47 – Someone’s Will
I was worried about the possibility that there might be one, but Haruna faced me in front of the school gate was no different than usual. When asked if she had seen Takase-senpai, she shook her head.
“No. I haven’t seen Eri.”
“…… I see.”
“Why? What happened?”
Haruna ran into Takase-senpai on her way home from school, and she was worried that she might notice something strange in the process, but she didn’t seem to know anything.
That was fortunate.
I didn’t want the problem between my senior and me to be known as much as possible.
I wanted to solve it on my own.
Now, though, I’ve hit a wall.
“No… nothing.”
“What is it?”
She must have waited for me for a long time, from after school until now, after practice.
“…… Are you just going home?”
I asked her puzzled, and she turned her head to look in her direction.
“Huh?”
“No… I thought you had something to say.”
He dared to wait for me when the time wasn’t right.
I don’t know what the intention was, but I definitely assumed something was going to happen. She tilted her head and shook her head.
“No. I just wanted to go home with Minsu.”
“……… ….”
“Then why not?”
“No… It can’t be.”
She puckered her lips in displeasure and smiled at her sticking out.
She slowly approached and stood beside her.
Walking side by side along Hagyo-gil.
She was supposed to be chatting about something, but today she was silent. And I, too, was not in the mood to have a casual conversation.
In silence, we quietly walked down the street.
It’s time for just the two of us to spend with Haruna. Even though I know I shouldn’t… I couldn’t help but feel heavy.
“…… Where is Minsu’s house?”
“Huh?”
“I have never heard where Minsu lives.”
“……… Come to think of it.”
I was vague about that part.
I said while scratching my cheek.
“I’m living on my own.”
“Wow~ Really? Amazing.”
“Awesome. It’s just for convenience.”
“How do you cook? Are you eating properly?”
Are you even going to say that you want to stop by the house?
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
“Ugh~ I have doubts when I think of Minsu who was starving behind campus.”
“…… Then do you want to come over?”
When I asked in a playful way, Haruna became surprised with her eyes wide open.
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. Instead, it is a house where there are no parents and a man lives alone.”
“Uh uh… that….”
“To come to a house like that… ….”
I looked at her, raising the corner of her mouth.
“Are you prepared?”
“Mu, mu, what resolution are you talking about?!”
Her face flushed and she hurriedly ran ahead. She follows her like that.
“Hey Haruna~ Go with me.”
“Gee, ge, really! It’s sinister!”
She made fun of her lightly and smiled.
I won’t talk about coming home to play with this for a while.
“I will invite you when the time comes.”
“……… Yes.”
“Can’t you say no at that time?”
Haruna shook her head and shouted in bewilderment.
“Who said no!”
“Didn’t you just do that? I don’t care if it’s today.”
“Oh, no… ! I’m still ready for that… !”
As if imagining something, Haruna hurriedly shook her head again.
“……… Well, I don’t care if it’s Haruna’s house.”
“Ugh… ….”
Oh, I think I understand Yuuki’s feelings. Haruna is fun to tease. It seemed that if she did more, she would really get upset and go away alone, so she decided to stop.
“Today, I will just drop you off.”
“…… It’s really bad.”
Pursuing her lips, Haruna slowed her pace.
I walk quietly along Haruna.
For some reason, my heart felt lighter.
The reason you asked me to go home today was because I just wanted to spend time like this. A relaxing moment for just the two of us.
Thinking that way made me feel relieved.
“……… Aren’t you worried about something?”
At that moment, her voice stopped her steps.
“…… Are you Minsu?”
Haruna, who was walking in front of her, turned her head and looked at me.
“Worried… ?”
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Why did she stop walking at that sudden question?
She smiled and said.
“Just… Maybe Minsu is worried about something… I’m worried….”
She had never shown anything like that in front of her.
However, she noticed my troubles somewhere and was implicitly asking about it.
It’s not like I’m specifically questioning or prying.
Just be careful. It knocks on my heart.
“I am busy with track and field activities… Oh, and the school newspaper too. If you have any worries or concerns, I want to hear them….”
Leaving her smile on, I stood there for a while.
It would be a lie to say that there is no such thing here and now.
“……… Haruna.”
And she once told me.
I want to be your will. She once expressed her sincere desire to be the kind of girlfriend she can go through and endure any hardships or worries.
