Chapter 4
“What can I say, if you came to
the self-study room, you would have survived, right?”
When Sekiya-san heard the
details of Sunday's incident from me, he seemed to have given up and was
disappointed.
After that incident...
I started to explain everything
to Luna that I was interested in studying in the library, and just happened to
meet Kurose-san there, I also told her that I intended to report this to Luna
later. She listened to my explanation in silence, but I don't know if she'll
accept it or not. I didn't dare say that I looked very cowardly for running
away from Kurose-san from the cram school, so I didn't deny that it looked
unnatural.
“Even though you're always
trying to avoid her, why are you even studying together with her in the
library? Perhaps, you still have feelings for Kurose-san too, right. Do you
want to date those twin sisters at the same time?”
I nodded and drank a bottle of
peach tea, while Sekiya-san made fun of me. When I went to visit the self-study
room, Sekiya-san took me who was sluggish to the lounge, and we sat around the
table to drink tea.
Since Kurose-san already knew
about it, so I didn't need to go out to rest. I was relieved when I heard that
today was not the day when Kouhai Sekiya-san showed up. Probably because of
remembering our previous appointment, Sekiya-san bought me a drink from the
vending machine...
“...I'm not Sekiya-san...”
Sekiya-san frowned in
exasperation at my time-delayed and helpless sarcasm.
“What do you know about me? My
first relationship was a pure and innocent relationship. It took a week to hold
hands, and another week to kiss...”
“But after that, you went
straight down the harem route, didn't you?”
I had heard a bit about
Sekiya-san's high school life. Although I don't know the whole story, it
seems that he quite enjoyed his relationship with many beautiful girls, which
was enough to make him a ronin.
“Gununu...”
It seemed like my defense
worked right away, and made Sekiya-san fall silent.
I thought it must feel really
good.
Even though I hadn't done
anything wrong, I was still anxious about my feelings of guilt toward
Luna.
“...Looks like Sekiya-san never
got stabbed by your ex-girlfriends.”
“Well, that's just because I
did well.”
“Hee~...?”
Because I'm not good at dealing
with girls, so even though I'm popular, I feel that I won't be able to play it
well. When I was impressed, Sekiya-san opened his mouth as he said “I'll answer seriously, you know.”
“Because I don't think the
feelings are so heavy that someone would want to stab me, maybe. Besides, I've
only dated girls who only think of dating as playful or to get rid of boredom.”
I-Is that so...
“Besides, a girl's love is
mostly overwritten, always overwritten, you know. The current boyfriend or the
person she really likes is the best. A girl who always thinks of a guy who has
nothing to do with her anymore only exists in a guy's fantasy.”
“Re-Really...?”
Hearing that reminded me of
Yamana-san's story when we played Savage.
——That's
really stupid, isn't it. I didn't expect that I still can't forget the guy I
dated for two weeks when I was in 2nd year in middle school.
“Ah, but there's one
acquaintance I know...”
I wasn't sure if I could call
Yamana-san a ‘friend’, hence I used
the expression ‘acquaintance’.
“There's a girl who says that
she can't move on from an ex she dated years ago because she still can't get
over him.”
When I said that, Sekiya-san
folded his arms with a not-very-interested expression.
“Hmm I see, I guess she must be
dating a really nice guy.”
“Not really, it seems that her
ex is quite serious because he has Chuunibyou. According to the girl's words,
her ex often listens to [Sutra] or something.”
“...Well, it's also called
puberty. Everyone must have experienced it.”
“You mean listening to
[Sutras]!?”
“Don't get me wrong, listening
to [Sutras] can improve concentration before a match, you know.”
“...Th-Then, is Sekiya-san
still listening to it to help you concentrate on studying for the entrance
exam?”
“If I were still listening to
it right now, I'd probably already be a monk.”
After saying so, Sekiya-san
smiled wryly as if mocking himself.
“It's been so long since I
remembered that dark history.”
“...W-Well, anyway, that girl
likes her ex-boyfriend like that.”
“Hmm... Better just explode
there.”
Hearing Sekiya-san make
that swear in an exasperated tone, I suddenly felt curious.
“...Don't you have a girlfriend
now, Sekiya-san?”
If
he did, he would be more forgiving of other people's love lives...I
thought, and sure enough, Sekiya-san answered while nodding his head.
"Hmm. There are some girls
who occasionally contact me, but if it's to be a girlfriend ... well, now is
not the time to think about finding a girlfriend. Moreover, the name ronin will
definitely not be popular.”
“Haaa”
“Even you would be dumped by your
current girlfriend if you became a Ronin. Just imagine if her boyfriend is a ronin,
she's living a colorful college life, then she cheats on you with a senior in
her circle, and it's all over in the blink of an eye.”
“........”
I'm
really sorry if that story is based on your own experience, but I felt that
Luna wouldn't do that ......while thinking that (and I don't even
know if Luna will continue studying or not), it's not cool if I fail an exam,
and I thought Luna's reaction might be a bit disappointed, but I wanted to
avoid it as much as possible.
“Well, I think it's good to
find a new girl just in case you get dumped. But yeah, if it's your girlfriend's
sister, that's going to be bad...”
“No, I told you that I didn't
mean that...”
“Oh, speak of the devil.”
Then Sekiya-san turned his
head, I also followed the direction of his gaze and saw Kurose-san entering the
lounge with some of her friends wearing sailor uniforms.
Because of past habits, I was
always prepared and alert.
“...That girl is always with
girls from T school, huh.”
“Ehh......?”
“I mean the one with the sailor
uniform.”
Sekiya-san told me, and I
turned my gaze back to her.
“I didn’t know that Sekiya-san
knows a lot about other schools' uniforms.”
“The T women's school is
famous, you know. It's Ojou-sama's school with high-standard grades, and there
are many beautiful and cute girls there.”
“Hee...”
Is it really that popular? I didn't know much about Ojou-sama's school
because it was a world I had no connection to.
“...Ah!”
