Ch. 83.1 - Anticipation and Longing Pt1
May stood at the threshold between late spring and early summer. Gasping for breath, he tilted his head back and looked up at the waxing moon hanging in the early days of the month, its smile uncannily like the grins Nogami and Shihou had worn after pulling off their little prank.
Maybe skipping the gym membership last time hadn’t actually been a wrong choice after all?
Breathing in air tinged faintly with the salty scent of the sea, Harutaki gazed out across Tokyo Bay, where darkness and light intertwined. In the distance, the surface of the water shimmered, his eyes drifting upward to the Rainbow Bridge stretching across the bay, bathed in cool white light, almost the complete opposite of the blazing red Tokyo Tower glowing behind it.
Slowing his pace, his breathing gradually steadying, he thought that Takeshiba Pier really was a nice place for a night run.
Because of Shihou, he hadn’t managed to get up early that morning. After waking, he’d rushed off to his “date” with Nogami, and if he wanted to keep up his daily exercise routine, then a night run, something he’d never done before, was his only option.
Strolling along the waterfront, the sea breeze brushing against him, his thoughts inevitably drifted back over the twists and turns of the day.
That scumbag Yobitani had already been dealt with through connections, and thanks to his own diligent “matchmaking,” Shihou and Nogami had become friends.
With two good things happening at once, he should’ve felt happier than ever… and yet, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to feel cheerful.
“If the day ever comes when you have to make a choice, and give something up in the process, you’d better be prepared in advance.”
Sanada’s faintly mocking voice still echoed in his ears.
Harutaki hated this kind of unavoidable regret.
Was there really no third answer, no option beyond A or B?
Well… maybe there was. Amused by his own attempt at consolation, he recalled a certain exam from long ago, when he’d confidently filled in D on a multiple-choice question because he remembered “the answer was the last one, ” only to humiliate himself.
There had been ten questions. The options were only A, B, and C.