198: Her Shortcomings

Chisato, who usually displayed a hint of strength when the two of them interacted, now cast aside her worries and went all out, making it even harder for Kazusa to resist.

What astonished her even more was the expression on the other person's face as he uttered these embarrassing words.

That calm expression with a hint of a mischievous smile, full of roguishness and confidence... So this is the side of Chisato I've never noticed before!

But even if she realized it belatedly, Kazusa couldn't dislike him at all.

On the contrary, her heart began to race faster after receiving these messages.

"...This is inexplicable. Let's start practicing the piano first."

To cover up her shame, Kazusa took a deep breath and walked to the piano, preparing to enter her own territory to reclaim victory.

Just as she reached out to push open the top cover of the piano, Chisato pressed it down and slowly shook her head.

"Sorry, I don't really want to practice the piano today. I just want to talk to you, Touma."

"Well..."

"You should feel the same way. Once we get here, no one else can disturb us, so we can calm down and chat about something."

Chisato took out her mobile phone, which showed "no signal," and the time displayed two o'clock in the afternoon.

If it weren't raining, he would have loved to ask Kazusa out for a walk. 

Although he knew the other party wasn't the type who clung to formalities, he still wanted to see how she reacted when receiving gifts or flowers. 

Her expression and response would undoubtedly be adorable.

But the most important thing now was to clarify their relationship.

Seeing that Kazusa was standing there, unsure of what to do next, Chisato put some pressure on her, forcing her to take a step closer.

"If Touma has nothing to say, then it's almost time for me to go back now. You should spend more time with your mother, whom you haven't seen for a long time." 

"See you at school tomorrow."

The moment he stood up, Kazusa grabbed his sleeve, looked away, and said in a muffled voice,

"Don't... don't go."

Chisato said nothing and looked at her quietly.

"I'm actually... not the beautiful girl you imagine."

Kazusa finally gathered her courage, and her opening remarks were filled with self-doubt.

When she managed to raise her head and meet Chisato's gaze, she found the other person wasn't surprised as she had expected. 

Instead, he appeared gentle, with a layer of warmth that made her blush.

Such emotions made her both embarrassed and anxious, but when Chisato patted the space next to him and motioned for her to sit down on the piano stool, it seemed to break the barrier of distance between them.

The thoughts she had at the beginning slowly became clear in her mind, allowing her to express them.

"I started learning the piano formally when I was three years old, even before I could officially learn to read." 

"During my childhood, I had no real friends. My only companion was the piano. I persisted for more than ten years—until three years ago."

Kazusa placed her hand on her forehead, and when she realized she seemed to be getting off topic, she shook her head slightly.

"In short, because I used to spend almost all my time on the piano, I'm not good at anything else. It's not an exaggeration to say that I am a complete mess."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Chisato looked at her seriously, as if he were truly listening.

A little embarrassed, but determined, Kazusa forced herself to continue speaking.

"...The most obvious area is my studies. As you can see, except for my Japanese language course, my grades are only slightly above passing." 

"I don't understand anything else. In some subjects, I can only rely on guesswork to get a passing grade."

Chisato smiled nonchalantly.

"Academic performance doesn't mean everything. Not everyone in the world has good grades, so this doesn't mean much."

Kazusa became a little agitated.

"Suzumiya, you don't understand what I mean. It's not just about studying; it's about life! I can't cook, I lack common sense, I can't do laundry, I spend money recklessly, and my relationships with others are often a mess!"

"This home looks neat and clean, right? But that's all thanks to the housekeeping aunt. If I lived alone, the house would be in disarray within three days, and there would be nowhere to sit!"

"These are the facts. From the moment you took money from your wallet in the health room without changing your expression, I realized you were indeed different from others."

Kazusa's eyes dimmed slightly as she exhaled softly, but what Chisato said next caused her calm heart to start racing again.

"But so what? It doesn't matter if you don't know how to cook or do laundry. Many girls are like that these days. You don't have to force yourself to learn; I can do it for you."

"It's fine to spend money freely, as long as you earn enough in the future—there's nothing wrong with that."

"As for relationships with others, that's even less important. Why force yourself to do things you don't enjoy? Kazusa, you just need to focus on yourself."

"In my opinion, the most important thing is..."

At an extremely close distance, Chisato looked into Kazusa's eyes.

"What do you think, Touma? Are you saying these words because you're troubled by what I said before?" 

"Do you want us to respect each other, so you're saying these things to make me dislike you and to distance yourself from me?

"Or should I say…"

"Is the reason you're saying this because you hope I won't mind your shortcomings and will accept you honestly and without concern? I just want to confirm this."

Kazusa's trembling left hand gently rested on her constantly heaving chest. 

A few years ago, Kazusa were abandoned by her mother. 

The gray ruins, where everything had fallen apart, now regained their brilliance, building tall structures that felt incredibly vivid.

_______

20+ advanced chapters on patreon.com/SenatusTheta

_______

If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!