BXBX NOVEL Chapter 89: That’s Like a Curse
Chapter 89: That’s Like a Curse
This is the night before Rio goes to the evening party.
All the people of the capital already fell asleep in the middle of night.
Several days have passed since he’s staying in the capital of Galwark kingdom, after finally being used to the life in the inn, they can take the tension bit by bit.
Lying with her back on the bed which she still haven’t gotten used to, it’s about time for Miharu and co who’s staying in the inn of the capital to sleep too ――、 Ayase Miharu saw a dream.
A boy and a girl whose face she remembers is facing each other in the sephia colored scene.
It’s natural that she has the recollection of them.
Since those two are childhoodfriends, the girl is Miharu herself.
Though it’s inside her dream, her head is strangely calm, even her consciousness is clear.
Miharu’s looking from the side at the figure of the boy who’s her childhood friend and the very young version of herself.
“There’s no doubt about it”.
The dream that she’s seeing now is the replaying of her past experience.
That was a certain day in the summer.
The brilliant light of sunlight is pouring down incessantly――、 That day was a bittersweet incident for her.
Is what she feels.
She in those days is a crybaby and weak-minded, she was naturally following around on the side of the boy who is her childhood friend.
She’s extremely shy towards strangers, at those times, it seems she didn’t even have a friend except for that boy.
That’s why it was natural.
After her childhood friend vanished in front of her, Miharu of that time is crying non-stop.
The Miharu of her dream frantically embraced her childhood friend while weeping.
In contrast to her younger-self who’s crying non-stop, her crying childhood friend is cheering Miharu to be firm.
When she thinks back about it, her childhood friend was always by her side, always gentle, and protecting Miharu more than anyone.
「Let’s marry when we meet again!」
Her childhood friend said that resolutely to Miharu who’s crying non-stop no matter what he does.
Definitely, after we meet again.
The young Miharu’s looking blankly at her childhood friend.
Even Miharu who’s looking at them from the side becomes slightly embarrassed, she was looking at them with her face facing down due to embarrassment from the corner of the road.
「……Do it. Let’s Do it. We’ll marries! 」
The young Miharu in the middle of her cry is replying to him while showing a nothing but brilliant smile.
She makes up her mind on parting whether she’ll goes as far as kissing her childhood friend.
Her current self might be able to do that. Unexpectedly, her current self might be a bold woman.
When she thought of that, she became slightly embarrassed again. Though it’s inside her dream, she feels that her cheeks turned red.
The dream is moving forward in that way, the young Miharu became silent as she’s looking at her childhood friend who left with the car.
The young Miharu’s frantically waving her arms toward the car that was leaving at the distance.
There’s no happiness as great as this day in Miharu life. And then, there’s also no greater sorrow than this day.
But, after this day, Miharu swore to herself that she’ll become stronger and more positive.
And then, Miharu’s doing her best to become a great bride.
She believes that he’ll come to pick her someday――
（EH?）
The scenery in front of Miharu rapidly changing like when she’s changing a television program.
Her eyes slowly opened wide at the scenery that’s spreading in front of her.
In front of her was the figure of her childhood friend.
The scenery keeps changing as if completely being digested.
But, the scenery became a place that’s completely unknown to Miharu, and she’s on the side of a boy unknown to her.
In the middle of the ever-changing scene, the boy is for some reason tackling in various kind of things with his utmost effort.
Study, helping the housework, helping the agricultural work and, martial arts, the boy was single-mindedly doing his best.
That figure of him is charming, Miharu’s unconciously rooting for the boy inside her dream.
The boy’s growing bit-by-bit.
It seems that the reason for the boy putting his best is to meet with Miharu.
「Let’s marry when we meet again!」
That words don’t even have a binding power, it was a light and fleeting promise.
How becomes the future of the boy and the girl who exchanged the promise is something that’s unknown――
Normally, they might forget about such a promise along with their growth, maybe they’re not even thinking about protecting such a promise.
But, the boy inside of her dream was putting his best effort to accomplish that promise just by simple honesty.
