Translator: White Lotus
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With just one phone call, something that had remained inert started to move forward. And it went far beyond Kiyoi’s expectations; although Kiyoi was happy, he also felt a sense of caution that couldn’t be disregarded. Hira was, after all, an elusive person.
“Kiyoi!”
As he passed through the turnstile, he saw Hira standing there. Dressed in a checked shirt and chinos, the kind of attire that students often wear, he stood there upright, with bright eyes and flushed cheeks.
“Yo.”
At the mere utterance of this one response, Hira’s face immediately lit up with delight, like a fool. He gave off the impression of a loyal dog who would keep waving its tail and jumping around with cheerfulness, thereby making Kiyoi temporarily forget all the anxiety and rage he had felt over the past month.
“Is it okay if we walk for about ten minutes?”
“What are you going to do if I say no?”
Hira blinked his eyes a few times. “Then, let’s go by taxi. I’ll pay. Um, there’s a taxi stand over there——” As Hira spoke, he turned his head around to look at the terminal. Seeing that he was about to sprint to the taxi stand, Kiyoi hastily stopped him and explained that it was simply a joke. Hira tilted his head in perplexity and asked, “A joke?”
“Don’t take it seriously.”
When Kiyoi said that, Hira’s face gradually relaxed. “Oh, I see, it was a joke.”
Hira scratched his neck, looking embarrassed. He was a creepy guy who felt happy even after being teased.
“Then, shall we walk?”
“That’s the only option. Or will you carry me on your back?”
“If that’s what Kiyoi wants me to do, I’ll do it”.
The sincere response from Hira left Kiyoi unsure of how to react. He shouldn’t take any words from such a guy seriously. The earnestness of this guy was just a pretense. This guy fit the stereotype of a person who couldn’t be trusted. And yet……. Kiyoi felt so happy that a shiver ran down his spine. It was so revolting that Kiyoi couldn’t help but curse himself.
“So creepy.”
Despite being scolded, Hira still had a smile on his face.
Even though Hira told him that it would take them ten minutes to walk from the station, it actually took seven or eight minutes to get to the house.
It was a detached house with a large garden and a hedge of camellia trees surrounding it, different from a spec-built house. The entrance and the hallway were also very spacious. Despite the fact that it was Kiyoi’s first time visiting this area, after walking all the way from the station, he could sense that it was a high-end residential area.
“I wonder if this place is okay for you. Can you utilize it for your rehearsal?”
“It’s enough.”
Hira’s face softened in relief as Kiyoi responded while surveying the spacious living room. When they proceeded farther down the corridor, Hira mentioned that there was also a piano room inside.
“Here it is. The piano, however, has been taken away by my older sister as a wedding gift.“
“That’s fine. It’s more spacious this way.”
While stroking the soundproof panels on the wall, Kiyoi took a deep breath. He let out an “aaah” sound, which caused Hira to jump back in surprise. His reaction was really funny.
“What a scaredy-cat you are. Even though you’ve such a big physique.”
Kiyoi teased him, but Hira stared blankly at him.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, I’ve seen you smile for the first time since we met.”
There he went again. That extremely happy expression. It was this smile that gave Kiyoi the strange illusion that he was the only one who was unique to Hira. At first, Kiyoi was happy to see him like that, but gradually it started to annoy him. It was obvious that he was making this face, yet Hira’s actions were contradictory. Kiyoi no longer wanted to embarrass himself by making any painful misunderstandings.
“Did you really ask for this house from your aunt for me?”
“Yeah. But don’t worry about it. I just did it on my own.”
“I’m not.”
Hearing Kiyoi’s curt reply, Hira nodded his head.
“I see, sorry.”
And there he apologized. It gave off the impression that Kiyoi was being mean here.
“You say it’s for my sake, but if I hadn’t called you, you would probably have lived here on your own, right? You can easily go to Shibuya, so it’s really a convenient place for you to live.”
The words of Kiyoi implied that Hira might actually have moved here for his own sake, but,
“I don’t go to places like Shibuya.”
“…………”
This answer was too convincing. However, there was no way he could accept it so easily.
“If it’s for my sake, then why didn’t you contact me?”
He wanted to know the truth, but Hira was at a loss for words when he inquired, making Kiyoi want to say, ‘See, I was right’.
“Did you find it bothersome when I called you?”
“Absolutely not.” Hira raised his voice in an unusual way, but immediately had his head hanging down. “I wanted……. to call you. But I couldn’t do it.”
“Why? We exchanged numbers, didn’t we?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“The last time we met, Kiyoi was really angry.”