Sekiya-san suddenly raised his
voice, so I turned around and saw Kurose-san who was in the group of girls
looking at me.
When I felt that our gazes met
and lowered my head slightly, Kurose-san smiled while giving me a small wave
towards me.
“...Hee, I think your
relationship is pretty good. See, I think she's still interested in you.”
“Ehh!?”
I looked at Sekiya-san
anxiously as he said something outrageous.
“There is no way!? Th-That
would be a problem...!”
“Problem? Why, when you can
just do it with a firm attitude?”
“Well, that's true,
but..."
Why
is it only at times like this that his words sound right, this guy!
“Even so...”
Kurose-san is a very beautiful
girl. Same with Luna, but she's a completely different type than Luna. Worse yet,
I prefer the type of girl who is like Kurose-san in terms of looks alone.
For example, if I were to be
teased again like in the gymnasium warehouse that time ..... Would I be able to
resist her temptation again this time? Even a few days ago, I almost stepped on
a landmine.
Being teased so many times by a
girl as cute as her, even so still trying to maintain chastity with steel
determination, that kind of thing...
“...What about Sekiya-san
himself? Can you do it?”
“Ah, it's impossible for me. If
it's me, I'll definitely get straight and trying to courting her.”
“Eh....”
“Because I know myself well,
that's why I broke up with my first girlfriend.”
Sekiya-san looked at me with a
sharp gaze and said hurriedly.
“...As I kissed her, I thought.
I want to keep this girl from the bottom of my heart. I've been with her for a
year in club activities, so we both know each other's good and bad sides. I
feel very comfortable when I'm with her. I also think that she's the best match
I could possibly spend the rest of my life with.”
“If that's the case,
why..."
In response to my confused
question as to why he broke up with his first girlfriend despite wishing to
stay with her, Sekiya-san continued.
“But when I got to high school,
I started to be popular with pretty girls and thought that this was bad. If I
continued like this, I would definitely fall prey to temptation and start
cheating on two or three girlfriends, and it would hurt her in a terrible way.”
“Therefore, you broke up with
her before diving too deep?”
“Well more or less so...although
I feel sorry for her.”
Seeing the dark and lonely look
in his eyes, I asked again.
“Do you regret it?”
Perhaps realizing my worried
tone, Sekiya-san could only smile wryly.
“How could I not regret it.
Even if it's just for a moment, she's the girl I want to cherish for the rest
of my life.”
After saying that, he then
looked down.
“But I don't want to hurt her
in a way like cheating or something. Because she is... a very pure girl.”
I wonder what kind of girl
would make Sekiya-san think like this. I really want to meet her.
“But....”
Sekiya-san suddenly muttered as
if talking to himself.
“If only I could do it all over
again from the beginning of the first year of high school,... I probably
wouldn't have dumped her at that time.”
His serious demeanor seemed
like a different person from Sekiya-san, who always made light jokes.
“The first girl I liked in my
life was really very special. Not by chance or calculation based on experience,
but because I was drawn to her instinctively.”
Those words made my heart
flutter. Because to me, those words really describe Kurose-san.
“Thanks to breaking up with
her, I was able to date various beautiful and sweet girls, but... later I
realized that my first girlfriend was still the best. After realizing that, I
couldn't do anything else.”
Sekiya-san's expression was
grimmer than I had ever seen before.
“...Then, do you want to go
back and become a monk?”
I teased Sekiya-san because I
wanted him to go back to acting normal, and he seemed to understand my
intention.
“Didn't I tell you that I don't
listen to sutras anymore?”
When I saw him return my teasing
forcefully, I thought that he was a good person.
“I'll rage to my heart's
content when I've finished taking the entrance exam.”
“Yo, that's how the Don Juan of
the Reiwa era should be~”
“Relax, just leave it to me...
who do you think I am?”
Sekiya-san who kept laughing
and making fun of me said something at the end, and those words kept ringing
in my ears for a while.
“...Yamada, you must not regret
it.”
◇◇◇◇
Sekiya-san who lived two years
ahead of me could be a picture of my life two years from now.
I
don't want any regrets.
My
first love was Kurose-san, but the one I'm dating now and want to cherish for
the rest of my life is Luna.
Luna
is the girl I cherish the most.
I
will only cherish Luna.
With that in mind, I decided to
live my daily life while trying not to worry too much about Kurose-san.
It was now mid-October and the
weather was starting to feel nice and cool. On one Sunday, our high school was
holding a sports festival.
“Luna~! Do your best~!”
The girls cheered from the
classroom chairs set up outside the field. Luna, now an inter-class relay race
participant, was running lightly on the track.
Luna had fast legs and was good at
athletics. Her coarsely tied hair fluttered and her long legs stretched out
from her sports uniform, moved nimbly as she headed towards the zone where the
next runner was waiting.
“Uwaaaaaaahh! Keep fighting,
Luna~~!!”
Luna ran past in front of our
class seats, and the cheers of support grew louder.
“Kyaa~ she managed to overtake
one person!”
At that moment, she passed a
runner from the next class who was running in front of her.
“Luna, you're doing great~!”
“She's running so fast!!!"
Our class, which was in 3rd
place, managed to take 2nd place thanks to Luna.
“Good job, Luna~!”
Luna was immediately surrounded
by the girls from the class when she returned to the tent. While sitting in my
classroom seat, I watched the scene from a distance.
“Your girlfriend is really great,
huh.”
Icchi who was sitting next to
me commented so, and I nodded back.
“Yeah....”
Luna
is amazing. She really is a cheerful person. And a girl like that turns out to
be my girlfriend... As I thought that, I couldn't help but feel
strange.
I'm not too bad at sports
either. I guess my ability was within the average rank, or at least in the
lower average rank. But by the time I reached the 2nd year of high school,
people who were really athletic could do it professionally, and even those who
weren't that good, they weren't comparable to the people who sweated every day
in sports club activities.
