Chapter 5 | “Preparations for a Farewell”
Nearly a week had passed since the video incident, and it was now Saturday—.
“Akihito-kun, I’m ready.”
We were set to go to Hiroshima Prefecture.
It seemed Akihito-kun had something to discuss with Kannagi-kun, and since I was worried about Akihito-kun, I insisted on tagging along.
“Are you really going…? It might be dangerous, you know…?”
“That applies to Akihito-kun too. In fact, I think Akihito-kun might be in more danger.”
“But, Emma-chan’s here too, so…”
“That’s—”
Just as Akihito-kun kept trying to stop me and I was about to argue back, my smartphone started ringing.
Looking at the screen, I saw it was my mom’s name.
“It’s a call from Mom…”
“You should take it. I’ll watch Emma-chan for you.”
Akihito-kun went over to Emma, who was dozing off sleepily on the sofa.
I suppose the talk would have to wait for later.
“—Good morning, Mom.”
“Good morning, Lottie. Have you been doing well?”
Mom asked in a gentle voice.
Since we hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks, she probably didn’t know how things were going here.
“I’m doing fine. More importantly, what’s up?”
“I hate to ask, but could you come over now? I have something important to talk about.”
Something important…?
“Can’t we talk about it over the phone?”
“I’d rather discuss it in person.”
“I’ve got plans coming up, though…”
“If you want to stay with him from now on, come right away.”
“—!?”
I swallowed hard at the words that came from Mom.
I hadn’t told Mom that I was dating Akihito-kun.
Even when I left Emma with her, I only said I was hanging out with friends—so could it be that the school contacted her about the video incident…?
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to be with him?”
“Ah, um…”
My throat went dry, and I couldn’t get the words out properly.
She shouldn’t know we’re living together, but if that got out too, I’d be gripped by the fear that we might be torn apart.
Right then—I was gently hugged from behind.
“Ah, Akihito-kun…?”
“Go see her. I’ll be fine on my own.”
He whispered in a tiny voice, so Mom wouldn’t hear over the phone.
He probably figured I’d catch it with my sharp ears.
“But…”
“It’d be worse if you ended up clashing with your mom over this, so I want you to go.”
Akihito-kun was already overwhelmed with the Himeragi conglomerate issues and the slander sparked by the video.
I couldn’t let him take on our family problems on top of that…
“Got it… But please, really be careful, okay…?”
“Of course. Are you heading to your mom’s hotel? I’ll take you there.”
“But then you’ll miss your meeting time with Kannagi-kun…”
“It’s fine, Riku will understand. Alright, let’s go.”
Akihito-kun always puts me first.
His own safety feels secondary—no, it’s almost like he thinks it’s not even necessary, and that scares me.
After finishing the call with Mom just to be safe, I sent a message to a certain someone on a chat app, then left the house with Akihito-kun.
◆◆◆
“—Well then, get along with your mom, okay? Emma-chan, see you later too.”
After taking the train and bus to the international hotel, Akihito-kun waved with a smile and started to leave.
But then, Emma grabbed onto his clothes.
“Onii-chan, aren’t you gonna meet Mama…?”
It seemed Emma wanted to introduce Akihito-kun to Mom.
She doesn’t come home now, but back in England, they were always together, so Emma’s really attached to her.
She probably sees her as a mom to brag about and wants Akihito-kun to meet her.
“Sorry, Emma-chan. I can’t meet her just yet.”
Since we don’t know how much Mom knows about Akihito-kun—or what she thinks of him—he can’t meet her yet.
Parents will try to protect their kids.
One wrong move, and there’s a real chance she could separate me and Akihito-kun.
His bad rumors have spread so much already.
Even if they’re not true, if the world treats them as fact, people who don’t know him might believe it.
Above all, I don’t want to see parents looking at Akihito-kun coldly because they believe those rumors.
“Muu…”
“We’ll meet her someday, so just bear with it for now, okay? Let’s go see your mom.”
I patted Emma’s head to calm her down while smiling at Akihito-kun.
“Come back safe, okay?”
“Haha… Never thought I’d hear that in real life. I’ll be fine, I’ll come back properly. See you later.”
With that, Akihito-kun left with a smile.
Wearing a hat, fake glasses, and a mask, he should be fine… but I silently prayed for his safe return.
Once his figure disappeared, I stepped into the big, luxurious hotel.
Ever since coming to Japan, Mom has been living here.
