Chapter 99: The Final Stop of Obsession

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Translator: Soafp

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“Obsession, huh…” (Yuki)

I thought to myself as I threw a boomerang in the athletic park. It whistled through the air in a graceful arc and returned precisely to where I stood. I caught it swiftly and threw it again into the vast sky.

After being randomly reunited with Kurogane-san and getting dragged into a meal together, I didn't feel like heading straight home, so I ended up playing alone like this.

No, calling it “lonely” wouldn't be accurate. Rather, this time felt comforting.

Being alone like this feels like something from a distant past.

Lately, things around me have become too lively.

There's always someone by my side, always someone watching over me. As if to ensure I'm never left alone—never truly isolated.

But it makes me wonder—Is that really a bad thing?

Loneliness is considered sad. People say we should always be with someone.

But why are we so certain that's the right way to live?

“Maybe I should buy a fruit gift box on the way home.” (Yuki)

Kurogane-san gave me some spending money. My wallet felt warm.

Apparently, she had been on her way to a pawn shop.

Pawn shops, like bubble tea stands and fried chicken places, have been popping up all over town lately.

The rise of scalpers and inflation are probably part of the reason.

Kurogane-san had received a luxury brand handbag as a thank-you gift from a former patient after they were discharged.

“I can’t use something this gross. It’s not even my style.” (Yuki)

That's what she said. Poor former patient. (Sympathy)

But I hope they can forgive her.

Kurogane-san may have a scary face, sharp eyes, rough language, and a bad attitude and personality, but she's actually a good person.

She really cares about her patients and encourages them—by yelling at them with what she calls “motivation.” She energetically helps with rehab, and if things don't go well, she'll sigh dramatically and click her tongue.

She's a devoted angel in a white coat (a demon, really), and that's not an exaggeration.

Also, when you give someone a present, you're giving up ownership. Once it's theirs, they can do whatever they want with it. Wishing they'd treasure it is nothing more than ego.

Well, anyway—apparently, that kind of thing happens a lot.

When you're in the hospital, it's natural to feel anxious. No matter how much you try to act tough, you'll feel vulnerable at times.

So it's understandable that people may fall for doctors or nurses who genuinely support them in those moments. It's kind of like a one-sided suspension bridge effect.

In fact, Kurogane-san once had a stalker who fell for her like that.

She barely managed to get rid of him, but now, I can't help but feel something.

“…I'm jealous.” (Yuki)

Because what I lack most is “obsession.”

Of course, stalking is a crime. It's harassment, and sometimes even life-threatening. I'm not defending it at all—but at the very least, that stalker truly meant it when it came to Kurogane-san.

He was serious. A troublesome, but real, love.

The complete opposite of me.

I have no obsessions. Not toward anyone, not toward anything—not even toward myself.

So I never get anything. I can't respond to anyone.

—I don't desire anything.

I once heard this: when you're poor, your desires are endless. But when you become wealthy, those desires fade away.

That's because you're satisfied. When something is always within reach, you don't feel the urgency to reach for it anymore.

Right now, I'm sure that if I stretched out my hand, I could grab something.

The many kind people around me have created that environment.

And because of that, I feel fulfilled.

No craving wells up inside me for anything more.

To someone like me, who used to think of myself as rock bottom, my current situation already feels like happiness.

So I can't picture anything beyond it.

“Ah, I need to contact Takahashi (the older one).” (Yuki)

I hurled the boomerang sharply. It sliced through the air with a shrill sound.

I should probably let that handsome, charming guy know too.

Kimura-senpai's struggles. Okajima-senpai's regrets.

Those are the kinds of things I shouldn't be poking my nose into. It's none of my business.

But the two of them want it. They're looking for a way to come back together.

And it's something only someone on the outside can provide.

Their relationship broke down. Fixing it won't be easy. But there's still hope.

We're still just high schoolers. We're still pure enough to believe that romance is everything in the world.

But that's okay. It's better to live earnestly in the moment.

It's better than giving up and acting cynical, or losing your sense of decency.

That's why I won't stop helping. The friends and teammates around them, Takahashi (the older one), and me—we all feel the same.