Therefore, I was a little
surprised at the physical abilities of Luna who was also a member of the
go-home club.
“Ah, there's Tanikita-san.”
Icchi suddenly chimed in.
Inside the field, the next
event had started without me noticing, and Tanikita-san was in her cheerleading
uniform, dancing with other girls to a popular pop song. Apparently, the
current event was a cheerleading competition.
“Tanikita-san is really cute,
right...”
“Yeah, she's really cute.”
I reflexively replied to his
words, but Icchi turned to me with a fierce expression on his face.
“Even though you already have
Shirakawa-san, but don't you want to pursue Tanikita-san too?”
“Th-There's no way. What are
you talking about?”
Icchi looked at me with a
suspicious look as I hurriedly denied it.
“Because Kasshi has a criminal
record with Kurose-san...”
The criminal record in question
was probably the photo of us hugging each other.
“I told you that it was just a
misunderstanding...”
Just as I was about to protest,
Icchi who was looking at the cheerleading dance, said, ‘Ah!’
“Wow, I didn’t realize there's
Kurose-san too.”
“...Ah, you’re right.”
Kurose-san was dancing wearing
a cheerleading uniform that matched the others, and a matching ribbon in her
hair. Her attractive face was filled with a simple smile.
Since the cheerleading squad
had to participate in various other competitions besides the cheer competition,
and there was a lot of choreography practice and the like, students who were
busy with club activities or who participated in various competitions like
Luna, could not become members. I was reminded of the homeroom teacher's long
talk about the sports festival and complaining that the members didn't meet the
capacity.
Did she offer to join after
that? Other than that and being a member of the school culture festival
committee, Kurose-san was probably trying to fit in and enjoy school life in
her own way.
When I recalled the times we
talked in the library and the joyful expression she showed at the cram school,
I felt a different feeling towards Kurose-san.
Although what she did to Luna
before is unforgivable, Kurose-san is still Kurose-san, and I want her to
have her own happiness.
After all, she is Luna's
younger sister.
“Looking around again like
this, the girls in our class are at a very high level right~. Kurose-san looks
cute too.”
“.....”
Based on the lesson I had
experienced earlier, I didn't take Icchi's words to heart this time.
No, probably because I can't
argue with him.
——
Hee, I think your relationship is pretty good. See, I think she's still
interested in you.
Because Sekiya-san said that
kind of thing. If he who has a lot of experience with women would say that, I
think that there might be some truth to it.
“Ryuuto!”
At that moment, I was startled
by Luna's voice. When I turned around, Luna was standing right next to me.
“Nee~ nee~, let's have lunch
together...?”
“Eh?... Yes, alright?"
Before I knew it, the
cheerleading competition was over. There were no people on the field at all. It
seemed like the event for the morning game was over.
Icchi who was next to me immediately
said, “Please don’t mind me~ take your
time together~” and slipped away while carrying his luggage.
“...I wonder, does Ijichi-kun, not like girls?”
I was surprised to hear Luna
muttering like that after seeing Icchi's departure.
“Ehh!? Not really... it's not
like that.”
Instead, I think he liked it a lot... I
added inwardly.
“Ehh, really? Well, it's okay
anyway. Akari also said that. She said that even though she tried to talk to
him as a fellow decorating committee member, she had trouble carrying on a
conversation because Ijichi-kun's responses were too short.”
“Ah...”
That
idiot!!! What are you doing!! When Tanikita-san took the trouble to talk to you
......!
No,
I do understand your feelings, I get it, but it feels so painful...
“...He's just a shy person. He
doesn't mean anything bad, though.”
“I see. I'll tell Akari later.”
With that said, Luna sat down
where Icchi had been.
Every contestant was free to
eat lunch during the sports festival. Some students could return to their
classrooms or eat with their families in the blue seats in the visitor's tent
section.
Visitor seats for parents are
located around the perimeter of the field as well as classroom seats. The
visitor seats for parents were mostly empty and I think the number of students
whose families came to visit the school was only about half the number of
students. I had already told my parents that they didn't need to come because
the sports festival wasn't that exciting and it felt a bit embarrassing. Icchi
and Nisshi were the same, and probably most of the gloomy students did the
same.
“Dad is really mean. He
suddenly said that he had a business trip. Even I was really looking forward to
it.”
It seems Luna's father had
intended to come but he couldn't make it at the last minute.
“But I felt saved because I
didn't have to make another one for dad either, but... I messed up about half
of it, so I was really in a pinch if he was really going to leave.”
While laughing at that, Luna
took out a lunch box from the bag she was carrying It was a two-tiered box, a
size large enough for two or three people.
“Here, please enjoy ♡”
“Ohhh...!”
Luna had told me before, “I'll make lunch for Ryuuto!”, but
seeing the real thing like this, I was moved to the point of tears.
“Th-Thank you! That's really
great...”
I felt so happy...! This is how
it feels to be in heaven.
I started to grin and almost
ruined my facial expression, but I quickly gasped.
Even
though he's just a geeky guy, he got excited just because of Shirakawa Luna's
lunch box...I feel embarrassed that anyone would think that way.
The classroom seating was just
a large blue sheet spread out without chairs, and everyone sat freely. I looked
around and realized that there were many students entering the school building.
I was relieved that none of my classmates were sitting comfortably at intervals
and paying too much attention to us.
“Come on, try opening it!”
For some reason, Luna sat up
straight and pushed her lunchbox in front of me.
Seeing Luna's behavior like
that, made me once again think that she was very cute...
Luna in her sports uniform also
still looked very charming. The blue headband, which signified her class, was
wrapped around her light-colored hair, then the plump bulge pushing her
sportswear with the name tag on it, and the strange impression one gets when
looking at Luna in her sports uniform is very charming, as it seems to directly
express her flashy nature and inner purity. Her nails were painted the same
shade of blue as the class color and were shorter than usual. She also wore
plain pierced earrings, which showed her seriousness towards this sports festival.
“Come on, hurry up and
open~!"
