Vol. 1 Chapter 31 – Um, Sorry

I froze on stage for several minutes.

When I exited the stage wings into the corridor, I was caught by a staff member who seemed calmer than before, now that the morning session was over.

After returning my costume and other things, I went back to the waiting room and my eyes met Nagisa’s, who had already changed into her uniform.

“…Good work.” (Yuuto)

Thinking it would be unnatural not to say anything, I spoke, trying my best not to think about anything unnecessary.

“Good work to you too.” (Nagisa)

She replied lightly, then immediately averted her gaze.

Nagisa was so much like her usual self that it made me wonder if I had imagined something touching my lips earlier.

I sat down opposite Nagisa and looked up at the clock on the wall.

“…” (Yuuto) “…” (Nagisa)

Neither of us spoke, and only the sound of the second hand ticking away echoed in the waiting room. …Where was Aida, and what was she doing?

Hoping she would return as soon as possible, I reached for the plastic bottle in my school bag to fill the empty time.

“…Hey.” (Nagisa)

Being spoken to like that, I, who wasn’t particularly thirsty, stopped my hand.

“Hm?” (Yuuto)

I replied, conscious of maintaining my composure.

“About what happened earlier.” (Nagisa)

As Nagisa began, looking slightly awkward, a question arose in my mind.

“…Which ‘earlier’ are you talking about?” (Yuuto)

“Which…” (Nagisa)

In my mind, there was the matter with Dad, and the matter of the kiss.

“Which one, you ask? It’s about Yuuya-san… right?” (Nagisa)

Were we sharing the same two options, or not?

I gazed into Nagisa’s eyes to find out, but she quickly looked away.

For the time being, I pushed the thought of the kiss to the back of my mind, sat up straight in my chair, and faced Nagisa.

Perhaps seeing me do that, Nagisa also straightened her posture.

“I don’t really know where to start either…” (Yuuto)

“Ah! No…! That’s not it…” (Nagisa)

As I began to speak without a clear direction, Nagisa shook her head, denying it.

“I don’t want to continue that conversation, I wanted to, um… apologize for earlier.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa spoke in a murmur, her eyes downcast, but it didn’t quite click with me.

“Apologize… for what?” (Yuuto)

I was the one who tried to hide it from the beginning. If so, the responsibility lay with me for not being able to keep it hidden until the end.

“I shouldn’t have asked before the exam, and, um…” (Nagisa)

She stopped her words there, and after letting her gaze wander around me embarrassedly, she slumped onto the desk.

“…Ugh! How should I say this…” (Nagisa)

I could hear her feet pattering against the floor.

Just as I was wondering what to say to Nagisa, who for some reason seemed more troubled than I was, there was a knock on the waiting room door.

“…” (Aida)

Aida, peeking her face through the small gap she made by slightly opening the door, was cautiously observing the situation inside.

“Umm… Welcome back?” (Yuuto)

Unsure what the correct thing to say was, I just offered words to welcome Aida.

While bewildered by Aida’s inexplicable behavior, I glanced at Nagisa, who was looking towards the door through the gap made by her arms as she lay slumped on the desk.

…Should I stop this conversation here? Or should I share it with Aida too?

I had already lied to Aida once when she suspected something, and above all, I might destroy the image of Hokujou Yuuya that Aida held.

“Are you two still fighting…?” (Aida)

As I was hesitating between those two options, Aida, still peeking half her body through the door, asked timidly.

Did she think Nagisa and I were fighting because of the exchange we had before the exam? I didn’t know if it was a fight, but if that made it difficult for Aida to return to the waiting room after the exam, I felt sorry.

Thinking that, I simply shook my head.

“Really? But Minase-san looks like she’s crying…” (Aida)

“I’m not crying!” (Nagisa)

“Well, that’s good then.” (Aida)

Nagisa, who apparently hated being thought of as crying for some reason, shot up to her feet asserting she wasn’t, but Aida didn’t look surprised and simply wore a relieved expression.

“So… I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened between you two earlier, and I was wondering…” (Aida)

Still peeking half her body through the door, Aida let her gaze drift awkwardly into the air, then, with a determined look, she opened the door wide.

“I figured I had no choice but to ask you two directly, so I came back and… well, he was here.” (Aida)

The person Aida looked at as she said that was Hokujou Yuuya (Dad), who had an apologetic expression on his face…

“Well, um, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything…” (Hokujou)

Dad, sitting next to me at the four-person table, arms crossed and staring at the ceiling, probably understood. That Nagisa had found out.

