Volume 2 Chapter 35

Volume 2 + Chapter 35: [Hatsuka Route] Apology, Gratitude

We arrived at the place, and the partition was raised.

It seemed to be an underground garage. There were no markings of any kind. Aside from cars of the same model, there was nothing else.

With the escort and guidance of the officials, we successfully reached the destination.

Unlike the shabbiness of the underground garage, the place with the books was utterly exquisite.

We registered at the reception desk and entered an inner room.

This room had no books at all, but it did have seats and such.

We sat down as instructed. After a while, a small cart filled with books was wheeled out through a small door.

After arranging the books neatly, the staff politely bowed to us and left.

I opened the catalog according to the order the staff had arranged, only to find a piece of paper stuck inside the front cover.

On this paper was another table of contents and outline of these books.

Even this detail was thorough and meticulous.

I took out the paper and looked through it. These books contained all the information related to “Spirit Envoys” and “Piano Healers.”

There were also laws regarding social welfare and national status.

There were materials on history and education as well.

There were also advancement methods, recommended books, and application forms for instructor recommendations.

It really covered everything.

Slightly surprised, I put down the paper.

I noticed Hatsuka staring at me.

I looked at her questioningly, and Hatsuka leaned her little head closer to me as if she wanted to whisper something.

I cooperated with her movement and also leaned in.

“Yuu-kun, the people here are so serious.”

“After all, they’re national agency personnel. How could they not be serious?”

I replied helplessly.

Apparently finding my words reasonable, Hatsuka returned to her seat.

But before she had sat for long, she leaned in again.

“This place feels even more serious than a library where you’re not allowed to talk.”

Hatsuka said this, looking somewhat restless.

It seemed that while this was normal for me, for a child like Hatsuka, it was a bit uncomfortable.

“Relax. Don’t be nervous.”

“………”

Hatsuka remained tense-faced and silent.

Such lukewarm words didn’t seem to help Hatsuka much.

So I simply reminded Hatsuka of her purpose for coming here.

“Hatsuka, your promise to your mother.”

Just this reminder was enough. Sure enough, Hatsuka’s body stirred.

She moved away from me, returned to her seat, and with a very serious expression, no longer bothered by these small matters, began silently reading the first book.

She’s working hard.

Feeling gratified, I also started reading books.

When I read, I have the habit of skimming first, then reading carefully.

So the first pass is often very fast, and then through subsequent careful reading, I fill in the content.

After reading about three books, I put the book down.

When I turned to look at Hatsuka, I found that she was still very earnestly reading the first book.

And from time to time, she was jotting down something with her pen.

I tried moving a bit away from my seat. Seeing no reaction from Hatsuka, I knew I could leave.

I made no sound with my footsteps and walked very quietly to the door.

After opening the door, I found that there were still guards standing behind it.

I closed the door without making a sound.

“Could I trouble you to take me to Kinshin Hospital? I have business there.”

I looked up and said to the guard.

“Of course, Watanabe-san.”

The guard smiled and said a few words of arrangement into his earpiece.

Before long, a staff member came to take over.

After that, we arrived at the destination very smoothly.

“We’ll wait here for Watanabe-san.”

Without even needing instructions, the staff member proactively said.

When I got out of the car, I expressed my thanks to the driver and walked into the hospital.

Arriving in front of Hatsuka’s mother’s hospital room, I gently opened the door.

Yesterday I had asked Hatsuka’s father to play videos of Hatsuka as a child. When I arrived, Hatsuka’s father happened to be away.

The expression on Hatsuka’s mother’s face, alone in the hospital room, confirmed my thoughts.

So it was like this after all?

I gently closed the door and left.

Watching her daughter’s growth videos, yet showing such a pained expression, as if confessing something, 

It was not a confession to her daughter, but to someone else.

Because there was struggle in her eyes, and her lips were also trembling.

Having obtained the answer I wanted, I got on the elevator and pondered, lowering my head.

[Ding, 8th floor arrived. Elevator doors opening.]

The 8th floor?

Just as I looked up, the elevator doors happened to open.

Meeting two pairs of sky-blue eyes, I froze.

And outside the elevator, holding hands, were Yuna and Hina, also frozen. But the twins’ subsequent reactions differed.

Yuna turned her head away huffily, refusing to look at me, while Hina stared at me with a very sharp gaze.

Hmm.

I’ll look a little longer and let the elevator doors close.

My wish was not heard by heaven. Hina quickly pulled Yuna into the elevator, and I silently moved a bit to the side.

“Why did you come to the hospital?”

Hina asked like this.

“……..”

I silently met Hina’s piercing gaze.

This kind of look, as if looking at an unfaithful lover, is it really okay to stare at me like that?

We’re not in that kind of relationship, so this kind of stare is really uncomfortable.

I frowned slightly, then remembered my intention to apologize today.

However, I also didn’t want to tell them anything about Hatsuka’s situation.

One: it wouldn’t help.

Two: it would be a waste of breath.

Three: discussing someone else’s family matters with them always felt somehow wrong.

So there was no need to talk about it. And Yuna’s persistence yesterday was also troublesome.

“A friend. Helping.”

I gave a very brief reply.

Clearly dissatisfied, Hina took a step toward me with an imposing air.

“Reason.”

