What If You Spoil a High School Girl Who Looks Like a Landmine? - Volume 1 Chapter 5.6

The Real Thing 6

“…..”

“Chifuji-san?”

I feel a sense of danger.

“Uh… ah, no, it’s just… ah, my mom—”

“Chifuji-san.”

Gently, she takes my hand.

Her touch is as delicate as if she’s handling something fragile yet strangely firm that it feels oddly unbreakable.

It felt as if I was confined in a prison.

“Your injuries will get worse.”

Slowly and clearly, Raihara-san speaks.

Directly in front of me, at a very close range, her bottomless eyes are fixed on me.

“You don’t have to move your body. You don’t have to move your heart. It must hurt, it must be painful, but it’s okay now.”

“That, I am—”

“It must have hurt, it must have been painful… right?”

“Uhh…”

I realize how naive I’ve been. To think that it would end with just my hand being confined.

“Would you be mine?”

“What?”

“If you’re going to be by someone’s side, why don’t you choose me?”

Her voice lacks any edge, peaceful and serene, yet it possesses a sticky persistence and a vivid intensity that envelopes me.

“Raihara-san—”

“I like you.”

Then she takes a breath before continuing.

“This ‘like’ is a ‘wanting to be by your side’ kind of like. This ‘like’ is a ‘wanting you to see me as a woman’ kind of like. This ‘like’ is a ‘not wanting to give you away to anyone’ kind of like. …This ‘like’ is ‘wanting to become someone indispensable to you, who tries so hard,’ kind of like…”

The warmth in her breath as she makes this confession is mixed with a sweetness I’ve never encountered before in my life.

It carries danger with it, it’s a sweetness that could addict people.

“How about it, am I… Well, am I not good enough for you?”

I wonder what kind of goosebumps these are, spreading all over my body?

“I… I am—”

“Ow…it hurtss! Why?! Why does this always happen to Misa?!”

My focus, which had been rapidly narrowing, snapped back at the sound of my mother’s screams.

At the same time, my body tense up in response to her voice.

“…..”

Watching me, Raihara-san silently stands up.

She walks toward my mother, who is curled up against the wall.

“It’s not Misa’s fault! Why does this always happen to Misa?! Go away! I hate you! I hate you!”

“Is that so? I didn’t really do anything.”

“Don’t lie! You think it’s Misa’s fault, too, don’t you?! You kicked her! You must hate her!”

“I have a question for you.”

Strangely enough, her voice is crisp and clear.

“When you throw away trash, do you ever think, ‘I hate doing this’? Isn’t it just something you have to do?”

There’s no emotion in Raihara-san’s voice.

“I might think it smells, at least.”

“Smells… I hate you! I’m calling the police! You broke into the room! You should be arrested!”

“Fine, let’s call them. We can both be judged properly; after all, we’re both trash.”

“Misa is not at fault! She’s the victim!”

“A victim, huh?”

Raihara-san stops in front of my mother and looks down at her.

My mother shivers for a moment, perhaps remembering that she was kicked, but continues to scream.

“That’s right! You know it when you see it!”

“Do you still feel the same, even after seeing the person who’s injured because of your yelling?”

” …Misa is not at fault! Because every child loves their mother! So—”

“…So?”

Raihara-san questions back.

Behind her, I wished I could cover my ears.

I had a premonition.

“I can do whatever I want to my children! They love their mothers!”

‘That’s not how it works.’

…I had a feeling that those words would come, and I was right.

Mother, that’s not how it works… that’s wrong…

“It’s natural for me to be loved! Misa has struggled! Misa worked hard! Misa gave birth! Misa raised him despite her having no talent and only being able to do things poorly, unlike her father! Misa has worked hard!”

Certainly, I’m incapable of many things unlike my father.

But still…

No, that’s not it. Don’t think like that.

Because we’re family, because I am her child, I should cherish her.

” …I do have one thing I’m very grateful to you for.”

“…Ha?”

“I’m grateful you gave birth to this person. But, I’m sorry.”

The words Raihara-san directs at my mother carry no warmth nor emotion.

Even now, as she expresses her gratitude and her apology, her tone remains flat.

She doesn’t even seem to be forcibly holding back her emotions either.

“I’m just as selfish as you are.”

But if there’s no emotion, why is that?

…Because no matter how I think about it, I can’t believe this is how one human talks to another.

When one human speaks to another, emotion should be there in some form, yet I can never sense it in her voice…

“So, I’m sorry.”

It was then that I finally understood.

I came to grasp a truth that couldn’t be explained any other way.

“I’d like you to be quiet, if possible, forever.”

Raihara-san lifted her foot over the head of my mother, who was still crouched on the ground.

“…what?”

Was that “what?” from my mouth or my mother’s?

There’s no atmosphere of doing anything special on Raihara-san’s posture.

She was just talking about trash earlier…

That’s why, looking at her now, I feel as if she’s standing over a soda can, ready to throw it away.

She’d crush it only because it needs to be done before throwing it away, without any special feelings—in other words, of course, without any hesitation at all.

“…What? W-Wait!”

It seems my mother noticed Raihara-san’s demeanor, too, but neither she nor I were in a position or timing to stop her.

What did Raihara-san say?

‘I’d like you to be quiet, if possible, forever.’? If possible, forever?

No, what does that mean…?

That…

Then, a sound that could only be described as a thunderous ‘thud’ resonated through the room.

“Ah…”

That was the only sound that leaked out from my mouth.