Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

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16 Iruma Hibiki's rejection and missed farewell

Nagasaki Suyo tried to keep her.

It seemed like she had her own reasons and purposes for not wanting to leave.

Her expression changed rapidly, flickering in front of Hibiki Iruma.

After all—

Nagasaki Suyo was just a junior high school student. For a junior high school student, it was a difficult task for her to just skip classes and follow her friends, traveling such a long distance to such a distant and unfamiliar city.

Even for a daughter of a wealthy family, this was a bit too much.

Some people also interfere too much in the lives of others.

What's more, the trouble Hibiki Iruma encountered was her own family affair—

Nagasaki Suyo can choose to act impulsively because of her anxiety, but Iruma Hibiki cannot, even though her relationship with Nagasaki Suyo is by no means unpleasant.

However, he had the awareness to make a rational decision here, and the determination to make the right decision at this moment.

Nagasaki Suyo should not be by her side now, but should enjoy her youth and find her own answers.

he--

Hibiki Iruma looked at Nagasaki Suyo's face.

He was prepared to face Nagasaki Suyo's accuracy.

[Xiang, do you think I'm troublesome? ]

but--

The expected violent reaction from Nagasaki Suyo did not appear, but instead a question tinged with sadness came out.

[No, I'm worried about Su Shi.]

Hibiki Iruma explained.

After all, the restraint that Nagasaki Suyo still maintained made Iruma Hibiki relax a lot and feel much more at ease.

"I'm very grateful that Sushi can come to Kyoto, but now, I have no connections here. Of course, it's not that I don't need Sushi's help at all, but Sushi must be very uneasy living alone in Kyoto."

[Sushi is still in middle school and shouldn't be away from home and important friends for too long. I was only a week late to school, but I was encouraged. Thanks to Hongxia, I finally made friends. So I think it's best for Sushi to go back...]

[If Sushi feels lonely, I will respond to your call or chat.]

[Su Shi is actually quite uneasy here, right?]

Iruma Hibiki spoke calmly.

After being able to temporarily ignore the current predicament, Iruma Hibiki felt that he needed to do this.

It was not only out of consideration for Nagasaki Suyo, but also out of consideration for the relationship between himself and Toyokawa Shoko.

Nagasaki Suyo held her cell phone with her head down, not speaking for a long time.

After saying those cold and harsh words, Iruma Hibiki put down his phone and smiled gently and complicatedly.

He felt that his encounters with Nagasaki Suyo were always at the wrong time.

It’s not always perfect.

After a lot of trouble, it can even be said to be a whole life's distance, but in the end, the distance is still so close and yet so far.

He stretched out his hand gently, with a hint of worry and fear.

Maybe he was afraid that Nagasaki Suyo would avoid him again?

Maybe they are afraid of being looked at with disgust.

But at this moment, Iruma Hibiki probably made some compromises with what happened before. It was naturally not a victory, but just a compromise.

He couldn't let go of Nagasaki Suyo.

But some things have indeed reached the point where he needs to take the initiative to step forward and change.

Iruma Hibiki patted Nagasaki Suyo's head gently, then touched her soft hair.

Nagasaki Suyo raised her head and looked at Iruma Hibiki in front of her. The expression on her face seemed to become bright and charming in an instant, but at the next moment, she seemed to have noticed Iruma Hibiki's emotions, and became sad and confused again.

After all—

She couldn't say anything about Iruma Hibiki's rejection at this moment.

You can be unreasonable.

However, Nagasaki Motoyo felt that acting unreasonably at this moment would only cause Iruma Hibiki to suffer more.

If that's the case, if Iruma Hibiki dislikes me—

Nagasaki Suyo absolutely did not want to see this happen.

So what's the reason to stay?

Or what was the reason why she came all the way to Kyoto?

After Iruma Hibiki finished caressing her, Nagasaki Suyo felt a sense of emptiness in her heart, even though the caress just now was very warm.

There was a moment when all the irritability in her heart disappeared.

correct--

Nagasaki Suyo looked at Iruma Hibiki.

