Chapter 74: Anri’s Feelings

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Translator: Soafp

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[Anri PoV]

“Fuwaa~… time for a little break…”

I, Anri Shinozuka, closed my tablet and shut my eyes. The same old, rundown food court in the deserted shopping center.

Today, Makoto-kun isn't beside me. Just when my cold finally got better, this time Makoto-kun caught one. He insisted he didn't want to give it back to me, so he warned me not to come until he felt at least a bit better…

Yeah, I was totally ready to take care of him.

Last weekend, I caught a cold and our plans fell apart. The truth is, I wanted to go to the movies with Kanzaki-san and Makoto-kun, but… well, it couldn't be helped.

“Still… even on weekends this place is always empty…”

I felt a little lonely being here all by myself. But this place is very dear to me.

Because it's where I met Makoto-kun.

I can always clearly remember that moment. We couldn't stop talking about novels. It was such a strange time…

Memories pile up. Like when Makoto-kun first called me… “a friend.”

I was so happy. I almost cried. My heart got all twisted up.

And then… I felt warm inside.

It feels like forever ago, but it was only a little while back.

A lot of bad things happened, but because Makoto-kun was there, I was able to face my past.

“…I really can't compete with him.”

Just being with him makes me smile without thinking. I want to keep talking with him forever. Just hearing his typing makes me feel at peace.

I took a deep breath and tried to switch gears. I had to finish the rest of my work!

But when I opened my eyes, standing right in front of me was—Haruka-san.

“Kya!!”

“Whoa!!”

My heart nearly stopped from the shock. Haruka-san, startled by my voice, stammered, “I-I didn't mean to scare you! A-Anri-san!”

She was out of breath and drenched in sweat.

“I-I'm so dumb, I didn't know how to contact you since I don't have your number… If I had remembered earlier… I remembered something my brother said… so I ran around everywhere looking for you… I even bowed my head to that hateful Nikaido to get your address…”

I tilted my head.

“You could've just asked Makoto-kun, right?”

Haruka-san nodded rapidly.

“Um… do you know when Onii-chan's birthday is?”

“Makoto-kun's birthday…? Now that you mention it, we never talked about that…”

“Um… his birthday is tomorrow.”

“Eh?”

Then Haruka-san suddenly slapped her own cheek hard. The sound echoed through the empty food court.

“We're the ones at fault. Hic… he treated us so kindly, and we got carried away, but our sins don't just disappear. Anri-san… my brother probably doesn't even realize tomorrow is his own birthday.”

“Ah…”

Makoto-kun had told me everything.

So I understood. When he became aware of his birthday, all it brought him was sadness.

That's the environment he grew up in…

Haruka-san's face was crumpled with guilt. She had worked hard to change. Makoto-kun responded to that.

So I didn't want to see her crying face.

Looking closely, her knees were scraped. Her clothes were covered in dirt—she had clearly fallen while running around.

I stood up and hugged her. Her body trembled. Because she understood the weight of her mistakes.

“…Makoto-kun called you his precious little sister, didn't he?”

“Yeah…”

She wasn't looking for comforting words.

She wasn't looking for forgiveness.

She didn't want to be blamed so she could feel better.

Then what she needed was—

“Then let's act on it, okay?”

Her shaking stopped. She wiped her tears and nodded firmly.

“Okay!”

---

Monday morning, back in the classroom.

After the school camp, the students all felt a little closer to each other.

I think school events really do help in forming your personality and learning how to socialize. Because moving as a group and accomplishing something together is hard, but you can feel the sense of achievement.

…I had been trapped in a tough-girl shell, running away.

When I looked around the classroom now, it felt different from before.

Some classmates greeted me with a cheerful “Good morning!” Some even walked up to me looking happy.

I had friends now, not just Makoto-kun.

Same with him. Compared to before, he returned everyone's greetings with such a soft expression.

“Phew… maybe I'll read a book. …Anri-san, is there something on my face?”

“Eh!? Ah, n-no, nothing. Is your cold better now?”

“Yeah, it went away in half a day. More importantly, your yankee way of talking has completely disappeared. Sometimes I get nostalgic for it.”

“Yeah… me too. And Makoto-kun, you used to be all prickly too.”

“…Right, let's drop that topic. Anri, can we go home together today?”

“Yeah, let's go home together!”

I felt truly happy.

