Chapter 90: Volume 12 - CH 3

Atop the rooftop of the second classroom building our Rouran Academy had, there she stood, illuminated by the starry night.

“…Sorry, I made you wait.”

When I called out to her after opening the door, she responded with a brief ‘Don’t be, I called you here after all’. She possessed a slender figure with strong, confident eyes, twintails that shook in the evening breeze, as she wore Rouran Academy’s girls’ uniform—Usami Masamune.

The mail she sent me asked me to come here to this place. In fact, this location has a special meaning for the both of us. During the school festival last year, because of various circumstances, Masamune and I acted like lovers, and came up here. And then, she said—

‘…I want to change!’

“……”

Thinking about it, Masamune sure was cold and distant back then. All because she couldn’t trust other people. Since she was raised in a difficult family environment, she grew up like that. However, through our combined efforts, and because of the time she spent with everyone at the club, she changed. Or more accurately, she managed to change. And then…

“……”

She confessed to me. However, I…

“—Stupid chicken.”

Almost like she guessed what I had been thinking, Masamune called out my name.

“Would you mind hearing me out for a bit?”

“—Yeah.” I gave her an immediate answer.

In response to that, Masamune showed a proud ‘Hehe’ reaction.

“I managed to settle things.” She said, and showed me a V-sign.

……Um, Masamune-san? I have no idea what you’re talking about, but what exactly might you be referring to?

“Ah, sorry, I should probably explain myself.”

“Of course? Also, where did you go after the opening ceremony? I was worried about you.”

“…Sorry, I remembered that I had something to take care of.”

“Some business?”

“Yeah. Seeing you propose to Subaru-sama made me feel like I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.” Beneath the winter sky, she continued with a somewhat serious tone. “The thing is…after the opening ceremony ended, I went…to my parents’ place.”

“Wha…” I was at a loss for words.

I mean, hasn’t she already cut her ties with her family? I still can’t forget that Christmas Eve. That day, she called her parents to her previous home in order to have a final conversation. However, her parents fully ignored her. They didn’t even listen to her daughter’s request, and didn’t even come to meet her. They still acted on the idea of laissez-faire. It sounded simple enough with words alone, but the emotion behind it was all too cold. Despite that, Masamune didn’t back down.

‘It’s true that I wanted to meet them, but I can also say my final farewell with a mail.’

If my memory serves me right, that’s what she told me with a strong smile. So why…

“Well, it’s simple. I just thought…that doing it via a message wasn’t good enough. Of course, it would have been easier with just that. But…our problem wasn’t simple enough. I really thought that saying it to their faces would be the best.”

“……”

“By the way, you made me feel that way, you know? It surprised me, really. Proposing in front of the entire school…But, your honest feelings back then, I realized. ‘Ahh, I really have to tell them with my own words’, you know. That’s why…Thank you. Because of you, I managed to take an important step forward.”

“……”

A brief silence reigned, but it was only like a breeze passing us by.

“…No.” I declared. “I should be the one thanking you.”

“…Eh?”

“Don’t you remember? When Konoe revealed her secret to the school, I couldn’t do anything. Yet, you pushed my back, saying ‘Are you really fine with this?’, remember?”

“……”

“Because of you…I managed to make up my mind, and managed to take a step forward. I could tell Konoe my feelings in front of the entire school…That’s why, thank you, Masamune.”

“……” Masamune stayed silent for a moment. “…Dummy. I’m not happy about hearing that.” She blushed ever so slightly.

Whatever she says, it’s the truth. It’s thanks to her, who was basically like my family at this point.

“But, how did you manage to meet your parents? They didn’t show up during Christmas, right?”

That left me confused even now. Judging from what I heard, her parents seemed to avoid meeting her…

“Huh? That was easy enough.” For some reason, Masamune sounded awfully proud. “I raided them.”

“……Wat?”

Hearing those words from the girl I thought to be family, my brain lagged for a second.

“As I said, I raided them.”

“…E-Ehm, huh?”

