Chapter 161 - Natsumi-chan (2/2)

Natsumi-chan laughed happily.

“For my car, it seems that Papa will give his car to me, but it seems like a car that an old man would have. A sedan, you see, and it isn’t cute at all.”

As she pursed her lips, she spoke luxuriously about her complaints.

“Isn’t just getting your own car something to be thankful for?”

“Well, that’s true.”

The high school version of Natsumi-chan seems strangely mature after watching her drive a car like this.

“If you’re fine with me, you can talk with me. You seem to be worried over something.”

If I were to talk about my time leaping, she would definitely burst out laughing, so I guess I’ll tell her while avoiding that.

“There was this super accurate fortune telling. It’s enough to call it a prophecy, maybe?”

She urged me to go on.

“Hiiragi-chan and I will supposedly break up in March of next year based off of it.”

“Aaaah, so that’s what you’re worried about?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

That’s unexpected, for you to believe in fortune telling, Natsumi-chan said.

“However, why would you break up? For what reason? Ah, is that why you threw out that joke earlier?”

“I didn’t mean to just throw it out, I just thought that if it was you, you might have a vague idea. I just can’t seem to figure out a reason.”

Natsumi-chan began to seriously think it over. I thought that she would laugh it off saying that it was just fortune telling and that it was super sketchy, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“If… if it were to come to that, would Thief-kun just say bye and leave forever?”

“Eh?”

“How should I put this…? If she ends up not liking you anymore, would you not be able to like Haru-chan anymore?”

Being questioned from an angle I never thought about before, I had to think for a little bit.

A Hiiragi-chan that doesn’t like me anymore? That means that my currently requited feelings would become one sided. Would I then end up not liking her?

“I don’t think that would be the case.”

“Yeah. The Thief-kun that I know would say that.”

“…However, with how much that would hurt, I feel like I would just want to be a clam in my next life.”

“Wow!? That’s such a predictable amount of depression!?”

Even now, just by imagining it, it feels like the shock of being hit in the back of my head with a blunt weapon with an uncomfortable feeling in my chest beginning to rise.

If Hiiragi-chan were to bring up our breakup, the reason for it would have to be something that the two of us would accept.

However, Sana said that she didn’t accept it even in the present time.

“Haaah… I also want a boyfriend like Thief-kun…”

Natsumi-chan said quietly.

“—J-just someone like you! I’m not saying that you’re the one, okay!?”

“I haven’t said anything yet though.”

Kohon, Natsumi-chan, who was unusually shaken, clears her throat.

“A-anyways. It’s not like it’s the end of your relationship with her after breaking up, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve already greeted Mama, the last boss of the Hiiragi family, right? The future for the two of you is all green. Even if you break up, if you end up together in the end, then it’s still a victory.”

She spoke in a light tone.

“W-well… if even if you do end up breaking up… y-you would be m-married to m-me… Mama was interested in that. She d-did talk about t-that as well.”

Her voice turned into a quiet whisper.

“Thanks.” I spoke in reply.

Until now, I have only thought of clearing the challenges that have come up in the present day. That was all done in order to marry Hiiragi-chan.

If that is the goal, then even if we broke up once or twice, it would still be a success if we were to end up together in the end.

There are many couples in the world that breakup and come back together.

Thinking about that, I feel just a little bit more at ease.

“Natsumi-chan.”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Can I shake your hand?”

“Eh? No. I’ll tell Haru-chan about this.”

“Is shaking hands really such a bad thing!?”

Fufu, Natsumi-chan let out a breath and then laughed.

“You’ve cheered up a bit, so let’s go home. Ah, treat me to a drink or something.”

Natsumi-chan ended up asking me to treat her to something in a very unladylike manner.

“It can’t be helped.”

We stopped by a vending machine on the way and I bought her orange juice. I bought a cola as well.

“Good work this year.”

“You too.”

Inside the car, illuminated by street lights, the two of us bumped our small cans together.