Chapter 43: A bit of hope.

Reading Settings

Translated and Edited by: luccayn.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you're close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it's cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one's older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

---

The day Ukai disappeared…

Before I knew it, the night had turned to dawn while I was still trying to figure out where to stash this flashy gold watch.

Realizing that overthinking wasn't helping, I decided to wrap it in a hand towel and place it in my “important stuff” box, which I then shoved into the back of the cupboard. Yet, I hesitated. Should I lock it up? But wouldn't that just tell any thief exactly where to look?

“Shinji? You in there? Hellooo!”

An annoyingly loud voice called out, accompanied by the jarring buzz of my doorbell. My place doesn't have anything fancy like a microphone or speaker, so the voice was muffled through the thin wall.

The high pitch cut right through my sleep-deprived brain. To shut up the noise, I threw on my school-issued track jacket and opened the door.

“… Oh, it's Kumoi. How do you even know where I live?”

“Hey! Saori told me. You didn't get back to me, so I just couldn't wait any longer and came over myself!”

Couldn't wait, huh? That's funny. Someone who's carried a crush since childhood isn't going to lose patience after just a few days.

“Sorry, you're here about the Kaito Whatever-he’s-called, right?”

“Yup. But I've gotta ask—what's with you calling him ‘Whatever-he’s-called'? His last name is Mizukubo, y'know.”

“Gotcha. Will remember. That’s just a placeholder.”

“Wait, are you serious? So, even though you promised, you didn't even bother to look up his name? Geez, you're so hopeless!”

Kumoi's high-pitched voice kept drilling into my ears. Talking here in the early morning would disturb the neighbors, so I suggested we head to a nearby coffee shop for breakfast.

“Oh, are you actually carrying cash on you?”

“Yeah, my circumstances changed.”

She probably heard about me being broke from Saori. Oddly enough, I felt a strange relief knowing those two had gotten closer. Did Saori end up treating her at that Starbucks she was so into?

“Huh. By the way, didn't you used to talk more politely?”

“Back then, I was the one asking for your help. Now, that's not the case.”

“Such a stickler, aren't you? Okay, I'll have a milk tea and an egg sandwich. And I want a financier too!”

“Who do you think you are? I'm not paying for that.”

“Boo! So stingy!”

So there we were, seated at a small table for two, while I munched on a cheese dog and sipped a milk coffee, listening to Kumoi's story.

“So, yeah,” she started. “I've been trying to be a bit more forward with Kaito, you know? But the guy only thinks about boats, and he's totally clueless about everything else.”

“Clueless again, huh? That's the last word I wanna hear for a while.”

“But you know, I still want to give it my best. So… I was kinda hoping you could teach me how to show my love, or something.”

…Wait.

“Show your love?”

“Yeah! Show my love!”

“Not just a plan to make Mizukubo completely yours?”

“Well, I mean, at first I figured that'd be the fastest way, but…”

Kumoi ran her hand over her hair, looking a bit shy. Maybe she'd dyed it again; it looked slightly darker than the last time I'd seen it.

“It's like… I was all that big talk with Kou, so I feel like I owe it to myself to make him notice me on my own effort, you know? Besides, things that are too easy to get are too easy to lose, or something like that. Right?”

…Oh.

“W-What? Why that face? Say something, geez.”

Wow. She's cool.

“Sorry, I was… kind of moved. That's seriously cool of you.”

“Ew, gross. I'm telling you now, you can try to hit on me all you want, but you're not getting anywhere.”

“Idiot, like I'd ever do that. You and I are a nightmare match.”

“Pfft! Right? There's no way I'd ever go for you, Shinji!”

“Absolutely.”

We both burst out laughing. After we finally stopped, I took a sip of my now lukewarm milk coffee. I'd finished my cheese dog, and I'd heard what I needed, so maybe it was time to think of a solid strategy for her.

“Alright, so. In the end, it's nice when a girl asks a guy for help in areas he's good at. You could start by making him feel needed in that way, right?”

I'm pretty sure Kakeru mentioned something like that once. And if he says it, it's probably spot-on.

“Already doing that! I've asked him about rowing techniques and ways to build stamina.”

“Ask him in more detail. Like, what muscles specifically he thinks would help you row faster, and why. Things like that.”

“Huh. Okay, but… why?”

“Vague questions make you sound like a dabbler, and that's just annoying to people who are seriously into something. If you come off as shallow, he might even think, ‘You don't know that much about this?' and start doubting your interest.”

It's similar to how the café owner here goes on and on about his coffee, even though half of it is too technical for most customers. True professionals carry their own standards, and being genuinely interested in those standards is what makes them happy.

“Woah… I see.”

“Oh, and one more thing: say ‘thank you' often. It'll leave a better impression.”

“‘Thank you'?”

“Yeah. It's nice to hear, right? Like, ‘Thanks for making dinner,' or ‘Thanks for serving us.' Even if it's their job, saying it changes the entire vibe.”

“Oh! I totally get that! I work at McDonald's, and when someone thanks me, I really do want to give them my best service!”

Looks like Kumoi has a decent work ethic. I'm glad she's getting it.

“So basically,” I continued, “a girl who notices all the effort a guy puts in, takes an interest in it, and on top of that shows gratitude for it… As a guy, there's just no one you'd want to cherish more than that.”

…Why did Tsukino's face suddenly come to mind?

“Huh? What's up?”

“No, nothing. Just saying that, from a guy's perspective, someone like that is someone you'd want to give your heart to. A girl who knows how to show her love naturally makes you want to return that love. I mean, generally speaking.”

“Jeez, generally speaking, huh?”

“It's an escape clause. Besides, they taught you that phrase in elementary school, didn't they?”

With that roundabout explanation finally out of the way, I took a sip of my coffee. Kumoi just stared at me with a blank, slightly clueless expression.

That bob cut of hers really does give off a mischievous vibe.

“Shinji, you really believe in love, don't you?”

“Yeah, guess I do. I genuinely think there's something cool about someone who's devoted to one person, so I'm rooting for you.”

“Hehe. It makes me happy to hear you say that.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Most of my friends are always getting together, breaking up… Sometimes I've wondered if I should just rush into a relationship to move on.”

But Kumoi chose to move past that and find her own way to love. She doesn't have any guarantees; she must be nervous. Yet she's decided to stay true to her feelings. She's got the strength to cut through her doubts, a strength I wish I had.

That's why, somewhere deep down, I want her to accomplish what I couldn't—her first love fulfilled.

“Maybe that's a bit of my own hope I'm putting on you.”

“Hehe, well then! Right—focused interest and sincere gratitude. I'll work on making my questions more varied based on that advice!”

“Yeah. Come back anytime if you get stuck. I'll help however I can.”

As I said it, I felt certain this would be the first and last time I'd be of any help.

“Got it! Thanks, Shinji! I'm gonna go all out!”

Because for someone this pure-hearted to end up unhappy—well, I'm sure even the gods of romance wouldn't let that happen.

---

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your opinions below!

Also, if you enjoyed my translation and would like to feed my caffeine addiction, click on the button below and graciously give me my fix—I mean, a cup of coffee.