Chapter 15: 15

Volume 1, Chapter 15: Compulsion

 

I got up and left at the same time as yesterday.

And then I headed to the same place.

 

"Good morning."

"Good morning. Tamaki-kun."

 

As I entered Shimamiya Bookstore, Hisai-san greeted me. This person had already started even before I arrived...and it was still too early.

 

Thinking that, I entered the Backyard and got ready.

While I did, the manager spoke to me.

 

"Good morning. Tamaki-kun."

"Good morning. Manager."

 

After I lightly replied, the manager continued his words.

 

"...Tamaki-kun. Please get along well with Hisai-san."

"? Yes."

 

I didn't really understand what the manager meant, but then he followed up quickly.

 

"Hisai-san seems like she's hiding her true self at school. That's why she doesn't have anybody she could open up to."

 

...I wondered what the manager was expecting of me when he said that. I wouldn't be able to do anything even if he told me about it.

 

"While she’s working here, Hisai-san, for the lack of a better word, seems a bit reserved, don't you think?"

 

Well, I wouldn't deny that.

 

"She's completely different at school. She dressed showily, had her glasses off, and her manner of speech wasn’t anything like it was right now."

 

Was that the case? But why did the manager know about that?

 

"I happened to see Hisai-san talking to a friend of hers from school in front of the store."

 

The manager said so as if he saw through my doubts.

 

"...Is that so."

 

All I could do was blandly reply. What was even the right thing to respond, huh.

 

"...Please be on good terms with her."

 

The manager repeated this again, turned his back on me, and continued on the work he was doing. I also went out the Backyard and lined up the storefront.

 

"..."

 

I just heard about her story, so I didn't have any guts to call out to Hisai-san.

 

"...Hey, Tamaki-kun."

 

Hisai-san started as I wondered about what was going on.

 

"I-is there something wrong?"

 

I was shaken a bit.

 

"I told you yesterday that the reason I was working part-time was so I could afford to live alone, right?"

"Yes."

 

I already heard about that.

 

"Actually, there's something more to that."

 

...

 

"I really like books. That's why I worked here."

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Like I was saying, I didn't ask. Why was this person telling me about things I never questioned her about?

 

"Is that so, huh."

 

As expected, I could only respond with an uninterested remark.

 

"Yeah. That's why I was thinking that maybe Tamaki-kun also liked books and came to work here."

 

Why did I have to work for the same reasons as her? How'd she came up with that idea? That's just imposing your own thoughts to the other person.

 

"No, that's wro..."

 

I remembered the manager's words.

 

"Please get along well with Hisai-san."

 

It would be simple enough to correct her. But what if doing that would cause our relationship to deteriorate, and then I could no longer work here? That would be a problem.

So, I decided to match Hisai-san.

 

"That's right. I chose to work here because I like books as well."

 

That wasn't the case at all, but if this wouldn't cause any discord, then it should be fine.

 

"I knew it! So Tamaki-kun did like books, too..."

 

She was like that after all. How could she be that simple? How would she have reacted if told her differently? I somehow felt uncomfortable...

 

"Y-yeah."

 

My smile right now looked probably very awkward.  It should have been so stiff that must have been aware of it.

 

Still, Hisai-san's eyes were sparkling. A sincere smile, different from that of Nana-san and Maki-san. But that smile seemed terribly distorted [1].

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

"Haa..."

 

A girl was headed home after a day of shopping. It was day off, a Sunday afternoon. It was just another ordinary day.

 

"I wonder where I made a mistake."

 

The girl was staring down, walking along as she talked to herself. Then, it was as though synchronized with her mood. She suddenly raised her head up. She looked around. That action itself didn't have any meaning. She wouldn't be able to answer if she was asked why. It was something she saw that gave meaning to that action.

 

"Huh? M-Manato?"

 

She called out the name of the guy she liked. That voice didn't reach anyone. Those words somehow came out of her mouth. Unconsciously. That was the correct word. She was so absorbed by the scene in front of her eyes.

 

The guy she liked was standing in line at the cash register of an old bookstore. With a girl she didn't know. That brought a little black fog to her heart.

 

"He was working part-time, huh. I didn't know that."

 

She was concerned about the fact that she wasn't told anything about the matter.

 

"I wonder who the person next to Manato is."

 

She squinted her eyes as if to scrutinize and stared at the woman next to him who was all smiles as she talked. She wore glasses and looked very plain.

 

"...Manato is smiling, too."

 

His smile, which she hadn't seen recently. It was directed to that woman.

 

"..."

 

A very dark and ugly emotion took over her.

 

"Manato..."

 

⸻⸻⸻ (ﾉ*ФωФ)ﾉ ⸻⸻⸻ [1] I don't know if that smile was hers, or Manato's. Raw below.それでも久井さんは目をキラキラと輝かせていた。奈那さんや真希さんとは違う心からの笑顔。でもその笑顔は酷く歪んだものに見えた。

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