Volume 1 - CH 74

Himekawa was silent all the way to the part-time job.

When the part-time job started, she was just as brisk and smiling as she was yesterday.

I thought she might be okay, but she was still silent in the break room.

The workday ended like that, and I walked home to my usual station without saying a word to her.

“I’m sorry, Anri. I never meant to offend you. Will you forgive me soon?”

The two of us were walking side by side from the station through the shopping district toward home.

Today is the day my mom is returning home, so I have to get to my house early.

She’s leaving, which means that Himekawa and I will be alone tonight.

It is very suffocating as it is. I have to get her to talk to me the same way she has been talking to me…

We passed through the shopping street and by the park. We are almost at home.

Suddenly, I noticed Himekawa standing still at the entrance to the park.

I didn’t notice Himekawa stopping, and I seemed to have been walking a little ahead of her.

Himekawa looks at me as she stops. The park was already empty, with only the dim light of the park’s street lamps.

I hurried over to Himekawa, feeling a little bad that I had gone ahead of her.

“Tsukasa-kun, can we talk for a minute?”

I nodded silently, and Himekawa took me by the hand and we sat down on a swing in the park.

Himekawa was slowly pushing the swing next to me.

I slowly pushed myself on the swing, gradually gaining momentum.

I’m sorry about today. Something was bothering me, and I couldn’t get the words out for a long time.

“Don’t worry about it. I have those moments too.

The sound of the swing creaking could be heard.

There was no one around, and the sound seemed to reverberate far away.

“Tsukasa-kun, do you remember Ayane?”

Ayane Sugimoto. She was probably in the same class with me, and we had lunch together, but I don’t remember her.

To be honest, the answer would be the same even if I had her in front of me.

It’s not a matter of being insensitive or having trouble remembering things. I have no memory at all.

“I don’t remember at all. Even if Sugimoto, who was in the same class with me, was the Sugimoto in the picture, to me she’s just a classmate in my eyes.”

“I see… What if, what if? If Ayane-chan in the photo and Ayane-chan in your class were the same person, what would you do, Tsukasa-kun?”

Even if you ask me that, I don’t remember the past. No matter what I do or how I do it, there is only one answer.

“I won’t change. I am who I am now. With Anri, I’m the caretaker of Gohashi Boarding House!”

I told her that and took off from the swing with a mighty leap.

And I landed safely. If I had failed to land here, she would have laughed hysterically.

“I see…I’m glad…I’m relieved, if only a little!”

Himekawa also took off from the swing with a little momentum.

The moment she took off, however, her skirt fluttered up.

Himekawa hurriedly held her skirt with both hands, but it looked like she was going to fail to land.

I rushed to catch Himekawa.

Then, I hold Himekawa firmly with both hands as she is about to fall down.

“That’s dangerous. What if you fail to land properly?”

Himekawa answers from my chest.

“I’m fine. I’m not worried. Tsukasa-kun will surely help me.”

My heart rate sped up.

If there were a blood pressure monitor here, it would probably show an abnormal reading.

I’d have to think about it too if she went this far.

My mother told me about my father last night. I think it was probably a warning to me, if there was any.

The night before yesterday, Himekawa and Mom were sleeping together.

They must have talked about a lot of things at that time.

She was giving me advice in a roundabout way.

The Himekawa of today is like my mother of the past, and I am like my father. 

Himekawa must be making moves on me.

And I didn’t give an answer until now. I had been killing my feelings that I realised.

I thought that from now on, until graduation, we would remain in our current relationship.

I thought I had no choice but to do so. I thought it was natural.

But after hearing my mother’s story yesterday, I had to rethink things in my mind.

What do I want to do with Himekawa.

Himekawa is in my chest.

I can’t just let the swing set incident go because it was an accident or because it was just a coincidence.

If it had been me before, I would have immediately left Himekawa and headed home without hesitation.

But I am different now. I am not the same person I used to be.

I make my own path. I can change the rules I made.

Waiting until graduation? Wait for what? For myself? For Himekawa?

No, the fact that I have to wait is just an assumption in itself.

Is there really any point in waiting until graduation?

My Mom said so herself.

She wants to go back to the old days and enjoy her youth more.

Me and Himekawa are in our youth right now.

Yes, we can’t go back to the past.

Then, I will mark a page of my youth right here and now.

You only live once.

If I am going to regret it when I grow up, I might as well regret it right here, right now.

I may be insensitive.

I may be blunt.

I may not be cool.

I can’t talk pleasantly.

I’m not that good at sports.

I don’t have that many great qualities.

But I can protect the one and only woman I’m in love with.

My father also said that a man is a creature that protects a woman.

Then I will protect her too. No matter what happens in the future.

Anri.

I’ll give you a clear answer in my mind.

I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.

Mom.

I will answer for Anri’s feelings.

Thank you.

Dad.

What you couldn’t do, I’ll do now.

I’ll become a good adult who protects the women I fall in love with.

Yuzo-san.

I’ll go explain later!

So please let me go through with it now!

“Anri……”

“Tsukasa-kun……”

I stare at Anri in my chest, and she stares at me as if she is answering me.

We stare at each other without blinking.

“Anri. For some time now, I’ve had Anri inside my head. I want to be with Anri forever. Will you stay with me?”

A smile appears on Anri’s face as she gets a little teary-eyed.

Then, a tear runs down from her eyelid to her cheek and becomes a line.

In the dim light, the moonlight reflects off the tears, making Anri even more beautiful and captivating.

“…I love you. If you meant that line, kiss me here and now…”

In the moonlit park, we softly put our lips together…

The first kiss tasted like bittersweet coffee.

The moonlight shone on us and it felt like a small blessing.

—<Postscript>—

Thank you for reading this far.

I am the author, Red Fox.

Volume 1 is now complete with “Chapter 74: In the Moonlit Park”.

This is my first romantic comedy work.

I want to see what happens after the protagonist and heroine get together.

Once they get married, I would like to read more about what will happen to them.

This work was started with this in mind.

The first chapter focuses on how the two get together.

In the second chapter, I would like to depict what happens to them afterward.

What is the future for the two of them?

And what awaits them in the future?

I would be very happy if you could support them together.

To all readers who have made it this far.

I am truly grateful that you have chosen to read this work from among so many others.

I hope you will continue to support me in the future.

And now, please look forward to the second volume!

Finally,

Thank you for your many supportive comments and for following my work.

It is an encouragement to me.

If you like, please give a review, support comments, and follow my work.