That Saturday I received an unexpected phone call.
“Keita-kun, can you talk for a bit?” a woman’s voice asked cheerfully.
“Amami-chan?” I cried out feeling stumped. Just when did she get my phone number?
“Ah, so you recognized me.” She chirped like a young girl. “That’s good. I wanted to ask if you want to have lunch with me?”
Lunch, huh? I guess both brother and sister care very much about this meal.
“Of course. Just tell me when and where and I will be there.”
She gave me an address and we settled to meet at 1 p.m.
“Then, Keita-kun, I will see you there in a couple of hours.” She said before hanging up.
The place Amami-chan chose was slightly farther away than the restaurant I went to for the meeting with Asakura-san. It was more like a bistro than a fancy restaurant. It served food and drinks and even had barbeque tables. I never would have expected a woman like Amami-chan to prefer this type of place. But I wasn’t complaining. I for one liked it very much. The tables were small so only a few people could crowd around one, the place was large enough not to get too cramped and the service was good.
The moment I arrived, I saw Amami-chan already sitting at a table.
“Amami-chan, sorry for being late.” Though I wasn’t really late, I felt bad about letting her wait for me.
“No, I’m sorry for calling you out so suddenly. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you too much.”
“It’s alright. I wasn’t working. In fact,” I said honestly. “I really needed a break so your call came at the right time.”
“That’s good then.” She replied with a bright smile. “Come, let’s order. The food here is amazing. I always worry about getting fat when I come here.”
Halfway throughout the meal I began thinking that Amami-chan was acting a bit strange. Despite seeming cheerful and talking about all sorts of things, she wasn’t saying anything about the true purpose of this meeting and I was beginning to feel nervous. Therefore, I decided to bite the bullet and ask.
“Uhm, Amami-chan, why did you want to see me?”
“My invitation might have come as a great shock to you, didn’t it, Keita-kun?” She asked, placing her chopsticks down on the table.
“I was just surprised.”
“I called you here today to talk about Rin.”
“Ku-Kurosawa-kun?” I blurted out in surprise.
“Yes. Masato-sensei, I do not know what happened between you two, but Rin has been acting very odd recently.”
“I’ve noticed that myself.” I lowered my head so she couldn’t see my expression. “But why do you think it has anything to do with me? It might be due to work related stress or something else.”
“I know, because I know Rin. He never lets stress or anything else affect him so much. But when it comes to something important to him, he tends to lose his head.”
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.
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I raised my head, looking stunned at Amami-chan. She had a nostalgic smile, her eyes almost glistening with tears. I didn’t know what I should say so I kept quiet.
“He was so young then. For him to think that way, made me realize that Rin will grow up to be a different kind of person that I initially thought. He liked his toys and the people around him, but as long as something or someone left him, he wouldn’t chase after them, always thinking that they were happier without him.”
“But… but that’s not good. What if… what if it’s not really like that?” I finally brought myself to say.
Indeed, this way of thinking might sound noble and selfless, but in the end it’s not. Letting go of something, not even once trying to find it again or fighting for it… that kind of thinking didn’t sit too well with me. It was too similar to cowardice. But perhaps I shouldn’t be too quick to judge, since I was a different type of coward myself.
“You’re right. I tried telling him that many times, but he never listened. He simply smiled and shook his head. Then, more and more people continued to leave. Our parents died when he was still in high school. He didn’t cry much, but I knew he was suffering. At the funeral he simply said a few words. He hoped that they were well and happy wherever they were and that they would watch over him. Everyone was impressed with his mature and composed manners, but I knew that there was a whole layer of grief hiding inside his heart.”
“So that’s what happened. I’m sorry to hear that.” I mumbled. I felt heartache, thinking about a young Kurosawa-san suffering in silence.
“We still had our grandparents. We moved in with them right after the funeral. I was in my last year of college, while Rin was in his second year of high school. After I graduated, I found a job and moved out. Soon afterwards I met Suzuki-kun and we got married. I was already beginning to heal, but Rin didn’t. After he graduated from high school, he wanted to get a job and refused to go to college. Both me and my grandparents fought long and hard to convince him.”
Amami-chan stopped for a moment. She let out a deep sigh.
“But why?” I took the chance to ask. “He was smart, wasn’t he? And I know he likes books so why didn’t he want to continue with his studies?”
“Can’t you guess why?” she replied with a question, staring into my eyes with sadness.
“Don’t tell me…” I gasped. “Don’t tell me he didn’t want to go to college because he didn’t want to be a burden?”
I don’t even know how I managed to guess this on my first try. Perhaps what Amami-chan had just told me about Kurosawa-san’s personality and history helped me flesh out a different image of him in my mind. The always cheerful and smiling Kurosawa-san, together with the gloomy and evasive Kurosawa-san… in the end they were both the same person; two sides of the same coin. After all, no one can be happy all the time; that’s just simply not possible. I was stupid to think that he didn’t have his own sorrows and burdens.
