Chapter 18: Support ②

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Translator: Soafp

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[Yuzuki Side]

“I'm off…”

Yuzuki put on her shoes to leave for school and grasped the doorknob.

At that moment, her mother spoke from behind.

“Did you have a fight with Ren? You haven't been going to pick him up lately, and you don't ask me to make a lunch for him anymore either…”

Yuzuki couldn't bring herself to say it.

The fact that Ren had dumped her—

No, she didn't want to accept it.

She had always believed, without a doubt, that she would spend her entire life with him.

“I don't know either.”

“You don't know? Really?”

“I said I don't know! I wish I knew!!”

At the very least, if he had told her he liked someone else, she might have been able to accept it.

But it didn't seem like that was the reason at all.

Even Ren's mother, who had treated her like her own daughter, had suddenly changed her attitude.

When Yuzuki rushed to the hospital worried about Ren after his accident, she was turned away.

“I don't know what happened, but… you should properly apologize to Ren.”

“Mom, I didn't do anything wrong! What am I supposed to apologize for!?”

Frustration welled up, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Ren, Takagi, Nodoka—

It felt like everyone was blaming her.

“Yuzuki, is there anything recently that Ren was especially worried about?”

“Eh?”

Something immediately came to mind.

The photography club—

More precisely, Nagasawa.

Ren had talked about him so often it became annoying.

To the point where he even suspected her of cheating—something completely baseless.

“That face tells me you do have something in mind.”

“I—I do, but I really didn't do anything! I'm frustrated too!”

“Listen… didn't Ren say anything? About seeing the future, or something like that?”

“What are you talking about, Mom?”

On their last date, Ren had said something absurd.

That he could see the future—

And that Yuzuki would cheat on him with Nagasawa.

There was no way she could believe something so ridiculous.

She didn't even find Nagasawa attractive as a man in the slightest, so there was no way such a relationship would ever happen—or so she thought.

“For cyring out loud…”

Yuzuki's mother let out a deep sigh and pressed her hand to her forehead.

“I didn't tell you back then because I thought you might end up resenting Ren, but… if things were going to turn out like this, I should have told you.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

Yuzuki couldn't understand her mother's words at all.

“You might not remember, but in third grade, there was that field trip you really wanted to go on, right?”

“Y-yeah… the one you suddenly told me I couldn't go to.”

Back then, she had been really looking forward to it—

Spending time with Ren, making new friends—it all seemed fun.

But just a few days before the trip, her mother suddenly decided she wouldn't be allowed to go.

She remembered crying her eyes out, not understanding why.

“The truth is, Ren came to me desperately, begging me not to let you go.”

“What? Why?”

This was the first time she had ever heard this.

“You were quite the tomboy back then. You didn't always listen to your teachers. You went off exploring with your friends, sneaking away somewhere—and it seems you wandered quite far.”

Even she had to admit—back then, it sounded like something she would've done.

She had been more active than most boys.

“And of all places, where you ended up was near a cliff.”

“A cliff?”

“He said he dreamed that you slipped there and fell.”

“…What?”

So her mother believed Ren's nightmare and made her skip the trip?

Yuzuki couldn't understand that decision at all.

“To be honest, at first I thought it was just a bad dream. But he was so desperate, crying and begging me…So I decided to trust him just once. And then, about two weeks later… this article came out.”

Her mother went into the room for a moment, then handed Yuzuki a clipped newspaper article.

Yuzuki's eyes widened as she read the headline.

—Elementary school student falls during field trip, seriously injured; park immediately closed

Her mother continued.

“Since then, I've believed that Ren has a special ability to save your life.”

---

[Ren PoV]

Thanks to all of Komori-san's help, I got through the morning classes without much trouble.

When lunch break came, she pulled her desk next to mine and took out her bento.

“We're eating here?”

“We're friends.”

“Won't this cause more misunderstandings?”

“I told you, right? I'm not planning to get a boyfriend right now. So it doesn't matter.”

Well, the emergency staircase was inconvenient anyway.

Though I could feel the stares from the girls in class, including Yuzuki.

In this regard, maybe Komori-san was the tougher one.

“It looks delicious again today.”

“R-really? I'm glad.”

When she opened the lid, I couldn't help but admire it.

Could someone our age really cook like this?

I was already starting to drool.

I picked up my chopsticks with my left hand and grabbed a piece.

“Ah.”

But because I wasn't used to using my left hand, the food slipped and fell back into the box.

I'd have to wear this cast for at least a month.

Would I ever get used to using chopsticks with my left hand?

More than taking notes, the frustration of eating like this was what really got to me.

“Stay still. I said I'd help, didn't I?”

Komori-san took my chopsticks, picked up the piece I dropped, and gently held it out toward my mouth.

