After a Heartbreak, My Bitter Childhood Friend is now Sweet Like Sugar - V2 Chapter 0.75

After a Heartbreak, My Bitter Childhood Friend Is Now Sweet Like Sugar

Volume 02

~Illusion After Tanabata~

Chapter 0.75 – Sympathy After Envy!

A while back, one day after school,

“Yesterday, I had a strange dream. I was in space, riding a train with Yu-chan in what seemed to have been the future, and we were having a conversation.”

“It’s similar to ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad.’ I like that book.”

“Oh, so Yu-chan is a fan of Kenji Miyazawa.”

When she unexpectedly told me about something similar to my favourite book, I mentioned the name of a book I have loved since childhood.

Kenji Miyazawa’s ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad’ is a story about a mysterious dream in which a boy rides on a space train, encounters his friend, Campanella, who self-sacrificed himself looking to what he considered ‘the true heaven.’

It is a story about Giovanni, the protagonist, facing loneliness and thinking about happiness.

“I don’t even know why myself. I don’t know what’s the right emotion to have at a time like this… Uhm…”

“Sympathy.”

Before I could find the words, she correctly answered with the right emotion as if she could see right through me.

“I know what you mean. Somehow, I can relate to it. Even though sometimes there are words or scenes that I don’t understand, it’s as if this story was meant for me. It makes me so happy to be recognized by others.”

I nodded silently.

I really want to be recognized, but I can’t get anyone to do it. Yet now, listening to her, it felt as if she was caressing the depths of my heart.

“Senpai, do you like Kenji Miyazawa’s works?”

“Yes, I do. They are beautiful and soothing. But because they are beautiful, it contrasts with everything that is dirty. Did you know people who like Osamu Dazai often dislike Kenji Miyazawa? It’s because they are complete opposites.” [EN: Dazai’s writing is more about the ugliness, while Miyazawa’s stories are more for children for context.]

Osamu Dazai was a well-known author of works such as ‘No Longer Human’ and ‘Run, Melos!’ Although I have not read his works with great interest, I knew him because he was a famous author. I had a strong impression that he depicts people who cause trouble to others and are misanthropes.

‘Run, Melos!’ is a tragic story of a man who didn’t understand politics, who took a bit of gossip to heart and tried to assassinate the king, and even put his friend’s head on the line.

He was so short-sighted that he quoted a fake hoax political comment and lectured about it.

I don’t think I can understand him, and I probably don’t like him.

“If Kenji Miyazawa is a pure writer who writes beautiful stories, Dazai Osamu is a pure writer who depicts the ugliness of human beings. They are like water and oil. That’s what people say. What about you, Yu-chan?”

“Hmm, I don’t exactly get it.”

“You mean you don’t understand?”

“I’m not that much of a reader, to begin with.”

But after listening to her, I had this thought. I envied Melos for his honesty.

“I see. By the way, I like Osamu Dazai more.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, because I can sympathize with him more.”

And when she said that.

I somehow understood the reason why I admired her so much.

TL: Devxtt

ED: Seventails

[TLN: you may want to take a look at the previous chapter 0.5, oof heavy, anyway 0.5 and it’s parts wasn’t updated in NU for some reason]