Chapter 19: 3.4

Art Emanates From Pain and Sadness

Translated by 64990022
Edited by fen01lalune

 

Chapter 3: Art Emanates From Pain and Sadness

 

Part 4

 

 

It seemed that I was an unlucky guy.

 

“Really? Why heavy snowfall today…” 

 

The next morning, as I was about to go to school, I was appalled.

 

It was a complete mess outside. Snowstorms weren’t an unusual sight in Hokkaido, but to me who wanted to go to school and talk to Yuri as soon as possible, this was the worst timing.

 

When I finally reached the classroom, it was quieter than usual. There were two reasons, the first first was that most of the students were not here yet, and second was that the boisterous lass wasn’t around.

 

“Hmm, Yuri’s absent today?”  I called out to Seino, she was sitting alone, swiping her phone. 

 

“I got a message from her. She’s too lazy to come in this storm. Thankfully, I can finally spend a morning in peace,” she answered.

 

“…Are you kidding me? She’s annoyingly loud every morning and when I want to talk to her she just skips school…” I muttered.

 

As I began to sulk, I felt that it didn’t hold water.

 

Yes, coming to school today was a pain, and for her to think about skipping school was natural. No, it was nature’s providence for her to think like that.

 

However, her mother was the exact opposite of her, someone who was strict with herself and others. That said, she was oftentimes pushed around by Yuri, but she did her best to raise Yuri into a decent human being. That was why Yuri malingering made no sense, her mother would never let her do that. It was also impossible for her to pretend to go to school and sneak back home, since her mother had already quitted work and became a housewife.

 

Then again, there was my house, which was close to hers. To make matters worse, the only person there was my easy to fool grandmother. This was a simple deduction that one didn’t have to be a great detective to figure it out.

 

“I have an errand to do, I’ll skip today.” 

 

“Hm, got it. You’re always so uptight, yet sometimes you do something incredibly stupid, huh? I kinda like that.”

 

“Yeah. I also like how you never abandon your friends no matter how stupid they are.” I turned to the door.

 

That was a conversation that could only be done between us, friends who harbor no romantic feelings for each other. Friendship between male and female, Seino made me believe it was possible.

 

I must have seemed crazy, turning around and heading back into the storm again like this. But my eagerness to talk with Yuri won over. To me, the storm hardly seemed to bother.

 

I had already malingered twice already this year. And now I was going to get the title of hardworking honor student stripped as I accelerated into a mad charge down the hallway.

 

***

 

I walked silently against the headwind. I wanted to walk faster, but the wind hindered my progress, buffing my every step like minions of the Demon King.

[TN: Isekai anime reference, I guess?]

 

When I finally arrived at my house, I brushed the snow off my body in the windbreak and opened the front door.

 

“I’m home!” I announced.

 

Confirming the presence of the familiar pair of boots, I stopped at the living room before going to my room.

 

“Gram! What did I say about letting Yuri in? Don’t just let Yuri in!” I chided

 

“Well, it’s so cold outside. I can’t leave her like that.”

 

Was it unreasonable to trust her in guarding the house? She didn’t even say anything about me returning home at this time. Maybe I should stop complaining and move on to pressing matters.

You are reading story Blue Outline at novel35.com

 

At least for today, good job, Gram.

 

“Yuri’s in my room, right?”

 

I set off for the stairs as she nodded. Before I could catch my breath, I threw the door open.

 

“…Oh my, how rude. Knock properly when you’re entering a room, knock.”

 

“Shut up, trespasser. And that’s my line.” 

 

Yuri sat on the bed possessively as she glared at me.

 

“Your room doesn’t smell like oil paint,” she sniffed, “It was hard to believe the rumors, but it appears to be true. The one who tells me to draw quits drawing instead. What do I call this? Frisbee?”

 

“Boomerang…” I corrected, “ You already know that, don’t you?”

 

“Stop whining about your broken heart and draw. What’s left if you stop drawing?”

 

You’re saying that? That was the last thing I wanted her to say.

 

Against the inciting manner, I simply let my anger flare. It was as if my blood was boiling.

 

“Stop whining? You know how much I love her, don’t you? You know how important she is to me, don’t you? What’s with you,” I snarled.

 

“I know. And that’s why I’m saying this. If she’s important to you, then draw. Facing your dream and drawing like an idiot, that’s you who she fell in love with.” Her scowl deepened. That piercing gaze again…

 

I didn’t expect her to hand me the trigger to get down to business this easily. The confrontation I ran away from. The confrontation I’m going to face. I caught my breath silently.

 

“For an untalented bunch like me, working hard is the only way. Everyone knows that. But that doesn’t mean geniuses like you don’t have to do anything.”

 

Her deep blue eyes met mine. The word “Last boss” crossed my mind.

 

Her skill always discouraged me, but she also gave me the reason for me to go on. It was always her.

 

Therefore, I must face the “Genius” Kashiwazaki Yuri in all sincerity without shying away. If not, then I wouldn’t be able to move forward, ahead, up, or anywhere else.

 

“If you want me to draw, then you draw too. That’s what negotiations are about, right?” I offered.

 

I would do anything for her to paint. This was the provocation I needed, the one that would make her furious.

 

But she just let out a sight and shrugged.

 

“Who the hell do you think you are? Why do I have to listen to you? I do what I want, I hate it when people try to dictate me. Don’t you know that the best? Or you lost your intellectuality with that heartbreak.”

I gritted my teeth. “Stop that ‘heartbreak’, will you? Just so you know, I’m not giving up on Utako, I’ll keep that promise. That’s why I’ll get you drawing again.”

 

“Promise this, promise that, isn’t it weighty, Sousuke? When I draw, I want to or not, it’s fun or not, that’s the only thing that matters.”

 

“So your feelings only matter to you? Utako was forced to move away by her mother, but she cared about us more than you do!” I roared.

 

Anger won over me as I pushed her down. But she just stared at me.

 

“You talk about how Utako feels, but what about mine? Do you really think I felt nothing when I heard that she can’t contact us anymore? Do you really think I don’t think anything of it?”

 

I knew. She never let it show, but she must have felt lonely too. But what she said was completely wrong. I felt something snap inside of me.

 

“You don’t need to! You’re a genius! Whatever your wish is, a path will open for you on its own!”

 

That moment, her eyes flashed angrily.

[TN: Yea, I hate cliffhangers too, but I can’t find a better place to end the part]

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