When I reached her room—.
“—How does that child always end up tangled in so many problems…? If she’d been able to follow Onee-sama back then, she wouldn’t have had to face such misfortune…”
I heard voices talking from inside the room.
It was a calm, refined, clear voice.
She sounded around my age, I think.
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Kanon-chan was good to her, after all.”
—Eh, Kanon-chan…?
My heart raced at the familiar name.
That was definitely Mom’s voice just now… Is this a coincidence…?
“I share the same view as President Bennett. At the very least, being with Ojou-sama must have been a happy time for him. The ones at fault are entirely—”
This time, I heard a slightly low voice for a woman.
President Bennett…?
Mom was a president…?
She’d never told me anything like that.
But… I hadn’t told Akihito-kun this, but back in England, we lived on the top floor of a luxury apartment.
And this hotel, too, is fancy with lavish decorations—it’s clearly expensive.
So I kind of knew we were rich… but still, is Mom really a president…?
I was so confused that I didn’t notice the low-voiced woman had stopped speaking.
“—You’re here, I see.”
As I was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened.
Standing there was a woman about Hanazawa-sensei’s age, wearing a maid outfit and looking down at me.
—A maid outfit…?
A maid!?
“Kaguya, step back. If you stare like that, you’ll intimidate her.”
While I was distracted by the maid, a woman sitting across from Mom gave a wry smile.
She stood up slowly and approached me with elegant movements.
Her black hair stretched straight down in a long style.
Her skin was as pale as mine, and she had a very gentle face.
Yet, there was a dignified air about her—like a true Yamato Nadeshiko.
“Nice to meet you, Charlotte-san. I owe a lot to your Onee—your mother.”
The Yamato Nadeshiko gave a refined bow.
I hurriedly bowed back.
“I’m Charlotte Bennett. Thank you for always looking after my mom.”
As I returned the greeting, I felt a slight oddity.
In her greeting just now—did she intentionally hide her name…?
Plus, if she has a maid with her, she must be an Ojou-sama, right?
…A maid…
I glanced again at the tall, cool, and beautiful maid.
A real maid…!
Could I maybe take a picture with her…?
Facing a maid said to serve high-class families, my emotions surged beyond control.
Because maids are such amazing beings, appearing in manga and anime all the time!
“It seems she’s more interested in you than in me.”
“The maid outfit must be rare for her. Plus, she seems quite interested in Japanese culture—otaku stuff—so don’t sulk about it, Ojou-sama.”
“I’m not sulking at all. No, I’m not thinking something like, ‘She’s ignoring me, her sister,’ or anything.”
“You’re totally thinking that, aren’t you…”
The Yamato Nadeshiko smiled faintly, while the maid beside her looked troubled as they spoke.
Sister—so this Yamato Nadeshiko is the maid’s older sister…?
They don’t look like siblings, though…
“Oh well. Charlotte-san.”
“Y-Yes!?”
I was listening closely to their exchange, so when my name was suddenly called, I replied in surprise.
“…You have clear, beautiful eyes.”
For some reason, the Yamato Nadeshiko stared intently into my eyes.
“Things must be tough, but keep going. We’ll be watching over you from the shadows.”
Yamato Nadeshiko-san…?
“Ojou-sama.”
The maid called out to the Yamato Nadeshiko, who smiled sadly, with a reproachful look.
“I understand. Well then, we’ll take our leave. Farewell.”
The Yamato Nadeshiko pinched the edges of her skirt and bowed her head.
When she looked up, she glanced at Mom and smiled.
Without words, it seemed they exchanged something with their eyes.
And then—.
“Little angel-chan, goodbye.”
She waved with a gentle smile at Emma, who was in my arms.
Emma, being shy, pressed her face into my chest, but perhaps moved by the kind smile, she timidly waved back.
Seeing that, the Yamato Nadeshiko happily softened her cheeks.
“Sophia-sama, Charlotte-sama, Emma-sama, excuse us.”
The maid bowed to us as well, then opened the door, following the Yamato Nadeshiko out after she left.
I had a lot of questions, but I didn’t sense any hostility from them.
More than that, they didn’t seem like bad people.
But—I didn’t think this could just be brushed off as a coincidence either.
“Don’t just stand there—why not sit? Emma, come here.”
“N…!”
When Mom called out, Emma started squirming to get out of my arms.
Since it was dangerous, I gently set her down, and she ran over to Mom with little steps.
