Golden Dragon
Stories
22
Chapters
2,269
Words
3.0 M
Comments
53
Reading
10 d, 11 h
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Looking around the darkened living room, I exhaled smoke towards the exhaust fan. Tsubaki, curled up on the sofa, was breathing softly in her sleep. As I drew another mouthful of menthol-flavored smoke, I recalled tonight's dinner. Using store-bought pasta sauce, the taste was neither good nor bad, but being able to eat something I wanted made it more satisfying than usual. Come to think of it, until today, Tsubaki had never asked for my input on the menu... Perhaps, after today’s events, she had…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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Before I knew it, I found myself standing in a darkened classroom. Outside the window, a storm raged as if the world were ending. In front of me stood her, covering her face with her hands. "…This can't be happening, right?" "…" "Why?" "…" "How come?" "…" She didn't answer any of my questions. She just trembled, her faint sobs barely audible. Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the classroom. She had removed her hands from her face at some point. Yet, I still couldn't see her…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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As we left the store and looked up at the sky, it had cleared up more than when we had left the house. It might finally be turning into proper summer weather. The recent string of damp days had been quite dreary, so this was a relief. Still— "......" —Tsubaki's expression as she walked, holding the torn paper bag, kept my mood from lifting. "......I'm sorry about earlier." "......No, it wasn't your fault, Kawakami-san." "Is that so..." Even if it wasn't my fault, it was true that I…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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After lunch, Tsubaki changed from her uniform into the same faded hoodie and jeans she wore yesterday. Then, the two of us headed to the station building where we had watched the movie the day before. Today, there was a bit more sunlight, and I could see patches of light blue sky through the breaks in the clouds. "It's cool today, too," Tsubaki murmured without looking at me. "Yeah. Well, I prefer this to it being too hot. It's more comfortable." "...Yes, it's easier to spend time outside when it's…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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We entered a café near the station building, placed our order, and I headed straight to the smoking room. Through the glass, I could see Tsubaki drinking tea. She was as expressionless as ever. ...Well, she's alone, so it's natural to be expressionless. There's nothing disappointing about that. Still, I want her to smile as much as possible. Even though she refused, maybe ordering a cake might soften her expression a bit? ...What am I thinking? With a deep sigh, I exhaled the menthol-scented…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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After having a light meal at the café, I had another smoke and then returned home. After that, everything was as usual. While I lounged on the sofa, Tsubaki quietly continued studying beside me. When dinner time came, Tsubaki prepared the meal, and we ate together, engaging in a bit of conversation. The night grew late, and it was now 10:00 PM. This was the time Tsubaki always went to bed. "Well, I'm heading back to my room. Sleep whenever you like." "Yes, thank you." Tsubaki bowed deeply, then…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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This morning, Tsubaki and I ate the breakfast she prepared in silence. After the meal, Tsubaki, as usual, spread out her workbooks and reference materials on the table and started studying. Occasionally glancing at her while fiddling with my smartphone, I saw that she was continuing her studies without changing her expression. ...It seemed like she had no interest in anything other than studying. Even so, she enjoyed the movie yesterday, so maybe she was forcing herself. Though perhaps it's not…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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A week has passed since Tsubaki came here. Tsubaki spends most of her time studying in the living room. When she’s not studying, she helps with housework and shopping, saying it’s her way of thanking me for letting her stay. As a result, she hasn’t been a hindrance to my work, just as I had initially warned. Today, too, Tsubaki is sitting across from me, dressed in her uniform, studying with an unchanged expression while I idly fiddle with my smartphone. Although I was the one who suggested it,…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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--Ringing, ringing, ringing What’s that… is it morning already…? When I woke up, the bedroom was dim. I couldn’t hear the rain, but it didn’t seem like a clear day. It was 8:00 AM. I was still sleepy, but I decided to get up. Even though it was Sunday, I didn’t want to mess up my sleep schedule. Stretching as I got out of bed, I reached for the cigarette on the sideboard. Lighting it and taking a deep drag, the damp smoke filled my mouth. It still tasted bad, but it was better than…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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After that, without much conversation, noon arrived. Lunch was prepared by Tsubaki. It seemed to be a gesture of thanks for breakfast. I didn't think I made anything worth thanking, but it was nice not to have to make lunch myself. Watching her back as she stood in the kitchen, I recalled the events of the morning. Tsubaki had spent the entire morning with perfect posture, silently working through problem sets. I had studied with Mayuko a few times, and she was always fidgety, frowning at difficult…
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20.0 K • Ongoing
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