I Want to Have a Girlfriend Too - Chapter 36

The reason why she tries to do her best.

 

“The only family I have is my father.”

 

　Inside Saijouin’s room, with the curtains closed, I sat on the floor, listening to her story.

 

“My mother passed away when I was very young, and my father has raised me all by himself.”

 

　Saijouin raised her body from the bed and slowly looked at me as she spoke.

　Her voice sounded somewhat lonely.

 

“My father was very busy, and after mother left, he didn’t have much time to spend with me. He comes home once a month or so… and even though I don’t have any problems in my life, I still feel lonely and miss him sometimes.”

 

　She understands that it’s inevitable somehow.　

　But I guess she still felt lonely not being able to spend time with her family.

 

“With that being said, I still enjoyed spending time with Alice, Tokimori-san, and Senpai of the student council at school, and I didn’t feel lonely at school… “

 

　Saijouin looked happy for a moment.

　Fortunately, she really enjoyed her time at the school.

 

　But that look quickly turned sad.

 

“But I still feel lonely when I go home to this wide empty house. There is no one to say goodnight or welcome me home. This spacious house is the only thing that makes me feel lonely.”

 

　Although I haven’t seen all of it yet, the three-bedroom house is too large for a single person to spend time in.

　I think the huge size of the house makes her feel even lonelier.

　The empty, deserted house makes people feel they’re all alone.

 

“When the preparations for the Sakura School Festival were almost over, I thought to myself. ‘Let’s have my father come and see the festival.’ And he said he would go if he could adjust his schedule.”

 

　Those words must have been enough for her to have hopes of seeing her father.

　She knows in her head that it is difficult, but in her heart, she is expecting her father to come.

 

　Moreover, the feeling of loneliness that she had felt so far made Saijouin’s expectations grow even more.

 

“So I tried my best. Maybe he will come. If he comes, I want him to be happy. I want him to see me working hard and praise me. ────I have that kind of thought in mind.”

” ….I see.”

 

　I mutter to myself after listening to Saijouin’s story.

 

“Lately, I’ve been getting all kinds of wishes fulfilled. I’ve been able to expose my true self, and I’m really enjoying my days now that everyone is getting to know each other, and I think I’ve been somewhat carried away. I thought that if I was the person I am now, I would be able to get what I want if I worked hard―― even though I know, sometimes, it is not possible.”

 

　Saijouin seemed to have cooled down after her collapse and blamed herself for being so conceited.

 

“Didn’t you talk about this to someone… like Kagurazaka? “

“This is my selfishness… “

 

　So I can’t ask someone to do anything for me.” she said, smiling weakly.

 

　I was a little annoyed at that.

 

” …You’ve been asking me to do things like threatening me with that video for a long time now.”

“That was under the circumstances, and I’m… really sorry about that.”

 

　Saijouin picks up her phone from beside her bed.

 

“I’m really, really sorry about that──── I’m going to delete the video.”

 

　She operates the phone, shows me the screen, and deletes the video of me that was taken earlier.

 

“Now you will be free from us. You can rest assured that I have no backup video. You will still join the student council because the student advisor wants to, but you will no longer have to deal with me.”

 

　She smiled at me with a reassuring smile.

　However, her smile looks lonely enough to be recognizable by anyone.

 

　Why is Saijouin trying to push me away?

 

　I guess she is thinking negatively because she is not feeling well.

　But even though I knew that, I still felt―――annoyed.

 

“Stop talking nonsense!!!”

” !? “

 

　I shouted in frustration, and my voice echoed around the room.

　Because I had suddenly yelled at her, Saijouin was startled, and her shoulders trembled.

 

“Why would you say that? Do you think I was only spending time with you after all this time only because of that video? ——That’s wrong! “

 

　Maybe that’s how it all started.

　Their requests for them to have boyfriends were troublesome, and at first, I reluctantly got involved with them.

 

“At first, I’ve hated you many times because you get angry easily when it comes to your bre*sts, and you are so violent without any restraint.”

