the entrance. I rolled away, giving her space. But she didn¡¯t step away. ¡°One, two, three!¡± she narrated the sharp slaps on my cheeks. Ow! Your nails, Hiura! ¡°I plead you to stop. I¡¯m trying to recover my meager energy. Be considerate.¡± ¡°Why should I? ¡®Tis the Angel thingy anyway, right? Boring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not boring. And I¡¯m in trouble, in many ways.¡± It was the alternating days of talking with Shida and Mikage. Plus, I had also gone back to continue some of the consultations I paused during the Minato case. Yes, I had done multiple consultations at once before, it was, to a level, a normal occurrence. But what was not normal was the contents of consultations. This time around, there was a lot to think of and advance with delicacy. Now, it had reached a point that was beginning to overwhelm me both physically and mentally. Although I was doing this because I wanted to, so there wasn¡¯t much to complain about. ¡°You just like meddling in others affairs.¡± ¡°Hmm. Ah, or is it that you¡¯re upset that I didn¡¯t go with you yesterday? Hmm?¡± ¡°Shut up! I was just in the mood for arcade! And then you! Akashi!¡± ¡°Yea, yeah, I¡¯m terribly sorry. Forgive me, right?¡± ¡°Hmph¡± Good grief, she¡¯s upset. By the way, her sulking was cute. Hiura was generally haughty, but in fact, she couldn¡¯t stand being alone. ¡°You¡¯re going this time, right? The place in Kyoto¨C¡± ¡°There! Akashi-kun spotted!¡± With a feeling of deja vu, I turned. Fujinami stood at the rooftop entrance, a little behind her was Minato. Exactly like the other day. Hey, hey, how often do you plan to show up¡­ ¡°Good afternoon, Hiura-san. What are you doing?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Lunch. We eat here almost every day.¡± ¡°Hmmm? Just the two of you? Where¡¯s Miwa-kun?¡± ¡°Reiji¡¯s not in the mood today. He¡¯s a fickle fellow.¡± Why¡¯s her voice like that? Wait, you¡¯re already eating, Hiura? Ah, she¡¯s properly covering her mouth, well done. ¡°We¡¯ll fill in the gap¨C¡± Only then did I notice Minato. She stood as still as a statue behind Fujimiya, looking beyond tense. ¡°Minato?¡± ¡°Heh? A-ah! Nothing! Yup, I¡¯m fine!¡± She shook her head sideways violently. Well, if she insists. ¡°So, what do you guys want? I thought I asked you two to keep our distance. I¡¯m sorry, but please.¡± For good measure, I went to close the door. ¡°Sorry. But¡­¡± Fujimiya jumped in. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem here? There¡¯s no one here besides you, right?¡± That¡¯s a valid point¡­ but why were you so forceful, Fujimiya¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll allow it for today. What¡¯s the matter, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Akashi-kun, the key man behind our success. Don¡¯t we ought to do something for you?¡± Fujimiya folded her hands behind her body and beamed. ¡°What if we get you a present or something of sorts. We¡¯re here to ask what you would like.¡± ¡°Hehh¡­I¡¯m not sure about that, I kind of messed up halfway, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Hmm¡«? You did?¡± Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but¡­ ¡°I did. And didn¡¯t tell you from the start that I don¡¯t want anything?¡± I asked Minato. ¡°H-huh? N-no, this is separate¡­!¡± Suddenly, Minato gilded closer and looked at me with upturned eyes. Her usually sharp eyes were opened wide and wavering a little, like a pleading kitten. Seeing her face closely for the first time in a long while made me realize how beautiful she was. I flinch involuntarily. ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for what you did. I thought we were f-friends¡­ let me thank you,¡± she said, her voice fading little by little. W-why did she seem so desperate? In the first place, I wasn¡¯t particularly helpful in getting rid of her Falling-in-Love Peculiarity¡­ ¡°Oh, and, you see, the earphones¡­ Y-yes, the earphones! Don¡¯t I owe you that much?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Well, at that time¡­ It¡¯s no big deal¡­¡± Awkward! Hiura looked half amazed, and Fujimiya was starting to look creepy with that grin. Was she smiling like that the whole time?! This is bad, at this rate, if she talked about my powers¡­ If anything, let¡¯s just accept her gift, no harm done. ¡°Got it¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I accept your present, if that makes you feel better.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ thank you.¡± Are you okay¡­? Why are you thanking me for letting you buy me a present? Fujimiya appeared out of thin air. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided!¡± ¡°Saturday or Sunday, Akashi-kun?¡± ¡°This week? But I have part-time and¡­¡± I glanced at Hiura. ¡°Akashi.¡± ¡°Yes, understood, Your Highness.¡± Yes, I do understand, so please don¡¯t glare at me, Hiura. Minato stepped up, no words sounded. Fujimiya quickly came to her rescue. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have a little bit of an appointment. What about next week?¡± ¡°Akashi-kun and Hiura-san, you two are going somewhere together?¡± Fujimiya¡¯s wide eyes darted between me and Hiura alternatingly. ¡°She¡¯s going shopping in Kyoto. I¡¯m her escort.¡± ¡°Not just any shopping, I¡¯ll be having ¡®the world¡¯s strongest matcha gelato¡¯¡± added Hiura protectively. ¡°¡®The world¡¯s richest matcha gelato¡¯? You mean Nanaya?¡± [TN: https://unborderedlife.com/nanaya-matcha-ice-cream-worlds-most-intense-green-tea-gelato/] ¡°You know?¡± Hiura¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? It¡¯s in Sanjo, right? I used to go there with Minato in middle school. Yeah?¡± She put her finger on her chin and nodded. ¡°Yeah. Bring back memories, doesn¡¯t it? Nanaya¡­¡± Right, these two were from Kyoto. But, why do I know where this is headed¡­ ¡°It¡¯s decided.¡± ¡°Decided.¡± ¡°Uh, what¡¯s decided?¡± I asked. ¡°Fujimiya and Yuzuki¡¯s going with us. They¡¯re locals, that will save time. The schedule¡¯s for one day anyway.¡± ¡°As you wish¡­¡± Uhh, you have a point, but shouldn¡¯t you wait for my opinion first, Hiura-san? And you too, Fujimiya-san. Nonetheless, it was true that neither me nor Hiura had been to that area. We might not so much as get lost, but having locals with us is all the better. Also, it would be more cost-effective and time-saving if we could combine the present business with gelato trip. Two birds with one shot. Hmmm, nice idea, after all. But won¡¯t Hiura have to wait when we were shopping? But she didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Is it okay with you, Minato?¡± ¡°Yep. And if it¡¯s Kyoto, it¡¯s unlikely we will see any one from Kuze High.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute I see¡­ so there wasn¡¯t any reason to refuse. While I talked with Minato, the other two had already gone on with the preparations. ¡°Then good. Fujimiya, here¡¯s my LINE, take care of the group.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± And why do they get along surprisingly well¡­ ¡°Io?¡± Minato tugged my sleeves. ¡°You and Hiura-san go out like this often?¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe? Once in a while.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Minato shrunk back. Her long hair blocked her face, so I couldn¡¯t see her expression. Volume 2 - CH 2.5 The Angel in Plight Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 5 Our journey for matcha gelato began. ¡°Here! Hiura-san, Akashi-kuuun!¡± Unlike the previous visit with Minato, our meeting place was at the underpass of Kyoto Station. When I and Hiura got down from our train, Fujinami called us. ¡°Yo.¡± Hiura held up her hand. ¡°Were you waiting?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just had our lunch here, so no worries!¡± beamed Fujimiya, enigmatic as ever. By her side, Minato smiled a little and nodded. For some reason, though, her lips twitched a little. ¡°Good morning¡­Io.¡± ¡°Hi. Good to have you today.¡± ¡°Yep¡­¡± Hm? What¡¯s with the dialogue? Awkward! Natural, I guess, this was the first time we got out together as friends. The last time was, after all, for the consultation. I shook my head, but my feet got the better of me. I walked away from them a little, just where all of them can be seen in my frame of vision. What a sight. Minato was wearing a tight-fitting light blue knit with a high-waisted flare skirt. With bright floral emboss on the sides and a luxurious belt, it was a perfect combination of glamor and elegance. Fujimiya was wearing a simple, cool white one piece, topped by a pink vest. The overall color was pale, but her red-rimmed glasses and camel bag accentuated the exquisite cuteness of her outfit. Hiura wore a loose-fitting white patterned shirt of three-quarter length and a moss green cap with a star motif. Her slender legs were made shown by the denim shorts and folded hem. [TN: There¡¯s an illust later, so don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t get the image.] And well¡­ that might be too intent an observation. ¡°They¡¯re slaying it¡­¡± There was no denying. Minato, a Top Three, Plus Four¡¯s Hiura, and the Plus Four candidate Fujimiya. The lineup of these three beautiful girls was simply glorious. They transcended such mundane things like types, tastes and vibe. They were manifestations of beauty. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were to have a halo. I¡¯ve given them too little credit. I was pretty nervous last time, and that was one of them, let alone three¡­ I thought about disguises like last time, but Fujimiya shouted at me through LINE message, if such things can be done, it was terrifying. ¡°Hiura-san, your outfit¡¯s cuuute!¡± She tugged the collar of her shirt. ¡°Really? Just throw whatever looks comfy on.¡± She¡¯s careless again. Hiura¡¯s neckline and collarbone are out for the world to see¡­ ¡°Ah, stop, stop! Akashi-kun¡¯s watching!¡± cough, cough ¡°Akashi? Cut it off.¡± Hiura said in annoyance. ¡°Io?! You looked?!¡± For some reason, Minato sounded even more concerned than Hiura herself. ¡°I¡­¡± I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t. ¡°Oh! Why don¡¯t we take a picture?¡± Fujimiya¡¯s not-so-obvious attempt to hold everyone together worked and we went to a wall with painting on it. It was the station¡¯s iconic ¡°Get on! Kyoto city subway.¡± advertisement. ¡°Akashi, crouch. Piggyback me.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°I want to be taller than you.¡± ¡°Can I go stand next to Fujimiya? Surely you don¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°Piggyback.¡± She stood on tiptoes, trying to pull me down. Seeing no alternatives, I bend forward for her. She got on smoothly, her chin digging into my head. Oh, God. Childish. ¡°Fujimiya? We¡¯re clear here.¡± ¡°Huh? Okay¡­?¡± ¡°H-hey! What are you doing, Io!¡± Again, Minato got mad at me. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m getting on him?¡± I bit my teeth, enduring the weight while they went on at it. Well, she wasn¡¯t heavy, I was just weak. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t just ¡®getting on him¡¯! In front of¡­! Insolence!¡± It was Hiura¡¯s idea, why are you pointing at me? Your sharp glare is also destructive, put it away please. No, but ¡°insolence¡±, really? Are you a samurai? Come to think of it, Minato and Fujimiya were still not Hiura-tolerant. ¡°Ahh¡­ don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s always like this. Ack¡­ Heavy.¡± ¡°Akashi, minus points.¡± ¡°¡®A-always¡¯¡­¡± Minato echoed. Minato seemed to be in no small amount of culture shock. Fujimiya didn¡¯t look better either. ¡°Hiura, her sense of personal space and a lotta things are wacky. To someone she¡¯s comfortable with, that is.¡± Hiura began to yank my cheeks. ¡°¡®A lot of things¡¯? Hm? Spill it.¡± Stop, that hurts! ¡°And you welcome it?!¡± ¡°Hn? Noway eye an enchoying dis.¡± She pulled and folded my cheeks like how a baker would do to a dough. I let her, waiting for her to finish, then, ¡°I¡¯ve learned to give up. There¡¯s no use.¡± ¡°H-hmm¡­ You¡¯re so close¡­?¡± ¡°Maybe. Or she just has a few screws loose.¡± But I don¡¯t recall her doing this to Reiji, though. Or she was just picky about her prey? Or do I seem to be an easy prey? ¡°Hey, hurry up and take the picture. I don¡¯t think Akashi could hold it any more.¡± ¡°Yes, please kindly do so.¡± ¡°¡®K-kay. Get closer, will you?¡± After that, we took a few pictures with Fujimiya¡¯s amazing selfie skills. The images posted on the LINE group were gorgeous, thanks to the quality of the three girls and their aura. Also, one of the pictures had Minato glaring at me¡­ From the ¡°Get on! Kyoto city subway.¡±, we got on the subway to Karasuma-Oike station. On the way, I was taken by the number of people getting on and off, Minato got dizzy and almost got lost at Shijo Station, Fujimiya showed me pictures of Nanaya. The journey was six minutes that seemed to be forever. Even if I include the time I took from Shiga, it was only sixteen minutes. Shiga was, after all, very close to Kyoto. ¡°Just like the old days?¡± Minato said to Fujimiya as we climbed the stairs. I stole a look at her. She seemed to be lost in her own memories, while still maintaining a glint of expectation for nex memories. It was a look that could make any man dreamy. ¡°Your middle school¡¯s around here?¡± ¡°No, a little away from here. But Shiho and I¡¯ve always hung out around here.¡± ¡°Because you can find everything here!¡± Fujimiya led the way as we walked east along the wide Oike Street. A little more until Nanaya. The whole town of Karasuma Oike was black, a chic Kyoto-esque design. The sidewalks are paved with tiles, and the wide, multi-lane roadways stretch straight across the street. The buildings were all squat things, as if cut from the Edo-period. The blue sky was in contrast with the dark and somber buildings. The trees planted in equal intervals helped create an illusion of space in the tight-packed former capital. ¡°You know, elegance is almost the law for buildings. We don¡¯t even have flashy billboards in the old town district.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why the McDonald¡¯s sign was black?¡± While my chatter about the cityscape with Fujimiya went on, Hiura, who was, by nature, uninterested in architecture and history, was listening intently to Minato¡¯s review of each flavor. Minato too, was unexpectedly enthusiastic, showing pictures at appalling speed, making wide hand gestures. ¡°So, the seventh¡¯s good?¡± ¡°That depends. It¡¯s not that sweet, just pure, thick matcha.¡± ¡°Then the sweet ones?¡± ¡°Until the fourth are the sweet ones. The go-to is third, so you might want to try that.¡± ¡°Okay, third. And there¡¯s more than matcha, right?¡± Hiura peeked at Minato¡¯s phone with apparent annoyance. Because of the height difference, I might have thought of them as sisters. On a side note, Hiura had quite a sweet tooth. She was a sucker for ice cream, cakes, and every sweet. ¡°Hojicha¡¯s good, strawberry and milk are passable. But Nanaya¡¯s known for tea, so better keep it to that.¡± ¡°You have a sound reasoning, I will adopt your approach.¡± ¡°Why so puffed-up?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that my line??¡± Hmm¡­they¡¯re settling along well. As her guardian, I could say I¡¯m proud of my daughter. Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°Fufu, Minato¡¯s enjoying herself.¡± said Fujimiya with the relief of parents. ¡°As you can see, she¡¯s not good at socializing. I was worried.¡± ¡°Same goes for Hiura. She either likes or hates you outright. I never imagined she would invite you guys.¡± Hiura who never showed any special treatment, and Minato who only had Fujimiya. I wondered how it would play out, but it seemed that Minato¡¯s coolness was just right for the brash Hiura. In retrospect, weren¡¯t they made for each other? She turned her face back to me. ¡°Not an easy job having a problem child, eh?¡± ¡°Easy is an understatement.¡± ¡°Oof, that much?¡± Also, Fujimiya sure had guts. No one in their right mind would call Hiura ¡°problem child¡± ¡°This is a little surreal, actually. I thought Hiura-san would be a little more¡­¡± ¡°More of a ruffian? I can assure you she is.¡± The only ones holding her leash were probably me and Reiji. ¡°But I can say that she¡¯s reliable when it counts. She helped a lot last time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Fujimiya had a sly grin. Her eyes narrowed, as if seeing what I can¡¯t. She leaned in and whispered. ¡°You like her? Hiura-san.¡± ¡°No, if you¡¯re asking about romantic ¡®like¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh? Hmm, I see¡­ That¡¯s how it is¡­¡± She dropped her tempo all at once. ¡°You think I do?¡± ¡°Half-half. I was more or less expecting that answer. And if you do, then your body language will tell me anyway.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Well, I was used to being asked that. Mostly by Yukito, by Yukito, and sometimes by Yukito. ¡°So, nothing at all?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Ooooh, ¡®Not at all¡¯¡± This time, she had an exaggerated amusement. Before her expression began to darken. ¡°But Hiura-san¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Akashiii.¡± A voice drawled. My left arm was suddenly yanked. I struggled a little for balance. ¡°Hiura¡­¡± Not much to my surprise, I no longer felt exasperated. ¡°I said stop doing that. I can fall, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have a double scoop?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then listen to my plan.¡± ¡°¡®Plan¡¯? You didn¡¯t even listen to my complaints.¡± From there, I humored Hiura¡¯s plan with occasional grunts until we got to Nanaya. Volume 2 - CH 2.6 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 6 ¡°Whoa¡ª!¡± On the first floor of an apartment building in the middle of a residential area, there was a sign for Nanaya. Passing through the curtain with ¡°Æß¡±¡ª the number seven, the ice cream counter was in front of us. In the glass-walled freezer case, there were a dozen flavors of ice cream lined up in two rows. Well, half of them are green tea flavored, though. I patted Hiura on the head, who was romping excitedly, and looked at the sign nearby. I ran through the lists of flavors and their prices. ¡°I¡¯ll have sesame and the fifth. Minato?¡± ¡°Seventh and a strawberry. I don¡¯t want to get rid of Gyokuro tea, though.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a good combo of sweet and bitter.¡± Beside the two experienced professionals, Hiura and I groaned simultaneously. Which one to eat¡ªno, which one to give up, that was the question. The green tea flavors, from one to seven, were arranged by ascending thickness. It was nothing short of the name ¡°Nanaya¡±, the store was indeed obsessed with green tea. ¡°I¡¯ll have triple.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, me too.¡± ¡°Third, Hojicha, and milk. You get something other than that.¡± ¡°But I want the third¡­¡± Hiura didn¡¯t bulge, so I had to go with fourth. She had a sweet tooth, so I¡¯ll let her. And then¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Thank you for your patronage¡«¡± With a pleasant Kyoto dialect call behind us, we left the store with our ice cream. In the end, I decided on fourth, Hojicha, and chocolate. I had a hard time choosing, but I was confident this was the ultimate balance. The brightly colored ice creams looked so perfect I had doubts about eating them. Fujimiya snapped another picture of me and Hiura itching to eat. As expected of a selfie expert, she was skillful. Our next destination was already decided, so we went on leisurely. ¡°Delish¡ª!¡± ¡°Hiura, keep it down.¡± ¡°Delish¨C¡± Can you say anything other than that? But the truth was, I knew exactly how she felt. ¡°Delicious¡­¡± Not only the tea flavors, but all of them were extremely good. For one, it was thick, the strong aroma and the kick of every bite. The aftertaste was refreshing too. It was as if it was a food of gods. ¡°The taste never changes.¡± ¡°Yaa, I wish there¡¯s one in Shiga.¡± ¡°Hurry up, set up one in Shiga, I¡¯ll allow it,¡± muttered Hiura. Ah, here it is, Hiura-sama¡¯s permission. Please, open one already. ¡°Minato, give me the seventh, trade with my sesame.¡± ¡°¡±Kay, here.¡± With the fluidity of comrades, they quickly shared half of their flavors. ¡°Akashi, we¡¯re doing it too.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Trade, the crystallization of human wisdom and rationale. And it was the very thing Hiura said earlier, our strategy. We followed the other two¡¯s example and scooped the ice cream. Yes, for this reason, we both got three different flavors. With this, we have obtained six flavors each. What a genius. ¡°Hoh? The fourth¡¯s really more bitter than the third! Still delicious!¡± ¡°Ah. The third¡¯s sweet¡­ I don¡¯t think anything will top Hojicha, though.¡± This was beyond satisfactory¡­ Unlike Hiura, I wasn¡¯t fond of ice creams, but this was something I could get used to. ¡°Akashi-kun, Hiura-san, you¡¯re trading¡­?¡± Fujimiya suddenly whipped around and asked incredulously while Minato just froze. What¡¯s happening¡­ ¡°We are. Top stratagem, right?¡± Hiura sniggered proudly. She dug another spoon of my chocolate. Hey, let me have my Hojicha. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ indirect kiss, right? No, it¡¯s an indirect kiss.¡± Fujimiya¡¯s smile became a plastered one. Minato¡¯s eyes hooded as she slurred, ¡°Insolence.¡± There¡¯s the samurai again. But, indirect kiss? No, well, it is, but¡­ ¡°Ah, that. Haven¡¯t thought about it. Do you, Akashi?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh¡­ at first. You did it so naturally, it feels idiotic if I¡¯m the only one minding¡­¡± Whatever the reason, the rate at which she stole my drinks and sweets threw me off balance. ¡°I mean, you girls are going to, no?¡± Hiura began to shift the blame. Surprisingly, Minato stood up, ¡°We¡¯re women?¡± ¡°Oh, double standard? Aren¡¯t your grades the fourth place in our year? That doesn¡¯t sound logical.¡± ¡°Not everything needs to be equal. You¡¯re the Illogical one here.¡± Whoa¡­ Minato¡¯s not holding back. And a match with Hiura to add¡­ Well, she just slapped Yamabuki a few weeks back, this much should be expected. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I get it, but can you be a little more self aware?¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°Of your insolence.¡± Um, why the obsession with ¡°insolence¡± ¡°Uhhh, let¡¯s eat before the ice cream melts¡­¡± Fujinami clapped my shoulder. ¡°Akashi-kun.¡± ¡°Hiiiee! My pardon!