Chapter 4 – The Girl Who Doesn’t Speak and Clichéd Developments (Final Part)
(...There's no one here. Maybe Kaburagi-kun knows that I don't like crowds, so he chose this way? Kaburagi-kun, you're so kind. He can do anything)
Kurusu thought about this as she looked around on the way to the station.
I myself chose this way because it was empty
and not too noisy.
But Kurusu seemed to think that I did it out of concern for her.
I felt a little guilty that I was being praised for something I hadn't intended to do.
Then I looked to the side to see Kurusu's face.
Hmm. Looks like she's okay now, right?
It took a while for her to recover from her embarrassment, but she was finally able to regain her usual expression.
(...I've never received such direct praise before... My face still feels hot. I'll make a strange expression when I see Kaburagi-kun)
Even though Kurusu was thinking that in her head, she still put on a cold expression as if to show that nothing was wrong. But deep down, she still felt embarrassed and couldn't look at me.
Normally, people would think that she hated them if they saw her face now, but that won't happen to me.
Actually, I thought it was funny when she tried so hard to hide it, and I got another attack on my heart in a different way.
The gap between her expressionless face and her heart is too big.
What the heck, this synergistic effect...
Well, because of this situation, the conversations between us became awkward.
"Kurusu, let's take a little detour. I don't like noisy places."
【No problem】 (I like this road because it makes me feel like I'm walking in the middle of the forest)
"Good."
The conversation felt smooth even though no words came out of her mouth.
Of course, that was partly due to my skill, but it was also a sign that Kurusu was getting used to it.
People who saw us in this situation must have thought that we were lovers.
It was as if we were lovers who walked the streets in the countryside and seemed to get along well.
Fortunately, today was not a school day, and there were no students passing by here for their club activities, so we wouldn't be seen by anyone.
There was no reason for anyone to pass this way, since it was in the opposite direction of the school and there were no public facilities of any kind.
If they did, it would be because they really liked it, or because, like me, they didn't like crowds and preferred quieter places.
Well, there might be a couple making out...but in that case they would probably pretend not to see us.
Not to interfere with each other and not to care about each other. We try to respect each other's time.
So if we run into them, we'll be safe──.
"Hey, Ritsu? What are you doing?"
The familiar voice startled me.
It was as if the voice was a sudden bolt of lightning.
This unexpected encounter... Kurusu did not understand what was going on, so she looked at me with a blank expression, as if she had been tricked by a fox.
Kirisaki removed the headphones from her ears as she approached.
"Kirisaki, why are you here..."
"Huh..."Why am I here...", I just came back from school. I can't concentrate on studying at home, so I'm trying to find a change of pace."
"Oh, I see. That's why you wear the uniform."
"Yes, yes. That's what I meant."
Kirisaki looked at Kurusu who was hiding behind me.
She had an annoying smile on her face and looked at me.
"I thought it was strange that you were not at school. Hmm. I see."
"Don't look at me like you know what you're talking about. I'm sure you're wrong."
"I don't seem to be wrong, do I? And I think you look familiar, so I'll give you a warm welcome."
(...She looks cool. Looks like she's a friend of Kaburagi's. Hehe, they look good together...)
Kurusu, please pay more attention to yourself.
You can think carefree, but doesn't Kirisaki's look look a little scary?
Her expression seems normal, but she's been pinching my waist for a while now, and she's playing with her cell phone like she's in a bad mood.
>(Kirisaki): I'll ask you just in case... Are you cheating on your girlfriend!?
Sure enough, I received such a message from Kirisaki on my cell phone.
>(Ritsu): For God's sake, I'm not cheating on her. I mean, you already know that from what happened lately, right?
When I answered her, she finally took her hand off my waist,
"Please don't be rude."
Kirisaki snorted after listening to me.
Then she looked at Kurusu who was standing behind me.
Her narrowed eyes moved up and down as if she was judging Kurusu, then she nodded her head.
"This is the first time we have met face to face. We may have crossed paths a few times, but I never really noticed you up close, and... well... you're so cute."
【Thank you】 (Thank God...she's willing to talk to me. What's her name? I often see her and Kaburagi-kun chatting, but it's rude of me to say that I don't know... What should I do?)
Kurusu thanked Kirisaki for the compliment.
I want to expand their conversation from here, but... it seems a bit difficult.
I think it would be safer for me to act as a bridge between them.
