VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 3
Prefectural Shuka High School.
A fairly prestigious college-prep school even by prefectural standards, it has six classes in each grade.
Classes 1 and 2 are the special college-prep track. Classes 3 through 6 are the regular track, and those on sports recommendations are assigned to the regular track.
I’m in Class 3 as a first-year, and Karen is in the same class. I feel like I’ve heard Shibaki is in Class 6.
And apparently, Mamiya-san is in Class 2—the special college-prep track.
Ên û m а̄
‘The special track just feels like some far-off world…’
The numbers are next to each other, but Classes 1 and 2 are on a different floor, so there’s physical distance too. Curriculum-wise, the special track has days where they have an extra period, and they even have classes every Saturday (whereas the regular track only has them once a month)… It’s only been about a month since school started, but we barely interact.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Still, we’re in the same building, and it’s not like it’s forbidden, so… during lunch break, I decided to sneak a peek into Class 2’s classroom.
She doesn’t talk to me, but for some reason, it feels like Karen’s been looking my way today… Maybe I’m being self-conscious, but feeling uncomfortable in the classroom was part of the reason too.
Also, I was curious what Mamiya-san was like in her class, and… if we’re going to keep going on dates, it might give me a hint for picking where to go next.
‘Oh, there she is.’
Ên̄ ǔ mа .і d̂
I tried peeking in from the back door of the classroom, pretending I was just passing by, and I spotted Mamiya-san right away. Like a manga protagonist, she was eating her lunch at the window-side seat in the very last row.
Even if it’s the special track, it doesn’t seem like the classroom itself is all that different. Friends chatting as they spend their break is the usual scene and all… but Mamiya-san was alone.
She wasn’t joining anyone’s circle—just quietly, steadily eating her lunch.
‘I mean… she kind of feels isolated…’
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
It’s not like you can literally see some kind of aura, but an atmosphere that makes it hard to talk to someone definitely exists—and that was exactly what Mamiya-san was giving off.
Even just eating a bento, she’s a beautiful woman who is a picture of poise with her amazing posture. There’s this vibe like you shouldn’t disturb her.
Ẁ е́b̌ n ò vе ĺ Е_n umа
In fact, her classmates looked fidgety like they wanted to talk to her, but none of them actually made a move. Maybe someone already tried and got brutally shot down… and honestly, somehow that feels more likely than her responding with a warm smile, which is weird.
‘If I were in their position, I probably wouldn’t be able to talk to her either… I know now she’s not a bad person, but if I hadn’t met her the way I did…’
“What? Do you need something in our class?”
“Huh?”
And—while I was totally absorbed in peeking, I got spoken to!
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I hurriedly denied it and left at a brisk pace.
Did Mamiya-san notice me? No—she had that air of not being interested in the outside world at all, so maybe she didn’t notice… Yeah. I’ll pray she didn’t.
In terms of getting hints for date destinations, it was a fruitful trip. If Mamiya-san doesn’t have many friends—if she doesn’t really interact with other students—then even a basic, obvious spot might feel fresh to her… Though on the flip side, there’s a risk she’ll get mad if she has zero interest.
But at the same time, it also felt like I’d seen something I wasn’t supposed to see… Feeling this weird awkwardness and guilt, I silently swore to myself that I’d stop spying on her like this.
◇
“I’ve already decided where we’re going today. Come with me.”
Еn um̃_à
“Ah, yeah.”
We’d just gone to a ramen shop yesterday, and yet—an invitation this fast.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The moment we met up in front of the convenience store, we ended up heading out on a date for the third day in a row.
Part of me felt like it might be fine to leave a bit more time between them, but it’s not like I didn’t want to go, and I didn’t have a reason to refuse.
“Just to be sure—can I ask where we’re going?”
“Today… let’s see. I was thinking we could have a study session.”
En̊ u m̂a
“A-a study session? Oh… I guess midterms are coming up soon.”
“That’s… well, that’s part of it. But if I’m going to compete with yesterday’s ramen, I can’t exactly hold back at the start either, can I?”
“Hold back?”
Not holding back, and the result is inviting me to a study session… That doesn’t sit right with me somehow.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Could it be that, for Mamiya-san, studying is top-tier entertainment content?