“Here, say ‘ahh'.”

“…Huh?”

“H-hurry up and eat!”

Since I couldn't properly use chopsticks with my left hand, maybe this was the natural solution.

Komori-san herself seemed embarrassed—her ears were red, and the chopsticks trembled slightly.

I could feel the classmates' stares, but it couldn't be helped.

Not wanting to embarrass her, I opened my mouth and ate the food she offered.

“It really is good. I always think this, but whoever marries you is going to be really happy.”

“R-really? Then what about you right now?”

“Hm?”

“A-are you happy?”

“Yeah.”

I answered immediately.

Of course I was—eating something this good, how could I not be?

I could practically feel dopamine being released in my brain in real time.

“I-I see… hehe, hearing that makes it worth it.”

“Of course. I'm the type to return sincerity with sincerity.”

“Here, have more. Tell me if there's something you want.”

Smiling brightly, she held out more food with an “ahh.”

Her face was still a little red, but she no longer hesitated.

Moments like this really showed how bold she could be.

While I chewed, she started eating her own lunch.

But then—she used the same chopsticks I had just used.

“Komori-san.”

“Hm? What?”

“You didn't switch chopsticks.”

“Eh?”

Her own chopsticks were still neatly placed beside her.

Looking back and forth between them and the ones in her hand, her face turned bright red again.

“F-Fukagawa, you're still such a kid! It's just an indirect kiss, no need to make such a big deal…!”

“No, you're the one who needs to calm down…”

Honestly, I wasn't even a virgin anymore, so it didn't bother me.

I only pointed it out because I wanted to see this kind of cute reaction.

After that, she properly used separate chopsticks.

Meanwhile, I kept opening my mouth like a baby bird, taking food again and again.

Once or twice is fine, but at this rate, even I was starting to feel embarrassed…

“Komori-san, I just thought of something.”

“What?”

“If it's not chopsticks, you don't have to feed me directly like this, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean, if it's a spoon or fork, I can use my left hand just fine. So you don't have to go through all this trouble.”

She blinked rapidly.

“Y-you're right! I didn't even think of that!!”

“Well, if you still want to keep feeding me like this, I don't mind. It'd be like you're my girlfriend.”

“From tomorrow, I'm bringing a spoon and fork!! No, I'll bring them for you!!”

She huffed and turned away, sulking.

This classic tsundere side of hers was honestly adorable.

---

“See you tomorrow.”

“Goodbye, Oji-san.”

“Yeah, both of you get home safe.”

Not just Komori-san—Anna-chan came over too, and we all had dinner at my place.

With all three meals cooked by Komori-san today, it had been a very satisfying day.

Meanwhile, my mom, who met Anna-chan for the first time, muttered quietly:

“…I really wish I had a daughter. Ren, what do you think about having a younger sister?”

“Don't ask me.”

That's something she should decide with Dad.

In any case, it was obvious she'd taken a liking to Anna-chan.

I went upstairs and sat at my desk.

Lately, with everything involving Yuzuki and Komori-san, I hadn't been able to focus on studying at all.

I figured I'd at least do a bit of review.

But then—

“When you got into the accident, you called me by my name, remember? I've been thinking since then… shouldn't friends call each other by their names?”

[Ren] (Nodoka)

[S-so, what do you think?] (Nodoka)

[Ah, if you don't like it, just tell me!] (Nodoka)

[Are you in the bath right now? Ren, are you going to reply??] (Nodoka)

[Ah, of course you can call me by my name too!] (Nodoka)

[We're friends, right?] (Nodoka)

[We are friends, right?] (Nodoka)

[Hey, if we're friends, replying quickly is normal, isn't it?] (Nodoka)

[Ren??] (Nodoka)

Komori-san had once again dropped a message barrage on me.

As always… she gets really intense on LINE.

[Sorry, I was studying. Calling each other by name is fine. I'll call you Nodoka from now on, okay?]

A sticker with “OK” popped up.

[Let's keep getting along, Ren!]

---

That night, I had a “nightmare.”

A classroom during math class.

Sitting by the window, I absentmindedly looked up at the perfectly clear sky.

The clarity made me dizzy, and I was about to close my eyes—

when it happened.

“…Huh?”

Something massive fell right past the window.

Jet-black hair, flowing upside down, spread out like waves, filling the empty air.

For a brief instant—my gaze met her unfocused eyes drifting in the void.

Startled, I opened the window with trembling hands and leaned out.

The black hair that had just passed my view was now below.

On the cold asphalt—

A female student lay face down, her limbs bent at unnatural angles.

From beneath the black hair covering her face and upper body, dark red blood seeped out.

“KYAAAA—!!”

Along with someone's scream,

I woke up.

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