Chapter 1: The Angel and the New Semester
Amane, who had woken up early for the start of the new semester, found it a little disappointing that no one was next to him.
A face-to-face encounter with Mahiru’s father, Asahi, and Mahiru’s emotional outburst. It all happened on the last day of summer vacation, but it wasn’t all that bad. The feelings of Mahiru’s father, which had been shrouded in mystery until then, began to be disclosed in small parts. Amane professed that he wanted to protect Mahiru for the rest of her life, and in turn he was able to make up his mind to continue walking beside her.
Mahiru seemed to accept it. Amane hadn’t made any clear promises to her just yet, but even so, he wanted to believe that she’d accept them when the time came. He jokingly asked Mahiru if she wanted to stay with him overnight, but in the end, she didn’t do so.
He had intended to coerce her into staying the night if it seemed like she was really going to be crushed by her unbearable pain, but it appeared that Amane’s words put her at ease, and she left with a faint smile lacking strength, but she wasn’t broken at heart.
I hope she’s not pushing herself too hard…
As he changed into his uniform, he thought back to what had happened to Mahiru the day before, but she seemed to have calmed down considerably through Amane’s consoling. There was a fair bit of unease when Amane noted that he alone occupied the majority of Mahiru’s life, since there were things that he couldn’t help her with himself. His expression darkened a little, wondering what to do if she was still sorrowful, but just as he fastened his belt, he heard the sound of someone unlocking the front door. It was their first day at school after summer vacation, so she must have come earlier than usual.
Amane promptly left his bedroom, necktie in hand, and found Mahiru standing at the entrance to the kitchen putting on her apron.
“Good morning.” Mahiru greeted him with her usual smile, and Amane was silently relieved.
“Morning. Did you sleep well?”
“I’m not so depressed as to make you worry about me, and I’m fine now. I’ve cleared up my mind.”
“Even if you say that so clearly, your emotions are something else. Well, you may think I’m worrying too much, but let me know if it gets painful. I’ll support you with all my might.”
“Thank you very much… I’ll be counting on you.”
Mahiru turned into a little bundle of shyness and she seemed to really mean what she said, so Amane smiled lightly at her and headed for the bathroom to get dressed.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
“Have you forgotten anything?”
Mahiru called out to him after he ate the breakfast she made him, and was just about to head out of the house.
Even if she asked if he forgot something, he prepared everything beforehand, so there probably wasn’t anything. He put everything he needed in his bag ahead of time to make sure, and he shouldn’t have any problems.
“I don’t think I forgot anything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why are you doubting me?”
“…Haven’t you forgotten this?”
Mahiru looked a little exasperated as she motioned to his uniform. It was a school-designated necktie that Amane intended to tie later since it was so hot. When she reminded him that he’d left it in the bathroom after washing his face, he finally remembered.
“Ahhh,” he said without thinking, and he could hear her sigh.
“There’s the opening ceremony later, so you have to be well-dressed.”
“Honestly, geez,” Mahiru said as she tried to wrap the necktie around his neck, and Amane crouched down lightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Of course, he could do it himself, since it was basically something he’d done every day before summer vacation, but he didn’t want to stop her if Mahiru was going to do it for him.
He let out a small smile at the sight of Mahiru diligently fixing his necktie.
No doubt she’ll be embarrassed once she realizes it later.
It was heart-warming for him to see her acting like his newlywed wife. Amane was grateful that she did it naturally without thinking, but more than that, he was looking forward to her blushing face when she realized it later, so everything was good.
As he peered at Mahiru, who was still carefully tying his necktie, she noticed that the style of his gaze was different from usual, and she gave him a suspicious look.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how happy I am.”
“That’s fine, but you’re so careless sometimes, Amane-kun.”
“I guess so. You could say that I let my guard down because you’re here, Mahiru.”
“Geez. You’re helpless.”
Mahiru let out a happy yelp as she finished tying his necktie, seemingly satisfied. Since it was happening in front of the door, he thought she was like a wife sending her husband off to work, but Mahiru would ignore him for a while if he said so, so he kept quiet.
Instead, he patted her on the head and held her hand firmly.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, Amane smiled at Mahiru and took her hand as if he was used to it, and opened the door while holding her bag. She intended to carry it herself, but since she was doing so much for him, Amane at least wanted to do this much for her. Mahiru’s cheeks relaxed and she was slightly happy at Amane’s unyielding refusal to back down and lightly headbutted his upper arm.
“What’s wrong?” Amane asked, curious.
“…It’s nothing.”
“If you say so, then that’s fine.”
He wasn’t so dull as to take what she said at face value, but if Mahiru wasn’t going to say any more, he wouldn’t press any further.
“I’m heading off.”
When Amane muttered to himself, Mahiru stared at him and echoed, “I’m heading off,” as if following his lead.
Thinking that his apartment was the place he returned home to with Mahiru made him blush, and he relaxed his cheeks with a mixture of embarrassment and happiness, but Mahiru didn’t question his change in expression.
After all, Mahiru was beaming happily, her face already a faint red color and there was no way that she would notice Amane’s embarrassment.
He took the blissful Mahiru’s hand once again, and she squeezed back in the same way.
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