¡± Hiura, Fujinami, Minato, I¡¯m surrounded by scary women¡­ Volume 2 - CH 2.7 Chapter 2: The Angel in Plight Part 7 After that, we walked southward to the big intersection of Sanjo-Kawaramachi and took the rooted sidewalk. Unlike Karasuma-Oike at the beginning, this area is a shopping district and quite crowded. The human density was enough to run into people if we didn¡¯t pay enough attention. I let Hiura and Fujimiya take the lead and fell back with Minato. ¡°It¡¯s crowded¡­ is it always like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s weekend. It¡¯s probably the most crowded place in Kyoto.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m starting to miss Shiga.¡± The only time people come to Shiga is for the summer fireworks display¡­ ¡°Kya!¡± We squeezed through a rather narrow street, and when we pulled out, Minato bumped into an office woman. I quickly grabbed Minato¡¯s hand and pulled her to the side of the road. We both leaned against the roadway fence. The office woman disappeared into the crowd without a trace. ¡°That was¡­ Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°A-ah, I¡¯m fine. Sorry¡± ¡°The lady should be apologizing, not you. I think she was walking on her phone.¡± Typical city people¡­ ¡°Um, Io¡­? Your hand.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, sorry.¡± I quickly snuck my hand into the jeans pocket. Minato averted her eyes. Her white cheeks turned peach pink. She sent me darting sideways glances and said nothing. I, who didn¡¯t think anything of it until then, felt increasingly embarrassed. That¡­ felt different from the few other times I had touched her hands. ¡°Minato, Akashi-kun. Hurry up¡ª!¡± Looking back, Fujimiya and Hiura were already at the other side of the mass of the pedestrians. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We nodded to each other once and then followed Fujimiya. Insteading of walking side by side, I drove through the crowd like a wedge, clearing the way for Minato. And so that she wouldn¡¯t see my blushing face. ¡°Oh, here you are. What happened?¡± ¡°N-nothing. Someone bumped into me¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± We walked a little more past the UNIQLO on the first three floors and reached our destination, the LOFT. Rechecking its signature yellow sign, we went in. LOFT was a chainstore that mainly sells household goods. Although most of its stores were concentrated in the Kanto and urban areas, it was a popular store with a solid nationwide presence, or so said the internet. Afterall, it was my first time. Also, why there¡¯s one in Nara, but not in Shiga? Shiga is better than Nara¡­ Really, Shiga is better. [TN:The author¡¯s Shiga-obsession again¡­] Our procession abruptly stopped at the first intersection of the store. ¡°Akashi-kun, is there any specific thing you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°Nope¡­ Anything would do.¡± Well, as someone who did part-time I had the money to buy things I wanted immediately¡­ ¡°Nevermind, we can take a walk.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want new stationeries too,¡± chimed Fujimiya. Also, Hiura had been looking bored since a while ago, but she hadn¡¯t said anything. Look at how mature she had become. ¡°Then! The store¡¯s pretty large, let¡¯s split up! I¡¯ll go with Hiura-san¡«¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± We took turns in gaping at Fujimiya¡¯s proposal. Before anyone could say a thing, she immediately took Hiura¡¯s hand and forcibly hauled her away. In front of the escalator that went up to another LOFT floor, Fujimiya bowed. ¡°Now then, good hunting!¡± We watched in awe as they slowly ascended the escalator. ¡°Phew¡­¡± As headstrong as ever¡­ Although I could see her reason. Hiura herself was already almost bored to death. I finally realized we should move. ¡°Should we go too¡­?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± replied Minato. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Minato and I took turns checking out the shelves. Office products, miscellaneous decorations and mysterious items. In the end, each and every one of them was so interesting I couldn¡¯t decide what to have. If I had brought more money, I would have a cart full of goods. ¡°Oh, a nice shark¡± Without any specific thought, I jogged up to it. It was a pair of pink shark-shaped slippers. The design made it look like it was biting the wearer¡¯s foot. ¡°You like it?¡± ¡°Not me, Riku does¡­¡± Ah, I haven¡¯t told her about Riku. ¡°Riku¡­?¡± Huh, Minato, why are you glaring at me? ¡°My younger sister. Shark¡¯s her favorite¡± Especially shark slippers. It looked alike to the ones she talked about earlier. ¡°Ah¡­Sister. You have a sister? She likes sharks?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in middle school, third year. Right in the middle of the rebellious phase, as her brother, I¡­ I¡¯m no longer needed by her¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°Y-you¡¯re the big brother¡­? That¡¯s unexpected¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look like one? I¡¯ve been the big brother for fifteen years.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like one¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, a true veteran brother can disguise people¡¯s deception! Like how a master assassin can blend with the surroundings, a true bro is the same.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reference¡­¡± deadpanned Minato Then, should I buy this¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll see if it¡¯s what she wants. Wait a sec.¡± I flicked open the phone and sent the picture to Riku. While waiting for her reply, we went over more miscellaneous goods. This time, I tried to find what I actually liked. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She held up an oddly shaped glass in her hand, inside, colored feathers slowly twirled. A sort of snowglobe? ¡°Ah, by the way, Minato.¡± Her shoulders jumped, almost dropping the glass. ¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°The rumors, do you still hear any?¡± By now, those who owe me should have toned it down. But I thought I should check just in case. ¡°I don¡¯t hear any, but I thought I should ask.¡± ¡°Oh, that. I haven¡¯t heard a thing since then.¡± ¡°Well, glad to hear that.¡± Good, I don¡¯t think I want to see Minato being utterly helpless ever again. I expect better from you, my fellow Kuze High students. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as completely gone with rumors. Let¡¯s appreciate that I got past it, yeah?¡± she smiled warmly. ¡°Then¡­ What about the people around you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re leaving me alone, alright, but that¡¯s what I want. I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable if they try to make up with me or something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, holding up like that.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not me¡­ I know you¡¯d be there¡­¡± If she¡¯s doing fine at school then that¡¯s a consolation. ¡°It might not be none of my business, but¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, please let me know.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It was as if her gaze increased its intensity tenfold. On the other hand, she seemed to be on the verge of tears. ¡°You said it¡­ that you¡¯d be by my side. Then, why can¡¯t I do the same for you?¡± Play Unmute ¡°Minato¡­¡± For some reason, my mind dug up that specific memory. The day I went to her apartment and bargained with her with Ayaha¡¯s story. ¡°Okay. Understood.¡± Not so soothly, I accepted her goodwill. We stayed like that a little longer, waiting for the other side to say something. Finally, strength drained from Minato and she shook her head feebly. ¡°S-sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought this up right now.¡± I mutely shook my head. We carefully resumed checking the shelves. The giddy atmosphere persisted, But I found it not so bad, after all. What was she thinking? For sure, I could never know, not that I could ask her either. But¨C ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Whatever it would be, if it comes to this girl, then I think I could trust her with it. ¡°So ¡®anything¡¯ from back then still lives?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She poked me lightly. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°I¡¯m home¡± The front door clicked closed. No response. The living room was empty, but the bathroom was occupied, probably Riku. It should be a while before dad could come home. I sat down on the couch, unloading the gifts they had brought for me. A tall stainless steel tumbler with a dull, deep blue painting. The ¡°soft drink friendly¡± tag immediately caught my eye. The steel was silky and luxurious. Looking at it again, I couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°It is insulated, so you can keep soda in it for quite some time. Also, the tumbler doesn¡¯t form condensation,¡± Minato had said after reading the tag. Looking back, the condensation that clung to the glass usually soaked my table, and the drink got lukewarm pretty fast at room temperature. If the tag¡¯s claim was true, then this tumbler would see some heavy use. I immediately rinsed out the tumbler and filled it with the cola in the fridge. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Just pouring in the cola got me hyped. This was just great. Why hadn¡¯t I bought it before? Why? I jovially grab the tumbler and head upstairs. But before I could enter my room, I remember the bag that looped on my right arm. I hooked the bag on the doorknob of Riku¡¯s room. I fell on the bed. My body was heavy from the fatigue of walking around all day. I had no Angel session today, so a bath and I would probably go to sleep¡­ A few moments later, the thumping of someone climbing the stairs could be heard. ¡°Kyaa¨C!¡± A scream. ¡°Cute ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!¡± Another scream. Hey, you¡¯re disturbing the neighbors. Then silence, before the door opened and Riku, who had a towel wrapped around her head, poked her face inside. ¡°Yo, I¡¯m home.¡± I said my belated greeting. ¡°W-welcome back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thanks for the slippers¡­¡± ¡°Good manners.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­You¡¯re not supposed to¡­¡± Riku bit her lip in frustration and pulled her face back. Hmm, still rebellious. ¡°Onii-chan?¡± ¡°Hmp?¡± Did she just call me ¡°Onii-chan¡± ? ¡°How are you doing lately?¡± ¡°Lately?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Fine. Not bad.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Riku then disappeared. After listening to the sound of footsteps moving away, the cry continued, ¡°Cute ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!!¡± Volume 2 - CH 2.8 Minato Interlude Translated by 64990022 The Angel in Plight Minato Interlude ¡°Minato, what do you think?¡± Sternly, she brought up the topic while pouring milk into her coffee. We were at an eat-in cafe near Shiho¡¯s house. It was probably the best place to stop by after school and have a chat. The design, the price, everything. ¡°About what?¡± I asked back, and then took a bite of the souffl¨¦ cake that came with the drink. White patterns trailed in the glass as Shiho¡¯s straw stirred. She wasn¡¯t the type to put syrup in her coffee. ¡°About Hiura-san¡± ¡°Ngh..!¡± Almost choked on cake, I covered my mouth in panic, the other hand reaching for the hot milk tea to slosh it down. ¡°You¡¯re deliberately trying to surprise me,¡± It was more of a fact than an accusation, knowing Shiho. ¡°What? Why is it so surprising?¡± ¡°Shiho. I¡¯m getting mad.¡± ¡°Hiii. Ehehe, sorry, sorry.¡± You don¡¯t look guilty at all¡­ I sighed for her to hear ¡°But, they¡¯re very close,¡± she stated. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Body touching¡­ they¡¯re even used to indirect kisses.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hiura Aki-san. She had once helped me with the little scuffle in the gym. She was a strange person, but cute nonetheless. Same class as Io, a good friend of his¡­ [TN: See the vol 1 Minato-Yamabuki match for the gym incident] ¡°They¡¯re close, that¡¯s it. Why do I have to concern myself?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re acting strong.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not! I¡­¡± I don¡¯t have a right to say in his relationship. With the past Kyoto trip, one thing was clear. I still didn¡¯t know him at all. I didn¡¯t know he had a sister, or how he was like with his actual friends. Up until now, it was him helping me with my problems. Just because he told me his past didn¡¯t mean I would suddenly become close to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°But when you figure things out, it might be too late, you know? Early bird gets the worm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s less than a week left, why haven¡¯t you studied for midterm yet, then.¡± ¡°Wow. Souffle cake is so delicious.¡± So she can run away like that when the conversation gets ugly. What a sly girl. ¡°So, you¡¯re not curious about her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± The truth was, I do. I tried not to, but there was no helping it. But I was really trying not to, so that doesn¡¯t count as a lie. ¡°Umm, I¡¯ve asked if Io like Hiura-san or not. But it seems that you¡¯re not interested¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± My heart dropped. What did he answer, naturally, I was curious about that. However, another thought preceded that; Shiho didn¡¯t know about Ayaha-san, what if she asked inappropriately¡­ ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Fufu, now you wanna know?¡± ¡°Shiho.¡± This was no time for jokes. ¡°Hn? Minato?¡± Shiho instantly mirrored my straight face and blinked several times. Misinterpreting my concern, she dissolved into a warm smile. ¡°They¡¯re totally friends, that¡¯s what he said.¡± ¡°How was he like when saying that?¡± ¡°Hm? Hmm, he seemed uninterested, no surprise, no embarrassment, surprisingly so.¡± I was terribly relieved by Shiho¡¯s affirmation. Perhaps the ¡°Who do you like¡± question was common enough it didn¡¯t remind him of his past. Maybe that was an unnecessary concern. ¡°But I didn¡¯t get to question Hiura-san, though.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, but next time, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ehh¡« Yessir, will do.¡± Contrary to her words, she didn¡¯t look the slightest bit satisfied. Although she would still adhere to my request until the end. That was who she was and why I love her. ¡°Ah¡­ Mikage-san.¡± Shiho gestured to the cafe entrance. The name hooked my attention. ¡°Her house¡¯s around here, it seems. I saw her here often too,¡± she added. She bent down by the display shelf and scrutinized the sandwiches. Her hair bobbed as she swung her head up and down. Shiga Prefecture, a dingy cafe in a train station. Even in a place like here, her presence made it as exquisite as any fairytale setting. ¡°Ahh, cute. Nothing short of Kuze¡¯s Top. Our Minato¡¯s better, though,¡± As if she was a beauty pageant judge, Shiho muttered. ¡°Stop it. And on what basis are you judging her?¡± ¡°By how close we are!¡± ¡°¡­¡± You can¡¯t let me win only because I¡¯m your best friend¡­ Idly, I stare at Mikage-san¡¯s profile. Did she get a consultation with the Angel? What was her reason to do so? I could have easily asked Io about them, but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to. My conflicting feelings compelled me to do both things at once. But one thing, she was earnest. Her image overlapped with when I cornered Io a while ago. Also, she¡¯s¡ª ¡°She¡¯s amazing¡­¡± After seeing her off, Shiho whispered. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I had talked with her once, I was spellbound. My heart was pounding¡­ If I was a boy¡­!¡± That, I could agree on. Otherworldly atmosphere, the smoothly changing facial expressions, and that look¡­ Talking with her was like a dream. ¡°Ah!!!¡± A customer receiving a tray tripped over a signboard and lost his balance. A loud clang followed. Coffee burst from the broken cup, pieces scattered in all directions. What should I do? Let it to the waiter? Would a handkerchief do any good? Do I have a tissue?¡± However, my hesitation soon became meaningless. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Mikage-san had returned to the store. Contrary to the horrified customer, Mikage-san took out a handkerchief and even a hand towel. She immediately began collecting the shattered pieces. Before the panicked waiter would come, she had already begun wiping the floor. Her white towel was stained coffee-brown, her clothes stained a little, too. ¡°Sir, are you hurt?¡± asked the waiter. ¡°Um! Thank you very much¡­!¡± thanked the waiter. ¡°No worries. Good thing I wasn¡¯t that far.¡± she bobbed her head politely before leaving the store for the second time. Cooly, without frustration, without asking for return, she walked away. If it was me, I¡¯d have felt incredibly flattered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ just like her.¡± ¡°Yeah, amazing.¡± Of all people to help, she was the furthest from the scene, yet she was the first one to jump in. ¡°Ahh, talk about popular people. Not just the boys, she¡¯s taking the hearts of girls like us too,¡± complained Shiho. ¡°I know, she¡¯s the ideal samaritan.¡± ¡°Although she refused every confession though, having someone she liked already.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Someone she liked¡­ surely, that was what the letter to the Angel was about. If so, then, take care of her, Io. Volume 2 - CH 3.1 Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 1 A few more days passed since then. Shida was called for basketball intensive training, so his consultation was temporarily on hold. For Mikage, I only had one call. However, Mikage was somewhat preoccupied at that time and dozed off most of the time. There were only ten days left, and yet she was still hesitant about confessing her feelings. To be frank, I was getting impatient. And I was at a loss as to why she wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all. Maybe I should be less passive. Do you think you can confess like this? Is that fine with you? I¡¯ve thought about ways to deliver those, but I wasn¡¯t sure it would work that well with Mikage, though. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨C¡°Good Evening, Angel,¡± she greeted calmly. I had received a message saying that she had something to report. To me, that was nothing but anxiety. I¡¯ve got a feeling that I can¡¯t be good. What do you have to report this far in? ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± I swigged up the new tumbler and drank today¡¯s cider. It was unimaginably easy to use and had become my favorite in no time. The large gulp I took was a way to brace myself. In romance, everything is unforeseen. There is no such love that went all according to plan. In fact, I should know better than anyone else. And so I thought¡­ ¨C¡°I¡¯ve started going out with Hibiki-kun¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That was a development I hadn¡¯t expected at all. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¨C¡°I meant exactly what I said. I confessed to him yesterday, and he said yes.¡± Hey, it¡¯s not just, ¡°he said yes.¡± Firstly, isn¡¯t that too sudden? ¡°Weren¡¯t you hesitating just two days before?¡± ¨C¡°Momentum? I guess I went with the flow, kinda lame, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± But¡­If it would go this easily¡­ Why did I concern myself over her again? If she got what she wanted then that should be good. All that was left was Shida¡­ ¡°Alright, I¡¯m glad you got your wish.¡± ¨C¡°All thanks to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being humble here, you¡¯d have done it without my help.¡± Rather, she took longer than she should have because of me. In some cases, I should have just let them be, note, note. ¡°Then, that¡¯s it for us. Good work, Mikage.¡± ¨C¡°Yes. I appreciate your help.¡± At first, I wondered where this would land. It seems that this easily is also possible too. A model and a beauty, I wish you two all the best. ¨C¡°By the way, I have another favor.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¨C¡°Can I talk about you to my friends?¡± What would you get from doing that¡­ ¡°No. That was the condition for our consultation. I¡¯ve told you since the beginning. That includes any of your friends and Hibiki too.¡± ¨C¡°I know, that¡¯s why this is a separate request.¡± Just why¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask. Why?¡± ¨C¡°Well, I¡¯ve become a known face in Kuze High. I bet it wouldn¡¯t take more than two days for everyone to know that I¡¯m finally dating. And if they¡¯re gonna talk about me, then at least I want to get them right on the details.¡± She said all of that in one go, just like when she told me about Hibiki¡­ like a memorized script. ¡°I see where you¡¯re coming from. But, you can omit the part where I took place, told them you confessed and he said yes, that¡¯s it.¡± ¨C¡°And if, by chance, someone finds out, they¡¯d have known I lied. I want to avoid that.¡± ¡°And who is that someone? Where? It¡¯s you and me.¡± ¨C¡°Yuzuki-san. She must have known what¡¯s going on. You said you have your associates too, didn¡¯t you. There¡¯s no way you could be hundred percent certain.¡± Hey, hey, this is getting suspicious. You weren¡¯t this desperate when we talked about Hibiki. Then, as if she realized herself. ¨C¡°No, I¡¯m not questioning your or Yuzuki¡¯s credibility¡­urgh, I get it, you can¡¯t. Sorry for asking.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It is like you said, my credibility isn¡¯t absolute. But that doesn¡¯t change where I stand.¡± She didn¡¯t press further. I never thought I would be arguing with Mikage like this. All the more after the consultation had ended. Was there anything to fear? What would happen if someone found out she had consulted with the angel later. ¡°Let me elaborate. This condition is not only to reduce the risk of my identity, but to protect you too. What would you feel if the Hibiki was conspiring with someone to get with you? My existence would only strain your relationship.¡± Silence. ¡°Besides, if you don¡¯t count Yuzuki¡¯s, none of my consultants are known, right? I¡¯m keeping all information confidential.¡± Hey, the silence is getting unnerving. At this point, she would probably comply, but I want to make her understand why. ¡°Then, let¡¯s say people find out, you can use me as a scapegoat. ¡®The Angel made me promise not to mention it.