I stared at the dish on the table.
Fresh, red, and glistening, tender and juicy.
It was the age for romance, after all. I couldn't quite describe the feeling—a tightness clogged my chest, and for a moment, I felt genuinely upset.
"Bang!" A door slammed shut on the fifth floor. Kusanagi was home, earlier than usual today.
Footsteps descended. I quickly composed myself, plastering on my usual gentle smile. "Miss Kusanagi."
Kusanagi glanced at me briefly, saying nothing.
She was in a terrible mood, so terrible she could have started screaming.
From her room, she had a clear view of the apartment entrance, and she saw exactly who the man was that had seen Miss Nozawa home.
The two stood talking at the door, their eyes and brows brimming with unconcealed smiles, looking unexpectedly well-matched.
Some time ago, an exhausted Inohara had sought her out, apologizing meekly.
"Kusanagi, I was drunk, I... I didn't mean it." The tall girl was full of guilt and heartache. She tried to touch Kusanagi's bruised wrist. "You'll forgive me, right? We're still friends?"
Kusanagi closed her stinging eyes. "Do you remember what you said?"
"You won't forgive me, will you?"
Inohara's hand slowly fell. She smiled bitterly. "I remember. What I said."
"You owe me a reason."
"A reason for doing that? For saying those things?"
"Mm."
Inohara took a steadying breath. Unfiltered pain welled up in her eyes. "Why did I do it? Because I've fucking liked you for three whole years."
The moment she heard Inohara's confession, a turbulent wave surged in the girl's heart, but in the end, it settled into silence.
"You rejected me so many times, but I still couldn't give up. Honestly, I always thought your heart was made of stone, that you'd never like anyone. That was fine too; I could stay by your side, content, thinking someday you'd see me." Inohara's tone held a weariness and sadness that didn't suit her age. She murmured bitterly, her voice choking. "But then... you suddenly started caring about someone else."
"And it's some woman who appeared out of nowhere. How long have you even known her? What kind of person is she? How many of her flaws do you even know? Why does it have to be her?"
"That's none of your business." The girl's tone was firm.
"Let me tell you, Kusanagi. If I can't have you, you won't have that woman either. That's just fate."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that." Kusanagi turned and walked away.
"You're lying to yourself." Inohara pinched her cigarette, unable to stop herself from shouting after her. "I can pretend I never said it, but what about her? Can she change?"
Kusanagi didn't look back.
Whether scorned or despised, her heart was still shaken.
She suddenly felt like laughing. Her own personality was truly awful. She'd rather shatter completely than pretend nothing had ever happened.
[The Culture Festival concert is the perfect date for couples.]
[Otherwise, who was that other man?]
Young and inexperienced, tasting the shards of jealousy for the first time, with nowhere to vent, all she wanted now was for the other person to feel this same bitterness, to ease the knot in her own heart.
I didn't notice Kusanagi's strange mood. I proudly presented the local specialty. "Guess what this is?"
"Not interested."
Her cold retort pricked me, but I didn't mind. I'd grown used to her icy attitude lately.
"This smells amazing when cooked. You can't get it in Japan. You'll taste it soon; it's really delicious."
"Why are you back so early today?" The girl ignored my topic, asking instead.
I didn't understand why she was asking. "I didn't walk today; I got a ride back."
"Whose car?" The girl's tone was casual.
"That person you saw at the Culture Festival. He's a senior at school. You can ask him if you ever feel unwell." Alex was naturally more professional than me. If Kusanagi had any health issues, I'd feel reassured entrusting her to him.
The girl let out a derisive snort for no apparent reason, coldly playing with her hair.
I looked at her, puzzled.
"Is that man pursuing you?" Kusanagi's tone betrayed no emotion, but a hint of sarcasm laced her cold voice.
Was Alex pursuing me? He did seem to have that inclination. But whether it was his family background or personality, I wouldn't consider dating him. It was best to keep things as senior and junior.
"We're just ordinary friends. He's helped me a lot. He's a good person, but I haven't considered anything else."
Since when did this kid care about my love life? She was in a messy state herself, tangled up with her band friends.
The girl's glossy black hair fell to her shoulders, accentuating her tense jawline.
"Many couples start as friends. At Miss Nozawa's age, you should be dating."
It was quite strange coming from her. She was the one who said I couldn't get a boyfriend in Japan, and now she was urging me to date.
Wait.'Start as friends.'
Was she implying something? Pointing at Inohara?
What was she hinting at?
I couldn't keep my smile up any longer. I put down the dish in my hands and said without turning, "You're right, Miss Kusanagi. Couples do usually start as friends, especially friends from the same school."
"So you admit it?"
