Vol 10 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2 - In Order to Move Forward
Late at night, after finishi+ng dinner Takeru headed to a certain place before returning to his room
『”You should be able to relax yourself in there before the operation starts〜”』
Listening to what Nagaru said he went there, wondering just as in there
It seemed like she would explain the operation toood rest today
He arrived in front of the furthest rooia
”This is”
Seeing the familiar door, he unconsciously extended his hand to the doorknob
A little bit tense, Takeru pulled the doorknob and opened the door
A gentle light of a fluorescent lamp leaked outside, he set a foot inside of the room
In there, was the same sofa that was always there, the same tea, same comrades
”our platoon room?”
It was the place Takeru used to belong to The scent of tea, sun oil, scent of the cypress furniture The familiar table and sofa On the bookshelf there was a plastic Dragoon decorating it, Ikaruga's worthless i's cookbooks, Ouka's references
And naturally, his co on the sofa
Involuntarily, tears pooled in his eyes
As his eyeson the sofa raised their faces looking towards him
When Takeru hurriedly tried to look away, everyone stood up in unison
”Wait, ehh? Takeru, why are you crying?!”
”What happened?! Who made you cry?!”
”Are you hurt?!”
Mari, Ouka and Usagi ran up to Takeru anxiously peeking into his face
Takeru's face reddened and he desperately tried to look away
”No it's nothing really, it's nothing”
”There's no way it's nothing, is there?! Where does it hurt?! Show me!”
”It is the first tii cry it seems like he's finally overburdened”
”I've seen it before, but ould he cry at a time like this”
When Ouka said that, Usagi and Mari glared as if to say ”I can't overlook that”
Seeing that, Ikaruga as still sitting on the sofa chuckled
Takeru knehy was he crying The moment he took a step inside, he embraced a sense of security as if he came back home
Fro in this place
Fro his comrades be with him
It was all so nostalgic and dear to hi
He once again understood just how much did he love this place
Yeah I really aood without comrades
While it was obvious, he once again realized it It ret not giving up on his coht so from the depth of his heart
After intruding into the First Research Facility and failing to rescue Kiseki, Ouka told hi alone, thus Takeru decided to consult with his coaru and coic Academy to allow them to rest coh it was just made to resemble their room, this faree
”——Eh, how is that betraying Kiseki-chan?”
I the circu Mari said
Usagi sitting beside stared right at Mari and Ouka shook her head with a sigh Ikaruga see and stared curiously at Mari
Takeru explained gain
”L-like I said, what she wants is a double suicide with me my wish for her to live happily is an exact opposite of that That's why she”
”I don't get ould she want to suicide though? If she dies ain't it over She won't be happy”
””
When she said soet, Takeru couldn't respond anyhow
No, he understood what Mari was saying
Or rather, he really agreed with her, but co Thinking of the suffering and despair Kiseki tasted, it couldn't be helped that she wished to die and hated the world Well, precisely because it couldn't be helped that Takeru swore not to let it end as she wishes
Both Usagi and Mari raised a cup with tea to their mouth, appalled
”It is as you say but why are you being so straightforward? While it is certain that a double suicide is out of question, please consider Kiseki-san's feelings If you don't, on't find a way to resolve this”
”Eh? Why? There ain't a way he can understand Kiseki-chan's feelings Even if you tell hi, it's impossible, I'd hate that In the end, it's not so other people can understand”
Saying that out, Mari folded her arms in front of her chest
Sitting opposite of her Ouka and Usagi see
”You really are dry so at yourself”
”Don't luether with you, who just can't read thetheit OK?”
”Uhh? Ahh, well, yeah? No, wait——what's the difference there?!”
”I ain't dry I really want Kiseki-chan to be happy Rather, since I want her to live and be happy, there's no way I can sympathize with Kiseki-chan”
Ohh?
