[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 70Deja Vu
Once they hopped in the elevator, Hayato finally realized he was still holding Mitake Minamo's hand right as he went to hit the button for the first floor, and he scrambled to let go.
"My bad."
"It's okay..."
Inside the elevator with just the two of them, the vibe got super awkward, like you could cut the tension with a knife.
Everything about Hayato's Mom's hospitalization, the numbness in her hands, and the rehab—it was a lot.
Even for Minamo, who'd basically been treated like a doll earlier, those were probably things she was worried about too.
Hayato's Mom didn't just ask to mess with Minamo's hair again for rehab; Hayato's Mom also seemed surprisingly chummy with Minamo's Grandpa. Being fellow patients, maybe they'd just hit it off. And naturally, it looked like Hayato's Mom and Minamo were getting closer too.
(Man, what am I supposed to do?)
Hayato let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped, but then he caught a glimpse of Minamo out of the corner of his eye and his breath just hitched.
(Thump!)
Until now, Hayato'd been too distracted by his Mom and everyone else messing with them, but looking at Minamo closely again, he realized Minamo felt totally different from usual.
Normally, Minamo being so tiny and working so hard on her veggies gave off this cute, small-animal vibe. But seeing her with her hair all styled like this, even though she still looked a bit young, those wavy curls gave off an alluring, almost mature vibe that was honestly pretty captivating.
When a girl like that holds her hand to her chest and shoots a look your way like she's worried about something, it's basically impossible for a healthy teenage boy not to feel his heart skip a beat.
(Man, can a girl's vibe really change this much just from a hairstyle?)
Hayato looked away from Minamo, trying to play it cool and hide how he was feeling.
"Eh, sorry my Mom was so pushy earlier."
"I don't mind, really... ...I just didn't know your Mom was in the hospital."
"That's actually why I moved here."
"So you... ...and the cooking, and everything..."
"Oh, well, Mom said all that, but if you're not into people messing with your hair, I can tell her to—Mitake-san?"
"..."
But Minamo just kept her head down, let out a low hum, and looked totally serious. The air inside the elevator got even heavier.
Hayato was completely lost.
For a boy like Hayato, who basically has zero social skills when it comes to girls his age, trying to read Minamo's mind was a total lost cause.
Hayato made a weird, awkward face and was just about to scratch his head—when it happened.
"U-Um!"
"Whoa!"
Minamo suddenly leaned in close. Hayato reflexively backed away because her cute face was suddenly right there in his personal space.
"P-Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"
"O-Oh, sure."
For a second, Hayato didn't even register what Minamo was trying to say.
But even though Minamo was short on words, Hayato could tell how much she was worrying about him just by that weirdly intense look in her eyes and her clenched fists held up to her chest.
(...Oh.)
If Hayato stopped to think about it for even a second, it was pretty obvious. From what just happened, it was clear his Mom was hospitalized and needed rehab just to get back to her daily routine. Minamo must've picked up on that.
Being hit head-on with Minamo's pure, sincere feelings made Hayato feel all restless inside. He didn't know how to handle it and started to lose his cool.
"Oh, we're here."
"Yeah, looks like it."
Right then, the elevator announced they'd reached the first floor.
Hayato took the chance to slip out like he was making a break for it, but Minamo tagged along right behind him with those quick little steps, like a lamb following its shepherd.
Since they were in the hospital lobby, Hayato slowed down and came to a stop. When he turned around, he saw Minamo looking totally fired up, like she was just waiting for him to give her some kind of mission.
(...This is a problem.)
To be honest, Minamo's kindness made Hayato happy, but the truth was, he just didn't know how to handle it.
So Hayato just tried to play it cool and gave Minamo a vague answer.
"I can't think of anything right now, but if something comes up, I'll definitely reach out."
"Um, I'm actually pretty good with household stuff and paperwork! So this time, let me be the one to help you!"
"This time...?"
"You've helped me out so much with the veggie gardening!"
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I won't hesitate to ask."
"Okay!"
It looked like Minamo felt seriously indebted to Hayato for helping her out with the veggies in the Gardening Club.
Hayato figured that made sense, but for some reason, he felt this weird, nagging sense of deja vu.
(...Wait, what?)
And then, a memory of a young Himeko flashed through Hayato's mind.
Himeko's eyes were vacant, her lids were red and swollen, and dried tear tracks stained her cheeks. The image of Hayato's little sis just standing there, paralyzed and helpless, right next to their Mom who had collapsed.
