Chapter 6: “You’re All I Have”

“Achoo!”

　Kouta sneezed loudly in the futon blanket.

　He had caught a cold. It was probably not a good idea to go home after the amusement park yesterday while drenched by the rain.

　Sniffling, Kouta turned over in his sleep. The western sun was shining in from the balcony. And the room, where he was alone, was tinged with the color of early morning twilight.

　He was absent from school.

　He didn’t want to go either, so it was fine for him.

　If he went to the classroom, he would find Chris right next to him. Kouta didn’t know what to say or how to look at her after she confessed to him in such a way last night.

　He couldn’t sleep even if he was in the futon, because he had enough sleep.

“I’m just kidding,” as Chris kept popping into his head and then disappearing.

　She said it many times.

　Each time she laughed.

　Kouta thought she was laughing.

(Why didn’t I notice that…?)

　The expression she had been hiding. The voice that was trembling. The tears that were oozing from her eyes.

　In spite of the fact that they had been together for so long, Kouta did not understand a single thing about Chris’s feelings.

(How is that possible…? She knew everything about me.)

『I really liked Kouta.』

　If that’s the case, why did she form an alliance? If she supported Kouta’s proposal, it would only make Chris suffer. Why did she kill her own feelings to become his ally─?

　…He doesn’t know.

　His head feels fuzzy. He thinks it’s because he has a fever.

　It’s just that Chris’s facial expressions, lines of dialogue, and gestures keep circling around and around. He couldn’t stop thinking about the time he spent with her.

　*Ding-dong.

　The doorbell rang.

　Kouta didn’t move from the futon mattress. He was tired. He didn’t have the energy to get up. He hoped they would just leave him alone.

　But apparently, the other party had no intention of doing so.

　The doorbell was pressed two or three times, and even the door began to be knocked on. It was as if they knew he was at home.

(Who is it? A debt collector…?)

　Kouta pulled himself up from his heavy body and gently looked into the peephole.

　The Yamato Nadeshiko was there. [TLN: Unattainable/tall flower.]

“Wha!?”

　He suddenly raised his voice. Why was Hisame here!? Kouta opened the door.

　Kouta opened the door, and Hisame, still in her school uniform, looked at Kouta with emotionless eyes.

“How are you feeling?”

“Erm, Hisame… why are you…?”

“I heard you caught a cold.”

　Hisame leaned forward.

“Do you mind if I come inside your house so I can give you some handouts?”

　The question was in the form of a question, but the tone of voice was compelling.

“I’m sorry for making you take care of me…”

　Kouta looked at the kitchen from inside the futon mattress.

　He saw Hisame standing in the kitchen, wearing an apron.

“Sick people are supposed to be sleeping. Don’t mind me.”

　Hisame said nonchalantly as she stirred the pot.

　When Kouta said he hadn’t eaten anything since this morning, Hisame started to say she would make porridge and rice gruel.

　It should have been an exciting situation to have his girlfriend take care of him, but Kouta was not excited at all. He was a little surprised at that.

“You know, Hisame, I’m sorry that our date ended halfway yesterday.”

“No…”

“Did you talk to Chris at school today?”

　Hisame’s hand stopped stirring the pot.

“…Westwood-san is going back to America.”

“Eh?”

“I heard that she came to Japan for her parents’ work.”

“O-Ohh…”

“She said in class that she’s leaving Japan tonight.”

　Her parents’ business was to open a store overseas.

　With that out of the way, Kouta and his partner’s engagement was over, and Chris was going back to America. It was a logical progression.

(Does that mean I won’t be able to see Chris anymore…?)

　Kouta and Chris’ engagement was called off, and there was no reason for Chris to see Kouta.

　It was like a bad decision was made. He’ll never get the chance to see her again.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

　Hisame brought him a bowl of porridge.

　A simple porridge with eggs designed for people who are sick. Kouta said, “Thank you,” and sipped on it.

“Nhn…!?”

　A strange voice came out.

(Sweet… eternally sweet…)

　He forgot that Hisame had a different kind of taste bud.

　Kouta gave up after a few bites because he felt like eating too much would make him sicker.