“Since they didn’t show any signs of meeting me, I made my way to them. I’m shocked it never occurred to me until now.”

“……”

…Scary. Is she part of some SWAT team?

“Well, after the opening ceremony ended, I went to their workplaces.”

“…You…”

“Don’t worry, I properly contacted them before, saying ‘I’m coming over to you right now, so wait for me’.”

“Ahh, I see. So you warned them.”

“Yup. Though, only like a second before I came storming inside.”

“……”

I’m scared. Informing them at such a timing is like a declaration of war. She sounds like an assassin coming out of a Hollywood movie.

“A-And how did that end?”

“Luckily, those two work at the same place, so I only had to raid one place. It was amazing. Imagine an office with men and women working, when a young girl wearing a uniform comes barging in.”

“Sounds like it could be out of a movie.”

“That one was still better. At first I thought of using my motorbike.”

“Why!?”

“I mean, it’d be bad if I couldn’t run away immediately, yeah? I need to confirm my escape routes just to make sure.”

“……”

Was she a terrorist in her previous life? That sounds far too surreal. She’s not a handicrafts club member for nothing.

“Well, since I thought that taking the motorbike with me was a bit too much, I just barged in there normally.”

“…I feel like you’d cause plenty of a ruckus even without that…?”

“No problems there. After all, they have pretty high positions, so they wouldn’t publicize that kind of incident. If they did, even they wouldn’t get out easily.”

“Well…you’re not wrong.”

Be it Masamune’s parents or the company, they probably want to keep that fact under control, as it would hurt their image. That’s why…they would want to erase all hints that this happened.

“That being the case, I managed to get them.”

“Did you get to talk?”

“Hmmm…they were flustered alright…But, for now, I told them that I’d repay them all the money they used while raising me. That was my final farewell. Now I feel refreshed.”

“……”

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What a girl she is. To think she’d go forcefully meet the parents who would constantly push her away. That’s Usami Masamune for you, I guess. She’s on an entirely different level. Just as she said, she brought a conclusion to her family’s circumstances, facing the parents who had denied her all that time. Although her method of doing so is a bit questionable…her parents for not wanting to meet her are also at fault.

Either way, Masamune finally managed to bring a conclusion to the relationship with her parents.

“…But.” Masamune looked at me with a strong gaze, like she was picking a fight with me. “There’s actually one more person I need to clear up things with.”

“……”

Well, I guess that’s to be expected. When I saw her mail, I figured as much. At today’s opening ceremony, I told Konoe of my feelings. In other words, that acted as my response towards Konoe’s and Masamune’s confessions. That’s why…

“…Masamune.” Reflexively, I opened my mouth.

I probably felt apologetic. After all, I rejected her. She said she liked me, and yet I couldn’t respond to those feelings.

“………”

That’s why I wanted to apologize. However…

“…Hey, what’s that face for, you dummy.” With a sharp voice, Masamune flicked her fingers on my forehead.

However, since she apparently put quite the amount of strength into it, the pain was no joke.

“~~~! Y-You, what was that for…”

“Hmpf, it was a flick on the forehead, deal with it. Or what, did you prefer me running you over with a motorbike?”

“……”

I went silent on that question. Um…Masamune-san, if you do that to me, then even I will die, okay…No, maybe I’d be fine? After all, she did that before, and I survived.

“Well, leaving aside the idle jokes.” Masamune used the same finger from the forehead flick, and now pointed it at me. “Stupid chicken, you don’t have to feel apologetic about anything. You…haven’t done anything wrong after all.”

“Eh…”

“You chose Subaru-sama over me and Suzutsuki Kanade. But, that was the right choice, because you listened to your own feelings. Suzutsuki Kanade and I…simply liked that about you, that’s why.”

“……”

“Not to mention, it was much better than keeping things vague all the time. Seeing you confess to Subaru-sama in front of the entire student body…I can only give up.”

“Masamune…” I subconsciously called out her name.

