Hearing what I say, Sasakursan trembles and then hangs her face down.
Drops after drops are falling on her small fists that are held tightly on her knees.
Without a doubt I'm the one who makes her cry, however I don't regret what I've done.
“…. Sasakursan, you've asked me to so I will surely participate in the tournament…. I will even aim for the champion. However, I need nothing. As long as you can become free, that's sufficient enough for me.”
That's why I've long decided that I'll participate in the tournament and also try to win.
Simply for Sasakursan’s freedom.
I don't want to obtain Sasakursan in the form of compensation or the sort.
I want to be chosen by Sasakursan.
“Why… to that extent… even though, I am such…”
“I’ve told you many times already, haven't I? I love you, Sasakursan. Helping the person you love when they're in trouble, isn't that a natural thing to do?”
To Sasakursan who says those words in shaking voices while shedding tears, I straightforwardly confess my feeling to her.
Before, it took me a lot of courage to tell her my feeling, but perhaps because I've told her before, now I can clearly tell her my feeling anytime.
Hearing my words, Sasakursan slowly raise her face, her eyes are open wide, and tears are overflowing one after another.
“I see… because you love me… with only that… you….”
“Naturally.”
Saying those words bit my bit as if to reminding herself, Sasakursan finally floats a smile, ever so slightly.
Then she casts her eyes down once again, and after nodding for several times she raises her face again.
Her face is as expected wet with tears, but I think it looks slightly cheerful.
And then, Sasakursan wipes the overflowing tears, and while desperately putting on a smile,
“Shinjo-kun… you're quite a sentimental person, aren't you?”
She says such venomous words.
“Eh… there's no way that's true. That's not true, right? This much is absolutely normal.”
“Umm, yeah, it’s normal… ly not to such extent. You're not normal at all…. you're very sentimental.”
Eh, eeeh…. I’m a sentimental person? No no no, there's no way that's true.
“You're very sentimental but…”
When I'm in deep thought about Sasakursan’s unexpected surprise attack, she starts shooting another words, so I also start to listen to her again, and when I shoot my gaze toward her, she's smiling.
Before I noticed it the tears have already stopped, none are overflowing again.
However, even while smiling, her expression looks as if she's about to cry.
“You're very warm.”
“Warm…?”
Hearing her saying those words in the gentlest way I've ever heard, I repeat it in wonder.
What does she mean by warm?
She says it in such gentle tone so I think it's unlikely to have a bad meaning….
Like that, perhaps noticing that I don't understand what she means, Sasakursan laughs lightly.
“Fufufu, Shinjo-kun, you're undoubtedly sharp, but you're unexpectedly dull in a strange place.”
“Er….”
She shoots another venomous words again.
Looking at me in such state, Sasakursan starts to laugh as if finding it funny.
I don’t particularly understand what's happening, but since her words have lost their thorns, and Sasakursan herself also looks happy so I decide to not overthink it.
After laughing with very satisfied voices to her heart's content, she stops and then stares at me while smiling.
“Say, Shinjo-kun… if you win the tournament, as I thought I'll give myself to you.”
“Wha! Like I said, you mustn't do something like….”
I involuntarily retort so in surprise upon hearing her saying something like that again, but when I notice that Sasakursan is smiling happily, I'm lost for words.
Noticing how different it's from before, I decide to ask her why she says something like that again.
“Why do you say something like that again?”
“You're just too dense, Shinjo-kun.”
Sasakursan answer so while wryly smiling.
“Because not everyone has the courage to straightforwardly express their feelings.”
“What do you mean?”
In addition, when she adds so in this kind of moment, I tilt my head in wonder.
Even while tilting my head, I can sense that my heartbeat is slowly accelerating.
“I'm also like that … admitting my just recently budding feelings is already embarrassing enough for me, so there's no way I can confess it straightforwardly.”
I wonder why, Sasakursan’s cheeks are gradually turning red.
I wonder why, when I see Sasakursan in such state and also listen to her voice, I can't understand it yet, but my heart is beating fast.
“That’s why I need an excuse… Let me say it again, okay? If you win the tournament and let me free, I will give you my everything, Shinjo-kun…. that's why, will you—”
Despite bashfully smiling, she's saying so with a serious expression.
To the words that I hear for the third time, somehow I don't even have an ounce of anger, I'm simply listening to her saying those words in daze.
In the last part, Sasakursan once stops and takes a deep breath,
“Will you … will you accept my everything?”
