I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 61

After that, I was questioned by the police. Officer Hirai gave me a serious scolding—and rightfully so. I accepted it without protest.

…Afterward, my mother and the others scolded me as well. I took that in stride, too, and promised them I would never do anything so dangerous again. But even so, they praised me—for making it out unharmed and for being able to help.

And then—Shirao and Se-chan were both incredibly worried. I thanked them, and after we talked it through, we decided to dissolve the [Jack-of-All-Trades] group once we wrapped up our current consultation.

Both of them looked conflicted about it, but in the end, they agreed—it was better than seeing me put myself in danger again.

Then they said:

“We’ll help you finish what’s left. And hey, just because the group’s over doesn’t mean we stop talking. We’re best friends now, remember?”

“Y-Yeah! Me too! And Shigure-kun’s like Shirao-kun—you don’t look at people weird, and you’re really easy to talk to!”

Their words were warm… so gentle. I’d interacted with many people, but those two were among the very few I could trust as much as my own family. That meant everything to me.

As for the Arashikawa brothers… everyone present at the scene was taken in by the police. The older brother, Haruki, was identified as the ringleader and apparently had a history of other crimes. Officer Hirai said he was likely to receive a heavy sentence.

The younger brother, Arashikawa Haruma, had followed all of his brother’s orders. Given their family environment, it was taken into account that he hadn’t acted of his own volition. He was sent to a juvenile detention facility and stopped coming to school after a brief break.

And then—Kizuki-san.

The trauma she endured ran deep. She didn’t show up to school for a whole week.

The teachers only told the other students that she had been “involved in an incident.” But no matter how tightly they tried to keep it under wraps, the details inevitably leaked. It had already made the news and appeared in the papers.

Se-chan visited Kizuki-san several times and updated me on how she was doing. Kizuki-san was now terrified of men. The images from that day still haunted her as flashbacks. She was afraid to even step outside… and honestly, after what happened, I couldn’t blame her.

If only I had noticed Arashikawa Haruma’s instability sooner. If only I had learned more about Arashikawa Haruki earlier.

Even if I thought those things… it was all too late.

I was filled with frustration. But there was nothing left for me to do.

—I bore a great deal of responsibility for what had happened.

If I hadn’t taken on this consultation in the first place, maybe none of it would’ve happened. Maybe it’s not an exaggeration to say I caused the whole incident.

I agonized over it. Regretted it. And then, about a week after the incident—

Kizuki-san called me. She wanted to talk… with Se-chan and me.

“…”

“Y-You don’t need to look so serious, okay? I-I don’t think Kizuki-san is mad…”

“…I wonder. I’m prepared to get punched—heck, even half-killed by her. Or her parents.”

I had met Kizuki-san’s parents once after the incident. They had thanked me profusely… but maybe after hearing the full story from their daughter, they’d changed their minds.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame them if they had.

“I-It’ll be okay!”

“…Thanks. I appreciate that.”

As we made our way to Kizuki-san’s house, I couldn’t help but think of how Shirao had chosen not to come, out of respect for her. I honestly hadn’t been sure if I should come either… but I understood Shirao’s feelings.

When we arrived, I was struck again by how large her house was.

We rang the bell. A woman’s voice responded, and shortly after, the door opened.

“Thank you for coming.”

“…No. I’m terribly sorry for everything that happened.”

The woman who greeted us was Kizuki-san’s mother.

A sense of unease stirred in my chest as I bowed my head.

“Please don’t apologize. I’ve heard everything… You did everything you could for my daughter. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. In fact, I should be thanking you—over and over again.”

Her words pierced straight through my chest like a blade. I did my best to keep my emotions hidden as we were invited inside.

“…Honestly, I can’t even bring myself to blame you. I never would have imagined Haruki and Haruma would end up like that.”

“…So you didn’t know either.”

“No. Their mother was known to be verbally abusive. That kind of psychological violence is just as damaging as physical abuse.”

I’d known their family situation was bad, but not the details. Sometimes ignorance is a choice… but I stayed quiet and listened.

“The older brother apparently always tried to protect the younger one. But eventually their mother’s behavior got worse—especially with her string of boyfriends. Things deteriorated further around the time Haruki failed his entrance exams… That pushed him over the edge. He went to a different high school and fell into a darker path. I only learned all this after the incident.”

“…I see.”

“The younger brother apparently saw his older brother as his entire world… As someone whose daughter was hurt, I can’t sympathize—but I do feel regret.”

As she slowly walked us through the house, her face was filled with sorrow.

“If only we had reached out. If only we had noticed. But regret always comes after the fact. Nothing changes now, no matter how much we say.”

