Vol 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5
The man's name was Eason
At first Role word he said She only learned his name after the man pointed to hiain
Upon realizing she understood his intentions, the er towards her instead
”Roana,” she replied
In their language, 'roana' for forests Fro, her mother entered labor in the midst of the forests while they were in their most beautiful season, and hence her name
She hoped Eason could understand this story behind her name
However, she could not get her point across to Eason despite her best efforts to convey it in her language, and that depressed her greatly
Nishi+zono Yūko
<ro=”” world=””>
It was a week after my date with shi+nonoreeted by a flurry of footsteps as Arureet ht tomy shoes Arumi-san suddenly shouted
”Eita! You have a girlfriend, don't you!?”
She said that just as I was breathing in, and that caused h quite a bit
”What? Why the sudden question?”
I turned around and asked Aru at me suspiciously with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed She was visibly disappointed
”I heard it from Keisuke”
”Eh?”
”You asked him about the movies, didn't you?”
That Goddamn idiot — I cursed to myself I never expected him to tell Arumi-san It wasn't like I asked hiht he would tell her
”Ah, it's nothing I was craving for a movie”
Aruo
” Alone?”
”Mmm, yeah”
”You liar!”
She retorted immediately
”I'll never believe that Eita, a person who has never once watched a DVD before, would go to the o with? Tell onee-chan about it!”
It feels like Aru I heaved a sigh of exasperation
”What's wrong atching athat”
I gave up trying to explain It would have been easier if she were irlfriend, butone I was in no mood to listen to Arumi-san's incessant chatter either
I set my shoes down neatly and walked past Arumi-san as if I had shoved her aside However, Arumi-san stuck close to my back like a puppy
”Eh Why are you trying to hide it?”
”Nah, who's hiding?”
”But you are in a relationshi+p, aren't you?”
Asked Arumi-san as she moved in front of me with a head tilt and smile
”Nope”
Arumi-san's shoulders stooped in disappointment
”That's boring”
I was about to retort with: it's not like I was born int
o this world just for your entertainment But rather than voice my displeasure, the smarter move is to keep it within me
”Still, Eita, do introduce irlfriend if you ever have one”
I heaved my shoulders in exasperation to the persistent Arumi-san
”If I ever get one”
”Ehehe Okay then!”
With that, Aruh, considering the fact that she never noticedto be expected
I trudged back to hts in mind
My phone vibrated when I finished taking off my uniform Looks like a text from shi+nonome There were no more 'dates' ever since that day Moreover, there was no difference in the e interacted in school I guess the onlyme much more frequently When we first started out, shi+nonoes
”How about a trip somewhere?”
An unusual invitation from her Despite the hesitation within me, I replied with:
”Sure”
”Are you okay with next Sunday?”
”No problem, but where?”
”I' about a theme park”
I couldn't help but shout ”Ehh~” in surprise
The theme park?
It is indeed a pri's off when it's shi+nonoests it It's just so far off from what's 'ordinary' to shi+nonome
I was too lazy to get off my bed, so I searched for information on nearby theme parks on my phone Once I had compiled a few candidates, I was poised to send them to shi+nonome
”I would prefer one with a Ferris wheel Does Mina in mind?”
This feels
After some research, I only found one the shi+nono came to a stop once we had decided on the date and place to meet
I set my phone aside and spaced out for a while
Theme parks The Ferris wheel
Aru, and it so happens to be the same one chosen this time 'round That was back when I was still naive and silly; just a child who did not notice her relationshi+p with Keisuke
And yet, it turned out to be the very theo to
I cracked ht about it
I expected shi+nono”, but the o to a theh for o to on a date is all the
Then again, she's shi+nonoet infor
Arumi-san came over and asked me to head down for dinner, so I left my room
While ere having dinner, Aru to the silent Keisuke as usual As for Keisuke, he'd reply with the typical ”Huh” and ”Mmm”
As I watched their interactions, I realized shi+nonome was quite similar to Keisuke
Generally speaking, shi+nonome's not the type to initiate a conversation on her own
If that's the case, would it be better to keep talking to shi+nonome like how Arumi-san does? Even if I cannot see any special reaction from her, we can probably maintain our relationshi+p like the couple beforeconversation with shi+nonome
What are my expectations about my relationshi+p with shi+nonome anyway?
We're just a pretend couple who got together so that shi+nonoather th of our relationshi+p is of no importance In fact, I'd have a troublesome chore off my back if we're able to end this facade smoothly
So why on earth a our relationshi+p instead?
”Eita, anything wrong?”
Aru out
”Ah, nah It's nothing”
I hastily replied and resumed on my meal As she looked at me suspiciously, Arumi-san popped the question which came to her mind:
”Eita, do you have someone you like in school?”
I almost spewed the miso soup out of my mouth
”What? Why the sudden question”
”I ondering if you'd like to talk with me”
I have no desire to — I thought to h and replied
”I've none, so there's not much to talk about”
”Not even one? Or how about someone you're interested in? Onee-chan's really interested in your love story, Eita”
For a brief moment, the mischievous personality within me was tempted to tell her about shi+nonome I wonder how Arumi-san will react should she come to know about ' in order to gather materials for her novels
She'd probably disapprove and say, ”This is a really weird relationshi+p”
Or will she actually exclaim in awe instead?
