This girl cared about Shirakawa Sawahei and Tsukimi Sakurazawa from the beginning. The New Year’s wish she made in her first year was about the longing for the three of them together.
He gently let go of the wooden plaque, his gaze drawn to another brand new one. As he looked closely, he found himself frozen in place, unable to move for a long ti.
[I hope Shirakawa and Departnt Director Tsukimi can be happy.]
This is this year’s wish.
Shirakawa Sawahei lightly caressed the wooden plaque, his expression obviously more complex and conflicted than ever before. The handwriting on it was clear and vigorous, showing how carefully the girl wrote it.
Did she guess it?
Asking this now seems like a way to deceive himself, doesn’t it?
She valued both of them so much, discovering last night that Tsukimi’s luggage was in her bag. She must have had a lot she wanted to ask. That’s why the girl stayed in his room for a long ti at night, wanting to say sothing but stopping herself, finally leaving silently, sleepless...
Even just now, she noticed it was a call from Tsukimi but still didn’t say anything, silently giving way.
Until just now, Shirakawa Sawahei felt he wasn’t ntally prepared enough to face her feelings. He had countless reasons to convince himself, like how the system’s strategy progress was accurate enough, and it hadn’t reached 99%, suggesting he shouldn’t act rashly... All these reasons seed logical and successfully deceived Shirakawa Sawahei, allowing him to peacefully stop his actions and avoid reality like an ostrich.
There was one thing Tachibana Kaisuke said during their conversation that was very true: The claim that it’s for her own good is false. What’s really hindering your actions is your own selfish self, accustod to avoiding her gaze.
That girl... the one who usually hid in the corners, the one whose eyes would light up when looking at him...
Did she give up? Maybe...
She’s always been a good girl... would never cause trouble, never be willful...
I think... I really ssed up...
Didn’t want to see her sad... yet in the end, I still made her sad...
Shirakawa Sawahei silently put the plaque back, and the bell under the braided rope gently rang again. The god’s soft chant now seed to carry a hint of loneliness. He stood there for a long ti, lost in thought, and finally let out a soft sigh.
As he was about to leave, his gaze fell on a nearby trash box, where familiar handwriting once again caught his attention...
"..."
Without any hesitation, Shirakawa Sawahei set off towards where she might be, with firm and strong steps.
[Target character: Tachibana Tomoku; Strategy progress: 100%, Strategy completed, congratulations, Host! Please keep up the good work!]
[Reward issuing...]
[First-ti strategy completed, reward with corresponding attribute points. The talent skill effect for this target character is doubled, skill experience-sharing favorability cap unlocked]
[Generating new talent rewards]
[The subsequent world line for completing this target character is more complex, triggering a side quest for Host’s safety]
[Side quest: I’m just an ordinary scumbag; Quest objective: Conquer both the black and white worlds, withstand pressure from Tachibana Kaisuke; Current side quest progress: (One)]
Shirakawa Sawahei paid no attention to the system’s chaotic prompts, only feeling that his steps seed much lighter. He did not stop, searching all the way, with only one thought left in his mind.
Find her, must find that girl.
Things that are longed for are sure to echo. Shirakawa Sawahei lapped around the Shrine and unexpectedly saw the girl’s fragile figure at the place where they drew fortunes earlier. She was standing on her tiptoes, stretching out her arm as much as possible, seemingly wanting to hang the fortune she held onto a higher branch.
The small, delicate girl was focused and sincere. She held her breath and seed to have completely forgotten the things she said before about superstitions, wholeheartedly helping him hang the bad luck fortune she drew on a high branch, praying that the gods could dissolve his misfortune.
If there’s anything he regrets most in his life, it would be nearly missing out on this pure and lovely girl’s intentions, right?
Shirakawa Sawahei chuckled softly and walked over to take the fortune slip from the girl’s hand, causing her to exclaim in surprise. Turning her head, she saw his face, and before the expression could turn into shock, her face began to blush gradually.
"Shira-Shirakawa..."
"Sorry..."
"..."
He didn’t reply, just quietly watched the girl in front of him, just like she’d watched him before. Her eyes widened slightly, and then she seed to understand sothing.
Her expression was no longer tense, and her eyes no longer avoided his. It felt like they had returned to the ti when they practiced staring at each other in the Calligraphy Club.
"Sorry..."
"..."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I, I just felt I ought to apologize..." Tachibana Tomoku weakly said, "I don’t know what to say..."
"Nervous?"
"Mm..."
"I suppose so. Surely it makes you feel nervous being looked at like that." Shirakawa Sawahei smiled, gently rubbing the wooden plaque he had just taken.
"I’m the one who should apologize."
Tachibana Tomoku noticed the plaque and her ears turned red, stamring, "I, I... Shirakawa..."
"Sorry..."
On the wooden plaque was the sa wish for Shirakawa and Tsukimi to be happy. But unlike the official one hanging on the wish board, the plaque the girl had discarded had a section of a character smudged, vividly revealing her hesitation and conflict. In the end, she found a new plaque and wrote the blessing again.
[I hope Shirakawa and Departnt Director Tsukimi can be happy]
The slight difference contained a completely different thought process, and it was because of seeing this discarded plaque that Shirakawa Sawahei affird his belief.
Saying it’s for her good by not being with her, letting go to avoid hurting is all false. Clearly, he was just afraid to face it, using the hypocritical pretense of it being for her own good... The real aim behind it wasn’t considering her at all, but rather finding excuses for himself to avoid it.
Honestly confronting his sins and ugliness, and that selfish motivation, were precious lessons taught to Shirakawa Sawahei by Asano Fūsei and Tachibana Kaisuke with their own experiences.
What Tachibana Tomoku wants, only she knew herself. Even if confessing would bring awkward situations and make the girl dislike him, it would be his well-deserved punishnt.
Consequently, Shirakawa Sawahei lowered his head and said softly after a brief silence.
"Tachibana..."
But Little Transparent acted faster than a certain sleazy guy, lowering her gaze and taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists and gathered her courage, her eyes blazing, expression determined.
"Shirakawa?"
"Hm?"
"I don’t want to be the good girl anymore..."
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