Volume 6 - Epilogue

One day after the school trip… 

Yuzuru and Arisa came to the hospital together. 

“… it really won’t hurt?”

“Don’t worry. The Doctors here are good.” 

“I am trusting you… okay?” 

That’s right, they had come to take a flu shot…

However, Yuzuru had already done it, so only Arisa would receive it. 

Yuzuru was there to chaperone Arisa. 

“You don’t have to be so scared. Everyone else is taking it.” 

“I-is that so… then…”

It was then. 

“Ugyaaa~!” 

A tremendous scream echoed from the examination room. 

Arisa let out a small scream and hugged Yuzuru. 

Then she stared at the door of the examination room with a fear-stricken, twitching expression on her face. 

…After a while, a crying toddler and a woman who appeared to be his mother came out. 

“I knew it! It hurts, doesn’t it? Yu-Yuzuru-san…, you tricked me, didn’t you?” 

Terrible! I trusted you! 

And Arisa showed such a face to Yuzuru. 

Yuzuru sighs involuntarily. 

“That kid is in kindergarten… and you’re in high school, right?” 

“S-so… what are you trying to say?”

“Children can cry at the slightest tumble. But you don’t, do you? You don’t cry just because you fall down, right?” 

“That’s… true, but”

“It doesn’t hurt much.” 

That kid is a kindergartener, so the overreaction is just normal for them. 

Yuzuru encouraged Arisa as such.

“Look, that girl… she looks like an elementary schooler, but she’s not crying, is she?”

“..That’s true.”

“Even elementary school kids do okay. You’re in high school, right? You’ll be absolutely fine.”

“Th-that’s right!” 

Apparently, Yuzuru’s encouragement boosted her confidence. 

Arisa’s expression brightened slightly. 

But…

“Yukishiro-san. Yukishiro Arisa-san.” 

“Eep…” 

Arisa’s expression clouded over again. 

Yu-Yuzuru-san…” 

‘Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll go with you…” 

Yuzuru entered the examination room, cheering Arisa up.

At first, the doctor and nurse had a look of ‘Why would a man who has nothing to do with this come in here with her?’… 

But they saw Arisa wobbling nervously and guessed the story. 

Instead of being kicked out, Yuzuru was allowed to stay by Arisa’s side. 

“This is scary… It’s scary, Yuzuru-san….” 

“It’ll be fine. Look, I’m here by your side…” 

Yuzuru gently squeezed Arisa’s hand, which was trembling with fear. 

Perhaps relieved by the warmth of Yuzuru’s hand, the strength in Arisa’s body was released, but… 

“Right, Yukishiro-san. Please hold still…” 

“Kya~!” 

The nurse grabbed her arm and Arisa screamed. 

Her hand exerted more strength.

“I-is it… Not over yet!?”

Arisa kept her eyes tightly shut. 

The nurse applied disinfectant to her arm as she stayed like that.

“Ugh…” 

Arisa let out a small scream. 

She then asked Yuzuru. 

“I-is it done…?” 

“Relax Arisa. That was just disinfection.” 

“O-oh, no….” 

Arisa rattled and shook her body. 

The nurse wore a dumbfounded look on her face.

Yuzuru felt very embarrassed… and unintentionally bowed slightly to the nurse. 

“It’ll sting a little… “

Finally, the needle looms in Arisa’s arm. 

“Ugh…” 

The needle pierced the white skin. 

“Yes, three, two, one…“

Arisa’s expression is slightly distorted. 

“Kuh…” 

The needle was removed. 

At that moment, Arisa’s expression intensified. 

And… 

“Yes, it’s over! Please hold it down well.” 

“Ha~, ha~…” 

Arisa opened her eyes and looked relieved. 

Then, with a slight tear in her eye… she turned to Yuzuru and said. 

“I-it’s done! Yu-Yuzuru-san! I did it!”

“Um, yeah… good for you.” 

Yuzuru was really embarrassed. 

“Phew… I guess this means I’m one step closer to adulthood.” 

“Uh, yeah, well, I guess so.”

After returning to Yuzuru’s room. 

Yuzuru smiled vaguely at Arisa, who had a smug look on her face. 

…It’s just an injection.

He did not say that.

For Yuzuru, it was a small thing, but for Arisa, it was a very big step. 

Probably, surely, maybe. 

“… but, Yuzuru-san. You lied to me, didn’t you?”

“…Eh?” 

“…It hurt.”. 

Arisa looked dissatisfied. 

Apparently, she felt deceived.

“No, I don’t think it’s the painful one… you could have endured it too, couldn’t you?”

“It was bearable, but… it hurt.” 

“That’s…it is an injection, and it’s going to hurt a little bit.” 

Since needles are inserted into the body, it could not be painless. 

“But… it hurt!” 

“…Yeah, I get it. My bad.”

“…it was negligent of you.”

“N-no, I mean…” 

As one would expect, even Yuzuru could not sympathize with Arisa’s feelings of sulking and fear at the mere mention of an injection. 

Or so it seemed, but… 

“Yeah, but you did great. Arisa.” 

“Do you really believe that…?” 

“Yes.Thank you, Arisa, for accommodating me.” 

He could understand. 

Then again, he was glad that Arisa had pushed through her fear and decided to take the injections for Yuzuru.

“I-it’s not like… I did it for Yuzuru-san’s sake. I …am indeed a high school student, and I just thought it would be embarrassing to be afraid of injections.” 

Arisa turned her cheeks away with a blush…

Then she asked Yuzuru. 

“Well, Yuzuru-san… “

“…Do you want a reward?”

“…Yes.” 

Yuzuru gently hugged Arisa as she gave a small nod.

And…

“Mmn….” 

Just as Arisa wished, they shared a deep, deep kiss.

TN: That’s the end of volume after I dragged it on for so long… Luckily the author has started updating the novel again with the new volume. We will get there, eventually…