Everything is for the sake of Miharu――
Even if it’s just the wishes of her made inside of her dream, she was truly glad about it.
Perhaps, the real him also put this kind of effort.
Her cheeks loosened and she’s unintentionally blushing while thinking about that.
But, if it’s the truth, she might be able to be reunited with that boy again.
“I’m not on earth right now, I’m sent to a far distant world――”
Miharu’s recalled indescribable memories.
While she thinks about it, the scenery changed again.
Before she knew, the boy now has grown to the same age as Miharu.
（As I thought, maybe he’s popular amongst the girls…….）
The boy in the dream is growing into an extremely good-looking youth.
There’s some trace left of his younger self, she thought that he might really be growing into this youth.
To her surprise, the boy seemingly entering the same high school as Miharu.
（Though I’m really glad if it’s the truth. Commuting to the high school together………..）
If, if he’s entering the same class of the same high school, at that time there was so many things she wants to tell him.
But, reality is not so sweet, for once, the boy didn’t enroll in the same class as Miharu.
Miharu came to this world practically right after the first day of the school.
She still has yet to become closer with her classmates, there’s no one who can be said as her friend except those who goes to the same middle school as her, still, she expected that she’ll recognize him if they’re entering the same class.
（The incident just a few months ago right）
That’s right, not even several months have passed since Miharu and co came to this world.
Though it was a blink of times, Miharu feels that the time she had here was extremely packed.
If time passed asusual in earth, it might be about the time for summer holiday.
（Can I……………. Return?）
Miharu shakes her head in denial as if denying the anxiety that she can’t see before.
She’s concentrating at the scene in front of her.
Somehow the boy is splendidly passing into the same school as Miharu, and was coming to the entrance ceremony.
Though she doesn’t even go there for several days, this place is definitely the high school where Miharu’s going to.
The boy’s moving his line of sight at the notice board installed at the yard of the school and find his own class.
Suddenly, his line of sight fixed at a certain place.
（Ah, maybe he found my class）
Despite inside her dream, it really was a happiness if they was in the same class.
Miharu’s slowly stopping by the side of the boy while her heart beating loudly, she seen the name writted in front of his line of sight.
（Eh…………. My name?）
Somehow, it seems that boy line of sight stopped at her name.
She’s sure of it since she’s enrolling in the first class, it’s not strange thing for the boy to find her name before him.
The boy eyes is fixed on Miharu name.
A gentle smile formed on his lips.
After that, he found his own class and then looking around restlessly at the surrounding. He might be trying to look for Miharu.
But, there’s so many people since it’s the entrance ceremony, the boy reluctantly left that place.
（Uhm, this day, Takahisa-kun and Masato-kun overslept, so we’re a bit late when going to school………. ）
If this is based on reality, she might be barely arriving just before the start of the entrance ceremony.
Miharu and the three Sendou―― Takahisa, Aki and, Masato was going to school together like usual.
Though at first she’s going with Aki to the primary school, Masato and Takahisa, the child of the second husband of Aki’s mother is tagging along in the middle, so it became their custom.
Since it’s a dream after all, definitely not real, though everything will be perfect if she comes at the same time――, This dream is strangely not flexible.
Miharu unintentionally let out a wry smile.
And then, the entrance ceremony began.
In that place, Sumeragi Satsuki, her senpai since middle school era is welcoming the new students.
Satsuki is working as the student council president of the school, she was the face of the whole students.
With her talent and beauty, be it studies or sport, she’s always getting the top result, she’s basking in the attention as the object of admiraiton from the surrounding students.
（As expected of Satsuki-san）
The freshmen, all of them regardless their gender are looking with envious look toward Satsuki.
Though her appearance is that of beauty, dignified and, she has the brilliance which will unintentionally attract people regardless their gender.
Maybe the boys were also fascinated by her.
Thinking so, Miharu’s timidly looking toward the boy.
But, he’s somehow paying attention to Miharu’s class, Satsuki greeting seemingly unregistered into his ears.
