Wishing for those peaceful days

If he suffered from such an injury and died, then she would never be able to forgive herself. If Ru were to leave her side, she would be truly alone.

"Y-you could have died. People die from head injuries. Your stupid."

Does he have to concentrate so hard just to buy her a present?

Does he have to do so much to make her happy? Sumire already knew the answer to her own questions even without asking. If she asked, Ru would say yes with the usual foolish smile on his face.

Mamoru's gaze softened as he brushed his fingers across her eyelids. Sumire thought he would leave it there and say some comforting words, but he suddenly parted her bangs and leaned forward. The moment his lips made contact, her eyes widened.

What is he doing? W-what did he just do-?!! Sumire felt like screaming, but she held back when she saw his flushed face as he drew away.

She avoided his gaze. If he is going to be embarrassed, why did he even do that?

"I wanted to calm you down." Ru frantically exclaimed. "I mean, I saw this on TV before."

"T-that doesn't mean you can just copy it."

Was he watching a weird romance film or something? She heard that his circle of friends at school always watch weird stuff.

But unlike before, her heart feels calmer. She still doesn't like the idea of him getting hurt for her sake, but she feels at ease.

There is truly something unusual about Tsueno Mamoru. Why does he possess the ability to calm her down? None of the others could do that. They always panicked whenever she broke down because they didn't know what to do.

That's why it's better to keep them at arm's length. She does not want to trouble the guys in Nanairofeather. The six of them have great potential to succeed and become even brighter stars than they are now.

'I can't tie them to me, somebody with a baggage of issues.' Daiki-sama's confession surprised her; she did not know how to act for a while. But, after she thought it through, her thoughts became clear.

She will not date any of the guys in Nanairofeather, no matter what happens. She wants to remain by their side as their composer and to continue making music together.

Mamoru scratched his face awkwardly. "Your right, sorry. But I just wanted you to calm down. It hurts me seeing you cry."

Ah, again, Ru often says the opposite things to what normal people would say. Normal people say they dislike seeing her cry. It is not bad to say those words but for somebody with a negative mindset like her.

She could easily misinterpret those words. Often when people say those words to her, she thinks they find her tears are a burden.

But Ru uses different wording. At first, she debated about the meaning behind those words. Is he saying that to guilt-trip her? Is he saying that out of sympathy? After a while, she dismissed the idea of finding out the reason why.

This person is foolishly honest; his thoughts and feelings show on his face. That is why she played with the idea a long time ago that he might like her. If he ever said it, she wouldn't turn him down like she did other people. Ru is different, even if she does not understand the reason why he is different.

She would end up saying yes if he confessed.

She stopped thinking this way because she realized that Ru was always reminding her about her feelings towards Yuhi. If he truly liked her, he shouldn't be able to do that.

"Then Ru, you have to promise me something."

"I will do anything."

"I know you can't avoid getting caught up in stupid situations. If that is the case, then the solution is simple. You have to keep me by your side at all times."

This is the only way. She can watch his back if they are together all the time. This also benefits him since he would worry less about her.

"Uh, Ki. Could you clarify what you mean by all times?"

"Twenty-four-seven. We live next to each other; we can just alternate between houses."

Mamoru looked at her with a troubled expression. "So you want to live together too?"

"It's not like it's any different to now."

"But you said twenty-four seven-"

Sumire's face turned red when she understood why Mamoru was panicking. "I-I didn't mean it literally. You can still bathe and go to the toilet on your own-"

"R-right, but just now-"

Why does she keep making a fool out of herself in front of Ru? This is so embarrassing. Her thoughts broke off when Ru extended his hand out and gave her half off a popsicle.

"It's winter still," Sumire mumbled, but she accepted it.

"This is the best time to eat it."

She wonders if their quiet and peaceful days can continue this way.

...

It was a strangely quiet walk on the way back. She felt a bit unusual; since when did her relationship with Mamoru become like this? Recently, she has become more self-conscious about his treatment of her. Is it because the number of girls confessing to him is increasing?

'It's just the after affects of Christmas, the confessions should slow down after a while, and the situation will return to normal.'

She needs to convince herself otherwise. 'I feel my irritation grow when I watch those jealous girls.' Why do they see the need to take it out on her? It's Ru's decision to spend time with her.

No matter how much she tries to get him to interact with others. Ru maintains a distance with other people. Sometimes when she sees him smile in front of others, he looks sad and lonely.

Her thoughts broke off when she saw the house in sight. Whenever she walks with Ru, it seems like time flies by quickly. Right in front of the house was a man with golden blonde colored hair.

"Masaru-senpai, what's--" Sumire paused, seeing him stagger.

"Hey, there, lady and Mamoru. It seems like I beat you here."

Sumire was about to make a retort when she spotted something unusual. She hesitated but took a few steps closer.

Masaru was wounded terribly, with a large bloody patch on his chest, a large sickle, and several needles stuck to his back.

Ah--? He immediately fell forward into her arms. "It's good that you're safe."