"What does whether I admit it or not have to do with you, Miss Kusanagi?" The words left my mouth, and I immediately regretted them. They were too sharp and bitter, unlike something I'd normally say.
The girl was indeed stunned.
She stopped playing with her hair, her face cold as winter frost. Kusanagi was only sixteen, unable to process overly complex emotions. Right now, she just felt powerless and furious.
"Right. It has nothing to do with me. Do whatever you want." The girl's fingers clenched tighter and tighter. With a sweep of her arm, the bowl on the table crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
"What are you getting so angry about for no reason?" I couldn't help retorting. "What's wrong with dating?"
"Then go ahead! You'll get married and have kids eventually anyway, so you might as well go now! How perfect and happy would that be?"
The carefully prepared dish was now feeding the floor.
How did this become about me dating? Wasn't she the one hung up on Inohara? Her sarcasm left me utterly bewildered. "What did you say?"
"You heard me. What, hit a nerve so you can't retort?"
My face turned cold. "Since that's what you think, maybe I should consider the possibility."
Hearing that, the girl completely lost control. Her beautiful dark eyes blazed with anger. "If you get a boyfriend, just move out already! His place must be much better than mine, and you won't have to be my babysitter! You're such an eyesore. If you want to leave, don't beat around the bush. I'll let you go!"
I had never seen Kusanagi so frenzied. Her Losing control and yelling was a far cry from her usual aloof self.
That wasn't enough. The girl's anger was like a storm. "I'm just a burden anyway. My parents don't want me. I have a terrible temper, and anyone who stays with me ends up hating it. Do you think you're the first person to take care of me? Everyone before you hated me to the core, but they couldn't do anything because they were afraid of Mr. Kuroki. You're no different. You'll just go back to China after graduation, right? And never show up again?!"
"Is that how you see me?" I felt like I couldn't understand Japanese, I suspect there's something wrong with my ears..
The girl's A violent and tyrannical demeanor was so unfamiliar. She pressed on relentlessly. "It's exhausting being with me, isn't it? You were so happy having a man bring you home, right?! You probably can't wait to go find him right now!"
"Enough." I cut her off, crouching to pick up the shards. My fingertip was accidentally cut, and a drop of bright red blood fell onto the floor.
I wiped it, but another drop fell, forming a small red pool. It stung a little, but the pain in my heart was sharper.
"Hey! You... your hand..." Panic flashed across the girl's face. Her anger vanished instantly. She stumbled to the living room and brought back iodine and a band-aid. I let her apply it. My fingertip was stained with blood, the flesh beneath reddish and exposed. The cut was deeper than I'd thought.
We both knelt on the floor amidst the debris. Worried she might get cut too, I said hoarsely, "Don't sit over there."
As she applied the bandage, her slender, pale hands trembled, her expression somber.
Time ticked by. We sat facing each other in silence, neither speaking.
The emotional turmoil made my stomach ache slightly. Were those her true feelings?
The girl's pale face seemed to say it all. I still couldn't bring myself to be angry with her; I just felt I feel sorry for her. Her outburst was laced with Feeling wronged and uneasy. I hadn't realized she felt that way. Maybe it was just a simple dislike of strangers encroaching, a feeling of her territory being violated. Letting it out might have made her feel better.
A few minutes, or maybe an hour, passed. I didn't know when it started, but the atmosphere between us was often this awkward silence.
"I think you're different from others," I said softly, slowly, keeping my head down.
"I don't know why you're angry, but I want to tell you, I've never thought you were a burden. If I could, I'd want to stay by your side, caring for you and watching over you. At first, I agreed to this because of Mr. Kuroki, but I don't care how much money he gave. What I care about, what I hope for, is only for you to grow up happy and joyful. You're a child who tries too hard, unwilling to show what's deep inside. Being rebellious is fine; I actually find it cute, very much like you. Do you remember the wish I made for you at Senso-ji Temple?"
"...I remember." The girl looked up. With her violence removed, her eyes were rimmed with red.
I gently wiped the corner of her eye. "I truly hope that wish comes true. Even if I do go back to China, there will definitely be someone who likes you, takes care of you, and stays with you. Besides, I might stay in Japan after graduation. Isn't it too early to worry about that now?"
"You'll stay in Japan?" She froze, as if hearing something incredible, her gaze locking onto my face.
So that was her main concern?
I thought for a moment, answering seriously. "The possibility of staying to teach and work is quite high. After graduation, as long as I pass the employment interview, I can stay smoothly."
"Really?!" Her shimmering red eyes instantly grew misty, as if she were about to cry.
"Of course, it's true." I instinctively patted her head.
