101 – A Boy, a Girl, and a Maid – 2
Eri listened to my story in silence.
That long story, my emotions and the miserable situations involved in it.
Her face was red with embarrassment, but Eri had already confessed even more.
‘Because I like him too’
With just that one word, it felt like the bar on my heart had been loosened.
Did you feel a sense of camaraderie?
I felt like a fool, but I soon found myself confessing all my feelings in front of Eri.
“…… “It means he kept running away.”
“Yes… I’m so embarrassed… In the end, I was embarrassed that my secret engagement was discovered… “That’s how I ran away from that place.”
“……… ….”
Looking at the flowers in the flower bed, I muttered with a depressed feeling.
A hand suddenly placed on top of the head.
Eri said with a smile.
“I understand why Miss Shiraishi is worried.”
“……… ….”
“But what’s wrong with running away?”
“Yes?”
That’s… It was the first time I had heard this in my life.
I never expected such an opinion to come from Eri Takase, who is envied by everyone and stands out as a track and field athlete, and is the object of many people’s admiration.
“That…… Case… ….”
I just kept my mouth shut.
Eri put down her hand and looked in the same direction as me and said calmly.
“I was running away too. Until very recently.”
“What on earth….”
I couldn’t even imagine what kind of trouble would have caused such a perfect and beautiful woman to suffer or escape.
“Athletics.”
“……… ….”
“I was running all the time. “That was my escape.”
I turned my head to see her unbelievable facts and looked at Eri for a while.
“I’m reflecting on it now, but I used to be a pretty crazy person… hahahaha.”
“I’ve heard it before… Eliminate all the neighborhood bullies….,”
“No, don’t tell me…” “It’s a shameful past.”
Eri rubs her forehead and smiles bitterly as if she is embarrassed.
I thought it was a wonderful thing of hers, but perhaps it was something she wanted to hide from her.
“At the same time, those who support me… “From those who admire them by giving them the image they want.”
She confessed it as if she was quietly reciting it.
“I started trying to escape from my personality and frustrating situations. “Athletics.”
“……… ….”
“But until recently, there was a time when I kept running on the track to escape, even in a situation that didn’t get better no matter how much I tried to run away.”
In the end… Does this mean that running away did not create a better situation?
I couldn’t figure out what Eri was trying to say.
“Until the minor injury to her ankle became severe. “I kept running until I felt so much pain that I couldn’t run.”
“Eri… ….”
“Same as you. I also ran away. From this world surrounding me.”
In the end, I too… Should I accept the fate of having to run away until I get hurt?
I stared blankly at the beautiful flower bed with a heavy heart.
“But in the meantime… “Something bloomed in my heart.”
“Something… “What?”
“What I want to protect… Should I say that?”
Eri slowly bent down and extended her hand.
A butterfly flew gently and landed on that index finger.
“I was just running away until now… Strangely, at that moment, I felt like I could do anything to protect this heart.”
“That…” “What is it?”
Eri looked at me in silence.
Then I realized I had already heard about it.
“If you want to run away, you can run away as much as you want. “Because there were no other options for me at that time.”
“……… ….”
“But I want to cherish it…” “If there is something you want to protect, do it with all your heart.”
The butterfly sitting on the tip of her finger gently flies away.
“Eri… Do you still keep it?”
“Of course.”
Eri raised her body, looked straight into my eyes, and opened her mouth.
“No matter what the outcome is… “You won’t regret it.”
“……… ….”
Eri’s advice did not completely clear the fog in my mind.
Strangely enough, that time remained in my mind for a long time.
***
“Yuuki-sama! “It doesn’t move like that there, it moves like this!”
Under Shiraishi’s guidance, Yuuki was sweating and reciting her lines.
Although Yuuki was struggling to memorize the script and was struggling, he seemed to be improving little by little after receiving direct acting guidance from the director.
“No, that’s impossible! “It’s hard to memorize the script, but you also have to learn the body movements!”
“But you still have to do it! “You’re the main character, right?!”
“Ugh… ….”
I poured black tea into my cup while glancing at the passionate acting practice of the man and woman standing in the moonlit garden.
I didn’t pour it out to drink.
Elena, sitting in her seat, lifts the glass and takes a sip.
“……… “There is still a long way to go.”
“Please take a look…” .”
I was also receiving guidance from Elena. The qualities of a great butler. One of them is how to brew delicious black tea.
I was learning about their own world that I had never heard of.
Starting with ballroom dancing, the correct way to greet each other, how to escort, and even how to brew tea.
It seems like Elena wasn’t bluffing when she said she would make Shiraishi the perfect butler in a short period of time. I’ve been going through quite a bit of trial and error since that day.
