Chapter 134 – Gifts
I walk along the street where the sunset is setting with my troops.
The way back to the unit was oddly light. Karen looked through the window of a store that appeared on the way.
Karen’s face reflected in her glass window was red even though she said she was mixed with the sunset light.
It has to be.
Embarrassment and shame. Still, something warm from her permeated her whole body, and it felt like the inside of her chest was full. She couldn’t control her blushing with those emotions.
I never thought that you, Tohru, would give her a hairpin as a gift. She actually wore some of her hairpins when she was younger, but since she entered the institution, she deliberately took them off.
That’s partly because she wasn’t interested in Karen’s dressing up, but because she remembered her tight institutional life, her hairpin was just a cumbersome accessory.
But···. She didn’t look too bad when she put her hairpin in her hair for the first time in a while.
Karen really liked her hairpin in the shape of a four-leaf clover that Netoru put on herself.
It was a pretty hairpin even for Karen to see.
Okay···. It’s really pretty…
─It’s pretty
But what did she mean when she just said she was pretty?
Is it simply that hairpins are pretty?
Or is it that I look pretty with a hairpin?
I’m curious.
Karen, frustrated with the questions that had been running through her head since earlier, glanced beside her as she walked.
Netoru was just quietly walking next to Karen with her sullen face. I’m dying of frustration because I’m curious about what she meant by what she just said, but she’s dissatisfied with her calm appearance.
What. This.
If you’re going to tell me, I’ll tell you straight. I’m just curious
But she couldn’t bear to ask directly. How could I ask Netoru something like that directly? Then, in case I’m misunderstanding…
Then it just makes me look weird.
In her frustration, Karen kicked a rock on her floor.
Before long, she began to rush… The rolling stones disappeared into the corner of the alleyway. That look reminded me of Karen who was not honest.
It was when Karen was groaning inside her with such an inexplicable feeling.
“Huh… Did something like that happen?”
“Okay! If it wasn’t for us, it would be very dangerous!”
In front of Karen, Rin was explaining to Ran what happened today. Listening to that story, it seems like there were quite a lot of ups and downs in half a day.
In order to save the pickpocket boy, Rin and Netoru fought over a dozen homeless people. Besides, she said she was carrying a weapon.
It was a surprise to her as she had been waiting for it, thinking it would be okay. How could the pursuit of the pickpocket boy be connected like that?
No matter how holy a cavalry pilot it was, it couldn’t be easy to fight with more than a dozen people.
If you look closely, Rin’s knee is scarred, probably because of that fight. Probably the wounds from fighting with her bums. She must have been in a rather dangerous situation.
Looking at that, now I’m worried again. Because Netoru was a guy who overworked himself unnecessarily.
So Karen slowly closed her distance and she tugged at the collar of his sleeve.
“Why?”
Then he slightly turned his head and tilted his head.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but Netoru’s face, dyed in the color of the sunset, looked calmer than usual.
Dark eyes… But warm eyes.
Is that why? Karen stared blankly at Netoru. At that moment, her eyes only contained the image of Netoru.
After Karen didn’t say anything for a long time, Netoru spoke up for her first.
“Karen. Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“Uh···. Huh? That, right.”
Karen, who had come to her senses belatedly, nodded her head hastily. Why am I like this now Karen blamed herself inside her, and she cleared her throat once before speaking her words out in a controlled voice.
“…Netoru. Are you not hurt He said he had a fight with the bums today. Didn’t you get hit with a knife somewhere?”
“I did fight… It wasn’t such a big deal, so don’t worry too much.”
“Even if I tell you not to worry… Rin looks a bit injured?”
“…What, he said he was hurt? Ah···. Are you talking about skinned knees?”
Netoru tilted her head for a moment, then a mischievous smile formed on her lips as if she had heard something interesting.
She is a far cry from the gentle expression she used to show.
In a way, that smirk was the true face of Netoru that Karen knew.
Thanks to that, Karen felt a bit regretful.
Netoru, who had a soft expression on her face just like before, wasn’t bad either.
Netoru, who didn’t know what Karen was thinking, said with a snort.
“Karen. That’s just…”
“Kyaaaaa! Stop! Stop! Get there!”
It was just as Netoru was about to say something. Rin, who had just been talking to Ran, interrupted her in a hurry.
She jumped up and down with her small body and closed the mouth of the four toru with her two hands as if hanging on.
“Who, Yellowy… Is that a secret? Yes?”
“… Uh huh?”
At Rin’s words, Netoru tilted his head crookedly.
Her mouth is blocked so she can’t speak, but I feel like I’m telling her why.
Then she cried out as if Rin was embarrassed, blushing and closing her eyes tightly.
“… Uh, anyway, it’s a secret! You don’t have to say that! Why the hell are you doing this to me!”
“Pua… I just want to say more…”
“Because I can’t… I won’t stay silent if you tell me…!”
“·······”
What else is this Karen watched the two bicker and her eyes lit up in interest. These two were an unexpected combination.
I don’t know why, but it seems that the two of them have become quite close. Maybe they got along better while catching the pickpocket?
Anyway, judging from Rin’s intense reaction, it must have been something she was ashamed of.
This makes me even more curious. Lynn is Karen’s best friend. That’s why she wanted to be tormented even more.
Karen tugged at the hem of Netoru’s clothes, she asked.
