Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 213, Section 15: "If I could become someone's eyes"

The outline of the ceiling emerged from the darkness.

Masumi stared at the wood grain for a long time with his eyes open. The lines of the wood grain were blurred in the darkness, and it looked like a crying smiling face. He thought this for no reason.

Looking at the clock, it was only around 2:15 a.m., no wonder it was so dark.

In Nemuro, the easternmost city of the island nation, the sun may be about to rise, but Kobe is still shrouded in darkness.

He woke up in a coffee shop where people were sleeping.

Feeling unable to fall asleep again anytime soon, Masumi sighed quietly and crawled out of bed.

The creaking sound of footsteps on the wooden walkway was unusually loud in the quiet room.

This house really needs some renovations now and then.

As Masumi pondered this matter—

A pale arm suddenly reached out from a dark corner of the corridor.

"!?"

Masumi was startled. Had Rinne been careless and forgotten to put up wisteria flowers in front of the coffee shop before going to bed?
No, it's autumn now, the wisteria flowers have already faded.

As Masumi stiffened with fear, the "demon" that had invaded the third floor of the coffee shop seemed to have exhausted its strength, its slender arms hanging limply at its sides.

"...It's...Masumi."

The soft voice sounded familiar.

Can't go wrong.

Masumi looked closely and saw a frail figure sitting with her legs wrapped around her thighs and her back against the wall.

With her long, flaxen hair and fair skin that appeared even more striking in the darkness, she was Haiyue.

"Haiyue, what are you doing here so late?"

Every time she couldn't sleep at night and went for a walk, she would bump into girls who were also awake. Could she really be the protagonist of a light novel? Masumi wondered to herself.

Just like that brass band president who would wander around at night during the annual club training camp.

"Miss Shao said she will pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Hmm..." Haiyue responded weakly, her face expressionless:
"So...I want a little more...time to be sober..."

Her voice came from the darkened corridor.

Because of the difference in light and shadow, Haiyue's face was not clearly visible.

Want to cherish your time in this coffee shop?
Masumi couldn't bear to leave her alone there while he went back to bed to sleep, so he spoke up:

"Haiyue."

"Ok?"

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

The jellyfish girl tilted her head in confusion: "Now?"

"Ah."

"Where...are you going?"

"Uh……"

Masumi was stumped by the question.

Haiyue shook her head gently, as if to help him out of a predicament:

"It's okay...as long as I'm with Masumi...anywhere is fine..."

"Anywhere is fine..."

She murmured repeatedly, as if ruminating.

All Haiyue needed was to be with him. Realizing this, Masumi sighed quietly.

But seeing that the lowered-eye-closed face relax, well, that's good.

However, she didn't even mention where she wanted to go, which is a bit of a problem.

Well, after all, I was the one who spoke first.

Since it was late at night and there wasn't anywhere to go, and going too far seemed unsafe, Masumi simply suggested:

How about going to the nearby park?

"Okay, I'll listen to Masumi."

The small shadow cast by the moonlight on the floor trembled.

◇

After changing into her outdoor clothes, Masumi waited at the door of Kaigetsu's room, being careful not to disturb Mio, who was sleeping soundly on the third floor.

If Mio were to discover that he had gone out with Haiyue in the middle of the night, something so unusual, she probably wouldn't take it lightly.

Given Mami's previous experience, she might suspect that her and Haiyue's destination was the 24-hour Love Hotel.

Masumi wasn't worried about being misunderstood, but if Mio found out about this, she would definitely follow, and in that case, it would be difficult for Kaigetsu to speak up.

The door opened a crack, and a small-clawed otter poked its head out... Haiyue was wearing a small-clawed otter costume.

"Huh? These are pajamas."

"You can... wear it outside..."

As Haiyue spoke, she shakily lifted one foot, her small, otter-like toes encased in a hard-soled mascot-style leather boot.

So that's the difference between pajamas and outerwear?

If it were during the day, Masumi would feel that this outfit would be too conspicuous to wear out, but everything would be fine at night.

"Then let's go."

A man and a woman walked out of the door and onto the streets of Suma at night.

