《After School, at a Family Restaurant at Night, With That Girl From My Class》 CH 1 Chapter 1: The Usual Seat, the Usual Girl Translated by Dawn Chapter 1: The Usual Seat, the Usual Girl ¡°One clubhouse sandwich. Set with a free refill drink.¡± Without looking at the menu at all, I placed my order, and as soon as the waitress left my seat, I went straight to the drink corner with my accustomed gait and picked up a clear glass with the store¡¯s logo on it. After adding a little ice, I placed the glass in its place on the machine and pressed and held the standard melon soda. Tasting it carefully, I found it to be a greenish liquid that didn¡¯t taste much like a melon. After pouring it in just enough to keep the bubbling carbonation from spilling out, I stuck the straw in, and returned to my usual seat, taking the same familiar route I had taken when I first came, this time with the same accustomed gait. Family restaurant, Flowers. On a Friday night, the restaurant was crowded with people with children and working people after work. I sipped my melon soda through a straw as I gazed at the scene in the restaurant with a dazed head after my part-time job. The plastic straw turned green and I breathed a sigh of relief as my mouth started to fill up with water. ¡°It¡¯s still 8:00 pm¡­¡± The current time was 8:03 p.m. Not a very appropriate time for a high school sophomore to be outside. However, for me, it was still ¡°not yet¡±. I, Narumi Kouta, would continue to waste my time today as a high school sophomore with a melon soda. As I was waiting for the menu I ordered, a golden light suddenly flickered in my vision. The color of her long, wavy hair that flashed across my vision was gold, reminiscent of the color of the sun, sunflowers, and other dazzling yet beautiful colors. On her fingers, the color of her nails was the same as her eyes, a beautiful shade of blue that reminded me of the surface of reflecting water. Although it was hard to tell from this distance, she was probably wearing make-up as well. She had a firm waist and ample breasts. The uniform of Hoshimoto Gakuen, which I also attended, enveloped her outstanding style, which was as good as a model¡¯s. I wonder why she hasn¡¯t gone home yet, given that her bag is by her side. Her somewhat cold gaze was fixed on her phone, and she didn¡¯t seem particularly interested in looking at any of the content on it. The look in her eyes, as if she was wasting her time, left a deep impression on me. ¡°Kazemiya¡­is she still here today?¡± Her name was Kazemiya Kohaku. She was a classmate of mine, so to speak, in the second-year high school D class of the Hoshimoto Gakuen. The only thing she and I had in common, however, was that we were classmates. We were neither friends nor acquaintances. We didn¡¯t sit next to each other, we weren¡¯t childhood friends from next door to each other¡¯s house, and we weren¡¯t sworn enemies who had been related to each other in a previous life. We had only one thing in common. We were both regular customers of this family restaurant, Flowers. That was it. We neither discussed the taste of the juicy beef hamburger set, a standard dish at Flowers nor promised each other that we would conquer the entire menu. We didn¡¯t talk to each other or even say hello to each other. Always sitting at the same seat, spending time idly, without interacting with each other, without any mutual interference. We were classmates, connected only by the thin thread of being regular customers, which might or might not exist. If there was anything that bothered me, it was why she would waste her time aimlessly at the family restaurant every time, but I had no interest in exploring that. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Here¡¯s your clubhouse sandwich.¡± The menu I ordered was delivered to my seat. The clubhouse sandwich was carefully prepared even at this busy time of the day. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and roasted chicken sandwiched between pieces of golden brown toast were one of the signature dishes of the restaurant. ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± After saying ¡°Itadakimasu,¡± I bite into it. Immediately, the sweet and sour sauce was spread on my tongue. Yup, delicious. Continuing on, I silently eat my clubhouse sandwich as dinner while looking at my phone from time to time. ¡°Gochisousamadeshita.¡± I put my hands together while saying that. The clubhouse sandwich that was delivered to the high school boys¡¯ stomachs gave me a moderate sense of presence and satisfaction. At this point, it was before nine o¡¯clock at night. A healthy high school boy would have gone home by this time, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t fall into that category. But that didn¡¯t mean that I was hanging out with a bunch of bad guys. I just lingered in this family restaurant. That¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t know much about the management of the restaurant, but I guess the restaurant wouldn¡¯t appreciate a customer who didn¡¯t have a good turnover rate. I felt a little sorry for them and decided to stay at the drink bar. Not many high school students with limited funds would have the time to stay up this late. After taking textbooks and notebooks out of my bag and completing assignments, I spent some time on my smartphone browsing my favorite sites and social networking timelines, and the rest of the time playing my favorite social games. I guess the drawback with this game would be that it was the type of game where the phone was held horizontally, so it would be obvious from the side that the person was playing a game. And then came ten o¡¯clock in the late evening. This was the time limit for me. I packed my bags, made sure I hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, took the slip of paper, and got up. ¡ªAnd. I bumped into Kazemiya, who was also heading to the cash register with a bill in his hand. I bumped into Kazemiya, who was also heading to the cash register with a bill in her hand. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Our eyes met involuntarily with a snap. Her eyes were a beautiful blue as if I could be sucked into them. Clear blue sky. A mysterious blue sea. I wonder if it was only a second or two. There was nothing special going on, so I lightly nodded my head and took a step backward. Kazemiya bowed her head lightly and went straight to the cash register, paid her bill, and left the store. I followed suit, paid my bill, and walked out of the store to find the night sky above me as if to say that the sun had long since set. As if to ridicule the darkness of nature, the city was filled with the lights of the population. I just stare at her back as she walks majestically in the light of civilization created by human hands. Her long golden hair swayed with every step she took. Those somewhat forlorn gaits burned strongly in my eyes. ¡°¡­let¡¯s go home.¡± As I turn my back on Kazemiya, I walk in the opposite direction of her. Today, tomorrow, and in the future. We were just two regulars, never exchanging words, never crossing paths. ¡ªThat was what I was thinking at the time. CH 2 Chapter 2 A Girl Named Kazemiya Translated by Dawn Chapter 2 A Girl Named Kazemiya The first-period class on Monday at Hoshimoto Gakuen Senior High School was mathematics. It was the first day after a holiday. On Monday, when the performance of students and adults was probably at its lowest, we had to deal with a list of numbers. It was a regular topic of conversation in our class to complain about the devil¡¯s curriculum that the school set up for the first period on Mondays. ¡°So, what¡¯s it like? Living with your new family.¡± There was a guy who stepped into people¡¯s private lives as if he didn¡¯t know such a standard. He had a friendly smile and was slightly shorter than the average height of high school boys. Even his slight stature, which would put him in the lower middle of the height scale, became his charm. The way he smiled and waited for my response was like a dog wagging its tail. ¡°You know, Natsuki. That¡¯s not what I want to hear when I have to stare at some numbers right now.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re having a bad day, you want something to chat about to take your mind off of it.¡± ¡°If that were the case, surely there would be something else to talk about¡­¡­¡± We had known each other since kindergarten and, coincidentally, we were in the same class. We had never been in different classes. Even now that we became second-year high school students, the streak continued, and he himself said, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what will happen next year.¡± And to add to that, he said, ¡°I would have preferred a cute girl if I was going to have a childhood friend!¡± but that¡¯s my line. ¡°Well, you know. I don¡¯t want to intrude on my best friend¡¯s private life either, but Kouta, you¡¯ve been working part-time ever since your mother remarried. Thanks to that, we can¡¯t even hang out, and that bothers you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± You might think he was an insensitive guy who stepped in without hesitation¡­¡­but, Natsuki was pretty good at recognizing the line. Even in this conversation, Natsuki was drawing a line that I didn¡¯t really mind, and more than anything, I could tell that he was concerned about me, so I couldn¡¯t treat him badly. Moreover, Natsuki would seriously help me out if I really hated that house and wanted to run away from it. That kind of attentive, generous, and¡­exquisite behavior might be the reason why people gather around this guy, I thought to myself. ¡°¡­don¡¯t ask me that, I still have a hard time staying home. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s only been about a¡­month since your mother remarried and you moved into your new home¡± ¡°And on top of that, I have a stepsister who is one year younger than me. I honestly don¡¯t know how to treat her.¡± ¡°So you intentionally put in more part-time work and spend time at a family restaurant at the end of your part-time job¡­¡­right?¡± I nodded at Natsuki¡¯s question as if to confirm. ¡ª-During spring break, just before I was about to advance to my second year of high school, my mother remarried. The other party was a businessman working for a certain toy manufacturer. He was not a bad person. In fact, I would say he was a good person. I had no complaints if it was the man my mother had chosen. She raised me with her own hands, so I wanted her to find her own happiness, and I congratulate her from the bottom of my heart. With that, my mother and I had to move into his house. We had been living in an apartment, but now we were in a beautiful two-story house. Overall, I thought our standard of living had improved. My new father was a good man, and he treated me well. I felt happy. I must be blessed. But there were two problems. One was that he had a daughter. Furthermore, she was a junior, one year younger than me, who entered Hoshimoto Gakuen High School this spring. She had excellent grades and was good at sports. She even represented the school as a representative of the new students. Under one roof with different surnames of about the same age. I was honestly concerned about how to deal with her. Moreover, the way she looked at me was somewhat cold. At first, I thought she was distrustful of men, but she was talking normally with her father, and when I saw her at school, she was also talking normally with a male teacher. And the second problem was¡­this one was simply that I wasn¡¯t comfortable in the house. I still hadn¡¯t adjusted to my new family. I didn¡¯t fit in at that house either. So, I had to put in extra hours at my part-time job and drop by a family restaurant after my part-time job to kill time. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m meddling a little. Is that okay? After all. I think she would be concerned if you started taking on more part-time work or coming home late as soon as she remarried and started her new life.¡± ¡°I know that, and I feel bad for my mom and my new dad. But¡­¡­still, it¡¯s hard to stay at home¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself with this one. I knew what the cause was and I knew I had to fix it, but I still hadn¡¯t been able to do so. ¡°Sigh. I see. There are things that are uncomfortable, and there are things that can¡¯t be helped, huh?¡± Here, he didn¡¯t say ¡°Try your best to walk up to her!¡± and not force me to do so, which was what I liked about Natsuki. ¡°A part-time job or a family restaurant is fine, but if you want to kill some time, you can come over to my house. Let¡¯s play together once in a while.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be counting on you then.¡± Perhaps this was what Natsuki was trying to say. That I could always use him as an escape. I was grateful for that. Natsuki was the only one I could relax with, especially since he knew about my previous father. ¡°Hey, Kazemiya-san. I have a little favor to ask you.¡± Suddenly, what reached my ears was a conversation among the girls in my class. ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± It had been about a month since we advanced to the next grade. Even without the fact that she was still getting used to her new classmates, Kazemiya¡¯s attitude was not very friendly to my eyes. Although she was originally a somewhat cool and solitary individual, even without that, her attitude was still somewhat unfriendly. She never took her eyes off her phone, to begin with. The girls who talked to her probably felt the same way, but she still talked to Kazemiya, not to be outdone. ¡°Umm, Kazemiya-san¡¯s sister is the singer Kuon-san, right?¡± The female student asked somewhat excitedly. The Kuon she referred to was a singer (technically speaking, I think she was a singer-songwriter) who was currently very popular, especially among high school students. Kuon, whose real name was Kazemiya Kuon, was apparently Kazemiya¡¯s older sister. This fact was known to most of the students in this school, and because of that, her younger sister, Kazemiya, was a bit of a celebrity. Well, there was another reason why she was famous in this school. ¡°That¡¯s right. So what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fan of Kuon-san. So¡­please! Could you introduce me to your sister?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kazemiya brushed off her classmate¡¯s pleas in an instant. She must have been asked for such a favor many times before. I couldn¡¯t help but applaud in my heart the very deftness of Kazemiya¡¯s action. ¡°Then¡­can I just get her autograph¡­I¡¯ve been a fan of Kuon-san since her debut¡­!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± It was clear that her voice had taken a step colder. ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I wondered if it was exactly what they meant by ¡°pressured¡±. The girl who had spoken to her fell completely silent, turned her back on Kazemiya, and went back to her seat. Before long, the classmates who had been paying attention to their interaction returned to their own chit-chat as if nothing had happened. ¡°Well, she stepped on a landmine so cleanly that it¡¯s almost refreshing.¡± ¡°Landmine?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that Kazemiya-san doesn¡¯t like it when people talk about her older sister. I heard that last year, a lot of girls like her came to her and it seemed like she had a hard time.¡± ¡°Hee. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Well, we were in different classes. I only overheard what someone else said. ¡­¡­And if anything, Kazemiya-san has other rumors too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­that.¡± I knew about that one, too. Rather, I more often heard rumors about a girl named Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡°Rumors that she¡¯s out at night or hanging out with bad people, I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re true or not. I don¡¯t really like those kinds of rumors. It¡¯s hard for me to listen to them.¡± Does the fact that Natsuki is talking this way mean that it¡¯s less credible? This guy had a wide range of friendships. Because of this, the number of rumors and information that came to him was different. He didn¡¯t just believe what one person told him, but he would carefully match the information he got from several people, and sometimes he would work on his own to get the truth. That was the type of person he was. ¡°¡­¡­Well, whichever rumor is true, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me.¡± ¡°Haha. Indeed, if it¡¯s Kouta, you might be right. It¡¯s my policy not to meddle in other people¡¯s families.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No, no. You know, there are many people who step into other people¡¯s families with their feet in the dirt out of selfish interest or curiosity. Like that girl earlier.¡± That was quite a harsh thing to say to the female student earlier. I wondered if Natsuki had any thoughts on the exchange just now. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Kazemiya continued to look at her phone nonchalantly. Her appearance was no different from when she was at a family restaurant at the night. She was acting as if she had already¡­forgotten about the exchange she had with the female student earlier. Was it just me, or did it look like it? ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the chime.¡± As if to interrupt my thoughts, a chime echoed through the school, and my classmates, including Natsuki, stopped their chit-chatting and took their seats. (¡­¡­Whatever) I didn¡¯t care what Kazemiya thought or what kind of relationship she had with her family. I had no interest in it. I would not get involved in other people¡¯s families. I couldn¡¯t even afford to have one in my own home. CH 3 Chapter 3: A Phone Call from Mother After school. Today, as usual, I finished my part-time job and went straight to Flowers, a family restaurant, the ¡°usual family restaurant¡±. ¡°We apologize for the inconvenience. Please wait a moment.¡± However, the restaurant was unusually crowded. Normally, the restaurant was crowded, but never this crowded. When I looked inside, it seemed that several groups of customers had come to the restaurant by coincidence. I never thought I would run into such a situation. I didn¡¯t know if I was lucky or unlucky. As for me, I came here to kill time, so I didn¡¯t care how long I had to wait. I pressed the ¡°Adult: One person¡± button on the touch panel of the in-store terminal. Then, I picked up a piece of paper similar to a receipt with the number ¡®26¡¯ printed on it from the ticket machine and waited for my turn to be served. ¡°26.¡± The waitress led me through the restaurant, which was crowded with several groups of customers. Usually, I would be allowed to choose a seat of my choice, but today it was difficult because the restaurant was so crowded. The seat where I usually sat was occupied by a group of women I didn¡¯t know, who seemed to be having some kind of meeting with their tablets spread out on the table. ¡°This is your seat, please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes.¡± I arrived at the seat after crossing such ¡°usual seats¡±. They must have just finished cleaning up. I stood there for a moment in front of the seat, which had nothing special about it except for the traces of wiping the table. ¡°¡­..¡± I was led to¡­my usual seat right next to Kazemiya Kohaku, a blonde female student who was looking at her phone in the same bored manner as this morning. I was so surprised that I stopped in my tracks, but such a reaction would have been unpleasant even for the other party. I sat down on the sofa and unfolded the menu. I had already memorized the menu, so I didn¡¯t need to do that, but it was a little embarrassing because I felt like a regular. So, I always checked the menu by flipping through it. Even when I didn¡¯t have a specific order in mind, I would sometimes see a picture of a dish on the menu like this, and my appetite would be piqued. This time was exactly like that. The beautiful yellow omelette on the menu somehow aroused my appetite. I pressed the button to call the waiter. ¡°One golden omelet with special sauce. Plus a free refill drink.¡± After finishing the order, I filled my glass with Coke and returned to my seat again. Kazemiya was still looking at her phone in a bored manner, but¡ª-her beautiful blue eyes shook for a moment. The expression on her face also changed to one that was slightly grim. Was there an incident? Or something happened to someone in the family¡­¡­. (¡­What¡¯s that to do with me?) I dismissed the thought and went straight back to my seat. While I was killing time by looking at my phone, the omelet I ordered arrived. ¡°Itadakimasu¡± Underneath the spoon-scooped egg, there was a cheese that had melted under the heat, and the rich sweetness of the cheese danced on my tongue as it intertwined with the egg. The special sauce on top was exquisite, and the taste was not monotonous, so you would not get bored until you finished the dish. ¡°Thanks for the food.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop eating and finished it in no time. As a high school boy, I would have liked to have a little more, but that would have been a luxury. Normally, I would have taken a break and gone home, but I wanted to spend more time here as it was hard for me to stay at home. I launched the social networking app on my smartphone, thinking I would scroll through my timeline. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The screen on my phone changed to one that alerted me to an incoming phone call. It was my mom on the other end of the line. Why was she calling? I somewhat have an idea. Inhale, exhale. I took a deep breath to calm my mind and pressed the call button, trying not to let any weird reaction seep into my voice. ¡°Hello, Mom?¡± ¡°Kouta, where are you right now?¡± ¡°I just finished my part-time job.¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. In fact, my part-time job was already over, and this family restaurant happened to be located on my way home. ¡°Then, will you be back in a little while?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take a little more time. I¡¯m going to go out for dinner and then come home.¡± Technically, I¡¯d already finished my meal, but I wouldn¡¯t be lying if I ordered dessert from now on. ¡°If you want to have dinner, don¡¯t bother eating out, just go home¡­.¡± ¡°I was hungry after my part-time job. I wanted to eat something quickly.¡± This shouldn¡¯t be a lie either¡­¡­.It was true that I felt hungry at the end of my part-time job. ¡°¡­¡­ I see. Then, be careful on your way back. Akihiro-san and Kotomi-chan are waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ got it. Oh, you don¡¯t have to wait and worry about me. That way, Tsujikawa-san and the others would be more comfortable.¡± Tsujikawa was my mother¡¯s surname from her second marriage; Akihiro Tsujikawa was my new father, and Kotomi Tsujikawa was my step-sister. My step-sister, KOTOMI, was also a girl of my age, and there was no guarantee that her school life would not be affected in some way if people found out that one older person with a different last name had suddenly become her step-brother. She had just entered high school, and it was a delicate time for her to build relationships with others. So, although my name officially was already ¡°Tsujikawa,¡± I chose to use my former surname, ¡°Narumi¡±. I was grateful for that. I didn¡¯t try very hard to hide our relationship from people around us, but that didn¡¯t stop me from being proactive about revealing it. If I was questioned, I would evade the question. I would tell someone I trust though (in this case, Natsuki), but that¡¯s it. ¡°¡­¡­Okay. I¡¯ll let them know. Anyway, it¡¯s already dark, so be careful on your way home.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± .I declared that I would hang up and ended the call. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± A breath of relief leaked out of me. It wasn¡¯t that my mom and I didn¡¯t get along. In fact, I would say that we were on good terms. We had a good parent-child relationship to the extent that I would read my mother¡¯s manuscripts and give her feedback on her work. And yet, I never thought I would be so tired after less than five minutes on the phone. ¡°¡­¡­desserts, I¡¯ll have to order some.¡± Ah, really. This was ridiculous, even for me. ¡®It¡¯s not true, but I¡¯m not lying.¡± I was opening the menu just to get such a ridiculous exemption. To me, it was a necessary expense to buy peace of mind, but to others, it was probably a waste of money. At first, I decided to order chocolate ice cream, which was relatively inexpensive in the dessert category. But after ordering it, I regretted that I should have ordered a parfait. Because the parfait would probably take longer to come out than the ice cream alone. ¡°Are you on bad terms with your family?¡± What a clear, and beautiful voice, I thought. Then, after a pause, I realized that the beautiful voice was directed at me, and I turned around without thinking. The person who asked this question was Kazemiya Kohaku, who was seated next to me. Dawn''s notes: What do you guys think? Is it interesting/good? Do you guys like it? If you like this novel, please rate this novel on the NU page. I will upload this novel 1 chapter/3 days the same as other novels that I translated. Oh also if you guys are interested in the other novels that I translated you can click this link and this link. Be sure to check it yeah ;) The first one is a fantasy, reincarnated kind of novel, and the second one is a Harem, slice of life, physic power, and futuristic type of novel. Thank you guys for reading this, see you guys later, bye! CH 4 Chapter 4: Alliance The first image that came to mind when describing Kazemiya Kohaku was that of a young girl. If I had to put it into words, I would say ¡°solitary¡±. She was cool, unassuming, yet beautiful. A solitary radiance that would not allow others to come close to her. That was my image of the girl named Kazemiya Kohaku. I had never seen her speak to anyone. Although¡­I had seen her talking to certain someone. I hadn¡¯t been classmates with Kazemiya since the second grade, which meant we¡¯d only known each other for about a month as classmates. Other than that, the only other time I¡¯d seen her was at this family restaurant, and as far as I could tell, she never seemed to be chatting with her friends, or even making a phone call. The only exception would be when she was ordering from the waitress. ¡°¡­¡­is that a question for me?¡± ¡°Who else is here?¡± Of course, Kazemiya was sitting in the corner of the restaurant, and I was the only one next to her. If she wanted to talk to someone sitting farther away, she would have turned up her volume a little more, and by process of elimination, I was the only one to whom Kazemiya was asking a question. ¡°With my mother¡­¡­it¡¯s not so bad, I guess. I think we have a good parent-child relationship.¡± ¡°With your mother, huh.¡± I broke out in a cold sweat inwardly, saying, ¡°Oh no.¡± That way of putting it was like coming clean and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t get along with anyone but my mother.¡± Strictly speaking, my relationship with my new father wasn¡¯t necessarily bad. I could tell that he was trying to reach out to me, and I just hadn¡¯t responded to his efforts. As for my stepsister¡­¡­well, unfortunately, bad was the right word to describe my relationship with her. But Kazemiya Kohaku was surprisingly¡­¡­perceptive. I was careless with that one, but I didn¡¯t expect her to notice it so well. ¡°Sorry. Since I suddenly heard something strange.¡± I guess my caution must have rubbed off on her because Kazemiya apologized to me with a wry smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I indeed have a delicate relationship with someone other than my mother.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Then there was silence for a few seconds, but soon Kazemiya opened her mouth again. ¡°¡­as for me. I don¡¯t get along with my family very well.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The subject of family, which I thought was a minefield for her, came up, and I let out an involuntary gasp of surprise. Seeing my reaction, she must have guessed many things. ¡°I asked you a question about your family earlier. It¡¯s not fair for me to just step in and leave it at that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry about that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who cares about that kind of thing. Even though it¡¯s my principle to not meddle in other people¡¯s families.¡± ¡°Ah, me too.¡± The words of agreement came out of my mouth, reflexively. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to talk about other people¡¯s families when I can¡¯t handle my own.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Even the reasons are the same.¡° ¡ªKazemiya laughs like this, huh? I was surprised to find myself thinking such a thought unintentionally, but only a moment too late. However, the face that Kazemiya just showed me was one that I had never seen in the classroom, and it was true that my eyes were involuntarily drawn to it. ¡°Hee¡­I see. So does Narumi.¡± ¡°Huh? My name¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I know. We¡¯re classmates.¡± Surprising, I thought. I had thought that Kazemiya, from my point of view, was a girl who didn¡¯t pay attention to her surroundings. I had assumed that even the names of her classmates were of little interest to her. As for me, I had a couple of classmates whose names I still doubt I could remember. I¡¯d better keep that to myself; it would be too awkward to reveal it in front of Kazemiya. ¡°Besides, if you always sit at the same place in your favorite family restaurant with your classmates, you¡¯ll remember it even if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Even if Kazemiya was not famous in school, I think I would have remembered her. That girl who was always in the same seat. Had it been a classmate, she would have made a lasting impression. ¡°¡­then I guess you have the same reason for going to this store.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I think it¡¯s probably the same.¡± ¡°¡±I have a hard time staying home, so I spend a lot of time at the store.¡±¡± Our words were perfectly matched, without even needing to count ¡°one, two, three.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. And it was the same for Kazemiya. ¡°We¡¯re on the same page.¡± ¡°Right. We get along pretty well.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. I had no idea that other students were killing time at the same family restaurant because they had difficulty staying at home. ¡°Thank you for waiting. This is the chocolate ice cream.¡± At that moment, the ice cream I ordered was brought to me. ¡°It¡¯s arrived. An alibi dessert¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a waste of money. Even if I say so myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a waste. For me, it¡¯s a necessary expense to buy peace of mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­really, we¡¯re really on the same page.¡± After that, the conversation with Kazemiya continued until the chocolate ice cream was completely eaten. Perhaps it was because I kept moving my mouth rather than my hand with the spoon. The ice cream melted faster than I could eat it. I didn¡¯t measure the time precisely, but I think it took me longer than usual to finish eating it. ¡°I have to go home.¡± ¡°Right. Then maybe I should go home, too.¡± We both got up with our bills and stood in line at the cash register. This time, there was no bumping into each other and giving in to each other. When I left the restaurant, the sun had naturally set, and the city was filled with light as if to resist the encompassing darkness. ¡°I have a suggestion, can you take me home?¡± I wasn¡¯t so dense as to not understand the significance of that suggestion. ¡°That would help me stall going home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The fact that Kazemiya left the restaurant at the same time as I was was probably due to such considerations. I walked shoulder to shoulder with Kaezimya on a road that was the exact opposite of my usual route home. An unfamiliar asphalt road. Unfamiliar buildings. It felt strange to be walking with Kazemiya Kohaku on a street that, until yesterday, I would never have passed by. ¡­yeah, no kidding. It¡¯s really strange. Until midday, I had always thought of Kazemiya as a ¡°solitary¡± existence. I thought she was a person from a different world from mine. I thought she was someone I had nothing to do with today, tomorrow, or in the future. But now we were so close. Even though she was a bit presumptuous, I could see her as a very close person to me. It must be because I felt¡ª-relief. She didn¡¯t get along very well with her family. She would not like to go home so much that she went all the way to a family restaurant and stayed there until night. She was trapped in a curse that she could not escape from until she died called ¡°family.¡± There was someone just like me. I felt so relieved to know that. ¡°Narumi. What¡¯s your excuse for coming home so late to your family?¡± Like I said on the phone earlier, I was eating dinner on the way home from a part-time job, or taking a break because I was tired from a part-time job¡­¡­there are various things.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that too much to say that as an excuse every time?¡± ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s about time it reached the limit. I just wanted to ask for a reference, what about you?¡± ¡°I just said ¡®It¡¯s up to me.¡¯¡± ¡°You¡¯re so strong¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I have to do it this way or I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it at all. It¡¯s always been that way. Even when I went out in the daytime, they would always suspect that I was doing something strange or whatever. Basically, I felt like they didn¡¯t trust me. Well, if I got into trouble, it would cause trouble for my sister, so I had no choice.¡± It wasn¡¯t that they lost trust in her because she was out at night, but perhaps it was the other way around. They didn¡¯t trust her, so this led her to stay out of the house at night. ¡­If that was the case, I certainly felt like I would have no choice but to force my way through it. ¡°Your side seems more difficult.¡± ¡°Maybe. But you feel the same way when you stay at home, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I agree with you there.¡± ¡°Will Narumi be at the family restaurant tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I have another part-time job tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hmmm. I see¡­¡­.¡± The conversation was momentarily interrupted when Kazemiya made a gesture as if she was thinking about something. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have a proposal.¡± ¡°Proposal?¡± ¡°Yup. I think it would be more enjoyable to pass the time by chatting like we did today, right? NARUMI and I get along surprisingly well when we talk, and¡­¡­it would be easier to make up excuses¡± I see. It certainly was true that we got along surprisingly well after talking with each other today. And I felt that time passed more quickly than usual. ¡­to be honest, spending time alone for a few hours could be tough as well. If you had someone to talk to, you might be able to spend more meaningful time than if you spent it alone scrolling through social networking sites and websites. ¡°Besides¡­I can talk to Narumi, you know. Or complain.¡± ¡°Complaining? Of what?¡± ¡°Various things. School stuff, personal stuff¡ª-family stuff, etc.¡± When she told me, I burst out laughing. ¡°Family complaints, huh? I like that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Feeling guilty about the family members. A house where it felt difficult to stay. Sometimes I talked to Natsuki about it, but even so, I still had a hard time saying it. The only person with whom I could vent to my heart¡¯s content as a complaint would be Kazemiya¡ª-with whom I can share the feeling of not being able to stay at home. ¡°We just complain to each other and listen. I won¡¯t go any further than that¡­what do you think?¡± ¡°Yup. I like it. It fits our stance.¡± ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an alliance.¡± ¡°An alliance. That¡¯s good.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s feet stopped in front of a towering apartment building less than five minutes after leaving the restaurant. ¡°This is where I live. Thanks for walking me home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­wow, amazing. ou live in a nice place.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much, though, because it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I checked the time on my phone and the time was over 22:00. I was sure that I would be home later than usual when I got back from here. ¡°It¡¯s time to say something when I get back. What would you say as an excuse?¡± ¡°For me, it would be, ¡®I went to a family restaurant, chatted with my friends, and came home late.¡¯¡± ¡°As for me, ¡®I had to walk my female friend home since it was so late,¡¯¡­I guess. Why don¡¯t you add, ¡®I¡¯m going home with my friends, so I don¡¯t have to worry about getting into any weird trouble¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll use that.¡± Of course, just because there were two people didn¡¯t mean it was safe, and it didn¡¯t mean there would never be any trouble. But it was better than a high school girl walking alone late at night. ¡­There would be no need to explain such logic in detail. ¡°How about we exchange contact information before you go?¡± ¡°Sure. I might need it.¡± ¡°If necessary, can I call you and have you explain it to my mother?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking, of course.¡± Kazemiya could make a joke like this. While I was thinking about this, we finished exchanging contact information. ¡°Good night, Narumi.¡± ¡°Ah. Good night, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡±¡ªAfter school tomorrow, let¡¯s meet at the usual place.¡± CH 5 Chapter 5: Narumi Kouta¡¯s Family Situation I returned home a little later than usual, thanks to the consideration of my alliance partner. With the nameplate of ¡°Tsujikawa¡± engraved on the front door, I unlocked the key to my new house, which felt a little heavy. I¡¯d want to hide my breath and go straight upstairs so that I wouldn¡¯t be seen¡­¡­but I¡¯d make sure to show my face in the living room. ¡°¡­..I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome home.¡± My mom, who was writing a manuscript on a tablet spread out on the living room table, looked up and welcomed me home. ¡°Welcome back, Kouta-kun. Good work on your part-time job.¡± And the man who greeted me with my mom was Tsujikawa Akihiro, my new father, and my mom¡¯s new husband. Even though he should be busy with his work¡­¡­he still welcomed me, he was a good person after all. ¡°I¡¯m going to make Makiko-san a coffee now, do you want one too?¡± ¡°Ah¡­hmm, I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s almost nighttime, too.¡± Not seeming particularly offended, Akihiro-san made the coffee for my mom. ¡°Then¡­¡­I¡¯m going back to my room. Good night.¡± ¡°Yeah. Good night. Have a good night¡¯s rest.¡± What was the point of showing up in the living room? Akihiro-san didn¡¯t point it out or probe me in any particular way, and he just let me go as I headed upstairs to my room. He was really a good person¡­¡­. When I had contact with Akihiro-san, I really think about it. I was such a child/brat. I still hadn¡¯t fit in, in fact, I was even running away from them, and I felt guilty about that. ¡ªHow much do I have to disappoint them? ¡°¡­.ah¡­shit. I just remembered something bad.¡± His voice flashed back in my head. A memory that was etched deep into my mind, a memory that I couldn¡¯t forget even now. ¡°Fucking father¡­¡± (+) It was truly insane that I couldn¡¯t honestly call a nice person like Akihiro-san ¡°dad¡±, but I could still call that asshole of a father ¡°father¡±. At times like this, I realized that I hate myself. I knew that the existence of a ¡°father¡± in my mind was complicated in many ways. And that ¡°that guy¡± was still sitting in my heart. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s just take a quick bath and go to bed. I decided so in my mind and just as I was about to walk down the upstairs corridor. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were back.¡± The owner of the voice that was called to me was a girl one year younger than me. Her slightly smaller build was wrapped in light-colored loungewear. Her waist-length hair was unkempt, and her appearance and mannerisms gave the impression of neatness and elegance. ¡°Ah¡­yeah. I¡¯m home, Tsujikawa.¡± ¡°Welcome back, Narumi-senpai¡° We greeted each other awkwardly. I managed to squeeze out a few words, but the other person was, Tsujikawa¡­¡­Tsujikawa Kotomi, who was now my step-sister. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The conversation ended when we finished greeting each other. Both parties were silent, and a very awkward time passed. I would like to go into the room quickly, but I had to cross Tsujikawa to do so. The hallway wasn¡¯t that wide. ¡­¡­means that it¡¯s impossible. ¡°¡­.what did you say about dad?¡± ¡°Ah¡± I remembered the words I threw up just a few minutes ago, ¡°Fucking father¡­¡­¡± Not good. Certainly, if she only heard the words here, it could be taken as a word of dissatisfaction and cursing against Akihiro-san¡­¡­Tsujikawa¡¯s dad. ¡°No, no. That was me talking to myself¡­ah¡­no, I don¡¯t mean that.¡± The excuses were becoming more and more absurd. Instead of clearing up misunderstandings, I gave credibility to the misunderstandings. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Akihiro-san, I was talking about my father before¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± At least the misunderstanding had been cleared up. I felt relieved inwardly. ¡°You were home later than usual.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was taking a friend home.¡± I immediately made use of the alliance excuse that we just concluded. ¡°I understand your situation, but even so, I think you should at least contact us. Mother was worried about you.¡± Mother, huh¡­ Tsujikawa was amazing. I hadn¡¯t even been able to call Akihiro-san ¡°dad¡± to his face yet. Therefore, I felt shame and guilt in the pit of my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± ¡°That would be good¡­I think¡± After saying this, Tsujikawa turned away and went back to her room. ¡°It¡¯s a normal ¡®family¡¯ when everyone is together.¡± I felt like I had just finished a big boss battle. I let out a breath of relief, and when I returned to my room, ¡ªI suddenly think. I ran into Tsujikawa in the hallway. That means Tsujikawa must have needed to go downstairs. If that was the case¡­¡­I wonder what Tsujikawa was going to do when she came out of her room in the end. Leaving a small mystery behind, the night passed. *** The next morning. After washing my face, I walked into the living room to find an elegant fragrance that went well with the fresh morning air. ¡°Good morning, Kouta-kun.¡± ¡°Good morning¡­¡­¡± Alright. Now I¡¯d completed my morning greeting quota. I hate myself¡­for making it into a quota. ¡°Good morning, Kouta. Come on, you too, quickly get to the table. Kotomi-chan made breakfast for you today, too.¡± On the table was white rice, salmon grilled in soy sauce, miso soup, and side dishes such as Japanese spinach. It was a typical breakfast. When I lived with my mom, we usually had toast. Because of her work (?), Mom was often up late at night. In the morning, that was all she would eat. Of course, I never complained about that. In fact, I didn¡¯t even want her to take extra time for me. Because of this, I was a little surprised every time I saw such an elaborate breakfast. ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± I sat down on the chair and gratefully ate my breakfast. ¡°Oh¡ªdelicious. I¡¯m so lucky to be able to eat this kind of breakfast every day.¡± ¡°Thank you, mom. Is there anything you don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°No, no. Anything that Kotomi-chan makes is delicious. Right, Kouta?¡± ¡°A-ah, yeah. They¡¯re all delicious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. ¡­¡­really, dad, why don¡¯t you learn a little bit from the two of them? I can¡¯t believe you still can¡¯t eat green peppers.¡± ¡°Uhh. B-because it¡¯s bitter, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed¡­¡± From the outside, it must be an act of a happy family gathering. Perhaps. But I knew. I knew that this happy family conversation was about avoiding certain topics as much as possible. If I were to use an analogy, it would be like carefully navigating through a minefield while avoiding visible landmines. That¡¯s how it feels. And since I realized that I was the one who had created this minefield, I felt sorry and uncomfortable. ¡°Speaking of which, Kotomi. Have you gotten used to high school yet?¡± ¡°Yes. There are no problems.¡± ¡°Have you decided which club you¡¯re going to join?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡­ I¡¯m actually still in the process of deciding if I want to join the club.¡± ¡°Right. Think carefully. I¡¯m sure Kotomi-chan will do well no matter what she does¡ª¡± There, mom¡¯s words stopped. She looked as if she had accidentally stepped on a land mine. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure Tsujikawa will do well no matter what she does. So don¡¯t worry about it, just take your time and think it over.¡± I wonder if I could have successfully connected my mom¡¯s words that were cut off. I didn¡¯t even have the time to ask them about it. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± After chomping down on a carefully prepared breakfast in one gulp, I put away the dishes. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first. I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Take care.¡± I grabbed my bag and left the house as it was. Although I arrived at school much earlier than usual, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I was an obstacle in the way of a relaxed family gathering. *** ¡ªSimply put, I was a child who failed to live up to his father¡¯s expectations. I never reached the level that satisfied my father, either athletically or academically. That was the cause of my mom¡¯s divorce. And her second marriage partner, Akihiro-san, had Tsujikawa Kotomi, who was perfect in everything she did. Me, who was a failure, and my step-sister, who was perfect. Although she didn¡¯t state this clearly, she must have made up her mind to remarry Akihiro-san and welcomed a perfect girl named Tsujikawa Kotomi. She never said anything on the subject that would hurt me, who was abandoned by my father as a failure. For example, not comparing a brother with his stepsister. For example, not praising the step-sister too much for her excellence. For example, not mentioning personal abilities. When dealing with me, she used those topics as NG words. Of course, the divorce story must have been shared with Akihiro-san. That was my mom¡¯s way of showing consideration. A rule as a new family. However¡ªthat would also be to undermine the praise that Tsujikawa Kotomi, who was my stepsister, was supposed to be receiving. I found it difficult. Acting as a parent with a failed son and a talented stepsister must be difficult. But¡­such ¡®consideration¡¯ was inevitably felt by me. If I knew I was being cared for, it would still make me feel uncomfortable. But it wasn¡¯t my mom¡¯s fault, it wasn¡¯t Akihiro-san¡¯s fault, it couldn¡¯t have been Tsujikawa Kotomi¡¯s fault. Then who was to blame? It was obvious. There was only one person. A failure named Narumi Kouta. It was none other than me who was ruining the new happy family gathering. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to stay¡­¡­in that house because I know that.¡± CH 6 Chapter 6: Contacts I arrived at the school to escape from the gloomy morning gathering, and at lunchtime, I realized something. ¡°Noo. I forgot to buy lunch.¡± Usually, I stopped at a convenience store along the way to buy lunch, but today, I was so preoccupied with getting out of that uncomfortable house that I forgot to do so. ¡°Is that so? What do you want to do then? Do you want to go to the cafeteria?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be crowded if we go there now. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll just get some bread.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you then.¡± ¡°You have your lunch.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll eat that one, okay? But I want to buy one for my afternoon snack, you know?¡± ¡°Do you have a snack in the morning too?¡± ¡°This morning it was a Baumkuchen. It¡¯s from a convenience store near the school. The eggs are sweet and delicious.¡± ¡°Is that what you were chewing on in class?¡± ¡­¡­Well, as a high school boy who was also a big eater, I could understand why he was always hungry. ¡°Let¡¯s buy some juice while we¡¯re at it. I think there was a limited-time offer.¡± ¡°The carrot soda? You¡¯re a challenger.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m curious about what it tastes like. Is Kouta the usual melon soda?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as adventurous as you.¡± The two men then quickly head to the purchasing area, safely secure bread and melon soda for lunch, and promptly return to the classroom. ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± I returned to my seat with my bread and was about to enjoy a slightly delayed lunch break when I noticed something going on in the classroom. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s have a class gathering this Friday!¡± Classmates around him responded vigorously to the voice of the boy¡­¡­Sawada, in the center of the classroom. Sawada¡ªSawada Takeru. With a height in the latter half of 170 centimeters and a fresh face reminiscent of the coolness of summer. The word ¡°prince¡± came naturally to my mind from his appearance and air. He was the ace of the soccer team of Hoshimoto Gakuen. Not only that, but his grades were also top class, and he had great popularity among students and teachers alike. In the opposite sense to Kazemiya, he was a famous prince(hero) in this school. Even I, who wasn¡¯t familiar with gossip, knew about him. ¡°Class reunion, huh? We weren¡¯t in your class last year, though?¡± (+) ¡°What is a class gathering anyway?¡± ¡°Everyone eats sweets together and makes a lot of noise. There are usually a lot of people, so it¡¯s usually karaoke or something.¡± In other words, like a party. It was the kind of event that a top-caste prince would like. From what I saw, it seemed to have been spontaneously decided just a few minutes ago. The difference in our energy seemed to be clearly shown. ¡°Then, anyone who wants to participate should send a message to the group chat.¡± In addition to the details of the class reunion, one after another, messages of participation pour into the group chat on the messaging app. ¡°Are you coming, Kouta? You don¡¯t have a part-time job on that day, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m taking that day off to stay home. It¡¯s bad for my mom if I don¡¯t take a day like this once in a while to make adjustments.¡± More importantly, there was the matter of this morning. I needed to reassure my mom a little¡­¡­and with that in mind, I quickly sent a message to the group chat that I wouldn¡¯t be attending. ¡°Then I won¡¯t participate either.¡± ¡°Why not? You like this kind of thing, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I like it, but¡­Actually, I was wondering which one to go to because other kids invited me to play with them on the same day. Kouta usually works part-time, so I thought I¡¯d go to the class meeting if you¡¯re coming, but if you¡¯re not coming¡­¡­it¡¯s better to play with other kids in other classes to broaden my range of friends. It¡¯s fine.¡± Looking at my phone, I saw that Natsuki had also announced his decision not to participate as well. ¡°Kazemiya-san¡± As soon as Sawada called out to her, the air around her calmed down for a moment. Then, as if in a flash, the heat in everyone¡¯s gaze focused on the two of them. ¡­¡­I know the name of the heat in those gazes. That is¡ªcuriosity. ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Removing her earphones, which featured a noise-canceling function, Kazemiya returned the question to Sawada, who approached her seat and called out to her. ¡°We¡¯re having a class gathering on Friday after school, do you want to come, Kazemiya-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Kazemiya dismissed the invitation in a refreshingly straightforward manner. It seemed that even an invitation from the school¡¯s prince(hero) didn¡¯t interest her much. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I decided so suddenly about this. Did you already have something planned?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± It wasn¡¯t just a cold answer. One wrong move and it would be absolute zero. The girls who were supposed to be Sawada¡¯s fans were beginning to feel disgusted by the extremely cold treatment. ¡°Alright. Then we¡¯ll cancel the class gathering. ¡­Lastly, can you just give me your contact information? When we want to do something together as a class like this, it would be useful to be able to communicate with each other.¡± Come to think of it, the total number of people in the group chat was 34, while the total number of students in Class D of the second year was 35. This meant that only one member was missing from the group chat. So that one person would be Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡­I would imagine that some of my classmates would ask her questions about her sister again, and it was probably Kazemiya¡¯s self-preservation to not join this group chat. ¡°I already said no before.¡± ¡°I thought you might have changed your mind.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°What about exchanging personal contact information with me? If you don¡¯t want to communicate in the group chat, I can be your contact. Next time we hold a class gathering, please let me know if you want to attend and I¡¯ll let everyone know.¡± Oh, good one. ¡­And I gave him hearty praise in my mind. The offer was calculated from the beginning based on the fact that Kazemiya would refuse it, and it also offered the advantage that Kazemiya would be able to save the trouble of group notifications (I have turned them off because they are too annoying for me). ¡°No need. I¡¯m not interested in class gatherings in the first place.¡± ¡­but apparently, that was not appealing to Kazemiya, either. It would not be unusual for her to be used to get close to her celebrity sister, and she would want to limit the number of people with whom she exchanges contact information as much as possible. ¡°I understand. But if you change your mind, you can always tell me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Without losing her cool air, Kazemiya ended the conversation with Sawada. Even Sawada, the prince(hero) of the second year, couldn¡¯t win over Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡°¡­.¡± While munching on a piece of bread, I launched the Messages app on the screen of my smartphone. In the list of my contacts, which wasn¡¯t very many, the account name of Kazemiya Kohaku, ¡°kohaku,¡± was listed. ¡ªLastly, why don¡¯t we exchange contact information? Last night¡¯s conversation came to my mind. Thinking back, it was Kazemiya who offered to exchange contact information, which even Sawada couldn¡¯t get. I wondered if this meant that just because I was an alliance partner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Kouta. You look kind of spaced out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­nothing.¡± I had a contact here that even the second-year Prince(Hero)couldn¡¯t get. Just thinking about it made my phone, which had only been replaced about a year ago, felt a little heavier. CH 7 Chapter 7: Complaining After finishing my part-time job today, I went straight to a family restaurant on my way home. I had already received a call on my phone from Kazemiya saying that she would be there ahead of me before my part-time job. I entered the restaurant and was usually guided to my seat, but not anymore. I checked the ¡®usual seat¡¯ in the restaurant¡­she was there. Today, her bright golden hair was dazzling once again, and she was looking at her phone with boredom. She looked stunning. However, the fact that she became somewhat picturesque just by sitting there was a quintessence. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­.I¡¯m here¡± I and Kazemiya just kind of clicked yesterday(?). We were not close friends before. We had been strangers for a long time. It wasn¡¯t the same as being too familiar, or the way I interacted with her, the tension, or something like that. Anyway, I hadn¡¯t fully grasped it yet. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I was just trying to figure out what kind of stance I should take.¡± ¡°¡­.that, I understand a little.¡± Apparently, Kazemiya felt the same way. I never thought we would be on the same page to this extent. ¡°Isn¡¯t this fine? Just relax and be easygoing. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about this, not here, not with each other.¡± I immediately understood that the nuance of the message was that we already had to be careful at home. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. If I keep worrying, even here, I won¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We are in an alliance, right? If we exhaust each other, it would be a total disaster, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Nodding to Kazemiya¡¯s words, I opened the menu. ¡°Oh, a limited-time grape fair.¡± ¡°Do you like grapes?¡± ¡°Usually. But I mostly eat the regular menu in rotation. This kind of limited-time offer is good for me because it gives me a change of taste.¡± ¡°Eating the same thing all the time can get boring.¡± ¡°I think the problem is on our side, too¡­Yep. It¡¯s dessert, so I should eat this after dinner. Anyway, I think I¡¯ll have pasta for dinner tonight.¡± I finished my order with a set of free refill drinks, poured myself a glass of melon soda, and returned to my seat. ¡°You always drink that at the beginning. Do you have a personal rule?¡± ¡°Eh, really? It was unconscious¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Unconscious, huh? How much do you like melon soda?¡± When I saw her smiling face in front of me like this, I wondered if I was too simple, because she seemed a lot softer than the impression I had of her in the classroom. ¡°This kind of Kazemiya¡­¡­what are you usually drinking, by the way?¡± The drink bar at Flowers was roughly divided into three categories: ¡®drinks,¡¯ ¡®tea,¡¯ and ¡®coffee¡¯. ¡®Drinks¡¯ were mainly juices such as melon soda and lemon soda, which were served in clear glasses. So I guess Kazemiya knew what I liked from the color of the juice in the clear glass. However, for ¡®tea¡¯ and ¡®coffee,¡¯ they used white cups for serving hot drinks. It was difficult to tell what one was drinking from the outside. And there was always that cup placed at Kazemiya¡¯s table, and I only knew that it was either ¡®tea¡¯ or ¡®coffee¡¯. ¡°Various things. Ah, but maybe I drink a lot of tea.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like coffee?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just often drink tea at another chain restaurant¡­I don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it unconsciously, too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So, Kazemiya was a tea drinker. I had always wondered what she drank. I never thought that the day would come when I would find out. At that time, a person who was making coffee from the drink bar passed by our seats in a timely manner. ¡°¡­.Ah, I see. I think I kind of get it now.¡± The aroma of coffee must have reached Kazemiya. Somewhat self-mockingly, she looked at the backs of those who had passed by. ¡°I didn¡¯t like the smell of coffee. It makes me feel like I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Did her sister or her parents drink coffee on a regular basis? Well, it didn¡¯t matter to me. I wouldn¡¯t meddle or step into someone else¡¯s family affairs. In a way, that was always my rule. It wouldn¡¯t change even if I were on the side of listening to their complaints. ¡°You reply like it doesn¡¯t matter to you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me, actually.¡± ¡°¡­.really, I like that part about Narumi, it¡¯s comfortable.¡± ¡°What part?¡± ¡°The part where you don¡¯t meddle in my family affairs.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s what I¡¯m expected to do as someone to complain to¡± ¡°It would help if all mankind were like that.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s face looked exhausted. Furthermore, she looked a little fidgety¡­could this be it? Right away? ¡°¡­.If you want to start complaining right away, I¡¯ll listen as long as I can.¡± ¡°¡­.Really? I mean, how did you know? That I want to start complaining.¡± ¡°I often hear people at my part-time job talk to me about their complaints. I¡¯ve come to recognize those signs.¡± ¡°A sign, huh.¡± Something hit the spot and Kazemiya started to talk. ¡°That¡¯s what this alliance was about in the first place.¡± ¡°Thanks. Really. My eyes were not wrong when I chose Narumi, huh?¡± After saying this, Kazemiya plopped down on the table with a big, loud sigh. ¡°Ahh¡­geez, I¡¯m really, really tired. Now that I became a second-year student¡­I¡¯m getting a lot of these things again, like ¡®I want to meet your sister,¡¯ ¡®I want your contact information,¡¯ and ¡®I want her autograph¡¯. It¡¯s annoying. It¡¯s disturbing. I don¡¯t want them talking to me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were still people in our class who would ask such questions.¡± ¡°There are no more from our class. It¡¯s mostly from other classes¡­¡­and the most common are the freshmen.¡± ¡°I see. If they¡¯re new students, they probably don¡¯t know anything¡­that¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s hard. ¡­And today, Sawada was especially awful, and I bet Narumi saw it too.¡± ¡°Well, I did see it¡­¡± ¡°What is with that guy? In the first place, I¡¯m not interested in class gatherings, and in addition, the other girls stare at me because I¡¯ve been asked to give my personal contact information¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sawada has a lot of fans. After all, he is a prince, the pride of the second-year students.¡± ¡°What a splendid prince he is, to do something like that and not think about what his fans might think.¡± She was fed up¡­ No wonder, though. If she had to deal with the prince¡¯s fans in addition to her sister¡¯s fans, she would be exhausted. ¡°¡­.Ah. Was it good to begin with?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t exchange contact information with Sawada. And yet, you were willing to exchange contact information with me.¡± ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t mind Narumi. You don¡¯t seem to use it for weird stuff, and I trust you as an alliance partner. You wouldn¡¯t come here again if you were going to use it for something strange. We were regulars at the same restaurant.¡± If asked, it was true that Kazemiya and I had formed an alliance only in the past few days, but we had been aware of each other as regulars at this restaurant for some time. If I wanted to take some kind of action, the opportunity was lying around the corner. ¡°¡­¡­at least you¡¯re better than that Sawada.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Sawada would use it for anything weird either.¡± ¡°I wonder. Those people are likely to do something unnecessary with good intentions, and the people around them are likely to be a bunch of thoughtless people. I wouldn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary resentment among fans by having the outer moat filled in without their knowledge and having a relationship turned into a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship without their permission.