“Including the exam talk, could you two decide if it’s okay to discuss it here?” (Hokujou)

He probably meant whether it was okay to tell Aida. Dad’s eyes didn’t leave me as he spoke, vaguely phrasing the content.

Aida, sitting diagonally opposite me, sat up straight, her gaze wandering between the three of us.

“I… I want to talk about it. …As a friend.” (Yuuto)

I turned to Dad sitting next to me and said so, my tone still unable to shake off the earlier formal speech.

“I think Minase-chan already knows, but Aoi Yuuto and I are parent and child. Blood-related.” (Hokujou)

Dad, who nodded slightly in satisfaction upon hearing my words, spoke in a light tone without much pause.

At the same moment, the sound of the plastic bottle Aida was holding falling to the floor echoed in the waiting room.

“Ah! I’m sorry…” (Aida)

Aida, apologizing and trying to pick up the bottle, hit her head on the desk.

“Oof~~!!” (Aida)

A loud thud came from the desk, so I could somewhat guess how much it hurt. Perhaps finding Aida’s obvious agitation amusing, or perhaps to make her not worry about interrupting the conversation, Dad chuckled softly.

“The discord between you two that Yume-chan was worried about earlier, I think I’m probably the cause.” (Hokujou)

As Dad bowed his head saying, “Sorry,” Nagisa, who had been watching the conversation silently, stood up looking flustered.

“No…! It’s my fault…!” (Nagisa)

Dad, who raised his head at Nagisa’s words, looked Nagisa in the eye, then shook his head.

“I understand now why an acquaintance with a high school kid worries about how to interact with their adolescent child. It’s no good, really.” (Hokujou)

Dad said, scratching his cheek, a troubled smile on his face.

“Well, I was called here for my experience as an actor, but my experience as a father was completely lacking, wasn’t it, for me?” (Hokujou)

“I’m sorry… If I hadn’t gotten strangely upset back then, this wouldn’t have happened…” (Nagisa)

Seeing Nagisa’s shoulders slump apologetically, Dad laughed lightly.

“No, this is my fault for not being able to suppress my desire to meet this kid… I was originally planning to retire when this kid was born, so it was always a good time. To tell someone, I mean.” (Hokujou)

He glanced at me mid-sentence and raised one hand in the air. After letting his arm hover in the air for a few seconds, he placed his hand on my head, and I understood.

He was nervous. Hokujou Yuuya, who could accomplish any job with a calm face, was nervous about patting the head of a single high school boy.

The moment I understood that, a laugh escaped me. Nagisa and Aida stared at me, who had suddenly burst out laughing, looking puzzled. And Dad, looking embarrassed, averted his gaze.

“Well, you know. Maybe this isn’t a bad opportunity to make it public…?” (Hokujou)

“I’ll pass on that. My peace will be shattered, and I still want to see Dad active as he is now.” (Yuuto)

At the word “Dad,” which came out surprisingly naturally, Hokujou Yuuya (Dad) also scratched his head embarrassedly.

“If my only son says so, it can’t be helped.” (Hokujou)

He said with a small laugh, then looked at the clock on the wall and stood up.

“Well then, I should be getting back soon. And also…” (Hokujou)

Dad, walking towards the door and placing his hand on the handle, turned back to look at me.

“I always welcome co-starring with my son, you know.” (Hokujou)

He left the waiting room, leaving behind words I couldn’t tell if were a joke or serious. …At least to me, they sounded serious…

“…I should probably apologize too… about earlier. Just now, um… I’m sorry.” (Nagisa)

I felt like Nagisa’s words were packed with various things. Things that couldn’t be put into words, various things.

“I didn’t really mind from the beginning, though…” (Yuuto)

Without pursuing it further, I let it slide lightly. I thought that was the right answer.

“Ah, and if possible, I’d like you to keep this a secret…” (Yuuto)

I didn’t think either of them would easily tell others, but I checked just in case.

“I don’t mind, but…” (Nagisa)

Nagisa replied immediately without any particular hesitation, her gaze turning to Aida next to her.

“I don’t mind either… though the secret is a bit heavy…” (Aida)

“So this is what a stomachache feels like…” Aida muttered, rubbing her stomach. Seeing her, I couldn’t help but let out a word.

“Um… Sorry…” (Yuuto)