¡¯ There, now your honor isn¡¯t questioned anymore.¡± ¨C¡°Yeah¡­ Forget what I said. I was silly.¡± She returned to her calm demeanor. Uhh, what kind of mood swing is this? ¨C¡°Then, I have another request. If you can¡¯t then you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¨C¡°Don¡¯t accept requests from people who want to confess to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that, but I want to hear your reason.¡± ¨C¡°I¡¯m already with Hibiki, everyone is getting a guaranteed no from me, from now on. Better make them give up in the first place.¡± ¡°And how is that different from people who already know you have someone you like but decided to confess anyway.¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± She abruptly hushed, exhaled, and continued. ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to. Anyway, I hope you made those people know what answer they will get. Thanks.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a no, there¡¯s a meaning in getting to confess. I¡¯ll have to decline both your requests.¡± I¡¯m sorry, Shida, Mikage. But this is what I believe in. Getting rejected isn¡¯t an easy affair. But it isn¡¯t any better if your feelings go unsaid. So, Mikage, If anyone confesses to you, give them a definite answer. ¨C¡°Sorry for the strange favors. Hope I haven¡¯t thrown you off balance.¡± ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯m thrown off balance, all right. Haven¡¯t met someone like you in my career.¡± ¨C¡°I doubt you had.¡± Hey, is that funny? ¡°Then on top of the requests, I¡¯d like to ask you a thing.¡± So she¡¯s got questions now. ¡°Will this be the last?¡± ¨C¡°It will.¡± Please, what is that quirky tone? ¨C¡±Are you, by any chance, a girl?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Regaining my composure, I growled, ¡°Why did I tell you about not probing for my identity?¡± ¨C¡°Oops, then you don¡¯t have to answer,¡± she said as if she had expected my reaction. Unable to resist, I returned a question, ¡°And why would you think I¡¯m a girl?¡± If anything, most people would have branded the Angel as a man already, thanks to referring to myself as ¡°ore¡± in the broadcast. Actually, I had thought of giving up the gender ambiguity altogether. So why is this girl¡­? ¨C¡°Every boy would try to pamper me, at least unconsciously,¡± said Mikage as though it was a matter of fact. ¡°So you¡¯re saying this because I wasn¡¯t trying to flirt with you?¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s a way of saying it. All this from experience, I¡¯m not toplofty, mind you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not, and you¡¯re probably right.¡± She was, after all, Kuze¡¯s Top Three. That title alone could change one¡¯s impression drastically. If so, why was she so unconfident during the consultation? ¨C¡°Hypothetically, if you¡¯re a boy.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Learn more Pause Unmute ¨C¡°Then you must have someone you like already? So much you don¡¯t care about me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the question before the last one?¡± ¨C¡°Whoops, is that so?¡± she giggled merrily. A nasty girl to the end. Good grief. Volume 2 - CH 3.2 Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 2 The next day, the school was festive. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve heard? Mikage-san!¡± ¡°Just now! That one¡ª¡± ¡°Ahh. It¡¯s over¡­ my youth ends here¡ª¡± Hallways, classrooms, stair landings, everywhere. The morning was quiet, but by lunchtime, everyone knew. Second year class eight was no exception, the commotion continued. ¡°What a mess¡­¡± complained Hiura. The traffic in the hallway was heavier than usual today, so we refrain from trespassing on the rooftop. As a result, we had lunch in the classroom. ¡°Mikage-chan¡­ what a shame.¡± Reiji, without looking very disappointed, joked. At least when compared to Minato¡¯s, this atmosphere was way better this time. And since it wasn¡¯t something to be shy about, everyone voiced out their thoughts. Although isn¡¯t this spreading too fast? ¡°So, where did it start?¡± ¡°Mikage-chan herself. I just checked earlier.¡± ¡°Digging people¡¯s info is still your job, huh?¡± ¡°Nope, pretty much everyone knows that.¡± Hm¡­ I guess everyone does. ¡°I heard the guy she¡¯s dating is her childhood friend and does modeling! A perfect match for her, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Ahh, finally¡­ there goes my chance¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have one from the start. They¡¯ve liked each other for quite a long time.¡± The information circulating was quite detailed. And accurate to boot. Saying she didn¡¯t want to hide things, rather, wasn¡¯t this too open? ¡°Yuzuki-chan, The Angel, now Mikage. We¡¯re not short of rumors, eh, Akashi?¡± teased Reiwa. ¡°Urgh, enough with the same talk every minute? I¡¯m going mad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always mad, Hiura¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go on a rampage.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t, we don¡¯t need any more topics.¡± Nope, we don¡¯t need any mess like, ¡°Plus Four Hiura finally destroys the school building!¡± ¡°Still , Mikage-san had been silent the whole time. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯d have reported some progress before dropping the bombshell? I wonder what happened.¡± He looked meaningfully at me. Somehow, his white teeth grin flet obnoxious. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°Hmm? Nothing,¡± He said frivolously, ¡°You might know something, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°Why should I know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®Why should I know with you¡¯, never.¡± ¡°Reiji.¡± ¡°Whoopsie. There, there, cool down, buddy. He¡¯s moving away, right, so she quickly confessed.¡± ¡°So you were leading me around.¡± ¡°About what, I wonder.¡± Tch, this guy¡­ Well, now that it came to this, Shida must have heard¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨C¡°I¡¯ve heard¡± When I sent a message to him that night, he called back right after. I shifted my gaze longingly to the tumbler containing melon soda. ¨C¡°it¡¯s like you said¡­ she was also trying to realize her own romance too¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¨C¡°It¡¯s over¡­ my dream, huh¡­¡± listlessly, he sighed. ¡°Congratulations on her part. I¡¯m not happy, though. I hope she is happy¡­¡± He¡¯s getting a little incoherent¡­ But still, he still had to confess, I needed to make him. He might not realize it now, but there was on;y one choice that wouldn¡¯t leave him with regret. The answer would be a guaranteed denial, but I had to push his back. This feeling had to end, one way or another. ¡°Shida¡­¡± ¨C¡±Angel¨C¡± ¡°Eh?¡± We spoke at the same time. No, considering the connection lag, Shida spoke first. ¨C¡°You first. I need to make up my mind.¡± ¡°Nope, Shida, saying that you have to make up your mind made me nervous. Spill it now.¡± ¨C¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you, but¡­¡± he stammered. ¡°But I had given up on Mikage-san since the start.¡± That was disturbing. I had a hundred questions, but the best thing to do was probably hear what he had to say first. ¨C¡°before you called me¡­ and even after we¡¯ve started the consultation, I¡¯ve no illusion that it would be a yes, Angel or not¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting anything¡± ¡°So?¡± I urged. I¡¯m not even going to confess anymore. That was the only word I feared. But all I could do was listen to him. ¨C¡°You¡¯ve been trying to make my confession a success. For that, I¡¯m incredibly grateful. But I didn¡¯t want to win over Mikage-san or anything like that.¡± ¡°Shida?¡± I asked tentatively. ¨C¡°Still, I¡­!¡± his voice gained momentum. What would make him like that, I had no idea. ¡°I still want to confess to Mikage-san!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shida¡­ ¨C¡°That¡¯s lame, I know. I only want to get my feelings across and end it. That¡¯s all.¡± No, you¡¯re not lame¡­ ¨C¡°I know it¡¯s crazy. Confessing is to ask someone out, or at least get their attention. It¡¯s supposed to be an important thing and yet I¡­¡± Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the spirit. ¨C¡°I want to have a proper ending¡­! For my own sake, I¡¯ll tell her I like her. I¡¯ll do it! I !¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± I sighed incredulously. That ¡°I¡± in the end was grammatically incorrect, wasn¡¯t it? Your lexicon¡¯s dropping, Shida. ¨C¡°I don¡¯t just like her romantically! I admire her as a person too! I¡¯ll tell herr!! I¡¯ve always admire you! Aahhhh¡ª¡± ¡°Shida¡± ¨C¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say my piece.¡± ¡°G-go ahead?¡± You¡¯re an idiot, Shida, but properly idiotic. ¡°Tell her! You¡¯ll have your show! I¡¯ll be watching!¡± Carried by the atmosphere, gone was my cool. We might as well be idiots together. ¨C¡°Yuck, what¡¯s that¡­?¡± Forgetting my demeanor, we laughed and teased at each other¡¯s lines. After a few solid minutes, our laughter came to an end. ¨C¡°You must have known, right? That I don¡¯t have a chance.¡± That was not an easy question to answer. ¡°It¡¯s not about impossible or not, is it?¡± ¨C¡°Haha, I guess not.¡± He laughed amusedly. ¡°The fact that she has someone she likes is as clear as day, and you still call out to me. Success isn¡¯t in your intention from the beginning.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not how I think¡­¡± ¨C¡° No, no, I get it. You aren¡¯t here to save me, but to make me take the plunge. Thanks for doing that. I finally know what I want.¡± Hmm¡­ he saw right through my intentions. You¡¯re sharper than you let on, Shida. Or it was simply obvious when what I was doing was sending him to make an impossible confession. ¨C¡°So, how do I do?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¨C¡°The confession.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute I can¡¯t decide if this guy¡¯s smart or dumb. ¡°¡­Do whatever you like. Call her out, tell her your feelings. ¨C¡°That sounds¡­ ordinary.¡± ¡°Like I said, whatever you like. Mind you, she has a boyfriend, so keep it within bounds.¡± ¨C¡°Agh! Why do you have to remind me that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already forgotten it¡­¡± Maybe this idiot would just turn out fine. Probably. Volume 2 - CH 3.3 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 3 [I¡¯ll report as soon as I confess!] That was what Shida sent to me a week ago. There was heavy rain today, a prelude to the rainy season. The downpour continued well after school hours ended. I remained in the classroom, blankly watching the rain. I was waiting for the rain to stop. I was also waiting for a report from Shida. ¡°I want ice cream. The one at Nanaya, to be specific.¡± For some reason, Hiura suddenly mumbled. I recheck the chatroom with Shida anxiously. I was in a bleak position. Why so? It was because I saw them together during lunch today. From the atmosphere, he was going to confess. After school, call her to an empty room, confess. That was the plan. So, right now he¡¯s¡­ ¡°I¡¯m begging you¡­ seriously¡­¡± ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°Not you,¡± I shooed Hiura away. To no effect, though, she spun the rooftop key playfully. ¡°Don¡¯t lose it.¡± I warned. Over the past week, Mikage getting a boyfriend had begun to quiet down to a reasonable degree. Perhaps it was because she had told almost all the information so easily and truthfully that there was no room to speculate. From the look of it, there was no need to mention the Angel. And if so, why was she so fraught over the Angel? ¡°Ah¡­¡± A new message popped up. [Angel, I¡¯ve got trouble.] Trouble? [¡®M listening.] [Oh, you¡¯re here. That saves time.] That saved my time too, so get on with it¡­ [Actually, I¡¯ve tried to call Mikage-san a few times already.] Today wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d called her? As if sensing my doubt, he sent me a long explanatory message. [Today¡¯s the fourth time. First time, she said she¡¯s not free, asking if it could be later. I saw no harm, so I waited for the next day¡­] Hm¡­ that explains the silence. [Can¡¯t get hold of her the second time either. Anymore and I¡¯d be pestering her, so I agreed for the next day. And the next and next. Something¡¯s off, she¡¯d been using the same excuse.] That was certainly strange¡­ [I tried a different strategy, asking when she¡¯s available. But¡­ this is just the same as an indirect rejection¡­] His message seemed to end there. Perhaps he was right. She must have been aware of his purpose. Afterall, she had been confessed countless times. And credits duly to Shida, he was working harder than I thought he would. [What did she say?] [¡®Sorry,¡¯ that¡¯s all.She looked really uncomfortable, so I don¡¯t feel good saying anything more¡­] [I see, that¡¯s why you contacted me.] ¡°Argh¡­ what really¡­¡± I groaned to myself. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to myself, mind your business.¡± ¡°Nope, I wanna know.¡± Ignoring her ¡°Tch, tch.¡± I returned my attention to the screen. [Should I really do this? I don¡¯t want to trouble her¡­] [Nope, you¡¯ll confess. If she doesn¡¯t want trouble, she can reject you outright and be done with it. But she hasn¡¯t done that, something¡¯s up.] Pardon the language, but she could have just got done with it, it would just save her time as much as ours. [Was it because she has a boyfriend?] [Probable. That¡¯s the only thing that has changed. Still, I couldn¡¯t see how these two things relate.] Picturing the situation, a memory resurfaced. ¡°Don¡¯t accept requests from people who want to confess to me.¡± What if this has something to do with that¡­ [Angellll¡­ I can¡¯t do this anymoreee¡­ How many more times? She even said ¡®Sorry¡¯ to me¡­¡± Right, you¡¯ve done everything you could, Shida. Honestly, I should stop him before he gets traumatized. But, we¡¯re this close¡­ [I¡¯ll find out what happened] I texted. [You will?] [If we know why then that might be a more satisfactory ending, in the best case, you might even get to confess.] [O-oh¡­ Thanks a lot. I don¡¯t want to cause any more trouble to Mikage-san.] [Think of this as included in the package. Cases like yours happens time to time] Considering that during the course of the consultation, there were practically no difficulties, so this was nothing. Maybe I¡¯m being selfish. Maybe I¡¯m meddling in his affairs. But it can¡¯t end like this, Shida will surely regret it. One day, he would look back and think, ¡°I should have confessed back then.¡± If I don¡¯t step in now, all we have done would have been for nothing. [¡®Kay. Counting on you. Ah, just do what you can, right. I have a feeling that you¡¯d do something reckless.] Wait, why did he think I¡¯d do something reckless [Don¡¯t worry. Won¡¯t take long, in most cases.] I promised, [I¡¯ll let you know how it goes. Until then, you hold off calling her out.] With that, the exchange was over. Okay, what I need to do is¡ª ¡°Akashi¡ª! I¡¯m bored!¡± ¡°Hiura!¡± ¡°Hnya?¡± ¡°Help me. Strawberry au lait and Thirty-One¡¯s at the table.¡± Yep, I¡¯ve traded my dignity for every help I could get. ¡°What about Nanaya?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ll make do with Thirty-One.¡± Volume 2 - CH 3.4 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 4 ¡°What have you gotten yourself into, Io?¡± came an incredulous voice. ¡°And I know you¡¯re involved in the Mikage-chan thing. Keeping secrets from us when it¡¯s convenient, when it¡¯s not coming running for our help.¡± While enduring Reiji¡¯s amused sarcasm, I offered my tributes of strawberry au lait and coffee. In the end, I had to resort to their help. And now, they knew everything between me, Shida, and Mikage. Above all, I felt apologetic for Mikage. Even though I had presented the probability of disclosure of information as a condition for the consultation, this was stretching the condition too far. Well, she too was trying to have a leeway with me, so maybe I will call it even. [TN: I don¡¯t think it is, Io.] ¡°Then¡­ Hiura, if you would share your report,¡± I solemnly urged. ¡°Wait.¡± She held up a hand, another fumbled with the straw of the au lait. What I had asked Hiura to do was an experimental probe. In other words, asking Mikage directly. Since Hiura, with her attitude, was the best person for the job, I borrowed her help. ¡°Before that, how did you ask? You know each other?¡± ¡°Nope. ¡®I saw that vice captain trying to confess to you for some time. Haven¡¯t you said no yet?¡¯ and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s just crude like you,¡± Reiji provoked death. ¡°Miwa, watch your back.¡± Hiura scowled. No, Reiji, stop. I don¡¯t want to see you stabbed in an alley. ¡°And the results?¡± Maybe this was too early to expect results, but¡­ ¡°No luck. She got outta reach.¡± Another slurp. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Acted dumb, like.¡± She shifted her body, changed her gesture. ¡°¡®Was that a confession? He hadn¡¯t said so?¡¯¡± That was an awfully good imitation. ¡°And, ¡®You¡¯re interested in me? Plus Four¡¯s Aki Hiura-san.¡¯¡± She shifted fluidly. ¡°It looked like trouble, so I ran.¡± ¡°Stop the imitation, you look exactly like her.¡± Although I wouldn¡¯t expect Mikage to have such a counter up her sleeves¡­ She¡¯s more trouble than she seemed. ¡°That ends mine.¡± ¡°Thanks for your effort, Hiura.¡± ¡°Praise me more.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, that au lait in your hand isn¡¯t enough? And Reiji?¡± Our second shot, Reiji. What I had asked him was to get a broad grasp at the situation, the plan B, ¡°Ask Around¡± ¡°Tough. Mikage-chan barely has any friends. None that could tell what¡¯s happening to her.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­ Couldn¡¯t say whether this is strange or normal for her.¡± Liked by everyone, but never close to anybody. According to Shida, she was ¡°Mikage-san for everyone.¡± Even so, Reji combed her probable close acquaintances in a meager two days, that was some serious detective skills. It would be a nightmare to be his enemy¡­ No, if this is a manga, he¡¯d definitely be the betrayer character. ¡°Although I got a catch. I found a girl from the same middle school as her.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds good.¡± ¡°Tell you what, it isn¡¯t,¡± Reiji made his voice higher. ¡°¡®She¡¯s been like this since middle school! She¡¯s super popular!¡¯¡± ¡°Stop imitating, I need reliable data.¡± And Reiji, that¡¯s creepy, just stop. Why did you have to remember her every word? ¡°¡®She was popular with boys and girls alike! Ah! She seems to have changed a little, though.¡¯¡± ¡°Miwa, stop.¡± Hiura came to my aid. ¡°Geez, here comes Hiura-sama¡¯s disapproval. Disclaimer, though, she¡¯s just as close with Mikage as the next person, so I can¡¯t say much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She seemed to have changed a little¡­ That¡­ might be completely unrelated to this case, or it could be the key¡­ ¡°No other information of note from other interviews. I mean, all they talked about was her getting a boyfriend. ¡®I wonder how handsome he is?¡¯ or, ¡®I¡¯m jealous¡ª¡¯. Imagine listening to these dozens of times.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± By the way, Mikage still hadn¡¯t revealed Hibiki¡¯s name, apparently. That was only natural, if he really was a model, you could have traced by his name alone. As a courtesy to Mikage, I didn¡¯t mention his name to these two. ¡°So a dead end¡­¡± Don¡¯t worry. Won¡¯t take long, in most cases, I had said to Shida. However, it also meant that in rare cases, it might take forever to get over with. Where had I assessed the situation wrong¡­ ¡°Just can¡¯t understand, tho. Why not say no and get done with it. This Shida guy could finally have clarity and move on. What a pity.¡± For once, Reiji seemed a little sympathetic. Perhaps it was because Shida was his immediate senior in the basketball club. If so, then he must have been putting in extra effort in the investigation this time. ¡°Isn¡¯t she toying with him in particular? She wasn¡¯t like this a while before¡­¡± Hiura, from her looks, began to get fed up with the topic. ¡°No,¡± Surprisingly, Reiji came into Mikage¡¯s defense. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve talked to her a few times, and she isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d do something like that, she¡¯s too good to be real¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°But she really is. She acts friendly to everyone, and not intentionally, it was as if being a samaritan was in her DNA. That¡¯s¡­ crazy.¡± Reiji shook his head repeatedly in exasperation. Reiji was a lady-killer, the type that never hesitated to go hard on assessment of women. As far as I remember, he had never praised any girl as much as this time. That raised a question. ¡°Then why does she have no friends?¡± said Hiura. ¡°Yep, she¡¯s the kind of girl that people gather around even though she does nothing¡­¡± Hiura and I tilted our heads to Reiji together, as if seeking an answer. Holding up his index finger, Reiji grinned. ¡°That is¡± ¡°That is?¡± ¡°That is I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why is it that I¡¯m not surprised?¡± Hiura rested her back against the fence. ¡°The only explanation is that she avoids making friends on purpose? A lone wolf mindset¡­?¡± ¡°And what does that lead to? She is not socially anxious and is hundred percent fine interacting with people, so what does she get by actively not befriending anyone?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the point of this meeting? To know why.¡± Annoyedly, Reiji chuckled the last of his cream bun. Well, there was no proof that Mikage not making friends had something to do with Shida¡¯s denial. It might turn out to be a completely different matter. Since Minato didn¡¯t have any friends too, maybe we could just chalk it up to the habit of high ranking beauties. ¡°So she simply doesn¡¯t want to get confessed?¡± ¡°She has no interest, and is too lazy to refuse?¡± Isn¡¯t that only applicable to you, Hiura? As a matter of course, I couldn¡¯t say that snide to her face. ¡°That¡¯s a little sad, don¡¯t you think? Well, usually, I¡¯d say yes for most of the confessions I get,¡± said the frivolous Reiji. As ever, he believed in his, ¡°You¡¯ll never know until you¡¯ve gone out together.