” …It’s your fault, isn’t it? “

“——but! “

 

　I started to enjoy spending time with Saijouin.

 

　She is a sweet girl who is always willing to do what is given to her, and she is always willing to work hard together with others. ――She is a kind girl.

 

“――I enjoy spending time with you, I’m proud to be with you, and I want to be friends with you forever…that is my true feeling!”

” ……… “

 

　Saijouin was listening to me with her head down.

　Her cheeks were covered with tears, but I couldn’t tell what she was thinking about.

 

　Once the words started to flow out, I couldn’t stop them.

 

“You’re the one who wanted to be friends with me! Why are you trying to push me away? Are you so reluctant to rely on me? I thought we were friends! “

“I consider you my friend! “

 

　Saijouin stands up and shouts at me, tears in her eyes.

 

“I consider you my friend! I started spending time with Tokimori-san to get a boyfriend, but before I knew it, I wanted to spend more time with you! I like the time we spend together, the time I spend with you! “

 

　She, just like me, let out her pent-up feelings as a scream.

　And once she’s let it out, she also can’t stop.

 

“But! I didn’t want to ask Tokimori-san to do this for me and be disillusioned! I didn’t want Tokimori-san to know that I was trying hard just because I was lonely, and I didn’t want him to hate me…! That is why I was trying my best alone! I have been trying to make up for this unfulfilled loneliness! ——That’s why! “

 

　Saijouin buries her face in my chest with tears streaming down her face.

　Then, with a small sob, she let out the last of her pent-up feelings.

 

“So please…don’t… hate me――Please don’t hate me… “

 

　Saijouin said these words as she put her hand on my back and hugged me.

 

” …I’m not going to hate you.”

 

　I looked up at Saijouin’s face and stared straight into her clear eyes.

 

“For whatever reason, I’ll never hate you for your hard work. I know how hard you worked. How can I hate someone who has worked so hard?”

“…Tokimori-san”

“So, you know…. “

 

　I stroke her beautiful blonde hair and slowly take her still crying in my arms and lay her on the bed.

　Saijouin seemed a little overheated, perhaps from all the talking.

 

“Leave the rest to me and get some rest. ──── Tomorrow, we’ll go around the Sakura School Festival together.

 

　I said softly to reassure Saijouin.

　Yes, she has worked hard to get this far.

　Now it’s my turn to be there for her.

 

“I-I am…”

“Hii-chan, are you okay!? “

 

　Then I heard Kagurazaka’s loud voice coming from the front door.

　It seemed that she had just finished the first day of the Sakura School Festival and was rushing back from school.

 

“I’m going to go now. Kagurazaka can take care of the rest.”

 

　I turned my back on Saijouin, who was lying on the bed, and left the room.

 

　…I wondered, what did she look like at the end?

　I hope she was relieved…

 

　As I left the room, Kagurazaka came in, disheveled and breathing hard.

 

“Tokimori-kun! Where is Hii-chan?? “

“She’s lying in bed right now. I made her some porridge, so feed her when she’s ready to eat.”

“Yes, okay! “

 

　With these words, Kagurazaka went into Saijouin’s room.

 

“Well, I guess I’d better go to… and do what I have to do.

 

　I grab my bag from the living room and leave Saijouin’s house.

　The sun was setting outside, and I could see some students.

 

　I walk a little from the front door and look up ‘Saijouin group headquarters’ on the search engine tool.

　I open the calling app, enter the number, and press the button to make a call.

 

[Thank you for calling, this is Saijouin group head office.]

“My name is Tokimori, and I’d like to talk to the president about his daughter.”

 

　Saijouin worked hard until she collapsed, all by herself, with no one to rely on.

　So she should definitely be rewarded.

 

　Then, I will do whatever I can to make her rewarded.

 

　I hope we can spend the Sakura School Festival together tomorrow with smiles on our faces.

 

 

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Author’s Notes:

　Thank you for reading!

　I hope you will continue to read even though the story will be a little more serious!

 

　Please wait a little longer for the gags!