¡± ¡­did that mean that that had happened in the past? Kazemiya¡¯s appearance was outstanding even at school, and she was so beautiful that it was no surprise when she was called a very popular idol. That was probably the reason she had so many troubles in the past. I understood. ¡°Narumi, can you tell Sawada? He should at least take care of his own fans.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd.¡± ¡°You both are boys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare such a top caste superior with an ordinary citizen who just crawls along the bottom of the pile. The only thing we have in common is that we have arms, legs, and feet that move. Say that by mistake. In this day and age, you¡¯d be beheaded in two seconds.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­fufufu¡± And the pasta I ordered arrived at the same time Kazemiya was again mysteriously amused. ¡°Itadakimasu.¡± ¡°Narumi always says ¡°Itadakimasu¡± and ¡°Gochisosama¡± properly, huh.¡± ¡°Is that weird?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good to be well behaved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be well-behaved. I lived with my mother until a little while ago. It¡¯s a kind of self-preservation so that people won¡¯t say that we¡¯re a single-mother family or that my mother didn¡¯t raise me well.¡± ¡°Hmm. You must be going through a lot of hardship there, too.¡± ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t need any sympathy. I¡¯m happy as I am, and my mom seems happy now that she¡¯s remarried.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t sympathize with you, and I don¡¯t intend to.¡± Kazemiya said that she felt comfortable with me, but I felt that Kazemiya was the one who was comfortable from my point of view. ¡°¡­.Mhm.¡± As I was quietly eating my dinner, I received an incoming call from my mom. ¡°Sorry. Can I answer this?¡± ¡°Sure, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± With her approval, I answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Mom?¡± ¡°Kouta, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way home from a part-time job.¡± ¡°Are you taking a detour again?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, just for a moment.¡± Just as I was wondering if we were going to repeat the exact same exchange as yesterday, I could hear the faint sound of my mother¡¯s breath on the other end of the phone. ¡°¡­¡­Sorry. Mom did that thing this morning¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh.¡± ¡°I said something like ¡®that person,¡¯¡­but I meant it differently. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m favoring Kotomi-chan or that I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that kind of thing.¡± This morning¡¯s incident was still lingering in Mom¡¯s mind, apparently. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be late again today, right? Yesterday you came home later than usual¡­¡­and I was thinking that you might not come home at all.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that. I met a friend yesterday. We had a good time talking¡­and she¡¯s a girl, so I walked her home. You know, it¡¯s not safe to let her walk alone. It¡¯s the same thing today. We were talking at the restaurant, that¡¯s why I¡¯m coming home late¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any female friends. You don¡¯t have to go to the trouble of lying like that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± Although some of the stories were false, most of them weren¡¯t. It was true that I was talking with Kazemiya, and that I was walking her home. But my mom didn¡¯t believe me, apparently. ¡­¡­Of course, she wouldn¡¯t. In fact, I had no interest in women until I formed an alliance with Kazemiya. As I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to get her to believe me, Kazemiya tapped me lightly on the shoulder with her finger. ¡°You want me to take the call?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She would believe it if I was the one taking the call.¡± It was indeed true if you ask me, but¡­¡­it was no good. However, I couldn¡¯t think of any other solution. ¡°Sorry. Can you please?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± In the end, all I could do was honestly rely on my alliance partner. ¡°Hello. This is Kazemiya, Narumi-kun¡¯s classmate.¡± ¡°¡­.Eh, yes. I¡¯m sorry about yesterday. He was so concerned about me, he walked me home. And I¡¯m sorry I borrowed your son again today. ¡­¡­ yes. ¡­¡­yes. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± After some discussion, Kazemiya returned my phone to me, and I resumed talking to my mom. ¡°¡­.hello?¡± ¡°When did you start having a female friend?¡± ¡°¡­¡­rather recently?¡± ¡°I see¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of things that make me doubt you. This is not good. I know I have to move on and not be tied to ¡®that person¡¯ anymore¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t care. As long as Mom is happy, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°¡­.Yeah. Thank you.¡± Apparently, she had calmed down. I¡¯m glad. I was responsible for my mother worrying and overthinking like this. So I didn¡¯t want her to worry too much or think about unnecessary things. In the end, she said, ¡°Give my regards to Kazemiya-san. Be sure to walk her home,¡± after which I hung up the phone. ¡°Was it unnecessary?¡± ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve been a great help. Thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re an alliance for times like this¡­¡­.and I¡¯m aware that I¡¯ve been a bit intrusive. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to ask you to talk to my mom on the phone, so I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m glad you put it that way.¡± We then ordered a grape parfait after dinner, and after another little chatting, we left the restaurant. ¡°What do you do at home, Narumi?¡± ¡°Lately I¡¯ve been playing a game Natsuki recommended.¡± ¡°Is it fun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty addicted. It¡¯s a great way to pass the time.¡± ¡°Wow. Then tell me about it.¡± ¡°Okay, but do you play games, Kazemiya?¡± ¡°Occasionally. Sometimes I do it with my friends.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had friends¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you think I am?¡± Kazemiya¡¯s cheeks puffed out slightly as if she was upset, and she looked somewhat childish. Her appearance in the classroom was also somewhat mature, so the gap between the two was somewhat interesting. ¡°They¡¯re in different classes, and we try not to get too involved at school.¡± This was probably partly because of her own reputation and partly because she didn¡¯t want to bother her friends about her sister. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Also, the game called¡­¡­. I¡¯ll send you the link later.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to do something just because I recommended it to you. If it doesn¡¯t suit you, you can stop right away, and it¡¯ll be hard to be concerned about that.¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t care about that kind of thing.¡± We arrived at Kazemiya¡¯s house in no time and split up for the day. On the way home, I was thinking about what I would do when I got home. I guess I¡¯d distracted her from the fact that I¡¯d be home late, but now I was sure Mom would be asking a lot of questions about Kazemiya. Well, whatever. It was probably much better trouble than being fed up with being uncomfortable. CH 8 Chapter 8: A Little Change ¡°So, what kind of relationship do you have with Kazemiya-san?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What began at the dinner table the next morning was not a happy family time, but an inevitable interrogation for me. ¡°Who¡¯s Kazemiya-san? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°KOUTA, it seems he has a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Oooh, a girlfriend, huh? Way to go, Kouta-kun.¡± ¡°I was surprised, too. He has never talked about anything romantic before. I wish I could interview him about his love life as a high school boy.¡± Perhaps because of her profession as a writer, my mother had always been the kind of person who would get herself involved in things that could become a topic of conversation. However, after the divorce, this aspect of her personality gradually became less and less. She also seemed to have been trying to restrain herself, perhaps out of concern for me. ¡°I told you we¡¯re just friends.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Just a friend, huh¡­she sounded pretty cute, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a voice, right? How imaginative can you be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a writer, after all.¡± It was honestly a bit annoying from an adolescent high school boy¡¯s perspective, but not bad for the atmosphere. The guilt I had, the uncomfortable feeling I have at home. I guess I needed to be a clown for the worry and burden I usually put on my mom. (¡­¡­come to think of it, this might be the first time) This might be the first time since I moved into this house. I¡¯d never had a dinner table where I didn¡¯t feel guilty about anything. This was truly a time of happy family time. ¡°I remember you don¡¯t have a part-time job this coming Friday. If you want, you can go on a date with her. I¡¯ll help you out if you need money.¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be heading straight home.¡± Besides, Akihiro-san¡ªI could talk to my new father normally. I was able to eat breakfast at a normal pace, even though I usually tried to shovel it down quickly. It was as if by magic. (Awesome. Kazemiya power) I didn¡¯t realize that Kazemiya could improve the coziness of the house so much just by making her talk on the phone with my mom. ¡­¡­Well, this would only be a temporary thing. We couldn¡¯t talk about Kazemiya for 24 hours and 365 days. However. I felt more comfortable at home, albeit temporarily, and perhaps I should thank Kazemiya for that. ¡°If you ever go out with your friends, Kotomi, don¡¯t be afraid to go. Even if you have to stop off for a bit¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I prefer to stay in this house with my family.¡± Thinking back, I had never seen Tsujikawa go out with her friends. At least since I moved into this house, she had always gone out with mom and Akihiro-san on weekends and holidays, and she also did her shopping quickly. Unlike me, Tsujikawa Kotomi was always with her family. ¡°And¡­Narumi-senpai.¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°This may be meddlesome, but I think you come home too late every day. Even though you work part-time, it¡¯s not safe for you to come home late at night.¡± ¡°Kouta is a boy and¡­¡­somewhat, right?¡± ¡°Being a boy is no guarantee that you won¡¯t be involved in an incident.¡± ¡°¡±¡­you¡¯re right.¡±¡± ¡°I think any normal family would be concerned about their children walking around late at night.¡± ¡°¡±¡­yes.¡±¡± Both husband and wife were taken aback by their daughter¡¯s righteous argument. In fact, the legitimacy lay with Tsujikawa, and both of them probably knew that what they were saying was not something to be praised as adults or as parents. But they must have been in such a state of emotional flux. ¡°And¡­¡­Kazemiya-senpai is a person of whom I have not heard many good rumors. If you are seen out together late at night, even NARUMI-senpai could get caught up in the rumors.¡± I knew some not-so-good rumors were circulating about a girl named Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡ªI don¡¯t know if the rumors are true or not, that she¡¯s hanging out with not-so-good people, playing around out at night, etc. I could recall Natsuki¡¯s words immediately. If we excluded the fact that she was the younger sister of the singer Kuon, Kazemiya Kohaku would be a student in that position in the school. It was only in the last few days that I began to exchange words with a girl named Kazemiya Kohaku. Until then, I had only known her as a regular customer at the same family restaurant. If you asked me if I know her well, I would answer ¡°no.¡± It would be a possibility that the rumors were not entirely false, and that they were true. ¡°¡­.Thanks for the food. I¡¯m going to school now.¡± But. Still. I couldn¡¯t nod my head in agreement with Tsujikawa¡¯s sound argument. *** ¡°Kouta, you have a very difficult look on your face today.¡± Lunch break. While I was eating lunch in the classroom, Natsuki looked into my face. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve been making this face all morning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a funny face like that.¡± I understood that Natsuki was trying to soften the atmosphere in his way, but I couldn¡¯t overlook that funny face. ¡°I was just thinking about something.¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s perception of Kazemiya and her warning to me. That had been stuck in my mind for a while. What I couldn¡¯t figure out was why it had stuck with me this long. The hazy feeling that had been clutching at my heart. I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, and I kept mulling it over. ¡°Do you want to solve that problem?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡°Do you want my help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult right now, but if I want your help, I¡¯ll talk to you about it.¡± ¡°Okay. Alright. Then I won¡¯t ask any more questions.¡± I liked Natsuki because he was clear about things like this. I would say that the fact that we had been able to have a moderate relationship as childhood friends were due in large part to Natsuki¡¯s personality. ¡°Speaking of mornings, Kazemiya-san is also strange.¡± ¡°Strange? Why?¡± ¡°Huh. You didn¡¯t notice?¡± I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice anything. And even though Kazemiya herself had nothing to do with it, I couldn¡¯t say that I hadn¡¯t been watching her. ¡°She¡¯s been sleepy ever since she arrived at school, and she¡¯s down every break. Even now¡­¡­you see, she¡¯s been sleeping since lunchtime. She usually listens to music.¡± Natsuki urged me to look at Kazemiya¡¯s seat. ¡°¡­.¡± Kazemiya, who was supposed to be listening to music during breaks, was indeed lying on her desk, sleeping soundly. It was as if she had stayed up all night until morning. ¡°¡­.it can¡¯t be¡­¡± I remembered that I recommended a game to Kazemiya last night, but¡­¡­was it something to do with that? No way. I couldn¡¯t believe that Kazemiya Kohaku was up late playing games. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Kazemiya in that state before. Everyone is curious about it. What happened to her?¡± ¡°¡­.I wonder.¡± Quickly shaking off the images that flashed through my mind, I proceeded to eat my lunch of bread. CH 9 Chapter 9 Answering the Question ¡°The game you told me about, I was so addicted to it, that I stayed up all night¡­¡­.¡± I went straight to a family restaurant after finishing my part-time job, and this was the first thing Kazemiya said to me after I met up with her. (I didn¡¯t expect that she had really stayed up all night playing the game¡­¡­.) To be honest, although I recommended it to her, I didn¡¯t think she would be so engrossed in it. By the way, the game I recommended to Kazemiya was a new action game that was just released the other day. In this game, the player became a hunter, defeated monsters, strengthened their weapons and armor, and hunted stronger monsters again. ¡°I know I recommended it, but I didn¡¯t think Kazemiya would be that into it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised at myself. It was the kind of game I don¡¯t usually play, and I thought maybe I would stop playing it soon¡­¡­.but, I think I like this kind of game where you have to keep improving your character.¡± She had such a dazzling appearance, but she likes to work hard. When talking with Kazemiya, the word ¡°gap¡± fell like rain. ¡°How far have you gotten, by the way?¡± ¡°The volcano.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too fast.¡± In terms of progression, it was around the latter half of the game. Even though this game had a starting point of finishing the story quests, it was still quite fast-paced. ¡°It took me three days to get there.¡± ¡°Are you saying Narumi is slow or something?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not the fastest one, but still, your speed is off the charts. How late were you up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t sleep in the first place.¡± ¡°Should I be happy or sad as the one who recommended it¡­¡­¡± ¡°You should just be happy about that.¡± When I saw Kazemiya smiling while looking sleepy, I could tell that she was really into the game I recommended, not out of flattery or anything. ¡°I¡¯m sure Narumi will overtake me soon. Then, how about I help you collect materials?¡± ¡°If that really happens, I¡¯ll be a little disheartened.¡± I would say that I fell into the otaku category but in a shallow and broad sense. I rarely play games, but in Kazemiya¡¯s case, she might be the type who plays them all the way through. ¡°Haha. Then, do your best not to be overtaken.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to¡­but if I¡¯m too absorbed in playing games at home, I don¡¯t feel comfortable in front of my stepsister.¡± ¡°Stepsister?¡± ¡°My mom¡¯s remarried partner has a daughter who¡¯s a freshman in high school. This junior is not only serious but also very talented¡­and she¡¯s been pointing out how late I¡¯ve been coming home.¡± ¡°The type that would be class president or something?¡± ¡°The type that would be class president or something.¡± ¡°Right¡­but, I see. So that¡¯s your little sister.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°In my house, it¡¯s my mom who says those things.¡± Something like heat faded from Kazemiya¡¯s eyes. Like a cup of hot tea that had been left unattended cooled down. ¡°She doesn¡¯t care what I do. But, I can¡¯t do anything to ruin your older sister¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t do anything that will be a drag on your older sister¡ªor something like that. Sister. Sister. Sister. That¡¯s all she cares about.¡± She played with the white cup of the store with her delicate, beautiful fingers. ¡°So yesterday when I was talking to Narumi¡¯s mom¡­¡­I got a little jealous.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous¡­of me?¡± ¡°Yeah. She was really worried about Narumi, and when she found out he had a female friend, she was really happy. My mom wouldn¡¯t have been like this.¡± Kazemiya laughed self-mockingly, and that was where the conversation stopped. The conversations of businessmen on their way home from work and the customer service of the waiters. The voices, which normally would not be bothersome if they were conversing, were now vividly audible. ¡°¡­Sorry. I¡¯m not trying to preach to you.¡± ¡°I know that¡¯s not what you meant.¡± I would not enter into the affairs of Kazemiya¡¯s house. Kazemiya didn¡¯t enter into the affairs of my house. ¡°We¡¯re just complaining and listening. We won¡¯t go any further than that ¨C right? So you don¡¯t have to worry about that, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­I really like how easy it is to talk to Narumi. I wish all boys were like Narumi.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Well, from your point of view, for sure.¡± Kazemiya took a breath and quenched her throat with a sip of cold tea. ¡°Hah¡­¡­something strange. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever complained so much about my family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never talked about my family this casually before either.¡± Although I talked to Natsuki sometimes, I still always felt a kind of guilt. It was not the kind of atmosphere to complain like this. ¡°If it¡¯s true, you know. I wouldn¡¯t like it if you just brought up my sister or my mom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get when you see Kazemiya in the classroom.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s cheeks puffed out in disapproval. ¡°I usually turned them down at first because they were just after my sister. But then some of them wouldn¡¯t give up. But if you keep on intimidating them like that, they will eventually stop coming.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even I could understand now that just as being well behaved was self-defense for me, and that attitude in the classroom was probably self-defense for Kazemiya. ¡ªKazemiya-senpai is a person of whom I have not heard many good rumors. If you are seen out together late at night, even Narumi-senpai could get caught up in the rumors. ¡ªRumors that she¡¯s out at night or hanging out with bad people, I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re true or not. I don¡¯t really like those kinds of rumors. At that moment, the words of Tsujikawa and Natsuki came back to my mind. Tsujikawa heard whispers in the school about the ¡°not-so-good rumors¡±. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hm? No¡­¡± ¡°Ah, maybe you¡¯re wondering about the ¡®rumor¡¯?¡± She seemed to have found out what I was thinking by the fact that I just hesitated to say it. ¡°It¡¯s not that I care. Just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°I just remembered because my sister gave me a little nagging this morning.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m curious, about the details of that little nagging.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we need to share information with our allies?¡± That¡¯s cheating if you brought that logic. After all, our relationship was built on the basis of an ¡°alliance¡± of sorts. To deny that would be to deny this time and relationship itself. ¡°¡­.She said, ¡®Kazemiya-senpai is a person of whom I have not heard many good rumors. If you are seen out together late at night, even Narumi-senpai could get caught up in the rumors.¡¯¡­.¡± ¡°Heh. A sister who loves her brother.¡± ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m just taking those ridiculous rumors to heart.¡± ¡°Could it be Narumi, are you angry?¡± Angry. The question settled in my mind. It was like finding a piece of the puzzle I was looking for and it fits perfectly. ¡°¡­¡­might be.¡± ¡°Eh¡± ¡°I hated it when people took ridiculous rumors to heart and said bad things about my friends¡­and it made me angry. ¡­Ah, I see. I was angry because people were saying bad things about Kazemiya.¡± Now I finally understood. Tsujikawa¡¯s perception of Kazemiya and her warning to me. That was the reason why it had been stuck in my head for so long. I was angry. I was angry because someone said something bad about my friend. It was that simple. ¡°Ahh¡­¡­that clears things up. I feel like I finally got it off my chest. I¡¯ve been worrying about it all morning, but now I¡¯ll be able to sleep comfortably. I feel so good, I might even indulge myself and order a grape parfait!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As I was feeling refreshed and relieved, Kazemiya herself, sitting in front of me, was for some reason stiffening. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong Kazemiya?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ah¡­¡± For some reason, KAZEMIYA was flustered and acting suspiciously. I had never seen her this restless in the classroom or at this family restaurant. ¡°It¡¯s a little¡­awkward because I¡¯ve been told to my face that I¡¯m your friend, and¡­you¡¯re angry for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­it¡¯s more like¡­¡± Kazemiya stuttered as if searching for the word within herself. But she must have found the word right away. Her ears turned bright red while she turned her gaze away from me¡­¡­. ¡°Thanks. That made me happy.¡± She was embarrassed. That Kazemiya Kohaku. It was dangerous. If I had activated the camera mode of my smartphone, I might have taken a picture of her. ¡°You know. We¡¯re friends. We¡¯re not just allies.¡± ¡°I said it in the heat of the moment, but I think you¡¯re right. I told my mom you¡¯re my female friend, too.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Of course, the ¡°alliance¡± relationship still exists.¡± Alliances. Friends. More and more titles were added. But I didn¡¯t feel bad about the increasing number of titles. ¡°¡­By the way, about the rumors. In case you¡¯re wondering, I don¡¯t do anything other than going home from this store at night. I stop by the convenience store once in a while, but I don¡¯t go out to play or anything like that. And¡­as for the rumor that I¡¯m involved with some not-so-good people, I think that¡¯s just because I was seen being scouted by the president of an entertainment agency. That guy was fancy looking.¡± ¡°I see. Well¡­I guess it is something like that. That¡¯s the truth of the rumor, huh? You¡¯re keeping this rumor alive just to cut down on the number of people who come to you for your sister, right?¡± ¡°You can guess that much. You¡¯re good.¡± ¡°If I put it in the context of family matters, I could guess it. The nightlife thing was somewhat predictable¡­and the scouting thing was unexpected, but it wasn¡¯t particularly surprising.¡± ¡°Not surprising?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Kazemiya got a scout or two.¡± ¡°¡­.What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how attractive you are.¡± ¡°¡­..well, that¡¯s.¡± I wouldn¡¯t say that Kazemiya had a good reputation when she was in the classroom. Even so, everyone couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Kazemiya, and they were aware of Kazemiya Kohaku. That was how attractive she was. ¡°Grape parfait, you want some Kazemiya? I¡¯m in a good mood, so I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°¡­.yes.¡± I ordered two grape parfaits from the waitress I called. While waiting for the exciting dessert, Kazemiya casually cut in. ¡°You know, Narumi. Do you hate the fact that there are rumors about me?¡± ¡°I never liked those rumors in the first place, and now that I¡¯m friends with Kazemiya, I just don¡¯t like them anymore. I understand that it¡¯s self-defense for you, so I¡¯ll try to be patient from now on.¡± ¡°I see. Got it.¡± ¡ªWhat exactly did you get it? I didn¡¯t find out until a little later. CH 10 Chapter 10: Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s Family Situation Humans were creatures that were constantly comparing themselves to others. For example, even at school, we were compared to others in every possible way, whether it be in terms of studies, athletics, appearance, or behavior. Moreover, the comparison appears in the form of grades, a clear number. School was the place where the concept of comparison took shape. However, this was something inevitable. When many people gathered together, differences emerged, and it was natural for them to be compared. The question was, who would they be compared to? Who would be the target of the comparison? I¡ªKazemiya Kohaku, hadn¡¯t always been blessed with comparisons in that sense. Kuon. Her real name was Kazemiya Kuon. She was a very popular singer-songwriter and my big sister, especially among middle and high school students. Her voice captivated many people, and the songs she had written and composed were all big hits. When she was chosen to sing the theme song for a famous movie, it caused a boom to the point of being called a social phenomenon. My sister was always excellent at everything from an early age. She was good at everything, both academically and athletically, and her looks were outstanding. She had a unique sense of style, a singing voice that charmed everyone, and was very popular. She got a lot of love from our mom. She was always, always surrounded by admiration. While I¡ªwas always, always discouraged. ¡°When Kuon was your age, she could solve problems like this in no time.¡± ¡°Third place¡­Kuon would have won this competition.¡± ¡°Haah¡­with such a mediocre voice, you can¡¯t even hold a candle to Kuon.¡± Her sister is more amazing. She was able to do it because Kuon was her sister. It¡¯s hard to believe that they¡¯re siblings. I was always and always get discouraged. Somewhere along the line, Mom stopped expecting me. By that time, Mom was extremely busy as a manager supporting my sister¡¯s singing career. ¡°You are free to do as you please. But please, don¡¯t be a drag for Kuon.¡± Mom wanted only that one thing from me. She stopped looking at me¡­¡­.No. Wrong. My mom never looked at me from the beginning. Kazemiya Kohaku, a human being, was not needed by anyone and was not even looked at by anyone. ¡°It looks like Kuon is concentrating, so go out and have some fun. I¡¯ll give you some money.¡± A 10,000 yen bill was handed to me. Clutching the 10,000 yen bill, which was a huge amount of pocket money for a junior high school student, it became a normal thing for me to spend time alone, wandering around outside or in a store somewhere. Moreover, as my sister became more and more famous, more and more people came up to me for her. I was already sick of it. So I ran away from my family. I began to avoid the place called home. I ran away from the people who approached me. They would approach me with their own expectations, then they would be disappointed and hurt me. ¡°What are you doing out so late at night? You¡¯re not doing anything weird, are you?¡± And ironically, once I ran away from my family and home, I started having more conversations with my mom. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could call it a conversation, but at least there were more occasions for her to say something to me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s up to me what I do.¡± Even though she was so busy that she didn¡¯t even come home much. All she did was put some money on the table and told me to eat something with it. ¡°I told you right, don¡¯t be a drag for Kuon.¡± The most important worry in my mom¡¯s mind was always my sister. Every once in a while I would come home and she would complain to me not to bother my sister or do anything that would drag her down. It was at that time I was living such a life. ¡°Hello, mom?¡± I overheard Narumi¡¯s call by chance. Narumi Kouta, a classmate and a regular at the same family restaurant. We had never exchanged words, but I was aware of him as a regular customer. And although I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on the phone conversation, I learned that he was not getting along with his family as well as I was. ¡°Are you on bad terms with your family?¡± Before I knew it, I found myself talking to him. I spoke to him and was inwardly flustered. ¡°¡­¡­is that a question for me?¡± ¡°Who else is here?¡± What am I doing? I, who had been defending myself to keep people away from me, was talking to them on my own. I found myself bewildered by this contradictory behavior. As we talked, I learned that he was like me. I learned that we were similarly running away from a place called home, from our families. I felt¡­¡­glad that there was someone else like that besides me. And it was only then that I realized that I had always found the alone time I spent at the store to be lonely. ¡ªI¡¯m Kohaku¡¯s friend, but I don¡¯t think I can heal your loneliness. At that moment. The words of a friend, which had been said to me some time ago, came back to my mind. ¡°If so, I have a suggestion.¡± Before I knew it, I made a suggestion to Narumi. To spend time together in that restaurant. Not to spend time alone, but to spend time together. I was nervous that he might reject my proposal. My heart was beating very loudly in my chest. Besides¡­I can talk to Narumi, you know. Complain or something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all kinds of stuff. School stuff, personal stuff, family stuff, etc.¡± ¡°We just complain to each other and listen. We won¡¯t go any further than that¡­what do you think?¡± It was one word after another, like an excuse, like a desperate attempt to persuade him. ¡°Yup. I like it. It fits our stance.¡± ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an alliance.¡± ¡°An alliance. That¡¯s good.¡± I think I was smiling. It must have been because I was happy. I was relieved and relieved from the bottom of my heart. Thus began the strange relationship between Narumi and myself, an alliance. The time I spent with Narumi was comfortable. I no longer felt the loneliness and isolation I had felt so much. We talked about trivial things. Talking about my family. We listened to each other¡¯s complaints. There was no sense of guilt there, no sense of being uncomfortable. I could talk about my sister and my mom. I could vent my grievances. I felt I had a place to stay other than home. For the first time, I found a place to stay. That was all I needed. I was happy just to have a place to stay. And yet. ¡°I hated it when people took ridiculous rumors to heart and said bad things about my friends¡­and it made me angry. ¡­Ah, I see. I was angry because people were saying bad things about Kazemiya.¡± Narumi was angry. A bad rumor about me that I had neglected. They were not necessarily false, but they were not true either. Narumi was angry at me for a rumor that had some malicious intent blended into it. No one had ever been angry with me for my sake. If my mom get angry, it was for the sake of my sister. In order not to cause trouble for my sister. She didn¡¯t look at me, she didn¡¯t even see me. But Narumi looked at me. He looked at me and got angry for my sake. ¡°¡­By the way, about the rumors. In case you¡¯re wondering, I don¡¯t do anything other than going home from this store at night. I stop by the convenience store once in a while, but I don¡¯t go out to play or anything like that. And¡­as for the rumor that I¡¯m involved with some not-so-good people, I think that¡¯s just because I was seen being scouted by the president of an entertainment agency. That guy was fancy looking.¡± I even explained the truth of the rumors, which I hadn¡¯t particularly intended to mention. I didn¡¯t want to ruin this cozy moment, so I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it. I had no intention of making such excuses. ¡°I see. Well¡­I guess it is something like that. That¡¯s the truth of the rumor, huh? You¡¯re keeping this rumor alive just to cut down on the number of people who come to you for your sister, right?¡± ¡°You can guess that much. You¡¯re good.¡± He was looking at me. I was happy, glad, and embarrassed and it was warmer than I had expected it to be. ¡°If I put it in the context of family matters, I could guess it. The nightlife thing was somewhat predictable¡­and the scouting thing was unexpected, but it wasn¡¯t particularly surprising.¡± ¡°Not surprising?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Kazemiya got a scout or two.¡± ¡°¡­.What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how attractive you are.¡± ¡°¡­..well, that¡¯s.¡± Narumi was a man who would say outrageous things without hesitation. However, I also get the sense that his words came from the fact that he saw me as a human being. ¡°You know, Narumi. Do you hate the fact that there are rumors about me?¡± ¡°I never liked those rumors in the first place, and now that I¡¯m friends with Kazemiya, I just don¡¯t like them anymore. I understand that it¡¯s self-defense for you, so I¡¯ll try to be patient from now on.¡± ¡°I see. Got it.¡± Narumi looked at me. He heard the rumors about me and got angry. That meant that I was no longer alone. I didn¡¯t mind having strange rumors spread about me, but Narumi might not. Kazemiya Kohaku wasn¡¯t the only person who should be satisfied. How should I act for the sake of those around me who care about me? I kept thinking about this while eating my grape parfait. CH 11 Chapter 11: Things to be Unraveled ¡°Yes¡­yes. Okay, I¡¯m fine with that. Saturday, okay. Then, excuse me.¡± It was after school on Thursday, the day before the class gathering. Normally, I would have had a part-time job today, but I was consulted by the manager of my part-time job about adjusting my shift. The girl who had a shift on Saturday had an appointment that she just couldn¡¯t miss. Therefore, instead of taking Saturday off, it was decided that the person would work a part-time job today, Thursday. I took Saturday off and was originally supposed to leave for a part-time job today, Thursday. However, after some adjustments, she asked me if we could swap shifts, and I agreed. ¡­¡­Well. I know I said a lot of things, but in short, I was no longer scheduled for my part-time job today. Instead, I would be out on Saturday, but that was fine with me. The problem was that I have a lot of free time on my hands. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. Sorry for making you wait. I was just going to return a textbook to the next class, but a girl grabbed me and¡­wait, Kouta. You look kind of bored. Could it be that your part-time job shift has been adjusted?¡± ¡°Are you going to be a great detective in the future?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking that might not be a bad idea.¡± Natsuki, who jokingly laughed about it, amazes me every time with the sharpness of this childhood friend. ¡°It¡¯s just as you said, great detective. My shift has been adjusted, and now I have a whole lot of free time.¡± ¡°Well, well, well, let¡¯s go somewhere and have fun together then.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­Okay. That¡¯s good. I¡¯m not busy.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been out with Kouta. Let¡¯s go to the arcade. Just today is the day that a new character is added to that game we always play.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± And just as I got up from my seat, the classroom door opened and a teacher entered. ¡°Oh, there are still some students left. Well¡­¡­all of you who are left in this classroom right now, I¡¯m sorry to bother you out of the blue, but I need a little help. I¡¯m going to need you to move some old desks and chairs. ¡­¡­Well, of course, it¡¯s not mandatory, but we¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d give us a hand.¡± Though it was not compulsory, if you ignored them and left without doing anything here, it would not make a good impression on the teachers. In effect, it was like a compulsion. My classmates who happened to remain in the classroom felt the same way as I did, and no one left, though they looked reluctant to leave. ¡­¡­and also by coincidence. Among those who remained in the classroom was Kazemiya. ¡°Thank you. Then come with me.¡± We, the poor go-home club members, followed the teacher, lamenting our misfortunes. ¡°Tchh. It¡¯s too bad because it¡¯s a rare chance to hang out with Kouta after school.¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have a choice. Besides, it¡¯s not a loss to do this kind of thing. It¡¯s more constructive to think of it as a gain of a few extra points.¡± ¡°I remember Kouta taking the initiative in accepting requests from teachers like this.¡± ¡°I wanted to earn as many points as possible, and I didn¡¯t want my mother to get a bad reputation. For me, it¡¯s a win-win event.¡± I had always taken the initiative to take on these things in order to avoid people around me and teachers saying that I was not raised well because I was from a single-mother family and that my mother¡¯s education was not good¡­¡­. (But¡­¡­I see. Mom got remarried, so I guess I don¡¯t have to take the initiative on these things anymore) Mom had already remarried. I now had a new family. However, I still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of the habits I had when I lived with my mother. I had not yet adapted to my new family, my new home. It was very troublesome for me to be confronted with this fact at such a casual moment, and I felt like a troublesome person myself. ¡°I need you to take all the old desks and chairs in this classroom outside to the back of the school building. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The empty classroom to which we were led was crammed with rusted and outdated desks and chairs. At a cursory glance, there were enough desks and chairs for two classes. ¡°Ugh. All this to behind the school building¡­¡­is going to be a painful process.¡± ¡°I agree with you completely, but now that we¡¯ve taken on the job, we have to do it.¡± I could very well understand the feeling of wanting to complain. I told Natsuki we had no choice but to do it, but I felt like complaining in general. However, complaining here wouldn¡¯t make the pile of desks and chairs go away. And fortunately or unfortunately, the act of killing time was a welcome one for me, and the reason for ¡°helping the teacher¡± was a very good one. It was a more wholesome reason than lingering at the family restaurant, and my stepsister, who was a class president type, would have nothing to criticize me for it. I, probably the most highly motivated (even if only by the height of an acorn) of all the students present, took the lead into the ancient castle of towering desks and chairs. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s something to be expected.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Natsuki also got to work, and seeing this, the other classmates around him followed suit as if they had no choice. Among them was Kazemiya. There were only enough desks and chairs for two classes, and there were only a small number of the go-home club members who just happened to be staying in the classroom. It was obvious that it would take time. Was that why they became impatient? ¡°Good¡­¡­hup¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Stop being so lazy. You can¡¯t carry that much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Besides, I want to get this over with as soon as possible.¡± One of my female classmates was trying to move with a large number of chairs in her arms. Her muscular strength was not up to the weight, and her steps were unsteady and dangerous to watch. ¡°Uwa¡­!¡± Sure enough, I should say. The girl lost her balance when her foot got caught in a chair. I was prepared in advance, and before I could move¡ªa girl supported the girl who was about to fall. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­Kazemiya-san.¡± The body of the female classmate cowered slightly. Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s behavior in the classroom was, simply put, intimidating to those around her. From the perspective of those who didn¡¯t know the circumstances, that reaction was¨Csadly¨C natural. ¡°¡­¡­are you ok?¡± ¡°Eh? I-I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t carry all that much.¡± As she said this, Kazemiya took back half of the chairs from her female classmate. ¡°I¡¯ll carry half of it. The rest, just take it a little at a time, and be careful carrying it.¡± ¡°¡­T-thank you!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I was not the only one who saw the exchange. All the other classmates in the room were watching, and all of them were surprised. The person that everyone knew as Kazemiya Kohaku in the classroom was overbearing and rejecting others. Even to the prince of the school, Sawada. I doubt she had ever shown such a soft demeanor before. I didn¡¯t know how it was last year, but at least not during the second year. It was a surprise to me, as someone who knew Kazemiya¡¯s situation. That attitude must have been her own way of defending herself, but now she had let go of that self-defense. Despite such a small incident (?), the work proceeded without further trouble. And by the time everything was finished, the area was enveloped in a fiery sunset. ¡°Ooh, good job. Thank you so much for your help.¡± ¡°Teacher~ are you here yet~?¡± Natsuki¡¯s words seemed to speak for all of the classmates¡¯ presents, and the teacher, with a wry smile, held up a small supermarket bag in his hand. ¡°I feel bad. I¡¯ve bought you some juice and sweets in exchange. You can eat whatever you like.¡± ¡°Yes! You know what you¡¯re doing, teacher!¡± Classmates, who had overcome this hardship together, were excited by the juices and sweets that he must have bought with his own money at a convenience store. ¡°Kouta is melon soda, right? Here you go.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks.¡± ¡°I think most of them have already received it. I think the only person who hasn¡¯t received it is¡­¡­Kazemiya-san.¡± Natsuki gave a carefree look to Kazemiya, who was leaning against the wall of the school building outside of the group. This kind of unobtrusive approach to everyone was one of the things I respected about Natsuki. ¡°Kazemiya-saan, do you have anything you want to drink? Seems like the teacher bought a lot of drinks. We have a lot left over.¡± The juice had already gone to almost everyone, but there was still a variety left. Orange juice and lemon soda. Water, tea, coffee, and tea¡­¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Black tea right, Kazemiya? Here.¡± Suddenly, I picked up a cup of tea that caught my eye and tossed it straight to Kazemiya. ¡°¡­T-thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± Kazemiya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise for some reason, then she caught the tea. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong Natsuki.¡± ¡°Kouta, you¡­¡± Around the time Natsuki was about to say something¡ª ¡°Ka-Kazemiya-san. Thank you for earlier¡­¡­.¡± A girl who had just almost fallen down with a large number of chairs was talking to Kazemiya with awkward movements. ¡°I just happened to be nearby.¡± ¡°S-still, thank you¡­or rather, I¡¯m sorry. It seems that I misunderstood you, Kazemiya-san. Somehow, I thought you were more unapproachable¡­and there are also rumors¡­ah¡­¡± The girl turned pale as she slipped up about the rumor right in front of her. However, Kazemiya did not seem to be bothered by it. ¡°That¡¯s, I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t care. I know I¡¯ve had a bad attitude¡­¡­or whatever that rumor is about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡­is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not playing around at night, I¡¯m just killing time at the restaurant and I don¡¯t socialize with people who¡­¡­aren¡¯t very nice. It was probably just because someone saw me being scouted by some fancy-dressed entertainment agency guy. I turned that down too¡­¡­.¡± She proceeded to give the same explanation that she gave me yesterday. ¡°So¡­¡­that¡­¡­ It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, that¡¯s all.¡± A rumor she dared to leave aside. The protective gear for self-defense. Now it was being unraveled in front of our eyes. ¡ªYou know, Narumi. Do you hate the fact that there are rumors about me? ¡ªI never liked those rumors in the first place, and now that I¡¯m friends with Kazemiya, I just don¡¯t like them anymore. I understand that it¡¯s self-defense for you, so I¡¯ll try to be patient from now on. ¡ªI see. Got it. I recalled the last conversation I had with Kazemiya at a family restaurant yesterday. What exactly did she ¡°get it¡±? It was as if she answered the question I had in my mind. It felt that way. CH 12 Chapter 12: What Lies Ahead After devouring the rewards of juice and sweets, I parted ways with Natsuki on my way home, knowing that I could not play with him this late in the day. I could have gone home, but my feet naturally took me to the usual family restaurant. ¡°I feel like my body is just so sore.¡± Kazemiya joined me and quenched her thirst with a lemon soda with a wry smile on her face. Probably the reason why she chose the drink instead of tea was because she had just had it at school. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve moved a lot of muscles I don¡¯t normally use.¡± ¡°I get you.¡± It was a different kind of fatigue than when I worked part-time. I felt like I was going to become one with the chair in this restaurant. ¡°Kazemiya is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­No. Nevermind. Forget about that just now.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± She was right. It was too late if I told her to forget about it now. ¡°What? Just tell me what it is.¡± ¡°I was about to ask something a little more personal, so I stopped myself. We agreed not to ask anything too personal.¡± Our alliance was only to complain to each other. Nothing more, nothing less, and we wouldn¡¯t get into each other¡¯s business. That was the agreement. ¡°Aah¡­¡± Kazemiya was troubled for a moment, and after thinking a little bit¡­ ¡°Then. Why don¡¯t we do it this way? Narumi asks me that question. In return, I¡¯ll ask Narumi one personal question. If we do that it would be fair¡­¡­.you see, I did the same thing the day I formed an alliance with Narumi.¡± ¡°Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°It is since it¡¯s Narumi. And I¡¯m really concerned about it if we don¡¯t do it that way.¡± Since it¡¯s Narumi. I was tempted to ask her what she meant by that, but I held back. ¡°¡­Alright. It¡¯s fine then.¡± ¡°Okay then, go ahead Narumi. Ask me some personal questions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal, but¡­¡­Kazemiya, you¡¯ve been letting the rumors about yourself go on for a long time. So I wondered why you were trying to clear up that misunderstanding today. That¡¯s all.¡± That was Kazemiya¡¯s personal matter. I could not care less what she thinks about the rumors, or if she suddenly tries to clear up misunderstandings. That would be for Kazemiya to decide, and it was not for me to interfere. But it bothered me. Even though I knew it was an intrusion, and that it was against the alliance. ¡°¡­ah. About that, yeah.¡± ¡°If there are circumstances that make it difficult for you to tell me, you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t have that kind of thing. But¡­¡­¡± She was unusually lost for words, even for Kazemiya. She put her mouth on the straw to disguise it and drank the lemon soda, of which there was only a little left, in one gulp. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t like rumors like that, right?¡± ¡°¡­? Me?¡± ¡°You said it yourself.¡± ¡°I did. I did say that, but¡­is that why?¡± ¡°¡­Is it bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. But, is it good for you? That rumor is self-defense for Kazemiya, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­I just thought it wasn¡¯t something I should leave if it made my friends unhappy. That¡¯s really all.¡± If Kazemiya said ¡®that¡¯s all,¡¯ then that must be all there was to it. I couldn¡¯t step in any further. It would depend on the occasion ¡ª regardless of the alliance, it was the minimum manner in interpersonal relations not to go into something that was difficult to be asked and answered as much as possible. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re done talking about this. That¡¯s it. Next, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ask me anything.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­but I can¡¯t think of any questions to ask.¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t say such things so carelessly, though?¡± ¡°I trust Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I-I see.¡± She looked away. No way. Was she implying that my trust in her didn¡¯t reach her? ¡°Then¡­¡­tell me your little sister¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Her name? Hmmm¡­I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s personal information, at least. But, I mean, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also that my personal information is known to the Narumi family, but I don¡¯t know anything about them.¡± ¡°Aah¡­that¡¯s true too.¡± The name ¡®Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯ was well known because of the previous phone call to the Narumi family¡­¡­no, now is ¡®Tsujikawa family¡¯ if it was according to the family register. Even my stepsister, Tsujikawa Kotomi, knew the name ¡®Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯ (although she knew it even without that phone call since Kazemiya was famous for that rumor). ¡°¡­Alright. I will tell you because I trust Kazemiya. Just in case, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t go around telling everyone about it.¡± Kazemiya said, ¡°Okay. I promise,¡± and nodded, waiting for me to say it. ¡°Tsujikawa Kotomi. That¡¯s the name of my stepsister.¡± ¡°Tsujikawa Kotomi¡­She¡¯s a freshman, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you know a lot.¡± ¡°Because my friend told me. I heard from a friend that there is a very talented first-year student. As I recall, she gave a speech at the entrance ceremony as a representative of the class, didn¡¯t she?¡± If you ask me, yes, Tsujikawa was an honor student who entered the school with top grades. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if some of the students in the second grade and above were taking notice of her. I never thought I would be reminded of my stepsister¡¯s excellent specs at a time like this. ¡°I see. That was your little sister. ¡­You have it hard, huh.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard in a lot of ways.¡± I knew very well that Tsujikawa was not the one to blame. The uncomfortable feeling in that house was caused by me, and because of that, I felt a great deal of guilt toward her. ¡°You know, Narumi. Aren¡¯t you going to¡­try to outdo your brilliant little sister or something?¡± ¡°¡­I would have done that back in the day.¡± ¡°Why not now?¡± ¡°Do I look like the kind of person who would do that now?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Even if I did that, the result would be obvious. When the outcome became reality, the comfort in that house would become even worse. ¡°I was the same way there. I used to try, too. But it was no good. There wasn¡¯t a single thing I could do to beat my older sister. Mom gave up on me and I gave up on myself. I stopped looking for something that could beat my sister, stopped trying to beat her, stopped everything.¡± Kazemiya and me. Both were people who stood still. The world would say, ¡°Don¡¯t give up. Keep going. Don¡¯t stand still. Don¡¯t run away. Keep trying.¡± ¡­I know. Lip services like that were not wrong. It was never wrong at any time. I and Kazemiya knew that. It was precise because we understand the legitimacy of lip services that we feel guilty about them. ¡°I ran away from my older sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to run away, no?¡± ¡°I wonder. Running away isn¡¯t going to solve anything, is it? You¡¯re just postponing the problem.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s certainly not going to be solved. Someday the problems we put off will be waving in front of us¡­but it¡¯s not all bad. If something good comes out of your escape, it¡¯s not a waste.¡± ¡°Good things?¡± ¡°I ran away from my family. But I became friends with Kazemiya at this restaurant where I ran away.¡± ¡°¡­Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°It is, for me. I¡¯ve only been friends with you for a few days, but I like spending time with Kazemiya at this restaurant¡­¡± Kazemiya didn¡¯t say anything. She just stared at me in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m glad I ran away, how about you, Kazemiya?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Kazemiya looked down. As if asking her own mind again. ¡°¡­Me, too. Same.¡± And. She squeezed out the words as if chewing them. ¡°Before, I felt guilty. I felt bad about it. But now I¡¯m glad I ran away. The time I spend talking with you here is¡­un because it¡¯s fun.¡± Before I knew it, I was looking forward to going to this restaurant that I had been running away from with a guilty conscience. I didn¡¯t even realize it until I put it into words. I¡¯m sure that Kazemiya feels the same way. I hope so, I think. ¡°Well¡­fufufu. It¡¯s weird that we¡¯re glad we ran away. Normally, you¡¯re not supposed to run away.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡ªI didn¡¯t know much about Kazemiya¡¯s older sister, the publicly famous Kuon. But I had to admit that the smile of Kazemiya in front of me right now was surely¡­as attractive as her older sister¡¯s. I didn¡¯t know or could imagine a smile more attractive than hers. *** After paying the bill, I left the restaurant as usual and walked Kazemiya home. There was not much conversation on the way. It was partly because we had talked a lot at the restaurant, but after seeing Kazemiya¡¯s smiling face, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t say many words. I couldn¡¯t figure out why. I was even a little flustered myself. And Kazemiya¡¯s behavior was also a little strange. She was talking less than usual. ¡­I get it. This is probably because of embarrassment. Me too, and Kazemiya. Looking back on it with a clear head, I felt I said something a little embarrassing, and I think I let her hear me say it. Above all, I was too vigorous and talked too much. I think I went too far. Fortunately, it only took me about five minutes to get to the apartment building where Kazemiya lived. ¡°¡­we¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°¡­right.¡± Perhaps we were both relieved. All that remained was to exchange the usual, conventional words. ¡°¡­See you later, Narumi.¡± ¡°¡­See you later, Kazemiya.¡± Originally, all that was left was to watch Kazemiya¡¯s back as she entered the apartment. ¡°Where on earth were you wandering off to this late at night¡ªKohaku?¡± Until a cold woman¡¯s voice was called over Kazemiya. CH 13 Chapter 13: Closed Door There she was, a slender woman dressed in a tight-fitting suit with a ladies¡¯ business bag slung over her shoulder, looking like a very accomplished career woman. Her sharp gaze through the lenses of her glasses pointed at Kazemiya had a reproachful tinge. (Kohaku¡­¡­) She was someone who could call Kazemiya by her first name, and she was in front of this tower apartment. And if I looked closely at her face, I felt that she resembled Kazemiya. She looked just like the kind of beautiful woman that Kazemiya would become if she grew up and aged. ¡°¡­..Mom.¡± I knew it. She was Kazemiya¡¯s mother. Considering that Kazemiya¡¯s older sister was a university student, she looked much younger than her age. ¡°You¡¯ve been out again until these hours just because I can¡¯t see you. Seriously¡­you never grow up, no matter how long it takes.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Kazemiya¡¯s mother sighed as if she was truly disappointed. Eventually, her gaze turned to me, who was standing next to Kazemiya. ¡°¡­And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the late introduction. I¡¯m Kazemiya¡¯s friend, Narumi Kouta.¡± ¡°I see. I apologize for any inconvenience our Kohaku has caused you.¡± The greeting itself was pretty normal, but I feel that there was some implication in her words, am I just overly worried, or am I just being weird? Or¡­¡­. ¡°Today we had to help the teacher at the school. I and Kazemiya were helping the teacher, but we were tired, so we took a break at the restaurant on the way home, and it got to be this late. I have been talking too much¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Your concern is appreciated. I¡¯m sure this kid was stalling again with all the nonsense anyway. ¡­Good grief. Don¡¯t bother the others. They¡¯re busy too.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± At her mother¡¯s words, Kazemiya bit her lip and clenched a small fist. ¡°You got something to say, Kohaku?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like that look in your eyes. I don¡¯t care what you think in your mind, but you need to get out of the habit of showing it on your face. It¡¯s disgraceful.¡± With a familiar sigh, Kazemiya¡¯s mother walked straight into the apartment. As if following her, Kazemiya also tried to follow with weak steps¡ªbut before she did so, her eyes met mine for a moment. ¡°¡­..¡± Kazemiya looked away as if she could no longer bear the pain and then disappeared into the apartment building that soared to the heavens. ¡°Kazemiya¡­¡± I wondered how Kazemiya felt when our eyes met for the last time. I felt like I could understand it. I and Kazemiya were similar. It was because we were so similar that I could understand. ¡ªShe didn¡¯t want me to see her like that. I felt like her words and feelings were seeping out from the last look in Kazemiya¡¯s eyes. *** ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m home.¡± I came straight home from Kazemiya¡¯s house and showed my face in the living room to let them know I was home. ¡°Welcome home.¡± ¡°Welcome home, Kouta-kun. Thanks for your hard work at school.¡± ¡°You must be tired. I¡¯m refilling the bathtub with hot water. Take a bath and relax.¡± I returned home at around ten o¡¯clock. I was warmly greeted by my mother, who was writing in the living room, and Akihiro-san, who was pouring a cup of warm cocoa. Normally, my heart would be filled with uncomfortableness, guilty feelings, and remorse, but only today I was able to receive that warmth with open arms. (Welcome home, huh¡­) These two people say ¡°welcome home¡± to me as if it were a matter of course. But. (¡­¡­Kazemiya¡¯s mother didn¡¯t say that.) Kazemiya¡¯s mother did not say a single word of greeting to her daughter when she came home. Not even a word of concern. She was just blaming, disgusted, and annoyed at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Spacing out like that.¡± ¡°¡­I was just thinking about how lucky I am.¡± ¡°What, do you have a fever?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rather, how much better it would have been if the existence of that Kazemiya¡¯s mother had been a dream that she had had when she had a fever. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to put my stuff upstairs and take a bath.¡± ¡°Oh, Kouta-kun. If you are going upstairs, could you take some cocoa to Kotomi? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s studying right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Alright.¡± ¡°Thanks. That¡¯d be great.¡± To be honest, the distance between Tsujikawa and me was still very subtle. Perhaps Akihiro-san was aware of this. By asking me to bring something to Tsujikawa, he was increasing the opportunities for communication between the siblings. If he had been a stranger, I would have refused. There were probably plenty of people in this world who didn¡¯t get along, and there was no need to force a relationship with someone who didn¡¯t get along. But the problem is that we are a family. Unlike in school, this family connection would continue. Even if I were to run away or turn a blind eye, the fact that we were a family itself would not disappear. And besides, my mother had finally found happiness. I wasn¡¯t so heartless as to try to mess it up here. ¡­And, well. I made excuses and rationalizations in my mind like that, kept my mind strong, and stood in front of my stepsister¡¯s room. First, I took a deep breath. Then, I knocked lightly. ¡°Ah, Tsujikawa, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I brought you something from Akihiro-san.¡± ¡°¡­please wait a moment.¡± A little later, the door to the room opened. Tsujikawa, dressed in loungewear, took one look at me and said, ¡°Welcome home. So you¡¯re already home.¡± She gave me a word of greeting first. ¡°A-ah¡­yeah. I just got home.¡± ¡°? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­I had no idea you were going to greet me.¡± ¡°I think family members normally at least greet each other.¡± Even TSUJIKAWA said ¡°welcome home¡± to me like this. Just how uninterested Kazemiya¡¯s mother was in her daughter. I felt as if this was becoming more and more apparent, and on the contrary, I almost felt depressed. ¡°This is from Akihiro-san.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Tsujikawa received the cocoa. I thought she would just walk away, but for some reason¡­¡­she stayed where she was. ¡°¡­Why are you avoiding our family?¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s question relentlessly pointed out that I was avoiding our family. ¡°Families are meant to be together. That¡¯s what¡¯s normal, and I think being normal is what makes us happiest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I agree that normal is best.