pertwk Page 159
Page 159
Just as Yuto felt unprecedented tension and embarrassment, and his mind went blank, an angry voice suddenly interrupted.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha! That's enough!"
It's Eriri.
She had put down her easel and stood up at some point, her golden twin ponytails trembling slightly with anger.
She rushed to the table and stood between Youdou and Shiyu, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"What right do you have to question Yuuto like that! He helped Aoyama Nanami because he's kind, because he's talented and can see the potential in others! What's wrong with that? Unlike you, who just uses these roundabout words to bully people!"
Eriri's words surprised everyone, including Yuto himself.
In the past, she was more often jealous of Shiyu, but this time, her anger was more of an urgent desire to protect Yuuto.
Shiyu frowned as she looked at Eriri, who had suddenly cut in line.
"Sawamura-kun, this is a serious discussion between my junior and me about creative matters. Please don't use your poor brain to cause trouble."
"I don't care about any serious issues! All I know is that you're not allowed to bully Yuuto!" Eriri's face turned bright red, but she didn't back down an inch.
"Yuto is mine! ...My exclusive author! I'll take care of his affairs!"
This clumsy yet incredibly sincere act of protection warmed Yuto's heart.
Looking at the not-so-tall figure blocking his way, his heart, which had been suffocating under the weight of guilt and self-blame, felt as if a hole had been torn open.
It turns out that although she is proud and jealous, she will truly stand up to protect herself without hesitation when it matters.
"Sawamura-kun, you're being unreasonable." Shiyu's face turned completely cold.
"I'm just being unreasonable, so what!" Eriri went all out, puffing out her not-so-ample chest.
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Kato Megumi finally put down the magazine and said in her uniquely calm voice, "Alright, club activity time is over."
Shiyu gave Eriri a deep look, then turned her gaze to Yuuto behind her, whose expression was complicated.
She didn't argue any further, but simply picked up her bag and left a message before turning to leave the activity room.
"We'll settle this score sooner or later, junior."
The door to the club activity room closed, and Kasumigaoka Utaha's figure disappeared behind the door.
“Phew…” Yi (three) V Qi Jiu Liu Shan Er Qun Ying Li Li let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders instantly slumped.
Just moments ago she had been as fierce as a fighting cock, but now she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, and the blush on her face had turned from anger into an unnatural shyness.
She turned away, not daring to look Itsuka Yuuto in the eye, her gaze drifting to her toes, and asked softly, "Th-um...did I...do I do too much just now?"
She began to feel scared, worried that her behavior might make Yuuto think she was annoying and unreasonable.
Yuto found her appearance both amusing and touching.
He reached out, intending to ruffle her golden pigtails like he did when they were little, but halfway there, he felt it was inappropriate and ended up simply placing his hand lightly on the top of her head and gently patting it.
"No, you've been a great help, Eriri."
"Thank you."
This heartfelt thank you made Eriri's body stiffen abruptly.
She slowly raised her head, her clear blue eyes reflecting Yuto's gentle face.
"Hmph... You, you know that much!" Eriri's face turned even redder in an instant.
She abruptly slapped Yuto's hand away, turned her head away, and muttered in an almost inaudible voice, "I... I wasn't trying to help you... I just... I just couldn't stand that scheming woman's methods! Yes, that's it!"
Although she was still putting on a brave front, the slightly upturned corners of her mouth and the gently swaying pigtails betrayed her true feelings.
Yuto smiled but didn't expose her.
"So, shall we discuss the artwork together after school today?" he asked, following her lead.
"Y-Of course! I keep my word!" Eriri answered loudly immediately, as if to cover up her guilty conscience. "I have so many questions to ask you! You'd better be prepared to stay up all night!"
"Yes, yes, my personal illustrator," Yuto replied in a slightly teasing tone.
Kato Megumi, who was standing nearby, took everything in. She closed the magazine, stood up, and picked up her schoolbag.
"I'll be going now, Itsuka-kun, Eriri." She said goodbye calmly.
"Ah, goodbye, Kato-kun."
"See you tomorrow, Kato!"
After school, Yuto and Eriri returned to their apartment together.
Upon entering, I saw Yuzuriha Inori sitting on the living room carpet with a pile of colorful origami in front of her.
She seemed to be trying to fold origami cranes, but her skills were clearly not very good; a small pile of oddly shaped, unrecognizable failures had already accumulated next to her.
Seeing the two return, Yuzuriha Inori's eyes lit up. She picked up a piece of origami that could barely be identified as a bird and handed it to Eriri as if it were a treasure.
"For... Eriri."
Eriri paused for a moment, then instinctively took it.
She looked at the paper crane in her palm, its wings uneven in size and its neck slightly crooked, and then at Yuzuriha Inori's expectant eyes. The softest part of her heart seemed to be touched.