"Shall we go buy some drinks?"

Masumi pointed to a vending machine that passed by on the way, the machine emitting a cheap light in the night.

There are no flying insects chasing the light this season, so it's just the two of them.

"Ah."

"What would you like to drink, Haiyue?" Masumi asked.

"Soy milk... latte".

Haiyue said, looking at the drinks displayed in the vending machine.

"Then I'll choose this one too."

Masumi bought two cans of soy milk latte. She picked up one can from the dispenser, opened the tab, and handed it to Kaigetsu before bending down to take her own can.

"……Thanks."

"Ah."

The girl, wrapped in a mascot costume, held a soy milk latte in her palm and sipped it slowly.

Like a small animal drinking water, Masumi gently touched the top of her head.

The two continued walking towards the park, sipping their drinks.

The little-clawed otter walks on two legs and looks small and cute.

Masumi deliberately slowed her pace so that Masumi could walk alongside her.

The surroundings were filled with a deathly silence, with only the untimely footsteps of two people gently tapping on the cool autumn night.

Fortunately, Haiyue was wearing this outfit. The doll looked quite thick, so it should be quite warm, Masumi thought.

"I used to come to this park with my friends when I was little."

Masumi's body and memories move together toward the park.

This is a small park built in the middle of a residential area, surrounded by trees and lush greenery. It has swings and slides. Masumi used to come here often with her close friends and... her mother.

"Kaigetsu, your family is from Wakayama."

"Ah."

"You can see pandas at the zoo."

Kobe Municipal Oji Zoo used to have pandas; Masumi even visited one when she was a child, but it has since passed away.

Haiyue shook her head: "I haven't seen it."

"Oh, I see. Also, Nanki Shirahama is quite famous."

Shirahama Town in southern Wakayama Prefecture is one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in the Kinki region.

"Never been."

Haiyue shook her head again.

"Oh, oh..."

Considering that Haiyue High School was a correspondence-based high school, there probably weren't many opportunities to travel far from home.

Both the Asahina and Seno families are enviable, happy families who take their children on family trips on weekends.

Masumi didn't know anything about her family and didn't know what to say.

After a brief silence, Masumi and Kaigetsu walked forward without saying a word, finally reaching the park.

The darkness and the lack of light in the residential area made the park seem even more eerie at midnight.

To be honest, Masumi felt a little regretful; this was definitely not a suitable place for two people to open up and have a heart-to-heart talk.

But Haiyue didn't seem to mind: "Masumi... when you were little... did you come here often?"

"Ah."

"There are swings and slides over there. My mother often brought me to the park when I was little."

"so."

Haiyue responded, but it was too dark to see her expression.

The shadows cast by her bangs left a melancholy mark on her doll-like, delicate face.

She murmured in a weak, barely audible voice, "My mother...wouldn't come here with me..."

"Eh."

"Well, there aren't many people like my mother. She's the type who swings and goes down the slide with her kids. If there are too many, it'll be a hassle, because they'll fill up the whole slide."

Haiyue kept staring at Masumi, who was gesticulating wildly as she explained.

Not far from them, a pigeon paced indifferently on the ground. Masumi showed no interest in it, and presumably Kaigetsu did too.

Masumi tried to make amends, but with a sigh, she said, "Besides, that was when I was very young."

After he finished speaking, he saw Haiyue raise her face anxiously, her throat trembling slightly.

Did I... accidentally hurt Masumi?

"That's not true." Masumi turned her face away, changing the subject as if to say, "Want to go sit on the swings over there?"

Haiyue hummed in agreement.
"I want to sit with Masumi..."

As if she hadn't grasped the implied meaning, Masumi smiled and nodded:

"That's perfect, I remember there are exactly two swings."

Upon closer inspection, I touched the swing and noticed that it seemed to have been thoroughly cleaned.

There was no sticky feeling, and the amount of dust was within an acceptable range.

Masumi quite likes swings, but with his current adult weight, it seems a bit difficult for him to sit on one.

He brushed aside the newly fallen leaves, grabbed the rope, and sat down on it with trepidation.

……fine.

