Volume 1 - CH 6.1

The Angel and the girl's long evening

Translated by 64990022

Chapter 6: Angel and the girl’s long evening

Part 1

Work mode: on.

Voice changer: okay, camera: off. Call quality: the worst.

–”You there, Angel?”

It was probably either in Wi-Fi condition or site traffic. The voice froze, but well, it couldn’t be helped.

“Yeah, I’ll manage. We can switch to chat if it gets worse.”

–“‘Kay”

“So what brings you here?”

Makino was the one who asked to have this call today. He didn’t say what, but it was probably…

–“Um… I will confess to Yuzuki-san”

“I see… You’ve made up your mind.”

I tried to emanate a light and cheerful tone, but I guess it could get so far. Good there was voice change, I probably couldn’t do this face to face.

–”It took time, but I finally got the courage to confess. All thanks to you, Angel”

“No, you worked hard.” I still couldn’t shake off the gloom.

Get it together, Kuze High’s Angel!

–”Is there anything?”

“Nothing. I’m rooting for you, Makino”

I failed to bit back the bitter thought. She was going to reject him.

–”Huzzah! Although I’m not sure how to confess… hehe, sorry for relying on you ‘till the end…”

“Don’t worry, that’s what my work entails”

–“Hoh? Back to ‘watashi’? I prefer ‘ore’ tho–.”

[TN: Yep, those problematic pronouns again]

“I’ll pass. The more I use it, the more likely I’ll slip again.”

–“Ahaha. I see, that couldn’t be good.”

Hmph, this is no laughing matter. I need to keep my identity a secret here. Having a gender neutral image serves better in easing up the atmosphere of consults too.

–”Ahh– How cold. I thought we could have been friends.” His tone sombered.

Of course, he wouldn’t know that I was in the next class. Or that he just had a tennis match with the Angel a few days prior.

But sorry, sorry for urging you on a love that would never come true. Alas, I have no regrets.

“Sorry.” Of course, he won’t know how many things I’m apologizing for.

–”It would hinder your work, right? So not your fault.”

“Yeah… Thanks.”

I thought we could have been friends…

Makino, I’m afraid I don’t have any right to be your friend.

◆　◆　◆　

The next few days passed in a haze. Went to school, took classes, that was it.

I hadn’t met Minato ever since. I hadn’t even exchanged a single word with her.

I also took a break from my Angel work. I had cleared Makino’s consultation, so what was left was the other new girl, whom I had already sent an apology to.

Everything fell into a routine, my thoughts too, were in a circle.

Where did it go wrong?

Or was it unavoidable from the start?

I don’t know–couldn’t know. She avoided me at school, and my messages were left on read. I even tried going straight for her. It ended with her rebuffing me with the scaries glare I had ever seen. I was rattled. Never tried that again.

I had done everything I could think of.

“Hahh…”

Just when I thought this might turn out to be okay. I had thought that I might have a chance. It might not be my speciality, but I had the will and determination. Heck, I even have this weird power. Surely, something would work out, or at least, to some acceptable level…

“Hah〜〜”

“Shut up. Your sighs are making my nuggets bland.” From the opposite seat, Hiura chided.

Afterschool, Hiura skipped her club and dragged me to a McDonalds along the prefectural road. A bit further west from lake Biwa where I first talked with Minato.

Also, Shiga people were crazy about McDonalds. Well, we’re in Kansai, that’s how things work here.

Hiura crossed her legs dangerously on the chair, her hands busy lobbing nuggets and fries. The last time I reached for one, she quickly slapped my outreached hand. Now, they were on my knees. I am a man of patience. Humans are susceptible to pain.

“You’re dying a lot lately.” Bits of…whatever it was, flew from her mouth.

“I want to be reincarnated as a clam.”

“Agreed. You might finally shut up.”

“Hiura〜”

How cold… and how kind. Is this the duality of Hiura? By the way, why did I feel refreshed when treated this way?

“Well? It’s that certain someone, right? You were rejected?”

Of course, she would know.

“That was on the mark?” she continued when my silence prolonged.

“Of course you’d care about me〜”

“Gross”

Okay, got it! I’m gonna turn into a clam!

“Complain whatever you want, I’ll be the wall.” She waved exasperatedly.

“H-Hiura-sama!!”

“Can you just get done with this quickly?!”

Yup, yup, she was probably a tsundere…

I sorted through my mind, my thoughts a jumble. To admit, I wasn’t sure where to even start.

“She was… desperate, you know.”

Hiura was silently experimenting with the two sauces, dipping the fires and tasting.

I don’t reckon any wall doing that, but fine.

“I feel like I need to do something, I can’t leave things like this…the other times I would respect their choices, but… this time’s different.”

I said I would do anything to help, yet things turned out like this.

“I thought I could build a relationship of trust. I trust her, and I thought the same goes for her. That was the only thing I thought I got right. Consultations rely on trust.”

“Nothing can beat barbeque sauce.”

“Even if things are impossible. Even impossible, surely, at least something will work out. I thought we could at least do that if we’re together… I was wrong.”

“But mustard once in a while is delicious too…” she muttered.

“I thought too lightly of this,” I concluded.

“Wait wait, what if I mix them?”

“What I do is just lead people to confession. No, all I could do is that. Still, I want to see this to the end, even if it meant intruding her space…” A semblance of confidence returned. “There must be something she wanted to keep hidden… Something that is worth the cost of not curing the Peculiarity.”

I can’t help her without knowing more about her, and she knew it.

“It’s not something I can just get her to say. And I perfectly understand how that feels.”

Just like how I got defensive when Reiji or Yukito mentioned Ayaha. She must have had something like that too.

–There’s nothing you can do with your problem, but you think you could do with hers?

Yeah, Reiji, you’re right.

–No, you’re the same.

Maybe you were right, Yukito. I can’t do anything.

“Why not ask the person in question?”

“Heh?”

She was looking at the sauce dispenser hungrily, no indication that what she said was directed to me. Keeping the “wall” act, I suppose.

“Is it your fault? Or just just don’t want to get involved any further?” She shook her head and used the nuget to wipe her sauce tray. “Thinking would only get you so far. Just ask her and decide what to do. Disrespect to her privacy? Hell, you have the right to know, don’t you?”

Somehow, the sound of her slurping the remaining milkshake sounded lonely. I popped open the lid of my Fanta Grape and swigged the ice, the soda long gone. I chew with a satisfying crunch, and prickling pain at the sudden cold.

“Hiura…”

“Yeah?”

I eyed the fries, not daring to reach. “Can I have one?”

She grunted and the red-yellow bag was held out to me.

I took the longest one, glanced up to check her reaction, and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Sauce too?”

“Mustard.”

“I want barbeque sauce.”

“Mustard”

I coated it with the yellow sauce. A lot of it, just to spite her.

“Delish”

She watched me eat expressionlessly.

“I see… I’ll try asking.”

Her attitude was brash. Yet when it counts, she was unexpectedly helpful.

“Hiura.”

“Hm?” A grunt.

“Thanks”

Another grunt. “Hm.”