¡± ¡°If you know that, then you should stay home too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder why. Even though that¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°¡­Are you trying to destroy our family?¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s remark was tinged with accusation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag my family down. So please don¡¯t drag our family down with you either. No matter how¡­¡­uncomfortable it may be.¡± Since I moved into this house, and since we became a family, I couldn¡¯t remember Tsujikawa ever showing so much emotion. This showed me just how important ¡°family¡± was to this girl, Tsujikawa Kotomi. ¡°I have a mother, I have a father. I have both parents. We can finally¡­¡­be a normal family. Dad can be happy. If you do anything to destroy this happiness¡­¡­I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Then Tsujikawa returned to her room and closed the door. A door that was firmly closed. There was no way for me to open it, at least not right now. CH 14 Chapter 14: More Than Family After the chaotic Thursday, the day on which the performance of students and workers around the world would most likely improve, namely Friday, had begun. Kazemiya¡¯s mother was cold toward her daughter. Tsujikawa was acting a little strange. I felt that Thursday¡¯s events deserved to be called chaotic. No, if I were to say that, this weekday itself was chaotic. The alliance with Kazemiya Kohaku started on Monday. Today, was only the fifth day. Although it had been only five days, I thought it was a big change for me. ¡°¡­..¡± What filled my head was the expression on Kazemiya¡¯s face yesterday. That was all I could think about. ¡°Oi, Kouta, Koutaa?¡± ¡°¡­.Ah, Natsuki. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯s wrong¡¯? I¡¯ve been repeatedly greeting you ¡®Good morning¡¯ from a while ago, but you haven¡¯t responded to me at all.¡± ¡°Sorry. I was just thinking about something.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that a lot lately.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I guess so. I have more things to think about.¡± Especially in the last five days. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare at people¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Hey, Kouta. You¡¯ve changed a little lately.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve changed¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t deny it. This was because I was aware that the person of Narumi Kouta had changed more or less during these chaotic five days. ¡°¡­Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Riight?¡± I wondered what made Natsuki so happy, as she giggled. ¡°Why do you look so happy?¡± ¡°Hm? I wonder? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s yourself.¡± ¡°Do you know Kouta? Everything about me, everything.¡± Natsuki¡¯s words, knowingly or unknowingly, pierced deep into the human being named Narumi Kouta. It was as if I was being hit in some painful place as if something that Natsuki could see was being pointed out to me without mercy. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Kazemiya.¡± Kazemiya came to school in the morning. Her eyes seemed to be looking ahead, but she was not looking anywhere. They were somewhat hollow and hazy. ¡°Kazemiya-san, you¡¯ve changed a bit lately, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. ¡­But today, you¡¯re back to your usual self.¡± ¡°My usual self¡­¡± ¡°I mean, not so long ago¡­or rather, up until the last week or so, you had that look in your eye every day.¡± That empty-eyed-looking Kazemiya was the usual Kazemiya. ¡­But, the Kazemiya Kohaku I knew was different. She didn¡¯t have that kind of eyes. The Kazemiya I remember had many more expressions. Her eyes, as beautiful as jewels, shone so beautifully that if you were not careful, you would be blinded by them. What kind of looks did Kazemiya use to have? I can no longer remember what she looked like. That was how much my¡­¡­impression of Kazemiya Kohaku had changed in the past five days. (¡ªImpression?) Impression. Did I just describe it that way? (No.) ¡­It wasn¡¯t an ¡®impression¡¯ or something vague like that. Doubts about one¡¯s mind. A feeling of discomfort. Trace it, think about it, and give shape to it. (¡­Presence?) Yes. That¡¯s right. Not ¡°impression¡± but ¡°presence¡±. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it that way. The person named Kazemiya Kohaku had become a big ¡°presence¡± in my mind. ¡°You¡¯re thinking again.¡± ¡°Uwa!?¡± When I finally come to my senses, I saw Natsuki¡¯s face right in front of me. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know that the bell rang.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The next class is Hosomine-sensei¡¯s, you know. I think she¡¯s going to warn us if we don¡¯t have our books and notebooks on our desks.¡± ¡°Right. You saved me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Just don¡¯t let the teacher catch you in class, okay? Since I can¡¯t cover you.¡± ¡°I appreciate your willingness to cover for me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natsuki laughed and, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Kouta think so seriously in a long time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had to think so seriously about something before.¡± ¡°Is that so? But you know, I¡¯m sure whatever Kouta is thinking about right now is a good thing.¡± Feeling grateful for my childhood friend¡¯s concern, I grabbed my textbooks off my desk. *** ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s do the class gathering.¡± After school. The participants of the class gathering, who had quickly finished getting ready to go home, stood up in high spirits at the word of Sawada. With such excitement at my side, I also start to get ready to go home. ¡°Kazemiya-san.¡± As I was packing my textbooks, Sawada approached Kazemiya, who was also getting ready to leave with a slow and sluggish hand. ¡°What.¡± ¡°About the class gathering. Would you like to go now?¡± ¡°I should have already answered that.¡± ¡°I thought you might have changed your mind.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind, and I have to stay home today.¡± ¡°I see. So today you¡¯re spending time with your family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± After quickly packing her textbooks, Kazemiya left the classroom at a brisk pace. ¡°¡­.Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Okaay. Kyaa, after school on Fridays, is so exciting, riight?¡± ¡°Aah¡­I guess.¡± Had it been last week, I would have instantly nodded and affirmed Natsuki¡¯s words. Nope. Even now, I was happy when it comes to Friday. Even if I didn¡¯t have anything special to do or plans, I still get excited and restless. But why? My heart isn¡¯t that excited right now. ¡°Byee, Kouta.¡± ¡°Yeah, see you on Monday.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss youu. A greeting that feels like we¡¯re not going to see each other on this holiday. Sometimes I wish you¡¯d ask me out on short notice.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I have a part-time job on my day off.¡± I parted ways with Natsuki on the way and went straight home. I decided to stay home as much as possible on Fridays, so as not to ruin my mother¡¯s newfound happiness. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome home.¡± When I got home, my mother greeted me and Akihiro-san was not there. It was only natural. Working hours for working people and class hours for students were different. ¡°Fuu¡­¡± I throw out my luggage, put my uniform on a hanger, and roll onto my bed. It had been a little over a month since I moved into this house following my mom¡¯s remarriage. I still couldn¡¯t get used to the view of the ceiling from this bed. Was it because I keep running away from this house? ¡°Friday is a day to put family first¡­¡­¡± I speak the rule I set for myself. Even after Mom remarried and I began my days of running away from this house, from my family, I made sure not to break this rule. Friday was the only day I wasn¡¯t supposed to run away. ¡°¡­..¡± I got out of bed, took my uniform off the hangar, and screwed my phone into my pocket. I went from the second floor to the first floor. I didn¡¯t go straight to the front door, but instead, I went to see my mother in the living room. ¡°Ara, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out.¡± ¡°Ehh? But you said you were staying home today¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Friday should be the day you put my family first. Friday was the only day that I should not run away. That was my rule. It was a rule to avoid destroying the family. But today, for this one time, I decided to break that rule. ¡°¡­..¡± Sending a message to Kazemiya via the Messages application. Keep the text simple. Straight to the point. [I¡¯m coming.] That was all. That should be all I need to let her know. ¡ªI haven¡¯t changed my mind, and I have to stay home today. ¡ªI see. So today you¡¯re spending time with your family. ¡°¡­¡­that can¡¯t be right.¡± I put a cross in red on the words of Sawada that came back to my mind. Sawada didn¡¯t know who Kazemiya Kohaku was. Kazemiya staying at home? Of course, that was a lie to refuse the class gathering. The reason why she didn¡¯t reject him coldly and cut him off like before was to prevent bad rumors from spreading. ¡°¡­..¡± I headed, of course, to the usual store. The usual family restaurant. The usual seats. ¡°¡­You really came.¡± Sitting at the seat was Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡°I thought today was the day you had to stay home¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was planning to.¡± Across the table, I sat in the chair that had become my ¡®usual seat¡¯ over the past five days. ¡°Today, I decided to listen to Kazemiya complain.¡± CH 15 Chapter 15: A Class Gathering for Just the Two of Us ¡°You decided to listen to my complaint¡­¡­eh? Why?¡± ¡°Why you said¡­¡± I didn¡¯t really know why I had rushed here on a Friday of all days, breaking all the rules I had set for myself and disregarding the time that I had to spend with my family. ¡°About school, about personal things, about¡ªfamily things, and so on. We would complain about those things and listen to each other. That¡¯s the kind of alliance we had.¡± This was originally proposed by Kazemiya. Don¡¯t tell me she already forgot. ¡°¡­..¡± Yet, Kazemiya remained frozen with an open-mouthed, blank expression on her face. ¡°¡­.Say something.¡± ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°You mean?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come¡­..somehow. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you today¡­why? I¡¯m so confused that I don¡¯t even know what to say¡­¡± It was rare to see Kazemiya in such a flustered state. I didn¡¯t think she ever showed this kind of face not only when it was cool during the daytime, but even after school at night. ¡°¡­as I said earlier. It¡¯s true that I wasn¡¯t planning to come today.¡± ¡°¡­then why did you come?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, huh.¡± When I answered honestly, Kazemiya let out a small giggle. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m thinking about it too, but I don¡¯t know. Anyway, it¡¯s complaining time, complaining. I decided today I decided I¡¯m going to listen to your complaining. ¡­¡­Oh, but let me order a free refill drink for me first.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to order anything.¡± ¡°Are you a demon? I¡¯ve been running here and I¡¯m thirsty.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm? You came here running.¡± ¡°¡­Why? Is it bad?¡± ¡°No, not really. ¡­I¡¯m rather glad.¡± I wonder why. I couldn¡¯t look at Kazemiya¡¯s face straight now. ¡°Anyway, let me order it first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s fine. Here.¡± Kazemiya pulled out a bill and spread it out in front of me. On a blank paper, ¡°Free refill drink Quantity: 2¡± was written in black letters. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect Narumi to come, but¡­I ordered two out of habit.¡± I usually headed to the family restaurant after my part-time job was over, and I asked Kazemiya to order a free refill drink for me in advance as well. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I came.¡± ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t come, I¡¯d still drink that two.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all-you-can-drink, so no matter how much you drink, it¡¯s still enough if you just order one.¡± ¡°If I drink twice as much as I usually do, it¡¯s enough for two.¡± Kazemiya was waving her absurd logic at me, and at this point, our eyes finally met. My shoulders relaxed, and all the unnecessary things fell out of my mind, and I felt as if the after-school hours had returned as usual. ¡°¡­Fufufu. It¡¯s a bit absurd, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Haha. Yes, it is.¡± We both laughed. ¡°Thanks, Narumi, I feel a little better.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. I didn¡¯t come here to cheer you up.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re right, Narumi just came to listen to my complaint.¡± ¡°It¡¯s much more comfortable for you that way, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s much more comfortable that way.¡± I was allowed to take advantage of the free refill drink that Kazemiya had ordered for me and poured a melon soda with light ice in the glass until it was just about full. Right next to me, Kazemiya, who had also left her seat to fill up a new drink, was waiting for her turn. ¡°You like melon soda.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink it at home.¡± ¡°Ah, for sure. Melon soda is a common drink at family restaurants. I often see melon soda at family restaurants, but I don¡¯t see it in plastic bottles. I wonder why.¡± ¡°A strategy to increase scarcity?¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°¡­The rest is God only knows. Maybe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too random.¡± Kazemiya gave a small smile and picked up a glass and lightly filled it with ice. She set the clear glass filled with ice on the machine and pressed her index finger on the button I had just pressed. ¡°I¡¯ll have a melon soda too.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want tea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special occasion.¡± We both return to our seats with melon sodas. It was almost evening. The seats around us were gradually filling up. There were people with their children, and students, some of them frantically tapping the keyboard attached to the cover of their tablets to compose documents or something, and others spreading out documents on the table for meetings. Complicated sounds. Noise. The sounds of life. They were concentrating only on themselves, paying no attention to what was going on around them. I like this annoying silence. It made me feel as if we were the only people in the world, even though there was so much sound reaching my ears. ¡°¡­¡­sorry about yesterday.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s voice in front of me was heard without being interrupted by the voices around me. ¡°My mom, I know you must have been uncomfortable.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so there¡¯s no need for you to apologize.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s my mom. If Narumi felt uncomfortable, I think I should apologize in her stead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So troublesome. A family that is.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± She apologized on her behalf because they were family. Because she was her parent. Because she was her daughter. Because they were related to each other. It wasn¡¯t even something Kazemiya herself did. Family indeed was a troublesome thing. ¡°If anything, yesterday made me feel uncomfortable about¡ª¡± To be honest. Yesterday, that night, at that place, I did feel uncomfortable. More specifically, I felt discomfort. It was a discomfort that was hard to wipe away, and it was still stuck in my chest. ¡°From the very beginning, everything seems to be Kazemiya¡¯s fault, from the look in your mother¡¯s eyes, to her face, to her words and actions. If she¡¯s a manager, she¡¯d better fix her habit of expressing what¡¯s in her mind on her face. It¡¯s pathetic.¡± After letting out the discomfort, I moistened my throat with a melon soda. Mouth freshening complete. ¡°Fufufu¡­¡± After the glass was half-full of the brightly colored green liquid, Kazemiya began to chuckle. ¡°Ahaha. What is that? Do you usually say such things to other people¡¯s mothers?¡± ¡°If I had to apologize, I would at least do so without any heart at all.¡± ¡°Good. ¡­I feel a little better now.¡± ¡°How about Kazemiya?¡± ¡°Un. I couldn¡¯t say that much.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m surprised myself. I never thought I¡¯d say this much to another person¡¯s mother.¡± I never talk about other people¡¯s families. When I was with Kazemiya, I felt like I was losing myself more and more. ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s your fault, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°What is it suddenly? I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t copy me.¡± Laughing, Kazemiya twirled the straw in the glass, pinching it with her delicate fingers. The dented ice block hits the glass and makes a light, refreshing sound. ¡°I¡¯m not Narumi¡¯s little sister, but¡­I got a scolding from my mom yesterday too.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like my alliance partners to share that information with me.¡± I brought up the same logic as Kazemiya sometime ago. ¡°It¡¯s not very good stuff, but is that okay?¡± ¡°Then why did you bring it up?¡± ¡°¡­Well. It was something we could agree on. I thought it would not be fair to Narumi to leave it unsaid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you just in case.¡± Kazemiya put her small, soft mouth on the straw and sipped the melon soda. To me, it looked as if she was replenishing the energy needed for the words she was about to utter. ¡°She said¡­ ¡®If you let him play with you, that Narumi kid will rapidly decline. Stop dragging others down.¡¯¡± ¡°Heh. Rapidly decline, huh¡­so? What part of that is ¡®agreeable content¡¯?¡± ¡°Mhm. Well¡­All of it? Even today, NARUMI was supposed to spend time with his family. And yet I¡¯m taking that time away for myself.¡± ¡°I made the choice. Besides, even if what your mother said were true, it wouldn¡¯t get through to me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I am¡ª¡± To Kazemiya, who nodded her head, I said confidently, ¡°I¡¯ve fallen far enough before I became friends with you.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°I ran away from home, ran away from my family. I ran away, ran away, ran away, and then I came into this store. See? I¡¯ve fallen far enough, haven¡¯t I?¡± I said it with pride. With confidence. ¡°¡­¡­Really, NARUMI is interesting.¡± ¡°Can I take that as a compliment?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think you¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Maybe. But¡­¡± The light had returned to KAZEMIYA¡¯s eyes. Not as empty as this morning. Not as empty as this morning. I know¡­¡­no. The Kazemiya Kohaku I had known for the past five days was back. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike that kind of stupidity.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± At best I could only say something like that and look away. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. But right now¡­¡­only now, I couldn¡¯t look directly at Kazemiya¡¯s face. ¡°You know, today was the day of the class gathering party.¡± ¡°Did you want to go?¡± ¡°No way. ¡­I don¡¯t want to. Let¡¯s have a class reunion now, too.¡± ¡°Even though there¡¯s only two of us?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s just the two of us, a class reunion is still a class reunion, right? Besides¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡±It¡¯ll be an excuse for my family.¡±¡± Our words matched word for word, without coordinating our timing. ¡°Especially for Narumi.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern.¡± ¡°¡­Same here, thank you.¡± Saying so, Kazemiya held up a small glass of melon soda, the remaining portion of which was running low. ¡°Do you want to do something like that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± I also raised my glass and lightly touched it to Kazemiya¡¯s glass. ¡°¡±Cheers!¡±¡± CH 16 Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s problems ¡°See you later, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­See you later, Narumi.¡± Just the two of us. A class gathering where there were only two of us. Narumi walked me home again today from the usual family restaurant. Passing through the flimsy, clean, and luxurious entrance, I went straight into the elevator. An iron box climbed up the tower that looked like it was neatly wrapped. Our house was on the top floor of a building that rose as if it were soaring to the heavens. I unlocked the door and entered. There was not a single light in the dark room. Cold darkness lies at the bottom of the belly of the glamorous exterior. My dad, mom, and sister were probably all at work today. It was rare that they were all at home, and this pitch-dark house was ¡°normal¡± for me. I put down my bag and collapsed onto the bed in my school uniform. There would be wrinkles, but I didn¡¯t care. It was not important. It was not about that. ¡°¡­.sigh¡­.¡± I was finally able to let out the unspoken thoughts that had been building up in my chest along with my breath. ¡°¡­.¡± My heart was beating loudly. My body was hot. Especially my face. It was like I was in a room in the middle of summer with the windows closed and the air conditioning turned off, and the heat radiating throughout my body. I don¡¯t understand. Why am I like this? I have no idea. ¡°Why would he come¡­¡± I could picture the face of a boy who just walked me home and was probably walking alone on the road to his house right now. Normally, a family should be the priority. But, he came to me, even though he neglected his own family. He must have been running so hard to get to me. His hair was a mess, he was sweating, and even his uniform was a mess. I wonder how desperately he ran to me. ¡°He¡¯s really stupid. Stupid. It¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s his principle not to step in. With such a desperate look on his face, he even ran to come to me¡­what a stupid.¡± Narumi was stupid. He was a fool who couldn¡¯t even put his priorities in order. NARUMI was stupid. He was a fool who couldn¡¯t even put his priorities in order. He would never put his friends before his family. He was stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Narumi¡¯s stupid. ¡°¡­.but¡­.I was happy.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have thought this way. I knew I shouldn¡¯t think this way, so I desperately tried to cover it up by saying that Narumi was stupid. ¡°I was happy that NARUMI came. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him, so I was happy to see him. I was happy to chat with him.¡± Once I mentioned it, the rest just poured out as if a dam had been broken. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that he came to me when I was hurt¡­I¡¯m so happy he came to me when I was in so much pain that I was about to cry¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop. I spoke of my joy as it overflowed from the depths of my heart. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so happy you chose me.¡± *** Yesterday. At an inopportune moment, we ran into my mom when she came home and bumped into each other downstairs. I had told Narumi that I was having a hard time with my family. I complained about it a lot. ¡ªI didn¡¯t want him to see me like this. I thought that when we parted, I didn¡¯t want Narumi to see me like this. I didn¡¯t know why. But I hated it so much that I wanted to cry. I was inferior to my sister. For my mom, I was just a child who dragged her feet. I was not needed by the family. I didn¡¯t want Narumi to see me as such a child. Narumi might stop looking at me. He might not be with me anymore. I was afraid that he might leave me. I was so scared that I couldn¡¯t even look at Narumi¡¯s face properly. In the morning, when I went to school, that was all I could think about. Not being able to see Narumi after school today also depressed me. It couldn¡¯t be helped; Narumi had Narumi¡¯s family. It might be uncomfortable, but a family was still family. So, it couldn¡¯t be helped. After Friday passes, after the Saturday and Sunday holidays, on Monday, we will see each other again. ¡ªWill it go like that? Seeing me like that, seeing what kind of child I am, will Narumi stay with me again? Wouldn¡¯t that after-school time turn out to be just a pleasant dream? Wouldn¡¯t it turn out to be a cruel illusion that would disappear from my hand? I was scared just thinking about it. The time at school seemed so long. I thought about not going to the family restaurant today. But my feet naturally moved, even if slowly, and I found myself sitting in my usual seat. ¡°Two free refill drinks.¡± I realized this after placing my order. Narumi was not coming today, so I didn¡¯t have to order two of them. ¡°¡­stupid me.¡± There was no Narumi in front of me. Time just flew by. I wonder if Narumi was at home by now. I wonder if he would be with his family. I wondered if he was no longer uncomfortable and if he was thinking that he would never come back here again. That was all I could think about at the time. ¡°¡­..?¡± A notification came into my phone. It was from Narumi. ¡°Ehh¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t even have to open the app. Because all the messages were displayed only in the notification banner section. [I¡¯m on my way.] It was enough to get the message across. It meant that he knew I would be at my usual seat at the usual restaurant today. So that he would want me to wait for him there. Everything was conveyed. Could this be a dream? Am I just giving myself a convenient dream? I doubted myself, which was quickly disproved. ¡°¡­¡­you really came.¡± Narumi was. Narumi Kouta was, approaching me here at a snail¡¯s pace, out of breath. ¡°I thought today was the day you had to stay home¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was planning on it.¡± Across the table, Narumi sat in the chair that had become his ¡°usual seat¡± over the past five days. ¡°Today, I decided to listen to Kazemiya complain.¡± ¡­Hey, Narumi. ¡°You decided to listen to my complaint¡­¡­eh? Why?¡± ¡°Why, you know¡­complaining about school, about personal things, about¡ªfamily things, and so on. We would complain about those things and listen to each other. That¡¯s the kind of alliance we had.¡± Narumi came to me, at that moment. At that time¡­do you know how happy I was? ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­.Say something.¡± ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°You mean?¡± I was really happy. I was so happy that Narumi came at that time. I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t put it into words. No matter how many words I put on top of each other or how much I tried, I don¡¯t think I could ever express it. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come¡­..somehow. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you today¡­why? I¡¯m so confused that I don¡¯t even know what to say¡­¡± I was really confused. But more than that, I was happy. I was trying so hard not to cry. *** ¡°¡­Oh no. My face is too hot.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why just remembering the time when Narumi came to me¡­¡­no. Just thinking about Narumi made my face hotter. My heart was beating faster and faster. I don¡¯t know. Nothing. I don¡¯t know why this is happening. I would like someone to tell me. About what this fever inside me was. But at the same time, I would also like them not to tell me. If I knew, something would change drastically. Maybe I was running away from this, too. All I knew was that I was running away from something unidentified. It¡¯s okay. It will settle down. It will take time, little by little. Fortunately, tomorrow is Saturday, and I won¡¯t have to see Narumi. So, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to calm this fever down before then. The problem was after that. What would happen from now on? ¡°¡­..What kind of face am I supposed to make when I meet Narumi?¡± That was the only thing that bothered me now. It had been a long time since I had been bothered by anything other than my family. CH 17 Chapter 17: Meeting Outside the Restaurant A Friday in June. ¡°The new student council president is Raimon-san. That wasn¡¯t particularly surprising.¡± On the way back to the classroom with many students after the morning school assembly. Natsuki was somewhat bored with his thoughts. ¡°You sound dissatisfied.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not complaining. I just thought it wasn¡¯t unexpected.¡± ¡°Only you would expect anything unexpected in a student council election.¡± I understand what NATSUKI was trying to say. Raimon Shiori. She was the top student in his class. She was trusted by teachers, as she excelled in both academics and sports. Although she was too good at sports and academics, she was not always approachable. If Sawada was the prince of second-year students, Raimon would be the queen of second-year students¡­or something like that. She was on the student council last year, and everyone was certain that she would be president this year. It was like looking at the sky on a day when you were told that there was a one hundred percent chance of sunshine tomorrow and the weather actually turned out to be fine. ¡°The people around me have been changing a little bit recently. I was hoping that the student council election would be a bit of drama.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®things have changed a little bit,¡¯ like¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Kouta has been thinking more and more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to make you expect a stir in the student council elections.¡± And to tell you the truth, there was a disturbance for me personally in relation to this student council. Tsujikawa Kotomi, my stepsister, and the newest member of my family was a member of the student council. I didn¡¯t ask her why. I didn¡¯t even think to ask her. It wasn¡¯t my place to ask. ¡°There are others, you know? Like Kazemiya-san.¡± ¡°Kazemiya?¡± When the name was unexpectedly mentioned in the classroom, my heart beat jumped with nervousness. Sweat was beading as if someone had touched on a secret that I had been hiding. ¡°Kazemiya-san has softened up a bit lately.¡± ¡°¡­is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. She used to be more difficult to approach and¡­¡­intimidating.¡± Following Natsuki¡¯s gaze, Kazemiya was sitting alone in his seat today, killing time listening to music. Her cool, elegant profile shines in the soft morning light. If it were just this, Kazemiya Kohaku would be the same as last month, but no¡ª ¡°Isn¡¯t that Kazemiya from Class D? She¡¯s so beautiful. Is she a model or something?¡± ¡°Especially lately, she¡¯s getting more and more beautiful¡­¡­.maybe I should just confess my feelings to her.¡± ¡°I heard that Tanioka of class A is after her, and Sawada of class D is also interested in her.¡± ¡°Wow. Tanioka is the ace of the baseball team, right? And Sawada¡­¡­it seems like we don¡¯t have a chance.¡± I could hear the voices of the other students in the class. There was not a single bad comment, and all I heard was praise for Kazemiya. (¡­it¡¯s too late now) What a thing to think about. Is this relative favoritism as a friend? ¡°The current Kazemiya-san feels like a ¡®flower on a high peak.¡¯¡± ¡°The end result is that she is still hard to get close to, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s much better than before. At least, she¡¯s started to clear up misunderstandings, and her bad reputation has calmed down.¡± As Natsuki said, Kazemiya¡¯s notoriety had gradually subsided in recent days. And once the notoriety was gone, Kazemiya Kohaku would be an untouchable gem of a girl. Natsuki¡¯s assessment was correct. As it is now, even my ears were beginning to hear from boys who were interested in Kazemiya Kohaku. In addition, Sawada, who had been talking to Kazemiya since she had a bad reputation, raised his position. The prince who sees what¡¯s inside and is not fooled by rumors is wonderful! ¡­that¡¯s what it seems. ¡°¡­..?¡± As I was lamenting the unreasonableness of the world, I received a notification on my phone. It was a message from Kazemiya. [Are you ready yet?] A simple sentence, typical of Kazemiya. (A flower on a high peak, huh¡­¡­) It was a strange feeling to be exchanging messages with such a girl. ¡°¡­..¡± When I casually looked at her, my eyes met those of Kazemiya, who was holding the phone to which she had just used to send a message. Her mouth was slightly relaxed. I looked away as if to get away from her expression and quickly typed a message. [No problem.] Sent. The moment I sent it, it was immediately read. ¡°Kouta, you look really tired.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m under a heavy mental load.¡± ¡°That must be hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s somebody else¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Somebody else¡¯s business. Besides, it doesn¡¯t seem so bad.¡± Is that so? It was certainly not a bad thing. In fact, it might be a good thing for some people. However, I still feel nervous. (I never thought that¡­¡­Kazemiya would come to my house¡­¡­.) *** After coming back from that day¡¯s¡ªclass gathering party just the two of us, it was so awkward and difficult. Mom tried to force me to laugh, and Tsujikawa looked at me as if to say, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± even though she didn¡¯t say it in words. I was to report to Kazemiya on Monday, the day after the break, that I had tried to use the excuse ¡°class gathering party,¡± but the effect was only as good as the stone that was burned¡­¡­. Although I had not intended to tell her this, I had no choice but to answer if Kazemiya herself asked me about it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll apologize.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°No. Originally. I was the one who made you worry.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± The Kazemiya who said it with a snap silenced me unintentionally. ¡°I¡¯ve been giving Narumi a lot of trouble, like with my mom¡­you are always helping me. Please let me do something too.¡± It was hard for me to say no when she said that much to me. It was also true that the air in my house had become a little heavier again since then, and I was having trouble. At this point, it might be effective to rely on the power of Kazemiya, who had changed the atmosphere of my house at that time. ¡°¡­..I understand. Then I¡¯ll be relying on you.¡± ¡°Mhm. Feel free to rely on me.¡± ¡°But what exactly are you going to do? Do you want to make another phone call?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to apologize this time, so a phone call won¡¯t do. I have to show my sincerity.¡± ¡°? Then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± Kazemiya smiled mischievously. ¡°I will go to Narumi¡¯s house and apologize in person.¡± ¡°¡­..Huh??¡± What. What is Kazemiya saying? ¡°Wait. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t apologize using a phone call.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was also interested in Narumi¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Is that what you really want?¡± ¡°I really want to apologize. That¡¯s just a bonus.¡± ¡ªThus, suddenly it became a big event for high school boys [invite a girl from their class over to their house]. But I couldn¡¯t just invite her over, and my mom was busy with work these days. Above all, I had to prepare my mind and my room, and there was also the first semester¡¯s mid-term exam in between. As a result of coordinating these various schedules, Kazemiya¡¯s home visit to the Narumi family (or more precisely, the Tsujikawa family) was postponed until June. I still didn¡¯t have a part-time job on Friday, so I was free after school today. Kazemiya and I decided to go home from school at different times. Although we were in an alliance to kill time together at the family restaurant, we tried to be strangers in the school. When we first formed this alliance, it was also out of concern for Kazemiya¡¯s protection. Above all, we had no relationship beyond being regular customers at the same restaurant, and we were not the kind of friends who enjoyed chatting in the classroom. ¡­But. Now Kazemiya was able to break her own notoriety and partially solve the problem through self-defense. I wonder if there was any point in going to the trouble of shifting the timing of my departure from school in this way. With this thought in my mind, I headed for the usual family restaurant. Kazemiya, who had arrived before me, was waiting for me to arrive, leaning her back against the wall and looking at her phone. On one hand, she was holding a paper bag, which I had not seen when I was at school. ¡­Well. Now comes the real part. I will prepare my breathing under control, and go in with the mind of a samurai ready to challenge a duel. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been waiting long. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­yeah.¡± Today, the two of us walk together in the light of day along the path I usually took after walking Kazemiya home. ¡ªThe people around me have been changing a little bit recently. I was hoping that the student council election would be a bit of drama. Suddenly, Natsuki¡¯s words come back to my mind. Things had been changing little by little. ¡­¡­That¡¯s for sure. I and Kazemiya were walking together on this road. That alone was a small change. I nodded deeply in my heart at Natsuki¡¯s words this morning, even after all this time. CH 18 Chapter 18: The Tsujikawa Family Translated by Dawn Chapter 18: The Tsujikawa Family ¡°What¡¯s with the paper bag? You didn¡¯t have it with you when you were at school.¡± ¡°A cake I bought on the way here. I¡¯m going to apologize, so I need something like this, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m worried.¡± If you say so, there were no more words from me. ¡°I¡¯ve never been this way before. ¡­¡­Ah, there is a park here. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual here.¡± ¡°I was just looking at it, thinking, ¡®Narumi must walk here every day.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting. And I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°Are you a¡­¡­park fanatic?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It was just a road, paved with asphalt. There were trees planted at regular intervals along the edges and a small park nearby. There was nothing particularly interesting about it. But Kazemiya said it was interesting and made her happy. ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t understand. Is Kazemiya has a unique taste? ¡°Have you ever been to that park earlier?¡± ¡°Only once when I moved here. It¡¯s not that big, and there¡¯s only a bench to sit on.¡± ¡°Then. If that park was more comfortable, would you have come to that family restaurant?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The most important thing to remember is that I can¡¯t afford to spend a lot of time in the park at night because I¡¯m on my way home from my part-time job¡­¡­.it¡¯s a problem during the rainy season like now, too.¡± ¡°Rainy season¡­¡­oh, come to think of it, it¡¯s already June.¡± ¡°Yeah. Just when you think the midterms are finally over, the final exam period starts at the end of the month¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you got good grades on the midterms, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Thanks to you. I know that Kazemiya¡¯s grades went up as well.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, too.¡± During the period before the test, I was indeed absent from my part-time job. However, we didn¡¯t want to stay at home, so we held study sessions at a family restaurant. Perhaps it was because of this that our scores improved overall from the final test at the end of the first year. By the way, Kazemiya was in 24th place and I was in 58th place. As a side note, Natsuki was in thirteenth place, and Raimon Shiori, the new student council president, was in first place in her grade. ¡°Speaking of the midterm test, Kazemiya back then was a little distant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I think it was right after the class gathering party¡­¡­I feel like you were often turned away from me. I was not sure if I was being avoided.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.I wasn¡¯t avoiding you, I was just letting things cool down.¡± ¡°Cool down?¡± ¡°You know, that one.¡± I guess Kazemiya had her own reasons. I had no idea what they were, though. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. It¡¯s here.¡± As we were talking, we arrived at my house, which I had moved into less than three months earlier. ¡°¡­¡­[Tsujikawa]¡± Kazemiya muttered quietly when she saw the word ¡°Tsujikawa¡± engraved on the nameplate of a single-family house. ¡°As I told you before, my family name is now Tsujikawa. Narumi is my mother¡¯s family name. ¡­¡­By the way, before ¡®Narumi¡¯¡­¡­before my mother got divorced, my last name was ¡®Kiritsuki¡¯. This is my father¡¯s name. So this is the third last name I¡¯ve had.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that one.¡± ¡°I just told you. I think Natsuki is the only other person in my family who knows about this.¡± ¡°¡­are you sure you want to tell me all this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little late for that, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but, it¡¯s a very sensitive subject.¡± ¡°I told you because you are Kazemeiya. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t have told them this much.¡± ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Kazemiya turned her eyes away from me and began to fiddle with her hair with her fingertips. Come to think of it, since our exclusive class gathering party, whenever Kazemiya looked away from me, she always fiddled with her hair with her fingers like this. I wonder if this is his way of ¡°cooling down.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s not stand around here and talk. Let¡¯s go in.¡± I tried to say it out loud and found myself inwardly tilting my head, ¡°Huh?¡± I was trying to get into this house, which was usually difficult to enter and uncomfortable for me. If I were allowed to do it, it would be easier for me to just stand here and talk with her. Without time to think about why I opened the door and invited Kazemiya into the entranceway. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Kazemiya, who had ritually placed her shoes on the floor, followed me with a somewhat nervous look on her face. I heard the sound of a keyboard being typed in the living room. Is she working? Kazemiya, who had heard in advance from me that my mom was running a writing business, spoke quietly so that she couldn¡¯t hear her in the living room. The fact that she didn¡¯t even notice the sound of the door opening would suggest that she was pretty focused on her work. I should have told her that Kazemiya is coming to our house today, but¡­¡­ ¡°I wonder¡­let¡¯s just leave her alone. For now¡­¡± The living room was unusable. So, the only way was to go upstairs. The only place where I could take Kazemiya was¡­¡­. ¡°You want to wait in my room?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯ll do that.¡± I had cleaned up my room to perfection in preparation for today. I was so anxious about it that I was constantly tidying up during the exam period. Perfectly prepared. No stone was left unturned. ¡°¡­Heh. So this is Narumi¡¯s room. It¡¯s a lot tidier than I thought it would be.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare too much.¡± ¡°Are you hiding something weird?¡± ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± Kazemiya laughs a little. I felt like I¡¯m being teased. ¡°Let me put the cake on my desk.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I received a paper bag containing a cake as a souvenir from Kazemiya and put it on my desk. I would have liked to put it in the refrigerator right away, but there would be refrigerant in it, and since we were indoors, there would be nothing to worry about. ¡°Well, just sit wherever you want and make yourself at home.¡± When I urged her to do so while sitting on a chair myself, Kazemiya simply sat down on the¡ªbed as if she were flowing. (¡­.ah.) Oh, shoot. That¡¯s right. My room had neither a table nor a cushion like a seat cushion. And since I was sitting on a chair, the only place to sit down was the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­.I curse my own carelessness and lack of preparation.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± It was unexpected. I didn¡¯t realize how aware I would be just by having a non-family member of the opposite sex sitting on the bed I normally use. What perfect preparation? There were holes all over the place. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s more like¡­¡­oh, yeah. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to go downstairs and check on my mom.¡± Like that, I escaped from my room halfway. ¡­¡­my face is hot. I hope it cools down by the time I get back. *** ¡°¡­I wonder what¡¯s wrong.¡± Narumi ran away and left the room. I was left alone and I was a bit bored. I was certainly curious about Narumi¡¯s room, but I didn¡¯t have the taste to ransack it without permission. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, I became aware of where I was sitting. Narumi¡¯s bed¡­¡­Narumi usually sleeps here. ¡°If you don¡¯t come back soon, I will fall asleep¡­¡± My body naturally chose to roll over onto the bed. ¡°¡­It smells like Narumi.¡± It was as if he was¡­¡­embracing me as if he was wrapping around my whole body. I even have such an illusion. ¡°Why am I like this¡­calm down.¡± Ah. Not good. I¡¯m getting¡­¡­sleepy. Because I couldn¡¯t help it. I couldn¡¯t sleep last night, and when I thought I was going to NARUMI¡¯s house, I was so nervous and excited¡­¡­that I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I played a game. ¡­I can¡¯t fall asleep. I came here today to apologize. But¡­I can¡¯t meet Narumi¡¯s mom in a sleep-deprived state. So¡­¡­just for a little bit¡­¡­if it¡¯s just a little bit¡­just for a moment until Narumi comes back¡­it¡¯s okay, right? CH 19 Chapter 19: The Goddess Sleeps and Laughs Translated by Dawn Chapter 19: The Goddess Sleeps and Laughs ¡°¡­I got it. The answer is daydreaming.¡± I told my mother, who had just lost her concentration, that Kazemiya was here and returned to my room on the second floor as if to go back and forth, and concluded that the scene my eyes had caught was such. Otherwise, Kazemiya Kohaku would not be sleeping comfortably on the bed. ¡°Nn¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t a dream. It was too high resolution for a dream. ¡°God¡­¡­do something about this.¡± I was stunned and involuntarily looked up to the heavens. The reason why I looked up to the heavens was that the skirt of her school uniform was gradually becoming more and more revealing. Before I could see the fabric through the gap, which I was not supposed to see, I looked up to the heavens, a devout believer at this very moment. I could not choose to close my eyes because I am a man, a fragile creature. However, I could not stay like this forever. Little by little, I returned my gaze to Kazemiya again, cautiously watching for any unwanted reflections. ¡°¡­.you look so beautiful in your sleep.¡± Sleeping, Kazemiya looked like a goddess from a fairy tale, but also somewhat childlike. All I knew was that even if I gathered all the beautiful things in the world, they could never compare to the beauty of the girl sleeping in front of me. She just happened to be right in front of me right now, and normally I would not even be able to touch her. ¡°You sleep defenseless in a place like this¡­¡­¡± I get greedy. I wanted to touch her, even if it was impertinent. I had a shallow desire to touch this Kazemiya Kohaku, the most beautiful shine in the world, even if it was just with a fingertip. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± It was quite natural. I am a boy, and Kazemiya Kohaku, the goddess who was sleeping in front of¡­¡­me right now, is a girl. We were opposite sexes. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t know about it until now. I had not even forgotten about it. But now I became very conscious of it. Forcing down that awareness that was stagnant in my chest, adjusting my breathing, and calming down. ¡­Now. I would have loved to let her sleep, but I couldn¡¯t leave her like this. The reason Kazemiya visited my house this time was to apologize. It would be an unwillingness on my part to let time pass just to let her sleep, and it would not be a satisfactory apology for Kazemiya. ¡°Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wake up, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was no good. No response. She wasn¡¯t going to wake up at this rate. ¡°¡­.My bad. I¡¯ll apologize again later.¡± While apologizing, I fearfully touch and shake Kazemiya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wake up, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Nnnn¡­¡± There was more reaction than before. Okay, let¡¯s keep going. ¡°Kazemiya, Ka-ze-mi-ya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­nn¡­¡± Finally, Kazemiya¡¯s consciousness began to gradually awaken, and her eyelids opened. ¡­I was thinking vaguely about how long her eyelashes were, and then our¡ªeyes met. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Good morning. Did you enjoy your nap?¡± ¡°¡­.eh? Naru, mi¡­?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? I¡­¡± ¡°You were sleeping. On my bed. ¡­I was really surprised. When I came back, I found you sleeping peacefully and looking very comfortable¡­¡± ¡°~~~~~¡­¡­!¡± I was not sure if she was listening to my words or not, but Kazemiya¡¯s face turned bright red in no time. It was like watching a fast-forward movie of a green apple turning red. ¡°S-sorry¡­ I¡­aaah, ugh! Impossible! Sleeping in someone else¡¯s room¡­!¡± Kazemiya, who was red up to the edges of her ears, began to writhe in agony while holding her face with her hands. ¡°Really¡­this is terrible¡­! Uuuuu¡­.!¡± It then took some time for Kazemiya to calm down. *** ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m so sorry. For everything.¡± After settling down, Kazemiya went down to the living room and stupidly told my mom that she had fallen asleep in my room. ¡°It¡¯s okaay. Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re so cute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say so¡­¡­.¡± I thought that the word ¡°irresistible¡± was exactly for this moment. ¡°¡­Oh. And this. It¡¯s not much but.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. ¡­Oh my, is this a ¡°Griand¡± cake? And even the cream puffs! At this time of the day, you have to make a reservation to get it¡­¡­.thank you so much for this! I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it.¡± Griand was the name of a pastry store. I remembered it because my mother used to buy it from time to time. The cream puffs were so popular that they were sold out by the time we left for school. So she must have made a reservation on the web in advance. Mom, who had a sweet tooth, seemed to be about to burst into a fit of excitement as she hurriedly put the cake in the refrigerator. ¡°Let¡¯s eat this cake together. I¡¯ll brew some tea.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it. He rarely brings any friends home other than Natsuki-kun¡­Kazemiya-san what do you like? Coffee? Tea?¡± ¡°Tea.¡± I answered Mom¡¯s question on her behalf. ¡°You know that, huh?¡± ¡°¡­because we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Friends, is it?¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Tea right, yes, yes.¡± ¡­¡­I hadn¡¯t seen my mom this lively in quite a while, I think. Of course, her remarriage had made her brighter than before. Even taking that into account, she was quite happy today. ¡°Here you go, tea. Be careful, it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­so, what¡¯s the matter about today? Kouta said you had something to do.¡± ¡°¡­.yes.¡± While Kazemiya¡¯s body stiffened at the main subject, she began to explain why I had left home on the day of that class-gathering party between just the two of us. That she was not getting along with my mother. That she was depressed because of that. And that I had come because I cared about Kazemiya. ¡°I am sorry. Narumi was just worried about me that day. At that time it was¡­¡­really, really hard for me. I was hurt. I was about to cry¡­¡­Narumi noticed that and even came running¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell her that I came running¡­¡­¡± ¡°I have to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just had an embarrassing moment myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s self-destructive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. You know what? What is there to be embarrassed about? I was happy there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said¡­I was happy. I was so happy that you came¡­! I was so happy that I almost cried! That¡¯s why it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re a little embarrassed!¡± ¡°What¡¯s making you so angry¡­¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry, no matter how you look at it.¡± ¡°Shut up, you blockhead.¡± ¡°Blockhead?¡± ¡°¡­..I was really happy¡­¡­Even though I was embarrassed¡­¡­I didn¡¯t have to say that¡­¡± Kazemiya muttered something in a mumbled whisper. ¡­or rather, what is that about the ¡°blockhead¡± thing? Is my head blocked? Am I missing something¡­¡­? No, I can¡¯t help but notice that she looks like she¡¯s angry at me¡­¡­. ¡°You guys are so close.¡± ¡°¡±¡­¡­..!¡±¡± We stopped this sterile argument for the time being when we noticed my mother¡¯s sly grin, and Kazemiya, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment, forced the conversation back to the point, saying, ¡°A-anyway.¡± ¡°Narumi had left home for me that day. If I hadn¡¯t been like that¡­¡­Narumi would have stayed at home. It¡¯s true. So¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Mom stopped Kazemiya, who was desperately trying to repeat her words, with a wry smile. ¡°Yeah. Thank you. I understood you well enough.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really, really sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Kazemiya isn¡¯t the one to apologize, right? ¡­..No. It¡¯s the same for Kouta. There is no need to apologize, at all. You guys are high school students, right? It¡¯s normal to hang out with friends. Rather, it¡¯s me who needs to apologize¡­¡± Mom turned over and squeezed out a few words. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for making it hard for you to stay at home¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Mom¡¯s fault.¡± It was Tsujikawa who entered the living room. ¡°It is normal for families to help and care for each other. It is natural for them to be together. Even if it is uncomfortable to stay¡­¡­.it is normal to put family before friends. That is what a normal family is.¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s point was correct. ¡°That day, it was senpai who chose to leave home. And then you just wanted to run away from us, your family, because of ¡­¡­Kazemiya-senpai, didn¡¯t you?¡± And I had nothing to deny that correctness. Of course. Because I kept running away. I was still in the process of running away. ¡°¡­.I agree.¡± So all I could do was nod in agreement with Tsujikawa¡¯s correct words. ¡°¡­isn¡¯t that unfair? That¡¯s right.¡± Tsujikawa turned her back on us and walked out of the living room. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry about today. And about everything.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the one who wanted to apologize.¡± Kazemiya had fulfilled her original purpose of apologizing and was going home early. Today was Friday. I could stop by the restaurant like I usually do. ¡°¡­.cunning, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so right, it¡¯s funny.¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s words were right to the end. Everything was right. That was why I have nothing to say back. ¡°¡­Hey, Narumi. We are so alike, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡ªyou¡¯ve already noticed that, haven¡¯t you, Narumi?¡± Kazemiya¡¯s words stopped me in my tracks. I get it. What your little sister wants to say.¡± I stopped and saw Kazemiya¡¯s back in front of me. ¡°If I understood, you must have understood by now, too.¡± ¡°¡­.No mercy, huh? Even though I was trying to escape from it.¡± ¡°I know that too.¡± I could not see Kazemiya¡¯s face. I could only see her back as she stood still before me. ¡°We were supposed to stay out of other people¡¯s houses, and not get involved in other people¡¯s affairs. And yet we were¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That hasn¡¯t changed, we still do. But¡­.¡± Kazemiya turned around and our eyes met. ¡°¡°You (you) have me wanting to step in.¡±¡± It wasn¡¯t as if we were trying to coordinate our words. Our words naturally matched each other. ¡°I knew it¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re so alike, huh.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Someone I would be willing to step in with even if it meant breaking my own principles. I felt an inexpressible warmth fill my heart at the thought of having such a person in front of me. ¡°You said before, Kazemiya, ¡®Running away doesn¡¯t solve anything, it only postpones the problem.¡¯ Do you remember what I said back then?¡± ¡°I remember. I remember what you said to me. ¡®If there was something good that came out of running away, it wouldn¡¯t have been a waste.¡¯ ¡­¡­right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said. In the end, we are just running away, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m not dealing with the problems that waved in front of me¡­¡­but now, I feel like I can say it. A proper answer.¡± ¡°Yeah. I understand. I understand what Narumi is trying to say and what you have realized. I know what it is. ¡­¡­.That¡¯s why. You should tell that to your sister.¡± And Kazemiya overstepped the boundaries we had previously set. ¡°After hearing from¡­¡­Narumi and actually talking to Narumi¡¯s mom, I thought. ¡­¡­Oh, this is what a ¡®mother¡¯ is. My family is already¡ªover.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s face was smiling as she said this. I had never seen such a sad and tearful face. It was painful just to look at it. I wanted to look away. But I knew I couldn¡¯t look away. Only here. Just for now. ¡°My family is long broken, just waiting to be shattered. ¡­¡­But, you know it¡¯s not too late for Narumi¡¯s family. Because everyone is looking out for Narumi.¡± ¡°¡­.This is what I mean when I say there¡¯s nowhere to run. There¡¯s nowhere to run now that you put it that way.¡± The niceties of those who did not understand the feelings of those who wanted to escape would have no effect on them. However, Kazemiya was a different story. Words spoken by someone who understands the same feelings would pierce one¡¯s heart like nothing else. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you fail, I¡¯ll run away with you.¡± ¡°By ¡°fail,¡± you sound as if you know what I¡¯m about to do¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s Narumi. I know exactly what you¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tricky thing being on the same page.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to do it. You¡¯re fighting a losing battle.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. Will you help me?¡± ¡°Sure. We¡¯re allies.¡± I move forward with each step I take, and I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kazemiya. ¡°Let¡¯s just have a strategy meeting.¡± ¡°At the usual place.¡± And so we turned off on a slightly longer-than-usual walk home and headed for our usual seats at our usual restaurant. CH 20 Chapter 20: Tsujikawa Kotomi''s Family Situation Translated by Dawn Chapter 20: Tsujikawa Kotomi¡¯s Family Situation ¡ªI feel sorry for people without their mothers. These were the words that Tsujikawa Kotomi had been hearing since she was a child. My mother who gave birth to me got divorced before I could remember. According to what I heard, she chose work over family. I wondered why she gave birth to me if that was the case, but it didn¡¯t matter. Because I was not chosen, and my father was the only family I had ever known since I can remember. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you don¡¯t have a mother.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to have a mother and a father?¡± ¡°Kotomi-chan¡¯s house is strange.¡± I didn¡¯t understand why the kids around me called me that. Normal? What is a normal family? Is normal for me different from ordinary? When I asked my father these questions, he simply said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± and looked sad. ¡­If that was all, it was still good. As a child, I was often mistaken for a boy. I was a quarrelsome child and often fell and scratched myself, and I played outside until the sun went down every day. Dad laughed. He told me he was glad I had energy and took me out to play on his days off. It was fun. I was happy even if my mother wasn¡¯t around. But¡ªeven that was different from the ¡°normal¡± life around me. ¡°She¡¯s just like a boy¡­¡­.I wonder if it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t have a mother.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she has a choice. She¡¯s from a single parent¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is what happens when a father raises a child only by himself¡­¡­poor thing.¡± I was often told so by the adults around me. There, too, I learned that my ¡°normal¡± was not what people in the world would call ¡°normal.¡± Every time I asked my father about it, he looked apologetic. He apologized to me. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, he said. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to apologize¡± When I told him, he just smiled at me as if he was troubled and apologized. I hated it so much that I stopped playing with boys. I grew out my short hair and started wearing skirts instead of pants. I no longer played with dolls with the girls, chatted with them, or ran around outside. When I entered elementary school, I studied hard. I tried to read books. I actively helped my teachers and acted as a serious student so that the adults would think I was a good kid. (I¡¯m not a poor child.) Never again would I let anyone say that they felt sorry for me just because I didn¡¯t have a mother. ¡°Kotomi-chan doesn¡¯t have a mother? Poor Kotomi.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job even though you don¡¯t have a mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you can make it this far even though you don¡¯t live in a normal house.¡± ¡°Kotomi-chan, you are having a hard time. It¡¯s a waste of your talent.¡± ¡°If she had been born into a more normal family, she would have been happy.¡± ¡°With only a father, you can¡¯t help it¡­¡­.¡± ¡ªIt was useless. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how talented I was¡­¡­I would never have a mother. That one fact alone makes me a ¡®poor kid¡¯ all by itself. No¡­¡­if that was all, it would be fine. I just have to put up with it. What I couldn¡¯t stand was to see the smile disappear from my father¡¯s face. It was about my father being made into ¡®a bad father who is giving his daughter a hard time¡¯ or ¡®a father who is dragging his talented daughter down.