“It didn’t suit your taste buds?”

“No, I had no appetite…”

“I thought Kouta-kun, who made the sweet pork chashu, would be okay with it…”

　Kouta said hurriedly to Hisame, who kept her eyes down.

“I just really don’t have an appetite! I’ll eat this porridge later!”

“Kouta-kun, your room looks completely different from the last time we had a date at your house.”

“Oh…”

“My room is much cleaner than this.”

　Kouta’s body shrunk, as if the plating was peeling off with Chris gone. That’s when he realized.

(Well, I don’t have to propose to Hisame anymore now.)

　I’ll propose to someone I really like and get rid of the engagement that my parents decided. That was the starting point for Kouta and Chris.

　If there is no unwilling engagement, then there’s no point in proposing to Hisame right now.

　Kouta thought about it and came up with a crazy idea.

(Wait a minute, didn’t Chris know that the overseas store opening would be cancelled?)

　Last night, that’s what Tetsuji had said. He told him last that he and the millionaire had never been on the same page from the beginning.

　Chris lied to Kouta, saying that the overseas store opening was going extremely well. Chris knew that foreign stores were not expected to be established, so she hid it from Kouta.

　The reason for the concealment must have been to keep the alliance alive. If the overseas store opening was cancelled, their alliance would be meaningless. If they wanted to terminate the engagement, Kouta and the others should have just waited and done nothing.

　So, why did she want to form an alliance even after hiding that─?

“Kouta-kun.”

　Hisame gave him a stern look.

“I have yet to receive an apology from you.”

“Eh, erm, an apology for what…?”

“Is it true that you were living alone with Westwood-san?”

　”That’s it!” Kouta thought inwardly.

　No Chris to follow up on this, Kouta thought to himself.

“Yes… it’s true.”

　Hisame took a small breath.

“But, I swear, there is nothing! Chris and I are only allies─”

“What do you mean by ‘ally’?”

　─What is an ally?

　Kouta was momentarily at a loss for words at the fundamental question.

“An ally is a comrade who has the same goal… They are always there for you when you need help, you can talk to them about anything, and they will always guide you in the right direction. They are the people you can trust more than anyone else, they encourage you, they are there for you─”

　”Oh,” he thought.

　Now he knew why Chris had formed an alliance with him.

(Did she want to be the closest to me…?)

　Chris wanted to be close to the person she loved, even if she couldn’t tell him how much she loved him.

　Chris had said it himself.

『Anyway, the best way to get to know each other is to talk!』[TLN: Goodness man, I had to check from chapter 1, just to find this on chapter 3 and be consistent with my lines.]

　Without the alliance, Kouta wouldn’t have talked to Chris as much as he did. Because they were allies, Kouta asked Chris for advice and relied on her for help. It was all because Chris was an ally.

　Kouta was silent as he stared at a single point on the futon mattress.

　Hisame said with cold eyes.

“I was shocked to learn that you lied to me.”

“…I’m very sorry.”

“In the future, please refrain from saying or doing anything rash. You are… my… my… fiancé after all. …”

　A voice that was almost drowned out by the exhaust fan.

『Fiancé』.

　If he hadn’t heard that word so many times before, he probably would have missed it.

(That’s right. It all started with that word, when Chris showed up as my fiancée, and we were─hmmm!!?)

“Huh?”

　Beside Kouta, Hisame was hiding her face with her hands, looking embarrassed. He couldn’t help but notice the reddened cheeks through her fingers.

“…I just heard a word that I thought I misheard.”

“I-It’s nothing!”

“It’s definitely not nothing! Didn’t you just say ‘fiancé’!?”

　”Yes…” said Hisame, looking embarrassed. Wait a minute. He can’t keep his head straight.

“Hisame, I just want to make sure,” Kouta said, swallowing his spit.

“Who’s that fiancé you’re talking about…?”

“Kouta-kun is… my fiancé, you know…?”

“Wait, are you talking about when we were in kindergarten? I played the role of being the husband in the ramen shop game.”

　”No,” Hisame shook her head.

“It was a promise my mother made to Kouta-kun’s mother.”

