Translator: Lilo
Editor: Ryuubii

Epilogue

Beginning of the week, Monday.

“Say, Makabe-kun? Are you really alright with those hands?”

In the library after school, Takinami Ruika arrived earlier than usual and had a worried look on her face.

On Saturday, I had been with her until just before the incident, and after I came home after the treatment at the hospital, I told her what happened. She told me that she was going to visit me on Sunday, but I refused. She couldn’t stay still, so she came earlier than usual.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll only do things I can manage.”

There was not much work to begin with. If there was a job that puts a burden on my arms, it would be organizing returned books, but that can be managed by using a book cart or returning books to the shelves little by little without accumulating too many.

“That so? But don’t push yourself. You can count on me if you need anything.”

“Thank you very much.”

I thank Takinami-senpai, who was in her honor student persona.

Although I say it was a persona, she meant what she said. It goes without saying that she was concerned about me, and when she said I can count on her, she really meant it.

“By the way, Shizuru?”

And then, she leaned closer to me over the counter. The fact that she called me by my name showed her other side, her true self.

As she did, she covered her mouth with her palm and whispered.

“You know, I’m wearing the one you selected for me today―”

“?!”

“Should I not mention it?”

I almost hit my head on the counter as a measure to calm down.

“…I told you I didn’t need to hear that kind of information. Besides, you’re already implying that you are wearing it.”

Don’t feign ignorance. I know you’re doing this on purpose.

It was at that moment when I let out a sigh of exasperation.

“Shizu… or not. Ma-Makabe-kun, is there something you… hmm? Takinami-san?”

It was Hasumi Shion who entered the library.

“What are you doing here, Takinami-san?”

“Of course, I was wondering if there’s something I can do to help him, since his hand is like that.”

She was one of those who knew her other face, but in front of the public, Takinami-senpai responded with the face of a gentle honor student. She’s really quick at switching attitudes.

“In fact, she was talking about something terribly unimportant. But she was planning on helping.”

“What about you, Hasumi-san? Are you also here to help Makabe-kun?”

Ignoring my sarcasm, Takinami-senpai asked Hasumi-senpai back as if nothing had happened.

“Huh? Of course not. No way.”

Takinami-senpai was also mean. If she asked in such a teasing manner, there was no way Hasumi-senpai would have been honest.

Takinami-senpai was probably right. For what it was worth, she has been assisting me with inconveniences at home as well. However, Hasumi-senpai was perhaps embarrassed to admit it, and quickly denied it.

So, what are you doing in the library, then? Would be the question asked next.

“W-well, but you know, you can put it that way. I will help my little brother as his older sister, so you can go home, Takinami-san.”

Hasumi-senpai turned the conversion around ― if you get hit, you hit back. Though, it must be hard to tell a lie when it was painfully obvious.

“That’s not happening.”

Said Takinami-senpai.

“Unlike you, Hasumi-san, who can help him bathe, I can only see Makabe-kun at school. At least let me take care of things at school.”

“I would never do that!”

“She would never, that kind of thing!”

Me and Hasumi-senpai shout at the same time.

“Oh, really? I thought you would do that much for him. It must have been hard to wash your hair by yourself, right?”

“Eh? Ah, now that you mentioned it…”

“Don’t be fooled, Hasumi-senpai. Takinami-senpai is just having fun teasing you.”

What was with that face? Even before and now, she was surprisingly an easy person. Takinami-senpai probably realized it too and was teasing her on purpose.

Hasumi-senpai came back to her senses.

“Y-you…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. But, it’ll be fine if you put on a swimsuit.”

“That’s not the problem.”

The two of them stared at each other.

And as for me, well…

“It’s disturbing the other students, so I’m going to ask you both to leave.”

I decided to kick these girls out.

“Kanata-senpai.”

The pre-bell rang at 5:55 p.m and I went to Mibu Kanata, who was sitting in her usual seat, just as the remaining students began to leave.

She was running her pen through her notebook as usual. Her style of writing was as analog as ever.

“Shizuru. Somehow, it was kinda rowdy half-way through.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s not gonna stay for long.”

I need to get this arm healed fast to keep those two quiet. However, I don’t think it was something I can achieve through hard work.

“I have one report to make. I think I will be staying with the Hasumi residence for a while longer.”

“That so?”

However, Kanata-senpai’s reaction was nonchalant. She seemed not a tiny bit interested, and she then began to put her tools and notebooks away in her bag.

“Eh? Aren’t you pleased?”

“Again, what are you expecting out of me?”

It was a very cold response.

“I had a feeling this was going to happen. Besides, I know that my relationship with you will not change regardless of where we are. Even if you leave this place as planned, nothing will change. Since it’s you anyway, wouldn’t you just fly over from the other side of the world if I told you to come?”

“Well, that’s true. We have known each other for a long time.”

I met Kanata-senpai when I entered middle school.

This marks the fifth year already.

“You’re surprisingly more cowardly than I thought, not being able to forget your first woman.”

“Ah, um, Kanata-senpai? I’d like you to reconsider how you phrase it, okay?’

I felt my face twitch. I can never let people hear this.

“It’s about the level of expression. I can rephrase it, but it doesn’t change the essence.”

Kanata-senpai, however, was easygoing. Not seeming to mind my inner impatience, she continued.

“I’m going out after the exam. You should follow me.”

“Of course, with pleasure.”

If Kanata-senpai said so, I had no right of refusal, and there was no reason for me to refuse. For Makabe Shizuru, Mibu Kanata was such an existence.

Looking back, my relationship with Hasumi-senpai has changed dramatically in the past month. We went from being a senior and junior who only knew each other’s faces to siblings.

My relationship with Takinami-senpai may change in the future. I have told her many things, but since I like her, I felt that there was a good chance that it might change.

Then, what about Kanata-senpai?

I guess she was right, after all, no matter what the situation was, our relationship will never change. That was how ideal our relationship was.

An unchanging relationship.

It was something wonderful ― yet at the same time it was somewhat regretful.