“Eh, y-yes. Then...”
Luna immediately urged me, and
I placed my hand on the lid of the lunch box. I recalled the first time I ate
her lunch box at the zoo in Ueno, where the side dishes were a bit one-sided.
...... I opened the lunchbox while feeling nostalgic.
“Ohhh~! It looks delicious~!”
The appearance of the dish was
more beautiful than I imagined, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it.
Today's lunch looked balanced.
Probably because there was a cross partition and the side dishes were packed
inside. Standards like fried chicken, egg rolls, and octopus sausage were
balanced with mini tomatoes and broccoli that were served to color the dish.
“Thank you so much, Luna...”
As I thanked her with emotion,
Luna smiled happily.
“Uwaahh, thank goodness! I made
it with a balanced menu!”
It seemed like she was worried
about that too.
“This time, Obaa-chan taught me
how to make it, and I practiced a lot.”
“I see... Thank you for the
hard work.”
It
was unexpected that a girl as beautiful as Shirakawa Luna would go to such
lengths for my geeky self. ...... I felt moved as I recalled the
moments before we started dating.
“But only the octopus sausage
is ugly. Check this out.”
“Hmm?"
“Look, doesn't it look like an
alien?”
When I looked at the octopus
sausages Luna pointed out, they all did look oval with their legs uncovered.
“I'm sorry, these are really
ugly aren't they...”
I smiled gently to show my
manliness to Luna, who picked up one of the octopuses with a sad face and
showed it to me.
“...I-I wonder if it's because
the octopus has long legs? I'm sure it must be.”
“I see. I guess I cut it too
deep.”
Luna muttered with pursed lips,
she then clenched her hands together.
“I thought I got my revenge on
my lunch, but... Only the octopus sausage still hasn't, but I'll get my revenge
again next time!”
Next
time…!
She seemed to be planning to
make lunch for me again.
Luna smiled at me while I was
thinking about that and chewed my happiness.
“Looks~ Ryuuto! Let's hurry up
and eat it!”
“Oh, sorry. I'm just a little
impressed...”
“But I'm not sure if it will
taste good next time or not! Don't increase the difficulty, please~!"
“Don't worry. Even if it tastes
bad, I'll just hold my breath and eat it all.”
“What?! You guessed it would be
bad!?"
“I-I didn't mean that!”
While laughing and talking to
each other, we started eating our lunch.
Luna's lunch was as delicious
as it looked, and I didn't have to hold my breath to eat it.
“...Yes, it was very
delicious!”
“Really? Hooray~!”
So we continued eating lunch
together, and as I was eating the second Onigiri, Luna suddenly looked at my
face.
“...Ah, Ryuuto.”
“Uh, yes? What’s wrong?”
“There's seaweed stuck on your
face, you know~!”
Luna stretched out her hand to
my face while laughing.
“Eh, ehhh...!?”
“Look here~!”
I was very surprised when she
touched my lips. Luna then took the attached piece of seaweed and showed it to
me, she then brought the tip of her finger to her mouth and ate it.
“Ehehe~”
My face began to heat up as I
saw Luna laughing at me with an expression similar to that of a child after a
prank.
“...Shi-Shirakawa-san!”
Under the bright fall sky, Luna
smiled cheerfully at me as I shouted at her with a blushing face, not caring
about the stares of our classmates.
“Thanks for the food!”
◇◇◇◇
Luna was also very active in
the afternoon competition.
She took first place in the
obstacle course, and in the women's cavalry competition, Yamana-san managed to
snatch a lot of ribbons from the horsemen who were her opponents.
Then it was time for the
borrowing race.
As usual, Luna ran down the
straightaway at top speed and was the first to pick up the borrowed subject
card.
“.....!”
Luna's cheeks looked flushed as
she read the card.
I wonder what subject she
gets?
As I watched her while thinking
that, I felt that my gaze met Luna's, who looked up and looked around her. Then
unexpectedly, she crossed the race course and ran straight here.
It seemed like it wasn't just
my imagination as our gazes met, and she yelled at me as she approached.
“Ryuuto! Come with me!”
H-Huh, me!?
With a confused face, I got up
from my seat and ran toward the race course.
Once there, Luna immediately
grabbed my hand and we started running together.
We returned to the race track
and headed to the finish line from the borrowed theme position.
Some students seemed to be able
to get their borrowed themes up close, and the three girls, including Luna, set
off at about the same time with their eyes fixed on the finish line. Of the
three, Luna was a little late.
“Let's run with all our might!”
Luna said so while holding
hands with me.
“Yes….!”
We continued to run while
holding hands.
Apparently, the borrowed
subject from the other participants was the “Principal”, so we first passed the
student who was running with the elderly principal.
The rest of us were left with a
student who ran a few meters ahead of us while holding a red headband. If we
managed to pass them, we could be the first-place winners.
The serious Luna could run very
fast.
I thought that no matter how
fast she was, she was still a girl, but if I slowed down even a little, she
would be ahead of me.
I felt a strong desire that I
didn't want to be left behind.
To a girl who is like a sports
car.
Make her who has matured faster
than me.
I
want to run with you, even in the future.
I
want to keep running.
I
will never let go of this hand.
Definitely ......!
Carrying that feeling, I
continued to move my legs desperately.
“Keep run, just a little
more!!!”
I could hear my classmates
cheering from their seats.
“Luna!!!”
“Kashima-kun!!!”
Even classmates I've never
talked to shouted my name. I felt that everyone was rooting for us.
Let's
go, let's go, let's fight!
Just
a little more, just a little more.
I'm
sure there must be a happy future waiting for us after overcoming impatience,
guilt, and everything else.
Therefore.....
“““““Do your best!!!””””
Accompanied by very loud
cheers, Luna and I managed to pass the other participants in front of us.
And then we cut the finish line
ribbon.
◇◇◇◇
“Haaa.... Haa... we did it,
Ryuuto.”