(What did you just say…?)

“My mother passed away when I was in elementary school though…?”

“So we got engaged before she died, when we were only five years old. That was ten years ago. They made an agreement that if we got engaged, they would rent my maternal grandfather’s real estate, the property that is now the Gouzanji Ramen Shop, at a discounted rate.”

　He was speechless.

(Wait, wait, my parents are using their son’s marriage for business too much!)

　First his Dad, now it’s his mother. The engagements that they both brought to the table were battling it out beautifully, but what were they going to do about it?

　Hisame blinked again repeatedly.

“Didn’t Kouta-kun know about our engagement, by any chance?”

“That’s new to me…”

“Oh, really? I thought Kouta-kun had confessed to me because we were engaged.”

　He was surprised.

(So that’s why Hisame accepted my confession!)

　He had been wondering why the most beautiful girl in the school had said yes to his confession. Now the mystery was solved. It wasn’t a miracle; Hisame went out with Kouta because he was her fiancé.

(In other words, Hisame didn’t have any fondness for me…?)

　Since she went out with him, Hisame must have some kind of fondness for Kouta. That assumption was overturned from the bottom up.

　She was going out with Kouta because she was going to marry Kouta in the future.

　If you thought about it that way, it all made sense.

　It was pathetic.

　Hisame wanted to call him by his first name, she wanted to go on a date at home, and she wanted to visit a ramen shop, it was all because she was thinking about marriage.

“I’m happy to be your lover” had a different meaning. She was glad that they could get to know each other before they got married. He guessed that was her true motive.

　A weak laugh escaped from Kouta’s mouth.

“Kouta-kun…?”

　Hisame made a quizzical sound.

(So that’s what this is all about… Hisame didn’t want to go out with me out of her own volition…)

　After being immersed in bitter emotions, Kouta pushed his feelings down hard.

　He got out of the futon mattress and sat down on the floor, holding his hands in front of Hisame.

“Please break up with me.”

　As Kouta got down on his knees, he couldn’t see Hisame’s face.

　All he could hear was the sound of the exhaust fan turning.

　A few moments later, “…Eh?” A dumbfounded voice came out.

“I didn’t know that I was engaged to Hisame. I’m sorry for confessing to you and forcing you into a relationship without your knowledge.”

“Forced you say, I…!”

“No, it definitely was because I forced you. You felt compelled to go out with me because I was your fiancé. I’ve always wondered why Hisame went out with me.”

“I-I, Kouta-kun, is the one I… lo-…-lo-…!”

　Hisame’s head was spewing steam and she was stammering. Her face turned red, and she seemed to be trying desperately to say something.

　Even if she said she liked him, he wouldn’t believe her. Kouta couldn’t deny the possibility that Hisame was holding back because she was his fiancée.

“No need to push it, I understand Hisame’s situation. We’ll just be classmates again.”

　Hisame’s face went completely pale.

　With a blank expression on her face, she let out a flat voice.

“…Why is that? If you’re my fiancé, even if we break up, we’ll eventually─”

“Hisame, can you accept that your parents have chosen your fiancé?”

　Hisame stopped speaking for a moment.

　Kouta clenched his fists and stood up shakily. His expression was serious.

“You want to be with the person you love, don’t you? Are you going to obey your parents when they decide to do that for you? I won’t allow that.”

　To his surprise, Hisame was also the fiancée that her parents had decided to marry. Apparently, Hisame had accepted the fiancé’s decision and had no choice but to go out with Kouta.

　Kouta, however, refused to accept it.

“Kouta-kun, I─”

“Think properly, Hisame! When you meet someone you really like, you’ll regret it if you have a fiancé, and I don’t want to get engaged knowing that Hisame will regret it! I want Hisame to be happy too.”

　It’s a conversation he once had with Chris before. Kouta spoke without hesitation.

“That’s why I’m going to break off my engagement to you. You can’t break off the engagement because it was decided by your parents. You think so, don’t you?　No, that’s wrong. Our wrong engagement can be broken. I know how!”

　Unable to stay like this, Kouta took off his pajamas and Hisame’s face was on fire.

