V3Ch20: Blue Reconciliation

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Translator: Soafp

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“–That’s how it happened. And so, Shirase found out.”

I explained how Shirase discovered my true identity. Aoyama had initially listened with keen interest, but by the time I finished, her expression had changed to one of exasperation.

“You’re such a klutz.”

“Shut up.”

“So, that cooking contest was Shirase’s idea too?”

“Pretty sloppy, right? The planning was a mess. It was chaotic from start to finish, but Shion managed to make it work somehow. The real goal was to gather information from the goddesses.”

As I sighed and spoke, Aoyama seemed to realize something.

“Oh! So, Shota joined the White faction because you made up with her?”

“Took you long enough. That was Shirase’s suggestion too. It was supposed to help ward off invitations from other goddesses, but it didn’t really work.”

“…I honestly thought you were being blackmailed.”

“I told you before, that’s not the case.”

“Well, with her, I figured she might have some dirt on you or something.”

Shirase’s lack of trustworthiness is astounding.

Leaving aside how untrustworthy she is, Aoyama seemed to have reached a conclusion. She looked surprised that my relationship with Shirase had been repaired.

At this point, I decided to ask her about a certain doubt I’d been holding.

“You lied to Shirase, saying you didn’t know about me. Why?”

“Because I thought Shirase hadn’t realized your true identity.”

“…”

“I wanted her to forget about you, so I lied, thinking she’d lose interest and forget you existed. Well, it ended up being pointless, though. I never expected her to find out.”

So that’s what it was.

I had known from the start that Aoyama hadn’t forgotten about me. That was her intent all along.

But since Shirase and I had already reconnected, it rendered her efforts meaningless.

“So basically, you were trying to protect me from Shirase?”

“I never imagined you’d make up with her. If anything, she seemed like the last person you’d reconcile with. So, yeah, she wasn’t on my radar at all.”

I had thought the same.

Unlike Aoyama, Shirase really hadn’t noticed me. She was the farthest from figuring out who I was.

…I see, pretending to forget.

As soon as I realized that, another possibility crossed my mind.

Maybe Kuromine and Akazawa were thinking the same thing.

According to Renji, Akazawa had a picture of me in her room. There’s a high chance she's also pretending to have forgotten.

Could they have already figured out who I really am?

That might be overthinking it. I have no idea about Akazawa, but I met Kuromine in middle school. If my current appearance is close to my elementary school self, they shouldn’t be able to recognize me.

Either way, there's no point in speculating without answers.

“When did you meet Inuyama?”

“A little before the sports festival. I revealed my true identity to him. He was pretty shocked. He looked at me like he was seeing something unbelievable.”

I told her about the situation when I reunited with Renji.

As I talked, I started getting into the story, rambling on for several minutes without realizing it.

“…You look happy when you talk about Inuyama.”

“Eh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

As the conversation paused, Aoyama seemed to remember something.

“Oh yeah, we got sidetracked with Shirase’s story, so it ended up incomplete.”

“Ah, that’s right. Let’s hear your side. Specifically, what did you do after finding out about me?”

“I’ll tell you how I've been feeling and what I’ve done up to this point.”

Aoyama began explaining, reflecting on the days leading up to now.

She'd been struggling with whether to come clean, but in the end, kept putting it off. The turning point, she said, was the conversation she had with Momoka.

“What did you talk about with Momoka?”

“…I can’t tell you the details without her permission, but to put it simply, she wants to become a goddess.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Her sincerity was dazzling. I decided I wanted to support her. That's why I dropped out of the contest. It's partly because I don't feel I deserve to be a goddess myself.”

“Support?”

“The contest, of course. Since she's aiming to become a goddess, I want to help her however I can.”

That surprised me.

“She may hate me, but I can't bring myself to dislike her. I think she's the most decent one among us. I'd feel at ease if she became a goddess. She'd make a much better one than me. I want the next person to give it their all, don't you?”

So that’s what she meant when she said she could leave things in Momoka's hands.

I was curious about their conversation, but since Aoyama seemed reluctant to share, I decided to leave it for now.

“That's what I've been thinking and doing up until today.”

“I see.”

“After thinking it through, I decided I needed to apologize to you, Shota.”

Aoyama looked directly at me.

“Can you tell me about the time you pushed me down the stairs?”

“Alright. It might make you uncomfortable, though.”

“I don't mind.”

Aoyama told me everything.

The story matched what had been written on the Discordo and what I'd heard during the strategy meeting at the family restaurant.

There was no reason to doubt her.

“So, it really was an accident, huh.”

“Yes, but I don't want to brush it off as just an accident. Thanks to you, it all turned out fine, but it could have easily become a police matter. On top of that, I slandered you to save myself. I was honestly terrible.”

Aoyama stood up.

“I know it's selfish of me, but I really want to be friends with you again, Shota.”

Aoyama bowed her head deeply for the third time.

“I'm truly sorry for what happened back then!”

Seeing her like that, I was reminded of the past.

“I don’t expect to be forgiven so easily. So, hit me as much as you need to feel better!”

“… No, that’s way too reckless of a solution.”

“But I can’t think of any other way to apologize.”

To me, that incident was something that happened more than two years ago.

Back then, maybe, but now, I don’t feel the need to do anything to Aoyama.

Besides, she’s been apologizing all along. There are still numerous apology messages left on the Discordo. Her feelings of remorse are probably genuine.

I understood that she didn’t intentionally push me down the stairs.

If someone asked if I could forgive everything right away, the answer would be no, but at least, I don’t feel like getting revenge on the current Aoyama.

Honestly, what good would it do for me to hit her now?

“…”

None. It wouldn’t benefit me at all.

To be honest, even if I hit her, I wouldn't feel any satisfaction. After seeing all the messages she left, the grudge I once held has faded away.

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“Eh?”

“I've got a new family now. My new father tells me I’m a good son, and my stepsister Shion looks up to me as a great brother. Maybe, under the circumstances, hitting you might make sense, but if I did that, Shion would probably be disappointed in me. My father wouldn’t be happy either. They might understand, but if it damages our relationship, that would be the worst outcome.”

“… I won't tell anyone.”

“What if they see your swollen face when you head home?”

There were times when the thought of revenge crossed my mind.

But the desire for a peaceful life won out. The longer I lived in peace, the stronger that desire became.

“So, it’s fine. I forgive you.”

“Shota…”

“But, that doesn't mean I've forgiven everything, and I'll never forget what happened. It’s not a grand reconciliation or anything. To be honest, if someone asked if we're friends again, I'd still shake my head.”

Tears welled up in Aoyama’s eyes as she nodded.

“I understand… Thank you, Shota.”

And so, we made up.

Whether we can ever go back to how we were back then is still uncertain. But I have a feeling that one day, I might be able to call this blue-haired girl my ‘friend’ again.