"Uh, Kirisaki. Why don't you introduce yourself? You've never talked to Kurusu before, right?"
"Oh yeah. Hmm... it's embarrassing to have to say my name again... But yes, my name is Suzune Kirisaki. Ritsu and I are classmates, for now."
Oi, what do you mean 'for now'?
I suppressed the protest that was about to come out of my mouth.
Because Kurusu would definitely feel left out if I threw a fit and we started joking around as usual.
So, let's just ignore those words for now.
I sighed and patted Kurusu's back to encourage her to continue talking.
Kurusu realized my intention and immediately wrote on her tablet.
【Kirisaki-san, I’m Rurina Kurusu】 (...I’ll introduce myself quickly and simply)
"Just call me Suzune. And also, I'm a little embarrassed if you call me with '-san'."
【Is that okay?】
"You can call me whatever you want. I'll call you Rurina too."
(She wants to call me by my first name, how nice)
"Huh? Rurina, why are you frozen like that...?"
"Don't worry. She's just touched to be called by her first name."
"Really? It seems like Ritsu knew exactly what she was thinking. Well, you're very sensitive about such things."
"Is that so?"
"Your arrogant face really irritates me, you know."
Kirisaki looked at me with an annoyed expression.
Her expression was still the same as usual, but in her heart, she was thinking, "I'm jealous of you. Even if she doesn't say it, you can understand it".
...Don't direct those feelings at me. I don't usually do that, but it also drives me crazy.
However, I didn't notice anything either.
──I also tried to keep my expression unchanged.
"Oh yeah. While we're all here, if you have some free time, how about we go shopping together? If Rurina wants to. I think we can strengthen our friendship that way."
【I want to come. Right now. As soon as possible】 (How nice of her to ask me, when we just met for the first time...)
"Hahaha! I'm so embarrassed. Then let's go now. Oh yeah, Ritsu will be the porter. You can also be our bodyguard."
"...Well, what else can I do?"
I reluctantly agreed.
It was true that just the two of them would definitely attract attention, and there might be some problems later, such as being hit on by strangers.
So it would be better if there was another person to guard them.
That seems to be what Kirisaki thought, that's why she called me 'bodyguard'.
But Kurusu didn't seem to understand.
She looked at me with an apologetic look and thought, "I want to go, but it'll be troublesome for Kaburagi-kun"...huh, as usual.
"If it's come to this, don't worry. I'll follow you even if you refuse. The more the merrier anyway."
【Sorry you’ll have to carry the groceries later】
"Ah, don't worry about it. Ritsu was a tractor in his previous life, so he's pretty tough. You know, even though he looks skinny, he is strong."
"Oi, don't touch my stomach, it tickles."
"Don't exaggerate, your stomach is just fine."
It's not that. It's about my mental state...
I mean, if you're going to touch me, just do it normally.
The way she caresses me is very erotic and makes me nervous.
【He's obviously muscular】 (Kaburagi-kun apparently had this secret in his previous life...)
"Kurusu, you don't have to believe it, okay?"
No, you have to question it a little.
I could only sigh when I looked at Kurusu, who seemed to really believe it.
If I don't clear up this misunderstanding, there will definitely be trouble in the future.
When I looked at Kirisaki to express my frustration, she just smiled contentedly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Girls shop for a long time.
That is one of the facts of this world.
They can go from store to store without buying anything.
How come they never get tired of it?
Whereas we can decide in advance what we want to buy, look for it, find it, and take it to the checkout.
That's really all you have to do.
...This is one of the things I really don't understand.
Well, even if I felt that way, I wouldn't say, "I'm tired of looking around, I want to go home" or I wouldn't be on my phone or playing games.
That would just cause a fight, and if it happened to a couple, it could cause the relationship to break up.
So when I go shopping with girls, I just have to accompany them and give my impressions or opinions.
And I should also look interested and give the impression that I'm enjoying it too.
That's the golden rule.
So, I would follow them around.
I'll just keep an eye on them and occasionally participate...but,
"It's hard to be in such a crowded place..."
In the end, I was exhausted and had to rest on the roof of the mall.
It wasn't hard for me to go shopping.
And actually, I was so worried about Kurusu that I wanted to keep an eye on her.
But... it's hard to stay in a place with so much noise for a long time.
I couldn't help but listen, and half the time, my head throbbed and ached as if it had been hit with a hammer.
I could bear it at first, but eventually I had to rest like this.
"Ritsu. Are you okay? It looks like you're getting better."
