Chapter 83: Heartbreak
Translator: Cryus
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I can hear the door creaking before it shuts. There’s a bit of silence.
Nonomiya-san sighs while leaning on the bed.
Why is she slumping her shoulders and looking listless? Anyway, I guess I should change clothes…… I think to myself, and as I take the shirt, I notice that it looks familiar.
「Huh? This shirt……」
I take a closer look. I’ve seen this elf mohair sweater before.
I look at Nonomiya-san quizzically, who lets out a huge sigh while staring at the clean floor.
This doesn’t look normal. I co to a stop.
「……Mizuhara-cchi won’t co to school for my snacks, but he will when you’re in trouble……」
She mumbles almost inaudibly.
「……Nonomiya-san?」
「I called him just now. I knew his place was near. ……I did it willingly, so why am I gettin’ depressed? Ferreal……」
Nonomiya-san’s eyes are welling up with tears as she looks up at . I’m taken aback.
Honestly speaking, I’m really helpless when I see a girl crying.
Nonomiya-san giggles at my reaction, causing her tears to fall.
「Ehh…… Um…」
「Ya know…… I lied. To you and Mizuhara-cchi.」
「……About what?」
Nonomiya-san covers her face with one hand.
I can still see tears streaming down the bottom of her cheeks. I quickly search my backpack for a handkerchief, but I can’t find one.
Hanky, hanky, where are you?!
Seeing my flustered reaction, she laughs and tells to forget it and hurry up and get changed.
「Ferreal, no matter how hard I tried, I knew he wouldn’t accept as yer replacent for makin’ snacks. That’s why…… I lied. That ye were datin’ the prince……」
She’s starting to talk in spurts and blowing her nose, so I’m looking for tissues.
「If Mizuhara-cchi thought that ye guys we’re datin’, he’d stop callin’ ye over to make snacks. Then I could have him eat my tasty snacks. I’m more skilled than ye, so I was darn confident I could be yer replacent.」
She’s proud of herself as a professional patissier.
She goes to a confectionery school, and is more than qualified. Even though I’m good at it, I’m still an amateur, and can’t hold a candle to her.
「But he wouldn’t eat my pastries no matter what I made.」
Small beads of tears are falling down her cheeks. I’m still panicking helplessly.
「It wasn’t only my pastries. Eventually, he stopped eatin’ other snacks too. After I pestered him, he told that he just wasn’t feelin’ it cos of his brother’s weddin’. I’ve liked him for a long ti, so I know it when I see it. It must be sothin’ real serious to get him down like that.」
It seems that Mizuhara has decided to attend his brother’s wedding ceremony.
He has a sense of duty, so maybe he’s just going there to play his part as a brother.
「I put a lotta effort into makin’ so snacks to cheer him up. I made sure it was professional grade before sending them to him. But he didn’t like it. I just couldn’t take it anymore.」
I’m startled as she’s staring straight at , even though she’s crying.
「Even then, I’m still in love with Mizuhara-cchi. ……So, could ya make him so snacks, Noda-cchi?」
「……Huh?」
I’m confused. Why did she say 「So」? It doesn’t make sense to . Ignoring my confusion, Nonomiya-san stands up.
Even as she says that she feels better after telling everything, I can see the pain behind her smile. I’m at a loss for words as she looks away from .
「C’mon, let’s go ho. It’s snowing, and it’ll be a darn bother if the trains are stopped.」
She breaks the silence and tosses a pocket warr at .
The chemical reaction in the pocket warr already started earlier, but it’s still warm enough.
「Ya know, I don’t dislike ya. If I was up against a real planner like Kinoshita Yui, I wouldn’t give up even if it killed , though……」
She mumbles in a soft voice, saying sothing like 「Even if she made snacks for Mizuhara-cchi ferreal.」 and left the infirmary.
「Wait…! Hold on!」
I want to chase after her, but I can’t. I still haven’t put on my pants yet.
I straighten my clothes, and even though I know it’s too late, I take a look outside the infirmary.
I spot Michel sitting with his arms folded around his knees, and with his face still red.
It looks like he’s been keeping a lookout to prevent anyone from coming into the infirmary.
「Sorry about earlier.」
A lot has happened, and I have a lot to think about, but I figured I should apologize to Michel first.
「I-I’m the one who should be sorry! I kept pulling on the quilt even though you……!」
He’s still flustered even as he apologizes.
「You were just worried about . But if you could forget about what happened, it’ll help a lot.」
「I-I’ll try.」
Michel notices that my hair is wet, and frowns.
「Sagiri-san, your hair is wet……. What happened anyway?」
「Oh…… It’s because of the snow. Let’s go ho.」
The way I said it made it obvious that I was trying to cover it up, but it’s the truth that it’s snowing right now.
I stop him from prying any further. By the ti we step outside, the snow is already falling moderately, piling up on the ground.
The wind is blowing so of the snow onto . It’s cold.
「……Let’s go ho.」
Michel sighs in acceptance and walks next to , providing so cover from the snow until we reach the train station.
Michel’s a little worried, so he offers to take ho, but there’s a possibility that the trains will stop because of the snow, so I turn him down.
We said goodbye on the platform. He looked worried, so I’m sending him a ssage when I get ho.
【Sorry to keep you worried. I’m ho now.】
I get a response imdiately.
【That’s a relief. Well then, do you mind if I ask you what exactly happened today?】
He’s still curious. I don’t know how to respond.
After taking a while to think, I reply that I got myself wet by accident. It’s not a complete lie.
I relax myself in a warm bath and get in bed, and before I know it, I’m thinking about the situation with Nonomiya-san and Mizuhara.
「Hmm……」
I’m looking at the shirt I borrowed.
I don’t really know what happened between Mizuhara and Nonomiya-san.
On the sa night that Michel confessed to , Nonomiya-san sent a ssage saying that she would make snacks for Mizuhara on my behalf. Since then, I haven’t received any requests from Mizuhara.
I felt lonely when the ssages stopped coming. I really did.
But Nonomiya-san is overwhelmingly better than , and I felt bad that I was in her way of winning over Mizuhara.
I don’t really want to pry, but I’m curious about how Mizuhara is doing, and I’m concerned about what Nonomiya-san said.
First, I’ll call Nonomiya-san.
「I’m still tryna deal with heartbreak! Just hurry up and make Mizuhara-cchi so snacks!」
She hangs up right after that. My ears are ringing from all the shouting.
「……W-what the hell…」
I mull over it for a while, but I can’t do anything about it. I should thank Mizuhara for the clothes, so I give him a call.
Mizuhara only writes in the subject header when he sends ssages, but I think he prefers ssages over phone calls. That’s why I’m wondering if he’ll pick up at all.
I’m thinking about sending him a ssage if he doesn’t answer the call, but after a few rings, it looks like he’s picking it up.
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