บท 195: Holding Back 3 (Yurime End)
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Yurime spoke in an exasperated voice. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Syari looked at her befuddled. "I mean, sure there's probably some girls who like him." After all, that was what she was suspicious of him in the first place. "But I think he's still single."
"Well, I just know who likes him." She anxiously played with her fingers as she explained the situation. "I could never take him away from them."
"So you do like him." Judging by the lack of a denial or statement of non interest, Syari could only come to one conclusion about her feelings. "And you're holding back for the sake of your friends."
"You're right…" Yurime sighed. It was embarrassing to have to talk about her unrequited love with someone she wasn't even a friend. "I don't want to hurt anyone, so I'll stay away from him."
"It's also because you're feeling guilty too, isn't?" The girl had managed to figure out the core of the problem here with little information to go on. Well, it wasn't that she lacked knowledge of the situation, she didn't spent all those weeks studying the group around Arata for nothing. "You don't think you should be someone he's interested in."
"Well, how else do you think this will turn out?" She responded a bit aggressively. "That I just tell him I like him and then what? Even if he says it isn't because of that, of course he'll still decline my feelings." And even if there wasn't any of their underlying circumstances involved, there was never a guarantee someone like him would return her feelings.
"I think you should still try." Syari encouraged her. "If they're your friends, then they won't mind if you were open about your feelings for him." And not only that, but she was confident that he truly had a girl in his heart. Only that Arata was holding back as well because he didn't consider her as a possible choice. After all, he wouldn't go after someone he doesn't think likes him in that manner.
"Is it really right for someone like me to intrude?" Tears formed in her eyes as she tightly gripped onto the blanket of the bed. "Should I really go after him?"
"You should." She put both hands on top of both shoulders of the crying girl. "I think he'll surprise even you." If there was one thing Syari knew about him. It was that this boy was the one person who truly would give any and everybody a second chance.
"You're right." With the words of encouragement, Yurime took hold of one of Syari's arms to give confirmation. "I'll confess to him." With newfound determination, it was time to head out and and seek him out.
"That's the spirit." Syari helped her up out of the bed. As school had come to a close, students were walking about in the hallways on their way to clubs or home. "The nurse said I can take some crutches if you need help with walking."
"Thanks." She took them and used them as they walked out of the room. "Hey, how come you're helping me out?" It was odd coming out of her. After all, this girl did attempt to destroy her reputation. Even if one were to ignore that, they weren't particularly close as friends. In fact, they weren't friends at all.
"I'm more doing this for him, rather than you." As it would turn out, even Syari held some guilt for what she put him through during the elections. It was unfair of her to target him so publicly and make a massive ordeal for him. All just because she was suspicious of what he was planning on doing.
As she would learn during their time together on the student council was that he was quite simply someone who put student ahead of everything else. He would do whatever it took, despite only being a treasurer now, to make sure things were fair and good for their classmates. "I can tell from the way he talks about you, that it's better you're the one he loves."
"I think you might be reading too deep into him. He's just being nice." Yurime still had her doubts on confessing. Not that she planned on backing out, but it wasn't likely he would accept her confession. "Still, I'm glad to have at least one person supporting me."
"Hey, we all need some help from time to time." That was another thing he taught the young girl. As someone who didn't spend any time with others during her first year, Syari believed she didn't need anyone's help. This would prove wrong thanks to the time spent with Arata.
After some slow walking due to Yurime's condition, the pair were finally able to locate him. The boy was also joined with Hifumi and Ichiri as they were about to head to the nurse's office to check on their friend.
"I'm real glad to see you up and about." He greeted her. "But, are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"
"I… I have to." She wasn't being hard on her body at all, but the important thing was what she was going to ask of him. "There's something important I need to ask you."
"This is exactly what we were talking about." Said Hifumi to him.
"You two are just overthinking it." He replied. As it would turn out, while Yurime was away from the others, they had some things to say to Arata. Hifumi was certain that incident in the library happened for a reason. That this girl was trying to help him figure out his feelings between the last couple of candidate of those who had confessed to him. However, as she already knew about the journalist girl, she also held some feelings for the boy.
So they had a chat with him about it. Of course, he didn't believe them. However, it was clear to them from the way he had been acting after Yurime got hurt where his feelings laid. Even if he denied that to be the case. So at this point, while it wasn't favorable for either of them, both were willing to allow her to confess and hopefully be accepted. As they wanted him to be happy with whoever he ultimately ended up with.
"They're not." Yurime told him. It was hard to get the words to leave her mouth, as the girl had never confessed to anyone before. "I do like you." She admitted to him that she had been holding back her feelings so that she didn't get in anyone's way again. "As much as I want you to say yes, I understand if you rejected me." Her body tensed up as she prepared for the pain of being turned down.
"You really do?" He was stunned by her confession. As it turned out, he was completely dense to all of the things she had said lately. This was likely caused because he assumed she was into someone else, since he believed she would've already confessed by now if she truly liked him. To hear it now changed his view on things completely. All this time, he had never considered her in his heart, as she wasn't a girl who had confessed. So what would be the point in giving her a second thought?
However, when he thought about when she fell and got hurt. There was something in his heart that stirred differently than he was used to. After all, Matsu had something similar happen to her as well, but he didn't think about her in the same way he thought about Yurime during that moment. That was because despite never once considering her, she was the one he was drawn to. It was just that his brain didn't think it was possible to go after her. "…"
Without a word, he walked up to her as she stood still on her crutches. His body knew all along what his brain was unwilling to confront. Yurime turned her head down and grimaced, ready to hear him tell her no. However, that wasn't what he was going to do with her. "I think… I've found who I truly love." The boy picked up her face by gently lifting her head up by the chin. Then, he leaned in and gave her a kiss. Being on crutches, she wasn't really able to get away. However, this move was completely fine with her as she returned his passion with her feelings.
"I'm so relieved." She said after their lips parted ways. "I hope you two aren't mad at me."
"We could never be mad at you for going for your feelings." It hurt badly on the inside for Hifumi and Ichiri. But the sight of seeing the pair happier than ever more than made up for it.
"Well, looks like that's everything we needed to get out of the way." Arata breathed a deep sigh in relief. Now he didn't have to worry over all the girl anymore as he finally found his own love.
"I think a moment like this deserves a celebration." Syari spoke up. It was unlike her to be the one to suggest this kind of stuff. However, she was moved with the sight, and really glad that he had finally managed to achieve his happiness. After everything he had done for her, she believed he certainly earned it. "I know a great noodle place."
"I'm always down for some grub." Ichiri jumped onto the plan, even though it wasn't thought up for her sake.
"I think that's something we all want to do." Said Arata, who was holding Yurime around her crutches. Even if it was challenging to get close to her in this state, the pair were not worried about it as everyone walked out of the school.
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