“Mama…!”
“Good job coming here, Emma.”
Mom picked up Emma, who clung to her legs, and sat her on her lap.
Then she gave Emma a gentle smile, one that reminded me of Akihito-kun.
I couldn’t tell what Mom was thinking.
“Who were those two just now?”
Sitting across from Mom, I asked about the two from earlier before getting to the main point.
If my guess was right, there were a lot of things I needed to ask.
However—.
“I can’t tell you that right now.”
Mom didn’t answer.
“You’re meeting with people you can’t even tell your daughter about?”
“They’re work-related contacts. More importantly, I called you here about that video of you going around—can you explain the situation?”
As expected, the school must have contacted Mom.
She’s using that as leverage to avoid talking about those two.
“The video was just something a student recorded and uploaded to a site—it’s not like we did anything. More than that, I want to hear about those two from earlier.”
“No matter what you ask, I won’t talk about them.”
“Why not? Your daughter’s worried and asking you.”
“Because it’s not something you need to worry about.”
She must really not want me to know.
Mom looked straight at me.
It wasn’t the look of a mother to her daughter.
“Mama…? Lottie…?”
Emma looked back and forth between us, scared by the unusual tension.
This won’t do… If I don’t talk calmly, I won’t get anything I could’ve heard.
“It’s okay, Emma.”
I smiled at Emma and took a deep breath.
Then I looked at Mom again.
“Does Mom have some connection to the Himeragi conglomerate?”
I stopped beating around the bush and threw a direct question to see her reaction.
But—.
“Hehe, no matter what you ask, I won’t answer, okay?”
She dodged it with a smile.
Should I take this roundabout dodge as a yes—or am I just hoping it is…?
Or maybe, after all…?
“More than that, Lottie. You’re going back to England soon, so what are you planning to do about making a boyfriend in Japan?”
“—”
She suddenly brought up something I’d buried deep inside, and I swallowed hard.
“Can’t answer?”
“I… want to stay with Akihito-kun forever. I want to stay in Japan.”
“So you’re thinking about marriage?”
“Eh!?”
I’d expected her to ask how I’d stay or say it’s unrealistic for a student, so her unexpected words made my face heat up.
“Wanting to be together means you want to marry him, right?”
“Th-That’s… true, but…”
My face burned as I nodded honestly.
What am I even saying to my mom right now?
Why do I have to feel so embarrassed like this…?
But Mom—.
“I see… Hearing those words is enough for me.”
—For some reason, she gave a gentle smile.
“Mom…?”
“Sorry, I can’t tell you about those two yet. We have our own circumstances.”
Her words didn’t feel like a lie, and after that, I couldn’t press her further.
◆◆◆
“—Why are you here…?”
After parting with Charlotte-san and heading to the station, I ran into someone who shouldn’t be here and gave a slight wry smile.
“Sorry, Charlotte-san asked me to.”
That girl—Shimizu-san—gave an exaggerated “Tehe” smile.
Charlotte-san… I get that she was worried, but is it okay with her that I’m alone with another girl…?
Normally, I’d think she’d get jealous or hate it.
Does she trust Shimizu-san that much, or does she have some reason to feel safe with her—either way, I wish she’d talked to me about it…
Well, if she had, I’d have definitely said no.
She probably knew that, which is why she didn’t say anything…
“It’s your day off—sure you’re okay with this…?”
“Yeah, you’re going to see Riku, right?”
“That’s right, but…”
“Then it’s better if I’m here, don’t you think? Also, if Charlotte-san hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have found you. Those fake glasses suit you. Gives off an intellectual vibe.”
Is she teasing me or serious?
I should’ve at least contacted Akira instead…
Being alone with Shimizu-san is just too awkward.
After that, guided by Shimizu-san, I headed to Riku’s location—.
“Oh, cheating?”
Riku, waiting in disguise at the park, grinned and said something outrageous.
“Where do I even start?”
My head ached as I asked Riku.
“Hm? Oh, this disguise? I’m kind of famous, you know, especially around here—it’s a problem.”
Riku happily tugged at his clothes, explaining the disguise.
No, that’s not it.
“Our disguises are the same…”
Right, as Shimizu-san pointed out, Riku was also wearing a hat, glasses, and a mask—just like me.
“Doesn’t this make us look like brothers?”
“So you deliberately picked a disguise Aoyagi-kun might use.”
“Haha.”
