CH 104

Chapter 14 – Feelings and answer (4)

Translator – Vodka

This will be the last update of 2020. Another year is coming to an end. My speed of updates came down, but personally speaking, I am happy that I didn’t stop. Covid kinda screwed my plans (well, the world’s plans) for 2020. It set us back a year. 2021 shall have to be the year we repair the damage that covid has done.

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you fellas. May the new year rekindle hopes and dreams, and the bustle of humanity rise again from the ashes. Have a wonderful holiday guys.

I sat down on the grass and looked up at the sky. The tree I was leaning against, cut off the strong sunlight, that betokened the advent of summer.

The plants gently swung under the influence of the wind.

The fragrance of the lawn wafted through the air. It had a calming effect.

……Not bad.

It has been a while since I last came here, but, in this one-year period, I have had come here quite a few times.

I am reminded of the time when this place received my personal accreditation for being one of the very few healing spots inside the school campus.

“You don’t have to sit on the ground. I had even prepared a sheet.”

“It feels better this way……”

Kirasaka called out to me from the side.

She was looking down on me while standing.

Let’s keep quiet about the fact that it seemed like that the inside of her skirt would be visible with a little bit more.

Seemingly visible, yet not actually visible. What an exquisite place to be in.

I looked away from Kirasaka to look in front and surveyed my surroundings once more.

We were in the farthest edge of the school courtyard.

Kirasaka and I were under a tree that stood alone in this corner.

Well, rather than saying that we were here, it would be correct to say that we made our way to this place.

After we finished watching the movie, I was half-forced to accompany Kirasaka for lunch, having ended up acceding to her demands from before.

She seized my bag and dragged me here by the hand.

Halfway through, Kirasaka seemed to want to say something to Shizuku.

They seem to be negotiating something?

If not, there was no way Shizuku would agree to a situation where I was alone with Kirasaka that easily.

I unconsciously let out a sigh at the possibility of troublesome stuff lying in wait. Amidst such thoughts, I was brought to this place.

It was the same place as the one in the photo I discovered in the student council room.

Like that time, there weren’t figures of any other students.

Albeit the courtyard was a popular place, this extreme edge rarely had any visitors.

It was even more so because there was a spot in the courtyard where tables had been laid out for the students’ use.

This place was at quite the bit of a distance from that spot. Hence, Kirasaka and I were the only ones here.

This desolate space felt extremely nostalgic.

“In that case, should I have a seat too?”

“……Your clothes will get dirty, you know?”

“You are the one saying that?”

She covered her mouth and chuckled. Then, she sat down next to me with her knees bent a little to the side – the so-called sidesaddle posture that women often assumed.

I noticed that her sitting style and location were the exact same as they were in the photograph.

Did she choose this place?

Silence pervaded for a brief period.

Just in case, I brought Kaede’s deluxe bento along. Unnoticed, however, Kirasaka had started preparing lunch.

I wonder why……There is a chef clad in the characteristic white uniform standing behind us, you know.

And then, why are there the likes of an iron plate and an oven in this otherwise empty lawn?

“I don’t like this sort of thing very much.”

“‘This sort’?”

“Yes. ‘Showing off wealth’ is what this is called I believe? However, you don’t seem to mind it.”

True that. She is supposed to be the young lady of an exceptionally affluent household, but I haven’t caught so much as even a glimpse of her flaunting her status.

The only noticeable things were the luxurious bento and the fact that someone would chauffer her to school and back.

I wondered if she was deliberately showing off, but it would seem she had her worries.

“Worrying about it won’t change anything right?……”

“Human beings are creatures that get jealous of people who have what they don’t……I do not care what others might think, but I don’t need you finding this situation unpleasant.”

Said Kirasaka, her expression without so much as even a hint of embarrassment. Then, she glanced at the chef waiting behind us.

She could unhesitatingly say things I could never bring myself to say. She was amazing that way.

After she glanced at the chef, he got moving.

He was probably gonna bring over the food soon.

We usually brought our bentos along.

I was certain that we were going to eat from our respective bentos, but she seemed to have other plans for us here.

I felt regretful for not being able to enjoy Kaede’s cooking, but since it should be fine if I just have it later, I put it away.

A woman clad in the waitress’s uniform served the food.

“Although I decided by myself, I asked the chef to prepare us a light meal.”

Served were sandwiches with lots of bright and colourful stuff stuffed inside.

I wasn’t a big eater either. So, this menu was just right.

Even better said, sandwiches were the best fit for the food we were gonna have sat on the lawn.

“……I am on the receiving end of this after all. I am not complaining.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

Having said that, I grabbed a sandwich.

After Kirasaka saw me taking a bite out of the sandwich in my hand, she started talking.

“Does Shinra-kun also come here often?”

“‘Also’?……You sound like you do?”

Curious, I asked her.

I had no idea of where she would be and what she would be doing when she wasn’t with us.

Hence, her choice of words piqued my interest.

“This is an important place for me……”

Her pupils held reflections of loneliness somewhere. The fact that the words spoken were reminiscing of a past recollection for her was apparent in her voice.

What is it I wonder?……

She might have remembered the time we met. Though, I still couldn’t summon that memory.

I quietly listened to her speak.

“I won’t ask you to force yourself to remember or anything……just that, I don’t want you to treat it as having never happened even if you don’t remember.”

A self-deprecating laugh escaped Kirasaka.

It was as if she thought that it was only natural that I didn’t remember.

Then, she proceeded to speak about her recollections of that day.