Chapter 17: Holiday Resolution

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

Sunday morning.

The soft sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtains gently illuminated the white sheets, casting a pale glow.

When I opened my eyes, the stillness of the room resonated deeply in my heart.

Yesterday's events still lingered in the back of my mind.

I slowly rose from under the sheets, running my fingers through my black hair, which flowed down to my shoulders. Wearing a white camisole and shorts, I sat at the edge of the bed.

I had a hard time falling asleep last night.

I probably couldn't stop thinking about things that I couldn't do anything about.

Yesterday, I had heard that Hajime was at a café with Marin Kousaka and Kagura Shinomiya, and I couldn't sit still anymore.

Although it was our first time meeting, I ended up facing them head-on.

It was a confrontation over Hajime.

Marin Kousaka, the actress, and Kagura Shinomiya, the singer.

The moment I heard their names, my chest stirred.

They weren't just “celebrities.”

Both of them were beautiful, dignified, and successful in their own fields.

And they were both by Hajime's side.

I couldn't believe it.

It was unbelievable that Hajime was friendly with such famous people.

And that at the café yesterday, we were all subtly vying for attention.

They had nestled close to Hajime, as if to wedge themselves between us.

Marin was demure and cute, trying to act shy while refusing to leave Hajime's side, while Kagura wore a provocative smile, seemingly enjoying our reactions.

The atmosphere in that place was tense.

Even though Aoi, Godai-senpai, Takamatsu-senpai, and I were all there, the clash of awareness surrounding Hajime was palpable.

It was as if we were competing to see who would win his heart.

What should I have done in that situation?

No matter how much I asked myself, I couldn't find an answer.

As I continued to think about it, my phone by the pillow suddenly vibrated.

The ringtone echoed in the quiet room.

I hesitated for a moment when I saw the name on the screen.

“Godai-senpai.”

Sighing, I slowly pressed the call button.

“…Hello?”

“Good morning, Miyabi-chan. Are you awake?”

His casual tone was unchanged.

“Yeah, I just woke up.”

“I see. Yesterday was a lot to deal with, so you must be tired. Did you sleep well?”

“…Well, sort of.”

Though I said that, honestly, I had trouble falling asleep last night. As I reflected on the events at the café, my thoughts got jumbled, and before I knew it, it was already past midnight.

It seemed like Godai-senpai sensed my state and, after a brief pause, spoke in a kind, comforting voice.

“I see… Don't push yourself too hard, Miyabi-chan. You're too serious sometimes.”

“…I'm not that serious.”

“No, no, you are. Yesterday, you seemed like you were deep in thought.”

I faltered in my words. It was true that I had been restless yesterday, my mind unsettled.

Godai-senpai, seemingly unconcerned by my silence, said brightly.

“By the way, about today… How about we go out in the afternoon?”

“Go out?”

“Yeah. Yesterday was a bit heavy, so let's do something to clear our heads. Now that we're dating, let's do something date-like!”

Date—.

That word made my chest stir slightly. Even though we had started dating, I had only held Godai-senpai's hand so far. There hadn't been anything particularly “couple-like” between us.

So, his suggestion might actually be a perfectly natural thing.

Godai-senpai was always kind, and he would casually brush off anything that made me hesitate with humor. At first, I thought he was a bit of a light-hearted person, but talking to him made me realize that he genuinely cared about me.

I thought Godai-senpai was a wonderful person.

That wasn't a lie. He was the one who helped make my dreams come true, and the fact that he was thoughtful toward me must mean that he values me.

Though I still had moments of hesitation, now that we were dating, I wanted to face him properly.

I took a small breath and held the phone to my ear again.

“…Okay. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Alright! I'll come pick you up at the station near the school. I'll send you the exact time and place by email, so look forward to it!”

“Yes… Please.”

The phone screen darkened, and silence returned.

I sat still for a while, watching as the morning light slowly filtered through the curtains.

Maybe if I went outside, I could forget about yesterday a little.

And I also wanted to see for myself what time with Godai-senpai would feel like.

If I was going to do this, I wanted to face forward.

I put my phone down and slowly stood up.

When I opened the curtains, soft sunlight streamed in.

I didn't know what kind of day it would be.

But at least—

I was going to try to face forward now.