No matter what she said, she looked lonely. What happened at the opening ceremony must have been a shock for her.

“Again, stop with that face!”

“Guha!?”

There, another forehead flick landed a clean hit. T-This nasty rabbit…I was about to give her an earful, but when I saw her expression, all my thoughts just vanished in an instant.

“You…stupid chicken…!” Her voice was shaking.

And, her eyes were watery, shaking. Looking like she was close to breaking out in tears, she called out my name. However, she didn’t cry. Instead, she desperately held back her tears, and continued.

“Don’t underestimate me…!” She declared. “Honestly speaking, I was sad. Of course I would be, I liked you after all. There’s no way I wouldn’t be shocked. But—being depressed all the time won’t do me any good.”

“Masamune…”

“Because…this is something normal, right? The vice prez often says ‘Life will rarely go the way you want it to!’, see. I think she’s right. Everybody experiences a failed love at least once.”

“……”

“That doesn’t mean I’m suddenly worthless. Being rejected hurt. But…I won’t stay down forever, and lament in grief.”

“……”

“Or what, is this what you think of me? That I’d always be hung up on this just because I got rejected once? That Usami Masamune could never become happy again? Do you…Do you really think I’m such a weak person?”

“……No, of course I don’t.” I responded.

I was an idiot, yeah. I guess I was just trying to be sympathetic towards Masamune. Since I rejected her confession, because I couldn’t respond to her feelings, I felt apologetic. But, things are different. Masamune isn’t that weak. She’s trying her hardest to get up again. It’s like she’s taken Schrö-senpai’s words to heart. She’s changed for sure.

“……”

Memories from the school festival floated back into my head. Back then, she tried to jump off the rooftop. She hit a wall, and tried to run. But, now she’s different.

‘—I want to change!’

She turned these words into a reality, and changed with her own strength. That weakness of hers had completely vanished from back then. That’s what she’s trying to tell me, as she’s fighting off tears.

“…Sorry, Masamune, I was an idiot.”

“H-Hmpf, as long as you understand it…You’re a stupid chicken as always, but I’ll forgive you. Because…” She wiped the tears off her eyes, and spoke up with a quivering voice. “We’re friends after all.”

“……”

Yeah, she really is strong. She’s willing to be friends with me despite everything that happened. That’s not something you’d normally expect.

“Thanks, Masamune.”

“I-I don’t need your gratitude. Leaving that aside…you better make Subaru-sama happy, okay? You rejected my confession…so that’s the least I expect from you. If not, I won’t ever forgive you.”

“Yeah, gotcha.” I said, and nodded.

In response to that, Masamune smiled.

“……”

…Yeah. When she smiles, she really is cute.

“Alright, guess it’s time for me to head home. They’re going to lock the front gate soon.” I turned towards the door.

Because it’s January, the night turned awfully cold. It’d be bad if we caught a cold before normal classes even began.

“W-Wait!”

However, Masamune pulled on my sleeve, stopping me. While holding onto me…

“I’ll…give you a handshake.”

“Huh?”

“L-Like I said! A handshake! We’ll stay friends from now on, right!? A handshake would be perfectly normal!” She screamed, almost as if she wanted to hide her embarrassment.

…Well, how do I say this…She really can’t be honest for even a second. If she wants to shake hands, she should just stay cute and ask for it.

“Just like you, I guess.”

“What was that? You were whispering, I couldn’t hear you properly.”

“No, it’s nothing. Come on, let’s shake hands.”

“Urk…Yeah, because we’re friends.” She blushed, and offered me her small palm.

I grabbed her hand, and held it tightly. A warm sensation was conveyed to my own palm in return.

“…Masamune, relax. You’re pressing it so aggressively, it’s hurting me.”

“Hmpf, so noisy. It’s cold, so deal with it.”

“Well…it is warm.”

“See, I told you.” Masamune smiled beneath the winter night sky.

This time, she had a joyful expression completely different from the school festival.

“…Yeah.”

Just as she said, this wasn’t half bad. We’re friends after all.

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