*****
Ajisai-san’s house was located in the residential area.
Her white house looked adorable, just like her.
“Welcome, please come in.”
“Ah, e-excuse me for the intrusion.”
I didn’t know why my voice was quiet as I passed through the front door.
Ah, I just stepped inside Ajisai-san’s house...I was sure that after this I would have the same thought over and over, so pardon me for that. I couldn’t help it. Since I had just stepped inside Ajisai-san’s house after all….(2nd time)
I entered a living room that felt refreshing from the air conditioning, and she told me to sit on the sofa. I timidly did what she said and obediently sat on it. So this was the sofa where Ajisai-san usually sat….(3rd time)
“Rena-chan, barley tea, coffee, black tea, and orange juice, which do you want?”
“Ah, sorry for troubling you. Umm, err, well then, I’ll have orange juice.”
“Okaay.”
Ajisai-san left me alone to prepare the drinks, and since I didn’t have anything else to do, I looked around the room.
This really was Ajisai-san’s house….. This was the house where Ajisai-san was born, where she grew up……(4th time)
A huge television, a comfortable sofa, a long, wooden table. There were children's clothes, paper, stationary, and toys in the corner. This house really felt like a household with small children.
While still scanning around the room, deep down I also searched for the proof of Ajisai-san’s growth inside this house. The marks on the wall, could it be that they were something that Ajisai-san did back then? Ah, I found Ajisai-san’s textbook on the table! So this place really was where Ajisai-san lives! (5th time)
I was really becoming gross. That was when Ajisai-san reentered the room.
“Here it is.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Ajisai-san sat beside me and turned on the TV screen.
“Hey, let’s play that game from last time!”
“O-okay, of course I’m down for it.”
“Ehehe, yay. Ah, but I might also want to chat for a bit before that.”
Ajisai-san flashed a smile while holding the controller in her hands, turning on the game.
“I-I’m okay with doing both.”
She looked so familiar with the controller, it made me realize that this was also part of her daily life...somehow the whole thing made me feel tingly. (6th time)
Ajisai-san really gamed...well, we had already gamed together before though.
“Hey Rena-chan, what were you doing recently?”
“Eh? R-recently. Err, err, let’s see.”
It’s here! Idle chat time!
Right now, my brain was in the middle of an important mission, which was “preserving my sanity since I was inside Ajisai-san’s house”. That alone had probably already used up almost all of my brain’s capacity….
Recently, recently…….
Honestly the only significant thing I did lately was attending Mai’s fashion show, but I’d been the only one invited… Ajisai-san had no idea about my relationship with Mai, and I had a hunch that if I told her, things would become bothersome.
Which meant, I had zero chatting material for now.
“Well, studying and gaming? Enjoying the air conditioner all day while rolling around in my room…”
This was bad….I no longer had any other things to say….
“Sounds great. How’s your summer homework?”
“I think I finished around half of it...I was mainly troubled by math and couldn’t make any progress at all.”
“Aah, me too. The problems were very hard to solve, right? Ah, how about that one question on the first page about the graph―”
“Aaah, yeah that one, it was very troublesome! Also, the problem after that―”
If I left everything to Ajisai-san, it would be like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert!
To think that words were coming out of my mouth smoothly like this…
It’d been a while since this sensation...for me who was bad at conversation, if I kept conversing smoothly like this, I might misunderstand that I’m actually a genius at talking with others.
As expected of Ajisai-san…
When I looked to my side, a defenseless upper arm was entering my field of vision.
Ajisai-san’s bare upper arm looked sweeter and softer than any desserts I’d ever seen… I became flustered and hurriedly averted my gaze. This house was very dangerous! Someone help me!
Before I could reach my limit and blurt out “As if I could stay inside this house! I’m going home!”, Ajisai-san started the next topic.
“Rena-chan, have you thought about working part time?”
“Eeh? Nope, not happening.”
“Really?”
No, well...if she tilted her head like that at a perfect angle...it only made her look extremely, absolutely cute, you know…
I answered her in mumble, “A part-time job is...something like working in a karaoke, or family restaurants, right…? Working in places like that means I’ll need to talk with a lot of strangers, right...that is definitely impossible for me…”
“Eeeh? I don’t think so. If it’s you, you can do it, Rena-chan.”
I definitely couldn’t!
Ajisai-san had no idea how my true personality was after all. That was why she could say something like that…
Well, the one who was so obstinate to hide it was me though! Ahahahahaha! This human garbage!
No, but if we thought about this from a different perspective, the thing was, I’m very good at this right, being a person with a bright personality?