¡¯ If we did not have a normal family, we would remain an ¡°unhappy family¡± for a long time. We must become a normal, ordinary, common family. But there was nothing I could do about it, no matter how much I wished for it. Just when I thought I had no choice but to give up¡ªmy father got remarried. I was as happy as if it was me. I was glad that my father was happy. I had a mother and a father. We could finally be such a normal family. I practiced many times in front of the mirror until they moved in. ¡°¡®Mom¡¯¡­¡­¡¯Mother¡¯¡­Un. After all, ¡®Mother¡¯ is the one. And¡­¡¯Onii-sama¡¯? ¡®Onii-chan¡¯? ¡®Onii¡¯? Hmm¡­I think ¡®Nii-san¡¯ is probably the most common.¡± Then my new mother came home. ¡°Hello, Kotomi-chan. Please take care of me from now on.¡± ¡°U-umm. Nice to meet you¡­M-mom (Okaa-san).¡± When I showed the results of my many practices in front of the mirror, my mom smiled at me with a smile that made me happy from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Ah, yeah¡­Nii¡­Narumi-senpai, where¡¯s he?¡± I could show my mom what I had practiced, but it was still too embarrassing for me to say Nii-san. I thought this was wrong. Because usually, younger sisters didn¡¯t call their older brothers ¡®senpai¡¯. ¡°Oh¡­¡­he left his phone at our old house, and I went back to get it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Apparently, my new brother was a bit clumsy. ¡°¡­Hey, Kotomi-chan. I talked with Mr. Akihiro and we decided on something.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I heard from my new mother about the circumstances of the divorce. Apparently, Narumi-senpai was branded by his father as a ¡°failed child.¡± He had failed to reach his father¡¯s satisfaction. That was the only reason. So my mother and father talked it over and decided on the rules of our family. A secret rule only for Narumi-senpai. We wouldn¡¯t say anything that would provoke Narumi-senpai, who was abandoned by his father before him as a failure. For example, do not compare brother and sister. For example, do not praise me too much for my excellence. For example, do not mention individual abilities. I know it¡¯s wrong to ask you to do this, but¡­please. Can you help us, Kotomi-chan?¡± Mom, who was asking for help, was desperate. She was trembling as if frightened of something. About her former home. About his father. I knew right away that it was not only Narumi-senpai but also her mother, who was left with a big emotional scar. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m fine.¡± So, I accepted the condition. I would accept any condition if it would make a ¡°normal family¡± possible. I would follow any rule. ¡ªThus, my new life began. There was the normal family I had hoped for. There was normal happiness. If I had to say one thing, I still couldn¡¯t call Narumi-senpai ¡°Nii-san.¡± I practiced in front of the mirror secretly every night, but since I missed saying it on the first day, I had been struggling to find the right moment to say it. ¡°Kotomi-chan, you are going to be a high school student soon. How are you doing? Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Yes. A little¡­but I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I see, you¡¯re looking forward to it. That¡¯s good.¡± Both my father and mother were relieved. I was happy to see that. Ah, this must be the normal life people talking about. This was the normal happiness of a normal family. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Mom, please listen. I¡¯m supposed to make a speech as the freshman representative¡­¡­¡± ¡ªAh. I knew on my skin. Just for a moment. Just a moment. The air was a little icy. It was hard to tell from the outside. Even if we were in a coffee shop or a family restaurant, and other customers or waitresses were watching us, they would not notice the slight change. But I knew that my mother¡¯s and father¡¯s attention was on my new brother next to me. I was so happy that I got carried away and quickly realized that I had broken one of the rules of the house. Neither my mother nor father would blame me for it. They didn¡¯t even have the slightest intention of blaming me. But I felt that I had ¡°failed.¡± I had broken one of the rules of a normal family. ¡°¡­Um. Would you come to the entrance ceremony?¡± I changed the subject, albeit forcefully. Mom immediately made a bright smile and nodded. ¡°Yes, of course. Hey, Akihiro-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m taking the day off, too. If I could, I would attend the opening ceremony.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, as expected.¡± Narumi-senpai smiled wryly at our father¡¯s unreasonable words. Then the conversation continued as if nothing had happened. (What should I talk about¡­I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m allowed to talk about¡­what is it¡­I have to talk¡­something¡­normal¡­because we are family. Normal families at least talk to each other¡­normal¡­normal¡­) Funny. (Normal¡­what is it¡­) There was a father, a mother, and even a new older brother. (¡­Huh?) This was supposed to be normal. This should be a normal family. We were supposed to be happy. (¡­..what is it?) This house was uncomfortable. (¡­..Uncomfortable, bad.) That was what I thought. I thought what I shouldn¡¯t have thought. (¡­..I want to escape) No good. (¡­..I want to escape from my family.) Wrong. (¡­.I want to get out of this uncomfortable house.) This isn¡¯t a good idea. I finally got it. I finally had a ¡°normal family¡±. I couldn¡¯t destroy it just because it was uncomfortable. (Don¡¯t run away) If I run away, it will be destroyed. This happiness will be destroyed. I will become a ¡°poor child¡± again. My father will become a ¡°bad father who puts his daughter through a lot of hardship.¡± (This isn¡¯t good¡­this is not how it¡¯s supposed to work¡­!) This happiness was the only thing I mustn¡¯t destroy. It was happiness named ¡°normal¡± that I had finally obtained. So I should not run away. It was always been that way. Even before we became a new family. It had always been that way, even when it was just my dad and me as a family. I had never run away before. I would not run away from those who judge me as a ¡°poor child¡±. I didn¡¯t run away from those who judged me as a ¡°bad father who puts his daughter through a lot of hardship¡±. Even if it ended in vain, I did not run away. I confronted them head-on. That was why I would never run away from them again. I would not run away. (And¡­¡­I¡¯m not alone anymore) Even Narumi-senpai was¡­¡­no. I¡¯m sure my Nii-san feels the same way. The most important thing to remember was that you should never be afraid to ask for help. I¡¯d been on my own until now. But I had a brother who would stand up to me together. (If you¡¯re my brother, come with me¡ª¡­.) We will stay together and not run away from each other. ¡°Kouta, are you working part-time today?¡± ¡°¡­yeah. I¡¯ll be home late. You can eat dinner first.¡± My brother began to avoid the house. He ran away from our family. The time he spent away from home increased day by day. ¡°You were back?¡± ¡°Aah¡­yeah. I¡¯m home, Tsujikawa.¡± ¡°Welcome back, Narumi-senpai¡­¡± I had failed to call Narumi-senpai ¡°nii-san¡± ever since that day. ¡°That day, it was senpai who chose to leave home. And then you just wanted to run away from us, your family, because of ¡­¡­Kazemiya-senpai, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­isn¡¯t that unfair? That¡¯s right.¡± Narumi senpai was really sly. He thinks he was the only one who was uncomfortable. You are the only one who runs away, and it¡¯s not fair. I, too. In fact, I am too¡ª CH 21 Chapter 21: Narumi Kouta Destroys Translated by Dawn Chapter 21: Narumi Kouta Destroys ¡°I see, so Kazemiya-san was here today.¡± Akihiro-san said with a hearty regret at the dinner table where the whole family was gathered, which was rare (the rarity was mainly my fault). ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you remember last month when Kouta suddenly ran out of the house on a Friday? Kazemeiya came all the way to apologize to us, saying that he had come for her own sake. She even gave me a cake and cream puffs from Griand.¡± ¡°She even brought a piece of cake. She¡¯s a very good girl, huh?¡± ¡°She may look flashy, but she¡¯s a very solid girl. She studies hard, and she got top marks on her mid-term exam the other day.¡± You could see the air change at the dinner table. It was mainly noticeable around my mom¡¯s side of the table. Test rankings were a taboo subject in this house, especially for my mom. ¡°W-well, It doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t matter what the rank on the test is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good. The ranking is important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­you don¡¯t have to worry Kouta. You don¡¯t have to worry about rankings, grades¡­things like that.¡± ¡°¡ªAh, I¡¯m sick of this.¡± I could feel the air freeze at my words. Still, I continued without caring. ¡°This house, this family. I¡¯m sick of it. I feel nauseous. It¡¯s sickening.¡± ¡°K-Kouta¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone would feel comfortable with all that. At least not for me. That¡¯s just for your own satisfaction.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I did it on purpose. Stopping by the store on the way home from work and killing time until the very last minute is definitely on purpose. Of course, it¡¯s natural. I¡¯m sure no one wants to go home to a house like this. If I could, I wouldn¡¯t want to go home like this for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Please stop! What are you talking about!?¡± Tsujikawa stood up with a raised voice. Mom looked pale and trembling, and Akihiro-san was leaning in close to her, and from Tsujikawa¡¯s point of view, my face must have looked like the devil¡¯s. ¡°¡­Kouta-kun. Is that what you really want?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It is my true intention, Akihiro-san, without any lie, deception, or reservation.¡± ¡°Please shut up! Dad and mom don¡¯t need to hear this!¡± ¡°Kotomi.¡± ¡°Narumi-senpai! What you¡¯re saying is not right! You feel nauseous and sick¡­you don¡¯t normally say such things to your family! Normal families are all close and happy¡­and we are supposed to be that normal happy family! But why are you trying to destroy it!?¡± ¡°Kotomi, stop it!¡± Tsujikawa closed his mouth to Akihiro-san, who unusually raised his voice, still wanting to say something. ¡°Thanks for the food. It was delicious.¡± I finished my dinner and put away the dishes. The quietness of the room was filled with the sound of footsteps and dishes scraping against each other. The sound of water spitting out of the faucet. Not a single word was uttered, only a heavy, silent pause. ¡°¡­where do you intend to go?¡± ¡°Natsuki¡¯s house. I¡¯m going to stay there for a while¡­¡­.Ah. I might as well just move out of the house. Thanks to my part-time job, I¡¯ve accumulated a lot of money.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve destroyed our family, and you¡¯re just going to run away?¡± ¡°Aah, run away, huh¡­In the first place, what does a ¡°normal family¡± means to you¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± Tsujikawa almost opened her mouth to answer my question, but no words came out of it. Tsujikawa tried to say something, but her mouth just moved aimlessly and silently. ¡°Is it to be uncomfortably cautious? Is it to be frightened and to choose a topic of conversation? To be patient and endure without being able to say what you want to say? ¡­..I¡¯ve had enough of that. If that¡¯s what a ¡®normal family¡¯ is, then I don¡¯t need one anymore.¡± ¡°Why¡­why are you doing this now¡­?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s too late. ¡­But, you know. It¡¯s only because I¡¯ve done it now that I¡¯m able to take a step forward. It¡¯s because I ran away that I got the push I needed.¡± Suddenly, I thought of her glowing golden backside. If I had not met her, I would have ¡°only¡± continued to run away. ¡°I ask you again, Tsujikawa, what is a ¡°normal family¡± for you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..being together. There is dad, mom, me, and you. No one is missing, everyone is together and happy!¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a great ¡®family.¡¯¡± Am I still in that? Am I still family too? ¡­She¡¯s serious. ¡°Then let¡¯s have a match.¡± ¡°Match¡­?¡± ¡°You and me, we¡¯ll compete in the upcoming final exam. The one with the higher rank wins. Simple and easy.¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡­¡­ But my mom was the one who was surprised the most. ¡°We¡¯re in different grades, and there will be differences in the difficulty of the test, but¡­¡­well, cut me some slack there. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much chance we¡¯ll ever be able to compete on completely equal terms.¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s question was a fair one. If I were a third party, I would have thought the same way. After all, Tsujikawa was the freshman representative at the entrance ceremony. In other words, she ranked first in the entrance examination. And on the mid-term exam, she maintained the top position in her grade. In contrast, my mid-term test score was 58th. Not bad, but far from the top. ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know¡­ but I¡¯m serious about the match itself.¡± ¡°¡­.Fine. I¡¯ll accept that match.¡± ¡°Okay. If I win, I can do whatever I want from now on. Whether I go home or not, I¡¯m free to do so. What about you?¡± ¡°If I win, you will come home, and we will continue to be a family. No matter how much you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll take that as a condition. In exchange, I will not come home until I get the test results.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. I will accept that condition as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± I went upstairs and left the house with the bags I had packed beforehand. ¡°Kouta¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Mom.¡± It was not that I did not feel guilty when I saw my mom trembling with a pale face. But it would be okay. Because Akihiro-san was by her side. Her new husband would be there to support her. I stopped at a small park along the way and sat down on a bench to catch my breath. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called someone. ¡°¡­¡­Hello?¡± The person who answered the phone was Akihiro-san. ¡°How is Mom?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still shaking. It will take a while for her to calm down.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. Sorry for bothering you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­no. We¡¯re the ones who caused you trouble.¡± Akihiro-san¡¯s voice was somewhat regretful. ¡°We¡¯ve caused you pain because we¡¯re miserable parents. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡­¡­¡°We¡±? I see Akihiro-san is already carrying my mom on his back. My mom. The woman who became his wife. Then, I¡¯m relieved. I could move on to the next action with peace of mind. ¡°And¡­I¡¯m not supposed to say this but. I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I was really happy that you relied on me.¡± The voice on the other end of the phone exuded a certain color of joy. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad to hear you say that, too.¡± ¡°Haha. Well, I was surprised at first. When you said beforehand that you were going to destroy the family once¡­¡± ¡°I thought it was necessary in order for us to truly become a ¡°family¡±. We had to destroy it once and then rebuild it. That was the only way I could think of.¡± ¡°¡­..If that¡¯s true, that was my role. I¡¯m sorry. I keep putting you on the back foot with all this extra stuff.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. This is my role. Because it¡¯s also my fault that that house was uncomfortable¡­¡­and our family was on the verge of breaking down.¡± I didn¡¯t live up to my asshole father¡¯s expectations. I was a failure as a son. Because of that, my mom used to get in trouble with him. Then they divorced. Then she started to pay attention to me. I felt uncomfortable. ¡°¡­And it¡¯s true that I feel relief to be able to say what I want to say.¡± Not long ago, I would never have said it. I would never have had the courage to destroy my family. It was¡­¡­Kazemiya made me have that courage. ¡°As I had already told you, I won¡¯t be going home for a while, I¡¯ll be staying at Natsuki¡¯s house to be taken care of¡­¡­.I appreciate you asking me on such short notice after work and for bowing your head with me.¡± ¡°It is a blessing for me to have a head to bow for you.¡± After making this plan with Kazemiya, I immediately called Akihiro-san and explained everything I was going to do. And he went with me to NATSUKI¡¯s house as soon as he got home from work and asked him to bow down with me. And both NATSUKI and NATSUKI¡¯s parents readily agreed to this absurd request. Even though we were childhood friends, I asked for something pretty crazy¡­¡­.I really am blessed with the people around me. ¡°Please take care of mom¡ª¡± I shook off the haze in my chest. I forcefully pull out the thorns that were sticking in my heart, and I speak the words with certainty. ¡°¡ª-dad.¡± Then I hung up the call. A small smile escaped my face as I pictured my dad¡¯s face frozen on the other end of the phone. I operated my phone and dialed my trusty childhood friend. ¡°Hello, Natsuki? ¡­Oh. I¡¯ve smashed it up as planned. I¡¯m going to your place now. ¡­Huh? You will pick me up? I don¡¯t mind¡­Ah, okay, okay. ¡­geez. Do whatever you want.¡± CH 22 Chapter 22 - Request for Cooperation Translated by Dawn Chapter 22 ¨C Request for Cooperation A few days after I left home after challenging Tsujikawa to a reckless match and was allowed to stay at Natsuki¡¯s house. On Monday morning, I was walking to school with Natsuki. It was a little fresh to walk on a different route to the school than usual. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for barging in on you so suddenly, and for making such a crazy request.¡± My father and mother didn¡¯t mind, in fact, they welcomed it. I was also happy because I felt nostalgic. ¡°Nostalgic? I¡¯ve never made such a reckless request before, have you?¡± ¡°Kouta used to be reckless. Do you remember? When we were in the second grade of elementary school, you went to fight with the upperclassmen who were bullying me on your own. There were six of them on the other side.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I remember~, That kind of thing¡­Those days were really black history, please forget about it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget it.¡± I really wish I could forget, but Natsuki refused with a smiling face. ¡­It seemed he really wouldn¡¯t forget, since he still remembers even what grade we were in, and how detailed it was when we were in the second grade of elementary school. ¡°I thought that kind of Kouta was completely gone after the problems with his former father. Lately, I think it¡¯s gradually coming back¡­is it because of Kazemiya-san?¡± ¡°Why is Kazemiya¡¯s name suddenly coming out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Am I wrong? I thought so, though.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know about coming back, but things have been changing a little bit lately, and it¡¯s certainly thanks to Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Right? I knew it.¡± Natsuki smiled as if he knew exactly everything. ¡°¡­how did you know?¡± ¡°I remember one time the teacher asked us to carry old desks and chairs to the back of the school building. After the work was done, when I was distributing juice to everyone, it was like you knew Kazemiya-san was going to choose the tea drink.¡± ¡°Ah! Uwahh, now that you mention it, I was certainly careless!¡± ¡°I was the only one who seemed to notice, though.¡± And it also meant that Natsuki did not tell others about it. ¡°Do you think Kazemiya-san will listen to your ¡®request¡¯ during the lunch break today?¡± ¡°You really have a talent for detective work.¡± ¡°Well, when it comes to Kouta, yes.¡± As expected of a childhood friend. We have known each other for a long time. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me what kind of ¡®request¡¯ you¡¯re asking her to do during the lunch break, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I will. If it is true, I was going to tell you about Kazemiya at that time.¡± I didn¡¯t think that he had figured it out a long time ago. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to look forward to, though.¡± ¡°But if Kouta asks me to do something, I¡¯ll look forward to it, no matter what it is.¡± While talking like this, we headed to the school and concentrated more than ever on my classes, and before I knew it, lunchtime had arrived. I exchanged communication with Kazemiya on my phone and headed to the empty classroom where we had decided to meet. The classroom, which had been filled with old desks and chairs on Thursday, was now empty, having been cleared out in the precious after-school time. ¡°I see it¡¯s not just me, Kouta, and Kazemiya-san¡­¡± ¡°Kazemiya told me she knew someone who could help us. And I asked Kazemiya to bring them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of helpers they are, but who do you think they are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I don¡¯t know either. I heard that she doesn¡¯t know if she can bring them, so things are a bit murky. I told her I would bring Natsuki, though.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then, are you sure that I would not be rejected?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure. But if she refused, I was going to persuade her even if I had to get down on my knees. The only person I could trust and rely on was you.¡± ¡°Saying such things that makes me happy¡­wait, it looks like someone¡¯s here.¡± As Natsuki said, there was a slight echo of footsteps walking down the deserted hallway. Eventually, it gradually got closer and closer, and the door to the empty classroom was opened. ¡°Sorry. I made you wait.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Kazemiya entered the classroom and her eyes caught sight of Natsuki standing beside me. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Kouta¡¯s childhood friend and best friend, Inumaki Natsuki.¡± ¡°I know who you are. We are classmates.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored that you recognized me. By the way¡­you are with someone, right? I¡¯d like to say hello to them too.¡± ¡°¡­come in.¡± As Kazemiya called out, a figure waiting outside an empty classroom entered. Her long, dark hair swayed. Clear and transparent like crystal clear water. Delicate, slender, and elegant. She reminded me of glasswork created by a master craftsman. I know this person. Or rather, most of the students who attended this school had probably seen her recently. Raimon Shiori. She was an honor student who was well-behaved and upright. And she was the new student council president of this school. ¡°Kazemiya. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­yeah. She¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Why are you so hesitant to say it? Maybe I¡¯m the only one who thinks we¡¯re friends?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not. It¡¯s a little embarrassing to introduce my friend again¡­¡­I also think of Shiori as my friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Raimon laughed softly. Seeing their interaction, it seemed that she was not lying when she said that they were friends. ¡­I had only heard for some time that Kazemiya had friends. ¡ªWe¡¯re in different classes, and we tried not to get too involved too much at school. That was what Kazemiya said. But, I had no idea that her friend would be the new student council president. However, she brought in an unexpected helper, and I was surprised that Kazemiya had such a hidden gem. This was a happy miscalculation. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Raimon Shiori.¡± ¡°Narumi Kouta.¡± ¡°Natsuki Inumaki¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡­by the way, what can I do? Kohaku asked me to help you with something, so I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Ah, I want to know too.¡± All eyes of those present were on me. ¡­It¡¯s embarrassing to be the center of attention again like this! Still, I must say it. I was not going to achieve my goal if I was embarrassed at this level. ¡°I want to beat my sister in the upcoming final exam. That¡¯s why I want you guys to teach me how to study.¡± Raimon was twisting her head slightly at my ¡°request,¡± while Natsuki was saying, ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what your request is,¡± and variously agreeing with me on his own. Only Kazemiya, who made the plan with me, was just watching over me. ¡°¡­what do you mean?¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll explain it properly.¡± Then I told them. My mother remarried; Tsujikawa Kotomi became my stepsister; I had run away from home because I didn¡¯t feel comfortable; I became friends with Kazemiya. And I declared war on Tsujikawa in order to destroy my current family and rebuild it anew. ¡°Please, help me win against Tsujikawa.¡± And having explained the situation, all I could do now was to bow down and ask for help. ¡°Hmmm. That¡¯s how it is. That¡¯s why you brought me here, Kohaku. Hmm¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­What. What¡¯s wrong, Shiori.¡± ¡°Nothing? I just thought that you brought me here not because I¡¯m Kohaku¡¯s best friend, but because I can study well.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that. You know Shiori. The only other person I can really rely on is Shiori¡­¡­so that¡¯s why I brought you here.¡± ¡­Huh? Something like this exchange, it¡¯s somewhat familiar to me. ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± ¡°Nn.¡± Raimon¡¯s long, white, slender fingers touched Kazemiya¡¯s lips. ¡°I just wanted to tease you a little.¡± ¡°¡­Shiori. So it¡¯s like that, huh?¡± ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get angry at things like this.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Kazemiya turned her face away from me, and Raimon, who was smiling happily at her, looked like a little devil in the skin of an honor student to me. The blond and flamboyant Kazemiya and the innocent and graceful Raimon. But¡­¡­. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really understand the relationship between those two, but I get the feeling that the upper hand is held by Raimon-san¡± ¡°¡­I thought so too.¡± I deeply agreed with what Natsuki said. ¡°Anyway, I understand what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll cooperate with you. All I have to do is to teach you, right? What about Raimon-san?¡± ¡°¡­Me too. I¡¯ll cooperate with you. Kohaku asked me to help you, so I will.¡± ¡°Thank you, both of you. I¡¯m indebted to you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bow down. It¡¯s my job as student council president to help students who are motivated to learn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about studying for the final exam. There¡¯s no downside to it.¡± The format was to form a study group. If at any point they felt it was a burden, they could stop at that point¡­¡­once the general framework was set, we exchanged contact information to finalize the details of the schedule. After confirming their respective schedules, the schedule for the study group would be set up anew. The first step I took with the back pushed by Kazemiya was to destroy my family. The second step, which followed, was also taken without incident. *** ¡°Inumaki-kun, can we talk for a minute?¡± After exchanging contact information and breaking up, I was stopped by Raimon-san. I was a short distance away from Kouta and Kazemiya-san, who was walking ahead of me, so our conversation would not be heard. I guessed that RAIMON was anticipating this and spoke to me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You have a question for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you a question, I¡¯m asking you what you think about¡­¡­.¡± Raimon-san asked me, looking at Kouta¡¯s back with a calm gaze. ¡°Do you think Narumi-kun can beat Tsujikawa-san?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I immediately answered the student council president¡¯s question. ¡°Kouta¡¯s mid-term grade was 58th. ¡­¡­ is not bad. It¡¯s above the middle. If he works hard, he can get into the upper ranks. But he can¡¯t beat Tsujikawa-san. I¡¯m sure she will get first place again next time. Besides, if Kouta, a sophomore, wants to win first place, he has to beat Raimon-san, but even if we compare simple scores, Raimon-san is better than Tsujikawa-san¡ªKouta can¡¯t beat Tsujikawa-san¡ªKouta can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Right. I agree with you. What worries me is¡­¡± ¡°Kouta knows that. If he knew that, why would he put up this losing fight¡­¡­right?¡± ¡°¡­Do you have any idea about that?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. The only thing I know is that Kouta is trying to fight with all his might, playing all the cards he has¡­¡­.well, it¡¯s been that way for a long time. My childhood friends have always fought losing battles.¡± When he stood up to the upperclassmen who bullied me. When he tried his best to live up to his father¡¯s expectations. What Kouta was doing was always a battle that he knew he would lose. ¡°You look happy.¡± ¡°I am. I¡¯m happy. Someone I thought I would never see again has come back.¡± In that sense, I would like to thank Kazemiya-san. Meeting her made Kouta move forward again. ¡°Welcome back. My hero.¡± CH 23 Chapter 23: I worked very hard. Translated by Dawn Chapter 23: I worked very hard. With a powerful helper, I started studying for the final exam. Raimon-san was a quintessential student council president. And I should say that she was an honor student who had always maintained the top position in her grade since she entered the school. She was able to teach me in a very easy-to-understand and detailed manner when I asked her questions about things I would get stuck on if I studied alone. Thanks to her, I was making good progress, although I was disappointed that I could not spend much time with Raimon-san because of her work as the student body president. I studied with Natsuki at home. Natsuki was one of the top students in the class, so he was very smart, but more than that, he had a good way of doing things. His pacing of solving problems and efficient study methods were different from Raimon-san¡¯s, which was a plus for me. ¡°You left the house in a complicated way, right?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes, I did. What about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have liked to have seen it.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re wrong here.¡± ¡°Eh, no way.¡± ¡°You miscalculated the equation.¡± ¡°¡­Uwaa, you¡¯re right.¡± I scrubbed the equation in my notebook with an eraser and calculated it again. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Perfect. This is right.¡± When Raimon-san and Natsuki were not around, I studied with Kazemiya at a family restaurant. Until recently, I used to do this after my part-time job, but now that we were already in the middle of the test period, I went straight to that table at the restaurant after school to study with Kazemiya until the last minute. There, I could order something when I wanted to take a break, and I could finish my dinner without leaving the restaurant. ¡°Kazemiya¡¯s grades are good. Are you good at studying?¡± ¡°Normal. Sometimes Shiori teaches me, so that¡¯s a big part of it.¡± ¡°The best tutor in our grade?¡± ¡°Luxury, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But that alone won¡¯t get you into the top ranks. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re usually working so hard?¡± ¡°Well¡­I do study a little bit in the mornings before school.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing, from my point of view. Except now, I would never have spent my mornings studying before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a habit.¡± ¡°Habit?¡± ¡°A useless habit when I was trying my best not to lose to my sister. It¡¯s just a habit that continues to this day¡­¡­but I¡¯m glad I kept it up.¡± ¡°May I ask you why?¡± ¡°Because I can teach Narumi to study.¡± Kazemiya, smiling like a mischievous child in front of me, almost made me admire her face, but now was not the time for admiration. ¡°Keep saying that. I¡¯ll overtake you this time.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s going to be Narumi¡¯s turn to teach me.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Look forward to it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Strangely enough, my concentration remained uninterrupted by the occasional conversation with Kazemiya in this way. In addition to the ambient sounds of the store that I always heard, the sound of a mechanical pencil being run over a notebook was pleasant. ¡°¡­I think I may be studying harder for this exam than I did for the entrance exam.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. Me too. I haven¡¯t studied this hard since I took the junior high school entrance exam.¡± ¡°Is it okay to ask about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Then tell me about it. I want to know about Narumi, too.¡± ¡®Not such an interesting story, though. My shitty father¡­¡­my previous father was like an ability supremacist. It¡¯s like, ¡®If it¡¯s my son, it¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s excellent¡¯ or ¡®A bad son is not my son.¡¯¡± Just remembering my shitty father alone frustrated me, no doubt. But now I could talk about it calmly. I wonder why¡­¡­.I guess it was because I was with Kazemiya. ¡°He kind of looks like my mom.¡± ¡°I know. I thought the same thing.¡± Kazemiya and I laughed together. Peacefully. Like a simple chat. ¡°That¡¯s why. Naturally, I took the entrance examination for elementary school. I failed that time, but my mother covered for me. I was forgiven. I took the entrance examination for junior high school¡­¡­.I studied to death. I studied so hard, remembering my mom¡¯s back protecting me. I did a lot of crazy things to make my father like me. I was just so desperate to be a good son. I wanted to do things like help people and show him that I was a good son.¡± I would get into things on my own, and get covered in mud and scratches. Looking back, it was black history. ¡°And, well. I kind of passed the middle school entrance exam, but it didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get accepted?¡± ¡°Well, I failed the elementary school entrance exam, so he said I had to pass the middle school entrance exam at the top rank. ¡­¡­At that time, I was told, ¡®How much do you have to let me down?¡¯ That¡¯s all. That¡¯s all. That was a boring old story, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I see.¡± Kazemiya fell silent for a while, then pulled out a single red pen from her pen case. ¡°Narumi, give me your hand.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡­right hand or left hand?¡± ¡°Either one. Whichever you want.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­left hand.¡± I held out my hand that was not holding a mechanical pencil, and Kazemiya¡¯s hand gently wrapped around mine. The soft touch and warmth of the hand made my heart beat rapidly. As I was worrying that my hand might feel the heat of the pen, the red tip of the pen began to slide across the palm of my left hand. The red pen drew a swirling pattern and added petals around it. ¡°You did a great job.¡± Blooming in the palm of my left hand was the Hanamaru mark that Kazemiya gave me. ¡°¡­¡­..Haa. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d reward Narumi for your hard work.¡± ¡°What is that¡­I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡­really, Kazemiya and I got along well. That¡¯s why. I was just a little kid at the time, and now she had given me the words I wanted. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± This is bad. Not good. I couldn¡¯t look at Kazemiya¡¯s face properly now. My vision was blurred. Tears were overflowing. Oh, shit. Why? Why do I feel like I want to cry so much? Kazemiya didn¡¯t say anything for a while as I suddenly started crying. She just stayed there until I calmed down. She stayed by my side without saying a word. ¡°¡­after the final exams, we¡¯ll have summer vacation, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been working so hard this semester, right? So as a reward, why don¡¯t we go somewhere and have fun?¡± ¡°Together?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m inviting you out.¡± ¡°Then we should invite Shiori and Inumaki, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I want to thank them¡­but on other days, let¡¯s just hang out together.¡± ¡°¡­just me and Narumi?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± I felt some relief when Kazemiya said so. ¡°Is there anywhere you want to go?¡± ¡°Where would you take me?¡± ¡°Anywhere you want.¡± ¡°Then¡­I¡¯d like to go to the pool.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡° A summer festival.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like to just wander around the city¡­¡­.Oh, and theme parks, too. I¡¯m interested in the new attraction that opens in the summer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll write it down in my notebook.¡± Tearing out a page from my study notebook, I filled in my list of summer vacation rewards. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to summer vacation.¡± ¡°I look forward to it every year.¡± ¡°For me, I don¡¯t have much to do.¡± ¡°This year is going to be busy for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had such a busy summer vacation.¡± As I looked at Kazemiya¡¯s smiling face, I decided in my heart. If Kazemiya ever needed help in the future, I would¡ªdo my best to help Kazemiya. (I don¡¯t know what I can do, but¡­I will do anything if I can spend my time laughing with you.) Days go by with thoughts of the future just a little bit ahead. And then came the day of the first-semester final exam. CH 24 Chapter 24: This Must Be a Sibling Quarrel Translated by Dawn Chapter 24: This Must Be a Sibling Quarrel It was the first day of the first-semester final exam. I arrived at school with a mixture of nervousness, anxiety, and hope, and somehow happened to bump into Tsujikawa. Perhaps because it was early in the morning, there were still no people on the street near the school. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°¡­Good morning.¡± I greeted her, and she greeted me back, albeit in a complicated way. ¡°¡­looks like you¡¯ve got plenty of time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so nervous I¡¯m going to throw up. Thanks to you, I woke up earlier.¡± After daring to come out with such flamboyance, the pressure on me was enormous, even if it was my own fault. ¡°How¡¯s mom doing?¡± ¡°¡­she¡¯s depressed. Ever since that day, it¡¯s because of you.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been a burden to mom.¡± ¡°If you feel that way, why don¡¯t you come home?¡± ¡°Because nothing will change if I come home now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to change?¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s eyes were denying my words. ¡°We have a dad and a mom. That is the ¡®normal family¡¯ that the world forces upon us. It is ¡®normal happiness¡¯. Now, no one will feel sorry for me, no one will pity me, and no one will assume that I am unhappy. There is no more happiness than this. ¡­Both you and I have the perfect happiness of a family with no deficiencies. What¡¯s there to be unhappy about it?¡± What had this girl, Tsujikawa Kotomi, been fighting against? How had she fought? I thought I could see it clearly. ¡­..I was right. You¡¯re just as I thought you were, you know. ¡°¡­But I felt uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t want to go back to that house filled with what you call ¡®normal happiness¡¯. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me? You could have told me from the beginning. Why didn¡¯t you tell me from the beginning that you didn¡¯t feel comfortable and that you didn¡¯t need my attention?¡± ¡°I know¡­¡­.To be honest, it hurts my ears when you hit me with that.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to refute it, so I ran away. ¡°Now that I think about it. I should¡¯ve said something sooner. I should¡¯ve told her earlier. I should¡¯ve discussed things more honestly with her. If I had done that¡­..maybe things would have been a little different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late now.¡± ¡°Indeed, It¡¯s too late.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t about who was to blame. There were no obvious culprits or villains in this issue. I understood my mom¡¯s concern for me. I was never the good kid my shitty father wanted me to be. When Tsujikawa Kotomi, the very embodiment of my father¡¯s ideals, appeared¡­¡­I could understand why she would be more cautious and concerned than necessary. I also understood Tsujikawa¡¯s desire for a normal family. I grew up in a single mother-son home. I understood the discomfort of people judging me as unhappy or pitiful, and the frustration of being scorned by my parents for raising me on their own. I also understand the frustration of being helpless to do anything but watch. And our family was on the verge of¡ªbreaking down, and no one, nothing, could say anything. We had come this far without ever exchanging a word. If there was a crime, the whole family was guilty. ¡°Even if it¡¯s too late¡­¡­it¡¯s too late now, so I¡¯m responsible for taking care of it. This is fine, I¡¯m your big brother now.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You felt uncomfortable, too, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tsujikawa fell silent at my point. As if I had hit the bull¡¯s eye. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. People around me are so concerned about me that they don¡¯t mention how hard I¡¯ve worked. On the contrary, the harder I work, the more they¡¯re going to shrug me off¡­even in everyday conversation, they¡¯re going to pay more attention to me than they should.¡± ¡°¡­If mom wants me to do that, then I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°I want it!¡± ¡°Do you think the happiness I¡¯ve achieved at your expense will make dad happy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Tsujikawa¡¯s eyes widen, revealing surprise as if she had been struck dumb. ¡°Right now, you said dad¡­¡± ¡°¡­yeah. I¡¯ve been able to call him recently. I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to get here.¡± It was a little embarrassing to say that again in front of Tsujikawa. ¡°¡­Actually. I¡¯m cooperating with dad.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°When I asked him to let me stay at Natsuki¡¯s house, he bowed down with me. I¡¯ve been in touch with him behind the scenes¡­and he¡¯s been worried. About you too.¡± ¡°¡­.Lies¡­dad is¡­¡± ¡°He also said he was sorry, for me and for you.¡± From Tsujikawa¡¯s point of view, this must be somewhat of a shock. I destroyed the family, I destroyed the happiness that Tsujikawa believed in. And she had no idea that her own father was involved. ¡°¡­¡­Dad, looked happy.¡± Tsujikawa looked down and without even looking at me, she let out a few words. ¡°Dad looks so happy ever since he married mom. I¡¯ve never seen dad so happy since then¡­so happy¡­that¡¯s why¡­I didn¡¯t want to break it¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I know what you mean. I¡¯ve never seen my mom so happy either.¡± ¡°If you knew that¡­¡­why did you destroy it?¡± ¡°If you can have that happiness without sacrificing anyone, it¡¯s worth a try.¡± I started walking again and moved ahead of my stepsister who was standing still. ¡°I hate tests, but I¡¯m kind of looking forward to this one. ¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had siblings fight.¡± Yes. This was a quarrel between siblings. The most common, mundane, ordinary, just a brother and sister fighting. ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s do our best together¡ªKotomi¡­¡± *** Narumi-senpai moved forward and onward. His back was somewhat dazzling. He was different from the Narumi-senpai of a while ago. That person had changed. For the better. If that was the case. If change was a good thing. What is it that I want? All I can do is stand still, face down, and hope for constancy. ¡°¡­..No!¡± No. No. No. I knew that. I knew that normalcy was the most difficult happiness to attain. It was the most correct form. ¡°¡­.I will not be defeated. I will never lose to you¡­.!¡± CH 25 Chapter 25: Tsujikawa Family Epilogue Translated by Dawn Chapter 25: Tsujikawa Family Epilogue All the final exams were over, and not long after that, all the tests were returned and the results were in. My classmates were filled with a sense of freedom and excitement about the upcoming summer vacation, but for me, the real battle began from here. ¡°You¡¯re going home today, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I already picked up my stuff from Natsuki¡¯s house.¡± After school. I was killing time at a family restaurant with Kazemiya until it was time for my father to come home. In my bag, I also had the results of the final exam in it. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°How nervous?¡± ¡°My heart¡¯s been beating too loud for a while now.¡± ¡°¡­Can I check it?¡± Kazemiya¡¯s unexpected offer came as a surprise, and although I was surprised, I naturally nodded my head before I had time to think about it. I could offer my heart to this girl unprotected. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then, come over here.¡± I moved from the chair to the sofa seat next to Kazemiya. Kazemiya¡¯s hand was on my chest. Soft warmth. The sweet scent of a girl wafted through the air, making my heart beat louder than ever. ¡°¡­It¡¯s true. It¡¯s beating so loud.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s voice was closer than usual. She was at a distance that she could easily fit in my arms. I almost impulsively hugged Kazemiya, who leaned in so defenselessly as if to surrender everything to me. ¡°Hey, Narumi.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Your heartbeat. Are you just nervous about your family?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. I just wish there was a little bit of¡­¡­me in your heartbeat.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s hands were pulled away. ¡­Ah, I¡¯m so glad you moved away. Because if it had been just a little bit later, you would have heard this loudest heartbeat. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die before you get to the showdown.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± I could not question the meaning of Kazemiya¡¯s words. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the time to devote that much courage to the girl next to me right now. ¡°¡­Today is the last time Narumi and I will spend time together here.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Because for us, this is a place to escape. When you don¡¯t need to escape, you won¡¯t come here anymore.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no reason.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± I gathered my belongings and stood up with all my strength and courage. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯m going to go, Kazemiya wait here, I¡¯ll pick you up later.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll wait without expectation.¡± ¡°You can expect it.¡± I left Kazemiya and left the store by myself. It had been a long time since we formed an alliance, and I had always been with Kazemiya when I left the store. And it had also been a long time since I walked along the road leading to Tsujikawa¡¯s family house. I hadn¡¯t been home at all since then until today. ¡°¡­Well then.¡± Before entering my home for the first time in a long time, I looked at my left hand. The flower circle mark that Kazemiya wrote on my hand had already completely disappeared, but it was still there in my heart. That was enough for me. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°¡­Welcome home¡± When I came home, my mom welcomed me with open arms. My heart ached a little. Mom¡¯s face was far from happy, as dark and stagnant as it had been when she lived with my father. Still, it was better than back then. It was probably thanks to the support of my dad and Kotomi. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I made you worry.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­Mom too, I¡¯m sorry¡­it¡¯s my fault¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. Right now, we have more important things to do.¡± When I entered the living room, my dad who had just come home from work, and Kotomi were already there. ¡°Welcome home, Kouta-kun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home, Dad.¡± Mom¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she heard me say the word ¡°dad¡± in a way that was completely natural to me by now. ¡°You, just now¡­you said ¡®dad¡¯¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can do it now.¡± ¡°Kouta¡­¡­!¡± Mom¡¯s happy face. Just by seeing this, I felt glad that I could change. ¡°I¡¯m home, Kotomi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Welcome home, Narumi-senpai¡­¡± Kotomi¡¯s eyes were filled with hostility toward me. I will surely beat him. Full of a strong will to beat me. ¡°You came here without running away, I see.¡± ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°Let me ask you something. Have you changed your mind?¡± ¡°I have no intention of changing my mind.¡± ¡°I see. Then I will ask you to come back even if it is by force.¡± Kotomi put the sheet with the test results on the table. ¡°I won first place again in my grade this time. It¡¯s my victory.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Is that a declaration of defeat?¡± Kotomi quietly pushed me into a corner. She looked straight at me as if she was going to shoot me. ¡°If I¡¯m a hard-working person who accumulates day by day, then President Raimon is a genius. Yet, you didn¡¯t run away, you didn¡¯t slacken in your efforts, and you have accumulated to this day. Even so, you will never be able to beat her, and you will never reach her. ¡­¡­.Therefore. That is why. If you keep running away, you will never win. In a match like this, your defeat was obvious from the beginning.¡± It was as if the tip of a master¡¯s sword was being held to my throat. ¡°Now, let me see it. Your proof of defeat.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll show you. My full effort right now.¡± I put the test result sheet on the table, which I had put in my bag so as not to lose it. ¡°¡­Twelfth in your grade, huh?¡± When Kotomi saw my score, her shoulders, which had been slightly tense, gradually relaxed. ¡°I knew it. You lost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s my loss.¡± ¡°I thought you had some kind of secret plan since you started the match yourself.¡± ¡°There is no such a thing. After daring you so loudly, I studied hard and couldn¡¯t even make it to the top ten. This is the best I can do right now, and this is what I¡¯m capable of right now.¡± ¡°¡­what do you want?¡± Kotomi¡¯s reaction was not surprising. It was obvious to Kotomi that this was not a contest at all. ¡°What on earth did you want? Are you making fun of me? Did you want to make fun of me? Do you think it¡¯s funny that I¡¯m so eager to go through with this?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, what are you¡­!¡± ¡°Not you, Kotomi.¡± I felt sorry for Kotomi. Even though she was looking at me so straight. ¡°You¡¯re not the one I wanted to show you what I¡¯m like now.¡± ¡°¡­.!?¡± It wasn¡¯t you that I was looking at. I was looking at¡ª ¡°Mom.¡± My mom. That person that my dad was leaning on for support. ¡°Kouta¡­¡­? What are you¡­trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°I tried to compete with my sister, and I lost spectacularly. I couldn¡¯t have lost any more badly. ¡­I gave it my all. I studied like I was going to die. With the help of others, I put forth my current best effort. But I still lost.¡± This defeat was inevitable, and Kotomi¡¯s victory was also inevitable. In fact, it would be strange if I could win with just a little bit of study. ¡°Kouta¡­¡­no. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°It is like that. I am inferior to my sister Kotomi. I¡¯m a bad child. This is an undeniable fact.¡± This reality must be accepted. ¡°But, you know. I¡¯m not letting that fact break my heart anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± Ah, I finally said it. What I had to say. ¡°I¡¯m standing here like this, even though I lost so badly. It¡¯s not going to be like it was with that shitty father anymore. This is the reality that you¡¯re seeing now. You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡± ¡°Kouta¡­Kouta¡­!¡± Mom dropped to her knees and sobbed as she hung her head. ¡°Sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t believe in you¡­! I myself assumed that you were a weak child¡­! I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s true that I was weak. Let¡¯s do it all over again.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­yeah¡­that¡¯s right¡­thank you¡­me too¡­I have to do my best¡­¡± While comforting Mom, I turned to Kotomi, who was standing still. ¡°¡­sorry Kotomi, for trying to take advantage of you.¡± ¡°¡­You were looking at mom, not me, from the beginning.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­I thought that I had to get to the root of the problem.¡± ¡°Is that why you went to the trouble of challenging me to a losing match¡­?¡± ¡°No. I really wanted to win, and I was going to beat you. I challenged you to a match with the intention of really winning¡­Well. I knew that a little bit of study might not be enough to win over someone who works hard and puts in a serious effort regularly.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kotomi kept her mouth shut. I guess she had yet to formulate what she wanted to say. ¡°Oh, and¡­¡­It¡¯s a little different when you say I was looking at Mom and not you.¡± I silently clasp the vanished flower circle mark on my left hand. ¡°Certainly, it was Mom that I wanted to show her the most about this game, but I had something I wanted to tell you.¡± ¡°What do you want to tell me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You can run away.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± ¡°Kotomi, you can run away, too.¡± This was what I wanted to tell my sister as an older brother. What I had to tell my sister as an older brother. ¡°What¡­that¡¯s¡­why is it okay to run away¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. I was running away. I kept running away from my family. But I¡¯m facing my family again because I ran away.¡± In that usual restaurant. At the usual seat. Spending time with that girl in my class. It might be an escape, but because of that escape, I had the chance to be with them now. ¡°You may not be able to solve the problem if you keep running away from it all the time. But it¡¯s hard to keep running. So sometimes you need to stop and take a moment to catch your breath¡­¡­.that¡¯s my conclusion after running for so long.¡± I¡¯d been thinking about it. What I could do as an older brother. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ran away from this until now. Also, you did a good job without running away until now. So you can run away now. It¡¯s okay to take a break for a while. From now on, please keep that option in the corner of your mind. I¡¯ll¡­¡­do my best, too.¡± The only thing I could do was to say to my sister, who had fought so hard without running away, ¡°You did your best¡±. ¡°That¡¯s¡­it¡¯s too late¡­it¡¯s too late for you to say that¡­!¡± That¡¯s right. Everything was too late. ¡°Then, was what I believed wrong? Was I choosing the wrong path? Has everything I¡¯ve done so far¡­been for nothing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for nothing. Because you worked so hard on your own, we¡¯re still a family. If it wasn¡¯t for you, we probably would have broken down a long time ago. It¡¯s irreparable.¡± I turned my gaze to the other side. There, I saw what Kotomi had protected. ¡°Kotomi, I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kotomi-chan¡­¡­¡± ¡°Dad¡­mom¡­¡± ¡°I failed to create an environment where you could escape, and it¡¯s my¡­our fault.¡± ¡°I put the burden on you because¡­I was weak and didn¡¯t move forward.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­it was my choice! It was all¡­¡­my choice!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ¡®choose¡¯ it. We made you choose.¡± Kotomi was at a loss for words at dad¡¯s words. ¡°Kotomi. You only had one choice. ¡­¡­You can run away. You can run away. I couldn¡¯t offer you that choice.¡± Dad looked straight into Kotomi¡¯s eyes and spun words of gratitude. ¡°And thank you¡­¡­.For keeping our family safe until now.¡± It was certainly not a choice. Still, it was a path that Kotomi chose for herself. And yet, now she was told that it was okay to run away. Perhaps she felt as if she had been denied what she believed in. Perhaps he understood how his daughter felt. Dad¡¯s words of gratitude were words of exertion and praise for the path Kotomi had walked so far. ¡°Now it¡¯s our turn to do our best.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Kotomi¡¯s atmosphere, which had been tense, gradually relaxed. ¡°Eh¡­huh¡­?¡± Beautiful, transparent grains like pearls overflowed from Kotomi¡¯s eyes. Drip, drip. ¡°Huh? Why¡­am I, crying¡­¡± ¡°You should cry now. Since you couldn¡¯t cry before, cry as hard as you can.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It must have been her limits. Both her mind and her body. Kotomi cried aloud. Like a young child. She just cried and cried. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, too. And thank you, very much¡­¡­¡± With a tear-stained smile, Kotomi uttered those words with certainty. ¡°¡ªNii-san.¡± CH 26 Chapter 26: Kazemiya Kohaku''s Prologue Translated by Dawn Chapter 26: Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s Prologue For a person named Kazemiya Kohaku, a person named Narumi Kouta was an ally and important friend. Because he was an important friend, she should be happy that the problem he was facing would be resolved. Of course, I was happy. But at the same time, I also felt¡ªlonely. Once his family problems were resolved, Narumi would not come here anymore. Because this was a place to run away. A place to escape. If there were no need to escape anymore, there would be no more use of this place for him. ¡°¡­Such a bad person, me.¡± I liked the time I spent with Narumi at this family restaurant, but I was sad and lonely when that time was gone. A broken family being able to start over. I should know better than anyone how happy, joyful, and wonderful that would be. Why could I not congratulate him honestly? ¡°¡­¡­..¡± It might be bad manners, but I plopped down on the table and closed my eyes. Trying not to think about anything. I mustn¡¯t be a bad person any more than I already am. ¡°¡­.Nn.¡± Apparently, before I knew it, I had really fallen asleep. I looked up, a little embarrassed that I had fallen asleep in the restaurant. ¡°Ah, you woke up.¡± It was Narumi in front of me. ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t sleep carelessly in a restaurant, no matter how often you are there. What if something happens to you?¡± ¡°¡­..Why are you here?¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d be back to meet you later.¡± ¡°You did say that, but¡­..eeh? Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s an idiot? I¡¯m in twelfth place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m eighth.¡± ¡°Gununu¡­!¡± ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t it.¡± I accidentally just went with the flow, but it should not be like that. ¡°¡­.Could it be. Did you fail about the family thing?¡± ¡°No, thanks to you, it went well¡­Well. Things are just getting started.¡± ¡°¡­.I¡¯m getting more and more confused.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also confused about what you¡¯re confused about.¡± This could be a dream. It must be. A dream. ¡°¡­Then, there¡¯s no point for you coming here anymore.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡­Narumi doesn¡¯t have to run away from his family anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Not caring about my anxiety, Narumi said it without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sure there will come a day in the future when I¡¯ll want to run away from my family again, just because this one is resolved.¡± ¡°¡­¡­is that so?¡± ¡°I think so. If I lived with people other than myself, there would be places where I would fit in and places where I wouldn¡¯t fit in. If I lived this way, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be able to say one or two things to my family that I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable saying to them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Now that you mention it, it¡¯s pretty normal.¡± ¡°It is. It¡¯s normal. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s special to say, ¡®I want to run away from my family.¡¯ It¡¯s a common, ordinary story that happens everywhere and to everyone.¡± Narumi said that what happened this time was not an extraordinary story like a fairy tale or legend. ¡°But it¡¯s different now, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m trying to face my family as much as I can, at my own pace.¡± ¡°Then stop coming here and go home.¡± No, I. I really don¡¯t want that. I¡¯m like this because I¡¯m lonely¡­ ¡°¡­.What about Kazemiya then?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Nothing. I¡¯m just going to waste my time here again.¡± My family was already finished. It was too late. It was different from Narumi¡¯s family. That was why I¡¯d always stay ¡°I¡¯m going to keep running away. From that house, from my family.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go along with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± What is this guy talking about? ¡°You said it yourself earlier. You said you were going to face your family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my family, not Kazemiya¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Kazemiya is running away from her own family, right? Then I will just run away with Kazemiya from Kazemiya¡¯s family together. ¡­I¡¯m not running away from my family.¡± That¡¯s. In short. ¡°¡­¡­in short. That¡¯s it. We¡¯re going to stay together from now on.¡± Narumi said that to me as he turned his head away in embarrassment. ¡°In the first place, we promised to go somewhere together during summer vacation.¡± ¡°Right¡­we were.¡± ¡°You have that list on paper, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°How could I forget? It¡¯s just¡­¡­right. Sorry.¡± Yes. I would never forget it. The list I wrote in that notebook was folded and I carry it around on my phone cover. ¡°¡­¡­but hey. Are you sure this was a good thing? I think you should be with your family today.¡± ¡°I know. I told you I¡¯d come to get you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, to be honest. The atmosphere in the house is still awkward. It¡¯s not that bad. So I thought I¡¯d let Kazemiya power do something about it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that.¡± ¡°My dad and mom both like you, so when we talk about Kazemiya, it lights up the house¡­even though my mom can be a little annoying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I like Narumi¡¯s mom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you said that.¡± Narumi took a slip of paper and got up from her seat. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back to your house yet, do you? Then stay at my house. My whole family will welcome you.