Chapter 32
TL: Scaramochi
***
10 minutes have passed since I ended the call with Miya-san. Yamamoto is still asleep.
However, she occasionally turns her face to the side to show me her beautiful sleeping face. It was hard to believe that she had drunk herself to death, but she had such a beautiful profile.
Even if I kissed her on the cheek, she probably wouldn't wake up. Although my confidence was baseless, I was struck by a sensation that made my blood boil.
(She really is a beautiful person.)
If I had no feelings for her, I might have given in to my sexual desires. However, I would have held back rather than ruin my relationship with Miina Yamamoto by doing so.
Instead of indulging in the temporary pleasure, I would rather watch over her future more closely than anyone else. Would she laugh at me for being so "selfish"? At least, that's what Miya-san would say. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I know she would laugh at me.
Kanako Miya buys Yamamoto more than anyone else. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so attached to her.
There are 50,000 girls all over the country who want to become idols. The reason for being so obsessed with Yamamoto is that she is not necessary for the management of an entertainment agency.
"Yamamoto-san. Miya-san will be here soon."
Still, she doesn't wake up. The bustle around me is quite impressive, but I'm completely drowned in a dream. It's not even deep, leaving only a sense of discomfort when I wake up.
15 minutes had passed since I made the call when the door of the private room was knocked twice. It was the female waitress from earlier and her who immediately showed her face.
"She must really be asleep."
"I'm sorry about it........ I didn't mean to bother you."
"It's okay," Miya-san said, a little taken aback as she sat down next to her. I couldn't help but stare at her face as I knew she would leave right away.
"I think I'll have a beer, too."
"Eh? Aren't you breaking up already?"
"What? I came all this way to pick her up. Can't I at least have one drink?"
Indeed, Yamamoto is still asleep. She is not likely to wake up for a while. Rather than forcibly wake her up and send her home, I feel it would be better to wait a bit.
In any case, she is still a light sleeper. She would wake up in another 30 minutes. It would be a pity for her to be so groggy, though.
Her stare hurt, so I tried to order a beer on the tablet, and for some reason the waitress brought me two of them. Miya-san is grinning.
I see. She ordered them just as I came into the store. I was worried about her, wasn't I? Weren't you worried about her?
"What's with that face? I ordered one for you too."
"No one asked you to do that......."
"Oh, right. Then I guess I can have it."
Apparently this place pours beer into frozen mugs no matter how busy they are.
The golden color behind the translucence does not hide its brilliance. For me, having already had two drinks, that's just the kind of shine I want to get down my throat. If it were a normal drinking session, it would be the time to get the engine running.
"......I'd be happy to drink for you."
"You're not being honest."
Besides, right now, I'm in a situation where I'm in over my head with her. She came to my rescue in a situation I couldn't handle on my own. Of course, it wasn't for me, but for Yamamoto.
I make an uninspiring toast with Miya-san and pour the golden color down my throat. Alcohol permeates my body. I was taught that beer isn't something to be savored, but now that I'm older, I'm starting to think that's not true.
"You smoke even in front of her, don't you?"
Miya-san says, looking down at the two cigarettes lying in the ashtray. The tone of her voice isn't angry, but it sounds like something just to settle a question in my mind.
"Well....... After she fell asleep, though."
"Yeah."
Her drinking was moderate. She was soaking up the beer with a manly vigor, without producing a continuation of the conversation.
"You're not angry?"
She immediately understood the meaning of my question. It was never about the cigarette.
"Why should I be angry?"
It was undeniably Kanako Miya who gave birth to that trigger. The words this person said to me that day will forever stay in my mind.
However, it seems that she is not saying it in a silly way. The proof is that she is staring into my eyes. After seeing Yamamoto, it's hard to say, but she is not as good as me.
"I'm violating your words, "Don't meet her.""
"Yes, you're right. But I haven't heard anything from your mouth."
I think back to what she said.
