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Chapter 70




Chapter 70
Episode 12: Misaki and Mayumi.
“Lyrics?”
“……Un.”
After returning home, Misaki immediately asked Mayumi for help. It’s simply because Mayumi is the next adult she can rely on if excluding Ryuusei. Unnnー, Mayumi starts thinking about it with difficult expression.
If it’s poems then she’ve written it a few times. And sometime when she tries to write a serious quote it turns out to be poem-like in the end, even if she’s not intending to do so. And there was times when she posted those quotes on the internet and cringed at herself as well.
Setting aside the fact that she’s not skilled enough to teach others about this, for now if it’s just teaching the basics then perhaps she can mange it. But the person she’s going to teach is Misaki. Perhaps twelve years too early.
“I’m sorryー, I don’t quite get what you’re saying.”
Misaki’s expression turns sad.
Fuhehe, Mayumi laughed bitterly while scratching her cheek.
“Misaki-chan, you’re going to sing for Tendou-san as a present right?”
“……Un.”
“It’s amazing that you’re trying to make it yourself.”
“Amazing?”
“Yup, really amazing.”
When she claps her hands, Misaki’s expression look a little happier.
When she’s like this she’s so cute and child-like, Mayumi thought.
“I’m sure Tendou-san will be very happy about this.”
“Really?”
“Un, he might even cry from being too happy you know.”
Fuhihi, Mayumi chuckles as she can imagine him being like that very easily. On the other hand Misaki can’t quite imagine it so she has a difficult expression on her face, which is very cute and made Mayumi chuckles again.
“Do you want to draw?”
“……Un.”
After running out of things to talk about, Mayumi suggested so in which Misaki responded with a nod before getting closer to Mayumi. She leaned back accordingly and Misaki climbs onto her lap just as she has done it many times. After that she takes out a pencil from the pen holder on the corner of the table, but then suddenly her movements stopped.
What Misaki’s eyes are staring at is the manga Mayumi has been working on just a little while ago.
“You’re interested?”
“……Un.”
“You can read it if you wantー”
Really? Misaki look up at Mayumi who’s behind her.
“It’s okayー”, replied Mayumi as she poked her finger at Misaki’s nose.
The reason Misaki has to ask for confirmation is because recently there had been a lot of her works that she won’t allow Misaki to take a look at. Even though most of the time the manuscripts she had left on the table aren’t the age-restricted ones and she felt secured leaving it just like that, but she still makes a cross with her fingers nonetheless. Simply put, it’s because Mayumi hasn’t reach the level of being able to bravely show her works to others yet. It’d be embarrassing for anyone if they have to show their failure of a work to others.
Misaki who receive permission immediately picked it up and start reading.
Mayumi nervously watch Misaki as she reads the manuscripts.
Mayumi doesn’t treat Misaki as just a child but as her actual reader audience. Sure enough she doesn’t quite understand the character’s mentality but she perfectly understand what’s happening in the story. And Misaki gives her opinion honestly which is more important than anything. So in contrast to Mayumi whose heart’s beating fast from the nervousness while watching her, Misaki’s reading the manga excitedly
The manga Mayumi wrote is a story about love between royalties. Although Mayumi has been dwelving herself in the doujin activities for a long time, but right now she’s also thinking about doing serialized series as well. Because of that she has been writing a new manga, which is this work right here.
Every time Misaki flipped a page, Mayumi’s nervousness increased.
“……How is it?”
She asked as Misaki finished reading.
Misaki paused for a moment and,
“Difficult.”
Only a single word.
“Fuhihi, so it was difficult huh.”
Upon hearing the reply, Mayumi instantly felt weak. But if you think about it calmly, that maybe was just a natural answer. The content inside isn’t something a six years old girl would normally read.
However, that thought just now is reversed immediately after the next statement.
“Love, speak. Difficult.”
“……”
After hearing that, Mayumi couldn’t help but felt a sense of dignity.
Usually the girl around Misaki’s age express what they like and hate clearly. If they liked something they’ll speak loudly that they liked it. If they hate something they’ll reject it with their entire existence.
Just like how Yui runs up and embrace Yui.
Just like how Rumi couldn’t deal with Souma.
But Misaki’s different.
To tell someone that she likes that person is difficult for Misaki.
Although this is different from romantic feelings, but fundamentally it’s similar to the character in the manga who struggles to confess even if it’s just practicing to the wall. Which is why Misaki find it hard to read Mayumi’s manga.
It’s not that she doesn’t understand what the story was about.