Riku laughed cheerfully at Shimizu-san’s jab, brushing it off.
Yeah, that gave me chills.
“Well, the clothes aside… if you don’t want attention, wouldn’t your house have been better?”
“What’re you saying? If I did that, my parents would freak out thinking Arisa brought her boyfriend home, and it’d be a mess afterward.”
I’ve never met Riku’s parents, but given his personality, it sounds plausible.
“They’d probably gather the whole family and cook red rice—I’d hate that.”
Shimizu-san laughed wryly, joking about the red rice before saying “no way” with a straight face.
Seems like that’s really how it’d go.
Good thing we didn’t go to Riku’s place.
That aside, “cook” huh… So Shimizu-san’s never had a boyfriend?
She seems so used to guys, though.
“Then don’t go calling it cheating either, Riku.”
“Sorry, sorry. So, what’s this talk about?”
Riku laughed and locked eyes with me.
But while his face was smiling, his eyes weren’t.
As usual, I can’t tell what this guy’s thinking.
Shimizu-san stepped back a few paces, showing she wouldn’t join the conversation.
She’s keeping an eye on our surroundings, so I can focus on Riku.
“First off, let me answer from last time. I’m turning down your offer, Riku.”
“Oh?”
Riku looked at me with interest.
He’d probably expected this answer.
It even seemed like he was more curious about what came next.
“You didn’t come all the way to see me just to turn down my offer, right? You’re a polite guy, but you’d handle something like that over the phone. So, after rejecting me, what kind of talk are you bringing?”
Riku smirked, putting pressure on me like he was taunting.
Well, it’s a natural reaction, I guess.
“I think you already know, Riku, but because of a certain video, there’s been a ton of slander about me on SNS. I want your help to stop it.”
“You’re rejecting my offer but asking for my help? Isn’t that a bit selfish?”
Riku kept smiling but stared at me intently.
“I know that much. But right now, there’s something I can’t compromise on.”
I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’m rejecting his request while making one of my own.
But for something precious, I can’t afford to care about appearances.
“So this is a request as a friend.”
“…Hmm, a friend, huh?”
Riku put a hand to his mouth, eyeing me like he was testing me.
And then—.
“You get it, don’t you? Right, helping a friend doesn’t need a price.”
He dropped his hand and grinned slyly.
Seems my choice wasn’t a mistake.
“Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine—I’ve been waiting for this day.”
“…?”
“Haha, you look confused. I haven’t heard the specifics yet, but this isn’t just about calming the flames, right?”
“…You can tell?”
“Roughly, yeah. To settle this, there’s something you need to do. You’ve made up your mind to go against the Himeragi—right?”
Just as Riku said, my plan to settle this mess means picking a fight with the Himeragi conglomerate.
“Yeah, that’s right. To protect what’s important, I’ve decided to become a demon or even a devil if I have to.”
“Even though you’ve got a grudge, you’re drawing a bow against a place that’s technically taken care of you—huh. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if a straight-laced guy like you would make that call.”
Half-sure?
That sounds like he heard it from someone, not his own judgment…
“Good thing my preparations didn’t go to waste.”
“Preparations…? There’s a few things you’ve said that I’m curious about…”
“Oh, right. I started getting active in the media so I could help you when you finally made up your mind. Three years ago, I couldn’t do anything.”
That was news to me.
“You used to hate the media, but you’ve been showing up a lot lately—for that reason… But why go that far, Riku…?”
Riku isn’t a childhood friend or a teammate.
We just started talking a lot because he’d approach me after we met.
I figured he’d lost interest in me after I quit soccer…
“You probably don’t know this, but… it’s because of you that I could change and get to where I am now. If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be a selfish player relying on solo skills—a mere striker.”
Riku looked up at the sky, as if reminiscing about the past.
“Basically, I was full of myself. I thought since I was the best, everyone should move for me, and we’d win. That’s probably why I didn’t make the national team.”
True, when we first faced off, Riku was a first-year who stood out on the enemy team, but he wasn’t hard to shut down.
He barely passed, didn’t act as a decoy for teammates, and didn’t run—just a selfish player.
Plus, he stayed up front and didn’t defend, so I definitely saw him as self-centered.
But by our second-year match, Riku was running hard.
When he lost the ball, he’d immediately pressure the opponent, buying time for the defense to regroup, and in attack, he’d move to free up other forwards as a decoy.