Even Ajisai-san hadn’t yet figured out my true personality. This enough was proof, right?
I regained a little bit of my confidence. “This jerk just admitted that she’d deceived another person though!” was what my outer (or inner?) voice was saying, which we can ignore.
“Aah, but Rena-chan is bad with boys, right?”
“Y-yeah, well, I think so…”
If I had to choose, of course the answer was I couldn’t really deal with boys, or should I say proper men? It was like a feeling where I felt sorry since I had entered their field of vision, that kind of thing.
That was why I was alright with little boys, or a fellow who was okay with punching women. Huh, ‘alright’? No, those people were scary...I didn’t want to have anything to do with them…
Seeing my gloomy face, Ajisai-san became worried.
Ah, no, if I allowed this, it could lead into some huge problem (in addition, Ajisai-san already saw me pass out in front of those boys last time), so I quickly tried to straighten things out.
“Ah, it’s not like I had some trauma…err, it was just that during elementary and middle school I didn't really have the chance to mingle with boys, so I have no idea how to talk to them.”
Right, that kind of thing. I nodded at my own words.
“Like, men are...men, right? They are kinda...rough, and huge, and they don’t have periods…they are basically a different kind of living thing...”
For me who couldn't even hold a proper conversation with females, the same living thing as I, what about a conversation with a different living thing? Of course I couldn’t.
“Eeeh, is it? But Rena-chan, sometimes boys talk to you, right?”
“Well, if it’s Pepper-kun from the phone store…”
“What do you mean by that?!”
(TL Note: Pepper-kun is a semi-humanoid robot manufactured by the Softbank company)
I wanted to answer with something like, since there are boys in our school, I could manage to respond at least at the bare minimum, but what came out of my mouth was something bizarre.
“But usually, they only talk to me whenever I’m together with Kaho-chan or Oozuka-san. Also, when I’m with you...”
Boys set their eyes basically on these three members from our group. Satsuki-san was more comfortable when she wasn’t talking with anyone after all. Huh? Wait, are you really a normie, Satsuki-san?
Before she sensed something unusual, I decided to change the direction a bit.
“Eer, what do you usually talk about with boys, Ajisai-san?”
“Eeh? Normal stuff. Like videos, or friends.”
“As expected from Ajisai-san...someone who can have a mutual understanding with boys...proficient in the male language…”
“What is the male language?!”
I’d never taken a male language class in my whole life after all…
“Anyways, that’s the case, so it’s not like I have any special reason to talk to boys. Considering our group, I’m now interacting with boys more than before so I think I can gradually get used to it. Gradually, that is.”
“So that’s the case. If you’re able to get along with boys, I’m sure that you would become popular!”
“That won’t happen.”
“Eh, really?”
“If I became popular, I’m sure I’ll be the backup plan.”
“Backup plan?!”
Right. For the boys who failed at their confession to one of the four other members of Mai’s group, they would probably come to me and confess, to attain “My girlfriend is someone from Mai’s group! (Awesome!)” status.
Since that was the case, I was perfectly sure that I would become popular in no time...fufufu. Even in an online wiki, my character would be written as “Amaori Renako, just a commoner member in the group, but the reward was great. Recommended.” Looking down on me like that, damn it, damn it…
In contrast to my dark laughter, Ajisai-san appeared cheerful and changed the topic again.
“Actually, I’m thinking of working part-time!”
“Eh?! Ajisai-san is?!”
“Is it really something unexpected? Working sounds fun, right?”
Let’s consider it.
It probably wasn’t so unexpected….no, it definitely wasn’t something unexpected after all. Ajisai-san who worked in some kind of stylish bakery, or became the cake shop’s ambassador, these roles would suit her so much.
Ah, a florist job might also suit her. On a certain street corner, Ajisai-san preparing to open her shop every morning, while high-schoolers and salarymen took detours for the sake of seeing her.
Ajisai-san, scattering happiness every morning by greeting each passerby, “Good morning.” From a certain town where you could see the sea from a hill. That town surely would have the highest happiness index in the galaxy.
“Ah, it would be nice...Ajisai-san in a part-time job, what a great idea.”
“If we’re talking about jobs, I kinda admire something like the shop assistant lady.”
“Th-that’s!”
Time out!
“Shop assistant is...those people who proactively talk to you saying something like, ‘Aah, I also have the same clothes!’ and keep bothering you whenever you’re looking around the shop. Those people, right…?”
“It’s not like that’s the reason they talk to you though?! It’s more like, they are showing their customer service skills by asking what’s troubling you, right?”