She says so, while having a bright red face.
With such scene as my last sight, my vision turns black and I lost consciousness.
“……Kun!”
I can hear a voice calling me from a very close place.
That voice is gentle, tinged with a bit of worry, it's a very beautiful voice.
“Shin…! Hey…!”
This is… Sasakursan’s voice?
I wonder if it's Sasakursan who is calling me.
But why is she calling me?
Suddenly I feel something warm and soft in the back of the head.
Then I also begin to feel that something small and soft is gently tapping my cheek.
“Shinjo-kun!”
“Ha!”
“Thank goodness, you've woken up!”
“….”
When I can hear Sasakursan's voice clearly, I wake up.
I'm facing upward, I can see Sasakursan’s face there, while Sasakursan’s hand is placed on my cheek.
Furthermore, there's this very soft and happy feeling in the back of the head.
After connecting each dot, I quickly recognize my present situation, while suppressing my desire to keep lying down there as I am, I get away from Sasakursan’s knee by rotating my whole body, and then I lightly jump to the air by kicking the floor with both hands and feet.
Then, after adjusting my stance while rotating in the air, I put my tiptoes, knees, and palms at the same time on the floor, and after swiftly forming a magic square to erect a solid barrier on the floor, I hit the floor with my head with all of my might.
“I’m very sorry!”
“… …. Eh, um … … what are you apologizing for?”
“For losing consciousness due to being overjoyed, for not immediately waking up even though you've been calling out to me, for having you giving me lap pillow…. And also, for troubling you by overenthusiastically prostrating myself!”
“Wow… you really are sentimental, Shinjo-kun.”
Sentimental.
Before losing consciousness, I think when she said this word it was somewhat filled with warmth, but this time, how should I put it, it sounds like she's seriously drawn aback.
When I raise my face, I can see Sasakursan having troubled expression.
But such appearance soon disappears and turns into a gentle look as if looking at a troublesome child.
“But well, it's already too late, though. Hey, do you remember the matter before you lost consciousness?”
“…I will definitely win the tournament.”
“Umm… if you were to forget that, I think I’d cry.”
While kneeling, I immediately tell Sasakursan what she wants to know.
Hearing that, Sasakursan looks slightly happy and then also floats a smile.
With this, have I more or less secured her … I wonder?
However, that expressions also immediately turns around into a smiling face that emanates black aura, I can feel something cold running on my back.
“By the way, what is it again? Nature's call control…. was it? Say, roughly two weeks ago, you obtained this ability after you were simultaneously summoned to another worlds, right, Shinjo-kun?”
“Ah, yes. That's right.”
The air somehow suddenly turns ominous.
The cold sweats won't stop, and somehow my body also won't stop trembling, you know?
“I just remember about it, but it just happened that starting that day, was it?, I often suddenly want to go to the bathroom during the class… Hey, Shinjo-kun… What do you think about this?”
“Th, that's… Yes, it was my doing….”
Being questioned about that, even hesitantly, I confess to her honestly.
Of course just because I tell her the truth, that doesn't necessarily mean she'll forgive me that easily.
Resigning myself, I close my eyes and slightly turn my left cheek so that it's easier for her to hit it.
By the way, I think I could've told Sasakursan that it was just a coincidence, and just now was my first time using this ability.
In that case, I feel like, even after this and that, she will easily forgive me, however I want to always be honest with Sasakursan, that's why that option doesn't exist from the very beginning.
And speaking from the result, I think confessing honestly is the right choice.
“Geez, you really are stupid, Shinjo-kun.”
With words seemingly filled with anger, Sasakursan's presence is coming closer to me.
Thinking that the time has finally come, I resolve myself, but unexpectedly Sasakursan puts her hand gently on my cheek, and then something soft and warm lands on my lips for a moment.
I open my eyes wide in surprise, and I can see Sasakursan’s bright red face right in front of me.
Understanding what just happened, my heart pounds very loudly, blood is sent through my whole body, and my cheeks are burning hot, it feels as though I'm going to lost consciousness again.
However, as expected that's not good so I burn my spirit to preserve my consciousness.
“… If you don't win, I absolutely will not forgive you.”
“… Yes! I'll definitely win!”
Then, to her words, I hold my urge to shout out my feeling aloud and then answer her clearly without averting my gazes. Seemingly happy with my answer, Sasakursan also floats a smile.
Well, I’m really glad that I confessed to her honestly!