CH 39

“What’s everyone’s ideal type of man or woman?”

The peace and quiet collapsed, Kaede’s few casual words froze over the atmosphere.

Of course, Kaede mustn’t have been thinking about it too deeply when she posed the question.

If you were a high school student, getting asked a question like that was nothing strange.

Though in the case of these two people – Yuuto, who has feelings for Shizuku, and Shizuku, who probably has feelings for Yuuto too, it must’ve become a question that is considerably hard to answer.

Kirasaka didn’t seem to particularly care about it, but it looked like she had quickly noticed the changes on Yuuto and Shizuku’s face.

[TN – I have no idea how she noticed changes on Yuuto’s face who was sitting behind]

When I saw her through the rear-view mirror, her lips were curved upwards mischievously.

“I guess, for me, it’s going to be a person who’s living everyday disinterestedly, and someone who shows me a fun time”

Kirasaka made the first move and answered the question.

If it was her, I thought she would answer like that.

Even on the first day of the new school term, she seemed to have said something similar.

However, putting aside her ideals for now. First off, a person who could stay with Kirasaka had to be a super masochist, right?

Sometimes, she would cast this tremendously cold gaze. If someone had to live while being exposed to that, it would shorten their lifespan.

“……Kirasaka-san is a bit strange”

Kaede put her honest thoughts into words.

Correct. Those thoughts were absolutely correct.

“I wonder, what’s your ideal kind of person, Kaede-chan?”

This time, Kirasaka hurled the same question to Kaede.

“A person like Nii-san!”

“You won’t find one though?”

“Oi, don’t answer immediately”

Towards Kaede who answered with a dazzling smile, Kirasaka didn’t even allow for a moment’s rest, as she immediately responded.

Now that, Kirasaka and the original questioner, Kaede had answered, three people were left including me.

As I was racking my brain over what to say if I was asked, my eyes met with Kirasaka’s through the mirror.

She let out a mischievous smile again as she pointed the spearhead at Shizuku.

“Next is Kanzaki-san, what kind of person is to your liking?”

“Err……”

Maybe she still didn’t know how to go about answering this question, since her eyes were wandering.

Kirasaka was observing the situation amused, while Yuuto was looking at her with an earnest expression.

“For me……I don’t particularly have an ideal type or anything but, it’s not his looks, but rather with his personality……when I’m with him, I want him to will make me feel safe……that kind of person I guess”

Not his outward appearance, but rather his personality, this was a very Shizuku-like answer.

“Me too, I guess it would be someone who isn’t taken prisoner by appearances and who’ll look at me as a person.”

“I’m not asking you though?”

……As always, she was cold to Yuuto.

Yuuto’s answer was similar to Shizuku’s.

Not the outward appearance, huh……

Looks weren’t important – they were the same in that aspect.

Though, isn’t that kind of thing impossible?

If I had to say, people already subconsciously end up judging the other party based on their outward appearances.

People you can become friends with, those you can’t become friends with.

People you can come to like, those you will come to dislike.

Then there were people you couldn’t care less about.

There is this phrase we hear a lot, not only at school, but at various places.

When we talked, I found out they were a nice person

This is because we judge people based on their outward appearances.

You thought, “Ah, I don’t think I can be friends with this person”, Though when you talked with him, you got along, and you became friends.

With that as the starting point, people have forged relationships, and even tied the knot.

However, I’m not judging the people who judge people based on their looks.

Looks are an important basis for decisions.

That is why if someone says that he doesn’t care about the outward appearance of a person and that it doesn’t affect him, it would only sound like a lie. This was the same for Yuuto’s answer.

He was hailed as the “Prince” of the school. Is it possible to ignore the physical appearance of a well-featured guy like that?

I’m not a woman, so it is hard for me to answer, but I’m pretty sure it is tough.

In the end, what Yuuto said was only idealistic.

“What does Shinra-sama think about this?”

Kuroi-san, who was driving next to me directed a sidelong glance at me. While looking at me, he asked in a voice that only I could hear.

Those eyes weren’t the usual eyes that embodied warmth; those were eyes trying to ascertain something.

Perhaps, this veteran who had lived several decades more than us had something he was curious about.

“Who knows……I have not yet experienced this feeling called “love” outside my family……”

While looking outside the window and listening to their conversations, I put my honest feelings into words.

“……Even then surely, it’s only idealistic, I think”

“Is that so……Shinra-sama is truly not like a child”

“I’m sorry……”

Kuroi-san who had been looking at me retracted his gaze and went back to looking at the road; the usual gentle smile plastered on his face.