I ended up scrapping the plan anyway
”I'll fill you in if that person ever shows up”
It see on this topic quite often recently Did Arue in me?
Soether with Aru time now Compared to the silent Keisuke or my father, it's true that Arumi-san is much more like 'family' to me
When ere done with dinner, I stood beside Arumi-san as she washed the dishes
”Allow me to do the dishes once in a while”
Arumi-san was quite hesitant about it at first, but she finally acceded to my request
”Sure I'll be counting on you then”
However, Arumi-san would turn her attention to h she wasn't at ease with anyone other than herself washi+ng the dishes
”You really don't need my help?”
”No problem”
”Eita, are you angry?”
”Not at all Why the question?”
”Eita has been really gentle recently”
I washed the soap bubbles off my hand and turned around to face Arumi-san
” Gentle?”
”You used to be really snobbish I feel uneasy seeing the way you are now”
I understand what Aru my distance away from Arumi-san, to the point where Keisuke had to intervene
But her words made me realize that that wasn't the case these recent days
Moreover, I've been responding to her words in earnest
”Really? Are you sure you're not is?”
Though I very well know the reason behind those changes, I'd have to revealI resu the dishes with that perfunctory reply as Arumi-san watched on worriedly
Sunday Afterup at the station, the two of us took the train to the theme park
shi+nono the same outfit as she did ent for the movie
She did mention she didn't own any other casual clothes, but I wasn't expecting it in the literal sense Then again, contrary to ht actually be the case
Not to mention, my outfit wasn't too far off from what I wore back then, so I was in no position to talk
We sat shoulder to shoulder on the seats, the theme park as our destination We're actually much closer than ere in the cinema—
There's no avoiding physical contact no matter how hard I try I could feel the warh e surprise This was probably just my own preconception, but I expected shi+nonome's body to be a lot colder
” Why the sudden urge to visit the theme park?”
I struck a conversation with shi+nonoet about the war out a book fronoredto read, but she showed me the book instead
”They talked about it in the book”
The book, which lacked a dust jacket, was a ronized it straight aas because I saw Aru it before
” shi+nonos like this as well?”
I wasstuff like ”The combination of shi+nonome and romance novels just doesn't click”, but shi+nonoently instead
”I don't read theood chance to so I tried it out”
In other words, it's all for her ''
”The story talked about a scene at a theme park, which made me realize I have never visited one before”
”Hmm”
It was an answer to be expected fros like, ”How about going to the theme park when I have a boyfriend”
But I was really surprised that she never visited one before
It would be understandable if she was from the countryside where there are no theme parks around, but the area we live in has quite a few nearby It should be nor their children to one when they were young That applies even to o out on trips
”Have you been to one before, Minami-kun?”
I wasn't sure how I should answer that sudden question of hers
”Urm, what?”
”Have you been to a theme park?”
”Mmm, yeah When I was still a kid”
My parents took me to one when I was about five to six years old The next trip came when I was in eleht me there
” Were you happy?”
I was quite troubled by that question of hers
”Uruess I probably was”
To be perfectly honest, I have close to no ether with e then, I should have been really happy, especially since my parents hardly took me on trips
However, the reason for my stutters was due to my other memory
Come to think of it, that was actually a date between Keisuke and Aru the nice person she is, showed no signs of unhappiness when my mother forced ht me to the theme park
Back then, I was a gargantuan idiot who failed to notice the relationshi+p between Keisuke and Aruht have even thought of it as a date between me and Arumi-san
It was a memory I cannot describe in words
So up painful , really
So that shi+nonos within me, I turned and stared at the scenery in a daze shi+nonome did the same
Upon arrival, we paid for the tickets and went in
shi+nono, but I rejected her offer and paid for my entrance fee
As it was a weekend, the theme park was filled with families and couples It felt a little uncoroup as well
After going through the ticketing gates, I turned around to face shi+nonome
”Urm any attractions you have in mind?”
shi+nonome did mention she never went to a theme park before; uide and escort Still, it's not like I've been to one often, so I was hoping to fulfill whatever desire shi+nonome may have instead
shi+nonome tilted her head and said,
”Let estions?”
”How about the amusement rides”
”Let's go with that then?”
”Sure”
After the end of an extre our way to one of the hottest attractions in the the queue could be seen at the entrance to the ride The sign indicated that the ould be about thirty minutes
”What should we do? Should ait?”
Personally, my interest in the roller coaster wasn't to the point where I illing to wait thirty minutes for it However, shi+nonome nodded, so we moved to the end of the queue
Time ticks by, the two of us shrouded by silence
I was trying to come up with a conversation topic, and that hen I reether with Arumi-san once And so I spoke
”My elder brother brought me here once”
My memories were actually fixed around Arumi-san, but it would be a pain in the rear to explain to shi+nonome about her
”Oh right, you did mention before you have an elder brother”
I then realized I haven't heard anything about her family
”Do you have any siblings, shi+nonome?”
shi+nonome shook her head in response
”Wow, that's nice I've always been envious of an only child”
A curious expression appeared on shi+nonome's face when she heard my comment