A Twisted Introvert loner Like Me, Mentally Wrecked One-Sidedly due to Love, Throws Away the Love Letter Sent by the foremost School's Beauty, Leading to an Unwanted Romantic Comedy

Chapter 25: Surprising Facts 2

“…This is quite rare now… For Kazari-san to ask me a question.”

“Um, was it? If you don’t want to answer, it’s totally fine…”

“There’s no matter like that, you know. It’s just a bit surprising… Well, let’s see now —about my worries…”

The elderly lady pondered seriously with regards to my question.

“…There are many trivial ones at that, but I guess my biggest worry is that I’ve become unable to face my worries properly, I guess.”

“’Become unable to face your worries properly’…is it.”

It’s almost perplexing, kind of like philosophical. It felt like a ‘worry’ that seems understandable yet incomprehensible.

Combined with the atmosphere of the elderly lady, even anguish feels like it’s on a different level, and suddenly, I feel like a small existence in front of her.

Seeing me like this, the elderly lady chuckles ‘Fufu’ softly.

“Don’t take it as something so difficult. It’s actually a very simple worry actually.”

“Eh, is that so?”

“Yes. When you reach my age, you tend to find ways the escape methods to them, you see.”

“Escape methods?”

At my question, the elderly lady said ‘yes’ with a slight nod.

“Since I know that there is not much time left in my life, I tend to think, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter anymore…’ That’s my escape method. Of course, this is not universally used by all, but rather my personal way of thought. Because there’s an escape method I prepared, I am able to go on without facing my worries properly. The time when I also used to seriously worry as well, was way back, when I was like you, Kazari-san.”

“Well, it’s not like that, I’m worrying that much about it…”

embarrassed by the word ‘seriously’, I unintentionally let slip that as a reaction, but the elderly lady just smiled knowingly.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it’s something to be proud of. Being able to ‘worry’ about something so seriously, it’s already a wonderful thing to have.”

“…You want to say that I’m able to worry seriously because I’m young?”

“Yes.”

“So then, does the adults not worry seriously anymore?”

“Of course, they do. But you see, as you grow older, the purity you had as a child diminishes. That’s why you become gradually indifferent to emotional worries like friendship or love. On the other hand, you worry seriously about things involving money instead. Relationships and friendships become mixed with impurities like façade and keeping appearances.”

“But as an adult, isn’t thinking about money the correct thing to do?”

“’Correct’ …Well, money is something we will need to live comfortably. There’s nothing wrong with thinking like that. As Kagari-san said, many adults tend to think along those lines as well.”

Saying this, the elderly lady paused and turned her attention to the boys playing baseball in the distance.

“’Every person thinks in that sense’, adults are even aware of that as well. That’s why they bury their true feelings deep in their hearts and coat their surroundings with vanity. Assets are a simple indicator of one’s worth, so they worry seriously about money. Regarding romance and friendships, I guess, invisible impurities like pretence and facade gets mixed in. So please—”

The elderly lady looks at me and smiles.

“Treasure this time when you can be honest with yourself. So that you won’t have any regrets later on… Therefore, treasure it.”

Despite being the one who asked about worries, I found myself in a position where I was being taught valuable lessons as well.

As if she had conveyed what needed to be conveyed, and with that, the elderly lady shifted her gaze, with her side face turned towards me.

Her words carried a completely different weight. Compared to the quotes and proverbs overflowing in the internet, they were far heavier and profound.

Was the worry I carried born from not being able to be honest with myself? If that were to be the case, I would be troubled instead. Because even I don’t understand about it through and through.

If I had talked with the elderly lady sooner, maybe I could have tried trusting Hiiragi and Katase that time.

…Am I regretting it now?

“what if.” I start imagining myself with that.

What if I wasn’t regretting about it right now, I would have even brushed off the elderly lady’s valuable words right now as well.

But the elderly lady’s words certainly resonated with me. Not only that, it’s even stirring my emotions even now.

“…Thank you very much.”

Words of gratitude spilled out naturally.

“Oh, no need for that. I didn’t say anything to be thanked for. It’s just the idle chatter of a bored elderly woman after all.”

To the modest elderly lady, I shook my head and said, “That’s not true at all.”

The conversation ended. The usual comfortable and composed silent ambience befalls once again.

“—Granny! You forgot your phone at home! It’s bad if you don’t take it with you properly!”

“…Arra, Sayo-chan.”