Chapter 39 - The Promise with Karin
Karin spoke.
"Do you like Marimo-senpai?"
Her typically straightforward question posed a challenge unlike anything I had ever encountered, one that no amount of flipping through the pages of my life could have prepared me for. I couldn’t answer her right away.
For a moment, I considered using the reasoning I had employed earlier—the method for determining whether I disliked someone.
But I quickly realized that such a shallow approach was meaningless here.
"... You're not asking if I respect her as a person, are you?"
I knew the question was pointless, but I asked it anyway.
What a lazy response.
"Of course not!"
Karin denied it with a smile and then continued.
"I'm asking if you like her romantically, as a love interest. Senpai?"
It was a question I had never considered before.
By the time I realized it, Marimo had always been by my side. Her presence became such a given in my life that I never thought of her in terms of being the opposite sex, or about love or romance. She had simply existed outside those categories for me.
No—that’s not true.
Am I still trying to run away from the truth, Kirishima Kouhei?
It’s only been a few days. Just a short span of time.
And what was I like after losing Marimo?
She was all I could think about, wasn’t she?
Yes, I had been running away.
I had been avoiding seeing Marimo as a woman.
But why?
"I’ve been thinking this ever since I first met both of you,"
"I always thought, ‘Wow, these two must really trust each other and have a deep bond.’"
It was about time I admitted it.
If I didn’t, it would be an unforgivable betrayal to Karin.
She was asking me now, directly, as someone who cared about me, "Who is it that you truly love?"
I could imagine how painful that must be for her, how much it must wrench her heart to ask.
I wasn’t so clueless that I couldn’t grasp that much.
No matter how clumsy my answer, I had to respond.
I needed to respond.
"...I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’m pathetic, but that’s the truth..."
I finally opened my mouth, and what came out was pure cowardice.
"Kouhei-senpai? Saying you don’t know doesn’t mean your answer is ‘No,’ does it?"
Karin, refusing to give up on me, stayed by my side.
"But, we’ve only ever been together. That doesn’t mean it’s love, right?"
"Come on, Senpai! Look at yourself objectively! At the very least, you think of Marimo-senpai as someone more important than anyone else, don’t you?"
".........!"
I was speechless.
Maybe it was because Karin had grabbed hold of a truth that even I hadn’t been able to acknowledge.
"I know I’m the one who brought this up, but forget about love or romance for a second. Just tell me—what do you want to do right now for the person you care about the most?"
"Of course—"
I want to go to her side.
I want to wipe away her tears.
I want to comfort her.
I want to tell her everything will be okay because I’m here.
"Then let’s go to Marimo-senpai, okay?"
"But I can’t just leave here!"
"It’s fine! ... Listen, can’t you hear the footsteps?"
The sound of rumbling echoed through the hall, and then it stopped right in front of the broadcast room.
"Awaaaugh! I’ve brought reinforcements! Excuse me! Leave it to me, Senpai!!"
"Onigawara-kun!? What about the transport team?!"
"I finished everything already!!"
"You did!? All of it?!"
"Yeah!!"
Karin grinned, clearly pleased with herself, showing her teeth in a wide smile.
"Now you’ve got no excuses left, Senpai! Hehe. And if you still can’t make up your mind, I’m going to use that promise you made! Remember when you ate the lunch I made for you?"
"... I remember. I said I’d do whatever you asked."
"That’s right! I’m using it now! So, go to Marimo-senpai’s side right this instant! Because you—my beloved Senpai—would never leave Marimo-senpai all alone!!"
"... Got it. Thanks, Karin."
I grabbed my jacket and borrowed a phone in case I needed to contact someone.
As I was getting ready to leave, Karin called out to me.
"Oh, and Senpai! I won’t give up! Not to Marimo-senpai! I’m going to make sure you notice me with my own strength!"
"So once everything’s back to normal, make sure you look at me too, okay?"
"That’s another promise, got it?"
——A promise.
What a heavy word that is.
But even so, I nodded.
"Yeah!!"
If I were to turn my back on this now, I wouldn’t be able to face anyone in the future.
"I’m counting on you two to hold the fort!"
"Leave it to us!!"
"Kirishima-senpai, good luck!!"
I dashed out of the broadcast room like a fired bullet.
Today, of all days, I wouldn’t hesitate to run in the halls.
The broadcast room and the student council office are usually connected by a straight corridor.
However, because of the orienteering event, that corridor had been blocked off near the restroom, and the middle section was being used as a storage space.
So, I had to take a detour through the courtyard to reach the student council office.
Even then, it would only take three minutes if I ran at full speed.
Marimo had said something once.
"Problems seem to always happen when you’re in a hurry, but really, it’s just that the problems that occur when you’re rushing stick in your mind more. They pop up at a constant rate. Mufuu~."
She was probably right.
I had no way of verifying it, but I trusted her judgment.
Still, that constant rate of problems, it didn’t have to rear its head right now, did it?
I hadn’t noticed earlier in my haste.
But now, just 10 meters from the student council office—
The pile of poles and barriers in the equipment storage room had collapsed.
Not completely, but enough that even a small disturbance could trigger a second collapse.
"Damn it."
I cursed the so-called constant rate of problems, but I couldn’t just leave it alone.
What if a student came to use the restroom and got hurt?
I had to deal with it.
"Ouch! Who’s the idiot who threw out a board with nails in it!?"
I knew it wouldn’t help to get angry, but the sense of urgency was building.
Just then, I heard someone whistling as they came out of the boys’ restroom.
"What’s the rush, Kirishima? You look like your life’s on the line."
"Phew~! Let me guess, your wife’s about to give birth, huh? Phew~!"
"Mogi! Takahashi!"
A selfish thought crossed my mind.
Could I really allow this?
They were just regular students.
Here to enjoy the recreational event.
But—.
"So, we just need to clean this up, right?"
"But you guys—"
"Phew~! Seems like the water quality around here’s getting real bad, eh? Kirishima, don’t be so distant! Phew~!"
"You’ve got something urgent, don’t you? Leave this to us, go on."
"Phew~! A man of resolve gets seen off by other men of resolve, you know? Phew~!"
"Thanks!"
I’ll treat them to a grand meal someday.
The best Neapolitan pasta and hamburgers.
"Okay, grab that side, Takahashi."
"Phew~! Mogi, I only trained my abs with a butterfly ab exerciser, you know? Phew~!"
"Seriously, thank you! Don’t get hurt, okay?"
And then, I opened the door to the student council office—
The door of decision.
"Marimo!!"
I shouted her name at the top of my lungs—.