Chapter 10: Gotou Airi
âEh, youâre going out for dinner with Gotou-san?â
âUh-huhâ¦â
As I nodded to her, the piece of grilled salmon that Mis.h.i.+ma held between her chopsticks fell back on to her plate.
âAh.â
With a slightly delayed eep, Mis.h.i.+ma finally came back to her senses. She picked up the piece of salmon once again.
Mis.h.i.+ma was eating a salmon set meal. She had ordered it from the staff dining area as she vocally declared to me that âthis is what I likeâ. The set meal consisted of grilled salmon, stir-fry vegetables, a bowl of soup, and slices of pickled vegetables served along with white rice. Although simple, it was a staple of the menu.
On the other hand, I ordered a bowl of Chinese noodles. By the time I moved it to my seat and took a mouthful, it had already gone a bit soggy. It wasnât particularly delectable.
âEh? Eh? So were you the one who invited her, Yos.h.i.+dsenpai?â Mis.h.i.+ma asked while waving her chopsticks around.
âNo, Gotou-san was the one who invited me.â
âEhhhhhâ¦. I donât get it!â She said before she started gnawing down on another piece of salmon.
âI donât get it at all!!â She cried out again.
I grunted and waved my head in response.
âTrust me, I donât get it either.â
âIf you donât get it then why are you going!?â
âIs there anyone who would refuse an invitation from their superior though?â
âI mean, I usually refuse.â
I took another mouthful of my bowl of noodles.
âWell, no one would mind if you did that, âcause youâre you.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â Mis.h.i.+ma said with a pout.
Opting to remain silent, I took yet another mouthful of my bowl of Chinese noodles.
There was no need for me to go out of my way to tell her that âItâs because youâre both good looking and a female employee whom the superiors are fond of, so they wouldnât mindâ.
Mis.h.i.+ma frowned as she placed the last piece of salmon in her mouth.
âFats shuninwitre a grap.â
âDonât talk with your mouth full, seriously.â
Young girls shouldnât be doing such things.
It had been weighing on my mind since the time we went out drinking a few days ago. Whatever the case, it seems that, despite her age, no one has ever warned her before of her poor habit of speaking while eating. Isnât this something that her parents should have warned her about? Even if her parents didnât, her close friends, or at least someone along those lines should have.
Perhaps young people these days didnât care about such things? I donât get it at all.
After swallowing with a loud gulp, Mis.h.i.+ma spoke up again.
âThatâs definitely a trap.â
âWhat the heck do you mean by a âtrapâ?â
âWhat I mean is that sheâs trying to swindle you, Yos.h.i.+dsenpai. It would better for you if you donât go.â
âAnd why would she be trying to swindle me?â
At my response, Mis.h.i.+ma made an âummâ sound and her eyes drifted around, as if searching for a good reason.
So she said all that without giving it any thought?
â, Anywayâ Mis.h.i.+ma said as she pointed at me with her chopsticks. âIt would definitely be better for you to not go.â
âDonât point chopsticks at others.â
Just where are her table manners?
âYos.h.i.+dkun, you can go ahead and start grilling the meat.â
âAh, right.â
âRemember the time when department Head Onozaka said that âYos.h.i.+dkun will be the meat-magistrate~â?â
âHahaâ¦â
That d.a.m.n old man running his mouth at his own convenience.
On occasions such as these, he would spend his time chatting up with the new female hires, so he had never helped grill the meat. Thus, I always ended up being the one stuck with this job. With a forced smile, I carefully placed the plate of salt-and-onion marinated ribs onto the grill mesh.
Gotou-san sat in the seat across me.
âAh, what a wonderful aroma!â
âMhmâ¦â
That aside, it was hard for me to hold a proper conversation with her.
âWhy did she invite me out for dinner today?â My mind was stuck on this particular question.
âThat piece is ready, feel free to grab it.â
âOh really? Thanks, Iâll do just that then.â
With a bright smile, Gotou-san picked up the piece of meat and moved it to her plate.
Then, she slowly sunk her teeth into the juicy barbecue rib. Opting to not eat the entire long and slender piece of meat in one go, she decided to slowly chew off about half of it. The sight of her lips squeezing down on the piece of meat as she tried to separate it with her front teeth was strangely erotic.
â¦I shouldnât be doing this. Itâs rude for me to be so fixedly staring at someone else eating.
I quickly averted my gaze from Gotou-san and moved a piece of nicely-cooked rib from the grill to my plate. After dipping it in sauce, I shoved it into my mouth in one go. As I crunched on the meat with my molars, the meatâs juices filled my mouth.
