Volume 3 - Me, Her, and a Pair of Wings
Chapter 4
To be honest, it felt like some kind of torture.
I couldn't bear listening to Chinatsu talk about how we met, what happened yesterday, and how she felt about a lot of things, so I left her alone while she continued talking, and retreated to the living room.
So, that’s how she thinks of me…
So, she feels the same way as me…
She really does like me…
She really is my girlfriend now…
Listening to her words and realizing such thoughts, as a guy, I was incredibly happy, but it also felt like my family, who weren’t here, was grinning at me, and the embarrassment outweighed my desire to listen.
Bzzz——.
My phone on the table vibrated. It was from Suzuka-san.
“Yes, hello?”
“Oh, thank goodness you finally answered... Neither of you answered your phones, and I was worried something might have happened yesterday... Are you both okay?”
“Ah, sorry, I left my phone on the living room table and Chinatsu-san is in another room... We’re fine, and nothing really happened. We’re just staying at home together.”
There might have been a few missed calls, but I hadn’t noticed since I was in the other room.
“Good to hear... By the way, last night... even though both of your phones were nearby… the reason why Chinatsu didn’t answer was because both of you were…”
“...Pardon? I swear I didn’t do anything inappropriate to your daughter... and uh...”
The warmth of our embrace and the softness of the kisses we shared suddenly flashed in my mind. Since it wasn’t as if we had done nothing at all, my response ended up being a bit vague.
“Ara, if it's you Hajime-kun, then it’s perfectly fine with me. But, even if you’re responsible and financially stable, if you don’t really have a goal set for the future, it would be at least better if you finished high school, other than that, you’re free to do whatever.”
“Suzuka-san…? It’s not something I should be saying, but could you please refrain from saying such things to your daughter’s boyfriend?”
“Fufu… wait… Ara?! Really?”
In response to Suzuka-san's usual teasing, I asked her to stop saying such things.
After laughing at my words, she suddenly let out a genuinely surprised happy voice.
“You two... finally became a couple, huh?!”
“Ah...”
"And? Where's Chinatsu? Oh... could it be that the real reason why she hasn't answered the phone is because she's still in bed? Maybe her body’s feeling sluggish or something... Hajime-kun, you are a boy, so I guess you don’t feel the same after the first time... Hmm, should I make some red bean rice to celebrate…? Ah, why do I have to be in the hospital for a check-up at a time like this?”
“Suzuka-san? Hello??? Are you still even listening?! For your information! I’m still a… virgin!”
“...Hajime? Who are you talking to?”
As Suzuka-san rambled on without listening on the other end of the phone, I ended up blurting out something awkward. Just then, I heard Chinatsu's voice behind me, colder than I'd ever heard it before.
Everything felt like a complete disaster. I wanted to cry.
◇◆
Despite the humiliating morning caused by my girlfriend and her mom, I now found myself back at the hospital with said girlfriend to see her mom. It was past afternoon. We could have come after lunch, but due to a scheduling issue with a lawyer I knew, who wanted to discuss something, we arrived without eating lunch.
“I’m sorry, Hajime, for dragging you along... And for what my mom said earlier, I’ll make sure to give her a piece of my mind.”
Chinatsu, walking a bit ahead of me, apologized and expressed her frustration towards Suzuka-san, whom we were about to visit. However, I sensed that part of it was just her way of hiding her embarrassment.
“It’s fine, really. It’s not just your problem anymore... And I’m sorry for blurting things out and telling Suzuka-san without informing you beforehand.”
It’s really fine, no need to worry, I continued. I wanted to reassure her, but also wanted to apologize. I had let my mouth slip without thinking, and I felt bad because what Chinatsu likely intended to do was to tell her mother at the right moment. I knew we’d probably get teased about it. Still, given that we had to discuss her father, which was a heavy topic, I tried shifting our conversation to a lighter subject and hoped that it made her somewhat feel better.
"...No, I planned to tell her anyway, and she would’ve found out eventually since I know she’d ask about it. It’s just... I wish I could have talked to Mom about things like this sooner. At the same time, it feels like the usual boundaries that families have are slowly disappearing between us.”
"Haha... I was worried that Suzuka-san might’ve been feeling down, but I’m glad she seemed fine. Even if it's just a front, it's important to stay cheerful."
"Yeah... and the way she was teasing us didn't seem like she was faking it. Thanks again, Hajime.”
Saying that, Chinatsu turned around, walked backward, and smiled at me.
"And... thanks for saying that this isn't just my problem anymore."
"......"
Seriously, it's because you always say things like that so casually that my heart is always racing.
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Bonus Chapter (4/6)