If the other side was practicing as Romeo and Juliet, this side seemed to be learning how to become the real Juliet’s servant.
“We adjust the amount of water and temperature according to the type of tea leaves, and even the time. “I won’t send you home today until you put the whole process in your head.”
“……… “You’re kidding, right?”
Elena said as she picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth.
“Of course I’m joking.
“Phew… ….”
“I am sincere in saying that I will completely teach you the entire process before the party.”
“……… ….”
If I continue like this, I will become Juliet’s servant in the truest sense of the word.
Even though we were scared, we spent the night faithfully practicing.
Exhausted after experiencing different hardships, we lay side by side on the lawn and looked up at the night sky.
“Oh~hohoho! “What a rewarding night!”
“Lady. “Please be quiet because you will be a nuisance to your neighbors.”
“Oh…… Ho Ho… like….”
I glanced sideways at Shiraishi and the maid, who were still full of energy, and took a deep breath.
“I came here because Shiraishi said he really wanted to see me… What trouble….”
Yuki, who fell for my trick, also grumbled and complained.
“But it’s true that I wanted to see it. “Haruna and Senpai have already come and gone.”
“Am I not the only one who received special training in acting?”
“Yes. “Because I needed it.”
In reality, Yuuki was very bad at acting.
Memorizing the lines was difficult, and I had just received harsh instruction from Shiraishi today.
“This is why I didn’t want to play the main character… ….”
“Give up. “Because the cultural festival is already close.”
“Ugh… ….”
In the end, my efforts to assign Yuuki to the role of Romeo were meaningless. Anyway, what do you think?
It is clear that the experience of working together to present a successful play will be a good memory for Shiraishi.
“Now~ Yuuki! Wake up! “We need to practice the next scene!”
“Ugh… ….”
Yuuki was dragged by her, pushing her body up with the force of her Shiraishi’s back.
“Boy.”
“Eh… ….”
At the same time, Elena also calls me.
“5 Minutes of break time is enough.”
“Isn’t it too short?”
Even while I was having a “Rewarding night,” As Shiraishi said, I kept thinking about Shiraishi’s engagement.
If my prediction is not wrong, the reason Ryosuke kidnapped her was because of his twisted love.
Should I call it love? Or maybe it’s the desire to have Shiraishi in her hands.
Unable to leave Shiraishi alone as he tries to run away with Yuuki, the man commits a crime.
I don’t know if her desire for Shiraishi is that strong, or if it’s just a twisted impulse like she wants to destroy him if she can’t have him.
I was wondering if I could use that man somehow.
Would that man do something wrong in this world too?
In that case, I must protect Shiraishi from him.
If you know, it is not difficult to stop it.
“…… Hmm… “It has just a little bit of a nice flavor that goes well with cookies.”
I looked at Elena, who carefully evaluated me and encouraged my growth little by little.
“…… “Do you have something to say?”
She quickly noticed my gaze and asked.
“No… nothing.”
No, let’s not talk about things that don’t have solid physical evidence.
Elena could have been a more reliable ally than anyone else… It didn’t seem like the time was right yet.
As time passed and it was time to return, we came out to the entrance of the mansion.
When I returned home, I always took the car prepared by them.
Shiraishi and Elena came to meet us at the door and saw us getting into the car.
“Then Shiraishi. “Thank you for today.”
“Yes, Yuuki!”
I waved at Shiraishi before getting into the car.
“…… “Then I’ll just leave.”
“……… Yes.”
While answering Yuuki so confidently, I silently watched Shiraishi strangely becoming quieter in front of me.
Then he bowed his head towards Elena and tried to get into his car.
“Ah, Mr. Minsu!”
I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard her shout behind me.
“Huh, huh? Why?”
I look back in confusion.
Shiraishi was more troubled than me and hesitated.
“Ah… excuse me… actually….”
“……… ….”
First, Yuuki gets in the car, opens the window and looks around.
“Ah… that… something to say… ….”
What to say?
You have something to say to me only when it’s time to go back.
Shiraishi wanted to know something, but couldn’t get her words out and mumbled.
“Can I go first?”
Yuki asked as if she couldn’t bear the wait.
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“Huh? Hey, wait….”
“What do you think? There will be one or two more cars and drivers. “I’m tired too.”
The window closes.
Yuki’s car leaves.
Only me, Elena, and Shiraishi remained in front of the mansion.
“……… Oh, don’t worry! Of course, I had someone else take me home… !”
“No, I understand that… “What do you have to say?”
Shiraishi turned and entered the mansion.
“This…” Please come in first.”
“Yes….”
What on earth is this?
Despite feeling her doubts, I followed her and Elena into her.