“Th-that was ……”
“Besides, you told Koyama's older brother that I’m a stalker who doesn’t have any friends.”
“Huh?”
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“Could it be a misunderstanding?” Hira asked.
“……Or rather, not a misunderstanding.”
Koyama mostly made that assumption on his own, but Kiyoi didn’t refute it either. No, he did momentarily deny it at the very end, but overall, he let it slide.
“It’s fine. That’s the way I am. Kiyoi just spoke the truth. I don’t interpret it as saying bad things behind my back. After all, Kiyoi has been calling me ‘creepy’ and ‘annoying’ since high school.”
Kiyoi fell into silence. His present self was being choked by his past self.
“Since you already view me that way, I reasoned that if I told you I had the house ready for you, you might feel disgusted and possibly report me to the police. Even though it doesn’t matter to me, I simply didn’t want to frighten Kiyoi, so I thought I should be prepared just in case Kiyoi called……”
Hira spoke in a soft voice with his head hanging down, making Kiyoi feel extremely embarrassed. Hearing Hira’s explanation made him realize that it was actually his own fault that Hira didn’t contact him.
He drooped his head like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. It seemed as though Hira was being bullied by him, and Kiyoi felt a sense of guilt as well as an equal amount of unjust feeling surge up inside him.
It was true that there were moments when Kiyoi’s words and attitude towards Hira became more severe than necessary. But that didn’t mean Hira could make the one-sided claim that he was the only one who was hurt, so Kiyoi felt the need to defend himself. If Kiyoi was really the absolute strongest one, then why was he so anxious? Why would he wait for Hira’s call and get disappointed day after day by looking at his phone?
“Don’t make it sound like it’s all my fault.”
Kiyoi mumbled in a low voice. He was about to start acting inappropriately once more. No good. Stop right away. He struggled mightily to restrain himself. However, Kiyoi couldn’t stand the grievances that were swirling in his heart.
“You were the one who cut off contact with me first.”
“Eh?”
“You changed your email address and phone number without saying anything, and anyone who encounters such a situation will naturally infer that ‘the other person doesn’t want to contact me anymore’.”
“Wait, wait a minute, that’s because Kiyoi——”
At that precise moment, the doorbell at the front door rang. Hira turned around. After telling Kiyoi to wait for him for a minute and that he would be right back, he hastily exited the room. Kiyoi, who was left alone in the room, crouched down, covering his face with his hands.
——I screwed up again.
His face was burning. The temperature of his body, which was transmitted through the palm of his hand, continued to rise rapidly. He felt that his behavior gave the impression of someone who was complaining after being dumped. What a shame. He shouldn’t have come here at all. He wanted to leave right away.
“Has your friend come?”
Hearing a woman’s voice, Kiyoi was startled. Could it be that Hira was not only going after Koyama’s younger brother but also getting involved with women? Kiyoi discreetly peeked out into the hallway and saw an elderly woman who appeared to be his mother standing in the foyer.
“We’re in the middle of an important conversation right now.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. But you know, I thought you were just eating instant food all the time, so I made various dishes. After I put them in the fridge, I’ll leave right away. Oh, hello!”
Hira’s mother looked over there. But, oh no, it was too late to retreat to the room. Kiyoi walked out of the room, bowed his head, and greeted her. Hira’s mother had a very pleased expression on her face.
“Hello, are you a friend from university?”
“Ah, no, from high school.”
He couldn’t say they were friends, so Kiyoi responded in a vague manner, but hearing that answer, Hira’s mother made a surprised face, and then, with an even wider smile than before, she stated, “Oh my, so, that’s how it is. You’ve been friends for a long time.” “I’m sorry for disturbing you, even though you’ve come all the way here to play. Auntie will be leaving soon. Oh, I’ve prepared a lot of food, so if you don’t mind, you can have some with Kazu-kun later. Fried shrimp are also here. If you usually don’t eat any vegetables, there’re nimono and ohitashi, too, and since it’s already evening, you must be hungry by now.”
“Mom, that’s enough, you should hurry up and go back.”
Hira spoke in a somewhat brusque manner. It was his first time seeing Hira act like that, so this was quite novel to Kiyoi. At home, Hira behaved just like a normal person. Hira’s mother concurred as she walked into the kitchen carrying a paper bag.
“I’m sorry, she’ll be leaving soon.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Kazu-kun, I am going to serve food for two of you so that you can start eating right away, okay?”
A voice came through from the kitchen. Hira looked at Kiyoi with a questioning look.
“Um, if it’s okay with you, eat here.”
“…… Okay, I’ll eat.”