¡± ¡°Your sister too?¡± ¡°Maybe. It seems that Raimon-san has talked to her, and she won¡¯t be making any more comments about you.¡± Narumi chuckled and held his hand to me, still sitting in his seat. ¡°If Kazemiya wants to run away, I will run away with you, forever and ever, even to the end of the world.¡± ¡ªNarumi said that what happened this time was not an extraordinary story like a fairy tale or legend. That might be true. Everyone had the desire to run away from their family. But. This moment when Narumi reached out to me. This moment must be. ¡°Even if you become a demon king who destroys the world, I will stand by Kazemiya Kohaku.¡± For Kazemiya Kohaku, at least, this was a scene from an extraordinary story, more than a fairy tale or a legend. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that. What do you think of me?¡± ¡°The Demon King.¡± ¡°Keep talking.¡± I responded to the hand extended to me. ¡°Thank you, Narumi.¡± Our overlapping hands connected naturally, without conscious thought. When I went to Narumi¡¯s house, both Narumi¡¯s mom and dad were really welcoming. Also, his little sister¡­¡­Kotomi, also welcomed me, although she looked a little awkward. Well. In the first place, it¡¯s a bit confusing how to treat a female friend of a stepbrother. We ate dinner together and I even took a bath with her. The family gathering that Narumi had reconstructed was so bright and warm. I was so envious. And I had to sleep in Kotomi-chan¡¯s room. To be honest, the sofa in the living room was enough for me, but surprisingly, Kotomi suggested it. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll turn off the lights.¡± ¡°Mhm. Got it.¡± On the futon that Kotomi gave me, I was somehow looking at the ceiling. ¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep. Come to think of it, I just fell asleep at a family restaurant earlier. ¡°¡­.Are you still awake?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In the dark room with the lights out, all I could hear was Kotomi¡¯s voice. It was like the night of a school trip, I thought absentmindedly. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I misunderstood you senpai. I took the rumors to heart¡­so, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, about that. I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s my fault for not trying to clear up the misunderstanding and leaving the rumors alone. I think it¡¯s rather natural, no? If my brother had a bad reputation, I would have done the same thing.¡± I see, so this was the reason Kotomi was trying to sleep in the same room with me. Just as Narumi said, she was a very disciplined and serious girl. ¡°I heard a lot about you from President Raimon. You were friends with her, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. It was unexpected, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­honestly, yes. You two are complete opposites.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I think so, too.¡± Then there was another short period of silence. But Kotomi seemed to be awake, and I got the feeling that she had something she wanted to say but couldn¡¯t say or¡­¡­something like that. So I just kept quiet and waited. Until she could say something. ¡°Umm¡­and¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­.And, thank you very much.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden?¡± ¡°My brother told me. He said that the reason he was able to face his family again was that he ran away. ¡­¡­That¡¯s about Kazemiya-senpai, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­I wonder. If so, I would be happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. So, thank you very much. Thanks to you¡­¡­our family can start over from now on.¡± ¡°I see. Good for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kotomi¡¯s voice sounded really happy. It made me happy, too. ¡°¡­I¡¯m relieved, to be honest.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°That Kazemiya-senpai is¡ªmy brother¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to him to decide who he wants to be his girlfriend, but if it¡¯s someone weird, I¡¯ll be worried too¡­¡­so I¡¯m glad it¡¯s Kazemiya-senpai.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Wait.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Girlfriend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.With whom? Who?¡± ¡°Kazemiya-senpai and my brother¡­¡± Kotomi¡¯s voice sounded puzzled, and conversely, I was also puzzled. ¡°¡­¡­.We¡¯re not like that.¡± ¡°Ehh!? Am I wrong!?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re not like that.¡± ¡°I thought you two are dating. Because today, when you came to our house, you were holding his hand!¡± ¡°Even friends hold hands with each other, no¡­.?¡± ¡°When we were in the living room, you sat next to my brother and flirted with him!¡± ¡°We were just talking like normal people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Even though you two were so close to each other!?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s normal too¡­¡­I guess.¡± ¡°My mom and dad also said ¡®that¡¯s the distance of a lover¡¯, though!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. Probably. Wait, did they just say that?¡± ¡°With that kind of distance when you¡¯re not even lovers, isn¡¯t that a problem¡­..?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± No good. I couldn¡¯t say anything back. ¡°Umm¡­so, Kazemiya-senpai is not particularly interested in my brother as a member of the opposite sex?¡± ¡°Narumi is just a friend¡­.It¡¯s not that I like him or anything¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t say no. I couldn¡¯t move my mouth any further. Narumi¡¯s face floated in my mind and wouldn¡¯t go away, my heart throbbed, and my face was¡­¡­hot. (¡­¡­Ah, I see. That¡¯s right¡­.) I kept running away from the true nature of this fever. But with Kotomi¡¯s words, I finally realized. ¡°¡­.I like Narumi.¡± Kazemiya Kohaku was in love with Narumi Kouta. A/N: Volume 1 is now complete! Volume 2 will be a summer vacation story about the Kazemiya family, and Kazemiya¡¯s older sister, whose name has only been mentioned so far, and she will also make an appearance. CH 27 Chapter 27: Summer Vacation Plans The breeze was like a coolant, and you could smell the asphalt baked by the heat as you proceeded. The blue sky that stretched overhead was as clear blue as an aquamarine. It felt as if it brought happiness, just as its precious gemstone word indicated. Flowers bloom along the roadside. Trees lined up in a row. Passing cars. Everything in the world that stretched out on my path was tinged with a slight feverish heat. Late July. After the first semester¡¯s closing ceremony, I said goodbye to my classmates on my way home earlier than usual after school. It was already summer at this time of year, so it was no surprise that everything outside was hot. ¡°So hot¡­¡± It was hot to the extent that I could not help but talk to myself. Even my summer clothes, which I felt like I had just changed just a few days ago, were only as effective as a hot stone in the face of the temperature outside. Of course, it might be much more effective than wearing long sleeves, but hot is hot. If the summer heat were solved by simply wearing short sleeves, mankind would not have invented the air conditioner. As I continued on my way, I saw a sign for a restaurant. Flowers, a family restaurant. It was a family restaurant chain that was open 24/7. I had been going to this restaurant so much that I could picture its menu in my mind just by seeing its sign or its silhouette. I¡¯d even conquered everything on the menu, except for the limited-time-only menus. ¡°¡­A chocolate sundae.¡± The decision was instantaneous. I imagined a plate of chocolate and a serving of chocolate ice cream and bananas. Strangely, my stomach had become physically unable to accept anything but a chocolate sundae. I dragged my feet, almost overcome by the heat, and went straight into the store. Without even speaking to the waitress, I proceed through the store with a familiar gait. The place I was aiming for was my usual seat. And there was the girl who always sits there. Her long golden hair was so beautiful that it seemed to be subjugated even by the sun¡¯s rays. Eyes colored azure, more beautiful than any ocean in the world. Her skin was so fine and spotless that she didn¡¯t seem to care about the midsummer sun. The summer uniform of the Hoshimoto Gakuen wrapped around the outstanding style of the girl, whose ample breasts and slender neckline give her the look of an idol. Kazemiya Kohaku A very dear friend and classmate of mine in the second year D class of Hoshimoto Gakuen high school. She was a very famous girl in our school. There were two reasons. One was her looks. She was so beautiful that she was constantly being scouted by several modeling and idol agencies, which was understandable. Naturally, there were not a few boys who were after her. And the second one was that she was the younger sister of the very famous singer-songwriter, ¡°Kuon¡±. Her sister had a wide fan base, especially among high school students, young and old, male and female, and was now so popular that she could be called a social phenomenon. Therefore, many people approached her to get close to her sister, ¡°Kuon¡±. Kazemiya herself had a complex about her older sister, and she did not take kindly to those who approached her because of her sister. No wonder. She was probably fed up with being approached on a daily basis. Therefore, in her own way, she had been coldly rejecting those around her as a form of self-protection, and now there were almost no more people who approached her. There was a time when Kazemiya had a bad reputation because of her cold rejection of those who approached her, but¡­¡­she had cleared up the misunderstanding little by little and now Kazemiya was treated normally by her classmates and other students. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± I joined Kazemiya at the seat where she was sitting. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if the teacher suddenly asked you to do something. No need to apologize.¡± ¡°Kazemiya, you seemed to be looking forward to today.¡± ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it.¡± It seemed that she was looking forward to it. ¡°But they¡¯re spread all over the table.¡± ¡°Preparation. I was just preparing!¡± What Kazemiya had spread out on the table was a ¡°Summer Vacation Reward List¡± that she had made before the first semester¡¯s final exam. I worked harder than ever before for the first semester¡¯s final exam, partly due to my family¡¯s circumstances. Therefore, we made this list for the purpose of having a lot of fun during the summer vacation as a reward for doing well on the test. And today, based on this ¡°Summer Vacation Reward List,¡± we decided to make plans for the summer vacation together at a family restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a free refill drink first. Oh, and¡­¡± ¡°Chocolate sundae?¡± ¡°¡­Wait. How did you know?¡± ¡°Oh, I just thought you looked like you wanted a sundae, Narumi.¡± Kazemiya made a triumphant face, apparently still holding a grudge against me for teasing her about her ¡°Summer Vacation Reward List¡±. Well, that didn¡¯t make me regret it at all. She should realize that she was just being cute when she did that to me. ¡°Then, can you take care of it for me?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I poured melon soda into a glass. By the way, I put one more ice than usual. Although the amount of ice was reduced, I took the coldness of the drink over it. Besides, this was a free refill drink, a student¡¯s friend. The quantity could be filled as much as you wanted. ¡°Melon soda, huh.¡± ¡°This drink has to be the first one. It doesn¡¯t feel right if it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that.¡± Kazemiya giggled at my words. In the classroom, Kazemiya always had a strong image of solitary cool beauty, but when we talk at a family restaurant after school like this, she was always like this. ¡°I ordered you a chocolate sundae.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With a sideways glance, I looked at the touch-screen terminal sitting in the corner of the table. The square terminal was a brand-new device that looked as good as new since it had only been installed a few days ago. ¡°Haa¡­¡­ ordering is easy and nice with this device.¡± Heartily thankful, Kazemiya also looked at the brand-new terminal. This family restaurant, Flowers, used to allow customers to order directly from the waitstaff, but recently they introduced a touch-panel ordering system. Both Kazemiya and I were familiar with digital devices, and both of us were modern kids. We were able to operate the terminal and place our orders smoothly. ¡°The best part was that I didn¡¯t have to talk directly to the clerk.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it that much?¡± ¡°I hate it when people look at like, ¡®Ah, he¡¯s here again¡¯.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being paranoid.¡± ¡°But you know what it¡¯s like to be paranoid, right?¡± ¡°I do. I sometimes wonder if someone is giving me a nickname or something behind my back.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Just like me, then.¡± I just hope that the nicknames wouldn¡¯t reach our ears. ¡°¡­Well, enough of that. Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Without further chit-chat, we got right down to business. Today¡¯s topic was¡ªour summer vacation plan for me and Kazemiya. *** The first semester of Narumi Kouta was a semester of many significant changes. During spring break, my parents remarried and I had a step-sister and a step-father. My father was an absolutist in his belief that I was not good enough for his expectations, and my mother divorced him because of it. Because of that experience, however, my mother had come to care about me to an excessive degree. This did not change even after we became a new family, and I began to feel uncomfortable at home, so I started going to family restaurants after my part-time job. There I met one of my classmates, Kazemiya Kohaku. She, too, found it hard to stay at home, so we would pass the time at the same restaurant. I formed an alliance with Kazemiya, with the family restaurant as our ¡°refuge,¡± spending after-school hours together just to get away from our family. Gradually, our relationship changed from ¡°alliance¡± to ¡°friendship,¡± and the time and experiences I spent with Kazemiya allowed me to face my family once again. I was able to improve my family situation, including my relationship with my step-sister, with whom I had a delicate relationship, and now I was able to spend a much easier time at home. It was thanks to Kazemiya that our family had been able to move forward. So this summer vacation was a reward for me, but at the same time, I had secretly vowed to make it a time of gratitude to Kazemiya. ¡°¡­Alright. I think this will do.¡± In about an hour or so, we had a rough draft of our summer vacation plans, which we had worked out based on our mutual schedules and availability. We would probably make some minor adjustments to it, but at least there should be no problems at the beginning. ¡°Well, now that I look at it this way, you¡¯re pretty busy, huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Of course, my first priority was to make sure Kazemiya had a good time. But I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to spending the summer vacation with my friend, Kazemiya. ¡°Well. Now we just need to decide on a day when Natsuki, Raimon-san, and the four of us will play together. I¡¯ll ask him about his plans and opinions. ¡­¡­Can you ask Raimon-san about it?¡± ¡°Leave it to me. Please ask for Inumaki¡¯s side.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Inumaki Natsuki was my childhood friend and Raimon Shiori was a friend of Kazemiya. These two helped me a lot during this final exam, so the plan was for the four of us to go out and have fun as a way to thank them. ¡°You said you¡¯d buy Inumaki and Shiori some food. ¡­¡­Narumi, are you sure you can handle the money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been taken care of by the two of them. so this is about as much as I can afford. Besides, I¡¯ve been working a lot to get away from home, so I¡¯ve got a lot of money to spare. If it¡¯s all right, I was even thinking that it might be a good idea to travel with Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­.Hey. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°So¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡± Kazemiya deceptively put her mouth on the straw and quenched her thirst with apple juice. She usually had tea from the drink bar, but lately, since it was summer, she had been mainly soft drink-based. ¡°If anything, is Kazemiya going to be okay with this? I¡¯ll still play with you though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m given an excessive amount of allowance.¡± Kazemiya complained about the somewhat harsh words. ¡°¡­And besides, we¡¯re rich. Even if we weren¡¯t, my sister earns so much money that she¡¯s astonished, so you don¡¯t have to worry about my money.¡± After a pause, she continued to speak in a self-mocking manner. ¡°¡­Really. I want to have a part-time job like Narumi so that I can play and buy things with my own money, but¡­my mom doesn¡¯t want me to have a part-time job. She doesn¡¯t want me to go out and do something that will tarnish my sister¡¯s reputation.¡± Kazemiya lightly stirred the remaining ice in the glass with a straw. The cool sound of the ice faded into the bustle of the restaurant. ¡°I go into the store with Narumi like this and complain about my family. Even this money was given to me by my mom. It¡¯s¡­¡­lame, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re high school students. It¡¯s not unusual to have an allowance, and not everyone can get a part-time job. And if you¡¯re caught up in playing with money given to you by your parents, I¡¯ll pay for everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more of a problem for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to be patient.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as now?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to put up with the same things anyway, wouldn¡¯t you rather be treated by me?¡± Kazemiya became silent as if she was about to admit that I had a point. ¡°¡­anyway, I hate it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be willing to spare it to play with Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say such a thing so casually, idiot.¡± Kazemiya looked away as if to hide her face, and I almost said something like, ¡°cute,¡± but I knew that if I said that she would stop looking at me, so I exercised self-control and held back my words. We then proceeded to do our summer vacation homework while chatting a little more, and the day was dismissed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll meet in front of the station at ten in the morning and go straight to the movie theater¡­¡­right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be late and suddenly ruin all the plans we¡¯ve made.¡± ¡°No way.¡± When I teasingly said this, Kazemiya also laughed in her usual way. ¡°See you later, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Bye-bye. Thanks for walking me home, Narumi.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± And so we parted as usual. *** If I were to conclude¡ªthe summer vacation plans we made would fall apart before the very first day. ¡°Sorry, Narumi, I¡­¡± Because after this, I was going to encounter her before the night was over. In the dark of night. In the middle of the pouring rain¡ª ¡°¡­I ran away from home.¡± ¡ªwith Kazemiya Kohaku who ran away from home. CH 28 Chapter 28: Banishment Translated by Dawn Chapter 28: Banishment/Exile ¡°Ah. I forgot to buy notebooks.¡± Perhaps it was because I had been studying hard on my own since the first semester¡¯s final exam, as a student should, that I realized at night that I had run out of notebooks. It was after nine o¡¯clock. If it was later in the day, I would have no hesitation in going to the convenience store. I would also restock with snacks and juices. By the way, there was no choice but to put it off until tomorrow, because I had plans with Kazemiya. ¡°¡­Ok. Let¡¯s go buy some quick stuff.¡± I grabbed my wallet and phone and quickly walked out into the hallway and suddenly¡­.stopped in my tracks. After about ten seconds of pondering, I knocked on the door to the room across the hall. ¡°Kotomi. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­Nii-san?¡± The sound of footsteps could be heard, and the door opened. She was a little smaller than average, with long hair that reached her waist. She had a beautiful, doll-like face. She was already rumored to be the most beautiful girl among the first-year students because of her neat and elegant behavior. Tsujikawa Kotomi. She was my new family member, having just started high school this spring and becoming my step-sister this spring. She was the daughter of my father, who is now the daughter of my mother¡¯s second marriage and, well, with whom I bumped into a lot of problems during the first semester. Now that we had put our problems behind us, we had started our relationship as ¡°brother¡± and ¡°sister¡± to each other, albeit a little awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the convenience store now, so if there¡¯s anything you want, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± Kotomi seemed to understand why I had come to visit her room, and after a moment of thought, she shook her head. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As someone who suddenly had a step-sister who was close to my age, I was at a loss as to how to treat her, apart from the incident we had bumped into in the first semester. Even though we were both members of the same ¡°Tsujikawa family¡± on the family register, we were strangers to each other until a short while ago. If they were of the same sex, it was fine, but if they were of the opposite sex, there would be many things to be concerned about. ¡°You are going to see a movie tomorrow with Kazemiya-senpai, right?¡± ¡°Hm? Yes, that¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kotomi began to stare at my clothes from top to bottom. I was dressed quite casually because I was just going to a convenience store to do some shopping. It was a little embarrassing to be stared at, even by family members. ¡°Tomorrow, please get up early, give yourself plenty of time, and make sure you are properly dressed. If getting up early isn¡¯t your thing, I can wake you up.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­I¡¯ve been planning to do that since the beginning, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Also, when you meet up with Kazemiya-senpai, the first thing you should do is compliment her on her attire. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to be very enthusiastic about getting dressed up. If she has arranged her hair, please compliment her on that, too.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Absolutely. There can be no comment.¡± In the first place, I didn¡¯t have the leeway to make a retort about how I knew that Kazemiya was going to be enthusiastic and dressed up. ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°And I heard it¡¯ll be raining tomorrow. You might want to bring an umbrella just in case.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Then, take care. Even though it¡¯s a nearby convenience store, it¡¯s nighttime, so be careful.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll be careful.¡± After leaving me all the advice she could, Kotomi returned to her room with a sense of satisfaction, as if she had accomplished her mission. ¡°Little sister¡­I don¡¯t get it.¡± If you had a reference book or something on how to deal with a step-sister who was close to your age, maybe someone could sell it to me¡­¡­. *** As I was sitting on the sofa, looking at the TV screen, the program that was playing ended and switched to commercials. ¡°This is¡­¡­the one I¡¯m going to see tomorrow with Narumi.¡± The next thing that appeared on the screen was a commercial advertising a movie that had just recently been released and was already attracting a record number of viewers. The novel on which the movie was based was also highly acclaimed, and I had seen a lot of buzz about it on social networking sites. The reason why we decided to go see this movie was that Narumi¡¯s mom got a ticket from an acquaintance and it was passed on to Narumi. Two tickets. It didn¡¯t have to be with me. He could have invited his childhood friend Inumaki, but he invited me. I was so happy about that fact. ¡°A movie with a boy alone is like a¡­¡­date, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡­¡­Well. I guess I was the only one who thought it was a date. I knew that Narumi thought it was just a normal day out with friends. After all, it was only recently that I realized how much I liked a boy named Narumi Kouta. So, this might be my own personal feelings. Still¡­I¡¯m looking forward to it. I was so excited to go to the cinema alone with the boy I like. I couldn¡¯t suppress this feeling. ¡°¡­¡­¡± While I was thrilled on my own, I heard the sound of someone coming home. The sound of rhythmic footsteps walking down the hallway. The sound of someone living according to a seamless schedule. ¡°¡­.Welcome back. Mom.¡± ¡°I just came to get a change of clothes.¡± ¡°¡­.Where¡¯s onee-chan?¡± ¡°She¡¯s filming a drama today. She¡¯s staying at a hotel with me. We¡¯ll be back in three days.¡± Big sister not only sing and write lyrics but was also active in dramas and variety shows. In several dramas she had appeared in the past, she was praised by her co-stars and viewers alike for her acting ability to the extent that she was described as if she was an actor in her own right. She also appeared as a guest on a program I was just tuning in to, and I hadn¡¯t checked, but she must be trending on social networking sites. ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± Everything was different from me. I still couldn¡¯t get rid of my complex towards my sister. (But it doesn¡¯t matter.) Right now, more than my complex about my sister, my mind was occupied with tomorrow¡¯s movie date. What should I wear? What should I do with my hair? We were going to see a movie in the morning and had lunch together. Maybe we could go out somewhere afterward. ¡°Kohaku.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stay home for the summer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.huh?¡± Mom¡¯s words entered my head clearly without missing a single word, painting my mind pitch black. ¡°Why¡­¡­? What do you mean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Kuon is in an important period right now. In addition to dramas and commercials, she has offers for movies. She can¡¯t afford to damage her image here.¡± ¡°¡­.what?¡± I don¡¯t understand. What is Mom talking about? What does it mean? ¡°Um¡­why? What does¡­..it has to do with my sister getting busy and me having to stay home?¡± ¡°If you go out without care, Kuon might get in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that if you cause any incidents or trouble, it will affect Kuon¡¯s image. Dramas, commercials, and movies could all be talked about if her image is tarnished. You are a high school student, so you should already know that much.¡± Mom operated her phone and reasoned as if it were a matter of course. All the while, she was not making eye contact with me at all. She was concentrating only on her communication with her business partner, staff member, or someone else. When she was finished, she didn¡¯t even make eye contact with me again but quickly stuffed her change of clothes into her bag. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Mom finished packing her clothes and turned her back against me¡ª ¡°¡­I hate it.¡± Stop that leg. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, I hate it.¡± For the first time, Mom looked me in the eye. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ve promised to go see a movie with my friend. There are many other¡­¡­a lot¡­¡­of other things¡­¡­.I promised to have fun during the summer vacation. So I don¡¯t want to stay at home all the time.¡± ¡°You. Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been assuming I¡¯m going to do something bad. You¡¯ve been doing it for a long time. I¡¯m not allowed to have a part-time job and everything. You just assume whatever you want about me, you don¡¯t trust me at all, and you don¡¯t want to believe me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you money so that you don¡¯t have to work part-time. What are you not satisfied with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about money. It¡¯s not about that.¡± This person didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. She didn¡¯t care that she said she didn¡¯t believe me a shred of it. ¡°Haa¡­Kohaku. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re complaining about, but it¡¯s for Kuon¡¯s sake. Be patient. I¡¯ll give you as much money as you want, just stay home for the summer vacation.¡± ¡°I absolutely hate that. Let me do whatever I want during the summer vacation.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, get out of this house. Right now.¡± ¡°¡­.!?¡± Mom continued triumphantly, seeing that I was upset by the suddenness of the situation. ¡°If you can¡¯t listen to your parent, then get out of the house. You want to do what you want, don¡¯t you? Then you can leave this house and do whatever you want. But if you get into any trouble, don¡¯t mention our name. We have nothing to do with it.¡± She should be looking into my eyes. Mom¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t see me¡­at all. ¡°¡­Is that okay with you mom?¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t bother Kuon, I¡¯m fine with it.¡± ¡°¡­.I¡¯m really going to leave.¡± ¡°If you want to leave, go ahead and do it. ¡­¡­Well, you¡¯ll be crying soon anyway.¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± This time I couldn¡¯t look at my mom properly. I grabbed my phone and ran out of the house with my clothes on. While I was putting on my shoes, just before I opened the door, or when I left the house¡ªmom didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Why¡­¡­Why¡­¡­!¡± I walked the streets at night. I walked. And walked. I wasn¡¯t walking anywhere. I was just trying to shake off this anger and sadness. I was just walking in the darkness toward somewhere. ¡°It was fun¡­ Just thinking about it was so much fun¡­!¡± Even though I had a complex about my sister. Even if my mom never looked at me. Just thinking about tomorrow was fun; just imagining a date with Narumi made my heart race. I was happy just thinking about summer vacation. I felt like I was being drained of that happiness. So today, I just went against my mom. ¡­.Part of me was hoping that something might change if I confronted her head-on like this. But to no avail. In the first place, she didn¡¯t even look at me, so I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°¡­..Rain.¡± Before I knew it, it was raining. I didn¡¯t have an umbrella. I forgot to bring one. My body was getting cold from the rain. But it also cooled me down a little. I happened to see the lights of a convenience store nearby in the darkness of the night, and like an insect caught by the light, I was pulled along with unsteady steps. I was somewhat hesitant to enter the air-conditioned store in my wet state, so I could only stand there. ¡°¡­.Psycho.¡± My head cooled along with my body and the exchange¡­at home earlier replayed in my head. The endless sorrow had been falling in my heart like this rain. All the happiness and excitement seemed to be washed away by the rain. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± There was no way to go from here. At best, I would have to stay at a hotel. I only have a smartphone because I ran out of home on impulse. I could probably make it to a place that accepts electronic payment, but¡­¡­. Either way, it was not possible to do so during summer vacation. So I¡¯d have to go back to that house after all. But I hated it. I didn¡¯t want to go back to that house. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? ¡°¡ª-Kazemiya?¡± That voice reached me through the sound of the rain in the darkness. ¡°¡­..Narumi?¡± There was no way I could have mistaken him for someone else. I couldn¡¯t have mistaken the boy I love. There was no way I could have mistaken his voice. ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± ¡°I ran out of notebooks, so I came here to buy some. And also juice and snacks and stuff¡­¡­.or rather, why are you here? It¡¯s far away from your home.¡± No. Why¡­you always¡­come to me when I want¡­¡­you to be around the most. ¡°¡­.What happened.¡± Why¡­are you holding out your umbrella to me? Will you make the rain disappear from my heart? ¡°Sorry, Narumi, I¡­¡± But there was no way I could say it. ¡°¡­.I ran away from home.¡± All I could do was try to hold back my face from crying in the pouring rain. CH 29 Chapter 29: A Story of Each Translated by Dawn Chapter 29: A Story of Each Kazemiya was standing in the darkness without an umbrella to shield her from the pouring raindrops. The girl in front of me, soaking wet with a face as if she were about to cry, somehow looked at me as if she had a grievous wound all over her body. I could not leave Kazemiya alone. There was no such option. I immediately forgot about my original purpose of coming to the convenience store and just silently put her under my umbrella and took her home. I couldn¡¯t leave Kazemiya, who was too unprepared to run away from home, alone on this dark road at night, and my house was close to here. Above all, both my mom and dad love Kazemiya. They would accept her even if I suddenly brought her home. My prediction came true. When I brought Kazemiya home soaking wet, my dad, mom, and Kotomi were all surprised, but when they saw Kazemiya¡¯s face, with slumped shoulders and a downcast expression, they said to her, ¡°¡­¡­go take a bath for now,¡± and brought her up to the house. ¡°Brother. What happened to¡­¡­Kazemiya-senpai¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­She ran away from home.¡± ¡°Ran away?¡± ¡°She fought with her mother or something.¡± That was all Kazemiya told me until we came back to this house together. ¡°Fighting with her parent, and running away from home¡­it sounds like a common story but¡­¡± While saying this, Kotomi shifted her gaze in the direction of the bathroom where Kazemiya was in. She must have had the impression from what she saw earlier that it was difficult to put it down as ¡°just a fight between parent and daughter¡±. ¡°¡­It¡¯s no use us thinking about it right now, is it?¡± ¡°I agree. We won¡¯t know anything until we hear from the person in question.¡± The smile she had shown in the daytime was gone from Kazemiya, whom I found in front of a convenience store. Summer vacation started tomorrow. She seemed happy when we made plans to spend time together. I was getting frustrated with someone who took that away from her. It was as if magma was simmering deep in my stomach. ¡­¡­No. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be angry. ¡°Then, I should think about cheering up Kazemiya first.¡± That was what I tell myself. ¡°Then leave it to me.¡± ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± ¡°Yes. I have a secret plan.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe that Kotomi, with the title of a first-year student who passed as a top student, first in her grade, and student council member would be so confident in her statement. I wonder what kind of secret plan she had. ¡°¡­but I need brother¡¯s help for that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll do anything to cheer up Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then, from now on, please promptly prepare what I am going to tell you.¡± I promptly prepared the items as requested and handed them over to Kotomi. I honestly had no idea what she was going to do with what I handed over to her, but I decided to trust my step-sister. ¡°The preparation is complete¡± ¡°I see. Anything else I can do?¡± ¡°Brother, please stay in your room.¡± ¡°¡­.is that all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I-I see. Alright.¡± I waited in my room as I was told¡­¡­but I was getting anxious because nothing was going on so far. I couldn¡¯t figure out what Kotomi¡¯s ¡°secret plan¡± was at all. How on earth did she intend to cheer up Kazemiya¡­¡­? ¡°¡­¡­Narumi?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Kazemiya¡± As I was pondering alone, I heard Kazemiya¡¯s voice through the door. ¡°Do you want to take a bath now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­thanks. You saved me.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The conversation somehow broke off, and silence ensued. What is this awkwardness? I mean, why doesn¡¯t Kazemiya come into my room? ¡°¡­Stop standing in front of the door. Come on in. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ah¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like my room, I can ask Kotomi to let us use her room. Or if you want, we can go downstairs to the living room¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I don¡¯t like Narumi¡¯s room or anything like that¡­¡­.¡± What? Kazemiya¡¯s voice coming through the door sounded a little strange. She was acting strange. ¡°That, uh, about clothes¡­¡± ¡°Clothes?¡± Kazemiya, who had run away from home, had nothing on her but her phone. Her soaking-wet clothes were now spinning in the washing machine. Therefore, Kotomi must have gone to the changing room earlier and left a change of clothes. By the way, the change of clothes was something that my mother had bought in advance with Kotomi, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for when Kazemiya-san comes to stay here again.¡± I didn¡¯t think it would be useful here¡­¡­. ¡°Like, is it the wrong size or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­I mean, it¡¯s not wrong¡­it¡¯s kind of too big for me¡­wait, that¡¯s not the problem.¡± Hm? I thought it was something about clothes not fitting right and not being able to wear them properly, but I guess not. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­well, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re cute no matter what you wear. Anyway, at least show me your face.¡± ¡°Achoo¡­!¡± She looked like she was about to cry before. I might not be able to sleep tonight if I didn¡¯t at least check what she looked like now. ¡°¡ª¨C¡± Not a second after opening the door, I lost my voice. I had just heard somewhere that sight was responsible for about 80% of the perception we get from our five senses. And right now, 80% of what I was getting from both of my eyes was being crushed by violent information. Kazemiya Kohaku in front of me; the clothes she was wearing were certainly not the right size. In fact, they weren¡¯t even women¡¯s clothes. Rather, it was the short-sleeved T-shirt I had offered to Kotomi earlier, which I usually wore. It was obviously too big for her, which was not surprising, given the difference in physique between Kazemiya and me. It was a cheap shirt purchased at a major fast-fashion chain store, but somehow, just by wearing it, Kazemiya was struck with a violent dazzle, or something like love, as visual information. ¡°¡­.Sorry. I kind of got out of the bath and found Narumi¡¯s clothes on the floor. I only had underwear and this to wear on top.¡± Could this be the ¡°secret plan¡± that Kotomi was talking about? If so, what did it mean? What in the world could turn out to be like this, and how could this cheer up Kazemiya? ¡°¡­.Just so you know, I¡¯m wearing pants underneath!¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Upon closer inspection, I saw that she was wearing women¡¯s loungewear. But if she was wearing loungewear, it might mean that she was wearing underwear¡­¡­I had to stop thinking about it there. I thought things that shouldn¡¯t be thought. ¡°¡­Kotomi was the one who put my T-shirt there. Sorry about my sister.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s no need to apologize. Rather, is this something you don¡¯t like, Narumi?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know, that¡­your clothes. I wore them, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. Or rather, how about you? If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll get you something else to wear right now.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t dislike it. On the contrary¡ª¡± Kazemiya started to say something and quickly covered her own mouth. ¡°¡­.Sorry. No, not now. Forget it.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­alright. I forgot.¡± On the contrary, what was it? It bothered me, but since I agreed to forget it when I was told to forget it, I had no choice but to forget it. ¡°Well, come on in anyway.¡± ¡°¡­.Mhm.¡± Kazemiya came into the room with a reddish face, probably after taking a bath, nodding her head. As I was observing her, our eyes met. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Kotomi told me. She said she had a secret plan to cheer you up. I don¡¯t know the logic behind it, but¡­it sounds like that secret plan of hers is working.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. It seems so.¡± Kazemiya squeezed the hem of her shirt and let out a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯ll thank Kotomi-chan later.¡± ¡°Do that. She¡¯ll be happy. ¡­Here, a chair. You can sit there.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll sit on the bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a problem if you fall asleep when I take my eyes off you like before.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to fall asleep. That was just me letting my guard down a little.¡± Kazemiya mumbled and complained but meekly sat down on the chair I had prepared for her. I then sat down on the bed to make sure that, in case of any accidents like the last one, they would not happen. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About you running away.¡± ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want to get involved in other people¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°I told you I wanted to get into yours. We both do.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I remember.¡± First semester. It was the beginning of me facing my family that I had been running away from until now. I remember that time well. How could I forget? Ah, yes. The girl named Kazemiya Kohaku was special to me. So special that I could easily reverse my principles. ¡°But if you don¡¯t want to talk, I won¡¯t force you. I¡¯ll wait forever for you to talk to me.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°How long do you want?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. What if I said ten years?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait ten or twenty years if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Ten or twenty years together.¡± ¡°As long as you want. If Kazemiya wants, I will be with you for the rest of my life, and no matter how long it takes, I will wait for you to talk to me.¡± ¡°¡­idiot. You should know what it means before you say it.¡± Kazemiya turned her eyes away from me. I didn¡¯t know if it was just me, but I felt that the blush on her face was even redder than before. Was it hot in the room? I had the air conditioning on, though. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll talk. Now.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ll wait, but I¡¯ll probably spoil it by telling you everything.¡± ¡°Go ahead. At least a little.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Because if I start spoiling Narumi, it won¡¯t be just a little bit.¡± After prefacing this, Kazemiya began to explain in detail. The story leading up to the runaway from her home¡ª *** ¡°Hey, Mom. Can you elaborate?¡± The crew on the set of a one-off special drama was perplexed. The filming itself was going well, and today was on schedule¡­¡­no. They finished filming earlier than scheduled. This was all due in large part to the efforts of one woman playing the lead role. If the co-stars had a problem, she would be there to help them solve it. If there was a problem, she would solve it with her flexible response. Furthermore, all of the parts she played were all done without any NG. She always kept the atmosphere on the set bright and friendly with her meticulous attention to the staff and co-stars but also tightened up when she had to. The fact that the filming was running ahead of schedule was all due to the help of this woman¡ªKuon, whose real name was Kazemiya Kuon. She herself was now the source of such trouble. Although today¡¯s filming itself had already been completed, so there were no scheduling problems, it was still a shock to the drama¡¯s staff and co-stars. ¡°Kuon, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± That Kuon, Kazemiya Kuon, was coming at her manager and mother, Kazemiya Sorami. Even those around her could see the flames of her anger flickering quietly as if she were about to grab her by the chest. It was an unbelievable behavior from her, who has always stood in the way of improving the atmosphere of the scene.¡¯ ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you hear me? Or you still don¡¯t understand? Oh, yeah. Then I¡¯ll make it easier for you to understand.¡± She then stared at her own mother with a look of such earnestness that she had never shown even during the filming. ¡°I want you to explain to me while I¡¯m being nice to you, you old hag, about how you kicked Kohaku-chan out of the house, or some such nonsense.¡± CH 30 Chapter 30: Happy Family Kazemiya told me. Her mother told her to stay home during the summer vacation. That she refused to do so. She told her mother that she would leave the house. How she ran out of the house with her emotions. ¡°¡­I kind of hate myself for being so childish.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a child. We¡¯re both children.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Kazemiya cowered in self-loathing, and I wondered if I was being selfish in hoping that she would not hate herself. ¡°I know. You can be childish in front of me. We are both children.¡± ¡°When you say things like that, I feel more and more like a child, and that frustrates me.¡± ¡°Do you want to grow up?¡± ¡°Maybe. At least, as mature as Narumi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mature.¡± ¡°You look like that to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like¡­you¡¯re confident.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I still have a hard time dealing with my sister.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it that way. Just now you apologized naturally, saying, ¡®I¡¯m sorry about my sister¡¯.¡± If she said it like that, then yes, it was true. At that time, such words came out naturally and easily. ¡°I think a figure of ¡®big brother¡¯ is starting to grow on you.¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Kazemiya gave me a chance to face my family, and I could face them because of Kazemiya. That was why I have made up my mind to be on Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s side. No matter what happened, I would stand by Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s side. ¡°Kazemiya, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°Are you going home?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back home¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then you can stay here for the rest of the summer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dad, Mom, and Kotomi.¡± ¡°No, wait. Why would you do that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have anywhere to go.¡± ¡°There are hotels and whatnot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°You could stay at Raimon-san¡¯s house, but you can¡¯t stay there all the time, can you? In that regard, a little bit of unreasonableness is OK in our house. Or rather we¡¯ll just let it go.¡± I could not predict how my dad and mom would react if she stayed with us for one or two nights, let alone during the summer vacation. I was sure they would be fine, but even if they refused, I would do everything in my power to persuade them. ¡°Why are you doing this for me?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve decided to side with Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe it¡¯s really my fault, you know? Maybe I¡¯m just being selfish with my mom, leaving home, deceiving Narumi, and causing you trouble.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s really your fault, or if you¡¯re deceiving me, or whatever. I told you before. Even if you become the Demon King who destroys the world, I am on the side of Kazemiya Kohaku.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Aahh, geez¡­.¡± Kazemiya got up from the chair and fell down on the bed, not caring that I was sitting down, and covered herself with the futon to hide her face from me. ¡°I told you not to spoil me like that.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m going to spoil you.¡± While hiding her face with the futon, Kazemiya finally at least met my eyes. ¡°¡­.Can I really be spoiled?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­.I may ask that a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­.I might be spoiled too much and become a useless girl.¡± ¡°Kazemiya is just fine like that.¡± ¡°¡­.I might become selfish.¡± ¡°Say whatever you want. I¡¯ll make it happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Did she say all she wanted to say? Kazemiya remained wrapped in the futon and did not move. ¡°¡­Then, can I ask you one thing right now?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Let me sleep in Narumi¡¯s bed today. Just for today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It was rather cute as selfishness. ¡°Good night, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­.Good night.¡± Turning off the light in the room and closing the door. I put her face in a special box so that no one would see her sleeping face, which was surely adorable. After that, I asked my mom and dad if Kazemiya could stay with us during the summer vacation. They didn¡¯t immediately say yes, but they knew that Kazemiya was acting strangely, that I had never asked so strongly before, and¡ª ¡°I would like to ask you as well.¡± Kotomi bowed down with me, and we got their permission on the condition that I would contact Kazemiya¡¯s parents. ¡°Thank you, Kotomi. You helped me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful to Kazemiya for helping us become a family, and for giving brother the opportunity. I will spare no effort to repay that debt.¡± ¡°Is it okay for a member of the student council to support a runaway girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a member of the student council for the sake of getting good grades. I don¡¯t have that much of a sense of duty, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± When I was taken aback by the words coming from my well-behaved sister, Kotomi put her index finger to her mouth with a face like a little child who had successfully pulled a prank. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I haven¡¯t even told my mom or dad about this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it to my grave.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± After adding a final ¡°good night,¡± she returned to her room. Tsujikawa Kotomi, my younger sister, might be stronger than I thought. ¡°¡­.Really. I don¡¯t know what a sister is.¡± *** (Kazemiya¡¯s POV) When I woke up in the morning, it was always cold in the futon. In spring or summer. In fall or winter. No matter how much I turned on the heater to keep warm, it always stayed that way. A deserted house. A house where nothing could be heard. The lonely silence was like a cold wind, slipping in through the cracks of the bedding. When I woke up and went to the living room, no one was there. My morning began when I turned on the light in the dimly lit room. ¡°Warm¡­.¡± Today was different. It was warm. So warm and reassuring that my eyelids feel like they were about to fall off again. What was this warmth that enveloped me? I thought about it and immediately knew what it was. ¡°It smells like Narumi.¡± From this futon. From the clothes I was wearing, I could smell Narumi¡¯s scent. It made me feel safe. I felt like Narumi was hugging me. It felt good. It was comfortable. And it was not cold. It was not cold. There was a human presence in this house. It was warm. No good. I was about to fall asleep again. But I had to get up. Because I was staying here. Sleeping twice was indeed very nice¡­¡­. ¡°Nn¡­.¡± I gathered my strength to get myself up. It was hard. I had never thought it would be so pleasant to sleep surrounded by the scent of the person I love. What should I do? If I ever slept with Narumi again, I would probably oversleep¡­¡­. ¡°¡­.wait, what was I thinking?¡± I slapped myself on the cheek to shake off the fantasy that came into my head. Yes. And while I was at it, I finished waking myself up from sleep. Let¡¯s go straight to the living room¡­¡­let¡¯s not do that. I wanted to wash my face first since I was in the house of a boy I like¡­¡­Narumi. I didn¡¯t want him to see my morning face. ¡°¡­Haha. What am I really thinking?¡± I ran away from home. It was only one night after my mom said those things to me. I was thinking about the boy I like and how I wanted to wash my face and how I didn¡¯t want him to see my morning face. I was starting to have the time to worry about such things. I realized that love was amazing and that I was still just a child. But I didn¡¯t hate it. I didn¡¯t hate myself for being too much of a child like I did yesterday. After that, I went to the bathroom to wash my face and clean myself up as best I could and then headed for the living room. I could tell just by walking down the hallway. This house was nothing like my house. I could hear the sound of the TV. I heard someone¡¯s footsteps. I could smell sweet eggs. Someone other than me was in the space. A presence. That I couldn¡¯t find anywhere else in my house. ¡°Ah, good morning, Kohaku-chan.¡± ¡°G-good morning¡­¡± When I entered the living room, Narumi¡¯s mom greeted me kindly. ¡°Good morning, Kazemiya-san.¡± ¡°Good morning, Kazemiya-senpai.¡± ¡°M-morning¡­¡± Good morning. It was just a greeting. It was a common word, nothing special. But I was not accustomed to saying it. I didn¡¯t say ¡°good morning¡± at home for a long time. I hadn¡¯t said it for a long time. Not to my mom, not to my sister. ¡°Good morning, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Good morning.¡± I woke up from bed with the smell of Narumi and was told ¡®good morning¡¯ in the living room like this. ¡­¡­Ah, geez, I thought about unnecessary fantasies again. It was about like we were newlyweds or something. Such a naughty and silly thing. ¡°Did you sleep well last night?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Thanks to you. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s good. Come on, sit down. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Kotomi always makes breakfast. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just French toast.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s better than what I make.¡± ¡°Is that so? I prefer the French toast that brother makes.¡± On the table, there were five soft and fluffy French toasts. Narumi¡¯s mom, Narumi¡¯s dad, Kotomi-chan, Narumi, and¡­¡­my share. I almost cried at the breakfast that was lined up as if it were a matter of course. I didn¡¯t understand it myself. I couldn¡¯t understand what it meant. However, it was too embarrassing to suddenly start crying here, so I tried my best to hold it in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Kazemiya, sit down quickly.¡± ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t like French toast¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Um, I like French toast. I was just surprised because it looked so delicious. Thank you, Kotomi-chan.¡± I sat down in an empty spot without being prompted. After witnessing this, the people of the Narumi family (not the Tsujikawa family) join hands. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Itadakimasu.¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°I-itadakimasu.¡± After a delay, I joined my hands and brought a still-warm piece of French toast to my mouth. ¡°¡­Delicious.¡± The touch of the fluffy bread and the sweet, prodigal egg spread in my mouth. It had a gentle taste. It tasted like Kotomi-chan, who was thinking of her family. ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°So cold¡­.¡± ¡°No, Kouta-kun. She may sound cold, but Kotomi is embarrassed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so dull. Even I could see that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re getting to know mom so well.¡± ¡°¡­.I¡¯m not embarrassed. Not particularly.¡± ¡ªAh, this is nice. I honestly thought so. It was hard to believe that this family was on the verge of collapse just a short time ago, but they seemed so happy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kazemiya, you¡¯re smiling.¡± ¡°I just thought this was a nice family.¡± I said those words from my heart. Perhaps this was mixed with a touch of envy, though. ¡°Everyone¡¯s around the table together, laughing, happy. I don¡¯t know about the other families, but this seems like a nice family.¡± When I expressed my honest impression, the Tsujikawa family laughed happily and shyly. I really envied them. Because my family surely couldn¡¯t be like this. (¡­I wonder if mom is having breakfast with sister right now) I suddenly found myself thinking about that. Even though it was obvious. ¡ªDing-Dong. ¡°? Who is it at this time of the morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Suddenly an intercom. Apparently, no one recognized who it was. Narumi turned on the front door screen on the wall to see the visitor¡¯s face. The voice, which could be heard in the living room, sounded the same as the one that was just now playing on the TV. CH 31 Chapter 31: Kazemiya Kuon Translated by Dawn Chapter 31: Kazemiya Kuon Kazemiya Kuon. A singer-songwriter who went by the name of Kuon. Her popularity was so great that she had been called a social phenomenon, and not a day went by without seeing her on TV or the Internet today. In addition to singing, she had been active in TV dramas and movies, and her talent was so versatile that she had been praised in every field. Last year, as I remember, she even participated in an end-of-year singing show. Currently, she was performing while attending college, and that college had doubled the number of applicants for the next year. Well, in other words, she was, roughly speaking, a very famous person. I compared the face on the TV screen playing in the living room with the face on the intercom monitor. She had a beautiful face that looked just like Kazemiya¡¯s. She had long golden hair that looked just like Kazemiya¡¯s. The only difference between her and Kazemiya was¡­that she had blue mesh mixed in with her golden hair. And her right eye was gold and her left eye was a blue odd eye. Exactly the same face as the one on TV right now. If this were a disguise, it could have been done by a thief, but this person said, Kazemiya Kohaku was her sister. ¡°Big sister¡­?¡± Seeing Kazemiya¡¯s confusion, it seemed that her sister¡¯s visit was unexpected. ¡°Ehh? Kohaku-chan¡¯s big sister? She is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kuon, right? Is she in front of our house? Huh?¡± Mom and Dad started fidgeting, alternating back and forth between the TV and the monitor. Well, of course. With such a super celebrity in front of our house, it was only natural. ¡°Both of you, please calm down. Brother, please deal with this for now.¡± ¡°¡­sorry. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll be out in a minute.¡± I told her to wait for now and turned off the monitor. Kotomi was surprisingly calm. Come to think of it, I had never seen this girl show any interest in celebrities or anything like that. ¡°¡­Kazemiya, you coming too?¡± ¡°Yeah. I will.¡± Kazemiya, who apparently still hadn¡¯t caught up with the situation, nodded her head in confusion and went to the front door while Kotomi calmed our parents down, and the moment I opened the door¡­ ¡°Ko-ha-ku-ch¡ªaan!!¡± A golden entity flew toward Kazemiya with a vocalization from her abdominal breathing, as if she had been trained as a singer to the fullest. ¡°Aah~~~~! It¡¯s Kohaku-chan, it¡¯s Kohaku-chan, it¡¯s Kohaku-chan~~~! Thank God, thank God, thank God, thank goodness! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe~~~!¡± ¡°Wait, Big sister!?¡± ¡°When that old hag said she kicked you out of the house, I was worried! It was too dangerous for you to leave the house alone at night! I wondered where you went! And what if you got involved in some kind of incident¡­¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You have to think about it a little bit. Haa, I thought my heart was going to explode into a million pieces, you know¡­¡­I understand why Kohaku wanted to do that, and the worst person in the world is that old hag. So I don¡¯t want to say it too strongly¡­¡­but even so, there are always things that I could have done to help!¡± Kazemiya Kuon hugged Kazemiya with tears in her eyes, which more than adequately conveyed how worried she was about her little sister. ¡°Uu¡­Kohaku-chan¡­¡± ¡°Big sis¡­um, I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­.sob, sob, sob, haa, sob, haa.¡± ¡°Big sis. Stop it.¡± ¡°Aahh~~¡­hiks¡­now I can do this seven times a day¡­¡­when I¡¯m tired Kohaku-chan¡­¡­even when I¡¯m fine Kohaku-chan¡­¡­all seasons Kohaku-chan¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Big sis¡­!¡± Maybe she was a little bit of a crazy person. ¡°Hm? Kohaku-chan I smelled a man I don¡¯t know mixed in with Kohaku-chan¡¯s sacred scent¡­did you have a boyfriend, perhaps?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! I mean, get away from me already! We¡¯re in front of my friend!¡± ¡°Aahn¡­ It¡¯s a touching reunion¡­¡± The moment her sister¡¯s hands pulled her away from her, she and I locked eyes. ¡°My Kohaku-chan is indebted to you. This is her older sister, Kazemiya Kuon.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m her classmate, Narumi Kouta.¡± It was too late to put on such a crisp, full-fledged showbiz aura face, now¡­No. Let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t see anything and proceed. I saw nothing. Let¡¯s forget that Kuon was a bit of a dangerous (in an oblique way) person, though there was not a day that went by that I didn¡¯t see her on TV or the internet. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around here and talk here¡­¡­.would you like to go in for the time being¡­¡­?¡± *** ¡°¡­.So, that old ha¡­I have already spoken with my mother.¡± ¡°Right. No one is at home because of your job¡­¡­.It certainly sounds like you¡¯re very busy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about having her daughter home alone during the summer vacation¡­I understand, please leave Kazemiya in our care.¡± ¡°Thank you for your willingness to accept my request even though it was sudden and inconvenient. Please take good care of my dear sister during the summer vacation.¡± Kazemiya Kuon, who put up a full-fledged outward appearance of a celebrity aura, acted as a perfect ¡°guardian¡± to my dad and mom and finished explaining the circumstances that she must have been fabricating. ¡°I brought a change of clothes for Kohaku-chan from home and most of the things she needs for daily life.¡± There were two suitcases that Kazemiya Kuon must have brought all the way from home. ¡°Ah, this. Kohaku-chan, you forgot your wallet. I put some allowance in it and some¡­¡­cards. Use it for your living expenses during the summer vacation. It has cash, cards, and electronic money¡­¡­yep. That should be enough to handle most things.