ââ¦Mmmâ
Although the atmosphere was slightly awkward, the meat was as delicious as ever.
Now that I think about it, Sayu doesnât cook meat-heavy dishes very often. I ate enough chicken to get tired of it when I went to the pub with Mis.h.i.+ma the other day, but it has been a while since I last had pork. I slowly chewed on the oddly delicious pork, savoring its flavor.
Allowing my gaze to wander to the front, my gaze met Gotou-sanâs. I was startled.
âYou ate it all in one go?â
âEh, is there something wrong with that?â
âNot at all. I was just thinking that you really are a man.â
Saying that, Gotou-san let out a chuckle.
â¦Ahh, why does everything you do seem so erotic? Give me a break.
âI mean, I am a guy.â I quickly replied, though it didnât amount to much.
I tried to hide my embarra.s.sment by quickly stuffing my mouth with another piece of meat.
What the heck is âIâm a guy â supposed to even mean. Anyone with eyes can tell that Iâm a guy.
Perhaps it was due to the heat from the charcoal flames, but I could feel my face getting hotter by the moment.
âAre you nervous?â
As if trying to peer at my face, Gotou-san slightly lowered her head and gazed at me with upturned eyes.
âWell, of course.â
âWhy?â
âUhh⦠If someone who had just rejected you suddenly asked you out for dinner, wouldnât you feel kind of awkward?â
âAhaha, so thatâs what it was?â
Gotou-san laughed heartily before taking another bite from her barbecue rib.
I hastily turned away from Gotou-san. I couldnât allow myself to gaze upon that sight again.
If I end up doing something weird again, Iâll just make an idiot of myself.
âAlright then, how about we play a game to relax?â Gotou-san suggested after swallowing her piece of barbecue rib.
âA game?â
âYup. Weâll be asking each other three questions that the other must answer. Sound okay?â
ââ¦Can I ask anything?â
Hearing me say that, Gotou-san made a playful grunt. âfufuâ.
âWhat do you plan on asking?â
How sly of her. She already foresaw what I wanted to ask, but she wouldnât admit to that. In the end, I would be the one forced to do the âaskingâ.
I had trouble dealing with this aspect of hers, however, at the same time I also found it to be very charming.
As I solemnly searched for an appropriate answer, Gotou-san giggled and waved her chopsticks about.
âFeel free to ask me anything⦠Even if itâs something perverted.â
âNo, itâs not like I am planning on asking such things.â
I shook my head in denial.
It was a lie. There was something that I really, really wanted to ask her â her cup size.
âWell letâs get started then! Go ahead!â
Gotou-san happily declared as she stared at me.
I was a little worried.
In all honesty, I wanted to first ask her âwhy did you invite me to dinner?â I wanted to ask her that right this moment, but I was equally afraid of what her answer might be.
I didnât have the courage to strike at the core on my first go.
ââ¦Why barbecue?â
âEh, what the heck is with that question? You can only ask three questions you know?â
âItâs fine, just answer me.â
Gotou-san was the one to suggest barbecue.
To be honest, I was surprised. Never once in my wildest dreams would I have thought that she was the type that would take the person for barbecue when they invited a man out for dinner.
My instincts were telling me that there was perhaps a reason for choosing barbecue in particular.
âWell, itâs because Iâm eating with you, Yos.h.i.+dkun.â Gotou-san answered indifferently.
Although I was taken aback, I quickly replied.
âBecause of me?â
âThatâs right. Because of you.â
âWhat do you mean by that?â
âExcuse me waiter, could I get an additional plate of ox heart?â
Gotou-san evaded my question by placing an order of meat with the waiter who pa.s.sed by.
âWhat about you?â
âAh, Iâll have a plate of salted ox tongue.â
âA plate of ox heart and a plate of salted ox tongue. Ah, weâd like another two gla.s.ses of beer as well.â Gotou-san gleefully told the waiter.
âUnderstood.â Replied the waiter as he placed the order into his handheld console.
As he did, I caught him taking a glance at her chest. I see you man. I see it all.
âSo, what were we talking about?â
âUhm⦠You said that it was âbecause of meâ.â
âThatâs right! Itâs all because of you, Yos.h.i.+dkun.â
Gotou-san nodded. She then grabbed her gla.s.s of beer, which was still half-full, and started chugging it down.
I stared on blankly. Her drinking form was quite good.
