Vol 2 Chapter 5 (1/2)

Chapter 5 - Dreamy Days

“Good , Yuichi”

Thestarted as usual

“Good ”

Having greeted Akiko, I went to the dining table for breakfast

Beside me, Nayuki was in total slu jam on her toast

“…Ku?”

“Stop sleeping”

I only hit her softly on the head, but she fell all the way on the table

“If you sleep here, the jam would stick to your hair”

“No problem…I love jam”

After our ”

“Let her sleep today, Yuichi”

Akiko said gently while tying Nayuki’s hair

“She was very worried you wouldn’t co for you and didn’t go to sleep”

“I see”

Yesterday I had been staying with shi+ori and returned after I sent shi+ori home It must have been very difficult for Nayuki who slept usually at nine Speaking of which,I left at school was in ht it back

“But she slept while waiting for you”

Nayuki and Akiko aited for me would never push their worries on me They would always support me unnoticeably

“I’ll call her up in a while You can go to school first”

It was already eight I’

“Take care”

“I’m off”

In gratitude to Akiko and Nayuki who treated me like a real family member, I left home

It was a bright day I had long seen The sun gliht

Ice stacked on two sides of the road Through the bridge and two stations, I could see students in the uniforot accustomed to

“Morning”

“Yo”

I waved to fa to this town over these several weeks

It was another

Yet one thing was different

“Good !”

Soirl standing there, s in embarrassment

“Eh…sorry I got all excited and bumped into you”

A dark red one piece, a white cape, and a big green ribbon near the chest shi+ori wore this unifor I had to squint my eyes

“You came”

“Yes, I ca hard today I will!”

shi+ori held her whole-new bag, walking along with me

“I have a request, Yuichi-senpai”

It hat shi+ori said e parted yesterday

“One ill do Please treat irl”

“One week…”

This should be equivalent to the time shi+ori had left

“Yes In this week, I will go to school I will study with others, I will eat lunch with others…I will go out with the person I like on the weekends…”

If I return too late, ry, and my sister would pamper me

Only for this short time, shi+ori added

“Only this week Let me make this wish come true”

shi+ori’s eyes were dazzling when she thought of her dream But she h For if it’s longer, it would only produce sorrowful memories, for me, and also for you, Yuichi-senpai”

“…”

“A week later, the first of February, I will disappear from your world”

Disappear—When I heard this word from her mouth, I was still shocked

“…Are there any other ways?”

shi+ori kept silent

“Really, are there really no other ways?”

It was probably a sad question to Sihori But I couldn’t restrain

“Well, if a miracle happens, there may be a way, but…” shi+ori added queitly with a smile, “It’s called a miracle because it doesn’t happen”

We could still dream even if a miracle doesn’t happen

So, for this week…

“Can you accept my request for this week, Yuichi-senpai?”

I agreed

“Thank you,” shi+ori said happily, her eyes glea

shi+ori and I had to part at the entrance because ere in different grades

“Can we have lunch together today?”

“I don’t have anything to do anyway”

“Then let me wait at your class after the fourth lesson…”

shi+ori stuttered, and corrected her saying

“Well, let’s meet at the cafeteria”

“That’s good too”

There were people in Yuichi’s classroom whom shi+ori didn’t kno to treat

Even in this dreaed

“Then I’m off”

“I’ll be waiting for you at lunch,” shi+ori said, waving her hand, heading to the entrance for juniors

I saw her small body off

To be honest, I wasn’t aperson

So even I wouldn’t knohat I would become after this week

Still, I wouldn’t want shi+ori to be alone now, and I didn’t want to leave her

Whether it be a dream or a soap opera she likes, I just hoped I could enjoy this time with her

The lesson overran a bit, so I ran to the cafeteria

She was already waiting there

She stood beside the entrance on the wall, looking at the wave of people in surprise

When she heard my call, she turned to me with a soothed expression

“It’s fine to sit down”

“It’s my first time here, so I’m a bit nervous”

“Is there a seat?”

shi+ori and I walked into the cafeteria The cafeteria, spacious and with a good scenery, was popular in the winter We looked around and found two seats opposite to each other

“I’ll go and buy so for you What do you want, shi+ori?”

“The same as you, Yuichi-senpia”

“…I’et curry”

shi+ori suddenly fell silent

“Is there a problem?”

“Eh, well, nothing”

“Okay, take care of the seats”

I bought two sets of curry rice, one for shi+ori and one for me

Speaking of which, this was the first ti other than ice cream

With a bit of expectation, I settle the plate of curry rice before shi+ori

“It looks delicious”

shi+ori took a spoon and stared at the curry seriously

“The curry here is pretty traditional”

This was one of the reco master of the school cafeteria

“You don’t have to be so nervous though”

I quickly took a bite “Thanks for the food,” shi+ori said, and ate a spoon of rice Then she took another spoon of rice

“It’s nice”

“You’re not even eating the curry!”

“I’ now”

shi+ori sent a red pickled vegetable beside the rice into her etable and ate it

“shi+ori…”

“It’s some nice chewy curry”

“Are you then going to proceed into eating the shallot and say it’s some nice sour curry?”

