I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 33: Her Switch.

Her Switch.

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Hmm… let me think.”

That morning, after meeting Usui-san at the office, I dropped Tsubame off at the studio for her shoot and suddenly found myself with free time.

Tsubame and her manager, Usui-san, stayed at the studio. Normally, her mother would pass the time working remotely from a nearby internet café or hotel, but since it was Sunday today, she had the day off.

Since we were in Tokyo, we thought it might be nice to go somewhere, if there was anywhere she wanted to visit.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to explore Tokyo more deeply… but today, there was something else I wanted to do.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, regarding Tsubame.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Now that her sense of taste has returned… I thought maybe giving her a gift to celebrate might make her happy.”

“…! That’s a wonderful idea!”

I had been thinking about it since yesterday. The problem was, I couldn’t figure out what kind of gift would be best.

I did some research, but honestly, gifts are a tricky thing—what people are happy to receive differs so much between individuals. That’s why I thought it would be best to ask someone who knows her well—like her mother.

“Is there anything you can think of? Something Tsubame would be happy to receive or something she might need?”

“Hmm… That child doesn’t really ask for much in terms of material things, but…”

Tsubame’s mother looked thoughtful for a moment, then her face lit up.

“How about a handkerchief? Whether she’s filming outdoors or in the studio, the lighting tends to make things pretty hot. She does carry one now, but it’s just a cheap one from a 100-yen shop… I’ve actually been meaning to secretly get her a nicer one.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

A handkerchief is both functional and reasonably priced. Of course, high-end brands can be expensive, but this would allow us to strike the perfect balance—something a little nicer, but not so much that she’d feel uncomfortable receiving it.

“I think I’ll get her a necklace too… As I recall, she doesn’t have any metal allergies, so it should be fine.”

“Accessories, huh? Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen her wear any.”

“She’s very frugal. She saves everything that’s not strictly necessary. She always tells me to spend freely on myself, even though… there was a time I had to rely on her. But now I can fully support our living expenses with my own job.”

Her words reminded me of something Tsubame had said recently—actually, just the day before yesterday. She’d sounded anxious about the future, especially when it came to money. Not that I had any doubt she’s saved way more than I could ever imagine.

“Really…?”

“Surprised? I make it a point not to touch my daughter’s money unless it’s absolutely necessary. That money is hers. And I’ve already repaid everything I borrowed.”

“Is everything okay though? That place you live in seems like it’d have pretty high rent…”

“Actually, my job pays quite well. I originally worked hard so Tsubame could attend school without financial worries. Plus, we moved for safety reasons, so the agency also provides a certain amount of housing support.”

“I see… that makes sense.”

It hadn’t occurred to me that there might be such systems in place.

“They explained everything clearly when I signed the contract, so it’s been a huge help.”

“By the way… Have you told Tsubame about all that?”

“…? Not really. I just told her that my salary can cover everything.”

“…I won’t go into detail, but please make sure you tell her later. Seriously.”

“Ah, yes. You’re right. I should have talked to her about it sooner.”

Now that I thought about it, Tsubame had mentioned that her mom handled the contract stuff. That would’ve been back when she was still in elementary school. Maybe the agency provides more support than I’d imagined. If sharing this with her eases some of her worries, it’s definitely worth telling her.

“Back to what we were discussing earlier… Is there anywhere around here where we can buy that handkerchief?”

“Of course. Leave it to me—Mom’s got this.”

At some point, she’d started referring to herself as “Mom.” …Well, she looked like she was enjoying herself, so it was fine.

And so, I ended up going shopping with Tsubame’s mother.

After shopping, we returned to the studio in the early afternoon. Tsubame had a break before her next shoot, and they planned to have lunch in the meantime.

We took the elevator up to the studio floor, and just as we arrived, people began trickling out of what looked like the filming room—seemed the shoot had just wrapped up.

Among them were Tsubame and Usui-san… and I was taken aback when I saw her.

Not Usui-san. Tsubame.

She looked completely different—expressionless, just like when she’d arrive at school earlier than me. Her eyes were void of light, just like that time before.

But more than that… she was radiating this sharp, unapproachable aura.

Noticing my surprise, her mother leaned in to explain.

“Tsubame changes a lot when she’s working. I was a little worried after what happened yesterday, but… it seems she’s back to how she was.”

“I see. Is this one of those times where she prefers not to be approached?”

“She just hasn’t mentally ‘switched off’ yet. She’ll be fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

If she didn’t want to be approached, I was prepared to hold back. But if that wasn’t the case, then good.

As I walked closer, Tsubame’s eyes met mine. Usui-san also noticed us and her expression softened just a bit.

“Shigure-kun.”

“Tsubame… What do you need?”

“…I want a hug.”

“Got it.”

She paused to think for a moment, then said that. If she’d asked me for a hug under normal circumstances and in public, I might’ve hesitated. But now… now it felt right. And if I was overstepping, I knew Usui-san would stop me.

Just to be sure, I glanced at her, and she gave me a small nod. Okay—this was fine.

So I put my arms around Tsubame—and she dove into my chest. The passing staff members all did a double, triple, even quadruple take.

…Well, I can’t blame them.

But I wasn’t going to stop. Tsubame asked for this. And truthfully, I wanted to hold her too.

“…I managed to work just fine…”

She murmured quietly. Then she lifted her face from my chest and looked me in the eyes.

“I managed to work just fine… and that scared me.”

Her eyes were dark. So dark they looked like voids.

—But little by little, light began to return to them.

“I was scared that I might go back to how I was. That I’d lose my sense of taste again. That I wouldn’t be able to smile again. It terrified me.”

Like stars gradually filling the night sky, her eyes began to sparkle beautifully once more.

“…But when I saw you, Shigure-kun, I felt like everything would be okay. And when you held me, the fear disappeared.”

She rested her face back on my chest, nuzzling her cheek against me.

“If you pat my head… I might feel even less afraid.”

“…Of course.”

I placed my hand on her head. She let out a small breath. I could feel warm, lingering gazes from people nearby.

But if this helped ease her fears, then it was worth it.

“I’ll do it as many times as it takes—until you’re not afraid anymore.”

“…If I stop being afraid, will you stop?”

“…Probably not. I think I’d get lonely.”

Tsubame let out another soft breath. This time, she smiled a little. It tickled.

“Shigure-kun.”

“What is it?”

“I’m starting to feel better… but can we stay like this a little longer?”

“…Of course. As long as you want.”

And so, we stayed like that for a while. Every time a staff member walked by, they did a double take—no, more like five takes—but Usui-san handled it smoothly.

“She’s been working so hard, and both we and the publisher are incredibly grateful to Tsubame-chan. So don’t worry about it.”

Thanks to those reassuring words, Tsubame felt free to lean on me without hesitation.

…Honestly, I was happy she depended on me. But still—she was just too adorable, and I was dangerously close to losing my composure.