After several seconds, Gotou-san, who had drained the gla.s.s, let out a long âPuha~â as she lowered the gla.s.s. That simple gesture felt strangely immoral and I couldnât help but look away.
âHowâs that?â
âEh?â
âI drained half the gla.s.s in one go.â
âYour form was quite good, I guess.â I stated whilst tilting my head in confusion.
Gotou-san let out a shrill laugh in response.
âThat. Thatâs what I like about you.â
ââ¦Uh-huh?â
I showed a forced smile, unable to understand what she meant by that. Gotou-san waved her hand in a flutter.
âBack when we were still a.s.sociates, before I became your boss, I couldnât take the initiative to go out for barbecue or drinking, you know? I mean, everyone expects me to act âladylikeâ. â
âUh-huh⦠Thatâsâ¦â
There was no denying that she had a rather mature appearance. Even when she became a superior, she was, evidently, extremely popular. To be frank though, I only saw her in a perverted light.
Despite that though, I could sort of understand why she never suggested to go out for âbarbecueâ or âdrinkingâ. As someone in her position, there werenât really any situations where she could suggest to go out for activities that were commonly suggested by middle-aged men.
âSo, why is it okay to invite me for a barbecue?â
âI mean, itâs because you wouldnât judge me for it or anything like that, Yos.h.i.+dkun.â
âWell, barbecue and beer are pretty tasty after all.â
âFufu, and you didnât care when I ate that pork cutlet with curry set either.â
Saying that, Gotou-san squinted her eyes slightly and shook her shoulders.
Then, she rested her chin on one hand and looked directly at me.
âThatâs why youâre the only one, Yos.h.i.+dkun. The only one I can ask out for barbecue and beer.â
âHaha, should I be happy about that?â
âHmm-, I wonder? It might feel a little funny though, fufu.â
Gotou-sanâs nose trembled a little as she laughed, as if she were exhaling gently from the nose.
That laugh of hers tickled my heart a little. That laugh of hers was one that I hadnât ever been able to overcome, starting all the way from 5 years ago.
âWell, what will you be asking next?â
Gotou-san pressed on, her chin still resting upon her hand. She look at me with upturned eyes, as if testing me. Are you still not going to ask about that? Her gaze seemed to be saying that.
I let out a small sigh.
âWhy did you invite me out for dinner today?â I asked without any pretenses, staring back at her.
âWell, there was something that I wanted to ask you, you see?â
Gotou-sanâs lips slowly curled upwards.
âI was waiting for you to ask thatâ, her att.i.tude clearly showed that that was what she wanted to say.
So it really was about this. I clenched my teeth.
I found it extremely difficult to deal with her. Yet, I couldnât help but be fascinated by her at the same time. Even now, my heart is beating as fast and loud as an alarm bell.
Hurry up and answer.
âWell you seeâ¦â Gotou-san said slowly.
Then, she pointed her index finger at me.
With a hearty smileâ
Translated by yuNS
âYouâve got yourself a girlfriend, havenât you, Yos.h.i.+dkun?â
Edited by yuuki & xyi
She asked.
The affirmative implications she placed behind her question made my mind go blank for a brief moment.
After I recovered, I quickly shook my head in firm denial.
âNo, I donât have a girlfriend.â
âLiar. How am I supposed to believe that?â
âWhy donât you believe it!?â
When I asked, Gotou-san eyes drifted about in a rare display of speechlessness.
Then, she said in a soft voice.
âI-, I mean, itâs weird.â
âWhat is?â
Gotou-san put down her chopsticks and scrunched her back a little before answering.
âIâve known you for five whole years. In all of these 5 years, you were pa.s.sionate about your work and never thought twice before doing overtime, but now suddenly, and I mean suddenly, you started going home on time.â
âLike I saidâ¦â
âYou wanted to get more sleep? Am I supposed to believe that? If you were someone who would go home on time for a reason like that, you wouldâve done so a long time ago.â
I was at a loss for words.
My answer when Gotou-san had last asked this, âI wanted to get more sleepâ, had been a makes.h.i.+ft answer in order to hide the matter regarding Sayu. Since I did in fact say that, I couldnât make any more excuses.