No, nope definitely no...
You can’t do something like that, Ajisai-san. If you approached people with that smile and that exquisite fragrance, they would definitely fall in love with you… Those people who fell in love with her would then visit the store almost everyday, and spend a lot of money for that. But Ajisai-san who wouldn’t notice their intention would keep treating everyone with kindness since they were just a bunch of ordinary peasants, and with that, she would climb the ladder to become the most charismatic shop assistant.
It was pretty dangerous, no matter how you looked at it. I bet those people were a bunch of social recluse losers. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to comprehend what was inside their minds. What if they became Ajisai-san’s stalker, and chased after her?! It’s because you’re being so kind to me! The one who's wrong here is you since you made me misinterpret your actions! This, this woman!
“I-is there any other choice?! Anything else!”
“Hmm, let’s see. Something like a staff at a bar? It looks like a lively place so it might be fun to work there.”
“You definitely can’t!!!!”
“Eh?!”
I stared strongly into Ajisai-san’s eyes, and objected loudly.
“A bar is the place where drunkards gather, and you would have to get involved with those people! You might get chased by a flashy, casanova university student, you know?! You can’t do something dangerous like that!”
“Ee, eehhh~….?”
“If it’s Ajisai-san, working in some kind of line factory is the best choice… You put on a hair cap and a mask after all, and you don’t have to talk to anyone for a whole day, just insert your time card. During lunch breaks, you can eat your meals in the empty dining hall…”
“That’s lonely though?!”
But that was for your own sake…
“H-hey, Ajisai-san, if you really want to do a part time job, the Queen Doughnut store in front of Kawasen Station might be the best choice. It would be safe if you work there, since...”
“Since?”
I shut my mouth at once.
Since that was the place where Satsuki-san worked, so Satsuki-san could become your bodyguard...is what I wanted to say, when suddenly Satsuki-san appeared in my head and called my name, “Amaori?” with a huge smile, her hand grabbing my neck for some reason.
I averted my gaze and answered, “Since, you know...there’s a rumour that female employees would be provided with a small gun…”
“An urban legend like that exists?!”
That was true. Since there was a female employee there who had a murderous aura comparable to a handgun…
Hearing my far-fetched joke, Ajisai-san laughed and then let out a small sigh.
“Even though I said that, of course I don’t have any time to work part-time.”
“Y-you don’t?”
“Yeah. It’s summer break after all. Since my mother had to work, I need to take care of my brothers in her place. Something like working, of course I can’t do that.”
“Is that so…”
“Both my parents are busy working so it can’t be helped. It has always been that way since a long time ago.”
Should I say something like, “you must have it rough,” or not?
Could I really sympathize with her problem that easily? While I was still pondering over what to say, Ajisai-san moved off the topic in the end.
“Ah, sorry, I ended up saying something strange. Let’s play the game now, the game.”
“R-right.”
It made me nervous when I heard others' household circumstances. My family was basically on good terms. My little sister was annoying, but I’m sure that she’s still in the okay category.
Hearing stuff like this and that from someone with normal circumstances like mine might make things complicated.
Since stuff like family is something that we should deal with by ourselves….. In the end, the only one who could take action was someone who grew up in that environment and understood the situation after all…
...so Ajisai-san had that kind of issue.
Now, the main problem was whether I was being too defensive when facing this situation after all? No, I get it. It was just, could you give me a sign for this before I entered this kind of situation so I could prepare myself?! Or at least give me a cue card or something!
When I casually took a huge damage on my own, something entered my sight.
….ooh?
“Eeh? Kii-kun, what’s wrong?”
It was Ajisai-san’s little brother! H-how small!
His hair looked fluffy, and he emitted an aura like a small animal. How adorable. I wondered if he’d just entered elementary school. His face looked so innocent, he grabbed my heart in seconds. Even though this was our first meeting, why…?
Ha…! This kid, he was an exact copy of Ajisai-san! His hair, and also his eyes, were just like Ajisai-san’s!
I silently swore that I would protect him and shower him with love for the rest of my life! Renako Big Sis would definitely protect you….
The little brother was clinging onto Ajisai-san’s legs.
Ah, how dare he mindlessly touch Ajisai-san like that…! S-stop it! That was too much! Even though I’d never touched her legs before!
Th-this brat, unforgivable! You really are full of yourself since you pulled Ajisai-san’s little brother's reincarnation gacha, eh?! Should I make you my little brother, huh?!
When I almost got really serious with a little kid...another one appeared. This time it was a boy one size larger than the previous.
