episode_0053

“What… said… ?”

The excuse of not hearing was no use. After all, they were so tightly packed together that there was no room to open up, and this was a closed room with only the two of them in it.

“Do you remember?”

While I was trying to calm down the thought that seemed like a strong typhoon had struck, Tachibana took out a gold rocket pendant from inside his clothes.

“This is the candy my sister gave me the day the demon appeared in front of the East Station.”

What came out of the rocket was a tattered package that bore the marks of time.

It was a Chuchu candy wrapper that I vaguely remembered.

“… … .”

Fragments of memories that were locked somewhere in my head are coming back to me one by one.

We arrived at Istiti Station after the sun had completely set.

A demon that appeared under the dusky night sky.

Red eyes that met for a moment. Pure white hair that seemed to have washed away the pigment.

The first meeting with Justice. The waves of crowds. The child rescued from among them.

The agony I felt at the park, and the words of comfort I was never able to convey.

And even the Chuchu candy that was offered as a consolation prize.

That Japanese child from back then has already grown up to this extent.

“From that day on, I lived only thinking of my sister. I learned foreign languages that I hated because they were useless, and I devoted myself to training despite my weak body. I even volunteered to take etiquette classes. It was to become the Tachibana Serika that my sister wanted.”

The brief recollection was shattered by Tachibana’s quiet voice.

I just couldn’t leave him alone. He looked so precarious standing there that I couldn’t just ignore him and pass him by, a kid who looked like he was my age.

This is not what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to mess with someone’s life with my outstretched hand.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about… What did I say… .”

My thoughts were expressed in the faint tremors that scattered at the end.

Why did I do that? If we were friends in the future, we would have been like that for at least 10 years… .

I felt as if my whole body was being crushed by the sudden feeling of burden that had surged up within me.

“Please think about it seriously.”

Unlike me, who just wanted to avoid this situation, Tachibana’s eyes were straight.

As if he absolutely would not tolerate anything being passed over lightly, without even a hint of playfulness.

“Before you think about it, I don’t know you well.”

I didn’t have the confidence to face Tachibana, so I just closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

“You can find out from now on, right?”

“… No, you’ll only be disappointed if you find out. I’m not the girl you met briefly when you were young. I’m sure I’ve changed a lot. You’ll see a lot of pathetic things, right?”

A whole 10 years have passed.

The feelings Tachibana has kept for so long must be deep beyond measure.

But that’s just an illusion.

It’s just an empty sea where you can’t feel any volume even if you put your hand in it.

A sea made up of only memories, beautiful to look at.

“So… . Tachibana, I’m sorry. Can I pretend I didn’t hear that story?”

After biting her lips for a moment, she smiled weakly and put an end to Tachibana’s wait.

Actually, I wasn’t completely without any joy.

How could anyone not be happy with the favor of a pretty, promising woman with a good personality?

If it had been high school student Lee Haru, if it had been Lee Haru who was mentally exhausted from the line of unwanted confessions.

I might have just taken it in a momentary rage.

In that case… the opponent would probably be Hanna Yeon.

No, no… .

What kind of unpleasant imagination is this? It is an impolite thought to both Tachibana, who confessed right away, and Hannayeon, who has no intention of doing so.

I shook my head slightly, sending the thoughts that filled my head flying away.

“That’s the point… .”

“Ahhh… .”

At that moment, Tachibana buried her face in my chest and sobbed.

“You acted so selfishly, so why is my sister apologizing first?”

Red eyes glancing up from below. Because he spoke with his lips near my heart, it felt strange mixed with the sudden increase in my heartbeat.

What should I do here?

Maybe it was because of Tachibana’s consideration, but the atmosphere wasn’t as serious as I thought. Somehow, I felt like he was complaining to me.

“If this is the case, if this is the case… I can’t push on like this any longer… .”

Do you mean… Hug me? It was hard to react because the look on her face was so obvious.

As if to show my worries, Tachibana’s hand, which had been wandering behind my back, soon settled down next to my thigh and fell limp.

Let’s not do anything useless.

The least I can do to show kindness is to cut off any buds of hope from the beginning. It’s a thought that hasn’t changed even once since I entered high school.

“I… am tea… .”

Sniff sniff.

As I was pushed by Tachibana and leaned against the wall for a while, my breathing, which had been somewhat rough, moved away from my chest along with a sobbing sound.

Perhaps because Tachibana’s breath was constantly on me, the inside of my sports bra felt a little damp.

“Then I have a suggestion.”

Tachibana, who left me feeling uncomfortable, smiled with a look of satisfaction on his face.

I guess I should be thankful that the recovery was quick.

He looked so relieved that I felt embarrassed even though I had reacted seriously.

“How about starting with friends? Like the common saying goes.”

We don’t know each other well yet. That was the reason I gave for rejecting Tachibana.

That means….

“When my sister and I got to know each other well, we confirmed our feelings again.”

You didn’t notice at all.

The reason I gave was because I wanted to reject him as gently as possible. Even if it was someone I didn’t know at all, Tachibana was a friend who was in the student council with Mirai.