We want to see them get back together.

We're holding onto that hope. We want to believe there's still something in this world worth trusting. We're drawn to the light and beauty of people, whether we like it or not. That might just be a privilege of youth.

The sun had started to set. The distant boomerang was getting hard to spot. Time's almost up.

“…Still, what did she mean by ‘being looked after by the school'?” (Yuki)

Kurogane-san had said something strange earlier, but I gave up trying to understand it since I didn't understand it.

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“Welcome back. You're late—where were you?” (Yuri)

When I got home, Mom and Yuri-san greeted me.

That was fine. That was great. But—

“What's with that outfit!?” (Yuki)

For some reason, Mom was wearing a gym uniform. And not just any gym uniform—bloomers.

It's autumn, but the weather's still warm. Maybe the heat fried her brain.

Then again, lately her brain's always kind of fried, even in normal situations, so I can't let my guard down.

“They say older people have trouble sensing temperature, right?” (Yuri)

“Oh? I'm not that old yet, thank you very much.” (Mother)

The two of them were bickering like usual. Yuri-san casually read my mind again, but more than that, I couldn't stop staring at the name tag on Mom's chest: written in hiragana, “Ouka.”

“Ah, this? I had a new one made. Thought it looked cuter this way.” (Mother)

“Right!” (Yuki)

Is that really the problem here?

So shameless! So incredibly shameless! There's no way someone her age should be doing this!

Mom was now completely lost in the world of gym uniforms, but her butt was bouncing with energy.

“I was cleaning the house and found it by chance. It made me feel nostalgic.” (Mother)

“Should I be worried about an earthquake or something?” (Yuki)

Mom smiled awkwardly in that clearly too-tight gym uniform. It had zero earthquake resistance—it was shaking all over.

“It’s a lie. Don't believe her. There's no way something this ancient from decades ago just happened to be lying around the house. Obviously, she ordered it from a supplier.” (Yuri)

Yuri-san seized the moment to showcase her masterful deduction skills.

“Stop being petty and jealous. I pity the generation that never got to wear bloomers…” (Mother)

“Don’t push yourself. I’m sure even aunt didn’t like it back then.” (Yuri)

Mom gave Yuri a pitying look, while Yuri returned a gaze full of disdain.

It was the usual tense standoff between them.

“So, where did you go?” (Yuri)

By the way, Yuri-san was in her underwear.

That had absolutely zero structural integrity—jiggling in every direction.

“Just to a pawn shop…” (Yuki)

“N-No way! Are burusera shops still a thing!?” (Mother)

Mom reacted with shock, looking genuinely horrified.

…Burusera? What's that?

“Isn't that the instrument used to cheer at soccer games?” (Yuri)

“I think you're thinking of a vuvuzela…” (Yuki)

While correcting Yuri's completely off-the-mark comment, I looked it up on my phone.

Let's see… Burusera…?

“…A shop that buys used bloomers and sailor uniforms?” (Yuki)

That's way too sketchy!!

When you try to sell normal clothes to a thrift store, they buy them for next to nothing, but apparently burusera shops would pay a premium due to the, uh, added value. You can’t help but feel the dark side of society there.

“Back when I was still a student, there were a lot of shops like that…” (Mother)

“What do the people buying that stuff even want it for?” (Yuki)

Both the buyers and the sellers are just as bad, honestly.

Where there's demand, there will be supply. In the end, they're accomplices.

“Even now, there are a lot of people looking for sugar daddies all over the place, so maybe things haven’t changed that much over the years.” (Yuri)

“Yuri, you better not get involved in anything so dumb, okay?” (Mother)

“I'm strictly into little brother play.” (Yuri)

“Well, if it's that, then I suppose it's fine…” (Mother)

No, it is definitely not fine!?

Mom and Yuri nodded at each other as if they'd reached some kind of understanding, but there was absolutely nothing to be okay with here.

As I silently wrestled with my thoughts, Mom spoke up heavily.

“…It's free, but do you want it?” (Mother)

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Volume 6 got released today. I will upload the first chapter asap.