Chapter 86: Volume 11 - CH 5

January 4th, also the final day of winter break. Surely, it is the turning point for us. After all, the third term will begin shortly.

“This should do it.”

I was preparing everything for the classes that would happen tomorrow. It’s currently 10pm in the evening. My room was filled with several cardboard boxes that contained my private belongings. This might just be my final night in this room. After the incident that caused my home to burn down back in September, the repairs are finally complete. Today, I was contacted and informed of that. That’s why I practically lost my reason to live here. On top of that…

“It’s gotten a lot better.”

Naturally, I was talking about my gynophobia. Through living here in this flat with Konoe, Suzutsuki, and Masamune, this awful disposition of mine has improved drastically. It’s pretty much completely gone at this point. Through this past month, I’ve been thinking a lot. As a result of that…

“…Jirou, can I come in?”

A knock resounded on my door, together with a translucent voice. It’s Konoe Subaru, visiting my room.

“Yeah, come in.” I gave a frank response, to which Konoe walked inside.

She was wearing her usual butler clothing. I think she could wear more comfortable clothes, but that’s her style of doing things. It is very much like here, you could say. She holds very strong conviction towards being a butler. It’s because she and Suzutsuki are friends, and she also is doing this for her mother. As that is her one connection for her late mother.

“…You’ve finished preparing, I see.” Konoe looked around my room, and muttered this with a somewhat dejected tone.

“Yeah, my place is back to normal now after all.”

“So you’ll go back.”

“Yeah. Can’t wait to get beaten up by Kureha on a daily basis.”

“But, Kureha-chan is still at Nakuru-chan’s place, right?”

“Yeah, about that…”

She’s still running away from home, staying at the Narumi Family’s place. Masamune apparently told her to come back, but she hasn’t. Maybe Kureha’s still thinking about something in her own way.

“Yeah, I’ll tell her once we meet at school tomorrow.”

“Really? But, spending this month together was fun alright. With Jirou, my lady, and Usamin…No, Usami.”

“Konoe, you can keep calling her Usamin in front of me, you know?”

“~~~!?” Konoe blushed furiously.

She probably is still embarrassed. In front of us, she calls Masamune ‘Usami’. However, when it’s just the two of them, she goes with ‘Usamin’. They sure have gotten close.

“I-I-I’m not embarrassed or anything!”

“Then why do you constantly switch between those two?”

“T-That’s…!”

“Why not have her call you ‘Subaru’ as well? Makes you seem more like friends.”

“~~~!? I may be happier about that, but…”

“But?”

“It’d just make me feel bashful…” Subaru-sama blushed furiously.

She sure can be clumsy despite being a butler. Maybe that’s how they managed to become friends? They’re both somewhat similar, which brings them closer. In this past month, a lot has changed. It’s gotten more noisy, much more of a ruckus, and fun. Amidst these days, our relationships—as well as ourselves have changed. However, it’s over now. Once tomorrow comes—

“…Jirou.” Konoe Subaru called out to me.

Her translucent eyes looked up at me.

“……”

Yeah, she clearly had a reason for coming here to my room. That probably is…

“Won’t you go on a date with me?” She grabbed the hem of her uniform, and said so to the best of her ability.

I showed a faint smile, and gave a brief “Gotcha”. If she hadn’t asked me, I surely would have called out to her myself. After all, today is the final day of winter break, so we don’t have much time anymore.

“But, where should we go?”

She said date, but just walking around town isn’t a date. I mean, it’d be fun to just walk around with her, but…

“Don’t worry, I already prepared everything.” She said, and grabbed my hand, as I sat on the chair.

And then, she told me about the place we’d visit on this final day of winter break.

“Let’s gaze at the stars together.”

×

Stargazing—that was Konoe’s plan for the date. However, our town was too lit-up even at night, which made it hard to see the stars even this late. That’s why we had to move to a more remote location. The problem however was that very act.

“How’s it feel, Odd Jobs-san?”

“Not bad, but…”

“Why don’t you show a more joyful expression then? It’s like I’ve kidnapped you.”

“……”

I mean, the reason I’m nervous is because you’re the driver! But of course, I couldn’t say that to Saotome Ichigo, the maid of the Suzutsuki Family. Next to me sat Konoe, in the back of the family limousine. This is the second time I get to enjoy this ride after getting my hand injured. The reason for my anxiety is the driver being Ichigo-san, and also because this limousine seems so damn expensive. The way she drives so recklessly is making me anxious. Well, it’s better than having the chainsaw aimed at my neck.