The two of us let go of the
handshake and placed our hands on each other's knees from the exertion, Luna
then looked up and smiled at me. That small, rough sigh of breath looked very
s*xy.
“... Right... Congratulations
on your victory... Shi-Shirakawa-san.”
I was still panting and
couldn't catch my breath. I felt like I was running more seriously than the
race I ran in the morning.
“Ehehehe... this is both of our
victories!”
And Luna showed a sweet smile.
“I feel happy to be running
with Ryuuto...”
Luna's borrowing theme was “Someone you like”. When it was read out
after the finish line, the sounds of cheering and whistling “Hyu~ hyu~” echoed throughout the field.
Even now, I can still feel the
people around me grinning at me. It seemed like my face was hot and my heart
was pounding, and it wasn't just because I was running as fast as I could.
“.... but 'someone you like' doesn't have to be mean in a romantic sense,
right? Yamana-san, or even
Tanikita-san could be an option too.”
Tanikita-san was on the race
track as part of the cheerleading team, so she would return to the field sooner
rather than taking me to the field. If she did that, she would definitely win
first place easily.
“Eh...? Oh yeah, you’re right.”
Luna's expression looked
shocked as if she had just been told something she hadn't thought of.
“But as soon as I saw the words
'someone you like', Ryuuto's face
immediately came to mind...”
Luna looked at me with flushed
cheeks.
“More than my family or my friends...
Ryuuto is the first person that comes to my mind, you know.”
“...Shirakawa-san...”
A warm feeling flowed into my
heart and filled my chest.
“...Nee, Ryuuto”
Then, Luna, who had caught her
breath well, removed her hands from her knees and stepped closer to me.
“Let's do our best in the
pamphlet committee too.”
“Ahh, yes...”
I opened my mouth when I saw
the slight anxiety in her expression.
“I'm really sorry about the library
incident the other day... Next time, if I meet Kurose-san or any girl, I'll
contact you directly....”
When I said that, Luna shook
her head while saying “You don't have to
go that far”.
“You don't have to go that far,
really .... Because I believe in Ryuuto.”
After saying these words, Luna
then grabbed my hand.
“....!”
Worrying about the looks of the
people around me, I shyly took her soft hand again.
The
two of us will be fine.
Because
we love each other so much.
I firmly believed that.
◇◇◇◇
After that, the events of the
sports festival went smoothly, and finally, it was the turn of the final event,
the inter-class relay race.
This is a competition in which
one male and one female representative from each grade compete with the other
grades for the championship position. First graders rarely win, but it seems
that second graders have won more often in recent years, partly because third
graders are less physically fit because they have to study for college entrance
exams.
Anyway, Luna was chosen as our
class representative in this competition. It was a shame that she didn't get
into the track team.
I watched her fondly from my
seat in the classroom as she warmed up by twisting her wrists and legs in the waiting
line near the baton zone.
So
cool.
She
looked so cute earlier, but now she looks cool.
Really,
she's a girlfriend I'm so proud of, I think she's too good to be my girlfriend.
With this thought in my mind, I
admired her while waiting for the competition to start.
“Hey, look over there, is that
Luna's mom?"
“That's right! I thought so
too! They look so much alike, don't they~!”
The conversation between the
girls near me made me give a surprised “Eh!?”
and turn my head to follow their line of sight.
The girls were looking at the
section of parent or guardian seats next to the classroom seats. I also took a
good look at that section and gasped.
Anyone who knew Luna would
probably think that she was her relative. A woman who looked a lot like Luna
stood looking out at the track.
She had long brown hair, a
softer color than Luna's, in a rough bun, and wore large swinging hoop
earrings. Luna had an older sister who was a little older than her, but the
woman standing in the old people's seat looked like she was around 40, so I was
sure she was her mother.
Maybe it was because she had
just arrived, so she was standing behind the people sitting on the blue tarp in
the parent or general visitor section, watching the relay race by herself.
Luna's mom. In other words...
she was her mother who lived with Kurose-san.
“Hey, hey, let's go over there
and say hello!”
“Yes, let's go!”
The girls then went in groups
to the seats reserved for parents or guardians.
“Excuse me~~!”
“You're Luna's mom, right?”
The girls spoke to the woman in
such a cheerful and carefree voice that you didn't have to sharpen your ears to
hear it.
Then the woman turned around. I
was surprised when her eyes met mine, but she was looking at the girls who were
talking to her.
“Yes, that's right~? And also
Mari...”
The girls jumped for joy,
interrupting the woman's words as she replied with a smile.
“Kya~~! That's right!”
“Auntie really beautiful!”
“Beautiful witch!”
“No, calling her a beautiful
witch is very rude, you know!”
“For real!? Ah, sorry! But
you're really pretty!”
“Will Luna be like that when
she grows up?”
“That's great ~ She can be a
beautiful woman forever!”
Luna's mother looked at the
excited girls with a wry smile.
“Ah, it's already started!”
Then one of the girls saw what
was happening on the track and screamed. At the same time, the sound of a
pistol shot was heard as a marker, and the first relay runners started to run.
Since Luna was the second
runner, she was on the opposite side of the starting point... so she was in the
baton receiving zone near the section where we were.
“Luna, ganbare~~!”
The girls shouted and Luna
replied by waving her hand at them.
Then she looked stunned. She
must have found her mother's whereabouts.
“Luna~! Your mother is cheering
for you too!”
“Fight~!”
As the girls shouted excitedly,
Luna's mother also waved to her daughter.
“Luna, do your best~!”
Seeing this, Luna's face
immediately lit up.
“Yes, I'll do my best!”
Then the first runner came, and
Luna took the baton and started running.
“Luna!!!”
Luna's mother cheered for Luna.
Then she suddenly shifted her gaze and waved her hand to another part of the
field.
There was Kurose-san who was on the cheerleading squad. She was waving a large flag at the students who were
running on the track with their backs to us.
“Maria too, do your best~!”
Upon hearing this, the girls
still standing beside her looked surprised.
