I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 14: Her Work.

Her Work.

“Good morning… though I suppose it’s not really morning anymore. Good afternoon, Tsubame.”

“Good afternoon.”

It was Friday, the end of the week. Tsubame had arrived just as the lunch break began. Apparently, she had work early in the morning.

“What kind of work was it, by the way? A photoshoot? An interview? You do a lot of different things.”

“An interview with a TV station today. About upcoming projects and such… I don’t really like interviews, though.”

“Yeah, you always keep your responses short, don’t you?”

I’ve read interviews of hers in newspapers and seen them on TV, and they almost always end with just a few words. She isn’t the talkative type to begin with, but it seems she does it deliberately.

“You’ve been watching my interviews?”

“…Well, yeah. Pretty much all the ones you’ve been in.”

Tsubame stared at me, and I instinctively averted my gaze.

It’s a little embarrassing to have her find out that I’ve been following her work. Not that I have any reason to hide it.

“Anyway, good job today. And don’t push yourself too hard with classes either.”

“Thanks.”

I told her that partly because of what her mother had mentioned to me before.

…She’s always been good at hiding things. I need to be careful—not just about how exhausted she might be, but also about the things she keeps bottled up inside.

I reminded myself to keep a close eye on her, to make sure I didn’t overlook even the smallest changes.

***

I noticed something different about her when I returned from the faculty office after running a quick errand for the teacher.

I had only been gone for a few minutes, but when I got back, Tsubame was sitting at her desk with her eyes closed.

That in itself wasn’t unusual.

But—she didn’t open them even when I sat down. That was a first.

“Tsubame?”

I called her name without thinking, and slowly, her eyelids fluttered open.

“Oh, Shigure-kun. You’re back.”

“…Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

I hadn’t meant to disturb her, but my surprise made me speak up before I could think.

Tsubame had once told me that she sleeps whenever she gets the chance. I figured this was one of those moments.

“You don’t have to worry about me. Try to get some rest, okay?”

“It’s alright. I’m really fine.”

I had done something unnecessary and ended up waking her.

…That was careless of me. But I shouldn’t dwell on it too much. I just need to be more mindful next time.

“Did your work start early today?”

“I woke up at five.”

Not I got up, but I woke up, huh?

[TL: “目が覚めた” (me ga sameta) literally means “my eyes opened” or “I woke up”, which emphasizes regaining consciousness rather than the act of getting out of bed.]

“And what time did you go to bed?”

“The last time I checked the clock, it was around one.”

“…That’s barely any sleep.”

And since she only checked the clock at one, it’s possible she didn’t even sleep for three hours.

“This isn’t a regular thing, is it?”

“…”

She didn’t answer.

That silence alone was enough to make me fall quiet as well.

…Is she sleeping even less than I imagined?

It made sense, though. She was under so much stress that she had lost her sense of taste. And more than that, she had already told me she couldn’t sleep well.

“You haven’t tried taking any sleep aids?”

“I have before, but they didn’t really suit me… Or maybe they worked too well. I ended up sleeping too much, and it started affecting both work and school.”

“But if you keep going like this, your health—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

She already knew that. I could see it in her expression.

What she needed from me right now wasn’t a lecture. …It’s not like she wanted to be unable to sleep. And I was sure her mother had already noticed and spoken to her about it, too.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

What can I do?

I don’t know if I can eliminate her stress, but I should at least be able to help her cope with it.

Take it one step at a time. Don’t rush. If I make the wrong move, I could make things worse.

And to do that, I first need to understand her better.

“Do you have any idea why you can’t sleep?”

“…I keep remembering unpleasant things before I go to bed.”

“I’m not trying to pry, but… would you mind telling me a little more?”

She hesitated for a moment before quietly muttering:

“I’m afraid of losing my job.”

Her voice was so soft that it was clear she wasn’t saying it for anyone else to hear.

“My childhood dream came true. Now I have to keep making it come true.”

“…But you’ve already made a name for yourself, haven’t you? I doubt your work would just disappear overnight.”

“That’s exactly the kind of arrogance that gets people left behind. I’ve seen it happen over and over.”

Tsubame looked straight at me, and I realized how thoughtless my words had been.

“…Sorry. That was insensitive of me.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know my work won’t just disappear so easily. …I know that, but—”

“But at night, the thoughts won’t stop.”

She gave a small nod. Then, after a pause…

“And… no, never mind.”

…She stopped herself. Whatever she had been about to say, she didn’t want to talk about it any further.

There was more to it.

But at least now, I understood a little better. This was a far more complex issue than I had initially thought.

I couldn’t just throw out empty reassurances. If I said the wrong thing, I might end up disregarding all the effort and resolve she had put into this.

I wasn’t in a position to solve the root of her stress—not yet.

But if I could at least help her ease some of it, maybe she could regain her sense of taste. Maybe she could start sleeping better.

Which one happens first doesn’t really matter.

By then, I’ll know even more about her. And when that time comes, I’ll talk to her properly again.

“Tsubame.”

“What is it?”

“If you ever need anything, rely on me. I’ll help however I can.”

I was sure that she wanted to do something about this just as much as I did.

And if she felt comfortable enough to ask for help when she needed it, maybe things could get a little easier for her.

She gave a small nod before answering:

“Thank you. I’ll be counting on you a lot.”

Relieved by her words, I reached for my lunch.

…But I needed to think of something by Monday. If this continued, she was bound to collapse sooner or later.