“By the way, about our trade.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The butler and maid shared a few words. Konoe seemed to be used to driving with Ichigo-san, as she was indifferent to it all.

“YES. Now Kanade-ojousama belongs to me only…~”

“……”

For some reason, I heard Ichigo-san mutter an awfully eerie phrase under her breath. On top of that, the car accelerated as well. The song ‘Driver’s High’ from a certain rock band started playing in my head.

“Ichigo, I understand that you’re happy, but please keep it safe.”

“I know that. But, thinking about what will happen from now on…Heh…hehehehe.”

“……”

Let me off! Let me oooooooooooooff! That’s what I was screaming in my head. The BGM in my head turned from ‘Driver’s High’ to ‘Heaven’s Drive’. I don’t think I’ll be able to come back alive from this. Before I’ll get to see the stars, we will turn into stars instead.

“K-Konoe? What trade?”

If this was some kind of documentary happening, it’d be something like ‘From inside the car coffin’. While thinking about useless stuff like that, I asked Konoe with a quivering voice.

“It’s not that big of a deal. I just promised to give her a reward if she were to drive us.”

“Reward?”

“Private pictures of the lady.”

“Isn’t that illegal!?”

“Don’t worry, these are all pictures taken with the lady’s permission. On top of that, they’re just a few cosplays, so nothing too indecent.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

It’s definitely bad news if that yandere maid has pictures of Suzutsuki.

“Don’t worry, I’m perfectly calm right now.”

“Really now?”

Looking at the driver’s seat, Ichigo-san was staring straight ahead on the street. Ahh, thank god, so even she can stay calm…

“I’m calmly considering how to bring together a collage of these pictures.”

“Please, focus on the driving, yes!?”

“Ahh, I can suddenly see a hallucination of Kanade-ojousama…With an angelic smile, she’s telling me. ‘Step on the gas, and I’ll take you to heaven~’…”

“That’s not Suzutsuki, it’s a death god!”

Crap, we might actually crash and burn to ashes at this rate, I can’t even joke about it.

“Also, if you want pictures that badly, why can’t you take them yourself? Maybe even pictures she took, or selfies of the two of you together.”

“I could never do something as embarrassing as that.”

“You’re unexpectedly shy, huh…Well, I do understand that you like Suzutsuki.”

“YES. It is natural that a maid feels for their master.”

“I feel like your love is a bit too heavy…”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“N-No, not at all. So, maybe not step on the gas like that?” I gave her a warning since I felt the car accelerate again.

The more her emotions sway, the harder she steps on the gas. Especially when Suzutsuki is involved, she never calms down, switching into top gear. I bet she’d be a great F1 racer. Still, a maid huh…

“By the way, why did you become a maid for the Suzutsuki family, Ichigo-san?” I felt like asking that question.

In response, Ichigo-san answered me with her usual tone of voice.

“Simple story. I was an orphan with no family, before Kanade-ojousama’s father took me in.”

“Eh…” I was at a loss for words.

The punch of that sudden revelation hit deep into my solar plexus.

“I-I’m sorry for suddenly asking something weird like that…”

“No need to apologize. I don’t particularly mind, and most maids like me have experienced a similar past.”

“So, it’s not something inherited with a bloodline such as Konoe’s family does it, right?”

“YES. Subaru’s family has served the Suzutsuki Family for a long time now. However, if a human being fit to become their butler is not found, things are different. Then, you create a new heir, or an orphan like me would inherit that position.”

“I see…”

That’s why Konoe is hiding her real sex while attending school. She wanted to work as a butler no matter what…because her mother died at her birth. That’s why, being a butler must be her dream for sure. To work as a butler, and serve the people of the Suzutsuki Family. She’s been working towards that goal ever since she was a child. And for that, she was even ready to crossdress.

“We’ve reached our destination.” Ichigo-san declared with a robotic voice.

Before I realized it, the familiar city sights around us vanished. Instead, we reached a forest park. It was located in the mountains near the town we lived in, probably used as a camping site.

“Subaru, I’ll be waiting here just as you told me.”

“Yeah, thanks, Ichigo. I’m counting on you for the way home.”

“Right back at you, don’t forget my reward.” Ichigo-san reminded Konoe, and turned off the engine.

It seems like it’ll just be me and Konoe from here on out.

“Let’s go, Jirou.”

We got off the car, and started walking inside the park. They offered a proper path to walk on, but it was hard to see anything because of the looming darkness around us. Though, that’ll allow us to see the stars better, so I take it.