âAlso⦠havenât you been rather friendly with Mis.h.i.+msan lately?â
ââ¦Say what?â
âMis.h.i.+msan is a girl who almost always goes home on time and I can tell that sheâs quite attached to you, Yos.h.i.+dkun. Didnât the two of you leave work together a while back? Thatâs what got me thinking.â
âHey, hey wait a second.â
Once it was clear to me that the conversation was taking a weird turn, I forcefully interrupted her.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âCould it be⦠that you think Mis.h.i.+ma and I are dating?â
âAm I wrong!?â
âOf course you are!â
Rather, I had no idea why she would be thinking that. Well, she did state the reasons, but I donât think that any of them were concrete enough for her to come to such a conclusion.
Also, Mis.h.i.+ma is attached to me? No, thatâs not true.
Not to mention, the only time we left together was that time when we went drinking. For her to have such suspicions after having seen us leave together just once; did Mis.h.i.+ma and I really seem that close?
âYou donât have to lie to me. I wonât tell anyone.â
âReally though, thereâs nothing between us.â
ââ¦R-, Really?â Gotou-san nervously asked.
âOf course⦠Did you forget that I had just confessed to you not that long ago?â
Hearing that, Gotou-san grew a little red as she cleared her throat.
âHow could I forget⦠But, back then⦠I clearly rejected you. So I donât think it would be strange for you to get together with someone else soon afterâ¦â
Gotou-san is acting really odd today. Sheâs acting strangely suspicious and her att.i.tude right now was completely different from her carefree att.i.tude moments earlier. It felt as if I was dealing with someone younger than me.
âUhm.â site @ www. crimsonmagic . me
After taking a gulp from my beer, I a.s.sertively called out.
âW-, What?â
Gotou-san seemed startled as she turned to look at me.
I would rather not let the misunderstanding continue, so I thought that I should take this opportunity tell it to her straight.
âIn⦠In the 5 years that Iâve known you, Iâve always had a crush on you.â
âEh?â
âFrom the time I had joined the company all the way until now, Iâve always been in love with you. I was serious about confessing to you, so itâs a little upsetting to be thought of as someone who would quickly move on to the next one right after being rejected.â I said while looking at her straight in the eye.
Gotou-sanâs face flushed red in the blink of an eye. She hurriedly shook her head.
âNo, of course not! I have never ever thought of you as an insincere person, Yos.h.i.+dkun, itâs just thatâ¦â
Gotou-san abruptly stopped. Her slouched back seemed to be growing smaller. She then continued in a soft voice.
âI think that rather than someone like me, someone younger would suit you betterâ¦â
âHahâ¦â
I reflexively let out a long sigh.
ââ¦Iâm still in love with you, even now, Gotou-san.â
As the conversation wasnât getting anywhere, I resorted to telling it to her straight. Since Iâd already been rejected by her once already, I didnât feel too shy about saying it again.
âTo be honest, Iâve never even considered anyone else⦠Thatâs just how special you are to me, Gotou-san.â
It was still embarra.s.sing though, so I was looking slightly downward as I said all that.
After several seconds had pa.s.sed, Gotou-san still hadnât said anything, so I s.h.i.+fted my gaze back up towards her. Even with just a quick glance, it was clear that Gotou-sanâs face was flushed as red as a tomato.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âAh, no, itâs nothingâ¦.â
Gotou-san quickly shook her head and took a gulp from her beer to hide her embarra.s.sment.
âT-, Then⦠itâs true that thereâs nothing between you and Mis.h.i.+msan?â
âYup.â Translated by yuNSÂ
More importantly, howeverâ
I had been taken aback by her outrageous questions earlier, so I hadnât had the presence of mind to ask about the key factor behind her questions. Now that I was calm though, my suspicions quickly rose to the surface of my mind.
âWhy do you care so much anyway?â
âHuh?â site @ www. crimsonmagic . me
Gotou-san came to a complete halt.
âI mean, Iâm someone you just rejected, arenât I? This might sound a little rude, but personally, I think that whoever a guy whom you donât like gets together with afterwards should be none of your business, really.â
âNo, thatâsâ¦â
Her expression revealed her bewilderment for a brief moment, but she seemed to have quickly recollected herself as she stuffed her mouth with the piece of meat that had been on her plate.
I reflexively turned my gaze away.
Once it was clear that she had finished chewing, I s.h.i.+fted my gaze back to her. She let out an audible sigh from her nose before saying.
âI guess it would be a little irritating for a man who just confessed to me to be stolen away by a younger girl.â
âI-, Is that soâ¦?â
âYup, thatâs right.â She affirmed before taking another gulp of the beer.
Honestly, todayâs her is a bit of an enigma. While I still have doubts to clear up, sheâs definitely not the type to be convinced into talking about something she doesnât want to talk about. Given that itâs a matter of 5 years, I can understand why she wouldnât want to talk too much about it.
