Chapter 65: The Angel Monologue and Tears (2/2)

She never bemoaned her fate, and endured it alone. After hearing her plead him for ‘support’, Amane himself had the urge to cry as he embraced her little back.

“…You were watching after all.”

She did not cry for long.

He did not look at the time, but it was about ten minutes or so.

He felt it was fine for her to let out the 16 years of suffering, but she might be too tired from crying for so long, and her body just stopped tearing. The mental exhaustion might have tacked on to her physical exhaustion, and the brain was probably forced to sleep.

Mahiru lifted her face towards Amane, her eyes still moist, but had regained some semblance of vigor as they looked back at Amane, rejuvenated.

“Well, you’re on my chest. I made sure not to look before you started crying.”

He removed the blanket that had slipped off, and saw the little smile on her face.

“…Amane-kun.”

“What?”

“…Thank you very much.”

“I don’t know, what for?”

I wanted to do this, and I don’t remember doing anything to thank me for. He turned his head aside, and once again, Mahiru buried her face into his chest.

“Please let me do so for a little longer.”

“…Oh.”

He could not leave Mahiru as she was in this state. After all, he wanted to support her.

He tried to play it cool as he embraced her firmly, and gently patted her head.

If nobody else would praise Mahiru, Amane would do the honors.

You really worked hard. You don’t have to force yourself in front of me. So he thought as he gently caressed her head. She seemed to have calmed down, looking up at him with the expression of one with her strength sapped from her.

But perhaps she was just a little too worried about various things, for she did not appear to cheer up.

“…What shall I do in the future?”

Mahiru muttered softly, showing a perturbed smile towards Amane’s eyes.

“I worked hard, but the two of them never cared about me. The others too call me the Angel, but they never really needed me. What they liked what they need, is the angelic Mahiru Shiina…not the real me. I was the reason for this outcome, but I am suffering because of this. Is it not ironic?”

I was the one who drove myself to despair, she bitterly noted, and latched onto the fabric on Amane’s chest.

“The real me is not cute at all, timid and selfish, and unpleasant in personality…I am not attractive in any way.”

“Well I like that, somewhat.”

He unwittingly blurted out his true thoughts.

Mahiru instantly blinked away, and he stared back at her, continuing,

“Well, you have moments when you aren’t cute, but I often have thoughts that yeah, you’re cute, I want to protect you. Besides, your forthright personality is something I like, and nobody with a bad real personality will actually worry about that.”

You’re thinking about it backwards, he flicked Mahiru’s forehead lightly. The latter was somewhat dumbfounded, the negative expression gone from her face.

.

Mahiru’s self-deprecation was really something Amane could not understand at all.

Everyone could tell she was a hardworking, kind girl, no matter how they looked at her. She might be a little too blunt in her words, but she was being reasonable, and saying things for the good of others.

She said she was timid, but that was not a bad thing. She was merely too hurt, and being defensive so that she would not be hurt again.

And if she was really not cute, Amane would not have become so restless because of her.

Rather, he hoped she realized that she was cuter if she was being her true self.

“Don’t belittle yourself. There’s one guy in front of you who likes to see your true self. ”

She might have lacked self-esteem because she was not loved. However, Amane was not the only one who liked her. There were many others too who felt the same, and he really lamented her grave misunderstanding.

Chitose too felt that the real Mahiru was cute, and kept clinging onto the latter. Clearly, that Chitose would not simply look at appearances after all.

He stared into Mahiru’s caramel-colored eyes, implying so, and her eyes began to swim around.

Furthermore, the little red color at the corners of her eyes instantly covered her face.

One might say her face was the color of rose, and by the time he realized her shame might be out of embarrassment, she shriveled up, her eyes just wandering around.

Looking at Mahiru’s state, Amane realized he might have said something inappropriate, and his face too turned red.

“N-no, look, Chitose and the others feel the same! I-I don’t mean anything else! It’s not just me! Mom, dad, Chitose and Itsuki like it when you’re not being the Angel! So, actually, I think…your personality is more popular than you think.”

Amane hastily explained, and Mahiru finally looked at him.

But even for a moment, the fact remained that a misunderstanding happened , and she quivered with a blushing face, probably embarrassed by Amane’s words. Amane too would feel embarrassed, but she might be more embarrassed than he was, since she was the one hearing these words.

“Erm, if you can’t take it, or you had enough of those parents, you can hide in our house. My parents will shelter you once they know of your situation. So well, just think of it as healing.”

“…Nn.”

“My parents really like you, and I feel they’ll let you stay with them forever…well, I don’t think they’re going to let you go until you gain happiness. We can’t interfere with your family matters, but we’ll continue to shelter you until you make up your mind, or support you.”

“Nn…”

Amane did his best to explain and quell the misunderstanding, and Mahiru once again had tears in her eyes.

“Wh-why are you crying again?”

“Because I feel blessed…”

“Well, you haven’t been fortunate, so you can be a little more selfish.”

She was financially well off, but she received nothing else. She did not receive the love she deserved, and it was amazing that she managed to grow up without being twisted.

He felt that Mahiru could fawn to anyone as much as she pleased, and be impulsive, after all the hardship she suffered. Since nobody else would hear her sufferings, he decided to make up for it, even by a little.

“…So, may I request for something?”

“What?”

As long as I can do it, he quipped, but she smiled, “this is something only you can do, Amane-kun,” and muttered,

“Please look at me some more.”

“I’m looking at you working hard. I won’t know where you’ll run off to if I look away, so I’ll keep watching you.”

“…Please catch me well.”

“I’ll hold your hand then.”

Is that all? He looked towards Mahiru’s face, who stared back, before giving a bashful look.

“For today, please catch me with your body.”

Once she said that, she wrapped her arms around Amane’s back, burying her face into his chest. His heart raced for a moment, but he thought it would be bad to have malicious thoughts, so he suppressed those thoughts before embracing that delicate body once again.