Waa, waah, how adorable!
So these two were Ajisai-san’s little brothers…
“You too, Kou-kun? You want to join us? Geez, alright then. But first, greet this big sis properly, okay? Can you do it?”
The little boys hid behind Ajisai Big Sister, seeming bashful while saying their greetings. The older one was a third-grader named Kouki-san. His little brother was a first-grader, Kippei-san.
These guys shared the same DNA with Ajisai-san ever since they were born, which meant they were also superior living beings on the same level as her. I did my best from prostrating in front of them. While my imaginary peasant identities were having a violent fight inside my mind, Ajisai-san was talking to her little brothers.
“That’s right, she’s the big sis I told you about before, the big sis who’s good at games. If you want to play with her, don’t be selfish and trouble her, okay? Can you do it? Promise? Remember that Renako big sis came here to play with Big Sister, okay?”
Ajisai-san made them promise her and they nodded their heads. While still glued to Ajisai-san, they picked up the controllers.
“I’m sorry, Rena-chan. Can you play along with them for a bit?”
“Yup, of course I don’t mind. We’d already talked about this before after all.”
Yeah, this was my chance to show Ajisai-san my good side.
We were playing a team-play TPS, third-person shooting game. It didn’t have an age restriction, and it was a game that could be played by both adults and children. A safe one.
At first, I was worried whether the boys could grasp the rules or not...but then I remember that I’d totally played a lot when I was still a first-grader.
But of course, compared to that time, my skills had improved greatly.
Now, let’s do this…let's show them the skills of a serious adult!
After a while—
“Whoaaa! You’re so amazing, big sis!”
“Ah, hey! Kippei, it’s my turn next!”
“Eeh?! Hey, hurry and change with me!”
“The stage from before! Let’s do the stage from before!”
Just like what Ajisai-san said, I was totally popular among the boys.
For being so good at games, who’d ever think that I would end up like this...this moment might be the first time in my life where I was popular...
Wait, it wasn’t my first time. Mai and Satsuki-san were fighting over me last time. Huh, wait, that one was a bit different, I think?
Anyway, both Kouki-san and Kippei-san were really excited right now, so much that their shyness from earlier felt unreal.
Was it okay like this, considering I was doing nothing but gaming? Just playing a game like this?
“I’m sorry, Rena-chan. You ended up accompanying these two.”
“No, don’t mind it, really. It’s fun after all, so you don’t have to worry!”
I wasn’t being fake polite since playing games with others like this was a huge event for me. It had nothing to do with whether the opponents were kids or weaklings since I still enjoyed it. But I think it was hard for Ajisai-san, who lived her life surrounded by people, to understand things like this…
“You can stop whenever you want, okay? And then we can go to my room after.”
“Ah, okay….. Huuh?!”
Ajisai-san’s room…? Could it be, that kind of room, a place where Ajisai-san slept everyday….?! (the late 7th time)
So it meant she was inviting me to that place...huh, was this real? It was like...it was like we were friends!
My heart beat faster in an instant. Almost impatient, I focused my gaze on the screen before me.
However, when should I put an end to this? I had no clue.
“Hey, Kou-kun, Kii-kun, we’re heading to my room, so do it in moderation, okay?”
“Eeeh, just a bit more!”
“Rena-chan, today I baked a cheesecake, do you want to eat some?”
“Ah, p-please! After we finish this match!”
“Hey, it’s time for you guys to do your summer homework!”
“I already did mine in the morning!”
“Me! It’s my turn next! Kippei―!”
I was carried away with the mood and we kept playing, until—
Ajisai-san lost her cool.
“GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!!!!!!”
Eh?
At that moment, I felt like the world had stopped.
Everything froze. I couldn’t even breathe.
The voice just now...was that Ajisai-san…?
The next thing was the fight inside me. I definitely didn’t want to see something horrifying but at the same time, I should be reacting with something. So I meekly craned my neck.
When I looked in her direction, Ajisai-san was shaking her fist up and down and her entire face was red.
So the yell earlier r-really came from Ajisai-san…!
My heart thudded rapidly. It was my first time seeing Ajisai-san letting out a loud voice other than during music class. Since there was no one in class who dared to not listen to her…
The pouting big sister grabbed Kouki-san and Kippei-san’s heads like clutching two watermelons.
“Geez! It’s only Kou-kun and Kii-kun since earlier! Even though I also looked forward to today, why won’t you two fulfill your promise! You guys promised that it was only until three, right?! You promised me to not do this for too long, right?! Geez!!”
