The Case When Strange Things Started To Happen When I Reincarnated As A Guy Whose Life Ends After Attacking The Heroine - 72 - Farewell

Chapter 72: Farewell

“…I’m really trembling, huh…”

I wonder how things ended up like this.

After school ended and I returned home, it wasn’t a surprise that Hisui wasn’t there, but Shirayuki, who had come home with me, was.

As soon as she arrived, she hugged me tightly and said, 

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you? I have a feeling about it. You should know that my intuition is almost never wrong—so, want to spill it?”

She emitted an overwhelming aura, but she also seemed to be enjoying herself, or at least that’s what I sensed… But above all, I was scared of Shirayuki. Therefore, I seized a momentary gap to escape from her and have been hiding in the closet ever since.

“It feels like this is some sort of horror game…”

I knew it would be pointless to hide since we’d have to face each other again at bath time or dinner, but I was genuinely scared by Shirayuki’s demeanor in that moment.

Shaking in fear, I stopped moving altogether when I sensed the door to the room opening.

“Touma-kun~? Where are you~? Hiding is futile, you know~?”

“…”

Damn it, Shirayuki… she’s definitely enjoying this!

Even though I knew she wasn’t angry or anything, her ability to deliberately instill terror in me was again evident.

“How strange. You wouldn’t make it easy by hiding in your own room, would you?”

“…”

See, she’s definitely having fun with this!

I could hear the slow footsteps walking around the room… She was getting closer and closer to the closet where I was hiding.

Even if she opened the closet, I considered the possibility that she might not find me amidst the clothes… What will it be? My heart was pounding, but she left without opening the closet door.

“Is he not here after all…hmm.”

I heard the sound of the door closing and let out a sigh of relief.

It seems my life will be spared for a bit longer. Just as I relaxed, thinking this, the closet door burst open. Gazing down at me was Shirayuki, wearing a mischievous grin.

“Found you~♪”

“Gyaaaaaaaaa!?!?!?!?!”

This is it; I’m done for.

“Don’t worry, I won’t eat you or anything.”

“O-Okay.”

And with that, the charade was over.

The situation was like a man running away, trying not to be captured, and a succubus hell-bent on catching him.

I was led to the living room while she firmly grasped my wrist. We both sat on the sofa.

“Well, I won’t pry too much. I know Touma-kun won’t do anything to make us sad.”

“Of course, I swear it. But you…you’re just too sharp, Shirayuki.”

“Can’t help it. I noticed you were breathing differently than usual.”

“Breathing, you say…”

You’re human, right? I’m not mistaken, am I?

Setting the jokes aside, Shirayuki continued with a smile.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go along with whatever scheme you and Risa are planning. It’s not something dangerous, right?”

“Of course not. It’s not a big deal, but I plan to come straight back here when it’s over.”

“I see. Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Hmm, maybe I should have just told her from the beginning.

While the element of surprise has significantly diminished now that she knows something will happen when she gets back, what I plan to do hasn’t changed, and neither has what I want to tell her.

Alright, let’s get pumped up and prepare various things.

“By the way, Touma-kun,”

“What is it?”

“I got a little excited during our earlier exchange.”

“Eh?”

Shirayuki continued, her cheeks tinged with red.

“You probably felt relieved when you thought I’d moved away, didn’t you? But I knew from the start that you were hiding there.”

Shirayuki places her hand on my cheek and leans in closer.

“The thrill of cornering you, even as I thought you might be feeling relieved… Ah, it’s exhilarating♪”

“That’s kinda scary…”

“I’m sorry about that. But it was fun, right? I’ve never played hide and seek before.”

“Well, it’s a mixed feeling, but if you enjoyed it, then that’s good.”

“Thank you♪”

As I continued talking with Shirayuki, Hisui returned and the three of us spent time together.

It seemed Hisui also had a sense of what was going on but didn’t exactly know what I was thinking. She seemed to be looking forward to it, just like Shirayuki.

Later, after dinner, when I returned from the bathroom, I overheard the two of them chatting in the living room.

“Mom, I’m really happy.”

“I feel the same way. So many things have changed for the better since Touma-kun came into our lives.”

“Yes, I believe this miraculous encounter was certainly drawn by our collective wishes. But being able to be this happy now, undoubtedly, it’s because he’s been with us.”

“Absolutely. And it’s not just because of Touma-kun; we also wanted to make our lives better in this world.”

…Man, I’m about to cry.

Just as I was contemplating whether to sniffle a bit to clear my nose, I heard my name being called from inside the room. 

Embarrassed that they might have noticed, I cleared my throat with a cough and headed over to them.

▽▼

That night, I had an oddly nostalgic and mysterious dream.

“Ah…”

It was a dream from my childhood, a scene from when I was living as Touma. 

It was a memory of walking hand in hand with my parents, whose names I can’t even remember anymore.

“I wonder what kind of person Touma will grow up to be.”

“Who knows? He’ll probably grow up to be a kind person, don’t you think?”

Watching the two of them talk like that made me feel indescribable.

Even though things are like this now, eventually the bond of my family will be severed, and they’ll both stop thinking about me. Life is so unpredictable.

If… if I were born into that world again with these memories, I would do something to prevent the family from falling apart.

“But well… that’s no longer relevant to me.”

I don’t wish for my parents to be unhappy or anything like that.

I have my own world to live in now, and people who have sworn to stay by my side forever in this world—that’s what matters most to me now.

“Mom, Dad… You probably aren’t worried, but just so you know, I’m happy where I am now, so you can be at ease.”

No matter how loveless my family may be, I never want to hold a grudge.

While there are low odds of having great parents, rejecting this idea entirely gets us nowhere. I do understand, at least to some extent, the suffering that comes with such a situation. 

Most importantly, because they gave birth to me, I’ve been able to meet people who are dear to me.

We’ll never meet again or talk again… that’s precisely why I say goodbye to them with a smile.

“Goodbye.”

And so, I wake up from this dream and return to the world where they are waiting for me.

“Well, if they don’t like the idea of me being happy, I’ve got a few things to say myself.”

That part hasn’t changed.