“You’re right, Keita-kun. Rin didn’t want to be a burden to me, who was newly employed and married, and he didn’t want to have his grandparents carry his weight either.”
“How did you manage to convince him? Sometimes, he seems like he can be very stubborn.”
Hearing my correct assessment, Amami-chan began to laugh.
“Indeed, he can be. But I reasoned with him. I told him ‘If money is an issue, then go and make some. No one said you have to live your college life without working’. It seemed that he hadn’t even taken this option into consideration, because once he thought about working and making his own way, it was easier to talk to him.”
“Stupid.” I blurted out without thinking.
“Yes, I admit this brother of mine can be very stupid sometimes. I hope you’ll forgive him for it.” Amami-chan laughed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” I said, blushing from embarrassment. What kind of person calls someone’s brother stupid right to their face?!
“It’s alright. He is stupid, but he is also weak; always trying to do things by himself, not wanting to trouble anyone. That’s actually one of the reasons why he learned how to cook. He hassled my grandmother until she finally agreed to teach him.”
“He’s actually very good at it. His delicious lunches really saved me many times.” I said hastily, in order to erase some of the previous embarrassment.
“Yes, I had the fortune of tasting some of the food he’s made, though he never cooked for anyone before. He was surprisingly good at it.” Amami-chan chuckled. Then her expression changed, the smile being once again replaced with sadness. “I guess it was good that he took the effort to learn. Because soon after he entered college, my grandmother passed away, and my grandfather followed soon after. He was alone in a big house, filled with familiar objects. I can’t imagine how he must have felt. By that time, I was already living with Suzuki-kun. I tried to convince him to move in with us, but he refused, saying he didn’t want to be in the way of us newlyweds.”
“So that’s why he got so many part-time jobs during his college years?”
“Ah, he’s told you about that?” Amami-chan asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise.
“A little. But he never told me the whole story.”
“Ah, yes. I didn’t think he would.”
The conversation stopped for a moment, each of us deep in our own thoughts. After several seconds, Amami-chan broke the silence.
“Keita-kun, I want to ask you for a favor.” She leaned forward and placed a palm over my hand. “Would you please speak to him? Whatever he’s going through right now, I am sure it has something to do with you, so please talk to him. He’ll never say it upfront, but as long as you’re the one to do it, he will eventually open up.”
“Amami-chan, I don’t think I…” I began, but was suddenly interrupted. Amami-chan’s thoughts wafted slowly inside my head.
Please, Keita-kun. I am so worried about him; afraid he might do something stupid. You’re very important to him…
I felt a shudder going down my spine. What did she mean by doing something stupid?
“Amami-chan, what are you afraid of?” I asked, ignoring her puzzled look. “What do you think he’ll do?”
“He’ll leave, Keita-kun.” She said bluntly, without beating around the bush. “If he feels like he’s a burden to you or that he’s making you unhappy, he will leave.”
“What?!” I cried out in stupefaction. “But didn’t you say that he would only accept it if others leave him? Why would he be the one leaving?”
“I guess with age he got stupider.” Amami-chan replied, clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction. “That and the fact that I had a conversation with him. He mentioned you and the fact that he did something to upset you. He’s been beating himself up because of that this whole time. I don’t know what happened; he wouldn’t tell me. That’s why I am asking you, Keita-kun, talk to him, please?”
I think you’re more important to him than he even realizes. Keita-kun. You don’t know how he speaks of you, or how his eyes lit up whenever you are brought into a conversation. I don’t know if it’s something more than friendship you two have, but I don’t care about that. All I want is for my brother to be happy. And if you are his source of happiness, then I will love you as a brother as well.
Hearing this, I felt a blush rising to my face and my scalp began to tingle. If she said anything more than that, I probably would have jumped up from my seat and ran away. Luckily, she took her hand away. I glanced at her and when I saw the pleading look in her eyes, I couldn’t help but sigh internally. This was a bit troublesome, especially since talking to Kurosawa-san was so difficult these days, but if what she said was true and it had something to do with me, then I just had to do it. Besides, I was beginning to dislike this attitude of his more and more.
“Alright. I promise to talk to him. I can’t say if it will have any effect, but I will try.” I said solemnly.
“Thank you, Keita-kun! Thank you so much! You’re an angel!”
Saying that, Amami-chan almost threw herself at me. In order to avoid any other unnecessary physical contact, I simply raised my hand and shot her a timid smile.
“You’re welcome. It’s true that I also care about Kurosawa-san very much. Therefore, there is no need for you to thank me so passionately.”