“K-Kouta-kun!?”

“Hisame, wait for me.”

　Kouta grabbed her by the shoulders firmly. Kouta told Hisame, who rolled her eyes, emphatically.

“We’re all going to be happy. Just leave it to me.”

　Kouta changed his clothes in a flash and ran out of the house.

　He heard Hisame’s voice behind him, but he didn’t look back.

　　　◆◆◆

“Nfu~Nfufu~n♪”

　A hotel suite. Chris’s humming reverberated through the spacious bathroom.

　Soaking in the bubbly tub, the girl washed off the dust and sweat from school. She wanted to look especially beautiful for the big event to come.

　Suddenly, a black figure appeared on the frosted glass.

“…I’ll be reporting. Kouta Gouzanji had run away from home.”

“Just as I expected.”

　Oozing with joy, Chris got out of the tub. The bubbles of the soap slid down her excellent legs.

“What’s Kouta’s destination?”

“…I think it’s the nearest station. I assume he’ll be taking the express train to the airport.”

“Yes, that’s correct, Kouta! Come straight to the stage I’ve set up for you!”

　Chris left the bathroom after showering and Hozuki offered her a bath towel.

“The stage is set perfectly, right?”

“…Of course, as per the young lady’s instructions. However, I think it’s a bit too much to put a red carpet for Kouta Gouzanji;s pathing in the airport.”

　Too much? Chris raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime proposal. There’s no such thing as too much.”

　What did Kouta run away from home for─? The only reason was to propose to Chris.

　There’s no other explanation.

“When I found out that Kouta was Hisame’s fiancé, I was afraid that I was going to lose, but fate was on my side.”

　Kouta proposes to Hisame with all his might and is rejected. Kouta would be heartbroken, and Chris would console him─ That was Chris’s original plan.

　However, Hisame was engaged to Kouta. There was no way she would turn down Kouta’s proposal.

　So Chris intervened in the proposal at the amusement park.

“No way, she’s the same as me. We were ‘engaged by our parents,’ which made Kouta too skeptical to accept her feelings.”

　Chris’s mouth twisted into a smile as Hozuki dried her hair.

　Kouta is kind. But he would never accept a fiancée who was chosen by his parents.

　When Kouta found out that Hisame was his fiancée, the same exchange that happened with Chris was repeated. Let’s cancel the engagement that our parents decided! That’s how it goes.

“How do you get out of an engagement? The answer is ‘get another fiancé.”

　In order to break off the engagement with Chris, Kouta wanted to propose to Hisame.

　Then, what if he wanted to break off his engagement to Hisame─?

“I’ve been the one who’s supported him the most, and I’ve already told him how I feel about him. There’s no reason for Kouta to hesitate in proposing to me!”

　It’s perfect, Chris muttered to herself.

　What a flawless plan, even for her. It was as if fate had led her to this point, and it gave her goosebumps.

“Come on, get the dress out. I have to go with the most gorgeous outfit.”

“…Kouta Gouzanji seems to be heading out wearing a uniform.”

　Chris puffed out her cheeks.

“I’m fine with the uniform~.”

　　　＊＊＊

　When Kouta arrived at the airport by express train, he compared the picture he had with the one on Chris’s social networking site.

　There was no doubt about it, Chris was at this airport.

　He doesn’t know what time Chris’ flight is, but he does know something. The fact that she’s a super-celebrity, and that she’s flying on a private jet.

　As soon as he entered the airport, he saw a sign that said, “Private jets here.”

　There was a bright red carpet that looked like a walkway. Kouta didn’t hesitate to run on the carpet, thinking that this was the way to go.

　They say you don’t realize how important something is until you lose it.

　For Kouta, Chris was just like that.

　It was only after she was gone that he realized how much he had cared for her.

(No, I haven’t lost her yet─!)

　Kouta gritted her teeth and ran up the stairs of the red carpet.

　Chris was definitely waiting for him. He had that hunch. It might be laughed at as a convenient interpretation. The reality is that things don’t work out that way.

　However, Kouta wanted to bet.

　He wanted to bet on the fate of Chris and himself.

