Chapter 4: The Girl in the Sunshine, and the Words She Gave Me

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

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Under a clear blue sky, the New Year's mood had completely faded, and it was just another morning at the end of January.

I had unexpectedly taken the day off from school and was standing in front of a major publishing company.

After receiving a phone call from my father last night, I returned home to be greeted by my ecstatic parents and my furious editor, Hizaki Misaki.

Apparently, when I had a bit of a clash with Aoi that day, Hizaki-san had tried contacting me several times. Frustrated that I hadn't noticed, she even showed up at my parents’ house.

The reason I was here today had to do with what Hizaki-san told me—news about winning the Namiki Prize.

Normally, there would be a big press conference, but since I'm still a minor, we decided to decline any public appearances.

However, since I set a record as the youngest winner, I couldn't just ignore it. So, I would be answering some pre-prepared questions from selected reporters for the newspapers.

But that wasn't the only thing Hizaki-san had to say.

In fact, the real news was just beginning.

My novel, Two and One, was going to be made into a movie.

Caught off guard by this sudden development, my parents and I sat wide-eyed as Hizaki-san explained, but the gravity of the situation didn't quite sink in. So we hurriedly arranged a meeting here at the publisher's office with everyone involved.

“Alright…”

I steeled myself, showing the entrance card I had been given to the guard, and walked inside. After passing through reception, I headed to the meeting room where we had arranged to meet.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 10th floor. The doors slowly closed, and with a jolt, the elevator began to ascend.

Wiping away the nervous sweat on my forehead with a handkerchief, I watched as the numbers changed on the elevator display and let out a deep breath.

Listening to Hizaki-san's explanation yesterday, it had been hard to imagine, but standing here now, the reality of last night's events began to sink in.

This isn't a dream…

Winning the Namiki Prize and having my work turned into a movie.

Losing everything that was precious to me in an instant, and yet, my dream was coming true.

The moment I thought that, the image of Miyabi and Aoi flashed in my mind, and my chest tightened painfully.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I heard a chime as the elevator doors opened slowly.

Stepping out, I walked for a while, following the directions I had been given, until I saw a door with a plate that read “Reception Room” and stopped.

I checked my watch—there was still a little time before the meeting.

Glancing around, I noticed a bench in the hallway.

Perfect. I'll sit there and wait until it's time.

Just as I was about to sit down on the bench—

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

A cool, clear voice from a woman.

“Eh?”

I turned in surprise and saw an incredibly beautiful girl smiling at me like a blooming flower.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at me curiously.

“Oh, n-n-no, please go ahead!”

I snapped out of my daze and hurriedly made space for her to sit.

“Fufu, three ‘no's! Thank you.”

She said teasingly, her cool laughter ringing in the air as she gracefully sat beside me, her long, silky black hair flowing as she swept it back with her hand. A faint, sweet fragrance followed her.

She was a stunning beauty, her face as delicate as a sculpture, but there was a hint of youthful innocence in her features.

Was she my age? There was something familiar about her face…

“Are you part of the team here too?”

She asked suddenly, turning toward me.

“Huh? W-well, I'm—whoa!”

Startled by her sudden question, I almost fell off the bench.

“Oh no, are you alright?”

Her large, sapphire-blue eyes widened in concern as she looked at me.

“A-ahaha, y-yeah, I'm fine.”

I said with an awkward smile, adjusting my position on the bench.

Even though I was used to seeing Miyabi and Aoi, a girl this pretty was in a league of her own.

Not to mention, this was my first time meeting her.

I was already shy and introverted, so interacting with someone like her made me even more nervous.

“I wouldn't say I'm completely unrelated, but I'm not exactly part of the team either… Uh, how about you?”

I asked, desperately trying to keep the conversation going.

“Oh, I'm Marin Kousaka. And you are?”

Marin Kousaka…? Wait, Kousaka? Marin!?

That's why she looked familiar!

Even a shut-in like me knew that name.

She was an actress who had made her sudden debut about three years ago. Despite being a newcomer, her acting skills were so impressive that she starred in various dramas and films. She was the same age as me and had been balancing both school and her acting career, gaining admiration from people of all ages.

I was no exception. I was a huge fan of her film The Girl from the Land of Fairytales and had watched it so many times that I even memorized the lines.

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I-I'm Hajime Aizawa…” I stammered.

