A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 39: I’ll Take Care of It

There’s an awkward silence over the phone.

The sound of the wind, the sound of cars driving, the noise of young people making noise, and the sound of breathing behind them are very clear. A few seconds, a few minutes. Breaking the silence, Kanna begins to express her heartbreak.

“To be honest, I know a lot of things have been said behind my back. That I’m reckless, or that I’m getting carried away. But I understand that there are more people who support me than that.”

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. It’s a sad reality, but this is something that can happen anywhere—at school, in society, whether you’re a child or an adult, across any generation. Envy, jealousy, and sometimes even hatred. That’s just human nature.

“But when I saw the comments on that article… I thought… I’m sure everyone in my class is probably thinking the same way…”

I don’t know what kind of face I should make when I go to school. Kanna says with a voice so faint it sounds like she’s about to disappear. I need to say something. Should I comfort her? Or give words of encouragement? Nothing seems right, and I don’t know what to do.

“Jinpei-kun, do you remember? Back when we were playing, you said, ‘I wish everyone could understand what Kanna is thinking.’“

“… Ah, of course, I remember.”

It was an innocent remark that I made because I was still a child, when Kanna, who was shunned by other kids her age and sometimes even had stones thrown at her, was struggling.

“This phrase is the reason I am who I am today.”

Apparently, that remark became the spark for Kanna to develop earrings that convey her emotions visually, and she even started a company. It allowed her to express how she felt without being able to say it out loud. As long as she wore the earrings, she could communicate her feelings.

“But it’s no use… I haven’t changed at all on a fundamental level. Even though I can visualize my emotions, I still need to speak them out loud…”

The reason for the controversy was none other than her failure to express herself with the right words. If she had said what needed to be said, she could have prevented the whole situation.

“I don’t know what to do myself… I’m in a state of progress and my mind is in a mess.”

Kanna says in a self-deprecating tone, “I’m no good, really,” and she says in a tearful, thin voice expresses the fear that everything—her class, the upcoming events—will fall apart because of her, and she feels like she’s about to disappear.

“…I’ll take care of it.”

Kanna’s painful cry. Before I realized it, I was muttering these words, biting my lip so hard that blood began to bleed.

“…Huh?”

“I’ll take care of it. Leave it to me, Kanna.”

I strongly declare Kanna, who reacts in amazement, to make her feel at ease. I don’t have time to lament my helplessness. If I waste time standing still because of that, I should be acting to change the situation.

“Right now, everyone is just misunderstanding your words. I’ll clear up every single one of those misunderstandings. And I’ll make sure to convey your true feelings about the bazaar. So stop crying.”

“…Jinpei-kun. Thank you.”

I felt like Kanna, on the other end of the phone, was smiling through a single tear.

“So don’t worry about it. Tonight, just soak in a warm bath and get plenty of rest. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

After saying good night a little early, I hung up the phone and went back to my room, and Asakura and Sasazuki grinned and waited.

“…What is it?”

“Well… We got to see something good. Thanks, Itsuki.”

“The beautiful friendship of childhood friends. It looks like a movie could be made out of it.”

I sat down on the bed sighing as the two nodded seriously. Now that I had made such a bold statement, I needed to calm the firestorm and ensure the bazaar’s success. I seriously began thinking about what steps to take.

“Well, let’s stop with the jokes for now. I thought of something that we could do for Kanna in our own way. Would you listen?”

“But before that, I just want to confirm. What did you really mean by your statement about the bazaar being a game? I want to make sure we’re on the same page as you and Itsuki.”

“Ah, that. Kanna probably meant this—”

After Sasazuki asked, I let out a dry laugh and explained Kanna’s true intentions behind her words. Upon hearing this, both of them gave me an exasperated look and said, “She really was lacking in words!” I could understand how they felt.

“So, now that we’ve shared Kanna’s feelings, can we hear your thoughts?”

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We’ll just hit back with an article in response. It’s all right, leave it to me and Mika.”

“We’re calling it the Hammurabi Code Strategy. We’ll use whatever we can, so just stay aboard this big ship and let us handle it.”

Sasazuki puffed out her chest confidently, as if proud of the plan. After having grown up in the cutthroat world of entertainment, she probably has some connections. As for Asakura, she’s an up-and-coming track athlete, so she’s probably been through several interviews and handled the media a lot. I felt like I could trust them to deal with the articles.

“That being said, then the biggest problem is the bazaar…”

“A collection of unwanted goods is no different from the others, but it is almost impossible to prepare materials and make handmade goods… what are you going to do, Itsuki?”

Handmade. Now that I think about it, when Kanna moved away, I gave her a handmade strap. It made me really happy to know that she still treasures it…

“Hey, Asakura. Kanna’s company makes products that let you understand the emotions of the person wearing them by the color, right?”

“Yes. I think they were earrings… Did you come up with any ideas?”

“Yeah… This might do!”

When I told them what I had just come up with, Asakura and Sasazuki all shook their heads and agreed, “I think that’s a great idea!”

The strategy was decided. There is a good chance of winning, but the future is also a battle against time. I quickly called my family home.

“Hello, grandfather? I’m sorry for calling so late. There’s something I want to discuss with you. Is that okay?”