A memory from the past. The very event that made Hayato who he is today. The first time he'd ever found his Mom unconscious.
(Wh-Why now...?)
Hayato hadn't forgotten it. Not that he ever could.
But usually, Hayato kept that memory locked away deep in the back of his mind, so he had no idea why it was bubbing up right now.
Still, the sudden flashback of that old helplessness and panic hit Hayato hard, making him stumble slightly as he pressed a hand to his forehead.
"K-Kirishima-san!?"
"Eh, it's nothing. I'm okay, Mitake-san."
"But you look so pale..."
"Haha, maybe the gloomy hospital vibes are just getting to me."
"..."
Hayato tried to force a smile to show Minamo he was okay, but his brows were still knit together, and he could see the worry flickering in her eyes.
Something felt off.
But Hayato couldn't put his finger on what it was.
It felt like Hayato was only making Minamo worry more, unintentionally giving her more reasons to want to look after him.
"I'm good, really. I'll let you know if I need anything."
"You can't overdo it, okay?"
Hayato said that as they started walking toward the exit.
The vibe between them was still as awkward as ever.
"...Man, this sucks."
Those words slipped out not just because of Hayato's own messy feelings, but because it had actually started raining for real outside.
It wasn't a total downpour, but it was definitely enough to be a problem if you didn't have an umbrella.
But Minamo piped up instantly, sounding totally stoked.
"I have an umbrella with me!"
Minamo had this look on her face like, "See? Told you that you could count on me already!"
◇◇◇
Under the drizzling twilight rain, Hayato and Minamo walked along, both of them letting one of their shoulders get soaked.
The folding umbrella Minamo kept in her school bag was big enough for two people to share, but it had this super cute design with sheep and clouds on pastel-colored fabric.
Being in a "sharing an umbrella" situation with a design like that made Hayato's face twist in pure embarrassment.
Still, Hayato was grateful to stay dry, so he sucked it up and headed toward the station.
"...It's really tough when a family member who's always been there just suddenly vanishes from the house one day, isn't it?"
"Mitake-san...?"
Minamo suddenly murmured that like it was nothing, keeping her eyes fixed forward without showing Hayato her face.
In truth, Minamo might've just been talking to herself.
You could call it a moment of weakness that slipped out because they both had relatives in the hospital.
"..."
"..."
They walked toward the station in silence after that, with only the pitter-patter of rain hitting the umbrella filling the air.
Hearing Minamo's lonely-sounding murmur made Hayato's embarrassment vanish instantly.
Instead, Hayato felt like Minamo's desperate need to look after him was only because she was trying so hard to be strong, and he felt like he had to say something.
Hayato scratched his head and stole a glance at Minamo. Then, the image of a pissed-off yet exasperated Himeko flashed through his mind—and he realized there was something he still hadn't told Minamo.
"Eh, hey, Mitake-san."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"That hairstyle of yours... ...it really suits you. I think you look way cuter now than you usually do."
"Pya?!"
Since there were hardly any kids his age back in Tsukinose, Hayato was used to Himeko constantly bugging him for his opinion whenever she got new clothes or a new hairstyle.
And from experience, Hayato knew that if he got specific about exactly what looked good, Himeko'd stay in a good mood.
"Since your hair is up, it really shows off your jawline and looks super clean, and those wavy curls peeking out give off this soft, cute vibe, but also kind of a mature one, I guess."
"Au, um... ...hau..."
"So, yeah, I think you should totally keep doing your hair like that from now on—wait, Mitake-san?"
"...Pi."
"Pi?"
In Hayato's mind, he was just trying to cheer Minamo up, the same way he'd try to get back on Himeko's good side.
But as Hayato watched Minamo's face and even her ears turn beet red, he finally realized his choice of words was a total disaster—but by then, it was too late.
"PYA!!"
"Wait!"
Under the drizzling rain, Minamo just bolted, like she couldn't take another second of it.
Leaving Hayato standing there all by himself, holding Minamo's super fancy, cute-looking umbrella.
Guess it was a good thing the station wasn't that far away.
"Man, I'm in trouble..."
Hayato's mumble was quickly swallowed up by the sound of the falling rain.
Author's Notes:
Baaa-baaa
,. .,. ., .,
＠"・∀・"＠
;' .:. ,;
';,,.u.,.,.u,;'
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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Donations are very much appreciated.