The sling, though it creaked, wasn't in danger of breaking. The next moment—

Two soft, delicate buttocks sat down on his lap.

"Haiyue!?"

As if in response to his surprise, Haiyue said nonchalantly:
"Sit on a swing."

Masumi was troubled: "The swing can only seat one person, so Kaigetsu should sit next to me."

"...I don't like swings."

Haiyue gripped his clothes tightly, as if she were throwing a tantrum. Wasn't that a bit too willful?

But the thought that if Haiyue were to leave tomorrow, this would be the last time he could tolerate her willfulness, made Masumi fall silent.

"..."

Haiyue seemed to take this as tacit agreement and sat comfortably on Masumi's lap.

"Are you alright?" Masumi glanced worriedly at the top of the sling, thankfully finding it unharmed.

Besides the safety of the swing, he was also quite concerned about the presence of the girl on his lap.

Her slender waist, so delicate it could be grasped in one hand, kissed his soft, plump peach-like nipple, overflowing with creamy softness, as she sat on his lap.

Fortunately, Haiyue's bulky mascot costume concealed the girl's beautiful back view, and Masumi tried her best to use reason to fight against the instinctive fangs that were gnawing.

The clouds obscured the moon, and darkness enveloped everything around.

"Haiyue."

"Ok?"

"Are you unhappy at your home in Wakayama?"

Even now, Masumi still doesn't know why she ran away from home.

"..."

Even through the mascot costume, you could feel her body trembling as she took a deep breath, her fingers quietly gripping the clothes.

"It should be... happy..."

"Huh? Why should it be?" Masumi asked, puzzled.

"Because...I don't really understand it myself..."

Even the fluffy mascot costume became cold in the night wind, with only the breath she exhaled carrying a trace of warmth.

"I don't quite understand..."

Haiyue suddenly stood up from his lap.

"... Haiyue?"

The jellyfish girl slowly turned around and then sat on his lap, facing him closely.

Guh, Masumi swallowed hard; this suggestive sitting posture was even more dangerous.

He heard both the swing and reason wailing in unison.

Just as she was about to protest, Haiyue's wet eyes stared directly at her, causing Masumi's heart to waver again.

The jellyfish girl remained expressionless, uttering a weak murmur from her lips:

"Staying at home... even though there are unhappy parts... is... happier than anywhere else..."

"At least there... there are people I can rely on... even if only occasionally..."

What should have been reassuring words were ruined by the final "occasionally," like a latte being bumped before it was served.

The coffee latte art, which should have been perfect, was instantly twisted into an unrecognizable shape, with tiny, dark brown swirls that seemed to suck people in.

Seemingly sensing something, Masumi stiffly forced out a question, asking who had ruined the latte art.

"what does that mean?"

"Because... I'm a useless person... I cause trouble for the people around me... and it's still the same now..."

“Mom…hates me for doing this…but afterwards she’ll say to me…, ‘I’m sorry, Mom did this because she loves you…’”

"So I cherish it very much... but... I can't keep causing trouble for my mother..."

As she spoke, the corners of her lips seemed to twist slightly with pain, and for a moment, she revealed a mature expression that was completely different from her usual demeanor.

Masumi was stunned.

He thought he knew all of Haiyue's feelings, but seeing that she could also have such an expression, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his arrogance.

“I also cherish the time I spend with Masumi… and everyone at the coffee shop… but like my mother said… I’m always causing trouble for the people around me…”

"Maybe... just like Kozue said... I'd better not bother everyone... it'd be better for me to go back to Wakayama..."

"That's not true at all."

Without hesitation, Masumi grabbed Kaigetsu's shoulders, wrapped her delicate shoulders in her palms, and pulled her towards herself.

"I don't feel like Haiyue has caused me any trouble at all."

"But my usual behavior... Masumi often says... it's troublesome, isn't it..."

"That is indeed true, but—"

"but?"

Haiyue looked at her as if expectantly.

"But, that should be called... trouble."

"Troubled?" The girl tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

"Yes, it's a problem."

As she spoke, Masumi felt her thoughts gradually taking shape.