“I hate people who talk like that”

It was a rare to see shi+ori show a helpless expression

“If you can’t eat curry, let’s have so else”

“No I can”

With a push, shi+ori sent another spoon of curry in her mouth Then she froze

“…”

Her eyes gradually becaed to chunk it in, followed by huge amounts of water

“Fu?”

“shi+ori…”

“Sorry, actually, I’m terrible at hot stuff”

“This is just average spicy So you can’t eat curry, can you?”

“I’ve eaten some at home, but they’re made for kids…”

It seemed to be those brands called prince curry or princesses curry

“If you’re bad at spicy stuff, what about wasabi?”

“I hate it when I see it”

“Mustard?”

“I hate it when I hear it”

“Tabasco sauce?”

“It’s human’s enemy!”

“Ice cream?”

“I love it”

shi+ori’s voice softened, and she continued with a smile, “Let’s have some ice cream, shall we?”

I heaved a sigh and rose to my feet

“I’et it for you”

“Thank you…”

After several s of curry, while shi+ori, sitting opposite toby shot weird glances at us

It didn’t reat for shi+ori and me

Because ere lovers

“Say, shi+ori”

shi+ori looked distracted to my sudden call

“…I’, “but I think so too”

“Look”

This should be a lover’s conversation, I guess I ate my curry with confidence

“Next time, I’ll make packed lunch I’ll make yours too, Yuichi-senpai”

“I look forward to it”

“Okay!”

“Taste aside”

“I hate people who talk like that!”

I smiled happily at shi+ori’s tantrum

During the afternoon lessons, when I had to change classrooms for the next lesson, I came across shi+ori in the corridor

“Yuichi-senpai”

Beside shi+ori aving her hand energetically was a girl I seemed to have met before

“Hey, I re committee member”

“No”

“Discipline committee member?”

“I’m not”

“So you’re…”

“Well, you kept insisting I’m a committee member, so I joined the library committee”

“Congratulations”

She exchanged glances with shi+ori and both of theirl who became a library committee member then said to me, “Just like you said, senpai, Misaka-san is back to school I’lad”

“Mm…”

Only for a week, though

Suddenly I felt I was being pulled fro now is the true reality’, and suppressed that feeling

“What’s wrong, Yuichi-senpai?” shi+ori asked with her head tilted

“Nothing”

“Really?”

shi+ori put her finger on her lips She looked up at me with a kind of detective look

“Really Listen, the bell is ringing We have to hurry”

I softly pushed shi+ori’s back shi+ori walked aith her friend, chatting happily about so

I couldn’t sense from her any sad emotion that this situation could only last for these few days I have to pullaround, I happen to see Kaori at the corner of the corridor

Nayuki quickly ca

Was Kaori waiting for Nayuki? Or was she looking at us?

The following day, I quickly finished lunch with shi+ori and went to the court with her

The person originally here was shi+ori wearing her cape Noas shi+ori in her uniform

This s

“Today I had an arts lesson”

In shi+ori’s hand was an aqua-blue sketchbook

“And I res”

“Yeah”

“If it’s fine with you, do youa portrait of you, Yuichi-senpai? I have the tools needed with me”

“Sure”

“I’ll have to giveher sketchbook

She looked ather sketching pen

“I feel a little embarrassed…”

When I wanted to scratch my cheeks…

“Please don’t move”

shi+ori immediately spoke with a tone sharper than usual

“Isn’t this a portrait? It’s not a sketch anyway I think even if I move a bit…”

“No!”

“…”

The hand ht I saw this posture soht, this hat Akiko usually do This hy I was a bit embarrassed

“Is it done yet?”

“Almost…”

When shi+ori finally looked away from her sketchbook, it was already the end of the lunch break

“Okay?”

After I reot used to, I twitched , but shi+ori covered it with her hands

“You can’t get angry after you see it”

“I won’t”

S, I removed her hand Then , I was stunned

“How’s it?”

Hoas it?

It was a child-like drawing It was alave ress

The weak, artistic ie of shi+ori in my heart was quickly blown into pieces

“shi+ori”

I patted her shoulders

“To be honest, I don’t think you should draw”

“…Really?”

“As you say,” shi+ori said to herself softly, as if she had first known the answer already I regret for being a little too direct

“But can you give me this portrait?”

“You really want this?”

“Yeah It’s because you drew it for me I’m happy no matter what it is”

“You sound too flattery, but I like it”

Save it to me

The bell for the end of the lunch break rang at the same time

Having parted with shi+ori, I walked back to the classrooht sharply

“What are you holding? A portrait, I see”

He quickly took the paper from my hand and looked at it He was stunned, certainly, at the spot

Nayuki and so beside hiued by our conversation Then they fell silent too

“…What an unorthodox drawing”

Nayuki forced herself to make a comment “It isn’t unorthodox, it’s just plain bad,” sohed

Nayuki looked at h Fury wasin me It was bad, sure, but shi+ori did her best to drew it

“But even pri like that”

“What the hell are you saying?”

So out

“Isn’t this a good drawing?”