Vol. 10 Chapter 1.1 – Prologue: Everyone’s Feelings

“I… Ryousuke-kun, I—”

Ookura Mina grabbed Kaga Ryousuke’s arm from behind. Her soft hand squeezed it tightly, and he could feel that her palm was slightly damp with sweat.

Ryousuke already knew what she wanted to tell him.

After all, he had overheard it. It was evening, with the first day of the school festival drawing to a close, when he returned to Class 2-B and heard her.

Mina had told Lisara Restall,『I’m going to confess to Ryousuke.』

Lisara had run away after Mina told her that she should confess too. Ryousuke had tried to chase after her, only for Mina to grab hold of him.

“Mina.”

Unable even to turn around, Ryousuke merely called her name.

“Listen.”

Mina spoke firmly, refusing to let Ryousuke say anything more.

“I…”

Mina spoke once again to Ryousuke’s back as he stood there, unable to turn around. He knew perfectly well what she was about to tell him.

Mina was trying to say『○○』to him.

The instant he imagined it, the word vanished from his mind as though it had been shrouded in mist. Yet he still knew. No matter how many times he tried to picture it, the word would not take a definite form, but he understood what it was.

And there was one more thing he knew.

He must not listen.

If he heard the rest of Mina’s words, something would change. The relationship Ryousuke and Mina had shared until now, his relationship with Lisara—everything would change. Ryousuke understood that with absolute certainty.

That was why Ryousuke swung his arm, trying to shake Mina’s hand off.

Mina immediately released him. Taken aback by the complete lack of resistance, Ryousuke froze for an instant. Mina then stepped closer and gently pressed her cheek against his back.

Mina’s scent and warmth softly enveloped Ryousuke.

They gently entwined around him, capturing him and leaving him unable to move.

Then Mina spoke in a steady voice.

“Listen to me, Ryousuke-kun.”

“No!”

Ryousuke shouted before he could even think. His body would not move, as though he were bound by sleep paralysis. Even so, the cry had escaped him instinctively.

Yes, he was afraid.

He was afraid to hear it, afraid to move forward, afraid of things changing.

And so Ryousuke shouted again.

“No!”

At his cry, Mina gave a troubled, bitter smile.

“I’m sorry, Ryousuke-kun.”

For some reason, she apologized. Ryousuke had no idea what she truly meant by it.

“Even if you don’t want to hear it, Ryousuke-kun, I’ve decided that I’m going to tell you.”

Although her voice was quiet, Mina spoke with undeniable strength. Completely overwhelmed by the force behind her words, Ryousuke could not even open his mouth.

“Ryousuke-kun. Ookura Mina is in love with Kaga Ryousuke.”

GWAN!

It felt as though his brain had been struck with tremendous force. The shock was so intense that, for a moment, he could not comprehend what she had said.

His heart merely pounded as rough breaths escaped him. Ryousuke could neither say anything nor even turn around and Mina continued.

“I love you, Ryousuke-kun. And of course, I don’t mean as a friend. I love you as a man.”

He could no longer deceive himself by pretending he did not understand. She had said it clearly. Mina loved him—Kaga Ryousuke—as a man.

He did not think, That’s impossible.

Somewhere inside, Ryousuke had already sensed that it might be true. He had deliberately looked away from that possibility. And although he did not know why, even now, that had not changed.

Even with the reality that Mina had feelings for him thrust directly before his eyes, he wanted to look away. He wanted to pretend the confession had never happened.

“Ryousuke-kun?”

Mina called his name as though urging him to answer.

That became the trigger.

The paralysis Mina had cast over him broke, and Ryousuke’s body began to move.

“Kya!”

Because Ryousuke, whom she had been leaning against, suddenly moved, Mina lost her support and let out a small cry.

Instinctively, Ryousuke stopped and supported Mina with his back.

“Ryousuke-kun…”

Mina murmured, but Ryousuke did not turn around. He began running again.

Without saying anything to Mina, without turning to look at her face, he simply fled from her confession.

Mina shouted after his retreating back.

“Ryousuke-kun! Even so, Mina still loves you! I confessed my feelings to you, Ryousuke-kun!”

Her words mercilessly pierced his back.

That pain only made Ryousuke run faster.

He accelerated even more, desperate to disappear from Mina’s sight as quickly as possible—

No.

Desperate to erase Mina from his own world, Ryousuke simply fled.

※　　　※　　　※

The instant Lisara Restall rushed breathlessly into the Kaga residence, where she had made herself a live-in guest, the device in the pocket of her uniform began vibrating with a buruburu.

“Mother!?”

As Lisara Restall headed toward the living room, she pulled out the device, looked at it, and cried out in surprise.

The incoming-call display on the device she used to communicate with the Shinigami Realm showed the name of her mother, Almeia Restall, acting head of the Restall family.

