V3Ch1: Overcoming sadness part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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The day after Sho visited Haru's house.

“Good morning. You came home late yesterday. Could it be that things are going well with Hikaru-chan?”

When Sho woke up and entered the living room, his parents were already eating breakfast.

“No, that's not it. After I dropped Hikaru off, I just went for a walk.”

“In the middle of the night? Alone?”

“Yeah.”

For his parents, Sho's relationship with Hikaru was practically official. Since Hikaru was kind to them as well, and she knew Sho better than anyone, they thought she was the perfect partner for him.

“Well, then, after dinner you could've taken Hikaru-chan for a drive instead.”

“But we both had work today, right? I couldn't keep her out too late.”

“Well… that's true.”

“Yes, and Hikaru-chan seems like she'll always stay close to Sho anyway, so there's no need to rush.”

“Exactly, let's just wait patiently.”

As always, the conversation went on without any regard for Sho's own feelings.

“I told you, it's not like that… Whatever. I'm heading out.”

It was the same as every other day. Sho went to work as usual, worked as usual at the office.

Nothing changed there either.

He got through his tasks smoothly, had lunch with his colleagues, finished work, and headed home.

Nothing had changed.

When he got home, his mother had prepared dinner, and once his father returned from work, the family ate together.

After dinner, each of them spent their free time as they wished, and when night grew late, they went to sleep.

That was the kind of day it was.

“Hey, mind if I come over for a bit?”

Sometimes, Hikaru would suddenly call and say something like that. It didn't happen every day, but it was still part of his routine.

“Yeah, sure.”

Sho's calls with Hikaru were always short. The reason was simple—their houses were so close that it was faster to just come over and talk face-to-face.

“Good evening!”

“Oh, Hikaru-chan, welcome!”

“Sho! Hikaru-chan is here!”

That was why they never bothered with long calls.

“You're here already…”

Sho returned to the living room. There, dressed in her loungewear, Hikaru sat with his parents.

“Sorry for dropping by out of nowhere. I just got bored being alone. Oh, Auntie, this is tiramisu from that cake shop by the station. I happened to snag some, so let's all share it!”

“Oh my, wonderful! That's not easy to get. I'll brew some tea then.”

Sho's mother and Hikaru, having known each other for so long, were like close friends. They knew each other's tastes well, so they could interact without worrying about formality.

“Sho-chan, did something good happen?”

Suddenly, Hikaru peered into Sho's face.

“Not really… nothing good happened in particular.”

Sho answered Hikaru, who was looking at him with keen interest.

“But I did meet someone interesting.”

“Someone interesting?”

“Yeah… at Matsuyama Park.”

“Matsuyama Park? …Wait, you went there after that? Geez, you should've taken me along…”

Matsuyama Park was a large sports park in their area. From morning till late at night, people of all ages—from the young to the elderly—used it.

For those who didn't travel to livelier spots like Utsunomiya City, Nasu, or Sano with their outlet malls, the park served as a popular dating spot.

But at the hour Sho had gone the previous night, there were no lights and the park was deserted.

“Going to Matsuyama Park at night is pointless, isn't it? And besides, you had work today…”

“Well… that's true.”

(Still, if it had been with Sho, I wouldn't have minded at all…)

Hikaru gave Sho a sulky look.

“Next time… take me with you, okay?”

“Alright. I'll let you know before I go.”

“It's a promise.”

“Yeah.”

This was always how it went—Sho yielding would dissolve Hikaru's complaints. She often called herself Sho's “big sister figure,” but in reality, she was the one acting childish.

“So, about that interesting person?”

“Yeah. I met them at the park. They're the kind of person who doesn't think about themselves at all. Watching them, I felt like I couldn't just leave them alone.”

“Hm… and this person, is she a girl?”

“Yeah. She's our age.”

“….”

Hikaru's mood immediately soured. Having looked after Sho since they were children, the thought of him taking an interest in some newcomer filled her with irritation.

“What's wrong?”

“Sho-chan… I don't think it's very good manners to talk about another girl in front of the one you're close with.”

“O-oh… sorry.”

With a sulky Hikaru, excuses or explanations would only backfire. Sho simply apologized honestly.

“Well, I know you can be clueless, Sho-chan… but just remember this: girls generally don't like hearing about other girls in front of them. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Sho resigned himself to dropping the topic and was about to change the subject. But—

“Actually, no. Now I'm curious. It'll bother me if you don't finish, so tell me about her.”

“You sure you want to hear this…?”

For Hikaru, this was about gathering intel on a potential “rival.”

“So, actually…”

Sho recounted what had happened the previous night at the park. Out of consideration, he left out the details about Haru's father being a criminal and the harassment she suffered from her neighbors.

“What? …You went inside her house?”

“Yeah… it just kind of happened.”

“I can't believe this…”

When Sho confessed that, Hikaru held her head in her hands.

“You let a girl you just met invite you into her house? Sho-chan, nothing happened, right?”

“Yeah. Nothing like that. She was more of a tomboy anyway, so it didn't feel like that kind of atmosphere. It was more like talking with a male friend.”

“Even so… Well, I know better than anyone that you're not some wolf who'll jump on any girl. But still, Sho-chan, you can't just wander into a stranger's house like that. Some women are more dangerous than you realize.”

Not knowing the whole truth, Hikaru lectured him gently. Sho could only nod.

“Yeah… I get it. But it won't turn into anything like that, so don't worry.”

“Promise me, okay? You've got a perfectly good girl right by your side, so pay attention. I'm putting in a lot of effort, you know.”

“Right here?”

Since Hikaru had told him to “look at her,” Sho gazed straight at her and asked:

“Effort?”

“W-well… you know, like beauty care, keeping in shape, all the things girls have to pay attention to.”

Being stared at so directly made Hikaru embarrassed. But since she'd said it herself, she couldn't back out now.

“I don't think I'm losing out… not compared to other women, anyway.”

Trying not to overdo her self-promotion, Hikaru said this in hopes Sho would notice.

And maybe he did, because—

“Yeah, I think you're beautiful, Hikaru. Walking around town with you makes me feel kind of proud.”

He said it with a smile. There wasn't a shred of ill will or hidden motive behind it.

“Uuuuuugh!!”

Hikaru clutched a cushion tight and turned bright red.

(This guy… saying things like that so straightforwardly without even meaning to—he's impossible!!)

Still, ignoring a compliment from Sho would have felt even worse.

“T-thanks…”

Blushing furiously, Hikaru managed to say thank you.

But even with Sho's compliment, the bigger issue hadn't gone away.

(No matter what… it's a fact that some strange girl has her eyes on Sho-chan. He's such a good guy—of course she could've fallen for him at first sight. I can't let my guard down…!)

Even though she didn't know the girl's name or face yet, Hikaru's sense of rivalry was burning fiercely.