　Suddenly, he stepped out into an open space.

　High ceilings, large semi-circular windows. Like a church, it had a somewhat solemn air about it. The windows offered a spectacular view of the pale blue sunset and the ocean.

　At the end of the red carpet, a blonde girl was looking out the window.

“…Chris.”

　The skirt of her uniform swayed and she turned around.

　As soon as he saw her face, Kouta’s heart overflowed with relief. He was just in time. Maybe he would have never seen her again.

　He was so relieved that he couldn’t help but grumble.

“You liar!”

　Chris suddenly laughed hilariously.

“What do you mean by ‘liar’?”

“It’s obvious. The idea of opening a restaurant abroad was not a good one from the beginning. The engagement breakup alliance was just a farce to get you and me on the same page.”

　She tilted her head in an unapologetic manner.

“Ara, was that all?”

“‘Just kidding’ was also a lie. You were just teasing me so I wouldn’t know how you felt!”

“It’s too late for that.”

“What’s with the ‘I’m an ally’? I’m sure you’ve been frustrated with the plan where I had to propose to Hisame. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have exploded like that in front of the fountain!”

“Haa~, I wonder if Kouta came here to complain.”

“─Don’t be so tough on me, Chris.”

　Chris’s expression hardened.

“I thought I was fighting with you, you know? I thought by forming an alliance with you I could make both of us happy. And yet, you were the only one who hid your true intentions, and you were the one who had to suffer alone. I’m so unworthy of you.”

　He was also shocked.

　Before he knew it, Kouta had hurt Chris.

　If he had known how Chris felt, he would not have formed an alliance with her.

　Since Chris was aware of Kouta’s character, she probably hid her feelings for him─.

“I’ll tell you something. I had a lot of fun with you!”

　Chris put her hand over her mouth.

“When I first met you, I thought you were a super-celebrity who I would never get along with. But after three weeks of being with you, I changed my mind. I trust you more than anyone, and I want you by my side. If you haven’t run out of love for me yet, I want you to be the closest one to support me!

“Kouta…”

　Chris was moved to tears.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how you felt. In return, I want you to know that there will be no more ‘lies’ from now on. Listen, our relationship is equal. I don’t want you to be the only one who has to endure or bear the pain anymore. I told you in the beginning, I want to make you happy too.”

　Her face crumpled and she nodded again and again.

　It was about time, he thought, since Chris seemed to have regretted lying to him, and now Kouta could propose to her.

　Kouta dropped to his knees.

　He pulled out a bright red rose from his bag. 『You’re all I have』. There was no more perfect flower to tell her how he felt.

　Kouta told Chris, whose cheeks were stained.

“─Chris, be my ally!”

　A silence filled the hall.

　It was so long that it seemed as if time had stopped.

“Huh?”

　Chris opened her mouth from the red carpet. The tears in her eyes had all but disappeared, and the flush on her cheeks had completely subsided.

“A-An ally, you say…!?”

“Oh, apparently, Hisame and I were engaged to be married. Our mothers decided it. I’m thinking of calling off my engagement to Hisame.”

　Kouta pulled out a notepad.

　The words “Kouta & Chris: Engagement Breakup Alliance” were newly written.

“Your strategy was always spot on. You read my words and actions to a frightening degree and correct my course before I make a mistake. I really appreciate the fact that you are able to look after people like a psychic, and that you know so much about Hisame. I’m sure you’re the only one who can be my ally.”

　Who else could have gone this far?

　Chris was the only one who could lead Kouta.

“You and I can definitely break off my engagement to Hisame. Please, Chris, make another alliance with me to cancel the engagement!”

　Kouta held out a preserved flower as if offering something to the gods.

　The sound of airplane engines drifted away.

　In a solemn hall reminiscent of a church, Chris looked up at the heavens. Her temples twitched and she shouted with all her might.

“Bakaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” [TLN: Idiot.]

　The roses were roughly taken from Kouta’s hand.

　It was a sign that the engagement breakup alliance had been re-established.

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Translator’s Afterword: Yes, I know. Kouta no ahooooooooooo!!! [TLN: Idiot yet again]