I was stunned. It felt like seeing your teacher suddenly snapping in the middle of a quiet class.
Kouki-san and Kippei-san were…
Ah, they kept playing! They totally looked like they were used to this situation and not listening to her at all?!
Eeh, what was this? Before, Ajisai-san did say something like this...that she was a big sister who often got angry easily. Eh, that wasn’t only an urban legend? It was totally an everyday thing?
“You two, are you listening to me?! Big sister is angry, you know?! Geez!”
Ajisai-san kept grumbling and lost her patience. She snatched the controllers from their hands. Her little brothers did not back down easily and fought back while wailing.
It was another household’s sibling fight…
Hawa, hawawawa…
Seeing the situation unfold in front of me, my mind was already overloaded and I couldn’t think of anything.
As I was still frozen stiff, not knowing what to do, Ajisai-san put her brothers back in their room.
“Geez…...geez……!”
What was left was Ajisai-san’s rough breathing and her disheveled hair.
I could only see her back. I couldn’t see what kind of face she had on right now.
Ee, errr…..
I was struck with such nervousness I thought she would totally get angry if I let out any sound right now.
If by any chance I received her anger, even just one percent of it, it would be like a little lamb who disobeyed God. It would be the end of me.
Cold sweat flowing down my body, I did a seiza obediently on the sofa.
“....Rena-chan.”
My body was trembling.
“Y-yes…”
I no longer cared about who was the wrong one in this situation. The most important thing was how to free myself from this awkward mood. For now, let’s wait for the right timing to do a dogeza.
Slowly, Ajisai-san covered her face with both palms.
Her ears that were slightly showing looked red.
“.....I’m sorry for showing you things like that……”
Uuhhhh…. What should I do now?
“Eeeh, what were you talking about?” “Actually I hadn’t paid attention since I was playing a game! Ehe!”
Saying that while sticking out my tongue was an option, but considering my current stats, there were some other options that I couldn’t choose no matter what.
“Y-yeah...i-it’s okay…”
Not even some gag to melt the situation, I just nodded my head.
After that, Ajisai-san’s voice was becoming smaller than usual.
“How embarrassing…………………….”
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh………………
Ajisai-san was embarrassed…!!
“D-don’t mind it, really!”
I couldn’t let this keep going! Ajisai-san who got embarrassed was totally adorable though. But if I let her heart be wounded like this, I also felt pain in my own heart!
I resolved myself to ignore any shame I would put myself into and tried to support her.
“Hey, uh, I also like that! I fought a lot with my little sister! We totally cursed and insulted each other! Being siblings is like being in a love-hate relationship, right?! So I’m sure that you’re also the same! Right? Right?”
“.............uuu…………….”
“Of course people have different faces between home and school, right?! Even I act differently when I’m at school and home, like, totally different! (just stating the truth). Honestly that was a bit surprising but that was totally okay, so….uh, that’s why, uh, err, it’s okay! Totally okay!”
But…
No matter how many times I tried to encourage her, Ajisai-san’s sparkle didn’t come back until my time in her house was up.
In fact, the harder I tried to encourage her, the worse her condition became.
It was a vicious cycle….!
“H-how delicious! This cake is very delicious! This tastes crazy good, right, Ajisai-san, right?!!”
“Yeah…….”
In this situation, I couldn’t really fully taste Ajisai-san’s specialty cheesecake. What a waste, even death sounded better……
***
“I’m home………………”
“Welcome back.”
Right after I returned, I collapsed onto the sofa like a corpse.
Uuh, how tiring…..
Who’d ever think that cheering up people could be so difficult and take up almost all of my energy? It was like completing a blood transfusion to an injured person, I no longer had any blood left in my body.
“What’s wrong?”
My little sister asked me, sitting in the dining room, playing her phone as I groaned like a zombie.
“Didn't you visit Ajisai-senpai’s house?”
“I did, but…..”
My arms and legs still lazily stretched out on the sofa, I only shifted my face to look at her.
“The truth is―”
At first, I kinda felt lost on whether to tell her or not, but in the end, I spilled everything to her. It was easy for me to speak to her, and she was also good at listening to others…
“Funfun.”
As I was in the middle of playing with Ajisai-san, her little brothers joined us and refused to stop playing, and she ended up getting angry. After that, Ajisai-san’s mood took an extreme turn and the situation didn’t improve at all.
While still clutching her phone, my little sister grinned like she’d already figured out the reason.
“I see. It seemed like Ajisai-senpai was really looking forward to spending her time with you.”
“......huh?”