Eventually, she stopped in front of a room.

“This is my daughter Toki’s room. I’ll bring some tea.”

“…Thank you very much.”

My chest tightened from everything I’d heard.

At the same time, a cold sweat slid down my cheek.

“I-I can…”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you. I appreciate the thought.”

Se-chan offered to open the door, but I stopped her.

Maybe it was that quiet bravery that had made Shirao fall for her. He’d been saved by that courage too.

I exhaled and opened the door.

“…Ah. Y-You came.”

Kizuki-san sat on her bed in her pajamas. She looked a bit frail.

“…Kizuki-san.”

“Ah… S-Sorry, I was zoning out until just now. Sit wherever you’d like.”

She stood and moved to a cushion beside a small table. Something about it felt… prepared. Like she’d arranged it knowing we were coming.

Se-chan sat first near the table, and I followed, taking a seat next to her.

“—Kizuki-san.”

“Wait, Yukitsuki-kun. …I know what you’re going to say, but let me go first.”

I called out gently, but Kizuki-san stopped me.

She turned her cheek slightly—then forced a smile.

“Th-Thank you for saving me, Yukitsuki-kun. …Really. I still wonder how you even managed to save me.”

“That’s… I saw you walking with him once before. That’s how I knew your house. I’m sorry—I asked a neighbor where his house was.”

“I see… So that’s how it was.”

I spoke calmly, truthfully. But I was careful—absolutely careful—not to mention his name.

Still… it wasn’t enough. A single tear slipped from her eye.

“…I see. So that’s how you saved me.”

“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories.”

“No, I’m the one who asked you here. …I’m sorry. Lately I’ve been having bad dreams. I kept wondering if I’d really been saved. That’s why I called you.”

And with that… I finally understood why she had asked me to come.

“Of course, I wanted to thank you too. …We hadn’t had the chance since it happened.”

“…I see.”

“Yeah.”

A brief silence followed. Her mother came in during that time and brought us tea and cookies.

More silence. I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t even sure if I had the right to apologize. I feared even that might hurt her.

“K-Kizuki-san.”

Se-chan was the one who finally broke the silence.

“Kizuki-san… do you think Shigure-kun is scary?”

“…?”

Kizuki-san looked at me for a long moment. Then she placed her hand on the table.

“…Yukitsuki-kun. Could you… lightly touch my hand?”

“…Okay. I’ll touch you now.”

I nodded, and gently touched the back of her hand. She didn’t flinch.

“…It’s okay. I’m not afraid.”

“Yeah, I thought so. Shigure-kun gives off this calm, trustworthy feeling. Like, there’s no way he’d ever do something like that.”

Se-chan gave a soft smile to both of us.

“Even Shirao-kun really trusts Shigure-kun. Of all the boys I’ve met, he’s the only one who’s never looked at my body—not even once.”

“…I guess I do tend to make eye contact when I talk.”

“Yeah, you really do. Oh, but Shirao-kun’s the same, so don’t worry. But with Shigure-kun, I can feel it. I know there’s no hidden intentions there.”

Kizuki-san gave a small laugh in response.

“Yeah… you might be right. Yukitsuki-kun really does feel safe.”

“…Well, I’ve dealt with all sorts of people. I try to be careful about things like that.”

“I see. That makes sense.”

The way she smiled as she said that—it was so fragile, it felt like it might vanish if I blinked.

“Kizuki-san.”

Before I knew it, I was calling her name.

Then I asked myself:

Is this really okay?

No. It isn’t.

But… can I ignore this?

No. That would be far worse.

If I turned away now, I’d never be able to face her again.

“You deserve time to rest right now.”

I started with that, then continued. I couldn’t stop myself.

“But if you ever come back to school—and if things still feel scary—please come find me.”

Because this… this was something only I could say.

“You can talk to the teacher and get your class changed. And if it’s still hard, you can just come to the science room after school, okay?”

The words spilled out.

I didn’t know if it was the right thing to say or not.

But Kizuki-san’s eyes widened—and then, she smiled. A real, strong smile.

“Yeah! Thank you!”

And seeing that smile… I felt a deep wave of relief wash over me.

***

From the very next day, Kizuki-san started coming to school again. …Just as I’d suggested, she’d consulted with a teacher and transferred to another class.

From then on, she began spending almost all of her time at school either with Se-chan or me. …She mentioned she could talk to Shirao more than the other boys, but said it was still easier to talk to me.

Perhaps because the people around her understood her situation, no one really approached her.

――That, in hindsight, was a mistake.

“…Oh, I see! This way of learning really is easier!”