“Here, Jirou.” Konoe said, taking out a small flashlight from her bag, passing it to me.

Hm, she sure is well-prepared. Also, the bag she has with her is bigger than I’d expected. It’s like a boston bag she has around her shoulder. Just what is in there?

“Should I carry that for you?”

“No, it’s fine. More importantly, it’s hard to tell where you’re walking, so use the flashlight to—”

“Don’t worry, we can just do this.” I used my open hand to grab Konoe’s hand.

“Ah…” Konoe seemed a bit bewildered at first, but didn’t seem hesitant, and simply returned her grip on my hand.

Beneath the winter sky, and during this cold night, her hand felt warm and comfortable. Almost burning passionately, even.

“I have to say, your gynophobia has improved a lot, Jirou. Even holding hands like that would have been impossible before.” Konoe said, sounding somewhat saddened about it.

Because of the darkness around us, I couldn’t decipher her expression.

“I guess so. It’s all thanks to the help of everyone. In this one month, through living together, and the treatment program…”

“You’ve gotten used to girls?”

“Hmmm…rather than that…” I spoke that far, and stopped myself.

Rather than getting used to girls, it’s more that my fear of them has disappeared. It’s the same feeling I had when Kureha was rejected. As she clung to me, tears running down her cheeks—she looked like a normal girl. Ever since I was a young child, I was afraid of Kureha. And, the same goes for Mom, I’m sure. She’s even further away from being a human than Kureha. However, no matter how strong they may be, they’re still human, so there’s no need to be scared. Once I realized that, my gynophobia made progress…

“But, I guess I’ll be a bit lonely.” Konoe suddenly said so.

It sounded like her voice was quivering.

“We got to know you back in April, Jirou. At that time, my lady said that in return for protecting my secret, we’d help with your gynophobia, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Now that she mentioned it, our relationship sure had a weird start. Rather than being partners, it’s more like they threatened me. Suzutsuki said that she’d reveal my gynophobia to everyone. I guess it was just a means to an end though.

“That’s why, when I think of our relationship coming to an end once your gynophobia is fixed…Ah, no, it’s not that I don’t want your gynophobia to be cured or anything, it’s just…!”

“You don’t have to apologize, I get what you’re saying. I also know you wouldn’t think something like that.”

“O-Okay…thank god…” Konoe sighed in relief.

I think she was just anxious that our relationship would change once my gynophobia is gone. However…

“……”

That’s to be expected. Once I’ve been cured of my gynophobia, and this winter break ends, our relationship will change. It’ll be something completely different from before. But even so…

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“Jirou, let’s stop here.”

We must have reached our destination, as Konoe let go of my hand. It was a plain grass field centered inside the park. If this was noon, I’m sure there’d be lots of families or couples around having a picnic. The air is a lot more clear than back in town, and the stars visible.

“Now, have a seat.”

Looking over, Konoe had taken out a large sheet from the boston bag, opening up on the ground, even adding an electronic lantern on top of it.

“You really are prepared for everything, huh.”

“He he he~ It’s too early to be surprised, I still have another surprise.”

“Another surprise?”

“Yeah, I actually made some snacks.”

“……”

This is an emergency situation. My heart and head are screaming in danger. It’s hard to say that Konoe is good at cooking, even if you meant to praise her. When she made curry before, she was trying to be fancy and completely messed it up.

“…Hmpf, why do you seem so anxious?”

“I mean, I didn’t want to get another food poisoning.”

“It was never that bad, okay!?”

“Hey, Konoe, let me be honest with you, but your cooking skill is…”

“I-I-It’s fine, this is a thing of the past! Once you try it, you’ll know!” She sounded almost desperate, as she took out a small box from her boston bag, filled with sandwiches.

Even so, I wasn’t convinced. Sandwiches might seem like one of the simplest dishes to make, but we’re still talking about Konoe Subaru. Even she could turn sandwiches into a weapon.

“Come on, have a bite.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Crap, my heart is racing now. Of course, not because I’m on a date with a girl, it’s because I’m worried if I’ll be able to survive her sandwiches.

“…Phew.” I took a deep breath.

Alright, I’m prepared now. I carefully bit into one of the sandwiches…

“…Huh?”

I wonder, it’s pretty good. It seems like the usual BLT sandwich, but it uses roasted beef which makes it a lot more juicy, and it fills up a healthy high school boy’s stomach like mine.

“And? Good, right?” Konoe observed my reaction, and puffed out her chest in confidence.