That’s the special track for you. They looked the same as us in the regular track, but maybe that was just appearances, and everyone was actually a studying cyborg like Mamiya-san…!?
W еb̌ n̂ ovе l Е n̈ um̈ ӓ
“Hey. You’re thinking something rude again, aren’t you?”
“Uh, it’s like the scales fell from my eyes, or…”
“Just so we’re clear, I’m not some kind of study freak. What matters is where we go, and—”
“Ah, Mamiya-san!”
I hurriedly grabbed Mamiya-san’s hand as she puffed up in protest.
“H-Hey, wh-what…!?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“The walk signal is flashing, so let’s wait for the next light.”
Right then, the crosswalk signal started flashing just as we were about to cross.
We could probably make it across if we ran, but there were cars waiting too, and there was no need to rush.
That was what I’d been thinking when I did it… but for some reason, Mamiya-san narrowed her eyes like she was exasperated.
“Huh? Wh-what…?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
Е.n̂ûm å_. ĩd
Mamiya-san said that and looked away—or rather, she faced forward again.
“…………”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
‘S-She went quiet…! Why…!?’
For some reason, she fell silent, and even after the light turned green and we started walking, we didn’t exchange a word—
“…We’re here.”
In the end, the silence continued for nearly ten minutes, all the way until we reached our destination.
E nùm а
It was kind of… a strange stretch of time. It was a little awkward, sure, but I didn’t feel the need to force a topic, and somehow, I just kept watching Mamiya-san’s back as she walked half a step ahead of me. Her ears were a little red, and it felt like her temperature was up a bit too, and that kept catching my attention—
“…Hey, Watanuki-kun?”
“Mm, what’s up?”
“Not ‘what’s up’… We’re already here, so could you let go?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Let go… Huh—sorry!”
I hastily pulled away from her. I’d been completely unaware.
W ē b̀nо v̊ӗ l Е n̊u mа́
Ever since that signal, I’d unconsciously been holding her hand the whole time!
“Normally, you’d let go without needing to be told, wouldn’t you?”
“Ugh… I have absolutely no excuse… I really was completely unaware…!”
“Being unaware just makes it worse, I think… Well, I also share the blame for not pointing it out sooner; I just missed the right moment.”
Surprisingly, that was all it took for Mamiya-san to stop pressing me on it.
“So, what’s your first impression?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Huh? Ah—yeah…”
I realized she meant the place she’d brought me to—the building right in front of us—and I switched gears.
I’d been distracted by her calling me out, but as a first impression…
“Somehow, it feels very you, Mamiya-san.”
“…?”
“Ah—no, not in a weird way. It’s just, I can kind of picture you coming to a place like this… Like, it’s stylish, I guess.”
Е n̈u̇ mӓ
“That sounds like you’re trying awfully hard to cover for yourself.”
“I’m not! I just don’t know much about this stuff, so I can’t put it into words very well.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The building had this antique air about it—what you’d call an old-fashioned house café.
It felt stylish and kind of prestigious, and if I were alone, I’d probably never go in. I hardly ever drink coffee, either…
“Fine. Whatever. Standing around here talking isn’t ideal, so let’s go in.”
“Y-yeah.”
Ě n ü m а̃
I nodded, feeling this vague tension.
Truth is, I’ve never even been into one of those famous café chains you see near stations. A coffee shop feels like an adult world—something I wouldn’t have any business with until way later… Though as a date spot, maybe it’s pretty standard.
The bell on the door rang out with a karakararan.
At the same time, the shopkeeper—an elderly gentleman who looked like the master—smiled.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Oh, hello, Mamiya-san.”
“Hello, Master. Is the second floor available?”
Ẇeb̌ ńo v̊ е̇l̇ Ѐñũ mа
“Yes—please, your usual seat. Take your time.”
The Master and Mamiya-san traded words like they were familiar with each other. She must be a regular if he called her by name the moment she showed her face.
I gave a small bow to the Master—who widened his eyes a little when he saw me—and followed after Mamiya-san as she started up the stairs ahead of me.
The first floor had ordinary table seating lined up, but the second floor had several private rooms, and Mamiya-san headed into one of them—the room with the farthest door, already open.
