Chapter 13: Going home

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

“Congratulations on your discharge.”

On the day I bid farewell to the white ceiling of the hospital, the first person to show up was not a parent or a wife, but my colleague, Katsuragi. Having only rugged men around isn’t bad either.

By the way, I’ve just told my parents not to come.

Diagnosed with acute bleeding gastric ulcer, I’ve been living in the hospital for almost two months. Although the cause of stress is still around, keeping a low profile seems to reduce stress quite a bit.

Thanks to Mizuki’s scolding and some introspection on my part, my mental state gradually stabilized day by day.

Naturally, as my mental state improved, so did my physical condition.

Finally, I managed to be discharged from the hospital thanks to the miraculous power of medication.

“Thank you, Katsuragi.”

“Don’t mention it. If you don’t come back to work, I’ll end up collapsing next. I’m just here to butter you up.”

This guy is always like this. Of course, it’s not his true feelings. It’s his way of caring, this tsundere.

“I see. I caused trouble by taking a long leave of absence. I apologize.”

“No need to apologize. If you feel that way, then work like a horse for me.”

…He’s not serious, is he?

Well, whatever. Anyway—I don’t want to go home.

Despite deciding to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Maya once again, the feeling of wanting to escape has resurfaced within me.

Haha. I’m the epitome of pathetic, aren’t I?

Perhaps sensing my mood, Katsuragi casually grabbed my shoulder and invited me to have a meal.

“Well then, let’s go have tempura as a celebration for your discharge.”

“Can I even eat that kind of stuff?”

“Hmm, then how about tonkatsu?”

“Katsuragi, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“No, seeing your sunken cheeks, I just felt an urge to feed you high-calorie food.”

“When I fully recover, I’ll take you up on that… Huh?”

As we were having this conversation—approaching us was a short-haired woman in a navy blue suit.

“…Congratulations on being discharged, Kazunari.”

“Mizuki… Aah, thank you.”

“Eh!”

The person who approached was Mizuki Konno.

Recognizing this, Katsuragi, who seemed to have just realized it, let go of my shoulder and put some distance between us.

“W-Why is Konno here!?”

“Aah, you’re here too, Katsuragi, the irresponsible pl*yboy. Well, it’s just a greeting, even though you’re a university classmate. It’s normal to celebrate someone’s discharge from the hospital, isn’t it?”

“Shut it, you moron! You weren’t even that close with Kazunari, were you? Despite being a loose cannon who loves group dates—”

“Exaggerating things that aren’t true is also unpleasant, so would you kindly take a nosedive from K2 or maybe offer your heart as a sacrifice in a ritual at Machu Picchu?”

Ah, by the way, Mizuki casually explained, but she and I are classmates from university. And Mizuki was Maya’s classmate in high school.

Katsuragi and Mizuki were supposed to have met at a group date, but I don’t know why they’re at odds to this extent. Well, it’s true that rough-around-the-edges Katsuragi and refined, model-like Mizuki are mismatched.”

“So, Kazunari.”

“…Hmm?”

“You’re going back now, right? To your own home.”

“…”

“It might be meddling, but… I’ll accompany you part of the way.”

It’s really meddling. I can’t escape.

Damn it, she’s seen right through me perfectly.

In the end, Mizuki is, without a doubt, on Maya’s side. It’s probably inevitable, being women and all.

In this kind of quagmire, ultimately, it seems that it’s me, the man, who is emotionally weaker.

…It’s unfair, isn’t it?”