・・・ xiv ・・・
Despite his firm answer, Rie continued to urge him to go.
She brought the topic at every moment she could.
In the cafe.
As they walked home.
At the crossroads.
The next morning.
Inside the library again.
In the hallways.
At the cashier.
The day after.
The day after.
The day after.
The day after.
"What an annoying person."
He shook his head.
・・・ xv ・・・
A week and a day had passed since she first started inviting him.
Today, they were walking home from the cafe.
Tomorrow was a Saturday.
The winter party would be tomorrow as well.
Strangely enough, Hashimoto Rie had been quiet the whole time.
He stared at the snow as they descended around them.
He breathed out.
A puff of smoke escaped his mouth.
It was quiet.
It was cold.
It was calming.
・・・ xvi ・・・
When they reached the crossroads,
Hashimoto Rie stopped walking.
He did the same as well, startled by her actions.
She turned to him.
"... Are you really not going tomorrow?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer.
He simply looked at her.
"Say something."
She offered him a smile.
"Ah... I must have been bothering you a lot, haven't I?
I'm sorry. I've decided it's you who gets to choose what you want to do.
Even though I really would have liked you to come, it's okay Ao-kun.
... You don't need to force yourself. You don't have to go."
She waved her hand and gave a small bow.
"I'll... see you on Monday then."
Just like that, she turned away and walked in the other direction.
He watched her retreating figure in the snow.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Then he blinked.
Slowly, he began to walk the other way.
・・・ xvii ・・・
When he arrived in his room, he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. tock.
Tick. tock.
He closed his eyes.
He remembered the look on Rie's face. The words she had said to him.
'It won't end up like that because you think it will, you know.'
But he did know.
He had decided not to go.
Yet, for some reason, the unsettling feeling was still there.
"... You're scared."
"... am I?"
"So, what are you going to do?"
"I..."
YOU ARE READING
re:Happiness | Cell Phone Novel
General Fiction「 Can you teach me how to be happy? 」 Fujiwara Ao has been living the past nineteen years of his life in ease. Born with the ideal background and blessed with enough talent, that's what most of the people presume. In their eyes, he was sim...
