Chapter 24: The Angel’s Envious (2/2)

“No, well, not much was lost…”

“No well, there’s damage…it looks like she’s really interested in you, Shiina…she’s going to bother you with lots of things now…”

He caused Mahiru problems again thanks to that, and was really apologetic to her.

Shihoko saw her son’s girlfriend (even though it was a misunderstanding), and she really loved cute things, so she was really interested in Mahiru, and would really take care of the latter, to busybody levels.

“It looks like Shihoko-san really cares about you, Fujimiya-san.”

“That’s the nice way of putting it, but she’s annoying…”

Not that she was being a complete idiot, but the affection she showed was something he did not want.

Amane too was at fault for being too careless, so he could not say much about this, but even he too felt she was a busybody.

He was really grateful for his mom’s feelings, but to be honest, she was a hassle and someone he wanted to keep his distance from.

“…That is nice.”

Mahiru muttered, and Amane looked at her.

“What?”

“Your mother is quite boisterous, but she is kind.”

“That’s just noisy and a busybody.”

“…But that is fine too.”

She was not being simply courteous, she was showing an envious look. She muttered with a fleeting tone, and lowered her eyes.

Looking over, her face was melancholic, on the verge of shattering upon contact. Anyone would have found her fragile.

She did not simply look tired, but also feeble and fleeting. She seemed to have felt Amane’s stare as she suddenly lifted her head, smiling.

She regained her usual expression, as though nothing had happened, and in a rare gesture, reclined into the sofa.

“Mahiru-chan, huh? ”

“…What’s with that out of a sudden.”

“No…it has been a while since someone called me by my name. They usually call me Shiina.”

Amane was surprised to learn that nobody addressed the super popular Angel herself, but it was probably because everyone was too intimidated to call her by her given name.

She was the flawless Angel at school, and nobody dared to call her so.

Also, there were a few who called her by her nickname, though she herself hated it.

“If not your good friends, then your parents, right?”

“My parents will not call me so. Absolutely not.”

A frosty instant reply.

He inadvertently looked over at Mahiru’s face, and found it to be devoid of color.

It was emotionless, as though they were stripped bare, a non-living thing even. Due to the perfect face before him, he had a moment when he thought she was a doll.

But that lasted only for a moment, for once she noticed Amane’s stare, she locked away the stoic look, frowning as though something was troubling her.

“…Anyway, it is rare to begin with.”

She quietly muttered, and let out a sigh.

He could tell that Mahiru was on bad terms with her parents.

She would occasionally show a frosty look whenever her parents were mentioned. She never went out to eat with her parents, hated her birthday, and from what she said, one could imagine she had family issues…but he never imagined her parents not calling her by name before.

“…That is nice.”

One had to question her feelings when she muttered that.

“Mahiru”

He naturally called out the name he never once did.

The caramel-colored eyes blinked once.

It was unexpected, so she appeared to be spacing out, showing an immaturity hidden beneath her usual demeanor and expression. It would be appropriate to say she was taken aback.

“Anyone can call you by name, right?”

“…Well, you are right.”

So he quipped stiffly, and after a while, a faint smile appeared.

The relieved smile formed ripples in his heart.

“……Amane-kun.”

She whispered his name, and the ripples grew wider.

Just moments ago, Amane did not pay much heed as Mahiru only used it when talking to his mom…but when she addressed him so, he felt a swirling itch, something in his heart.

“Please don’t call me that outside.”

“…I know that. You in turn should not let it slip outside.”

“I get that. It’s a secret.”

He dared not look directly at a smiling Mahiru.

“Yeah.” so he tersely answered, looking to the side while pretending to change posture, evading that smile.