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Once they hopped in the elevator, Hayato finally realized he was still holding Mitake Minamo's hand right as he went to hit the button for the first floor, and he scrambled to let go.
"My bad."
"It's okay..."
Inside the elevator with just the two of them, the vibe got super awkward, like you could cut the tension with a knife.
Everything about Hayato's Mom's hospitalization, the numbness in her hands, and the rehab—it was a lot.
Even for Minamo, who'd basically been treated like a doll earlier, those were probably things she was worried about too.
Hayato's Mom didn't just ask to mess with Minamo's hair again for rehab; Hayato's Mom also seemed surprisingly chummy with Minamo's Grandpa. Being fellow patients, maybe they'd just hit it off. And naturally, it looked like Hayato's Mom and Minamo were getting closer too.
(Man, what am I supposed to do?)
Hayato let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped, but then he caught a glimpse of Minamo out of the corner of his eye and his breath just hitched.
(Thump!)
Until now, Hayato'd been too distracted by his Mom and everyone else messing with them, but looking at Minamo closely again, he realized Minamo felt totally different from usual.
Normally, Minamo being so tiny and working so hard on her veggies gave off this cute, small-animal vibe. But seeing her with her hair all styled like this, even though she still looked a bit young, those wavy curls gave off an alluring, almost mature vibe that was honestly pretty captivating.
When a girl like that holds her hand to her chest and shoots a look your way like she's worried about something, it's basically impossible for a healthy teenage boy not to feel his heart skip a beat.
(Man, can a girl's vibe really change this much just from a hairstyle?)
Hayato looked away from Minamo, trying to play it cool and hide how he was feeling.
"Eh, sorry my Mom was so pushy earlier."
"I don't mind, really... ...I just didn't know your Mom was in the hospital."
"That's actually why I moved here."
"So you... ...and the cooking, and everything..."
"Oh, well, Mom said all that, but if you're not into people messing with your hair, I can tell her to—Mitake-san?"
"..."
But Minamo just kept her head down, let out a low hum, and looked totally serious. The air inside the elevator got even heavier.
Hayato was completely lost.
For a boy like Hayato, who basically has zero social skills when it comes to girls his age, trying to read Minamo's mind was a total lost cause.
Hayato made a weird, awkward face and was just about to scratch his head—when it happened.
"U-Um!"
"Whoa!"
Minamo suddenly leaned in close. Hayato reflexively backed away because her cute face was suddenly right there in his personal space.
"P-Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"
"O-Oh, sure."
For a second, Hayato didn't even register what Minamo was trying to say.
But even though Minamo was short on words, Hayato could tell how much she was worrying about him just by that weirdly intense look in her eyes and her clenched fists held up to her chest.
(...Oh.)
If Hayato stopped to think about it for even a second, it was pretty obvious. From what just happened, it was clear his Mom was hospitalized and needed rehab just to get back to her daily routine. Minamo must've picked up on that.
Being hit head-on with Minamo's pure, sincere feelings made Hayato feel all restless inside. He didn't know how to handle it and started to lose his cool.
"Oh, we're here."
"Yeah, looks like it."
Right then, the elevator announced they'd reached the first floor.
Hayato took the chance to slip out like he was making a break for it, but Minamo tagged along right behind him with those quick little steps, like a lamb following its shepherd.
Since they were in the hospital lobby, Hayato slowed down and came to a stop. When he turned around, he saw Minamo looking totally fired up, like she was just waiting for him to give her some kind of mission.
(...This is a problem.)
To be honest, Minamo's kindness made Hayato happy, but the truth was, he just didn't know how to handle it.
So Hayato just tried to play it cool and gave Minamo a vague answer.
"I can't think of anything right now, but if something comes up, I'll definitely reach out."
"Um, I'm actually pretty good with household stuff and paperwork! So this time, let me be the one to help you!"
"This time...?"
"You've helped me out so much with the veggie gardening!"
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I won't hesitate to ask."
"Okay!"
It looked like Minamo felt seriously indebted to Hayato for helping her out with the veggies in the Gardening Club.
Hayato figured that made sense, but for some reason, he felt this weird, nagging sense of deja vu.
(...Wait, what?)
And then, a memory of a young Himeko flashed through Hayato's mind.
Himeko's eyes were vacant, her lids were red and swollen, and dried tear tracks stained her cheeks. The image of Hayato's little sis just standing there, paralyzed and helpless, right next to their Mom who had collapsed.
