Chapter 67: Breaking down walls.

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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.

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After getting out of the taxi, we crossed the Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama just like yesterday and were slowly making our way toward the station.

Michiru, having learned about the heroines' past, had been silent for over ten minutes. She was probably recalling the situation in which they had to keep lying throughout their lives, trying to confirm the consistency of it all.

At the same time, what Michiru was likely feeling was guilt—guilt that she had unknowingly inserted herself into their story. Her silent expression screamed of embarrassment at having tried to pursue a romantic conclusion without even knowing the truth.

I wanted to tell her not to worry about it, but if she were the kind of girl who could simply brush it off, I would have abandoned her long ago. Understanding that saying anything would be pointless, I clapped my already-tired legs and walked a little ahead of her.

Before long, we arrived at Torokko Saga Station. If we hadn't been able to buy tickets on the day, we had planned to walk instead, but luckily, there were available seats.

There were about 20 minutes left until the train arrived. I hadn't brought a paperback book to pass the time. I wasn't the type to idly mess with my phone either, so I decided to etch the beautiful Sagano scenery before me into my memory.

…And then.

“Probably, everything is correct. As expected, Shinji-kun is still Shinji-kun.”

Having arrived at an answer, Michiru tilted her head slightly with a bittersweet smile. Even though I was confident, I hadn't found any definitive proof, so her words were reassuring.

“Then there's one more question about you that needs to be answered.”

That is, why did Tsukino Michiru have to fall in love with someone?

I couldn't believe that Michiru, who joined the harem later, had not sensed even a fraction of the heroines' complicated circumstances.

Because, all she wanted was friends. She simply couldn't distinguish between different types of love. If that was the case, unlike the three who were blindly devoted from the start, she should have been able to observe everything calmly and objectively.

That's why, instead of the heroines who couldn't act, she became Hareta's girlfriend to strengthen their bond. In other words, it was her form of self-sacrifice. In the end, she forced an unknown kind of affection into the shape of romantic love simply because she wanted to save her friends.

“Moreover, when you transferred from Shirayurioka Academy, you must have had a deep fear of men. That being the case, it's hard to understand why you would willingly join a harem.”

Michiru cast her gaze downward. She hated even speaking about it, so I appreciated her allowing me to deduce it instead.

Michiru held my hand. It was weak, thin, and warm—almost as if I could hear a desperate plea: “I won't run away, so please lend me your strength.”

“My reasoning is this—Tsukino Michiru, upon transferring to Saijo High School, quickly realized that the heroines were shunned by the other girls around them.”

I should have thought more deeply about that infamous basketball incident that scarred Haruna. I should have realized that kind of harassment hadn't just started recently.

“My mistake was assuming that the ‘harem incident’ was the first time Saori had been consulted about anything. Because in reality, Saori approached you only after your transfer, and by then, you had already built a relationship close enough to confide your past in her.”

The trolley arrived in front of us. Since this was the final stop, it would soon turn back toward our destination.

“In that case, the natural conclusion is that Saori must have done something to earn your trust. And that very ‘something’ was her idea to protect them.”

“Why don't you think it was the same thing I consulted you about?”

“If it were, then Saori and the others wouldn't have needed to come to me for help with this confession request. If you had asked her, she would have refused.”

The doors opened. I sat by the window, and Michiru sat inside. Even now, she didn't let go of my hand. I wondered what the other passengers must have thought, seeing us like this.

The old me would have been embarrassed, worrying that people might think we were being overly affectionate in public.

But now, I felt nothing in particular. If you've been through it yourself, you don't hold onto hatred. Maybe this is what it means to grow up.

“Furthermore, on the night I spoke with you all at the crossroads, Saori described you in a very specific way.”

—That girl has never truly trusted anyone.

“When I first heard that, I assumed that you simply didn't care who you confided in. That you chose Saori just because she happened to be there to help you.”

“That's not wrong,” she answered.

“No, it can't be right. Just now, you didn't deny my speculative deductions about your past. You, of all people, should understand what kind of miserable experiences I was thinking of. If you could bear not to deny them as a woman, then you must have been strong enough that you never needed to love anyone in the first place. A simple heartfelt confession shouldn't have been enough to sway you toward me.”

I let go of Michiru's hand. She took a deep breath.

“Then, there's only one possibility left. You had already experienced something even worse than the tragedy at Shirayurioka Academy. Transferring schools was nothing to you—that's why you could confide in Saori.”

In other words.

“The reason Michiru had to fall in love with someone was because she had received such a profound kindness—so much so that she had to believe that, no matter what tragedies befell her, humanity was still beautiful.”

Still looking out the window, I spoke.

“You've been saved before, haven't you?”