“The 'Maria' you're referring to... is it Kurose-san?”
“Do you know Kurose-san?”
“Ehh......?”
Luna's mother looked at the
girls confusedly, but it seemed as if she might realize something.
“...Hmm yes, a little.”
And then she never cheered
again to encourage Kurose-san.
“.......”
That little back waving that
big flag seemed more fragile than ever.
Perhaps thanks to her mother's
encouragement, Luna managed to get ahead of the third year and pass the baton
to the next runner in first place.
After that, the second-year
team fell behind, but the last runner managed to make up for the previous
runner's mistake and this year's inter-class relay ended with the second-year
team winning.
“Mom!”
After the participants
dispersed from the field, Luna went straight to her mother.
“I didn't know you were
coming!?”
“Yes. I was able to rest in the
afternoon, so I watched the cavalry battle. You're amazing, Luna.”
As she said this, her mother
put her hand on Luna's head.
“Great, great~”
She stroked her head with the
palm of her hand in a circular motion, then ran both hands over Luna's cheeks
and smiled at her. Luna's cheeks blushed slightly and she smiled happily at the
caress that made her look like a child.
“Ehehe~”
Then, she suddenly looked up at
me.
“Nee, Mom. There's someone I
want to introduce to you...”
After saying that, Luna motioned
to me.
“Ryuuto! Come here!”
“...!”
Now
is the time!
I knew that I should go greet
them as well, but it was all too sudden and made my heart race.
As I approached them with
trembling steps, Luna looked at me and her mother happily.
“He's my boyfriend, Kashima
Ryuuto-kun."
“I know. I also saw the
borrowing competition."
Luna's mother laughed shyly and
said in a loud voice to hide her embarrassment.
“Being young is fun. I was the
one who watching and was embarrassed when I saw that.”
Since I didn't know how to
respond, I could only scratch my head and look down in shame.
Seeing my reaction, Luna's
mother smiled gently again.
“Even if she's such a person,
but please take good care of my daughter."
It was a smile with a
mysterious charm that warmed my heart. It reminded me of Mao-san who had taken
care of me at the beach house during the summer vacation.
“...No, ah, y-yes... I-I will
take good care of her...!”
Seeing my nervous and
stammering answer, Luna's mother smiled charmingly.
I thought that Luna's sunny
warmth and friendliness must have come from her mother.
At that moment, students from
the cheerleading squad passed by us.
“Nee, Luna...”
When she saw the crowd, Luna's
mother lowered her voice.
“Hmm? What's wrong?”
But then she shook her head,
probably having second thoughts after looking around her.
“...No, it's nothing.”
“Ehh, what’s wrong, Mom? I'm
curious!”
Luna laughed in a sweet voice.
However, at that moment, I saw
her.
I saw Kurose-san, who was among
the cheering crowd of the guide squad, looking like she was about to cry. Then,
I saw her quietly leave the crowd of her friends and walk towards the school
building alone.
“......”
Neither Luna nor her mother
would be able to see it from their vantage point.
I was the only one who saw it.
Once I saw it, I couldn't just
let it go.
“Luna~! Let's go to the closing
ceremony!”
After being called by her
friend, Luna left and I excused myself away from Luna's mother.
Then, I went to the school
building.
◇◇◇◇
Kurose-san wasn't in the
classroom.
I wondered where she went...
and the first thing that came to mind was the stairs leading to the roof.
That's where she fled after she had argued with me in class and spread bad rumors about Luna.
She wasn't there either, but
the door to the roof was open. Usually, it was locked, but today it was probably
open because the school photographer had to document the sports festival
activities from above.
As expected, Kurose-san was on
the roof.
I approached Kurose-san, who
was standing with her back to me, holding on to the railing, which was twice
her height.
“Didn't you tell your mother?
That you didn't tell everyone about your relationship with Shirakawa-san.”
Upon hearing my words,
Kurose-san turned around in surprise. Her eyes were red and wet.
“How could I tell her? Thanks
to my own stupid deeds, I can't reveal that we're siblings, it's so
embarrassing.”
She then mumbled with a sullen
face.
“...even though she is my
mother.”
Her voice trembled helplessly.
“I gave her the announcement
sheet and asked her if she could come...even though she's my mother who should
have come to support me.”
When I heard the previous
story, I thought that Kurose-san had a grudge against her mother for deciding
to divorce her beloved father.
But it turns out that she
really loves his mother, huh? She really loves her mother so much that it ended
like this.
“She is the mother of both of
you. Both Kurose-san and Shirakawa-san.... if you add your other sister, then
she is the mother of the three of you.”
However, she didn't seem to
hear my words and lowered her head.
“Even though Luna already has
everything. Father, friends, and even a boyfriend... but she still took my
mother away from me.”
“Such a thing...”
“Why did you come here,
Kashima-kun?”
A single tear fell from
Kurose-san's red eyes as she looked up at me.
“Ah, uh, um... because I saw
Kurose-san going to the school building...”
Kurose-san's face became grim
and shaken as she felt tears streaming down her face.
“Leave me alone. I've already
told you that I don't need any comforting words from Luna's boyfriend.”
“But...”
“Get out of my way quickly. You
don't really care about me, do you?"
Kurose-san's gaze looked me
straight in the eye.
“How could I not care?”
Hearing my words, Kurose-san's
gaze wavered slightly.
“Because I'm Luna's little
sister?”
“...That too... but because
we're colleagues.”
“On the pamphlet committee?”
“Y-Yes.”
I don't know why I'm getting
impatient.
“Other than that, as classmates...”
“I still like you, you know.”
I fell silent at Kurose-san's
voice, which sounded like a hard slap in the face.
“I still like you, Kashima-kun.
So don't let me like you anymore.”
Kurose-san cried with a sad and
angry expression on her face.
“...You'll feel troubled,
right? So please leave now.”
Seeing me speechless,
Kurose-san smiled mockingly at me.
