Episode 52 – Graduation

“Haaaa, that was fun!”
“Yes, indeed, that scene in particular ……”

After watching the film, Shizuku felt a great sense of relief.

As for Shizuku, it was strange because she had been engrossed in the movie since the middle of the show, but Rin looked somewhat blown away and refreshed after leaving the theater.
That’s what makes it so unintentionally anticlimactic.

“Then, Nagishiro kun, what are you going to do after this?”
“After this, huh….?”

Shizuku’s plan was to go straight to the restaurant and confess her feelings.
She hoped that by honestly telling Rin how she felt, she could help Rin to stand up for himself.

But Rin has already recovered on his own.
At least that’s what it looked like to Shizuku.

No more worries, she said.

So she wondered what to do after this, or rather, what not to do.
She said she would rather do something poorly than do something now that he was able to get back on his feet by himself.

So She thinks only one thing.

She would like to enjoy a little more time alone with him.

The only thing she was afraid of was being told to go home already.

“A-Ah right, I know a nice restaurant near here. Do you want to go?”
“restaurant? Ummm ……”

Rin looks down and shows signs of distress.

To be honest, she wasn’t sure if he was getting tired of being with her and wanted to go home.

“It’s really good!”
“Well, I guess you’re right. ……”

Shizuku tries to keep him back somehow.
She seemed a bit like a heavy woman, but she was happy to know that she liked Rin that much.

(Don’t worry, I love Nagishiro kun.)

When she said it back to Kotoha, she honestly wasn’t sure.
This is because she had never thought of Nagishiro Rin and Kazashiro Rei separately, so she did not know who she was in love with.

But She can see it clearly now.

She genuinely enjoys being with Rin, because that’s how she feels.

She didn’t need a song, or lyrics. Just the fact that he was next to her was a joy.

“Hey, let’s go?”
“No….”

However, Rin is still not keen on the idea.

She thought that if she kept him any longer, Rin might hate her, and if he did, he might leave for the day.

At that point, Rin shyly pulls out his wallet and excuses himself.

“Sorry …… I don’t have much money ……”
“Ah, yeah”

She didn’t get around to that.

Indeed, she should have realized that living in such a modest apartment was also a sign of his desire to save as much money as possible.

“I-It’s fine, I’ll pay for it.”
“I don’t have much money and I think we’re going to have to split it…….!”
“Eh?”

An unexpected line from Rin stopped Shizuku in her tracks.

Then, after a short pause, shizuku broke out in spurts.

“Fufu, Eeeh, what’s that”
“What is it! It’s a matter of male honor!?”
“What’s so important about that?”
“It really matters!”

Rin’s voice becomes even louder, perhaps embarrassed by being laughed at.

But Shizuku never cared about such things.

“I mean, I make good money. Did you really think I was the kind of person who would be stingy with money?”
“It doesn’t matter! Men are supposed to pay!”

A rather old-fashioned idea, Shizuku thought.

In a world where gender equality is sung about, there is probably not a majority of people with such stubborn ideas.

“I mean, I don’t like it when younger people buy me drinks.”
“Please be patient! You’re pretty stubborn, Shizuku san!”

“You tell me that.”

He said earlier that he couldn’t afford to buy a drink.
Is it something that is non-negotiable even if you have to raise money that you don’t have?

“F-Fufufufufu”
“What is it…..?”

Rin wonders when Shizuku starts laughing again, as if remembering.

“No, no, I just thought it is fun.”
“This one is a matter of good name though ……”
“Okay, okay, Nagishiro kun.”

Laughing at one point, Shizuku held up her index finger as if she had an odd idea.

“If you want to buy me a drink, let’s go to Saize.” (Saize : Probably a food chain or somethin)
“Saize……?”

The sudden suggestion raised a question mark in Rin’s mind.

“Seriously, Saize? ……”
“Seriously, it’s Saize.”

Me and Shizuku san are at Saize.

It’s that famous inexpensive Saize

“I thought it was a fancy restaurant called Saize”
“Hmmm, good thinking.”

Quite a bit easier to talk to Shizuku san on this date.
In particular, the language is quite broken over here.

“But I never thought the day would come when I would come to Saize with Shizuku san.”
“Rude. Even I come to Saize a lot.”
“Is that true?”

That’s a surprise.

Knowing this, Otaku would spend about 20 hours a day at Saize

“Does Nagishiro kun come here often?”
“Well, yes, it’s cheaper after all. Especially these days. ……”

Lately, I haven’t had the energy to cook, so I’ve been making do with convenience store rice balls and eating out at random places.

Eating out, though, was the only place to come to save money.

“—–Nagishiro kun, you look much better than yesterday.

As I was reminiscing about my life over the past few days, Shizuku san suddenly said something like that to me.

I’m feeling better, huh?
That sounds a little different.

I know that saying “I’m feeling better” might be interpreted as if I had regained my motivation, but I don’t have any motivation right now. I have no motivation for anything.

I just reopened it.
I just decided that if I was going to have a normal life anyway, I would at least try to stay out of the way of those going up.

“Well, yes.”

However, I don’t dare deny it.
If I dared to deny it, I might worry Shizuku san again and cause her to worry for nothing.

“I see”

And it seemed to me that Shizuku san probably saw through all of those thoughts as well, and responded.

“Do you write songs?”

Then she asks in a natural way.

“Ah, of course I wouldn’t mind either way? I’m just genuinely curious.”

So it comes with that kind of complement.

“Hmm…..”

I put time aside while pretending to be troubled, but as a matter of fact, I had the answer in my mind.

“Maybe…..I won’t make it”

It was a little hard to say, but I tell her nonetheless.

I thought it would not be good for Shizuku san if I decorated myself in a strange way and revealed my true self.
I felt I had to say exactly what a worthless man I am like this.

“I see…..”

Shizuku san mutters mysteriously while looking out the window.

I wasn’t sure about the emotions involved.

Is she sad or does she have other feelings?

I hope it’s not a disappointment, and I hope it’s not irresponsible.

But Shizuku san was honest enough to reveal what was on her mind.

“I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.”

My heart creaks at the word “disappointment.”

“I liked Nagishiro kun’s music, and I first got to know him through his songs.”

It is complicated.
I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.

I Wait for Shizuku san’s next words.

“Actually, it was Kazashiro Rei that inspired me to sing.”
“Eh?”

I couldn’t help but listen back to such a story that came out of nowhere.

The person who made the announcement had a look of satisfaction on her face, though.

“You didn’t know that right?”
“No, no, no, of course not.”
“I didn’t tell anyone.”

Shizuku san speaks happily.
Maybe she’s happy with the way I surprised

“So I can’t pretend that Kazashiro Rei didn’t exist, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for him.”
“….”

Shizuku san with an apologetic tone.
Contrary to the words, it becomes less sharp and squeezed.

“But, But…..you know?”

Shizuku san looked up, drank down the water she had fetched, and took a deep breath.
From there, she said as she nodded off.

“Now I am graduating from Kazashiro Rei!”

A mysterious graduation announcement. And one from there. An unexpected proposal.

“So at least, please write a song for me!”

-no one knew at the time that the song thus composed would be Kazashiro Rei’s last song.