That was the conclusion I reached because I myself had been saved by a grandmother with no blood relation to me. The reason Michiru had chosen self-sacrifice first when trying to help the heroines—it all connected back to that.

“…There's nothing I can hide from you anymore, Shinji-kun.”

She was not the biological daughter of the Tsukino family.

Despite her father being wealthy enough to sponsor races, both of her parents were absent during dinner time, which was why Michiru and Kakeru often came to my house. What kind of circumstances would lead a wealthy investor’s wife to leave her elementary school-aged son alone in their mansion in a provincial town?

If her father was a young elite or a startup CEO, there would be too great an age gap between him and Kakeru. A man intelligent enough to afford that level of luxury in his prime working years wouldn't have taken such a risk.

“That's why I believe your parents were an older couple who, for some reason, couldn't have children of their own. That would explain everything.”

Michiru's mother likely suffered from an illness that prevented her from carrying a child. That would also explain why they had moved to this town—her husband, as an investor, could work from anywhere while she received treatment.

“So, that day was just another scheduled hospital visit. You and Kakeru, not wanting to burden your father, came to my house instead. It was a hassle, though.”

I made a teasing remark to close the long discussion, and Michiru laughed.

A surprisingly childlike, happy smile.

“You know, when I heard about your unwavering feelings, I understood. This person must have had an experience similar to mine. That's why he can hold onto such a steadfast devotion.”

As I gazed into her eyes, something indescribable began to fill my heart.

“You could never truly understand just how much I appreciate you. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the harm done to those girls. But you, Shinji-kun—you put an end to it in an instant. Because you showed your strength back then, no one else has to get hurt anymore.”

The heavy weight in my chest lifted, leaving me with the sensation that it had never existed in the first place.

“Why didn't you tell me? If you wanted to end it, there was no need to shut me out.”

“As much as I wanted to fix things, I also desperately wanted to catch up to you, Shinji-kun. After meeting you, I truly believed that I could make a difference.”

“…I see.”

“I really am terrible at this, aren't I? I'm all talk, with no actual ability to back it up. I keep setting my sights too high, hoping that maybe this time, I'll finally achieve something. And in the end, I fail so badly that I can't even fix things on my own—”

Her voice trembled with tears.

I squinted against the brightness of the blue sky.

“Your back is still so far ahead of me, Shinji-kun… Ahaha…”

In that moment, I was struck by a strange sensation, one I had felt several times before. However, this time, it was overwhelming.

Tsukino Michiru, so impossibly clumsy, had been struggling—desperate to reach someone as ordinary as me. She teetered on the edge between logic and recklessness, nearly losing herself in the process. And now that I understood the meaning behind her relieved expression, I could no longer hold back.

…Forgive me, Aomi-senpai.

I don't think I can keep my promise.

“You did well.”

I glanced at Michiru's reflection in the window to confirm the position of her head, then gently stroked her hair while looking outside. Tenderly, ever so tenderly. So gently that I surprised even myself, realizing for the first time that I could touch someone with such kindness.

“…Mm, fufu.”

Her hair was soft and silky, slipping smoothly between my fingers and bouncing lightly as it flowed.

“But I haven't achieved anything yet. I still don't understand you at all, Shinji-kun… Sniff… Huh? Why am I…?”

So what?

I had already accepted her. I had come to know that she was the most beautiful person I had ever met. I had realized that she was likely the only one who could truly understand and share in my madness.

And so—

“I'm choosing not to think about Michiru's first tragedy.”

Takasaki Shinji had learned enough about Tsukino Michiru.

She was hopelessly clumsy, cheeky, a bit of an airhead, terrible at cooking, even worse at lying, reckless, impulsive, and completely incapable of predicting the consequences of her actions. But she was also fragile, kind, hardworking, noble, and more beautiful than anyone else.

What more could I possibly need to know about a woman who cared for me so deeply? Instead of digging into the past, reshaping myself to be someone worthy of her feelings was far more meaningful.

That was what it meant to believe in someone. It meant loving even the things you didn't understand. The desire to know everything was the same as not believing at all. Seeking reassurance through knowledge only pushed the heart further away.

So, I'll stop.

I'll stop, and I'll trust Michiru's words.

…Ah.

How much time had I wasted taking the longest possible route to arrive at this conclusion? The unwavering truth I had been seeking had been right here in my hands all along.

“Isn't that right?”

With everything laid bare, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction. It was as if I were someone else entirely—so light, so free. Now, I finally understood why I hadn't been angry at Hareta during this trip.

“…Yeah.”

As I pulled my hand away from her head, I noticed her shoulders tremble slightly. So, I deliberately placed my right hand on the armrest between our seats.

Michiru's hand was warmer than anything else.

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