And not just once.

There had been six calls.

Apparently, her mother had continued trying to reach her while she was running home. Lisara had not noticed at all.

“Why would Mother be calling me?”

Lisara’s thoughts were a complete mess and she could not think of any reason Almeia would be contacting her.

After all, Mina had said it to her in the classroom.

She was going to confess to Ryousuke.

And Mina had also told Lisara that Lisara herself loved Ryousuke.

After suddenly being told such a thing, Lisara’s first reaction had been to become Lisara of the Restall family.

Mina might be an 《Irregular》.

If that were true, granting the desire she wished for from the depths of her soul would reveal whether she truly was an 《Irregular》.

As a candidate to become the next head of the Restall family—one of the most prestigious families in the Shinigami Realm—that was something Lisara had to prioritize above all else.

That was why Lisara had answered that she did not mind if Mina confessed.

Mina had become angry with her for that.

『You’re running away.』

She had looked Lisara directly in the eyes when she said it.

Then, when Lisara could not answer, Mina’s expression had suddenly softened, and she had spoken gently.

『Lisara, you should confess to Ryousuke-kun too.』

Those words pushed Lisara’s confusion to its limit.

What about her duty as heir to the Restall family?

What would she do if he rejected her?

Would Ryousuke disappear from her life?

【—Ryousuke won’t look at me.】

The instant that thought entered her mind, Lisara had run away.

She had then come face-to-face with Ryousuke, which only made her flee even more desperately.

She continued running with her thoughts in complete mess and by the time she came to her senses, she had returned to Ryousuke’s house, where she was staying.

Buruburuburu.

The device vibrated again.

The caller was Almeia, her mother, once more.

With no other choice, Lisara touched the device. Almeia’s dissatisfied face immediately filled the entire screen.

Even from her daughter Lisara’s perspective, her behaviour seemed childish.

Her appearance was that of a mature beauty, with an almost overflowing voluptuous figure, a slender nose, and slightly drooping eyes. Because of that, the contrast sometimes left Lisara bewildered.

『Lisara-chan, you’re late. I have something veeeery important to tell you.』

Almeia pouted like a young girl again, looking irritated.

At the sight of that expression, all the strength drained from Lisara’s body, and she slumped down onto the living-room floor.

『Oh my, Lisara-chan. What’s wrong?』

“No, it’s nothing. Haaah… What is this important matter, Mother?”

Lisara stood up with a sigh and took some barley tea from the refrigerator.

Only now did she realise that after running all the way home from school, her throat was completely karakara dry.

She poured the tea into a glass and drained it in one gulp.

After she finished pouring herself a second glass, Almeia—who, despite claiming the matter was important, had deliberately waited for her—finally opened her mouth.

『I hear there’s a strong possibility that Mina-chan is an 《Irregular》.』

For an instant, Lisara considered trying to evade the subject.

She did not want to think about Mina right now.

At that moment, anything connected to Mina inevitably led Lisara back to Ryousuke.

Lisara glanced at the screen.

Her mother was now wearing a serious expression, completely different from before.

Lisara let out a small breath and nodded.

『How did you learn about that?』

Almeia then stepped aside, and a woman slightly younger than her appeared on the screen.

She was an adult woman with wavy flaxen hair. Her beauty was somewhat sharp, and unlike Almeia, she gave no impression of being girlish at all. Instead, she carried the calm air of a mature woman.

“Aunt Saila!?”

Saila Zeria.

She was the mother of Kyuru Zeria, Lisara’s cousin and someone Lisara treated like a younger sister.

Saila was also the younger sister of Lisara’s deceased father—in other words, Lisara’s aunt—and the current head of the Zeria family.

『It’s been a while, Lisara.』

Saila greeted her matter-of-factly, without any particular emotion in her voice.

Lisara hurriedly bowed her head as well.

“It has been a long time.”

『That’s enough greetings. The information that Ookura Mina is highly likely to be an 《Irregular》 came to me from Kyuru.』

“Kyuru!?”

『Yes. Helga Kivileft of 《Týr Hagal, the Hail of the Thunder God》 said so, didn’t she?』

“That’s true, but… why would Kyuru…”

『Please don’t blame her. She wasn’t trying to get the better of you or betray you. Kyuru simply decided that if Ookura Mina is an 《Irregular》, then she would need protection. If anything, Lisara, it was your failure for learning about an 《Irregular》 and not making those arrangements.』

It was not quite harsh enough to be called a scolding, but Saila pointed it out with a strongly critical tone.

“Th-that was…”

Lisara faltered instinctively. She had no intention of telling her mother and aunt that her mind had been so completely occupied with Ryousuke that she had been unable to think about anything else.