Little by little, her smiles became more frequent.

“Ah, but maybe doing it this way would make it even clearer?”

But those smiles were never directed at the other boys.

“Let’s go to the next classroom together, Yukitsuki-kun.”

――By the time I realized things were heading in the wrong direction, it was already too late.

There’s something I always kept in mind when I took on someone’s consultation.

And that was—to never let myself become the object of the client’s romantic feelings.

The reason, of course, being that no matter what, I could never return those feelings.

At first, it was difficult, but thanks to Se-chan’s help, I gradually learned how to handle it.

There are two times I had to be especially cautious: one, right after they’d been rejected by their crush. And two… when someone shared a life-altering, deeply emotional problem—especially if it was a girl.

I had to be careful not to show unnecessary kindness. Because that could easily be mistaken for affection.

And I could never, ever respond to those feelings.

――Because in the end, I would only hurt them. I knew that, and yet I let it happen.

By the time I noticed… it was already too late again.

One day, I realized Kizuki-san was looking at me with the same eyes as all the other girls who had once come to me for advice.

I tried to redirect her interest toward other boys, but it didn’t work. She had been betrayed and deeply hurt by them. …Even if that guy had been an extraordinary exception among boys.

Shirao, the only other person she could talk to, already had Se-chan.

Day by day, the distance between us shrank. Even without doing anything, it kept shrinking.

I needed to pull away. Fast. Or I’d be the one to betray her this time. I’d be the one to hurt her.

I had to do something. Quickly. Find someone like me—safe, dependable—someone other than me.

Fast. There’s no time. There’s still a chance. It’s not too late yet.

She doesn’t deserve any more pain. Even if my mind is shredded from overthinking—if that’s what it takes—then so be it.

“Hey. Maybe it’s time to stop, don’t you think?”

――The science lab. Shirao said that to me when we were alone together one day.

Se-chan and Kizuki-san had already gone home. Said they were going to shop for clothes.

“You’ve been worrying about Kizuki-san, right?”

I was absentmindedly staring at a notebook Se-chan had lent me, but apparently Shirao had seen right through me.

“Of course I noticed. You’ve been acting strange lately… except when you’re with her. You’re really good at hiding things, you know.”

Maybe even my thoughts were starting to show on my face, because Shirao said that with a half-smile.

“You told me once, right? The reason you do all this? Because there’s someone you look up to?”

“…Yeah.”

“That person you look up to… it’s someone you’re in love with, isn’t it?”

――I couldn’t respond to that. But it seems even my silence was enough of an answer for him.

“Man, you’re really something. You’ve listened to hundreds—no, thousands—of people’s problems just to catch up to someone. You’ve probably helped more people than some celebrities or politicians.”

Even while letting out a sigh, Shirao didn’t avert his eyes.

By the time he blinked again, his face had returned to a serious expression.

“You know, I’ve been thinking lately.”

“…About what?”

“That maybe… it’s okay if you go out with Kizuki-san.”

That was unexpected. Before I could interrupt, he continued.

“Shigure, have you even seen that girl you’re chasing since you became a ‘fixer’?”

“…No, I haven’t.”

“So that means it’s been almost two years, right? Maybe even three? You were already helping people before this job.”

His guess was right on target. I fell silent. Shirao, seeing through it all, muttered, “I figured.”

“But even if you do meet her again, there’s no guarantee you’ll end up together, right? I mean, a lot can change in two or three years. Just the other day, I saw a classmate from elementary school—he’d grown like a foot taller. I was shocked.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

I know it. I’ve known all along. Everything I’ve done so far has been for my own satisfaction.

That’s all it’s ever been. Self-satisfaction.

It doesn’t guarantee anything. It doesn’t mean I’ll end up close to her. It doesn’t mean I’ll get to be with her.

Even if I’ve been doing it all on my own, even if I tried my hardest—there’s no guarantee the result will match the effort.

Especially when the girl I’m in love with… is someone so far out of reach, they called her a “nation-toppling beauty.” She probably doesn’t even remember me anymore.

“That’s why I think… dating Kizuki-san might not be a bad idea. It’s not like your crush doesn’t have a boyfriend already, right?”

“…Uwaa.”

“Ah—sorry, I didn’t mean it that way! I didn’t think it’d hit you that hard. I mean, maybe she’s just like you, maybe she’s been thinking the same way.”

That little thorn pierced right into my heart. Shirao tried to cover for it.

But it stung precisely because it was true. If she really has become that beautiful… then there are probably people much better looking and kinder than me around her.

“…Sorry. That was a pretty insensitive thing to say.”

