Chapter 156 Disappearing Contrails
I wish I had some cola and popcorn, or something like that.
I think it's clear why such an out-of-place complaint popped into my head when I looked around.
This was a movie theater.
Rows of folding seats stood neatly in the dark room.
In front of me was a giant screen, and I was sitting right in the middle of the theater.
There was no one else around.
Just a one-person screening.
So, it was easy to realize.
This is a dream.
I didn't think about why or anything.
With my foggy mind, I couldn't think any further.
Even an otter nibbling on a fish would think a bit more than this.
I threw my body and mind onto the seat and stared blankly ahead.
The images on the screen were familiar, but not completely.
It was a continuation of my recent dream.
To put it simply, it was the "what if" route if I hadn't died.
I was the only one watching a story that wasn't really mine.
It made me feel a little shy.
'No, you don't have to bow your head so much. In that situation, it's understandable if there's a misunderstanding... Ah, now I'm feeling down again. This girl has a weak mind.'
But, oh.
This route seems pretty tough.
I watched myself comforting the sad blonde girl and thought it felt like someone else's story.
I was right in the middle of chaos.
The joy of finally getting the "thank you" I wanted.
The shock and confusion of being suddenly restrained because of a misunderstanding.
The mix of confusion and excitement of being taken to a mansion to apologize after desperately explaining the misunderstanding.
Just the 3 of us: the blonde girl from a big financial group, her beautiful black-haired maid, and me, made the situation feel uneasy.
My heart, all tangled up in those feelings, must be a painful rainbow of colors.
'Huh? Not just 'lady' but 'Ourin Yuiri'? Wow, is Ms. Ourin from the Ourin Group? That's amazing... You want me to call you Yuiri? No, that might be a bit much, right? But look, even the maid is giving me a sharp look... Ah, okay, okay, I'll call you Ms. Yuiri! Just don't be so down!'
It's true that I was feeling a bit excited too.
Saving the crisis of a rich lady is the kind of hero stuff that's exclusive to a protagonist like me.
I'm the one who should be grateful, and I'm sure she's eager to fulfill any wish of hers.
Even when caught between her maid and Yuiri, I leaned towards one side pretty easily.
After that, the lady's mood improved and the tea party began.
But we didn't talk about the tea's taste; instead, we chatted about each other.
First off, I don't know a thing about tea.
I didn't even have time to reach for the tea, which was enough to show that Ourin Yuiri comes from a different world.
She must be strictly educated.
She has little knowledge of entertainment and has never even eaten a hamburger.
Her actions are quite restricted, and it seems she ran away from me because she wanted to be free from her suffocation.
Her mother has passed away, and her father is too busy working to pay attention to her.
She's like a bird in a cage, just like in the pictures.
The only one who might open up to her is probably the maid, Yunaan-san, who stands by her side.
Her smiling face, as if a dam had burst, revealed her loneliness.
──I was really happy.
Someone's feelings flowed in like a dream, vivid and bright.
──I've never had such a pleasant conversation with anyone before.
So, I felt proud that I could protect my lonely heart.
──That's why I thought... I want to be with this person more.
That's why I wondered...
Because those words sounded like a confession.
──That must be... a mistake.
Huh?
A mistake?
Dazed, a foolish voice leaks out in a one-way confession, but no answer comes back.
Left with only emotions, time moves on inside the screen.
'Mr. Shou, please come to see me again.'
With that smile, I was sent out the gate.
Someone calls out to stop me, who was about to leave with a sunny face.
It was the maid, Ms. Yunaan, holding a package in one hand.
Under the deep red sunset, which seemed out of this world,
A crimson world visited the silence of the two of us.
'This is for you...'
I tilted my head and opened the package pressed in front of me.
Inside were 5 bundles of bills.
Five million in cash.
Then, without a moment to catch my breath, the words came.
'...Please, from now on, stay away from the young lady.'
Those cruel words hit me hard, crossing the screen barrier and sinking deep into my heart.
Ah...
She really is just a bird trapped in a cage.
Without waiting for my stunned reply, the woman on the small hill disappeared into the building that now seemed nothing but a prison.
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