âWell, anyway, thereâs nothing between Mis.h.i.+ma and I, and I donât have a girlfriend either.â
It would be pointless to delve any further into the topic, so I simply repeated what I said in a clear manner.
It felt strangely humiliating to say âI donât have a girlfriendâ in front of the girl I liked. I felt a little angry, but it wasnât directed at anyone in particular.
âAlright⦠If thatâs all there is to it, then thatâs good.â
After clearing her throat with a cough, Gotou-san seemed to have regained her usual composure and nodded.
âEh.â
âEh?â
âIs that all?â
âWhat do you mean?â
Gotou-san seemed to be a little confused by my question, but I was the one who shouldâve been confused.
âYou went out of your way to invite me to dinner and thatâs all you wanted to ask?â I inquired again.
Gotou-san nodded her head in an indifferent manner and replied.
âThatâs rightâ¦â
ââ¦Seriously?â
I let out a long sigh as I slackened and leaned my whole body against the chair.
âI was sure that this was about something more⦠important.â
âBut this is important!â
Her heavy-handed tone startled me.
âAnd why would this be important?â
Gotou-san seemed to go blank for a brief moment. She quickly coughed to clear her throat once again and continued in a defiant manner.
âThatâs a secret.â
âA secret⦠huh.â
This doesnât make any d.a.m.n sense, but itâs probably pointless to inquire any further on this given her firm answer.
âNow then.â
Gotou-san, who had finally regained her bearings, inclined her head and spoke in her usual manner-of-speaking.
âYouâre still allowed to ask one more question. Is there something you want to ask? Or are you done?â She asked as she set her gla.s.s on the table.
She didnât mince her words to hide the connotation behind her words; âYouâve already asked everything youâve wanted to ask, havenât you?â Still, it was clear that this question was also a scheme to dismiss the earlier conversation, which was strangely vexing to me.
ââ¦Then.â
I can feel the alcohol running through my system. Perhaps there was also a desire to get rid of this murky and confused feelings in my mind.
So I boldly asked.
âWhatâs your cup size?â
Gotou-san let out a loud laugh.
Then, she covered a side of her mouth with her palm, a pose that implied that this would be a secret between us, and said in a small voice.
ââ¦Itâs an I-cup.â
I-cup? What cup is that?
I began to count on my fingers.
Seeing that, Gotou-san broke into another giggle.
I absentmindedly stared out the window of the rocking train compartment.
It had been a rather turbulent meal of grilled meat.
After my last question, it was Gotou-sanâs turn, all her questions were about Mis.h.i.+ma. âEven if I wasnât dating her, was I interested in her?â, âHave IÂ taken a special liking to her?â and other questions like that.
In any case, when I persistently asked her about it, she explained that she had been startled by the rapidly shortening distance between Mis.h.i.+ma and I, after which, in a fl.u.s.tered bout, she decided to invite me out for dinner.
After hearing how it came down to this, I couldnât help but think that she had a strangely cute side to her as well.
I had to repeatedly explain to her that Mis.h.i.+ma was merely my junior. I had explained it so many times that it was hard to keep count.
Perhaps due to the influence of alcohol, Gotou-san had been incredibly insistent about hounding me with questions regarding Mis.h.i.+ma. âA younger girl would probably be better for you, wouldnât she?â, âMis.h.i.+mchan has a great figure doesnât she? Donât you like that sort of figure?â, and all sort of questions of similar nature. To sum it all up, it had been a nuisance.
My only thoughts regarding Mis.h.i.+ma was that I want her to âwork seriouslyâ.
I didnât think that my thoughts and actions could be misinterpreted.
Howeverâ¦
I let out a long sigh. This situation really is over my head.
Gotou-san had rejected me. My heartfelt confession had been rejected.
Yet, why was Gotou-san so bothered by what was happening between Mis.h.i.+ma and I?
Well, she explained that it was because it irritated her that a man who had just confessed to her would immediately turn to a younger woman, but the sense of desperation I felt from her today seemed to be suggesting otherwise.
What Has.h.i.+moto had said the other day came to mind.
âAs surprising as this may seem, I feel like you still have a chance.â
âGetting rejected is the true beginning.â
Could it be? Could it really be as he said?
Based on Gotou-sanâs behavior during the dinner, I could tell that she had an interest in my affairs.
