[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 81...So That's How It Was...
"What the heck am I even doing...?"
Completely steamrolled by Mitake Minamo's persistence, Haruki had ended up being dragged back to Minamo's place.
Haruki had her face halfway submerged in the tub she'd been forced into, blowing bubbles on the surface of the water. From the changing room, the heavy thrum of the dryer echoed through the air.
Knitting her brows, Haruki couldn't help but wonder.
(This house is huge. But what's with this... ...vibe?)
Mitake Minamo's house was just a stone's throw away from the park.
It was a pretty massive Japanese-style house, a bit on the older side, but clearly, the family was well-off.
From the look of the hallway Haruki'd walked through to get to the bath, the place was meticulously kept, like it was always ready to welcome guests at a moment's notice.
It felt warm, just like Mitake Minamo's personality, but there was this lingering sense of melancholy drifting through the halls.
For some reason, Haruki couldn't just brush it off as someone else's problem. She dunked herself deeper into the tub, her scowl deepening even more.
(So Hayato and I have the same look in our eyes, huh...?)
Then, Haruki let her mind wander to one more thing that had been bugging her.
What popped into Haruki's head was how Hayato's Dad had asked her to look out for Hayato, and the fact that his Mom was currently hospitalized.
Something felt off. But Haruki couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Honestly, Haruki thought Mitake Minamo was the one who actually acted more like Hayato with her meddling and pushy attitude.
Haruki popped her head out of the water with a "Phew!" just as she was starting to get lightheaded, then she left the bath without any real answers.
◇◇◇
"Thanks for the change of clothes."
Haruki was wearing Mitake Minamo's school-issued tracksuit.
Since Minamo was a whole size smaller than Haruki, it felt a little tight here and there, but it wasn't a huge deal. Well, except for the chest area, which was weirdly loose—leaving Haruki with a totally deadpan look on her face.
"Um, well, I don't really own any cute casual clothes or anything like that..."
"A-Ahaha, it's fine. I'm usually dressed like this at home, though."
"O-Oh, I see."
For some reason, Mitake Minamo was waiting on the living room sofa, stiff as a board and sitting in formal seiza style.
Haruki didn't even know how to react; She could feel her cheek twitching a bit.
When Haruki muttered a quick "Excuse me" and sat down next to Minamo, Minamo's shoulders gave a violent flinch.
Haruki let out a dry laugh, thinking it was hard to tell who was actually the guest here.
"..."
"..."
The air was thick with an awkwardness Haruki can't even describe.
When Haruki stole a glance at the girl next to her, Mitake Minamo was still frozen solid, groaning a low "Ugh" from the sheer tension. The second their eyes met, Haruki'd look away and hang her head.
(A-Ahaha... ...it's gonna take a while for my clothes to dry, isn't it?)
With nothing to do, Haruki started glancing around the room, not really sure where to look.
A weathered cupboard, a low table covered in scratches, a TV rack that showed its age― most of the furniture in the room was pretty old-school. But even so, the warmth they gave off made it obvious they'd been taken care of with a lot of love.
So, while the owner's personality and attachment to the place really shone through, seeing Mitake Minamo just sitting there all by herself felt weirdly out of place.
(Wait, now that I think about it...)
Haruki realized she hadn't seen a single soul besides Mitake Minamo. There wasn't even a hint of anyone else being home.
The bottles of soy sauce and mirin Minamo'd been carrying earlier were peeking out of the tote bag at her feet, only making the whole vibe feel even more bizarre. It was pretty clear she had some kind of secret she couldn't tell people.
Maybe Haruki's thoughts were written all over her face, because when their eyes met, Mitake Minamo looked troubled and clenched her fists on her lap. After hesitating for a second, Minamo finally spilled her secret, looking pretty embarrassed.
"Y'know... ...I'm actually all alone here."
"…Oh."
The deja vu was intense. Haruki couldn't help but stare in shock.
Suddenly, everything just clicked, and all the pieces started falling into place in Haruki's heart.
"Grandpa, who I've lived with for a long time, got hospitalized and I've just been so lonely... ...so, dragging you here, Nikaidō-san... ...I really just did it for my own sake..."
"I see... ...so that's how it was...."
Minamo looked just like a little kid apologizing for doing something wrong.
And unlike Haruki, Minamo didn't act all stubborn; Minamo was totally honest about her weaknesses. Even then, the way she desperately searched for the right words showed just how sincere she was― at this point, it was clear that Mitake Minamo was a genuinely good girl through and through.
