novelWinning Conditions / How Nice
| ← Ch.269 | Ch.271 → |
Translator: Ranzan
Editor: ryunakama
The ferris wheel began again to move in a clockwise direction, as everyone was slowly brought back to earth.
The minute the gondola touched the earth again, Taiyou, relieved, released his grip.
Somehow he was able to get them back to earth safely and that reassured Taiyou.
However, he thought it was a bit early to relax himself, as he said to himself, so he continued to stay tense.
「The gondola is down, stop the ferris wheel once more. 」
The ferris wheel operator said, who appeared near his side, and Taiyou responded.
「No, it's okay, you don't have to stop it. 」
「But sir, the gondolas coming down afterwards will. 」
「I'll do what I have to, just watch. 」
Taiyou put it down in his own timing, and grabbed on to it again.
「Akiha, get off, hurry. 」
「Okay. 」
Akiha took the kids and got out of the gondola.
There was no haste or confusion on their faces.
Taiyou looked at them and thought 「Just like Akiha」, and then hefting up the gondola, dropped it in an open place next to the ferris wheel.
After that, the next gondola in the rotating ferris wheel continued through where the previous one was.
「Phew...」
After all that, finally, Taiyou relaxed completely.
「I'm totally spent. 」
「Thanks, Natsuno-kun. Are your arms okay?」
Just as expected, Aoba ran up to Taiyou, appreciative of his efforts.
Taiyou smiled at her and kissed her lips.
「Now it's okay. 」
「Geez! Natsuno-kun, there's nothing okay about what happened. 」
「Well then I guess it was okay to begin with. 」
「How's your hand? Are you cut somewhere?」
「No, that's fine too, loook. 」
「It's all red, you should put some ice on it. Wait here, I'll go get some. 」
「No, I need to move too...let's get away from here. 」
「Huh, ah, okay. 」
She was lost for a second, but looking around, she knew why Taiyou said what he did.
Taiyou had done a super-human deed by grabbing onto and holding the gondola all the way down.
Simply because the ferris wheel was in a high place in the park and everyone saw and was paying attention to what Taiyou did, now there were many onlookers gathering around and surrounding Taiyou.
「Let's go. 」
「What, but?」
「Hera?」
Taiyou called Hera as she warped there.
「Yes, desu. 」
「Did you tell Youran?」
「Yes, desu. Youran-chan's message to you, 『I'll do something. 』, desu. 」
「Just like Youran, I'm glad I told her what was going on. 」
「Youran...maybe will destroy the evidence?」
「I don't know, but she may do something to fool her...I think. 」
Taiyou smiled.
It was a smile he had because he could completely trust Youran's ability as a woman from the bottom of his heart.
「She'll do fine, I think. 」
「You're right. 」
Now, Aoba agreed with him.
As one woman of the Natsuno household, she knew she could trust Youran as well.
「Well, then let's go. 」
「Okay. 」
Akiha nodded calmly.
After she said a word or two to the parents of the children, she caught up to Taiyou and Aoba who were walking away.
Three of them, walking side by side.
It looked like the onlookers were going to follow them, but they passed by Taiyou and stopped near a few people that were explaining what they had seen.
One of the people stopping the onlookers with the story was one of Youran's workers, so Taiyou just let her be as he walked away.
After walking a while, Taiyou found some chairs in front of a store to eat at, and slumped in his chair.
「You must be tired. 」
Aoba again thanked him for his hard work, and Taiyou responded with a smile.
「I'll get something to drink, Natsuno-kun, what would you like?」
「Something with fizz and sweet, anything's okay. 」
「Okay, just wait there. 」
Aoba ran off to the store there, and brought back the largest Cola that they had.
Taiyou took it and drank the whole thing down at once.
「Phew」
「You want another one?」
「No, I'm okay. 」
「Okay. 」
The two calmly talked as if nothing had happened.
Akiha watched the two carefully, and asked with a bit of a confused face.
「Aoba, you're acting like nothing happened?」
「Huh, nothing?」
「I've been watching you - you're not angry or worried. I watched your face until our gondola was dropped on the ground...you looked like some wife greeting her husband home from work, just a normal-looking face. 」
「I guess you're right. 」
「Were you worried or anything?」
「No.... 」
Aoba bent her neck a bt as if thinking about it.
「Now that you mention it, I guess not. 」
「You guess not?」
「Yeah, I didn't. 」
「Why?!」
「Well, because Taiyou was there. 」
Aoba smiled with her response, and Akiha's eyebrows furrowed.
「I mean, it was a big accident, but it was something within Natsuno-kun's reach, so I thought he would be able to handle it, I guess...」
「That's it?!」
「Yeah, I guess so. 」
「...」
「Hey, let me say something. 」
Akiha had a frown like a scowl, and Taiyou broke in to say something.
「And it was kind of my fault too. I wanted to be in a place where I could help Aoba too, if I'm there I can help, right, so I got mixed with this whole ferris wheel thing. 」
「That's it?」Akiha said.
「Well, if that's all I can say about it, I guess so. 」
「Yeah, and if Natsuno-kun says he's going to do something, he's going to do it. Especially something important like this. 」
「Like this?!」Akiha said, confused.
「For example, making sure that we're all loved. I mean, in an important thing like that, Taiyou does what he says he will. 」
「I think the phrase I say is 『Do the best I can do』...」
Taiyou made a bit of a pained smile.
Not love all them at once, but love the one in front of you the most.
And do the most he can when he's within reach.
That 「promise」was what he said was「what he'd do the best he could」to protect.
But, because he was able to do it again today, Aoba had her trust renewed in him all over again.
This thing, this even. Akiha still looked a bit confused.
「I see...」
In an instant, Akiha's face looked a bit lost in a mix of emotions.
Just like one person imitating several, her face changed again and again.
They didn't know what she was thinking, but she was going through a lot of thoughts, that was for sure.
And after a moment of that, Akiha opened her silent mouth.
「It sounds wonderful. 」
She finally said.
| ← Ch. 269 | Ch. 271 → |