I looked at the elevator descending continuously, then at Hina blocking the elevator doors.

“A friend needs help, so I’m helping.”

“A very important friend?”

“Reasonably important.”

“More important than us?”

“Slightly less important than you.”

“Then why are you helping so proactively?”

“Because the scale of the problem is different.”

“To what extent? Is it worth you doing this?”

“The kind where people might die.”

“If we were about to die, would you help us like this too?”

“Yes. And I will try even harder than now.”

A rapid-fire question-and-answer session. Then Hina fell silent, just looking at me.

The elevator finally reached the first floor. Hina stepped aside and asked in a serious tone I had never heard before.

“Can I trust you? Yuu-kun.”

“If it’s about what I just said, I think you can trust me without issue.”

Leaving the elevator, I turned my head and answered.

Although I had disliked the twins’ stream-of-consciousness way of speaking in the past,

Right now I am very grateful for their stream-of-consciousness.

Because without understanding what they understood, they didn’t pester me any further.

The two of them bid me goodbye at the hospital entrance. But before parting, I looked at Yuna, who hadn’t spoken at all since earlier.

I stood in front of them, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“Yuna, I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“………”

Yuna gave no response to my apology.

I didn’t feel disappointed. I smiled, left their side, and got into the car.

Back at the place with the books again, as soon as I entered the room I could see Hatsuka still reading.

She had only progressed a few more pages than before I left.

“Hatsuka, want to eat?”

A timely reminder for Hatsuka, who was clearly overdoing the concentration.

But for matters concerning her mother, this level of seriousness was only natural.

“…Yuu-kun?”

Seeing that I had left her side at some point, Hatsuka looked a bit dazed.

“Yeah. Want to eat?

The food here is pretty good.”

The official in the car who had introduced the food as quite good had also very kindly said they could bring it to the room.

“……..”

Hatsuka looked with difficulty at the many books still surrounding her, and seemed about to refuse.

“If you collapse right now, how will you practice piano tonight?”

Cutting off Hatsuka’s refusal in advance, she closed her mouth, which had only just opened a little.

She nodded in agreement.

After I made the arrangements with the staff, I sat down again and quickly read through the books.

“You won’t let me read, so why are you reading instead?”

Hatsuka said discontentedly.

“I’m not a weakling like you when it comes to stamina. If you have complaints, come back and complain to me when you can run without getting out of breath.”

I responded with cold sarcasm, flipping through a book as I answered.

“…Hmph.”

Hatsuka made a light sound through her nose. She was clearly more cheerful than yesterday.

It seemed that yesterday’s events had also had a positive effect on Hatsuka.

When the staff came with the food, I closed the book I was only halfway through.

Two staff members entered. One re-shelved the books onto the small cart and pushed it aside.

The other pushed a food cart, took out a tablecloth to cover the table, laid it out neatly, and then arranged the food from the cart one by one in front of us.

Is this the kind of treatment you get as a student of a Spirit Envoy, or as a family member of a Spirit Envoy?

I thought, no wonder Spirit Envoys are considered even more precious than first-class national protected animals.

Because they are human, the level of care is no joke.

After Hatsuka and I finished the food, I felt that the official in the car hadn’t been lying.

It was truly delicious, to the point that it made one want to retire here.

But the fact that they were government officials was troublesome.

I suppressed my restless desire to retire here. Sure, I could retire here, but what about my parents?

After the meal, the quick and efficient staff restored the books and seating to their original state as when we were reading.

It really is a great place to retire.

Leaving that impression, within the time I had to return, I read as much as I could.

“Watanabe-san, Inoue-san.

Spirit Envoy Shimizu says to go home early.”

The staff member who came in to remind us said this.

I rubbed my eyes, nodded, and stood up.

“Hatsuka, let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

Reluctant as she was, Hatsuka still followed me out of there.

While resting with my eyes closed in the car, I felt my hand being held.

I opened my eyes and looked at Hatsuka.

Although Hatsuka was blushing, her eyes sparkled as she looked at me, looking very happy.

“Yuu-kun, thank you for going this far for me.”

Her purple eyes were filled with nothing but my reflection. This kind of gaze, I had only ever seen when Yuna looked at Horikita.

I had never seen it in anyone else, let alone had someone look at me like that.

I barely managed to move the corners of my mouth, feeling very uncomfortable.

Knowing that Hatsuka was different from Yuna, she just wanted to express her gratitude to me, 

I paused for a moment. Even though what I said next would not suit my image, I still spoke it.

“Not at all. Just as long as you can be happy in the future.”

Somewhat awkwardly, I turned my head away. To this day, I still haven’t gotten used to being thanked.

“Mm!”

Hatsuka’s happy reply came from beside my ear. Feeling that this was nice, I turned the corners of my mouth up a little.

After thanking me, Hatsuka also let go of my hand.

I had always thought Hatsuka was very sensible, but besides being sensible, Hatsuka also cared about others’ feelings.

It was precisely because of this that I went soft on Hatsuka time and time again.

If she were a spoiled brat, aside from telling her to go back where she came from, not giving her a “lesson of love” with my fists would already be merciful, let alone going soft.

It is because Hatsuka is such a sensible child that I hope she has a bright future.

[Translator’s Note: Please leave comments about your thoughts on this Web Novel so far.]

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