“Whoa…”
I’d been overwhelmed by the old-fashioned atmosphere from the moment we entered, but stepping into the private room made me feel even more like I’d wandered into another world.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The table and chairs, of course, but also the floor, the wallpaper, the little knickknacks—everything, from corner to corner, shared a unified aesthetic. It was high-end and stylish, yet somehow still felt approachable.
The table, the lighting, the lace curtains hung so sunlight could filter in while blocking the outside view—little details like that made the care put into it really stand out.
“Well? Nice atmosphere, isn’t it?”
“Yeah… It’s like I’m not exactly relaxed, but I feel at ease.”
“Hehe. I get what you mean, more or less.”
Seeing Mamiya-san smile gently like she was relaxed, I figured that once you got used to it, it would probably start to feel like heaven.
Е́n ǔm̆ â .і̊.d̂
For example, you hear that forest bathing has relaxing effects, but if you’re not used to being in the forest, the discomfort wins out and you end up feeling kind of unsettled… something like that? I don’t know.
“This place is run by an acquaintance of my father’s.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Ah, the Master from earlier?”
“Yes. The atmosphere of the whole shop, and even the fact that they went out of their way to prepare private rooms—it’s all because the Master insists on doing it with his own particular standards.”
“Huh… I see…”
I was interested in all sorts of things, but I’d be scared if I touched something carelessly and broke it… so for now, I sat down in the chair. It was a four-person table, and Mamiya-san sat across from me and opened the menu that had been set out.
E n̆ umă._і d̆
“I think I’ll have the blended coffee like usual.”
“Then I’ll have— Wait, th-that’s—nghk!”
I almost shouted and hurriedly covered my mouth.
Even the cheapest option—the blended coffee she’d mentioned—cost more than yesterday’s bowl of ramen! It was pricey enough that even if you ordered the special ramen loaded with toppings and then upsized it, you’d still get change back. And that… for a single cup of coffee…!?
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
‘Geez, running a café must be tough…’
“What’s wrong? Ah—do you not have the money on you? If so, I can pay today.”
Ё ǹum̊а̀
“N-no! I’m fine!”
Honestly, it was rough. A regular high schooler’s wallet isn't deep enough to casually drop a four-figure sum on a single cup of coffee.
But if I tried, I did have enough money in my wallet to pay, so there was no way I could not pay.
“Then I’ll also have the blended coffee…”
Coffee is bitter, and I don't have much of a taste for it. But in the end, it was the cheapest option.
Despite the antique look, it seemed like you ordered on a tablet. Well, having someone come take your order from the first floor every time, and then having to go relay it, would be a hassle…
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“You come here pretty often, huh, Mamiya-san?”
“No, not that often. With a middle schooler’s wallet, it wasn’t the kind of place you could casually come to. About once a month, I suppose.”
Even once a month sounded like plenty.
With a high schooler’s wallet, even a few times a year seemed like it’d be tough… four-digit-yen coffee…
“Before exams, or when I wanted to focus and study, I’d rent this room. It’s different from home or school; you can relax, but it also keeps you on edge… You can really concentrate.”
“Huh… Yeah, I can kind of see that. If you’re too tense or too relaxed, you can’t really get into studying.”
W̌еb́ nоv̈ е̃l Еn̂ūm̌а.
“You could become a regular too, Watanuki-kun.”
“Th-that… I’ll think about it.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
She wore a teasing smile. Yeah, she’s noticed I’m forcing it wallet-wise…
As we talked like that, the coffee and complimentary scones arrived not long after.
Not on a tray or anything—they arrived on one of those carts you always see used for room service in the movies. It kind of made me feel like I should straighten my back.
“Alright, then. Let’s start our study session right away.”
Е n ǔ mа .і̂ d
“Y-yes.”
I was completely overwhelmed. This refined atmosphere, the expensive coffee.
In terms of dress code, a school uniform is basically formalwear for high schoolers, so maybe it was fine, but I still felt out of place somehow.
And it wasn’t just because of this café…
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
It was also because of Mamiya-san, sitting right in front of me.
“Mm…”
W̄ ěbň о vẽ l̃ Ё n ù m̂ӓ
She took a sip of coffee and let out a small breath, and she was nothing but elegant.
Of course, she wasn’t the type to get swallowed up by the atmosphere like me. If anything, she dominated it, turning it into a buff that made her stand out even more.
The sunlight streaming in through the window, the aroma of coffee, the old-fashioned yet refined interior.
Everything was there to highlight her, and I could only sit there like an idiot, completely captivated.
“…What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you didn’t bring your study materials.”
“Ah—no…! I have them! I had a troublesome English assignment, so…!”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
When she spoke to me, I hurriedly spread out my textbook and notebook.
Along with the tension, there was this strange embarrassment. Like—I was out of place, or rather, I’d been made to realize the fact that I wasn't on the same level as Mamiya-san at all.
Even as I faced my English homework, some portion of my attention was still directed at Mamiya-san. The way I was conscious of her presence—if she was looking at me, what did she think of me?
Was she disappointed, or…
“Watanuki-kun.”
“—! Wh-what?”
Ẃ e̊ b n̂оvе̇ l Ёn̄ uḿа
All of a sudden she called my name, and with a furrowed brow, she pierced me with a sharp, fixed stare.
Under that gaze that felt like it could see straight through everything, I felt my whole body go rigid.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
A brief silence fell. What was she about to say when she called my name…? I felt a faint sweat on my back, and then—
“Could it be… you’re bored?”
“Huh?”
My heart jumped with a thud. The words were unexpected, but in a way, they were a line I wanted to hear even less than what I’d imagined.
Ë n̈u m а
Was I really making that kind of face? I felt the blood drain from my face.
I wasn’t thinking it was boring. Not at all.
But at the same time, it’s not like what I’d been thinking was something I could just honestly confess either—
“That’s what I thought.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
A deep sigh, like she was giving up.
With that one small gesture, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Ë ṅum̂ á
It was a misunderstanding. If I’d been making a face like that, it wasn’t because of Mamiya-san. The cause was all on me—and even though I had to clear it up, the words wouldn’t come out right.
Mamiya-san wasn’t at fault. I was, because I’m a boring person—
“Just as I thought, a study session doesn’t count as a date…!?”
“…Huh?”
“I’d kind of realized it myself! Like—what even is a study session!? But I couldn’t think of anything else!”
“U-um, Mamiya-san? What on earth is going on…?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Mamiya-san suddenly started shouting as she covered her face with both hands, and I could only stand there, bewildered, as the thoughts I’d been holding up until now slipped right out of my head and fell to the floor.
“What do you mean you couldn’t think of anything—”
“It was an excuse to invite you! You introduced me to that wonderful ramen shop, so of course I wanted to return the favor, right!? And it was lucky this coffee shop came to mind, but I couldn’t think of any excuse at all to use as a pretext… I can’t exactly just bring you here for no reason…!!”
Mamiya-san stomped in place, flailing and writhing around.
Seeing her act in a way so far removed from anything elegant, I was struck dumb—
“…Heh.”
Еn̄ŭ m ӓ. id̃.
And I ended up laughing.
“Wh—!? Y-you laughed! You thought I was ridiculous, didn’t you!?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“N-no, that’s not it! It’s just… I was surprised at how dense I am.”
“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Ah, sorry! Um, to put it more simply…”
“…I guess I felt relieved.”
Ӗn um̊а̂.ī d̈
“…? Sorry, I still don’t understand at all.”
“Yeah.”
What I felt relieved about was realizing that the wall of “elegance” I’d put around her was nothing more than an illusion made of my own assumptions.
Mamiya-san is amazing. That part wasn’t wrong, but… somewhere along the way, I’d started thinking of her like some kind of superhero.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
She’d taken my hand when I’d witnessed the cheating and my heart had broken, and she’d helped me stand back up. She’d given up her own time for a fake relationship and tried to heal my wounds. When I couldn’t come up with a good date plan and threw out ramen as a desperate idea, she’d picked it up and made it fun.
I’d thought of her as someone who would take my hand—lost and empty as I was—and walk ahead without hesitation, guiding me forward…
W̊ eḃn о̃v̊ёl Е̃ n̄ um̀ а
But that wasn’t it.
She wasn’t walking in front of me—
“I thought you were like some kind of superhuman who can do everything perfectly, Mamiya-san.”
“What is that supposed to be, sarcasm? I’ve barely ever been on dates. When it comes to romance, you’re the one with way more experience than me…!”
At my tactless words, Mamiya-san turned her face away like she was sulking.
But because of that, I could see her ears through the gaps in her hair—bright red.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“You don’t need an excuse. You could just say, ‘I know a place that makes good coffee, so let’s go drink some,’ and that’s it.”
“Ugh… but wouldn’t that be boring?”
“It wouldn’t be boring. Because Mamiya-san would be there.”
“Hah…?”
“Ah—no! I didn’t mean that in a weird way!”
A line so cheesy it made your teeth ache came out of my mouth so naturally that even I was shocked.
Ŵ ѐb̌ ń_о v̄ě l̈ Е̂n̂u m̂ а̃
My face heated up all at once. It wasn’t like I was lying, but said like that, it might make her misunderstand in a weird way…
“Um, so… I don’t think dating is something you have to treat like an obligation, or something you have to try hard at, you know? I think just being together is enough for it to be a date.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Is that how it works…?”
“Not that I’m really in a position to say that as if I’m some expert, though.”
Mamiya-san must have wanted to make this date meaningful.
Not just by showing me the café—she wanted me to feel like this time was something valuable.
E ňũm a
That was probably because yesterday’s ramen had become a major event for Mamiya-san—her first time in her life.
You want to make the other person happy, and to do that, you pack in everything you can… I was sure yesterday, I must have been making that same panic-stricken expression.
You can’t see yourself at all, but when you look through someone else’s expressions, it becomes so clear.
What a tiny, adorable worry that was…
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“But you totally flinched, didn’t you? When you saw the prices on the menu. I was thinking, ‘Oh no,’ and panicking inside.”
“Huh? I thought you were just teasing me… You were laughing.”
Ẁ е̇bǹ öv̄ е l Е ǹũ.m̄ a
“As if! Of course not!? I mean, I did force a smile a little, but…”
As Mamiya-san drooped her shoulders, I found it funny again.
Because I understood, more clearly than anything, that she’d been feeling her way through it too.
“Besides, you didn’t have to push yourself this hard to invite me on a date.”
“If I put it off, wouldn’t it feel like the whole relationship would just naturally fade out?”
“That’s…”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I couldn’t deny it.
To me, Mamiya-san was a comrade who’d been wounded in the same way, but more than that, she was someone I felt guilty toward—someone I was forcing to put up with my whining.
She was giving me her time, and I was just clinging to her kindness one-sidedly… I couldn’t bring myself to believe I was helping her in return, not even a little.
So if I let go of her hand, she’d probably just… leave, just like that.
If she hadn’t invited me, then because I didn’t want the relationship to break off, I might’ve been the one to speak up first… Or no—like earlier, I might’ve just gotten depressed on my own, thinking she’d been disappointed in me, and ended up crouching down and shutting myself away.
Because there’s that convenient pretext of “I was invited, so I’ll invite her back,” we can stay connected.
E n u mа̌ ..i d̄
And if Mamiya-san was thinking something similar… because she’s hurt too.
Carrying it alone is painful, and you can’t let it out, and even so—you still need something to cling to.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The way Mamiya-san is for me, I’m for Mamiya-san.
A relationship that had seemed unreliable, that I’d thought was just me clinging to her one-sidedly, was actually a connection made by both of us reaching out our hands to each other.
“…It’s okay.”
Once I’d thought that far—my mouth spoke, without hesitation.
Wе b́ṅǒv̈ ѐl̀ Е n umӑ
“Huh?”
“Maybe someday, there’ll come a moment where it breaks off. But the only time this relationship will really end… is probably when you come to hate me, Mamiya-san, and clearly declare we’re done.”
To let it sort of fade out, naturally, like “maybe I’m bothering her,” and then I shrink back on my own and run away under the guise of being considerate—
Let’s not end it with a conclusion where I decide the answer all by myself.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The thread connecting us looks terribly fragile.
After all, we’ve only just had our much thicker relationships—boyfriend, fiancée—cut off.
Е n̊ u ṁ а
Two losers, licking each other’s wounds, a relationship that lasts only until we heal.
If one of us recovers first, the other will probably step back. Me, and Mamiya-san too—we’re not thick-skinned enough to keep pushing.
If we had been that thick-skinned…
Then maybe we wouldn’t have needed to lick each other’s wounds in the first place.
“Mamiya-san is someone I need. So I won’t just leave on my own… I’ve decided that!!”
Yeah. I need her.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
A one-sided love I’d carried since I first became aware of things. I lost it, fell into despair… and beyond that, I met a comrade. The one and only partner I had in the world.
A relationship I’d thought would never disappear had collapsed, easily, in an instant.
Now that I knew that—now that I’d learned it—I had to desperately protect this connection with my own will.
If I didn’t, there was no way I’d be able to protect this thread, even thinner than that one.
“…!”
Mamiya-san caught her breath, her eyes widening, round.
Е n ùm̆а
I could clearly see her pupils tremble. What she was feeling and thinking deep inside—I didn’t know… but thinking about that could come after I’d protected our connection.
…Or so I told myself.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“It’s kind of embarrassing to actually say it out loud, though.”
I’d gotten carried away, and out of embarrassment, I laughed to cover it up.
Come to think of it, looking back on my friendships, I’d almost never had a relationship like this with a girl in my grade—something like being friends.
Karen had always been by my side, and Karen had a pretty jealous personality… Though now, I didn’t even know if it really had been jealousy.
W еb̊ n̄ o v̌ë l̊ Е_n̊ ùm.а
So I’d avoided getting any more involved than necessary with girls in my grade, and besides that, it was family—well, there were times my older sister’s friends had treated me like a toy, but still.
Either way, I don’t know the “right” way to interact with girls, the correct way to communicate. I get anxious that if I just honestly say my feelings like an idiot, they’ll find it creepy.
“…Hehe.”
Until she laughed.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Wouldn’t it have been cooler if you’d just said it clearly and stuck the landing?”
“Ugh—sorry…”
W̊e b̆n ӧ v e l̊ E̊ǹū m̄ ӑ
“But I was happy. That you properly said it out loud.”
Mamiya-san smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
“I’m not very good with people. I’m barely keeping up with just myself, and I don’t really understand other people’s feelings… I didn’t have any real friends, either. So I was worried about what you thought of me—whether even calling it a contract was just me being self-centered…”
I remembered how she’d looked at lunch.
Sitting alone, she’d looked lofty, like she didn’t care about loneliness at all… But now I thought maybe that had been an act of toughness.
She did feel lonely, but if she did something wrong and ended up hurting someone—
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
That kindness made her choose solitude, and stick with it.
Until she met me—her fellow wounded comrade.
“It’s strange. When it’s your words, I feel like I can believe them. Maybe it’s just that I want to… but I want to try believing. I want to be able to think that trusting someone isn’t resignation, or giving up on thinking—it’s just a normal thing.”
“Yeah…”
“So I’ll promise you. I won’t be the one to let go of your hand, either. If you won’t leave me… then this contract is forever.”
Mamiya-san stood up, came in front of me, and held out her hand.
Е n̂ǔm̌ǎ . і̃d
A slender, supple hand.
It was beautiful, like it was made of glass, with a fragile feeling like it might break if you handled it even a little roughly… and it was trembling a little.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
I took that ordinary girl’s hand, gripping it as gently as I could so I wouldn’t break it.
Would “thank you” be weird? “Nice to meet you” was too late now.
And “I love you”… Saying that in a fake relationship would be a ridiculous lie.
I turned words over in my head like that… and then found the most straightforward thing I wanted to tell her right now.
Ë ǹ u ḿǎ
“I’ll prove to you that what you’re doing is right, Mamiya-san.”
After taking a slightly weird detour and closing the distance between us a little—that was how our afternoon ended.
In the end, we didn’t really study much, and I ended up bringing my slightly annoying translation assignment home, but she promised she’d help me with it while we talked on a call around the time we’d finished bathing.
One cup of coffee for four digits of yen—I thought it was way too expensive for a high schooler, but it was more than worth it. It was so rewarding that it made me want to pay for her share too.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
I didn’t care at all that my wallet was lighter. I parted ways with Mamiya-san in a buoyant mood—and that’s why I never even imagined it.
“…Ak-kun?”
E ñumа . і̄ď
That she’d been watching us the moment we said goodbye.
<