I mean, it is delicious, alright, but…what is going on? There’s no way I would call her cooking delicious. Maybe she put some dangerous poison in there? I might be hallucinating for all I know.

“…Jirou, please, you’re hurting me with that reaction. I tried my best, okay?”

“Tried your best…?” I returned a question.

“…Yeah.” Konoe nodded with a somewhat heavy tone. “I tried my best…and formed a pact with the devil.”

“……”

Um…did she start some dark magic ritual by any chance? I saw myself imagining Konoe wearing a black robe, holding a chicken’s head above a magical circle. What a surreal sight.

“Well, that devil is the chef-in-cooking.”

“Ahh…that chef at your place…”

According to Suzutsuki, that person is a yankee, lolicon, and pervert. They might just be worse than your average devil.

“I asked her to teach me some simple cooking stuff. Hehe…it was a lot of trouble.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Our chef suddenly said ‘Alright, welcome to Kosame-oneechan’s cooking class! Our first period will be sex ed!’.”

“As always, the servants in your residence are eccentric.”

Be it the chef or the maid, I feel like there’s not a normal person living there. On top of that, sex ed? That has nothing to do with cooking, right.

“Even so, I somehow managed to pull through…ah, Usami also helped me.”

“Masamune did?”

Wah, amazing. I can’t even imagine the scene of Masamune teaching her. She never seemed like that kind of character. I’m sure it’s because Konoe and Masamune are friends now. If not, Masamune wouldn’t do that. She really did change.

“But, it was worth it, alright. These sandwiches are delicious,” I commented.

“Ah…thanks…I’m happy to hear you say that. Being able to cook also helps my job.”

“Well, you just gotta keep at it, right? You had a problem at cooking before, but now you should be fine, yeah?”

Just like I have my gynophobia to worry about, Konoe was plagued by a fear of knives. However, that has gotten a lot better. Just like I was fighting my gynophobia, she’s been working to fix her weakness.

“…Yeah, you’re right. I want to always work as the lady’s butler. I want to believe that she feels the same way. That’s why, I’m going to work hard to become an even greater butler.” Konoe said, and grinned.

—Cute. I couldn’t help but think of that gesture as adorable. Normally, she always stays cool with an indifferent expression, but when she actually opens up, she’s cute. On top of that—

“……”

Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect to get to see her smile like this again. After the double date, I effectively pushed her away, saying something cruel to her. Even so, we managed to make up again. And, that’s because she mustered up her courage to approach me.

‘I won’t cry anymore.’

When I went to talk things out with Suzutsuki, that’s what Konoe told me. She did her best holding back the tears, and told me these words. She worked hard to change herself. Changing from simply relying on me or Suzutsuki all the time. And, she succeeded. No, maybe she might be in the middle of changing, but it still showed results. After all, her cooking has become better. She changed just like all of us.

“……”

That’s why…I made up my mind. Decided to face her head-on.

“Jirou, do you want some tea?”

As I was lost in my thoughts, Konoe took out a bottle, pouring some warm tea in two cups. Yup, this one’s also delicious. The warmth of the tea sunk deep into my body, leaving a sweet aftertaste. As expected, Konoe is good when it comes to making tea at least.

“Thanks. Then, how about we get a good look at the stars now?” I said, sitting beneath the starry sky.

With the sandwiches and the tea, I’m feeling warm and happy inside, so my preparations are complete.

“Yeah, right.” Konoe took a sip from her own cup, and nodded along.

And then, like we had timed it, we both looked up at the night sky. A sea of stars appeared above us. They shone bright like diamonds, a sheer endless number.

“……”

I was simply baffled and at a loss for words. It was just…beautiful. That’s all I could say. That reminds me, how long has it been since I actually watched the stars like this? The sky we were looking at was beautiful beyond words. Especially standing out was the Orion constellation. It’s a known constellation for the winter season. To the upper right of them was another bundle of stars. I think their name was—

“…Ah.”

Oh yeah, I completely forgot. The stars on the upper right of Orion. They are the Pleiades. And, the Japanese name for that—

“…Subaru. It’s my name.”

She must have caught on to my gaze, as she gave me the answer. Ahhh…that’s why. I was wondering why those stars looked much more dazzling than the rest.

“………”

After that, the two of us simply gazed up at the stars. It seemed like Konoe studied up a bit on this, because she taught me a lot. While warming up our bodies with the tea, we spend a calm and peaceful time together. However, even this fun time passed far too quickly.

“It’s gotten cold, huh.” Konoe said.

