Volume 3 Chapter 43 Friend
Trouble.
I understood what it referred to, even without a detailed explanation.
Still, Suisen confessed, pouring out his heart in front of me.
"Because of me, Ms. Alium got caught up in something dangerous. Just because I showed my feelings, she became a target for Ms. Sianna and the others. In a way, it's not wrong to say that the wounds she has were caused by me."
Suisen's face darkened, guilt seeping through his expression.
Then, with a self-deprecating smile, he continued in a sad voice that made me feel down.
"After causing so much trouble, to think I could become romantically involved now is just too selfish."
"..."
Since I hadn't actually seen Ms. Alium's condition, I couldn't gauge how deep Suisen's guilt ran.
But looking at his troubled expression, it was easy to imagine that it wasn't just a passing sense of responsibility.
"So, you won't confess to Ms. Alium?"
"Yeah. Since I've hurt Ms. Alium, I don't think I have the right to become her partner."
He looked like he had made up his mind, or rather, like he had completely given up.
Ms. Alium got injured because of this incident.
And it was clearly his responsibility for involving her, so it would be wrong to ignore that and confess.
That's what Suisen seemed to want to say.
"I'm going to the clinic facility afterward. But that's to apologize, not to confess my feelings. I want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Alium for putting her in danger because of my closeness to her... and from now on, I'll stop interacting with her."
Because he caused trouble, he plans to stop seeing her as a way to take responsibility.
He probably doesn't want to involve Ms. Alium in any more misfortune.
It's hard to say that similar incidents won't happen again, and Suisen has had his own troubles with romantic entanglements before.
Suisen's expression was clouded with guilt as he confessed to me.
"..."
I understood his feelings.
But I couldn't say it lightly, as I didn't have much experience in love myself.
Wanting to be together with someone you like isn't such a simple matter.
So I couldn't give specific advice, and I had no idea what the right thing to do was.
But at least...
"Suisen, is that really okay?"
"Eh?"
"Are you really going to shut away your feelings and stop all contact with Ms. Alium from now on? Do you really think that will be a way to make up for what you did to her?"
I could confidently say that Suisen's thinking was wrong, even as someone like me.
He thought that because he caused trouble, he should cut off contact to prevent anything similar from happening again? Some might say that's the right thing to do, but...
"I've caused her so much trouble. I shouldn't want to see her face at all. And to think about becoming a couple and standing next to her is just too much..."
That wasn't like Suisen at all.
The confident, devoted, and straightforward Suisen Pride I knew would...
If he truly cared for Ms. Alium, he would surely say something like this.
I suppressed my embarrassment and mimicked his silver hair, brushing it back.
"'Because you've caused trouble, you will make Ms. Alium happy!'."
"R-Roezé...?"
"You hurt her. You put her in danger. So, you should give her even more happiness in return. That would be the true way to make up for it, right? You should give Ms. Alium an immense happiness that makes her forget this whole incident. The Suisen Pride I know would definitely make that decision."
"..."
When I confidently said that, Suisen's eyes widened in surprise.
It seemed he was more shocked by my unexpected suggestion than by my poor imitation of him.
Sure, it wasn't similar, and it didn't really suit him.
But putting that aside, I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment and said something that just came to me.
"First of all, it was Sianna and the others who caused the trouble, not you, Suisen. So there's no need for you to feel guilty about it."
"Y-Yeah, but if I hadn't liked Ms. Alium, this wouldn't have happened. I don't want to drag her into anything like this again, and I think it's better to just bury these feelings for her sake..."
"...Oh, come on."
Feeling the familiar frustration, I scratched my head and stood up.
"Then I'm going to ask her directly."
"W-Wait, directly...?"
"I'm going to ask Ms. Alium if she thinks you're a bother. After all, it's up to her to decide, so us talking about it here is pointless."
We can't know if it would be a bother to her unless we ask her directly.
If she rejects him, then he can give up gracefully, and if she forgives him, then he can confess his feelings at that time.
It's not complicated at all.
"Besides, isn't it a bit of an old habit for you to jump to bad conclusions based on assumptions? Anyway, stop dragging this out and let's go!"
"R-Roezé...!?"
Suisen still looked troubled, but I forcibly pulled him out of the Nurturer.
* * *
As we rushed out of the Nurturer and headed toward the clinic facility where Ms. Alium was, it seemed like Suisen had finally come to terms with it.
He decided to confess everything to Ms. Alium.
If she forgave him for this incident, he would confess his feelings then.
He was already feeling nervous, quietly taking deep breaths.
To ease the tension a bit, Suisen suddenly asked me.
"By the way, Roezé, do you have someone you like?"
"Eh?"
"Since I've been getting so much help with my love troubles, I thought maybe I could help you out in that area too. If you have someone you like, I'd love to assist you."
Someone I like, huh?
I thought about it for a moment, but no one came to mind right away.
Honestly, I'm not really in the mood for a relationship right now.
If I looked around with a romantic perspective, there might be someone attractive nearby, but...
"Well, I don't think I have anyone I like right now. I'm kind of overwhelmed with real-life stuff, so I don't really have time for romance..."
"Speaking of which, I heard that Nurturer has started to gain some recognition recently, and the number of customers is increasing. That's great, but I still wanted to repay you somehow in a romantic way."
"Uh, sorry about that... But honestly, if you helped me, I'd be worried that the person I like might end up being more interested in you, Suisen."
Suisen is good-looking.
He has a great figure.
I can confidently say that I have no chance against him if he just stays quiet.
If I got help from someone like Suisen, it wouldn't be surprising if my crush's interest shifted to him without me even realizing it.
When I voiced this concern, Suisen tossed his blonde hair back and said happily,
"Well! It's not an exaggeration to say I'm the most beautiful man on the planet! There are definitely many who would be drawn to the elegance of Suisen Pride!"
"...It actually seems like that could happen, so I can't really argue."
In reality, asking Suisen for romantic help comes with its own risks.
I'm already plain compared to him, and I don't have any particularly interesting stories to share.
Just as I was starting to think like the less confident Suisen from before, I suddenly heard some encouraging words.
"Still, I think you're pretty charming, Roezé."
"Wait, me? I don't think there's anything about me that's particularly attractive..."
"That's not true. You might not realize it, but you're kind, caring, and you know how to call out the bad parts when needed. You have a lot of inner charm."
"..."
I was taken aback by the unexpected compliment.
As I hesitated on how to respond, Suisen placed a hand on his chest and continued.
"Attraction isn't just about looks. I believe inner charm is more important. You can always dress up your appearance, but your true self will show through in moments. In that sense, I think Roezé is attractive. So, if I were born as a woman and met you..."
"...You're not saying you would have liked me or something creepy, right?"
"No! But I would have definitely fallen for Ms. Alium!"
"...The flow of this conversation is too strange."
Being devoted is a good thing, but as I thought that and felt a bit exasperated, Suisen threw another unexpected comment my way.
"I really want to meet Roezé again, as a 'friend.' That's what I thought."
"...Is that so?"
It felt both nice and a bit embarrassing.
Hearing something so candid made me feel a mix of emotions.
While we were talking, I realized we had arrived in front of the clinic facility in the West District.
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