You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!!

“Still, there’s something I can’t figure out.”

“Hm? What can’t you figure out?”

Moriko questions in response to Amano’s muttering.

“How those two ended up together. Under normal circumstances, they shouldn’t even have been able to meet.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same. That’s why I wanted to grill them about it at the press conference.”

A new source of excitement after the event’s conclusion. Moriko was already nurturing her journalistic spirit.

“Yeah, but one possibility came to mind. It’s a template often found in romance stories.”

“And that is…?”

Moriko listened with interest to the theory Amano had come up with.

“There might have been a third party involved, someone who played the meddler, rooting for their relationship.”

On a large passenger ship floating on a vast lake, at the bow of the wood deck, stood Hiroki with a bitter expression and Suzuko.

“It wasn’t something to talk about now.”

“…Yeah.”

I’ve failed. Before speaking about others, I should have understood myself. As a result, I nearly lost a precious relationship.

“I’m sorry… Hiroki.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not thinking badly of you right now. It seems Suzuko has reflected on it as well.”

Just like the first time we met. The kind Hiroki is right in front of me. That’s why I feel it. How tainted I am now.

“All this time… alone…”

Remembering the past, words slipped out.

“I couldn’t consider the feelings of others.”

My past lifestyle built this detriment. I cursed my thoughts for becoming someone who could only think of themselves.

“Selfish… When did I…”

“That’s enough.”

I was gently tapped on the head. Hiroki had lightly hit me with the back of his hand. I looked up at him with moist eyes.

“It’s no problem if you’ve realized and regret that thinking.”

Hiroki is still the same. With his gentle face and voice, he comforts me.

“You’re not alone now. There are plenty of opportunities to learn from here on.”

Hiroki said, pointing his thumb at himself.

“I’ll help as much as I can. If there’s something unpleasant, I’ll tell you strictly like earlier, and if it’s something good, I’ll properly praise you.”

Hiroki is genuinely kind. For example, when he said he wouldn’t rely on anyone, Hiroki, who is kind to others, was right before me.

“Is that okay?”

“If you’re serious about it.”

How can he be so kind? I couldn’t understand that. So, I wanted to ask.

“Why… can you be so kind?”

“Hm?”

“Why don’t you abandon me, the worst me, and yet be kind to me?”

Except for the teachers with a certain status, no one but Hiroki looked at me. So, I was curious.

“Why would you… with someone as terrible as me?”

“I was the worst kind of man.”

Hiroki demeaned himself in response. That statement was surprising and unbelievable to me.

“A little while ago, I made a huge mistake. So big, I wet my pillow with tears.”

“…You cried?”

“Yes, I cried. That night, as I sulked, I kept muttering to myself, recalling my failure repeatedly.”

“…What… did you fail at?”

I thought it was something I shouldn’t ask—an action without considering the other’s feelings. But I wanted to know if the reason for Hiroki’s kindness lies there.

“I did something I shouldn’t have, and many people were seriously injured.”

“…”

“When I met those people again, it caused various problems. So, I couldn’t even apologize… And then, someone comforted me kindly despite my failure.”

Hiroki thought of a girl in his heart. She was one of the people he had troubled.

“She comforted the worst of me. The current Suzuko is like me back then.”

“I am… Hiroki.”

“I was saved because I was comforted. What about Suzuko?”

“Me…?”

I thought…

I would never make friends again, never try to.

I kept lying to myself, just waiting to break.

I was afraid of Suzuko. Fearful of not changing, not trying to change, just continuously running away. With each day that passed, it grew increasingly.

I can’t return. I can’t go back.

Suzuko kept falling.

That reality was painful, cold, and sad for me.

But now it’s different.

“I was… happy.”

“See?”

“I don’t know what made me happy… There’s too much.”

“That’s a strange answer.”

“I think so, too.”

Hiroki and I shared a small laugh.

I couldn’t tell what made me happy, what was good, what was sad, or what I wanted. A myriad of indecipherable feelings had accumulated in my chest since I first met Hiroki.

But if that’s the conclusion, it can’t be helped.

It can’t be helped…

Right…?

“Hiroki…”

“What is it?”

“After all, I am… me.”

“…Hm? Sorry, I really don’t get what you mean.”

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure to consider Hiroki more carefully…”

“Then, there’s no need to apologize. Considering the other person is important.”

“Yeah. Considering Hiroki is important… But there’s still a part of me that wants to prioritize myself… Hey, what should I do?”

“In times like that, it’s okay to prioritize yourself. If you’re not happy with the outcome, it’s just self-satisfaction. But, you can’t trouble the other person because of that.”

“……Okay, got it.”

I won’t hesitate anymore…

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome…?”

Hiroki felt a slight sense of distrust in Suzuko’s tone of voice. However,

“Hm, it’s starting to rain.”

The question was extinguished like a candle flame by the rain that began to fall.

I noticed it had started to rain.

Usually, there’s only one choice in such a situation: to enter inside a boat with a roof.