Actually she can relate to the character in the manga.
Even Mayumi who met Misaki every day doesn’t know about Misaki’s past at all. She doesn’t even know what she really meant by ‘difficult’, surely can’t even imagine it either.
Misaki’s word has that much thought into it.
Which is probably also why Mayumi couldn’t just laugh it off as just a child’s word.
“The adults, you see.”
“……Un?”
Mayumi said so because she’s an adult.
Misaki tilted her head because she’s a child.
“It’s difficult for them you knowー, to say love to someone else that is.”
Mayumi softly embraces Misaki, her cheek is touching Misaki’s.
“Misaki-chan, do you love me?”
Mayumi felt her nodding movement through the touching skin.
“Fuhihi, thank you. Then, try saying it out loud.”
“……”
Misaki tried to reply back immediately, but her voice just faded out.
Ahem, she clears her throat. One more time.
“……Love.”
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“Un, I love you tooー”
This time she could say it out clearly.
Although Misaki tried to say it out loud from the get-go, but her voice ended up fading out. For Misaki it’s very mysterious as to why that happened.
During the past year, Misaki has overcome her phobia of telling people that she likes them to a certain extent. Even when her emotions are running high she could still manage properly and honestly tell Ryuusei so. But why that isn’t the case this time?
Misaki believes that the reason she couldn’t tell others that she love them is because it’s too embarrassing for her to do so. In reality however that isn’t the case at all. It’s the remaining trauma that resides deep in her heart that was holding back her voice.
After that the two didn’t move for a while.
Thud, thud, Misaki could feel Mayumi’s heartbeat through her back.
Although the two didn’t mutter even a single word to each other, but they definitely felt each other’s emotions. Perhaps it’s because right now they’re thinking about the same person.
“……You know.”
Mayumi opened her mouth.
“I didn’t know what was is like to love someone. But now, I do.”
Misaki turned her head to look at Mayumi, but she couldn’t see her face.
“It’s difficult isn’t itー. Even though the word love is such a simple word. Fuhihi, really, difficult……”
Which is why,
“I decided to draw a manga. Yes. Since this is the only thing I can do…… Take what I had imagined, turn it into drawings, and create a story for it. But doing this is also difficult as well. Fuhehe, I’m embarrassed while writing it a lot.”
Misaki couldn’t quite understand what Mayumi said, but slowly and steadily, it’s getting closer to the point where even Misaki could understand.
“It’s difficult to say it out loud, and it’s still difficult even if I write it in a manga. But if it’s in a manga then at least I can still draw it. Once I started, I can’t stop myself.”
Mayumi straightened up and pciked up the pencil.
“For me it’s manga. For Misaki-chan, yours are creating a song. Then you just had to write it. Anything is fine, so try writing it out. The things you want to say, all of it.”
“All?”
“Un. You might feel a little embarrassed about it, but once you’ve done it it feels really refreshing.”
Misaki stares at the pencil that is handed to her, eventually she grasp it tightly.
If it’s things I want to say then I have it. A lot of it.
After that, Misaki’s hand didn’t stop at all until Ryuusei came back.
As Misaki moves her hand with all she has to offer, sometimes her expression turned happy, sometimes embarrassed, sometimes sad. All the while Mayumi quietly watches her from the side.
Knock knock, a knock sound.
Misaki jolted as her shoulders tremble, lifting the paper up with both of her hands fluttering it around.
Mayumi who was behind her grabbed it, putting one finger on her mouth with a shhhhh sound.
“Let’s hide it okay.”
“……Un.”
Mayumi put the paper in between her manuscripts before calling Ryuusei who’s waiting outside to come in.
“Excuse the intrusion. Kohinata-san, thanks as always.”
“No no, it’s nothing at all really. Fuhihi.”
Misaki stands up while the two are greeting and walks to Ryuusei.
“Welcome back.”
“Yeah, I’m home. What were you doing with Kohinata-san today?”
“Talking?”
“Hehー, what kind?”
“……Secret.”
“Is that so, a secret huh.”
Ryuusei’s a little curious about it, so he turns his eyes toward Mayumi.
And of course there’s no way she’s going to spill the beans so Mayumi quickly averted her eyes. But after a while passed, she couldn’t stop herself from giggling.
Ever since Mayumi met the two, she had always been watching them from up close.
She knows that Ryuusei is working hard without Misaki knowing that, and now she knows that Misaki is also working hard without Ryuusei knowing.
Fuhihi, Mayumi’s giggle continues.
As for Ryuusei, he looked at her with very puzzled face.