[TN – yes, that was the literal translation of the title. I will see if it’s a metaphor to something in this chapter and will change it, until then I am leaving it as it is.]
[I’m sorry but I can’t go out with you.]
I was called to the park after school.
When I told her so, Sudo Itsuka’s face twisted into a pained expression.
[Why……? I love you so much…]
[I have another important person I like… .I hope you give up on me….]
[So cruel…]
“No, no.” Sudo said, shaking her head sideways.
However, the color of sadness on her face was quickly filled with anger, and she said,
[Will not forgive. I will definitely not forgive you. I will definitely make you regret rejecting me!]
While saying that—–she pointed at me.
[You… Yano kun… you twit!]
[…You know]
The one who raised his voice was Shuji, who had been watching this exchange with a wry smile.
[How long will you continue that little charade? Can we get down to the main point now?]
[Ahahaha–, that’s right–!]
Sudo smiled as if the upset look on her face up till now was a lie.
[I mean, Yano, why did you suddenly start doing a confession situation? Perhaps, do you really like me after all?]
[Of course not! Or rather, I thought you were going to confess to me since you suddenly called me and told me to come to the park.]
[Hah? Why do I have to confess to Yano?]
saying that Sudo inflates her cheeks , but her face look anything but dissatisfied.
Sudo, a positive person at heart who likes fun and interesting things, couldn’t help but play along in the conversation as usual.
Of course, she must be aware of how the people around her see her for who she is, and what kind of position that they expect her to take.
But more than that, Sudo is a cheerful person to the core.
She wants not only herself, but also the people around her to always have a smile on their face. I’m sure she seriously thinks that.
That’s why when I talk with her, I have to raise my spirits to go even higher than when I usually talk with others, that’s my way of making myself up for it.
…I wish I didn’t have to actually do that though.
If I could convey my feelings without making them up, I’m sure that we both could become even more important friends than we are currently..
But, I’m not confident that she’ll accept me for the low tension type of person I am.
I played the part of me that Sudo would want me to play… I feel disgusted with myself for doing such a thing again.
[Look, you’re off topic again. Don’t veer out of the main point of this conversation!]
[Ah, that’s right.]
Shuji pointed out, and then we moved to a nearby swing set.
Compared to Sudo, Shuji seems to be much more aware of his ‘character’.
He always seems to take a step back during group conversations, and he often makes comments that encourage the flow of the conversation but doesn’t actually hurt anyone either.
This is probably because Shuji is aware of not only the surface of the conversation, but also subtleties behind each person thoughts, as well as their true intentions that they’re hiding.
That’s why, whenever I talk with him, I sometimes feel anxious thinking that he knows my true intentions and that he could see through my acting.
Sudo stood on the swing, and Shuji and I sat in the enclosure around it. In the evening, there are few people in the park, despite its large size.
There were quite a few elementary school kids playing on their DS, and a young woman with her child standing around, talking to someone. Somewhere in the distance, the siren of a fire truck wailed, and from a nearby house, I could hear the ending theme of a TV show playing.
[…So, what is it?]
[Hmm, the thing is…..]
Then Sudo fluttered her short skirt and clammed up,
[…Yano has been hanging out with Akiha a lot recently, aren’t you?]
[Well, I guess so.]
[I’ve seen them together at school and sometimes after school as well…]
———It’s been a little over a week since the day I visited the Mizuse house.
I continued to stay close to Haruka as much as possible to follow up with her.
Just as Sudo had said, I was at her side all the time whenever she was at school, and sometimes we even had our review meetings in the club room after school.
Thanks to this, I think she’s been making fewer and fewer mistakes lately.
In addition, she’s no longer just on the receiving end of the conversations anymore.
[———–Shuji-kun listens to old rock music, don’t you? I am not that into it, so I hope you can give me some recommendations.]
[About recent movies, I think I like ‘All around us’ the most. I have a DVD at home, if you like it I can lend it to you.]
In this way, she was beginning to be able to propose something to the people around her.
T/N : From now on update will be on every Friday if the week.