Chapter 152: Promise

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Translator: Soafp

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100: Username: Anonymous in Love

Dyeing your hair as a guy becomes something you hesitate to do as you get older, huh?

101: Username: Anonymous in Love

There are people at my workplace who are in their 50s and still dye their hair.

102: Username: Anonymous in Love

Hmm, how should I put it… 

Once you dye it, that wall disappears. 

But if you graduate college without ever dyeing it, you might stick with black hair for life.

103: Username: Anonymous in Love

If you suddenly start dyeing it in your late 20s, people around you will notice.

104: Username: Anonymous in Love

It might seem like you’re going for a makeover or something (lol), and that's embarrassing.

105: Username: Anonymous in Love

You’re overthinking it.

106: Username: Anonymous in Love

Actually, for most people, it’s easier to dye their hair when they're still students.

107: Username: Anonymous in Love

Depends on your job too.

108: Username: Anonymous in Love

I’m in my late 20s working at a big trading company, and I've decided to dye my hair like a traffic light. 

Maybe if I dye it, I'll finally get a girlfriend…

109: Username: Anonymous in Love

Stop it lol

110: Username: Anonymous in Love

Same here?

111: Username: Anonymous in Love

I dyed mine but still don’t have one (reality check).

112: Username: Anonymous in Love

Lol

113: Username: Anonymous in Love

No one’s rocking rainbow-colored hair, that’s for sure (laughs).

114: Username: Anonymous in Love

True that.

115: Username: Anonymous in Love

But didn't you make a female friend at least?

116: Username: Anonymous in Love

Alright, I'm gonna dye mine too!

117: Username: Anonymous in Love

You guys… 1 is stressing out about his family coming over, and you're joking around? lol

118: Username: Anonymous in Love

It's next week, right? He’s still got plenty of time to think about it lol

119: Username: Anonymous in Love

Right? lol

120: Username: Anonymous in Love

Yeah, overthinking never helps anyway! lol

121: Username: Anonymous in Love

…I feel like we're setting up a huge red flag here though.

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[Momo PoV]

“I wonder if everything is okay.”

I glanced at the slow-moving clock and murmured. 

It’s been ten minutes since then. 

There's no way it would take that long just because he’s missing an ear cuff.

“Icchi…”

The worst-case scenario popped into my mind. 

The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.

If he runs into the family in that outfit, it won't just leave a bad impression—it'll be a disaster. 

The only fortunate thing is that it's still a bit light outside. 

Though, it's already past 7 PM—

Ping!

“!”

Hajime Toumachi: Sorry, I can't walk home with you today. 

Hajime Toumachi: Don't worry about me. I'll explain everything to my family. 

Hajime Toumachi: See you tomorrow.

I stared at the list of messages. 

Without taking my eyes off the screen—

“…Idiot.”

There's no way I won't worry.

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[Toumachi Pov]

“Sit down, Hajime.”

“…Yes. Oh, my phone's buzzing (monotone).”

With acting skills worthy of a Z-tier movie extra (sorry), I opened my phone and sent a message to Hatsune-san. 

This is going to take a while. I can't keep her waiting. 

Even though the situation is serious, somehow, I feel strangely calm.

“…”

“…” 

“…” 

“Guuu”

It's Monday, 8 PM. 

I am in hell.

In the living room of a high-rise apartment, two members of my family stared intently at me.

The missing family member was lying down over there. 

She's about my height, with naturally brown hair. 

Her gentle eyes were closed, breathing softly—entirely out of place for this situation.

Hana Toumachi… my mother. 

She fainted when she saw the Ant Nest Observation Kit (which doesn't have any ants yet). 

…This isn't my fault! She barged into my room on her own!

“We'll wake Hana-san up later. First of all… why did you lie, Hajime?”

My father finally broke the silence. 

Satoru Toumachi… A businessman currently on a work trip to America.

I had never seen my father like this before. 

A sigh that deep—he had never let out one in front of me.

“Can I ask… what’s this misunderstanding about?” 

“Uh…m…” 

“What?”

The next person to speak was my sister. 

With semi-long brown hair and sharp eyes like our father, she had grown taller too.

She was still as well put-together as ever, looking nothing like me. 

In fact, she seemed to have gained a certain aura over the past year.

“You’ve gotten taller, Nina.” 

“Don't change the subject.” 

“Sorry (bows deeply).”

For the record, there's no such thing as older brotherly dignity here. 

