Life In The Reverse World

…?

W–Wait… what?!

That’s not right. This isn’t right at all!

Chouko stared at her mother’s smiling face, feeling as though she were plunging into a bottomless abyss.

Wasn’t Harutaki supposed to help her stay in Tokyo? How had a few exchanged words turned into him giving her mother a farewell gift?

Yes, she knew staying in Tokyo was nearly impossible.

But… but he was Harutaki!

“Har–”

She tried to speak.

But her lips parted soundlessly, no words coming out at all.

Harutaki’s smile, together with her mother’s, felt like sandbags stacked against a flood, blocking her throat completely.

The words would not come out. The breath would not go down.

Her face burned hot, her head boiling as if a kettle had been set on the stove. Gurgling, gurgling. She could not think of anything clearly.

Why give up just like that?

Why give her a sliver of hope, only to shove her off a cliff?

And why—why was Harutaki still smiling?!

Gurgling.

Her mind had already stopped functioning.

Anger burned through her reason like tangible flames. The grievance of feeling betrayed, the despair after hope had faded, poured oil onto that fire until the thin string stretched tight inside her heart was nearly at its breaking point.

Her heart felt as though someone had clenched it in a fist, forcing it to beat with agonizing effort.

“Sorry… for disappointing you.”

“…Hah…”

She swallowed hard, moistening her parched throat. After a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked at the boy before her, eyes shimmering with tears.

“I… I told you already… Hoshikawa… you couldn’t possibly stand against the ‘Heavenly Ones’…”

Even now, she failed to release her emotions.

Because she knew—

She had no right to be angry at him.

From the very beginning, it had been her, Shihou Chouko, who had forced her expectations and longing onto him without permission.

That night, it was she who had asked him not to interfere. Now that things had come to this, how could she possibly blame him?

But…

But it hurt.

She bit her lip, thinking how unbearable this felt. Worse than the loneliness of living alone for two years. Worse than being forced to give up the happiness she had just found and return to Kyoto.

She had trusted him so much.

She didn’t want to say goodbye.

“Are you going to cry? I remember last time I saw you cry, it was because of your hair—”

“Guh… s-shut up!”

You stupid jerk!

Saying something like that in front of her mother—if she didn’t have to go back to Kyoto, she’d still want to die of embarrassment!

Chouko clamped both hands over Harutaki’s mouth, glaring into his deep violet eyes. Only after confirming he would not continue did she release him.

“…”

“This time, I underestimated them,” he said quietly.

“I… I’m not blaming you…”

“All I can ask is that you wait for—”

He did not finish.

His lips were suddenly sealed shut. His eyes widened in shock.

What blocked his words this time was not the pale, soft palm of a girl’s hand—

But a pair of warm, delicate, cherry-pink lips.

She must have eaten something sweet earlier; there was a faint sugary taste. The sweetness seemed to ferment in an instant, seeping into every corner of his body, leaving him lightheaded.

“I don’t want to wait anymore… Hoshikawa’s first kiss belongs to me, Shihou Chouko! If anyone’s waiting, it’s you waiting for me!”

She twisted her lips into a forced smile, one that barely managed not to look ugly.

“I’m going back to Kyoto… Hoshikawa, you… you don’t need to come looking for me. Take good care of Izumi… She’s not honest at all, but she definitely likes you…”

Farewells were always the hardest words to say.

She clenched her teeth, took several deep breaths, and as she passed by his side, her voice turned faint and fragile.

“Of course, I won’t forget… I won’t forget the time I spent with you. The Frappuccinos we drank together. The donuts we ate together. Lying on the bed listening to you tell stories. The hug in front of the apartment building… I’ll remember you forever. So… that’s enough…”

She jogged forward a few steps, stopping beside her mother, who had deliberately given them a bit of space. Then she suddenly turned around, a lonely smile on her face.

“If you don’t want to date Izumi, then just wait for me! I’ve already decided—I’m going to become the head of the Shihou family!”

As she spoke, she lifted her left hand, hooking her little finger into her dark side bangs and tucking the strands that had fallen across her face neatly behind her ear.

Harutaki watched her back as she followed her mother and the security personnel away.

In the end, no one managed to say goodbye.

…

Seated in the soft green-car seats of the Shinkansen, Chouko propped her elbow against the window frame, her cheek resting in her palm as she stared blankly at the scenery racing backward outside.

That was enough.

She did not want to be disappointed anymore. She did not want to hear Harutaki’s apologies. And she did not want to keep “waiting.”

If he could not even persuade her mother, how could he possibly deal with her stubborn and severe great-grandmother?

And yet…

However small, there was still a sliver of hope buried in her heart.