He’s not even looking at Satsuki who does her speech.
Though she can’t speak, she’s happy, Miharu unintentionally became amused.
After that, he also ignored the slightly boring headmaster speech, Miharu decided to look at the profile of the boy.
Part 4
The entrance ceremony has ended, when the slightly prolonged homeroom finally finished, the boy immediately headed towards Miharu classroom.
Though he was invited to go to karaoke by the mixed group of boys and girls who sat on his side when he was about to leave, he’s courteously refusing their invitation.
When he makes a stop in front of Miharu’s class, maybe because he’s nervous, the boy’s was taking a slightly deep breath.
（Do your best!）
Miharu cheered at the boy in her mind as she stands by his side.
The her in her dream will be slightly happy by reuniting with the boy again.
Miharu who saw from his side was slightly nervous too.
Though it seems that Miharu’s class already finished their homeroom too, majority of the students are still in the class, the sound of their conversation is loudly resounding till the corridor.
He’s timidly looking at the situation inside the classroom from door of the classroom that’s left open.
Though he was looking at the classroom restlessly, his gaze fixed after he find his target.
（Ah, no. I………..）
The one who sat at that place was definitely Miharu.
Miharu’s sitting there as she’s absentmindedly looking ahead, maybe thinking about something.
（Uuh, I become cheerful）
Several groups which already formed is in the middle of conversation, a blank area made in the surrounding of Miharu.
Her strong characteristic of shyness isn’t that much different with the past.
The thing about talking with someone she just met isn’t her strong point and made her very nervous.
Though she’s not that nervous to start the conversation from her side if the other party is a girl, when the other party is a boy, she’s often troubled and at a loss for words to address the other party, of course it’s the same for conversation.
The childhood friend of the boy was frequently teased by male students after he transferred, maybe the cause of her being aware that she’s not good at talking to the opposite sex is when she’s being addressed by overly-familiar men while walking in the middle of the city after coming to this world.
One of the reason why she might not have that much immunity in talking to the opposite sex is because she talks to nothing but Masato and Takahisa, the younger brother-in-law and brother-in-law of Aki after middle school era.
Though that chance to get used to men have increased when she’s spending her time together with Aki, who’s like her own little sister, the younger Masato aside, there’s a particular detail which made her somehow aware a bit of it the first time she met Takahisa.
（Which remind me, I didn’t feel that nervous when I’m talking to Haruto-san huh………..）
Though there’s the emergency case the first time they meet, she didn’t feel nervous when they’re having conversation with just the two of them during daily life after that.
Though that may be because she was unconsciously piling up the image of Rio and Haruto in her mind――
「I’m sorry. That girl name is Ayase Miharu-san right? 」
The boy asked female students who was chatting near the entrance of the classroom.
「EH? ………….. A, Yeah, uhm it might be so. Ah, will you wait for a while, I’ll confirm from the list of the name? 」
Part 5
The called female students answered the boy with slightly amazed face.
Just like that, she’s confirming the seating chart that have the name of the student on the teacher desk. The female student who was left is asking the name and the class of the boy with a really interested face.
「I’m back! Sorry for the waiting. Well, shall we goes back then. Let’s meet with Aki and Masato. Oops………. Mail is coming from Satsuki-san」
Thereupon, one boy is coming and calling to Miharu in a friendly manner.
His name is Sendou Takahisa, the brother-in-law of Aki.
When Takahisa entered the classroom, the female students become slightly excited.
The tall and handsome Takahisa has this sociable atmosphere.
That’s why it’s maybe natural for him to be marked by the female students even in the first day of the school.
「Aah, maybe they really are going out after all. That girl and Sendou-kun」
「They’re a match of handsome and beauty right」
「But I’m really jealous of them enrolling in the same school as a lover!」
So and so, the female students have spreading cunning gossip.
Looking at the scene, the boy having a slightly astonished face.
（Eh, AH………….）
Miharu turned pale as she has this unpleasant premonition.