That's why, when Haruki saw Minamo waiting so bravely for someone to come home despite the loneliness oozing out of her, her body just moved on its own.
"Being alone... ...it sucks, right?"
"N-Nikaidou-san!?"
"I'm the same, y'know. I'm alone. All by myself. Being alone... ...it's lonely, isn't it...?"
"Nikaidō-san..."
Haruki followed the impulse rising inside her and pulled the tiny girl into a hug, almost like she was cherishing her. She just had to do it.
(Oh, I get it now... ...so that's how it was...)
Mitake Minamo was caught off guard by the sudden hug, but as she listened to Haruki's words, the tension finally started to bleed out of her body.
Hayato probably feels the same way, Haruki thought. That's definitely what Minamo meant when she said they had the same look in their eyes.
"Hey, can I come over to your place again sometime? Like, during the day next time?"
"Oh... ...yeah! I'd love that!"
And just like what Mitake Minamo said earlier, these words were probably as much for her own sake as anything else.
But right now, Haruki just couldn't keep it inside.
"And also, about being buddies."
"Huh?"
"I don't wanna just be 'Gardening buddies' anymore. I wanna be real buddies. I wanna change. Is that... ...not okay?"
"N-No way! I mean—um—p-pleased to meet you?! Ow..."
"Pfft."
Looking at each other, Haruki and Mitake Minamo shared a clumsy little giggle.
The darkness that had been hanging over both of them in that room finally started to lift.
All of this was probably supposed to be pretty simple from the start.
Haruki'd just gotten way too stubborn and lost sight of things before she knew it. That's exactly why Haruki swore to that old promise that she'd keep giving it her all.
~~~~♪
Right then, Mitake Minamo's smartphone started buzzing.
Minamo shot a quick, uncertain look at Haruki's face, but Haruki just gave Minamo a bright smile and gestured for Minamo to take the call.
"Hello? ...Oh, yeah, I know. Um, are you okay? You sound totally out of breath... ...yeah, yeah. Nikaidō-san's right here..."
Mitake Minamo looked a little reluctant as she answered, repeatedly stealing glances at Haruki.
Confused by the way Minamo was acting, Haruki tilted her head to the side, and then Mitake Minamo tentatively held out her smartphone to Haruki.
"Um, well... ...it's from Kirishima-san."
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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"What the heck am I even doing...?"
Completely steamrolled by Mitake Minamo's persistence, Haruki had ended up being dragged back to Minamo's place.
Haruki had her face halfway submerged in the tub she'd been forced into, blowing bubbles on the surface of the water. From the changing room, the heavy thrum of the dryer echoed through the air.
Knitting her brows, Haruki couldn't help but wonder.
(This house is huge. But what's with this... ...vibe?)
Mitake Minamo's house was just a stone's throw away from the park.
It was a pretty massive Japanese-style house, a bit on the older side, but clearly, the family was well-off.
From the look of the hallway Haruki'd walked through to get to the bath, the place was meticulously kept, like it was always ready to welcome guests at a moment's notice.
It felt warm, just like Mitake Minamo's personality, but there was this lingering sense of melancholy drifting through the halls.
For some reason, Haruki couldn't just brush it off as someone else's problem. She dunked herself deeper into the tub, her scowl deepening even more.
(So Hayato and I have the same look in our eyes, huh...?)
Then, Haruki let her mind wander to one more thing that had been bugging her.
What popped into Haruki's head was how Hayato's Dad had asked her to look out for Hayato, and the fact that his Mom was currently hospitalized.
Something felt off. But Haruki couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Honestly, Haruki thought Mitake Minamo was the one who actually acted more like Hayato with her meddling and pushy attitude.
Haruki popped her head out of the water with a "Phew!" just as she was starting to get lightheaded, then she left the bath without any real answers.
◇◇◇
"Thanks for the change of clothes."
Haruki was wearing Mitake Minamo's school-issued tracksuit.
Since Minamo was a whole size smaller than Haruki, it felt a little tight here and there, but it wasn't a huge deal. Well, except for the chest area, which was weirdly loose—leaving Haruki with a totally deadpan look on her face.
"Um, well, I don't really own any cute casual clothes or anything like that..."
"A-Ahaha, it's fine. I'm usually dressed like this at home, though."
"O-Oh, I see."
For some reason, Mitake Minamo was waiting on the living room sofa, stiff as a board and sitting in formal seiza style.
Haruki didn't even know how to react; She could feel her cheek twitching a bit.
When Haruki muttered a quick "Excuse me" and sat down next to Minamo, Minamo's shoulders gave a violent flinch.