"I'm just a little nauseous. But it's much better now."
"Really? Don't push yourself too hard. Rurina will buy you some drinks."
"Ah...all right."
I covered my eyes with my hands and looked at the sky through the cracks in my fingers.
Kurusu is really sensitive...
Kurusu was the first to notice that I was in a bad state.
She immediately evacuated me without asking, and here we are.
"Kirisaki, thanks for today. You've helped me a lot."
"Hmm? I didn't do much. It was Rurina who noticed you."
"No, that's not it... I mean going shopping with Kurusu. I don't know how women choose their clothes."
"Huh, that's surprising."
"Well, I'm just an ordinary person."
"Hahaha, what the heck."
Kirisaki burst out laughing and sat down next to me.
Her face was smiling, but I think she was still worried.
Sometimes, she would look at me hesitantly.
But when she felt that my condition had really improved, she spoke again.
"I also have to find my own clothes. Girls are very sensitive to fashion, so it's good to know about it."
"Ah, yes. I also heard you laughing in the fitting room, what were you talking about?"
"Huh? What is it? Are you worried about what we were talking about?"
"Not really. You guys seem to be having a good time, and Kirisaki has a distinctly strange expression on her face, so I'm just curious."
"Ah, I see. But girls like to chat, so we talked about so many things that I can't remember everything."
"Heee..."
I could only sigh when she said that.
If I heard my name mentioned along with words like 'graduation' and also 'friend', of course I would be curious.
I just hope she doesn't say that she stayed at my house yesterday...
From the look on Kirisaki's face, is she okay with it?
I don't sense any dislike from her...
Huh. I don't know, I can't hear her inner voice at all.
(Vending machine...I'm lost)
When I tried to observe Kirisaki, I heard that voice.
I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
And I saw Kurusu approaching with a drink.
(Kaburagi-kun... his condition seems to be improving. Is it because of yesterday's incident?)
Kurusu looked at me worriedly and put a cold compress on my forehead.
Then she cooled my neck with the cold drink, being very careful.
Kirisaki was impressed to see how skillfully she did it and said, "Oh~".
"Thank you, Kurusu. I'm fine now. I've been resting for 30 minutes."
【Don’t overexert yourself】 (There's a chance you'll get even skinnier...)
"You two really doubt me..."
【You've done it before】
"Maybe I've changed now?"
(You won't change just like that...because I'm the same)
Kurusu shook his head and remained stubborn.
If I stay in this state, it will just be a repeat of what happened in the infirmary before.
But I can't rest forever.
This is a good opportunity for Kurusu to get acquainted with people other than me, and if I prevent it, it will be a waste.
But Kurusu's personality doesn't allow her to give up easily.
...I was really confused.
"Okay then, Ritsu can wait here for now, right? I'll go buy crepes with Rurina."
As if realizing my confusion, Kirisaki suggested.
【Leaving Kaburagi-kun alone...】 (I wanted to talk to him... but)
"It's okay. I'll just wait and rest. Ah, and I happen to be hungry as well."
【Worry】
"Thank you. But I'm already fine. Come on, just go there."
I smiled and urged the indecisive Kurusu to leave.
She really wanted to leave, but she still put others first.
Kurusu didn't move despite my urging, then Kirisaki grabbed her hand and said, "Let's go, Rurina" when she realized there was nothing I could do.
"Then Ritsu, we will go now. Don't go home without our permission, okay?"
"I won't. I'll wait for you."
"Okay, okay."
She replied in a light tone and took Kurusu with her.
And Kurusu watched me until the end.
It's nice to have Kirisaki at times like this. She can read the atmosphere well.
When I thought about it, I felt a little lonely as I watched their backs grow further apart.
This weak, lonely feeling seemed to enter my suddenly empty chest.
"...I don't know."
I muttered, waiting for them to come back.
◇ ◇ ◇
Two hours later.
We walked to the train station.
I was supposed to take her to the station earlier, but the sun had set before I noticed.
I saw the two of them interacting from behind.
The interaction still looked awkward, but Kirisaki didn't seem to mind, so there seemed to be no problem.
Once she gets another person to talk to, the number of people she talks to will definitely increase later on.
So, I guess this is the graduation Kurusu was talking about earlier.
I'm happy to see her grow and change.
I looked at her and smiled.
"Okay, I'll leave here."
Kirisaki waved her hand and left.
I laughed at her cat-like steps.