“…Truth hurts, but it’s still the truth. It just means I haven’t been facing reality.”

“No, no, that’s not it. I mean, hey—there’s no way any girl could just forget about you, right? …Anyway, let me go back to what I was saying.”

Even his apology stung, so I was glad for the shift.

He went on.

“What I’m saying is… you should at least consider dating her. Just keep it as an option.”

“…Can you explain more?”

“Right. So, you don’t have any plans to meet that girl in high school, right?”

“…We didn’t make any promises.”

“There you go. Maybe you’ll meet her next year, or maybe not until you’re adults—or even after graduation.”

He cleared his throat and continued with the same serious tone.

“If that’s the case, I think it’s okay to spend a year or two with Kizuki-san. From where I’m standing, you two look great together. And… maybe being with you will help her overcome her fear of men.”

“…”

I understood what he meant. But just as I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts, he added—

“There’s one more big reason.”

“…What is it?”

“I just… don’t want to see you suffer anymore.”

When I opened my eyes, Shirao was standing right in front of me, meeting my gaze head-on.

That’s how I knew—he wasn’t lying.

“If you turn her down, you’ll regret it. No question. I don’t know what’ll happen afterward… but you will regret it. That’s just the kind of guy you are.”

“…Yeah.”

“You’ll end up more miserable than you are now. Who knows how long it’ll haunt you—maybe years. That’s why… I think dating her might be the right move. It’s not like you hate her, right?”

I tried to look away, but he held my face in place and forced me to meet his eyes.

His gaze told me that any lie I tried to tell would be seen right through.

“Date her. Be with her. And if, after some time, she overcomes her fear of men—and if you still can’t forget that other girl—then break up.”

I almost opened my mouth, but stopped.

Shirao wasn’t trying to force me. He was just giving me permission—to stop being so burdened.

I’ve seen it myself. So many couples come together from the advice I give. But not all of them last.

In fact, most high school romances don’t last. Even outside school, I’ve gotten the same feedback.

A year or two. If we go to different colleges, we might naturally drift apart.

“If you reject her, who knows how long you’ll dwell on it. So maybe it’s better to date and then break up later. That girl you like—she’s someone kind enough to understand. Even if you already had a girlfriend, I doubt she’d be disappointed.”

“…Shirao.”

“There are couples who fall in love after they start dating, right? And if that happens, you can stay together forever—”

“That’s enough. I get it. I know how much you care about me.”

I pat his shoulder and step back. His words had gotten through loud and clear.

In other words—or rather, from the very beginning—

“You just don’t want me to suffer, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“You gave me an excuse. So if I decide to date her, I can tell myself, ‘It’s because Shirao told me to.’ You gave me an escape route.”

His logic wasn’t wrong. That path exists.

But still—

“I’ll follow the path I chose for myself.”

“…Yeah.”

“So if anything happens—be there for me.”

“…Damn it. I knew you’d say that. You’re always like that.”

Shirao said all of that for me—even knowing it wasn’t the right path for me. He’s always been devoted to Se-chan, and he’d never make that kind of choice for himself. But he gave me that path because he wanted me to be happy.

And honestly—I was grateful.

“…Damn it. I just want you to be insanely happy.”

“…I know. You’ve helped me so much. I’m sorry for troubling you.”

“Don’t apologize. God, why does such a good guy have to carry all this pain…”

“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll take those feelings with me.”

I turned away, and said that to Shirao as his voice trembled behind me.

The very next day—

“Hey, Yukitsuki-kun.”

The science lab. I was thinking about the last remaining unresolved love consultation.

In a very natural tone, as if she were making small talk, she spoke.

“…You know, I think I’ve fallen in love with you—no, with you, Shigure-kun.”

I looked up from my notebook and saw her standing there, smiling.

That strong smile she always showed me.

“That’s why… if it’s okay with you, I’d like us to go out.”

Her cheeks flushed red, her voice a little shy—but her smile never wavered.

“…I’m sorry. I can’t return those feelings.”

That powerful smile—still lingers in the corner of my mind, even now.

***

“Even now, I still don’t know what the right answer was.”

Before I realized it, the clock’s minute hand had completed a full revolution—then half of another.

“The very idea that Tsubame had gone far away… that assumption itself was wrong. It was just something I convinced myself of. If I’d just turned down Kizuki-san’s request from the beginning… or even stopped halfway through because I was scared… even if I’d just postponed the study session by a single day… I still think about it.”

Tears spilled from my eyes again and again as I spoke. And even so, Tsubame listened quietly, never interrupting, gently wiping away the tears that traced down my cheeks.

