Chapter 34 (2/2)

“You’re late, Takuya-kun,” Mamizu said

“Sorry,” I said I hadn’t pro as early or late, but I apologized anyway

“Did you have practice for Romeo and Juliet today as well?”

“Juliet doesn’t have it easy”

After that, I talked about the things that happened during practice I cut out the conversation I had with Kayah

“Hoas the s?” Mamizu asked

“It’s just bitter and it tastes bad I can’t say I recommend it,” I said

“Did you feel satisfied? Refreshed?”

“No… I didn’t really feel anything”

“Oh That’s boring,” Ma very bored “Hey, hey, Roht?”

“Did you hear it from him the other day?”

“Yeah Will you kiss? Kyah! How exciting”

“Who’s going to kiss who!”

“How boring”

I felt kind of irritated, so I pinched Mamizu’s cheeks

“Stooop iiiit!”

Ma as she tried to push me away, so I did it more persistently

“I won’t stop”

“Heeeey!”

And then I said it, while i “Whooo dooo yoooou liiike?”

Mamizu pushed my hands away and suddenlyan effort to not like anyone”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“So, it would be problematic if you were to interfere with that”

Mamizu’s words beco with?

“Also, please give thisfound out by my mother,” Mamizu said

“Huh? Well, fine, I suppose…”

The place Makoto-san lived was far, though

I’d put the contact details I got from Makoto-san earlier in my phone I contacted him, and he said that he couldn’t come to this city, but he would come to one of the nearby stations

We met at a McDonald’s I arrived first and waited for him When Makoto-san entered the store, he was frequently looking over his shoulder for so careful of people tailing him

“It seehter” Makoto-san looked a little haggard “This is a present for you, Okada-kun”

As I ondering what it would be, Makoto-san handedwas still on it, so I didn’t knohat kind of book it was, but I didn’t feel like checking it

“… So, is it bad, Mamizu’s condition?” Makoto-san asked

“It’s been almost ahi my subjective opinion

“Since I’ally, there are no problems My bankruptcy problem won’t affect Ma illegal means,” Makoto-san said

“I was given this by Ma on the table in front of Makoto-san

The iven , and showed no interest in the bag’s contents

“If it ever came out that this was a sha money to Mamizu and Ritsu… it will cause trouble for them”

Unable to bear it any longer, I took theand handed it to Makoto-san

“This is…?”

“Mamizu knitted it For you, Makoto-san”

“I see”

Makoto-san looked touched after seeing as inside the paper bag

“It’s a bit early, but she said that she ht not survive until winter,” I said I could see tears welling up in Makoto-san’s eyes But I wasn’t composed, either “Anyway, come and see her Please,” I said, and then I left the store

“Takuya-kun!” Makoto-san shouted atdown the street

I didn’t want to turn around, but I had no choice, so I did

“Do you love Mamizu?” Makoto-san’s expression looked sonity

“So what if I do love her?” I shouted angrily And then I went across the pedestrian crossing without looking back again

After that, I started to run

Slipping between the people walking down the road, I ran as fast as I could

It’s like I’ht It’s like I’m an idiot I am an idiot

Watarase Mamizu would die soon

The reality of her death that I’d been trying not to look at, that I’d been avertingin on me

After that, I reflected on the days that had gone by

Most of Ma

The fact that she had wanted to do such boring things before dying highlighted the reality of the situation even more in its oay

But that’s not right, is it? I thought

Are those things really what you wanted to do before you died?

Do you really have no regrets left?

Can Watarase Ma?

What is it that I’m able to do?

I began to hate hoerless I was

I continued thinking in circles about these questions that seemed to have no answer

I got home, but I kind of felt wide awake, so I couldn’t sleep Suddenly reot froing and looked at the title of the book

How to lobe

That was the title written on it Snow globes can beto me

Actually, can’t I fix this? I thought as I flipped through the pages

Maybe Makoto-san had been trying to send ave me this book

I stared at the wreckage of the snow globe that I still had inhouse had lost the snoorld around it, and it was now lying idly in uilty to leave it in that state, I’d tried several tione very well It was like a house that had been washed away by a tsunalass sphere, it had looked as if someone lived inside it, but now, it just looked like junk It was a house that had lost so crucial

A dysfunctional house

For a e optical illusion It felt like I was looking at my own house froh binoculars Of course,house But I felt like they were siined Mamizu’s house

It seeet the materials I needed at a hardware store

After second se Ma surew paler each time I went

Death was closing in on Watarase Mamizu

I’d recently begun to feel it when I was next to her in the room

Maht

“Ma you want to do next?” I asked

“… I want to sleep”

At first, I thought Ma But she wasn’t She lay down on her bed with a melancholic expression on her face She didn’t even try to make eye contact with me

“You don’t have to come anymore, Takuya-kun,” she said

“Why would you say so like that?”

“Just forget about me completely”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

“Because it’s painful I don’t want to see your face anymore” Mamizu’s voice sounded a little hysterical “Leave ”

“… Are you saying those kinds of things to try and h there was no use inemotional But I couldn’t stay calm

“That’s right,” Ma voice “That’s ain’ Do you understand?”

“… I understand”

Why a I understand? I don’t

I left the roo Maht as I realized this Just as the tiether meant to be?

But there was no use in thinking about those things I closed the door and put the hospital roo is over, I tried to tell myself

All of it was just a bad dream

I tried to forget about it right away

In fact, after Ibut troublesome

She ht at the start, she was clearly having fun by causing me trouble

She’s an unpleasant person

Doesn’t she have a twisted personality?

And she’s quite self-centered as well

And she’s selfish

And she tries to hide what she’s thinking instead of saying it

In other words, she’s not honest

And she’s strong-willed

Despite that, she’s weak-hearted sometimes, too

She cries easily

Her emotions are intense

She thinks about her family

She’s really kind

She’s delicate

She’s easily hurt

I always ended up hurting her

…

Will I ever be able to forget Mamizu?

That’s iht