kscans

Chapter 750 - To You

"—Huh."

A sound ringing in my head made me stir in the otherwise silent space.

It was a notification that a message had arrived from someone—the friend message function. I summoned the window with a practiced motion, without even thinking about it…

"Hmm."

It was from a name that rarely sent me personal messages, so it was probably a mass message sent to multiple people. I was a little surprised by the suddenness, but the content itself was nothing unexpected.

In preparation for the next huge event, I'll be taking a short break—that was all.

It was hard to imagine that guy, the very embodiment of endless motivation, would come to such a sensible conclusion on his own. So, he probably got talked into it by someone.

He had a way of living that made you want to ask, 'Where are you rushing off to?' so my reply was basically just, "Yeah, yeah, go take a break." …He'd gotten so carried away that today he'd even managed to defeat his own great senior. He was truly a monster.

Just remembering it made me feel frustrated. And then,

"—You should at least turn on a light."

"Can you stop starting with a complaint? You sound like my dad."

Light and someone else arrived in the `Eastern Round Table`, which had been filled with silence and darkness.

Curled up and lying on her own chair among the ten seats—which had been changing frequently of late—the previous occupant turned her gaze to the newcomer.

"Sorry for calling you out when you're tired."

"You bet you are. Casually saying 'give me a minute,' what do you think the preeeecious time of a busy, tired idol-chan is worth?"

Below the silky blonde hair that even a girl would find annoyingly enviable, Irori stood, giving a half-lidded look to the sprawled-out Mi-na.

"Seems you're more energetic than I thought. I take back my apology."

"No returns accepted."

"That's something the person who received it is supposed to say."

It was true that she was tired. That's why complaining with a 'how rude' or pouting was a genuine expression. It wasn't like showing that side of herself was anything special.

It was just that, with these two, she let her guard down a little more than with others.

"Honestly… that's so indecent. At least sit up properly."

"Where are you looking, perv?"

"Do you want to be frozen solid, Chibisu?"

"Aaaah, a lolicon is going to get rough with me—"

"I see. Are those your last words?"

How many times had they had this sort of mindless conversation since they met?

The young man, who had been strictly taught by his mother to be kind and sincere to women, would never raise a hand to a girl outside of battle, no matter what he said.

Even in battle, if his opponent wasn't another 'swordsman,' his hand would hesitate to swing his blade. That's why he never used a disrespectful blade, and would at least go all out with everything else.

She knew that ridiculously serious personality of his like the back of her hand.

"Have some consideration for what others think. I know you're like that after considering it, but this is too much."

"Geez, you're so annoying, Dad."

"Who are you calling Dad? I'd rather not have a daughter like you."

"Hey, you! What a way to talk to a top idol who's also a high school girl. I'll have you know I'm a proud thirteenth in the 'Idols I Want as My Daughter' ranking!"

"That's a ranking that's hard to describe in many ways… By the way, what's Ri-na's rank?"

"Okay, that's enough. Are those your last words, you bastard—alright, up we go."

While continuing their verbal sparring, which was likely devoid of any real thought from either of them, she fulfilled the noisy boy's request and sat up primly and properly.

And then, when she looked at him again.

"Oh?"

"…"

"Oh my, oh my?"

Naturally, the 'katana' he wore at his waist caught her eye.

"Alright, alright, I get it. So I'm the second one, huh, you lady-killer."

"…Don't put it in such a strange way."

Something like this, she could easily guess without being told… without even thinking about it. Who he met, what happened. Their interactions were so easy to read, it was simple.

"You couldn't stand it anymore, so you went and threw down the gauntlet, didn't you?"

"Of course not. I just—"

"You were unsatisfied seeing her through a screen, right? Yep, yep, I get it, I get it."

"…, ……You little…"

"I'm not a 'little,' I'm a super cute girl."

This kind of thing, too, was nothing new. She didn't have any particular feelings about it.

Even if those feelings were in the past tense, as long as there was nothing to surpass them, that admiration would continue to captivate his heart. She had come to terms with that—

That's why, unexpectedly.

When Irori, who she had expected to be cornered as usual, showed a mischievous grin unbecoming of him, Mi-na tilted her head in genuine confusion.

"I confessed to her."

"—……………………Huh?"

"I confessed to Sensei. In a roundabout way, in the past tense, but I did it."

"……………………………………………………………………………Huh?"

Hit directly by a bombshell she never saw coming, all she could do was let out a dazed voice.

It didn't make sense. Well, she understood, but she didn't.

"Wait, what, hol—"

"Knowing her, she won't be confused for long. She'll understand and accept it soon enough."

Why?

"I don't get it, I don't get it! I don't follow the conversation! Where is this going—"

"It might trouble her a little, but… it shouldn't be a problem now. It's just adding one more trivial, belated worry to a cleared heart."

Why?

"Well yeah, I mean, Ui-chan could do with a little of that kind of trouble for her own good—that's not the point!!!"

Why would he go out of his way to call her here just to tell her that?

Then again, she understood. It wasn't like she had been consulted, but she had been the one to poke and prod, to dig it up, and talk to him about it. He was being so ridiculously sincere that he probably knew she had been needlessly worrying. She understood why he would want to report it.

But again, she didn't understand. Why now, at this very moment?

Why could he say it so casually?

"Isn't it too soon! Are you over it that fast?! Wh-what, you, you got closure, or… you settled it, right…?! That's all, right?! Then at least for a little while—"

"Hold onto the sentiment and cherish it? —Hah, no thank you."

But he cut through her barrage of confusion and bewilderment, and Irori, still looking as if it were nothing, wore an extremely natural smile…

"Huh…? Wha, what is it…"

When did it happen?

She realized he had walked right up next to her chair.

"Unfortunately, I'm not like a certain 'junior' of ours. I don't have the courage to face someone else's 'feelings,' or my own, with such life-risking dedication that it wears down both body and soul."

"…"

She realized, and she saw where his blue eyes were looking.

"Do you think I'm a heartless man?"

"……………If anything, I'd say the 'junior' is the one who isn't normal."

For some reason, for some reason, it was only her, who had been called to this place.

"That's why," he said.

I don't understand.

"That's why. Because I could finally allow myself to move on to the next step… Because I could… accept it."

I don't understand.

"From now on, I want to step forward without hesitation—and settle things quickly."

"Wha, eh………I-I don't understand. What are you saying?"

She had come here without any preparation.

Where he was trying to take her from this place.

"I'll put it into words so you can understand."

He said to the girl looking up at him, still lost.

"I'm in love with you."

And the young man, simply, head-on.

Looking at the girl who had always been looking at him, he confessed the feelings he had held for some time.