Shaking her head at her like that, I tried to solve her alone by breaking the promise with her.
That would disappoint Haruna.
And I didn’t want to give her that feeling again.
“Yes… why?”
“Wait… Where do you want to go? There is something I want you to hear.”
“Yes!”
She nodded her head briskly.
***
I entered the cafe and sat down.
I wonder if this was the reason for wanting to go home together.
Not because he has something to say, but because he wants to hear my concerns.
If that’s the case, it was a really scary intuition.
I’ve never told Haruna about the track team’s problems or my worries.
She was waiting for me in some way to notice my problem and listen to it.
How should I accept her amazing intuition and such kindness that asks her kindly without questioning it strongly?
“…… Lol… it’s good….”
In front of my eyes, I only saw her laughing like a fool while eating a strawberry latte with a mountain of cream piled on top.
“Ah… ….”
When her eyes met, she scooped out the cream with her spoon and held it out.
“Ah~ anh.”
“……… ….”
Opening her mouth, she asked for the spoon she held out.
“…… Put it on.”
“Isn’t it delicious?”
She smiled and nodded her head after her as she asked. Why do women like sweet things so much?
Sayoko-senpai and Takase-senpai too.
The arrogant and scary-looking seniors also took a bite of the parfait and put on happy faces.
No, is this prejudice?
What is the reason why you shouldn’t like sweet things, even though they are scary seniors?
Takase-senpai also has the freedom to have girlish and cute tastes.
“……… Senior too.”
Thinking of her like that, I opened her mouth involuntarily.
“I like sweet things.”
“Huh?”
“Takase-senpai.”
Haruna looked at me blankly.
Scratching her head, I brought up today’s story.
I thought about how far I should reveal it. In the end, the part I wanted help from her was about her senior.
Injuries sustained during battery training.
A senior who kept training and participated in competitions while hiding it.
I had to stop her from continuing to participate in the next tournament even after I found out about it.
I failed at that, but Haruna might be able to do it.
She is much closer to Takase Eri than I am, and she must know Eri better.
“……… It happened.”
Having heard the whole story, Haruna spoke quietly.
“Yes. So, one day. Today… Or even tomorrow, I’ll meet my senior….”
She muttered as she lowered her head.
“Sister… You were overdoing it.”
“Huh?”
“Keep hiding your injuries… With all my might… You were trying.”
“……… ….”
She said she understood something, but that was the part I couldn’t understand the most.
“Haruna… Why is the senior working so hard… Do you know?”
I wanted to hear it.
If Haruna understands Takase-senpai, if she knows her existence much better than I do….
“Minsu… I don’t know?”
As if that was rather frustrating, she looked at me and asked.
“Yes. That’s why I’m asking Haruna. Because I can’t….”
I don’t know her.
It’s not enough for me. So if it’s Haruna….
“Sorry. It’s Minsu.”
But she shook her head.
“…… Uh?”
“I… can not.”
Because I never thought I’d hear a refusal.
I was frozen in place.
I expected that if it was Haruna, she would worry about her senior even more than I did.
“I am the one who can’t. I can’t stop her sister.”
“If you can’t, who the hell… Oh, Yuuki? If it’s him….”
Again, Haruna shook her head.
“Then what the hell… !”
Just before the impatience explodes… I jumped up and was speechless at the sight of her eyes.
I sat down slowly at the kind gaze that seemed to soothe a fussy child.
Haruna closed her eyes and quietly opened her mouth.
“The reason my sister does that is… Minsu, it’s because of you.”
“……… ….”
That was a problem I ran into as well.
If Eri Takase came to like me….
However, the senior adamantly denied it.
“Manager-kun… Did you really not know that?”
With a chuckle, Haruna put the title in her mouth.
That one word was strangely stuck in my heart.
“My sister wants you to look after her… I have been pushing myself like that because I want to show you a cool side of me.”
“Haruna, that’s… ….”
Does she know what that means?
There’s no way you don’t know.
That’s why I tried to hide this problem from Haruna.
“The only person who can help her sister is you, Minsu.”
“……… ….”
“So be her sister’s strength. Manager.”
The title came out of Haruna’s mouth and stopped in front of me.
That was cruel to her as well as to me.