Certainly, they look like pair of lovers when seeing their exchange just now.
Though they’ve promised to return together with Aki and Masato since it’s the entrance ceremony.
Maybe the boy just misunderstood it.
Thereupon, in that place,
「That girl is Ayase-san」
The girl who confirming the seating chart and name list returned and told that to the boy.
「………….. Is that so. Thank you very much」
The boy is telling his gratitude with a slightly awkward smile.
Turning his heel as it is and then, the boy was leaving just one step away from the classroom where Miharu was.
（Y-You’re misunderstanding! S-Stop!）
Though the panicked Miharu’s trying to stop him, her voice won’t come out.
Even when she thinks that it’s possible within this dream, she can’t interfere with the character in this setting.
Since he tried to leave just after asking that, though the female students that was in that place also tried to stop him, the boy just left after saying 「My apologies. I’m in a hurry」.
（That’s a misunderstanding. It’s just a misunderstanding you know. Hey, please! Please stop!）
The boy isn’t stopping his gait despite her plea.
The boy showed an expression as if biting on a bitter bug.
Miharu recalling the tightening feeling on her heart seeing that profile of him.
Thereupon, the scene of the dream changed again.
The current stage was the apartement where the boy is living.
Maybe because he is just moving in, the boy was just lying on his bed while looking at the ceiling with vacant eyes in the room where you can feel someone-living-in.
He’s in this state since sometime ago.
What might he be thinking about.
Everything is unreadable from his absolutely expressionless face.
Miharu was looking at that boy’s situation with a unbearable feeling.
But, maybe because this is in her dream, Miharu forgot about a severe fact. That’s is, despite urging him to approach her at once, he’s been lying in waiting for several days――
How many times I wonder.
The place was changing rapidly.
Just how many days have been passing by.
The boy is having this refreshing expression on his face more than the time when he saw Miharu sometime ago. As if he already made his decision――
It seems that now he’s commuting to the high-school.
The boy is walking toward the school wearing a new school uniform.
Without even stopping after arriving in the school, the boy immediately goes to Miharu’s classroom.
And then he’s looking around the classroom restlessly.
But, it seems that somehow Miharu isn’t coming yet.
After sighing slightly, the boy returned to the classroom.
The scene’s changing just like that. Now was the lunch break. Though the boy’s visiting the classroom again expecting to meet Miharu, as expected, there’s no Miharu.
And then, the setting changing again for several times, in the repeating scene for several times, the boy heard from the student in the class that Miharu have absent from the school.
It seems there’s not even any kind of contact relating to her absent.
Hearing that, the boy looks slightly anxious.
（Could it be――）
Miharu’s face cramped as she has an unpleasant premonition.
（This dream is telling me the story after I lost…………）
Miharu’s assailed by a freezing-like sensation on her spine.
If that’s the case――
She’s scared imagining on what happens later.
No.
I don’t want to see.
I don’t want to see anymore of this.
Seeing this is scary.
But, the dream just mercilessly keeps moving forward.
In a certain day, one part of students including Miharu disappeared, that fact is clarified to the students later.
From the fact that Satsuki was amongst them, since considerable amount of rumors was already running rampant inside of the school, even the school side judged that they can’t hide this fact anymore.
The boy by this point of day almost lost all of his smile.
Though there’s a rumor running rampant in the school that Miharu and co doing whatever they want is the reason they’re absconding the school, the students also lost their interest immediately.
Nothing can be done by the high-school boy but to look for her whereabouts, everyday have passed by like that as he’s worrying endlessly without any outlet.
Miharu can’t even turn her face away from that scene, she just looked at the boy who’s slowly changed by days.
Maybe it’s much better as a comfort if he’s enjoying a happy life after the matter of Miharu absconding.
Though it’s painful to look at him become intimate with the other girls and to just forget her, it’s even more painful see him keep living while chained by her.
（Is this still gonna continue…………..?）
The boy inside her dream―― No, the youth has entered in university of Tokyo.