That Harutaki might, just like before, appear before her like a miracle.

…

“Hoshikawa-kun…”

“Sato-senpai…?”

Not long after leaving Tokyo Station with his bag, ready to return to school, Harutaki suddenly found his path blocked.

When he saw who it was, he froze for a moment, then instinctively braced himself.

Tear tracks had yet to dry on Sato’s cheeks. His eyes were red and swollen, his ordinary face dark enough to drip water.

He clenched his fists tightly, as though trying to squeeze the pain into his grip. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“You and Chouko…”

“I like Chouko. And I believe she likes me too.”

Given that Chouko had just left and Sato appeared immediately afterward, Harutaki guessed he had likely witnessed that final kiss.

Since it was already obvious, there was no need to hide it.

“I…”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to school.”

“You… you bastard! If you know she likes you, then why didn’t you help her just now?! You know she doesn’t want to go back to the Shihou house, right?! You know how much she hates that estate?! She’s complained so many times… said it’s cold and lonely and boring… She’s always wanted to leave…”

Sato suddenly grabbed Harutaki’s uniform jacket, refusing to let him go. His voice trembled, as if something rough were scraping inside his throat.

The sound only worsened Harutaki’s already irritable mood.

He firmly gripped Sato’s wrist, forcing him to let go, then sighed.

“And what about you, Sato-senpai? If I remember correctly, you like Chouko too. You stood there watching and expect me to offend the Shihou family? If you wanted to help her so badly, why didn’t you stop them yourself?”

“I…”

Sato inhaled deeply, then exhaled, his voice shaking violently.

“I don’t deserve to like her… I… I can’t do anything… I’m not like you, Hoshikawa… You’re handsome and smart… funny, always making her smile… I’m just… just someone ordinary who happened to meet her when we were kids…”

After witnessing his childhood friend kiss another boy, after watching her walk away, Sato had finally understood—

Even if he could do nothing…

Even if he was powerless…

He still wanted to make one last effort to protect the dream of the girl who had grown up beside him.

He was foolish, clumsy, average-looking, terrible at sports. Just an ordinary high school boy.

As he grew older, he realized he no longer understood Chouko’s heart. He could not give her what she wanted.

After the final night of Golden Week, a vague, unspeakable thought had taken root.

Perhaps if Chouko stayed with him, she would only suffer.

He remembered her expression that day during their outing.

Perhaps being with him would never bring her the happiness she desired.

He remembered how powerless he felt facing Hoshikawa. How cowardly he was when facing Chouko’s feelings.

Perhaps…

Perhaps only being with Hoshikawa would make her happy.

Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could clearly see the scene from that final Golden Week night—

The joy and happiness on Chouko’s face was something he, Sato Kaoru, could never give her.

“Onii~”

“Onii!”

“Onii?”

When they were children, she used to trail behind him, calling him in that bright, nightingale-like voice. That had been the happiest time of his life.

She drove away the bullies for him. She dragged his introverted self out to play. She included his timid, self-conscious self in her pranks—even made him the victim sometimes.

But he could never meet her expectations.

Their hearts were not aligned.

They had only been each other’s sole playmate as children. A chance encounter. A brother and sister with no blood relation. Childhood friends.

“Please, Hoshikawa-kun… I’m begging you… Help Chouko… Save her from there. I’ll do anything…”

Compared to dating her, what he truly wanted was to see her smile.

To see the girl like a younger sister live happily and freely.

That future—

Only Hoshikawa could bring it about.

“Sato-senpai, even if you say that, I—”

Before Harutaki could finish, Sato staggered back two steps and suddenly dropped to his knees.

With unexpected courage, he bowed all the way down in a full dogeza, shouting with every ounce of strength he had.

“I’m begging you! Only you can give Chouko happiness! Please, you have to save her from that place!”

He, Sato Kaoru, could do nothing.

But for the sake of protecting the girl who had grown up beside him, he could do anything.

He knew he could never give her the life she wanted. All he had ever done was tell her to wait. Wait a little longer.

Only today did he realize he had been using that excuse to fool her—and himself.

Even if he entered the University of Tokyo and achieved something, could he truly make her happy? University credits, club relationships, workplace pressure…

He would only drift further and further from her.

If there was anyone in this world who could bring her happiness—

It could only be Hoshikawa.

Hoshikawa, who could loudly declare himself a virgin for her sake without embarrassment.

Hoshikawa, who slept beside her yet only told her stories to lull her to sleep.

Hoshikawa, who stayed by her side and rescued her from a scumbag.

As for him, Sato Kaoru…

If he could simply remain her “Onii,” watching over her happiness from afar—

That would be enough.