¡± Although there was no insight here. Perhaps despite how sharp these two were, Mikage proved to be too much of a mystery. Then if there was nothing to be gained from roundabout ways, then¡­ This ¡°Hibiki-kun¡±? To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to involve third parties, but the situation called. ¡°Thanks. I might have some more requests, keep on standby for me.¡± ¡°That depends on your attitude and what you¡¯re treating us to next,¡± chuckled Reiji. ¡°Nanaya?¡± coaxed Hiura. ¡°If it comes to it, maybe Nanaya.¡± ¡°Ah, that! You two went with Yuzuki-chan without inviting me last time!¡± complained Reiji. ¡°You want to come?¡± ¡°Not really. But you could have invited for courtesy¡¯s sake.¡± Why do you want me to invite you despite having no intention of going¡­ Volume 2 - CH 3.5 Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 5 Without any progress, we disbanded for the day and I headed for Cafe Proof, part-time until dark. Keihan-Zeze Station¡­ Tokimeki Hill¡­ When I pushed open the door, a pale-faced Akito lunged at me. ¡°Ooh, Messiah! Hurry up and get ready! We¡¯re falling apart¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised a good-for-nothing manager like you could hold it together so long.¡± ¡°No! The staff¡¯s down to me alone! Please help!¡± Listening to him complain, I changed into work clothes in the kitchen. It was rare that there was no one else here. I hurried to the counter, letting work of a bustling cafe chase away the burnt of the day. Take orders, serve drinks, clean up empty seats. Guests today weren¡¯t that much, actually, but it was a handful for two people working. ¡°Welcome!¡± The bell rang and I said the automatic response. ¡°Wha! Akashi-kun¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I work here?¡± In their uniforms were Minato and a happy looking Fujimiya. They¡¯re here again¡­ ¡°Have a seat¡­¡± I guide them to the usual seat with my eyes. They seemed to get the signal and went to the table. ¡°Please call me when you¡¯re ready.¡± I passed them the menu. ¡°Milk tea and cafe au lait, both iced, please,¡± Fujimiya answered immediately. ¡°Ahem¡­ So what¡¯s your business¡± ¡°Study. The exam¡¯s close by. Minato here will guide me through these difficult times.¡± ¡°Sorry about Shiho. We¡¯ll be staying for a while, is that fine with you?¡± ¡°Nah, fill up the table all you like, we¡¯re understaffed today.¡± This surely wasn¡¯t good for sales, but who cares about that when there¡¯s only two people working. ¡°Akashi-kun, you look good with an apron,¡± complimented Fujimiya. ¡°Huh? Err, isn¡¯t this normal? Uhh¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re all flustered. You look good, be proud!¡± Be proud? ¡°If you¡¯d excuse me¡­¡± I slipped back to the counter. After that, I went back to working quietly in the kitchen. It was just me and Yukito until the end of the day. Through the evening, Minato and Fujimiya were there. When I scurry around in the cafe, Fujimiya would sometimes wave to me, but I would just nod in return. Can¡¯t have reputation damage, that would be bad on Yukito¡­ ¡°Hahh¡« I want to have a chan with the two girls¡«¡«¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wasted my consideration on you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Get to work, manager.¡± Really, how could this cafe get so high a review on the internet with a manager like this. Probably the part-timers like me who made that happen. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°We¡¯ve survived!!¡± said Yukito to the counter, plopping down. Today was tiring¡­ if it had been a weekend, the customer would have¡­ By the way, Yuzuki and Fujimiya were still here. Yukito treated them as a special case, it seemed, the kind of favoritism normally seen in society. ¡°Io, you can go now. Go play with those two or whatever.¡± ¡°And the closing down?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here for you, go. I¡¯ll do it alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working¡­ Don¡¯t act cool, you¡¯re heaving.¡± ¡°Shut up, this is my cafe, and I won¡¯t pay for your overtime.¡± He shot upright and staggered to the cleaning equipment. Ah, there goes the manly pride. I don¡¯t suppose he¡¯d accept my help at this rate. ¡°Good work. You¡¯re off?¡± Greeted Fujimiya. I shrugged. ¡°Yukito insisted he do it alone.¡± Getting a seat for the first time in hours, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. Legs ached, and my whole body felt numb. ¡°I¡¯m tired tooo¡­¡± complained Fujimiya. ¡°You weren¡¯t even concentrating.¡± quipped Minato. ¡°Huuuh? MInato¨C, you¡¯re looking at Akashi-kun¡¯s apron¡ª¡± ¡°Shhh! Shiho!!¡± My apron? Well, if they still had the energy to bricker then they still have way to go. ¡°When are we going back?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ uhh¡­ A little more? Get this chapter done¡­¡± ¡°Roger. Ten more minutes wouldn¡¯t hurt, right, Akashi-kun?¡± ¡°Yep, keep me company.¡± Yukito answered from the counter. ¡°Okay¨C. Thanks, sir.¡± The two girls bowed at Yukito. They¡¯re getting familiar with this cafe¡­ ¡°Oh, right, about Mikage-san¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°Ahh, that.¡± Never expect to meet this topic here. A cursory glance showed an expressionless Minato. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s sudden¡­ well, maybe not, it¡¯s a known fact that she has someone she likes¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why the face, Akashi-kun? Minato?¡± Um, Minato, should we tell her now? I asked her with a glance Well, maybe I could use her opinion on this. [TN: What happened with the ¡°respect Mikage¡¯s privacy¡± thing] ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Hmmmm¡­ Minato, and now Mikage-san? You¡¯re incredible, Akashi-kun.¡± As the situation called, I told Fujimiya everything but Shida¡¯s name. Only now did I feel glad I added the ¡°I may reveal some information to collaborators¡±. [TN: At this point, why don¡¯t tell everything.] Of course, I won¡¯t abuse it. [TN: You already had] ¡°Wow. This is like a professional detective scenario.¡± ¡°Only this and Minato¡¯s that got this complicated. This isn¡¯t the sort of once-in-a-lifetime experience I wished for, getting consulted by Kuze¡¯s Top Three consecutively like this.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s how much you influence the Kuze High, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t want that attention. I was fine being a sketchy urban legend. I only wanted to choose who to help. I look at Minato. ¡°But you accomplished your goal? Mikage-san, she got off happy¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all her doing. I wasn¡¯t so much of a help.¡± Then I realized. ¡°Ah, I should have told you earlier¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the right to ask about her matters, do I? Mikage-san probably wouldn¡¯t like for people to know about the consultation¡± Um, in fact, the said Mikage wanted people to know about the consultation. Besides, Shida¡¯s problem this time was the only reason I told these guys¡­ why does this sound like a shabby justification¡­? ¡°So, what I wanted to ask is¨C¡± A glimpse told me that it would be a while before Yukito will be finished. ¡°Why would Mikage go to such lengths to avoid the confession.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ let me think¡­¡± ¡°You girls got confessed often, right? Any guesses?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Minato. I got one from time to time¡­ sometimes? Once in a while? I¡¯m most flattered.¡± Why the formal expression¡­ ¡°By the way, do you have a boyfriend, Fujimiya?¡± Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°Huh? No, I¡¯m lonely and single. My luck came short.¡± Hoh, despite how popular she is? How high are her standards? ¡°And Minato¡­ You don¡¯t have to, if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Minato¡¯s input might be the most valuable. Speaking of confessions, she might be the veteran¡­ Contrary to my concern, she answered coolly, ¡°I¡¯ve always been there to say no. I don¡¯t understand why Mikage-san would do that either.¡± ¡°That sounds just like you¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°It is hard to reject someone, and quite an exhausting affair too. Still, better than any alternatives¡± On the contrary, Minato should be the one avoiding confessions, not Mikage. The guys who were rejected turned to antagonize her instead, Reiji had said. Maybe that was what Mikage feared? ¡°Have you ever heard of people who hate Mikage because she rejected them?¡± Hiura or Reiji would know these things better, but for now, these two will do. ¡°Hm. I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°She had already established that she has someone she likes. So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s logical to hold a grudge against her.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± So that was the difference between Minato and Mikage. ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t you tell her directly?¡± ¡°Hm? Minato? Akashi-kun already had Hiura-san ask directly?¡± ¡°Yes, so this time tell, not ask.¡± ¡°Tell what?¡± ¡°Tell her to accept the confession. The purpose is not to know why she avoids him, but to make her show up for his confession, no? You go to her as the Angel and ask for favor, that might work.¡± Ah, that was possible too. I shouldn¡¯t expect less from someone who had blown up my identity. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s my Minato!¡± Clapped Fujimiya. Save for one obvious drawback it posed, it made sense. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± ¡°Why exactly?¡± ¡°If I told her to accept the confession, it¡¯d mean I had confessed on behalf of the guy. Right now, to Mikage, the guy might have liked her, it isn¡¯t a certainty to her yet.¡± I leaned against the chair, beaten back to square one. ¡°I can¡¯t afford that, it betrays the principal emotional aspect of a confession.¡± In romance, there was nothing more malicious than tipping off someone else¡¯s feelings. I would never do such a thing. ¡°Oh, sorry then.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a good enough idea, thanks.¡± [TN: Sorry, I can¡¯t find a good place to end this part.] Volume 2 - CH 3.6 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 6 ¡°So, let¡¯s get this straight, you mean to ask Mikage-san to show up to the confession, without telling her it is a confession¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Fujimiya made a shocked face. ¡°That sounds troublesome.¡± She fell against the cushion. ¡°And roundabout.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the situation. There¡¯s no straight way for this.¡± ¡°That may be so, but¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, the duty of the Angel is troublesome, not to mention roundabout. But someone has to do it, and I¡¯m willing. Just find a way to get results, and I¡¯ll do anything.¡± Then I felt a stare from next to me. Minato had a straight face when I turned to her. She nodded. Unlike Fujimiya, she knows the full story as to why I obsess with getting the feeling across. ¡°That sounds like a dead end to me. Or do you have any more leads?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± After all the great things I¡¯ve said, the reality was that I couldn¡¯t do anything. Hiura, Reiji, Minato, Fujimiya. If all these people¡¯s wisdom didn¡¯t help, we might need a change of perspective¡­ It was frustrating, but, ¡°Yukito.¡± ¡°Hmm¡«¡«?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve listened?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t listening, but I heard everything alright. Looks like you¡¯re having fun there.¡± This was exactly why I avoided asking him. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Dunno. I don¡¯t know a single thing about that Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Any thought patterns? What¡¯s your view on confession, why would you avoid one, whatever.¡± ¡°Hnghhh. I like getting confessions. It¡¯s terrible that my halcyon days of getting confessed are coming to an end¡­¡± He swung his head left and right. ¡°People change drastically when they¡¯ve got lovers, speaking about youngsters these days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, one thing.¡± His eyes lost focus, as if recounting the past. ¡°What if it¡¯s not with Mikage-san herself?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Not Mikage herself? ¡°Ah!¡± As if seeing something, Minato let out a startled voice. Yukito sniffled smugly. ¡°What if her boyfriend told her not to accept confessions?¡± ¡°Aah, I see. I might be that¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no proof yet? Io?¡± No, it fits. From the timeline, everything fits. Whether it would be his influence, or a direct request. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this boyfriend-san¡¯s a jealous type.¡± Fujimiya spoke up. ¡°Jealous¡­¡± ¡°If I got a girlfriend like Mikage-san, I wouldn¡¯t let anyone confess to her. She¡¯s bound to say no, yes, but that¡¯s pure anxiety, right?¡± If Hibiki liked Mikage from the start, it would certainly make sense. That also explained why she dodged Hiura¡¯s question. ¡°Is that the case¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s like a celebrity without being a celebrity , haah¡«¡± Fujimiya smiled lazily. But from that moment, my mind was already working on what I should do from now on. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Minato¡± We disbanded. Before she could get to the station, I secretly called out to Minato. I needed to set up the stage for the next step. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can I call you when you get home?¡± ¡°Heh? U-um, okay¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, and thanks. I¡¯ll call you.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought I would have to use that in this case¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After arriving home and finishing my meal and bath, I called Minato as planned. After ten seconds of ringing, Minato connected to the call. ¨C¡°H-hello?¡± For some reason, her voice felt meeker than in person. ¡°Yeah, thanks for answering.¡± ¨C¡°Um.¡± A monosyllable. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, then.¡± ¡°I need a favor. I could only ask this when we¡¯re alone, hence the call.¡± ¨C¡°O-oh¡­ and that is?¡± I could hear her faint gulp. Well, it wasn¡¯t something big, so no need to worry¡­ ¡°I want to tough Mikage¡¯s face.¡± ¨C¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use my power this time too. You¡¯re the only one who knows about it, so help me.¡± ¨C¡°Oh, that. I see,¡± she said dryly. Hey, why are you suddenly disinterested? ¡°Okay. But, why use the power?¡± ¡°We talked about her boyfriend at the cafe, right?¡± Why do I feel like there was an edge to her voice¡­ ¨C¡°Yep, the jealous one¡­¡± ¡°Jealous or not, that¡¯s for us to find out. The point is, I want to find this boyfriend and ask him instead. Compared to Mikage, he might be loose mounted¡± ¨C¡°I see, if you move correctly, she wouldn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve moving behind the scenes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a far shot, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do.¡± Although there was one preliminary condition to clear: finding Hibiki. After a thoughtful pause. ¨C¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you know his identity already?¡± ¡°Only his nickname, otherwise, I¡¯m as knowledgeable as any other Kuze High student. As it turns out, I can¡¯t find any with that nickname.¡± Until now, I had only operated on intra-school romances, so this was the first time this issue had been raised. Rather, everything was my first with Mikage. Troublesome. ¨C¡°That¡¯s¡­ strange¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°Right? If he¡¯s a celebrity, there must have been some trace, a face to compare.¡± ¨C¡°You¡¯re doing that? From all the young celebrities sprouting these days?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the only option. Still, meeting this boyfriend might be the key, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I had no illusions of how difficult a task that would be. Nonetheless, Shida must confess. If this way was impossible then I will just try another¡­ Ah, didn¡¯t Shida say that I seem to get reckless¡­ Well, he was true. The recklessness was already off the charts now. ¨C¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ thank you.¡± ¨C¡°But why my help? You don¡¯t seem to have trouble doing that by yourself?¡± ¡°Mikage¡¯s not a normal average person. Her action patterns are irregular, and she has that weird sense of distance. You could never get too close to her.¡± Naturally, there were those who were easy to touch and those who were not. Minato, and many others were the former. Mikage, unfortunately, was the latter. ¡°And there are only three days left until he moves. Considering the time it would take to do the research and pin him down, I¡¯d have to use the power by tomorrow. I can¡¯t wait for that chance to come naturally.¡± The day after tomorrow was the weekend. Approximately, the entire Saturday and Sunday were to locate his whereabouts. His house was near Mikage¡¯s, so that narrowed down the scale. Likeness of his face would assist the process. ¨C¡°You know what, Shiho was right, you¡¯re a detective in your own right.¡± ¡°Maybe, an affair detective, that might fit. None of my skills can solve a crime case, though.¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t being funny.¡± Rather, I¡¯m serious. ¨C¡°I wonder what kind of person her boyfriend is.¡± Minato¡¯s voice had a strange rhythm. ¡°You said he had a one-sided love, right? I wonder how does it feels to like someone for years without saying it?¡± ¡°It was mutual since the start?¡± ¨C¡°Double one-sided love?¡± [TN: The one mentioned before, a term for when people have mutual feelings, but neither knows it.] ¡°Ah, yep, that term¡± Learn more Pause Unmute Hm, as expected of a fellow Shojo manga enthusiast. Volume 2 - CH 3.7 Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Part 7 On the roof again, at lunch break of the next day. I had only noticed then that it was almost summer. Even the summer uniform did nothing to ease the heat. My skin was pricking from the beating sunlight. Yesterday, I had devised a way to get to Mikage with Minato. It was time to carry out the plan today. Although, before that¡­ ¡°I really appreciate your hard work, Hiura-san, Reiji-san¡­¡± I respectfully offered a set of lunch dishes to my two friends, these two competent investigators. Since I was bowing, naturally, I couldn¡¯t see their faces. ¡°Thank you very much¡­ I will forever be in debt.¡± ¡°Whatever with gratitude, that¡¯s too much, even for you. You expect us to do all that in half a day?¡± Reji had reached a new peak of exasperation. At the same time, there was a light chop to my head, probably Hiura. ¡°I really don¡¯t have time¡­ forgive me¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m interested in your investigation too. I¡¯ll call it even with one more lunch set.¡± Reiji snickered. ¡°But I¡¯m not interested,¡± complained Hiura. When I looked up, Reiji had already started eating his bread, and Hiura was glaring discontentedly. What a waste of a cute face. ¡°So, what¡¯s the catch?¡± Last night, I messaged them to ask around again, this time to find information around Hibiki. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I knew it wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°Not a soul had seen her with this boyfriend, nor any pictures.¡± Reiji shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t expect much from a half a day investigation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough. Thanks a lot.¡± Well, it was originally an insurance policy in case I couldn¡¯t use my power on Mikage. If it came to this, I had no option but to make sure the plan succeeded. ¡°A separate report, but I¡¯ve heard something spicy.¡± he paused for a mouthful of coffee. ¡°I¡¯ve been talking with that girl from last report.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Want me to do an imitation.¡± ¡°Normally, please.¡± ¡°Aw, you¡¯re no fun.¡± Hey, isn¡¯t this supposed to be serious? And don¡¯t invoke Hiura. ¡°She talked about Mikage-chan¡¯s background and then¡ª¡± Then, theatrically, ¡°There was a time when she was suddenly absent from school.¡± ¡°Absent?¡± That¡­ didn¡¯t sound like something she would do voluntarily. ¡°It was for two weeks. After that, she went to school again like there was nothing. Her attendance after that was perfect.¡± ¡°The reason?¡± ¡°She heard it from someone else, but it seemed that there was a class-wide fight. Awkward situation? Not only Mikage, but some other classmates were absent too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ sounds problematic.¡± And that was the only impression I had. It was hard to decide anything with so little information. But I can¡¯t see why a class-wide fight would affect her romantic tendencies, nor why she would reject confessions. School absence¡­ Well, people have a lot going on in their lives. ¡°That¡¯s all I have.¡± he clapped. So, nothing remotely useful. ¡°Ahh, screw this.¡± With a groan, I stretched my arms and unwind. I fell on the floor and let out a long breath. The cloudless sky was so beautiful, contrary to my miserable situation. ¡°Someone here?¡± From the rooftop entrance¡­ The three of our attention directed to the door at once. I could feel my muscles tense. That, was not definitely Minato or Fujimiya. At best it was a student and we could somehow talk our way out, at worst it was a teacher and our key got confiscated. Although I had a feeling that that was a voice I knew¡­ ¡°Oh, what a surprise. And outside too¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The girl in question, Saeka Mikage, Kuze High¡¯s Top Three. ¡°Whoa, Mikage-chan? What brings you here?¡± his composure intact, Reiji greeted flatly. As one would expect, he was a master of acting. Mikage shook her head slightly, as if to tell us she was as surprised as we were. ¡°I want to have some quiet on the stair landing.¡± She stepped out into the sun, her hair swaying as she looked around. It was a little peculiar. For almost a month, I had been consulted by her, but she didn¡¯t have the slightest clue it was the person in front of her right now. I took a cue from Reji and fought to remain calm. ¡°Got ambushed by too many questions¡­ Haha, yeah, ran away, to here.