Listening to her unexpected answer, it made me wonder if she totally didn’t listen to my story.
My little sister easily overcame my thoughts.
“Because, the reason she was mad was because her little brothers were interrupting her time with you, right?”
“Eeeh….?”
No, that was...huh?
“It wasn’t something like she exploded since she kept holding back her annoyance towards her little brothers?”
“Did she look like someone like that to you?”
That was true!
“Th-then...it was something like, since Ajisai-san was kind, she didn’t want to inconvenience her guest or something and then she felt bad?”
“Well, that's also possible.”
Seeing my little sister easily accepting my reason, a cold wind blew inside my heart.
When I realized that deep down, I wanted my little sister to gently answer me with, “That’s not true, since Ajisai-senpai really regards you as her special person♡”, it was the moment I felt huge despair in my heart. Let’s just die.
“But well, I think it’s true that she was getting a bit strained. Ajisai-senpai had been looking after her little brothers since the start of summer break after all.”
“That really is the problem, huh…”
…..hm? Why would this little sister know about that….? Even though today was my first time knowing that…. Could it be that they...got in touch?
“It would be totally impossible for me if I was told to look after my big sister all the time like that.”
“The roles are totally reversed though?!”
My little sister shrugged like she deemed me hopeless. What an impudent face. She was totally different from Ajisai-san’s cute brothers. I wanted to exchange her with them.
No…….well, those boys also looked like a lot of work.
Laying my face down onto the couch, I muttered, “Can’t go anywhere during summer break, huh…”
I wondered how it felt. I tried to imagine her feelings, but couldn’t seem to.
I was a shut-in in the first place. That kind of situation wasn’t something uncomfortable for me…
Aah, but it would be extremely hard for me if I had to spend my entire day with my little sister. What if I couldn’t have time alone by myself…? I would dry up.
I took my phone from my bag and scrolled through it randomly.
At a glance, it looked like I was wasting my time, but the truth was I could recover my MP while playing with my phone like this… Smartphones were the modern-day MP-recovery potion.
That was when Ajisai-san’s name suddenly flashed on the screen.
…….huh?
Ha….! Eh? T-this was…?!
A call!
I hurriedly leapt up, nearly running out of the living room to answer her call.
“Hello...Rena-chan?”
Ajisai-san’s sweet voice.
“Ah, yes, it’s me, Amaori Renako.”
“Um...I’m sorry for earlier.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Her voice when she was apologizing sounded calm, and it didn’t sound like she was dejected.
She might have already made up with her little brothers after I went home. That was great. I was glad.
“No, don’t mind it.”
I really didn’t feel bothered at all. That was the truth.
“Even though you went out of your way to visit our house, I showed you something unsightly like that…”
“Th-that’s not true. I got to see another side of you. Somehow, it was, like, quite refreshing, so I enjoyed it!”
“I’m really sorry.”
Hearing her apologizing over and over, I felt a twinge in my heart.
Ajisai-san’s voice really showed her emotion. I could sense that she was crestfallen just like how easy it was to understand when she was delighted.
“You really don’t have to…”
Since I was always troubling you in our everyday lives.
If only I could make you understand how your existence was salvation for me. I would even sacrifice one or two arms just for her sake, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Well, if I told her that, I was sure that it would only bother her more, so I wouldn’t say that to her… She had no use of my arms after all…
Nonetheless, hearing her depressed voice born from guilt towards this lowly me gave me unbearable pain in my chest. That was why I did my best to answer her in a cheerful tone.
“That’s why, yup, you don’t have to mind it! Let’s hang out again next time!”
“Yeah…”
Guuh, so this response was also a failure…
Could it be that she was thinking the same thing could happen for the second time…? What could I do to ease up Ajisai-san’s wounded heart…? What were the other things I was capable of…?
Just before I opened my mouth and said, “Ajisai-san, I’ll give you ten thousand yen!”, Ajisai-san spoke up again.
“That’s right, I’ve decided…”
Oo…? The air had changed.
She didn’t need my ten thousand yen. She was strong enough to stand up again on her own two feet by her own power. As expected from our Ajisai-san.
Feeling the improvement, I jumped ahead of myself.
“Eh, what is it, what is it?”
“Umm, you see.”
Ajisai-san sounded like she was telling me her most important, top secret plan.
With an adorable voice, she whispered,
“I’ve decided, that I’m going to run away from home.”
Hee……..
Run away, eh….
……………..huh?!
W-wait, wait a min―eeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!?!?!
***
Ajisai-san planned to depart tomorrow on the first train.
