Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

Page 261

"The cord of this hair dryer is a little short, and I can't reach the back of my hair..."

Nagasaki Suyo looked like she was in great pain.

indeed--

The hair dryer here has a very short cord, which is obviously a cheaper model. Nagasaki Suyo's hair is very long, so it is difficult to blow the area behind her.

……

Iruma Hibiki took the hair dryer that was handed to him.

He hesitated for a moment and just stood there.

"The wind is a little hot, it's loud."

"Feel sorry."

When Nagasaki Suyo dodged, Iruma Hibiki quickly apologized and then began to help her blow dry her hair.

"Actually, I was very sad when I was rejected by Xiang..."

Suddenly, Nagasaki Suyo spoke as if talking to herself in the small room.

"But to me, Xiang is very important. Even if we can't be lovers, I don't want to lose her."

……

…………

………………

Hibiki Iruma continued to remain silent. Faced with such a topic, he didn't know what to say.

"Hiri must be worried about this, too."

"So I made up my mind. If Xiang comes to find me, I will forgive Xiang. If Xiang doesn't come, I will follow Xiang's wishes and disappear..."

Nagasaki Suyo spoke quietly.

"Don't look at me like this, I'm actually very good at being alone."

Then she spoke casually.

"Even if there's no lover, the band doesn't matter."

Of course, this is a lie.

It is a lie deliberately told to the people behind you.

It was nonsense to some extent, but it was particularly effective for Hibiki Iruma at that moment.

With the warm air from the hair dryer, Nagasaki Suyo's hair regained its softness and flow, and gradually began to pass through Iruma Hibiki's fingertips.

"So loud..."

"After Xiang took the initiative to find me, he has been avoiding me. Is Xiang meeting me again because he wants to hurt me?"

"See me make a fool of myself?"

"And enjoy the feeling of rejecting me?"

……

When such a question arose, Iruma Hibiki's movements once again stopped.

82 Later People

Perhaps on a certain day not long ago, when the setting spring sun shone so gently through the glass onto the two of them, Iruma Hibiki had imagined the scene before him.

In other words, what if one day he and Nagasaki Suyo had a quarrel?

For Hibiki Iruma, love is a strange subject. He doesn't understand why other people can find a partner so easily and decide to date so casually. His experience of being isolated from the opposite sex has made him cautious about such things and has a strange longing for them.

It was this kind of mood that actually made Hibiki Iruma feel a little worried about his relationship at the beginning, which was completely opposite to his excitement, joy and longing.

As we all know, quarrels and conflicts are inevitable topics in love.

Thus, the hypothesis was born.

Just like now, when facing Nagasaki Soyo's questioning, Iruma Hibiki remained silent.

The humming sound of the hair dryer echoed in the small room.

This is a public space after all, and it would be somewhat impolite to occupy it for too long.

Maybe there are other people in need waiting outside the door.

But Nagasaki Suyo is also a shrewd girl.

Or perhaps it could be said that from the very beginning, a certain degree of wisdom has always been Nagasaki Suyo's winning formula.

She didn't look directly at Hibiki Iruma, choosing instead to look at her reflection in the large mirror in front of her.

For Nagasaki Suyo, the current situation was just right. In such a small room, she could hug the person behind her with just a light touch.

As for Shoko Toyokawa?

Nagasaki Suyo thought about her situation for a moment.

She remembered that many classic Korean dramas she had watched had such scenes -

After having an affair, the husband discovered that his first wife was the virtuous and gentle one, so he turned back and embraced his past relationship again.

Could it be that everything that is happening now is exactly like the plot in the story?

Nagasaki Suyo actually thought so.

The wind coming out of the hair dryer has become a little hot. The hair dryers in the convenience store here are a bit old-fashioned and do not have a constant temperature function. They have to be turned off and on again to keep the temperature at just the right level.

Iruma Hibiki resumed his actions only after he felt a slight red heat on his hand.

He was a little afraid to look up.

Nagasaki Suyo in the mirror looked completely different today. It seemed that she was in a hurry to prepare, and the makeup on her face was very light, almost non-existent. On such a face, Iruma Hibiki could see the expression on Nagasaki Suyo's face at the moment, which was a little sad but also a little worried about him.

It's like the handle of a boiling pot.

The moment Hibiki Iruma saw that face, he ran away.

"I'm sorry, Su Shi, I didn't do that well."

but--

For Hibiki Iruma, one thing is certain.

He wanted to answer Nagasaki Suyo's question at this moment, at least in a positive way.

For my own peace of mind.

At the same time, it was also to apologize to Nagasaki Motoyo.

Yes, he was too stingy and excessive, and did not consider the other person's feelings at all.

"I felt I should distance myself from you, so... I deliberately didn't contact you after you disappeared. Just now, and before..."

"Feel sorry."

Hibiki Iruma once again apologized for his mistake.

"I made mistakes, too."

Suddenly, Nagasaki Suyo also said so.

"I shouldn't have told Xiang my feelings at that time, even though I think Ying should have known my feelings all along."

"My confession at that time must have put Xiang in a difficult position. What with the band, the relationship, and Xiangzi."

"It was my fault that Xiang avoided me so much later."

Nagasaki Suyo gently took all the blame on herself, but at this moment there was a smile on the corner of her mouth.

"Hibiki, let's just pretend nothing happened until we recover, okay?"

Then, she suddenly said this.

And facing Nagasaki Soyo at this moment, Iruma Hibiki naturally could not refuse.

So he overlooked a problem.

How long ago was it?

Was it before Nagasaki Suyo confessed his love? Or before the fight just now?

Or maybe it's summer time?

Or--

Before Golden Week.

When the two of them were still lovers who didn't know each other so well.

"Does Sushi still have nightmares often?"

Iruma Hibiki didn't answer, but replaced his answer with a topic.

"Yes, there is."

"After being rejected by Xiang that day, I was very sad. When I returned home, I had that nightmare again."

"When I think about it, it's incredible. The world in my dream actually exists, and it's Xiang's hometown... It's like Xiang is the person who walked out of my dream."

Nagasaki Suyo's slightly emotional words also stirred some waves in Iruma Hibiki's heart.

No.

In fact, earlier, the situation was just the opposite.

In front of Iruma Hibiki, Nagasaki Suyo loosened her collar slightly, and then readjusted her buttons and tie.

This action naturally made her inner shirt slightly exposed, and Iruma Hibiki, who was standing nearby, saw a hint of light green through the thin shirt.

Today, Nagasaki Sushi’s pudding is green apple flavored, with a refreshing, elegant and sweet taste.

Of course, it is too early to discuss such topics now.

For Hibiki Iruma, the so-called opposite situation is actually:

It’s not that he is the person who walked out of Nagasaki Suyo’s dream.

But in fact, Nagasaki Suyo was the person who walked out of his dream.

The hair has already been blow-dried.

The aroma of lavender inside gradually began to fill Iruma Xiang's nostrils, and the overly warm room made him a little sleepy.

When it was time to leave, Hibiki Iruma felt a little lazy instead.

"I also find it incredible to meet Su Shi."

Then Iruma Hibiki spoke again.

"Let's go, Sushi, your hair is dry."

"Ah, is it done already?!"