“No… .”

“If even this is rejected… I might never be able to get up again… .”

I ended up losing to Tachibana’s crying trick.

“If we’re friends… .”

Yeah, if we’re just friends, it’ll be fine. The rest will just work out naturally.

Because I can’t continue to like someone who drinks chocolate milk as soon as they get off work, whines because they want their daughter to comfort them, and creates embarrassing stories because they need attention from their friends.

“You promised? You can’t break it now!”

More than anything, I felt relieved that I didn’t have to hurt Tachibana.

This is the kind of person I am. Not the benefactor that Tachibana had kept in his memories, but a selfish and weak person who doesn’t show even the slightest bit of kindness in order to make himself comfortable.

When I realized that fact and admitted it to myself, all that remained was a bitter smile.

“I’ll make you regret it, Sister.”

On the other hand, Tachibana showed a bright smile that was the opposite of mine.

How can you regret it with such a bright face?

It seems Tachibana misunderstood the meaning of regret.

* * *

As the sunset that had dyed the sky red began to fade, we arrived in front of the chairman’s house in his car.

As for me, I wanted to come in after finishing up my work by dinner time, but since Mirae’s condition didn’t seem to be good, I decided to go home.

Besides, Hanna Yeon and the chairman didn’t seem very interested in shopping.

“You buy the same amount of clothes as we send you.”

So I suggested a compromise. The chairman and Mirae have similar body types, so they could have just worn clothes of the same design. The chairman is not interested in anything other than work.

“Okay, promise.”

As I put my hand inside the window, the chairman reluctantly hooked his pinky.

Slender fingers gently intertwined.

It’s a promise with no effect, but if it allows the Chairman to have at least one set of private clothes, then it can be considered a success.

“Well, today was fun.”

Swish.

The fingers that had been clasped together lowered, and the chairman smiled faintly and grabbed the steering wheel.

I know, today wasn’t exactly a fun outing.

Was it because I wasn’t prepared enough? Or was it because my future condition just happened to get worse? Or maybe it was just my desire to just sit back and relax that was wrong.

“Next time… will you go together again?”

Of course, the chairman’s thoughts may be different. However, it is true that I myself felt regretful, so I cautiously waited for the next time out of anxiety.

“If you call me… .”

“Of course. I’ll look for a better place next time.”

Fortunately, a positive response came back.

It would be better to find something active to do, right? Then, even if there is no conversation, you can compensate with your body. Or, you can find a place with lots to see.

An aquarium or a zoo, or even Chuchu Land, which I used to go to, would be nice.

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Oh, yes! Go in carefully!”

While I was making various choices, the chairman’s black sedan drove away down the alley.

“Oh my, young lady. Where have you been and why are you back now?”

“At the park for a moment… .”

“Yeah, I guess you went on a trip.”

On one side, Hanna Yeon was talking to the landlady. When did they become so close?

“Have you thought about it? I asked Mr. Kim over there… .”

The grandmother slowly approached Hannah Yeon, clung to her, and whispered while covering her mouth with her palm.

“I’ll sign the contract.”

A clean and direct answer from Hanna Yeon’s mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, I thought about it well. The person who lived there before left it very cleanly. She was a single woman, and she didn’t come home often.”

As my grandmother smiled brightly, the wrinkles around her eyes deepened.

“Honey, you really hit the jackpot.”

The old lady, who had been giving a long-winded explanation about the advantages of the Happy Villa, such as not needing to buy new furniture and just moving in, soon went into the house with a big smile on her face.

“Hannayeon… What does this mean?”

Han Na-yeon was standing there blankly with a blank expression on her face. I had already experienced this at a department store, so it didn’t seem like something I’d experienced before.

“Movers.”

But Hanna Yeon was more than a department store employee or a grandmother who owned a house.

It would be better to just talk nonsense, at least give a hint.

“You said you were coming? To the house next door?”

Of course, I could understand to some extent.

We haven’t been friends for 10 years, just breathing. If we count from when we first met, it’s been 12 years? Anyway, since we’ve known each other for so long, I’ve been able to understand the context.

“Yeah.”

“Why, wasn’t there a better house?”

Actually, when I heard that the house next door was empty, I asked Hanna Yeon in a casual manner. If she would like to move here. I couldn’t push her hard because it didn’t seem like a good fit for a chef.

“Yeah.”

“Well, there’s no way there’s a better house than the one next door.”

The corners of my mouth kept going up, and I felt like I was the only one who was too happy, so I approached Hanna Yeon quietly, acting cute even though I didn’t mean it.

“That’s right.”

“Hey, hey! What’s right!”

But Hanna Yeon didn’t waver. It was my fault for wanting Hanna Yeon to waver in the first place.

I was rather shaken by Hanna Yeon’s unique mischievous laughter, and I hid my embarrassment by hitting Hanna Yeon’s arm with my fist.

“Like it?”

“Okay then. Hehe… I should go play every day.”

Of course I couldn’t lie.

What can I do with a good thing?