Aren’t You Too Sweet Salt-God Sato-San? - Chapter 6
Epilogue : Confession
After Sato Koharu and Oshio Sota figure’s disappeared from “Cafe tutuji”,
[Thank you for waiting.]
The pancakes were brought to Sato Kazuharu’s table.
Sato Kazuharu, who was looking at the illuminated flower garden, glanced at it and said,
[I didn’t order this.]
[We are classmates from the same year, Kazuharu-kun.]
With that, Oshio Seizaemon sat down in the chair across from him.
Kazuharu looked away deliberately as if he was annoyed.
[What the hell is this… I was about to take a breather after I finally felt the weight on my shoulder being lifted off. I hate sweet things. Both sweet things and people.]
[Hahaha, and yet you were so sweet to your daughter. You have become considerably mellow. In addition, you also lost the muscles. Didn’t you have more muscle in the American football team?]
[It’s just you who hasn’t changed much. We aren’t students anymore, I don’t need useless muscles.]
[And these muscles on display aren’t useless.]
Seizaemon twisted his body while sitting to show off his upper body muscles.
However, Kazuharu didn’t even look at him. Instead he murmured,
[…I’m sorry to hear about Sakiko-san.]
[I’m surprised you can even say that too! It’s unthinkable progress from the time in highschool! I guess being a parent changes you!]
[Don’t be silly.]
[Hahaha, well, it’s alright now. Sota has grown up a lot.]
[Oshio Sota…]
[How was it?]
[What was?]
[You’re just playing dumb, you really wanted to see Sota, but you didn’t leave before the end, so does that mean you approve of him a little bit?]
Kazuharu didn’t respond, but as if remembering, he cut the pancake with the fork and knife at hand and brought it to his mouth.The wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened.
[It’s so sweet, it’s giving me heartburn.]
[Because that’s the way it is. Ask me again when you come back.]
[I don’t know if I’d order something this sweet, let alone a cup of tea… Oh.]
Kazuharu suddenly raised his voice and held his head.
[What happened?]
When Sezaimon asked, he distorted his face in frustration and said,
[…Damn it, I forgot to take the photo.]
Yes, that’s what he muttered to him.
♦️
[What a farce.]
I said it bluntly, fiddling with my smartphone after the two were gone.
[In the end, I just got along with those two guys.]
Shizuku-san was leaning against the backrest, stretching.
Next to her, Ren, who was looking at the sky in boredom, stood up from his seat and said,
[I’m going to the bathroom.]
Leaving behind these words, his figure disappeared in the store.
As soon as they heard the sound of the door closing in the distance, I was the only one of the three who was still staring at my smartphone, then Mayo-san said,
[You don’t have to hold back anymore.]
[Ugh…]
The expressionless face that I had until then was distorted into a crumpled mess, and I started crying, clutching my smartphone with both hands and stifling my voice.
I had already reached my limit.
I knew who he wanted to show the miracle of the magic hour, and I knew that their feelings were mutual.
[…This time is my loss…]
In a trembling voice but with clear intention, I put together my words.
[There’s no goal in love, so even if you like each other, there are plenty of times when things don’t work out…]
[No, you’re absolutely right.]
[Same here.]
Shizuku-san and Mayo-san say in a funny tone. There was no sympathy for the word, and I was grateful for it.
[So, the only time to cry is now…!]
[Rinka-chan is the most mature person.]
[The three of us are going out for drinks tonight.]
The two warm palms of the hand are placed on my back.
Rinka-chan never gives up.
♠️♥️
The warm breeze clung to our cheeks and disappeared behind us.
The sound of a grasshopper crying and the sound of a rusty pedal spinning can be heard from somewhere.
The magic hour has long since passed, and darkness was enveloping the area.
[……]
[……]
I pedaled slowly and carefully, being very careful not to shake the girl sitting behind me.
I can’t turn around to check her out, and I haven’t touched her with even one fingertip. But I can feel her presence on my back.
———I feel like my heart is going to explode.
I wondered if it was the same for her. We hadn’t had a real conversation in the tens of minutes since we started riding together.
Speaking of conversation,
[Are you okay back there?]
[…Yes, I’m all right]
[I see…]
It must be that.
…Of course it would be awkward, because even after the battle with a formidable enemy, Sato Kazuharu, it doesn’t change the fact that I was rejected!
[……]
[……]
This silence hurts.
The two of us on a bicycle, a situation that is synonymous with youth, helped us in the end. Because right now, there’s no way I can see Sato-san’s face from the front… However…
It’s time to have a heart-to-heart talk, isn’t it, Oshio Sota?