Because Makoto-kun was by my side. My “most important person (the person I love most) in the world.”

…Makoto-kun would never imagine he was seen that way.

I was so nervous when I showed him that title! My heart was pounding so hard!

But he isn't dense. Actually, we react very strongly to people's emotions.

Because… we've been through so many sad things…

---

After school, Makoto-kun and I left the classroom together. Saito-san waved at me like she was saying “Good luck!”

“…Everyone was quiet today on the way out.”

“Really? Fufu, hey Makoto-kun, let's write at the food court again today, it's been a while.”

“Yeah, changing the environment helps with writing.”

“Yup yup.”

“…But Anri, you seem different today. Are you hiding something?”

“N-no, nothing at all! C-come on, Nyanta, let's go!”

I tried to dodge the question. That yankee way of talking was from my big sister's manga. I kind of like it.

“Pomeko-san or… well whatever. Whoa!?”

To distract him further, I grabbed his arm and jogged down the hallway.

When I looked up at him, he looked a little embarrassed. Yeah, before I couldn't read him at all, but now I can.

“M-Makoto! Um!”

Ahead in the hallway, Miyazaki-san called out. She looked tense.

Makoto-kun looked troubled.

My face tightened too. Behind her stood… Momo-chan. That expression—unchanged from before.

“Um, Makoto—”

“Okay, excuse me—”

Someone stepped between us. The girls around us whispered:

“Kya!! It's Nikaido-kun!”

“Does he need something from Miyazaki-san?”

“Nikaido-kun is so cool!”

Miyazaki-san looked bewildered.

Nikaido-kun was smiling, but since he's a childhood friend, I knew the truth.

…He was smiling, but not smiling at all.

That fake smile vanished, and he looked at Miyazaki-san expressionlessly.

“Miyazaki-san, and Kurose-san too, could you help me for a bit?”

“Eh? Um… I…”

No high schooler could endure that pressure. Miyazaki-san might've had something to say to Makoto-kun, but honestly, this saved us.

“Makoto-kun, look, Haruka-san is waving over there. Fufu, next time let's meet in the rankings as Dark Angel.”

“Ah, yeah, Nikaido, see you.”

Nikaido-kun smiled brightly at Makoto-kun.

…Eh? I've never seen him smile that happily!?

---

“That was a weird after-school. Alright, let's write. Anri, you're writing an SS, right? I finished my second draft, so I'm going to work on the afterword today.”

“…Makoto-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Anri?”

I took a deep breath. I knew it. I loved Makoto-kun. Maybe he felt something similar.

But maybe… maybe he only felt attached to me.

Maybe he only sympathized because our situations were similar.

I was thinking too much. My mind was a mess.

Because I was scared of ruining this relationship…

—but it's okay to take small steps forward.

Since I had grown, thinking that made my heart feel a little lighter. I would tell Makoto-kun I loved him, at my own pace.

So—

“A-Anri-san!?”

I stood up and hugged him from behind. Our bodies pressed together. I was embarrassed to death. But… when I'm touching Makoto-kun, everything fades away. My heart grows gentler.

“M-Makoto-kun, when you get embarrassed, you always joke your way out of it.”

And I always hide behind a tough-girl act.

But today, I stepped in deeper. I hugged him with real love.

Thank you, for meeting me.

Thank you, for saving me.

Thank you, for teaching me what love feels like.

My heart was pounding. I whispered into Makoto-kun's ear.

“Makoto-kun… happy birthday.”

Then I held out two letters in front of him.

“My… birthday… Today is my birthday. That's right, when did I forget? I…”

I didn't want to make him remember painful things.

But we could overwrite them with good ones.

“Makoto-kun—you are the most important person in my world.”

I pressed my cheek against his. I felt his breath. His scent. His quiet sobs.

I pulled away. I wanted to stay like that longer, but my heart couldn't take it.

“This letter is from the new friends Haruka-san asked to write messages for you.”

Messages from people with no connection to his painful past.

He had taken a new step at camp, after all.

“And this one is from me—don't read it yet. Read it when your heart is completely healed. Or when you feel like you can't trust anyone again. It's like… a charm.”

Because this is my real love letter, written by me, Anri Shinozuka.

Makoto-kun nodded strongly. He couldn't say a word.

I kept hugging him from behind. The peaceful moment felt like it would last forever.