"That's a completely different feeling from feeling troubled or feeling overwhelmed."

"The former makes me want to stay away, while the latter just makes me feel like I can't figure out your temperament and want to find a better way to get along with you."

"This kind of trouble will not push people further apart, but will actually bring them closer together."

"but……"

“No buts.” Masumi said decisively, “Doesn’t Kaigetsu believe me?”

"I believe in Masumi."

Throughout the intermittent and detailed account, only this sentence was spoken coherently and firmly.

Haiyue's eyes flickered, and she lowered her head: "This... won't do..."

"why not?"

"What should I do if Masumi isn't here?"

"Just thinking about this... makes me feel...terrified..."

She lowered her eyelashes quietly, and the words she uttered slowly sank into the cool, watery air of the autumn night.

"If... I keep causing trouble for Masumi... what if one day... Masumi gets impatient... what should I do..."

"All along... Masumi has been taking care of me... I haven't helped Masumi in any way..."

The unease on her face made Masumi drift into a daze of reminiscence.

What happened on May 2nd, at night on Mount Rokko.

Almost half a year has passed, but Masumi still vividly remembers the scene from that night.

Haiyue's expression at this moment was so similar to Rinne's on that day.

Masumi felt a pang of sorrow in her chest, and the hot breath rising from her throat melted away her reason, leaving her to speak only on the basis of wavering emotion:
"Haiyue, don't worry about these things. I'm not taking care of you because I want to get any reward from you."

From the very beginning, Masumi was only attracted to the girl who was squatting in front of the coffee shop, soaked by the rain, like a stranded jellyfish.

Unsure if her words were correct, Haiyue did not answer.

Masumi gently patted her head with her other hand and slowly stroked her back with her other hand.

Haiyue slowly raised her face, tears glistening in her large, blue eyes, like the vast ocean, and the bright, clear emotions slid down her soft contours.

Masumi reached out her hand towards her face.

Then, with the back of my index finger, I touched the corner of her eye and suddenly realized something.

She liked being relied on by Haiyue, and liked how Haiyue would tremble and grasp her delicate fingers when she sought support.

For Masumi, the fact that Kaigetsu relied on him from the bottom of her heart gave her immense satisfaction.

In fact, one obtains one's own "proof of existence" by supporting others.

Mio's music, Asami's manga, Rinne's coffee shop.

Even from the very beginning, when he decided to form a band instead of pursuing a solo career in music, it was like this.

One gains expectations by fulfilling the expectations of others.

Realizing this reality, Masumi felt relieved, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from her heart.

So, it's fine for Haiyue to be like this. She doesn't need to go on on her own, because Masumi, the lobster, will be her eyes.

"It's okay, Haiyue can just be the same as she has been so far, even if she becomes a little more dependent on him."

Masumi smiled at Kaigetsu and ruffled her hair to put her at ease.

"……Um."

Haiyue rubbed her fingertips together, then, as if making a decision, raised her face and looked at Masumi.

Her slender, soft fingers, like those of a jellyfish, grasped Masumi's fingers as if seeking solace.

"I think that in the future... I can still sit in the park with Masumi and just daydream..."

"Well, I see."

"And...I like Masumi..."

"Eh?"

Because it came so suddenly, Masumi hesitated for a moment.

"That was just now..."

Masumi looked at Kaigetsu as if testing the waters.

"It's...a confession of love..."

Looking directly into his eyes, Haiyue spoke earnestly, word by word.

"what?"

Masumi was taken aback. After a long silence, he closed his eyes as if preparing himself for the future, then opened them again and nodded.

"I understand."

"Understand...what?"

"If this is your choice, I will fully support you."

"what does that mean?"

Haiyue tilted her head, unaware of what was going on.

Masumi took a deep breath in the cool autumn night.

"That means I will absolutely not let Miss Kozue take you away."

As Masumi spoke, it was as if time began to flow again, and clouds drifted by. Moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves danced on the two of them as the branches swayed.

How long can this leisurely time last?

Even if you clench your fists, some liquid will still leak out between your fingers, so you must interlock your fingers.

(End of this chapter)