Does This Love Suit Your Taste? - Volume 1 Chapter 7.2

Fever 2

“Have you eaten anything?”

I shook my head weakly from side to side.

“That’s why! Oh, that’s right, there’s jelly…”

Somehow managing to glance sideways from my prone position, I saw Shirahime take out a fruit jelly and a spoon from the bag she had given me earlier.

“Come on, sit up, you need to eat something.”

Shirahime opened the jelly and scooped it with the spoon to bring it to my mouth.

“By, by myself…”

“This isn’t the time to be stubborn.”

Unlike that time when I was teased with milk tea, she honestly fed me the spoonful.

I’m supposed to love sweets, but my sense of taste is numb, so I can’t even distinguish what kind of fruit is rolling into my mouth.

Shirahime waits a while for me to chew before feeding me another spoonful. Ah, this is annoying.

“Ah, wait a minute…”

I snatched the jelly and spoon, shoveled it into my mouth, and placed the empty cup on the shelf by the bed.

“…that helped, I’m good now. I need to head out to the shop soon… you should go home…”

“The shop!? What are you talking about!? You need to contact someone from the shop…”

“I really should be going soon…”

“Wait, going where!? No! You need to rest!”

“I-I’m fine, I… whoa… ugh…”

As I tried to stand up, I was stopped and forcibly made to lie back down in bed.

“Maybe I should contact Kaburagi-san too… Do you have a towel? We need to cool your head.”

“I’m fine, really…”

“Is there any other housework left undone? If you want me to——”

“I said I’m fine already!!!”

My own loud voice causes a ringing in my ears.

“…Why, what’s going on?”

Shirahime freezes, staring at me. That seemingly innocent face only fuels my anger even more.

Why is Shirahime being so nice to me? Why is she so kind to others?

From Shirahime’s perspective, I’m nothing but a marriage partner who stands in the way of her youth.

Just a problem child who disrupts her parents’ ideal.

“…Why? Why are you so kind? Why do you go to such lengths for me?? Is it… is it for your father… Or is it to take over the shop… Ah, I’ve had enough!”

When Shirahime says nothing, my complaints just keep spilling out nonstop.

“For the company! For your parents! You actually don’t care about me at all! No one thinks about me! That’s why I don’t need your fake kindness! I hate everyone! They’re all my enemies! Just disappear! Go away!”

…what am I even saying?

My head spins. It feels like blood might burst from every pore; my cheeks are so hot.

I feel drained and empty. I’m overwhelmed by a terrible sense of futility.

At the same time, I’m flooded with self-loathing after remembering all the numerous instances of contempt directed at myself.

『See? Don’t you realize you’re bothering everyone?』

『Kazama, you haven’t said anything wrong. It’s just that this troublemaker’s head is the problem…』

『There goes Kiminami Toui again…』

『He should just quietly listen to what the teacher says…』

『Ah, enough, I’m tired of talking to a rebellious son.』

『Well-well. I was pretty much the same when I was in high school.』

『No matter how much he tries to reform from now on, it won’t undo the bad things he’s done.』

『Hahahahaha! Look at this! Nobody here wants you and the princess to be together!』

I really am pathetic.

Living life the way I want to, I say it like it’s a good thing, but it’s selfish, lonely, with nothing but high pride——all about me, me, me.

And before I know it, there’s no one around me, and I even blame that on others, taking my anger out on them. 

Is there anyone else as ugly as me?

Everyone else seems to be getting along fine in this world, and I’m the only one who can’t adapt.

The reason I was angry at Shirahime’s altruism was simple.

If I admit that she’s a good person, then that makes me, her opposite, the bad guy.

“Just leave me alone… Otherwise… I can’t prove that it’s right for me to live on my own… I’m not the kind of person who should rely on anyone… I am me… Others are others… that’s how it should be… please, just leave me alone…”

Despite pushing everyone away, I was ashamed that I couldn’t live on my own.

When I looked at Shirahime in a daze, Shirahime just stared back at me sadly and said one thing——

“…Are you okay?”

Shirahime’s eyes were full of concern.

That was it. A face of pure worry, with no other way to describe it.

Not this again, what’s with her?

When she stopped me at the school gate, chased me to the mountain, tried to accept me in the gym storage, defended me from the teacher, forgave me on our date, and even now.

Why is she acting so kind?

“What am I doing asking if you’re ‘okay’… it must be painful…”

” …. “

As soon as I voiced my current feelings, all the pent-up true sentiments I had been holding back started pouring out uncontrollably.

“My nose won’t stop running…”

“Yeah.”

“I feel cold…”

“Yeah”

“I wish someone…”

“…Yeah”

“…would stay by my side…”

Tears overflow from my eyes before the words do.

Hastily, as if to cover up, the tears were wiped away with a hand.

Ah, that’s right, that’s what I’ve been wanting…

“Sorry… I mean, uh——”

And then Shirahime climbed onto my bed——and hugged me tightly.

Sinking into Shirahime’s embrace, I became flustered.

“Shirahime…?”

“I’m on your side, Toui-kun——trust me.”

——I find myself helplessly comforted.

“You wanted to be pampered, huh… It’s not unreasonable. You’ve been carrying it all alone for so long…”

Shirahime stroked my head gently, over and over, just like ‘that person’ did back then.

Shirahime is trying to understand my feelings. She has the strength to accept any thought, any person. This is the kindness of Shirahime.

——The taste of being treated kindly by someone. The feeling of someone being there for you. 

Now that I’ve tasted this…

“Uuu… uu… Uuu… Shirahime… Shirahimee…”

As I sobbed, Shirahime’s embrace tightened, and I respond by wrapping my arms around her back.

“It’s okay… everything is okay…”

Shirahime said to me over and over while gently stroking my head.

“Shirahime…”

“…What’s wrong?”

In her gentle voice, Shirahime listens to me.

Just like the time I was in that chef’s arms, I hugged Shirahime tightly.

“——Thank you…”

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