Hira’s face brightened up at once, and he responded, “Okay—,” in a loud voice, facing the direction of the kitchen. Kiyoi had never before heard Hira speak in such a loud voice. Thinking that his mother was still there, there was no way for them to continue their earlier conversation, so Kiyoi sat on the sofa in the living room and waited idly for a while until Hira’s mother eventually came out.
“Kazu-kun, then Mom is now going back.”
Hira stood up, and Kiyoi followed suit. Hira’s mother smiled at Kiyoi.
“Sorry to bother you. I was worried about him when he suddenly said he wanted to live alone, but I’m relieved to see a friend from the past like you coming to the house to play. Please take care of him in the future too.”
Faced with a deep bow from Hira’s mother, Kiyoi didn’t know how to respond. He had used Hira as a gofer. He had never done anything that deserved such kindness. The conversation with Hira’s mother aroused a sense of guilt within Kiyoi for what he had done in the past.
“Then, shall we eat?”
After Hira’s mother left, Hira took Kiyoi into the kitchen, where a meal for two had already been set on the dining table. Korokke, potato salad with lots of vegetables, and mushroom ohitashi. Hira added that there was soup too, turning on the gas stove to heat the pot on the stove.
“Now, let’s eat.”
While sitting across from Hira, Kiyoi placed his hands together.
“Ah, what’s this?”
After taking a bite of korokke, Kiyoi couldn’t help but mutter. When it came to korokke, one would presume it to be made of potatoes and imagine it to be similar to potato salad, but this particular korokke was made of finely minced shrimp meat, which was surprisingly very delicious. Despite having been fried a long time ago, it was still incredibly crispy.
“My mother likes cooking, so it’s enjoyable for her to come up with new recipes.”
Hira’s mother appeared to be an elegant and gentle person. Given the kind of mother Hira had and her excellency at exquisite cooking, as well as the fact that his uncle went overseas, it could be inferred that Hira, in his private life, was actually a young master.
“I think it would probably taste delicious, even if it could be made into a hamburger. Shrimp hamburger—”
“I’ll tell my mom.”
“Don’t ever tell that to her.”
Each of the meals—the salad, ohitashi, and soup —were delicious. Kiyoi had been dining out or at a convenience store ever since he started living alone, and although there was nothing inconvenient about it, his body was still incredibly honest.
After finishing the meal, Hira spoke as if making up his mind. “Can we continue the conversation from earlier?”
Kiyoi put down his glass and braced himself.
“I never intended to cut off contact with Kiyoi.”
“But you changed your phone number and email address, didn’t you?”
“Because on the day of the graduation ceremony, I got the sensation that you were telling me to stop bothering you.”
Kiyoi was stunned. How on earth could he think that way?
“When you said ‘See you’ to me on the day of the graduation ceremony, I thought I couldn’t call you anymore.”
“Why would you think that? I merely uttered the usual ‘See you’ phrase.”
“But it seemed like you were angry with me.”
That was because of embarrassment. In fact, Kiyoi had already prepared what he wanted to say in his heart. But he just couldn’t say it. Perhaps expecting Hira, who had a significantly low ability to interact with others, to comprehend the situation and read the atmosphere was too much to ask.
——So, was it really my fault?
——But what should I do in a situation where I myself am completely overwhelmed as well?
——What should I do if I feel too overwhelmed to convey everything I want to say to the other person?
While Kiyoi was deep in thought, Hira gingerly opened his mouth.
“……Um, can I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“What did you mean by ‘See you’?”
Not understanding what Hira meant by asking this question, Kiyoi answered with the literal meaning.
“Well, ‘See you’ means ‘See you’. Like, see you tomorrow or see you next time.”
“…… So that’s what it really means.”
Hira slumped his shoulders as if he had been struck by something.
“What else could it mean? Besides, do you think I’d kiss someone who I feel is constantly bothering me too much?”
“I thought it was a farewell gift given out of pity…….”
Kiyoi was at a loss for words after receiving a response that exceeded his expectations. How negative could he be? Being admired certainly felt good. However, dealing with such a man who was so utterly devoid of common sense made Kiyoi frustrated to the point of wanting to pull out his own hair.
“Who would kiss someone out of pity!”
“Then why did you kiss me?”
“…… Eh?”
Hira looked at Kiyoi, who had frozen in an instant, with an anxious expression.
“What-what’s wrong?”
Hira looked like he really didn’t understand at all, and so even more strongly than before, Kiyoi prayed inwardly: Make a little more effort to understand me; no, I’m pleading with you to understand my feelings, please. Don’t ask me why I kissed you. Think about it a little bit. If you think about it normally, there’s usually only one reason to kiss, right?