A memory from the past. The very event that made Hayato who he is today. The first time he'd ever found his Mom unconscious.
(Wh-Why now...?)
Hayato hadn't forgotten it. Not that he ever could.
But usually, Hayato kept that memory locked away deep in the back of his mind, so he had no idea why it was bubbing up right now.
Still, the sudden flashback of that old helplessness and panic hit Hayato hard, making him stumble slightly as he pressed a hand to his forehead.
"K-Kirishima-san!?"
"Eh, it's nothing. I'm okay, Mitake-san."
"But you look so pale..."
"Haha, maybe the gloomy hospital vibes are just getting to me."
"..."
Hayato tried to force a smile to show Minamo he was okay, but his brows were still knit together, and he could see the worry flickering in her eyes.
Something felt off.
But Hayato couldn't put his finger on what it was.
It felt like Hayato was only making Minamo worry more, unintentionally giving her more reasons to want to look after him.
"I'm good, really. I'll let you know if I need anything."
"You can't overdo it, okay?"
Hayato said that as they started walking toward the exit.
The vibe between them was still as awkward as ever.
"...Man, this sucks."
Those words slipped out not just because of Hayato's own messy feelings, but because it had actually started raining for real outside.
It wasn't a total downpour, but it was definitely enough to be a problem if you didn't have an umbrella.
But Minamo piped up instantly, sounding totally stoked.
"I have an umbrella with me!"
Minamo had this look on her face like, "See? Told you that you could count on me already!"
◇◇◇
Under the drizzling twilight rain, Hayato and Minamo walked along, both of them letting one of their shoulders get soaked.
The folding umbrella Minamo kept in her school bag was big enough for two people to share, but it had this super cute design with sheep and clouds on pastel-colored fabric.
Being in a "sharing an umbrella" situation with a design like that made Hayato's face twist in pure embarrassment.
Still, Hayato was grateful to stay dry, so he sucked it up and headed toward the station.
"...It's really tough when a family member who's always been there just suddenly vanishes from the house one day, isn't it?"
"Mitake-san...?"
Minamo suddenly murmured that like it was nothing, keeping her eyes fixed forward without showing Hayato her face.
In truth, Minamo might've just been talking to herself.
You could call it a moment of weakness that slipped out because they both had relatives in the hospital.
"..."
"..."
They walked toward the station in silence after that, with only the pitter-patter of rain hitting the umbrella filling the air.
Hearing Minamo's lonely-sounding murmur made Hayato's embarrassment vanish instantly.
Instead, Hayato felt like Minamo's desperate need to look after him was only because she was trying so hard to be strong, and he felt like he had to say something.
Hayato scratched his head and stole a glance at Minamo. Then, the image of a pissed-off yet exasperated Himeko flashed through his mind—and he realized there was something he still hadn't told Minamo.
"Eh, hey, Mitake-san."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"That hairstyle of yours... ...it really suits you. I think you look way cuter now than you usually do."
"Pya?!"
Since there were hardly any kids his age back in Tsukinose, Hayato was used to Himeko constantly bugging him for his opinion whenever she got new clothes or a new hairstyle.
And from experience, Hayato knew that if he got specific about exactly what looked good, Himeko'd stay in a good mood.
"Since your hair is up, it really shows off your jawline and looks super clean, and those wavy curls peeking out give off this soft, cute vibe, but also kind of a mature one, I guess."
"Au, um... ...hau..."
"So, yeah, I think you should totally keep doing your hair like that from now on—wait, Mitake-san?"
"...Pi."
"Pi?"
In Hayato's mind, he was just trying to cheer Minamo up, the same way he'd try to get back on Himeko's good side.
But as Hayato watched Minamo's face and even her ears turn beet red, he finally realized his choice of words was a total disaster—but by then, it was too late.
"PYA!!"
"Wait!"
Under the drizzling rain, Minamo just bolted, like she couldn't take another second of it.
Leaving Hayato standing there all by himself, holding Minamo's super fancy, cute-looking umbrella.
Guess it was a good thing the station wasn't that far away.
"Man, I'm in trouble..."
Hayato's mumble was quickly swallowed up by the sound of the falling rain.
Author's Notes:
Baaa-baaa
,. .,. ., .,
＠"・∀・"＠
;' .:. ,;
';,,.u.,.,.u,;'
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:
• Indonesian / Bahasa Indonesia
←Previous Table of Contents Next→