Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Kurusu Mia 18

The train left.

Raising my lowered head, I spit out a large lump of air.

「Sorry, Kurusu…」

I couldn’t look at her face.

I don’t know myself why I did such a thing.

After a while, we went to the station’s platform in silence.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket.

Taking advantage of that, Kurusu finally said something.

「You’re not answering?」

「Yeah, it’s probably Kawauchi and them…」

「Yeah. Won’t they worry about us?」

My chest tightens at her pure sweet words.

「It’s probably better if you answer」

「G-got it…」

Being told that by Kurusu, I took out my phone.

When I did that, I realized I was holding her arm the whole time.

「Oi, what is the meaning of this!」

Ebara let out a loud voice.

The sound in the background must be from the train.

It’s supposed to be prohibited to talk on your phone when inside the train.

However, those guys probably don’t care either way right now.

「Sorry. My body somehow moved on its own」

「Don’t bullshit me! Didn’t we have an agreement!?」

「I know…」

Since I was one-sidedly tied to that agreement, I had some objections.

But, now I don’t care.

「I thought to apologize」

「Anyhow, come to Ichikura Station! As I thought it seems this train was the last so we can’t come back!」

Ebara shouted with all his strength.

Even though it violently shook my eardrums, it didn’t enter my head.

Hesitating over how I should respond, Kurusu took my phone

「Ah」

I raised my voice.

Kurusu was showing me a smile she hadn’t shown before.

It was a face where she had taken off her mask and revealed everything. It was a smile where she wasn’t forcing everything through a filter.

「Ebara-kun?」

When she put my phone up to her ear, Kurusu started talking.

I could slightly hear Ebara’s voice leak out of the speaker.

「You know, I already know about your guys’ arrangement…yeah, Kawauchi-kun told me」

Shaking could be heard on the other side of the speaker.

Kurusu continued.

「But could you not blame Okutani-kun? I asked him to do this」

This also made me start to shake greatly.

Kurusu makes eye contact with me. She somehow seemed to be having fun.

I got nervous for doing something I shouldn’t have. Kurusu gave me that feeling.

「The agreement seems pointless to me…yeah, it’s fine, my parents will come to get me…yeah…yeah…bye」

When she hung up, she returned my phone.

And then she asked me something.

「So, since we’ve come this far, what do you want to do?」

I couldn’t reply immediately. I receive my phone quietly.

Her long chestnut-colored hair, that was tied up in a ponytail, is wet from the rain and was somehow erotic.

Her thin yellow T-shirt was see through, and I could see the camisole she was wearing underneath.

「There’s no more trains…」

「It’s your fault」

「That’s why, we have to stay here for the day, right?」

My throat was dry.

I honestly couldn’t look Kurusu in her eyes.

It doesn’t seem like Kurusu understands the meaning behind that statement.

「When you answered the phone, why did you say your parents would come get us?」

It’s the same with my parents.

They would scold me harshly but I’m sure they would come get me.

No matter how cruel the rain is, it can’t completely block out the outside world like a mystery novel.

I looked at Kurusu.

She had a look like she was waiting for something.

I thought she was testing me.

However, that was probably wholly due to my persecution complex.

Kurusu was just seriously thinking about the current situation.

「I want to stay」

I said with a clear voice.

「Okay…got it」

Kurusu bites her lip and nods.

When I extend my hand, Kurusu grabbed it without hesitation.

We walk through the platform quietly, and explain ourselves to the attendant at the ticket gate.

「We missed the train…」

「Since that was the last one, will you be fine?」

「Yes, we’ll stay here today」

The attendant looked at both my and Kurusu’s face seeming slightly surprised.

Since we look like minors, she could immediately make a judgement.

Furthermore, Kurusu is a super beauty. We said we would stay.

She saw us off with slight jealousy in her eyes as me and Kurusu left the station.

「The rain…is awful, isn’t it?」

Kurusu muttered in a whisper.

The rain really was awful.

You could say it was a downpour and it limited everyone’s actions.

Private businesses closed their shutters and we could barely see the lights from the supermarket.

「I wonder if they have some place to stay…」

「Let’s try calling」

「Where?」

Kurusu inclines her head towards my proposal.

「You know, the campground we had the reservation for…I was supposed to be the one to cancel it」

「You want to stay at a campground in this rain? Our tent will immediately get submerged」

Even so Kurusu looked like she was having fun.

Tightly gripping my hand, she had a cheerful expression while looking at the raining sky.

「Certainly, they wouldn’t lend us a tent in this weather. But, they should definitely have a lodge there too so if it’s there we should be fine」

「I see. Hey, is it possible you were planning to stay with me from the beginning?」

「Eh?」

「After all, you’re so well informed」

Kurusu looks at me teasingly.

I replied after shrugging my shoulders.

「No, it was completely an impulse…if I knew I would have used the same place from when I was in primary school」

「That’s right…it was an impulse」

「Yeah…」

「I’m glad」

We met each other’s eyes.

Kurusu’s eyes didn’t lose their shine even on this day without sunshine.

Her wet lips were slightly opened like they wanted something.

I draw closer to Kurusu like I was being pulled in.

It’s impossible either way.

We drew in as close as possible and then shared a kiss.

It was a short kiss.