Hira was an idiot, a moron. It would be better if he would just die once and for all.
And then, Kiyoi also cursed himself with those same words.
He liked him. He liked Hira, and that was why he kissed him.
This reason should be enough for a kiss. While cursing Hira, Kiyoi finally realized that he had cut off his own escape route. Hira was looking at him like a loyal dog in distress.
“…… I’m leaving.”
Hira’s eyes widened. Kiyoi sprang to his feet, grabbed his bag, and started to stride towards the foyer. Hira hurried to catch up with him. As Kiyoi put on his shoes while ignoring him, Hira nervously took out a key and held it in front of Kiyoi.
“Here’s the spare key. I want you to feel free to use the house even when I’m not here.”
Kiyoi started at the key intently. He was afraid to take it. If he took it, he would be involved with this creepy weirdo again. That was strongly against his will. And yet, he had no choice but to accept it.
“…… I don’t want to run into anyone else here.”
This must be confirmed clearly.
“Okay. I’ll tell my mom to stop coming here.”
“No, I didn’t mean your mom; it’s Koyama-san’s younger brother.”
“Eh?”
“You said you might date him, and yet you’re giving a spare key to someone else. That’s strange, isn’t it?”
“I never said I’d date him, and there’s nothing going on between me and Koyama.”
“Didn’t you praise him, saying that he’s a nice guy?”
After saying such embarrassing words, Kiyoi felt the urge to bury his head in his hands and crouch down. He had the impression that his behavior resembled that of a sulky child. He couldn’t believe he was this kind of person. Frowning in frustration, he wondered why things had to get so complicated. He wanted to die.
“Koyama is a nice guy, but I won’t date him.”
“…… Why?”
Hira had a troubled expression on his face.
“Things like this shouldn’t be said to other people.”
The way he phrased it made Kiyoi irritated. He usually avoided interfering in the romantic affairs of other people. It wasn’t out of etiquette or anything like that, but simply because he didn’t give a damn; however, in the case of Hira, it was not something he could just ignore, so he couldn’t help but ask. Even if he prayed for him to be a bit more understanding……, it would be useless for this guy to be able to be.
“What am I to you?”
“The person I love the most in the world.”
It was this firm response that gave Kiyoi courage.
“Then, do you want to date me?”
Kiyoi felt his face burning. Just say yes. If you do, I’ll be able to be honest too. Kiyoi’s heart was pounding as he waited for Hira’s answer, but the answer he got was something that he hadn’t expected.
“I don’t want to.”
Kiyoi blinked.
“Why?”
“…… Why, you ask.”
Hira made a face that seemed to say, ‘You ought to already be aware of that much’. Kiyoi couldn’t help but become enraged and wanted to retaliate by yelling at him—that’s what I want to say, you idiot! However, in the end, he refrained from speaking as Hira opened his mouth once more, apparently struggling to find the appropriate words to say.
“Because you’re the king.”
“Huh?”
Kiyoi’s eyes blinked even faster than before.
“I mean……Kiyoi is like a king, and I’m merely an ordinary person who serves the king; it’s not like I do it out of obligation, but in my mind, I view myself as Captain Duck……. Ah, by Captain Duck, I’m referring to a yellow toy in the shape of a duck that children play with in swimming pools or bathtubs, you know?”
—— I know, but what does that have to do with it?
Not caring about Kiyoi, who wanted to ask something, Hira continued to explain about the duck. He kept babbling on and on about how Captain Duck once used to float in the sewage and was now proudly floating down a golden river as a prestigious toy of the king, and it was very satisfied with its current life.
Kiyoi had no idea what Hira was trying to say. It was simply creepy. Too creepy.
——Why do I like someone like him?
Kiyoi, who was standing blankly in front of the door, gradually realized one thing.
There was an extremely rigid and unfathomable set of personal rules within Hira, whose personality was composed of 80% negativity. Kiyoi had always regarded himself as selfish. He would occasionally even reflect on himself.
However, in a certain sense, Hira’s “selfishness” even exceeded that of Kiyoi.
On top of that, Hira himself was unaware of his “selfishness,” so he never reflected on it at all.
This made him much worse than an easy-to-understand “selfish” person.
“…… Enough.”
Feeling somewhat speechless, Kiyoi turned his back to Hira, who was still talking about the topic of Captain Duck, and then left Hira’s aunt’s house with big strides. Hira hurriedly chased after him.
“I’ll walk you to the station.”
“No need. I’m not a girl.”
“Then, at least take this.”
