Volume 1 Chapter 24
by Golden DragonVolume 1 + Chapter 24: Rejection
[Why are you dressed so nicely today?]
Hina pulled back a little and, as expected, asked that question.
[Because I have nice clothes, so I wear them.]
I answered casually, glanced at the clock, only eight minutes had passed, and before I could even form a thought, my view was blocked.
[Look at me.]
Hina narrowed her sky-blue eyes, a hint of threat in them.
[You didn’t make that request.]
I stared back coldly at Hina, but her subsequent reaction caught me completely off guard.
[Wait! I’ll look! I’ll look! I’m looking at you!]
Tears were already welling up in Hina’s eyes, so I quickly opened mine wide and agreed.
Hearing my agreement, Hina’s eyes still wet with tears, she smiled happily again.
Heh heh.
It’s true, women, whether adult or underage, even as little girls, are made of water.
Defeated, I looked at Hina as she’d demanded.
And Hina’s sky-blue eyes stared back at me without blinking.
As the staring continued, Hina’s hands inexplicably tightened their grip a little.
My clothes…
The key point was my clothes. I thought that originally only two people were ruining them, and now another destructive hand would be added.
Mourning my clothes, I noticed Hina’s eyes had begun to glisten.
Not in a tearful way, but rather… well… I couldn’t find the right adjective.
It was like the surface of water gently rippled by a breeze, creating a beautiful, shimmering wave.
[You know I’m a scumbag, so why do you still ask for things that will only make you like me even more?]
I couldn’t understand why Hina would go to such lengths.
[Because I want to have someone I like.]
Hina answered like that.
Someone I like?
Why is that necessary?
[What about Horikita? Isn’t he fine?]
I looked at Hina with dead fish eyes, not wanting to dig deeper, and tried to recommend the male lead from the game.
[Hmph, scumbag.]
Hina glared at me with clear displeasure, then sighed.
[He’s not fine.]
[Why not?]
[Because he’s the one Yuna likes.]
Hina stopped staring at me, hugged me again, and pressed her body close.
[Just because he’s the one Yuna likes, you won’t like him?]
I hadn’t expected Hina to care so much about her sister, I was a bit surprised.
But maybe that’s the bond between twins.
[Not entirely. I just don’t feel that spark with him.]
[Even though you’re twins?]
[Because we are twins!]
Hina tightened her arms petulantly.
And my slender neck, tightly held in her embrace, was in such danger.
Better not push my luck.
I fell silent for a while, planning to just get through the last three minutes like this.
[Actually… this is for the best.]
Hina said quietly.
[This way, there won’t be any arguments, and there won’t be any hesitation.]
With a sorrowful voice, Hina slowly loosened her grip.
[Can’t you just let me keep liking you?]
Hina leaned her head against mine, dejected, and asked.
[………]
I looked up at the white ceiling.
I hate troublesome things caused by emotions, especially when they end up hurting others.
I’ve never been able to fall for anyone. Feelings like love, like affection, that sort of romantic emotion, I don’t have them.
In my previous life, that version of me hurt a lot of people.
[“If you don’t like me, then don’t be so kind to me!”]
[“Get out! I don’t need your pity!”]
[“If you can’t give me a promise, why tell me you hope I’ll be happy?!”]
[“Why do you always have to help me every time I’m at my lowest?!”]
[“What I feel for you isn’t just ‘like’ anymore… it’s so much more… I love you…”]
Every person who said such things wept bitterly before me, then, in my silence, walked away with hatred in their eyes.
Why can’t we just be friends?
You all said at the beginning that being friends made you happy, so why did you go back on your word again and again?
In the end, it was made out as if I was the one in the wrong every time, such a selfish bunch of people.
Even when my life flashed before my eyes at the moment of death and I saw those memories, I still felt that way.
And I vowed never to get involved with anyone who harbored such emotions again.
But when it became impossible to avoid them, situations similar to my previous life started occurring again.
In my previous life, those people were important existences, I needed them to do many, many things that I couldn’t do myself.
And protecting them was also my master’s request. So even if I didn’t want to interact with them, I had to.
Both they and I were victims of such emotions.
Those people probably didn’t want to fall for me either, did they?
It must be painful to love someone who doesn’t respond.
It must be sad to be rejected and avoided by me time and again.
But back then, there was no way I could make any promises to those people.
The more I learned, the more I knew. The more information my body conveyed.
A sense of fate would occasionally wrap itself around me.
It was a feeling of crisis, that my time was short. The knowledge that I wouldn’t live past thirty.
How could someone like me make promises to others? With one foot already in the grave, how could I give anyone a future?
My only regret was letting my overflowing compassion bring me into contact with those people.
[I can never like you.]
I answered softly.
[I can never like you.]