“Right. Then, I’ll leave everything to you, Keita-kun.” Amami-chan beamed at me.
After this, we parted ways, each going in a different direction. While I drove back towards my apartment, I kept mulling over everything I had just heard earlier. All that stuff about Kurosawa-san caused me to be a bit muddleheaded. I was the one who promised to take the first step and talk to him, but thinking about it now, my resolve was beginning to waver. I didn’t know how to approach him and how to open such a sensitive subject. Particularly because we haven’t been on such good terms lately. Should I send him a message or simply call him? Or was it better to wait until he comes over next time and try then?
Just as I was spinning all these ideas in my head, I noticed someone standing in front of my apartment door. That body frame and posture somehow seemed very familiar.
“Asakura-san?” I asked hesitantly.
The man turned his head around and it proved I was right; the man was indeed Asakura Ryuu. He was dressed in casual clothes; a simple pair of cream pants combined with a white shirt and a light-colored jacket. His hair wasn’t styled, instead it drifted naturally over his forehead, almost covering that pair of penetrating eyes.
“Masato-sensei.” He greeted with a smile. “Do you have time to talk right now?”
“Uhm, yes, of course. Please come in.” I said as politely as I could.
I stepped aside after opening the door and allowed him to enter my apartment. After I followed him inside, I began to feel flustered for some reason. Why was this person here? And more importantly, how did he know where I lived? I don’t remember telling him that.
“Can I offer you anything? Something to drink? I have coffee and tea…”
“It’s fine. Just water, please.”
“Alright. Then please take a sit.” I gestured towards the sofa. “I’ll be there in a moment.
After a little while we were both seated, each with a glass of water in front of us. We continued to stare at each other silently, until I finally couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Uhm, Asakura-san you… you wanted to talk to me about something?
“Yes. I will be honest with you and say it openly. Would you please reconsider your decision regarding that business trip?”
I looked at him dumbfoundedly. Again, with this. What was it about this trip that made it so special? Why did he keep asking me to go with him?
“Asakura-san, I spoke my mind last time we talked about this. My reasons haven’t changed since then. As soon as there are some advancements in the planning process, I will consider it again. Until then, I am afraid you will have to make do with my current decision.”
“So, no matter what I say, you won’t change your mind?”
“I really don’t understand why this trip is so important that you have to go to such lengths to convince me.” I asked, unable to hold back.
“It’s important due to personal reasons.”
“Personal reasons?” I gaped at him. What was this person saying? If it was personal to him then why care so much whether I go or not? Unless… am I somehow connected to this personal business of his?
I guess seeing my conflicted expression made Asakura-san decide to stop beating around the bush and come straight at me.
“Masato-sensei… Keita, I want to go with you on this trip, just the two of us. I want to be able to spend time with you, to talk and get to know each other better.”
“Asakura-san, I am afraid I don’t understand…” I said, my tone sounding uncertain.
“What I mean is that I am interested in you, Masato Keita.” He said, shifting his position and leaning closer towards me. “I like you. More than just a business partner or a friend. I want to be close to you, to get to know you and for you to know me.”
At this point my brain blanked out and I didn’t even realize he had stopped speaking. A moment later, I felt a warm touch on my shoulder and something overshadowed me. He was leaning closer and closer, until there were just a few centimeters between us. That’s when I heard his inner thoughts, loud and clear, shattering any trace of doubt I might have had.
Keita, I like you. I like you very much. Ever since that day, so many years ago, I… I have kept you in my heart and mind ever since…I kept thinking about you…
how bizarre. you’d think the natural order would be communication, dinner/lunch/more talking, then trip.
this dude just wants to jump ahead of himself when Masato doesn’t even remember him…
Yep, Asakura definitely doesn’t abide by the common sense rules XD But I guess he has his reasons for being impatient 🤭
What…why is this akasura scaring me…follow the normal process to woo a person
Mh, his thought process is quite something isn’t it? He doesn’t follow the normal logic at all XD But… there is a reason I guess ^_~
Kurosawa-san really has a nice sister~~!
Anyway, this Asakura guy is kinda creepy… The MC don’t even remember him but he’s so pushy ughh
Thank you for the chapter 💜💜💜
Yes, Amami-chan is a sweetheart indeed!
Oh my poor baby Asakura XD I guess I made his character too dislikable 😅 💜💜💜
mmm, I don’t know,I think I quite like Asakura. Seems like there is some history between them. Perhaps they were close before the accident but lost contact with each other due to …well…reasons. I don’t know, maybe that’s too cliche`?
I am happy you like his character. There is definitely some history between them. And it definitely isn’t cliche! Thought that is not exactly the way it goes, I for one wouldn’t mind such a plot as that. 🤭