[Warning 15+]
Part One~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 34Grumbling (Inner Weakness)
There was all kinds of weird gear scattered around the crowd.
Huge-*ss video cameras. Boom mics for catching the actors' voices. And two big vans that looked like they were packed with all sorts of other equipment.
All that tech was pointed at a man and a woman acting all lovey-dovey—Well, pretending to be, though.
No matter how you looked at it, they were filming a TV drama or something.
"Hey, isn't that for 10 Years of Loneliness?"
"Takura Mao is insane, she looks so young. Seriously looks like she's in her late 20s."
"I heard Takura-san's private life is kind of a mess, though."
"Who cares? With looks like that, Takura-san gets a pass. She's freaking mesmerizing."
Takura Mao was one heck of a beautiful actress.
Technically, Mao's around Hayato's parents' age, but she's got this vibe and beauty that totally hides it.
You could hear all sorts of reactions from the crowd—envy, awe, shock, jealousy—everyone had something to say. And yeah, it wasn't all just praise.
Still, Mao had this massive presence that made you get why everyone was staring.
(Huh? Pretty sure that's…)
Takura Mao was the actress in that TV drama Himeko was watching this morning before Hayato headed out.
If even Himeko's classmates were recommending it, it must be pretty popular right now.
I mean, seeing everyone's reaction, it was obvious Mao had that kind of star power. But for some reason, Hayato got this weird sense of deja vu that made him tilt his head.
"Wait."
But man, the way Haruki was acting after seeing that actress was totally off.
The color had completely drained from Haruki's face, leaving her ghost-pale as she bit her lip for dear life.
Haruki's shoulders were shaking like she was holding back a breakdown, and her nails dug so hard into Hayato's hand that blood started to seep out.
That look on Haruki's face was definitely not normal. All those scrambled emotions inside her were about to snap. But Hayato had zero clue why.
"―!"
"Haruki!"
And then, like she couldn't take it anymore, Haruki let go of Hayato's hand and bolted the other way.
Haruki kept her head down, her mule sandals clicking loudly against the pavement as she practically power-walked with her shoulders all tensed up. Hayato scrambled after her, looking totally lost.
To anyone watching, it probably looked like a boy desperately chasing after his pissed-off girlfriend.
But to Hayato, it just looked like Haruki was fighting back tears for dear life.
Hayato had no idea what to say to Haruki.
Then again, there was no way Hayato could just leave Haruki like that.
―Haruki's just being stubborn.
That was the Haruki Hayato saw right now.
The disguise, the "honor student" act, the performance, being an only child, that living room that didn't feel lived-in at all. All these thoughts started spinning in Hayato's head.
It felt like the dots were finally about to connect, yet one crucial piece was still missing, keeping the whole picture from coming together.
Still, one thing was for damn sure.
(There's no way in heck I'm leaving her—leaving Haruki—all by herself right now…!)
Hayato scrambled through the crowd, desperate not to lose sight of Haruki as she threatened to vanish into the sea of people.
They were close enough that Hayato could reach out and touch Haruki. Yet, there was this undeniable distance standing between them. It felt freaking frustrating.
"…Whoa!"
"Gotcha!"
It happened in a split second.
Hayato grabbed Haruki's hand just as she tripped, saving her from a nasty fall.
Haruki shot Hayato a look that was impossible to read, before quietly averting her eyes.
"…"
"…"
Neither of them knew what to say.
The whole thing was just a total coincidence.
But Hayato felt like he absolutely couldn't let go of Haruki's hand now that he'd grabbed it again.
"…Think we can make it back home if we just walk along these tracks?"
"Mnh, who knows. I have no idea."
"Alright then, let's give it a shot."
"…Hayato?"
The big city. A main road running right alongside the private train tracks.
Unlike the dirt paths back in the countryside, there was no lush green clover here—just a never-ending row of buildings and skyscrapers. They just kept walking down that long, stretching road together.
The awkwardness was still hanging heavy in the air.
Haruki's face was a mask of someone trying to crush down a million different feelings at once.
Hayato just kept leading his childhood friend by the hand.
To anyone passing by, they probably looked like a couple who just made up after a huge fight. It was the kind of sight you don't see every day.
Still, Hayato couldn't help but feel this huge wave of nostalgia from the whole situation.
(…Wait, wasn't it just like this back when we first met, too?)
It was a long-*ss time ago, so far back Hayato couldn't even remember when. Back when they were just little kids starting to understand the world.
Haruki was a kid who never laughed.
Haruki wouldn't hang out with anyone; She'd just sit there hugging her knees with a blank face.
All that pain, suffering, hurt, and hate—Haruki'd just force it all deep down. And yet, it felt like she was waiting for something, drowning in her own despair—but even then, she'd be stubborn as heck and keep her guard up.
Hayato hated seeing Haruki like that, which is exactly why he grabbed her hand and dragged her out to play.
Yeah, the Haruki standing here now looked exactly like that "Haruki" from back then. Hayato just couldn't unsee it.
Hayato knew d*mn well that things were different now.
But still, Hayato just couldn't stand this vibe, so he kept on leading Haruki by the hand.
In the end, Hayato realized that he hadn't changed one bit. He just couldn't help but notice it.
"Hayato, you know, you've always been so pushy."
"Think so?"
There was a hint of nostalgia bleeding through Haruki's quiet mumble.
"Your hand."
"Yeah?"
"It’s all rough and big."
"Well, I was helping out a lot with the farm work, after all."
"And to think, I used to be the taller one."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, really."
"I don't remember that."
"Well, I do."
Haruki squeezed Hayato's hand even tighter.
"Even when we first met, it was just like this."
Haruki let out a weak little laugh as she said it. She looked so fragile, like a single gust of wind could just blow her away. Even though her heart had been crying for ages, she was being stubborn as heck, acting like there was no way she'd ever let herself break down.
Hayato couldn't find the right words to say to Haruki. It was freaking frustrating, but since he wanted her to know that "hey, I'm right here," he just squeezed her hand back as hard as he could.
Then, Haruki stepped up beside Hayato, and they started walking again.
This time, it wasn't Hayato dragging her along. Haruki was moving her own feet of her own free will, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him just like the old days.
But still, there was no way things could ever be exactly the same as they were back then.
There was now a whole head of difference in their height.
The hands they were holding had grown into completely different sizes.
And the clothes Haruki was wearing—a stylish white summer dress—was something you could never, ever get covered in mud.
Those were the things that had changed during the seven years that kept Hayato and Haruki apart.
Still, through their interlaced hands—just like back then—Hayato could feel this deep sense of trust, a sign that some things really never change.That's why Haruki finally called out Hayato's name.
"Hey, Hayato."
"Yeah?"
"Can I just... ...vent about one thing?"
"Sure."
"You know, I actually... ...I live in that house all by myself."
"…"
Haruki was playing it off like it was just some casual part of their conversation. She was trying so hard to act like everything was totally fine.
Then, out of nowhere, a parent and child walked past them looking all happy and close.
They were holding hands, with a grocery bag in the other.
Watching them, Haruki just froze. Her face completely clouded over.
When she finally forced the words out, Haruki couldn't hide the tremble in her voice no matter how hard she tried.
"And here I am, being a good girl and waiting all this time."
Those words were packed with a million different emotions.
It was everything Haruki could muster up right now.
But that one sentence Haruki finally managed to squeeze out was instantly drowned out, swallowed up by the roar of car engines passing them by.
The early summer sun was already dipping toward the west, casting long shadows from the skyscrapers over the two of them.
Author's Notes:
Heading into the climax of Part One.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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