I’ve already shown too many shameful sides of myself.

“Well, isn't it fine? It's been a while since you and Hajime met, right, Nina? Over in America, I was always talking about—” 

“Dad, don’t change the subject.” 

“Uh… yeah, haha. Sorry… but, you know, I actually have a counselor's license too—” 

“Don’t change the subject.” 

“…Sorry.”

There's no fatherly dignity either. 

In this family, my mother and sister are the strong ones.

“So, what's the misunderstanding?” 

“…W-well, um. I wasn't going anywhere suspicious in this outfit. I was just going for a walk nearby with a friend, that's all.”

“That makes no sense. Why would you change into those clothes just for a ‘walk'?”

“Uh… does it really seem that strange?”

“You're hiding something, aren't you, Onii-chan?” 

“…N-no, I'm not.”

Even though she's shorter than me, her presence is overwhelming. 

It seems her time in America has made her even ‘stronger.'

“By any chance, is this friend the one waiting outside that apartment?” 

“Y-yeah. That's probably them… I told them to head home, though.”

“I see. So that person's the reason Onii-chan is dressing like… this.”

Nina’s expression looked as if she knew everything, and that bothered me. 

“—No! The clothes, the hair color… everything was my own choice.”

“!? That makes no sense. Don't joke around.”

“I'm not joking. I actually like how it turned out now, and I'm glad I did it.”

“…I see. You’ve really changed, haven’t you, Onii-chan?”

Changed… yeah, I've changed. 

But Nina's tone wasn't what I wanted to hear.

“You might not believe it, but I've made friends. A lot happened to me, too.”

“And this is the result?” 

“…”

Her eyes grew even colder as she looked at me. 

Rainbow-colored hair. 

Only one ear cuff. 

Sunglasses that didn't suit me at all.

I knew. 

No matter what I said, things would only get worse. 

No matter what I said, they wouldn’t believe it as the truth. 

This atmosphere was just that kind of situation.

“…Listen, Hajime. The bank account I gave you for your part-time job, I can monitor it too. And… the withdrawals over the past two months have been ‘abnormal.'”

“The money you saved up during your first year… is now down to less than 10%. I know it's your money, and you might think I shouldn't interfere with how you spend it, but… as your father, I'm worried.”

“…Hey, Hajime. Are you… really okay?”

My father said this kindly, but those weren't the words I wanted to hear.

“Is that friend of yours… really—”

I didn't want to hear the rest of that sentence.

“—It's fine! Please don't talk about them like that… They're an important friend.”

I cut him off. 

No matter what I said now, it would be pointless. 

Even if I talked about the bottle ship under the desk, the tons of natural water in the house, the extra pictures on my phone, or the fun memories—all of it would only backfire.

And the club membership card in my wallet… would just lead to more misunderstandings.

“Sorry. I'm going to my friend's house. I promised… we'd stop by after a walk today.”

“Eh?”

“…I see.”

All I wanted right now was to leave this place. 

I wanted to escape.

I knew things were only going to get worse. 

I knew I was making the wrong choice again.

But—if nothing I did now would make a difference—

“I will come back here during the weekend. I'll explain everything properly then.”

It was just postponing the inevitable. 

But with those words, I stood up.

“Wait, Onii-chan!” 

“Nina, it's fine. Hajime… you really promised, didn't you?” 

“…Yeah.”

“Dad!” 

“We’re the ones who showed up unannounced on Monday, after originally planning for next week. If Hajime has a meeting with someone, that promise takes priority.”

My stomach churned in pain. 

Dad took out the spare key to this room… then looked at me with gentle eyes.

“Hajime. Once your mom wakes up, we'll head back to the hotel tonight… but we'll come back on Sunday.”

“!”

“Until then… your mom and I won't come here. You won't be able to focus on your studies if we're around.”

“R-really? Dad…”

“I trust you, Hajime. You said your grades were good, right? …So I'll give you the time you asked for.”

“!”

“What's your schedule for Sunday?” 

“…Nothing planned.”

“Then it's settled. ‘This Sunday at 3 PM—we'll talk with you.'”

It wasn't something I could refuse. 

Dad pulled out an old, well-used planner.

With smooth strokes of his fountain pen, he wrote down the details.

“—This is another promise, okay?”

Hearing his voice, 

“Got it. I'll be waiting.” 

I said as I slipped on my shoes and opened the door.

The warm night air hit me, making me feel sick.

So, I ran down the stairs, rushing to get away.