Then, in the darkness, she quickly placed her hand between Hibiki Iruma's palms.

[If you just hold that hand, then—]

For Nagasaki Suyo, this idea is natural.

Then, Nagasaki Suyo saw Iruma Hibiki's smile. Iruma Hibiki shook her hand, and then in a flash, he let go. The moment Nagasaki Suyo noticed that Iruma Hibiki wanted to pull back, she tried to meet him quickly.

Tighten quickly.

But in the end, there was nothing in her palm.

Iruma Hibiki anticipated Nagasaki Suyo's actions.

So I withdrew at the right time.

【This cannot go on any longer.】

Deep down in her heart, Hibiki Iruma rebuked her weak self.

He still has a lot of things to worry about, so he must make his own decision on Nagasaki Suyo's side.

Whether it's for him, for his family, or for - Shoko Toyokawa.

Nagasaki Suyo stood there in a daze, staring at Iruma Hibiki.

In fact, she has had a bit of delusion recently——

For example, after learning about Hibiki Iruma's past, their relationship might be restored, and then, in the days to come, she would be able to get what she wanted.

But in the end, such delusion was stopped by Iruma Hibiki.

Iruma Hibiki moved slightly away from Nagasaki Suyo, keeping a just right distance.

He picked up his phone again, but this time the phone no longer served as a tool for communication between him and Nagasaki Suyo. He was just flipping through his chat history.

Replying to other people's messages.

This accident was too sudden.

As a result, Iruma Hibiki was not prepared in any aspect.

It's just like--

Chihaya Aine's departure date has actually been confirmed, and Iruma Hibiki probably won't be able to make it in time to see her off.

From now on, the two will probably only be able to meet through the screen.

Thinking of that day, the day when he performed with Chihaya Aion, and the moment when Chihaya Aion became the lead singer, Iruma Hibiki felt a little nostalgic.

So he sent a blessing to Chihaya Aine on his phone.

We also chatted about the performance that day.

Although that performance seemed to have caused a lot of trouble later, no matter what, at least for those involved, it was a good memory.

Of course, such willful behavior is not without cost.

[For the next performance, you must rehearse in advance. You will only be able to perform if you pass the test.]

Ijichi Hoshige actually said this to Ijichi Hongxia.

Iruma Hibiki also knew it.

17 The Betrayed Wakaba Mutsu

Nagasaki Suyo's silence lasted for a long time, until the night was about to end and no one needed to pay attention to Yanshui anymore.

"Let the patient have a good rest next."

The nurse who came in removed all the IV bottles and took care of Iruma Xiang.

Finally feeling relieved and having some time to spare, Iruma Hibiki also received a reply from Iruma Yoshiaki saying that it would be arriving soon.

"Let's go, Sushi."

Iruma Hibiki spoke softly to Nagasaki Suyo beside her.

Like a puppet without a soul, Nagasaki Suyo followed Iruma Hibiki out of the ward, following his lead as if she had only accepted orders.

As soon as I left the ward, the cold of midnight hit me.

"Cold?"

Hibiki Iruma asked the people around him.

And Nagasaki Suyo still said nothing.

"Sushi, do you regret coming to Kyoto?"

After walking a few more steps towards the hotel, Iruma Hibiki asked this.

"If possible, I hope you won't regret coming to me, Su Shi, because I am also extremely grateful to you for coming here to find me, and especially after sharing my secret with you that no one else believes."

Iruma Hibiki spoke softly to Nagasaki Suyo.

But at this moment, Nagasaki Suyo seemed to have crashed.

Or maybe he was thinking about something.

"Hibiki, when are you coming back to Tokyo?"

……

Perhaps the cold wind also calmed Nagasaki Suyo a little, so she asked.

"Two weeks at the latest. Of course, if the situation here improves significantly, Father will probably send me back. Anyway, it won't be too late."

"By the way, Sushi."

Hibiki Iruma looked at Nagasaki Suyo in front of him.

The person he once loved very much.

"What do you think of 'Haruhi Kage'?"

He asked suddenly.