Masho no Otoko wo Mezashimasu

45. One Morning (2)

As I walked while chatting about the drama with Maisumi-san and Yachigusa-san, it became the talk about the story itself, or rather, the novel.

“The fact that the author being able to write such a story, does that mean she experienced that kind of love?”

Maisumi-san opened the fan and hid her mouth with it, while saying such a thing with a fascinating face…. Perhaps she was imagining herself having that kind of love story.

Hearing the words, Yachigusa-san replied while groaning and bringing her finger close to her mouth.

“No matter how I tried to think about it, it don’t .”

“Ara-, but the story thrilled your heart, made it beating fast, also made you feel anxious at the same time. How can she write a sentence that makes you feel like that without experienced it firsthand? Who knows, maybe she’s writing it based on her actual experience, right?”

“But, but, it’s not normal to be fought over so much like that? Even if that happened, I think there must be between fewer people.”

After closing the fan that had been opened properly, Maisumi-san turned to me.

“Prince, do you know about the original novel?”

But, before answering Maisumi-san’s question, I would like to say something first.

“Please stop that ‘Prince’.”

Maybe Maisumi-san was surprised at my words, and I’m wondering.

“Eh? But, why?”

…Well, it’s embarrassing… Why you made a blank expression like that? Isn’t it embarrassing to say that word?

I thought for a while.

…If I honestly tell her that I feel embarrassed, will she stop? But, Maisumi-san is a.. strange girl? So, Hmmm…

“When you called me ‘Prince’, Somehow I feel like we are distant… and that makes me feel a little lonely…”

With a slightly lonely smile, I tried to make it sound like I’m being affected too……. But when I realized what I just said, to be honest it was more embarrassing to say such lines than to be called ‘Prince’. On the outside I was smiling lonely, but honestly I was so embarrassed and wanted to end it fast…

Maisumi-san, who heard my words, had a face that said she didn’t understand what I was saying at first, but after a while, she turned red as if she understood it.

Then, she opened the fan she had in her hand and started to fanning herself.

“Oh! Ohoho! That’s right!　I, my behavior was too much like a stranger! “

After cleared her throat with ‘Ehmm!’, Maisumi-san continued to speak as if she had decided on something.

“That’s it!… Then, I’ll stop calling you, ‘Prince’, and calling you, Da!-Darling!”

“No, please call me by name.”

I asked Maisumi-san, who had a bright red face and quivered her body, to call me by name.

…Or rather, this public also said darling! What kind of darling has such a feeling!

Maisumi-san, who heard my words, was shocked until she got stunned in place.

Yachigusa-san who saw such Maisumi-san began to laugh.

“Pfft-!, ehe, ehehe, ahaha, you～ got～ rejected～.”

“Mmmmm, what?”

Maisumi-san, who was in tears, threatened Yachigusa-san, who keep fanning the flame with ‘Hey, hey, hey’.

I can’t say for sure whether these two are in a good or bad term….. Anyway, let’s get back to the conversation…

“Err, by the way, I do know about the novel.”

The two who had been making a fuss turned to me and continued the talk.

“I see, even Boys also read the novel huh.”

‘It’s interesting, isn’t it?’, says Yachigusa-san, with her ‘Kyaha!’ pose. But, I replied her with an ambiguous smile.

“Did men who read this novel, think that the author had a lot of experience in love?”

Maisumi-san’s words remind me of my neighbor…

Yeah, that one, who has a communication disorder and so submissive to others, Kikusui-san….. And you said that she is a woman with a lot of love? I want to laugh so bad, but I hold it….. You see, I can’t just defile a reader’s pure aspiration to the author.

“… Well, who knowsー.. The author might really a woman who had a lot of love experienceー… But, I think she’s a wonderful personー…”

“What’s with that monotone way of talking?”

I apologize to my neighbor in my heart… ‘I’m sorry, Kikusui-san. It’s hard to lie.’

“But this author is mysterious, right?”

Yachigusa-san suddenly said something that doubted me.

“Mysterious?”

“Yes, even though this novel has been going on for about 10 years, there is no information about the author. Normally, if it’s such a popular work, it wouldn’t be strange to have an autograph session…”

……Hmmm, that’s of course, because she has a communication disorder, it’ll be hard on her to speak in front of a lot of people.

I’m yelling in my head, ‘Don’t make me say that!’…… Well, I haven’t said that.

“That mysterious part of her is also one of the attractions!”

Maisumi-san cheerfully said so…. Well, I know that likes this novel so much.

……What a positive and pure fan! However, the truth is that the author is not mysterious, and the sad reality of her, who looks like a suspicious person when viewed from the far, awaits……. Well, she’s a good neighbor who share her nice food to me.

While talking about such small things, the three of us reached school and headed up to the classroom.

When I arrived at the classroom and opened the door, there was a former Chairman there.

“Ah, Hatano-kun…, ehmm… good morning”

“Ah, good morning”

“Hmm… That… it’s been a long time…”

The conversation I had with the former Chairman was like lovers who met after so separated for so long….. Even though we meet at school every day.

“Hmm… yeah?”

“I, I thought I couldn’t talk to Hatano-kun anymore…”

Suddenly, she looked down and made a sad face.

….I wonder, what happened to her?