Kiyoi stared intently at the key that was sticking out beneath his gaze. He shouldn’t accept it. He should forget about this creepy guy completely. Being with him would be nothing more than a game of punishment. There are better men in this world. He knew that. However, he still accepted it. He felt like he was slipping through his own hands like a liquid, unable to control himself. Love really seemed to bring headaches without any means to stop them.
“Thank you,” A smile appeared on Hira’s face, as if he felt happy from the bottom of his heart. The corners of his eyes were slightly tinged with vermilion. Despite having a seemingly melting expression in those eyes of his, he didn’t act according to Kiyoi’s wish until the very end. That was what was so damn annoying.
“See you.”
He quickly turned on his heel, but then suddenly thought of something and looked back.
“I’ll come again.”
Not wanting to have another stupid misunderstanding similar to the one at the graduation ceremony, Kiyoi couldn’t help but restate it again. His reason told him to forget about this guy completely, but another part of him readily betrayed that.
Hira was stunned to hear the words that were added by Kiyoi.
Kiyoi was not only incensed by that silly look but also felt embarrassed, so he lifted his feet and started heading for the station with long strides.
“I-I’ll be waiting. I’ll always be waiting for you to come!”
A voice that seemed to be overflowing with emotion struck at his back. But this time, Kiyoi didn’t look back.
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Translator’s Note: Hey everyone, Eid Mubarak in advance. May this Eid bring new horizons of successes and achievements in your life. May you find all the love in this world! By the way, in the next part, we’ll get to read one of our most anticipated scenes, “ahem” “ahem.” ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) While doing it, Hira teased Kiyoi a lot. And the funny part is that Hira himself didn’t even realize that he was actually teasing Kiyoi. Haha. Anyway, thanks for reading. Don’t forget to share your comments. XOXO
Thank you so much NJ, beyonces3kwig, Ruby, Sbbwonderwoman for the kofis (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡
EQ Hira’s is worse than my slippers🙂
But hahaha it’s very funny
I wish Kiyoi strength and patience with this guy😔✊
Haha. Ikr 🤣🤣
Thank you so much for the chapter! Every day I would stop by to check for the update , I squealed when I noticed the new chapter!
My beautiful Hira is so self-centered that he doesn’t realize how much Kiyoi loves him, my respects to Kiyoi his level of patience is admirable hahaha.
I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next chapter <3
Thank you sooo much for waiting patiently for the update. What you said is totally right. I agree with you. That’s why Kiyoi said Hira is selfish who always preoccupied with his own thoughts & never really try to understand Kiyoi. Kiyoi too didn’t understand Hira. Anyway they both are imperfectly perfect for each other. Haha ❤️❤️
I’m so freaking happy to see the update! I have been checking on my notifications for this particular novel to appear every day. Lol
Thanks for your hard work. 💕
Thank you soooo much for giving these much love to my work. ❤️❤️❤️
Happy eid Mubarak, thanks for the chapter x
Thanks for reading ❤️ ❤️❤️
Oh my gosh. This was my first time reading this novel and I started reading this one from 8pm until 2:30 am because the story is so good and the translation itself is flawless! I’m so glad I found this gem here, thank you so much for translating this! Please continue to do so, and hopefully finish it ’til the end. Just like Hira, I will always be waiting too!
Thank you sooo much for appreciating my work. I’m glad to learn that you all are enjoying my translation. 🥺❤️❤️ Happy Reading ❤️❤️
I’m going to express my opinion about this couple: I love their dynamics so much, I sincerely think they’re meant for each other. I can’t wait for the legendary teasing part by Hira ಥ‿ಥ good luck to our beautiful man, Kiyoi! Hihi!
This novel got my heart aching from both joy and sadness. What a roller coaster ride!
Eid Mubarak💕 thank you for the beautiful prayers, I wish you the same dear♡ and thanks for the translation!! It was a very, very beautiful chapter💙 I look forward to the next chapter ^^
Thanks a lot for your appreciation & warm wishes 🥺❤️❤️❤️
🤗🌺💙
It’s getting sweet, I’m weak
Thanks for the chapter!!
Thanks for reading ❤️ ❤️❤️
I was very happy with the update!!!I’m always shocked by the fact that Kiyoi evolves more than Hira… I envy Kiyoi’s patience, I would have already cursed Hira
Haha.. fr. They really made for each other. Thanks for reading ❤️ ❤️❤️
Hira is dumb af lol
i cringed so much…. “ because youre the king” what??? what???? it’s so much better to read at kiyoi’s point of view. if im reading hira’s, maybe I’ll die of cringw before i even finish the whole story.
I can feel Kiyoi’s frustration 😭😭😭 I want to bang my head through the wall too listening to Hira’s captain duck speech
God Hira is something else 😀