Chapter 66: Two and One Checking the Answer

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Translator: Soafp

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The soft sensation of Kagura’s chest pressing firmly against my back, along with the sweet fragrance wafting around me, enveloped me.

“Hey, what should we do? Should we just head back?”

Her whispered voice brushed against my ear, causing my shoulders to flinch involuntarily. When I turned around, Kagura’s glossy eyes were right there, her gaze both provocative and yet filled with a tender affection that held me captive.

“I…”

Just as I was about to form words, Kagura’s fingertip gently touched my lips.

“You don't need to answer. I think I understand how you feel.”

With a soft smile, Kagura took my hand and led me toward the bed.

The sheets sank beneath me as I sat down, and Kagura slid in next to me. Her fingers gently brushed my cheek as she met my gaze.

“Hey, you know, your troubled expression is really cute.”

“K-Kagura…”

Blushing, I couldn’t look away. Each time Kagura's fingers traced from my neck down to my collarbone, my skin tingled.

“It’s okay, just leave everything to me. All you need to do is feel.”

She whispered in my ear, and I swallowed audibly. Even that small reaction seemed to endear me to her.

“You know, I've always wanted to do this. To touch you, to know you better… Even though I love you so much, I just couldn't get closer.”

Kagura’s eyes shimmered slightly. This was a rare, vulnerable moment for her, who usually acted so strong.

“I care about you too, Kagura, but…”

“I know. So today, I'm going to properly show you how I feel.”

With that, Kagura gently pushed me down. My back sank into the sheets.

Her fingers reached for the buttons on my shirt, slowly undoing them one by one. As she touched my chest, I realized her fingers were trembling ever so slightly.

“Kagura, are you… nervous?”

Surprised by my words, Kagura’s eyes widened, and then she gave a slightly sulky look.

“…Did you figure it out?”

“Yeah, but… it makes me happy.”

At my soft words, Kagura’s cheeks flushed, and she smiled.

“Mou, Hajime… You're so sneaky in moments like this.”

Resting her forehead on my shoulder, Kagura let out a small laugh.

In the quiet space, just the two of us, our warmth slowly melded together, our bodies drawing closer as if to confirm each other’s presence.

But something tugged at the back of my mind.

Was it okay to accept Kagura like this?

Maring’s smile flashed through my mind.

I couldn’t choose between the two of them. My weakness, avoiding making a decision, kept haunting me.

Kagura must have noticed that about me, which is probably why she was being so forceful now…

Then Kagura gently placed her hand on my chest and let out a small breath.

“Hey, Hajime. I know. You really can't choose, can you?”

“Eh…?”

“In your novel, ‘Two and One’—the ending where the three of them live happily together—it always stayed with me. It wasn't about who you chose, but… why you didn't choose either of them.”

Kagura continued softly, her hand resting gently on my chest.

“As I read it, I realized something. Hajime, you didn't want to choose. You were afraid that choosing one person would make the time the three of you spent together disappear. That's why you couldn't choose until the end, right?”

“Because… the moment I chose, the three of us would no longer be able to stay together…”

My throat tightened.

Kagura's words pierced my heart.

“I thought I'd been hiding the truth behind my novel all this time…”

I gave a bitter, small laugh.

“The world calls ‘Two and One’ a touching story, but it's not really that beautiful. It's just me wanting to escape from reality, a story where I poured out my ugly desires… That’s all it is.”

Kagura silently accepted my words.

“In reality, I chose Miyabi. I kept telling myself that was the normal thing to do. But honestly… I didn't want to choose. I was always scared that the moment I made a choice, I could never go back to those days.”

My voice trembled.

“There's no way we can stay the three of us in reality. But in my novel… that's why I created a world where the three of them could stay happy together.”

“My novel isn't a beautiful, moving piece. It's just my cowardly escape.”

A surge of shame and helplessness rose from deep within me.

“I'm sorry, Kagura. I know I need to choose, but the real me is indecisive, pathetic… and ugly…”

The moment I said it, tears welled up.

Unable to hold back my sobs, I trembled as Kagura, without saying a word, gently wrapped her hand around mine.

“Yeah… I know. Even so, I love you just the way you are. Even if the whole world says it's wrong, I'll keep saying it… I love you, Hajime.”

Kagura's words tightened my chest, but at the same time, her kindness made me feel as if I had been saved in a way I couldn't quite put into words.