Chapter 29.2
Tomotaksenpai condemns me .
“… You should have led her away while I had my eyes averted . ”
Tomotaksenpai’s deep blue eyes shake, and he looks away from me .
Hanging his head, his right hand covers his eyes .
“You made me realise my feelings, yet you tell me to let them go… Why? Isn’t it fine to keep quiet, and snatch? Chako, too, would listen to you . There’s no need for me to personally let go . ”
I’m doing something cruel .
I’m surely using the most cruel method .
I stare at Tomotaksenpai, and take a breath softly .
“… That’s right . Of course you would not want to . ”
In the 2nd round .
Tomotaksenpai accepted a transaction to exchange Chako and I .
That time, he called Chako a『magical item』but…
Surely, that wasn’t it .
“Chako is important to senpai, isn’t she? You do not want to part from her, right?”
I don’t intend to have a transaction like that time .
Tomotaksenpai, too, would probably not accept a transaction now .
“… If senpai doesn’t want to let Chako go… that’s also fine . ”
While staring at Tomotaksenpai, I smile a little with my brows knitted .
Truthfully, it’s not fine .
However, in that case, I’ll just find another road again .
“… I… don’t want to let Chako go . ”
“Yes . ”
“I really don’t . ”
“… Yes . ”
“Like you said… Chako may not be happy… Surely, she hates me too…”
Tomotaksenpai clenches the right hand covering his eyes .
His brown hair also gets gripped, making the watching me pained too .
“… I finally found . ”
Tomotaksenpai’s voice is grazed .
“Chako is…”
Tomotaksenpai puts more strength than ever into his right hand .
“The family――I finally found . ”
The right hand with strength put into it is distressing, and that voice is trembling…
I can tell how much emotion is packed in those words of Tomotaksenpai .
『Family』
… Ah, I see .
Chako is family to senpai .
“Although we were only together for a year… Chako gave me warmth . Greeting me “Welcome back” when I return from school and eating meals together . ”
Tomotaksenpai continues to speak, with a face on the verge of crying .
“I didn’t know… the feeling of looking forward to returning home . Or that worldly proceedings can also be done at home . ”
Even though he’s still on the verge of crying, Tomotaksenpai doesn’t cry .
He, simply, bit by bit…
Lets words out his mouth, as though to spew the emotions in his chest .
“All that… Chako taught me . ”
Tomotaksenpai told me about his family before .
He spoke nonchalantly but, surely Tomotaksenpai had always been suffering .
The warmth of『family』 .
He had always been searching for it .
“I don’t want to let go… of that . ”
No longer, do I want to be alone .
Tomotaksenpai says .
That’s right .
Senpai has always been alone .
To return to being alone, again…
Of course he wouldn’t want to .
“… You don’t have to let go . ”
If it’s the family Tomotaksenpai finally found…
I don’t have the right to ask that hand to let go .
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However――
“Senpai… start it over . ”
Yes .
I can ask him that .
“Start over the relationship between Chako and senpai . ”
Chako and senpai had a wrong starting point .
It will surely go well between them if everything is returned to the start and done over .
“I think that Chako isn’t in pain because she’s with senpai… she just doesn’t like being a familiar . ”
Yes . In the 2nd round .
Senpai said to eat him, but Chako didn’t .
Chako was originally human .
I think she doesn’t like things like that .
Things like not being able to grow accustomed to oneself… and fitting in with this world .
That’s why she’s in pain .
“… Chako doesn’t hate senpai, you know?”
Chako, when disappearing in the 2nd round, said what Tomotaksenpai did to her . [1]
She said that he gave her a house .
That he gave her a soft and fluffy bed, time to watch TV, food and a bath .
She couldn’t have said that, if she hated him .
“You can just release the familiar contract, and start over again . Only the start was a mistake… Chako will let you start over . ”
Because, didn’t senpai say it already?
That『I want to start over the things I’ve done to you . 』『I want to erase everything I did to you . 』
The things he did in the past can’t be erased but .
Even then, he can start over .
I raise my voice desperately so that it will reach Tomotaksenpai .
Tomotaksenpai lowers his right hand, dumbfoundedly looking at such a me .
Those deep blue eyes shake from side to side…
“… Start over?”
The words softly leaks from Tomotaksenpai .
I nod to that and add on .
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“That’s right . Even if you let go of Chako’s hand, you just have to seize it again . Just as you told me just now, please tell Chako you’re family . Chako will surely take it on . ”
Chako too, is alone in this world .
When she’s no longer a familiar, and Tomotaksenpai tells her they’re family, it should resound in her heart .
I look at Tomotaksenpai’s eyes, and firmly tell him .
My voice has properly reached Tomotaksenpai .
He’s properly listening to it .
However, Tomotaksenpai closes his eyes softly .
“… That may be so . Chako may forgive me if I apologize . ”
Tomotaksenpai’s somewhat deadly calm voice resounds .
“But… I can’t do that . ”
And, faintly smiling, he shakes his head a bit .
“You don’t know… I did nothing but cruel things to Chako . Chako has no reason to be with me if she isn’t my familiar . ”
Tomotaksenpai’s eyes open .
Then, raising his hung head, he looks at the stars twinkling in the sky .
“Even then, Chako… if I ask her to stay with me, she probably will . ”
He gives a small, bitter smile…
And bites his lips strongly .
“… That’s, too pitiful for Chako . ”
I can only listen to the words Tomotaksenpai spill .
“Exhaustively used by me and suffering… even then, she has to forgive me?"
Tomotaksenpai’s face remains warped in pain .
However, those deep blue eyes aren’t shaking…
“It’s not necessary for me to be forgiven . ”
Tomotaksenpai’s clear voice reaches my ears .
Resolution dwells in it .
… Senpai has decided .
I…
――I made senpai choose that .
“ . . Yes . I realized after talking to you… Although it was short, I spent time with Chako… That is surely plenty already . ”
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Tomotaksenpai mutters .
“As you say… I’ll let Chako’s hand go . ”
That’s the response I desired .
I simply look at Tomotaksenpai .
Tomotaksenpai gives a small sigh, focusing the eyes that had been looking at the sky at me .
“You don’t mind it being on my birthday, right?”
“… Yes . ”
“I’ll tell her explicitly on that day . ”
“… Understood . ”
My heart throbs painfully .
Not wanting to be alone .
Tomotaksenpai feels that way but .
I, again… am making Tomotaksenpai alone .
I cross my hands in front of my stomach and squeeze them tightly .
“… Shouldn’t you doubt me more? I might just be putting off the date, you know?”
“No, senpai won’t do such a thing . ”
He won’t .
Tomotaksenpai will surely let go .
“I believe senpai . ”
“… The one I can’t believe in the most is myself . ” [Tomotaka]
“… I will believe . ” [Yui
Tomotaksenpai looks at me with a face that seems like he’s troubled, that seems like he’s on the verge of tears .
I make a smile to the best of my abilities at Tomotaksenpai, and look up at the sky .
The winter sky is clear and pretty .
The stars are glittering more than usual .
Is this okay…?
Is Tomotaksenpai really not going to tell Chako anything…?
I don’t know what’s right .
I’m unable to say anymore…
Within the freezing coldness .
Tomotaksenpai and I, the two of us, look at the stars twinkling .