However, in the end, this was about Gotou-san. I couldnât imagine her being simple enough of a person to suddenly be fancying me at the drop of a hat.
My elated heart quickly fell into low spirits.
The turbulent pondering I did on the train was now also taking its toll on my tired mind.
As I was walking home, my thoughts were revolving endlessly around deciphering what Gotou-sanâs intentions were, but on the other hand I also didnât want to think about it.
âIâm back.â
âOh!â
Unlocking the door and entering my home, I was met with Sayu, who bounced off her seat and jumped up to greet me.
âWelcome back⦠Why the long face?â
âEh?â
âWas it not fun?â Sayu asked while gazing at my face.
âNo, it was a lot of fun, reallyâ
âEh, doesnât seem that way to me. Did she say something mean to you or something like that?â
âNot really.â
I took off my jacket and quickly paced past Sayu towards the living room.
Why was she so sensitive to other peopleâs expressions?
âHey, Yos.h.i.+dsan.â
âWhatâs up?â
As I turned around to face her, I found her raising both her arms towards me.
âWant a hug?â
âWha?â
As I scowled, Sayu approached me without any hesitation, her arms still extended forward.
âI donât really know whatâs going on here, but wonât you feel better if you got a hug from a JK?â
âEh?â
Ignoring my protests, Sayu gave me a firm hug.
She vigorously pressed her head against me.
Whatâs she up to now, geez. I thought to myself with a forced smile.
One way or another, it was clear that she was trying to encourage me.
âThatâs enough already.â I said whilst patting her shoulders.
Sayu raised her head to face me.
âFeeling better?â
âYeah yeah.â
âReally!? Youâre so simple, Yos.h.i.+dsan.â
âShush.â
I peeled the gleefully laughing Sayu off of me and grabbed my sleep-wear.
âHey wait!â
Sayu called out to me as I was unb.u.t.toning my s.h.i.+rt.
âYou donât want your clothes to stink of cigarettes too! Just get in the bath first!â
âHuh, did you fill the bath already?â
âI had a feeling that youâd be home around now, so I filled it up!â
âThe heck, thatâs amazing.â
Sayu showed a proud expression with a peace sign, then she pointed towards the bathroom.
âWash yourself off before getting in the bath, okay? I know youâre tired and all but donât forget that.â
I felt a little warm in my chest hearing that.
It was an understanding and una.s.sertive kindness.
âYeah, sure thing.â I nodded.
Sayu returned to the living room with a satisfied expression and plopped herself down on the floor.
Then, she jerked her chin towards the living room exit as if to signal me to hurry up and go.
âI got it already.â
I brought a change of underwear and my sleep-wear and headed towards the changing room[1].
I let out a small sigh as I took off my clothes.
At this moment, I felt really grateful that Sayu was here. If I was all alone, I wouldâve probably tormented myself to sleep thinking about todayâs events with Gotou-san. It wouldâve been a tough night.
âHah⦠Iâm pathetic.â I murmured to myself with a strained smile.
I was once again made to realize that Sayu was supporting me mentally.
âOne heck of a grown-up I amâ¦â
I washed the sweat off from my body with the shower before entering the bath.
Now that I think about it, did she enter the bath before me?
I gazed down at the hot water as such a question crossed my mind.
âWell, it doesnât really matter I guess.â I grumbled as I submerged myself up to my shoulders.
Having regained some presence of mind, I noticed that the thoughts regarding Gotou-san, that had seized my mind until a moment ago, had stopped.
Also, a somewhat uncertain feeling seemed to have started to well up in my chest.
Although there were a lot of things that I didnât understand, It remains true that I was able to eat with Gotou-san, whom I greatly yearned for. It had definitely been a joyous meal.
However, Sayu had probably been worried about me all along. She prepared the bath and consoled me through her words and gestures. Itâs possible that she had readied all of it before-the-fact.
Iâm supposed to be her guardian, yet today, she seems to be the one taking care of me instead.
Itâs as ifâ¦
ââ¦No, what am I thinking.â
As ifâ
This must be how it felt like to be a man who went out to play with other girls despite having a wife, I thought like that for a moment. I quickly shook my head to dismiss the thought.
The alcohol must be taking its toll on my mind. Regardless of the situation, sheâs still a high-schooler, not my wife or anything like that. I donât need to feel guilty about it.
However, I had to admit that I need to get a grip of myself.
âIf I make a high-schooler like her worry for me⦠then how am I supposed to play the role of her guardian?â
I scooped some bathwater and splashed my face.