Chapter 54: The Past, Now and Tamaki
In the white room, there is only Tamaki and me.
[Kazu-san! I finally found you!]
Tamaki who was breathing hurriedly lunged onto my chest, like a little puppy and rubbed her cheeks against mine. Why is she here? Why I.....
Ah, it"s already fine.
d.a.m.n annoying. I pushed her away coldly.
[Kazu....san?]
Tamaki stared at me with her eyes wide-opened. She seemed shocked, and was abit afraid.
She probed at me jittery.
[Kazu-san, what happened? Why didn"t you wait for me? I searched for you for so long, and Arisu is gone too..... Ah yes, isn"t Arisu with you?]
Arisu?
Ah, Arisu? Arisu, she.....
Those images a.s.saulted me again.
Arisu who was hugged tightly by that guy.
Arisu who left with that guy.
I groaned and kneeled down, hugging my head and trembling.
Tamaki panickedly ran to my side.
[Kazu-san, oi, Kazu-san, what happened to you?]
Tamaki shook my shoulder. I raised my head, and saw her looking at me worriedly. Even though I gave her such an ugly sight, she is still worried about me.
[I....]
Tamaki frowned, as though she had firmed her will.
[Although I don"t know what happened, but Kazu-san, I know the pain that you are having now. I can understand.]
[What do you know about it!]
Something flew past in my mind.
My mind turned blank, and a painful and bitter black square like object and an rush like a lava surrounded me.
When I came to, I have already pressed Tamaki onto the ground. I a.s.saulted Tamaki in a rushed breath, but .....
But Tamaki did not resist.
She has Rank 1 Physical Skill, so as long as she has the will to resist, she should be able to push me away, but she did not do so.
She is obviously trembling, but yet she did not escape and her eyes kept looking straight at me.
[It is okay, Kazu-san, if someone like me can be of help to you-----]
As though she is trying to comfort me, she smiled gently, and bought her face closer.
Our lips overlapped.
It is different from the pa.s.sionate Arisu, this kiss is about restrained, but Tamaki"s struggle has be transmitted to me. Tamaki"s warmth is surrounding me.
[Wh..... why..... do you..... know?]
[I know. Although I do not know the reason why Kazu-san is feeling so painful, but that pain, I am able to understand it. I also know, that we cannot let Kazu-san of now to be alone.]
So-----Tamaki followed up.
[This time it is my turn to help Kazu-san.]
Tamaki guided me with a smile.
◆ ◆ ◆
When it ended, Tamaki brought my face to her chest. She hugged me like this who is groaning and crying.
[Kazu-san, thanks to Kazu-san, I have been very fortunate the whole day. This is probably the happiest day of my entire life. So, this is just a bit of me repaying you.]
Tamaki said so and gently caressed my head.
[Ah, Kazu-san, tell me, what happened?]
I hesitated. After hearing my confession, what will she think? Knowing that pathetic me, she will.....
[It will be fine, I have already decided, no matter what happens, I will always stay on Kazu-san"s side. Anything that Kazu-san feels troubled about, anything that Kazu-san hates, I will accept it, I want to accept it.]
I timidly raised my head, while Tamaki smiled warmly at me.
[And think about it, Kazu-san. Me from this morning, is also quite pathetic.]
I could not help but give a bitter smile. That is true, she was not only so scared that she can"t move, and she even peed in her pants, Tamaki from back then was really pathetic.
But that was because the situation was bad, and then her mental wounds reopened, it was the influence of a series of unfortunate events.....
It was different from me. The wounds that I hid, were far more embarra.s.sing.
[Kazu-san, Arisu has asked me before.]
[Arisu.....?]
[Arisu said if she died, then Kazu-san will definitely be sad, perhaps even go crazy.]
Arisu she..... said something like that?
[What she asked me, was not after she died, but before she died. She said if that really happened then it will be too late, for Kazu-san to not kill me, I must dedicate myself to Kazu-san.]
[Why?]
I really do not understand the meaning in her words, so I asked, but Tamaki had a face full of doubts.
[Because if Arisu betrayed you, then Kazu-san will definitely kill me as a hostage. So if Arisu died..... hmmm.]
I replied with a[huh」, and Tamaki also tilted her head in confusion.
[Didn"t we said this in the morning?]
[Wait a moment.]
The interaction this morning, is there such a thing?
..... seems like it.
No, even if there is, that is also only a joke.....
Wait what if Arisu took those words to be real? So that is why Arisu said that to Tamaki.....
Now as I think about it, the reason why Arisu requested me to hug Tamaki.....
[Those harmless words from me, don"t perhaps drove you girls up the wall?]
[Ah-----maybe.]
Tamaki laughed.
[But hugging with Kazu-san like this, I surprisingly could accept it.]
[You..... that-----]
[Ah, I also said it just now, I only wanted to be Arisu"s subst.i.tute, I am satisfied with that. I will leave Kazu-san"s heart to Arisu, I also hope that you will do so. So, Kazu-san-----]
Tamaki said so, then she kept her smile and stared at me seriously.
[Tell me, I will accept everything. What happened? What is the pain that Kazu-san holds?]
