Chapter 321: Two Girls
And then, there was Akarin.
A charismatic, mature woman, elegant in her demeanor and speech, with a calm stride that always carried authority wherever she went. Until now, Aoki had always thought Akarin's attention was limited to duty and responsibility. Akarin was a mature figure, like a watchtower standing in the distance—seemingly protective, but unreachable.
But... lately, something had been different.
Akarin's gaze—too long. A gaze that seemed to penetrate deep into his mind and heart, as if wanting to read everything hidden behind Aoki's mask. A gaze that was no longer neutral, but full of intensity, like embers buried beneath the ocean.
Akarin's touch had also changed. Too soft, too warm, too gentle for mere fleeting contact. There was a warmth that lingered longer than it should, as if her hand were reluctant to let go, as if conveying something never truly said.
Akarin harbored feelings. Aoki knew it... and that was precisely what made Aoki's mind even more confused. Even more constricted.
Aoki lowered his head. His breathing was heavy, ragged and choppy, as if something were stuck in his throat—something that wasn't just words, but an invisible weight.
Aoki's gaze was fixed on the damp stone floor beneath his feet. The old, dark tiles were covered in a thin layer of dust and moisture, and from the cracks in the stone wall, dark green moss was silently creeping up.
Those tiny fragments, the cracks in the ground, the dull leaves, the barely visible bits of dust, all seemed like fragments of Aoki's own mind. Full of chaos. Incomplete.
'Why is all this happening at once...?' Aoki thought, his fingers gently fissuring the fabric of his pants. 'How can the main characters in harem stories in novels or manga accept all that love so easily? So easily? With a stupid smile, as if it means nothing?'
'Isn't that... crazy? Unreasonable?' Isn't that normal?'
Aoki felt like someone in a narrow hallway, sandwiched between a wall of reality and a wall of hope. The two walls were moving closer, pressing in, creating an invisible but real pressure. This wasn't a sweet story with a light and bright happy ending.
This was reality. And reality always exacts a heavy price.
Every decision would leave scars. Whether for Aoki himself... or for others.
"Yes... there's a girl in my heart," Aoki said softly. His voice was soft, almost a murmur he wanted to hide from the world.
Lifting his face slightly, Aoki briefly met Kurisu's eyes, who stood before him. His gaze no longer averted, though guilt still hung like a thin mist in his eyes.
"To be precise... two girls."
Those words struck a chord in the hanging silence.
Kurisu fell silent. Completely. The air between them seemed to stop flowing. Even the wind seemed to hold Kurisu's breath.
Kurisu's eyes widened slightly. Kurisu didn't back down, didn't move, but the look in Kurisu's eyes changed drastically. There was shock, there was looming confusion, and—more than that—there was anxiety hidden behind Kurisu's pupils. It was as if Kurisu's entire mind had been instantly shattered by the all-too-honest truth.
"You probably don't know..." Aoki took a deep breath, his throat hoarse for a moment. "A few weeks ago, I met the girl I was supposed to marry."
Aoki's hands, which had been gripping his knees, slowly went limp. Aoki turned his gaze toward the wall, as if unable to look directly at Kurisu's face, which was beginning to freeze.
"Meanwhile, there was another girl... a friend from my hometown. She also liked me. And I... I liked her too. In fact, I knew her much longer than the girl I was supposed to marry."
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