V4Ch7: Rainbow Gratitude

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Translator: Soafp

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Monday—

For many students and workers, it’s the dreaded day of the week. I was no exception—I usually hated Mondays.

But today was different. I was in high spirits from the morning, filled with motivation.

There were two reasons for that.

One was that my discussion with Kuromine on Saturday had ended without issue. I had been on guard, unsure of what she would say, but having gotten through that event was a huge relief. Not only that, but the conversation had turned out to be extremely beneficial for me.

The other reason was that I was meeting Nee-san after school.

And so, I powered through my classes with a high level of enthusiasm.

I felt like I was being watched a few times during lessons, but it was probably just because my energy on a Monday stood out too much.

Eventually, the school day ended while I was still in a good mood.

As soon as the homeroom was dismissed, I dashed out of the classroom and wandered around the school. There was no real reason for it—I just couldn’t sit still.

When the long-awaited message arrived on my phone, I began walking towards the designated location. Before long, I reached my destination.

“Excuse me.”

“Welcome, Sho-chan.”

The one who greeted me with a gentle voice was Kikka Amatsuka, a third-year student—one of the most well-known figures at Tenkain Academy and a former “Goddess.”

To me, she was both a great benefactor and someone I considered an older sister.

“Is anyone else here?”

“Nope. I told you earlier that everyone already left, remember?”

“Oh, right. Then I'll make myself comfortable.”

Feeling a bit nervous about entering a Senpai's classroom, I cautiously took the seat across from her.

This was the first time I had met her since that day.

“Thanks for making time for me.”

“I don't mind, but why did you pick this place?”

“Is it a problem?”

“Not at all. I just thought we could've met somewhere outside of school.”

The reason I had chosen her classroom as the meeting place was simple.

I wanted to avoid my own classroom—there had been an intruder there before, and I didn't want to risk a repeat incident.

I also ruled out meeting outside of school out of consideration for her. If someone saw us, strange rumors might start. I wasn't sure if she was aiming for the “Goddess” position again, but I figured it was best not to do anything that could cause trouble.

“Well, if Sho-chan is fine with it, then I don't mind either.”

“Yeah, there's no deep reason, so don't worry about it.”

She seemed convinced.

“So, what's the urgent matter you wanted to talk about?”

I took a deep breath and looked straight at her.

“Sorry for calling you out so suddenly. I just really wanted to express my gratitude and apologize.”

“…Gratitude and apology?”

“I think I mentioned it briefly before—the reason I ended up there.”

Back when I was living with my grandparents, I had told Kikka a little about it.

“If I remember correctly, you said there was someone you didn't get along with in your hometown?”

I had kept the explanation vague. I had only said that I had suffered at the hands of someone unpleasant and moved away to escape.

At the time, I had feelings for her. That's why I couldn't bring myself to admit, “I ran away because a girl broke me.” I didn't want to seem pathetic and get rejected.

“Did you… meet that person again?”

“Uh, no. That's not exactly it.”

In reality, it was true—but things had changed.

“When I first moved, I was in bad shape. But thanks to you, I was able to recover. You spent time with me every day, helped me talk to people again, and gave me the energy to live a normal life.”

“…Sho-chan.”

“I realized that I never properly thanked you for that. And also, in the beginning… I said some awful things to you.”

I stood up and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for helping me. And I'm sorry!”

Kikka didn't say anything at first. Instead, she stood up, reached out, and gently placed her hand on my head.

“Sho-chan, you've grown up.”

“Eh?”

“Not just in appearance, but on the inside too. As your older sister, I'm proud… but I also feel a little sad, like I lost my cute, cheeky, and hopeless little brother.”

She chuckled softly.

“Now that I think about it, you did say a lot of mean things. ‘Go away,' ‘stop bothering me,' ‘don't come near me'—and plenty of other things too.”

“…!”

I had no memory of that. Apparently, I had been really out of sorts back then. To think I had said such things to someone I admired…

As I trembled with embarrassment, she gave a small, gentle nod.

“Alright. Apology accepted.”

“…What about my gratitude?”

“I'll accept half of it.”

“Only half?”

“I knew you were struggling back then. Your face was so gloomy—it was obvious you had a lot going on. But you know, Sho-chan, the reason I spent so much time with you wasn't just for your sake.”

She turned her gaze toward the window.

“Life there was boring. Didn't you feel the same?”

I couldn't deny it.

That place was precious to me. The time I spent there shone like a treasure.

But at the same time, it was dull.

The nearest convenience store was a long walk away, the small local shop was always closed, and the only real place to hang out was a large park nearby. It wasn't exactly an exciting place for a kid.

There weren't even any kids my age around.

“I was bored out of my mind. Spending time with you was just more fun than being alone.”

That was probably her honest feeling.

But—

“Even so, you still saved me, Kikka nee-san.”

Even if it had started as a way to kill time, the fact remained that she had helped me.

“…I see. Well, as long as you think so, I'll accept your gratitude too.”

With my thanks and apology conveyed, a weight lifted from my shoulders.

But my business wasn't done yet.

“Is that all you needed?”

“Actually, there's one more thing.”

I exhaled lightly—

“I want to know the truth about that rumor.”

“Rumors?”

“You know, the one that spread before last year’s cultural festival. The rumor that you had an older boyfriend. I wasn’t here at the time, but I heard about it later.”

When I asked that question, my sister’s gaze sharpened.

“And what do you plan to do with that information?”

“If you’re caught up in some kind of trouble because of it, I want to help. I want to repay the favor from back then. If you want the rumor erased, I’ll do everything I can to make it disappear. If you want me to find out who spread it, I’ll ask around and investigate as much as necessary.”

Because of that rumor, Nee-san lost the position of ‘Goddess.'

The idea that ‘there’s no smoke without fire’ caused her popularity to decline.

What puzzled me was that she never explained the rumor when asked. If she had been forced to step down due to some kind of coercion, then I wanted to do something about it.

“…Repaying a favor, huh?”

“I don't want to force my help on you, but I really want to be of assistance.”

She paused, appearing deep in thought.

“I never intended to tell anyone, but… if it's you, I guess it's fine.”

“I swear I won't tell anyone!”

“I trust you, so that's not an issue. Besides, I might have wanted to talk to someone about it and finally put an end to it. Maybe… maybe the timing of our reunion is fate.”

Put an end to it?

I swallowed hard and waited for her next words.

“I was the one who spread that rumor myself.”

Her unexpected confession left me frozen in shock.

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