"That's great... that's great..." Kusanagi murmured softly. She stood up excitedly. "Right... passing the interview... Mr. Kuroki can help."
She looked like a lost lamb now, lingering and melancholy.
"What are you muttering about?"
She snapped back to reality, Concealing droopy eyelashes. "Nothing. I'll clean up the floor. You sit on the sofa and don't move."
Kusanagi quickly brought the vacuum cleaner. She clumsily cleaned the floor, then carefully sat down beside me, seeming to have something to say.
She was still a child after all, unable to hide her thoughts. Every emotion was written on her face.
Uncertain, she asked again, her tone eager and urgent. "What you just said... you weren't lying, were you?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" I smiled wryly.
Staying in Japan to teach was difficult. Not only did I need to graduate and obtain a medical qualification certificate, but I also had to pass school selection or interview exams. Each step was incredibly challenging, but I still had confidence.
The girl seemed to have swallowed a calming pill. Her tense nerves finally relaxed.
But her attention remained fixed on my finger. Her gaze never left it. She seemed wary of something, hesitant to come closer, her timid from doing wrong plain to see.
A long while passed, and she still didn't approach. She just stared fixedly, her Ink-black eyes not daring to meet mine, wearing an expression of fearing punishment.
I leaned closer to her, teasing softly. "It's just a small cut. If we don't treat it soon, it'll heal on its own."
She didn't laugh. Instead, she looked even more depressed.
"I've been around the block. A tiny injury like this is nothing." I A sly raise of an eyebrow, deliberately wiggle your fingers. "See? Plenty of strength left."
"..."
She pursed her lips, her droopy eyelashes. From this angle, her dark, glossy lashes looked like feather fans, drooping dejectedly as if defeated.
I cleared my throat a few times, gathering courage to lightly flick her high nose bridge. "You were Did you say those things on purpose to annoy me?, trying to drive me away. Well, let me tell you, no way. I'm sticking around here."
The girl stared at me blankly, Hesitant to speak.
"Alright, don't look so cold. Give me a smile." Seizing the chance, I pinched Kusanagi's cheek with my fingertips, squishing her fair, smooth face into a ball. It was so pale and soft, fitting perfectly in my palm.
The girl lowered her lashes, quietly letting me knead her face, lost in thought.
Seeing her distracted expression, I fell silent for a moment, then said, "Inohara is a good kid. She even apologized to me."
"She apologized to you?"
I lied without batting an eye. "Mm. She said she shouldn't have lost her temper and walked off that day, and she shouldn't have hurt you. She's someone worth being with. If you two insist on walking this path... well, I think it's not impossible. It's just best to focus on your studies first."
Saying this was truly against one's will, in every way. But I had to say it. It was the only thing I could say.
I didn't know if Kusanagi understood my meaning. She stared at me quietly, her beautiful face expressionless.
"You're both still too young right now. You won't be adults until after high school. Many things aren't clear yet. But if you like her, then go ahead and experience it fully. Don't let yourself regret it later." I said a lot, but her gaze remained fixed on my face, intensely focused, as if looking at something extraordinary.
"Miss Kusanagi?" I couldn't help calling her.
"Why aren't you angry with me? After all the things I said." The girl suddenly changed the subject.
"Kids' words don't count."
"I'm not a kid. I'm sixteen."
"I'm a full seven years older than you." I sighed, then playfully tweaked her brows and touched the tip of her nose. "You're a child in my eyes. Did you hear what I said earlier?"
"Mm, I heard."
Having her face touched again, the girl's gaze wavered, a strange flame igniting within. Unaware of anything else, I continued amusing myself with her until my hand was suddenly caught in hers, immobile.
"Does it hurt?" She suddenly rested her face in my palm, like a tamed cat, rubbing against it very, very lightly. It was a placating gesture, It carries a sense of weakness..
Startled by her action, I was taken aback, Subconsciously ignoring the soft, delicate touch in my palm..
"It's fine. It stopped hurting a while ago." I avoided her gaze, trying to withdraw my hand, but failed.
"You bled so much," she murmured softly, turning her face slightly, her nose cool against my skin.
The next second, my heart felt as if struck by lightning.
Her lips landed on my injured fingertip. Light, soft. I could clearly feel the warmth of her lips and her faint breath.
The girl's tender kiss felt as long as a century, yet as brief as if it had never existed.
I snatched my hand back as if burned, A storm raged within me. Time ticked by. The air seemed to burn with Anxiety, ready to ignite into a blaze at any moment.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." I felt like an idiot, Only repeat those few sentences. "It... doesn't hurt."
"That's good. Goodnight, Miss Nozawa." Then, the girl's clear voice faded away up the stairs.
The scorching and enchanting vanished with her.