“Hajime … Fufu, that's the same name as someone I love.”

“Eh?”

I couldn’t help but feel a sudden jolt.

This was such an unexpected turn of events.

“Do you know Rangaku-sensei? He’s a novelist who won the Namiki Award, and among fans, he’s called ‘Hajime-sensei.’ I’m a huge fan of his.”

Hajime-sensei—yes, that’s what Hisaki-san calls him too. But I had no idea that was a common nickname among fans… Wait, what? No way, she's a fan of mine? Marin Kousaka, of all people?

“Sorry for suddenly bringing this up, but I’m an actress. There was a time when I seriously considered quitting this job.”

“An actress…? Why would you want to quit?”

What was she saying? Marin Kousaka wanting to quit acting?

If that happened, wouldn’t there be a riot among her fans? Why would she want to quit, especially after achieving so much success?

Kousaka-san smiled faintly, nodded, and began to explain.

“This industry is tough. I’m still just a kid surrounded by adults, and I'm not the best at navigating things. So, I thought I had to work even harder than everyone else. But then people said some really harsh things, and I started losing my confidence… That's when I came across Hajime-sensei's work.”

“‘Two People and One,' right…?”

I asked, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Yes! My manager recommended it to me, and it was SO amazing! I cried so much after finishing it that my eyes were swollen, and we had to cancel the shoot that day!”

“Haha, that sounds tough.”

“Yeah, but it was so worth it. I've read a lot of books for films and dramas, but none of them moved me like this one. Then, I heard from my manager that this might be adapted into a movie. At that moment, I thought, ‘I became an actress for this movie!’ It felt like fate!”

Kousaka-san said that confidently, raising both of her fists in a victory pose.

“Fate, huh…”

I never imagined that my work could have such a profound impact on someone else's life.

I had always written for the sake of people like Miyabi and Aoi, without thinking about how others would feel or what they would think when reading my stories.

Suddenly, words Miyabi and Aoi had said to me yesterday crossed my mind.

–You've been shutting yourself away.

Self-centered, huh…

I had written without thinking, only focusing on the two of them.

I thought I had to keep my promise to them, so it was fine that we were apart for now. But was that really the best thing for them?

Was there more I should have conveyed to them?

I realized that, in focusing so much on my own matters, I had been blind to everything else around me.

My childhood friends, who were getting more beautiful with age.

Meanwhile, I, the introverted, socially awkward guy, always felt like an outsider compared to them, constantly feeling inadequate in comparison.

As I wrote my stories in the corner of the classroom, I could naturally hear the rumors about the two of them.

I didn't want to hear them. I purposely ignored them, pushing people away.

I convinced myself, “As long as I have this, as long as I finish this,” and kept writing, refusing to face reality.

“Yes, it's fate! But why am I getting so passionate talking to a complete stranger, haha. I've been so excited for today that my energy's been all over the place since this morning. By the way, you're here for the movie too, right, Aizawa-san? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Eh?”

For a moment, I wondered what was going on with her sudden panic, but I quickly realized the answer.

Hot, trembling droplets were falling from my eyes, completely against my will.

But in the next instant, a sunflower-patterned cloth flew into my view and gently wrapped around my wet cheek.

“Are you okay…?”

Kousaka-san looked at me with a worried expression, leaning in and wiping my eyes with a handkerchief.

Her kindness was so overwhelming that the tears I was desperately trying to stop only overflowed more.

“Ah, Hajime-sensei… Eh? What? What's wrong with you?”

I reflexively looked up at the familiar voice.

It was Hizaki-san, a woman in her mid-twenties, her medium-length hair tied back with a barrette, wearing a professional suit that screamed “career woman.” Her usual sharp features now held an expression of confusion as she observed my state.

“Hajime… sensei, are you…?”

The handkerchief Kousaka-san was holding slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.

“Kyuuuuuu!”

Suddenly, a nonsensical sound escaped Kousaka-san as her body swayed dramatically.

Seeing this, Hizaki-san quickly rushed to support her.

“W-What? What's going on here?!”

“Ah, no, it’s just… well, you see—”

I desperately tried to calm the panicked Hizaki-san, gesturing frantically, but my thoughts were all over the place.

Kousaka-san, who was fainting in front of me, Hizaki-san trying desperately to support her, and now things were becoming even more complicated. Where on earth do I even begin to explain this…?