And it seemed that she was serious.
I had no idea what I could say to her. At that moment, I’d thoughtlessly responded with, “You’ll make everyone worried……” and she lightheartedly replied, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
She really was determined to do this.
“Don’t worry, it will be okay. It’s not like I’m doing this out of desperation, okay?”
Hearing her nonchalant voice, I couldn’t say anything other than inaudible mumblings.
That night, I couldn’t sleep at all and just rolled around in my bed.
Ajisai-san…
She’d said that she wasn’t doing it out of desperation...but still, I wondered if it was out of her stubbornness…
For Ajisai-san who always considered things carefully, her behavior just now was far from her usual self. Little Sister had already said this before, but was it really the results of her accumulated stress…?
Uuh.
Would things have gotten better if I had said something back then?
Things like, you would trouble your family, or I’m sure your little brothers already reflected a lot…
If I’d said those clever-sounding stuff, and by any chance triggered Ajisai-san’s guilt, would she have stopped herself from doing this…(let’s put aside the question whether I could manage to do it for real or not)
Ajisai-san was very kind. She was someone who put others above herself.
...but, if I’d said that, it would’ve restrained herself again, and she would’ve made that disheartened face. Sounding lonely, she would probably have said, “You’re right...it’s just like what you said. I lost my cool for a bit back then” with a weak smile.
When I imagined that scene, my chest instantly felt pain. Ugh I probably would’ve died if I’d seen that for real…
If she properly had a talk with her family, gave up her initial plan, and the same thing happened again, I was sure Ajisai-san would just endure it.
Since she prioritized others’ happiness rather than her own happiness…
Uuuuhh.
I kept scratching my head while twisting and turning in my bed.
If it was to blow some fuse, why didn’t you pick karaoke, or the batting center! Why would you choose to run away from home? Ajisai-san!
That would be dangerous!
Ajisai-san travelling alone, that was definitely risky! Wherever her destination was, she would be hit on by random guys! She would have an adventurous summer by herself!
If she met a guy who spouted some kind words and became charmed by him, then fell in love, she would come home looking more mature than before…
No, nope, that one was still tolerable.
What if the one who talked to her was some kind of trash? Or maybe someone like a wicked woman who loved to play with a maiden’s heart, someone who would then mercilessly dump Ajisai-san?!
Wicked Woman: Hey girl, are you alone? Eh, running away? That must be rough. Wanna come over? It’ll be okay. I won’t do anything, so you don’t have to worry♡.
Ajisai: Eeh, is it really okay? Yaay, thank you♪.
I won’t let that happen!!!!
Ajisai-san who was kind and had no sense of wariness would get eaten!
Once the summer break was over, she would come to school looking like a ganguro gyaru, with her uniform buttons unbuttoned, showing her cleavage and greeting us, “Wakey, wakey ♪” in a liberating tone.
And when the school day was done, the lively gyaru Ajisai-san would say something like, “Ah sorry~♪ I have a date with my third girlfriend after this~♪” and I would only be able to look at her back retreating further away.
This was the end…
Even though we’d finally become friends...she would end up being corrupted by some bad pests and become the fallen angel…
After that, Ajisai-san would drop out of school, and we wouldn’t be able to meet and we would never hang out together again…
I definitely didn’t want that!
I didn’t have the confidence to spend my high school days without Ajisai-san! Since Mai and Kaho-chan were often together with other groups anyway! I didn’t have anyone to talk to! Who? Satsuki-san?! Satsuki-san never even speaks a word!
I felt like my head was going to explode. I cocooned myself inside my blanket.
No, I didn’t want that. Don’t go, Ajisai-san...don’t abandon me…
Please be with me forever…
Forever by my side, being the Ajisai-san who always talks to me whenever I look lonely since I didn’t have anyone to talk with…
Uuh, sob, sob…
I spent that night almost without any sleep―
―and then, the next day came.
***
“Eh?”
It was the early morning, early enough that the cicadas haven’t even started crying yet.
The summer wind felt lukewarm under the white sky, without anyone’s presence.
In that setting, Ajisai-san had just arrived at the station, a bag on her back. She widened her eyes.
“Rena-chan?”
Surprise, it’s me.
“H-heya, Ajisai-san.”
Flashing a worn-out smile, I waved my hand lightly.
“Rena-chan, why are you here…?”
I had hurriedly packed my clothes and other stuff inside a bag and carried it on my shoulder. We looked just like friends who were meeting at the prearranged meetup point before traveling together.