Looking at the time, it was currently 11.59pm. In another 60 seconds, today would end. And then, tomorrow—January 5th—would begin. Our new school term would start—

“What should we do, Jirou? Prepare to head ba—” Konoe spoke thus far, and then went silent.

After all, I tightly embraced her.

“J-Jirou?” She let out a surprised voice.

“…Sorry.” I simply apologized. “Can we…stay like this a bit longer?” I gave her my honest feelings.

Silence filled the air around us.

“…Okay, sure.” Konoe nodded.

“……”

I don’t know how long I was embracing her like this. It was long enough that I stopped caring at least. I managed to hold her for as long as I wanted. This naturally meant—

“…Jirou.” An alto voice spoke up. “Jirou, does this mean…”

“Yeah, probably.” I gently let go of her body.

No change happened with my own body. In other words.

“—I think my gynophobia has been cured.”

Checking the time, it was currently half past midnight. For thirty minutes, I’ve been able to hug a girl like that, although not directly with skin on skin. And, I doubt that anything would have happened even if I continued to. I managed to hold it back, so it’s fair to say that I managed to get over my gynophobia. The treatment program that I’ve been going through since April has finally come to an end.

“Y-You did it, Jirou! Now you can finally interact normally with girls!”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Now nobody will think you’re into guys anymore!”

“That’s what you’re relieved about…” I threw in a retort.

Either way, it seemed like a short time, but it felt much longer during this treatment program. It’s all thanks to those girls. Suzutsuki Kanade, Usami Masamune, and—

“Konoe.” With a serious voice, I called out her—Konoe Subaru’s name.

She’s the girl who helped me get over my gynophobia. After all, I’ve embraced her. She’s the one I—

“…Jirou?” Konoe tilted her head like a small animal.

Now then…it’s time to give her my answer. My gynophobia has been cured, and January 4th—our winter break—has ended.

“……”

That’s why—I have to give my own answer. Towards the girls’ confessions, towards my own feelings, about everything that filled my head.

“…Konoe.” Once more, I called out her name. “I like you.”

×

It was a confession, undoubtedly. Back at the amusement park, when I came to the realization about my feelings towards Konoe, I immediately confessed out of pure joy. However, I’m not being pulled along the momentum now. Over this past month, living together with Konoe and the others, I’ve been thinking. And, this is the answer I chose. I—like Konoe Subaru.

Even after being rejected once, that hasn’t changed. Or rather, it wouldn’t change. That’s why I decided to confess once more. Once this doesn’t work out, I’m done trying. That’s what I decided on.

“……”

However, if she were to respond to my feelings…

“—Thank you.” She said.

She simply gave me her thanks, and then went silent. Another long silence filled the air around us. Right now, it was still just the two of us, beneath the starry sky. One moment felt like several hours, only heightening the tension.

“……”

I don’t even know how much time has passed. Konoe and I simply looked at each other, like time had come to a halt all-together.

“…Jirou.” There, she called out my name. “If what you said is true, then can I test if your gynophobia really has been cured?”

“Eh…” I was bewildered, not expecting these words as a response to my confession.

However, the best I could do was give a faint nod with a confused ‘Y-Yeah’. And then, a moment later—

“—!”

Konoe pressed her lips onto mine—Kissing me. It was a clumsy kiss, but using all her might behind it.

“—Jirou.” The moment she moved her lips away from mine, she called out my name, as her cheeks turned into a beet red. “I also—like you, Jirou.”

×

“Konoe.”

The second I heard her response, I subconsciously embraced Konoe once more.

“Ah…” She sounded surprised for a moment, but didn’t try to push me away.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around my back. Her slender physique, her dazzling, star-colored hair, and her antique doll-like facial features…She’s Konoe Subaru, the girl I like.

“…Jirou.”

While inside my arms, she looked up at me. I felt her soft body, picked up the scent of sweet shampoo, and the warmth she emitted. As if to respond to her passionate gaze—I kissed her once more.

“Nn…”

Before our lips overlapped, Konoe let out a faint breath. And then, I once again felt her soft lips, and warmth…

“……”

Yeah, I’m really glad that I got to cure my gynophobia. After all, now I can hug Konoe as much as I want, without ever having to worry about it again. I’m sure that…this is what it means to be happy.

“Konoe.” I called out her name again, as if to confirm her existence.

Right now, it was just us two in our own world. The hair around us in this winter night felt cold, and yet—

“……”

Because our beating hearts were so close together—I wasn’t feeling cold at all.

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