With that, Usagi and Ouka were overpowered by Mari
After that, the three began to debate arguing over details
Takeru drank the tea prepared by Usagi and looked at this scene with an indescribable mood
Strangely, now he felt that he could rely on his co seriously about all alone
These girls are amazin'
When Takeru laughed impressed,
”Nikaido is just like Kusanagi”
Ikaruga who sat next to Takeru said that
”I don't think I am that simplistic”
”I wonder? You're always like that, just doing things you want to do”
He had no intention of denying that, but this selfishness of his was the reason of the failure on the matter of Kiseki
”No matter how much you try to deny yourself and try to consider your little sisters feelings, it's pointless, 'cause you're an idiot Nikaido was infected with that idiocy”
”Yer horrible”
”You see, everyone here was influenced by you quite a bit Didn't you notice? It's not that they changed, you changed everyone”
Being told that, Takeru furrowed his eyebrows
”even if that's true, I wonder if that's a good thing”
Takeru rest his back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling
Honestly speaking, he had gone through countless painful experiences It had become better as compared to his childhood and e
In this case too this personality of mine is the cause
He are that he was being pushy
Ikaruga put her herbal tea on the table andan expression as if she wanted to react with ”ha?”, sheintently into his eyes, she said
”Of course it's a good thing”
Always neutral and acting suggestively Ikaruga affirly ”why are you so sure?”, but Ikaruga said nothing else and sighing, she returned to her original posture It seemed as if she was about to call hied to a topic he was curious about
”Speaking of which how does Kanaria feel? She's been exaht?”
”Her consciousness returned and she's steadily recovering There was no dae to her brain, but her brain still remembers the pain it felt, so it should take a few days more until she'll be able to move like she used to”
Ikaruga htly discouraged, restless, but she's already come back to how she was now
Since Kanaria lost consciousness on the other side, Ikaruga didn't leave her at all She stayed beside her even asleep, when ex-Seelies and witches in charge of recoveryincredible over-protectiveness
”But for now, she is to rest unconditionally She said she would participate in the mission but I didn't listen and tied her to the bed”
”tied her you mean, physically?”
”That's right Since she's absurdly strong, I tied her doith adamantium wire”
Will she really be able to untie that, not wishi+ng her badly though Kanaria's appearance as she raes tied to bed came to his mind and he made a cramped-up smile
”I'll tell you this, Kanaria's case too, was solved thanks to Kusanagi”
”I didn't do a thing”
”Ime”
Again she made an expression as if she wanted to call him idiot
I wonder why, it felt as if everyone had thorns today
When Takeru soundly scratched his cheek,
”——Hey, you listenin' Takeru?! We're talking about you here!”
”Yess?!”
Suddenly, Mari leaned on the table and stuck her face towards him
Pouting, she moved her face in front of Takeru's
”I'm well aware that you're depressed now, Takeru Everyone else is the same We know It's because you're depressed that you ponder about it all alone”
”N-no, I”
He intended to consult it with everyone right froht in two hands, he was unable to respond anyhow
”But that——is absolutely no good!”
”You, what”
”Cuz' Takeru's an idiot!”
Even you're saying that, Takeru's expression stretched
Mari was quite serious What could be seen in her eyes wasn't contempt nor mockery
It was trust
”Takeru's always being an idiot Everyone in the 35th Test Platoon knows that”
”M-Mari?”
”Everyone here was saved by your idiotic straightforwardness That's why there's no use thinking about it”
””
”Takeru, see I I want you to believe in yourself a little”
It seemed like everyone else felt the same and didn't try to stop Mari
It was unknohether she was praising hi him, but Mari was at least serious
Ouka nodded, agreeing with Mari
”Let me say this, when you first said that you'll shoulder half ofabout' We have barely spoke since weeven to uy”
She said so keenly while crossing her arms
”However, I was the one whose heart was struck by these words It can be said that your straightforwardness saved me”
If it was Ouka fro
It was thanks to Takeru that she has become like this, is what Ouka said
”i's words Your words, how do I say it for better or worse made me shake off hesitation I cannot say that I have overcome my complex but it's thanks to you that I have taken a step forward”
Usagi too, joined her hands and repositioning herself on the sofa continued after the two
”It is because of you being like that, I- I want to be together for——not that! With you! I t-thought of staying with you”
Fidgeting, with bright red face Usagi finished speaking and embarrassed, she covered her face with both hands For some reason, Takeru too had become embarrassed
”That's how it is Kusanagi, you saved everyone here You can be proud of that Have sos other than your swordsmanshi+p”
Ikaruga shrugged and the other reed with her
Furthermore,
”Exactly”
Suddenly, Lapis has appeared on top of his knees
Everyone in the room was taken aback from surprise
She always appeared unexpectedly, but having her appear on top of his knees made even Takeru raise his voice Lapis quietly sat on top of his knees, as if proudly clai them to be her seat She was still expressionless
”Host is always disinterested in our circu bastard who saves people without asking any questions”
”why saving bastard?”
