CH 46

Amusement Park and misunderstandings (11)

Translator – Vodka

Editor – Soju

Although I was not very eager about places like amusement parks or other recreational establishments, time flew quickly at these places.

I didn’t get to voice my opinion in particular, but I followed after the others from behind, while we went around experiencing different attraction rides. The sun had gone down, and when we noticed, our surroundings had beautifully lit up.

“It’s already this late? If we’re going to watch the parade, we should get moving soon”

Said Yuuto, while checking his wristwatch.

I also checked the time, and it was already past 6.

Barriers were being made with ropes on the street. The preparations for the upcoming parade were advancing steadily.

“Well then, it’ll be better to start securing a place”

“That’s right. Shall we move to the area around the central plaza?”

Yuuto added these words to Kaede’s statement. It would seem that our actions from here on out had been decided.

Ever since we had arrived at mouseland, I had not said a thing, and simply followed after them. However now, I couldn’t stay quiet.

“I’m strongly against that idea”

“Why’s that, I wonder?”

“If it’s the central plaza, people are going to be gathering over there. Rather than that, I want to watch the parade while sitting at the restaurant facing the street.”

Towards Kirasaka’s question, I stated my opinion as I pointed at the shop which was right in front of us.

The four people displayed behaviour that seemed to imply that they had been pondering over my words. Though, the reactions that followed were all different.

“I have no problem with that. Rather that way, I would be able to relax and watch the parade”

Kirasaka agreed with my opinion.

“I think it would be better to go to the plaza though?”, said Yuuto.

He was the one who had said that we should all go to the plaza in the first place. Hence understandably, he was making a discontented face.

“I……am ok with both?”

Since Kaede was ok with it being either option, is it ok to say that she decided to go along with the flow?

“As for me, I feel like wanting to have a look at the situation in the plaza as well”

It would seem that Shizuku was on the plaza team. She looked at me a bit apologetically.

Now that everyone had stated their respective opinions, I recalled the conversations from this morning. Things like Yuuto wanting to be alone with Shizuku, and Shizuku and Kaede wanting to see the parade together.

I had been wondering as to how things were going to turn out. However, if it panned out like this, it was going to be ok.

“In that case, why don’t you guys go on ahead and take a look at the plaza?……We’ll stay here”

“But then, we won’t be able to watch the parade together?”

“There is quite a bit of distance to the plaza from here. Besides, the parade should not be moving at a very fast speed. Even if you wanted a small glimpse, you will make it there on time”

There were maps installed at different places. I pointed to the central plaza on one such map and then tapped on a red mark that had the words “current location” written on it.

One might not be able to make it in time if he traversed along the street of the parade, but if he went around the back, there was not much distance.

Even from the plaza, it would take around ten minutes to get here.

“I see……Kanzaki-san, are you ok with that?” (Yuuto)

Kirasaka decided to stay here, while Kaede was ok with it being either option. It was a situation where he could be alone with Shizuku, so Yuuto wouldn’t reject this proposal.

More so, Yuuto posed the question in a manner which was hard to refuse.

If Shizuku refused this request, it would be like saying, “I don’t want to be alone with you”.

Shizuku wouldn’t be able to say something like that.

“……Understood. Then, we’ll join you guys later”

“Well then, we’ll contact you guys later”

They said these words and went on their way.

I and the two others who had stayed back with me, then went to the shop in front of us. We bought drinks and some light snacks such as French-fries and the likes. Then we sat ourselves at a table that was set up at another place.

“Finally, we’re able to sit peacefully”

Even though I got to sit during the rides, those were for awfully short periods of time. It couldn’t be helped that my legs felt heavy, because I just stood in line and absent-mindedly spent the wait time.

I knew it. Stuff like how the wait time was important and how it was important to spend it meaningfully were all just a bunch of lies. Now that I have experienced it first hand, I could confirm the veracity of those lies.

It was bad enough that I ended up coming here with Yuuto and the others this time, but the contents of their conversations were truly not ordinary.

Like, procuring full marks in all the subjects during the last test, being invited to model for a magazine while walking around the downtown, horseback riding because there was free time on a holiday.

Even under normal circumstances, I was already feeling out of place. Don’t they understand that if they conducted such forms of conversation, it would become even harder for me to walk alongside them?

If there was anything that had put my heart at ease, that would be Kaede. She talked about how the flower she had been growing in a vase back at home had bloomed.

Twenty percent of the conversations were important, whereas the remaining eighty percent were inconsequential.

Thanks to Yuuto, who could justly be called the ‘Monster of communication’, the conversations never broke off and time flew by.

Though, the contents were truly worthless. Things like how our classmate Sasaki……that was his name, I believe, had gotten a girlfriend, or that the number of guys who had been turned down upon confession to Kirasaka exceeded hundred.

There were several other things they had talked about. Though, the most inconsequential of them by far was certainly the number of boys who had been turned down by Kirasaka.

Just when I had arbitrarily come to a decision that the wait time had not been meaningfully spent, I turned my eyes towards the direction that Yuuto and Shizuku had gone. They were already gone.

“Is Yuuto-san planning on confessing or something?”

Kaede who had been sitting next to me, asked me this. She had also been looking in the direction of the two people.

That guy even got found out by my sister?

“Since he is going to be utterly rejected anyways, won’t it better for him if it happened sooner?”

“Right?……I think so too”

“Hm? Hold on for a minute there, why would that be better for him?”

First of all, why was it already a given that he would get rejected? That was strange.

After all, the two of them had come to me during the spring break and had talked about each other.

“There is a person I like” ……they had definitely said so.

I felt doubt towards the words of the two girls before me.

“Why, huh?……at the very least, the person that Kanzaki-san likes isn’t him”

Kirasaka uninterestedly informed me so. It was as if she had merely stated a fact.

In those words of hers, there was no other meaning. It was as if she was simply speaking about Shizuku’s feelings on her behalf……

“……”

……Shizuku’s feelings of discomfort that I had been feeling up until now.

It was not only today, but also during the time we were studying for the exams, or even during the ball game tournament, there were many strange signs.

She didn’t hurl awfully cold words towards Yuuto. She didn’t cheer him on during his activities either. She would simply look away, as if anything related to him had nothing to do with her.

Since I had heard about her feelings directly from her, I thought I couldn’t be wrong, but……

“I was wrong……?”

From the very beginning, I was wrong.