Chapter 89: The Only Reply
In the letters that followed, the sections sharing day-to-day life grew shorter, while the sentences expressing longing became more and more frequent.
Eventually, even those expressions of longing became sparse. They twisted into words that sounded like pleas. Through the fragmented sentences and the occasional ink blots that were clearly not from a careless pen, Akira and the others could almost see the image of a helpless young girl, humbly begging. She no longer asked to maintain their friendship; she only pleaded that the person she was writing to would give her notice before he abandoned her.
Reading the letters one after another made the air in the room grow heavy. A stinging sensation pricked at the corners of Akira's eyes, and tears threatened to fall.
Of course, some of those unshed tears were a direct result of being pinched by the girls around him.
Except for Kanao, who sat quietly in his arms, even Kanae had joined in, though her touch was gentle, unable to bring herself to use much force. As for Makomo and Shinobu, they were pinching the skin on his waist with enough force to nearly draw blood.
However, what was somewhat surprising was that the letters from the most recent few days—the ones sent once a day—had reverted to the content of the very first one. They focused on sharing daily life, included some standard greetings, and ended with a simple sentence or two of longing.
Yet, despite the light and cheerful phrasing, the words left a tightness in everyone's chests.
"Whew..." Akira let out a long, slow breath. "So, how am I supposed to reply to this…?"
"You already have more than one girl by your side. Do you really need us to teach you what to do?" Makomo rolled her eyes and turned her face away with a huff.
"It's simple," Shinobu said crossly, turning her head to the other side. "Just tell her directly that you don't want to be friends anymore and want nothing to do with her. How clean. Better a short, sharp pain than a long, dull ache."
Staring at the two heads turned stubbornly away from him, Akira was at a loss for words.
"Akira-kun never intended to let Miss Kanroji go, did he?" Kanae's gentle voice was a soft whisper behind his ear as she rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Big Brother, that Mitsuri-oneesan must be very sad, right?" Kanao looked up at him. Lost in his own troubled thoughts, Akira failed to notice the unidentifiable emotion that had once flickered in the depths of Kanao's eyes flash again.
"I know what to do now," he said, a newfound resolve in his voice. "Thank you, all of you."
"You're really getting off easy, you fickle playboy," Makomo said, her lips forming a pout. "But let's get this straight: if you want our approval, you have to at least meet her officially first."
After their previous confessions, they had already come to terms with Akira's greed. His recent, nearly fatal injury had only made them less willing to dwell on such things. Even if no one said it aloud, they all shared the same thought: since it was uncertain whether tomorrow or a tragedy would come first, why care so much? At the very least, Akira treated them with genuine sincerity, and that was enough.
Thus, they had quickly accepted Mitsuri's existence. The anger Makomo and Shinobu were displaying now was mostly born from sympathy for the girl they had yet to meet.
"Fine, our Pillar of Sound is going to be a very busy man from now on," Shinobu jabbed, poking him in the side. "He has to take care of the feelings of several girls, undergo rehabilitation, and still worry about someone far away. Why aren't you hurrying up and setting off?"
At this point, no reply on paper could ever be enough to mend the emotional wounds Mitsuri had suffered.
The best way to reply was for Akira to go and meet her in person. He would apologize where an apology was due and make amends where amends were needed. In any case, he didn't have much to do for the next few days, and a short break wouldn't derail his rehabilitation.
So, after a round of goodbyes, Akira set out on his journey.
"Sigh, another innocent girl is about to fall into the trap," Makomo sighed, watching his receding back.
The Kochou sisters exchanged a look and shook their heads helplessly. Only Kanao had no visible reaction, her eyes simply following Akira in silence until he disappeared from view.
Whether it was her status as his 'only friend' or the reliance, clinging, and even pleading she showed in her letters, it all proved that Akira held a special, irreplaceable position in Mitsuri's heart. Perhaps because she was too innocent, she hadn't yet considered it in a romantic light. But as time passed and she matured, that special feeling would naturally transform.
And given Akira's greed, he would certainly be happy for that to happen—and might even actively encourage the transformation.
...
Pushing himself intentionally, Akira covered a journey that should have taken three days in just one day and one night. After resting and tidying himself up in a small town, he headed toward Mitsuri's house, carrying several boxes of sakuramochi.
It wasn't that he didn't want to bring something more precious, but from their previous interactions, he knew Mitsuri's favorite things were sweets. And among all sweets, her love for sakuramochi was unmatched. Since he was going to apologize, it was only natural to bring her something she truly liked.
It reminded him of the time he had tried to playfully tease Shinobu, who was still a bit awkward after first moving in. He had accidentally taken it too far and made her genuinely angry. Later, after making some private inquiries with Kanae, he had presented Shinobu with a fish-keeping set, several small goldfish, and a sincere apology, which had finally coaxed a smile out of her.
It was from that moment on that, in Shinobu's heart, Akira was no longer just the person who had saved her sister while disrupting their family's peaceful life. He became someone she could allow herself to be a little closer to.
It was strange, though. Despite buying the same equipment and goldfish at the same time, Shinobu's fish were still thriving to this day. Meanwhile, the fish Akira had decided to raise on a whim perfectly followed the '1-3-5 principle'—feed once a day, change the water every three days, and change the entire batch of fish every five days.
In the end, Shinobu had confiscated his entire setup. She truly couldn't stand to watch a certain idiot waste the lives of those poor little fish.
Carrying a heavy sense of guilt and self-reproach, Akira gently knocked on the familiar courtyard gate.
As the vermilion gate creaked open, a slightly haggard figure came into view. Her hair was still carefully styled and her clothes were still bright, but her face lacked its usual vitality. The absence of her radiant smile made the vibrant pink and green of her hair and the colors of her clothes seem dull and muted.
"Mitsuri, I…"
Bang!
Before he could finish his sentence, the gate slammed shut in his face. The wind whipped up by the heavy wood caused the haori on his shoulders to flutter.
Just as he thought she was acting out in a huff and began preparing to apologize through the door, the gate gently opened a crack. A single, emerald-green eye peeked out from behind it.
"Mitsuri? Are you angry with me? I'm sorry. I was delayed by some things and neglected you. I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a chance to apologize?"
His words had barely landed before the door flew open, even faster than it had slammed shut. In the same motion, a flash of pink dove headlong into his arms.
"Kanzaki-niisan! Mitsuri isn't angry, really! I just… I just thought that because I missed you so much, I was having a hallucination…"
This time, even though her emotions were even more intense than at their last meeting, the arms holding him didn't possess that terrifying, monstrous strength. She was like any other girl, hugging him tightly as if terrified he would suddenly disappear.
In just a few short months, she had managed to gain complete control over her extraordinary strength. The sweat and effort behind that accomplishment were likely beyond what any ordinary person could imagine.
'I really deserve to die,' Akira cursed himself internally, hearing the sob-laced joy in Mitsuri's voice.
"It's not a hallucination," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He held the boxes of sakuramochi with one hand and gently patted her back with the other, offering words of comfort. "I've really come to find you. To apologize to you. And to tell you that you are also a very important person to me. As long as you don't bring it up yourself, I will never, under any circumstances, stop wanting to be your friend."
"I won't! Mitsuri will never say such a thing!" She tilted her head up from his chest, her teary emerald eyes staring intently into his. "Kanzaki-niisan is Mitsuri's only friend. A friend forever."
"Alright," he promised, his voice soft but firm. "And I will never abandon you, Mitsuri. I promise."
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