V4Ch6: After the Black’s Reunion

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Translator: Soafp

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The day after I reunited with Kuromine—Sunday.

I was hard at work at my part-time job in the middle of the day.

Yesterday, our conversation had been cut short when Shion barged in. Or rather, it had been derailed into an entirely different direction.

And somehow, I ended up being pushed into aiming to become a god.

I had absolutely no interest in being the male god, but given the situation, I had no choice. In a way, Renji's decision was a good one. Thanks to him, Shion didn't find out, and there was no reason for her to be suspicious.

The whole situation had turned bizarre, but honestly, I didn't really care that much.

Since the decision was made by votes, it wasn't something I could control anyway. As long as I kept up the appearance of aiming for the role of the male god, that was enough. It wasn't like I'd lose my life if I didn't win.

For the record, after that, Kuromine was taken to Shion's room. They chatted briefly before parting ways. Since her conversation with me had only been about gratitude and an apology, her business was already concluded.

As for me, I spent the rest of the time putting Renji in a wrestling hold for setting me up, then played games with him for fun.

“…I see. So that's why you joined the White Faction.”

After my shift ended.

By chance, Kuromine and I finished work at the same time. She was waiting for her father to pick her up, so we had time to chat.

I was the one who invited her to talk.

“Well, not that joining the White Faction had any effect in the end.”

“I think it did, at least a little. When I heard about it, I was pretty flustered.”

As always, Kuromine was in her plain, unassuming appearance—completely different from how she was at school. Even her way of speaking was different, making it feel oddly out of place.

I used to be more familiar with this version of her, but time really changed things.

A moment ago, we had been talking about Shirase and Aoyama. She had been surprised at first, but after hearing the reason, she seemed to understand.

“If that's what you decided, Nijitani-kun, I won't interfere.”

That's what she said, but her face showed dissatisfaction.

“You say that, but you look pretty conflicted.”

“Well, they've been at odds for a long time.”

Considering they had been enemies for nearly a year, it was only natural.

We talked further, and I also told her about my conversation with Shirase in my room.

As expected, Kuromine hadn't erased my existence—she had only been pretending to forget me. Just like Aoyama, she had her own reasons. Kuromine had never imagined that Shirase had made amends.

…Amends, huh.

That made me wonder—what about my relationship with Kuromine?

It didn't quite fit the idea of making up. We had never been particularly close friends. We were just two people who had licked each other's wounds in the library.

It was fundamentally different from the other two.

Aoyama was my childhood friend from elementary school, and the girl I was closest to. With Shirase, even though it was brief, we had been in a romantic relationship.

There was another key difference.

Both Shirase and Aoyama had apologized to me. But Kuromine had thanked me instead. Unlike them, she had never directly done anything to me in the first place.

After learning the truth, my impression of Kuromine had changed significantly.

She simply hadn't known. The negative rumors about me had spread, and the situation at the time had led to an unfortunate outcome.

…Though, to be honest, her method of revenge afterward was so extreme that it was a bit unsettling.

With that in mind, I made a mental note—never to get on Kuromine's bad side.

“But, I feel like I've finally found closure.”

As our conversation paused, Kuromine let out a breath.

“From now on, I plan to do what I truly want.”

“…What you want?”

“For now, that means making Shion-chan the Goddess. I personally think she's a perfect fit. Initially, I thought of repaying the debt I owe you by supporting your stepsister, but—”

So that was part of her reasoning.

“At some point, I changed my mind. I simply believe that Shion-chan will be a truly wonderful and captivating Goddess.”

On that point, I completely agreed.

“Oh, right. There's something I wanted to say to you, Kuromine.”

“What is it?”

“Thanks.”

“Eh?”

Kuromine looked surprised.

“That's for making me realize how important gratitude is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Actually, I’m meeting my benefactor tomorrow.”

“…A benefactor, like Mukawa-kun?”

I shook my head.

“No, I don't think I did anything to be called a benefactor.”

“No, Mukawa-kun, you definitely saved me. The fact that I can live a normal life now is thanks to you.”

“…That's an exaggeration.”

“It's not. If the corner of a book had hit me while I was unconscious and defenseless, the worst could have happened. Saying that you saved my life wouldn't be an overstatement.”

I don't think it was anything that grand.

But still, being thanked felt nice.

The words of gratitude Kuromine gave me yesterday resonated deeply within my chest. They reassured me that my actions hadn't been wrong. There was a time when I regretted helping her, but now I could say with confidence that I had made the right choice.

Tomorrow after school, I would be meeting with Kikka Nee-san.

I had planned to confirm the truth behind the rumors with her, but there was something I needed to do first. Kuromine made me realize that.

First, I needed to properly express my gratitude. And then, I needed to apologize.

Back then, I had been in a terrible state. I remembered saying all kinds of harsh things to push Neesan away, even though she came to visit me every day.

I had to thank her and apologize for that. Or as Kuromine would put it, I needed to see it through properly.

“Well, anyway, she's a true benefactor to me. I seriously want to repay her.”

“…Now that you mention it, I haven't repaid my debt yet.”

Kuromine stared at me intently.

“Do you have any requests?”

“Nope. You don't need to repay anything. Honestly, I'm already content with my life. I've got a cute little sister now, and I'm getting used to my new environment.”

“…I see.”

Seeing her look downcast made me feel like I had done something wrong.

“Well then, just stay friends with me.”

“Eh?”

“I understand your situation now. I've accepted your gratitude and apology, so let's put that whole thing behind us. And from now on, I want us to have a relationship where we can trust each other unconditionally.”

Upon hearing that, Kuromine's expression brightened.

“Understood. My connection with Mukawa-kun ended unresolved, but let's build a new one with you, Nijitani-kun.”

I guess that means we've mended our relationship.

At first, I was tormented by the Four-Colored Devils, but now—

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

“I have something important to talk about tomorrow. I'd appreciate it if you could make some time after school. Looking forward to it.”

The message was from Yuuhi Akazawa.

I tilted my head at the cryptic message.

“What's wrong?”

“Nah, it's nothing.”

I quickly hid my phone and put on a smile.

That girl's always impossible to read, but tomorrow is out of the question. I'll just reply that I have plans.

As we were talking, Kuromine's father arrived.

“Well then, see you at school, Nijitani-kun.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Watching Kuromine drive off in the car, I slowly began walking home.