Somehow, this dream hasn’t ended yet.
Just how long is this dream. This dream which is just like the summarized version of his entire life in digest version――
No one by his side.
Though the youth have received confessions from the girls several times, he keeps rejecting all of them.
Living alone, working part-time, though it seems that he’s spending a fulfilling university life, the youth’s spending his life as if keeping his distance with others.
Even so, he’s helping elderly who is troubled on roadside, helping little girl who’s weeping since she missed her bus stop, his kind nature is in there, Miharu’s somehow driven by a helpless feeling every time she sees him like that.
It’s okay even if she can’t talk properly to him. It’s okay even if you’ve not noticed herself. Despite this is in her own dream, and yet, it’s painful to be on his side.
Miharu resolved herself and decided to look at the way of life of the youth.
Unchanging days keep going on.
She feels this is a truly unreasonably absurd long dream.
The fact that this was a sorrowful story.
The story of him just living aimlessly of whatever agony, despair and frustration is dwelling in him.
She wishes that at least it’ll turn into a happy end.
Without herself. She wishes for the end in the future to give a hint of happiness with the youth tied to someone.
But, Miharu’s wish didn’t come true.
（A…………… A, AAAAH…………….）
The bus where the youth got on met an accident.
The youth died with seemingly a face full of regret.
An instant death―― It was a scenery which made her think of absolutely nothing.
The youth already not retaining his original feature on the place where he sat.
One part of the bus that toppled became dyed red with blood.
（N-No………………….. NO-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!）
Miharu’s screaming in her dream.
「!!!!! 」
Thus she woke up.
「Ha, ha, Ha, haa………………….」
At the same time as she opens her eyes, Miharu heart throbbing loudly, she became slightly hyperventilating.
Her heart’s beating loudly as if it’s about to burst, her pajamas drenched with her sweat.
Her whole body felt cold as if she isn’t a living being.
Her body is trembling non stop.
Miharu’s raising half of her body and pulling the quilt, she was looking intently into the darkness.
「It’s a dream………… Right」
She muttered in a low voice.
Yeah, it’s a dream. This is a dream.
Definitely a dream.
Otherwise, he’s beyond redemption.
That ――
That is, as if――
（Maybe it’s because of me………….. If I stopped crying, he won’t make that kind of promise………….）
Something like a promise during childhood will weather away along with their growth.
Maybe he’s a fool or an abnormal human For him to single-mindedly try to fulfill that promise.
But, both Miharu and the boy was growing properly because of that kind of sweet promise as their foundation.
Miharu kept waiting for the boy, the boy always chasing after Miharu, he keeps chasing after his shadow even after Miharu disappeared――
Maybe, that promise was a curse for the boy.
That time, if Miharu stopped crying, it’ll end with a beautiful separation, and the boy didn’t start talking about that promise.
In that case, the boy didn’t need to live a life tied by that promise.
Miharu thought so.
Right, to the point of making him die an agonizing death――
「Maybe because I’m selfishly saying that…………….」
As she says those words, Miharu burst into tears.
She knows that it’s just a dream.
But, despite it being just a dream――
If that event really happens――
As if suffered from Paranoia, the end of the youth etched deeply into her mind.
「…………… Who?」
The sound of clothes ruffling immediately resounding by her side, Miharu reflexively asked that person’s identity facing the darkness.
As she was certain that person facing in her direction――
「Miharu」
「Ai………………..-Chan? Do you need something? 」
As a result, standing on that place was Aisia.
Maybe because she wears a black one piece, Aisia’s presence became even thinner than usual under the cover of darkness.
Aisia suddenly approached and then brushed her hand on Miharu’s cheek.
Her hand felt cold as if lacking the feeling of life.
But why now.
Miharu is somehow feeling slightly warm in her chest.
She is immediately assailed by the comfortable feeling of drowsiness and she was rapidly losing her consciousness.
「Good night. Miharu」
As if to give her a nice dream now――
Aisia muttered in her ears as Miharu had peacefully fallen asleep.