However,

“Come to think of it──”

“If you dislike the rain, I can──”

The presence of Hiroki and Suzuko added two more options.

“With my ability…”

Suzuko’s ability, still unknown to Hiroki, became a means to solve the rain problem.

But what Hiroki proposed next was,

“I have a folding umbrella, but… if we go under a roof, that would solve it──”

“I’ll use it.”

Suzuko silenced herself mid-sentence and followed her desire.

“I mean, going inside the boat would solve it. Plus, it’s small since there’s only one.”

“It’s okay. Besides, the air inside the boat was stale, and there were spider webs.”

This was something I noticed upon arriving at this cruise ship.

It seemed to be a ship installed for some experiment, but now it’s merely a stationary mass of metal, not well-maintained and barely afloat.

Hence, the interior was in shambles.

“Shall we go in then?”

“Yeah.”

“By the way, didn’t you start saying something earlier?”

“It’s nothing.”

Prioritizing the umbrella over her ability, Suzuko chose to use it.

A black folding umbrella was opened.

It looked like a normal umbrella from any angle.

Seeing the umbrella, Suzuko harbored a small doubt.

“Why did you bring an umbrella?”

“This isn’t just any umbrella.”

“It’s not?”

“Due to various reasons, it ended up being a weapon I got for free.”

“A weapon?”

“It’s not visible, is it?”

It was understandable for Suzuko to be puzzled.

Weapons made by Haruna looked no different from toys or everyday items.

One wouldn’t dream of an umbrella from which bullets could fly out.

“Well, this umbrella is the only one that doesn’t look like a weapon. The others are proper…”

Another weapon was bought from Haruna.

It is a masterpiece weapon received from a professor.

Both had the appearance of real weapons.

They were stored in a trunk case and distributed for free at an event.

“I’m looking forward to using it.”

“…………”

“Hey Suzuko…”

The color of her eyes made it easy to tell what she was thinking.

“Could you stop looking so envious?”

“…………Is that a no?”

“Does that mean you want to use it?”

“Yeah.”

Suzuko had been briefed about the weapons inside the case.

She was attracted to their functions.

“Well… yeah…”

Without denying it, he hesitated in his words.

There was a somewhat soft feeling towards Suzuko.

She had accepted the lecture, shed a few tears, and reflected on her actions.

He desired to be kind to such a girl at least once.

“How about we take turns using it?”

To that proposal, Suzuko vigorously nodded her head.

“Then it’s decided. Use it when you need to.”

Fulfilling Suzuko’s desire, Hiroki slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.

Eventually, the conversation naturally ceased, and only the sound of rain filled the air.

“Hey Suzuko, about today’s weather──”

“Rainy skies, an opened umbrella, and the shadows of two people entering──all conditions are met! Activating special function!”

“Eh?”

Their voices overlapped.

A familiar voice echoed along with the rain, reaching their ears.

They soon realized that the source of the voice was the item they held.

“This umbrella?”

“Probably Hiroki would say this! “This umbrella?”! So, I’ll answer! Yes, this umbrella!”

It was unclear where to begin retorting.

Though he had a hunch, he never imagined the folding umbrella had a feature to emit voice.

From the content of the words, it was clear that it was a recorded voice.

How she managed to set this up in such a short time was beyond him.

“Therefore! For the two sharing an umbrella! I will sing a song for you!”

“Hey Suzuko, even if we close this umbrella─”

“Ah, I’ll keep singing even if you close it~.”

The umbrella seemed to have anticipated my thoughts.

Despite being a recording, it felt like all my thoughts were predicted.

“Please listen!”

A melody began to flow from the umbrella.

Haruna would probably sing like in a karaoke.

He once again felt clueless about the true nature of what he held.

“Ahh〜, I looove you〜, I looove you〜──”

A love song-like lyric flowed.

It was a sweet voice, uncharacteristic of the person herself, weaving the words.

Indeed, what she was thinking was baffling.

Hey Haruna…

Why did you add such a function to this umbrella…

“The conclusive evidence has emerged.”

“Yes, it has. Complete physical evidence. All the spectators who watched this footage are witnesses.”

Amano and Moriko spoke with serious expressions.

The monitor displayed a man and woman sharing an umbrella in close companionship, and the air was filled with a sweet song of love.

“The presence of a third party. There was someone who played a key role in bringing those two closer together.”

“Amazing support. Not only did she prepare a weapon, but she also thought of an additional function to deepen their relationship even further.”

“The umbrella weapon, today’s weather, the location of the two, their collaboration, their relationship. This third party knew everything and calculated it all to create this stage scene.”

A girl’s reputation in some VIP room skyrocketed at an unusual pace.

The severe demeanor of Amano and Moriko spread throughout the stadium, and most of the spectators focused on the “Love Song” spun from that umbrella.

This incident connected dots that had been separate mysteries, leading everyone to the answer they sought.

“In other words! The one singing that Love Song, the third party, was the cupid who built their love relationship!!”

Amano declared loudly.