Aren’t You Too Sweet Salt-God Sato-San? - Chapter 1.4

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一一I run as fast as I can.

I just run and run, without comprehending what’s going on anymore.

People on the street turn around to look at me in amazement at what I’m doing, but I don’t care about that.

There is only one thing filling my mind right now, and that is,

[I entered the room of my first love…!]

Regrets keep swirling around in my feverish mind, about the blunders I made today and that I ended up talking too much because of being too nervous.

I don’t even remember what we talked about.

I wonder if our discussion went well? I didn’t say anything strange, right?

It’s because of all these thoughts swirling inside my mind that I didn’t realise the fatal blunder I made until it was already dark.

一一I forgot my smartphone.

I notice it when I was screaming and burying my face in my pillow while remembering the blunders I made today.

I feel like I’ve used up this year’s worth of blunders in just this one day and one more last “blunder” that’s going to use up next year’s worth.

…Even if it had to, why did it happen at my crush’s place out of all things, my smartphone…

But it’s no use crying over spilt milk. For now there are only two options, either I go back to get it, or don’t go.

It’s a very difficult question for me. It’s already time for the café to close and I will also trouble Oshio-kun by visiting so late.

Moreover, if we were to face each other again, I don’t know what would happen in too much embarrassment this time.

And more than that, I don’t even know what I would end up doing in embarrassment if I saw his face again.

It was a question I’m sure will trouble me till next year.

After worrying about it to the point where I felt like I was going to get a fever,

[Let’s go get it back after a bath.]

I settle on this conclusion.

My mother seemed quite surprised to see me starting to apply makeup after a thorough shower at around seven o’clock, but I managed to cover it up somehow.

That being the case, I am now once again returning to that road. I finally made it up here.

While surrounded by the lukewarm air of early summer nights, I, Sato Koharu, squeezed my painfully throbbing chest.

[Uu…]

If I turn the corner right there, I will see “Café Tutuji”一一that is to say, Oshio-kun’s house.

When I finally came here, my heart rate reached its peak. My breathing turned rough and my face also turned red.

一一It can’t be helped, since Oshio-kun is my first love.

Even though we haven’t talked that much in class, I have been watching his face from afar, without letting him notice. His cool face has already been etched into my eyes.

His slender legs, a bit drowsy eyes, soft hair and dimples that appear when he smiles.

And today, I discovered a new fact, that he is an employee at such a fashionable café, and a Minstagrammar too!

I’m sure he must be very popular, unlike me…

When I thought that far, I just reconfirmed how miserable I am, and because of that my legs became heavier.

I wonder if it’s better to go home… Such feelings began to fill me.

But一一

[…I’ve already come this far.]

I tell myself that, take a deep breath, and finally turn the corner.

However I gasp at the spectacle that is in front of me.

[Ehh…]

The lights were on despite the fact that Café Tutuji should have been already closed.

The twinkling, yet warm glow of the decorative lights illuminate the flower garden, giving it a magical beauty.

It’s a childish analogy, but it feels like I have lost myself in the world of picture books.

[That is…]

As if inviting me, I step once, and then another, and step by step advance through the flower garden.

Then, when I pass through the arch of flowers, I recognize him in the center of such a fantastic world.

There is Oshio-kun, with a cup of tea in his hand, alone in the terrace seat with his legs crossed.

[Oshio-kun…]

I mutter his name in a daze.

I didn’t think my voice would reach him, but Oshio-kun, noticing me, places the partially drunk cup on the table, smiles kindly and says,

[Sato-san, I was waiting for you.]

The moment I hear his voice, I really thought that my heart, which had been beating so fast, seriously stopped.

My head turns blank and I can’t come up with my next words.

Looking at me, Oshio-kun stands up and slowly walks over to me.

Wait, it’s dangerous now, it’s really dangerous now, so please一一

[You came for your phone, didn’t you? Here it is.]

Oshio-kun hands me my smartphone.

I finally manage to open my throat, which had frozen shut.

[Pe-Perhaps, you’ve been waiting for me?]

[Yeah, I thought you might come back for it, so I turned on the light and waited. You don’t want to leave your phone at a guy’s house, do you?]

[Th-That’s!]

No, no, no. I shake my head.

It’s useless. No matter how smart I try to act, my mind goes blank in front of Oshio-kun rendering me unable to speak.

Seeing me like this, Oshio smiles and says,

[Is your house close? It’s not completely dark yet, but please be careful on your way home.]

Leaving behind those words in the end, Oshio-kun turns around his heel to leave.

Ahh, Oshio-kun is leaving…

[一一Oshio-kun!]

Regardless of my intentions, the words came out of my mouth.

Thank you for going out of your way to do this. Let’s meet again at school tomorrow.

Isn’t it better? Isn’t that the most beautiful way to end it?

Even though I know it in my head, yet words come out on their own from my mouth.

[That, is it okay to take a photo?]

Just as I said those words, I felt the blood drain from my body at once.

What… What are you saying, me?!

[Ah… I mean! That… The café garden is so beautiful… that’s why! Look, I’m aiming to be a minstagrammar… It looks great right?!]

[Do you want to take a picture of my garden? Of course you can, but…]

[Y… Yeah!! Yay! I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you, haha…]

What’s with haha.

I hold my phone horizontally and strike a deliberate “I’m going to take a picture now” pose.

However, the inside of my head had already turned chaotic.

My hands were shaking helplessly, my eyes were blurred, I couldn’t even see what was on the screen.

I’m useless. Really, really useless…

I don’t want Oshio-kun to think I’m a dumb woman any more, but my body won’t listen to me.

I want to disappear right away.

一一Just then, a hand reached out from behind me and placed itself on top of my hand.

It was thin and beautiful, however, one look and I knew it was a man’s hand.

In the drawn out time where seconds seem to turn into minutes, and then hours, he says in his usual gentle voice,

[Let me help you.]

The moment he says that, my finger slips and taps a button.

It’s the button to switch between the main and front cameras.

In other words, the screen of my phone now shows me and the figure of Oshio-kun supporting my hand from behind and…

Ba-dump.

[ [Ahh] ], once again, the two voices overlap, and the two shots of mine and Oshio-kun are saved on the phone.

A moment of silence follows for a while between us.

[…Ah, sorry… It’s a selfie. Should I take it again?]

[N-No, it’s okay. I got a good shot! Oh, thank you, Oshio-kun…!]

I pull away from Oshio-kun like a broken string. The trembling of my hand had already stopped.

[…Let’s meet again at school.]

With those last words, I grip my phone tightly and leave “Cafe Tutuji”. After leaving, I turn a corner and fall to my knees.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~ah~~]

I’m already at the end of my rope in so many ways.

♠️

After losing sight of Sato-san, I collapse to my knees on the spot.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~ah~~]

I’ve already reached my limit in too many ways.

[Sotaa!]

With a beastly roar, a Muscular Daruma, or to say my Father, jumps out from the bushes.

He rushes towards me, covers me with a towel as he rubs my back with his big hands.

It’s only then that I realize that my back is drenched in sweat, as is my throat dry.

I grab a cup of tea with my trembling hands and drink it down in one gulp, the tea having long since gone cold.

[So, Father…]

[What is it, Sota!]

[I didn’t say anything strange, right? It wasn’t creepy, right?]

[It’s okay! You looked handsome! You looked very handsome!]

Good…

While my dad fanned me with a towel, I breathe a sigh of relief.

I really thought my heart was going to stop for a moment.