novelBuildup of Trust
| ← Ch.342 | Ch.344 → |
Translator: Reflet
Editor: ryunakama
"Kohaku-san."
Taiyou called her over, looking in the direction of the door.
"Is it only you?"
"Nay, I have another one with me."
"I-I-I-I'm so sorry, f-f-for barging in."
The one who spoke timidly was Juurokuya. Despite having the same face as Youran, her personality was the exact opposite, making all who heard her feel rather funny.
"So it's just the two of you?"
"Aye."
"What about her sister?"
Shirokiyami twitched within his arms.
"We 'ave the situation under control, lad."
"...And I can trust you on that statement, right?"
"Of course, ja."
Kohaku grinned. She walked closer to Taiyou and then gave him a smooch.
"I know not what lies ahead, ja. This not be the right time to let her free. We be handling the lassie very fine. Although we are also keeping close watch over 'er to ensure she don't try anything funny."
"So she's under house arrest."
"Aye."
"All right, then."
Taiyou nodded, relieved. He understood what she was getting at, so he decided to trust her as he went back to the conversation at hand.
"Anyhow, what did you mean when you came in here and said 'about that'?"
"It be not difficult to understand, laddie. Just change up yer perspective a mite."
"Perspective?"
"Or rather, the object of the conversation."
"The object..."
Taiyou tilted his head. Sakura suddenly realized something, narrowing her eyebrows.
"Are you...referring to me?"
"Aye. The likelihood be not zero, would ye not agree?"
"Surely you jest."
"What are you talking about?"
Taiyou asked Kohaku, frowning.
"In other words, husband, yer getting into all this not because the lass asked ye to, but because of who she asked ye to help; ja."
"...Oh no, no way."
Taiyou finally understood what she was saying, grimacing. He hadn't even considered that idea, but he couldn't do anything other than deny that.
"Why did you come to that conclusion?"
"There be but one space left for yer quota, nay?"
"I wouldn't call it a 'quota' persay, but, no, that reason is impossible."
"Then maybe because ye want to have the sister bowl?"
"No, I'm telling you that's not even close."
"Then maybe the mother-daughter bowl—-"
"Could you please stop talking about all of this?"
He put a finger over Kohaku's lips.
"I do not choose based off of things like that. I don't even 'choose' in the first place."
He stared straight into Kohaku's eyes, admonishing her.
"And it's the same for all of you. Why would I choose you? No, I fell in love with you. I never did anything like trying to compare all of you on a scale."
"...Sorry, lad."
Kohaku apologized with a meek expression.
"Ye were always that way, Husband. Mayhaps I was the one who strongly felt that ye had chosen me."
"..."
He understood what Kohaku was trying to say. Based on her personal life, it was reasonable for her to come to such a conclusion. Taiyou thought of some way to cheer her up, as he loved her and wanted her to be happy above all else.
"Then how about another possibility, ja?"
"Huh?"
Kohaku spoke out before Taiyou had the chance to say anything. She dexterously moved the corner of her mouth up into a smirk.
"What is this possibility you speak of?"
"The possibility that yer aiming for someone's body."
"Wow, fantastic!"
"No that's not 'fantastic'. What are you even saying, Kohaku-san? And don't just swallow what she says, Sakura! Why are you looking at me like I'm trash?"
"You are after all at that age. I don't see why not."
"So first you glare at me, and now you're accepting all this?! Man, I just got cut deeply into two ways!"
"I actually thought that this possibility be more likely, but it be a bit difficult to say out loud, ja."
"There is no possibility of something like that! What is all this nonsense about aiming for her body?"
"Well, what I mean be this..."
Kohaku pointed at Juurokuya before speaking again.
"She be the same as ye."
"Huh?"
"W-W-What about me?"
The twin tailed girl panicked. She probably hadn't thought that the conversation would turn to her.
"Aye, amongst ye...it is highly likely that Aoba already knows what I mean, ja."
"Huh?"
Surprised, Taiyou looked at Aoba. The ponytailed girl who had been quietly attending to Akiha averted her eyes apologetically.
"Aoba?"
"Judging from yer reaction, ye seem to get what I be talking about."
"I just kind of thought that I might understand, that's all."
"You might...what?"
Taiyou was at a loss. He was extremely confused as to what she meant.
"Although in me case, I be a lot more certain, ja."
"Um...yeah."
"Aye." Sakura nodded in a composed manner, maybe understanding the gist of the matter.
"In other words, he has always been looking at Juurokuya with an ulterior motive, right?"
"Ye put it quite eloquently, but I would go further and say he looks at the lass with eyes full of lust."
"Nope, nope—-"
Taiyou denied this, but gave a start when he noticed Aoba's reaction. If it was only Kohaku who claimed something like this, then he could deny it, because he knew she liked to tell jokes. Even if Sakura chimed in, he could still deny it, because she was the type of person who enjoyed befuddling people.
But if Aoba was now part of this, everything changed. Out of all the girls that he knew, Aoba was the most 'normal' and 'serious' one he knew. Even if she wasn't uptight, she still didn't enjoy those types of jokes.
She was just an earnest girl, and this showed in her reaction just now, as she continued to avert her eyes apologetically. And this raised the believability way up high.
"You've...got to be kidding me."
| ← Ch. 342 | Ch. 344 → |