Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

And Ijichi Hongxia was also frightened by Iruma Hibiki who ran out.

Things were slightly beyond her imagination.

because--

anyway.

By escaping at that time, Hibiki Iruma had already answered Nagasaki Soyo's question.

90 What Goto Ichiri Really Wants

"Goto-san..."

Hibiki Iruma came in front of Ichiri Goto.

In fact, he might...

There is a bit of trance.

Because the scene at this moment, if it were not too complicated and tiring, it would be like the three years of ordinary daily life that he and Goto Ichiri spent in junior high school, with a hint of arrogance.

The sunlight shone through the glass onto Iruma Hibiki, clear and clean, with a hint of heat that was a little annoying in this season.

Goto Ichiri is actually a child with May sickness.

And now we’re literally just a few days and a spring break away from the start of May.

As for Iruma Hibiki, she actually hates the changing of seasons, but every time Goto Ichiri suffers from May sickness, she becomes even stronger and takes care of her.

Over time, Hibiki Iruma started to dislike Satsuki less.

So if the current scene is just him taking care of Goto Ichiri who is suffering from Satsuki disease, that would be great.

Iruma Hibiki actually thought so.

But obviously not, the current situation...

"Goto-san, I..."

Iruma Hibiki organized his words. He also didn't dare to look directly at Goto Ichiri. The reason was very simple: Goto Ichiri was crying.

Probably the kind of tears that come without any self-awareness.

Suddenly I couldn't stop crying.

I have absolutely no idea where I'm feeling the pain.

It's just the body's instinctive reaction.

Every cell and every part of my body is expressing my pain through physiological actions such as tears.

Goto Ichiri's expression at the moment was so dull, he had no self-awareness at all, like a fool, just standing there.

Without help from others.

I'm afraid she will just stay in an inconspicuous corner, shed tears like most sad people in Tokyo, and then either choose a ticket to the forest of Mount Fuji, or -

Just face life again numbly.

After all, the guitar is not a panacea.

Art is just a tool for people to escape the oppression of reality, but the human dilemma always exists.

After that week's effort, was Goto Ichiri's dilemma resolved?

Not really.

After escaping, after trying, at the end of his self-righteous bravery and Don Quixote-like journey, Goto Ichiri stood here, like a circus clown with a red nose who had a terrible fall.

And beside him——

Countless people laughed.

Goto Ichiri was so scared, terrified, and trembling that tears came out.

If there was anything she regretted at this moment, it was probably her own bravery, just like she had done many times in the past.

It's like standing up boldly and chatting with classmates.

Trying to get in between girls who are having a good chat.

She delusionally imagines that Iruma, a classmate whom she likes very much, is her boyfriend.

Looking forward to a sweet love coming to her who is not even as good as Cinderella.

She regretted her bravery.

If you don't try, will you not get hurt?

Goto Ichiri's eyes were a little blurry.

Iruma Hibiki gritted his teeth and turned his head away.

In the final analysis, Hibiki Iruma's inner self-blame has reached its peak at this moment.

He hated himself for not being able to even look at Goto Ichiri crying.

But after all, this kind of thing had never been practiced before, and he couldn't possibly get used to it.

Because how many times has he seen a girl cry?!

and so--

Never a savior.

After traveling through time, he clumsily made a mess of his life.

Iruma Hibiki, who treated those around him arrogantly like a jerk, held Goto Ichiri's shoulders.

"Goto-san, I—"

He stared into Goto Ichiri's eyes.

"terribly sorry."

First an apology, then a deep bow.

The spirit was so fierce that the action seemed a little strange and decisive.

Holding someone's shoulders but bending the upper body at a right angle, the difficulty of this action is actually quite high.

There was a slight muffled sound from the bone in his shoulder, but Iruma Hibiki didn't care about such a small thing.

"I'm really happy to hear your confession, Goto-san. Even at the beginning, I never thought that you would feel this way towards me."

"I'm really happy."

Iruma Hibiki took a deep breath.

The surrounding crowd had actually been almost evacuated, and the staff of Busei also left the scene one after another for reasons such as lunch break.

At this moment, Chihaya Aine and Ijichi Nijika were running on the streets of Akihabara.

After being stunned for a long time, Nagasaki Motoyo left through the side door, which was the main door that Iruma Hibiki first climbed the stairs to. She ran so fast that when Chihaya Aine and Ijichi Nijika caught up with her, she had already disappeared.

The streets of Akihabara are very noisy and crowded, and the small intersection is packed with people like a can of sardines.

The surrounding shops are full of customers choosing the items they like.

It is still a bit difficult to find the place where Nagasaki Suyo is in such an environment.

On the other side anyway.

Before Hibiki Iruma and Ichiri Goto noticed, they were the only ones left in the entire exhibition hall. Everything was eerily quiet, except for some low sobs coming from Ichiri Goto.

"but--"

Iruma Hibiki gritted his teeth, and his eyes became a little more determined.

"Please allow me to reject your confession, Goto-san. The person I like is Nagasaki-san, and Nagasaki-san is already my lover. So I'm very sorry, I can't respond to your feelings for me, Goto-san."

"I……"

"it does not matter."

Suddenly, Goto Ichiri spoke softly.

"As long as I can be friends with Iruma-san..."

"I……"

Her pronunciation was a little unclear, making it difficult for Hibiki Iruma to hear.

However, Hibiki Iruma, who had long been accustomed to this, still accurately identified what Ichiri Goto would say.

"Iruma-san..."

"When did you start dating Nagasaki-san?"

"A few weeks ago."

"The Christmas promise is a lie, right?"

Iruma Hibiki fell silent.

Goto Ichiri's words were a kind of torture to him at that moment.

"I...actually...I feel like I ignored your feelings, Gotou-san, for some stupid reasons back in junior high school, and then I..."

Iruma Hibiki paused again.

Now, if he wants to tell the truth, he really needs courage.

"Because it's too difficult to admit my mistakes directly, and... at that time, I didn't have the courage to tell you directly, Gotou-kun, that we should be friends, so I used those words to cover up my... shyness."

However, just like Goto Ichiri did last night, Iruma Hibiki chose to be brave.

Just this moment.

Iruma Hibiki's nose felt a little sore.

I couldn't help but feel like crying.

But he held back.

After all, in junior high school, he was actually a dead kid of some sort.

After all, no matter what, with such arrogance, he would certainly feel sad and anxious from time to time when going through such ordinary daily life.

But in fact, from that time on, he learned that even when he was most sad, he still chose to be firm and brave in front of Goto Ichiri.

"If I confess my feelings before Nagasaki-san, will you agree, Iruma-san?"

Goto Ichiri felt broken.

She is not—

Is it okay to just be friends?

Is that enough?

why?

Would she still ask such a question?

91 Yes, I will accept Goto-san’s confession

Perhaps, the past Hibiki Iruma would never have thought of this.

Many days and nights later, he would recall that day in front of the weeping Goto Ichiri.

At that time, he was sitting in front of the computer desk. Seeing Goto Ichiri's daily sharing with her boyfriend, he went to Kasai Rinkai Park to walk around again and again. In the end, he found out that the so-called "Iruma-san" of Goto Ichiri was actually himself.

Then--

How was he then?

A deep sigh of relief?

Or……

Yes.

At this moment, Iruma Hibiki did not want to escape from his state of mind at that time.

What was he thinking at that time?

There is no mirror though.