Volume 1 - CH 33

—And then, after a morning without Himekawa, I went to school and returned home with heavy legs.

After returning home, I talked with Himekawa for a while and then we decided to have dinner.

During that dinner, there was a slightly strange atmosphere, so it was good that we switched topics, but at the same time I remembered that Himekawa’s father was coming here later.

The chopsticks I had been holding suddenly felt heavy.

“I’m glad he enjoyed the meatballs.”

“I’m glad. He rolled his eyes as he ate it.”

Today’s meat and potatoes. Yesterday, too?

Hmm? Haven’t we been eating nothing but meat and potatoes lately?

Still, I think Himekawa’s cooking has improved a lot compared to the beginning.

If she continues to expand her repertoire, I am sure she will become a good wife.

And my heavy chopsticks froze when I was thinking about it.

I’m not saying who, but someday Himekawa will marry someone and have a family.

It would be better to expand her repertoire.

I told myself that and put a bowl of rice in my mouth.

“Do you think he’ll be coming soon?”

“You said night, but what time exactly is he coming?”

Here’s why my feet were heavy today.

Himekawa’s father is coming. It was just a visit of the lodger’s guardian, but my legs felt heavy as if lead had been attached to them.

I thought a lot about my clothes, my hair, and so on, but I decided to go on as usual.

I decided to go with what I always wore. I decided to just be as I was, just as I was.

This is why my feet were heavy today.

Himekawa’s father is coming. It’s just a visit of the lodger’s guardian, but my legs felt heavy as if they had lead on them.

I thought a lot about my clothes and hairstyle, but I decided to go on as usual.

I decided to go with what I always wore. I decided to just be myself, just as I was.

But, as expected, I decided not to wear a jersey.

I was wearing normal chinos and a white long-sleeved shirt. I decided to greet him in normal clothes.

The meal was over, and the two of us put away the dishes.

Himekawa was preparing a cup of tea. I sit alone on the sofa and meditate.

I close my eyes and think in my head about how best to respond to the upcoming conversation.

During my meditation, the sofa sinks. Himekawa sits down next to me.

“You don’t have to think so much, okay?”

I stopped meditating and shifted my eyes to Himekawa.

Wearing a white one-piece dress, Himekawa is not particularly nervous.

Well, it’s just her own parents coming, and she was with him yesterday, so there’s no reason for her to be nervous, I’m sure.

Perhaps, when my parents came, Himekawa might have been in the same state of mind as I am now.

This is not good. I’m getting nervous. I feel a little bad that I couldn’t support Himekawa much yesterday.

“No, I didn’t think that far ahead, but I got nervous…”

Then suddenly both my cheeks were pinched.

I was so nervous that I was afraid to make such a scary face.

No, I didn’t make a scary face. The actual “I’m not a fan of the way you look at me, but I’m not a fan of the way you look at me.

Himekawa, who is still pinching my cheeks, smiles and gives me a bruise on my cheek.

“Come on, smile. It’s okay.”

“Okay, I’ll stop thinking about it, just take your hand off my cheek.”

Quickly removing her hand, Himekawa gets up from the sofa and starts walking toward the kitchen.

“I made you some tea. Why don’t we both have a cup before my father comes?”

I stood up and took a sip of the tea Himekawa had made.

Oh, it’s good. It smells good and makes me feel at ease.

“It smells good, doesn’t it? It’s the tea that my mother liked before she died.”

“It smells good. It calms me down.”

“My father used to make this tea for my mother when she felt restless.”

We enjoyed the tea together while listening to Himekawa’s home environment stories.

—Ding-dong.

It’s here! He’s finally here!

“I’m off.”

I rearranged my clothes and went to the front door.

Nice to meet you, Himekawa’s father. I am Tsukasa Tendo.

I wonder if I can say it well.

“Yes! I’m coming!”

—Gala la la la

The front door slowly opens.

There, standing there, was a big, muscular man who looked like a mountain.

“Tendo-san! I have a delivery for you!”

The man who entered the front door was the delivery man who always brings deliveries to our house.

“I’ll leave it here. Yes, sign here.”

I didn’t say a word, just picked up the parcel in front of me and went back into the kitchen.

I was extremely tired. Is this a normal time to come?

“Is this a package?”

“Yeah, a package I ordered some time ago just arrived.”

I thought I would be home most likely if it was at night time, so I had set a time for it to be delivered, right?

Who could have predicted that it would arrive at this time?

The two of us drink tea with a smile on our faces.

Huh, that’s something… The tension has loosened slightly.

“Maybe he’ll be here soon.”

“If he’s coming, I hope he’s coming soon.”

I’m the one who’s freaking out inside.

What will Himekawa’s father say to me? He won’t yell at me out of the blue, will he?

What if he hits me the moment he sees me?

I drink a cup of aromatic tea while thinking about this.

—Ding-dong.

This time it’s here!　This time for sure!

“Yes!”

I hurry out of my seat and head for the front door.

—Gala la la la

The front door is opened by an old man in a suit.

In his hands, he carries a paper bag and a black business bag.

He looked kind, and his face was smiling.

I put my slippers on the floor, feeling relieved inside.

” Come on inside.”

The man stood in the doorway and spoke to me.

“Are you Tsukasa Tendo?”

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, I am Tsukasa Tendo. I go to the same high school as Himekawa-san.”

“I am Yuzo Himekawa, father of Anri Himekawa, who is staying here with you. I’m sorry to bother you.”

Himekawa’s father, wearing slippers, followed me.

We exchanged a few words, but apart from the smile he was showing, I felt something intimidating.

There was something I could see behind his gentle smile. I felt a tremendous sense of intimidation behind his back as if he were a different type of father than my own.

“You’re late, father. Did you have a long day at work?”

“I’m sorry, I had a long meeting.”

Himekawa’s father is in front of me and Himekawa is next to him.

A two-on-one arrangement was born here. I felt away from home even though it was my house.

Himekawa makes tea and serves the food.

“You brought this cup, didn’t you?”

Himekawa’s father looked at the cup and spoke a few words.

This must have been the cup Himekawa brought out on the first day she went to the tower.

“Yes. I definitely wanted to have this one on hand.”

Then the three of us talked a little about our current school and home, and the normal conversation proceeded.

Then…

“Anri, would you excuse us for a moment?”

Himekawa nodded silently and excused herself.

A moment of silence passed, and the only sound in the room was the ticking of the second hand on the clock.

It is very hard. I have to say something. But what on earth should I say?

I think about it, but I can’t come up with an answer.

Himekawa’s father puts down the cup in his hand and looks straight at me.

Then his mouth opens and he asks me a question.

“Tsukasa-kun, I want to know your true feelings. What do you want to do with Anri?”

I couldn’t answer that question immediately.