【Thank you. This is because Kaburagi-kun】 (...For the first time, I can interact with someone other than Kaburagi-kun)
"No, no, it's the result of your own efforts, Kurusu. Your reaction is already good, and your face isn't as tense as usual."
【Yay】 (Quite a progress. I finally got my license. I feel better too, even if it's just a little)
"I thought so too. You're really working hard, right?"
When I said that, she narrowed her eyes happily.
When I saw the change in her expression, I realized that she had changed a lot.
There were still some parts that were difficult to change, and there were times when she had a familiar expressionless face, but overall, I could already understand her changing emotions from her face.
【Have I graduated from master now?】 (I'm going to try on my own now, so I have to work even harder. I'm worried, but...)
"If Kurusu wants more help, I'll help you. Well, as far as I know, there's no clear finish line in socializing. But I didn't know it was the end of the month already."
She nodded and looked at the sky.
The deadline I set earlier was just a way to convince Kurusu at that time.
So if she wants, I'll help her again, and I won't refuse if she asks.
But the serious Kurusu seems to really want to graduate from me and work hard on her own.
If that's her intention, I must respect her.
If I restrict her and limit her friendships, my help is obviously useless.
Then it seemed better to push her back and help her find other good friends.
"Kurusu, what you did today was already good. So all that's left is for you to gradually gain experience in the future."
【Really?】
"I won't lie. I'll help you if you fail."
As I said that, Kurusu started writing on her tablet.
【Thank you, master. Thank you so much for teaching me and helping me】
Kurusu's mouth curved up slightly and she made a happy expression.
I gave her a thumbs up when I saw her smile, which was already better than before.
Kurusu hugged her bag very carefully.
【Bye, bye】
"Okay, bye."
Kurusu bowed politely and left.
Although it was just a casual greeting from her, somehow I felt so upset to see her leave. I also looked back at her until her figure disappeared into the crowd.
It made me think, will she still talk to me when she has made other new friends?
"...I have to go home as well."
I muttered again and walked away from the crowd.
It seemed like I wanted to take a detour home this time.
"Ritsu?"
I heard the voice and was tapped on the shoulder.
I turned around in shock and saw Kirisaki smiling at me, then her finger touched my cheek.
She smiled at me and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Uh... Kirisaki? I thought you went home..."
"It's only six o'clock."
"What kind of excuse is that?"
When I said that satirically, Kirisaki moved her index finger across my cheek as if to caress it.
I gave her an annoyed look, embarrassed by this treatment in public.
She withdrew her hand, smiled, and sat down beside me. Then she looked at the sky and sighed.
"So what's the matter, Ritsu? Did you get rejected or something?"
"I'm not going to confess to another girl when I already have a girlfriend."
"Oh, I see. Yeah, but you look really sad, so I'm wondering if it really happened."
"...Sad?"
"Yes, sad, like a melancholy expression."
"...I don't know if I have such an expression."
...I see.
The relationship started out of a kind of sympathy for her, but I think I enjoyed the days with her more than I thought.
The days when I could hear that beautiful voice...
I looked at the sky and sighed.
The white mist spread across the night sky and quickly disappeared.
───Well, a student will leave the teacher sooner or later.
I tried to accept it and adjusted my expression.
Kirisaki, who was watching me, grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her.
"Ritsu can always understand others, but you really don't understand yourself."
"Hahaha. That's true. I never realized that until I was reprimanded by someone else."
"Come on, Ritsu."
"Where are we going?"
"Karaoke. I feel like singing. I want to scream as loud as I can."
"Okay, good idea."
"All right then, it's decided. Let's keep singing and not go home unless we get a perfect score. Maybe you can't go home today, right?"
"No, no~ I'm 'Mr. Perfect', so that's nothing."
I said proudly and Kirisaki smiled happily while saying, "Let's see how it goes".
"Thank you."
"Mn? What do you mean?"
"Well..."
"Oh yeah, but... this doesn't count as a promise to accompany me shopping. We just met by chance."
"Ugh, seriously?"
“Of course. A promise is a promise, a coincidence is a coincidence. Don’t just ignore your previous promise.”
"Hahaha. Okay, okay."
As I nodded, Kirisaki said, "Yosh!" and smiled at me.
Then Kirisaki and I walked side by side in the night.
We didn't talk much after that.
But for now, I am grateful.
TL: Retallia (JP-ID), Tanaka (ID-EN)
PF & ED: Retallia