I repeated, glancing at the time that was nearly up. I stood up and laid Hina down on the bed.
[Why let such unrequited feelings exist in the first place?]
Without malice or displeasure.
Expressionless, I asked Hina flatly.
[Did I ever say I wanted a response?]
Hina sat on the bed, looked up, and asked me just as flatly.
[Whenever someone likes another person, everyone wants a response.]
[No one is an exception.]
I smoothed out the wrinkles in my clothes and looked at Hina with a sardonic expression.
[That’s other people. I’m not.]
[Then why did you want me to agree to let you keep liking me?]
If you don’t want a response, why make such a request?
Finding her words contradictory, I pointed out the problem and asked.
[I just want you to properly play the role of ‘someone I like,’ that’s all.]
[That is very important to me.]
Hina looked at me stubbornly, her words ambiguous.
[No response needed?]
I stared down at Hina from above, putting pressure on her.
[Are you giving me one?]
Hina glared back fiercely.
[Rejection is also a response.]
I laughed.
[So I can never allow you to keep liking me.]
[My answer is, No.]
I bent down and, with malicious amusement, closed the distance between us.
Deliberately lengthening the word “No” and stressing it.
[Scumbag!]
Hina’s face flushed with anger. She pointed at my nose and cursed.
[Accurate assessment.]
I agreed with a chuckle.
Then, as if that weren’t enough, I nodded again and looked at the fuming Hina with an appreciative gaze.
[Get lost!]
Hina picked up a pillow and threw it at me.
Quite a temper.
I caught the soft pillow, peeked out to see Hina’s reaction.
But all I saw was her back.
I walked to the bedside, and Hina, who had wrapped herself up like a cocoon, immediately shifted away from me.
Amused, I gently placed the pillow beside Hina.
[I’m a scumbag.]
[So don’t keep liking me.]
My gentle voice sounded so tender. Hina closed her eyes and silently shed tears.
[Then, goodbye.]
Seeing Hina’s tears made me feel a little uneasy. I said softly to her.
I quietly left the room. Yuna, who had been sitting by the door, looked up at me as soon as she heard the door open.
[…You made my sister cry again?]
Yuna’s blunt words left me no room to refute. I could only nod silently.
[…I see.]
Yuna glanced silently at the motionless room, then stood up.
[I’ll see you out.]
She took a few steps forward.
Without refusing, I followed Yuna.
[Why won’t you let my sister like you, Yuu?]
Yuna had been silent the whole way, but finally spoke up when we were alone in the elevator.
My lips moved slightly, but explaining seemed like too much trouble.
[I don’t want to play with other people’s feelings.]
[What if my sister is willing to let you play with her feelings?]
Her words were shocking. I stared blankly at Yuna.
Her sky-blue eyes held a calmness and flatness that didn’t match her age. Yuna continued.
[Sometimes, ‘playing with feelings’ can actually save someone.]
[Lies.]
I refuted coldly.
[Yes, lies.]
[But I think Yuu’s ‘playing with feelings’ just might save my sister.]
Yuna smiled and frankly admitted it was a lie.
[Why?]
I asked.
[Because it’s Yuu.]
Yuna answered with an adorable smile.
These two sisters really…
They love to say such abstract things. Could they please consider whether the listener can even understand?
Confused by two little brats, I rubbed my temples.
[Because Yuu won’t let the person whose feelings are being ‘played with’ feel pathetic.]
Yuna continued saying things I didn’t understand. I held up a hand to stop her.
[Stop. I don’t get it.]
[You just don’t want to understand, Yuu.]
Yuna seemed almost provocative, her sky-blue eyes carrying a hint of mockery.
As if mocking me for being so cowardly now.
[You can stop seeing me off here.]
I suddenly said, looking at Yuna’s puzzled expression and continuing helplessly.
[If you stay with me any longer, I might do something bad.]
Yuna’s face changed instantly. As if guarding against a molester, she cautiously protected her chest and stepped back.
Her defensive posture was a bit off, but at least it would make things easier for me from now on.
Otherwise, I might end up bullying a little girl again.
Just then, the elevator reached the ground floor. As I walked out alone, I immediately heard frantic button-pressing behind me.
I turned back and saw Yuna frantically pressing the door-close button.
She pressed it while watching me warily, until the elevator doors finally shut.
Helpless, I turned away and walked off, feeling that whenever I came to the hospital, nothing good ever happened.
Thinking I’d never visit the hospital again, I stopped at the gate when I saw Hatsuka Inoue crouching by the flower bed, apparently crying.
I halted and sighed at the sight of her back.
Really…
Give me a break…
Dragging my extremely reluctant body, I slowly, bit by bit…
I walked over to Hatsuka Inoue, who had her back to me and was sobbing with her head down.
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