I hesitated abit..... Then I began to describe the me from before yesterday.
I began with why I knew how to dig holes; the me in the high school section, what am I; then about the person Shiba, what kind of thoughts that I have.
Other than that, I also told her what I saw just now. Shiba hugging Arisu and bringing her away. I talked about that memory that was like a nightmare.
Tamaki will occasionally reply with a few words but most of the time she is just quietly listening. When I finished everything, she brought my head to her chest.
My face is buried in the 2 peaks that are full of life. That place is very warm and I can even hear Tamaki"s heartbeat. Feeling that warmth and movement, my mood gradually became calm.
When I began to have problems breathing, Tamaki let go of my head. She looked at my face and gave a sarcastic smile.
[Now, I really felt like killing everyone in the high school section.]
Her reaction is like Arisu, no wonder they are best buddies. I gave a bitter smile.
[Listen well, Kazu-san. Compared to everyone in the high school section, Kazu-san is more important to me, Arisu and Mia must have thought so too. Hence, I have a few things that I want to talk to you about.]
[A few things?]
[Someone stole Mia"s hand from Shiki-san, I don"t know who the party is. The left hand that was stolen has magic casted on it... It should be called 《Stasis》right? After casting it, that hand is in Shiki-san"s care..... Shiki-san did not tell me who stole it, but Sakura-chan seems to have heard gunshots.]
Gunshot sounds-----I suddenly realised it. When the familiar crow went to investigate, Shiba that guy has a hunting rifle. Was Shiki-san threatened by Shiba? And Mia"s left hand was even stolen?
Argh, wait a moment. Shiba that guy took Mia"s hand, what is his aim?
[Kazu-san, you knew that Arisu was adopted just like me.]
[Mmm.]
[I have heard before that the relative of the foster parents who took in Arisu, is the management"s of this school, so that is why Arisu was sent here.]
[The relative is..... of the management"s?]
[Then, Arisu"s relative"s son is also studying in this school..... Arisu has always been in the care of that person since a long time ago.]
[That guy"s name is?]
Tamaki shook her head. Indeed, no matter how much they know each other, one will not probe until they even knew the name, I sighed.
[But, Shiba that fellow....]
Will that guy treat someone kindly?
Hmm, probably will. After all that guy always treats the people he likes well, then completely rejects those he doesn"t like.
That guy hates me, but those who are near him, mostly have accepted some grace from him.
For the sake of strengthening his authority, that guy has been recruiting companions.
So sly.
He tactfully increased his companions and strengthened the power on his hand.
Because of that, when everyone realised it, even the teachers cannot resist against him.
If that guy likes Arisu..... The 2 of them are relatives, and she is younger than him by a year. If he felt that Arisu may have a use in the next year and got along with her.....
I see, then to Arisu, perhaps Shiba has been a good relative. Arisu also heard about my past yesterday, and when I mentioned Shiba.....
d.a.m.n.
Tamaki suddenly gave a groan.
Looking at it carefully, I had grabbed Tamaki"s arm tightly. And from who knows when, my nails has been digging into Tamaki"s soft flesh. The skin on her shoulder are torn and even bleeding.
[So..sorry, Tamaki.]
[It is fine, this pain when compared to the pain in Kazu-san"s heart, it is nothing.]
Tamaki said so and smiled bravely.
[After all when we leave here, the wounds will also heal.]
That... Is right. But how should I say this..... I felt that I am too wretched. I grabbed my head, vexed.
[Hey, Kazu-san.]
Even after peeking into the dark parts in my heart, Tamaki still smiled happily. She hugged my tightly, and kept caressing my back, like saying[it is fine]to me, and said in a warm tone:
[Go and confirm Arisu"s feelings. Because you are unsure, that is why you are lost. I will also go along. The feelings that Arisu had when she left with the person called Shiba, and what Arisu wanted to do, let"s go and confirm that first, then think about it.]
[Tamaki..... you-----]
[If Arisu"s heart changed, then we will beat her up, and bring her back, if it is true love, then we must s.n.a.t.c.h it!]
Ah, I see.
Indeed... That is absolutely correct. What am I lost about?
[Kazu-san, tell me. Do you still like Arisu?]
[Hmmm, I like her, I love her, she is the person I love the most.]
[That"s great, if you did not say so, I will feel a bit hurt.]
Even when told that she is not the most important, Tamaki still had a smile, seemingly did not feel any pain.
Because my body is hugged by her tightly, so I can feel that her body has become stiffer. That is the pain felt by her heart. But I pretended to have not noticed it.
[Kazu-san, let"s go to the high school section.]
Tamaki followed up.
[Let"s sneak into the high school section now, and confirm what is the truth.]
After finishing, she showed me a brilliant smile.
Tamaki: Level 12 Sword Skill 6/Physical 1 Skill Point 2
[Yes, Tamaki, when did you raise your Sword Skill to Rank 6..?]
[After separating with Kazu-san, I battled a bit and then I level up immediately. For the sake of coming here, I spent quite a bit of effort.]
I thanked Tamaki again, and caressed her golden hair gently, and she gave a warm smile.