Well, I was doing this one-sidedly though…
“No, you see, somehow I suddenly had an urge to travel somewhere…”
Since she had planned to board the first train, I had no other choice but to leave my house one hour early and walk towards this station.
“But then I got a bit anxious when I thought I would be going alone! So I had an idea, what if I just tagged along with you…!”
Aha, ahahaha, I let out a dry laugh.
Ajisai-san didn’t move even an inch, her gaze still fixated on me.
...w-was this really pushing it after all?
“Rena-chan.”
Uh, I didn’t want to hear this.
I had intended to not be a burden to Ajisai-san, and ended up in this awkward situation…
...but, at least, I had also hardened my resolve to do this properly and came here.
Both good and bad things. I had thought to just leave everything in this town.
Since Ajisai-san had said that she wanted to run away, what I could do was to let her do whatever she wanted to do. Ajisai-san was someone who always treated people around her kindly and helped whoever needed her help after all.
I couldn't bring myself to say something logical like, “If you’re suddenly gone, you would trouble your family” to that kind of Ajisai-san.
Ajisai-san wasn’t someone who wished for benevolence from her good deeds, but the world that didn’t treat Ajisai-san the way she treated others had no worth in my eyes.
That was why!
I would let Ajisai-san do whatever she wanted! I would make sure that Ajisai-san wouldn’t wind up in trouble, that I would be by her side to protect her!
It was settled then!
No, well, half of it came from my own desire, that I didn’t want her to leave me!
...and that was how it went, but—
Ajisai-san looked down and hadn’t said anything since earlier.
If she answered with, “No, you’re a nuisance, go home ♪ I’m looking forward to my own adventurous summer on my own after all ♪” I would totally lose my mind.
I timidly peeked at her reaction.
Ajisai-san who had her backpack on her shoulders―
―with a face that looked like she was sorry, held my hands.
“I’m sorry, Rena-chan...for making you worried like this. But, are you really okay with this…?”
If she was staring from a lower angle like this, I was sure that no one in this world could resist her charm, that it would make anyone dizzy.
Ajisai-san was wishing for me to stay with her―
My cheeks felt hot in an instant.
“O-of course! I have nothing to do anyway! Rather than sitting idly in my home, I’d rather have a trip together with you since it would definitely be fun―”
Before I managed to finish my words, she pulled me into a tight hug.
Ajisai-san is! Hugging me!
U, uwaaahhh….
My breath stopped. My heart raced, and my vision flickered.
In my ear, Ajisai-san whispered, “Thank you, Rena-chan.”
“Y-yes…..”
―and with this, together with Ajisai-san, we boarded the first train, and departed towards an unknown town.
Two high-school girls headed towards their adventurous summer together.
I had taken out my savings, but judging by the budget, it was only enough for three days and two nights...could I really protect her during this time…
No, it wasn’t about whether I could or couldn’t. I would definitely protect her even if my life was on the line!
…….uuh, I felt uneasy about the whole thing after all!
Sena Ajisai’s Story (3) - Things I’ve Always Wanted to Tell You
This story is something that will happen later, a story from the future.
It was on the train, when we returned to Tokyo from our trip.
Ajisai smiled when she looked at Renako who sat next to her, nodding off.
(This runaway trip had been pretty fun…)
And that was thanks to Renako, since she had really stayed next to her.
Playing table tennis, taking a dip in the hot spring together.
Renako had listened to everything Ajisai wanted to say, whether it was about what troubled her, or that gloomy feeling inside her chest. That time when she called her family, she was able to become honest with herself...
She was pretty surprised when Mai joined their trip midway, but that was also exciting. The three of them had walked along an unfamiliar beach, and it had felt like they went to an unfamiliar country.
She was sure that she would be okay.
(I’m really grateful for everything, Rena-chan.)
She stroked Renako’s smooth hair, which felt nice to touch.
No matter how many times she expressed her gratitude, it felt like it wasn't enough.
She promised to herself that she would definitely repay her no matter through what form.
Renako, fast asleep, leaned her head onto Ajisai’s shoulder.
Feeling the sensation, Ajisai’s body tensed up, and she moved her hand over to Renako’s hand.
Midway, she stopped.
She gazed at the window, at the passing scenery outside.
(From now on and forever, both of us...will stay as friends.)
My precious friend.
Your happiness is also my happiness.
―she was sure that these feelings would never change. She didn’t want these feelings to ever change.
She moved her lips in a silent murmur. Ajisai once again closed her eyes.
The train they had boarded was moving quickly towards their destination.
Bringing a lot of memories, it returned the two girls back to their hometown.
*****
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