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Kazemiya¡¯s wallet, which I had seen several times at a family restaurant. But it was a lot thicker than what I usually see. It was as if a wad of cash had been forced into it, and it was clearly beyond the scope of ¡°allowance¡±¡­¡­let¡¯s not think about the limit of the card that seemed to have been put in it. ¡°¡­Big sis, this is too much.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a pinch of love from your sister in there.¡± ¡°A pinch¡­?¡± It was Kotomi who was tilting her head. After witnessing what she did at the entrance, I knew it would be a ¡°pinch¡± and not a ¡°handful¡±. ¡°Oh, can I come by often to check on Kohaku-chan? Of course, I¡¯ll bring a souvenir!¡± ¡°Yes, of course. You are always welcome.¡± ¡°Thank you very much¡­¡­.Well, it¡¯s about time for me to go. Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± A sudden glance. I could mysteriously sense that it was a signal. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll accompany her out. I¡¯d also like to stop by a convenience store on the way.¡± ¡°Thanks. Then, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­M-me too.¡± ¡°Kazemiya, you¡¯re not going out dressed like that, are you?¡± Kazemiya in her current T-shirt was a bit of a sight for sore eyes to walk around outside. She would probably be ashamed of herself. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get dressed right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to take my time to capture it in my eyes if I could, but I don¡¯t have time for the next shoot. Sorry.¡± I left the house, following Kazemiya Kuon¡¯s back as she cut her off somewhat forcefully. A silent pause followed for a while, and we spent some time walking quietly, keeping at least enough distance to hear each other¡¯s voices. ¡°So. What do you want from me.¡± ¡°Haha. You are very perceptive, aren¡¯t you? I can tell by the way you look at me.¡± ¡°Well, sort of.¡± It was strange to me that I somehow understood that Kazemiya Kuon wanted to talk to me alone. I had honestly thought I was being overly self-conscious until she actually said this. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have an errand, it¡¯s more like¡­¡­I¡¯ve been wanting to take a look at it for a while now. I wanted to take a look at Kohaku-chan¡¯s new friend.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­So, how was it?¡± ¡°Hmm? About what?¡± ¡°From your point of view, did I pass¡ªas Kazemeiya¡¯s friend?¡± The morning streets were so quiet that the sound of cars driving across the street echoed loudly. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± When the woman walking in front of me turned her head. What I saw was not ¡°Kuon, a singer-songwriter who captures the hearts of the masses on TV and the Internet¡±. She looked like a living creature named ¡°Kazemiya Kuon¡±. ¡°You¡¯re more perceptive than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°When you look at me like that all the time while I chat with Kazemiya or talk in the living room, you¡¯ll understand even if you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Most people don¡¯t understand. I mean, this is the first time that someone has noticed me that much when I first met them.¡± Kazemiya Kuon¡¯s gold and blue odd eyes captured my whole body. An abyss. No, different. The opposite. It was as if they were looking down at me, the creature, from a height that could reach the heavens. Such eyes. ¡°Yup. Right. You passed. Or maybe even more than that. You, as a person, have been more than I could have ever hoped for.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± This is bad. Even though she smiled more brightly than she did on TV, I couldn¡¯t smile at all. I even broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°You may have heard this already. There are a lot of people who approach Kohaku-chan just for me. ¡­No, really, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not one of them because it¡¯s going to be tough to get rid of you around Kohaku-chan.¡± ¡°Get rid of? That¡¯s a very disturbing word.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to have a little chat and ask a favor of an acquaintance.¡± I doubt if it was really ¡°just a little chat¡±, but let¡¯s not go into it. Wake not a sleeping lion. ¡°¡­You cherish her, don¡¯t you? Kazemiya that is.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very important. The best in the world. More than anyone else.¡± In response to my words, Kazemiya Kuon said without hesitation, not even pausing for a breath. ¡°I was able to do everything since I was a child. I was able to do everything from a very young age. I¡¯m what you call a¡­¡­genius or a child prodigy. But there was one thing that was pointed out to me that I just didn¡¯t have the talent for. That was¡ªsinging.¡± Surprising was all I could say. I had no idea that a singer-songwriter who was now a social phenomenon was said to have no talent for singing. ¡°I was really tone deaf. I had a talent for most things and could play any instrument, but I was clearly told that I should give up singing and that I had no talent for it. ¡­But, I loved singing more than anything else, and my dream was to become a singer in the future. Even when I told them that, the adults around me were vehemently against it. They wanted me to do something else. Well, I understand how they felt.¡± It was a natural reaction to let children do what they were suited to do, not what they were not suited to do. It was not to say that the adults around them were wrong. I was sure that Kazemiya Kuon herself knew that. ¡°Not a single adult agreed with me, and the one thing they all said to me was, [Give up]. I kept practicing and practicing, but I never got any better. I was tired of continuing to make unrewarding efforts, and I thought I would just give up¡­. However, Kohaku-chan was the only person in the world who supported me in my dream.¡± As if she treasured it. As if cherishing a memory. ¡°She said, ¡®It¡¯s not like you to give up, big sis.¡¯¡± Kazemiya Kuon smiled a smile that she had never shown on any TV show, on the Internet, or in any magazine. ¡°She also said, ¡®You have a beautiful singing voice, big sister, and I like it.¡¯ Or, ¡®I¡¯ll go along with your practice, too.¡¯ Even back then, she was already crying behind my back because people were comparing her to me, but she encouraged me.¡± Ah. I had a similar experience. I wasn¡¯t getting along with my family either, and I was running away from home. She pushed me to face my family. ¡°It¡¯s just like Kazemiya, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right? She should be more hurt than me. It must be hard for her to be compared to me, who can do anything. She should have been crushed by a sense of inferiority. But she still supported me. I was more than happy about that. It was worth more than any trophy, more than any certificate, more than any adult praises.¡± I could only imagine. Thinking back, that girl might have spoken out about her inferiority to her sister, but that didn¡¯t make her hate her sister. In fact, on the contrary¡­¡­she hated herself for feeling inferior to her sister. ¡°Then, as I practiced, I started to get better at singing, little by little, and now I¡¯m better at it than anything else. And you can see the rest. I became a singer-songwriter Kuon and became very successful.¡± ¡°I see. I see how much you care about Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Yes, Kohaku-chan is. Kohaku-chan is my precious family member who gave me something precious. So I have decided to use my life to make Kohaku-chan happy by any means possible. But, Kohaku-chan¡¯s happiness is for Kohaku-chan to decide, right?¡¡I can¡¯t prepare happiness for her, and even if I could, it would only be an imposition of happiness. So, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Kazemiya Kuon¡¯s smile remained unchanged as she talked about her memories. ¡°I¡¯m going to get rid of everything in Kohaku-chan¡¯s life that she doesn¡¯t want, everything that makes her unhappy.¡± She spat out those words, casting a dangerous shadow over them. ¡°As I said, you passed. More than that. But my mother didn¡¯t pass. I don¡¯t need that one anymore.¡± (+) ¡°I¡¯ve let her off the hook so far because she¡¯s our parent and because of Kohaku-chan¡¯s unfulfilled love for her family, but¡­¡­this time it¡¯s just too much. I thought I knew what kind of person she was, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be this irredeemably stupid. ¡­¡­Really, it¡¯s so annoying, isn¡¯t it? The chains called family.¡± I didn¡¯t know how, and I didn¡¯t know exactly what, but this person would put that something into action. That much seriousness was sorely felt on my skin. ¡°You are quite talkative, aren¡¯t you? Why did you go to the trouble of telling me this?¡± ¡°Because it made me happy.¡± ¡°You were happy?¡± ¡°Yes, I was. I¡¯m glad that there were people other than me who thought of Kohaku-chan and acted in her best interest. ¡­Thank you Narumi Kouta-kun. Now I have no more regrets.¡± A car pulled up on the side of the road and Kazemiya Kuon got into it. It was probably a pickup from the office she had called in advance. ¡°The only people left to make Kohaku unhappy are my mother and¡ªone other person. Once I get rid of them, it will be the end. It¡¯s a little earlier than I planned, but I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done by the end of this summer vacation¡­¡­.until then. Take care of my precious sister.¡± With parting words, the car carrying Kazemiya Kuon drove away. The last thing she left behind was a fragile expression on her face as if she was about to disappear, and I couldn¡¯t get it out of my mind. CH 32 Chapter 32: Movie Theater Translated by Dawn Chapter 32: Movie Theater ¡°Welcome back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± In order to fulfill the reason for going out, I went to the convenience store to buy some more juice and snacks, which I did not need to purchase, and came home to be greeted by Kazemiya at the entrance. I wondered if she had been waiting for me for a long time. ¡°¡­What were you and big sister talking about?¡± It seemed that Kazemiya had somehow guessed that Kazemiya Kuon was the one who had taken me out. ¡°About Kazemiya.¡± ¡°And what is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s a secret.¡± Frankly, I didn¡¯t know if I could tell her so simply because of the content of the talk. At least Kazemiya Kuon herself would not have wanted me to tell her little sister. Still, she told me because she trusted me enough¡ªto know that I wouldn¡¯t tell her. Well, I guess she was right. I must say that her prediction was correct. ¡­Even though I knew that her love for Kazemiya was distorted, for some reason I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her. ¡­Or rather, if I told her, I might not be able to get away with it for free either. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your sister¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Hm? Yeah¡­she is.¡± It was indeed beautiful, with a face similar to Kazemiya¡¯s. However, I had the impression that she was more frightening than that now, though. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kazemiya? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­No. Nothing.¡± Kazemiya turned away grumpily for some reason. ¡­¡­As expected, she was different from her sister. Since her grumpy face was so cute. I tried to imagine Kazemiya Kuon making a grumpy face. It would give me chills. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Kazemiya, have you sorted out all the stuff your sister brought for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in the living room.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll help you carry them out, so just get your clothes out and change. It¡¯s time to get ready, right?¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s fine, but are we going somewhere?¡± ¡°Going somewhere, you say¡­¡± Apparently, the mess of running away from her home had gotten it out of her head. I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°You know we originally agreed to go see a movie together today, right?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± *** Although I was a little disappointed to find out that Kazemiya had inadvertently forgotten about it, we decided to go to the movie theater today as planned. The original plan was to gather at the meeting place, but since Kazemiya and I were going to stay at the same house for a while, we decided to go straight to the movie theater, since there was no need to meet up with her. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± As I waited at the entrance, Kazemiya came downstairs after changing her clothes. She was wearing a cool-colored frilly top with open shoulders and shorts. On her ears were elegantly designed earrings, and she was also wearing a thin layer of makeup. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­it took me a little while to get my stuff sorted out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, and there¡¯s plenty of time to spare, so no need to rush, it¡¯s fun waiting for Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­ as I said, don¡¯t spoil me like that.¡± She began to fiddle with her hair, perhaps embarrassed. This was a habit of Kazemiya¡¯s that she usually did when she was embarrassed, when she had something difficult to say, or when she was in trouble. ¡°Is that the outfit your sister brought you from home?¡± ¡°Rather than bringing me those clothes, they looked more like something my sister had bought me. The size fits perfectly and it¡¯s nice. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with this dress? Is there something wrong with it?¡± ¡°It looks good on you. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­.Thanks.¡± Kazemiya turned away and started fiddling with her hair with her fingertips again. ¡­I remembered that Kotomi had told me to give her a proper compliment on her appearance. I had to think about it before I could remember that. ¡°Alright. Then, let¡¯s go.¡± After meeting at the entrance, we decided to go to the movie theater. ¡°It was kind of weird going out together from Narumi¡¯s house.¡± ¡°I was going to say the same thing.¡± I never expected to live with Kazemiya under one roof, even if it was only for the summer vacation, nor did I expect to go out together from the same house. ¡°You didn¡¯t go to school with Kotomi-chan, did you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When it was difficult for me to stay at home, I would shift my commute. Depending on the situation, I would leave late, Kotomi would leave early, and vice versa.¡± ¡°What do you do now that you are getting along with your family? Do you go to school together?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t go to school together. I leave later than her. ¡­Well, I¡¯m that kind of guy who likes to coast until the last minute.¡± ¡°Narumi, you¡¯re weak in the morning.¡± ¡°Not so much, but it takes me a little while to get out of bed. What about Kazemiya?¡± ¡°I¡¯m strong in the morning. I¡¯ve never overslept or slept in, and I wake up feeling refreshed¡­although depending on where I sleep, I might fall asleep a second time.¡± ¡°I admire you for never oversleeping. I¡¯ve been missing out on the perfect attendance award all through elementary, junior high, and high school.¡± By the way, the reason for this was that I stayed up all night playing games with Natsuki in elementary, junior high, and high school. Therefore, Natsuki had also been missing the prize for perfect attendance. ¡°Primary and middle school aside, we¡¯re still in high school¡­¡­it¡¯s only the summer break of our second year¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®only¡¯ two years, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s ¡®already¡¯ been two years. Next year we¡¯ll have to take the entrance exam.¡± ¡°Uh¡­stop that. It¡¯s summer vacation for 2nd year students, the best time for having fun. Rather, Narumi isn¡¯t the kind of character to say such a thing.¡± ¡°¡­About the exams is true, but it¡¯s true that I think it¡¯s ¡®already¡¯ been two years.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re more conscious than I thought?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just that high school life with Kazemiya. I think it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± I thought to myself, if only we had become friends at least a year earlier. Although even if we had, I still would have regretted the rest of the time. ¡°Kazemiya? The station is this way.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. Wait a minute. Now. I need to calm down.¡± ¡°Are you tired? Then, let¡¯s find a store and take a rest. There¡¯s still plenty of time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. ¡­Un. I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s go.¡± Kazemiya lightly slapped her cheeks, but her cheeks were slightly reddish, perhaps because of the summer heat, or perhaps because of the force of the slap. With that happening, we took a train and arrived at our destination, a movie theater. There was still some time left before the screening started. We decided to kill some time at a cafe inside the theater. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the tickets, and Kazemiya can secure our seats.¡± ¡°Okay. What do you want to drink, Narumi?¡± ¡°Hm¡­lemon soda.¡± ¡°Not melon soda, huh.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have melon soda in the cafe upstairs.¡± I scanned the QR code on my phone into the ticketing machine, took the two tickets it spits out and hurried to the cafe area on the second floor. ¡°Hey, look at that girl. Isn¡¯t she so cute?¡± ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve never seen a girl that cute except on TV.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s a model or an idol?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that. A man with a nice face tried to talk to her earlier, but she turned him away with a very cold look in her eyes.¡± In the center of my gaze was Kazemiya Kohaku, who had a seat for two at a table, sipping iced tea and looking in the direction of no customers, something I knew before I even checked. (Kazemiya is having a hard time here, too.) Perhaps because this was outside the school, no one knew who Kazemiya was. But she still attracted the same kind of attention as if she were inside the school. The only place where she could relax without worrying about the eyes of others might be inside the house. ¡°Thanks for waiting. Thanks for securing the seat. Here¡¯s your ticket.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Charging into the center of the vortex composed of gazes. It was only natural that the goddess who suddenly landed in the caf¨¦ area was approached by a man who could not be identified, so it was natural that their gazes were stirred with ¡°what¡¯s with that guy?¡± ¡°¡­My bad. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You were approached, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± ¡°I should have known that if I left Kazemiya alone, someone like that would come up to you. We should have acted together.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. I¡¯m used to this kind of thing.¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re used to this kind of thing doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t worry about it on my own. Let me at least worry about you since¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. I-I see. Thanks¡­for worrying about me.¡± ¡°¡ªwe¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± The light seemed to disappear from Kazemiya¡¯s eyes, and she began to drink her iced tea in silence. ¡°Kazemiya?¡± ¡°Nothing. ¡­¡­Oh, more people are coming.¡± A quick glance downstairs from the caf¨¦ area revealed that it was more crowded than when we arrived. It might be that the screening time was approaching¡­¡­. ¡°There are more people here today than usual.¡± ¡°I guess they¡¯re all here to see the same thing we are.¡± The movie we were going to see today was a big series of movies, and the buzz and expectations for the movie were high from the start. Moreover, this time the theme song was sung by Kuon¡ªKazemiya Kuon, the older sister of Kazemiya, and she also appeared in the movie. Her outstanding singing and acting skills had been attracting attention in various places, and the number of viewers had been steadily increasing since the first day of the movie¡¯s release. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? My sister.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with this movie we¡¯re watching today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was originally going to go see the movie by myself. I like this series too.¡± Kazemiya watched as the audience builds up their expectations for the film. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m jealous of my sister. I have a complex. I even have a grudge against her. Many times I wish my sister would go away. ¡­Even so, I just can¡¯t hate her.¡± The respect in her eyes was tinged with respect for her older sister. Her eyes were filled with respect for her older sister. ¡°She¡¯s always been a genius and could do anything. But that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t work hard. On the contrary. For example, when it was decided that she would be in the movie we are going to see today, she was studying acting so hard. His room was filled with books, DVDs, and other materials necessary for acting. Even with her busy schedule, she made time to practice on her own, and she also worked on her body¡­¡­.she is a genius, and it is true that she is blessed with talent, but she is more of a hard worker than she is talented.¡± The public had the impression that Kuon was an all-around genius. She could sing, act, play sports, and do everything else, a genius with no flaws. ¡°I wish I could hate her the best I could, but¡­..I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t hate her. I couldn¡¯t hate her. My sister is kind to me and loves me a lot. I look up to her, I¡¯m proud of her, and I love her. ¡­It¡¯s dazzling, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s so dazzling that I hate myself for being jealous of my sister.¡± The reason why Kazemiya had a hard time staying at home was, of course, because of her mother. But even more than that, the reason why she felt it difficult to stay at home was that she hated herself for being jealous of her beloved older sister. She was so dazzling and kind that she couldn¡¯t look directly at her sister. ¡°Kazemiya, why don¡¯t you be a little kinder to yourself?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s better to hate yourself than to hate your sister. That¡¯s the same as saying that you would rather hurt yourself than hurt someone else.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s better, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. If Kazemiya is having a hard time because of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fine.¡± Even though she had her own family problems, she gave me the push I needed. She helped me to face my family. Her own family was not doing well, but I was the only one who was doing well. It must have been difficult for Kazemiya. ¡°I hate it when Kazemiya hurts herself. If you can¡¯t do it for yourself, do it for me. Be nice to yourself to reassure me.¡± ¡°¡­.That¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s unfair; if it makes Kazemiya feel a little better, I¡¯ll be your reason.¡± What Kazemiya did for me, I want to return it to her, even if only a little. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Both Kazemiya and I remained silent as time passed by. After a while, however, we both relaxed our shoulders and laughed at each other. ¡°We¡¯re in a movie theater, but we¡¯re just the same as usual.¡± ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± It would not be out of place if someone told me that this caf¨¦ was the usual family restaurant. Apparently, Kazemiya was thinking the same thing. As the two of us were laughing together again, an announcement came up, telling us to enter the theater screen with the number on our tickets. ¡°¡­Should we go?¡± ¡°Un.¡± We both walked out of the caf¨¦ area and headed for the seats designated for our tickets. Kazemiya, her ears red, did not make eye contact with me for a long time until the movie started, but by the time the movie was over, she was back to her usual Kazemiya. CH 33 Chapter 33: Advice at the Cafe Translated by Dawn Chapter 33: Advice at the Cafe The two-hour movie came to an end in a blink of an eye. Originally adapted from a TV detective drama series, the popularity of the film had exploded and this was the third feature film, and judging from the reaction of the audience, including Kazemiya, as well as its popularity and sales on social networking sites, a fourth feature film was probably coming. ¡°Ha, that was interesting.¡± Kazemiya was very happy as we walked out of the movie theater and headed home. Actually, I was feeling a little better, too. It was such an interesting movie. ¡°My big sister was so beautiful on the screen. I can see why people are so excited.¡± ¡°Her acting was on par with the professional actors¡­.if not a little bit better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, she¡¯s the most popular character on social networking sites, including the drama version.¡± ¡°Even so, she died at the end of the film. It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯ll appear in the sequel.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll appear in a reminiscence scene or something. Or maybe her twin sister will appear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­if she¡¯s so popular, it would be a shame to let her go.¡± Apparently, the response and popularity were more than even the official side had expected. There was even word circulating on SNS that an emergency merchandise release had been decided. ¡°It¡¯s nice to watch a movie with someone. We can talk about our impressions afterward.¡± ¡°I agree. I usually drop by a caf¨¦ on the way home from a movie with Natsuki and discuss our impressions of the movie.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. There were times when we went to see a movie in the afternoon, but after discussing our impressions of it, we realized it was already nighttime.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We got so excited that time that we ended up talking about it¡­.¡± ¡­¡­..Get excited¡­ ¡°¡­..wait, waa!? Natsuki!?¡± ¡°Yahoo. What a coincidence at a place like this, Kouta.¡± Before I knew it, mixing in our conversation with a smiling face was Natsuki Inumaki. He was my childhood friend and best friend since kindergarten, a little shorter than average for a high school boy, and always wearing a friendly smile. ¡°And you, too, Kazemiya-san. Hi there.¡± ¡°¡­.H-hi?¡± Before the summer vacation. We had a study session for the final exam, so Kazemiya and Natsuki had met each other several times. However, they were not as close to¡­having a friendly chat in the classroom. At present, they were friends of friends, and it was understandable that Kazemiya was still at a loss as to how to treat him. In fact, Natsuki was more unusual in that he was able to interact with anyone without hesitation. ¡°You know, you should just talk to us normally. What are you doing, naturally joining in the conversation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to tease Kouta a little.¡± ¡°I know I bothered you during the final exam, but I don¡¯t remember doing anything to you to make you resent me.¡± ¡°Because, Kouta, even though it¡¯s summer vacation, you haven¡¯t played with me at all.¡± ¡°We just started summer vacation, though?¡± ¡°But you started playing with Kazemiya-san right away. That¡¯s not fair. You should play with me too.¡± ¡°I promised Kazemiya for a long time.¡± But now that he mentioned it, it was true that I didn¡¯t get to hang out with Natsuki much during the first semester. It was because I had to work a lot of part-time jobs to get away from home and family. I had to do a lot of hard work for the final exam, and more than anything else, I was a little sad because I didn¡¯t have as much time to play with Natsuki. ¡°Well, let¡¯s play sometime soon. After all, we¡¯re supposed to go to the pool, too.¡± ¡°The pool we¡¯re all going to is one thing, but playing with Kouta is another. I mean, were you two watching a movie just now?¡± ¡°Yeah. What were you doing here?¡± ¡°I was on my way back from playing with a girl I met recently. I was thinking of stopping by Kouta¡¯s part-time workplace and going there to cool off.¡± ¡°Narumi¡¯s workplace?¡± And it was Kazemiya who responded to Natsuki¡¯s words. ¡°Right. Kouta¡¯s part-time job is close to here. Do you want to go together?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s answer was immediate. And I was a little bit hungry as well. ¡°If Kazemiya-san¡¯s going, Kouta¡¯s coming too, right?¡± ¡°I feel a little uncomfortable about the way you said that, but, yeah, I¡¯m coming too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± We marched along the sunlit road near the station for a while, with Natsuki walking in the lead. ¡°Is this a¡­cafe?¡± A cafe with a hideaway atmosphere tucked away in the back of the building. The entranceway is decorated with a large plant display, which mysteriously blended in with the cityscape. ¡°Right. This is where Kouta works. I¡¯ve hardly ever seen any students from our school, so in that sense, it¡¯s a little-known place.¡± Natsuki was right. Even though I worked part-time, I rarely had students from the same school as me as customers. At best, Natsuki was the only one, but when he came to the cafe, he never brought anyone with him. ¡°Welcome¡­oh, isn¡¯t it Kouta-kun?¡± ¡°Hello, sir. I am here today as a guest.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m so glad you came all the way here. Take your time.¡± ¡°I will do so.¡± Plants were displayed throughout the cafe, just as at the entrance, and a table at the end of the building from the entrance was set up with a large, ceiling-high vase. The antique atmosphere of the restaurant matched the interior, creating a space that was both bold and serene. The owner was a middle-aged man who had the same generous and gentle atmosphere as the plants decorating the restaurant. I was often indebted to him for his generosity. ¡°I¡¯ll have iced coffee and cheesecake, and Kouta will have the same thing, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about Kazemiya?¡± ¡°Hm¡­I¡¯ll have tea and chiffon cake.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Kazemiya-san, you don¡¯t drink coffee, do you?¡± ¡°I can drink coffee, and it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t drink it. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it either. I just don¡¯t drink much in cafes or¡­¡­indoors. I only drink take-out from chain stores.¡± ¡°Really? Do you have any special preferences?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have any. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m obsessed with it or anything of that cool feeling, but ¡­maybe I¡¯m just running away.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s true that Kazemiya-san and Kouta of a while ago are similar.¡± The cafe door opened just as Natsuki nodded his head as if he was satisfied with something on his own. As a part-timer, this was a habit of mine. When the doorbell rang, I reacted and almost let out an unintentional ¡°Irasshaimase (Welcome),¡± but I managed to hold it back. ¡°Is that¡­Kouta-kun?¡± ¡°Plain clothes. In other words, he¡¯s here not as a part-timer?¡± They were a pair of college girls who came to the cafe. As soon as their eyes met mine, they approached me with curious looked on their faces. ¡°Ah. Asaka-san and Yonaka-san?¡± ¡°Yahho. Hey, hey, are you here as a guest today?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I dropped by on my way home from a movie with my friend.¡± ¡°Coincidence. We are going to see a movie too.¡± ¡°You and Yonaka-san?¡± ¡°Right, right. The one that¡¯s popular right now? You know, that one with Kuon in it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one I just saw with my friend.¡± ¡°Your friend¡­is it Inumaki-kun?¡± ¡°I just ran into Natsuki on the way¡­the one I watched it with is here, Kazemiya.¡± And there I decided to introduce them to Kazemiya. ¡°Kazemiya. This is Asaka-san and Yonaka-san. They are regular customers of this cafe.¡± ¡°Asaka Hayami, a first-year college student, who is always grateful to Kouta-kun for listening to my complaints.¡± ¡°Yonaka Mafuka, also a first-year college student. My friend here is always giving trouble to Kouta.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kazemiya Kohaku, a classmate of Narumi¡¯s.¡± It was just Kazemiya greeting two of the regular customers¡­but¡­I wonder what was this feeling. It was not quite the blizzard that she usually displayed in the classroom, but I could sense that she was somewhat on the lookout for them. Of course, it was not as blatant as it seemed, and Kazemiya didn¡¯t have hostility or dislike toward the two of them. It was at a level that only I, who had known her for some time, would understand. ¡°Uwaa! What is this!? This girl is super cute!¡± ¡°Is she a celebrity? Or is she Kouta¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Neither. She¡¯s a friend.¡± To avoid inconveniencing Kazemiya there, I had to make a firm correction. ¡°Hohoho? A friend¡­would you take such a cute girl and watch a movie together and have tea at a caf¨¦?¡± ¡°Hayami. Kouta will hate you if you do that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯m sorry, okay? I¡¯m with friends. It was so rare for me to get this involved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I mean, Kouta, since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we go talk to these sisters for a while?¡± And for some reason, it was Natsuki who made the suggestion. ¡°If you count backward from the movie¡¯s running time, the sisters will only be here for about fifteen minutes at most. Besides¡­¡­¡± To prevent Kazemiya, Asaka, and others from hearing me, Natsuki went to the trouble of creating blinds with his hands and moved his face up to my ear. ¡°I know Kazemiya-san is going through a hard time right now, right? Why don¡¯t you talk to those sisters about a gift to cheer her up?¡± Was he saying that if you need advice about women, you should consult with a woman also? Yes. That was perfectly reasonable advice if you ask me. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°¡­yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Ehh, what, what? Is it really okay for us to borrow Kouta-kun?¡± ¡°If so, we will borrow him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please take him with you.¡± Thus, Natsuki with his smiling, friendly smile pushed me to move to another seat with Asaka-san and Yonaka-san. *** (Kazemiya¡¯s POV) ¡°Sorry, Kazemiya-san.¡± As I could do nothing but watch Narumi being taken away by two beautiful college girls, Inumaki immediately apologized to me. ¡°Why is Inumaki apologizing, Narumi has his own social life and I don¡¯t really care.¡± That was a lie. I did care. I felt a little frustrated because the two of them looked so beautiful, and they seemed so close to Narumi. Of course, Narumi had his own world, and there were things I didn¡¯t know about him. ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s not the only part. It also includes the fact that I interrupted your date.¡± ¡°W-we weren¡¯t on a date¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you thought of it as a date, Kazemiya-san?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± My heartbeat jumped one step louder, just for a moment, when he made a quick guess. ¡°I knew it.¡± What little I knew about a boy named Natsuki Inumaki. I knew him only as a guy with a friendly smile and a lot of friends¡­¡­but I wonder why I felt like I didn¡¯t know who he was. I couldn¡¯t put it into words well, but I felt like he was almost like my big sister when she was scary¡­ ¡°Kazemiya-san, you¡¯re pretty easy to read, huh?¡± ¡°¡­..What do you want?¡± ¡°I feel bad about interrupting your date. I really wanted to leave you two alone, but this cafe was just around the corner and I thought it would be a good opportunity to show Kazemiya-san around.¡± So Inumaki wanted to bring me to this cafe? But why? ¡°I¡¯m just trying to give you some advice.¡± I was at a loss for words when he said something that seemed to read my mind. Advice?¡¡Of what?¡¡What¡¯s this guy¡¯s purpos¡ª! ¡°Kouta is¡ªsurprisingly popular.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a dumb sound myself. ¡°He tried not to get too involved with other people at the school, so to speak. But at his part-time job, he is very popular. When it comes to customer service, you can¡¯t not get involved with other people, can you? While I was observing him, there were already some women who looked like regular customers like earlier¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Umm, wait a minute. Stop (TLN: In English).¡± Huh. I wonder why. Perhaps it was because I was so nervous, or perhaps it was because I was so alert that the words that came out of my mouth were so unexpected that I began to lose strength. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re advising?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Is that why you brought me here to tell me that?¡± ¡°I thought it would be faster if you saw it in person.¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± I checked on Narumi¡¯s side. ¡­¡­They were talking happily. I wonder what they were talking about. ¡°¡­.You¡¯re right, but.¡± ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m rooting for you, Kazemiya-san.¡± ¡°¡­.May I ask why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­a secret. It would be cheating if I told you, so I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Another secret?¡± ¡°Another?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about that.¡± Narumi, who was talking to the sisters, was also kept in the dark from me about what kind of things they talked about. I felt like I¡¯ve been kept in the dark a lot lately. ¡°Well, in short. You shouldn¡¯t think that there are no rivals. I¡¯m not trying to rush you into confessing anything, though.¡± ¡°Rivals¡­¡± At times like this, I suddenly thought of my big sister. She was kind, a genius, hardworking, beautiful, cute, and cool, my big sister. ¡°¡­.Right.¡± My heart tingled, and a kind of impatience slowly overcame me. And then, came the image of Narumi¡¯s face while watching the movie. I couldn¡¯t get the face of Narumi watching my big sister on the screen out of my mind. I wonder what Narumi thought. About my big sister. If, Narumi liked my big sister¡­if my big sister fell in love with Narumi¡­ I would¡­ CH 34 Chapter 34: The Reason for Fuzzy Feeling A while after going to the movies, the summer vacation plans that I made with¡ªKazemiya were being digested smoothly along with the remaining days of the summer vacation. In between those days (I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the right word), I¡¯d been working part-time at White & Silver, a cafe where I worked part-time. ¡°Kouta-kun. Take this beef sandwich to the customer.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I was never a spendthrift by nature, and I had been working part-time, so I wasn¡¯t in financial trouble, but still, it was a valuable source of free money for a student. Besides, I had a lot of plans to do during this summer vacation. I knew that my savings would be dwindling, so I had to work hard to earn money. Just as I was returning to the counter, the doorbell rang to let us know that someone had entered the cafe. ¡°Welco¡ªme.¡± The words got stuck in between, probably because I saw someone walk into the store. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Is there a seat available?¡± ¡°As you can see. Is the usual place okay?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± I guided Kazemiya to a seat that had become a fixed position for her. Since the cafe was not always full, the probability of this seat being available when Kazemiya arrived was quite high. ¡°Oh, welcome, Kazemiya-san. Are you here to study again today?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, Master, for disturbing you so often.¡± ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it. I used to study at a cafe when I was a student, and I started this because I wanted to have a store like that someday. I would be happy if you use this as a study place.¡± As always, the master had a big heart and open-mindedness. ¡°What¡¯s your order?¡± ¡°Iced tea.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell how many times we repeated this exchange during this summer vacation. On the days when I had a part-time job, Kazemiya always showed up at the cafe and studied for a good amount of time, and on the days when Asaka-san and Yonaka-san showed up, she studied hard until the time I finished my part-time job. ¡°Master, one iced tea.¡± ¡°Understood. ¡­She¡¯s really great, isn¡¯t she, Kazemiya-san that is. She¡¯s studying even though it¡¯s summer vacation.¡± ¡°As someone who should be preparing for the entrance examination next year, that hurts my ears.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m sure Kouta is working hard these days, too. ¡­¡­But it¡¯s tough being a student these days, huh?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Kazemiya-san here to study, right? It¡¯s not like she has any plans after this.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. She may do a little shopping on her way home, but she basically goes straight home. But what does that matter?¡± ¡°Even if she just goes out to study, she has to put so much effort into her clothes and makeup, and get extremely dressed up.¡± ¡°Ah¡­no. Not everyone is like that, I think.¡± It was indeed true. Every time Kazemiya came to this cafe to study, she was so dressed up that I wanted to ask her if she was going on a date with someone. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for women to get dressed. Besides, the way men look at their appearance is more severe¡­¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot of feeling about this.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something that my dear wife has told me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you and your wife are getting along well.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Not so much.¡± I wonder why Kazemiya was so dazzling even though she only came here to study. I was in the middle of a part-time job, but I almost fell in love with her because she was so beautiful every day. ¡­Moreover, it seemed that the number of customers had been increasing little by little in recent days. Mainly male customers. ¡°Here you go. Here is your iced tea.¡± As I carried the iced tea, Kazemiya, who was running a sharp pencil through her notebook, looked up. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ah right, what were you talking about with the master? I felt like I heard my name.¡± ¡°About Kazemiya who looks beautiful today.¡± ¡°¡­should I say thanks?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you to decide.¡± The male customers in the store were glancing at Kazemiya. I guess they didn¡¯t intend it to be blatant, but it was so obvious from the side. ¡­¡­And for some reason, I dislike it. My heart was a little fuzzy. ¡°What. What¡¯s wrong?¡± I wonder if she was unaware of it. No, I expected she did. She always stood out and was probably accustomed to people¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­Are you not able to concentrate on studying at home?¡± ¡°No, not really. ¡­Am I a nuisance to study here?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t. The master says so too. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s hot outside¡­isn¡¯t it hard to go to this cafe to study?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Speaking of worrying¡­I do worried about you.¡± Worry. That was the word that fit. But I felt that wasn¡¯t the essence of it. ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. I¡¯m not walking in the dark at night.¡± Kazemiya came to this store during the daytime, not walking in the dark at night as she said. And yet, I was worried about her. I wonder why. Why I was so worried about Kazemiya? ¡°¡­You know, there¡¯s heat stroke and all that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I make sure I¡¯m hydrated before I leave the house. I mean, Narumi¡¯s mom and Kotomi-chan are very thorough in that regard.¡± If anything, I also got told that before I went to my part-time job. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Narumi? You¡¯re acting weird.¡± I was definitely weird. I think so myself. ¡°Kouta-kun. Talking is fine but do it in moderation, okay.¡± Just as I was twisting my head inwardly thinking about it, came master¡¯s voice. ¡°Kazemiya-san is here to study, so don¡¯t interrupt her too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Originally, I asked Narumi what he was talking about with the master. I thought I heard my name.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean that. We were talking about how Kazemiya-san comes to the store all dressed up. It¡¯s not easy being a kid nowadays. They have to dress up a lot just to go out to study.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­no. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± Kazemiya looked away from the master slightly awkwardly. ¡°¡­I just thought, I don¡¯t want to lose.¡± ¡°¡°To who?¡±¡± ¡°¡­.It¡¯s just my own problem, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± With all that going on, I finished my part-time job and headed home. I was accompanied by Kazemiya, who was waiting for me to finish my work. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m sorry. Am I bothering you after all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m happy to be with Kazemiya even when I¡¯m working.¡± ¡°Then why are you making such a difficult face?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Walking next to her, Kazemiya Kohaku was beautiful and cute today. No wonder she attracted the attention of all the customers in the cafe. I knew it was obvious, and it had happened before. It was the same when we went to see a movie. So why am I feeling¡­fuzzy? ¡°¡­.Does Kazemiya not care?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The way the customers look at you. When people in the cafeteria look at you, it bothers you. It bothers you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡­no, not at all. As I said when we saw the movie, I¡¯m used to that kind of thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°¡­did you care about that?¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Why is it¡­I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m like this.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see¡­I see I see.¡± Kazemiya, walking next to me, was somehow very happy. ¡°Narumi was worried that I was seen by other men.¡± ¡°¡­you seem so happy.¡± ¡°Really? I suppose I am.¡± Kazemiya stepped forward and passed me walking next to her, then turned around, feeling better as if she was about to start humming a song. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the cafe prettier next time you have a part-time job.¡± ¡°¡­.give me a break.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll definitely be prettier.¡± The loosening of Kazemiya¡¯s cheeks did not subside as we walked home. *** ¡°What in the world is going on!?¡± At an entertainment office, a roar similar to the scream of a woman was heard. That woman¡¯s name was Kazemiya Sorami¡ªKazemiya Kohaku and Kazemiya Kuon¡¯s mother. ¡°Why are you removing me as manager of Kuon!? I am the one who knows her best! I am the one who understands her talents, and I am the one who has helped her to succeed!¡± In response to Kazemiya Sorami¡¯s yelling and biting, Kosaka, a woman who served as the president of an entertainment agency, threw down words as if she were fed up. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s her strong wish.¡± ¡°Her own wish¡­!? That¡¯s a lie! That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. If you think I¡¯m lying, why don¡¯t you talk to her?¡± ¡°¡­¡­! If you listen to her every time she asks for something selfish, she¡¯ll only get worse!¡± ¡°You see, Kuon has never said anything that could be called selfish. I¡¯ve never seen an artist in any other company who is so unruly, who never complains, who works quietly, and who has hit after hit. Do you know? Since she debuted, our company¡¯s profits have been on the rise. It¡¯s not just because Kuon has been successful. It¡¯s also the result of the trust and connections she¡¯s built up in the field that has benefited our agency. ¡­That¡¯s why this is troubling. If we let you destroy the trust and connections that we have built up¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean!?¡± ¡°I heard that you despise¡­¡­uh¡­¡­Kuon¡¯s little sister. And you kicked her out of the house.¡± ¡°¡­..!? No, but that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Facts and truth doesn¡¯t matter to the public. What matters is how they see them. Discord with the family is not even a good image, and¡­the weekly media hyenas are always hungry for stories and will exaggerate it to the hilt.¡± ¡°No way¡­I¡¯m¡­!¡± ¡°No need to make excuses. The most important thing is that Kuon herself offered up ¡®such a possibility¡¯, and that was fatal.¡± ¡°That¡­Kuon is¡­? Why¡­?¡± Kazemiya Sorami was aghast, but she was of no importance to Kosaka. What was important to Kosaka was ¡°not to make enemies of Kazemiya Kuon¡±. To do so, she must be sure to fulfill her promise. And she also knew that working as her loyal pawns would lead to enormous profits for this company. (Never thought I¡¯d actually see the day¡­¡­) What went through Kosaka¡¯s mind was when she met Kuon¡ªKazemiya Kuon. She said this to Kosaka in front of her while her mother was out of the room. ¡°I never complain. I will do any work. I will not be a troublesome person. I promise to benefit this company. ¡­So you only have to do one thing. When the time comes for me to say something ¡®selfish¡¯ one day, please do whatever it takes to make that one thing happen.¡± In fact, Kuon became such a hit that it was called a social phenomenon, bringing in huge profits for her company. She had successfully navigated the industry and made it possible for the company itself to get the work done. She had been dreading what kind of ¡°selfishness¡± would come from her¡ªshe never thought she would wish to get rid of her mother. And the reason Kosaka listened to her ¡°selfishness¡± was not only because she was trying to keep her promise. It was because she was afraid of making an enemy of the creature called Kazemiya Kuon. (¡­¡­I feel like I just made a deal with the devil.) As she watched Kazemiya Sorami walk away with unsteady steps, Kosaka felt a little sorry for her. For the poor mother who had made an enemy of a devil beyond human understanding. CH 35 Chapter 35: Kotomi¡¯s Runaway (Kazemiya¡¯s POV) Since I started being taken care of by the Narumi family (or Tsujikawa family to be exact) this summer vacation, I had made up my mind to help with the housework. Narumi told me to just take it easy, but I would mind if I kept on being taken care of. So I was getting up early even if it was the middle of summer vacation. ¡°Good morning, Kazemiya-senpai.¡± ¡°Good morning, Kotomi-chan.¡± By the time I was downstairs, Kotomi had already started preparing breakfast. ¡°Can I help you prepare breakfast today?¡± ¡°Of course. It would be a great help.¡± But to be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was really helping her or not. Kotomi-chan was so good at what she was doing that I found myself tilting my head inwardly. But now that things had happened like this, I had no choice but to sit back and watch without helping. ¡°What are we making today?¡± ¡°Katsudon (pork cutlet served on top of a bowl of rice).¡± ¡°Okay. Katsudon¡­..Katsudon?¡± ¡°Yes. Katsudon. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­it¡¯s just that is a very hearty meal for breakfast. Could it be Narumi¡­.wait, no. Was Tsujikawa family¡¯s breakfast usually like this?¡± ¡°No way. I can eat it without any problem, but my dad and mom don¡¯t eat that much.¡± She could eat it¡­No, it was not strange for Kotomi-chan to eat that. What surprised me the most since I started staying at this house was how much Kotomi-chan ate. She really ate a lot. I guess you could call her a glutton. The other night at dinner, she ate at least three large bowls of rice. Before the summer vacation, she had to cut back on her eating because of the atmosphere at home, but now that the problem was somewhat resolved, she started to eat as much as she used to. ¡°I¡¯m fine with this much food every morning, but I can¡¯t force my preferences on everyone, and¡­¡­above all, there¡¯s the matter of nutritional balance.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­why katsudon today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good luck charm.¡± I wonder if she was talking about something like winning a battle. As I was thinking about what she was trying to win, Kotomi-chan said as she took out the necessary ingredients from the refrigerator. ¡°Kazemiya-senpai, you are going to the swimming pool today with my brother and the president and the others, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡­eh? Does that have something to do with it? But why katsudon?¡± ¡°The pool is all about swimsuits. This is the perfect chance to make my brother fall in love with your swimsuit senpai. It¡¯s a battle. So I thought I¡¯d have a katsudon to get your good luck.¡± ¡°M-make him fall in love¡­¡± Kotomi-chan knew that I like Narumi. I myself became aware of my feelings for Narumi because of Kotomi-chan. That was probably why she was trying to help me in this way. ¡°I¡¯ve only been living with my brother for a few months, but I can at least tell you that he¡¯s dull.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Despite the fact that such a beautiful person is under the same roof, he hasn¡¯t become a wild beast who gives in to the impulses of youth and devours the fruits of his instincts¡­.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Un. Let¡¯s stop. Let¡¯s stop for a second. I must have heard her wrong. ¡°Sorry. I guess I¡¯m still half asleep. I didn¡¯t hear you very well, so can you say it again?¡± ¡°Even though Kazemiya-senpai is under the same roof, he and you are not melting into each other and becoming one on the moonlit bed, devouring each other¡¯s bodies¡­.¡± ¡°Kotomi-chan, calm down a bit.¡± ¡°¡­.ha. I¡¯m sorry. I got a little heated.¡± ¡°A little¡­a little, huh¡­¡± A few definitions seemed to waver in my mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is what happens when I try to remember the contents of a reference book I got from a friend.¡± ¡°A reference book?¡± ¡°Yes. I am not familiar with this kind of love affair, so I asked my friend for advice. Then I asked my friend for help and she lent me some reference books. I was wondering if I could help you, Kazemiya-senpai. Would you like to read it too?¡± ¡°¡­ thanks. I¡¯ll just take the feelings.¡± ¡°I see. It was very¡­¡­very very interesting and informative¡­¡± Kotomi-chan¡¯s words were so very, very heartfelt. ¡­¡­Maybe I just found out that the head of the first place in first grade was about to be dyed peachy¡­..let¡¯s not touch it. I think a snake was about to come out of the bushes. ¡°¡­.Thanks. For your support.¡± ¡°¡­No, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not only to atone for my sins against Kazemiya-senpai and my brother, but it¡¯s also for my own benefit.¡± ¡°Your own benefit?¡± ¡°The lover of my brother is also my sister-in-law. If that person is a villainous woman who leads the kingdom to ruin or a villainous daughter of a ducal family who uses all kinds of tricks to ensnare a commoner hero to make the prince her own, then that¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­I see?¡± There was so much extraneous information that it took me a while to process it in my head, but I got the gist of it. I guess the bottom line was that she didn¡¯t want her brother¡¯s girlfriend to be a bad person. I also learned a little about the contents of some of the ¡°reference books¡± that Kotomi-chan had borrowed was about. ¡°On that point, I can trust Kazemiya to take care of my brother with ease. Also being able to live with him during this summer vacation was also a big benefit. I think it was a good simulation of living together.¡± ¡°L-living together¡­¡± ¡°I thought that if you become lovers, eventually it will happen.¡± While I was preoccupied with what was in front of me, Kotomi-chan seemed to be thinking far into the future. As one would expect from the top student in the first year. She had a broad perspective. ¡°A love nest for just the two of you, undisturbed¡­where you mingle like beasts every night in one bed without stopping until morning¡­¡± Correction. It was just out of control, this one. ¡°Kotomi-chan. Come back.¡± What should I do, should I tell Narumi? Her stepsister¡¯s brain was turning pink. And it was too late to do anything about it. ¡°¡­.Cough. I¡¯m sorry. I seem to have become overzealous in my thinking. Perhaps because I recently started writing with a friend, I seem to have gotten into the habit of piling on the thoughts.¡± ¡°Writing?¡± Yes. A friend in the literature club recommended me to write a novel for¡­¡­Dojinshi? Usuihon? I think it was called¡­¡­but whatever the name, we decided to collaborate on a thin reference book. I¡¯m not familiar with these things, but I heard from ¡­¡­ that ¡®we¡¯re not ready for summer now, so let¡¯s hit the winter b*g sight,¡¯ and that there are academic festivals in summer and winter where a lot of homemade reference books are exhibited.¡± (+) ¡°I-I see.¡± Unfortunately, I was not an expert on literature either. I¡¯d never even heard of the academic festivals held in the summer and winter. ¡­But when I thought about Kotomi-chan¡¯s ¡°reference book¡±¡­¡­un. I¡¯d rather stop thinking about it. ¡°Regardless, today¡¯s pool is a very big opportunity. Please appeal to my brother in your swimsuit. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± Appeal¡­¡­un. I know. I honestly didn¡¯t think that far ahead, but I should have. Next year we would be third-year students. We wouldn¡¯t have many chances to play, so I have to work hard during this summer vacation. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I will expect a good report from you.¡± Let¡¯s do our best. To live up to the expectations of Kotomi-chan, who supported me. And above all, for me. ¡°My brother brings Kazemiya into the shadows to hide her from a classmate who happens to run into them. ¡­¡­Unable to control his possessive desire, my brother¡¯s hands untie her swimsuit, exposing the white skin hidden by the enchanting fabric¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kotomi-chan. I wonder if that much is expected of me¡­..¡± CH 36 Chapter 36: A God Killer for an Angel Translated by Dawn Chapter 36: A God Killer for an Angel ¡°What is it¡­Why¡­¡± After being removed as manager of Kuon, what awaited Kazemiya Sorami was rejection, condemnation, and defection from various sources. All of the business partners she had worked with and the personal connections she had cultivated were informed that ¡°working with Kazemiya Sorami was a risk.¡± No matter how hard she tried, the situation was such that everything Sorami had built up to this point as a manager would crumble. She tried to persuade her with every word she could. She tried to clear up the misunderstanding. She tried everything she could to talk to the president and get her to reinstate her as manager of Kuon. But in the end, everyone made the same decision. ¡ªWe believe in your daughter, Kazemiya Kuon, more than you, Kazemiya Sorami. With this single word, Kazemiya Sorami lost everything. And it was¡ªKazemiya Kuon who created this situation, her own daughter. ¡°It¡¯s a lie¡­lie. It¡¯s all a lie¡­I¡­I¡¯m like this is¡­¡± There was no longer anything Kazemiya Sorami could do. All she could do was to escape from the reality in front of her alone in her empty, empty house. ¡°¡­.Why¡­such a thing¡­why. Why. Why. Why. Why¡­¡± The exchange with the president was repeated over and over in her chaotic mind. Each time, Sorami experienced a sense of loss and escaped from the loss of everything. Then she replayed the exchange with the president again. In the midst of this repetition, Sorami saw a ray of light. ¡°Kohaku¡­that¡¯s right, it¡¯s Kohaku! Let her testify that I didn¡¯t abuse her!¡± The light that was found became a dazzling light, clearing Sorami¡¯s head of the darkness it had been shrouded in. ¡°Ah, how could I have failed to notice something so simple! I should contact Kohaku immediately¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s very convenient.¡± Her voice was as if it were mocking and crushing the light. Her footsteps were as if they were carrying the darkness with her. ¡°Kuon¡­!¡± ¡°You still look good, Mom.¡± Kazemiya Kuon made her appearance. ¡°Kuon, Kuon! What did you do!? What in the world are you thinking!? To suddenly, suddenly, such¡­! Trying to spread a false rumor to drag me down!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. You didn¡¯t like what was happening with Kohaku, didn¡¯t you? But you can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s for your own good.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± This is a very important time for your future, and Kuon¡¯s momentum is not just a passing fad. You are the real deal! I can¡¯t have you hurt by her nonsense! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I just¡ªI just wanted to protect you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.You wanted to protect me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­! T-that¡¯s right! I just wanted to protect you! I wanted to protect you and your bright future¡­¡­!¡± Clinging to her daughter, for Sorami, Kuon was everything to her. She was the person to whom she had decided to devote her entire life. It didn¡¯t matter if it was humiliating or not, she clung to her and put her trust in her. Kuon was the one thing she could not lose. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuon was trembling. Surely, the love of her parents had reached her. It must have. ¡°Puuh¡­.Kuku¡­ahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Eh?¡± What came back to Sorami, who was filled with anticipation, was Kuon¡¯s laughter. It was as if she were rolling around laughing in her stomach when she saw the clowns dancing on stage. It was a reaction that had no room for parent-child emotion. ¡°Me? You wanted to protect me? Hahahaha! Are you serious about that? If so, then you know¡­.aha! It¡¯s so irredeemable that it makes me laugh in spite of myself!¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡­? What are you trying to say!? I really wanted to protect you¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me you wanted to protect, it¡¯s your special doll to satisfy your boring life, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kuon mercilessly twisted one word that pierced Sorami¡¯s heart at a moment¡¯s notice, as if to pierce a gap in her breathing. Her whole body was paralyzed. Even if she tried to spin some words, her pierced heart could not even form words. ¡°¡¯You had an older sister ¡­¡­ who would be an aunt to me. I heard she was rather free, yet talented. She was a playful person, but had a good personality and was well-liked by everyone. She was always the best in academics and sports, and her grades were always above yours. ¡­Well, I heard that she left home after college and disappeared somewhere.