Thanks to that, I remember him causing more chaos alone than in the first-year match we won.
That shift in mindset was apparently influenced by facing me.
“Never thought a guy now said to carry Japan’s national team would say something like that to me…”
“I don’t know how you felt about it, but I’m grateful to you.”
“I didn’t exactly do it for you, though…”
It was just the key to winning, so I went for it.
His growth came from his own personality and effort.
I didn’t really do anything.
“Still, it’s because of you that I am who I am now. That’s why I regretted not being able to help when you were cornered—and why I moved to be ready for the day you’d break from the Himeragi.”
Riku stared at me with strong-willed eyes.
He’s not lying, probably.
After all, he’s become an influencer with fans nationwide.
“That was another question—how’d you know I’d break away? You said you were half-sure, so did someone tell you?”
“Three years ago, the Himeragi Ojou-sama told me. She said it wouldn’t be long before Akihito faced his fate, and asked me to help you when that time came.”
“Kanon-san…?”
An unexpected name came up, and I put a hand to my mouth, thinking.
It’s natural Riku knows Kanon-san.
We don’t interact much now, but back then, Kanon-san was often by my side.
So Riku, who’d come to see me, met her a lot too.
“She’s been your biggest ally, wishing for your happiness more than anyone. That hasn’t changed.”
“…Yeah.”
I nodded at Riku, who smiled gently.
Kanon-san’s part of the Himeragi conglomerate too, but I don’t think she’s an enemy.
I might’ve upset her with something in the past—but she was always good to me.
I think I’ll trust her again.
After that, I explained what we’d do next to Riku—.
“—I see, using the SNS attention against them, huh. I’d love to join in.”
And with that, I successfully got his agreement.
◆◆◆
The next day, Sunday, in front of a certain café—.
“You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, huh?”
Right now, a maid was glaring at me like I was trash.
Her name’s Kusanagi Kaguya-san, from a family that’s served the Himeragi house for generations.
She’s Kanon-san’s personal maid, looking after her since she was little, back when we were students.
She’s around Miyu-sensei’s age, I think.
And I’m really bad with her.
By the way, she’s the one I called earlier.
“Thank you for making time for me today. Is Kanon-san already inside?”
“…You’ve gotten a slightly better face, it seems.”
Kaguya-san said it expressionlessly, like she didn’t care, and opened the café door.
That must mean she’s inside.
I’m nervous—but it’s a lot better than it was before meeting this person.
I thought the biggest hurdle would be Kaguya-san.
She let me through pretty easily, though.
Entering the shop, a familiar staff member guided me.
This café is one Kanon-san loves—we used to come here a lot.
That’s probably why she picked it.
As I went further in—.
“—You’ve grown, Akihito.”
A woman with a more mature face than I remembered sat there, smiling.
It was Himeragi Kanon-san, who’s called herself my Onee-san since we were kids.
Back in middle school, some students called her a Yamato Nadeshiko, and now, grown up, she truly fits that image.
The last time we met was her middle school graduation—so about three years ago.
“Long time no see, Kanon-san. You’ve gotten even more beautiful.”
“Hehe, hearing flattery from you, Akihito, really shows your growth.”
It’s not flattery, just polite small talk.
I wouldn’t normally say it, but I can’t mess up this negotiation, so I’m being careful.
“By the way, you’re alone? I thought I’d get to meet your cute girlfriend too.”
I’d figured there was a chance since the Himeragi president knew, and sure enough, Kanon-san knows about Charlotte-san too.
“I can’t talk about now when I haven’t properly settled the past.”
Charlotte-san wanted to come too, but I convinced her to stay back.
I haven’t really talked to Kanon-san since our messy parting.
I didn’t think it was right to introduce her without clearing that up first.
“As serious as ever, huh. That’s one of your good points… but since it’s a rare chance, I wanted to chat with her too.”
With Kanon-san, she probably means it.
She’s not the type to be sarcastic—she’s friendly and kind to everyone.
“If the chance comes someday, I’ll introduce you.”
“Hehe, I’ll look forward to it. Still, Akihito with a girlfriend, huh. As your Onee-san, I’m thrilled.”
Kanon-san gave a warm smile, looking at me kindly.
It’s so embarrassing I can’t stand it.
“Let’s drop the girlfriend talk there…”
“No need to be shy. It’s been about three years since we last talked like this. I don’t just want to hear about her—I want to reminisce about old times too.”
