Ch. 7: With a Serious Tone
Hanare: “You’ve got it wrong! Please wait!”
At Hanare’s sudden outburst, everyone froze.
OO: “Um… Hanare?”
Teacher: “Is something the matter?”
With all eyes on him, Hanare suddenly burst forth with words.
Hanare: “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with my health. Just… I was hoping to postpone practice today. Please.”
Teacher: “…Lord Hanare…”
The instructor thought over this for a while as this was apparently quite unusual…
Teacher: “Very well… please take care of yourself.”
With a quiet nod, the instructor and the servant both left.
Then, Hanare and myself were left alone in the room.
(What should I do…)
Not understanding what had happened, I struggled trying to figure out what to say.
Hanare hung his head in exhaustion…
(I wonder if his health is actually alright. I wanted to talk but… I should probably try again later.)
OO: “Hanare, I’m going to head back to my room too.”
But…-.
Hanare: “No, please don’t go… I want to talk.”
OO: “Eh…?”
His tone was serious but clearly forced, and I came to a stop.
Ch. 8: Words of Acceptance
Hanare: “No, please don’t go… I want to talk.”
There was a gravity to the air in the room where we stood alone.
(Talking… about what I wonder.)
I could only feel my anxiety increasing as I saw Hanare’s gloomy expression…
Hanare: “…”
OO: “…”
(Is he… going to say anything?)
OO: “Um…!”
Unable to bear the silence anymore, I spoke up, and at the same time Hanare strongly gripped my shoulders.
OO: “…!”
Hanare: “I’m sorry for offending you. But I want you to be able to relax. …I’ve given up on my feelings for you.”
OO: “Eh…?”
(He gave up on… his feelings…?)
As my mind was a storm of confusion, his words from before resurfaced.
————————
Hanare: “I guess… I was the one to misunderstand. But I like you, so…”
————————
(Hanare really did have feelings for me… but if he says he gave them up…)
The warmth that I had felt filling my chest now felt as if it had been ripped out of me.
Hanare: “Ah… no, please don’t misunderstand! I don’t hate you. I want to be good friends with you, and I’ll work hard to make that happen. So…”
(Hanare looks so sad, all because he thinks that I don’t like him… But I…-.)
OO: “Hanare… listen…-.”
Hanare: “You don’t have to worry about me…”
He cast his eyes to the ground, looking so alone, and removed his hands from my shoulders.
Hanare: “But I’d still like you to see me dance… please.”
OO: “…”
(I wonder… what it is I really feel for him?)
I was still unable to grasp the shape of those feelings and couldn’t put them clearly into words.
His expression was too serious as he looked at me, and I hesitated to give him an incomplete answer.
Hanare: “I’m sorry for being so selfish. But please.”
OO: “Ah.”
He said only that much, then I found myself outside of the room and the door shut in front of me…-.
…
……
Sometime after that…-.
Hanare was busy with practice, and the days continued with us unable to see each other…
I sat alone in the corner of my room as the evening sun streamed in.
(I couldn’t see him today either…)
Day by day, the loneliness within me only grew.
————————
Hanare: “I don’t hate you. I want to be good friends with you, and I’ll work hard to make that happen. So…”
————————
(Friends… huh.)
The scene outside looked as if it were burning in the evening sun, and I let out a sigh.
OO: “I want to see Hanare…”
Ironically… as time passed when we weren’t together, the feelings deep in my heart only grew.
Ch. 9: With Gift in Hand
The next day…-.
As the sun sank, a servant came to my room.
Servant: “Lady OO, a special night market is taking place this evening. Would you care to visit it?”
OO: “A night market…”
Wanting a change of pace, I decided to go into town with the servant…-.
Lights burned brilliantly in the town at night, and it was crowded with people coming to see the sights.
(What a lovely view… I wonder what Hanare is doing right now.)
I continued to walk around the night market with that thought held in my heart.
At one street stall, I found it delt specifically with elegant makeup.
(Ah, I bet… Hanare would like this.)
The lipstick I picked up had a beautiful crimson color to it.
(I’m sure he would look beautiful if he used it when he was on stage…)
I thought that as I remembered when I had observed him practicing.
Servant: “Lady OO, is something on your mind?”
OO: “Ah… I was just thinking that this color would look good on Hanare…”
(I… can only think of him.)
Servant: “…would you please give it to him as a gift?”
OO: “Eh…?”
Servant: “He ordered us all to make sure you enjoyed your stay while you were here… it’s the first time that’s ever happened. I believe Lord Hanare cares deeply for you Lady OO.”
OO: “…”
Those awkward yet direct words enflamed my chest.
(Hanare, for me…-.)
I purchased the lipstick and ran to where Hanare was…-.