Still, I couldn't bring myself
to leave. I couldn't bear to leave her in this state of pain...
Because I feel like I know
Kurose-san's true identity, despite her tough attitude.
She's actually a girl who
deserves to be liked by everyone. Just like Luna. I feel sorry for her who was
banished alone because of a small mistake.
How much loneliness will she
feel if I leave this place now? As her classmate and as a person... I feel like
I can't do that.
When Kurose-san saw me not
wanting to move from where I was standing, tears came to the corners of her
eyes again.
“If you don't leave soon, I...
won't give up on Kashima-kun.”
She said it with an angry tone.
“Are you okay with that?”
“.....”
I couldn't answer her.
I didn't want to try to get her
attention.
I didn't want to, but... I
can't even leave her.
“Please leave me alone...”
Kurose-san's expression
couldn't contain her emotions anymore. I ran over to her while she was crying
on the spot.
“Kurose-san...!”
Since I was wearing a sports
uniform, I didn't bring a handkerchief or a tissue.
Something
to wipe away her tears... How could I take off my gym clothes and give this to
her now, right? I thought as I fumbled all over my body.
“...Fufuu.”
Turning my face toward the
sound of laughter, I heard and saw Kurose-san laughing in front of me.
A few strands of her black hair
stuck to her tear-stained face. Still, she was a very beautiful girl.
“...Kashima-kun, you're too
kind.”
Her cheeks looked red and she
smiled softly.
I was stunned to see her
expression like that.
“Um, Kurose-san, I...!”
——
If you don't leave right now, I... won't give up on Kashima-kun. Is that okay
with you?
Even though I've been told
that I'm still here.
I
apologize if I gave you false hope.
I
had no intention of breaking up with Luna.
But when I was at a loss for
what to say, Kurose-san showed her self-deprecating smile again.
“I know how Kashima-kun feels.
Don't keep rejecting me again.”
There was a hint of melancholy
in her expression.
Just as I thought that Kurose-san's expression suddenly turned serious.
“It's just a matter of my
feelings.”
As if she was saying something,
she said it clearly.
“Who I love and the person I
love... these are all my own decisions. My heart is free to choose, right?”
She smiled at me as she said
this.
“I’m just like you one-sidedly.”
It was a smile that felt as
noble as a dignified flower.
“...That's all.”
Kurose-san's eyes were no
longer wet as she held her knees and muttered.
She looked up at the blue sky
with her black hair still clinging to her face, her current appearance looking
much more beautiful than when I first fell in love with her.
◇◇◇◇
After the sports festival was
over, the atmosphere in the school immediately became excited about the
cultural festival.
As the other preparations
reached the final stage, it was time for us to make the final decision.
“As for the proposed cover, we
made two samples based on your suggestions.”
At the meeting of the booklet
staff in the conference room, the woman from the printing company took out two
sheets of paper.
Since we are amateurs in the
field of book production, we left the design and other aspects of booklet
production entirely to the people from the printing company. Two samples of the
two designs, “Pink and Glittery” and “Monotonous and Civilized” that Luna and
Kurose-san had suggested earlier, were placed in front of them.
“Wahhh, how cute! Let's use
this design!”
The sample Luna picked out was
a beautiful pink paper with slender typographic characters printed on silver
paper. There was a butterfly design drawn on the edges, making it very
uncomfortable for men to pick up.
“Isn't that just because it
suits your personal taste? This design should appeal to everyone. Besides, it
looks fashionable.”
The sample Kurose-san took was
printed with gold-colored paper on a monochrome background with a luxurious
marble-like white pattern. The typeface was also in a thin gothic style, giving
the impression of a sophisticated design.
“Both have equally stunning
designs, but now you don't have much time to be indecisive. You must decide
today.”
The teacher in charge of the
brochures looked at the two of them in turn and said.
“Hmmm, if I were in high
school, this design would be much cuter and make the festival more exciting,
right~”
The woman from the printing
company pointed at the design Luna had chosen.
“But this isn't an all-girls
school. If you think about how this pamphlet will be received by boys and
parents, this design is definitely better.”
Sensei held Kurose-san's
shoulders.
So far it's two against two.
It's
bad, it's really bad...
When I thought of that,
Sensei's eyes met mine.
“What do you think,
Kashima-kun? Since you represent the male students, you should say it clearly.”
I was really cornered...
“...I-I am...”
Luna and Kurose-san looked at
me. They both look worried and have a tendency to frown.
That's right. Maybe this
opinion of mine will determine the front page.
“Umm...”
To be honest, I wanted to
support the design Kurose-san chose.
But do I have the courage to
say so?
Even a few days ago, I met Luna
outside Kurose-san's house on my way home from the library, and things got
awkward.
“.....”
I knew it was useless. There was
no way I could pick on Kurose-san here, even if it was just about the cover
issue.
“...Si-Since the theme of this
year's cultural festival is [For the
Future]... then, for the sake of a future that feels bright...”
Th-This feels really painful.
However, I had to somehow
direct her to choose the sample page that was glittering pink in color.
With that in mind, I continued
my persuasive argument.
“...That's enough, Ryuuto.”
Luna said in a low voice,
looking at me with a grim expression.
“Please tell me honestly ......
I don't want to make Ryuuto lie.”
I was surprised to hear her
words.
——If
a liar puts his hand in this mouth, it will bite it off.
——Then
Ryuuto can be safe. Because Ryuuto is ‘The Last Man’.
Because I remembered what she
told me at Venus Fort.
“So, what do you think,
Kashima-kun?”
Sensei asked me with a
suspicious look on his face. He wasn't our teacher, so he probably didn't know
about the relationship between me and Luna.
“.......”
My voice didn't want to come
out of my throat.
This shouldn't have happened.
How could I have the heart to
choose Kurose-san over Luna?
But...
Luna looked at me expectantly.
——I
don't want to make Ryuuto lie.
Her voice still rang in my
ears.
“......I......”
Kurose-san turned her face away
and lowered her shoulders.