Sure, I swallowed her words, but I didn't agree to it to her face.
Well, that may be true, but how could she not know that I had been concerned about her? She is truly a selfish person. I poured the beer down my throat as fast as I could to quell the slight irritation that had been born.
"It's not that I don't like you or anything."
"Is that so? I thought you hated me a lot."
Maybe she wasn't lying. If she really hated me, she would never have allowed me to still see her.
So why does Miya-san let me off the hook? The answer, I thought, was rather simple.
"--Is it because I won't touch her?"
Her eyes widened a little, which turned into a smile.
"Well, that's part of it."
"That too?"
That's not the only reason? Then what other reason is there? There's no chance of an accident happening when I interact with her. In fact, just now, I heard the sound of my own reason shaking inside me.
If that's the case, I wouldn't be surprised if anything happens in the future. If I think about her, it must be better for both of us if I don't see her as Miya-san says.
"What do you think of this girl now?"
"Eh?"
Miya-san asked me such a question as she dropped her gaze to the sleeping Yamamoto. As I was searching for words, not understanding what she meant, she opened her mouth to add.
"Seeing her sleeping so peacefully in front of you - don't you think anything of it?"
"Is that...... what you mean?"
Miya-san gave a small nod. In short, she wants to know what my sense of decency is.
I don't think it's a good idea to lie here. I should admit what I admit and clearly deny what I deny. This conversational technique should be suitable for this person. From my experience as a salesman, though.
"Honestly, it's bad. I thought I was going to tear off my lower half."
Just saying it to her face is so embarrassing. I looked away from her, and there was a little silence, and then - and then.
"Hahaha!"
She laughed boldly. In a refreshingly loud voice. But for now, it was better if she laughed. I had a feeling that if she felt sorry for me, I would start to feel a sense of regret.
I want to think now that I made the right decision. So even though I was embarrassed and frustrated that she laughed at me, strangely enough, I didn't feel any worse about it.
"Please don't laugh at me. I've endured that...... seriously, too."
"Sorry, sorry. You were being very honest."
"It's better than being lied to."
"Of course it is."
If you meet them face to face, you can get a general idea of their personalities. This is true for both Yamamoto and Miya-san. If you live in society and have a certain amount of experience, you can get a rough idea of what to expect.
Like the protagonists of light novels, they are neither incasts nor hermits. That is not to say that I have a particularly interesting personality.
For the first time, I was happy with who I am.
I thought that being in love, working, and getting to know society like other people did was probably the most important thing in life. I was able to realize that somehow.
"--It's probably a good thing that it was you who found this girl."
Is that a compliment? I'm not sure, but I don't want to deny anything out of my mind here. And I don't feel bad.
"Momo-chan, she's been active for a long time."
"But she's prettier now than she was then."
I glance at Yamamoto.
Her profile breathes in a steady rhythm. It's beautiful, and my eyes are captured as it is.
"Yes."
I agree wholeheartedly. I had no intention of denying it in the first place, nor did I intend to nod my head aloud. But looking at Miina Yamamoto, I began to feel a tingle of emotion that had been dormant deep within me.
"Do you know why this girl is like this?"
Everyone has days when they want to get drunk. If anything, Miya-san is the one who created that reason.
But I don't blame her. That was Yamamoto's own problem. She asked me for my opinion because she was scared. That's all.
-- I was just saying that it was a matter of opinion.
"You know what I mean, don't you?"
What would Miya-san say if I admitted that? This time she will probably tell me emphatically, "Don't see her again." I don't want to do that, so I lie at the last minute.
"Well. It's time to go home. She's probably going to wake up."
Perhaps my emotions were conveyed, Yamamoto groans, "Hmm," and sits up. She looks tired, and the time for us to talk slowly seems to have come to an end.
"--Or maybe I'm not drunk enough yet."
Not enough. Not this much.
I'm a better drinker than she is.
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