I tried to confess my feelings to the girl I like, but I got too excited and ended up proposing. Was her response OK?! ~ - Chapter 37
Episode 37
When I went to pick up Mana who was waiting in the classroom, there was no one else there except for her.
Mana was sitting quietly in a corner of the empty classroom, gazing out the window.
It was past six o’clock, and the setting sun was shining through, making the usually familiar classroom look quite mystical.
“Ah, Sora-kun. Have you finished your talk?”
Mana, noticing me, turned towards me.
“Yeah, it’s finished. Sorry for making you wait.”
“No, I don’t mind at all. Shall we go home then?”
Mana and I left the classroom together and headed home.
When we arrived home, after dinner, we each started reviewing.
Sitting face to face at the dining table, we reviewed different subjects separately.
During this time, we didn’t talk much.
“Now, we’ve made quite a bit of progress today, so it’s time for a break, isn’t it?”
Mana still seemed focused on her work, so I thought I’d make some coffee.
I headed to the kitchen and started the coffee maker.
It’s already nine o’clock. Since tomorrow is a day off, it’s okay to stay up late tonight. Or rather, if I drink coffee, I’ll have to stay up late, won’t I?
Beep beep.
It seems the coffee is ready.
I prepared two cups and poured them out evenly.
“Mana, you’ve been working quite a bit, so let’s take a short break.”
As I said this, I carried the coffee and moved to the living room, sitting on the sofa.
“Yes, you’re right. I got a bit too focused.”
Mana said this, taking off her glasses and massaging her eyes. After a while, she moved over to my side.
“Somehow, recently, time seems to pass by too quickly, and I feel like everything happens in the blink of an eye. Even memories of summer vacations feel like they happened just yesterday.”
Now that you mention it, lately, it certainly has been passing by quickly.
“Well, maybe it’s because it’s all still fresh? I think for me, it’s because every day spent with someone I love feels fresh. Being able to spend time with you in the morning, afternoon, and night, at any time of the day, makes me really happy. That’s why I think time flies by for me.”
I can’t believe I said something so embarrassing.
“It may be the same for me, indeed. I’ve hardly ever experienced spending the whole day with someone else. Eriko-san is always busy with work, and my parents are overseas. That’s why the time with you, Sora-kun, was so precious to me. I guess that’s it.”
“Yeah. I’m sure so.”
Mana’s eyes seemed to moisten as if she were thinking about her parents.
Then, she began to speak quietly.
“As I mentioned earlier, my parents are overseas. The last time I saw them was on the day of my middle school entrance ceremony, and the next day, they went abroad. They never came back since then, and I’ve been living with Eriko-san alone. Well, we had a few maids, but still. At first, I didn’t think much about it. But, the two who promised to come back every year, have never returned to this day. I… ”
Mana’s words choked.
“Mana.”
I hugged Mana and gently stroked her head.
“I… I wonder if I was abandoned by them. They never came to see me, not once. They didn’t even contact me…!”
Mana continued to speak, holding back tears.
“I thought they were testing me. So, I desperately tried to excel in school. But still, it seems like they won’t come to see me. That’s why I can’t decide on my future. I don’t care anymore.”
“That’s not true. I don’t know what Mana’s parents are thinking, but I feel like I know one thing. They definitely didn’t abandon you. I mean, they wouldn’t abandon such a cute kid, right? They must be going through a lot over there too. So, Mana, even if you can’t trust your parents, I know for sure that they didn’t do that.”
Mana listened quietly, burying her face in my chest.
While continuing to stroke her head, I continued.
“But even if they don’t come anymore, if you feel like giving up, then do it for me. I’ll keep watching over you, and I’ll never leave you. Even if you can’t trust your parents, you can trust me, right? I’m your husband, after all.”
At that point, it seemed like Mana had reached her limit.
The feelings she had been holding back overflowed, and she began to cry uncontrollably.
I quietly continued to stroke her head.
Waiting for Mana to stop crying without saying a word.
After a few minutes, Mana pulled away from my chest.
“Thank you for listening to me.”
“That’s what anyone would do. Because you’re important to me.”
“Hehe, that’s so like you, Sora-kun. I’ll try my best. With my future plans and everything else.”
“Yeah, but don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes!”
And Mana buried her face in my chest again.
“Can we stay like this a little longer?”
“Yeah. As long as you want.”
Mana didn’t say anything else, just continued to rely on me.
Seems like she was quite tired, as she fell asleep like that.
Maybe it’s okay to leave it like this today.
If Mana can sleep peacefully, then it’s fine with me.
“Goodnight, Mana.”