¡± One by one, she looked at us, her gaze indicating that her explanation was done and it was our turn. Now that I think about it, it was probably the first time I had looked her in the eyes. To urge on our explanation, she mused, ¡°I heard the rooftop¡¯s off limits? The doors are said to be locked for certain.¡± ¡°Is that so? I should have left the door locked today¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Not your first time, I¡¯ll take it. And you have a key, from that statement.¡± I sharp terror ran down my spine; I need to watch my every word with this girl¡­ She slowly made her way towards us. Her loitering on the rooftop could have been on any TV commercial. ¡°Pfft¡± she burst out. ¡°Why so tense, guys? I won¡¯t rattle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just, I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d shelter me for today. Let¡¯s not tell anyone we¡¯re here.¡± Without waiting for permission, she headed for the fence. ¡°Deal, enjoy your stay.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miwa-kun, Hiura-san, Akashi-kun.¡± As if cataloging, she said our names. We send nervous glances at each other. It wasn¡¯t a wonder why she knew Hiura and Reiji, but¡­ me? How? If she noticed our skepticism, she didn¡¯t show it. Mikage closed her eyes and put a hand on the fence. I rubbed my eyes. Was this some sort of music video? Vibe, looks, there was a quality different from when we had online meetings: an invisible wall of pressure¡­ ¡°MIkage¨C¡± ¡°What is it, Hiura-san?¡± ¡°From where we left off last time, show me a picture of your boyfriend.¡± While I had asked her to do this, isn¡¯t this too drastic? Or this could be the reverse card we need¡­ ¡°Hmmp¡­ didn¡¯t I say I was tired of questions right now?¡± ¡°Just his face and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an interest you have in me.¡± ¡°If I told you why would you let me see it?¡± None of them were backing down. Normally, Hiura hated this kind of probing, not that she couldn¡¯t. ¡°Haaah. I give up, ¡®kay? Let me go.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal? He¡¯s good looking, right?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Like a celebrity, she laughed softly, but her tone implied the end of the discussion well enough that Hiura dared no further. She then turned back to the view of the rooftop and remained silent. Hiura took out her phone and sent me a stamp, a cat with an annoyed look. [Thanks a lot, my ace] I replied. She continued her lunch without reading my message. Volume 2 - CH 3.8 Minato Interlue Translated by 64990022 Chapter 3: Mikage Saeka Beyond Reach Minato Interlude The cafeteria after school was like a cemetery. The shops closed down, so it served no more purpose than a place to chat, which served our purpose just fine. In the large, dimly lit space, many large tables and chairs were lined up. The only sound was the faint buzzing of the vending machine by the wall. As soon as I got to school today, I dropped a letter in Mikage-san¡¯s shoe box. The time, place, and my name. That should be enough to get her here. ¡°Yaa, Yuzuki-san.¡± She leaned to the pillar opposite to mine. She was glamorous, as always. I got a little nervous just by being in her presence. Ahh, I¡¯m terribly sorry, Mikage-san¡­ I have to lie to you here. ¡°It¡¯s been a little while. And on that note, thanks.¡± Mikage-san smiled and sat down without asking any questions. The two of us were alone in the middle of the spacious cafeteria. After taking a deep breath, I sipped from a can of cider I had left on the table. I rarely drink soda, but only recently, I found myself drinking it a little more often. Why¡­? ¡°Is there anything? I¡¯m a little nervous, what could you possibly have for me?¡± ¡°Not exactly anything¡­ I chose this timing because we wouldn¡¯t stand out.¡± ¡°Fufu, if it¡¯s our combo, maybe,¡± she teased. Io, I can¡¯t hold this long, you got this. ¡°You¡¯ve talked with the Angel?¡± ¡°Ahh, that went fine. Must have caused lotta trouble. For that part I¡¯m grateful, though.¡± Mikage-san did not seem to be reluctant to answer, exactly like how Io said she¡¯d be. ¡°Oh, good to hear. I was a little worried.¡± ¡°Yeah, all thanks to you!¡± said Mikage-san amiably. I¡¯m feeling guilty¡­ Io, what are you doing? ¡°The recent buzz about you¡­¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t say that. I never knew it¡¯d get that big.¡± ¡°Is that by Angel¡¯s help?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ yes, and no. The Angel said not to tell anyone¡­ But you might be an exception¡­¡± Mikage-san was deep in thought. From the sound of it, it should be that condition before consultation. You really think ahead, don¡¯t you, Io? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination. You¡¯re on the right track.¡± ¡°Right. I should have thought more before asking.¡± Before I could say ¡°sorry,¡± Clack The cafeteria double door swung open. Simultaneously, Mikage-san¡¯s gaze darted towards the sound. Io walked in. He was furiously typing on the phone. I would have believed he was actually texting someone had he hadn¡¯t told me beforehand. He looked up at us disinterestedly before continuing texting. That was acting. He must have been as nervous as me. I checked Mikage-san¡¯s expression. For a moment, her expression stiffened. What happened? Is our plan still working? ¡°By the way, I saw you at Ishiyama Station¡¯s deli cafe the other day.¡± I threw the prepared topic at her. Get this together, Minato, this is the only chance. ¡°Hmm, when? I go there a lot.¡± ¡°Umm, when you helped the customer who knocked over his coffee. I was there when it happened.¡± ¡°Ah, you were there? I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Io then passed behind me. For a second, Mikage-san¡¯s gaze followed him. ¡°But, hadn¡¯t you left the cafe? Why did you come back¡­¡± ¡°Oh, guess I did¡­ I didn¡¯t remember why¡­¡± To accent the end of her sentence, the vending machine Io was at clunked. At the edge of my vision, Io bent down to take the drink. Just a little more¡­ ¡°I¡¯m wondering.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± The moment was near. I quickly search for questions. If I ask her now, her attention would be on how to answer, not Io¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t you hesitate? Whether to help or not.¡± Either way, it really was what I was wondering. ¡°I didn¡¯t hesitate.¡± Without slightest hesitation, she answered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel guilty for not helping later. I like myself better this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to be the perfect Mikage Saeka. To be someone I could be proud of.¡± ¡°Mikage-san¡ª¡± Thud. Io kicked the table and fell forward. His hands reached for support, an by doing so¡ª His hand grazed Mikage-san¡¯s cheek. His other hand slammed the floor and he rolled. Miage-san trembled, hugging her shoulders. ¡°Ah, sorry. I didn¡¯t hurt you, right?¡± apologized Io. ¡°N-no. You alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage.¡± he quickly limped away. From what I saw, it was a success¡­ but why did he have a clouded expression. Did it work? ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After wrapping up the talk with Mikage-san, I rendezvous with Io at Cafe Proof. I walked through the cutely decorated entrance into the cafe, bowed to Akashi-san, and walked to the innermost seat. Io was there, his head in hands. From the look of him, it couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°Oh¡­ Minato, good work back there.¡± ¡°What happened? You didn¡¯t reach her? Not enough time to sketch¡­?¡± ¡°No, I touch it all right. No, I¡¯ve definitely touched her cheek¡± he mumbled. ¡°It was soft¡­¡± Tch. Is he enjoying her cheek? Io leaned back languidly and looked up at the ceiling. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed a little¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve seen nothing,¡± he admitted. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No one, nothing,¡± he said dryly, ¡°Ha ha, what a deep mess.¡± His voice was immediately drowned over by the bustle of the caf¨¦. Volume 2 - CH 4.1 If I Bring the Glass Closer Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 1 The plan itself went well. Thanks to Minato¡¯s diversionary efforts, my deliberate stumble was not seen. Although it didn¡¯t matter much since no one would really think I would have superhuman abilities. The concern was whether I could touch her face or not. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know anymore,¡± I mumbled. Minato who sat across from me raised her eyebrows quizzically and stirred her lemon tea. Since I called her over, it was on my tab. ¡°Minato, can I try it on you?¡± ¡°Pfheh! W-why! No, certainly not!¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Of course, our consultation was done, why would she let me? It was highly unlikely that my power malfunctioned. It has been working fine ever since. Last time I doubted my own power was back with Minato, too many faces. And now Mikage, none at all. ¡°Soo¡­?¡± ¡°Then it means Mikage doesn¡¯t like anyone.¡± ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± ¡°Figuring that out.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll list some random ideas I have.¡± Minato nodded. ¡°She¡¯s bored after a week of dating.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not impossible.¡± ¡°Aah, yup, it¡¯s hard to rule out this one. But I think the second one is more likely: she doesn¡¯t like anyone from the start.¡± Maybe she had reached the same conclusion; Minato didn¡¯t look surprised at all. She frowned. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°None of them are better than the other. But if I¡¯m to choose, the latter.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her frown deepened as she drank the tea. The clinking of the ice filled the silence. ¡°And it made sense.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± I could still remember my sessions with her. The nagging feeling at every turn of conversations. There were no feelings when she talked about Hibiki. ¡°She was calm, too calm. She lacked the normal reaction of Angel¡¯s clients¡­ She was too cool about everything.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just her character? She really is like that all the time¡­¡± ¡°That might be, but it adds up to the theory perfectly.¡± Everything was consistent, no contradictions at all. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°But this is nothing but a guess¡­¡± Although it was the most solid guess. ¡°Then why go to such lengths? To date someone she doesn¡¯t like?¡± ¡°Pseudo couple? That sounds like a rom-com plot, though.¡± She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe for relations? He¡¯s a model¡­ Well there¡¯s not much to say until we know who Hibiki is¡­¡± I babbled. ¡°Their family might be pestering them to date someone¡­ There¡¯s too much we don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Or to reassure her family? It¡¯s Mikage-san, afterall.¡± ¡°That too.¡± No, no, this isn¡¯t a rom-com. We can spend all day speculating and get to nothing. [TN: In fact, this is a rom-com¡­] ¡°Hm, but why would she go all the way to find me? Why bother with the Angel?¡± ¡°She might want some advice from you? Or she wasn¡¯t confident it would work? Your reputation precedes you¡­?¡± ¡°Normally, a pseudo couple should have talked that out already? Like, ¡®I need to pretend I¡¯m dating, could you help me?¡¯ And that should be the end of the line.¡± ¡°W-well, she might want to start from fake to real love¡­¡± That was probably the Shojo manga enthusiast speaking, not the usual logical Minato. ¡°She went all the way to you to get to me. That is certainly strange.¡± It was odd. There was no proof, but I am certain. ¡°Hm¡­ change of plans. Thanks for today, Minato.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going in circles at this rate. In fact, there¡¯s even more mystery. So I think that instead¡­¡± damn it, the bad feeling I had when I accepted Mikage¡¯s consultation was right on the spot. ¡°Seems like I have another excuse to talk to Mikage again.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô At night. I emailed the address she had given in the letter and she immediately popped up in the chat room. [I¡¯ll call] she wrote. Not waiting for my reply, she called me. I checked the voice changer and changed my posture. Time for more work. ¨C¡°Yo, Angel.¡± Aah, it wouldn¡¯t be a peaceful call today. ¡°Thanks for the fast reply.¡± ¨C¡°Pfft. How convenient of you. What was it?¡± A few clicks ¡°Ahem, ¡®If you¡¯re available, come to this chat room, I¡¯ll wait.¡¯ If I don¡¯t ask you when, you¡¯d probably wait all night, no?¡± ¡°I wrote that?¡± I played dumb. She sighed in return. The truth was, I deliberately wrote like that. If not, she¡¯d have ignored me. ¨C¡°Let¡¯s not waste time. What is it that you want to know? I¡¯d prefer pleasant questions, though.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯d be a pleasant question too. Alas¡­ That you said you like Hibiki, that¡¯s a lie.¡± What kind of expression would she have right now, I wondered. ¨C¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± After a considerable pause, she answered. ¡° I love him so much that I ask for your help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¨C¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t curious why I come to such conclusions?¡± At this point, there weren¡¯t any spare cards left to play. The only way to avoid stalemate was to hit her with the truth and watch her reaction. I had prepared a response and probing for all denial situations. To think that she would answer head-on and prematurely end the conversation¡­ ¨C¡°I¡¯m not curious. I see why you¡¯d think so, but I assure you, you¡¯re reading too much into it. Does my answer satisfy you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¨C¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me. Although that doesn¡¯t mean I wanted to be doubted. This is the truth, Angel, whether you¡¯d trust me or not.¡± ¡°And why were you so calm during the past month? You were going to confess to your longtime crush?¡± ¨C¡°Huh? I was pretty desperate?¡± ¡°And then you suddenly find the courage and confess?¡± ¨C¡°It was your words and the momentum of the moment. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± To the very end, you¡¯re going to stick with that guise, huh? If she was more roundabout in her refutation, I would have pinned her down. As things were, she made it solely the issue of trust, and I¡¯m stuck here. ¨C¡°What I couldn¡¯t really understand is why are you so confident in your reasoning? Trepidation before confession should be relative, what made you doubt me this much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I can¡¯t talk about my power here, can I? Tch! There was no remedy for my stance here¡­ ¨C¡°Well. I¡¯m not interested. If that¡¯s all then, if you would excuse me.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± There goes my pointless bid for time. She must have known it, but she hadn¡¯t left the call yet. Unlike face-to-face, you can hang up unilaterally at any time in a call. But she didn¡¯t. Then I might have some hope. Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to blame you. I just wanted to know why you would confess to him even though you have no feelings for him.¡± ¨C¡°Firstly, why are you speaking on the basis that I don¡¯t like Hibiki-kun? What lies do you want me to confess when I had spoken none.¡± A note of irritation crept into her voice. Ahh, now she¡¯s annoyed at me. In other cases, in a world where superpower doesn¡¯t exist, I wouldn¡¯t have pushed further, it is your liberty to say who you like or not. But no, Mikage, I know. You liked no one. I saw nothing. And there was someone who wanted to tell you his feelings. ¡°Say, Mikage¡± Silence, but she was still there on the other side. Now, I play my last card. ¡°Can I have your time?¡± ¨C¡°Why¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk¡­ in person.¡± Volume 2 - CH 4.2 If I Bring the glass Closer Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 2 [Meet me at this location an hour from now, the cafe isn¡¯t hard to find.] After texting Mikage, I quickly left the house. The street was quiet, the bright moon and the streetlights competed to provide light. The asphalt crunched a little. It smelled like a summer night. Before I got to Zeze Station, I called Yukito for the key. ¨C¡°Don¡¯t lose the key and be back by eleven.¡± ¡°¡®Kay¡± ¨C¡°Don¡¯t make a mess, not a single stain, and then¨C¡± After thoughtfully breaking off the sentence once, ¡°Don¡¯t bring a girl over, my cafe¡¯s not a love hotel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report to you, Yukito.¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s my line, trespasser¡± Good grief¡­ I won¡¯t ever grow into this kind of adult. But well¡­ ¡°Even on short notice, thank you, Yukito.¡± I¡¯m grateful, stupid cousin. ¨C¡°Well, whatever you¡¯re doing, good luck.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô There was still some time left before the appointed time. I left the ¡°close¡± sign on the door as it was and turned on the lights. I sat at the counter and idly looked at the hands of the clock on the wall. ¨C¡°Why do I have to go?¡± Mikage had said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait anyway,¡± I replied. If it turned out to be a wasted trip, then so be it. It wasn¡¯t a long walk anyway. ¡°Fuu¡­¡± I had done everything I could, this was my last gamble¡­ The previous time was Fujimiya, the first being¨C Ring. The bell rang. ¡°You¡¯re insufferable.¡± My heart flopped a little at the unexpected visit. It wasn¡¯t the appointed time yet¡­ ¡°Hmm? Akashi, Io-kun. Second time we met today¡­ or rather, the third¡± ¡°Some strange coincidences today, huh?¡± Well, the second one wasn¡¯t a coincidence, though. ¡°The Internet says this store¡¯s way past closing time. You¡¯re not up to something shady, are you?¡± ¡°My cousin owns the place, if that helps.¡± Mikage walked toward me, one step at a time, as if to make sure, and stopped about three meters away. Then, after looking at my face and my whole body closely, she said, ¡°You¡¯re a guy. No wings nor halo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid mortals can¡¯t take on my full splendor, you¡¯ll make do with this form.¡± At my joke, she puffed. Now it was my turn to study her. She was wearing a thin white cardigan with a deep slit on the side. Her cotton shorts and light blue high-cut sneakers went surprisingly well together. Her rough and simple outfit in a cafe at night was nothing short of amazing. The disconcerting difference between the model and the background made her look like an angel. ¡°Sit down as you like.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± I moved to the nearest table and she swiftly sat down across from me. The shutters were down, so there was no need for the usual secluded seat. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. You guilt-tripped me.¡± If she wanted to convey her displeasure, she failed. Her pouting face was like a sulking child¡¯s: cute. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me out with the consultation¡­ there¡¯s no way I could bluntly refuse.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m to say, I¡¯ve been expecting you¡± ¡°You¡¯re stubborn.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Since I¡¯ve come all the way here, let¡¯s get the formalities out of the way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for helping me with the confession. I¡¯m in your debt.¡± She smiled placably, as if we weren¡¯t arguing just a second ago. ¡°So you can do that even in this circumstance.¡± ¡°Nothing would change the fact that you had helped me. I am grateful as much as I¡¯m annoyed by your actions. I like to keep my feelings separate.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± As expected, or perhaps I should be impressed¡­ ¡°Although you¡¯ve successfully called me out, don¡¯t think that my answer would change. You should have known that, didn¡¯t you?¡± In an eyeblink, her eyes were sharp and critical. Well, here comes the ordeal. She probably wanted to finish quickly. Hmph, let us see whose resolve will be stronger. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll ask anyway. You came for my advice to get together with Hibiki, despite having no romantic feelings towards him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. I know. So, I want to know why, that¡¯s all. We all hide things, tell a lie once in a while, I¡¯m not blaming you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She put her chin on her clasped hands. She frowned, but her eyes were unwavering. Silence reigned for several moments. ¡°A question, please,¡± she finally said. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Why are you so bent on this? What¡¯s your motive?¡± That question was natural. Why was I so fixed on her feelings? That was the first thing anyone would have thought. Although she had been saving this as the last deterrent since she knew that by most probability, I wouldn¡¯t answer. Ahh, there was no way I could betray Shida. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°So, you want me to reveal my secret while keeping yours?¡± ¡°I know. It sounds unreasonable.¡± ¡°Hmp¡­¡± She seemed calmer than I expected. Another silence fell. She heaved a big sigh. ¡°Then, I shouldn¡¯t have come,¡± she lamented. She stretched and deflated. It was a spectacle. Her shoulders had dropped only a little, but her atmosphere changed completely. ¡°Can we relax a little? No games, no probing. I¡¯m tired.¡± She chuckled tiredly. Her voice sounded a little sweet. My body relaxed, flushing out several hours worth of stress and anxiety. ¡°Yeah. Good idea.¡± Volume 2 - CH 4.3 If I Bring the Glass Closer Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 3 We went out and got some drinks at the convenience store. I waited until we got back to the cafe so I could pour it into the glass I had there, fill it with ice and stick in a straw. I used that timing to send a thank you message to Yukito, he replied with a weird sticker. I¡¯ll take that as a yes¡­ At last, a cup of Calpis soda and oolong tea was on the table. ¡°If you would let me ask.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± If anything, it was an improvement to our earlier conversation. I could tell that her tone was lighter. ¡°How do you want the situation to be?