Her talkative nature hasn’t changed, it seems.
“If it’s old times instead of her…”
“Oh, you’re hopeless.”
Kanon-san laughed like she meant it and sipped the tea on the table.
Then Kaguya-san silently handed me a menu from behind.
Order something, she’s saying.
She’s still so rough with me.
I asked the staff for a coffee, and Kanon-san looked up at the ceiling before speaking.
“It’s been nearly ten years since we met, huh. Back then, you were so wary—it was tough.”
“You suddenly showed up in front of me while I was practicing soccer in the park and declared you’d be my Onee-san from that day on, so of course I’d react like that…”
Yep, Kanon-san just appeared out of nowhere while I was at the park.
I still remember when we met.
After all, she showed up right as my real Onee-san left.
“Mind your words, okay?”
“—”
A hand touched my neck from behind, and sweat ran down my cheek.
Looking up, Kaguya-san was glaring at me coldly.
She adores Kanon-san, so if I’m rude to her, this happens instantly.
“Kaguya, stop it. I keep telling you not to react to every little sibling chat.”
Kanon-san sighed and scolded Kaguya-san for her attitude.
“My apologies.”
Kaguya-san let go of my neck and bowed deeply.
But when she looked up, she shot me a cold You get it, right? look.
She’s the one who doesn’t get it.
“Let’s get back on track. At first, you were wary, but once we got close, you listened to me and worked hard, didn’t you?”
Listening to Kanon-san—more like being threatened by the demon behind me, but I don’t have the guts to correct her.
Honestly, though, I owe who I am now to these two.
I worked hard at studying on my own, but Kanon-san had Kaguya-san teach me too when she studied.
Their teaching styles were worlds apart, but that harsh training is why I have my current grades.
As for soccer, Kanon-san funded it.
Being the daughter of a major conglomerate, she got a ton of allowance and used it for me.
She didn’t just put me on a team—she hired a retired pro coach to train us thoroughly.
Apparently, there wasn’t a strong team nearby, and rather than travel far, she figured it’d be better to bring in a coach and make our own team.
But it didn’t go as planned—the big Himeragi name scared people off, parents didn’t want to leave their current teams, and rumors spread that the team would collapse due to an Ojou-sama’s whim, so we couldn’t gather enough for matches.
Plus, she only wanted kids my age, which was another factor.
That’s why my first official game was in middle school.
By the way, Akira was one of those members too.
Looking back, it was insane, but as a kid, it made me think rich people can do anything.
Even in middle school, they prepared dorm-like buildings for students who couldn’t commute, just to recruit promising players.
“Thanks to you setting up an insane environment… Looking back, it was an amazing childhood. I was always shocked by what you did, Kanon-san.”
“Hehe, I was young back then, wasn’t I?”
No, you’re still plenty young—and is it okay to brush off all that with “I was young”? I’ve got questions, but I won’t say anything for my own sake.
“One thing I don’t want you to misunderstand—all that was possible because you were a kid who’d work hard. If you weren’t, we wouldn’t have helped.”
“I’m grateful for that.”
I don’t have any complaints about what they did for me.
…Well, I’ve got a lot to say about Kaguya-san, but it all led to my growth.
So I’ve got no gripes.
“Honestly, without those middle school days—Akihito, your future would’ve been drastically different.”
“Kanon-san…”
My chest tightened as Kanon-san lowered her eyes sadly.
I could tell she still feels bad about what happened back then.
“Let me apologize first. Back in middle school, I said something really rude to you, Kanon-san. I think it was like repaying kindness with spite. I’m truly sorry.”
I apologized for something that’d been weighing on me.
During that middle school incident, I’d said to Kanon-san:
“You were only nice to me so you could use me, right?”
Thinking calmly, that couldn’t be true.
But I wasn’t calm then and took it out on her.
I don’t know how much those words hurt her.
“Raise your head, Akihito. You don’t have anything to apologize for. If anyone should, it’s me.”
“No, there’s nothing for you to apologize for, Kanon-san… It’s a fact I said something rude…”
“I think what you said was natural. Regardless of the truth, the result was us using you. And I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry.”
Kanon-san bowed deeply.
I remembered her crying and apologizing back in middle school.
She was just like me—used without knowing anything.
She really doesn’t have anything to apologize for.
She only tried to take me in out of kindness when I lost my home.
“Please stop. When you apologize, it just makes it harder for me…”
Having someone blameless bow to you is painful.