¡± That was right. Sorami¡¯s sister had been with her since she was a student at¡­¡­no. From the time she was born, she was always above Sorami in everything. She had never been able to beat her sister. ¡°Auntie¡­your older sister was a special person. You could never win at anything against her. Only a sense of inferiority was always inside you. Your sister seemed special, and you longed to be special. You wanted to be special too.¡± She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Kuon. She couldn¡¯t allow her eyes. ¡°You studied as your parents told you to, entered a university as your parents told you to, and found a job at a company as your parents told you to. You didn¡¯t think anything of it, you just lived your life as your parents told you to. ¡­¡­But then one day you realized, didn¡¯t you? There is nothing in you. All you had was a boring life compared to your sister¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°What a mediocre, boring, and dull person you are compared to your sister¡ªBut you can¡¯t start your life over. That¡¯s why you decided to use me, right? You used me as your avatar, and you built your success on my success, right? You felt like you were on your second life, didn¡¯t you?¡± Each word mercilessly gouged out Sorami¡¯s heart. What had been kept secret inside her was forcibly pried open and grasped. ¡°You wanted to be the manager and feel like you were special, didn¡¯t you? You wanted to feel like you were more than your sister, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you wanted me to succeed, right? Because I¡¯m just a puppet avatar to make you feel better about your inferiority to your sister.¡± Kuon took one step closer to Sorami. Sorami retreated one step each time. ¡°You hate Kohaku-chan because she reminds you of yourself, right?¡¡The inferiority complex to your sister. Your old self who was always inferior to your superior sister. That¡¯s why you ran away from this house because you don¡¯t want to see Kohaku-chan¡­¡­as your past self who was always inferior to your sister.¡± ¡°S-shut up!¡± She kept backing up, backing up, backing up, and her back hit the wall. Sorami could only force herself to raise her voice and yell at her. Even though she knew it was a bluff that would have no effect on Kuon. ¡°Aren¡¯t we family!? Why do you say that!¡± ¡°Kohaku-chan is family too. She is my precious little sister and¡­she is a cute little angel who came down to me. My song was given to me by an angel named Kohaku-chan.¡± ¡°An angel¡­¡­? I don¡¯t understand¡­..No. What does it matter!? I¡¯m¡­¡­I¡¯m your mother!¡± ¡°Yes, you are. It pains me to admit this, but without you, I wouldn¡¯t have become Kohaku-chan¡¯s sister, and Kohaku-chan wouldn¡¯t have become my sister. If Kohaku is an angel, then you are God for giving birth to us.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a God¡­¡­you will do what I say, right? Right? Kuon¡­¡­¡± She reached out her hand as if to cling. To the daughter in front of her. To the light that shined on her life. ¡°It¡¯s irredeemable, really.¡± She reached out her hand, but it was coldly brushed away. ¡°I, you know¡ªwould kill God for an angel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± It was clear that it was a word of farewell. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor from the knees, and Kuon just looked down at her. ¡°I am grateful to you for giving birth to me and for raising me. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve earned enough to live on for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Where¡­where are you going¡­?¡± ¡°Somewhere other than here.¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t wait.¡± Her daughter¡¯s back was moving further and further away from her. Out of her reach. ¡°Goodbye.¡± CH 37 Chapter 37: Let''s Go to the Swimming Pool Translated by Dawn Chapter 37: Let¡¯s Go to the Swimming Pool The summer vacation was now at its midpoint, and the sound of cicadas was becoming more and more familiar. The day of the biggest event among the summer vacation plans I made with Kazemiya came. The day was, of course, the day to go to the swimming pool. The destination was a newly opened water park called ¡°Tachiagari Tsugami Water City¡±. It was a large facility with a variety of water attractions and an all-weather dome that allowed us to enjoy the leisure pool all year round, regardless of the season. ¡°I know it¡¯s a little late for this, but were you sure it was a good idea?¡± ¡°Hmm? What.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pool, and you invited me and Raimon-san, too.¡± On the bus after transferring from the train. Sitting in the seat next to me was Natsuki. Ahead of our gaze were Kazemiya and Raimon-san, who were chatting and laughing while sitting a little further away from us. ¡°I was very grateful for all the help I received during the final exams, especially since I caused you a lot of trouble. I thought I should do something like this to repay you for that.¡± For some reason, I had to leave home during the final exam and was allowed to stay at Natsuki¡¯s house until the test was over. Since I had caused so much trouble at that time, I thought that a can of juice and one meal¡­¡­would not be enough. So, for today, I would be responsible for Natsuki and Raimon-san¡¯s expenses for the day, including tickets and transportation. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. It was fun to play with Kouta every day, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thanking my mom and dad separately, right?¡± ¡°What is it? You didn¡¯t like going to the pool?¡± ¡°No way. I was so excited today that I couldn¡¯t sleep last night. I mean, weren¡¯t you and Kazemiya-san¡­¡­supposed to be here alone? It¡¯s a pool, after all.¡± ¡°I think it would have been more fun for Kazemiya to be with Raimon-san since we were at the pool.¡± ¡°I see what you mean. It¡¯s all about Kazemiya-san, isn¡¯t it?¡± Natsuki chuckled, and then the long trip of about 80 minutes by train and bus came to an end. The bus stopped and the passengers on board got off one after another. It seemed that we had arrived at our destination, ¡°Tachiagari Tsugami Water City¡±. ¡°Well, we¡¯d better be off soon, too.¡± ¡°Under~stood. Ah, I¡¯m so excited. I¡¯ve never been here before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s worth to repay with this.¡± While I told Natsuki that¡­¡­I was also looking forward to this, to the extent that like Natsuki, I was so excited the day before that I couldn¡¯t sleep at all. I had never been to this park before, and I had been curious about it for a while. Unless you were a big fan of the park, it would be a bit difficult to come here by yourself. But I was surprised to find myself looking forward to it so much. ¡°Achoo¡­¡± As I got off the air-conditioned bus, the midsummer sun poured down on me as a heat-infused light. As I walked along, blocking the relentless rain of heat rays with my hand, I saw Kazemiya and the others who had gotten off the bus with Raimon-san earlier. They seemed to be taking shelter in a place shaded by the roof. Kazemiya¡¯s long golden hair was flowing and swaying in the cool breeze. The figure of Kazemiya holding her hair lightly in one hand was more dazzling than the sun and more beautiful than the clear sky. The relentless sunlight and the heat from the asphalt on the ground were making me feel like I was about to dry up, but for some reason, I didn¡¯t mind the heat at all. Instead, my heart was so filled with anticipation of playing with Kazemiya that I felt as if my ability to feel the heat had been paralyzed. This feeling had been with me since last night, and I finally understood that I was looking forward to playing with Kazemiya more than I was looking forward to the pool. (¡­¡­No. But we¡¯ve been playing together all summer vacation.) On the contrary, we were living together under the same roof. After all this time, would that be a reason to be so excited that I couldn¡¯t sleep at night? What on earth was I looking forward to so much? ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s really hot today, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Why do you sound so happy?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s summer, why don¡¯t you enjoy the things you can only enjoy in summer?¡± ¡°I like Natsuki¡¯s positive attitude to find the good in bad conditions.¡± I guess that was why people come around Natsuki. I felt like I caught a glimpse of his communicative ability. ¡°Things that can only be enjoyed in the summer, huh¡­And that¡¯s exactly what a swimming pool is.¡± If there were heated swimming pools like the one in front of Tachiagari Tsugami Water City, one could enjoy it even in winter, but it was not likely that the majority of people would go out of their way to go to a heated pool in winter. Besides, it was probably only in the summer that people could enjoy the outdoors. ¡°It¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it? I like to ride on a floaty and sway around in the pool.¡± ¡°I wish you would put yourself in my shoes, though, because every time I get a little careless, you get swept away somewhere and disappear, and I have to look for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. No matter how much I get swept away, Kouta always finds me in the end, so I end up getting swept away because I feel safe.¡± ¡°I should just abandon you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do it~¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± In fact, if Natsuki went somewhere else, I would probably look around. ¡°Well, the girls are here today, so I¡¯ll try not to get carried away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s summer and all, and I¡¯ll get to hang out with girls in swimsuits.¡± ¡°Swimsuits¡­¡± Swimsuit. The word ¡°swimsuit¡± strangely enough, fit perfectly in my mind. And for some reason, as I looked at Kazemiya, the word ¡°swimsuit¡± that Natsuki said kept flickering in my mind. Most disgustingly of all. I could sense the true nature of the anticipation that had been swelling in my chest since the last night. (¡­.I guess I was hoping to see Kazemiya in a swimsuit!) And to the point that I couldn¡¯t sleep at night! What kind of a pervert was I!? I¡¯d hit myself! ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kouta, you suddenly holding your head in your hands?¡± ¡°¡­please Natsuki, hit me.¡± ¡°Eh¡­No matter how much Kouta asks, that¡¯s a little too much¡­¡­.I mean, I¡¯m not into that kind of thing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t either! This is not like that!¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s punishment for crime!¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more confused.¡± And all this to the person I was living under the same roof with right now! Even Kazemiya was staying at my house because she trusted me as a friend! ¡°I¡¯m screwed¡­I want to run away from that house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s like wasting an entire semester on that.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­..!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Kotomin¡± ¡°Just then, I had a feeling that it might be helpful in making my ¡®reference book¡¯!¡± CH 38 Magic Spells Translated by Dawn Edited by Dawn Magic Spells After getting off the bus, Shiori and I decided to take shelter in a shaded area first due to the excessive heat. It would be a little while before we could join Narumi and the others who were sitting in the back seats. ¡°After all this time, are you sure it was a good idea?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice since we¡¯re going to a pool, but is it okay if you invited me and Inumaki, too?¡± ¡°I wanted to come with you, Shiori.¡± Raimon Shiori. She was one of my few friends and is an honor student who just recently became the student council president of Hoshimoto Gakuen High School. Today she was dressed in a camisole, denim shorts, and sandals, looking a bit mature. It was not unusual for people to call me a model because of my sister¡¯s presence, but if you ask me, Shiori was more like a model. Shiori was always so cool and dignified, and her expression was so perfect that she could easily be on the cover of a magazine. ¡°¡­And to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to be alone with Narumi just for today, so I guess I¡¯m rather thankful for it.¡± In fact, last night I realized a fact. Since I realized this fact, I had been avoiding Narumi because I couldn¡¯t make eye contact with him. This was also the reason why I took advantage of the crowded bus to sit in separate seats. ¡°Are you embarrassed about your swimsuit?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too, but it¡¯s not the only thing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shiori stared at me. She observed me for a moment, and I guessed that she had come up with an answer in her head. ¡°Hey, Kohaku. Could it be you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Have gained some weight?¡± ¡°Uugh.¡± She got right to the truth. ¡°Just a little, actually¡­¡± Last night, as I was preparing my luggage, I was looking at a swimsuit that caught my eye and I got curious and decided to try it on. Looking back, it was quite a mistake. ¡°I think that¡¯s what happens when you go to a family restaurant that often. And since you and Narumi-kun are always together, the amount of food you eat and drink has increased, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Stop. Don¡¯t say it.¡± Talking with Narumi was fun, and I ended up adding extra orders. The number of desserts, in particular, had obviously increased. ¡°¡­You know. Is it that obvious that I gained some weight?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t think people could even tell.¡± ¡°Then how did you know?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s the result of love.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with such a cool face.¡± ¡°What if I told you I wasn¡¯t joking?¡± While I was frozen, unable to digest the meaning of those words, Shiori¡¯s hand touched my cheek. Shiori¡¯s hand did not allow me to turn my face away from her. ¡°Why did you think I was joking? It hurts, you know? I love Kohaku so seriously.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When I heard about your running away from home, I was jealous of Narumi-kun. I wondered why you didn¡¯t come to my house¡­I also wanted to heal Kohaku who was hurt¡­¡± ¡°S-Shiori?¡± I couldn¡¯t escape her passionate gaze. Our entwined hands didn¡¯t let me escape. ¡°But it¡¯s probably a good thing you went to Narumi-kun¡¯s house. If you had really come to my house¡­I probably couldn¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what do you mean¡­¡± ¡°I can tell you, but¡­let me explain it to you with my body rather than words.¡± ¡°Y-your body¡­!?¡± No. I don¡¯t know what to do. This¡­we¡¯re outside. Or rather, Shiori, really? To me? I didn¡¯t know about this¡­ I totally don¡¯t. What should I do? Not good. Shiori¡¯s face is getting closer and closer¡­ ¡°Really, you¡¯re so cute, Kohaku¡ªYou¡¯re so easy to fall for lies.¡± The words whispered in my ear lifted my agitation as if a spell had been broken. ¡°¡­¡­.Shiori.¡± ¡°Fufu. Sorry, okay? I didn¡¯t see you much during the summer vacation.¡± Again. I fell for Shiori¡¯s teasing again. I always fall for it. But Shiori was pretty good at acting, so I wanted to believe that I wasn¡¯t the only cause of the problem¡­ ¡°You really fool me every time. Maybe you should try to be an actor in the future?¡± ¡°I¡¯m considering it as a career.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I doubt if that was true too. ¡°¡­but I¡¯m relieved to hear that you¡¯re doing better than I thought you would be. I was honestly worried when I heard you ran away from home.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. To make you worried.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. But¡­I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but I¡¯m glad. It would have been unthinkable a little while ago that Kohaku¡­who is still unhappy about your family, would be well enough to go out like this even though you were kicked out of the house.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I agree.¡± In fact, not long ago, I would surely have been helpless in a situation like this. All I could do was cower somewhere, hold my knees, and just look down. I probably would have gone back home to beg for forgiveness. ¡°I guess it¡¯s thanks to Narumi-kun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.yeah.¡± I nodded as I chewed on Shiori¡¯s words with many thoughts. Come to think of it¡­there was something I hadn¡¯t told Shiori yet. It wasn¡¯t that I was hiding anything, but I wanted to tell her because she was my best friend. ¡°Hey, Shiori.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­I like Narumi.¡± ¡°I know. I mean, it¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°I thought so, but just in case. I wanted to tell Shiori that. ¡­Wait, is it that obvious that you could tell just by looking at me?¡± ¡°Quite a bit.¡± ¡°I see¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be an actor.¡± I was very different from my sister, who worked in many movies. ¡­Big sister. I wonder if she was working now. I had no doubt Mom would also be there. (¡­Even if so, let¡¯s try not to think about it now.) Summer Vacation. I went out with the person I had a crush on, but I couldn¡¯t enjoy it if I felt like this. Let¡¯s forget about reality. At least for this moment. ***** ¡°It¡¯s so crowded. As expected of summer vacation. So many customers.¡± Natsuki nodded his head in deep emotion as he put his hand on his forehead and made a gesture as if to look around. In fact, when we finished getting changed and went out to the attraction area where the pool was located, it was crowded with many people, including families and students like us. ¡°I think this is still better because admission tickets are by reservation only.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the reservation system, it would have been hell indeed. But still, there sure are a lot of people¡­Can we find them, Kazemiya-san and Raimon-san, I wonder?¡± The official website of this ¡°Tategami Water City¡± allowed visitors to view the inside of the facility and its pathways in a street view format. Based on this information, we designated the meeting place, so we would not get lost unless there was something wrong. By the way, the meeting place was under the palm tree in the plaza. ¡°Hey, Kouta.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for a girl with you.¡± ¡°Did you finish your homework?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Are you dating Kazemiya-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dat¡­wait, what was that question!?¡± ¡°Ahaha. Too bad. I thought you would tell me honestly.¡± Natsuki smiled without a trace of malice as if he was just shaking off a casual chat and had no intention of hurling a bomb at me. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t play these pranks on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking it to play pranks on you. You come here because I know the first semester is already over and you want to sort of enjoy it. If you two were dating, I¡¯d be more than happy to help out by giving you two some privacy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad. Your concern is meaningless. I and Kazemiya aren¡¯t dating.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being honest, Kouta. You don¡¯t have to lie just because you are embarrassed. Aren¡¯t you and I close enough? You can¡¯t trust your childhood friend that much?¡± ¡°No, really.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Are you serious? Are you two not dating?¡± Natsuki¡¯s smile froze. He got a hell of a face. Unusual for this guy. ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times.¡± ¡°Even after that!?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You were so close to her! Sitting on the living room couch, almost shoulder to shoulder, watching videos and flirting together!¡± ¡°The living room couch¡­how the hell do you know that!? And also I wasn¡¯t flirting with her!¡± ¡°Ah, I got that picture from Auntie.¡± Apparently, my mother had taken hidden photos and sent them to Natsuki. ¡°Auntie also said that she got some educational materials from your stepsister.¡± ¡°What is she doing!?¡± The culprit of the spying is Kotomi, huh!? It¡¯s like a lie that we were fighting until the end of the first semester! ¡­Hm? Or rather¡­teaching materials? What does she mean? No, that¡¯s not important right now. ¡°Besides, no matter the circumstances of running away from home, it¡¯s different when you¡¯re letting a girl from your class stay at your house all summer long. I thought it was because you two had become lovers¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m Kazemiya¡¯s friend¡­¡± ¡°Friend, huh¡­well, sure? I know better than anyone that you¡¯re willing to help people in times of need no matter what, but¡­¡± Natsuki made a thoughtful gesture and paused for a beat. ¡°¡­How is it actually?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°What do you think of Kazemiya? Is she just a friend?¡± The question asked by Natsuki was a common one. If there were a reference book on life in high school, it would be listed in bold letters in the table of contents as a universal question. Yet, for some reason, the question shook me to my core. It was as if I had been confronted directly with a question that I had been pretending to ignore, with an answer sheet that I had dared to leave blank. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± What does Kazemiya Kohaku mean to me? A friend. That one word, which should have fit in only four words if I had just moved my mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Really?¡± ¡°¡­what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I know that since what happened to your father, you have distanced yourself from other people. You had a lot of friends in elementary school, but now I¡¯m the only one you normally hang out with. I guess you¡¯re afraid of being disappointed by others.¡± ¡°As expected of a childhood friend. You know everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a long time, and you¡¯re my hero.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always exaggerated things, you know.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I wished I had been a stranger. Then, I could have rebuked him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like you know me.¡± ¡°The thing that you¡¯re most afraid of right now is surely¡­being disappointed by Kazemiya-san. So you wanted to remain friends with her.¡± ¡­As expected from Natsuki, he was always ready to accept anything. He was as big and generous as the ocean. When I talked to him, I felt like I was in my natural state, and even if he stepped in a little, I didn¡¯t get angry. ¡°You can run away. But you can¡¯t run away from your feelings. They will follow you for the rest of your life until the day you die. That¡¯s what real feelings are. ¡­But, well, you¡¯re not good at facing your true feelings. This time I¡¯m going to help you.¡± ¡°Help me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic spell to bring out your true feelings.¡± This was the summer vacation season. Even though it was by appointment only, this crowded plaza should be noisy, but my ears were so quiet that I almost thought I was wearing earphones with a noise-canceling function. The only thing I could hear was the beating of my heart, which was probably beating faster than usual. ¡°¡ºGive me Kazemiya-san.¡»¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± I answered it with reflex. I didn¡¯t realize it. At the moment when my ears caught Natsuki¡¯s words and my brain recognized them, my mouth, which had not been able to turn smoothly until now, began to move smoothly, even to my surprise. What did I blurt out? I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not understand that. ¡°That¡¯s your true feelings, Kouta.¡± CH 39 Just the two of us (1) I knew Natsuki¡¯s words were a joke. I understood that they were provocations meant to agitate me. Even so, ugly, throbbing feelings welled up from deep within my chest like a sticky flame. You don¡¯t want to hand over Kazemiya to him? How arrogant of me to think that Kazemiya belonged to no one. I would dare to say that Kazemiya Kohaku would belong only to Kazemiya Kohaku. But then I thought. ¡ªI would like to make Kazemiya Kohaku my own. Natsuki laid bare that emotion inside me with a single word. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve done a terrible thing.¡± ¡°I want you to be happy, Kuota. It¡¯s not good for you to be unhappy by running away from your feelings. Above all, it¡¯s the long-awaited summer vacation, right? Instead of running away, I want you to quickly get together and enjoy the summer with your girlfriend.¡± ¡°Are you my guardian?¡± Actually, Natsuki had been taking care of me quite well. ¡°It¡¯s not quite a ¡®guardian¡¯ per se. If I had to say, it¡¯s¡­¡± I never heard Natsuki¡¯s further words. ¡°Hey, look at that.¡± All I could hear were the words of someone around me. What had filled the area just a few moments before was a series of incoherent conversations. But now, it was clear that the very atmosphere of the surrounding area had changed and was unified into a single consciousness. Not just the air and the words. I noticed that the gazes of everyone present, except for me and Natsuki, were focused on one point, one spot. Two girls in swimsuits were in a place that had just become the center of the world. Needless to say, they were¡ªKazemiya Kohaku and Raimon Shiori. Kazemiya was wearing a white swimsuit bikini and her long beautiful golden hair was pulled back. Unexpectedly, my heart beat slightly as I saw her hair in a different style than usual. If there was such a thing as an angel in this world, it might look just like Kazemiya ¡­¡­. Such a silly thought passed through my mind for a moment. It seemed that Raimon-san chose a black swimsuit in contrast to Kazemiya¡¯s. She was wearing a pareo around her waist, giving her a somewhat mature impression. Perhaps because of her imposing behavior, one might be fooled into thinking she was older than she is. ¡°Aren¡¯t those two super cute?¡± ¡°Are they models? Are they celebrities?¡± ¡°Maybe I should talk to them¡­¡± Neither of them seemed to have noticed it yet. They were walking toward this palm tree, the meeting place, while looking around, but just walking normally, they were attracting all eyes around them. Some of the men were looking dizzy and attracted to them¡­like a flock of moths attracted to the light. ¡°Hey, you two. Are you two alone? Are you free? Do you want to play together?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not free. You can tell by looking at us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you dinner or something. Then, after we hang out¡­¡± ¡°I have a friend waiting.¡± She must be used to this kind of invitation. Kazemiya brushed off the guys¡¯ invitations with thorough skills that displayed her proficiency. That was the cool beauty blizzard I saw in the classroom during the first semester. Raimon-san, who walks next to her, also looked the same. ¡°¡ªAhh¡± The looked in her eyes was a complete change from the extreme cold that blows in the middle of summer. As soon as Kazemiya¡¯s eyes met mine, she smiled softly, as if she were comfortable sunlight. ¡°Narumi.¡± Kazemiya rushed to us, casually avoiding the men around her without allowing them to come in contact with her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you both waiting. It took us a while to get dressed.¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine. We didn¡¯t wait that long.¡± Ahh. Bad timing. Maybe it was because Natsuki revealed my true feelings earlier. Kazemiya, who was usually so cute, looks 30% cuter today. I can¡¯t stay calm¡­I need to calm down. ¡°If anything, you could have taken your time. It¡¯s a man¡¯s job to wait for a woman to get ready.¡± ¡°Oh, Inumaki-kun is quite used to going out with girls, huh?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually a playboy.¡± Raimon-san, who had walked at her own pace, joined us, and now all four of us were together. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s get going.¡± As he said this, Natsuki turned his eyes to his surroundings. Although he had only looked away for a moment, the population density had clearly increased around this meeting place. ¡°I¡¯m going to drown in a sea of people before we even get to the pool at this point.¡± *** I took Natsuki¡¯s reasonable suggestion and quickly left the palm tree. Unfulfilled gazes were drawn to Kazemiya and Raimon-san, and a piercing gaze filled with jealousy and resentment pricked at my back and Natsuki¡¯s. ¡°Should we move on to the outdoors? There¡¯s a lot more fancy stuff there.¡± This Ritsugami Water City was divided into an outdoor and an indoor area. The indoor area had attractions that could be enjoyed by young children and people of all ages, while the outdoor pool had many large water slides and other flashy attractions. ¡°There¡¯s also an outdoor pool that you like to play in, Natsuki.¡± ¡°We can do that later. We should all enjoy the fancy ones while we still have the energy.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s an attraction I¡¯d like to ride. Can we?¡± ¡°Sure. Which one do you want to ride, Raimon-san?¡± Raimon-san pointed her straight index finger at a point. ¡°That one.¡± *** Snake Escape. This was the main attraction at Ritsugami Water City. The attraction was a two-person rubber boat ride through a long course with a snake design, and it was very popular. In fact, there was a long line of people waiting for their turn. We quickly became part of the line and waited our turn while chatting. There was no option to leave without enjoying the main attraction, and it was Raimon-san¡¯s wish, too. Above all, time flies when the four of us were chatting with each other, even if we were waiting in line. ¡°Ahh. Sorry, is it okay if I leave for a minute?¡± As the line was nearing its end, Natsuki cut in apologetically. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry~. I remembered I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since this morning. My stomach is rumbling. I¡¯m going to get something light to eat.¡± Without any further time to stop, Natsuki took off from the line like flowing water. Well, his personal goal was to ¡°ride on a float and sway in a flowing pool¡±. I guess the water slide didn¡¯t appeal to him that much. I couldn¡¯t force him to do it, since it was also my way of thanking Natsuki today. The other thing I could do was pay for the hot dogs that Natsuki would enjoy. ¡ªBut then, a few minutes later. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two. Do you mind if I leave for a bit too?¡± ¡°You too, Shiori? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy. I think the heat is getting to me.¡± ¡°Eh, are you okay? Can you walk? If you want to go to the emergency room, I can¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not really good in the summer. It¡¯s always the same, and it will stop once I get in the water and cool off. It¡¯s not worth going to the emergency room. So, you two have fun for me and Inumaki-kun.¡± Before Kazemiya could worry anymore, Raimon-san also left the line. ¡­She had a very steady gait for someone who said she was feeling dizzy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Now there were only two of us left, me and Kazemiya. We looked at each other. This Snake Escape¡¯s rubber boat was for two people. At first, the plan was for me, Natsuki, Kazemiya, and Raimon-san to ride separately as boys and girls, but considering the number of people remaining, the combination would be¡­me and Kazemiya. ¡°¡­What should we do? Inumaki-kun and Shiori are gone.¡± What should we do, I wonder¡­No, what should I do. ¡°Okay, next please.¡± Before we had time to think about it, we were told by the staff that it was our turn to go. Can I ride alone? If I were to run away, what would¡­Kazemiya do? Ride with someone else? Behind us are¡­two men. Then, if I ride alone here, will Kazemiya ride with the guy behind me? ¡°Next one, please. What¡¯s wrong?¡± That¡¯s it. I decided. ¡°Let¡¯s get in.¡± ¡ªAbsolutely disgusting. ¡°Na-Narumi?¡± Kazemiya seemed surprised, but perhaps because she had jammed the order, she was led somewhat forcefully by a female staff member, and the two of us boarded the rubber boat as we were asked to do. ¡°¡­Finally?¡± ¡°¡­if we stop riding too, it¡¯ll make that two uncomfortable.¡± I was making excuses. ¡°And you know what Raimon-san said. We should enjoy ourselves too. So let¡¯s have fun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­right. Yeah. Let¡¯s have fun. For both of them.¡± The more words I piled up, the more they sounded like excuses. Fortunately, Kazemiya accepted my excuses. I was in the back and Kazemiya was in the front, so I couldn¡¯t see her face. I think her ears were a little red¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I noticed it too late because I was focusing on the faintly red ears. Today, Kazemiya¡¯s hair was pulled back. And I was sitting behind Kazemiya. The white nape of Kazemiya¡¯s neck, which was usually hidden by a golden veil, came into my view. Was it because of the summer heat? The drops of sweat, shining transparently in the sun, flowed down the line of the nape of her neck, following gravity. ¡­Oh, no. This is not good. I have to take my eyes away. My whole body was numb with a sense of immorality as if I was seeing something I shouldn¡¯t be seeing. Not only that. A sweet, sloppy, ugly possessive desire rose up, and I wanted to make a mark on her white neck. A mark to prevent anyone from stealing it, to prevent it from being handed over to anyone else. What is this? Was I such an uncontrollable person? ¡°Okay. Then, here goes¨C¡± Immediately after the staff member¡¯s voice brought me back to myself, the rubber boat began to run in the course with the current of the water. ¡°Hiiyaa¡­!¡± ¡°Whoaa¡­!¡± It was surprisingly fast. And the repeated curves stimulate a subtle thrill, which was interesting. ¡°Ahaha! This is so much fun!¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s awesome to get your mind off things!¡± No, really. It was just the right attraction to distract me from this weird mood. I wish it could have continued until my head cooled down, but we soon came to an end. Finally, after passing through a cascade of water, the rubber boat landed in a small pool. I hurriedly get out of the boat before I feel weird again. ¡°Narumi, were you bad at this kind of thing?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Really? You seem to be in a hurry to get off the boat.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s a lot going on. This one too.¡± She didn¡¯t even know what I was thinking, and she was so carefree. ¡°Hmmmm? There¡¯s a lot going on, huh?¡± ¡°¡­I mean, when you¡¯re the one in behind you could get out quickly, so you¡¯d better get out too..¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± As it was, I climbed out of the Snake Escape pool with Kazemiya. ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet up with Natsuki and Raimon-san. He said he was going to buy hot dogs.¡± Anyway, the sooner we met them up, the better. Before I felt weird again. ¡°Hey. Since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we go in the other pool for a minute?¡± Unaware of my difficulty, Kazemiya called out to me as if to stall me. Her hair dripping in water. Her faintly red cheeks. The upward glance was caused by the difference in height. ¡°Just the two of us¡­¡± Unfortunately, my spirit was not strong enough to refuse this invitation. CH 40 Just the two of us (2) ¡°The hot dogs you wanted were not as good as you thought they would be? Inumaki-kun.¡± A food court-style eating and drinking area. Raimon Shiori appeared in front of me as I relaxed at a table in one corner with a hot dog in my hand. Neither Kouta nor Kazemiya was by her side. It seemed that she had snuck out by herself. I knew he was a smart person. Just as I expected. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. If you were eating this at home, it would taste ¡®normal,¡¯ but there is no spice that can beat the ¡®situation.¡¯ A hot dog at such a bargain price can be turned into an exquisite dish that will add color to your memories of your youth.¡± ¡°Situation, huh¡­¡± Raimon-san sat down at the same table as me. That series of everyday actions alone attracted the eyes of about eighteen men around me at once. Fifteen of them noticed my presence sitting across from her late and dropped their shoulders in disappointment. The remaining three men were considering whether to call out to her or not, without regard to my presence. Do I look like a weakling? ¡°¡¯Situations¡¯. Is that what you¡¯re after?¡± But Raimon-san asked me questions without regard to the eyes of those around her. She must be used to this kind of thing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°About Kohaku and Narumi-kun. Are you trying to get them to become a couple?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­50 points. Ah, that may be too low. I will give you a score of 75.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten a score like that before. If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me the answer to the remaining 25 points? Sensei.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± After finishing the rest of my hot dog and quenching my thirst with the melon soda I had ordered, I decided to answer a question from one of my best students. I would have tried to steer the conversation away from the topic, but it was Raimon Shiori, you know. I didn¡¯t think I could pull off such a trick in this situation. ¡°Kouta seems to like Kazemiya-san, so I thought I¡¯d give him a chance to be alone with her at the pool in the summer. I thought I would make an opportunity for the two of us to be alone. This is a consideration from me as a friend¡­maybe also a little bit of meddling as his childhood friend. Isn¡¯t this at least normal?¡± It seemed that this alone was not the answer that Raimon-san wanted. It was written on her face. Most people would probably be satisfied with what I¡¯d just said, but I guess it was different with Raimon-san. As expected of the student council president. Really¡­ ¡°I hope Kouta enjoys the situation of being at the pool with the girl he likes, and that he has a happy time. Whether he confesses his feelings or not is up to him. We are still young, and we will probably find a new love sooner or later. So, in the extreme¡ªhe doesn¡¯t have to become a couple with Kazemiya-san.¡± It was perfect. To the point where I feel annoyed. ¡°You said earlier that ¡®I was trying to make the two of them a couple.¡¯ No, I¡¯m not trying to do that. I¡¯m trying to make Kouta happy, but I don¡¯t care about Kazemiya-san.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So you¡¯re kind of a fan of Narumi-kun. And a very devoted one too.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Yes, ¡°fan¡± is probably the closest word to describe me. I can give you 100 points this time.¡± As expected of the student council president. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so very accurate. It was partly because I gave too many hints. Well, I didn¡¯t mind if it was Raimon-san. ¡°As a fan, it¡¯s natural to wish for the happiness of your favorites, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Can I ask you why you are so devoted to Narumi-kun?¡± ¡°Why, huh¡­¡± If I moved my eyes a little bit, I could see children of about elementary school age frolicking in the nearby swimming pool. They looked so happy, swimming and splashing each other with joy. They had such innocent smiles on their faces, but it was human beings who were capable of hurting others with the same look on their faces. ¡°Raimon-san, do you know what mud tastes like?¡± ¡°¡­No. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I know what mud tastes like. I¡¯ve been kicked in the stomach as a soccer ball, and I¡¯ve been stabbed several times with a sewing needle used in home economics. It¡¯s the worst, really. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t know.¡± It was a bitter memory. At the same time¡ª ¡°And that Kouta saved me from having to shove mud in my mouth. He saved me from becoming a soccer ball. He saved me from being stabbed with needles over and over again. Kouta is¡ªmy hero.¡± ¡ªIt was also a time when I was able to see the light for me. ¡°Have you ever seen any hero shows, Raimon-san? The ones on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Oh, I still watch them. They are cool. Heroes are cool. Whenever people were in trouble, they would come running. Kouta is like that. ¡­But, you know. It happens sometimes. Even though they are fighting hard, the heroes are unhappy. I can¡¯t stand that.¡± Even though he worked so hard, even though he fought for me. Kouta, my hero, was unhappy. He began to distance himself from others, fearing that he might disappoint them. ¡°Heroes deserve to be happy.¡± I didn¡¯t want a sad ending. I didn¡¯t want to see that. It was of no value to me. The ending of a hero who fought hard should be the happiest ending. ¡°¡­So those are the remaining 25 points.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. So, if Kouta likes Kazemiya-san, I would like to give him a boost so that his feelings will bear fruit. But I don¡¯t want to force them to be together. If he doesn¡¯t grab happiness with his own hands, he might end up being unhappy.¡± ¡°You think a lot about this, huh?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°¡­So, is this part of the ¡®push¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?¡± The destination that Raimon-san was urging us to go to. A group of high school students walked a short distance away from this food area. One of them, or rather the central figure, was ¡ªSawada-kun, who was in the same school as me and Kouta. He was also known as the prince of the school, the so-called popular guy. They were a group that should be called the top caste. ¡°Is it a coincidence that all of the popular kids at school came all the way out here on the same day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence. I was also surprised when I found out about their schedule. In a way, it¡¯s your lucky day, Kouta.¡± ¡°¡­You mean you were aware of their schedule? But you didn¡¯t tell them?¡± To Raimon-san¡¯s point, I just replied with a smile. ¡°That would make the situation more exciting, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± *** I was not sure about Inumaki, but maybe Shiori was being considerate of me. Because I told her I liked Narumi. That was why she left me alone with him¡­ I should have been thanking Shiori today, but I felt sorry for making her feel uncomfortable, but my gratitude was greater than that. ¡°¡­Hey. since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we go in the other pool for a minute?¡± Alone with Narumi. Perhaps my heart was fluttering at the thought of such a situation. I had no intention of saying this, but before I knew it, the words had left my mouth. ¡°Just the two of us¡­¡± I said it. I said it. I said it. What should I do? Did that sound weird? My heart was racing. ¡­In my head, I imagined Kotomi-chan crossing her arms and nodding with satisfaction. But really, I should be thankful to Shiori. If she hadn¡¯t been so thoughtful, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to invite Narumi to be alone with him like this¡­ (¡­Ah.) After I said it, I remembered my conversation with Shiori. ¡ªHey, Kohaku, could it be¡­ ¡ª¡­¡­¡­. ¡ªHave you gained some weight? (I¡¯m¡­now¡­wait, fuuu¡­!) I could not allow more words to take shape, no matter how much they were in my mind. I was so nervous that I forgot¡­! No, haa¡­but it¡¯s just really a little bit! Ahhhh¡­! But now I¡¯m in a swimsuit¡­! ¡°¡­.N-nevermind!¡± Thank God Narumi hadn¡¯t answered me yet. It was not too late now. Cancel. I should cancel it. ¡°Sorry. To suddenly say something weird. Forget it. Just forget it. Let¡¯s hurry up and meet with Shiori and Inumaki.¡± After saying that, I tried to leave the place without being able to see Narumi¡¯s face. I just couldn¡¯t take it. Because the more I got conscious of it, the less confident I become. I didn¡¯t know whether Narumi prefer someone fat or skinny since I wanted to look good to the boy I like¡­ ¡°Kazemiya.¡± Narumi¡¯s hand grabbed my hand as I was about to leave the place. ¡°¡­N-Narumi?¡± Uuu. I wonder what¡¯s wrong. Maybe he noticed that I¡­was a little bit flustered. ¡°Let¡¯s run away.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait¡­!?¡± Why? Where to? Before I had time to ask such questions, I was taken by Narumi and moved as if to escape from the place. *** A familiar group snatched at the edge of my vision. I could also see Sawada Takeru among them. He was a classmate of mine, a famous person in the second grade, and he tried to talk to Kazemiya many times. If it was him. I had a feeling that if he found Kazemiya here, he would call out to her. No, even if it wasn¡¯t him. If I found such a beautiful Kazemiya, I would probably call out to her. ¡­I hated it. I hate just imagining it. I didn¡¯t want him to talk to Kazemiya. I didn¡¯t want him to touch her. I wanted to keep my time with Kazemiya to myself. I was aware that I was losing my mind, and I was trying to suppress it, but I had reached my limit. I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, and I found myself taking Kazemiya¡¯s hand and leaving the place. ¡°Na-Narumi. Hey, why are we running away?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡ªThis is what Kouta really after, isn¡¯t it? Natsuki¡¯s words flashed back in my mind. Was this my true feeling? Was this my ugly feeling of wanting to keep Kazemiya all to myself? ¡°¡­I saw Sawada was here. With his other friends.¡± When I stopped at a reasonable place and explained the situation, Kazemiya looked satisfied, yet somewhat¡­disappointed ¡°¡­Ah. I see.¡± ¡°It would be troublesome for us to be found, especially you.¡± ¡°¡­right. Thank you. For being considerate to me.¡± Consideration for Kazemiya. That was supposed to be it. That was what I was going to say. But it seemed like an excuse. There must have been something else I really wanted to say. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being considerate of you.¡± Considerate was a lie. It was not such a beautiful thing. This heart was dirtier than that. ¡°It¡¯s not? Then¡­why?¡± ¡ªAnd it¡¯s not funny to run away from your feelings and be unhappy. Natsuki¡¯s exact words were going through my mind again. As if to pry open the lid inside me. ¡°¡­Because I want to keep you to myself.¡± We had been running away to that family restaurant. Our relationship began as an escape. But surely, just now, no matter what¡ªI shouldn¡¯t run away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give you to anyone. You look so cute in your swimsuit right now. If possible, I don¡¯t want anyone to see it, not Natsuki, not RAimon-san, not even Sawada and his friends. That¡¯s why I ran away¡­¡± As if in a film, I let the words that had been accumulating in my chest flow out like a flowing pool spreading out in front of my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop. It wouldn¡¯t stop. Because I was aware of the feelings that I had unconsciously been running away from until now. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I said something weird. Just forget it.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to.¡± This time Kazemiya¡¯s hand grabbed mine. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget what you just said. I want to hear more. I want¡­to keep you to myself too.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s eyes reached straight to me. Our eyes were drawn straight to each other and we stared at each other. The world became transparent, so much so that even the heat of summer was forgotten. The eyes in front of me almost sucked me in¡ª- ¡ªBaaaaammmmm!!! ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.!¡±¡± The huge sound, reminiscent of a volcanic eruption, brought me back to myself. It seemed that it was the same for Kazemiya. A beautiful face, stained with surprise, was in front of me. A moment later, a huge spray of water came down, and we were quickly exposed to the downpour. Apparently, it was staged by the giant rock-like object we were hiding behind. Come to think of it, I think there was a zone that had a contraption where water spurts out with the sound of an eruption at regular intervals¡­ ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s that noise!?¡± ¡°Come here, Sawada! There¡¯s some kind of awesome rock!¡± Not good. This voice¡­they seemed to hear the sound of the eruption and Sawada and his friends were coming over. Is there anywhere nearby where we can escape to¡­ ¡°Kazemiya, this way.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Spread out before us was a flowing pool. Reflexively, I took Kazemiya¡¯s hand and we dove into the water together. Leaning back, we flowed together through the water. This way, we could hide ourselves and move around undetected. The inside of a summer pool was like a different world from the one on the ground. It was as if we were the only two people in the pool. Right now, the only person in my world was Kazemiya Kohaku. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± There were only two people in the water, me and Kazemiya. We were the only two people in the water. In this quiet world of water, there was no room for the painful reality, for running away from home, or for anything else. Nothing. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Bubbles just spilled out of my mouth as I tried to say something. Kazemiya seemed to be the same way, and a faint bubble escaped from her beautiful lips. We stared at each other, lost in each other¡¯s eyes. We were drawn to each other, attracted to each other as if we were losing ourselves in a flowing pool. I didn¡¯t know whether it was from me or Kazemiya, our lips¡ª-overlapped so naturally in the water. The contact was instantaneous. The feeling was fleeting. But the sweet, numbing heat that ran from my mouth through my body became eternal and was etched into my body. ¡°¡°¡ª¨Cpuhaa¡±¡± As soon as our lips left each other¡¯s, we turned our heads to the sun for air. As it was, we climbed out of the flowing pool and ducked into a nearby rock object. A curtain of water falling from overhead just blindfolded us, creating a space reminiscent of the inside of a waterfall. We were sure that no one would see us or find Sawada and the others here. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Hey. Did we just¡­kiss?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Well. We were in the water, and it was only for a second.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­As I thought, I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yeah.¡± A moment of silence followed, during which we breathed well enough with each other. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Then let¡¯s do it until we figure it out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yes.¡± Then again, it took me a while to get my breathing under control. CH 41 Report meeting Translated by Dawn Edited by Dawn Report meeting We exchanged heat with each other through our lips and then what happened? I honestly didn¡¯t remember anything about how we got home. I felt like I met up with Natsuki and Raimon-san, and I think I was in another pool. I think Natsuki called out to me a few times, but I didn¡¯t even remember what I answered. I found myself going home with Kazemiya. ¡­What did we talk about on the way home? I had no memory of it. Maybe we didn¡¯t talk about anything. I think we were silent for a long time. I even barely said ¡°I¡¯m home¡± and went back to my room. Kazemiya was in an empty room¡­probably a guest room, or maybe Kotomi¡¯s room. Which one was she in? I forgot. I can¡¯t remember. At least, I couldn¡¯t calm down now. If I calmed down even for a moment, I would vividly remember what happened at the pool. The feeling of Kazemiya¡¯s heat still lingered on my lips. It happened not once or twice, but¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.!¡± What were you doing? What was I doing? And it wasn¡¯t an accident, or a flow, or anything like that. It was clearly something I did of my own volition. I was being honest about my feelings, which I had turned away from until now. I had no regrets about that, and I was relieved that Kazemiya did not reject it. Thank God. Somewhere inside of me, I had feared that I would no longer be friends with Kazemiya, that I would lose her. I was able to protect the time we spent alone at the family restaurant, I didn¡¯t lose Kazemiya, and I was able to be with her. I was relieved more than anything to know that. Although the form had changed from friend¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡± ¡­Had the form changed from a friend? So what were we now? What name would be given to our relationship? Maybe the public would call us lovers, but¡­we just kissed. That¡¯s all. It was not a verbal agreement like in dramas or comic books, like ¡°I love you¡± or ¡°Please go out with me¡±. After the kiss, we didn¡¯t talk much. We just left it ambiguous and went home¡­ After all¡ªwhat are we now, Kazemiya Kohaku? We kissed. That was certain. So, did that make me a lover, or could I call myself Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s boyfriend? I¡­¡­don¡¯t think so. So, if I was asked why I kissed her, it would be because I like her. (Wait¡­if I think about it carefully¡­¡­) I still hadn¡¯t heard about Kazemiya¡¯s feelings. Before that, I didn¡¯t even tell Kazemiya how I feel, did I? In this situation, if by any chance Kazemiya¡ª ¡°Can you stop acting like you¡¯re my boyfriend just because we kissed?¡± ¡ªShe might say that¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± My head hurts. Or rather, I was shocked by my own imagination¡­ What should I do? It would be a little¡­no, quite awkward. ¡°What kind of face am I supposed to make when I meet Kazemiya from now on¡­?¡± *** I didn¡¯t really remember what happened after that. I think maybe Shiori talked to me or something. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t even sure how I got home. My feet moved on their own and I found myself at Narumi¡¯s house. When I first came to myself, I was a bit surprised. While I was surprised at the passage of time, I heard a knock on the door and someone entered the room¡­ ¡°¡­Ah, Kotomi-chan.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God. You¡¯ve come to your senses.¡± ¡­¡­What kind of state was I really in? ¡°Mother and I were worried about you two. Both Brother and Kazemiya-senpai were acting strange¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re sick or unwell or anything like that¡­¡± ¡­¡­Not good. I don¡¯t know what kind of face I should be making when I talk to Kotomi-chan. ¡°¡­Umm.Did I do something that might have bothered you, Kazemiya-senpai?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not like that¡­why?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even made eye contact with me since a while ago¡­¡± That¡¯s right. Because it was awkward. I just kissed Narumi at the pool¡­¡­Kotomi¡¯s brother. But how could I say that¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s as if you can¡¯t look at me because you kissed my brother at the pool and you feel awkward.¡± ¡°How do you know!?¡± ¡°Ehh.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Perhaps if a competition were held now to determine the world¡¯s biggest moron, I would be the winner by a landslide. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.May I have a detailed report?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Yes.¡± Somehow, with all the momentum, I told her everything. I told her that we had gone to the pool. I was alone with Narumi there, and we kissed. I felt like I had said things I didn¡¯t need to say. I wonder if I was weak against Kotomi¡­Maybe that was part of it, but¡­maybe I wanted someone to listen to me. ¡°I see¡­My brother took Kazemiya-senpai into the shadows to hide her from a classmate who happened to run into the two of you¡­then, his hands, unable to control his possessive desire, undid your swimsuit, exposing the white skin that was hidden by the enchanting fabric.¡± ¡°You¡¯re half right, half fictional, so be careful what you say.¡± To think, the fantasy that Kotomi-chan had this morning had become half a reality. ¡°I was surprised that my brother was so aggressive. I can¡¯t believe he was the one to approach Kazemiya-senpai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he approach me¡­but¡­¡­well, it¡¯s true that Narumi was the first one to approach me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡¯The first one¡¯? Ehh? So it¡¯s not just once?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times. I forgot¡­Narumi tried to stop, but halfway through, I started begging for him¡­I was getting more and more out of control¡­so please don¡¯t look at Narumi¡­or your brother, too strangely, okay?¡± ¡°Rather, I think I¡¯m going to change the way I look at Kazemiya-senpai.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°Think back to what you said two seconds ago.¡± ¡°What, I said, I started begging for him¡­¡­¡­Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh¡­!!!¡± Just then! Absolutely! Why did I say that! Why!!! ¡°That¡­everything I said before¡­it¡¯s just a joke!¡± ¡°Kazemiya-senpai. I received your kindness in trying to cover up for my brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then, that¡¯s good.¡± Kotomi-chan¡¯s lukewarm eyes were conversely painful. ¡°Thanks to you, I can make reference books faster (Scratch, Scratch, Scratch).¡± ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t take notes so fast.¡± Kotomi-chan¡¯s hand ran over the blank notebook at high speed, and the pages turned black at blinding speed. ¡­Kotomi-chan¡¯s ¡°reference book,¡± I should definitely not look at it. But still, I wonder if Kotomi-chan felt okay, really. To me, it looked like the best brain in the school year was dyed a peachy color. ¡°Then I would like to ask you a question for reference¡­¡± ¡°¡­ you can ask me anything.¡± It was already too late for me to reject her for asking any questions, so I¡¯d better take it as a lodging fee since I felt indebted to Kotomi-chan for her hospitality. ¡°¡­Did you two do anything other than kissing?¡± ¡°? We didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­wow. My brother is a very patient man. I respect that.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand what it was, but it seemed that Kotomi-chan¡¯s opinion of Narumi had risen in her mind. Kotomi then continued to take notes diligently, and after filling about half of the notebook, she closed it as if satisfied. The page filled with letters was pitch black, but strangely enough, it looked pink to me, which I would like to think was my imagination. ¡°Phew¡­Anyway, congratulations.¡± ¡°Huh? Congratulations? On what?¡± ¡°So, you two are now lovers, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­I see. I and Narumi are already¡­ lovers¡­?¡± For some reason, I got caught up, twisted my head, and unintentionally asked Kotomi-chan, this time, a question of my own. ¡°¡­¡­Are me and Narumi dating now?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather ask the question myself¡­¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I and NARUMI don¡¯t remember ever confessing to each other.¡± ¡°To ask for a kiss even though you two are not even dating¡­isn¡¯t that you two just another lewd people?¡± ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t say that.¡± Sadly, nothing could be denied. ¡°But given the circumstances of the two of you, aren¡¯t you¡­normal lovers already? Even though he hasn¡¯t confessed to you, it would be almost like he has confessed to you. Rather, it may be fashionable not to say the words. Though you two are lewd.¡± ¡°Kotomi-chan? Can you do something with that ¡®lewd¡¯? Though it¡¯s also my fault¡­Well, let¡¯s just leave it at that¡­¡± I felt like I was constantly self-destructing today. Maybe I should change my name to ¡°Jibaku (+)TLN: Self-destruct¡± instead of ¡°Kohaku.¡± ¡°If Narumi says something like, ¡®Can you stop acting like you¡¯re my girlfriend just because we kissed?¡¯¡­That would be bad.¡± ¡°In that case, even I would hit my brother in the face if he says that¡­though, It¡¯s understandable that you would feel uneasy if you didn¡¯t receive proper verbal assurances.¡± Maybe that kiss was proof of our feelings for each other. Even so, it makes me wonder¡­am I being selfish for thinking like that? ¡°What kind of face should I make when I meet Narumi from now on¡­?¡± CH 42 Drowning in You Translated by Dawn Edited by Dawn Drowning in You It was the morning of the day after that. Normally, I would have stayed in the futon a little longer, but today my eyes were strangely clear and I had no desire to stay in the futon. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to get such a good night¡¯s sleep. Not long ago¡­before I went to the pool, I might not have been able to get a good night¡¯s sleep. I thought I would be in agony right before getting into bed, not knowing how to face Kazemiya, but as you could tell, the result was as follows. I fell asleep without much trouble and was able to greet the morning refreshed. (It¡¯s strange even for me¡­) How should I face Kazemiya? I did not know that yet¡ªbut somehow I felt I could have interacted with her normally. I didn¡¯t know why. After washing my face and looking at my face in the washbasin mirror, I thought I understood the reason. ¡°¡­Ah, I see. That¡¯s how it is.¡± I had a clear idea of what I needed to do. *** ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Only today, my wake-up time hit an all-time low. To be precise, I had woken up earlier, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to get out of the futon, and before I knew it, an hour had passed. No, but, it was about time¡­ I had to get up. I couldn¡¯t stay in bed all night at someone else¡¯s house, especially at Narumi¡¯s house. I couldn¡¯t even help Kotomi with the chores today. Students were on summer break, but it was a weekday on the calendar, so I guess Narumi¡¯s dad was already at work¡­Narumi¡¯s mom was at home because she had a job as a writer¡­What should I do? Maybe it was because I gave a full report to Kotomi yesterday. Now when I see Narumi¡¯s mom¡¯s face or something, it reminded me of how many times I¡¯d kissed her son. Uhhh~~~~¡­I don¡¯t want to get up. But I still have to get up. As expected, I feel too bad for not getting up¡­ Fighting a whirlwind of awkwardness and embarrassment in my mind, I dressed and washed my face a little slower than usual, took three deep breaths in secret, and then headed for the living room. ¡°Good morning.¡± The first person to greet me was Kotomi-chan¡­wait no, it was Narumi. The moment I saw Narumi¡¯s face, the memory of yesterday¡¯s kiss came back to me at once, and at the same time, I was not at peace because of my confusion about our current relationship, which had lost the label of ¡®friend¡¯. ¡°¡­..Good, morning.¡± The greeting was a bit more stuffy than usual. I hope he didn¡¯t think I was weird¡­ But there was no way I could be calm in this situation¡­¡­ ¡°¡­H-huh? Where¡¯s Kotomi-chan?¡± ¡°She¡¯s staying at a friend¡¯s house since this morning. She¡¯ll be back tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± A friend¡¯s house? Why was it that I feel like it had something to do with the ¡°reference book¡±? ¡°What about your mom? Is she working right now?¡± ¡°She went out to cover a new work. She¡¯ll be back tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and my father has some urgent work at the office, so he won¡¯t be home until tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Ehh. I see¡­¡± I should calm down first. The awkwardness was probably just me feeling one-sided. Calm down, drink some water, and calmly sort out the situation. Let¡¯s see, Kotomi-chan was away until tomorrow for a sleepover, Narumi¡¯s Mom was away until tomorrow for novel research, and Narumi¡¯s Dad was away until tomorrow for an urgent job¡­In other words, for the whole day today, there would be only me and NARUMI in this house, so¡­ ¡­only me and Narumi? ¡°Eh¡­so¡­it¡¯s just the two of us?