10 years had passed since I started playing the game of sekkusu with my childhood friend. - Chapter 35. The man who took the most delicious parts all to himself.

Chapter 35. The man who took the most delicious parts all to himself.

It’s okay.

I know the script by heart.

Putting on a rather large costume, I proceeded toward the other side of the curtain. I can feel the audience buzzing a little at the sudden change in the lead actor. Those in the audience, who did not understand what was going on, looked at me with a puzzled look on their face.

Only one person, Haruhime, looked as if she had understood everything.

“So the …… magic has been …… undone, it seems.”

A line that was not in the script.

Haruhime folded her hands and said as if she was praying, then smiled a smile that I couldn’t help but admire.

Looking up at the light illuminating me, I desperately tried to recall the lines in the script.

“『 …… Yes, …… thanks to you, I was able to break free from the witch’s curse. It is because you saw through the truth of my heart. 』”

“…… Nope, for me, I did not see you until the very end, after all.”

The script and the lines she spoke were a little different. The line that was supposed to be an affirmation was turned into a denial by Haruhime.

But still, she continued her words without hesitation.

“I couldn’t understand what was in your heart for all this time. Even the fact of what you feel about me.”

“『Hime …… that is. 』”

“But that didn’t matter to me at all.”

Haruhime opens her mouth yet again

And with that, I was able to look her squarely into her eye for the first time.

“Haru……”

I was speechless.

“Umm ……”

Haruhime, in the same way.

Nervously, as her lips trembled, she searched for her next words.

It was not an act at all.

The light behind her eyes was that of the real Haruhime, not the one acting out the story.

“…… etto, …….”

Haruhime was serious.

And perhaps she had always known. She knew that I would be on this stage eventually.

No, the reason why doesn’t matter right now. For now…

“…… for all this time …….”

Haruhime opened her mouth.

The movement of her lips appeared like slow motion. As if the film had been stretched many times over, the time around her felt stopped.

“I’ve had always loved you, ……”

There was no longer any hesitation in her voice.

“That’s how I really feel.”

…….

It was actually a wonder that I didn’t collapse with a stroke.

With a ‘Gurun*Gurun’, even now, noisily, in the body, the blood circulated making that glugging sound. Because of extreme embarrassment, I coudn’t look at her face properly right now.

” 『 I also ……. 』”

I almost say according to the script, but stop. I look at the words of script in my head, and take them down.

As even she did. I have to tell her my honest feelings right here, right now.

For if I miss this chance, I might never be able to get it back.

The emotions that had been welled up, unexpressed, and bottled it for a long time, I allowed for it to get spilled out.

“I also … have the same feelings.”

“…yeap.”

“I love you.”

I hold out my hand, to take her’s.

The people in the audience seats or even the other guests, weren’t able to figure out or understand.

The time of silence, till Haruhime took hold of my hand, felt as if it would extend till the very end of the world.

“Tet-chan”

She whispers in a voice that no one else can hear.

“I’ll be waiting for you in the classroom.’

As I held Haruhime’s small hand amicably, music started playing. Even though just moments ago, she felt all so far away, but now she felt incredibly close again.

My heart pounded so loudly that even the sound of applause, and the sound of the curtains falling in, was not loud enough for me to notice them.