¡± ¡°Hm? I want to continue my relationship with Hibiki as it is now. I also want everyone, including you, to believe that I really like him, and then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you either. That¡¯s all I want.¡± ¡°Okay, I get it.¡± That was, more or less, what I expected. However, it was more refreshing when she put it into words like this. My thoughts could run more freely and, above all, kept me from getting tired. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I want to know what happened, why did you lie about your feelings towards Hibiki. And if the reason for that interferes with my objective, I want to do something about it. And I can¡¯t tell you about the said ¡®objective¡¯¡± ¡°I see¡­ the more I hear the less fair it seems.¡± She laughed amusedly. Okay, I admit this, this sounded ridiculous. ¡°So, I can¡¯t change your mind? You really think I don¡¯t like Hibiki-kun?¡± She stared at me. From the depths of her eyes, something glowed. Our eyes met. ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± I chanted silently in my head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll fess up now¡­¡± she smiled weakly. ¡°No, I have no feelings for Hibiki-kun.¡± ¡°Hoh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been lying to you this whole time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you. What I want is to know why. Save your apologies.¡± Her face wrapped. She looked terribly apologetic. She then drank the tea and put back a little of her usual cool. ¡°Why? I¡­ I made you go through all that trouble, why aren¡¯t you¡­?¡± ¡°Now that you say it, I guess I do. But whatever the reason, you seemed genuinely desperate, right? Then I forgive you.¡± Besides, no matter how unreal it may seem, she was the perfect samaritan. She hopped down a train to help a lost child, she apologized to Minato for believing in the rumors, and so on. Her good conduct was without blemish. ¡°You know how to cozy up to someone, huh?¡± she mused. I had no comment on that. ¡°So, the problem is, my reason you¡¯re dying to know. I can¡¯t tell you about it.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± Ahh, what am I doing? Sticking my nose into people¡¯s affairs, their secrets¡­ Everyone has one or two. Even me or Minato. ¡°But, I have to hear it. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t back down.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you don¡¯t seem to give up,¡± she said faintly. ¡°I have a lot of questions, actually,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll answer what I can.¡± Because who knows what would happen if I don¡¯t. Better establish an understanding while we were at it. ¡°Why have you revealed yourself? Only for more time in convincing me? Only that?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is risky? What do you have to guarantee I will keep my mouth shut? I would like, check your face and walk away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of options,¡± I admitted dryly. ¡°But from what I know, you keep your identity a tight secret. Until now, you¡¯ve stressed that quite a lot, be it the broadcast, be it the conditions of the consultation. Such a precious secret for a bet? Such high stakes for a losing gamble?¡± ¡°Well¡­ like you¡¯ve said¡­¡± Do I seem to have any choice? ¡°So, Angel¡­ what could you possibly want with me?¡± It was a rhetoric. She had already decided the answer. ¡°Or was it someone else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you imagine.¡± ¡°I suppose you won¡¯t tell me who?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She threw her gaze down at the floor and fumbled with the straw of her oolong tea. ¡°One of your consultation clients?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Why?¡¯ [TN: Lmao. Have mercy.] ¡°I have secrecy to keep.¡± Her face twitched, the expression of someone having a suspicion confirmed as truth. ¡°I see. It¡¯s him¡­¡± she muttered, fidgeting the straw. ¡°It makes sense. You¡¯re the Angel of Kuze High.¡± She pressed a palm to her forehead and fell silent. ¡°Okay, I get your intentions now. I¡¯ll take that in mind¡± Thank you for contemplating. ¡°No, I can¡¯t tell you. It won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°But.¡± But? ¡°But you¡¯ve come this far. And I¡¯m not that merciless.¡± She closed her eyes, drawing her lips into a thin line. ¡°Two conditions.¡± Thank you, Mikage. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Then she said with the brightest smile of the day. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything you wanna know after clearing these two, ¡®kay?¡± I gather the empty glasses to the counter. ¡°So, let¡¯s hear it¡± The needle of the clock went over ten p.m. Considering commuting time, best we wrap up right now. ¡°First, you¡¯ll have lunch with me at school every day for the rest of the week.¡± ¡°Hm¡­?¡± Excuse me? ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re backing down now?¡± ¡°N-no not like that. It¡¯s¡­ more mundane than I imagined¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, good for you then,¡± she said cheerfully, leaning on to the counter. She propped her face on her hands. The tips of her slender fingers sank softly into her soft cheeks. I honestly doubt if I¡¯m lucky. ¡°And why the request?¡± ¡°Thaaat¡¯s a secret!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Did she know I would ask? Well, let¡¯s conclude the deal while she¡¯s still in the mood. ¡°What¡¯s the second thing?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Wait, you haven¡¯t thought about this.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she would ask for two. Like, cut the unnecessary part, cut the unnecessity. ¡°Let¡¯s save it for later. You¡¯ll need to clear the first condition first anyway.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ got it.¡± Let¡¯s conclude this already. ¡°Deal¡± Learn more Pause Unmute Nodding in satisfaction, Mikage held out her right hand. She tilted her head and waited for me to respond. Until the end, I¡¯ve been surprised by an astounding number of turns of events. I sighed inwardly as I shook hands with her. ¡°Looking forward to working with you, Akashi-kun.¡± Volume 2 - CH 4.4 If I Bring the Glass Closer Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 4 ¡°For the rest of the week¡± seemed to mean precisely five days counting from Monday. On Monday, the board at the back of the class already had next week¡¯s exam scheduled up. Ahh, double predicament week, huh? As soon as the chime for lunchtime rang, that girl came in. ¡°Akashi-kun.¡± ¡°Yo¡­¡± Mikage crouched in front of my seat, resting her chin and arms on the table. She was grinning as she looked me up and down. The class rustled. I felt countless stares. ¡°Why the long face? I came all the way here to pick you up.¡± I spared a glance sideways, ¡°I¡¯d prefer less attention.¡± From my position and in terms of personality. This was nowhere in the image of ¡°The Inconspicuous Akashi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you expect this to happen when you accept the deal?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Thanks for letting me know, but I can do whatever kind of face I want, it¡¯s nowhere in the deal.¡± ¡°Hmm, point taken. My bad.¡± She seemed to be enjoying this. ¡°Then¡± She swung her head to the left. ¡°One more condition: Don¡¯t make a sour face.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°Hmp, you¡¯re not doing this, then?¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, what are you waiting for? I¡¯m hungry.¡± She sprang up. Why do you look so excited¡­ I grabbed the bread pack I brought and followed her to the corridor. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Cafeteria. Pray we have seats left.¡± ¡°Do you want everyone to see us?!¡± She ignored my protests and quickly led the way. As expected, the cafeteria was packed with students. I fell back and kept a distance from her as she made for the empty corner seat. It wasn¡¯t even three paces when she noticed my absence and beckoned me. ¡°Keep up. We¡¯ll sit there. I¡¯ll go and order, wait for me.¡± ¡°As you wish¡­¡± I took my place at the table and watched her making her way to the ticket machine. She stared at the menu so hard that I thought I could hear her groan. Come to think of it, she was like that when we bought drinks at the convenience store together. A girl who takes every choice seriously. Although I and Hiura weren¡¯t so different at Nanaya. ¡°There you go. Let¡¯s dig in?¡± Mikage eventually came back with a tray of mackerel with grated radish. The choice of food was austere, but somehow suited her. She clasped her hands and muttered ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± Her etiquette were impeccable. Forced by an invisible pressure, I did the gesture too. [TN: People nowadays don¡¯t say ¡°itadakimasu¡± that much now, well, that depends on the person, but some elected to go straight to the eating part.] The attention, I noted, was different from when she was alone. It was¡­ brimming with curiosity. Yeah, this combination makes no sense, I know, Mikage Saeka and an unknown mob. How will I live through this week? ¡°This is awesome¡­¡± she gasped. Uh, what do I say in this situation? ¡°Good for you.¡± Mikage slowly drank the miso soup, her eyes narrowed in happiness. Hm, she was also holding the chopsticks exactly like how a perfect example in a textbook would be. ¡°Hey, this doesn¡¯t seem fair. Why am I the only one eating cafeteria food?¡± Fair? What are you even talking about? ¡°I said you¡¯ll be having lunch with me, not buying it beforehand. Hmm?¡± ¡°This is what I have everyday. And please specify your demands, not everyone can read your intentions.¡± ¡°Hm, then, from tomorrow, I expect you to buy with me.¡± ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Oh my, don¡¯t make demands as you like¡­ ¡°That reminds me, why don¡¯t we exchange LINE? It¡¯s hard to contact you if there¡¯s to be any change in plans.¡± I suppose I could have used the mail she had given me, but that would be a hassle, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°Hmm, ahh¡­unnn¡± She put her chopsticks down and made a difficult face. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have LINE.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She took it as that? ¡°I apologize for my imprudence.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I put my hands on the table and did a table version of dogeza. Not repenting for one¡¯s sin is a sin itself. I must properly [TN: Dogeza, traditional Japanese apology etiquette.] ¡°Oh, no, no! I¡¯m not refusing you! I really don¡¯t use LINE!¡± She hastily added. [TN: For context, asking for a girl¡¯s LINE is a widely used pickup trick. And to avoid this, ¡°I don¡¯t have LINE,¡± has become a popular excuse.] ¡°O-oh?¡± Thank goodness, I almost died of my own cringe. To begin with, there¡¯s no other intention or ulterior motive. I was merely suggesting contact, no , I swear. Just in case¡­ ¡°Then how about Instagram or Twitter?¡± ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t have either¡­¡± I knew it. If there is, I would have known already. ¡°I sucks at social. If something comes up, I¡¯ll mail.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she muttered. Although¡­ ¡°I sucks at it,¡± didn¡¯t sound like it was her actual reason. ¡°By the way, have you told your friends that you will be spending time with me? Won¡¯t they worry if you suddenly disappear¡­?¡± Oh, did she mean Hiura and Reiji? ¡°Hm, uhh, my fault, but I don¡¯t know how to break it out to them¡­ I only told them I¡¯d be off for a while. You¡¯re okay with me telling them?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I feel sorry for taking you from them¡­ hope this doesn¡¯t strain your relationship with them¡­¡± Uhh, the truth was, it did strain my relationship with them. Hiura went off saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go with someone else then!¡± Sorry, Hiura. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I accepted the deal knowing that it would turn out like this. Yeah?¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Still apologetic, she nodded nonetheless. Strange, I mean, a moment before, she had been adding conditions like crazy. I couldn¡¯t grasp her sense of reservation at all. ¡°But, what about you, don¡¯t you have someone you usually hang out with¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m mostly alone anyway.¡± She said it so easily, with a faint smile, like the fact didn¡¯t weigh on her at all. That reminded me of Hiura¡¯s question¡ªwhy doesn¡¯t she have any friends? ¡°Mikage¡­¡± As I was about to ask. Why? What could possibly be the reason? ¡°Hm? Anything on your mind?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Seeing her smile like that made me think twice. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until your two quests are over, ¡®kay?¡± As if guessing my intentions, she said so. This time, she chuckled, making the shhh gesture with her finger. Volume 2 - CH 4.5 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 5 The next day, Mikage took me to the cafeteria, empty-handed today. I fumbled with the ticket machine a little, recalling how long it was since I last used the machine. By luck, I caught up to her as she waited in the queue. She turned back to me. ¡°Lemme see yours.¡± I waved the ticket ¡°Karaage set.¡± ¡°Good choice. Mine¡¯s a chinese chicken set.¡± ¡°Is it good? Maybe I should have those too.¡± ¡°A trade it is, then?¡± She put her hand on her mouth and whispered. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cruel.¡± ¡°Huh? Cruel? You were¡ª¡± Ah, everyone¡¯s watching¡­ ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± It has been ages since I have been here daily. Perhaps the last time was the first semester of last year. Lost in the mysterious emotional nostalgia, I quickly eliminated the sesame sauce cabbage salad. [TN: I swear, school cafeterias serve those cabbages almost every meal. It was nice at first, until the fourth time, after that it was pure torture.] In my book, the least delicious food was to be eaten first. ¡°Here, there you go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A Nanban chicken landed on my plate. The unexpected intrusion of a new power had the karaage chickens scared. No, not the chickens, I¡¯m scared. ¡°I won¡¯t exchange¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you for free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± I swept the canteen with my eyes. No matter how many reasons she stated, it would look like we were exchanging from anyone watching nonetheless¡­ No, it would be even worse if they knew she was giving it for free. ¡°I give up, exchange it is.¡± ¡°Yay! Can I have the little ones?¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The Mikage quickly reached for her chopsticks, plucked the fried chicken she wanted, and took it away. Farewell little karaage crusts, you have lived a good life. Well, you¡¯d probably be happier being chewed in Mikage¡¯s soft mouth than mine. Yuck, what am I thinking? ¡°Hmmm¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t an exchange supposed to be even?¡± ¡°A mutually beneficial trade deserved its gratitude.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± If anything, I wanted to try the Chinese chicken too. Also, we had just argued two days prior at the cafe, how peaceful things were progressing here felt strange. ¡°So midterm¡¯s next week.¡± ¡°Oh please don¡¯t bring that up¡­¡± I groaned. There goes the peace. Why did she have to mention it? ¡°Not doing well?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°In numbers?¡± ¡°Count from the bottom of the scoreboard. That said, there aren¡¯t many people under me either.¡± ¡°Haha. Really? Guess we¡¯re comrades, then.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just like you.¡± She looked pleased. Well, I¡¯m glad there¡¯s someone sharing my fate too. Dropouts have a strong sense of camaraderie, they say. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. You? Don¡¯t you look super serious?¡± ¡°Being serious has nothing to do with grades.¡± She made a mock grumpy face. ¡°Was barely scraping by in middle school, seems like high school will be the end of me.¡± ¡°Kuze High¡¯s a gathering of geniusius. We¡¯re frogs in a well.¡± Wait, ¡°Middle school¡±? ¡ªI felt like she¡¯s changed? ¡ªThere was a time where she stopped coming to school. Come to think of it, I was occupied with Shida all this while. I should have seen, should have known, that I could no longer turn a blind eye to what happened to Mikage back then. This was not just for Shida¡¯s sake now. ¡°Seems like they¡¯ll stop having club activities tomorrow too.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they? The test is around the corner.¡± Enough about clubs, get to study, that was the school policy. Although that bore no effect on the go-home club like me. ¡°Are you in any?¡± ¡°You mean club? Go-home club, of course. I have that to do.¡± ¡°Aah, that.¡± Well, if you exclude the Angel work, I had no intention of joining one either way. Let people who have passion pursue their dreams. ¡°You?¡± For the sake of conversation, I asked. But like social media, I have never heard of her being in any club. ¡°Go-home club. There are some interesting clubs, but in the end though.¡± ¡°Do you work part-time?¡± ¡°Sometimes, taking it slow and easy. Mostly I eat good food and watch movies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpectedly normal¡­ I thought you¡¯d be doing something more glamorous.¡± ¡°Whoa, why so?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Kuze¡¯s top Three.¡± ¡°Hmmm, what a prejudice.¡± Ah, she took offense¡­ And no, it¡¯s an image, not prejudice. Now that she said it, Minato was like this too, huh. ¡°Speaking about part-time, you work at that place, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, yes. Only when my cousin calls me.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun.¡± Unfortunately, it is not. The job itself is superb. The problem was the manager who thought he knew what¡¯s best. Her cheeks softened into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to go there next time, as a proper customer.¡± I tried imagining it. Mikage in school uniform entering the caf¨¦. In all probability, she would be alone, peacefully drinking tea happily. It would be nice if there¡¯s a customer like her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know which day I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô We finished our lunch, returned the trays, and parted at the cafeteria entrance. There was some break time left, but the condition she set was that I took lunch with her, after that, I¡¯m free. ¡°I¡¯ll get going. See ya later.¡± She said goodbye in a small voice and left first. ¡°Yeah.¡± Not only me, but many of the students in the cafeteria watched after her. As was the case yesterday, Mikage did not seem to want to detain me for any longer than necessary. We had a normal conversation, and after lunch I¡¯d be free to go. I didn¡¯t feel like she was pushing me around nor testing my limits. That was the only thing that I could glean out of my interactions with her. What could possibly be her goal? On the contrary¡­ she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. After a few moments, I too started walking towards the classroom. But then I noticed something off. ¡°¡­¡± I felt eyes on me. Not just one person. I spun around. Several people turned their heads away. I don¡¯t recognize most of them. The attention itself wasn¡¯t my concern. Being with Mikage promised attention. I¡¯ve long given up on the attention. The thing was, the way they looked at me, their gazes were steely. ¡°Who¡¯s that punk?¡± I caught such a whisper. Ahh, this is bad. Not knowing what to do, I hightailed it back to the classroom. Volume 2 - CH 4.6 If I Bring the Glass Closer Translated by 64990022 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 6 The ¡°see ya later,¡± Mikage said at lunch had a reason for it. ¡°¨CSo, that¡¯s how I¡¯ve come to have lunch with Akashi-kun since yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Me, Hiura, Minato, and Mikage gathered at the rooftop afterschool. Two of Kuze¡¯s Top Three, one Plus Four. This was too luxurious a view. ¡°I want to tell them myself,¡± was what triggered the meeting. Participants were decided by hand raise. As a result, these two came. Think of this as a daily update on the Angel. Mikage, the main speaker, explained the situation in great detail. ¡°Q&A, if there¡¯s any,¡± Mikage ended the presentation with a smile. Hiura was clearly giving her looks, while Minato had a complicated expression on her face. Then they both turned their heads toward me and stared silently. W-why me? ¡°I get it now,¡± Minato said in a small voice, ¡°But are we allowed to ask?¡± ¡°Akashi-kun here¡¯s gonna interrogate me anyway, no harm in establishing an understanding, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°You have a point¡­¡± How compliant Mikage was probably tipped Minato off balance. I get it, until now, she had been so tight-lipped that it was hard to imagine the forthcoming Mikage of the present. She really was intending to keep her end of the bargain, it seemed. ¡°If you have any questions, I¡¯ll answer them. As much as I can, of course,¡± she assured. Hiura, with her knees up, showered Mikage with a cold gaze, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you in the slightest.¡± Then why are you here, I thought silently. ¡°Make sure you give Akashi back next week,¡± she commanded. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Hiura¡­ you can be cute at times, huh? All right, all right, maybe I¡¯ll get you ice cream sometime. Well, with me gone, it would be just her and Reiji. The rooftop key too was mine¡­ wait, was that what she was after? ¡°I will, I will. Akashi-kun¡¯s second quest won¡¯t take that long,¡± said Mikage. ¡°Hmph.¡± Another glimpse at my future. I¡¯ll have to do it anyway, though. ¡°Yuzuki-san, I¡¯m really sorry¡­ Can I borrow Akashi-kun for a little while?¡± ¡°H-heh?! W-why my permission?! You can have him as much as you want!¡± Am I that useless to you, Minato? And I want to get this over as soon as possible, so don¡¯t say ¡®as much as you want.¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­ You two look closer than I thought,¡± noted Mikege. During the way here, I had briefed her that I and Minato became friends through the consultation, and that we only keep our distance at school to avoid suspicion; we still meet up outside from time to time. ¡°Actually, I was a little worried when I asked Yuzuki-san to be the intermediary. I thought counseling is supposed to be a one-time thing. ¡®What if Yuzuki-san doesn¡¯t have Angel¡¯s contact?