[……]
Why did that person’s words now pass through my mind?
He can’t possibly know that I’m in an awkward situation with Sato-san right now, he can’t possibly know… He couldn’t possibly know, right?
I feel like that was a statement that he knew all along… No, that’s not irrelevant.
Either way, I have to settle my relationship with Sato-san.
I spit down my thirsty throat, and then said,
[Sato-san!] [Oshio-kun!]
[Ah…]
Our voices unexpectedly overlapped, and I blushed from the embarrassment.
I’m really glad that I’m on a bicycle.
[…Ah, hahah, Sato-san, you can go first.]
[Well, uh… Yeah, then I will say first.]
After I said it, I felt self-loathing because of my shamelessness.
Why did I have to be so…!
While I was hesitating, Sato-san said “Well…” , still embarrassed.
[…First of all, thank you, andI’m sorry… I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused Oshio-kun and others… Father was scary, wasn’t he?]
[…A bit.]
It was actually a lot.
If I were to be shouted at suddenly by that piercing voice, I would certainly have cried. It’s the charm of a highschool boy to lie to a certain extent.
[But don’t worry about it, everything seems to have been settled.]
[…You are as amazing as I expected, Oshio-kun. I have been with Father for sixteen years and I’m still scared of him.]
[……]
I feel a little sorry for Kazuharu-san who is so devoted to his children, but that wasn’t passed at all… No child knows how dear they are to their parents.
[Anyway, thank you really very much, Oshio-kun…]
I got thrown off when she whispered that suddenly.
Stop it, my throbbing heart!
As I was able to calm down my own heartbeats without using my hands, Sato-san took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind.
[…And then there is one more thing, about the confession earlier…]
My heartbeats subsided. On the contrary, it may have stopped completely.
[A-Ah, the confession, huh…]
It was a miracle that I was able to reply.
Whether she knew how I felt or not, Sato-san began to talk.
[…I have been thinking ever since, that after all I have to reply properly again to Oshio-kun.]
[Hyuu]
At the abrupt death sentence, a strange voice came out.
Why is that at this time…?!
[Well, you don’t have to force yourself, you know…?]
The words I somehow squeezed out were my final resistance. If she were to say that once again, [I’m sorry but I couldn’t see Oshio-kun as member of the opposite s*x. Thank you for being my friend from now on], I would seriously throw up. I will cry and throw up. So God, please stop!
As I pedaled along, praying to the Gods of love, I wondered if they existed, and Sato-san opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind—-
[Actually, at the time Oshio-kun called me and confessed to me, I was taking a bath at that time… And then I immediately felt dizzy and my mom had to carry me out!]
[…Huh?]
The confession was very different from what I had expected, and I let out a silly squeak.
[Feeling dizzy… Were you taking a long bath?]
[U-Umm… It’s not like that…]
Sato-san squirmed behind the back in embarrassment.
After waiting for a while, Sato-san finally seemed to have made up her mind and said the words.
[——–I was that happy when the man I love confessed his love to me.]
After those words, the whole world went blank.
The buzzing of insects and the whirring of pedals fade into the distance.
[…I was really, really embarrassed and was at a loss on what to do, but… Actually, my memory of that moment, especially the last part, is pretty hazy, and I woke up on my bed…]
The only thing I can feel now is Sato-san’s breathing, her heat, and the words she spins.
[…That’s why, I wanted to reply once again properly and seriously to Oshio-kun… It’s a bit cowardly, but Oshio-kun also confessed on Mine… So we are even, aren’t we?]
[What…?]
Those words were almost dream-like. I had to swallow it halfway through.
The reason was I was suddenly hugged from behind.
Sato-san, who was so hot like she was burning up, hugged me from behind.
Then, Sato-san said—–
[———I also like Oshio-kun, I can’t say it face to face yet but I have always liked you, even before when you saved me from those scary guys at cafe tutuji that day.]
A low sound echoed throughout the area, and the sky brightened up.
It must have been fireworks. But I didn’t have time to look at them.
[O-Oshio-kun, what were you going to say…?]
My line of sight blurred, feeling the warmth of her body.
…I really am glad that I am on a bicycle, I thought.
I don’t want to show that face to her.
I still wanted to be a cool person in front of her.
[Let’s go to various places again from now on.]
[…First is shaved ice, right?]
[…That’s right.]
Fireworks go up one after another, coloring the night of early summer.
I can’t use my smartphone right now because my hands are full, but even if I don’t take a picture or upload it to Minsta, I’m sure I’ll never forget this sight.
I thought to myself as I cried quietly so that she wouldn’t see me.