It doesn’t lighten your heart—it just adds guilt.
…Maybe Akira felt like this too.
“Then let’s both drop this here. I don’t want you apologizing to me either.”
True, if we keep going, we’ll just apologize forever.
“Got it, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Yes, do that. I’m your Onee-san, after all.”
That phrasing feels off—but she’s dead-set on being the big sister, so I shouldn’t mind.
“Still, I’m glad. You making a girlfriend means you’re not bound by the past anymore, right?”
Kanon-san probably understands me as much as, or more than, Akira does.
So she gets what it means for me to have a girlfriend.
“Well, it’s thanks to her… Without her, I’d still be moping alone.”
“She must be a wonderful girl.”
I really think she’s amazing.
The best in the world, even.
Not that I’d say something that sappy out loud.
…The person behind me is scary too.
“A girl who can change your mind isn’t common. You’ve got to cherish her, okay?”
“Of course, I plan to. She’s way too good for someone like me.”
…Yeah, I felt a chill down my back, but let me have this much mushiness.
“Hehe, I see.”
Unlike the person behind me, Kanon-san laughed happily.
Talk about a temperature difference.
But—Kanon-san’s smile suddenly vanished.
“—But you still don’t get it. If you did, you wouldn’t have come to see me alone. At least if you’d brought her, you might’ve learned some truths. Well, since you’re not saying anything, I guess we’re even.”
She looked at me seriously, like she had something on her mind.
“What do you mean…?”
I didn’t quite grasp what Kanon-san was saying.
“I get not wanting to worry her needlessly—but hiding things that could make your lover anxious is more of a problem, don’t you think?”
Is she seeing through the fact I haven’t told Charlotte-san about the fiancée stuff…?
But even if I told her, it wouldn’t solve anything.
It’d just make her more anxious.
“Thinking logically is fine, but people aren’t that simple. You don’t understand what your actions mean to her.”
Is she holding a grudge that I didn’t bring Charlotte-san…?
I didn’t think she was that petty…
“Oh well, I didn’t come here to lecture you.”
So that was a lecture.
This got awkward…
“Shall we get to the point? You’ve got a request for me, right?”
Kanon-san switched gears and smiled at me.
I haven’t sorted my thoughts that fast, though…
Still, I can’t waste too much time.
She’s probably busy usually and made time for this.
“Actually, I’m thinking of making a certain video.”
“A video? That’s an unusual request.”
Kanon-san laughed happily, observing my expression.
Normally, she wouldn’t get it from that alone… but she might’ve already figured out my plan.
“You know how my issue’s blowing up on SNS right now?”
“The video of you two that started it, right? Of course I know.”
With it being such a big deal, the school must’ve contacted her.
She did well waiting for me to bring it up.
“As a way to resolve it, I want to make a video. But—”
“No need to say it all—I get it. It’s something bad for the Himeragi, right?”
She’s sharp as ever.
Her smarts far outstrip mine, I think.
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble, Kanon-san…”
“It’s fine, this is retribution too. Tell me the details.”
She smiled back at me despite the disadvantage to her.
She’s really kind.
So I explained everything we were going to do.
And then—.
“Hehe, it’s a great plan. Add this to it too.”
Kanon-san fiddled with her phone and showed me the screen.
On it—was black-and-white footage of me being confined.
“How do you have this…?”
“I had Kaguya get the security footage for when this day came. Let’s use this too, to corner them so they can’t talk their way out.”
Kanon-san smiled cheerfully, like it was a funny story, saying it with glee.
Was I the only one who got chills?
Seems there’s a lot of people around me who smile when they’re mad.
…Maybe because they’re kind?
“Thank you, I’ll gratefully use it.”
I bowed in thanks and looked at Kaguya-san.
“Kaguya-san, thank you too.”
“Hmph, I just followed Ojou-sama’s orders. It’s not like I did it for you.”
I thanked Kaguya-san for getting it, but she brushed me off coldly as usual.
I don’t know what’s so funny about that exchange, but Kanon-san was grinning happily.
“Uh… Actually, that’s not all—there’s one more thing.”
I pulled myself together and looked at Kanon-san.
“Another request?”
“No, not a request—another idea I wanted to discuss…”
“Oh?”
Kanon-san looked at me with deep interest.
She hadn’t expected this, it seems.
“Lend me your ear.”
With that, I shared that other idea with her.
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