¡¯ And so on.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s supposed to be a one-time thing. Even people I had shown my face to are not like this. Exception among exceptions¡­ a lot happened.¡± If anything, she was the one who had blown my cover. How many times had I used my power on her¡­ ¡°Hmm? You have shown your face to others too?¡± ¡°Rarely. If it¡¯s unavoidable.¡± ¡°Wait, then does that mean when Yuzuki-san called me out has something to do with you?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Oh, not good. She¡¯s connected the dots. No, that time was to use my power on her. The power that¡¯s not supposed to exist. I can still get out of this. ¡°W-well, I wanted to check up on you. Yeah, I called up Minato. Sorry, I wasn¡¯t intending to crash into you at that time.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I didn¡¯t bring that up because I want an apology¡­¡± I met eyes with Minato. We¡¯ll need to sync up later before Mikage could ask any more questions. ¡°And then, do you come here often? Last week I found you with Miwa-kun and Hiura-san here.¡± ¡°Um, that, I guess. We usually eat lunch here. Once in a while Minato and Fujimiya join us.¡± ¡°Fujimiya Shiho-san?¡± I nodded. Although I would like it better if those two come here less often. What if someone saw us like Mikage? ¡°Say, Akashi-kun.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The next moment, Mikage was looking at me with glittering eyes, like a cat begging for a snack. ¡°Can I ask you something? Yuzuki and Hiura-san too.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô What she asked for was, naturally, separate from the two conditions she had set. The moment I began to feel fed up with her unending demands, she made this cute request. ¡°Whoaa. You¡¯re really here, Mikage-chan¡± ¡°Wha! Mikage-san!¡± At lunch the day after. All members were present to greet Mikage this time. Reiji and Fujimiya, who weren¡¯t present yesterday, had the most reaction. As it turned out ¡°I want to have lunch with everyone¡± was her request. Six people in total, twice the usual number. Considering the risk involved, I could have refused. Although when I saw Mikage¡¯s smile when I let her join, I was glad I didn¡¯t refuse. Well, she said it would be only one day. My life has been full of exceptions of late anyway. ¡°Thanks a bunch. Hope I¡¯m not bothering anyone by being here.¡± ¡°No problem, not at all. Cute girls are always welcome.¡± There goes Reiji Mikage masterfully took that comment. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m glad I¡¯m born cute, then.¡± It was surprising she didn¡¯t take offense, and how natural her response was. If it was anyone else, I would have said they were bragging, but this was Mikage, her beauty was a fact, leaving no room for complaints. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to get to know you. Nice to have you here, Mikage-san,¡± said Fujimiya. ¡°Likewise, Fujimiya-san.¡± And this affability. How many times had she smiled in this short time? Her sincere charisma was something to behold. On a side note, I had told Reiji and Fujimiya about the situation. I¡¯d prefer to get complicated talk out of the way first, so that I could have a peaceful lunch. ¡°Hiura-san, Yuzuki-san, you have my thanks, yesterday included.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Unlike Minato, Hiura grunted with bread in her mouth, ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°And let¡¯s not forget Akashi-kun here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thank you, for going through with my self-indulgence.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but turn my face away. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± I was reminded yet again of how destructive these girls can be¡­ ¡°Minato? Don¡¯t you look upset?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± She raised her voice. Perhaps Mikage¡¯s introduction might be overboard, the meal itself was ordinary, and so was the conversation that followed. ¡°Akashi-kun, are you studying for the test?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fast reply.¡± ¡°Io¡¯s on the verge of failing. Or has he already?¡± Reiji smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from your mouth.¡± I, Hiura, and Minato were bread eaters. Fujimiya had a bento, while Reiji had a convenience store onigiri today. Mikage brought her own sandwich. ¡°I¡¯m confident Hiura Tutor would save me from my peril.¡± I puffed up my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t remember becoming a tutor.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Why, our benevolent savior, how could you abandon us?¡± You¡¯re my lifeline, help. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching someone that¡¯s not a blockhead like you.¡± ¡°Hmm? Hiura Tutor? Can I enlist too?¡± asked Fujimiya. ¡°Wait, Fujimiya, you¡¯re not doing well?¡± Minato spoke up, ¡°Shiho¡¯s beyond saving, despite her looks.¡± No way. Fujimiya had the looks of an honor student. ¡°That includes me too, tee-hee.¡± Mikage smiled wryly. ¡°Even Mikage-san?!¡± She flashed a confident smile. ¡°Have never been to a make up class yet, will probably get to this time ¡®round.¡± Ahh, too bright. How could someone¡¯s smile be this bright? ¡°Don¡¯t cha guys go to Yuzuki Tutor or whatsoever. She¡¯s better grades than me.¡± Hiura made a shooing gesture. ¡°No! Don¡¯t come here, there¡¯s a monster¡ª¡± ¡°Shiho, you¡¯re expelled.¡± ¡°Bweh! Wait! Minato! I was joking! Please!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Minato snorted and turned her face away. Seems that Minato wouldn¡¯t hold back if it was with Fujimiya. Hmm, interesting. ¡°Isn¡¯t that because she cared about you? Hiura Tutor seems to want us to drop dead.¡± ¡°Miwa, you¡¯re expelled. You too, Akashi.¡± ¡°Why me!¡± I was just nodding along¡­ ¡°Pffttt¡­¡± When our bickering started to die down, a snicker grew louder. ¡°Ahaha! Pftt!¡± Mikage desperately tried to stifle her hiccups. The corners of her eyes even leaked tears. ¡°Uhh, I think Mikage-chan¡¯s in pain?¡± ¡°What a sense of humor she got¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean we¡¯re good at comedy?¡± ¡°Oh? But the expulsion part isn¡¯t a comedy, though, Shiho.¡± ¡°Minato-sensei?! I¡¯ll forever be your disciple!¡± ¡°Ahaha! S-stop! Hahaha!¡± Ahh, Fujimiya¡¯s vigorous pledge renewed Mikage¡¯s fit. Somehow, it was satisfying to watch her convulse on the floor¡­ ¡°Phew¡­ You guys are hilarious. I completely lost my composure there.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, no one has ever mentioned seeing you laugh.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been in a group in ages, let alone laugh like this.¡± And then her face spasmed again as she giggled. Everyone purposefully avoided the first part of her comment. From that, we went on about nothing in particular for a little while more¡­ Mikage stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going back first. Had fun talking with you guys.¡± ¡°We had fun too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come tomorrow?¡± suggested Reiji. She smiled wanly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I appreciate the sentiment, but I¡¯ve errands.¡± She looked pointedly at me. Everyone nodded wistfully. ¡°See you around. Thank you.¡± With a smile as bright as a sunflower, Mikage spun around, turned her back and left the rooftop in quick steps. The rest of us waited for the pre-bell to ring in a stunned silence. There were two more days left to go until I fulfilled Mikage¡¯s first quest. Volume 2 - CH 4.7 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 7 Thursday. Today, Mikage and I were out for lunch again. Mikage had oyakodon and I ordered a fried mackerel set. At this point, it had somewhat become a routine to me. Apparently, the crowd didn¡¯t seem to think so as they showered stares at us. Well, four days did wonders to me. I never thought I could get used to this sight this easily. ¡°That said, there¡¯s more to you than meets the eye,¡± she chuckled. Is that how you start a conversation? I wondered for a moment. And what did she even mean? ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yuzuki-san, Fujimiya-san, Hiura-san. How will you explain your relation with these three cute girls?¡± Having no excuses, I silently bit into my mackerel. The crunching of a fried fish sounded dumb and embarrassing. ¡°Let¡¯s do a headcount. A Kuze¡¯s Top Three, a Plus Four, and a Plus Four candidate. What luxury is this?¡± Can¡¯t deny that either. Although those girls were so sparkling that I looked pale in comparison. Sometimes I felt a little uncomfortable in such a company¡­ ¡°But, Reiji¡¯s there too.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ different from you.¡± ¡°Specifically?¡± She cocked her head, looking into the distance. ¡°Hmm¡­can¡¯t quite place it either.¡± So she can¡¯t point it out¡­ ¡°Say, Mikage.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I wonder if I should ask this. But I get a feeling that Mikage wouldn¡¯t mind. ¡°What¡­what do you think about your title? About being in Kuze¡¯s Top Three?¡± Besides, I was genuinely curious about what she would think. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°See¡­Don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable? Being selected against your will and so, everyone is paying strange attention¡­¡± Neither Minato nor Hiura were fond of the title. Especially Minato who had come to despise the accolade. Strangely so, Mikage appeared to differ from those two. ¡°Hmm¡­s¡¯pose it is. There¡¯s that side too, yes¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I kinda like it. If possible, I would never give it up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Well, people have their preferences. Even Yamabuki Karen went to such lengths to get the title¡­ Controversial, controversial. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they select one, but if it¡¯s by looks, then it¡¯s like a beauty pageant, no? I¡¯m happy to be selected along with Yuzuki-san and Towa-san.¡± Her eyes narrowed fondly, as though she sincerely felt glad to be selected. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve never thought of it that way. I thought the burnden society put on good looking people are unreasonable, but¡­¡± ¡°I mean there¡¯s that too, but don¡¯t you feel good when someone acknowledges you? Don¡¯t you feel happy when your hard work pays off?¡± ¡°You worked hard for this¡­?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± She nodded without delay. ¡°I want to be beautiful, both on the outside and inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So that people can appreciate me. And so that I can like myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡ªYou want to be someone you can like? ¡°Hm? Did you say anything?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± I shook my head. She reminded me of someone, of blue sky, of passing breeze. Of her smile. That¡¯s the same line of thinking Ayaha had. And those were the words that saved me from my own self-hate. ¨CYou¡¯ll enjoy yourself more that way, right? Until then, I hated my useless power. How could I use it to help anyone when it couldn¡¯t even help myself. ¡ªWhat¡¯s good ¡®n what¡¯s bad, that¡¯s for you to decide. That was a line that I had seen and heard many times before. But it wasn¡¯t until then, when she said so, that it finally resonated with me. That¡¯s why¡­ Mikage. I had thought of berating her. I couldn¡¯t help but think so. If you¡¯re trying to live like that, then why do this¡­? ¡°Mikage-sannnn!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± A call broke me from my reverie. It was like being doused with cold water, the world around me suddenly regained its contours. Next to the table were a group of four people, two pairs of boys and girls each. ¡°Hello, hello.¡± ¡°Hi, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yup, I think this is the first time since we switched classes.¡± Mikage seamlessly whipped up a smile and confronted the leader of the group. The group itself was¡­ good looking. From how they manage to make uniforms fashionable to their makeup, you can immediately tell they¡¯re the center group of the class. From how their conversation went, they were quite familiar with each other. ¡°Really, I haven¡¯t got to talk to you, haha.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in class ten right?¡± ¡°Really? I barely saw you anywhere.¡± Gradually, the other guys began to mix in. In a sudden, a chat group was formed around Mikage. Although¡­ ¡°So, what are you doing?¡± Like a whip, the leader¡¯s attention fell on me. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m having lunch with him,¡± Mikage explained. ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s he?¡± I¡¯ve gotten glared at a lot by Hiura, so I had some sort of an immunity¡­ but why would you look at me like that? ¡°Akashi-kun from room eight.¡± ¡°Akashi¡­? You hit it off with him? Saw you around with him a lot lately.¡± ¡°Our interest kinda matched.¡± ¡°Really? He doesn¡¯t look the type though.¡± Now was the obvious disapproving look. The rest of the group mirrored the leader¡¯s doubtful face. ¡°If you say so¡­ Don¡¯t forget about us, alright?¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± With that, they went away. I could virtually feel the whole cafeteria¡¯s attention on us now¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± she urged. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± We hadn¡¯t said a word about what happened. I knew too well that their talk wasn¡¯t with Mikage. As I was leaving the cafeteria, someone bumped shoulders with me, knocking me off my balance. By the time I looked up, whoever bumped into me had disappeared. Volume 2 - CH 4.8 Chapter 4: If I Bring the Glass Closer Part 8 At last, we were on our last day. It was as if someone had set up a trap for me, rigging an anvil of attention above the door, waiting to let loose the moment I entered the class. That split second of scrutiny I was subjected to when I walked through the door was more intense than the day before. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I fished out and began rereading Konomi Kuchiru¡¯s novel. [TN: Io¡¯s favorite writer, mentioned somewhere in vol.1] But for the better part of the time I had, I ran my eyes through the text, my mind wandering off to Mikage. And also a little about Ayaha. When lunch came, Mikage would come to pick me up. I felt like she looked a little glum today. ¡°Yaa, good to go?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± When I stood up, someone came in between me and Mikage. It was Hiura. ¡°G¡¯day, Mikage.¡± ¡°Hiura-san?¡± Hiura scowled at her accusingly. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not an option. Sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going.¡± She lowered her head, lifting her shoulders. Her posture reminded me of an angry cat, ready to pounce. I couldn¡¯t see her face, but she was probably baring her fangs. ¡°This is between me and Akashi-kun, not you, Hiura-san.¡± ¡°Akashi¡¯s problem is also my problem.¡± The murmur around us became louder. Of course, pitting Top Three with Plus Four and you¡¯ll get this attention. I looked at Mikage. We both knew why Hiura was here. ¡°Hiura.¡± I put my hand on her head, and gently pull her away. ¡°What,¡± she demanded, less aggressively than a second before. She really acts like a wild cat, doesn¡¯t she? I mused. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Today¡¯s the last day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, you know that?¡± ¡°I know, I know. Thanks.¡± She stared at me, contemplating. ¡°Hmph,¡± she grumbled and shook off my hand. ¡°Do whatever you like.¡± Dismissively, she walked away. The two of us exchanged glances and quickly left the classroom. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°She really likes you a lot,¡± Mikage noted as she set down her tray. ¡°She¡¯s a busybody, despite her carefree looks.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect her to admit that she¡¯s worried about you though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised by that too.¡± For the better or worse, Hiura only says what she thinks. In other words, she was genuinely worried. I might have to apologize to her later at this rate. I sighed. ¡°Last time.¡± ¡°Last time.¡± Mikage nodded. One week¡ªfive weekdays, to be exact. This would be our last lunch. ¡°Thank you. I had fun.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± A lot happened. I¡¯ve got the chance to get to know her. My initial goal was to find out why she was avoiding Shida¡¯s confession. But even so, that was still an awful long way to go. And yet, even if Shida got to confess, I no longer felt that that would suffice. ¡°What ¡®bout you?¡± I cocked my head. ¡°Akashi-kun, did you have fun?¡± Ahh, now that I¡¯ve come to know her. To know what kind of girl she was. ¡°Well¡­can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t enjoy it.¡± And until I got to the end, I felt like I would have to learn a great deal about her. And if the time comes, what could I do? What should I do? Well, that¡¯s until I learn the whole store. For now¡­ ¡°Oh, really? Good to hear.¡± For now I only hope that everything will go well. Shida, Mikage, I wish happiness for them both. I want to do something right. Will you let me do this, Mikage? ¡°I¡¯ll mail you on Sunday night about the second condition. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no preparation needed, so do whatever you like.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be waiting. ¡°Hmm, s¡¯pose I should say this.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s prioritize the coming test, yeah? I don¡¯t want to be accountable if anything happens.¡± Volume 2 - CH 5.1 Chapter 5: So, as friends. Part 1 We had mathematics on Monday. Like how messed up ¡°Sangetsuki¡± was, I drew incomprehensible vector arrows in the vector field. [TN: Sangetsuki or Tiger-Poet was a classic from 1942 that spoke of inner discordance and transformation, blah blah blah.] I noted the ring of the chime. Hoh? So it¡¯s time? Well, from the looks of it, I wouldn¡¯t have to take make-up classes. My points should be just enough for math¡­ ¡°Akashi¨C¡± ¡°Hm? Hiura?¡± What¡¯s with that refreshed face¡­ While not as good as Minato, I had to admit that her scores were quite lofty. ¡°You¡¯re a free man now, don¡¯t cha. Let¡¯s have lunch.¡± She lobbed her pack on her back and grabbed me by the shirt. A short while later, Reiji joined us, yawning. Normally, the three of us would stop off somewhere on the way home and study for a bit. That was how it was supposed to go. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t make it today either.¡± ¡°Whattt? What¡¯s with you!¡± ¡°Mikage-chan?¡± ¡°Shh, a little quiet, will you?¡± Like, keep it down! I don¡¯t need any more attention. ¡°This is the last time, forgive me¡­¡± ¡°No shit.¡± ¡°Absolutely last time.¡± She let my shirt go like a child throwing away old toys. I got back to my seat, rechecking the mail. At the top of my mail inbox, I had mail from Mikage last night. I took some time convincing myself this wawa real. [Can I have your time after school tomorrow? The entirety of it.] ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô I went home and quickly changed into my casual clothes. I put the bare minimum of my belongings in my bag and left the house again. [Meet me at Kyoto station.] I did that. I stepped out onto the platform and looked at my phone again. She still hadn¡¯t told me at which ticket gate I was to meet him. ¡°Ya, Akashi-kun.¡± She smiled amiably at my befuddled face. The question died in my throat, seeing her in casual clothes had that effect. She wore a white blouse, the type that exposed the shoulders. Her long, slender legs stretched out from a red flared skirt of softer color with a cinched waist. A combination of cuteness and maturity was quite different from the rough outfit she wore when I met her at Proof before. Besides, she looked even more stylish than usual. She winked once and spun around to show her entire body when she noticed my gaze. Her skirt flared and her hair flowed. Her white thighs were exposed momentarily, followed by a sweet smell. I felt a jolt of consciousness. With a whimper, I turned my head away. ¡°Oh, no, you have to look at me properly. I picked this just for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­¡±Seriously, that¡¯s too provocative. ¡°You¡¯re early,¡± she noted, ¡°Thought I¡¯d have to wait a bit more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re earlier than me,¡± I retorted. If I was right, she lived further from me. ¡°Don¡¯t you come early for a date?¡± ¡°D-date?!¡± This was a date? ¡°When a boy and a girl go out together, that¡¯s called a date.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not always the case¡­¡± If I were to go by that definition, I¡¯d have been on a date with Hiura countless times already. ¡°Whatever you say. C¡¯mon, this way.¡± ¡°Hey, wait.¡± She walked off on her own. I went after her as she hopped up the stairs, then down to the opposite platform. Wait, don¡¯t you tell me. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I wonder where.¡± This girl¡­ What¡¯s her deal? ¡°Mikage, one thing.¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say ¡®date?¡¯¡± ¡°Yup?¡± Hey, don¡¯t just ¡°yup.¡± Don¡¯t you have a boyfriend? ¡°I know that you don¡¯t really have any feelings for Hibiki, but aren¡¯t you dating? I don¡¯t think we should do this.¡± No matter the deal we had, there was no way I could go along with this. She should have known better. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Totes alright.¡± ¡°What¡¯s alright?¡± ¡°¡®Hibiki-kun¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Doesn¡¯t exist? Doesn¡¯t exist? Pop, pop, pop, question marks filled my head like popcorn. She frowned, her expression fuzzled a little. ¡°Limited express, bound for Himeji,¡± said the announcer. That was her cue. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Akashi-kun.¡± Volume 2 - CH 5.2 So, as friends. Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: So, as friends. Part 2 ¡°¡®Hibiki-kun¡¯ is a character I created.¡± Perhaps because it was a weekday afternoon, we practically had the train all for ourselves. We found a doorside seat and sat there. ¡°Appearance, character settings, name. I made it all up. I do feel a little bad for him, existing to be my scapegoat. Haha, why am I even feeling sorry for an imaginary character.