…
……
Learning Hanare had gone back to his room from a servant, I called to him from the other side of the sliding door.
Then, Hanare’s face appeared.
Hanare: “OO…”
Upon seeing my face, a pained look flashed across his eyes.
Hanare: “Is something…? Did you… have business with me?”
The sadness in his voice made my heart ache.
OO: “Sorry for bothering you so late at night…”
Understanding my own feelings, I clenched my hands into fists.
Ch. 10: Feelings that Fail to Meet
Hanare: “Is something…? Did you… have business with me?”
Hanare’s sorrowful voice came from within the gloomy room…-.
OO: “I…”
I tightened my grip around the lipstick that I carried.
OO: “There’s something I wanted to tell you…”
Hanare: “Your face is red… and you’re breathing is heavy. Are you ill?”
OO: “No, that’s not it…-.”
I shook my head and Hanare frowned as if troubled.
Hanare: “Sorry. I said I wanted to be friends, but right now that might be impossible. I… still haven’t been able to give up. So being together is… difficult.”
His voice was strained as he spoke, then he turned his back on me.
OO: “Please wait…!”
I grabbed onto his clothing and Hanare halted.
Hanare: “…OO?”
His pale pink eyes opened wide.
OO: “…I want to tell you something, properly.”
Hanare: “…?”
OO: “Please don’t say you’re going to give up.”
My heart was pounding painfully in my chest from the nerves.
I lifted my head and looked him straight in the eye.
OO: “…I like you too Hanare.”
Hanare: “! …eh. …?”
Finally able to get the words out myself, Hanare was at a loss.
Hanare: “…you’re lying. You’re a kind person, so you’re just saying that to spare my feelings…-.”
OO: “You’re wrong Hanare! I…-.”
Hanare: “Please stop…”
Hanare held up a hand and turned away.
(He doesn’t get it…?)
Having the feelings that I finally understood rejected made my heart feel like it would burst open…
(Hanare was in this kind of pain too.)
OO: “Please listen to me, I really do…-.”
Mustering all my strength, I raised my voice and tried again, but…-.
Hanare: “Don’t lie…”
OO: “!!”
Hanare pulled me in and pinned me against the paper of the sliding door.
With my back to the door, the distance between us was suddenly very small.
(His face is close…)
Hanare: “I’m trying to give up! Because I didn’t want to cause you any trouble! And yet…-.”
Our breath intermingled from how close we were, and my heart gradually sped up.
Beneath Hanare’s angry gaze, I found myself at a loss for words.
(But… if I stay silent now, we’ll definitely end up disagreeing.)
OO: “Hanare… please listen to what I’m trying to say. I am not telling you lies.”
Hanare: “…really? And you aren’t saying this out of pity?”
OO: “…no.”
I answered, my voice shaking, and continued to stare at me with unblinking eyes.
Hanare: “I thought… I had been the one to misunderstand.”
Little by little… Hanare began to speak of his own feelings.
Hanare: “I never intended to cause trouble for you. But in the end, it really was difficult for you… …but are you saying that wasn’t the case? It was all my misunderstanding… and I jumped to conclusions…”
OO: “I’m sorry… if I had only realized my own feelings sooner.”
We locked eyes.
As Hanare looked at me with a strange expression…
Suddenly, the distance between us closed even more and I felt his lips near my ear.
Hanare: “You… like me back? Is that what you’re saying…?”
OO: “…I like you.”
I answered his question firmly.
Hanare: “…”
He continued to look straight into my eyes as if trying to ascertain the truth.
Hanare: “…I’ve made matters worse again. That’s always how it’s been. I just jump to the wrong conclusion… surprisingly things would turn out. But this time I thought it was hopeless… I really am sorry.”
OO: “…it wasn’t hopeless.”
I smiled and Hanare looked at me with those elegant eyes.
(Beautiful…)
Hanare: “It seemed like it would go wrong. This is only because you came to see me. That’s why… I want to tell you properly now. I like you. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought you were cute.”
My heart began to pound at his direct words.
Looking up, I watched as his face came in closer.
Hanare: “I don’t want anyone else to have you. You are mine alone.”
OO: “…I’m glad.”
I slowly closed my eyes and reached my hands towards his back.
Then Hanare pulled me into a hug and squeezed me tightly…
(This is bliss…)
My arms wrapped around his back, and I tightly clasped the lipstick I still held.
(I wonder if Hanare will like it.)
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Hanare: “The dance I was practicing just now, it’s almost done, and I’ll be performing it at the prayer ceremony. For that performance, I’ll be wearing beautiful clothing and be on an even better stage.”
————————
I was looking forward to seeing how much Hanare would shine if he wore the lipstick…
But for now, we simply held on to each other as if to confirm that our feelings had reached the other.
END
Secret Story: Luscious Lips
That night, OO came to my room out of breath…-.