What kind of bastard is that
”With just his ego, Host ends up saving others Regardless whether they are hu hand even to a Magical Heritage likean idiot and naive,it even worse”
Being told that by Lapis really hurt
However, Lapis softened her expression slightly and continued
”But, that is what I love about Host”
” ” ”Love?!” ” ”
The three others were surprised and raised a hysteric voice, then glared at Takeru Ikaruga alone just whistled
After she finished saying what she wanted to say, Lapis squeezed Takeru's pants tightly
”That's why Host whom I love should be proud of himself”
”!!”
”If not, I who am in love with Host will seem pitiful”
Her a little downhearted gesturesqueezed
When Takeru blundered and his heart started to beat strongly,
”Grahhh! I wanted to say thatttt!”
Striking the table with her hands, Mari leaned over again
She approached right in front of his face
And slapped his cheeks with both her hands
It just woke him up, there was no pain
”So, that's how it is Takeru”
She deflated her cheeks that were puffed up and stared at Takeru seriously
”We were saved by your desperate idiotic straightforwardness That's e like about you If you deny yourself, what is to be with us who are looking up to you”
The two hands that slapped hiently wrapped around Takeru's cheeks
”You just have to relay your feelings to Kiseki-chan If she doesn't understand them, you just have to continue stretch your hand to her like you always do The irl happiness, as she doesn't know the outside world”
””
”You don't have to change Kiseki-chan is the one who has to It's your duty to change her”
After saying so, Mari let go of him
Unexpectedly, Ouka sitting next to Mari smiled to him
”Believe in yourself a little You've declared war, you just have to go through the siblings' quarrel with all you have”
Snapping out of his mood, Takeru stared at his comrades one after another
Everyone seemed to feel same as Mari and nodded towards him
Takeru stared at his own fist
Believing in himself
It was the first ti as simple and yet as difficult
He didn't come this far because he believed in hi any other method With just his stubbornness, he forced his own desires on the others
Takeru didn't believe in anything
Believe in myself huh
He wasn't a honest enough a person to believe without reserve After all, he failed er His skills and coht have been inevitable that he didn't believe in himself
But his comrades believed in him, they looked up to him
And yet, he didn't believe in himself?
that can't be!
Until now, he did all this by himself
Questioning hio
If he's to pierce through all——he has to believe in himself
”you're right If you all believe in me, it's out of question for me not to believe in myself”
Fight No matter how much he's rejected, he'll continue to outstretch his hand
He decided to do so He had to adhere to what he said
To believe in himself and move forward
Takeru clenched his palm and thanked everyone
”Thanks for giving ood kick, everyone”
”A 'kick' say at least we 'pushed' your back”
”No, I've been 'kicked' there Thanks to that, my doubts have cleared up”
While saying so, Takeru stood up
And in slightly embarrassed manner, he said
”I'll stop thinking about it We'll just do e can now Everyone, can you go on for a little longer?”
”Takeru this is where you say 'follow me', isn't it”
When Takeru spoke Ouka made a wry smile
”N-no, Ito involve you all in it”
As he started to scratch his head soundly, Mari leaned over for the third time
”You shouldn't say thatt! We want to be involved! If you tell us it's not related to us, we gonna slap you up!”
”S-sorry”