"This...is this for me?"
"Yes." Yuzuriha Inori nodded vigorously.
“…So ugly.” Eriri muttered under her breath, but her fingers carefully pinched the paper crane, then she took out a transparent card holder from her bag and solemnly placed it inside.
"Th-thank you..." she said somewhat awkwardly.
Seeing this, Yuto smiled sincerely.
This home, filled with contradictions and arguments, seems to be slowly developing some unexpected bonds in its own way.
"Alright, stop standing there like an idiot. Weren't we supposed to be discussing the artwork?" Yuto broke the cozy atmosphere.
"Oh, right!" Eriri suddenly realized what was happening and quickly pulled Yuuto into his study.
For the next few hours, the two of them truly immersed themselves in creative discussions.
Before I knew it, it was completely dark outside the window.
"...That's about it. If we brighten the highlight a bit more, it will better emphasize the character's resolute feeling at this moment." Yuto finished his final summary.
“I understand!” Eriri nodded emphatically.
Today's discussion benefited her greatly, and it inspired her creative desire even more than the purely technical guidance from Akane Akasaka.
Looking at Yuto beside her, who was intently studying the drawing, the warmth and excitement she felt because of him overflowed once again.
“Yuto…” she called softly.
"Ok?"
"Thank you for today."
I am grateful for his guidance on the drawing, and also for his affirmation of her clumsy efforts in the activity room that afternoon.
Yuto smiled, about to say something, when his stomach growled at an inopportune moment.
Both of them were taken aback for a moment, then looked at each other and smiled.
"I'll go cook." Yuto stood up.
"I...I'll help!" Eriri also stood up.
That night, Yuto finally got a good night's sleep, something he hadn't done in a long time.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 148: The New Project
When he woke up the next morning, he felt much better.
He sat down at his desk and looked at the still blank diary. This time, he did not feel anxious or resistant.
He picked up his pen and began to recall everything that had happened yesterday.
Recalling Kasumigaoka Utaha's aggressive questioning, and recalling her own embarrassment and helplessness at the time.
I recall Eriri's not-so-tall but exceptionally determined back as she stood up for me.
She recalled the fleeting tenderness on her face when she awkwardly accepted Yuzuriha Inori's paper crane.
He recalled the tacit understanding and joy they shared in the study when they had a heated discussion about the same goal.
Finally, he took a deep breath and wrote the first line on the first page of his diary.
September 26th, sunny.
Eriri protected me today.
Yuto Itsuka has started writing a diary.
He didn't tell anyone about this.
He hid that diary in the deepest drawer of his desk, and locked it.
This became his secret.
Every night, after everyone has gone to sleep and the apartment has returned to silence, he would quietly take out his diary and, by the dim light of the desk lamp, record everything that happened that day, as well as his truest thoughts.
This diary became an outlet for his emotions and a mirror for him to examine himself.
September 27th.
Kasumigaoka-senpai didn't speak to me all day, but when we met in the cafeteria, she glared at me at least three times.
I could tell she was still angry about Eriri interrupting her yesterday.
To be honest, I'm a little afraid of her.
But then I felt that she was angry because she cared about "The King of Farming" and about me, the author.
Thinking about it this way, I don't feel so scared anymore.
Am I being presumptuous?
September 28th.
Yuzuriha Inori learned how to heat milk in the microwave today, but she didn't put the spoon in with it.
She gave me the first cup she had heated up, and I praised her. She seemed very happy.
Watching her gradually adapt to life here, I felt a sense of responsibility similar to that of a father.
But when I think about my own situation, I feel that I am not qualified to be anyone's support.
It's a contradiction.
September 29th.
Eriri has finished the artwork we discussed last time, and the quality is astonishingly high.
She said she got the inspiration because of my suggestion.
Seeing her shine because of her creative work makes me genuinely happy.
Perhaps what I most hope to see is that each of them can shine brightest in what they love.
Instead of wasting their talents on revolving around me.
Through writing, Yuto began to force himself to peel away those complex emotions, to analyze the motivations behind each person's behavior, and to understand his own true reactions to those behaviors.
He no longer passively lets himself be overwhelmed by emotions as before, but instead learns to examine the storm unfolding around him as an observer.
He discovered that when he transformed those unspeakable emotions into concrete words, they no longer seemed so repulsive.
He began to face his own cowardice, to face his undeniable feelings for Mai Sakurajima, and to understand the underlying concern between Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka, which was simply expressed in different ways.
This process is not easy; in fact, it can be described as painful.
Every time I put pen to paper, it feels like I'm dissecting myself.
But he could clearly sense that a subtle change was taking place within him.
The lake, murky and turbid from the emotional storm, is gradually settling.
Although he still hasn't found the final answer, he can at least clearly see what those tangled aquatic plants at the bottom of the lake look like.