Chapter 73The Goddess Looks Back
When Airi was born, I was still in elementary school.,
She was my first and only little sis. I remember, even though I was very young at the time, I was very happy with her cuteness she was like an angel in her little life. I had to be firm because I was going to be a big sis. When I was very determined, Mom and Dad hugged me and told me how great I was, and I thought I would live a happy daily life with Airi in our new home.
Around the same time that I graduated from elementary school, Dad stumbled into trouble after following in the footsteps of his co-workers who had successfully changed livelihoods. There was no way he could return to the job he had left so well and he had to look for work for some time. A year and a half later, he managed to find a job and was able to get back on track better than he had been, but it had been a difficult time until then when the house had just been built.
A year or so after she gave birth to Airi, Mom started working part-time. I was worried about her health, so I volunteered to help her at home and started taking care of myself. No, I thought circumstances forced me to do that.
When I woke up early in the morning, I do the laundry with the washing machine and made lunch while doing so. After drying the laundry in the yard, I would prepare myself and go to my middle school. Arriving home, I asked Mom what the dinner menu was, went shopping, and asked her to cook while I looked after Airi.
Facing the changes in my own body during growth, the fear of instability that comes with puberty. Because I had to deal with all that, I became increasingly fed up with my daily life.
My bland daily life. For the innocent Airi, the furrowed face between my eyebrows that I showed her was a sin that I will never be able to forgive until now. Hence, to make up for that time by making her happy again, as a big sis, I will continue to love her as much as I can now and in the future — Well, that's what I said firmly in my heart as I regained peace.
I guess the hardest part for me was the difference from the people around me. The other girls started going to new places to hang out and talk about fashion, trends, television shows, and idols, just like any other middle school girls. I did envy everyone who could enjoy these kinds of things, but gradually I couldn't understand my surroundings anymore, and somehow I managed to keep myself busy by refusing their invitations to hang out.
"Oh, this is strange.", I thought. In the first semester of my second year of middle school, I started to think so. I settled down in a corner of the classroom and... I wondered why I was the only one who had to live a boring middle school life, and I began to feel that I was about to enter a rebellious phase.
Gosh, I'm nearing my limit.
'Um, yesterday! Thank you for your help!'
That's when Wataru appeared.
It was the rainy season, and I remember that the vinyl floor was very slippery because it was damp. I didn't have time to make lunch that day because I was short on time, so I was about to eat lunch at the cafeteria.
In the middle of the cafeteria, there was a guy who was turning over the tray in his hands. It was no wonder, because the floor was slippery and damp, and I knew in my heart that someone would fall on it one day.
A guy fell, frowning in pain and dumbfounded. For the next five seconds or so, I remember everyone around him pretending not to notice. With the blank, despairing gaze of his surroundings, I felt so sorry for him with that kind of atmosphere.
Almost unconsciously, I picked up the tray lying on the floor and started picking up the broken dishes scattered on the floor. I think I encouraged him with my gaze, even though I didn't say out loud that I didn't like this, that it was troublesome.
A lady from the cafeteria came running and brought a broom and dustpan, and she and I cleaned up the broken dishes without causing a scene.
'Natsukawa Aika-san. I fell in love with your kindness at first sight. Please go out with me!'
Three days later. Just like we can see in manga and soap operas, he called me to the back of the school building where no one was there, and confessed his feelings for me. Honestly, I think I listened to him as if it was someone else's business at the time.
I was too busy with my daily life to think about dating anyone at that time. Of course, I rejected Wataru's confession for that reason. But that was the beginning of Wataru's fierce approach.
'This is the first time I've met someone who takes me that seriously.'
After being told that, Wataru started coming to see me many times the next day. I guess, sometimes I threw some pretty harsh words at him, as my daily frustrations were compounded by the presence of this troublesome guy. At the same time, all my frustrations — the embarrassing part of me was known to Wataru.
'—Natsukawa-san, tell me about this matter.'
'—May I call you by your nickname? Please let me call you by your nickname!'
'—Aika, I'll carry your luggage, so let's go home together.'
A guy named 'Sajou Wataru' was stalking me everywhere. In the end, he even started showing up on my shopping trips after school, and in my opinion, he was almost like an overt stalker. Ironically, this fierce approach became something of a celebrity in my class, and my name became known by everyone.
'Natsukawa-san, I heard you're being followed constantly by a strange guy, right? It must be troublesome, right?'
'Natsukawa-san, you're so cute, it can't be helped! We'll protect you!'
I didn't know what kind of sympathy it was, but before I knew it, people started talking to me a lot. Wataru showed up and worried about me, and then we gradually started talking in between classes.
When Mom took time off from her part-time job, I hung out outside with my classmates for the first time. I don't know where he heard about it, but Wataru also invited a group of boys and all the girls started yelling at each other, and it was fun to have fun like that... ...It was fun, very fun.
For a while during my third-year of middle school, Wataru didn't talk to me much and I concentrated on studying for my high school entrance exams. I studied hard with the other girls in my class, and I aimed to get into Kōetsu High School, a preparatory high school with low tuition fees. It was a tough time, but compared to the boring days not long ago, it seemed very normal.
'In order not to burden my family'. Perhaps my hopes and efforts paid off because I was accepted into Kōetsu High School. To my surprise, Wataru was waiting for me with a smile on the day of the announcement of the high school entrance examination results.
He had been quiet lately, and I remember that I casually said to him, 'Oh, you went to the same high school as me, how come you enrolled?' Perhaps it was a feeling of relief that someone I knew got accepted there too.
Soon after, Wataru said something outrageous even though there were many people around us.
'Because I want to go to the same high school as Aika!'
I hurriedly took him to a quiet place and nagged him rather emotionally. For some reason at the time, he asked me to at least call him by his nickname at the time, and I remember reluctantly agreeing.
After school at the high school entrance ceremony, Wataru also confessed his feelings for me again. By then, I had no idea how many times he had confessed his feelings for me. That's because I had already heard the same words during my middle school years.
Although those boring days had passed, I still didn't have the thought of 'dating someone' in myself. Besides, I was starting to think that Wataru was quite annoying. If he was persistent enough, I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me like he used to.
When high school started, Wataru started chasing after me again. I think the students sitting around us rolled their eyes in amazement at his straightforward approach. One of them was a girl named 'Ashida Kei'.
'Natsukawa-san, you're very popular, huh.'
'He just follows me around...'
I remember I made a frowny face in reply, but Kei started talking to me with a grin on her face. I think she's my best friend who I first introduced to Airi. She's very reliable. And just like when I was in middle school, girls started talking to me as if they sympathized with me because I was always being chased by Wataru.
It's not quite like my dream, but it's different from when I was in middle school. With that kind of hope in my heart, I started my high school life. I had a daily life that was so fulfilling that all the hard work I had put in up to that point paid off. Although club activities were difficult due to my family circumstances, I still managed to hang out with girls from time to time. At that point, I guess I would have been satisfied.
'—I'm sorry, Natsukawa.'
It was so sudden, I didn't understand the meaning of his words.
I didn't understand a word he said. He just approached me and moved away without asking me. Wataru just kept his distance from me. Immediately afterward, I wasn't surprised, I just said to myself, 'Now I can finally live in peace.'
That's how it should be.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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