Haruki let out a dry laugh, thinking it was hard to tell who was actually the guest here.
"..."
"..."
The air was thick with an awkwardness Haruki can't even describe.
When Haruki stole a glance at the girl next to her, Mitake Minamo was still frozen solid, groaning a low "Ugh" from the sheer tension. The second their eyes met, Haruki'd look away and hang her head.
(A-Ahaha... ...it's gonna take a while for my clothes to dry, isn't it?)
With nothing to do, Haruki started glancing around the room, not really sure where to look.
A weathered cupboard, a low table covered in scratches, a TV rack that showed its age― most of the furniture in the room was pretty old-school. But even so, the warmth they gave off made it obvious they'd been taken care of with a lot of love.
So, while the owner's personality and attachment to the place really shone through, seeing Mitake Minamo just sitting there all by herself felt weirdly out of place.
(Wait, now that I think about it...)
Haruki realized she hadn't seen a single soul besides Mitake Minamo. There wasn't even a hint of anyone else being home.
The bottles of soy sauce and mirin Minamo'd been carrying earlier were peeking out of the tote bag at her feet, only making the whole vibe feel even more bizarre. It was pretty clear she had some kind of secret she couldn't tell people.
Maybe Haruki's thoughts were written all over her face, because when their eyes met, Mitake Minamo looked troubled and clenched her fists on her lap. After hesitating for a second, Minamo finally spilled her secret, looking pretty embarrassed.
"Y'know... ...I'm actually all alone here."
"…Oh."
The deja vu was intense. Haruki couldn't help but stare in shock.
Suddenly, everything just clicked, and all the pieces started falling into place in Haruki's heart.
"Grandpa, who I've lived with for a long time, got hospitalized and I've just been so lonely... ...so, dragging you here, Nikaidō-san... ...I really just did it for my own sake..."
"I see... ...so that's how it was...."
Minamo looked just like a little kid apologizing for doing something wrong.
And unlike Haruki, Minamo didn't act all stubborn; Minamo was totally honest about her weaknesses. Even then, the way she desperately searched for the right words showed just how sincere she was― at this point, it was clear that Mitake Minamo was a genuinely good girl through and through.
That's why, when Haruki saw Minamo waiting so bravely for someone to come home despite the loneliness oozing out of her, her body just moved on its own.
"Being alone... ...it sucks, right?"
"N-Nikaidou-san!?"
"I'm the same, y'know. I'm alone. All by myself. Being alone... ...it's lonely, isn't it...?"
"Nikaidō-san..."
Haruki followed the impulse rising inside her and pulled the tiny girl into a hug, almost like she was cherishing her. She just had to do it.
(Oh, I get it now... ...so that's how it was...)
Mitake Minamo was caught off guard by the sudden hug, but as she listened to Haruki's words, the tension finally started to bleed out of her body.
Hayato probably feels the same way, Haruki thought. That's definitely what Minamo meant when she said they had the same look in their eyes.
"Hey, can I come over to your place again sometime? Like, during the day next time?"
"Oh... ...yeah! I'd love that!"
And just like what Mitake Minamo said earlier, these words were probably as much for her own sake as anything else.
But right now, Haruki just couldn't keep it inside.
"And also, about being buddies."
"Huh?"
"I don't wanna just be 'Gardening buddies' anymore. I wanna be real buddies. I wanna change. Is that... ...not okay?"
"N-No way! I mean—um—p-pleased to meet you?! Ow..."
"Pfft."
Looking at each other, Haruki and Mitake Minamo shared a clumsy little giggle.
The darkness that had been hanging over both of them in that room finally started to lift.
All of this was probably supposed to be pretty simple from the start.
Haruki'd just gotten way too stubborn and lost sight of things before she knew it. That's exactly why Haruki swore to that old promise that she'd keep giving it her all.
~~~~♪
Right then, Mitake Minamo's smartphone started buzzing.
Minamo shot a quick, uncertain look at Haruki's face, but Haruki just gave Minamo a bright smile and gestured for Minamo to take the call.
"Hello? ...Oh, yeah, I know. Um, are you okay? You sound totally out of breath... ...yeah, yeah. Nikaidō-san's right here..."
Mitake Minamo looked a little reluctant as she answered, repeatedly stealing glances at Haruki.
Confused by the way Minamo was acting, Haruki tilted her head to the side, and then Mitake Minamo tentatively held out her smartphone to Haruki.
"Um, well... ...it's from Kirishima-san."
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: