Episode 16 – emotional scars

“Itadakimasu……”

“Here you go. Itadakimasu”

I clasped my hands together in front of the fried rice that Sakurae had prepared for me.

Sakurae’s cooking skills have improved and she prepared it in a very short time.

……….Surely she has figured it out by now, she never once asked me where the cooking utensils, dishes and seasonings as I waited on the couch.

Just like before, Sakurae is staring intently at my first bite.

This time, however, she seemed confident and smiling.

“…..delicious.”

I can’t think of anything else to say.

I wish I could at least give a more thoughtful comment to Sakurae who made it, but I’m not good at this kind of thing.

But Sakurae didn’t seem to mind at all and said

“Fufu, Thank you.”

“……, I think it’s me who should be thanking you.”

Sakurae shakes her head, saying, “No.”

“I got compliments on my cooking. I’m still the one who should be thanking you. …. And I’m more than happy to receive compliments from Shota-kun.”

There is no sign of joking around with Sakurae.

I think Sakurae is saying that from the bottom of her heart.

“……I see”

“Yup. I’ll take mine then.”

Sakurae also brings her own portion to her mouth and smiles with satisfaction, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m glad I did well.’

“Sakurae …….”

“Hmm?”

With the second bite in her mouth, Sakurae tilted her head.

My eyes remain fixed on the fried rice, and I thank her.

“This fried rice is delicious. Thanks …….”

“hnfuu……! Keho, keho …….”

“Sakurae, are you okay?!”

I handed the barley tea to Sakurae, who was choking, and she took it and poured it down while purring.

“I-I’m fine now,…….”

“….I see.”

Sakurae said while covering her mouth with her hand.

“I was surprised when Shota-kun suddenly said something nice. I’m sorry for showing you something unseemly…”

I’m a little taken aback by how completely me-oriented Sakurae is.

After that, Sakurae would occasionally look at me, but we finished the meal quietly without saying anything.

“……, this is the last.”

“Thank you.”

After dinner, I did the dishes and Sakurae wiped them up.

When I finished cleaning up, I refilled my iced coffee and Sakurae’s barley tea and went to my seat.

“…… Hey, Shota-kun.”

“What is it?”

“Can I ask you to continue on the couch?”

Sakurae pointed in that direction and said.

“? I don’t mind.”

I didn’t have any problems about changing the location, so I agreed.

Sakurae said “Thank you” and went to the sofa first.

“Shota-kun, here, okay?”

“Ha?”

I was about to leave Sakurae’s portion on the table and sit across from her when she patted me on the shoulder and suggested I sit next to her.

“It’s easier to talk if we sit across from each other”

“But then we won’t be able to look at each other. ……”

I’m sitting on a cushion on the floor, so I have to look up at Sakurae when I talk to her. ……

“Look. When I said let’s talk on the couch, you said you wouldn’t mind, right?”

“You know,…….”

I was going to say something more, but decided not to.

Perhaps it’s useless.

I let out a short sigh and sat down next to Sakurae.

“Fufufu.”

“…, move away from me for a bit. It’s hard to talk.”

When I sat down next to her, as usual, she closed the distance between us.

However, this time, she’s moved away a little bit and turned her gaze from to mine.

“Is this okay?”

“…… make it easier for me to listen.”

Although we weren’t physically touching, Sakurae was looking up at me from a much closer position than when we were talking earlier, which bothered me, but I decided to continue.

I put my hand on my forehead to make sure my headache is gone.

“Are you okay, ……?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t feel any pain, so I think I’m okay now.”

Soon after, I told Sakurae, who had approached me with concern, that there was no problem and reminded her of the rest of the story.

“……It was after I fell in love with Tachibana, wasn’t it? I had talked to Tomoki about this, and Tomoki also knew that I was being messed with by someone from Tachibana’s group. Basically, when I was with Tomoki, they didn’t interfere, so he naturally spent more time with me.”

“How did Wada-kun feel about Shota-kun’s love for Tachibana?”

“Tomoki was both supportive and against it. …Or rather, a warning. Since the one who is messing with me is in that group, there might be something behind it.”

“……”

Sakurae puts her hand on her chin as if thinking about something.

“…… something wrong?”

“No, go on?”

Nevertheless, I’ve almost told you most of my situation at the time.

The rest is…..

“In the third year, Tachibana invited me to be a member of the festival committee, and the two of us became a member again. I was even made to be the committee chairman at the suggestion of …… Tachibana, but let’s put that aside for a moment.”

That day is getting closer and closer.

Sakurae gently wrapped her hands around my fist, which I had been clenching tightly without even realizing it.

I look up and see Sakurae, she smiles at me reassuringly and gives me a small nod.

I let out a big breath, managed to smile back at Sakurae, and then said.

“…… I was going to confess my feelings to Tachibana when the festival was over. On the last day, I’ll be late because I have to work as the chairman of the committee, but I asked her to stay in the classroom. ……”

The headache that occurred again made me press my forehead with the opposite hand from the one Sakurae was holding for me.

When Sakurae saw this, she tightened her grip on my hand.

I grabbed Sakurae’s hand and managed to get the words together, feeling irritated by the way my lips were trembling and the tears welling up in my eyes.

“Shortly after I confessed my feelings to her,……, I heard laughter,……, coming from the hallway. I don’t remember how many people were there,……. But it wasn’t just their group, they were waiting for me to gather people …… to laugh at me!”

“Shota-kun……!”

I was so upset that I threw up, and Sakurae hugged me from the side as if clinging to me.

[Ahahaha! Hurry up !]

[I’m sorry! But I can’t stand this!]

[The underdog is so desperate that he even becomes the chairman of the executive committee! It was just that trouble was forced on him! !]

[There’s no way Rio really likes you!]

My body is shaking.

But I haven’t said the most important thing yet.

“Still! I still somewhere …… wanted to believe in her,……. But she’s ……”

[I’m sure Rio would never go out with such a guy!]

[Look, Rio. he will do anything for you if you flatter him.]

[Ah, of course!]

The tears are flowing.

I don’t know if it’s painful, frustrating, or sad. ……

But Sakurae’s hand was warm as she rubbed my back.

“From there, I don’t remember much,……. I think they were saying things like “dumb face” and “disgusting,” …… but I was already blank and couldn’t move until they got bored …… and those guys left… …”

Sakurae may have known this would happen.

I clenched my teeth and tried to stop the tears that were flowing from the anger and pettiness I remembered, but Sakurae hugged me tight and stroked me.

She kept telling me, “It’s going to be okay.”

Although I hated my own pettiness, I couldn’t resist the comforting feeling.

I came to calm down and leaned back on the sofa on my back, covering my eyes with my right arm like an eye mask.

I didn’t say anything or move for a while in that position, and Sakurae waited for me without saying anything either.

But eventually, she started to play with my left hand, munching on it and twirling my scraped-up bangs around her fingers.

I moved my right arm out of the way and looked at Sakurae as she began to check the elasticity of my cheek.

“…..What are you doing?”

“Eh? ………checking out Shota-kun’s touch?”

“Why are you using the question form?”

I laughed, clearing my throat.

Sakurae smiled and said, as if relieved by me.

“…… Shota-kun.”

“What is it?”

“I love you……”

“…… eh?”

Sakurae was saying the words plainly, but for some reason it went right past my ears and I couldn’t understand what she meant.

Sakurae utters the words over and over again, while her face turns bright red.

“I love you, Shota-kun. I love you …….”

“No, why …… suddenly …….”

Straightforwardly expressing her feelings in words, Sakurae is flustered.

–By the way, this is the first time that I’ve ever heard Sakurae express her feelings clearly.

“…… Hey, Shota-kun. If Shota-kun believes in my feelings, I can say these feelings anywhere, okay? In front of …… my classmates, in front of the whole school, on video streaming, on TV broadcast, or anywhere else if …… Shota-kun believes me.”

“Ah……”

I somehow understood what Sakurae was trying to say.

At the same time, I realize.

–Sakurae is serious.

Sakurae again grips my left hand between her two hands and brings it in front of her chest.

From there, she tried again to say something, trying desperately to think of the right words to say, but I stopped her with a pop of my right hand on her head.

“I know …….”

“…….”

Sakurae looks up at me with a blank stare.

A smile naturally appeared on her face and I patted her head a little wildly.

“If it was this easy to understand, I would know. …… no matter how much of an insensitive bastard I am.”

“……Yes!”

Sakurae looks up at me happily.

Thanks to Sakurae, I was finally able to believe that this girl’s love was genuine.

If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !

https://ko-fi.com/dasuitl

https://saweria.co/dasuitl