¡± The train rattled on. Her shoulder bumped mine. I shy away. ¡°Did you notice he¡¯s too good to be real? I can¡¯t figure out the right amount so I kinda maxed out his stats.¡± A tired, wry smile escaped Mikage¡¯s lips. Childhood friends, handsome, kind, go to a good university, and is a model. Maybe it really was too much. I wasn¡¯t doubting anything at first since it was Mikage, but now¡­ it did sound unrealistic. ¡°Well, anyway, let¡¯s get on with today¡¯s date, ¡®kay?¡± So this was what I got wrong. She wasn¡¯t faking a relationship, the other party didn¡¯t exist in the first place. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Angel. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She wouldn¡¯t look at me. Not that I would like to see. I was glad we weren¡¯t sitting across from each other. ¡°And sorry, that¡¯s all I could say for now, the rest have to wait until the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the deal. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Whoooosh. The world plunged into darkness as we entered a tunnel. ¡°Thank you,¡± her voice almost lost in the wind. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô The train dropped its speed as it entered the Osaka Station. As we inched closer, overhanging buildings increased in intensity. According to Mikage, this was today¡¯s destination. As soon as I got down to the platform, I was almost swept away by the crowd. I raised my hand to signal who was a little further away. I waded to a corner and waited for her there ¡°Whew.¡± She dropped by next to me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a station is this large¡­¡± ¡°Yup, amazing, right? A dozen kilometers difference between our rural school and this metropolis. Actually this is my first time around here,¡± she admitted. Mikage was already back to her usual self, looking around with interest. The ceiling had a dome-like roof, and a glass-walled connecting passageway crossed over the platform. A series of escalators run along this corridor and down to the underground floor. I was already feeling confused by the simultaneous feeling of spaciousness and complexity. I thought Kyoto Station was a real deal. Apparently, I was still too naive¡­ ¡°So, what¡¯s next on schedule?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know what? I don¡¯t have a schedule.¡± ¡°Huh? And what¡¯s to be proud of?!¡± She has no plan? Wait, she did say she hadn¡¯t been here before¡­ ¡°There¡¯s plenty of spots, cafes or whatever it is ¡®round here. Might as well as go with my gut and walk around¡± [TN: She¡¯s nothing short of chaotic energy.] Not knowing how to react, I decided to let her take the reins. ¡°You lead, I tag along?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the gist.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I can trust you¡­¡± At her suggestion, we got off the platform and we went down the nearest escalator. After paying for the ride over, we both went through the central ticket gate together. The road quickly split into the north and south exits, and Mikage stopped at the junction. ¡°Which way?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯re leading.¡± ¡°My decision tells me to ask you. Will you, Akashi-kun?¡± ¡°Whichever way you want.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s just mean.¡± Mikage pivoted her head back and forth from side to side several times, crossed her arms, and grunted again. After a while, however, she turned towards the north exit and began to walk slowly. ¡°Oh, another escalator.¡± ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know where it¡¯s going.¡± ¡°Everyone with an eye can tell it¡¯s going up?¡± She quipped. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± We appeared from between two buildings, LUCA and another LUCA, which I wasn¡¯t sure what the difference was. From there, there were several more options, including escalators, exits, and transfer routes. ¡°Akashi-kun, in times like this.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°We get to the highest point and get a good look.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the idiom ¡®Fools and smoke likes to be up high¡¯¡± ¡°So I¡¯m a smoke? Sounds cool,¡± she laughed out loud. Then, as if on impulse, she took my hand. ¡°H-hey!¡± ¡°Here we go, Akashi-kun!¡± Soft¡­ no, focus. She led me to an elevator. It looked like an older sister pulling along a brother, so I shook free as soon as we hopped on. I had no qualms about experiencing the softness, but I needed to do that. I decided to trust that it was a wise decision. ¡°Gee, you don¡¯t have to be so reserved.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think reservation has anything to do with this.¡± ¡°Soft, wasn¡¯t it,¡± she whispered. ¡°¡­¡± I take that back. Pulling away was the right call. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a plaza this high up!¡± A sign that said ¡°Plaza of Timespace¡± was in front of the elevator door. Like its name, it was a somewhat mysterious space with a golden pole clock erected. People sure go all-out when designing shopping mall resting areas, huh? Most people here appeared to be waiting, there were lots of benches for this purpose. ¡°See that ferris wheel?¡± ¡°Why is it so red¡­¡± ¡°There might be an amusement park here?¡± ¡°No¡­ This place is called Hep Five¡­ The ferris thing¡¯s the only thing around, like a fancy ion, I guess.¡± Of course, I just got this information from my phone. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Without waiting for me, she sat down. ¡°I thought we¡¯ve just got started.¡± ¡°I¡¯m physically fine, but the crowds and the elevation changes are making me tired,¡± she complained. ¡°I suppose.¡± Up high, the air felt fresher. ¡°So walking around like this for the rest of the afternoon?¡± ¡°Yup. touring Osaka afterschool during the test period, sounds like a delinquent,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Wait, so this was why you told me to study plenty last week?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve already studied.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Too bad. Me neither.¡± So this didn¡¯t really hamper our study, because we don¡¯t do one in the first place. Hopeless kids¡­ ¡°What a crew you¡¯ve assembled.¡± Mikage suddenly brought up the subject. ¡°Crew?¡± Did she mean the guys at the rooftop? Probably them. ¡°You¡¯re quite strange yourself too,¡± she added. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± I wasn¡¯t much of a question. ¡°You guys are so calm with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s¡­ ¡°Remember when I thought you were a girl and my reasons for it?.¡± ¡°I do.¡± If anything, it had an impact on me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t interested in you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And they weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Unlike last time, she was no longer guilty or cautious. That day, she told me that everyone tended to pamper her. I could definitely see that happening. The more I got to know her, I could imagine that clearer. ¡°They¡¯re like that to anyone. For Hiura¡­ well, she feared for her directness.¡± ¡°Despite her being such a cute girl?¡± ¡°Minato¡¯s on the same level as you, and Fujimiya¡¯s like that. So none of us had any reason to be overly conscious of you, do we?¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Her eyes traced the ferris wheels. It was moments before she continued. ¡°I had fun.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°I never knew. It was¡­ That was my first time eating lunch like that¡ª¡± She said nothing more. I remember the smile she had on that day. Volume 2 - CH 5.3 So, as friends. Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: So, as friends. Part 3 From the plaza, it seemed that we could still go up. Although we felt like we would have a really late lunch if we went any further. It was our consensus to turn back here. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± It was something I could fully agree with. After all, I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the test ended. There must be plenty of places to eat, given how much entertainment there was around here. Hence, it shouldn¡¯t matter where we go, everywhere is equally classy anyway. ¡°Where should we go¡­¡± grumbled Mikage. ¡°There¡¯s too many, I can¡¯t choose.¡± But as we moved on, every place was just as appealing. Not just restaurants, but also countless cafes and snacks lined the street. ¡°Pasta¡­ Hamburger¡­ Japanese food¡­¡± ¡°Conveyor sushi looks cheap enough. Set meals also don¡¯t sound so bad¡­ Anything you want in particular?¡± We read the signs as we walk past in low voices, as if chanting Buddhist prayers. We staggered through the station. At this point, I wasn¡¯t sure where we were. Were we still inside the station? Underground? Which way did we come from? I doubt Mikage knew the way better than me, but I let her lead. I saw a Godiva cafe for the first time. We peeked into a small but atmospheric bookstore. I noticed a ramen shop that was featured on TV. We hurried through a Daiso store that is eight times bigger than the one in Shiga. I looked up at the Yodobashi Camera, which is also huge. There are so many places underground and above ground that you could spend hours just looking at them. And yet, everyone was walking on quickly, with sure steps. So this was Osaka¡­ ¡°Never felt like a country bumpkin until now¡­¡± ¡°I thought we had it good in Shiga¡­¡± Overwhelmed by the sights, we agreed to take a break. I slumped into an electric pole somewhere outside the station. Never had the sky seemed so blue. ¡°Huh.¡± Mikage looked to the right. A woman with a guitar was singing in front of the railing by the side of the road. That was probably a street life. ¡°That¡¯s Aiko¡¯s song.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Not many people were listening. Perhaps that was how street lives were. The guitarist was singing happily nonetheless, though. ¡°Can¡¯t figure out why her songs aren¡¯t more popular.¡± After all, she is said to be the queen of love songs. Well, her songs were mostly from a woman¡¯s point of view, though. ¡°Old but gold,¡± she added. ¡°She¡¯s still putting out new songs. Not that people listen to it, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°The most unfortunate.¡± After that, we silently agreed to listen to the live quietly for a while. The guitarist went through the chronological tracklist. If I remember correctly, the next song would be Melon Soda. I was right. I closed my eyes and hummed the song in my head. ¡°I like her melodies,¡± said Mikage, ¡°but the lyrics? Can¡¯t really relate. What¡¯s love in the first place?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± That¡¯s another unexpected thing from her. ¡°Let¡¯s not count Hibiki-kun, ¡®kay?¡± she chuckled mockingly. ¡°What ¡®bout you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re in love?¡± I found myself unable to answer right away. Which answer wouldn¡¯t be a lie? Well, I knew which, I was only afraid to say it. ¡°I am, apparently.¡± ¡°Oh, guess so.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®guess so¡¯ me.¡± Although I wasn¡¯t sure that mine actually counted. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô In the end, the more we thought, the more choices there were. We ventured into the Hankyu Sanbangai underground restaurant district and entered a soba place right in front of us. The waitress gave Mikage a second glance, and a suspicious one at me. I could tell what she was thinking. Why would this girl be hanging out with a guy like me? Excluded from the bustle of the outside world, we slurped the soba. Zaru soba with tempura was just heavenly. After setting down the chopsticks and drinking some tea, Mikage whispered in awe, ¡°This place is amazing.¡± ¡°Agreed. This was even larger than Kyoto station.¡± No, I couldn¡¯t be sure about that, but based on my judgment, Osaka is three times larger. And on that scale, way much easier to get lost. ¡°People call this place Umeda Dungeon, it seems.¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s sooo big, even with everything cramped together. From what I heard, there¡¯s several ¡®Umeda Stations¡¯ here. Umeda, Hankyu Umeda, West Umeda, East Umeda¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that one about ¡®People never show up when asked to meet at Umeda Station¡¯?¡± Who thought about naming all these stations Umeda¡­ the road is as confusing as it is. ¡°I also heard that the road changes every time you go in.¡± ¡°¡®The road¡¯?¡± Wait, wait, isn¡¯t that something in RPG games? ¡°Tons of renovation and construction work going on has that effect. The fact that these renovations take little time doesn¡¯t help either. And so we have the dungeon,¡± she explained. Let¡¯s pray monsters don¡¯t start appearing. She lobbed the last piece of the tempura into her mouth. ¡°Coming without any plan¡¯s another kind of fun, don¡¯t cha think?¡± She said as we paid the bill. I shrugged. Before we got out, she asked me, ¡°Akashi-kun, why are you doing the Angel?¡± ¡°Hobby?¡± I scratched my cheek. That wasn¡¯t a lie. It wasn¡¯t the truth either. ¡°What might give you the idea to do this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wake up one day and want to give love advice, at least not as seriously as yours. I don¡¯t think the word ¡®hobby¡¯ suffices for your obsession.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± She studied my face. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind. That¡¯s what being human is. Just so you know, I don¡¯t want to talk about myself either.¡± ¡°I know.¡± When put like that, no matter how I tried to justify myself, it still seemed unfair. She chuckled, ¡°A promise is a promise. I¡¯d say your sheer dedication got the better of me.¡± Whatever she said, guilt remained. Even though it was already too late to turn back. ¡°Although that might not be all to it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Not wanting to talk, and scared of telling someone. I¡¯ve just realized the difference between these two.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°I wonder which am I¡­¡± Her eyes left me and watched the bustle beyond the window. At least, at least I should do something for her¡­ ¡°It might not be my place to say this, but I wish you wouldn¡¯t regret talking it out to me.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Volume 2 - CH 5.4 So, as Friends Translated by 64990022 Chapter 5: So, as friends. Part 4 We resumed our wandering through the underground shopping center, again, at Mikage¡¯s whim. As we walked around looking at our surroundings, I noticed that passersby were frequently glancing in Mikage¡¯s direction. Like the waiter at the soba noodle shop we had just been at, even by metropolitan standard, she was outstanding. However, among the gazes that were fawning over Mikage, there were more than a few that were clearly hostile toward me. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m mediocre. I know I don¡¯t deserve to be here. Feeling somewhat ticked off, I tagged along Mikage¡¯s behind. On the way, we bought a donut each at Mister Donut and ate it in the eat-in area before setting off again. As we walked, the walls gradually turned red. [TN: Hep Five¡¯s theme color¡¯s red.] I looked at a nearby billboard. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re in Hep Five underground territory.¡± ¡°The one with the Ferris wheel? It¡¯s a shopping mall, right?¡± She quickly went off to the escalator and peeked at the upper floors. Then she rounded back and dragged me to the escalator. ¡°Ooooh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± A gigantic scarlet whale decoration fixed in mid-air. It was ridiculously large. Vertically, the whale boldly strike through the atrium. But why a whale in a department store? ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, let¡¯s see some shops¡± ¡°Alright, alright, got it.¡± With eager Mikage in the lead, we went around Hep Five. I noticed that people inside the store were significantly younger than those outside, not to say more fashionable. ¡°I can¡¯t read the store names¡­ is that even a Japanese font?¡± ¡°Even the classy Starbucks looks normal here,¡± she commented. [TN: Starbucks is dubbed as ¡°hangout spot for extroverts¡± in Japan] Mikage repeatedly wandered into this store and that, looked at the shelves, and then left again, all the while making rural folks¡¯ exclamations. And then she suddenly stared at a pair of socks with an unusual design and took it straight to the cashier. I couldn¡¯t say if that was her being carefree or unreadable. But she seemed to be enjoying herself, so what could I do? By the way, the cashier¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t left Mikage for a second. Oi, at least keep that down when working. ¡°Akashi-kun, what do you think?¡± She tried on a black bucket hat. What do I think¡­ ¡°Looks good.¡± ¡°Elaborate.¡± ¡°It fits you.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°It really looks good on you¡± ¡°Fufu. I see. Thanks.¡± Satisfied, she returned the hat to the shelf. I had no idea what that was earlier. What kind of joke was that? Was she teasing me? I shook my head in exasperation and followed her. ¡°What about this?¡± She now had a beige cassock on. It has a one-point buckle on the top of the brim. ¡°This one looks good too¡­¡± ¡°Which do you like better?¡± ¡°Decide for yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be boring.¡± ¡°I can be boring.¡± What I actually meant was that they both look ridiculously good on you, idiot. Next, we went around Hep Five for a while. In spite of her reservations, I offered to carry the bags. Finally, we went up to the eighth floor and entered a small arcade. We played Taiko Drum Master and I lost. In air field hockey, I was leading until about halfway through when she caught up with me just in time and we played to a draw. In both games, she was like an elementary school kind, yelling and screaming, arms flailing. ¡°Now, the penalty for losing.¡± And there she went, she hadn¡¯t said a word about earlier being a penalty game. She dragged me to a crane machine with a cat character I don¡¯t know. ¡°You want this?¡± ¡°I want this. Cute.¡± ¡°You call this cute¡­?¡± If anything, it looked weird. Oh, or was this the latest trend, the ¡°weirdly cute.¡± ¡°Well, whatever.¡± I let the topic drop and compliantly inserted the coin. The cat was quite big, the crane looked weak, but with this type of structure, I can take leverage of the supporting beam¡­ Sorry, ugly cat, I think you¡¯ll fall into my hands soon. ¡°Eh! Wow! You actually got it!¡± At my third try, I got the one she wanted out. Mikage quickly hugged it tight and jumped up and down in elation. Stop overreacting. Also, your skirt¡¯s short, stop it. ¡°Akashi-kun, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be so good at this! Your drum was terrible! How?¡± ¡°Cough, cough¡­it¡¯s Hiura¡¯s fault.¡± But instead of dolls, Hiura always goes for big packs of snacks and such. We put the cat in the bag the staff gave us and went down the escalator. We could have ridden the Ferris wheel, but Mikage didn¡¯t seem to be interested. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of photo booths. I¡¯ve never seen that many¡± ¡°It probably took up half of the game center.¡± ¡°You know, I really want to get a photo with you. If only it weren¡¯t for Yuzuki-san and the others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they would mind?¡± Reiji might have complained about how it should have been him though. ¡°Then wanna shot?¡± she asked. ¡°No will do.¡± ¡°Hmp, see?¡± What¡¯s with that knowing smile¡­ ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô When we finally left Hep Five, it was already dusking outside. Pedestrians and traffic looked like it was at its peak. The scenery was very much like a metropolitan evening seen in movies. With the help of signs, we somehow made it back to the Osaka Station. We traced back to the Luca and hitched an elevator ride to the ninth floor. ¡°Whoaaa¡± gasped Mikage. ¡°Well, this is something.¡± In front of us was a sizable Tsutaya Bookstore. The layout was a stylish cylinder-shaped loft surrounding the central atrium with the elevators. It even had a coworking space at the entrance. Actually, I was the one who requested this. When I saw this place on the internet, I knew I had to come. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± ¡°The truth is, I just want to check out the place. Sorry for dragging you here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I just did the same thing to you earlier, remember? Hehe.¡± Together, we went through shelves at random. Since we were completely clueless which genre is where, I had got to see a lot of books I usually wouldn¡¯t bother to look at. Combined with the atmosphere of the store, it felt like traveling a foreign country. For once today, no one was paying attention to Mikage. I was also able to take it easy myself too. Everyone here was occupied with themselves, and it had an effect on me. I think coming here last was the correct choice. ¡°Uh, Akashi-kun?¡± She set down the coffee ¡°When I ask whether you have magical powers like in the rumors or not, you said no, right?¡± ¡°I did¡­¡± I braced myself. Why would she bring that up¡­ ¡°Well, what if you have one, what would you do with it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ahh. It was the same question¡­ ¨CWhat would you do if you happened to have magical power? Play Unmute This has to be a coincidence. Mikage could never know about Ayaha, nor my power. This was Mikage¡¯s personal curiosity, nothing more. ¡°That depends¡­If it¡¯s useful then I¡¯d use it, if it¡¯s something I¡¯d get in trouble if found out then I might try to hide it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­a good take. And what if it¡¯s something you can¡¯t hide.¡± ¡°How?¡± If I can¡¯t hide¡­ I clenched and unclenched my fist under the table. If I can¡¯t then why not not use it in the first place¡­ No, no one would have come to a conclusion about my power. Except for Minato. ¡°What if everyone could tell at first glance that you¡¯re special, what¡¯d you do?¡± Her white eyes pierced through the dim light of the resting corner. I was forced to acknowledge how pretty she was once again. [TN: And there he goes, my guy had no idea she was hinting about herself.]