I tried to avoid looking at her
as much as possible and said.
“...If I have to carry it in my
hand, I prefer this monotonous design ....”
For a while, I didn't dare look
anyone in the face.
Then I heard Luna exhale in a
somber tone.
◇◇◇◇
On the way home that day, Luna
and I walked in silence from Station A to the Shirakawa residence.
The cloudy weather of the
morning finally began to pour down in the afternoon. Luna and I walked with our
umbrellas in the pouring rain as if it was the rainy season.
I felt sorry, why did I bring
all these umbrellas? I felt that the distance between her and me, separated
only by the umbrella, directly represented the distance between our hearts.
The cover of the booklet was
decided on the basis of Kurose-san's suggestion.
I didn't dare look at Luna
directly.
I just walked silently, staring
at the toes of my shoes, which splashed water droplets every time I stepped on
the ground.
“...Lately I've been thinking
about a lot of things.”
Luna started to say something,
so I turned my head to her, but she was looking at her feet and not at me.
“Ryuuto is... more compatible
with Maria than with me, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
Luna finally looked at me when
I was about to say something.
“That's just the way it is,
isn't it? You have the same taste in covers and streaming games, right? You have more
in common with Maria than with me, don't you?”
“I'm really sorry about the
cover choice for the pamphlet. I wanted to pick yours too, but...”
“I told you, it's okay. I
wouldn't be happy if you lied and favored me.”
Luna's face and tone of voice
showed no anger at all. Instead, she looked very sad.
“At first, I thought Ryuuto was
a very interesting person because you were so different from me.”
Then she looked down.
“The more I liked you, the more
I was reminded that you were a completely different type of person from me, and
that made me very uncomfortable.”
“That...”
“I was wondering if you'd be
okay with going out with me. I wonder if we could be together forever... I wonder
if you'll always love me.”
“Things like that....”
It's
not that it's obvious.
I
knew from the beginning that we were different. Still, I want to be with her.
However, without waiting for my
words, Luna spoke one after another with a complicated expression.
"Even Ryuuto must be
getting fed up. Because I'm a Gal girl, so I want to do everything a Gal girl would do. All the places I want to go and things I want to do aren't
interesting to Ryuuto, are they?"
“Things like that... I also
like bubble milk tea too...”
“It's all just bubble milk tea!”
Luna shouted in frustration.
Then she mumbled with a sigh.
“... I'm sure... Maria likes bubble milk tea too...”
“.....”
Then I thought, ahh I see.
——You
know, we have the same taste in food, right? So I think Maria will probably
like it too...
When I took Kurose-san to her
house and met her, I remembered what Luna said while carrying the croffle in
her hand.
Luna nodded and muttered to me
who was silent.
“...Maybe Ryuuto would be much
happier with Maria.”
“I told you, what are you
talking about...”
“Because you used to like her,
right? If it wasn't for me, you'd probably be dating Maria right now.”
“But, there's no such thing as
an 'if'.”
I replied to Luna who raised
her eyebrows and pleaded with me.
"Instead of talking about
that kind of possibility....the reality in front of us is much more
important."
“But the truth is that Maria
always meets us! Every day!”
At that moment, Luna made such
an emphatic statement, but she soon changed her mind and lowered her shoulders.
“...I'm not a girl so naive as
to pretend that I don't realize that you two are still attracted to each other
and continue to date Ryuuto...”
After saying that, Luna looked
at me again.
“At the closing ceremony of the
sports festival, you were with Maria, right?”
"............"
I gasped for a moment when I
heard her words.
I didn't tell Luna about what
happened on the roof. Kurose-san felt alienated when she saw Luna acting
spoiled with her mother in front of everyone. That's why I tried to comfort her
as an act of atonement for Luna's behavior.
I
thought there was no one else on the roof, but I wondered if anyone had seen
the two of us talking... and while I was thinking that, my breath was
taken away when Luna's face turned grim.
“As I expected, so that's what
happened.”
I was surprised.
It turned out that she hadn't
heard it from anyone else, she just thought so because we weren't there.
“No, it's because... I saw
Kurose-san crying.”
At that point, I had no choice
but to explain.
“It seems she felt lonely
because the mother she called was treated by everyone as Luna's mother...”
“I know. Because Ryuuto is such
a nice guy.”
The only smile on Luna's face
faded as she smiled a little sadly.
“I actually feel sorry for
Maria, but I always feel lonely too, you know. What's wrong with being spoiled
by a mom I can see once in a while?”
“....”
I can't answer that.
It wasn't Luna's fault. Of
course, it wasn't her mother's fault either.
It was all Kurose-san's fault
for spreading bad gossip about Luna and not being able to reveal that they were
sisters.
But... at that time, I couldn't
bear to let her cry alone.
I could already feel her
loneliness.
“Because Ryuuto understands
people's feelings, you couldn't bear to leave Maria alone, right?”
After saying this to show
understanding, Luna's eyebrows furrowed.
“But since You’re dealing with
Maria... I can't just ignore her.”
Her mumbling figure looked so
beautiful that I was mesmerized even at times like this.
“Since Ryuuto is too kind... I
thought I should say it first.”
“Luna, I...”
I didn't know what to say or
how to say it. Because Luna didn't blame me at all.
“...I won't contact you for a
while.”
Luna's words made my chest
tingle.
“I want Ryuuto to think about
it... whether you still want to go out with me or not.”
“No, that's why I...!”
I
don't have to think about it. Luna is much more important. Even
though I thought that and wanted to say it.
But Luna was already running in
the rain without hearing a word of explanation from me.
“Luna!”
I tried to run after her, but
my legs didn't move. Probably because I knew that I couldn't catch up with her.
I couldn't catch up to Luna who
was running seriously. Her house was also quite close.
In the middle of the rain, I
could only remain silent and stare at her back, which was getting farther and
farther away.
When I heard the sound of the
Shirakawa family's front door closing, I remembered that today was our
three-month anniversary.