“Sure, maybe things only turned out okay back then because I was there. But… after that. The one who ended up hurting Kizuki-san—it wasn’t Arashikawa. It was me. It was unmistakably me.”

I just wanted to see someone smile.

I liked hearing someone say “thank you.”

But in the end, I hurt Kizuki-san. Saying I never meant to doesn’t matter. Intent doesn’t erase impact.

—No. To be precise, she wasn’t the only one I hurt.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…Who are you apologizing to?”

“To you, Tsubame. For that time, when we met in the classroom. For acting so distant.”

What comes back to me is that moment in high school, when I ran into Tsubame again in the classroom.

“After that, I turned down every request that came my way. I couldn’t stop dwelling on things… I couldn’t face you. I wasn’t someone who could even reach you yet. I kept telling myself I had to become someone better before I could ever see you again.”

I laid it all bare. I didn’t need to. It was selfish. Just for my own peace of mind.

“Truly… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Sure, it stung a little… but that’s nothing compared to the happiness you’ve brought me since. You’ve given me so much, so much that it crushed all of that.”

She reached out and placed her hand on mine. When I looked up, her face was right there—so close.

“Hey, Shigure-kun. Can I ask you one thing?”

She gently leaned her forehead against mine, like a soft knock.

“Kizuki-san… when she heard your answer, was she smiling?”

“…How could you know that?”

“Because I would’ve done the same.”

I blinked—and her proud, knowing smile filled my vision.

“That girl doesn’t regret it. Not meeting you, not the days she spent with you.”

It didn’t feel like a line meant to comfort me. It felt honest, from the heart—and because it came from her, I believed it.

“You can’t erase the past. No matter how sad or painful it was… she smiled. I think it’s because being with you made her happy. Because that happiness outweighed the pain. So much so, she could swallow it whole. Just like I do now, in my own way.”

Then Tsubame smiled. Not a fleeting, fragile one—but a strong, radiant smile. The same way that girl had smiled.

“…What happened after that?”

“…We stayed normal. She treated me the same as always until graduation. But sometimes, she looked like it still hurt.”

“What about the graduation ceremony? Was she smiling?”

“…Yeah. She was.”

That last smile I saw came back to me, and I unintentionally tightened my grip.

But she held my hand just as firmly, without letting go.

“…Thank you, Tsubame.”

“Mhm. You’re welcome. And… thank you, too, Shigure-kun. For sharing something so painful.”

“No… I’d always thought I needed to tell you one day. Even if it’s way too late now… even if I only barely made it in time.”

Yes. I always meant to tell Tsubame. It took me far too long… but I got here, somehow.

“I’m really happy, you know. …It feels like, for the first time, you finally let me see that part of you.”

“…You think so?”

“Yeah. You’re always trying to show me your best side. But the fun memories and the painful ones too… they’re all part of who you are.”

She pulled her forehead away and now gently rubbed her cheek against mine—soft, warm, a bit squishy.

“All the things that happened… they made you who you are today.”

This time, she loosened her grip. And as I let go naturally, her arms slipped around me—drawing me into an embrace.

“You said it was for your own satisfaction… or to catch up to me. But even so, that’s what shaped who you are now. And I’m here because of all the times you’ve helped me.”

She held me tight—so tight it felt like I could hear the hug itself—and then whispered right by my ear.

“We’ll never know what might have happened if things had gone differently. But I know this—this version of you helped me, and made me happy. I’m sure Kizuki-san feels the same. Because you’re someone who truly agonized over how not to hurt her, how to make her smile… and that’s what saved her.”

The tightness in my chest slowly began to ease. That warmth seeped into my body, untying every knot I didn’t even know was there. …I didn’t realize how much tension I’d been carrying.

“Shigure-kun… don’t you wonder how Kizuki-san is doing?”

“…Sometimes I hear from Se-chan. She’s apparently still a little afraid of guys, but her high school life is going well.”

“I see… that’s good. And if you hear from Se-chan that Kizuki-san wants to see you again—would you be willing to meet her?”

“…Yeah. If she wants to meet, then I will.”

“Good. Promise me, okay? …If it were me, I’d want to. Because you’re the person the person I love, loves.”

“…………”

When Tsubame said that—I remembered something.

Wait. Have I… really told her everything?

…

“Then, maybe it’s time… there’s something I want to say, officially. Unless there’s still more you want to talk about first?”

“…No. I’m good. Right… I came here to talk to you because I had something important to say in the first place.”

I let out a soft breath, and Tsubame stepped back slightly—then looked straight at me.

Her face was glowing with happiness. And her smile… was so strong. So warm. So full of light.