“···What. What happened to her? Netoru, let me know too.”
“Oh, no! Karen, don’t try to find out!”
“Lynn. Is it something to keep secret? A person will accidentally fall…”
“Yellow, please stay still!”
Rin cries and slaps Netoru’s body.
Netoru, who had hit her chest several times with her right hand, looked at Rin with a frown on her eyes.
It’s not painful, it just looks ridiculous.
Before long, Netoru, who couldn’t stand it, took action.
“Ahhh? Now, hold on…!”
Toru, who had been punching her in the chest with her fists, grabbed Rin by her arms and lifted her up. Then, Rin said, “Aaaaa” Rin was lifted up like a doll.
“Let go, let go…”
Is it because it’s light? The figure of Rin swaying in the air was quite cute.
At the sight of the two, Karen as well as Ran, who was watching from her side, burst into laughter.
Sunset street.
As I was walking along the streets immersed in silence with the troops, a pleasant wind was blowing at just the right time.
Karen smiled softly as she was arranging her hair with a hairpin that Toru had given her as a gift.
It’s kind of fun. I don’t like this atmosphere.
Netorudo, Rindo, Lando, Natsuo… Other troop members as well.
I hope we can all continue to have fun like this in the future. That was what Karen was thinking to herself.
“·······”
Suddenly, Karen’s eyes met Natsuo’s. Natsuo immediately turned her head in surprise, but Karen did not turn her head and looked at Natsuo.
And as she looked, she had something she hadn’t said to Natsuo yet.
So Karen, standing next to Natsuo, slightly pushed her body in front of her and said with a smile.
“Natsuo. Thank you for the gift.”
Are you surprised by the sudden arrival? Natsuo smiled at her, scratching the back of her head as she flinched.
“Ah···. What···. It’s your birthday, so of course you should prepare. Didn’t you give me a present for my birthday too?”
“Whoops… Are you keeping the one I gave you?”
“Of course!”
Natsuo vigorously nodded her head. From the viewer’s point of view, it was an exaggerated reaction.
I thought I had no power, but I must have been mistaken. Seeing this, it was the usual Natsuo.
“Natsuo. I think it was good that I followed you today.”
“Okay···? Fortunately, it looks like you enjoyed it.”
“Huh.”
Karen nodded her head, her smile still on her face. Even so, she took out the box she had just received from Natsuo and looked at it.
Originally, she was going to open the box immediately from her receiving seat…
It’s all because of Netoru.
She forgot about the present from Natsuo for a moment because the guy came out of nowhere and put her hairpin on it.
As Karen tried to check the gift she had just received, Natsuo made a puzzled face.
“Now, wait a minute… Karen. Would you like to check that now?”
“Huh? But why?”
“That, that’s…”
What is it Natsuo’s expression turned strange. She looked like she was embarrassed about something.
Before long, Natsuo clenched her fist as if he had made up his mind,
She said in a low voice.
“···Nothing. Check it.”
“Huh.”
What are you doing? Karen checked the gift box she had received from Natsuo.
And Karen inadvertently let out an ah.
“·······”
Inside the gift box was her hairpin.
Only then did Karen understand Natsuo’s reaction just before her.
* * *
All the way through, Karen looked excited. While she glanced furtively at Netoru, blushing,
Suddenly, out of nowhere, she patted a small pebble on her sidewalk, which she blamed herself for being shy.
Normal people would wonder why that child was acting like that, but in Natsuo’s eyes, that was a girl who couldn’t control her emotions.
No, she didn’t notice and there was nothing to do.
-Anyway, don’t you know? That girl’s body and mind already belonged to Netoru.
“·······”
Okay. I knew. But···.
Still, before going on a mission, you can engrave at least a trace of yourself on a child you like, right?
I didn’t want anything big either.
It was enough just to wear what I gave you as a present on your head during the mission. So Natsuo tried to pin her hairpin directly to Karen.
─It’s pretty
But even that role was stolen by Netoru. As if mocking Natsuo, right in front of her eyes. Obviously, this side gave the gift first, but the player was taken away.
At that moment, Natsuo couldn’t do anything.
He just stared at Karen in embarrassment as he looked at Netoru’s face.
In the end, even Natsuo’s small wish was broken.
It tastes like blood. Natsuo bit his lip hard.
Even at that moment, the image of Karen running through her hair with the hairpin Netoru gave him was still floating in his mind.
Happy face.
And···. Karen’s face I’ve never seen before.
On the way back to the unit, it was so lovely to see him fawning on Netoru while pretending to be worried about him while pulling his sleeve collar on the street. When had Karen ever flirted with a man like that?
That made me even more angry.
Why didn’t Karen’s eyes turn to me?
I should have been in that position originally.
Netoru, I am not that man.
No matter how much I tried to put up with it, the strong anger and resentment showed no signs of fading.
I wish there were no people like Netoru.
I wished that a man like that hadn’t come to Unit 393 from the beginning…
Then I wouldn’t have lost the child I love so miserably.
He’s taking everything from me.
Become the existence that embodies the ideal I wished for.
─Are you still worried?
“·······”
—What do you think you have more to lose here? Just accept my offer.
It’s the devil’s temptation
But···. Why?
Natsuo couldn’t help but feel a sense of rejection at his suggestion.