I turned away from her, unable to handle her direct gaze.
Hanare: “Sorry. I said I wanted to be friends, but right now that might be impossible. I… still haven’t been able to give up. So being together is… difficult.”
(Because OO doesn’t share my feelings…)
I was always jumping to conclusions.
I knew I should be used to it at this point, but this time and this failure were incredibly painful.
(I am so embarrassed… and hurt.)
I turned my back on OO as those thoughts went through my mind, but she grabbed onto my clothing.
OO: “Please wait…!”
Hanare: “…OO?”
I turned in surprise, and OO looked up at me as if she’d made up her mind.
OO: “…I want to tell you something, properly.”
Hanare: “…?”
OO: “Please don’t say you’re going to give up.”
In that instant, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
(What does…)
OO: “…I like you too Hanare.”
Hanare: “! …eh. …?”
My eyes went wide.
(OO? And me? But I misunderstood… before. Aah… that’s it. OO doesn’t want to hurt me, so…-.)
Having come to that conclusion, I opened my mouth to speak.
Hanare: “…you’re lying. You’re a kind person, so you’re just saying that to spare my feelings…-.”
I was shaking as she argued back vehemently.
OO: “You’re wrong Hanare! I…-.”
Hanare: “Please stop…”
(I don’t want to cause you any further trouble or have you worry about me.)
Unable to look at her, I lifted my hand and averted my eyes, but…
OO: “Please listen to me, I really do…-.”
Hanare: “Don’t lie…”
OO: “!!”
I couldn’t contain my emotions.
OO gasped as I forced her into a position where she couldn’t back away.
Hanare: “I’m trying to give up! Because I didn’t want to cause you any trouble! And yet…-.”
Our breath intermingled from how close we were, and it felt like I was suffocating.
OO: “Hanare… please listen to what I’m trying to say. I am not telling you lies.”
She spoke her piece clearly, and I was finally able to calm down slightly.
Hanare: “…really? And you aren’t saying this out of pity?”
OO: “…no.”
OO’s voice was trembling as she answered.
There was no doubt in her eyes… and I understood that this was truly how she felt.
(She really…)
Hanare: “I thought… I had been the one to misunderstand. I never intended to cause trouble for you. But in the end, it really was difficult for you… …but are you saying that wasn’t the case? It was all my misunderstanding… and I jumped to conclusions…”
As I expressed myself, trying to be certain of all this, OO’s cheeks turned red.
And that in itself once more showed me what her true feelings were.
OO: “I’m sorry… if I had only realized my own feelings sooner.”
(In that case…)
Gently, I placed my lips near her ear.
Hanare: “You… like me back? Is that what you’re saying…?”
OO: “…I like you.”
I stared into OO’s eyes.
Hanare: “…”
I saw only myself reflected in her beautiful eyes…-.
Hanare: “…I’ve made matters worse again. That’s always how it’s been. I just rush to the wrong conclusion… surprisingly things would turn out. But this time I thought it was hopeless… I really am sorry.”
OO: “…it wasn’t hopeless.”
(No, I’m aware of how difficult I made things for you. But you can still smile at me like that.)
Our feelings now understood, the love I had longed for filled my heart.
Hanare: “It seemed like it would go wrong. This is only because you came to see me. That’s why… I want to tell you properly now.”
I took a small steadying breath.
Hanare: “I like you. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought you were cute.”
I came in closer.
Hanare: “I don’t want anyone else to have you. You are mine alone.”
OO: “…I’m glad.”
Saying that, she closed her eyes.
She gently wrapped her arms around me…
And unable to endure any longer, I held her tightly.
(I like OO… and she likes me.)
That simple truth made me happy from the bottom of my heart, and I felt my face warm up from drowning in happiness.
Then…-.
OO: “Um, Hanare…”
OO’s voice sounded embarrassed, and I suddenly came back to my senses.
Hanare: “Y-yeah… what is it?”
I slowly let her go, and OO brought out a small cloth bag.
Inside of it was…
Hanare: “…lipstick?”
OO: “I went to the night market. I found this there, and thought it would really suite you… …will you accept it?”
Hanare: “For me…”
She looked up at me at the question, and I smiled and nodded.
The beautiful lipstick was a color that I knew would look good with my costume…
Hanare: “Thank you.”
I scooped up some of the lipstick with my finger.
OO: “Eh…?”
I placed my finger, now dyed crimson, against OO’s lips as she looked up at me.
Staying like that, I slowly spread it across her lips…
Hanare: “…it’s a good color. Beautiful.”
OO: “Hanare…”
Her colored lips were so glossy and inviting…
OO: “Nn…”
In the still night beneath the beauty of the moon…
We shared sweet kisses, both colored by lipstick.
END