Volume 1 - CH 6.3

Angel and the girl’s long evening

Translated by 64990022

Chapter 6: Angel and the girl’s long evening

Part 3

Then I told Fujimiya everything. It was easy, since she already knew about the Peculiarity, there was nothing to hide. I told her how I accepted her consultation, and how I ended up with the conclusion. 

I told her of Minato’s ending of the consultation.

I also revealed about the Angel to her. If not, there wouldn’t be a reason for Minato asking for my help.

By the time I finished, Fujimiya was sobbing while nodding. “I see,” she said feebly. The fact that Minato went for advice from a stranger insead of her must have been hard to bear.

Although I did keep the power to myself. There was no reason in telling her anyway.

“I understand now.” She looked detached, her words came in between pauses.

“Sorry… I should have done something.”

“It’s not your fault. You told me everything, and by that, I got involved with your secret. I have no right to put any blame on you.”

She sighed. As if in accordance, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“She… She must have known the reason she liked them.” She closed her eyes in concentration. “I think I understand now.”

“But… How do I bring this up? she clearly doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“She may seem so. However, she must have felt it, somewhere inside, the urge to confide in someone. She wasn’t lying when she said she wanted to get rid of the Peculiarity, I am sure about this.”

“You don’t need to but…” Her head jerked up, the remaining tear glimmered. “If… If you haven’t given up on her… Can you please step in? She might not like it, she might hate you for it, but can you try talking to her one more time?”

She shakily blinked several times. With her pursed lips, she looked like she couldn’t stand the frustration any longer.

“If you’re okay with me.” I shrugged ruefully.

She sighed. “If you can’t, then I’m out of the question.”

Her smile then was weak, yet cute and resolute.

“You know her address?” I asked.

“Hm? Ah, yes!”

“‘Kay, I’ll go. Actually, I was going to go to her anyway, the timing was just bad back there.”

“Akashi-kun…”

“Since it’d be two days wait with the weekend in between, I’ll update via LINE. You can send her address there too.”

We went to the cashier and paid our bill. The bell rang softly as we left the cafe and began climbing Tokimeki hill.

“Say,” she began, her tone was light and teasing, in contrast to her dire tone earlier. “Why did you touch her cheeks?”

“Uh… Nothing, I just want to.”

“You like her? Minato I mean.” She smiled mirthfully.

[TN:Bottom left]

“No, it’s just…”

“Hehh? I’d recommend you to go for her, you know?”

Of course, anyone would recommend her, she’s the freaking Kuze’s Top Three. And her good points didn’t just end there.

“She’s cute, stylish, and…” she listed. “Ah! She’s a good girl too, you know.” Fujimiya whispered collusively.

“I suppose.” 

“And you’re barely acceptable to me too, so you’ve at least cleared a level.”

“‘Acceptable’? And what are you, her parents?”

Fujimiya was heading back to school once more, so we parted at the junction between Keihan Zeze and JR Zeze Station.

When I turned my back to her and walked away, she said, “I’ll let you hug her for today.”

My feet came to a stop. “I won’t,” I said quickly.

“Ah, there’s a pause,” she noted gleefully.

“Well, take care of her!” she said as she waved.

She turned her back to me, I turned to hers.

◆　◆　◆

Minato’s apartment was around South Kusatsu Station, Kusatsu City, the biggest city in Shiga Prefecture. Although this “Kusatsu” was not the same as Kusatsu Onsen, the onsen was in  Kusatsu Town, Gumna, whilst this was Kusatsu City, Shiga. There was no onsen, just a cold lake here. 

Sigh. Who named these places?

[TN:Agreed]

Also, from here to Kyoto was an eighteen minutes ride. That made this area a strangely prosperous commuter town. Yep, strangely. This is Shiga Prefecture, everything defies common sense.

[TN:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_town]

[TN: And no, I don’t get the Shiga joke.]

I got off the train at South Kusatsu, and fiddled with the map application. I could cut straight through smaller roads, but to be sure, I decided to go along the national highway as far as I could.

I made my way in silence, all the while making another revision of what I had thought on the train. I reached a gigantic intersection. 

“Ah…” 

On the other side of the road, I saw a familiar figure. Even with the backdrop of a yakiniku place, she was beautiful. She still hadn’t changed out of school uniform. Her back was carried high with confidence. It would have been the usual Minato, only if it wasn’t for the dark frown. 

“Minato.” Miraculously, my greeting came out fine.

The frown was taken over by surprise. “Io?”  

She blinked several times successively and removed white earphones from her ears. The wireless ones I gave her.

She let out a resigned sigh.

“Shopping.”

I tilted my head questioningly.

“Help me carry. We can talk at home later.”

“Got it.”

◆　◆　◆

We traced back to a Seiyu at the station building and shopped together. Minato picked up vegetables, instant foods and other groceries with practiced hands. I looked at the basket in my hand, the products here were what most highschool students would let their parents buy for them. 

[TN: Seiyu, Japanese department store. In case anyone wondering, voice actors are “seiyuu”, extra u there.]

She paid at the self-checkout and I helped her pack the bags. After that, we went straight to her apartment.

Not a single word passed between us, saved for the “I’m sorry”, when she noted my initial dumbfounded expression.

Her apartment was the luxurious type. Minato held up her phone and the auto-lock opened with a mechanical buzz. The IC card key was probably hidden inside the phone case. 

“Wait here.” She took the other bag from my hand and disappeared inside. 

A while passed and she returned. “Come in.” Her face flushed a little as she urged me.

The front door clicked close and I was led inside. We reached a living room with a low rectangular table with two cushions. There was nothing of note other than that.

“You live alone?” I broke the silence for the first time. 

“No, mother… Mom lives here too. Or at least, in the paper, otherwise I couldn’t enroll for Kuze High,” she said matter-of-factly.

Kuze was a national highschool, so I suppose stipulation along that line exists.

However, this is no time for small talk…

“So you came.”

“Yeah, I’m here.” Her face was taunted with anticipation again. “I talked with Fujimiya.”

“With Shiho?”

“Yep, and also once before that.”

And I went on clarifying about what happened. This week was a week of explanations. Or rather, there were simply too many secrets between us, the bill has come due.

Her expression was complicated. From shock, to guilt, to disbelief, her face was a mess of emotions.

“But I’m not here on her order,” I assured, “I’ll be asking later. What is this about? What are you hiding from me? Think up your answer by then.”

“Later?”

“You heard right, later. When I finish my story. You don’t need to pay full attention, just listen.”

She nodded slowly.

Thinking back, this was the first time I had told someone this by myself.

But it was this or give up. How to make other people reveal a secret to you? You tell them yours. That was the concept of confiding, that was the concept of trust. 

“This is the story of how I decided to become the Angel of Kuze High.”

[TN: I’ll take some time and update a few parts at once, not sure how long it will take, but I’ll find where I can end without a cliffhanger.]