『Well, never mind. We’ll arrange the guards on our end. More importantly, do you know what Ookura Mina’s soul truly wishes for? We’ll need to know that in order to determine whether she’s an 《Irregular》.』

Saila questioned her.

“That is…”

Lisara was certain.

What Mina wished for from the depths of her soul was for Ryousuke to tell her that he loved her. It was to love Ryousuke and be loved by him in return. Otherwise, she would never have decided to do something like confessing her feelings.

But Lisara did not have the courage to say it aloud.

Because—as a Shinigami of the Restall family and a candidate to become its next head, Lisara ought to awaken Mina as an 《Irregular》.

A Singular One possessed the spiritual energy of thousands or tens of thousands of ordinary people all by themselves. Among those Singular Ones, an 《Irregular》 was an even more extraordinary existence. If the Restall family could secure one, Mina would undoubtedly become an immensely powerful asset.

And that achievement would firmly establish Lisara as the next head of the family.

It would mean accomplishing the very purpose for which Lisara had come to the Human Realm.

She understood that in her head.

Even so, Lisara simply could not bring herself to say it…

『It seems you have something in mind.』

Saila, who had been watching Lisara struggle with her thoughts, pointed it out in an irritatingly calm and businesslike manner.

“How did you—”

Lisara instinctively asked, only for Saila to stare at her with a piercing glare.

“Ah… no, I don’t know anything.”

『Don’t lie.』

Saila sharply dismissed her claim.

Even then, Lisara could not bring herself to say that Mina was in love with Ryousuke.

Then Almeia suddenly poked her head out from behind Saila.

『It’s Ryousuke-kun, isn’t it?』

She hit the mark directly.

“Mother!?”

When Lisara cried out in surprise, Almeia smiled softly.

『I can tell just by watching. It’s obvious that Mina-chan loves Ryousuke-kun. And I also know why you’re so troubled over it, Lisara-chan.』

Beside her, Saila blinked, apparently not fully understanding what Almeia meant.

『Mina-chan’s wish from the depths of her soul is to end up together with Ryousuke-kun, isn’t it, Lisara-chan?』

Almeia gazed at Lisara with gentle eyes.

Under that gaze, Lisara naturally found herself nodding.

『I see. So, Lisara-chan, what do you want to do?』

“What do I want to do…? I’m the heir to the Restall family. That means I must…”

『You don’t have to force yourself, you know?』

“I’m not forcing myself!”

When Lisara shouted reflexively, Saila let out a kusukusu laugh.

『I see now. Fufu, that boy Kaga Ryousuke is quite fortunate.』

“Aunt Saila! I don’t care about Ryousuke like that!”

『It’s all right, Lisara. Don’t you agree, Sister-in-law?』

Saila turned toward Almeia.

Almeia gave a wry smile and nodded.

『Yes. The Restall family isn’t in a situation where we urgently need an 《Irregular》. Besides, it looks like we’ll soon be able to unseal the spiritual energy vault sealed within Galdabroeg.』

Almeia paused there and stared intently at Lisara.

“Mother?”

『Lisara-chan. Think carefully. Think, worry, and then arrive at your own answer.』

“But…”

『The time you spend worrying while you’re young is precious. Once you become an adult, those experiences will become a very important source of support. Especially…』

She smiled brightly.

『The more you worry over men while you’re young, the more wonderful a woman you’ll become.』

“Mother!”

Lisara’s face turned bright red as she shouted, and Almeia and Saila began laughing together.

The instant Lisara saw them, blood rushed violently to her head.

“I don’t care anymore!”

Her hand moved before she could think, and Lisara unilaterally ended the call without giving them any chance to object.

“What was that about, honestly!”

Even after the two faces disappeared from the screen, her head remained hot.

Why did she have to agonize so much over Ryousuke in the first place?

“That’s right, I…”

She let the momentum carry her words forward, only for them to cut off with a putsuri.

“…I…”

Ryousuke’s face appeared in her mind.

Then Mina’s face followed.

“I see. Mina must already be confessing to Ryousuke by now.”

Behind Mina’s glasses, her large, round eyes were surely gazing straight at Ryousuke.

Her soft, gentle face, her voice, her mannerisms—even from Lisara’s perspective, Mina was cute.

Mina had large breasts too.

By contrast, Lisara had no chest, her eyes were sharp, and even the contours of her face were somewhat angular. To make matters worse, although she was well aware of it herself, she was short-tempered.

Compared to Lisara, Mina was unbelievably feminine!

If Lisara were a boy, she would probably want a girl like Mina as her girlfriend.

Lisara could not imagine any man rejecting a confession from such a wonderful girl.

“That’s right… It must already be decided by now.”

Lisara sank deeply into the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

For some reason, she did not want to look down right now.