Volume 1 - CH 34

Posted on August 10, 2022by ynlucca

Translated and Edited by: ynlucca.

Common Honorifics:

-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.

-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.

-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.

-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

-sensei: A suffix and noun that literally means teacher.

This was a few hours before Haruka appeared before Tatsumi.

“…He didn’t show up today, either.”

After school was over, I walked home alone. Five days had passed since that day, and since then he didn’t show up to school once. No one in class insulted him anymore. They were too scared… I’d never seen him like that.

He was usually a bit curt, but I knew that was a quirk of his and that he was actually very kind. Still, I was the knife that lacerated his back, the reason for his change. I honestly wanted to apologize right this instant.

Once, I went to his house with my parents to apologize, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, his sister came up to me. I touched my cheek where I’d been slapped. The red was long gone, but the pain still lingered.

I opened the front door to my house and softly said, “…I’m home.”

My mother, noticing my return, walked out the back of the house.

“Welcome home… Did Tatsumi-kun appear today?”

“…No.”

“I see…” A shadow cast over her expression as I shook my head. It was only natural, she loved him as a son. “What you did is unforgivable, no matter the reason. Do you understand?”

“Yes…”

“Shuri-chan was very angry.”

I couldn’t say anything.

“It wasn’t just Tatsumi-kun you hurt. It was his entire family.”

“Y, yes…” I reply with tears trailing down my cheeks; moist and bitter. My mother was right, it wasn’t just him. I hurt Shuri and his own mom. My selfishness hurt all who were kind to me, and even my parents must’ve been having a rough time. “Hic…”

This betrayal was absolutely unforgivable.

Droplets turned into streams, then into a river. I cried my heart out, forgetting my mom was even there… After dinner, while I was in the living room, I heard the intercom’s ring-a-ling. I peeked at the clock, and it was 8 PM.

Who could it be at this hour? I answered the door with a teaspoon of skepticism. “…Yes, who is it?”

“Um… This is Aizawa. May I have a moment?” I looked at our security monitor to see his mother, Kaoru-san, standing right in front of our house. Surprised, I opened our front door.

The last time I’d seen her was on the day of the incident. I knew she’d be angry at me, so I was prepared for whatever may come my way…

“Um… Tatsumi hasn’t come home for the past few days. Could you please help me look for him?”

“…Huh?”

She bowed with a terribly exasperated look on her face.