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Narumi said it so smoothly as if it was nothing. ¡­Eh. Wait a minute. How can he be so nonchalant? After all, we did so many things yesterday¡­and the fact that it was just the two of us, and the memories of yesterday, it was hard for me to be normal. Even my face was so hot. Maybe it was redder than I had ever been. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t had much time to relax since you suddenly had to stay at my house. You can relax today.¡± Instead of being relaxed, I was rather stiff. I mean, Narumi seemed like he felt like it was really nothing. It was as if all those kisses yesterday had never happened. (Let¡¯s pretend it never happened¡­I guess.) It was some kind of mistake. It was just a blunder. I did it in the heat of the moment. Even now, I was the only one who felt this sweet tingling heat on my lips. I was just getting excited on my own and thinking about things on my own. (¡­I feel like such an idiot.) I told the whole story when I reported to Kotomi-chan, and the trigger was that I slipped up. Even though I let my mouth slip, I think I was originally¡­ hyped. I kissed a boy I liked. I thought our feelings were tied together. But it was just a misunderstanding. ¡°Kazemiya? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a little sleepy.¡± ¡°I see. I see you woke up later than usual today.¡± ¡°I think I was tired because I hadn¡¯t been to the pool in a while. On the contrary, it¡¯s rare, I think you are up earlier than usual today, Narumi.¡± ¡°Yeah. I slept well last night for some reason.¡± I knew it. I was the only one who got excited on my own¡­ ¡°Kazemiya, let¡¯s have breakfast at a family restaurant. I haven¡¯t eaten yet, so let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­but why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­just for my convenience..¡± ¡°Convenience? I don¡¯t remember if there was some kind of campaign at the family restaurant¡­¡± I had visited the restaurant several times even after the summer vacation, and I checked the website and SNS frequently, but there was nothing new there. If I had to say, I would say that there was a summer-only menu or something like that, but I didn¡¯t remember them offering anything in the morning. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that I have something I want to talk to you about. I thought a family restaurant would be better.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± At any rate, we both finished getting ready and headed to our usual family restaurant on foot. Even though it was summer vacation, today was a weekday, and the place was sparsely populated, probably due to the time of morning. We sit down at our usual seats and order morning breakfast for both of us. By the way, we both ordered scrambled eggs. Talk at a family restaurant. What is it¡­ a confirmation that we were just friends? ¡­Ah, not good. I was imagining it myself, and I felt myself getting depressed. ¡°¡­So, what did you want to talk about?¡± Ugh. I guess the way I said this was a bit harsh. ¡­It might have sounded unpleasant. ¡°Yesterday.¡± Throb. My heartbeat thumped nervously. The air conditioner was supposed to be on, but I was sweating. ¡°It was fun at the pool, no?¡± Why was he blabbering on about it? ¡­I know. I didn¡¯t want him to touch it. I didn¡¯t want to hear the obvious answer. ¡°We kissed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear the obvious answer from Narumi¡¯s mouth. I couldn¡¯t go back to being friends now. Because I like him. I couldn¡¯t pretend that kiss never happened. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry. That was just me getting excited and misunderstanding. That¡¯s why¡­¡± So what? So what am I trying to say? ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask back at the one word I suspected my own convenient auditory hallucination. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding, and it wasn¡¯t you getting all worked up all by yourself.¡± Narumi looked me straight in the eye and gave me straight words. ¡°Then¡­why did you kiss me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I like you. Kazemiya Kohaku.¡± I had no room to doubt my hallucination or auditory hallucination this time, as he looked straight at me and gave me that one word. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give you to anyone else. I want to make you mine and mine alone. I became so in love with the person called Kazemiya Kohaku that the feelings inside of me overflowed.¡± Words overflow from Narumi. I was so overwhelmed by the flood of sweet words that I couldn¡¯t even take a breath. My heart was drowning at the person named Narumi Kouta. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t put it into words properly. But it was not your misunderstanding. I like Kazemiya, and I¡¯m helplessly in love with this person called Kazemiya Kohaku.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.!¡± ¡­.No. Not good. This is not good. My face was hot. My heart was pounding. I was probably bright red right now. Embarrassingly so. ¡°¡­Are you sure you are okay with me?¡± ¡°I want you, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone else but you.¡± ¡°¡­Stop saying that.¡± Now I was kicked out of my house. My mom didn¡¯t even look at me. The reality was always hard, and I was just a kid. But still. No matter what time of the day¡ªNarumi always gave me a happy reality. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so happy, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± It was always Narumi Kouta who took my hand, ran away with me, and took me to a happy reality. ¡°Rather, would you be okay with me?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, I can¡¯t think of anyone else but you, Narumi.¡± I started to cry. I couldn¡¯t stop sobbing. ¡°¡­Stupid. You¡¯re really stupid. Take responsibility. I¡¯m already so¡­drowned in you that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± CH 43 Narumi Kouta''s trials Translated by Dawn Narumi Kouta¡¯s trials ¡°¡­..Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on, stop ignoring me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Or rather, why did you suddenly run away?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± After confessing to Kazemiya, getting an OK, and finishing the morning meal we ordered quickly. ¡­¡­To be precise, I chased after Kazemiya, who left the restaurant as if she was running away. ¡°¡­.Maybe I¡¯ve already been dumped?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± She suddenly snapped at me. Finally, Kazemiya stopped and turned around to face me. ¡®You finally looked at me.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­Wait. Don¡¯t look.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait.¡± I quickly grabbed Kazemiya¡¯s hand as she tried to hide her face. However, Kazemiya stubbornly refused to make eye contact with me and blatantly turned her face away from me. It was as if she did not want to make eye contact with me. ¡°If someone suddenly ignores you, you¡¯re going to be concerned. At least tell me why.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t ignoring you, I was just¡­¡± Kazemiya must have understood that I was not going to give in, because, as if in a moment of resignation, she squeezed out a few words with a hint of embarrassment. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to show you¡­because my eyes are swollen right now. And I definitely don¡¯t look pretty¡± ¡°Ah~. So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Indeed, Kazemiya¡¯s eyes were slightly swollen. The cause was obvious. Because she was crying when we were at the family restaurant earlier. ¡°¡­I want to show my boyfriend how cute I look. So I don¡¯t want to show Narumi my not-so-pretty face as much as possible, and I want to go home and take care of my eyes as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°¡­.Fufu.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you laugh just now?¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not making fun of you or anything. It¡¯s just that¡­we¡¯re a lot alike.¡± I guess she wasn¡¯t happy that I laughed at her. Kazemiya looked displeased. ¡°¡­Kazemiya is that. You¡¯re a vain person, aren¡¯t you? To the person you love.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me a vain person.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re just trying to be cool.¡± ¡°That¡¯s annoying, too.¡± ¡°But I hit the mark, right? Especially¡­ towards your mother, or wasn¡¯t it like that?¡± I guess I had hit the nail on the head. She fell silent as if she had something in mind. ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s probably true. The only time I seriously fought with my mom was probably when I ran away from home. Other than that, I often tried to put up a front or hide things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same way. In my case, it was against my previous father. I tried to be a ¡®good person¡¯ so he wouldn¡¯t abandon me. I tried to be on the side of justice. That part of me hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to act cool in front of you, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because of the embarrassing confession you just made?¡± ¡°You called that embarrassing? I¡¯m hurt you know.¡± ¡°You should think back on your lines.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± No matter how many times I thought back on it, it was embarrassing. I was amazed at myself for how I could say such a thing. ¡°But I don¡¯t regret it. I was trying to be cool, but I really meant what I said, and that¡¯s how I really felt. Above all, the person I¡¯m going to be dating is Kazemiya Kohaku. If I didn¡¯t play it cool, I wouldn¡¯t be able to match her.¡± Kazemiya was a very attractive girl. That was why I never know when someone might take her away from me. That was why I want to be as tall and cool as I could. ¡°¡­I¡¯m the same. I just wanted to act cool in front of Narumi. That¡¯s why I was pretending, even though I didn¡¯t want to be seen¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. But I want to see Kazemiya¡¯s face.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the use of seeing a face with swollen eyes?¡± ¡°I want to see various faces of you, Kazemiya. I want to see the faces that I couldn¡¯t see before, the faces that you showed me, the cute faces, the not-so-cute faces. If I could, I would keep them all to myself.¡± ¡°As I said, don¡¯t say such embarrassing things so easily.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m in trouble because I don¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll say it more from now on.¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever you want, you idiot.¡± Kazemiya was walking quickly toward home again. But her progress was more leisurely than before, walking shoulder to shoulder with me. ¡°Ahh, but. You left the restaurant early because you were embarrassed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Isn¡¯t that a given!? I cried so much in the restaurant! I can¡¯t go back there!¡± ¡°The waitresses don¡¯t care much about it. They don¡¯t talk to us except for taking our orders. You¡¯re worrying too much. This is my opinion as someone who has worked as a waitress before.¡± ¡°Such a brag¡­. Besides, it¡¯s because you brought me all the way to the family restaurant, Narumi. If you were going to confess to me, it could have happened even at home, right?¡± ¡°Because that place is special to us. That¡¯s why¡­I wanted to do it there.¡± ¡°¡­.I know that feeling, so it¡¯s frustrating.¡± Then, while soothing Kazemiya, we went home. We had a new relationship, not as ¡°friends¡± as before we left home, but as¡ª¡±lovers¡±. But I didn¡¯t realize it at that time. This morning, I wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about it¡­or rather I was so preoccupied with the idea of confessing my feelings to Kazemiya that I didn¡¯t even notice it. ¡ªThe trials for me begin from here. *** After having a morning breakfast at a family restaurant, Kazemiya immediately took care of her eyes, the swelling in her eyes went down relatively quickly, probably due to her constitution. In the afternoon, Kazemiya appeared in front of me as we ate lunch that Kotomi had prepared for us. After lunch, Kazemiya started to take a light shower. I wondered if she was concerned about the sweat she had worked up while walking outside. In the meantime, I made full use of my smartphone to check the information on the caf¨¦ that Natsuki had told me about. ¡­¡­As expected of Natsuki. The atmosphere inside the caf¨¦ was very nice and stylish. ¡°Kazemiya, even though it¡¯s daytime¡­let¡¯s go on a date. Natsuki told me about a pretty nice caf¨¦.¡± I talked to Kazemiya, who was relaxing on the sofa in the living room after taking a shower. It was summer vacation. It was natural to want to go on a date with your girlfriend. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s get ready¡­¡­.wait, you don¡¯t like it!?¡± ¡°Yes. I absolutely hate it. I won¡¯t go. It¡¯s too hot outside. I just took a shower.¡± It was certainly hot, as it was summer now. But not as hot as when we went to the pool the other day. In fact, it was actually a little cooler. That was why I thought today was a good day for a date and asked her out¡­I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d say no. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to stay home today.¡± ¡°Do you have something to do?¡± ¡°¡­Then why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Kazemiya was sitting on the sofa in the living room and lightly tapped the empty space next to her. She seemed to mean that I should sit next to her. I sat down next to Kazemiya, not fully grasping the reason for her rejection of my invitation for a first date. Perhaps it was because she had just showered, but I could smell Kazemiya¡¯s gorgeous fragrance, mixed with a hint of shampoo and conditioner, tickling my nostrils. My brain was about to be shaken unintentionally, but I managed to endure it with a strong will. ¡°¡­Because¡­it¡¯ll be difficult¡­to do it outside, I don¡¯t like it.¡± Her voice sounded smaller than usual as if she was squeezing it out. Difficult? What is? Kazemiya answered before I could even ask her. ¡°¡­Kiss, or something.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It felt like I had been punched in the brain. It was as if my heart had been clutched in my chest. It was as if time had stopped and the world had frozen over. ¡°You know, when they come back, it¡¯s going to be hard to do things. You have to put up with voices¡­and you have to be careful¡­but today, Narumi¡¯s Mom, Narumi¡¯s Papa, and Kotomi-chan are all out of the house today, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± I nodded back as if I was just confirming a fact. ¡°So¡­I don¡¯t have to hold back my voice or anything¡­and days like this don¡¯t happen very often¡­so I thought we¡¯d do a lot of things while I still can.¡± Thinking back, when I realized that I was going to be alone with Kazemiya this morning, I was already preoccupied with the idea of confessing my feelings. That¡¯s right. I could have predicted¡­this would happen when we became lovers and were alone together at home, couldn¡¯t I? And moreover, Kazemiya had asked for it so much at the swimming pool. (¡ªThis is bad) This was a little bit, not good. I know. I know it, and I should know it. ¡°Then, let¡¯s¡­consider it a home date for today.¡± Even though I knew it was bad, I couldn¡¯t refuse Kazemiya¡¯s proposal. After all, in front of¡ªKazemiya Kohaku, I would do my best to act cool. ¡°¡­¡­If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you, is that okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re welcome, is that all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll leave that up to you. But, you know¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­What is it? If you have something to say, just say it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do you realize you¡¯ve been quite aggressive is that sound?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve been just as aggressive, haven¡¯t you, Narumi?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you still holding onto what happened at the family restaurant?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not that I¡¯m holding onto it, but it feels like I¡¯ve been constantly under attack from Narumi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So you¡¯re retaliating?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s part of it. About half of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And the other half?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The other half is because I want to kiss Narumi.¡± As I said, don¡¯t say things like that. That was what I meant by being aggressive. Actually, this was really bad. It seemed like she was relentlessly asking for kisses without any limits. This is bad. It¡¯s really, really bad. Especially in this house right now. I have to do something. I have to¨D¨D¨D¨D! ¡°¡­.Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­.What.¡± ¡°¡­.Should we set a limit?¡± ¡°¡­.The kisses? Why?¡± ¡°¡­.Guess it. Or rather, I¡¯m sure you already know.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold it. My rationality and all that. ¡°¡­.What if I say no?¡± ¡°¡­..I guess I¡¯ll just have to spend the rest of my day outside the house.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..I got it. Okay, okay.¡± Kazemiya reluctantly nodded. What would she have done if I hadn¡¯t made this suggestion? ¡°¡­How many?¡± ¡°¡­Tw-twice.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was given a glare. Even though I made considerable concessions. ¡°¡­.Three times.¡± ¡°Ten times.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± ¡°Ten times. I¡¯m compromising by offering that many.¡± ¡°Four¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fi-five times! Five times is the limit!¡± Kazemiya laughed triumphantly as I shouted half-heartedly. ¡°Okay. Five times it is.¡± ¡°¡­You planned for five times from the beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She absolutely knew. Since I would have done so even if I were in Kazemiya¡¯s position. ¡°¡­Well then¡­let¡¯s do the first one right away, should we?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Mhm.¡± The first one, which took place in the living room of a house with no one but us, lasted so long that we forgot about the time. ¡ª-Thus began my day of trials. CH 44 Five times Translated by Dawn Five times Click, click, click, click. The unusually loud sound of the clock¡¯s hands resonating was probably because I was consciously aware of the concept of time. ¡­No, that wasn¡¯t the right wording. More accurately, should I express it as ¡°diverting my attention¡± instead? ¡ªThe promised ¡°five times¡± with Kazemiya has four remaining. ¡°Hey, can we watch a movie?¡± ¡°Sure. Here¡¯s the remote.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± During this runaway from home summer vacation, Kazemiya, who had learned how to operate our TV, displayed a video streaming site on the large screen. It was one of those with a wider selection of movies compared to other streaming services, and Kazemiya displayed the desired movie from the genre of popular titles. ¡°That¡¯s the one we watched before, right?¡± ¡°I found it interesting and wanted to watch it again.¡± ¡°I understand. I was actually thinking of watching it again at some point.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have orange juice, what about Kazemiya?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the same, please.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I took out the orange juice from the refrigerator, pour it into two glasses, then carefully select some snacks from the stocked ones on the shelf and bring them to the living room table. Snacks and juice on the table. This had become the established style for watching movies with Kazemiya during this summer vacation. With the preparations for the movie complete, we both sat down on the nearby sofa. ¡°Why are you sitting there? It¡¯s not directly in front of the TV, no?¡± Kazemiya, pointing it out as if to not let it slide, was sitting on the two-seater sofa. Kazemiya was sitting at the end, leaving exactly enough space for one person next to her. Normally, I would sit there and watch movies together, but today, for some reason, I intended to sit in a different spot. Kazemiya didn¡¯t miss that. ¡°Sit here. It¡¯s our usual spot, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I had no choice but to resign myself. I sat next to Kazemiya, trying to maintain a poker face as much as possible. With armrests on both sides, there was no escape once two people sat on this sofa. Although there was some space left, it didn¡¯t mean we wouldn¡¯t end up in close proximity¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Less than five minutes into the movie, our shoulders were pressed together to the point where we wouldn¡¯t feel out of place even if we heard a small ¡°pop¡± sound. ¡­It was not something special. Come to think of it, we¡¯d always been this close in proximity. It was not uncommon for us to lean our shoulders against each other like this¡­ No, but today it felt closer than usual. The sound of the movie came from the TV screen. But mixed with that, I could hear the sound of our heartbeats. Was it my own heartbeat? Or was it Kazemiya¡¯s? Our bodies were so close together that I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°¡­fufu.¡± ¡°Kazemiya, you laughed at this scene the last time we watched it too, right?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s funny. Fufufu¡­ Huh, isn¡¯t it funny? This part.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s normal.¡±¡¯ ¡°Is your sense of humor dead or something?¡± ¡°I think your sense of humor is just too shallow. The joke you were laughing at just now was ridiculously stupid. You should be grateful that I called it ¡®normal.''¡± ¡°But¡­ fufufu¡­ ¡®The love letter got torn¡¯¡­ Ahahaha.¡± (+) By the way, Kazemiya laughed at a scene where the sidekick character of the protagonist, in a desperate situation against the enemy, tried to attract their attention by showing a silly gag. It was true that it was somewhat funny due to the actor¡¯s performance and energy, but the only ones laughing at the pun itself were Kazemiya and maybe a few others in the world¡­ ¡°¡­By the way, kids tend to like these kinds of puns, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, huh?¡± My inner thoughts unintentionally slipped out. Kazemiya kicked my leg playfully, but of course, it didn¡¯t hurt. Was it just my biased view as a boyfriend that even her playful actions seem adorable, like a cat playing around? ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m always so childish.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely mad.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Your voice.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t talk anymore.¡± ¡°Are you planning to spend the whole day in silence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You seriously won¡¯t talk anymore?¡± Kazemiya, looking grumpy, actually fell silent. ¡°Kazemiya, please cheer up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Still silent as ever. Not making eye contact, almost as if saying, ¡°I¡¯m focused on the movie.¡± In reality, it was clear that Kazemiya wasn¡¯t that engrossed. She was just sulking. She used to be quite sensitive about being seen as childish or mature. ¡°Ka-ze-mi-ya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± One option is to wait in silence until the movie ended, but that would likely worsen her mood even more. ¡­I had no choice. It was like tightening the noose around my own neck, but I had no choice. ¡°Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­Mmmm¡± I gently placed my hand on Kazemiya¡¯s cheek, pulling them closer. Then, I pressed my lips against hers. Kazemiya¡¯s delicate body trembled for a moment, but then she surrender and accept it all. The world fell silent, and the volume of the movie playing on the TV seemed unnaturally loud. But what I heard even more clearly was Kazemiya¡¯s soft voice escaping from our touching lips. ¡°We only have three more times, right?¡± ¡°Finally, you spoke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because someone closed my mouth earlier.¡± ¡°I apologize for that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­If I go silent again, will you do it again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think such foolish things.¡± Kazemiya wasn¡¯t really in a bad mood¡­ She was just seeking affection. And that made me happy. Above all else, the fact that this girl, who had been scarred, could seek comfort like this. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t really watch the movie at all.¡± ¡°Me neither. Should we start from the beginning?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve already seen it once, and it¡¯s too much trouble to rewind multiple times.¡± ¡°How many times do you plan on doing it while watching the movie?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± After a few more minutes, Kazemiya couldn¡¯t resist and asked for a third kiss. Then, a few minutes later, as I was returning from getting juice from the refrigerator, I initiated the fourth kiss. By the time the end credits were rolling, we were fully engrossed in the fifth and final kiss. ¡°¡­Five times went by pretty quickly.¡± ¡°¡­It didn¡¯t even last through a single movie.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making a face like, ¡®I managed to keep my sanity.''¡± ¡°Don¡¯t read people¡¯s minds.¡± ¡°Great, great, great.¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m enduring right now?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange to endure for your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± The desire to touch more and the desire to cherish collide and intertwine, entangling my limbs. It was frustrating, but I also felt that it was fine this way. ¡°¡­We just started dating today, right?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve liked you for a long time.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± I just wasn¡¯t aware of it. My heart had long been immersed in Kazemiya. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The movie that was playing ended, and the TV remained silent, displaying the screen for ¡°Recommended Movies to Watch Next.¡± Faint sounds of cicadas seeped in from outside the window, giving the illusion that time had slowed down. I knew that if we continued like this, it would be difficult to put a stop to various things. Yet, my hand naturally overlapped with Kazemiya¡¯s hand, fingers intertwining with each other. ¡°¡­Narumi.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°I know what you were going to say.¡± ¡°¡­I want to kiss you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s no.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You know why, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Because you want to take things slowly?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Even so, my hand remained intertwined with Kazemiya¡¯s, our fingers tangled together. I could let go, but I couldn¡¯t. Ah, that was right. I was just a man of empty words. ¡°¡­Narumi, don¡¯t you want to?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, I do.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t because there won¡¯t be any limits.¡± In normal circumstances, it would be fine. But in the current situation, it felt like there would be no end to it. ¡°This kind of chance doesn¡¯t come by often.¡± ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t come often, it¡¯s still not right.¡± She sweetly whispered, and I desperately tried to escape, but she wouldn¡¯t let me go. ¡°Narumi, you¡¯re being mean.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay to be mean.¡± ¡­The truth was, I didn¡¯t even know why I was running away like this. Was it because it was embarrassing? No. There was some embarrassment and shyness, but that was not the main reason. Was it because I value Kazemiya? That was closer. But I hadn¡¯t been able to express it well. My feelings were something more elusive. They were like a shapeless haze. I felt something deep in my heart, but I still couldn¡¯t put it into words. It was something vague. The uneasiness I felt toward Kazemiya. The emotions hiding behind her sweet whispers. In this state where I hadn¡¯t grasped them fully, I couldn¡¯t let myself be carried away and go any further. My reason and instinct were pleading with me. ¡°¡­It¡¯s already noon. Let¡¯s grab something to eat.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± It was a half-hearted suggestion, and it seemed that Kazemiya also sensed the need to draw the line here. Reluctantly, we let go of each other¡¯s hands. After having lunch, I spent the rest of the day with Kazemiya as usual. We watched another movie, played games, and worked on our summer vacation assignments. The day flew by in no time, and after having dinner and taking turns to take a bath, I felt a sense of relief that I had managed to get through the day. ¡°Narumi, I¡¯m going to the convenience store.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that.¡± Even though the convenience store was close by, I couldn¡¯t let her walk alone at night. Especially considering Kazemiya¡¯s current attire¡­ ¡°Are you really going like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my T-shirt you¡¯re wearing, after all.¡± ¡°It was just there.¡± ¡°You clearly pulled it out from my drawer.¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it, that¡¯s why I¡¯m troubled, you idiot.¡± As we walked to the convenience store, enjoying the mild evening breeze, it felt like we reached our destination in an instant, even though it wasn¡¯t a particularly long walk. ¡°What are you buying, Narumi?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ice cream and pencil lead. How about you, Kazemiya?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting ice cream too. And a few other things.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then let¡¯s pick out the ice cream together, and then we can each buy the other things separately.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll probably finish first, so wait outside the store for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After choosing ice cream together in the cool air-conditioned store, we separated to buy our respective items. I replenished the pencil lead, which had significantly decreased during the first semester¡¯s intense studying and assignments. Once I purchased what I needed, I stepped outside the store. It seemed that Kazemiya was still searching for something inside. ¡°¡­¡­phew.¡± Today had truly been an overwhelming day for me personally. From confessing to Kazemiya in the morning, it tested my patience and self-control. It was not like I was rejecting her. It was just that I sense something from Kazemiya. I was just not sure what it was. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The answer felt like it was on the tip of my tongue, yet it remained elusive. As I gazed at the summer night sky with that frustrating feeling of a formless cloud lodged in my chest¡ª ¡°Good evening, Narumi Kouta-kun.¡± It was the voice of Kazemiya¡¯s older sister, who exuded an enigmatic presence and stood there, seemingly materializing from the gaps in the night. ¡°¡­.Kazemiya Kuon-san.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s sister, Kazemiya Kuon, was there, with a smile that charmed many people. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to disturb the two of you, I apologize for intruding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, but what brings you here? If you¡¯re looking for Kazemiya, she¡¯s currently inside the store¡­¡± ¡°I have a strong desire to meet Kohaku-chan, but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± Kuon-san shook her head gently and quietly revealing her purpose. ¡°I came here today to talk to you. To someone who resembles me, someone like you.¡± CH 45 Kazemiya Kuon (2) Translated by Dawn Kazemiya Kuon (2) I contacted Kazemiya through a messaging app, and Kuon-san and I moved to a nearby park. It was because if the renowned Kazemiya Kuon, or Kuon, were known to be present, it would cause a commotion. ¡°Did you inform Kohaku-chan properly? That we would be talking alone.¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Although I feel a little guilty.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Yeah, I suppose so. Even though I suggested it myself, I feel a slight sense of wrongdoing.¡± Considering Kazemiya¡¯s feelings, I initially thought it would be best to avoid meeting Kuon-san alone¡­ However, I also wanted to discuss matters regarding Kuon-san and Kazemiya¡¯s mother, as well as the running away from the home incident. There was a possibility that discussing these topics could cause further pain to Kazemiya¡¯s heart. So, I accepted Kuon-san¡¯s invitation. ¡°¡­So, what do you want to talk about?¡± What do you mean by ¡®You and I are alike¡¯? ¡°What do you mean by ¡®You and I are alike¡¯?¡± Without uttering those words aloud, she voiced the exact same question that I had kept in my heart. ¡°¡­You seem eager to know.¡± ¡°¡­Are you perhaps a psychic? Can you read minds?¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s just a mere inference, a prediction based on observations of behavior, expressions, gaze, conversation, the accompanying flow of emotions, and various other factors. Just a skill, nothing more.¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s more impressive than a clumsy psychic ability.¡± ¡°Well, since I was a child prodigy, you know? Dealing with the swarm of filthy adults who try to get close, these skills and abilities naturally developed. Now it has become my expertise¡ªunderstanding human beings.¡± Her oddly insightful gaze, as if she had realized something, glimmered softly under the moonlight. ¡°That¡¯s why I understand. I understand you, too.¡± Her azure and golden eyes mercilessly stripped away the outer shell of Narumi Kouta, piercing into the depths of his heart. ¡°You fundamentally lack interest in the concept of ¡®family,¡¯ don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re detached from the framework of ¡®family.¡¯ You see it as a hassle, as shackles. Ah, in your case, Kohaku-chan is an exception¡­ The cause of it all is your mother¡­ No, perhaps it¡¯s your father? Poor thing. It must have worn you out.¡± ¡­Damn it. Don¡¯t say it. It was true to the extent that it made me feel sorry for myself. ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave that for now. Let¡¯s get to the main topic.¡± Narumi Kouta and Kazemiya Kuon resemble each other¡ªPerhaps she brought up this topic to take the lead in the upcoming discussion. She didn¡¯t hold back. But here I was, just an ordinary high school boy. ¡°My mother, she broke down.¡± ¡°Broke down?¡± ¡°Yeah. I stripped her of her title as my manager and forced her out of the industry. To put it bluntly, I trampled over everything she was fixated on, everything she had built up¡­everything she had dreamed of.¡± ¡°¡­So, she didn¡¯t break down, you broke her?¡± ¡°Oh, you got it. But well, your perception isn¡¯t wrong. In fact, I did it with that intention. I wonder what she¡¯s doing now? Given her personality¡­ Maybe she¡¯s still holed up at home, muttering to herself.¡± ¡°Does Kazemiya know about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way she would know. But she¡¯ll find out eventually. After she escapes from reality for a while, she¡¯ll cling to Kohaku-chan. Yeah¡­ Within a few days, she¡¯ll track down Kohaku-chan.¡± Her azure and golden eyes, as if seeing through everything, illuminated with an enigmatic gleam. The ¡°prediction¡± that Kazemiya Kuon just uttered has planted a creeping conviction within me that it will become a ¡°reality.¡± ¡°And then, she will make a request to Kohaku-chan like this. ¡®Kohaku, persuade Kuon to forgive me.¡¯ ¡®That child should listen to what you say.¡¯ And then she will say this. ¡®I have been harsh on you all this time.¡¯ ¡®But there was no other choice, it was for Kuon.¡¯ ¡®Do you have any complaints? Mom will change.¡¯¡­ Something like that.¡± Kuon effortlessly articulated her ¡°predictions¡± as if reading from a script. Under normal circumstances, one might doubt and ask, ¡°Is she really going to say something like that?¡± However, there was an undeniable pressure emanating from this person, and I was starting to understand what she wanted to convey. ¡°¡­Are you suggesting that I manipulate Kazemiya into not forgiving her mother?¡± ¡°No, no. I just want her to not be swayed by emotions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different. If she forgives our mother out of sentiment, it means that without those emotions, she wouldn¡¯t forgive her. In other words, it reveals her true feelings¡­ Kohaku-chan has always had a lingering attachment and hunger for the concept of ¡®family.¡¯ Those attachments and hunger have become a collar called ¡®family affection,¡¯ binding Kohaku-chan. Despite being unjustly scolded, constantly having expectations placed on her, and inevitably being disappointed, she has remained in that house. She has been swayed by emotions and has chosen to become a part of Mother¡¯s family. She needs to break free from that. She has to escape from a life of suffering dictated by emotions.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah, I see. ¡°Each time, Kohaku-chan has been hurt. That angel who gave me songs, a pure and beloved angel, that Goddess (Mother) inflicted wounds, trampled over her, plucked her wings, and stained them with blood. You can¡¯t forgive something like that, can you? It¡¯s impossible to forgive, right?¡± This person¡­ Kazemiya Kuon¡­? ¡°Kohaku-chan is my angel. She gave me songs even at the cost of her own pain, an irreplaceable angel. I will destroy everything that causes sadness to my angel. I will erase it all. That¡¯s why I destroyed that mother. That¡¯s why I¡­¡± ¡°¡ªYou intend to disappear from Kazemiya¡¯s life.¡± A silence as if time had frozen. Riding on the dry wind of the restless night, I verbalized my intuition. ¡°You mentioned it before, didn¡¯t you? There are two people who make Kazemiya unhappy. One is Kazemiya¡¯s mother and the other¡­ is Kazemiya Kuon. You can¡¯t forgive yourself. That¡¯s why¡­ you¡¯re trying to erase the ¡®family¡¯ itself, including yourself, from Kazemiya¡¯s life to make her happy.¡± After that, how much time passed? Maybe a few seconds or a few minutes. It felt both short and long at the same time. In the delicate void where the intervals of time become ambiguous¡­ ¡°I like you, after all.¡± Kazemiya Kuon quietly smiled. ¡°¡­Is it what Kazemiya wants, for you to disappear?¡± ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t want that. But I will disappear. After Kohaku-chan completely cuts ties with Mother.¡± ¡°Are you intending to leave Kazemiya alone?¡± ¡°Kohaku-chan has you now. There¡¯s no need to worry about her daily life. I¡¯ll leave enough money for her to live comfortably, and I¡¯ve prepared a new place for her to live. Kohaku-chan will start a happy life there. In a home as pure as newly fallen snow, where there¡¯s nothing to torment her, she doesn¡¯t have to go back to that house anymore.¡± She was serious. This person was genuinely planning to disappear from Kazemiya¡¯s life. ¡°You don¡¯t consider that Kazemiya might try to stop you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Kohaku-chan is weak. She¡¯s much weaker than me. That¡¯s why she can¡¯t stop me. That¡¯s something I understand, and I think you understand it too.¡± She seemed to want to say that we were similar. Indeed, to some extent, I could sympathize with this person¡¯s feelings. While I found her methods of destroying her mother terrifying, I could imagine myself doing the same if I were in a similar situation, to some extent, I could empathize. But¡­ there was one point where we clearly differ. ¡°No, I can¡¯t understand.¡± In terms of Kazemiya Kohaku, I couldn¡¯t empathize with this person¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t think Kazemiya is beneath you. I don¡¯t think she can¡¯t beat you.¡± ¡°Perhaps we have a misunderstanding.¡± I wonder what expression Kazemiya Kuon had as she spoke those words. I didn¡¯t know. She quickly turned her back to me and started walking. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re by her side, anything will be fine. I only came here today to report that I destroyed that mother and to ask about Kohaku-chan.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see Kazemiya?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very happy right now. I shouldn¡¯t interfere. ¡­Although, just being alone with you is already interfering.¡± She was fading away. Kazemiya Kuon, into the darkness of the night. ¡°See you later, Narumi Kouta-kun. Take care of Kohaku-chan for me.¡± CH 46 Punishment Translated by Dawn Punishment After finishing my conversation with Kazemiya Kuon, I immediately returned to the original convenience store. She must have seen me walking towards her because as soon as our eyes met in the eat-in corner of the convenience store, she quickly came outside. ¡°Sorry for leaving you alone.¡± ¡°Narumi, you don¡¯t need to apologize. If Sister called you out, there¡¯s no helping it.¡± ¡°I feel guilty when I think about you.¡± ¡°Well, you left me behind and did something that would make you feel guilty in front of my sister.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± We held each other¡¯s hands, intertwined our fingers, and walked home together as lovers. And Kazemiya, as my girlfriend, smiled softly by my side. ¡­Maybe, just maybe, I¡¯d end up extinguishing this smile. Maybe I¡¯d end up hurting her. But still, even so, I¡­ ¡°¡­Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m listening.¡± During the journey home, I told Kazemiya what I had heard from Kazemiya Kuon earlier. About how her mother had been deprived of her position, how Kazemiya Kuon had abandoned her mother, and how her mother would eventually appear before Kazemiya. And¡­ that Kazemiya Kuon was planning to disappear from Kazemiya¡¯s life. It was all for the sake of Kazemiya¡¯s happiness. While I spoke, Kazemiya remained silent, simply listening to me without uttering a word. Occasionally, the grip of Kazemiya¡¯s hand would tighten as if enduring something, but still, she didn¡¯t speak until I finished the story. ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± When I finished telling her everything, we were already close to home. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t just keep it to myself.¡± ¡°But you hesitated, right? Whether to tell me or not.¡± ¡°I hesitated a lot.¡± Her sister had abandoned their mother for her sake. She had destroyed their mother and their family. And now, she planned to disappear for the sake of Kazemiya¡¯s happiness. I thought these facts would only hurt Kazemiya. For someone who had longed and yearned for a family, hungered for family love from her mother, it must be a cruel truth. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to Kazemiya¡¯s complaints all this time. So¡­ I hesitated. A lot.¡± ¡°But you told me. And¡­ that makes me¡­ really happy. Really.¡± Kazemiya¡¯s heart might be wounded now. I might have hurt her by telling her these things. But still, Kazemiya Kohaku had a smile on her face. ¡°¡­So, what are you going to do, Kazemiya?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you go back home, you can meet your mother. You can talk to her from a position of advantage. You can forgive her, or not forgive her.¡± ¡°¡­What do you think I should do, Narumi?¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, if I were to be honest, I agree with your sister.¡± I admit it. I was similar to Kazemiya Kuon. I was detached when it came to ¡®family¡¯. That was why I found her plan of not being swayed by emotions and cutting off her mother to be right. I felt tempted to whisper to her to just cut off her mother like that. ¡°Even if it¡¯s family, there are times when it¡¯s better to cut them off¡­¡± In my head, the conversation with Kazemiya Kuon from earlier flashed back. What Kazemiya Kuon desired was for ¡°Kazemiya to cut off her mother.¡± And she asked me to support Kazemiya in not being swayed by emotions and cutting off her mother. So, I could say that I was acting according to Kazemiya Kuon¡¯s plan. That was why Kazemiya Kuon came all the way to explain it to me. She knew that if I, someone similar to her, understood the reasoning, I would act accordingly. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s just my reasoning, and it¡¯s not even my greatest wish.¡± ¡°Then, what is your greatest wish, Narumi?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you to do what you want and for me to be on your side, Kazemiya. That¡¯s my greatest wish.¡± You don¡¯t understand, Kazemiya Kuon. It¡¯s true that you and I are similar. But we¡¯re not the same. ¡°At the very least, I think this is something that you should decide for yourself, and I¡¯ll respect whatever choice you make and support you, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even if you do something wrong, even if it¡¯s a crime, it doesn¡¯t matter. You can cut off your mother or forgive her. You can keep avoiding the answer and running away from it.¡± Kazemiya Kuon might have a belief in Kazemiya Kohaku as an angel. But I was not such a noble being. I was the lover, the boyfriend of Kazemiya Kohaku, a human. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, haven¡¯t I? Even if you become the Demon King who destroys the world, I¡¯ll be on Kazemiya Kohaku¡¯s side. That¡¯s not a lie, and it hasn¡¯t changed. So I think you should do what you want, Kazemiya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Before Kazemiya could give an answer, we arrived at my house. I unlocked the door and entered the house. The cool air from the air conditioning, which I had left on, enveloped my body, soothing the heat that had built up from the summer weather. ¡°¡­¡­.I still don¡¯t know right now.¡± After returning to the living room and sitting on the sofa together, Kazemiya finally spoke after a while. ¡°Whether I want to cut off my mom, forgive her, or just avoid making a decision¡­ Well, it was quite a shock to hear that my sister is trying to disappear from my life all of a sudden¡­ I can imagine the reasons, though.¡± Our hands were still holding onto each other. Our intertwined fingers remained intertwined, holding each other tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve always been jealous of my sister, and I¡¯ve suffered from feeling inferior compared to her. I guess she sees right through all of that. As long as my sister is around, I¡¯ll continue to suffer. That¡¯s why she¡¯s trying to disappear.¡± ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s something you understand, Kazemiya. It¡¯s a bit surprising.¡± ¡°Well, of course. Even if I¡¯m like this, I¡¯m still her little sister. I can understand my sister¡¯s thoughts to some extent. So¡­ it wasn¡¯t that surprising to me that my sister wants to cut off our mom. Somehow, I could sense it.¡± ¡­Ah. She truly was her ¡°little sister,¡± wasn¡¯t she? Even in this broken-looking house, she was still ¡°family.¡± ¡°But you know, I still don¡¯t know what I want¡­ I¡¯m still confused. More than that¡­ I wonder if I¡¯m heartless. Me, I mean.¡± ¡°Heartless?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ When my family is going through a tough time and I have to make a decision¡­ but instead of that, I¡¯m more focused on being jealous of my sister and feeling rushed.¡± ¡°Where in our conversation did you find elements to be jealous or rushed about?¡± ¡°In the fact that ¡®my sister told you about this¡¯ itself.¡± A hint of anxiety seeped through Kazemiya¡¯s words. Her grip on my hand seemed to tighten even more. It was as if she was pleading, ¡°Don¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, think about it. There¡¯s no reason for my sister to tell you about it. If anything, it has its disadvantages. It would be easier for my sister to achieve her goals if she didn¡¯t say anything and kept it to herself.¡± Now that she mentioned it, that was true. I hadn¡¯t really thought that far, being overwhelmed by that person¡¯s presence. ¡°But even so, she chose to talk to you. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ she¡¯s relying on you?¡± ¡°Relying on me? Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think my sister has been keeping her feelings towards Mom and our family hidden inside herself for a long time. But pushing those feelings down inside can be tough. Sometimes, you just want someone to listen to your complaints, right? Like how we used to vent to each other at the family restaurant.¡± After school, Kazemiya and I would go to a family restaurant and vent our frustrations to each other. That time we spent pouring out what was in our hearts filled us with relief and happiness. And I wondered how I had felt during those times when we didn¡¯t have that place. ¡°I¡¯m sure my sister came to rely on you. Someone who shares similarities with her.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve only met your sister twice, you know?¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t she really like you when you first met?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s my big sister, and I¡¯m her little sister¡ª- Even if we¡¯re sisters, it¡¯s not strange for us to have similar tastes in guys.¡± As Kazemiya spoke with her cheeks puffed up, I finally realized the source of the discomfort I had been feeling. ¡°Hey, Kazemiya. Could it be¡­ you were anxious about that? That your sister might steal me away?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You were worried that your sister might take me from you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± It seemed like I hit the mark. Her silence was the greatest confirmation. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s right. I was anxious. It¡¯s natural to feel that way. My sister is more beautiful than me, cuter than me, more talented than me¡­ So, it¡¯s only natural to think that maybe I¡¯ll lose you to her!¡± ¡°And you were quite insistent on kissing and made some bold moves.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­! I wanted to captivate you, so you wouldn¡¯t be able to leave me¡­! If we did those things, maybe you wouldn¡¯t be able to stay away from me¡­! Going to the convenience store, buying things, maybe you would¡­ do those things for me, I thought¡­ but¡­¡± Her voice gradually grew softer. It seemed that she was feeling embarrassed about what she had said and done, realizing that she had even revealed unnecessary things. ¡°¡­Sorry. I tried to come up with excuses¡­ but honestly¡­ more than half of it was just because I wanted to kiss you¡­ So forget about it, what I said just now¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of trying to deflect the topic and self-destruct even further?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kazemiya couldn¡¯t look at me anymore, completely averting her gaze, and began covering her face with the remaining hand. Her ears were bright red, clearly visible. ¡°Well¡­ I thought you were pulling the accelerator a bit too much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°After all, we just started dating today, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s our first day, our first day. I didn¡¯t expect things to escalate so quickly¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, just stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! It¡¯s not my fault, alright!? When we decided to date, my sister¡¯s face popped into my head! And what¡¯s wrong with wanting to kiss my boyfriend? And besides, it¡¯s not like I have experience with this kind of thing!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say there was anything wrong. And once again, you¡¯re self-destructing quite spectacularly.¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up! Anyway, I can¡¯t think like this anymore. I can¡¯t think about Mom or my sister. It¡¯s impossible. Can we please postpone it until tomorrow¡ª-nnn¡± I pulled Kazemiya¡¯s face, which had turned bright red, closer and covered her mouth with mine. For a moment, Kazemiya tried to resist, but soon her body relaxed as if surrendering. ¡°Na, rumi¡­¡± ¡°¡­I want to kiss my girlfriend, alright? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°This is the sixth time¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡± ¡°The promise was only five times¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s already broken, then there¡¯s nothing we can do, right?¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ the sixth time, the seventh time¡­ it¡¯s all the same, right?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Ah¡­¡± Tick-tock, tick-tock. The sound of the clock¡¯s hand resonated unusually loudly. A sweet and tingling silence. After that, Kazemiya had completely lost the momentum from earlier. ¡°Kazemiya, if I¡¯m going to do anything further with you, I want to do it properly.¡± ¡°¡­Properly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do things out of desperation like you trying to hold onto me with your body because you¡¯re afraid of me being stolen by your sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± I wanted to convey that to Kazemiya. Words alone weren¡¯t enough, so I held her delicate body tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t disappear from your side just because. Even without resorting to such measures, I¡¯ll always be here.¡± I wanted her to understand that. And while saying it, I held her in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m on Kazemiya¡¯s side because¡­ I like the childish and troublesome parts of you, the one who vents with me after school and who has helped me. I like Kohaku Kazemiya as a person.¡± ¡°Narumi¡­¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have to be anxious or do anything that¡¯s uncomfortable for you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I was relieved. She understood. ¡°By the way¡­ just out of curiosity.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you¡­ not want to¡­ do those things with me?¡± ¡°Of course I do. What do you take me for?¡± ¡°Really? Not because I¡¯m not your type or anything?¡± ¡°Why would you think that? I even have proof, if you want.¡± ¡°Proof?¡± While still holding Kazemiya¡¯s fragile body, I whispered into her ear. In this empty house where no one else could hear us. ¡°¡­¡­I actually bought the same thing as Kazemiya at the convenience store earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh? What?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, if we went that far on our first day, it¡¯s only natural to feel that way. So I prepared just in case, though it¡¯s just a precaution.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Hey. If that¡¯s the case¡­.¡± ¡°Well, not today though.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± With a slightly amused smile, I whispered softly into Kazemiya¡¯s ear once again. ¡°It¡¯s punishment for rushing ahead and trying to do that.¡± ¡°~~~~~~¡­..!¡± Kazemiya looked perplexed, her face turning bright red, and gave me a resentful look. But I cherished her in that state, and we managed to get through the day together. CH 47 7-9 minutes 11.06.2023 Translated by Dawn ¡°Kotomin, you are quite different, aren¡¯t you?¡± While checking my manuscript in hand, my classmate, Numaneki, made this remark. He was a very friendly person and held a prominent position in Class 1-A, where I, Tsujikawa Kotomi, belong. Only she referred to me as ¡®Kotomin.¡¯ During the early days of our school year, I was somewhat isolated due to my poor social skills, but she actively reached out to me, and it was thanks to her cheerful nature that we were able to become friends. ¡°Different, you say¡­?¡± ¡°Well, around April and May, you seemed oddly rigid, and there was a tense aura of intimidation.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, that¡¯s because¡­ um, there were some circumstances.¡± Though I thought I was hiding well in my school life, it seemed she saw through me. I felt embarrassed about being so self-assured in my perfection. ¡°But now it¡¯s different. I sense an overall softness in you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I agree with you.¡± I believe there had been a significant change within myself since that ¡®sibling quarrel.¡¯ Thanks to my brother¡¯s decisive decision to break our family apart, I was able to undergo a profound transformation. ¡°It¡¯s also because of what happened at home¡­ and thanks to you, Tebiki-san.¡± After the fight with my brother, I still had lingering doubts. I was hesitant to change the way I had been living. During that time, I encountered the ¡®reference book¡¯ written by Tebiki-san. ¡°That might be a bit exaggerated.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± In the classroom, there was a notebook placed on the desk. It was Tebiki-san¡¯s ¡®forgotten item,¡¯ and I happened to catch a glimpse of its contents. Inside were ¡°plots,¡± a mass of text (apparently a stage prior to the design of manga known as ¡°names¡±). I was drawn into a passionate love story depicted within those pages. As a result, I started interacting with Tebiki-san and approached her for advice on love, thinking that someone capable of creating such intense descriptions could surely offer some valuable guidance. From there, various things happened, and I was deeply impressed by the ¡°reference book¡± created by Tebiki-san, which led me to dive into the world of creating reference books. Even today, I was staying over at Tebiki-san¡¯s house for working on my manuscript. ¡°Tebiki-san undoubtedly had a significant impact on me.¡± ¡°The question is whether that impact is ultimately good or bad. I¡¯m having a hard time judging that.¡± As I spoke, sharing my beautiful and sparkling memories, Tebiki-san had a hint of guilt in her eyes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave it to future generations to judge¡­ Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is it still not good?¡± I was still new to this ¡°reference book¡± creation. Tebiki-san had been saying, ¡°Your growth rate is insanely fast, it¡¯s seriously amazing,¡± but I was still far from being skilled. That was why I often ask her to check my manuscripts. Her advice was highly valuable and educational. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not bad per se. I think your strength lies in that overflowing imagination, like a runaway locomotive, the momentum of expressing your delusions. But I don¡¯t sense that in this manuscript¡­ It¡¯s like you became more rational in the process of writing. The excessive explanations that come from anxiety stand out, especially.¡± ¡°To be honest, I feel stuck.¡± ¡°The pool scene you were writing yesterday was pretty good, though.¡± ¡°Well, that had a specific reference to thank for¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ In that case, maybe it¡¯s better to look for a topic that will get your creative juices flowing this time. Something that can ignite your engine, so to speak.¡± Even though that pool scene happened to come from a very favorable situation where Kazemiya-senpai and my brother went to the pool. It was unlikely that such a convenient situation that ignited the fire within me would occur again. *** ¡°Hmm¡­ Creating a reference book is indeed difficult¡­¡± After staying at Tebiki-san¡¯s house until the last minute, unfortunately, time ran out. Expressing my gratitude to Tebiki-san¡¯s parents, I decided to head back home. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Oh, welcome back.¡± My brother welcomed me as I entered the house. With Kazemiya-senpai running away from home, my brother tended to be home more often during the summer vacation. ¡°¡­Huh? Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Mom had informed us that her interview was taking longer and that she wouldn¡¯t be coming home until tonight. So her absence didn¡¯t feel strange, but it was odd that Dad wasn¡¯t here. He usually came back by this time. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Dad had a sudden work assignment and has been away since yesterday. He¡¯ll be back tonight.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± From yesterday until now, while I was away, my brother and Kazemiya-senpai were alone together. In other words¡­ That means¡­ ¡°Living Together in Passionate Love with a Runaway Girl ¨C Two Days of Unstoppable Desire¡±!? ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Brother¡­!¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I am¡­ a filthy insect that defiles a splendid work¡­!¡± ¡°What are you talking about!?¡± Calm down. Tsujikawa Kotomi, calm down. It was important to verify the facts. I activate my peach-colored brain cells (named by Tebiki-san) at full speed to grasp the situation. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Kazemiya-senpai?¡± ¡°She went to the convenience store to buy water and ice. We ran out of them in the fridge. Meanwhile, I was preparing dinner.¡± ¡°I see. Should I help with dinner?¡± ¡°You always do so much, so take a break today. It¡¯s just simmering anyway.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. In that case, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡± Phew¡­ Let¡¯s calm down for now. Everything would be clear when Kazemiya-senpai returned. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go unload my luggage.¡± ¡°Sure. Oh, dinner is curry by the way.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to meet your expectations.¡± I said goodbye to my brother and head back to my room on the second floor to unload the luggage. Although I usually took care of household chores, having nothing to do felt somewhat unsatisfying. ¡°¡­..Ah, come to think of it, tomorrow is the day for combustible garbage.¡± I should gather the garbage now. Doing household chores and moving my body might spark some ideas. With a garbage bag in hand, I start by going around the rooms on the second floor. After packing the trash from my own room into the bag, I move on to the guest room that Kazemiya-senpai was using. Kazemiya-senpai kept her room very tidy. It was nice of her to clean up. It was a bit of a contrast to her flashy appearance, which was somewhat amusing. ¡°Ah!¡± I accidentally bump into something and knock over a bag that was placed on the table. In my haste to pick up the items that spilled from the bag, which undoubtedly belonged to Kazemiya-senpai, I saw it. That box was clearly¡­ that. It was the same as what appears in my ¡°reference book.¡± ¡°Ah, Kotomi-chan, you¡¯re back¡­ Ahhhhhhhhh!?¡± Whether it was good timing or bad timing, Kazemiya-senpai, who had just returned home, entered the room. She saw what I was holding and her face turned bright red in an instant. ¡°Kazemiya-senpai!¡± ¡°Kotomi-chan, it¡¯s not what you think¡­ Wait, calm down.¡± ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you!? Yesterday!? Right here!?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything! I haven¡¯t done anything!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..(scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch)¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! What are you writing!?¡± Amazing. The stagnation in my ¡°reference book¡± creation that was there just a moment ago was suddenly progressing rapidly. It seemed I need to follow in my mother¡¯s footsteps and conduct an interview with Kazemiya-senpai. Read only at Travis Translations